JP2001001616A - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] A barcode printed by a printing apparatus is often of a fixed length registered in advance, and is used when an actually printed barcode is read by a barcode reader. Depending on the reader, the barcode width may be outside the permissible range of recognition and the reading rate may be low. A printing apparatus is provided with a test printing function for adjusting a barcode width, and a barcode having a different width is automatically test-printed and read by a barcode reader actually used, and a barcode width having the highest reading rate is obtained. Find it,
By switching the barcode width setting, the barcode can be printed with the optimum barcode width for the barcode reader to be used, so that the reading rate of the barcode reader can be greatly improved.

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 bar codes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional printing apparatus prints a narrow bar, a narrow space, a wide bar, and a width of a wide space, which are components of many bar codes, with a fixed length registered in advance in the printing apparatus.

[0003]

The problem to be solved by the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram relating to conventional barcode printing.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a higher-level device such as a computer connected to a printing apparatus; 22 denotes a receiving / analyzing means for receiving and analyzing host data transmitted from the higher-level device;
3 is bar code width information, 24 is dot pattern developing means for developing a bar code dot pattern based on the bar code width information, 25 is bar code dot pattern data developed by the dot pattern developing means, and 26 is dot pattern data. A printing mechanism unit 27 for printing is a printing device.

In the above conventional example, a host device 21 such as a computer transmits barcode data to a printing device 27. Means for receiving and analyzing the transmitted bar code data 22
Is received and analyzed, and is recognized as barcode data, the dot pattern developing means 24 develops the barcode dot pattern data based on predetermined fixed barcode width information 23. The developed barcode dot pattern data 25 is printed by the printing mechanism unit 26.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a conventional barcode printing result.

As shown in the figures, many bar codes are formed by combining two different width bars called wide bars and narrow bars and two different widths called wide spaces and narrow spaces. Make up characters.

On the other hand, the bar code reader recognizes a character by reading the ratio of the width of the bar to the space. However, each bar and space often have a fixed width registered in advance in the printing device, and when the barcode reader that reads the actually printed barcode is read,
Depending on the barcode reader used, the barcode width may be out of the permissible range of recognition and the reading rate may be low.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a conventional printing apparatus with a bar code width adjustment test print mode which can be shifted by performing a predetermined panel operation. Receives and analyzes bar code data transmitted from the host device in the print mode, and pre-specifies the narrow bar, narrow space, wide bar, and width of the wide space (hereinafter referred to as bar code width) which are the components of the bar code dot pattern. A bar code width automatic switching means for automatically switching one dot at a time within the range defined by the above, a display device for displaying the width of the currently set bar code dot pattern, and a standard defined by the display device. A bar that allows the operator to set the width of the barcode dot pattern transmitted from the host It is achieved by providing a code width setting means.

The above object is also achieved by automatically converting the barcode data transmitted from the host device into barcode dot patterns within a range defined in advance by one bar by the barcode width automatic switching means. The bar code dot patterns thus switched are test-printed by the printing means, and the test-printed bar codes are read using a bar code reader, and a bar code width having a high read rate is input to the display device. The bar code width is set by the bar code width setting means.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a host device such as a computer connected to a printing device, 2 denotes a receiving / analyzing unit for receiving and analyzing host data transmitted from the host device in a barcode width adjustment test print mode, and 3 denotes a host device. Automatic barcode width switching means for automatically switching the width of the barcode analyzed by the reception analysis means 2 within a range specified in advance by a standard, 4 is a barcode width adjustment test based on barcode data received from a higher-level device. Test print data generating means for generating a print pattern, receiving / analyzing means for receiving / analyzing host data transmitted from a host device in normal printing, and display device such as an operation panel on which an operator can set various printer settings. , 7 are bar code width setting means for setting the width of a bar code during normal printing, and 8 is a bar code width setting means. The bar code width set value set by the width setting means 7, 9 is a bar code width switching means for switching the bar code width received from the host device based on the bar code width set value 8 at the time of normal printing, and 10 is a printing device. Dot pattern developing means for developing a dot pattern that can be actually printed; 11 is bar code dot pattern data developed by the dot pattern developing means 10;
Denotes a printing mechanism for printing the developed barcode dot pattern data, and 13 denotes a printing device.

In this embodiment, in the bar code width adjustment test print mode which can be switched by pressing a switch of the display device 6, the received / analyzed means 2 for the bar code width adjustment mode receives the transmitted host data. If the data is analyzed and recognized as barcode data, the test print data creating means 4 creates test print data while switching the barcode width by the barcode width automatic switching means 3. The created test print data is printed by the printing mechanism unit 12. The operator reads the test print result with a barcode reader, finds a barcode width having the best reading rate, and sets a barcode width set value using the display device 6.

In a normal printing process, the host device 1 such as a computer transmits host data to the printing device 13. When the transmitted host data is received and analyzed by the normal printing reception / analysis unit 5 and recognized as barcode data, the barcode width switching unit 9 sets the barcode width based on the barcode width set value 8 set by the operator. Toggle barcode width. The switched barcode data is developed by the dot pattern developing means 10 into barcode dot pattern data 11. The developed barcode dot pattern data 11 is printed by the printing mechanism 12.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a print result of the test print function for bar code width adjustment according to the present invention.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes a width of the narrow bar and the width of the wide bar, and reference numeral 42 denotes a bar code printing result printed at the width of the narrow bar and the wide bar indicated by 41.

As described above, the bar code width adjustment test printing function of the present invention automatically switches the width of the transmitted bar code data by one dot and prints the data. By actually reading the barcode with the reader, the optimum barcode width for the barcode reader owned by the reader can be easily found. When barcode data is received in normal printing, the barcode data is automatically printed with the registered barcode width, so that the reading rate of the barcode reader is improved.

[0020]

As described above in detail, by using the barcode width adjustment test printing function of the present invention and switching the barcode width setting, the barcode width can be optimally adjusted for the barcode reader to be used. Can be printed, so that the reading rate of the barcode reader can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a printing apparatus as an example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a conventional barcode printing function.

FIG. 3 is an example of a barcode print result.

FIG. 4 is an example of a barcode width adjustment test print result of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a host device, 2 is a bar code width adjustment test print mode receiving / analyzing means, 3 is a bar code width automatic switching means,
4 is a test print data generating means, 5 is a normal print reception /
Analysis means, 6 is a display device, 7 is bar code width setting means,
8 is a bar code width setting value, 9 is a bar code width switching means,
10 is a dot pattern developing means, 11 is bar code dot pattern data, 12 is a printing mechanism, 13 is a printing device, 41 is the width of a narrow bar and a wide bar, and 42 is 41
Is a barcode print result printed with the width of the narrow and wide bars indicated by.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toru Murakami 1060 Takeda, Hitachinaka-shi, Ibaraki F-term in Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (Reference) 2C055 JJ00 JJ12 2C061 KK04 KK13 KK18 KK26 KK31 2C087 AA13 BB11 CB07

Claims (2)

[Claims] A receiving and analyzing means for receiving and analyzing bar code data transmitted from a host device such as a computer;
A printing apparatus comprising: a dot pattern developing unit that expands bar code data received and analyzed by the receiving and analyzing unit into bar code dot pattern data; and a printing mechanism that prints the bar code dot pattern data. Receives barcode data sent from the device
Means for analyzing, and bar code width automatic switching means for automatically switching the width of the narrow bar, narrow space, wide bar, and wide space, which are constituent elements of the bar code dot pattern, one dot at a time within a range predetermined by a standard. Test print data creating means for creating a bar code width adjustment test print pattern based on the bar code data received from the host device, a display device for displaying the width of the currently set bar code dot pattern, A printing apparatus, further comprising a bar code width adjusting test printing function having bar code width setting means for setting a bar code width according to an output of the apparatus. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bar code data transmitted from the higher-level device is converted by the bar code width automatic switching means into a bar code dot pattern within a predetermined range. The width is automatically switched one dot at a time, and the switched barcode dot patterns are test printed by the printing means, respectively.
Using a barcode reader, each barcode printed by test printing is read, a barcode width with a high read rate is input to the display device, and the barcode width setting unit sets the barcode width. A printing device characterized by the above-mentioned.