Printing system and printing method

Abstract

To provide a printing system capable of suppressing occurrence of color unevenness due to shortage of a current and shortening a printing time.SOLUTION: The card issuing system X is an example of a printing system including a card issuing device 1 and a host device 2 that transmits image data 300 to the card issuing device 1. The correction value calculation unit 200 of the host device 2 calculates the correction value 410 for correcting the image data 300 based on the density of each line of the image data 300. The transmission / reception unit 22 adds the correction value 410 calculated by the correction value calculation unit 200 to each line of the image data 300 and transmits the image data to the card issuing device 1. The storage unit 11 of the card issuing device 1 stores the correction value 410 in association with each line of the image data 300 received from the host device 2. Based on the correction value 410 stored in the storage unit, the printing unit 5 performs printing while changing the time for energizing each heat generation element of the thermal head 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a printing system and a printing method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There are card issuing systems that issue card-shaped recording media (hereinafter simply referred to as "cards"). Such a card issuing system is configured by connecting a card issuing device that issues cards to a higher-level device such as an ATM (Automated Teller Machine). The card issuing device often includes a storage unit in which cards are stacked and stored before being issued, and a printing unit such as a printer that prints on the cards. The printing unit often heats an ink ribbon to perform dye-sublimation or thermal transfer (melting) thermal printing. In a printing device that performs such thermal printing, insufficient current is supplied to the thermal head in image areas where there are many current-carrying points in one line, which can cause color unevenness.

[0003] Here, Patent Document 1 describes a typical technique for improving color unevenness in conventional thermal printing. The printing device prints on paper by energizing heating elements corresponding to print data from among multiple heating elements provided on a print head. The printing device is characterized by comprising: a correction amount storage means for storing a correction amount corresponding to energy loss due to voltage drop in each heating element; and a current control means for controlling the time for which current is applied to each heating element in accordance with the correction amount for that heating element stored in the correction amount storage means. The technology of Patent Document 1 can suppress the density unevenness that occurs during printing as described above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-301004 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional technology such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, the correction amount is calculated by the printing device, which imposes a processing load and may affect printing time.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a printing system that can solve the above problems, suppress color unevenness caused by insufficient current, and shorten printing time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A printing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a printing system including a printing device and a host device that transmits image data to the printing device, wherein the host device comprises a correction value calculation unit that calculates a correction value for correcting image data based on the shade of each line of the image data, and a transmission unit that adds the correction value calculated by the correction value calculation unit to each line of the image data and transmits the image data to the printing device, and the printing device comprises a memory unit that stores the correction value in correspondence with each line of the image data received from the host device, and a printing unit that prints by changing the time for which current is applied to each heating element of a thermal head based on the correction value stored in the memory unit. By configuring in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of color unevenness due to a current shortage and to shorten the printing time.

[0008] A printing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the printing device receives the image data and the correction values ​​line by line, or is capable of printing while receiving the data when the data has been received partially. By configuring in this way, printing time can be shortened.

[0009] In a printing system according to an aspect of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit calculates the correction value when an instruction to print the image data is given. By configuring in this way, it is possible to calculate appropriate correction values ​​even if the image data changes during printing.

[0010] In a printing system according to one aspect of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit analyzes the image data and adjusts the correction value in accordance with a result of the analysis. By configuring in this way, it is possible to improve color unevenness other than the color unevenness for each line.

[0011] In a printing system according to one aspect of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit adjusts the correction value taking into consideration the shading of the preceding and following lines. By configuring in this way, it is possible to further reduce color unevenness between lines.

[0012] In a printing system according to one aspect of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit adjusts the correction value for each color if uniform correction for all colors in one line would result in a change in color tone. By configuring in this way, it is possible to correct all colors uniformly and suppress changes in color tone.

[0013] In a printing system according to one aspect of the present invention, the printing unit changes the energization time by adjusting a strobe signal. This configuration allows for more precise adjustment.

[0014] A printing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a printing method executed by a printing system including a printing device and a host device that transmits image data to the printing device, wherein the host device calculates a correction value for correcting image data based on the shading of each line of the image data, the host device adds the correction value to each line of image data and transmits the image data to the printing device, the printing device stores the image data for each line received from the host device in correspondence with the correction value, and the printing device prints by changing the time for which current is applied to each heating element of a thermal head based on the stored correction value. By configuring in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of color unevenness due to a current shortage and to shorten the printing time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a higher-level device calculates a correction value for correcting image data based on the shade of each line of the image data, adds this correction value to each line of the image data, and transmits it to a printing device.The printing device then prints by changing the time for which current is applied to each heating element of the thermal head based on the received correction value, thereby providing a printing system that can suppress the occurrence of color unevenness due to insufficient current and shorten printing time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of a card issuing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the image data shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of a card issuing process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a photograph of a card printed in the card issuing process shown in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] <Embodiment> [Configuration of Card Issuance System X] The configuration of a card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The card issuing system X according to this embodiment is an example of a printing system that prints and issues a medium.

[0018] Specifically, the card issuing system X is a device for issuing new cards 4 (medium). Examples of the card issuing system X include ATMs with card issuing functions, kiosk terminals, transportation ticket issuing systems, point card issuing systems for convenience stores and the like, member card issuing systems for retail stores, card issuing and payment systems for gaming machines, entrance and exit management systems, ticket issuing systems for vehicles, parking lot management systems, and the like (hereinafter simply referred to as "ATMs, etc."). In this embodiment, the card issuing system X includes a card issuing device 1 and a higher-level device 2. For example, the card issuing device 1 and the higher-level device 2 are connected via a USB (Universal Serial Bus), RS-232C, or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as "USB, etc.").

[0019] The card issuing device 1 is an example of a printing device such as a print / issue printer or card reader that prints and issues necessary information on a card 4 in response to an instruction from a higher-level device 2. In this embodiment, communication between the card issuing device 1 and the higher-level device 2 is performed via, for example, USB or the like.

[0020] In this embodiment, the higher-level device 2 is an information processing device that controls the card issuing device 1 and realizes each function of the ATM, etc. Specifically, the higher-level device 2 is, for example, the main body device of the ATM, etc., and includes a control PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, or other control and arithmetic device. Therefore, the higher-level device 2 executes application software (hereinafter simply referred to as "app") for realizing the functions of the card issuing system X. In this embodiment, the higher-level device 2 is connected to the card issuing device 1 to be controlled. In addition, the higher-level device 2 can also be connected to a network, various peripheral devices, and the like.

[0021] The card 4 according to this embodiment is an example of a medium compatible with the medium issuing system of this embodiment. The card 4 is a contactless IC card, a contact IC card, and / or a magnetic card with a magnetic stripe. The card 4 may be, for example, a rectangular vinyl chloride card with a thickness of approximately 0.7 to 0.8 mm. If the card 4 is a magnetic card, for example, a magnetic stripe on which magnetic data is recorded is formed. If the card 4 is a contactless IC card and / or a contact IC card, for example, an IC chip is built in. Here, the card 4 may be provided with both an IC chip and a magnetic stripe. In addition, if the card 4 is a contactless IC card, it may have a built-in R / W (Read / Write) antenna for short-range wireless communication. The card 4 may be a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) card having a thickness of about 0.18 to 0.36 mm, a paper card having a predetermined thickness, or the like.

[0022] The consumables 3 compatible with the card issuing system X according to this embodiment are, for example, ink ribbons for the printing unit 5 described below. This ink ribbon may be, for example, a dye-sublimation or melt-type ink ribbon for printing in color or black and white on the card 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, this ink ribbon may be, as a rule, a three-color (complementary color) ink ribbon including cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) films.

[0023] This color ink ribbon may further include a dedicated black (black, key plate, K) ribbon. Furthermore, in addition to these CMYK colors, an overcoat film to protect the printing surface may also be included. Additionally, the ink ribbon may include special colors (hereinafter referred to as "spot colors"), such as anti-counterfeit colors containing special metal particles, metallic colors, fluorescent colors, holograms, and thermal expansion films that expand when heated. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, overcoats and spot colors may also be referred to as "colors." Additionally, ink ribbons may include those that are only black or other light colors. Additionally, the ink ribbons of the consumables 3 may include multi-use (multiple-use) ones. In addition, an RFID tag (hereinafter referred to as a "wireless tag") using the same communication method (ISO14443) as a contactless IC card may be attached to the consumable 3, and consumable information including the type of consumable 3, ID, serial number, etc. may be managed.

[0024] (Control configuration of card issuing device 1) Next, the control configuration of the card issuing device 1 will be described. The card issuing device 1 includes a printing unit 5, an issuing unit 6, a common board 7, a memory unit 11, and the like.

[0025] The printing unit 5 is a card printer or the like that reads the line data 400 and correction values ​​410 and prints on the card 4. In this embodiment, the printing unit 5 performs printing using, for example, a dye-sublimation or melt-type direct printing method using a thermal head 12 in response to the drive of the drive unit. For example, the printing unit 5 prints on the card 4 ejected from the issuing unit 6 while transporting it along a transport path, and then ejects it after printing. In this way, the printing unit 5 can print on a new card 4 using an ink ribbon in a borderless, double-sided, black and white, or color printing format, and can print photo-quality images and text on the surface of the card 4.

[0026] Specifically, the printing unit 5 includes the circuitry and mechanism of a print head such as the thermal head 12, and is capable of printing full-color bitmap images such as image data 300 (described below) at several hundred dpi (dots per inch). In this embodiment, the number of pixels that the thermal head 12 can print at one time in the diagonal direction of the printing direction is referred to as "one line."

[0027] The issuing unit 6 is a hopper unit or the like that stores new cards 4 before issuance. The issuing unit 6 is capable of discharging the stored cards 4 along an internal transport path toward the printing unit 5 under the control of the upper device 2.

[0028] The common board 7 is a device for connecting the issuing unit 6 and the printing unit 5 to the higher-level device 2. In this embodiment, the common board 7 includes, for example, a circuit and an interface of a board such as a USB provided on the board of the card issuing device 1. Specifically, the common board 7 is capable of receiving instructions (commands) from the higher-level device 2 and responding to the commands via a USB cable or the like. In addition, the common board 7 is capable of storing the line data 400 and correction values ​​410 of the image data 300 acquired from the higher-level device 2 in the memory unit 11 of the printing unit 5. Additionally, the common board 7 includes a control and calculation unit and a hub circuit such as a USB, and connects the issuing unit 6 and the printing unit 5 via this USB hub.

[0029] The storage unit 11 is a non-transitory recording medium including, for example, a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM). The ROM includes a flash memory or other non-volatile semiconductor memory. Furthermore, the ROM may be configured as a solid state drive (SSD) or an embedded multi-media card (eMMC). The storage unit 11 stores a control program for printing by the printing unit 5 and various data including encrypted data. This control program may include firmware for the card issuing device 1. Here, the firmware may further include a binary program in a hardware description language (HDL) that configures the FPGA. The storage unit 11 may include a magnetic recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an optical recording medium such as an optical disk or a holographic recording medium, or other non-transitory recording medium. In this embodiment, the storage unit 11 is connected to the common substrate 7 and the printing unit 5.

[0030] Next, the printing unit 5 will be described in more detail. The printing unit 5 includes a control unit 10, a thermal head 12, and a temperature measuring unit 13.

[0031] The control unit 10 is a control and calculation unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. Among these, the CPU, MPU, and other components including the FPGA may be configured on separate chips. The control unit 10 controls each unit of the card issuing device 1 in accordance with commands received from the higher-level device 2. Specifically, the control unit 10 can control the transport, printing, other issuing processes, and reading / writing processes of the card 4.

[0032] The thermal head 12 may be a heater array or the like, which is a collection of heat generating elements that sublimates or melts the ink contained in the ink ribbon of the consumable 3 and fixes it on the card 4. Therefore, the thermal head 12 can print multiple pixels at once.

[0033] In this embodiment, when image data 300 for a card 4 (described later) is printed at 600 x 1000 pixels, the thermal head 12 may have heating elements arranged in one line, each of which corresponds to 600 pixels (dots). In other words, the heating elements in this line may correspond to the length of the short side of the card 4, making it possible to print in a single diagonal direction of the conveyance direction (printing direction) of the card 4. In this case, while conveying the card 4 in the long side direction (printing direction), the thermal head 12 applies current to the heating elements corresponding to each pixel in a timed manner to heat the ink ribbon, thereby making it possible to print an image of 600 x 1000 pixels.

[0034] In this embodiment, the thermal head 12 may include a temperature measuring unit 13 . The temperature measurement unit 13 may be a temperature sensor including a thermocouple (thermistor) and an A / D (Analog to Digital) converter that measure the temperature of the thermal head 12. The gradation values ​​during printing are corrected based on this measured temperature. Additionally, the temperature measurement unit 13 may include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of a location other than the thermal head 12 of the printing unit 5, for example, the temperature inside the housing. The temperature measurement unit 13 measures the temperature of the thermal head 12 and / or the inside of the housing in response to an instruction (command) from the higher-level device 2, and transmits the measured temperature information to the higher-level device 2. Furthermore, the temperature measurement unit 13 may acquire the temperature for each specific color, for each line, or at a specific timing.

[0035] In addition, the printing unit 5 is also equipped with a drive unit that transports the card 4. The drive unit includes mechanisms such as a stepping motor, rollers, and encoder that transport the card 4 within a transport path formed inside the card issuing device 1. In this embodiment, in the transport direction of the card 4 within the transport path, the side from which the card 4 is issued and ejected is defined as the front direction (printing direction), and the internal side where the issuing unit 6 where the card 4 is stored is defined as the rear direction.

[0036] Furthermore, the printing unit 5 may also have a function as a card reader that can take the printing unit 5 into the device by being driven by a motor by a drive unit and read or write data from the card 4. In this case, the card issuing device 1 may be able to read / write data from an IC chip and a magnetic stripe, for example. Furthermore, the card issuing device 1 may be equipped with a card sensor such as an optical sensor or a switch for detecting where the card 4 is located in the transport path.

[0037] (Control configuration of upper device 2) Next, the control configuration of the higher-level device 2 will be described. The higher-level device 2 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, a transmitting / receiving unit 22, and the like.

[0038] The control unit 20 is a control and calculation unit including a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an ASIC, and the like.

[0039] The storage unit 21 is a recording medium including RAM and ROM. Of these, ROM includes flash memory and other non-volatile semiconductor memory. Furthermore, the storage unit 21 may include other non-transitory recording media such as magnetic recording media such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), optical recording media, and optical disks. The storage unit 21 stores a control program for controlling the higher-level device 2. This control program includes an OS (Operating System), a payment application, and a device driver for controlling the card issuing device 1. Of these, the device driver may also include a program module such as a DLL (Dynamic Linking Library) for performing USB communication with the card issuing device 1 and sending and receiving commands and data.

[0040] The transmitting / receiving unit 22 is a circuit and a physical interface such as a chipset and I / O (Input / Output) for connecting to an external device. The transmitting / receiving unit 22 includes a general-purpose serial interface such as USB for connecting to the card issuing device 1, a parallel interface, a digital video interface, etc. Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 also includes a physical layer of a network interface for connecting to a network.

[0041] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the transceiver unit 22 is connected to the card issuing device 1 via USB. In addition, the transceiver unit 22 may be connected to peripheral devices such as a display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel or an organic EL panel, a touch panel, and various buttons that are provided in an ATM or the like.

[0042] [Functional configuration of card issuing system X] Next, a functional configuration for printing and issuing the card 4 in the card issuing system X according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The control unit 20 of the higher-level device 2 includes a correction value calculation unit 200. The storage unit 21 of the higher-level device 2 stores image data 300. The storage unit 11 of the card issuing device 1 stores the line data 400 and the correction value 410.

[0043] The correction value calculation unit 200 calculates a correction value 410 for correcting the image data 300 based on the shading of each line of the image data 300. In this embodiment, the correction value calculation unit 200 separates the image data 300 into CMY colors and generates line data 400 for each line of this separated data. Then, the correction value calculation unit 200 calculates the correction value 410 based on a gradation value indicating the brightness (density) of the pixels of this line data 400. In this embodiment, the correction value calculation unit 200 may calculate the correction value 410 when issuing a print instruction for the image data 300 .

[0044] The correction value calculation unit 200 can also analyze the image data 300 and change the correction value 410 according to the analysis results. More specifically, the correction value calculation unit 200 can calculate the correction value 410 taking into consideration the shading of the preceding and following lines. Alternatively, if uniform correction for all colors on one line results in a change in color tone, it is also possible to adjust the correction value 410 for each color. In this embodiment, the correction value 410 is adjusted for each CMY color.

[0045] In this embodiment, the correction value calculation unit 200 may also be capable of generating the image data 300 itself to be printed when the card 4 is issued. In this embodiment, full-color image data 300 of 600 x 1000 pixels can be generated in accordance with commands from a payment application, etc. When generating the image data, the correction value calculation unit 200 may perform layout and resolution conversion, etc.

[0046] Additionally, the correction value calculation unit 200 executes an application such as an ATM that performs various payments and causes the card issuing device 1 to issue a card 4. That is, in this embodiment, the correction value calculation unit 200 also functions as an application execution unit. In this embodiment, in addition to payments, this application can also interactively respond to the user and design the card 4 to assist in issuance.

[0047] Furthermore, the correction value calculation unit 200 also executes a device driver, middleware, etc. for controlling the card issuing device 1. The device driver or middleware may include a DLL (Dynamic Link Library), which allows the correction value calculation unit 200 to send and receive commands and associated data to and from the card issuing device 1. The correction value calculation unit 200 also transmits various commands and data when making a payment or issuing a card 4. In addition, the correction value calculation unit 200 can also transmit a card read command for reading information stored in the card 4, a card write command for writing information to the card 4, and the like.

[0048] The transmitting / receiving unit 22 adds the correction value 410 calculated by the correction value calculation unit 200 to each line of the image data 300 and transmits the image data to the card issuing device 1. In this embodiment, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 associates the line data 400 with the correction value 410 and transmits the line data 400 to the card issuing device 1.

[0049] The storage unit 11 stores the line data 400 for each line of the image data 300 received from the higher-level device 2 in association with the correction value 410. In this embodiment, the line data 400 for each line received via the common substrate 7 can be stored in the storage unit 11 in association with the correction value 410.

[0050] The control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 prints by varying the time for which current is applied to each heating element of the thermal head 12 based on the correction value 410 stored in the memory unit 11. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the density of pixels by varying the time for which current is applied through adjustments to a strobe signal. This strobe signal is a signal that indicates the timing of power application.

[0051] In this embodiment, the adjustment of the strobe signal may be an adjustment of the delay time (hereinafter referred to as "timing") until the start of energization of each heating element of the thermal head 12, and the length of time for energization (hereinafter referred to as "strobe length"). In this case, the control unit 10 sets the timing and strobe length of the strobe signal in accordance with the correction value 410. That is, the control unit 10 controls the timing and length of energization for each of the multiple heating elements in relation to the gradation value of each pixel on one line. Furthermore, the control unit 10 can also adjust the strobe signal based on the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit 13.

[0052] Next, the image data 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Image data 300 is an example of print data printed on card 4 by printing unit 5. In this embodiment, image data 300 corresponds to printing on the surface area of ​​card 4, and an example will be described in which image data is 600 (diagonal in the printing direction) x 1000 pixels (printing direction, direction in which card 4 is transported). In this regard, 600 pixels diagonal in the printing direction are referred to as "one line." In other words, "one line" is 600 dots (pixels) arranged diagonally in the printing direction, which is the direction in which card 4 is transported, and corresponds to the number of pixels that can be printed at one time by thermal head 12.

[0053] In this embodiment, the image data 300 may be obtained by converting the above-mentioned 600×1000 pixel CMY color bitmap data into line data 400 for each color and adding correction values ​​410 thereto. 2, the image data 300 includes line data 400 for the first line, which includes the gradation value of the first dot (pixel), the gradation value of the second dot, ..., the gradation value of the 600th dot, corresponding to the 1st to 600th heating elements in one line. This line data 400 is supplemented with a correction value 410. Similarly, line data 400 and correction values ​​410 are prepared for the 2nd to 1000th lines.

[0054] The correction value 410 is data for correcting the shading value of the line data 400. In this embodiment, the correction value 410 may be data indicating adjustment of a strobe value. Specifically, for example, an 8-bit value (0 to 255) may be set as the correction value 410. The strobe value is changed based on this value. Accordingly, it becomes possible to express the shading and gradation of colors in color printing and monochrome printing.

[0055] The image data 300 may also be, for example, primary colors such as R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue), or complementary colors such as CMYK. Even in this case, a correction value 410 may be added to each line data 400 in the format described above. In addition, the image data 300 may include data for the above-mentioned spot colors. The image data 300 may also be in a format such as Windows (registered trademark) BMP, TIFF, or PNG, and may be uncompressed or compressed using run-length compression, LZW, or the like.

[0056] The bitmap data may also be lossy compressed bitmap data such as JPG format. Additionally, the bit count for each color in the image data 300 may be converted to, for example, the 7-bit gradation value described above. This allows full color reproduction with 128 gradations (7 bits) for each CMY color x 3, or 21 bits. In practice, the maximum density gradation value may be approximately half of 7 bits, or "63," due to temperature correction, etc., as described below. Furthermore, even if the image data 300 is 7 bits for CMY, the bit count for K and other special colors may be limited to approximately 4 bits, resulting in a 24- to 32-bit color bitmap representation.

[0057] Alternatively, the image data 300 may be 32-bit or higher color for the overcoat and other spot colors. Furthermore, depending on the specifications of the printing unit 5, each color may be 8-bit (0-255) or 16-bit (0-65536) gradation value data. In addition, these gradation values ​​may not be a simple linear scale, but may be a logarithmic scale, gamma value, or the like.

[0058] In addition, the image data 300 may also include data such as print feed speed, temperature adjustment value, output gradation value, etc. as metadata, etc., as setting values ​​for printing appropriately according to the state of the printing consumable 3. Furthermore, the image data 300 is transmitted line by line by the correction value calculation unit 200 via the transmission / reception unit 22 to the card issuing device 1 and stored in the memory unit 11 of the printing unit 5. At this time, the image data 300 may be stored in the RAM or flash memory of the memory unit 11 of the printing unit 5.

[0059] Here, the control unit 20 of the higher-level device 2 is made to function as a correction value calculation unit 200 by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 21. Furthermore, the above-mentioned higher-level device 2 and each part of the card issuing device 1 are hardware resources that execute the card reader control method of this embodiment. Note that a part or any combination of the above-described functional components may be configured in terms of circuitry or hardware using an IC, programmable logic, FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

[0060] [Card issuance processing by card issuance system X] Next, the card issuing process of the card issuing system X according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the card issuance process of this embodiment, the host device 2 executes an application such as an ATM, and at this time, the host device 2 calculates line data 400 and correction values ​​410 for image data 300. The host device 2 then adds the correction values ​​410 to the line data 400 and transmits the resulting data to the card issuing device 1. The card issuing device 1 stores the image data 300 and correction values ​​410 for each line received from the host device 2, in association with each other. The card issuing device 1 then prints and issues a card 4 by varying the duration for which current is applied to each heating element of the thermal head 12 based on the stored correction values ​​410.

[0061] In the card issuance process of this embodiment, in the card issuance device 1, the control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 and the control means of each unit execute a control program stored in the memory unit 11, etc., and in the higher-level device 2, the control unit 20 executes a control program stored in the memory unit 21 in cooperation with each unit using hardware resources. Below, the card issuing process of this embodiment will be described in detail step by step with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0062] (Step S201) First, the correction value calculation unit 200 of the higher-level device 2 performs print instruction processing. Here, the correction value calculation unit 200 executes an application for issuing and printing cards for ATMs, etc. This application may be executed in response to a user instruction, card settlement using the card 4, issuance of a point card, etc. Next, the application accepts user operations on the touch panel, numeric keypad, etc., and generates original data, which is image data that will be the basis for image data 300 for card issuance. Furthermore, the application may take a photograph of the face of the user operating the ATM, etc., using a camera (not shown), and add this to the original data.

[0063] This original data is transferred from the application to a DLL such as a device driver of the correction value calculation unit 200. Then, according to the above example, the correction value calculation unit 200 generates 600 x 1000 pixel CMY color image data 300. At this time, the resolution, gradation, etc. of the original data may be changed to match the format of the image data 300. At this time, the correction value calculation unit 200 may generate bitmap data for each of the three colors C, M, and Y. Then, the correction value calculation unit 200 causes the transmitting / receiving unit 22 to transmit a command to start printing to the card issuing device 1.

[0064] (Step S101) Here, the processing of the card issuing device 1 will be described. When a command to start printing is received via the common board 7, the control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 performs an adjustment value setting process. In this process, the control unit 10 first calculates various adjustment values ​​for the strobe value based on temperature and other environmental values. These adjustment values ​​are used to correct the strobe value during printing, together with a line-by-line correction value 410, which will be described in detail later.

[0065] Specifically, for example, the control unit 10 acquires a temperature correction value according to the temperature of the thermal head 12 and the temperature inside the housing of the printing unit 5 by the temperature measurement unit 13. Furthermore, the control unit 10 acquires color balance adjustment values ​​according to each of the colors CMY. Furthermore, the control unit 10 acquires an adjustment value according to the overall voltage applied to the thermal head 12 as the voltage adjustment value. The control unit 10 also acquires a head rank adjustment value corresponding to the length of time the thermal head 12 has been in use and its deterioration over time.

[0066] These various adjustment values ​​may be set in advance and applied by reading them out from a table stored in the storage unit 11. Alternatively, these various adjustment values ​​may be set according to a preset correction formula. In this embodiment, these various adjustment values ​​are set uniformly for each color and are used to adjust the strobe value when printing together with a correction value 410, which will be described later.

[0067] (Step S202) The processing of the higher-level device 2 will be described again. Here, the correction value calculation unit 200 performs the image data 300 analysis processing. The correction value calculation unit 200 analyzes the image data 300 in a specific manner. For example, the correction value calculation unit 200 calculates the difference in shading between previous and next columns in the printing direction. Specifically, the correction value calculation unit 200 sums the gradation values ​​in one line of the image data 300, calculates the difference between this sum for each line, and temporarily stores the difference value data in the storage unit 21. The correction value calculation unit 200 also calculates a line where the hue changes when all colors on one line are uniformly corrected. This is also temporarily stored in the storage unit 21 as hue adjustment data. The correction value calculation section 200 may also generate statistical analysis data.

[0068] (Step S203) Next, the correction value calculation unit 200 performs a correction value calculation and addition process. To explain this using the example of FIG. 4, for example, in the image data, the number of pixels to be drawn at line L is greater than that at the previous line, so correction due to voltage drop is required.

[0069] For this reason, in this embodiment, the correction value calculation unit 200 calculates the total number of rendering pixels in one line, which are pixels whose gradation value is not "0," calculates the amount of voltage drop based on this total number of rendering pixels, and calculates a correction value 410 for correcting the strobe value based on this. More specifically, the correction value calculation unit 200 can calculate the correction value 410 based on the current applied to the thermal head 12. For example, the correction value calculation unit 200 can set the correction value 410 based on the value obtained by dividing the limit value of the current supply capacity to the thermal head 12 by the current value passed through each heating element.

[0070] In this embodiment, the correction to the strobe value is an adjustment value for the energization time for the thermal head 12 when printing one line. Therefore, the correction value 410 can be set to a value from 0 to 255 (one byte) that corresponds to, for example, -15% to 0% of the energization time for one line.

[0071] In the card issuing device 1 according to this embodiment, a time of, for example, several ms is given to one line, and if the time for which power is applied within this several ms is long, the color becomes darker, and if it is short, the color becomes lighter. For this reason, if the total number of pixels to be drawn is all pixels in one line, that is, 600 pixels in this embodiment, no correction is performed, and for one pixel, a value that corrects the power-on time by up to -15% can be set based on the set correction data. In this way, by setting a correction value 410 that subtracts from the maximum power-on time, it is possible to fit the time within the printing time for one line.

[0072] Here, the correction data for setting the correction value 410 may be a preset table that associates the total number of pixels with the gradation value of the pixel after correction. Alternatively, the correction value calculation unit 200 may use a preset correction formula to calculate the correction value 410 from the correction data. This makes it possible to correct the shading of the temperature value with 7 bits (0 to 127 gradations) for each color as described above.

[0073] Furthermore, the correction value calculation section 200 can also adjust the correction value 410 based on the above analysis results. Specifically, the correction value calculation unit 200 adjusts the correction value 410 taking into consideration the shading of the preceding and following lines. For example, the correction value calculation unit 200 may reduce the correction of the correction value 410 according to the difference value data for each line. In other words, in this case, if the difference value data is large, the rate at which the power-on time is reduced may be reduced. This is because a momentary voltage drop in the voltage applied to the thermal head 12 may be compensated for by a capacitor or the like on the circuit. This allows the correction value calculation unit 200 to calculate the correction value 410 taking into consideration the shading of the preceding and following lines.

[0074] Alternatively, the correction value calculation unit 200 adjusts the correction value 410 for each color for a portion of a line where the color tone would change if a uniform correction were applied to all colors of the line. Specifically, the correction value calculation unit 200 can adjust the correction value 410 based on the color adjustment data so as to make the color shades closer to the same. For example, for a line in which the correction value 410 is large for one of the colors CMY but small for another color, the correction value calculation unit 200 may make the correction value 410 closer to the same by a specific ratio. Furthermore, the correction value calculation section 200 may adjust the correction value 410 in accordance with other statistical analysis data.

[0075] The correction value calculation unit 200 may also send a command to the card issuing device 1 to instruct it to send the temperature of the printing unit 5. In addition, the correction value calculation unit 200 obtains temperature information of the thermal head 12 and / or the housing from the temperature measurement unit 13 of the thermal head 12 and printing unit 5 from the card issuing device 1, and can thereby adjust the correction value 410.

[0076] Here, the correction value calculation unit 200 adds a correction value 410 to each line data 400 of one line of the image data 300. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 above, the correction value calculation unit 200 can add a one-byte correction value 410 to the end of one line of the line data 400. In this embodiment, the correction value calculation section 200 performs the same process on the second to 1000th lines.

[0077] (Step S204) Here, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 performs the line data transmission process. The transmitting / receiving unit 22 compiles the image data 300 to which the correction values ​​410 for all lines have been added as one transmission command, and transmits it to the card issuing device 1 via a USB or the like via a device driver DLL or the like. At this time, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 transmits the line data 400 and its correction value 410 to the card issuing device 1 for each line.

[0078] (Step S102) Here, the processing of the card issuing device 1 will be explained again. Here, the control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 performs the line data reception process. Specifically, the control means of the common board 7 receives the line data 400 and the correction values ​​410 from the higher-level device 2. As a result, the control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 acquires the image data 300 received from the common board 7 and stores it in the memory unit 11. Alternatively, the control means of the common board 7 may directly store the line data 400 and the correction values ​​410 in the memory unit 11 of the printing unit 5 using DMA (Direct Memory Access) or the like. That is, in this embodiment, the card issuing device 1 can receive the line data 400 and the correction value 410 almost simultaneously, at the timing of each line.

[0079] (Step S103) Next, the control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 performs the printing process. In this process, the control unit 10 performs printing by varying the time for which each heating element of the thermal head 12 is energized based on the correction value 410. Specifically, the control unit 10 corrects the strobe value for each line using the various adjustment values ​​and the correction value 410 described above. In this embodiment, the strobe value for energizing the heating element corresponding to each pixel is calculated using the following formula (1): Strobe value = pixel gradation value x voltage adjustment value x color balance adjustment value x temperature adjustment value x head rank adjustment value x correction value 410 …… Formula (1)

[0080] In addition, the control unit 10 may obtain temperature information of the thermal head 12 from the temperature measurement unit 13 every one to several tens of lines and adjust the strobe value, since when the power supply increases and the thermal head 12 warms up, the same density can be achieved with short pulses of power supply. That is, when the temperature of the thermal head 12 is high, the gradation value of each pixel may be adjusted to be lowered according to a specific adjustment curve. For this adjustment, the control unit 10 may use a table or a correction formula that is included in the firmware of the storage unit 11 and that associates each temperature with the gradation value of the pixel after correction.

[0081] Here, the control unit 10 sets the calculated, adjusted, and corrected strobe value in the FPGA, and based on this strobe value, the FPGA energizes each of the heating elements of the thermal head 12. In this way, the time for which heat is applied to the thermal head 12 is changed. That is, in the above example, the control unit 10 drives the drive unit and the ink ribbon of the consumables 3 so that the printing unit 5 prints 600 x 1000 pixels line by line, and prints one line at a time on the card 4 based on the correction value 410. The control unit 10 repeats this process for each color of CMY to print all the colors of the image data 300.

[0082] This allows the control unit 10 to print while receiving the image data 300, one line at a time. In this case, the control unit 10 can also print while receiving the image data 300 when it has only partially received the image data. In other words, it is possible to print while buffering the image data.

[0083] (Step S205) The processing of the higher-level device 2 will be explained again. The transmitting / receiving unit 22 determines whether all lines have been transmitted. If the transmitting / receiving unit 22 has finished transmitting the line data 400 and correction values ​​410 of all image data 300 for each color of C, M, Y, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 determines "Yes." Otherwise, that is, if the transmitting / receiving unit 22 has not yet finished transmitting all line data 400 and correction values ​​410, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 determines "No." If the answer is Yes, the transmitter / receiver 22 ends the card issuing process. If No, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 returns the process to step S204 and continues transmitting the line data 400 and the correction values ​​410.

[0084] (Step S206) When all the lines have been transmitted, the transmitting / receiving unit 22 performs a medium ejection instruction process. The transmitter / receiver 22 transmits the medium eject command to the card issuing device 1. The control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 of the card issuing device 1 receives this and drives the drive unit to transport the card 4 forward in the transport path and eject it. The control unit 10 of the printing unit 5 also notifies the host device 2 of the printing result via the common board 7. Thereafter, the user operating the ATM or the like can obtain the printed card 4. This completes the card issuing process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] [Major Effects of the Present Embodiment] The above configuration can provide the following effects. In conventional printing methods, voltage drops in the thermal head occur depending on the image content, resulting in color unevenness. Correction is required to improve this color unevenness, but correcting the image itself on the printing device increases processing load and can result in effects such as delays in printing time.

[0086] In contrast, (1) a card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printing system including a card issuing device 1, which is a printing device, and a higher-level device 2 that transmits image data 300 to the card issuing device 1. The higher-level device 2 includes a correction value calculation unit 200 that calculates a correction value 410 for correcting image data 300 based on the shading of each line of the image data 300, and a transceiver unit 22 that functions as a transmitter that adds the correction value 410 calculated by the correction value calculation unit 200 to each line of the image data 300 and transmits the image data to the card issuing device 1. The card issuing device 1 is characterized by including a memory unit 11 that stores the correction value 410 in association with each line of the image data 300 received from the higher-level device 2, and a printing unit 5 that prints by changing the time for which current is applied to each heating element of a thermal head 12 based on the correction value 410 stored in the memory unit 11.

[0087] This configuration can improve color unevenness caused by voltage drops and shorten printing time. Specifically, because the correction value 410 is calculated by the control unit 20 of the higher-level device 2, which has relatively higher performance than the control unit 10 of the card issuing device 1, the processing load can be reduced compared to when the correction amount is calculated by the printing device, and printing time can be shortened compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, because there is no need to make structural changes to improve the printing performance of the printing unit 5, high-quality printing can be achieved while reducing costs.

[0088] Furthermore, (2) the card issuing system X according to the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it is a printing system as described in (1) that receives the line data 400 and correction values ​​410 of the image data 300 at the timing of each line, or when the data has been received partially, is capable of printing while receiving the data.

[0089] With this configuration, by receiving the line data 400 and the correction data simultaneously, it is possible to print while receiving the data. This ensures faster printing times. Furthermore, by buffering and printing image data when it is partially received, it is possible to reduce the possibility of printing pausing midway even if printing is being performed while receiving the data and the transmission (reception) of the image data is delayed for some reason.

[0090] Also, (3) in the card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit 200 is a printing system described in (1) or (2) that calculates the correction value 410 when issuing a print instruction for the image data 300.

[0091] With this configuration, when a print instruction is received by the higher-level device 2, it is possible to calculate the correction value 410 corresponding to the image data 300 to be printed at that time. Therefore, even if the generated image data 300 is changed by an application, it is possible to calculate an appropriate correction value 410 according to the changed image data 300. In other words, rather than using a correction value 410 prepared in advance, it is possible to change the correction value 410 for each image data 300. In addition, although it takes time to calculate the correction value 410 in the printing unit 5 of the card issuing device 1, the issuance time can be shortened by calculating the correction value 410 in the higher-level device 2.

[0092] Furthermore, (4) in the card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit 200 is a printing system described in any one of (1) to (3) that analyzes the image data 300 and adjusts the correction value 410 according to the analysis results.

[0093] With this configuration, by adjusting the correction value 410 according to the analysis results, it is possible to improve color unevenness other than color unevenness due to voltage drop per line as well. Also, color unevenness due to voltage drop per line can be more finely adjusted according to the analysis results.

[0094] Furthermore, (5) in the card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit 200 is a printing system as described in (4) that adjusts the correction value 410 taking into account the shading of the preceding and following lines.

[0095] By configuring in this way, the degree of voltage drop can be predicted based on the difference value data between the previous and next lines, making it possible to further reduce color unevenness between lines, thereby enabling higher quality printing.

[0096] Furthermore, (6) in the card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention, the correction value calculation unit 200 is a printing system as described in (4) or (5), in which, if uniform correction is applied to all colors in one line and the color tone changes, the correction value 410 is adjusted for each color.

[0097] This configuration makes it possible to uniformly correct all colors and prevent changes in color tone, thereby reducing overall color unevenness and enabling higher quality printing.

[0098] Also, (7) in the card issuing system X according to an embodiment of the present invention, the printing unit 5 is a printing system described in any one of (1) to (6) that changes the time for which power is applied by adjusting the strobe signal.

[0099] By configuring in this way, it is possible to make finer adjustments by correcting the strobe signal, whereas correction to the image data 300 itself would result in too large a change, and therefore higher quality printing is possible.

[0100] (8) A printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printing method executed by a printing system including a card issuing device 1, which is a printing device, and a higher-level device 2 that transmits image data 300 to the card issuing device 1, wherein the higher-level device 2 calculates a correction value 410 for correcting the image data 300 based on the shading of each line of the image data 300, the higher-level device 2 adds the correction value 410 to each line of the image data 300 and transmits it to the card issuing device 1, the card issuing device 1 stores the image data 300 for each line received from the higher-level device 2 in correspondence with the correction value 410, and the card issuing device 1 prints by changing the time for which current is applied to each heating element of the thermal head 12 based on the stored correction value 410.

[0101] By configuring in this way, the processing load can be reduced compared to when the correction amount is calculated by the printing device, and printing time can be made shorter than before.

[0102] Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the card issuing device 1 calculates various adjustment values ​​for the strobe value based on temperature and other environmental values. However, all or some of these various adjustment values ​​may be calculated by the higher-level device 2.

[0103] By configuring in this way, the processing load on the card issuing device 1 can be further reduced and the printing speed can be increased.

[0104] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the correction value 410 is calculated from the total number of pixels in the line data 400 whose gradation value is not "0." However, the correction value 410 may be calculated more accurately simply by using the sum of the gradation values, the sum of the voltages to be added according to the gradation values ​​after gamma correction or the like. In the above embodiment, the correction value 410 is set to reduce the power-on time by -15%. However, the amount of reduction in the energization time may be greater or less than -15%, or the energization time may be increased. In some cases, the voltage may be applied up to the next pixel, or the timing of applying the voltage itself may be adjusted.

[0105] By configuring in this way, it is possible to more reliably improve color unevenness and achieve high-quality printing in accordance with the configuration of the thermal head 12 and other components.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the correction value 410 is adjusted using the difference value data. However, the correction value 410 may be adjusted more finely for each line by setting the capacitance, tracking ability, etc. of the capacitor that stores the power supplied to the thermal head 12 and the power supply.

[0107] This configuration makes it possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of color unevenness, and also makes it easier to suppress the occurrence of color unevenness due to the environment.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the image data 300 is bitmap data. However, the image data 300 may be data including vector data such as PDF (Portable Document Format), PS (Post Script), etc. The correction value 410 may be generated directly from the vector data. This configuration makes it possible to accommodate data configurations in various formats.

[0109] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which printing is performed on the card 4 mainly by a dye-sublimation or melting printer using an ink ribbon. However, it can also be used with other printers that use a printing method that uses a head that passes a large current to draw each pixel, such as thermal printers that use thermal paper, inkjet printers, dot matrix printers, and 3D printers with a composite nozzle melting type. For example, even with inkjet printers, color unevenness can be reduced by using it with printers that use heat to create bubbles in the ink ducts. Furthermore, the printer may be a roll paper printer instead of a cut sheet printer, or a black and white printer instead of a color printer.The density control method described above can also be changed depending on the printing method. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible to print with reduced color unevenness on cards 4 that are compatible with various configurations.

[0110] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the higher-level device 2 is the main body of an ATM or the like. However, the higher-level device 2 may also be a PC, smartphone, or the like that designs the card 4. In this case, an app for designing the card 4 may be installed on the PC, smartphone, or the like, and may be connected to the printing unit 5 via a wired or wireless connection.

[0111] Additionally, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the image data 300 is transmitted from the higher-level device 2 to the directly connected card issuing device 1. However, it is also possible to encrypt the line data 400 and the correction value 410 using a common key, a public key, or the like, and then transmit them via a network to the card issuing device 1. In this case, it may be possible to use the correction value 410 for decrypting the CRC or key data, for example. This configuration makes it possible to support a variety of configurations, and encryption can improve security.

[0112] Furthermore, the printing unit 5 of the card issuing device 1 may not be mounted on the card issuing device 1, but may be separately connected via USB, wirelessly, etc. Alternatively, the card issuing device 1 may not be connected to the higher-level device 2 within the housing, but may be connected to the higher-level device 2, such as a PC or smartphone, via USB, wirelessly, etc. In this case, the memory unit 11 may be directly built into the printing unit 5. Furthermore, a SOC (System On Chip) or multi-package in which the control unit 10 and the memory unit 11 are integrated may be used. Furthermore, the card issuing device 1 may be capable of printing in a so-called "standalone" manner, without being connected to the higher-level device 2. In this case, the standalone card issuing device 1 may be able to temporarily connect to the higher-level device 2, another terminal, a flash memory card, etc., and acquire the above-mentioned line data 400 and correction values ​​410.

[0113] In the above embodiment, an example of printing and issuing a card 4 has been described as an example of a medium. However, it is possible to issue media other than cards 4 using a similar configuration, such as parking tickets, admission tickets, train or plane tickets, other tickets, labels printed by a label printer, receipts, conductive ink printing devices such as RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier), and other media that require printing of codes. This configuration makes it possible to accommodate a variety of media.

[0114] In the above embodiment, the configuration of the card issuing device 1 for issuing cards 4 has been described as a printing device. However, the card issuing device 1 may also have the functionality of a card reader equipped with a head or the like that reads information stored in the card 4. This head or the like includes, for example, a magnetic head, an encrypted magnetic head, an IC contact, an electromagnetic induction antenna, etc. In the case of a magnetic head, it is possible to read and write magnetic information recorded on a magnetic stripe provided on the card 4 by contacting and sliding the card 4. In the case of an IC contact, an electromagnetic induction antenna, etc., it is possible to read and write information stored in an IC built into the card 4 by contacting the contact of the card 4 or by electromagnetic induction, etc.

[0115] It goes without saying that the configurations and operations of the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1. Card issuing device 2 Upper device 3 Consumables 4 Cards 5 Printing Department 6 Publishing Department 7 Common Board 11, 21 Storage section 10, 20 Control unit 12 Thermal head 13 Temperature measurement part 22 Transmitter / Receiver 200 Correction value calculation unit 300 image data 400 Line Data 410 Correction Value L Line X Card Issuance System

Claims

1. A printing system including a printing device and a host device that transmits image data to the printing device, The higher-level device is a correction value calculation unit that calculates a correction value for correcting image data based on the shading of each line of the image data; a transmission unit that adds the correction value calculated by the correction value calculation unit to each line of the image data and transmits the image data to the printing device, The printing device a storage unit that stores the correction value in association with each line of the image data received from a host device; a printing unit that prints by changing the time for which current is applied to each heating element of a thermal head based on the correction value stored in the memory unit; A printing system characterized by:

2. The printing device The image data and the correction values ​​are received at a timing of one line at a time, or when the data is partially received, printing is possible while the data is being received.

2. The printing system according to claim 1.

3. The correction value calculation unit The correction value is calculated when a print instruction for the image data is issued.

2. The printing system according to claim 1.

4. The correction value calculation unit Analyzing the image data and adjusting the correction value according to the analysis result 2. The printing system according to claim 1.

5. The correction value calculation unit Adjust the correction value taking into account the shading of the lines before and after 5. The printing system according to claim 4.

6. The correction value calculation unit If the color tone changes when you make uniform corrections to all colors on one line, adjust the correction value for each color.

5. The printing system according to claim 4.

7. The printing unit The energization time is changed by adjusting the strobe signal.

2. The printing system according to claim 1.

8. A printing method executed by a printing system including a printing device and a host device that transmits image data to the printing device, The host device calculates a correction value for correcting the image data based on the shading of each line of the image data; The host device adds a correction value to each line of image data and transmits the image data to the printing device. The printing device stores the image data for each line received from the host device in association with the correction value; The printing device performs printing by varying the time for energizing each heating element of the thermal head based on the stored correction value. A printing method characterized by:

Images