JPH0428231B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] 〓Industrial application field〓 The present invention relates to a multicolor printing device.

〓Conventional technology〓 In a monochrome printing device whose main scanning direction is unidirectional, printing data is stored in a buffer,
On the other hand, data is read from this buffer in the order in which it is stored, and printing is performed by driving the print head in accordance with the read print data. When data reading for one print line is completed and a carriage return code is read out, the print head is returned and line feed is performed.

Next, an example will be described in which such a print head driving method is applied to a multicolor printing device whose main scanning direction is unidirectional, for example, a device which performs color printing using yellow, magenta, and cyan printing colors.

First, to explain the configuration, in FIG.
A printing head 53 is fixed to the carriage 52 of the printer. Print head 53
, three first to third printing parts 53a to 53c are arranged in a row in a direction (sub-scanning direction) perpendicular to the axial direction (main scanning direction) of the guide shaft 51, and each of the printing parts The portions 53a to 53c have a predetermined number (9×
(9 in 7-dot matrix) heating elements 54
A predetermined number of heating elements 54 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction. The ink ribbon 55 is disposed in front of the print head 53 along the guide shaft 51, and prints one print color band each of yellow, magenta, and cyan from bottom to top in a direction perpendicular to the print line direction. It is arranged and configured with a width D corresponding to a line. The printing color bands 55a to 55c are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the first to third printing parts 53a to 53c, respectively, and the yellow printing color band 55a corresponds to the first printing part 53a. , the magenta printing color band 55b is the second printing part 53b, and the cyan printing color band 55c is the third printing part 53b.
These correspond to the printing portions 53c, respectively. The recording paper 56 is disposed in front of the ink ribbon 55, and is sequentially fed upward by a width D corresponding to the printing line by a paper feeding device (not shown). Next, the action will be explained.

When main scanning and sub-scanning are performed based on each print color data of yellow, magenta, and cyan, the first
~Each heating element 54 of the third printing section 53a to 53c
Accordingly, each printing color of each printing band 55a to 55c is thermally transferred to each corresponding line (3 lines at the same time) of the recording paper 56 separately. Therefore, one line of multicolor printing is performed by thermally transferring yellow, and one printing. Paper feed by line (width D),
The process is completed in one cycle: magenta thermal transfer, paper feed for one print line, and cyan thermal transfer.

In this cycle, if we focus on a certain line,
It can be seen that yellow is printed first, then magenta, and finally cyan.

〓Problems to be Solved by the Invention〓 However, when the carriage return code and line feed code are read out, regardless of the length of one printed line, the carriage return code,
At the time the line feed code is read out, carriage return and line feed are performed. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG.
If the amount of stored data is not constant, that is, if one print line is not constant, there is a problem in that the carriage return is performed without printing based on the yellow data indicated by diagonal lines in the figure. .

<Means for Solving the Problems> The multicolor printing device according to the present invention includes a plurality of print heads and data storage means provided corresponding to the number of print heads and temporarily storing print color data. , a data reading means for reading out print color data from this, a print head drive means for driving the print head based on the read print color data, and a moving means for moving the print head, and the storage means The number of columns for one print line for each print color is counted by the column counting means from the print color data stored in the print color data, and the maximum number of columns among the counted columns is determined by the maximum column number acquisition means, and the maximum number of columns determined is After the print head is continuously moved in the main scanning direction by the moving means, the control means controls the print head to return, so that multi-color printing can be performed even when one print line printed by each print color is not constant. I have to.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 53, 53a, 53b, 53c are
Shows the same parts as the figure. 1 is a host computer. 2 is a multicolor printing device, and a data receiving section 21 receives print data from the host computer 1.
Then, the received print data is stored in buffer memories 22a to 22c (data storage means) according to the color code.
a data selector 23 for selecting one of the
and drivers (print head driving means) 24a to 24c that individually drive the first to third printing units 53a to 53c based on the print data stored in the buffer memories 22a to 22c, and move the print head 53. Carriage motor (transportation means)
25, a column register (column counting means) 26 for counting the number of columns for one print line from the print color data stored in the buffer memories 22a to 22c, respectively, and a column register (column counting means) 26 for counting the maximum number of columns among the counted number of columns. A printer control unit (maximum column acquisition means, data (reading means, control means) 27, a register 28 for storing the maximum number of columns, and a feed motor 2 for line feed.
It consists of 9.

Next, the operation will be explained based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It is now assumed that print color data in the frame format shown in FIG. 2 is input from the host computer 1 to the data receiving section 21 of the multicolor printing device 2 (STEP-1). Then, according to the control code,
The data receiving section 21 selects the data selector 2.
3 is driven, and by this data selector 23,
First, the Y buffer memory 22c is selected according to the color code (yellow) (STEP-3~
6). Then, the yellow printing color data is stored in the selected Y buffer memory 22c by the printer control unit 27 in the order in which it is received, with one frame up to the frame end code (STEP-7 to STEP-9). At this time, column register 2
6, column counting is performed (STEP-
Ten).

Then, the magenta print color data and the cyan print color data are stored in the M buffer memories 22b and C, respectively, in the same manner as the yellow print color data.
Stored in buffer memory 22c (STEP-11
~13, STEP−15~17).

In the same manner as when yellow print data is stored in the buffer memory, the number of columns to be printed is counted by the column register 26 based on the magenta and cyan print data (STEP-
14, 18).

Then, the printer control unit 27 outputs the data END
When the code determines the end of reception of one data block consisting of three frames (STEP-4),
Find the maximum number of columns (=m) among the number of columns counted by the column register (STEP-
19) At the same time, start printing.

When printing, first, each buffer memory 22a
The print color data is read out from 22c and stored in each driver 24a to 24c, and then the print units 53a to 53c are controlled to generate heat by each driver 24a to 24c based on the print color data (STEP
−20 to 26). When printing of one column is completed, 1 is subtracted from the set column number in the register 28 each time printing is completed (STEP-27), and 1 is similarly subtracted from the column register 26 (STEP-27).
27). Then, when the column register 26 becomes zero (STEP-34), the head corresponding to the register that became zero is released (STEP-28 to 33), and when the register 28 becomes zero (STEP-34), the printer control The carriage is returned and the feed motor 29 performs line feed. Thereafter, the above operations are repeated to perform multicolor printing.

<Effects of the Invention> Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, it has the effect that multi-color printing can be performed even when one printing line printed by each printing color is not constant.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a print data block format, FIGS. 3 and 4 are operation flowcharts, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the printing section of the print head shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the printing color band on the ink ribbon, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the amount of data stored in the buffer. shows. In the figure, 22a to 22c are C, M, and Y buffer memories, 24a to 24c are drivers, 25 is a carriage motor, 26 is a column register, and 27
53 is a printer control unit, and 53 is a print head.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of print heads, data storage means for temporarily storing print color data provided corresponding to the number of print heads, data read means for reading out the stored print color data, and read out print color data. A multicolor printing device comprising print head driving means for driving each of the print heads based on color data, and a moving means for moving the print head, wherein the multicolor printing apparatus includes a print head driving means for driving each of the print heads based on color data, and a moving means for moving the print head, wherein the multicolor printing apparatus A column counting means for counting the number of columns for one print line, a maximum column number obtaining means for obtaining the maximum number of columns among the counted columns, and a print head for continuously moving the print head in the main scanning direction by the maximum number of columns. , and control means for controlling the moving means so as to return after that.