Intelligent heat transfer printing coding machine control system

Abstract

This invention provides an intelligent thermal transfer coding machine control system, including a central control processing module, a button module, an LCD display module, an LED display module, a Bluetooth module, a ribbon anti-counterfeiting module, a storage module, a sound module, a character library module, a proximity information acquisition module, a printhead pressing module, a printhead dragging module, a heating control module, and a ribbon recycling module. The central control processing module controls and processes information from other modules according to the overall functional requirements of the thermal transfer label printer, thereby ensuring the coordinated operation of the entire system. The button module has two mechanical tactile buttons, which are used to set menu functions. This invention can automatically sense approaching objects and print out the label information received from the mobile APP through the printer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic labeling control technology, and in particular to an intelligent thermal transfer coding machine control system. Background Technology

[0002] In the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) economy, in order to trace the origin of each product, each product needs outer packaging that allows consumers to know all the product information, such as manufacturer, place of origin, shelf life, production date, nutritional information, and so on. Labels are an effective way to carry this information, especially barcodes on the labels. Labels are usually affixed to the outer packaging of goods, and labeling machines are devices specifically designed to perform this function.

[0003] Labeling machines typically feature online automatic labeling capabilities. The automatic labeling control system is the core of the machine, coordinating the operation of all its components. Current labeling machine control systems are primarily based on industrial computers, which handle functions such as sensor detection and label printing. However, industrial computers are relatively expensive. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an intelligent thermal transfer coding machine control system that can automatically sense the proximity of an object and print out the label information received from a mobile APP through a printer.

[0005] This invention employs the following method: an intelligent thermal transfer coding machine control system, comprising a central control processing module, a button module, an LCD display module, an LED display module, a Bluetooth module, a ribbon anti-counterfeiting module, a storage module, a sound module, a character library module, a proximity information acquisition module, a printhead pressing module, a printhead dragging module, a heating control module, and a ribbon recycling module; the central control processing module controls and processes information from other modules according to the overall functional requirements of the thermal transfer coding machine, thereby ensuring the coordinated operation of the entire system; the button module has two mechanical tactile buttons, which are used to set menu functions; the LCD display module is a dot-matrix liquid crystal display... The display module shows the model, power on / off status, working status, and settings menu; the LED display module includes three-color LEDs and a working status light, showing the power on / off status, working status, and fault status; the Bluetooth module connects via serial port and Bluetooth, facilitating information exchange between the central control processing module and the mobile APP, receiving print content edited by the APP, system settings parameters, and print control, and reporting the current working status, ribbon information, and parameter settings of the thermal transfer coding machine to the mobile APP. Print content includes Chinese and English text, QR codes, and barcode information; the ribbon anti-counterfeiting module uses the NFC controller to read the NFC tag on the ribbon and verify the password set at the factory. If the password doesn't match, the ribbon is deemed invalid, and the thermal transfer printer will not perform the printing action. The storage module, which stores the print content and system settings transmitted from the mobile app to the central control processing module, saves them to the flash chip. These settings are read from the flash chip upon power-up. The sound module outputs sound via a buzzer, emitting a warning sound in case of system failure. The font module stores the GB2312 dot matrix font library in the flash chip. The proximity information acquisition module uses a proximity sensor to detect if an item is being conveyed on the conveyor belt; when the item approaches within a certain distance of the sensor, an indication signal is generated. The printhead pressing module uses an electromagnet to control... The printhead is pressed down to ensure a tight fit between the ribbon and the label paper. The printhead drag module controls the stepper motor to move the printhead back and forth along the printhead guide rail, controlling the printhead to step one line at a time for each line printed. The heating control module transfers the content to be printed to the printhead and heats it to transfer the content onto the label via thermal transfer. The ribbon recycling module controls the ribbon stepper motor to rotate after each heating cycle of the printed content, removing the used ribbon and moving the unused ribbon to the printing position for the next print. The ribbon recycling module includes a Hall ADC sampling module, a recycling self-test module, a zero-crossing detection module, and a step pulse calculation module.

[0006] Hall ADC sampling module: The ribbon drives the roller to rotate. When the roller rotates one revolution, it outputs a sine wave through the Hall. The waveform is sampled and converted into a numerical value. The average value of the sampled value is then filtered.

[0007] Ribbon self-test module: Starts the ribbon stepper motor and controls it by detecting the number of waveform edge changes and the fact that the sampling values ​​at the waveform end and start are equal. The ribbon drives the roller to rotate two revolutions and then stops. During this process, the maximum value, minimum value of the waveform, and number of step pulses required for one revolution of the roller are obtained. These parameters are used for ribbon recycling calculation during the printing process.

[0008] Zero-crossing detection module: During the printing process, the Hall output waveform is sampled, and the number of motor steps required between two zero-crossing pulses is counted. This number of steps changes dynamically throughout the printing process, and the value will gradually decrease. The value is filtered to ensure its accuracy.

[0009] Stepping pulse calculation module: It calculates the number of steps of the ribbon stepper motor after each print using the above parameters and the circumference of the roller to control the ribbon retraction; this thermal transfer coding machine is implemented using an ARM-based hardware platform.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: the thermal transfer label printer can generate printing content based on the information received in advance by the mobile APP and print labels online; the automatic labeling control system is implemented using an ARM-based embedded hardware platform, which greatly reduces costs and significantly improves labeling speed compared with existing industrial control computer solutions, and can be widely used for labeling control of various items. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a system structure block diagram of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a specific control flowchart of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] This invention relates to a thermal transfer label printing control system, the entire system being implemented on a single ARM hardware chip.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a system configuration block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. The entire system includes a central processing control module 01, a button module 02, an LCD display module 03, an LED display module 04, a Bluetooth module 05, a ribbon anti-counterfeiting module 06, a storage module 07, a sound module 08, a character library module 09, a proximity information acquisition module 10, a printhead pressing module 11, a printhead dragging module 12, a heating control module 13, and a ribbon recycling module 14.

[0016] Central Control Processing Module 01: Controls and processes information for other modules according to the overall functional requirements of the thermal transfer labeling control system, thereby ensuring the coordinated operation of the entire system and ultimately completing the labeling and printing.

[0017] Button Module 02: It has two mechanical tactile buttons, which are used to set menu functions.

[0018] LCD display module 03: Dot matrix LCD display, showing model, power on / off status, working status, and settings menu;

[0019] LED display module 04: Tri-color LED lights and working status lights to display power on / off status, working status, and fault status;

[0020] Bluetooth Module 05: Connects to the Bluetooth module via serial port to exchange information between the central control processing module and the mobile APP. It receives the print content edited by the APP, system setting parameters, and print control, and reports the current working status, ribbon information, and parameter settings of the thermal transfer coding machine to the mobile APP. The print content mainly includes Chinese and English text, QR codes, barcodes, and other information.

[0021] Ribbon Anti-counterfeiting Module 06: The anti-counterfeiting module uses an NFC controller to read the NFC tag on the ribbon and verify the ribbon's authenticity at the time of manufacture.

[0022] If the password does not match, the ribbon will be deemed invalid and the thermal transfer coding machine will not perform the printing action.

[0023] Storage module 07: The print content and system settings parameters transmitted from the mobile APP to the central controller will be saved in the flash chip and read from the flash when power is lost and then restored;

[0024] Sound module 08: The sound is output by a buzzer, which will output a warning sound when the system malfunctions;

[0025] Font module 09: Saves the GB2312 dot matrix font library to the flash chip;

[0026] Proximity information acquisition module 10: It detects whether there are objects being conveyed on the conveyor belt through proximity sensors. When the object approaches the sensor within a certain distance, it generates an indication signal.

[0027] Printhead pressing module 11: Controls the printing head to press down via an electromagnet, ensuring a tight fit between the ribbon and the printed label paper;

[0028] Printhead dragging module 12: controls the stepper motor to move the printhead back and forth along the printhead guide rail, and controls the distance of the printhead stepping one line for each line printed;

[0029] Heating control module 13: transmits the content to be printed to the print head and heats it to transfer the printed content onto the label via heat transfer;

[0030] Ribbon recycling module 14: After each complete heating of the entire print content, the ribbon stepper motor is controlled to rotate, so that the ribbon that has been used is removed and the unused ribbon is moved to the printing position to prepare for the next print.

[0031] Figure 2 This is the specific control flow of the system in this embodiment of the invention. The steps include: Start 110, Reading stored print data and parameters 111, Ribbon validity check 112, Key detection 113, LCD display 114, LED display 115, Fault detection 116, Sound alarm 117, Status reporting 118, Receiving print content and parameters 119, Storage management 120, Receiving mobile phone print control command or proximity switch print control signal 121, Printing label content 122, Retrieving ribbon 123;

[0032] Start 110: Initiate the entire control process;

[0033] Read stored print data and parameters 111: After power-on, read the print content and system parameters stored in flash;

[0034] Ribbon Validity Check 112: Determines whether the ribbon cipher is valid; if invalid, an alarm is triggered.

[0035] Key detection 113: Detects whether a key is pressed;

[0036] LCD display 114: The operation menu, working status, and alarm prompts are displayed according to the buttons;

[0037] LED indicator 115: Indicates the current working status;

[0038] Fault Detection 116: Outputs fault information when the ribbon is moved, the ribbon runs out, or the ribbon breaks while not printing;

[0039] Audible alarm 117: Outputs an alarm sound when the system malfunctions;

[0040] Status Report 118: Reports the current working status, ribbon capacity, and fault status to the mobile APP for display;

[0041] Print content and parameter reception 119: Serial port receives data sent from the mobile APP by the Bluetooth module;

[0042] Storage Management 120: Stores printed content, system settings parameters, and passwords;

[0043] Upon receiving a mobile phone print control command or a proximity switch print control signal 121: Determine whether a mobile phone has been received to execute a print command or a proximity switch change signal has been received. If so, start printing once; otherwise, proceed to the next loop.

[0044] Print label content 122: Print the content onto the label;

[0045] Recycle ribbon 123: Recycle the printed portion of the ribbon to prepare the ribbon for the next print;

[0046] End 123: The set number of labels has been reached, and the system has ended its operation.

[0047] The working principle of this invention is as follows: The central control processing module controls and processes information from other modules according to the overall functional requirements of the thermal transfer label printer, thereby ensuring the coordinated operation of the entire system and ultimately completing the label printing; the button module has two mechanical tactile buttons, which are used to access menu function settings; the LCD display module is a dot-matrix liquid crystal display that shows the model, power on / off status, working status, and settings menu; the LED display module consists of tri-color LEDs and a working status light, displaying the power on / off status, working status, and fault status; the Bluetooth module connects via serial port and... The Bluetooth module connects the central control processing module and the mobile APP for information exchange. It receives print content, system settings, and print control information edited by the APP, and reports the current working status, ribbon information, and parameter settings of the thermal transfer coding machine to the mobile APP. Print content mainly includes Chinese and English text, QR codes, barcodes, etc. The ribbon anti-counterfeiting module uses an NFC controller to read the NFC tag on the ribbon and verify the password set at the factory. If the password does not match, the ribbon is deemed invalid, and the thermal transfer coding machine will not perform the printing action. The storage module is used for data transfer by the mobile APP. The printed content and system settings parameters of the central controller are saved in the flash chip and read from the flash when power is lost and restored; the sound module outputs a warning sound via a buzzer when the system malfunctions; the font library module stores a GB2312 dot matrix font library in the flash chip, and reads the corresponding dot matrix from the font library when printing characters and performs coordinate transformations such as rotation as required; the proximity information acquisition module detects whether there are objects being conveyed on the conveyor belt through proximity sensors, and generates an indication signal when the object approaches the sensor within a certain distance; the printing... The printhead pressing module uses an electromagnet to control the printhead to press down, ensuring a tight fit between the ribbon and the label paper. The printhead dragging module controls a stepper motor to move the printhead back and forth along a guide rail, controlling the printhead to advance one line at a time for each line printed. The heating control module transfers the content to be printed to the printhead and heats it to transfer the content onto the label via thermal transfer. The ribbon recycling module controls the ribbon stepper motor to rotate after each heating cycle of the label printing content, removing the used ribbon and moving the unused ribbon to the printing position for the next print.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the claims of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control system for an intelligent thermal transfer coding machine, characterized in that: The system includes a central control processing module, a button module, an LCD display module, an LED display module, a Bluetooth module, a ribbon anti-counterfeiting module, a storage module, a sound module, a character library module, a proximity information acquisition module, a printhead pressing module, a printhead dragging module, a heating control module, and a ribbon recycling module. The central control processing module controls and processes information from other modules according to the overall functional requirements of the thermal transfer coding machine, ensuring the coordinated operation of the entire system. The button module has two mechanical tactile buttons for menu function settings. The LCD display module is a dot-matrix liquid crystal display showing the machine model, power on / off status, working status, and settings menu. The LED display module includes three-color LEDs and a status indicator light to show the power on / off status, working status, and fault status. The Bluetooth module connects to the central control processing module via a serial port. The machine and the APP exchange information, with the machine receiving print content, system settings, and print control parameters edited by the APP. It also reports the current working status, ribbon information, and parameter settings of the thermal transfer printer to the APP. Print content includes Chinese and English text, QR codes, and barcodes. The ribbon anti-counterfeiting module uses an NFC controller to read the NFC tag on the ribbon and verify the password set at the factory. If the password does not match, the ribbon is deemed invalid, and the thermal transfer printer will not perform the printing action. The storage module saves the print content and system settings parameters transmitted from the APP to the central control processing module to the flash chip, which is read back upon power failure and restoration. The sound module outputs sound via a buzzer, providing a warning sound in case of system failure. The font module stores the GB2312 dot matrix font library in the flash chip. The proximity information acquisition module uses proximity sensors to detect whether an item is being conveyed on the conveyor belt. When the item approaches within a certain distance of the sensor, an indication signal is generated. The printhead pressing module uses an electromagnet to control the printhead to press down, ensuring a tight fit between the ribbon and the label paper. The printhead dragging module controls a stepper motor to move the printhead back and forth along the printhead guide rail, controlling the printhead to step one line at a time for each line printed. The heating control module transfers the content to be printed to the printhead and heats it, transferring the content to the label via thermal transfer. The ribbon recycling module controls the ribbon stepper motor to rotate after each heating cycle, removing the used ribbon and moving the unused ribbon to the printing position for the next print. The ribbon recycling module includes a Hall ADC sampling module, a recycling self-test module, a zero-crossing detection module, and a step pulse calculation module. Hall ADC sampling module: The ribbon drives the roller to rotate. When the roller rotates one revolution, it outputs a sine wave through the Hall. The waveform is sampled and converted into a numerical value. The average value of the sampled value is then filtered. Self-test module for tape recycling: Start the ribbon stepper motor and control it by detecting the number of waveform edge changes and the equality of the sampling values ​​at the waveform end and start. The ribbon drives the roller to rotate two revolutions and then stops. During this process, the maximum value, minimum value of the waveform and the number of step pulses required for one revolution of the roller are obtained. These parameters are used for tape recycling calculation during the printing process. Zero-crossing detection module: During the printing process, the Hall output waveform is sampled, and the number of motor steps required between two zero-crossing pulses is counted. This number of steps changes dynamically throughout the printing process, and the value will change in a gradually decreasing direction. The value is filtered to ensure its accuracy. Stepping pulse calculation module: It calculates the number of steps of the ribbon stepper motor after each print using the above parameters and the circumference of the roller to control the ribbon retraction; this thermal transfer coding machine is implemented using an ARM-based hardware platform.

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