Heating time grading and data cross combination heating control method of thermal printer

Abstract

The invention discloses a heating time grading and data cross combination heating control method for a thermal printer, which comprises the following steps of: dividing heating time into three grades, and averagely dividing the heating time of a current row heating section into corresponding equal parts when the heating time of the current row heating section reaches a corresponding grade, and the total number of heating sections and the heating time of the final data of each section are obtained, and then the data of different sections are subjected to cross combination cyclic heating according to the number of heating sections of the current row and the finally obtained total number of sections until all the data of the heating sections are heated. The heating control method provided by the invention can ensure the printing quality and protect the service life of the printing head without sacrificing the printing speed, improves the user experience, and is suitable for further popularization and application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of thermal printing, and in particular to a heating control method of a thermal printer combining heating time grading and data crossover. Background Art

[0002] A thermal printer is a printing device that forms an image by heating specific heat-sensitive materials. Due to its advantages such as fast printing speed, low noise and simple structure, it is widely used in various ticket printing, label printing, portable printing equipment and other fields. The core component of a thermal printer is the thermal print head, which contains multiple heating elements that are heated by electric current during the printing process to form an image on thermal paper.

[0003] In practical applications, due to the limitation of the maximum number of heating points at the same time in thermal printers, existing thermal printing control methods usually divide a line of heating data into one or more segments of data for heating according to the maximum number of heating points supported by the thermal printer, so as to ensure that the number of heating points in each segment of heating data does not exceed the maximum number of heating points supported by the thermal printer. When printing each line of data, the thermal printer calculates how many segments of the current line of data need to be heated according to the maximum number of heating points of the printer at a time, and then sends each segment of data to the thermal printer print head for heating in turn. When all the data segments of the current line are heated, it rests for a period of time to allow the thermal printer print head to fully dissipate heat, and then heats the next line of data, thereby ensuring the printing quality and protecting the life of the print head.

[0004] Although this heating method can guarantee the printing quality and protect the life of the print head to a certain extent, the heating time of each heating data is concentrated in one heating. When the heating time is relatively long, the temperature of the heating point on the print head will be relatively high, which may affect the printing quality and the life of the print head.

[0005] To solve this problem, the current approach is to increase the rest time to allow the print head to fully dissipate heat. However, as the rest time becomes longer, the printing speed becomes slower, thus affecting the user experience. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a heating control method for a thermal printer combining heating time grading and data crossover, which can ensure printing quality and protect the life of the print head without sacrificing printing speed.

[0007] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A heating control method of a thermal printer combining heating time grading and data crossover, comprising:

[0009] 1) The heating time is divided into three levels. When the heating time of the current row heating segment reaches the corresponding level, the heating time of the current row heating segment is evenly divided into corresponding equal parts to obtain the total number of heating segments and the final heating time of each segment of data;

[0010] 2) According to the total number of heating sections and the final heating time of each section of data, different sections of data are cross-combined and cyclically heated until all heating sections of data are heated.

[0011] As a possible implementation, further, step 1) specifically includes the following steps:

[0012] 1.1): According to the total number of heating points of the current row of heating data and the maximum number of heating points supported by the thermal printer for single simultaneous heating, the heating data of the current row is divided into N segments of data, and the heating time T of each segment of heating data is obtained;

[0013] 1.2): Compare the heating time T with the preset heating time level K1. If the heating time T exceeds the preset heating time level K1, the heating time of each heating data segment in the N heating data segments is evenly divided into four equal parts, and finally the total number of heating segments C=4×N is obtained, wherein the heating time of each heating data segment is T / 4, and then step 2) is executed;

[0014] If T does not exceed the preset heating time level K1, then execute step 1.3);

[0015] 1.3): Compare the heating time T with the preset heating time level 2 K2. If the heating time T exceeds the preset heating time level 2 K2, the heating time of each heating data segment in the N heating data segments is evenly divided into two equal parts, and finally the total number of heating segments is C=2×N, where the heating time of each heating data segment is T / 2, and then execute step 2);

[0016] If T does not exceed the preset heating time level 2 K2, each segment of data is directly heated for time T in sequence until all N segments of heating data are heated.

[0017] As a possible implementation, further, step 2) specifically includes the following steps:

[0018] 2.1) When N=1, heat a section of data and then dissipate heat for a preset time, then heat another section of data and dissipate heat for a preset time, and repeat this cycle until all the heating sections C are heated;

[0019] 2.2) When N>1, the following situations are included:

[0020] a) If N is an odd number and N=3, after heating data segment 1, heat data segment 2, then heat data segment 3, and then return to data segment 1, and heat in this cross-cycle manner until the total number of heated segments C are all heated;

[0021] b) If N is an odd number and N>3, first heat the adjacent two segments of data in a cross-cycle manner. Then the last 3 segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner. times, until the total heating sections C are all heated;

[0022] c) If N is an even number, two adjacent segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner. times, until the total heating sections C are all heated.

[0023] As a possible implementation, further, in step 1.1), the heating data of the current row is evenly divided into N segments of data, where N is expressed as follows:

[0024] N=(active_dots[PLACE2]+max_dot_num-1) / max_dot_num;

[0025] In the formula, max_dot_num indicates the maximum number of heating dots supported by the thermal printer for a single simultaneous heating; active_dots[PLACE2] indicates the total number of heating dots for the current row of heating data;

[0026] In N segments of data, the number of heating points in each segment is M, and the expression of M is as follows:

[0027] M=(active_dots[PLACE2]+N-1) / N.

[0028] As a preferred implementation, preferably, the heating time level 2 K2=t, and the heating time level 1 K1=2t; wherein t is the critical time that causes the print head to overheat and affects the printing effect and the life of the print head.

[0029] Based on the above, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set is stored. The at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the heating control method of the above-mentioned thermal printer with heating time grading and data cross-combination.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0031] The present invention presets three heating time periods to deal with the situation where a long heating time may affect the printing quality and the life of the print head. According to the different number of heating segments N, different cross-combination heating methods are used to keep the heating time of each segment of heating data within a reasonable range. Without affecting the printing speed, the printing quality and the life of the print head are guaranteed, thereby improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a simplified flow chart of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the heating process when the number of heating sections N=1;

[0035] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the heating process when the number of heating sections N=3;

[0036] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the heating process when the number of heating sections N is an odd number greater than 3;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heating process when the number of heating sections N is an even number. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It is particularly noted that the following examples are only used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Similarly, the following examples are only partial embodiments of the present invention rather than all embodiments, and all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] The present embodiment provides a heating control method of heating time grading and data cross-combination of a thermal printer, comprising: dividing the heating time into three levels, and when the heating time of the heating section of the current row reaches the corresponding level, the heating time of the heating section of the current row is evenly divided into corresponding equal parts to obtain the total number of heating sections and the final heating time of each segment of data, and then cross-combining and cyclically heating different segments of data according to the number of heating sections of the current row and the final total number of segments until all heating segment data are heated.

[0040] See attached Figure 1As shown, the heating control method of the thermal printer with heating time classification and data cross combination in this embodiment specifically includes the following steps:

[0041] 1): According to the total number of heating points of the current row of heating data and the maximum number of heating points supported by the thermal printer for single simultaneous heating, the heating data of the current row is evenly divided into N segments of data, and the heating time T of each segment of heating data is obtained, wherein the heating time T is related to the number of heating points (usually the more heating points the longer the heating time). After obtaining the heating point data, the existing thermal printer can automatically calculate the corresponding heating time T. Since the present embodiment "evenly divides" the total heating point data of the current row into N segments of data, the number of heating points in each segment of heating data is the same, and thus the heating time T of each segment of heating data is also the same.

[0042] In this embodiment, the expression of N is as follows:

[0043] N=(active_dots[PLACE2]+max_dot_num-1) / max_dot_num;

[0044] In the formula, max_dot_num indicates the maximum number of heating dots supported by the thermal printer for a single simultaneous heating; active_dots[PLACE2] indicates the total number of heating dots for the current row of heating data;

[0045] In N segments of data, the number of heating points in each segment is M, and the expression of M is as follows:

[0046] M=(active_dots[PLACE2]+N-1) / N.

[0047] 2): Compare the heating time T with the preset heating time level K1, where the heating time level K1 = 2t, t is the critical time (t obtained through experiments) that causes the print head to overheat and affects the printing effect and the life of the print head.

[0048] If the heating time T exceeds the preset heating time level K1, the heating time of each heating data segment in the N heating data segments is evenly divided into four equal parts, and finally the total number of heating segments C=4×N is obtained, wherein the heating time of each heating data segment is T / 4, and then step 4 is executed;

[0049] If T does not exceed the preset heating time level K1, then execute step 3);

[0050] 3): Compare the heating time T with the preset heating time level 2 K2, where the heating time level 2 K2=t, where t is the critical time (t is obtained through experiments) that causes the print head to overheat and affects the printing effect and the life of the print head.

[0051] If the heating time T exceeds the preset heating time level 2 K2, the heating time of each heating data segment in the N heating data segments is evenly divided into two equal parts, and the total number of heating segments is finally obtained as C=2×N, where the heating time of each heating data segment is T / 2, and then step 4 is executed;

[0052] If T does not exceed the preset heating time level K2, it indicates that the current heating time T of the data to be heated is within a reasonable range and will not cause overheating of the print head to affect the printing effect and the life of the print head. Each piece of data can be heated in sequence for a certain time T in the existing manner until all N pieces of heated data are heated.

[0053] 4) When N=1, a section of data is heated and then rested for a preset time, then another section of data is heated and then rested for a preset time, and this cycle is repeated until the total number of heating sections C are all heated (see attached Figure 2 shown).

[0054] When N>1, the following situations are included:

[0055] a) If N is an odd number and N=3, then heat data segment 1, then heat data segment 2, then heat data segment 3, and then return to data segment 1, and heat in this cross-cycle manner until the total number of heated segments C are all heated (see attached Figure 3 shown).

[0056] b) If N is an odd number and N>3, first heat the adjacent two segments of data in a cross-cycle manner. Then the last 3 segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner. For ease of understanding, an example is provided here to illustrate. For example, when N=7 and C=14, two adjacent segments of data are first heated in a cross-cycle manner. Then the last 3 segments are heated twice again in a cross-cycle manner until all 14 segments are heated (see attached Figure 4 shown).

[0057] c) If N is an even number, two adjacent segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner. times, until the total number of heating segments C are all heated. For ease of understanding, an example is provided here to illustrate, for example: when N = 6, C = 12, the adjacent two segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner in turn. Until all 12 segments of data are heated (see attached Figure 5 shown).

[0058] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0059] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or a processor (processor) to perform all or part of the steps of each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0060] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heating control method for a thermal printer combining heating time grading and data cross combination, characterized in that: include: 1) The heating time is divided into three levels. When the heating time of the current row heating segment reaches the corresponding level, the heating time of the current row heating segment is evenly divided into corresponding equal parts to obtain the total number of heating segments and the final heating time of each segment of data; 2) According to the total number of heating sections and the final heating time of each section of data, different sections of data are cross-combined and cyclically heated until all heating sections of data are heated.

2. The heating control method of the thermal printer combining heating time grading and data cross combination according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step 1) specifically includes the following steps: 1.1): According to the total number of heating points of the current row of heating data and the maximum number of heating points supported by the thermal printer for single simultaneous heating, the heating data of the current row is divided into N segments of data, and the heating time T of each segment of heating data is obtained; 1.2): Compare the heating time T with the preset heating time level K1. If the heating time T exceeds the preset heating time level K1, the heating time of each heating data segment in the N heating data segments is evenly divided into four equal parts, and finally the total number of heating segments C=4×N is obtained, wherein the heating time of each heating data segment is T / 4, and then step 2) is executed; If T does not exceed the preset heating time level K1, then execute step 1.3); 1.3): Compare the heating time T with the preset heating time level 2 K2. If the heating time T exceeds the preset heating time level 2 K2, the heating time of each heating data segment in the N heating data segments is evenly divided into two equal parts, and finally the total number of heating segments is C=2×N, where the heating time of each heating data segment is T / 2, and then execute step 2); If T does not exceed the preset heating time level 2 K2, each segment of data is directly heated for time T in sequence until all N segments of heating data are heated.

3. The heating control method of the thermal printer combining heating time classification and data cross combination according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step 2) specifically includes the following steps: 2.1) When N=1, heat a section of data and then dissipate heat for a preset time, then heat another section of data and dissipate heat for a preset time, and repeat this cycle until all the heating sections C are heated; 2.2) When N>1, the following situations are included: a) If N is an odd number and N=3, after heating data segment 1, heat data segment 2, then heat data segment 3, and then return to data segment 1, and heat in this cross-cycle manner until the total number of heated segments C are all heated; b) If N is an odd number and N>3, first heat the adjacent two segments of data in a cross-cycle manner. Then the last 3 segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner. times, until the total heating sections C are all heated; c) If N is an even number, two adjacent segments of data are heated in a cross-cycle manner. times, until the total heating sections C are all heated.

4. The heating control method of the thermal printer combining heating time grading and data cross combination according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1.1), the heating data of the current row is divided into N segments of data, where N is expressed as follows: N=(active_dots[PLACE2]+max_dot_num-1) / max_dot_num; In the formula, max_dot_num indicates the maximum number of heating dots supported by the thermal printer for a single simultaneous heating; active_dots[PLACE2] indicates the total number of heating dots for the current row of heating data; In N segments of data, the number of heating points in each segment is M, and the expression of M is as follows: M=(active_dots[PLACE2]+N-1) / N.

5. The heating control method of the thermal printer combining heating time grading and data cross combination according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second heating time level K2=t, and the first heating time level K1=2t; wherein t is the critical time that causes the print head to overheat and affects the printing effect and the life of the print head.

6. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set, and the at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the heating control method of the thermal printer with heating time grading and data cross combination as described in one of claims 1 to 5.

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