A thermal printing control method and micro processing chip

Abstract

This invention discloses a thermal printing control method and a microprocessor chip. The thermal printing control method includes: in response to a printing request, dividing the pixels of the row to be printed into at least a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels; heating the first group of pixels according to a first sequence of heating pulses, and heating the second group of pixels according to a second sequence of heating pulses, thereby completing the heating and printing of the pixels of the row to be printed. This invention solves the problems of excessive instantaneous current and localized overheating caused by simultaneous heating of multiple pixels during thermal printing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of image forming technology, and more particularly to a thermal printing control method and a microprocessor chip. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, thermal printing typically involves heating the heating element of the thermal printhead, causing it to contact the thermal printing medium and form an image on it. The working principle mainly relies on electric heating pulse control. To meet different grayscale requirements, the image depth is varied by controlling the heating duration or the number of pulses.

[0003] In existing thermal printing, the thermal printhead needs to reach a certain temperature to form a clear image on the thermal printing medium. However, heating the entire row of pixels simultaneously can cause a sudden increase in current load, easily leading to overcurrent problems. Furthermore, when printing large, dark areas, continuous high current can cause a rapid rise in temperature, resulting in localized overheating, affecting print quality, and shortening the printhead's lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal printing control method and a microprocessor chip to solve the problems of excessive instantaneous current and localized overheating caused by simultaneous heating.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a thermal printing control method is provided, the thermal printing control method comprising:

[0006] In response to a print request, the pixels of the line to be printed are divided into at least a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

[0007] The first group of pixels is heated according to the first sequence of heating pulses, and the second group of pixels is heated according to the second sequence of heating pulses, thus completing the heating and printing of the pixels of the row to be printed.

[0008] In some implementations, the grayscale value of the pixel is achieved by multiple heating pulses with the same pulse width.

[0009] In some implementations, pixel-based heating printing includes a total heating time;

[0010] The first sequence includes: at the start of the total heating time, continuously heating the heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels;

[0011] The second sequence includes: at the end of the total heating time, the heating pulse corresponding to the second group of pixels completes continuous heating.

[0012] In this embodiment, by heating the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels in different orders, the number of pixels in the row to be printed that are heated at the same time can be reduced, thus avoiding excessive power.

[0013] In some implementations, the heating pulses of the pixel are represented by binary numbers, which include the number and order of the heating pulses for the corresponding pixel.

[0014] The first sequence includes: performing byte conversion on the binary numbers corresponding to the first group of pixels, so that the heating pulses heat continuously at the beginning of the total heating time;

[0015] The second step includes: performing byte conversion on the binary numbers corresponding to the second group of pixels, so that the heating pulse completes continuous heating at the end of the total heating time.

[0016] In some implementations, the grayscale value of the pixel is achieved by multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths.

[0017] In some implementations, the first sequence includes: heating the heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels at the start of the total heating time;

[0018] The second sequence includes: heating the corresponding pixels of the second group after the heating of the first sequence is completed.

[0019] In this embodiment, the second group of pixels is heated after the heating pulse of the first group of pixels is completed, which can ensure that at most half of the pixels in the row to be printed are heated at the same time. When more groups are formed, this embodiment can further reduce the maximum number of pixels in the row to be printed that are heated at the same time.

[0020] In some implementations, the first sequence includes:

[0021] The heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels are applied at intervals within the total heating time.

[0022] The second sequence includes: heating pulses corresponding to the second group of pixels are applied during the interval of the first sequence.

[0023] In this embodiment, the pixels in the row to be printed are not heated continuously to avoid the pixels becoming too hot due to continuous heating.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first sequence includes: sequentially heating the plurality of heating pulses with different pulse widths corresponding to the first group of pixels in order of increasing pulse width at intervals;

[0025] The second sequence includes: sequentially heating the multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths corresponding to the second group of pixels in order of increasing pulse width at intervals;

[0026] The first-order interval heating is complementary to the second-order interval heating.

[0027] In some implementations, the pixels of the row to be printed are divided into at least two groups, including:

[0028] Divide the pixels of the row to be printed into at least two groups, either consecutive or non-consecutive.

[0029] In this embodiment, grouping the pixels of the row to be printed according to non-contiguous pixels can reduce the temperature interference caused by the simultaneous heating of adjacent pixels.

[0030] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a microprocessor chip is provided for performing the thermal printing control method described above.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the thermal printing control method and microprocessor chip of the present invention group the pixels of the row to be printed and use different heating sequences to heat them alternately, which effectively avoids the problem of excessive instantaneous current peak caused by heating multiple pixels at the same time, optimizes the thermal printing process, improves the stability and service life of thermal printing equipment, and ensures the consistency of print output quality. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a thermal printing control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of grouping and heating the rows to be printed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of group heating of another row to be printed according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of group heating of another row to be printed according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of grouping and heating another row to be printed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the printing control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure.

[0040] A thermal printer has a heating element installed on the thermal printhead. This heating element heats the printhead and, upon contact with the thermal printing medium, prints the desired image or text, similar in principle to a thermal fax machine. When the heating element is activated, it rapidly heats and contacts the thermal printing medium, causing a localized temperature rise and chemical reaction in the thermal coating, resulting in a color change and the printed image or text. To achieve different grayscale levels, variations in grayscale values ​​are achieved by controlling the heating duration or the number of pulses.

[0041] In existing thermal printing, heating pixels simultaneously can cause a sudden increase in current load, easily leading to overcurrent problems. Furthermore, when printing large, dark areas, continuous heating can cause a rapid temperature rise, resulting in localized overheating, affecting print quality, and shortening the printhead's lifespan.

[0042] The thermal printing control method and microprocessor chip provided in this application aim to solve the above-mentioned technical problems in the prior art.

[0043] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a thermal printing control method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes:

[0045] Step S101: In response to the print request, divide the pixels of the line to be printed into at least a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels.

[0046] Exemplaryly, the executing entity of this embodiment can be a thermal printing device, a terminal device, a thermal printing apparatus, or other devices or equipment capable of executing this embodiment, and there is no limitation thereto. In this embodiment, a thermal printing device is used as the executing entity for description.

[0047] Upon receiving a print request, the system responds to the print request. The print request is for printing the raw image data. The raw image data includes pixels, each pixel including its position and the corresponding grayscale value.

[0048] During the printing process, the original image data is divided into multiple rows of data to be printed, each row being the print row. The print row is completed sequentially by reading each row of data. Different grayscale values ​​are achieved by heating the pixels with heating pulses, and the heating pulses for each pixel can be represented by binary numbers.

[0049] The raw image data includes the grayscale value of each pixel, ranging from 0 to 255, where 0 represents pure white, 255 represents pure black, and intermediate values ​​represent different shades of gray.

[0050] During normal printing, the heating pulses represented by the aforementioned binary number are used to heat the pixels. The more heating pulses or the longer the pulse width, the higher the heating temperature and the deeper the grayscale, thus achieving thermal grayscale printing. Taking a grayscale range of 0-255 as an example, when using pulses of equal width, each pixel receives a maximum of 255 heating pulses, achieving grayscale levels from 0 to 255 based on the number of pulses. When using pulses with different widths, such as proportional pulses, each pixel receives a maximum of 8 heating pulses, achieving grayscale levels from 0 to 255 based on combinations of heating pulses of different widths.

[0051] Divide the pixels of the row to be printed into at least a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels.

[0052] For example, each pixel in the line to be printed is divided into at least two groups, that is, the pixels in the line to be printed are divided into multiple independent groups. Each group contains different pixels, and the heating of each group is staggered or performed at different times to reduce instantaneous current, avoid excessive current, and protect the print head. The number of groups is determined according to the actual situation, and is not limited in this application.

[0053] To prevent excessive current from exceeding the hardware's capacity, the number of groups can be adjusted based on the printer's power supply capability and the printhead's maximum current carrying capacity. On the other hand, the number and distribution of pixels requiring heating in the original image data also affect the number of groups. If the original image data is complex and requires heating more pixels, the number of groups needs to be increased to distribute the current load during heating. To prevent the printhead from overheating, the number of groups can be adjusted according to the printhead's heat dissipation capacity, allowing each group more time to dissipate heat after heating, thus avoiding excessive temperature.

[0054] For example, if the pixels of a row to be printed are divided into two groups, the pixels in that row will be split into a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels for printing. If the pixels of the row to be printed are: 255, 254, 253, 252, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, then they can be divided into:

[0055] First group of pixels: 255, 254, 253, 252, 4, 3;

[0056] Second group of pixels: 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3;

[0057] Alternatively, the first group of pixels: 255, 252, 4, 0;

[0058] Second group of pixels: 254, 3, 1, 2;

[0059] The third group of pixels: 253, 2, 1, 3.

[0060] The specific number of groups is not limited in this application. By grouping, the heating time of the pixels in the row to be printed is staggered, so that not all the necessary pixels are heated at once, thereby reducing the instantaneous current.

[0061] In some implementations, the pixels of the row to be printed are divided into at least two groups based on whether they are consecutive or non-consecutive pixels.

[0062] Consecutive pixels refer to grouping a continuous sequence of pixels within a line to be printed. Each group consists of adjacent pixels. For example, consecutive pixels on the left side of a line form the first group, and consecutive pixels on the right side form the second group.

[0063] For example, the number of pixels in the row to be printed is: 11, 114, 89, 231, 37, 29, 61, 182;

[0064] Based on grouping consecutive pixels, it can be divided into:

[0065] First group of pixels: 11, 114, 89, 231;

[0066] Second group of pixels: 37, 29, 61, 182;

[0067] Or the first group of pixels: 11, 114, 89;

[0068] Second group of pixels: 231, 37, 29;

[0069] Third group of pixels: 61, 182;

[0070] By grouping consecutive pixels, the number of pixels heated simultaneously during printing can be reduced, thus maintaining the stability and continuity of heating.

[0071] Non-contiguous pixel grouping refers to dividing non-adjacent pixels in a line to be printed into the same group. The pixels in each group are physically dispersed, not continuous, on the thermal printhead. For example, pixels at odd-numbered positions are grouped into the first group, and pixels at even-numbered positions are grouped into the second group.

[0072] In some implementations, grouping non-contiguous pixels further includes selecting pixels at intervals for grouping. Therefore, the pixels in each group are not spatially continuous, but selected according to certain interval rules, and the heating points are spatially dispersed.

[0073] For example, if the number of pixels in the row to be printed is 11, 114, 89, 231, 37, 29, 61, 182, and the heated points are selected at intervals, the row can be divided into:

[0074] First group of pixels: 11, 89, 37, 61;

[0075] Second group of pixels: 114, 231, 29, 182;

[0076] Alternatively, the first group of pixels: 11, 231, 61.

[0077] Second group of pixels: 114, 37, 29;

[0078] The third group of pixels: 89, 29, 182;

[0079] By grouping consecutive pixels, the number of pixels heated simultaneously during printing can be reduced; by grouping non-consecutive pixels, the heating temperature instability caused by adjacent pixels affecting each other during heating can be avoided.

[0080] Step S102: The first group of pixels is heated according to the first sequence of heating pulses, and the second group of pixels is heated according to the second sequence of heating pulses, thus completing the heating and printing of the pixels of the row to be printed.

[0081] In some implementations, the grayscale value of the pixel is achieved using multiple heating pulses of equal pulse width. A first group of pixels is heated using heating pulses of equal pulse width in a first sequence, and a second group of pixels is heated using heating pulses of equal pulse width in a second sequence, thus completing the heating and printing of the pixels in the row to be printed.

[0082] Each pixel corresponds to a certain number of equal-width pulses based on its grayscale value. Pixels with higher grayscale values ​​receive more heating pulses and have a darker color. Pixels within each group are heated sequentially according to the equal-width heating pulses. Heating between groups can be staggered to avoid excessive instantaneous current.

[0083] In other embodiments, the grayscale value of the pixel is achieved using multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths. When multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths are used, i.e., proportional pulses, each pixel corresponds to a different combination of heating pulse widths based on its grayscale value. A pixel may receive multiple combinations of heating pulses, such as T+2T+4T, to represent its grayscale value. Different groups of heating pulses ensure that pixels in each group are heated according to different time sequences, achieving staggered heating and reducing instantaneous current. The heating pulses control the heating of pixels during printing; during the printing process, the heating sequence of specific pixels is controlled by the heating pulse order. The first and second order controls prevent pixels in different groups from heating simultaneously, thereby avoiding excessive instantaneous current, reducing energy consumption and the thermal load on the print head.

[0084] By using staggered heating in groups, a large number of pixels are not heated at once during the printing process, thereby reducing instantaneous current.

[0085] like Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a group printing method provided in this application. All pixels in the row to be printed are divided into two groups. The first group of pixels is heated according to the first sequence of heating pulses, and the second group of pixels is heated according to the second sequence of heating pulses, thus completing the pixel heating and printing of the row to be printed.

[0086] Specifically, the first sequence includes: at the beginning of the total heating time, the heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels are continuously heated; the second sequence includes: at the end of the total heating time, the heating pulses corresponding to the second group of pixels complete the continuous heating.

[0087] At the start of thermal printing, the first group of pixels is heated by its corresponding heating pulse. The first sequential heating pulse controls the heating of the first group of pixels at the beginning of the total heating time, ensuring continuous heating of the first group of pixels during the initial printing phase. The second sequential heating pulse controls the heating of the second group of pixels to be completed before the end of the total heating time. The heating times of the first and second groups of pixels are staggered, reducing the number and duration of pixels heated simultaneously.

[0088] In one embodiment, the heating pulses of the pixels are represented by binary numbers, the binary numbers including the number and order of the heating pulses of the corresponding pixels; the first order includes: performing byte conversion on the binary numbers corresponding to the first group of pixels, so that the first group of pixels is continuously heated at the beginning of the total heating time; the second order includes: performing byte conversion on the binary numbers corresponding to the second group of pixels, so that the second group of pixels completes continuous heating at the end of the total heating time.

[0089] Byte conversion refers to rearranging the positions of the heating pulses represented by binary numbers. In the binary numbers, "1" represents a heating pulse that needs heating, and "0" represents a pulse that does not need heating. By adjusting the positions of the "1"s, the order of the heating pulses is adjusted. Byte conversion of the binary numbers corresponding to the first group of pixels includes obtaining the grayscale values ​​of the first group of pixels and performing byte conversion on the heating pulses represented by the binary numbers. Byte conversion of the binary numbers corresponding to the second group of pixels includes obtaining the grayscale values ​​of the second group of pixels and performing byte conversion on the heating pulses represented by the binary numbers.

[0090] In this embodiment, the second order of the second group of pixels includes arranging the pixels to be heated at the end of the binary array. For example, the original grayscale value corresponds to the binary number 1110 0000, which becomes 00000111 after byte transformation. The heating pulses are concentrated at the end of this binary number. Concentrated arrangement of heating pulses allows for better staggered heating, reduces instantaneous current peaks, and reduces the current load caused by simultaneous pixel activation.

[0091] exist Figure 2 In this process, the first group of pixels is continuously heated at the beginning of the total heating time, and the second group of pixels completes continuous heating at the end of the total heating time. Based on the first sequential heating pulse of the first group of pixels and the second sequential heating pulse of the second group of pixels, heating and printing of the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels are performed simultaneously. For example, Figure 2 The maximum grayscale value is 255, and the total heating time is 255 heating cycles. In other examples, the total heating time can be greater than the maximum grayscale value. Obviously, increasing the total heating time can reduce the situation where the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels are heated at the same time.

[0092] like Figure 3The diagram illustrates another group printing method provided in this application. The first sequence includes: heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels begin heating at the start of the total heating time; the second sequence includes: after the first group of pixels has completed its first heating cycle, heating pulses corresponding to the second group of pixels begin heating. Heating the second group of pixels occurs after the first group of pixels has been heated, avoiding overlap between the heating times of the first and second group of pixels, thus achieving staggered heating of the pixels.

[0093] For example, such as Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the original grayscale values ​​of each pixel in the row to be printed are: 255, 254, 253, 252, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3. These will be divided into consecutive pixels as follows:

[0094] Group 1: 255, 254, 253, 252, 4, 3;

[0095] Second group: 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3.

[0096] by Figure 3 Taking the equal-width pulse as an example, after the first group of pixels is heated, the second group of pixels begins to be heated. Since each of the first and second groups of pixels contains half of the pixels to be printed, each heating pulse heats at most half of the pixels.

[0097] For example, the position of the heating pulse is represented by a binary number. The heating pulse of the first group of pixels corresponding to the first sequence is concentrated at the beginning of the total heating time. For example, the first pixel 3 is represented by the binary number 11100000…0000…, where 1110 0000… corresponds to the total heating time of the first group of pixels and 0000… corresponds to the total heating time of the second group of pixels. The heating pulse of the second group of pixels corresponding to the second sequence is heated after the first group of pixels has completed the heating of the first sequence. For example, the second group of pixels 3 is represented by the binary number 00000000…1110….

[0098] like Figure 4 As shown, taking a proportional pulse as an example, the pixels of the row to be printed are divided into a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels. After heating the first group of pixels corresponding to the first sequence in the row to be printed, heating begins according to the second group of pixels corresponding to the second sequence. The heating times of the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels are staggered to ensure that too many pixels are not heated at the same time, thus achieving the effect of time-sharing heating.

[0099] During the printing process, when the same pixel is heated continuously, there may be insufficient heat dissipation, resulting in excessively high pixel temperature and affecting the printing effect.

[0100] Based on the above-mentioned shortcomings, in other embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first sequence includes: heating the heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels at intervals within the total heating time;

[0101] The second sequence includes: heating the heating pulses corresponding to the second group of pixels during the interval of the first sequence;

[0102] Alternating heating controls each group of pixels through dynamic alternating operations within the total heating time, ensuring that the heating tasks of different groups do not overlap, thereby optimizing current distribution and heat dissipation performance.

[0103] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first sequence includes: sequentially heating the plurality of heating pulses with different pulse widths corresponding to the first group of pixels in order of increasing pulse width at intervals; the second sequence includes: sequentially heating the plurality of heating pulses with different pulse widths corresponding to the second group of pixels in order of increasing pulse width at intervals; the interval heating of the first sequence and the interval heating of the second sequence are complementary.

[0104] When the row to be printed is divided into first and second groups of pixels, the first heating pulse is the first in sequence; the second heating pulse is the second in sequence; the third heating pulse is the first in sequence; the fourth heating pulse is the second in sequence; the fifth heating pulse is the first in sequence, and so on. By alternating heating of different groups, a short cooling time is provided for each pixel after each group's heating is completed. This results in a more even heat distribution, reduces continuous heat accumulation, and allows pixels time to dissipate heat between different heating stages. This alternating activation of pixels avoids localized overheating caused by simultaneous activation of consecutive pixels.

[0105] The thermal printing control method provided in this application groups the pixels of the row to be printed and uses different heating sequences to heat them alternately, which effectively avoids the problem of excessive instantaneous current peak caused by heating multiple pixels at the same time, optimizes the thermal printing process, improves the stability and service life of thermal printing equipment, and ensures consistent print output quality.

[0106] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a thermal printing device provided in this application. The device includes:

[0107] Grouping module 610, in response to a print request, divides the pixels of the line to be printed into at least a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels;

[0108] The printing module 620 heats the first group of pixels according to the first sequence of heating pulses, and the second group of pixels according to the second sequence of heating pulses, thus completing the heating and printing of the pixels of the row to be printed.

[0109] The apparatus in this embodiment can execute the technical solutions in the above method. Its specific implementation process and technical principles are the same, and will not be repeated here.

[0110] An embodiment of the present invention provides an image forming apparatus, which includes the thermal printing apparatus described above.

[0111] For example, this application provides a microprocessor chip for executing the thermal printing control method described in the above embodiments. For instance, the microprocessor chip may be a microcontroller unit (MCU), digital signal processor (DSP), MPU (including a microprocessor unit and a memory protection unit), or a micro central processing unit (CPU), or any other micro central control chip or system-on-a-chip capable of processing digital signals, analog signals, or performing signal control, instruction processing, and computation functions.

[0112] This invention provides an electronic device, such as... Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 The electronic device shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0113] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device is presented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device may include, but are not limited to: one or more processors 710, memory 730, and communication bus 740 connecting different system components (including memory 730 and processor 710).

[0114] The communication bus 740 represents one or more of several bus architectures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus using any of the various bus architectures. For example, these architectures include, but are not limited to, the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, the Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus, the Enhanced ISA bus, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0115] Electronic devices typically include a variety of computer-readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the electronic device, including volatile and non-volatile media, and removable and non-removable media.

[0116] Memory 730 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The electronic device may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. Although Figure 7 Not shown, a disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile disk (e.g., a "floppy disk") and an optical disc drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile optical disc (e.g., a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital video disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), or other optical media) may be provided. In these cases, each drive may be connected to the communication bus 740 via one or more data media interfaces. The memory 730 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0117] A program / utility having a set (at least one) of program modules can be stored in memory 730. Such program modules include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules typically perform the functions and / or methods described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0118] The electronic device can also communicate with one or more external devices, one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device, or any device that enables the electronic device to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., network interface card, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed through the communication interface 720. Furthermore, the electronic device can also communicate through a network adapter (…). Figure 7 (Not shown) communicates with one or more networks (e.g., Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet). The aforementioned network adapter can communicate with other modules of the electronic device via the communication bus 740. It should be understood that, although... Figure 7 Not shown, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with electronic devices, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, disk arrays (Redundant Arrays of Independent Drives; hereinafter referred to as RAID) systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0119] The processor 710 executes various functional applications and data processing by running programs stored in the memory 730, such as implementing a thermal printing control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0120] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that cause the computer to execute a thermal printing control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0121] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable media. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0122] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0123] Program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wire, optical fiber, radio frequency (RF), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0124] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermal printing control method, characterized in that, The thermal printing control method includes: In response to a print request, the pixels of the line to be printed are divided into at least a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels; During the total heating time, the first group of pixels is heated according to the first sequence of heating pulses, and the second group of pixels is heated according to the second sequence of heating pulses, thus completing the heating and printing of the pixels of the row to be printed; During the total heating time, there is at least one heating period in which the first group of pixels is heated according to the heating pulses of the first sequence, the first sequence including the output of heating pulses in an intermittent manner; the second sequence includes the heating pulses corresponding to the second group of pixels being heated during the interval of the first sequence.

2. The thermal printing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grayscale value of the pixel is achieved by multiple heating pulses with the same pulse width.

3. The thermal printing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Pixel-level heating printing includes the total heating time; The first sequence includes: at the start of the total heating time, continuously heating the heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels; The second sequence includes: at the end of the total heating time, the heating pulse corresponding to the second group of pixels completes continuous heating.

4. The thermal printing control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heating pulses of the pixel are represented by binary numbers, which include the number and order of the heating pulses of the corresponding pixel. The first sequence includes: performing byte conversion on the binary numbers corresponding to the first group of pixels, so that the heating pulses heat continuously at the beginning of the total heating time; The second step includes: performing byte conversion on the binary numbers corresponding to the second group of pixels, so that the heating pulse completes continuous heating at the end of the total heating time.

5. The thermal printing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grayscale value of the pixel is achieved by multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths.

6. A thermal printing control method according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that, The first sequence includes: heating the heating pulses corresponding to the first group of pixels at the beginning of the total heating time; The second sequence includes: heating the corresponding pixels of the second group after the heating of the first sequence is completed.

7. The thermal printing control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The The first sequence includes: sequentially heating the multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths corresponding to the first group of pixels in order of increasing pulse width at intervals; The second sequence includes: sequentially heating the multiple heating pulses with different pulse widths corresponding to the second group of pixels in order of increasing pulse width at intervals; The first-order interval heating is complementary to the second-order interval heating.

8. The thermal printing control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Divide the pixels of the row to be printed into at least two groups, including: Divide the pixels of the row to be printed into at least two groups, either consecutive or non-consecutive.

9. A microprocessor chip, characterized in that, The microprocessor chip is used to execute the thermal printing control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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