JPS6372552A - Printer that allows easy bookbinding and recording - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] □Field of Industrial Application□ This invention relates to a printer that records characters, graphics, graphs, etc. on recording paper, and in particular, it facilitates dividing the recording paper and binding it into a multi-page booklet. The present invention relates to a printer designed to achieve this.

□ Conventional technology □ For example, word processors (hereinafter referred to as word processors),
So-called personal computers, office computers, etc., various information 11! Printers used in equipment typically include the following elements: A data storage means for storing record data such as input characters, figures, graphs, etc., a recording mechanism for performing a recording operation on recording paper, and a recording mechanism for performing a recording operation based on the record data stored in the data storage means and drive control means for driving.

Conventionally, this type of printer naturally prints out one sheet of recording paper as a unit. The amount of recording per recording sheet is set in advance, and when the set amount of recording is completed, recording begins on the next recording sheet.

-Problems to be Solved by the Invention- However, in some cases, it may be necessary to divide the recording paper and bind it into a multi-page booklet, and in such cases, conventional printers are extremely inconvenient to use, and cannot meet that request. It was not something I could satisfy.

Means for Solving a Problem - In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a printer that includes a data storage means, a recording mechanism, and a drive control means, as shown in FIG. In order to divide the recording paper equally into a plurality of areas and bind it into a booklet consisting of a plurality of recording pages, the recording paper is stored in the data storage means in correspondence with the plurality of recording areas that are to become the plurality of recording pages in the unfolded state. In addition to dividing the recorded data, the recording order and direction of the recorded data are determined so that the contents represented by the recorded data are continuous in the order of the recorded pages of the booklet,
A recording pattern control means is provided for supplying the information to the drive control means.

Here, in order to bind a booklet consisting of multiple recording pages, for example, if you fold the recording paper, use the edges or corners as a seam, and cut out the folds as necessary, cut the recording paper into equal parts. It can be bound from scratch, or it can be folded like a sutra without cutting or binding.

□Effect of the invention□ If the recorded data is processed and recorded as described above,
The contents can be recorded in a pattern in which the contents are continuous in the order of the pages in a booklet, using a plurality of recording areas of the recording paper in the unfolded state as a unit. Therefore, it is possible to easily create a multi-page booklet by dividing the recording paper.

Partial Embodiment Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a word processor printer will be described based on the drawings.

The word processor shown in FIG. 2 has an integral structure including a keyboard 2 and a printer 4, and a part of the keyboard 2 is provided with a liquid crystal display 6 having a predetermined number of digits.

The printer 4 mainly includes a carriage 10 that is guided by a guide bar 8 and driven in the X-axis (horizontal) direction, and a platen 14 that is rotationally driven and sends recording paper 12 in the Y-axis (vertical) direction. be. The carriage 10 holds a recording head 16 such as a wire dot or a thermal head, and this recording head 16 performs a printing operation on the recording paper 12. The carriage 10 is driven by a carriage drive motor 18 shown in FIG. 3, the platen 14 is driven by a platen drive motor 20, and the recording head 16 is driven by an appropriate recording head drive device 22 depending on the type thereof.

The keyboard 2 includes character keys 30 necessary for creating sentences, print keys 32. First bookbinding printing key 34. Second bookbinding printing key 36. Various keys such as a cancel key 38 are provided. Note that the functions of these keys will be described later.

The control circuit will be explained based on FIG. This control circuit includes a central processing unit (CPU) 50.7' program memory 52. Work memory 54 and text memory 5
6 and a common path line 58 connecting them. Common path line 5
8 further includes a character generator 60.8. A keyboard driver 62, a printer driver 64, and a display controller 66 are connected.

- The printer driver 64 includes a carriage driver 68,
It includes a recording head driver 7o and a platen driver 72, and is connected to the carriage drive motor 18. A recording head driving device 22 and a platen driving motor 20 are connected to each other.

Further, the keyboard 2 is connected to a keyboard driver 62, and data input by operating the various keys on the keyboard 2 is supplied to the work memory 54 and the text memory 56 via the keyboard driver 62. There is.

Then, based on the document data stored in the text memory 56, the character generator 60 supplies pattern data representing each character to the printer driver 64 and the display controller 66.
4 and display controller 66 store the supplied pattern data in their respective built-in memories, and operate the recording mechanism such as the recording head 16 and the display 6 based on the stored data.

The CPU 50 inputs, prints, and displays the document data with the help of the work memory 54.
This is done by executing a program stored in the program memory 52.

Among the programs stored in the program memory 52, a flowchart of a print processing program closely related to the present invention is shown in FIG.

First, it is initialized in step SL (hereinafter referred to as SL; the same applies to other steps), and enters the state of waiting for key input in S2, and performs normal operations such as displaying the document data input with the key input on the display and storing it in the text memory 56. Word processing is performed as another key process of 811. When the print key 32 is pressed, the process moves to S12 via S3. If there is no data in the text memory 56, an alarm process is executed in 514, and if there is data, normal memory printing is performed in S13, that is, 1 of the recording paper 12. Printing is performed in the order of data stored in the text memory 56, with each sheet as one page.

Further, if the first bookbinding print key 34 is pressed and there is data in the text memory 56, the step S4. Bookbinding formant printing of 86 or less after S5 (hereinafter referred to as bookbinding printing),
That is, printing processing is performed in a pattern that is easy to bind later.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, one sheet of recording paper 12 (hereinafter simply referred to as recording paper) is folded into four in the order shown, and bound with a stapler or the like with the - side as a binding seam. This is intended to facilitate binding when a fold on one side is cut open to create an 8-page booklet.

In this case, in the unfolded state of the recording paper shown in FIG.
Across the front and back sides (the figure shows the state turned over around the horizontal axis), the pages of the booklet are continuous in numerical order from the recording area indicated by ■ to the recording area indicated by ■.

The recording areas indicated by ■, ■, and ■ are upside down before and after bookbinding. Therefore, if printing is performed using the recording pattern in the arrangement and orientation shown in FIG. 6, the recorded contents will continue in the order of the pages when bound into a booklet. Also,
In the case of such bookbinding printing, the amount of data to be printed is determined so as to fit within the entire page range of the booklet.

In S6, the recorded data stored in the text memory 56 is divided into 8 parts of the recorded data stored in the text memory 56 by each recording area corresponding to one page of the booklet to be bound. As conceptually shown in FIG. 7, data of delimiter codes indicated by A-H are inserted from the beginning. Furthermore, in S7, the B-C
(memory area marked with diagonal lines in Figure 7), between D and F (
(Same as ■, ■ memory area) and between G and H (same as ■)
Information (reversed data) is inserted that causes the recorded data stored in each of the memory areas (memory area) to be printed after being reversed by 180 degrees.

Next, the process moves to S8, and printing processing by the printer 4 is executed. First, the recorded data stored in the memory area of ■ is printed in the upper left area of the front side of the recording paper as shown in Figure 6, and then the recorded data of ■ is printed in the lower left area upside down by the above-mentioned inverted data. It will be printed. This reverse printing is performed by sequentially feeding the recording paper (upwards in Figure 6).
■Printing starts from the last data of the recorded data and ends with the first data. However, if printing is performed in both directions of the reciprocating movement of the carrier 10, the printing does not necessarily end with the first data. Then, after the recording paper is fed backwards (downward in Figure 6), the recorded data of ■ is in the upper right area in the normal orientation, and the recorded data of ■ is in the lower right area in the same reversed orientation as ■. Each is printed.

When the printing on the front side of the recording paper is completed, the process moves to step 89, and it is determined whether or not data is stored in the memory area marked ``■'' delimited by the delimiter codes B and C shown in FIG. It is checked to be sure that there is data to be printed on the back side of the recording paper. If the determination is YES, step 310 is executed and the message "Please turn over the paper" is displayed on the display 6.

In response to the display, the operator turns over the recording paper around the horizontal axis and sets it, and then presses the second bookbinding print key 36, the determination in S17 becomes YES and step 318 is executed. That is, similarly to s8, the recording pattern shown on the right side of FIG. 6 is printed in the order of ■-■-■-■, and the recorded data of ■ and ■ are printed in reverse. Thereafter, the end process of S19 is executed, and the additional information such as the delimiter code data and inverted data accompanying bookbinding printing is erased from the text memory 56. Note that if the cancel key 38 is pressed without pressing the second bookbinding printing key 36, the determination in S16 becomes YES, and S1? and 31B
is skipped and the process returns to step 319.

If the recording paper, which has been bound and printed on the front and back sides as described above, is folded into four parts as shown in Figure 5, bound, and cut open, the recorded data from ■ to ■ will be printed in the same order and in the same direction. Because they are arranged side by side, it is easy to format them as a booklet.

As is clear from the above explanation, in this example,
A text memory 56 constitutes data storage means for storing recording data, and the carriage 10° platen 14. A recording head 16 and a carriage drive motor 18 that drives them. Platen drive motor 20. Recording head drive device 2
2 and the like constitute a recording mechanism, and the CPU 50 and printer driver 64 constitute drive control means for the recording mechanism. An area in the program memory 52 that stores a program that inserts delimiter code data and inverted data at 36.37 when bookbinding printing is specified, and supplies the data to the printer driver 64 at S8 and 318. and a CPU 5 that issues a print command based on the program.
0 constitutes a recording pattern control means.

In this embodiment, printing on the front and back sides of the recording paper is started by operating the first and second bookbinding print keys respectively, but this is controlled by one common key. It is also possible to do this.

Also, the printing order can be changed as appropriate, for example, the 6th
In the figure, ■−■−■→■ or ■−■−■−■(
It is also possible to create a program such as (■, ■ is reverse printing).

In addition, in the above embodiment, it was assumed that the recording paper would be folded into four, bound on one side, and the other side would be cut open and bound into a booklet. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the recording paper is folded in half. The present invention can be applied even when printing a booklet without binding or cutting it open (bag-stitch printing).

In this case, for example, print is made in the recording pattern of the page number and direction shown in the recording area for four pages on both sides (the figure shows the state turned over around the vertical axis). What is necessary is to provide steps such as inserting delimiter data to divide the recording data into four parts, and, if necessary, providing inverted data for printing by changing the orientation by 90 degrees.

In addition, as shown in Figure 9, for the recording area of 8 pages on both sides (the figure shows the state flipped around the vertical axis),
Allocate the page numbers shown in the diagram (so that the sum of the numbers indicating the page numbers on the front and back sides is 9), and print the recording pattern on the front side in the normal direction and on the back side in a 180 degree reverse direction. You can also program it. After the printing process, the recording paper is equally cut into four small pieces for each area of one page, and the small pieces are bound on one side as shown in Figure 10. By turning the booklet 180 degrees counter-axially (upside down) by turning the booklet 180 degrees (upside down), a booklet having consecutive pages 1-2 can be obtained on the back side.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, by using a long piece of recording paper, such as roll paper, and folding it alternately along the fold line shown by the broken line in the form shown in FIG. The present invention is also effective when binding a booklet in the form of a sutra without a booklet. In this case, processing such as insertion of delimiter data for dividing the recording data according to the number of pages and inversion data for performing 90 degree reversal may be performed.

Furthermore, although not shown, when binding as a booklet, 4
The present invention can also be applied to the case of binding a corner (for example, the upper right corner) of a folded book or a collection of divided pieces into a book.

Also, you can fold the recording paper into 8 parts instead of 4 parts, so that the front and back sides are 16 times larger.
When creating a booklet by dividing it into 32 parts, or even dividing it into 32 parts (the same applies when cutting it without folding it), or when using only the front side of the recording paper as the recording area, instead of both the front and back sides. , it can be used by making some changes to the program.

In addition, the present invention can be modified in various ways based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, such as application to printers that record graphs, figures, etc., printers other than word processors, and the adoption of various recording mechanisms having known recording heads such as daisy wheels and pens. , it is possible to implement it in an improved manner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a word processor equipped with a printer, which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing its control circuit. FIG. 4 is a flowchart mainly showing printing programs closely related to the present invention among the programs recorded in the program memory. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of binding the recording paper that has undergone the printing process into a booklet, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the unfolded state together with the printing order. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing the step of inserting delimiter code data in the flowchart of FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a developed state (recording pattern) of another booklet format. Figures 9 and 10,
FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are diagrams showing further specific examples of the unfolded state of the booklet and the bookbinding procedure, respectively. 2: Keyboard 4: Printer 10: Carriage 12: Recording paper 14 Nibraten 1
6: Recording head 32: Printing key 34: First binding printing key 36: Second binding printing key 50: Central processing unit (CPU) 52 Niprogram memory 56: Text memory 64: Printer driver 68: Carriage driver 70: Recording head driver 72 Nibraten driver

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Data storage means for storing recorded data such as input characters, figures, graphs, etc., a recording mechanism that performs a recording operation on recording paper, and recorded data stored in the data storage means. and a drive control means for driving the recording mechanism based on the following: In order to equally divide the recording paper into a plurality of areas and bind the recording paper into a booklet consisting of a plurality of recording pages, the recording paper in an unfolded state is The recorded data stored in the data storage means is divided corresponding to a plurality of recording areas that are to be a plurality of recorded pages, and the content represented by the recorded data is continuous in the order of the recorded pages of the booklet. A printer capable of easy bookbinding, characterized in that it is provided with a recording pattern control means that determines the order and direction of recording of the recording data and supplies the information to the drive control means.