JPH07186465A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To select desired one from a plurality of character sets even if a complicated command and a panel operation are not familiar by selecting the character set of an image read by a scanner. CONSTITUTION:The printer comprises an OCR reader 27 for reading image information to identify a character set, and a CPU 22 for so controlling as to selectively output the identified set from a font ROM 23.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of printing using a plurality of character sets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are many printing apparatuses that have a plurality of character sets in a main body or a cartridge and can perform printing by properly using various character sets. When using such a printing apparatus, means for selecting a character set include a method of transmitting a character set selection command from the host computer and a method of operating a switch on the printing apparatus.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional method of transmitting the character set selection comaton from the host computer requires a high degree of knowledge regarding the printing device control commands, and it is difficult for the end user to do this. Is. Generally, an application program on the host computer generates a character set creation command. In order for the application program to generate the character set selection command, it is necessary to know what character set the printer has when the application program is created (developed). However, character sets are often removable R
Since the application program is supplied by the OM card, it is difficult for the application program to correspond to the character set card created after the development of the application program.

Further, it is necessary to be proficient in switch operation also in character set selection by a method of operating a switch in a printing device, and a plurality of character sets are stored in a removable ROM card. It is difficult to say that it is particularly easy when you are there.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a storage means for storing a plurality of character sets for generating a character pattern, a scanner for reading image information,
It has a character set identifying means for identifying a character set of the image information read by the scanner, and a selecting means for selecting the identified character set as a printing character set.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a host computer that transmits data to the printing apparatus, 2 is the printing apparatus main body, 21 is a reception buffer that temporarily stores the data transmitted from the host computer, and 22 is a C that controls the printing apparatus 2.
It is a PU and controls according to a control program stored in the ROM 24. Reference numeral 23 is a font ROM in which n kinds of character sets are stored, 24 is a ROM (read only memory) in which a program for processing of a flowchart described later, which is executed by the CPU, is stored, and 25 is a work memory for executing the program. Used as R
AM (random access memory), 26 is a panel switch for inputting an instruction for outputting a font list described later and reading characters by an OCR reader,
27 is an OCR reader equipped with scanning.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the font list output from the output unit 28 by reading out some sample characters of various fonts from the font ROM 23 according to the font list output instructing device of the panel switch 26. Print samples of n character sets stored in the font ROM 23 are printed.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of processing of the printing apparatus according to the present invention. When the power of the printing device 2 is turned on, first, in step s1, it is determined whether or not the font list output switch is pressed by the panel switch 26 or the signal of the switch being pressed is input. If it is determined that the button has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step 3. When it is determined that the switch is pressed, the process proceeds to step s2, the sample font is read from the font ROM 23, and the font list shown in FIG. 2 is output. After this, the user cuts out the desired font in the font list and installs it in the OCR reader, and reads any character on the font list using the OCR reader. In step s3, the OCR reader reads the characters on the font list. It is determined whether or not it has been taken. If it has been read, the process proceeds to step s4, and the printing apparatus identifies which character set on the font list has been read. Next, in step s5, the character set is changed to the character set R.
Select from OM23. If the character set has not been read in step s3, this processing is exited without selecting the character set.

As a method of selecting a desired font, the OCR reader is provided with a specified range identification function capable of identifying a surrounding line or a colored area, so that the desired font in the font list is surrounded by a line or colored and then OCR is performed. It is also possible to have the reader read it. By using such a specified range identification function, it is easy to judge the specified font type from the coordinates of the specified range by storing the font development position when creating the font list.

In the present embodiment, all the character sets are stored in the font ROM 23, but they may be stored in a ROM card or downloaded from the host computer and stored in the RAM.

Further, in the present embodiment, the OCR reader is connected to the printing apparatus main body 2, but it is connected to a device external to the printing device such as a host computer, and the device sends character set selection information to the printing device. You may.

In this embodiment, the character set is selected by reading the characters on the font list. However, the character set need not be the font list and may be a normal sentence printed using the same character set.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the user can easily select a character set that can be printed by the printing device without specifying a complicated command.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an example of a font list output by operating a panel switch 26.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A storage unit for storing a plurality of character sets for generating a character pattern, a scanner for reading image information, a character set identification unit for identifying a character set of image information read by the scanner, and the identification unit. And a selecting means for selecting the selected character set as a character set for printing. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit that prints a character pattern generated from a plurality of character sets stored in the storage unit. 3. The image information is image information of a document printed by the printing means.
The printing device according to.