JPH06234259A - Data processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately and rapidly check printing inferiority without relying on visual observation by informing the printing inferiority of a printer when it is judged that the printing data of a printing pattern does not coincide with the read data of the printing pattern read by a hand scanner. CONSTITUTION:A data processing device is equipped with a hand scanner 6 reading a symbol mark such as a bar code and a printer 12 outputting various data to a long recording medium. In this case, the hand scanner 6 is held by a scanner holder 5 to oppose the reading part 6a of the hand scanner 6 to the transfer route 13 of the printed recording medium. A CPU performs control so as to perform the printing of a preliminarily stored pattern by the printer 12. Further, it is judged whether or not the printing data of the printing data coincides with the read data of the printing pattern read by the hand scanner 6. In the case of non-coincidence, the printing inferiority of the printer 12 is informed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a hand scanner for reading a symbol mark such as a bar code, such as an electronic cash register, and a printer for printing out various information on a long recording medium. The present invention relates to an information processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of conventional technology will be described using an electronic cash register. As is well known, this electronic cash register is used for settlement of products in shops and the like. In recent years, this electronic cash register is designed to input various information by reading a bar code. For example, in the case of the unit price of a product, if you read and enter the barcode printed or affixed to the product,
Based on the code, various information such as the unit price of the product is extracted from the product file and input processing is performed. Here, a scanner is used for reading and inputting the bar code, and this scanner includes a hand scanner that a cashier holds and uses. This hand scanner is connected to a main body of an electronic cash register with a flexible code, and holds the gripping part by hand to read the bar code by bringing the reading part close to the bar code to be read. In general, the hand scanner is placed on a holder formed on the upper surface of the electronic cash register main body when not in use.

In this electronic cash register, when various kinds of information are input with a keyboard, a hand scanner or the like, product registration is performed based on this information and the product name and unit price are displayed on the display. Further, the displayed information is printed on the continuous paper by the receipt printer and issued as a receipt from the receipt issuing port, and further printed on the continuous paper by the journal printer and stored as a journal.

[0004]

Here, in the above-mentioned receipt printer or journal printer, a defective pixel or a defective printing such as no printing may occur due to a failure of the head, a failure of the control system, or the like. For this reason, it is necessary to visually check the printing defects before starting work. However, it is very difficult to find fine pixel dropouts by visual confirmation, and there is a problem that it is inefficient and inaccurate at the same time.

[0005]

In an information processing apparatus including a hand scanner for reading a symbol mark such as a bar code and a printer for printing out various information on a long recording medium, a reading unit of the hand scanner. A scanner holder for holding the hand scanner by facing the conveyance path of the recording medium printed by the printer, a pattern printing unit for printing a print pattern stored in advance by the printer, and the pattern. Judgment means for judging whether or not the print data of the print pattern printed by the printing means and the read data of the print pattern read by the hand scanner held by the scanner holder match, and these judgment means Means for notifying that the printer is defective in printing when it is determined that the data does not match. With was.

[0006]

When the hand scanner is held by the scanner holder for printing, the print pattern on the recording medium printed by the printer is read by the hand scanner. The determination unit determines whether the read data of the print pattern read by the hand scanner matches the print data of the print pattern. Here, if there is a printing defect such as missing pixels on the recording medium, these data do not match, so this is judged by the judging means, and the notifying means notifies the printing defect.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is applied to an electronic cash register, and the electronic cash register 1 is, as shown in FIG. 2, externally, a journal confirmation window 3 and a receipt issuing port on the left rear part of the upper surface of the main body housing 2. Four
Is formed, and a concave scanner holder 5 is formed in front of the receipt issuing port 4.
The hand scanner 6 is detachably held. Further, in this electronic cash register 1, a drawer 7 is integrally formed on the bottom of the main body housing 2, and a keyboard 8, a mode key 9, a display 10 and the like are provided on the upper surface thereof. Here, in this electronic cash register 1, a print check window 11 is formed on the bottom surface of the scanner holder 5 as shown in FIG. 1, and the hand scanner 6 can be seen through the print check window 11.
The reading section 6a of the above is opposed to the receipt transport path 13 from the receipt printer 12 to the receipt issuing port 4.

Then, this electronic cash register 1
In terms of a circuit, as shown in FIG. 3, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 15 in which various information is fixedly stored in advance in a CPU 14 that executes various information processing, and a RAM in which various information is variably temporarily stored (Random Access Memory) 16, print controller 1 to which the receipt printer 12 is connected
7, a printer controller 19 to which the journal printer 18 is connected, a keyboard controller 21 to which the keyboard 20 for operating and inputting various information is connected, a display controller 22 to which the display 10 for displaying and outputting various information is connected, and a bar code Scanner controller 2 to which the hand scanner 6 for reading and input is connected
3, and an external interface 24 connected to an external device is connected by a bus. The printers 12 and 13 are line thermal printers having a line thermal head composed of a plurality of heating elements arranged in a line in the paper feeding direction.

The electronic cash register 1 is provided with an operation mode in which the receipt printer 12 is tested. In the printer test mode, the receipt printer 12 is tested to check for missing pixels. It is like this.

In this structure, in the electronic cash register 1, when various kinds of information is input with the keyboard 20 or the hand scanner 6, the information is edited and displayed on the display 10, and the edited information is further displayed. Is printed on the continuous paper by the receipt printer 12 and issued as a receipt 25 which is a recording medium from the receipt issuing port 4, and is printed on the continuous paper by the journal printer 18 and stored as a journal.

In this electronic cash register 1, when the hand scanner 6 is placed on the scanner holder 5, the reading unit 6a of the hand scanner 6 causes the print check window 1 to move.
The receipt conveyance path 13 is opposed to the receipt conveyance path 13 as viewed from 1. Therefore, when the hand scanner 6 is placed on the scanner holder 5, the information on the receipt 25 printed by the receipt printer 12 is read by the hand scanner 6. However, in this electronic cash register 1, the contents normally printed by the receipt printer 12 are numbers, characters, etc., and the electronic cash register 1 judges them as meaningless information and reads and inputs them as bar code information. There is no such thing.

When the operation mode of the electronic cash register 1 is set to the printer test mode, the receipt printer 12 prints a predetermined print pattern and the read data read by the hand scanner 6 as described above and the above-mentioned read data. It becomes possible to judge whether or not the print data of the print pattern matches. That is, if these data match, the print function of the receipt printer 12 is normal, and if they do not match, there is a print defect such as pixel omission. C in such a printer test mode
The processing operation of the PU 14 will be described in detail from the selection of the operation mode based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, it is judged whether or not the mode key 9 is set to the test mode (step 1), and if it is not set, the process is moved to another operation mode (step 2) and the test mode is set. If so, the key input is judged. In this embodiment, the printer test mode is selected by inputting the clear key. Therefore, it is determined whether the clear key has been input (step 3). If the clear key has not been input, another The processing is shifted to the test mode (step 4), and if the clear key is input, the printer test mode processing is performed. In this printer test mode, the CPU 14 that operates as a pattern printing unit based on step 5 first executes RA.
The print data of the print pattern stored in advance in M16 is called, and this print data is transferred to the receipt printer 1.
It is set to 2 and printed. This print pattern may be an arbitrary pattern, but it is desirable to determine an appropriate pattern from the viewpoint of checking print defects of the printer. Then, when the receipt 25 on which the print pattern is printed reaches the print check window 11, the paper feed is stopped (the feed amount is preset. Step 6), and the hand scanner 6 prints on the receipt 25. The print pattern present is read (step 7). Although the print pattern can be read without stopping the paper feeding, it is desirable to stop the paper feeding before reading the print pattern in order to eliminate the influence of the vibration of the receipt 25 or the like caused by the paper feeding. Then, based on step 8, the CPU 14, which operates as a judgment means, judges whether or not the print data stored in the RAM 16 and the read data of the print pattern read by the hand scanner 6 match (step 8). . Here, in general, the number of CCDs in the CCD (Charge Coupled Device) array of the hand scanner 6 does not match the number of pixels printed in the receipt printer 12, and the number of CCDs in the CCD array is smaller, but the pixels in the receipt printer 12 are smaller. Even if the missing portion is less than one CCD, it can be judged from the decrease in the output of the CCD. Then, if the data match, the process returns, and if they do not match, the CPU 14 acting as the notification means based on step 9 displays a warning on the display 10.

By doing so, the electronic cash register 1 can be checked for defective printing of the receipt printer 12.

The print pattern does not necessarily have to be a pattern and may be entirely black. In this case, it is determined whether or not the print data and the read data match by setting the maximum brightness value in advance and comparing the maximum brightness value and the output of each CCD that constitutes the hand scanner 6 one by one. can do. That is, the means for comparing the set maximum brightness value with the output of the CCD serves as a determining means for determining whether the print data and the read data match. Further, although the print check window 11 is provided in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reading unit 6a of the hand scanner 6 may be directly opposed to the receipt issuing port 4. When the reading unit 6a of the hand scanner 6 is directly opposed to the receipt issuing port 4 as described above, the receipt cutter 25 is programmed so as not to drive the automatic cutter that cuts the receipt 25 in the printer test mode. It is desirable not to separate it. In this way, noise due to instability of the receipt 25 can be removed, and it becomes possible to more accurately detect missing pixels. Further, in this embodiment, the receipt printer 12
However, the same can be applied to the journal printer 18 as well. Further, although the present embodiment is applied to the electronic cash register 1, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, a device such as a label printer having a hand scanner and a printer can be widely applied.

[0016]

As described above, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus comprising a hand scanner for reading a symbol mark such as a bar code and a printer for printing out various information on a long recording medium, in which the hand A scanner holder that holds a hand scanner by making a reading unit of the scanner face a conveyance path of the recording medium printed by the printer, and a pattern printing unit that prints a print pattern stored in advance in the printer. And a judgment means for judging whether or not the print data of the print pattern printed by the pattern printing means and the read data of the print pattern read by the hand scanner held by the scanner holder match. If the determination means determines that the data do not match, a notification is sent to inform the printer that printing has failed. Since it is equipped with a means, the print pattern is read by the hand scanner, it is judged whether the read data and the print data of the print pattern printed by the printer match, and the printer is notified of the print failure from this result. Therefore, it becomes possible to check the printing failure of the printer accurately and quickly without visual inspection, and moreover, it is possible to reduce the cost because no special sensor is required. Have an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a scanner holder unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an electronic cash register.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a printer test mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Scanner Holder 6 Hand Scanner 6a Reader 12 Printer 13 Conveyance Path 14 Pattern Printing Means, Judgment Means, Notification Means 25 Recording Medium

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus comprising a hand scanner for reading a symbol mark such as a barcode and a printer for printing out various information on a long recording medium,
A scanner holder that holds the hand scanner by causing the reading unit of the hand scanner to face the conveyance path of the recording medium printed by the printer, and a pattern for printing a print pattern stored in advance by the printer. Printing means, and a judgment means for judging whether or not the print data of the print pattern printed by the pattern printing means and the read data of the print pattern read by the hand scanner held by the scanner holder match. An information processing apparatus comprising: a notification unit for notifying a print defect of the printer when the determination unit determines that the data do not match.