Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2002-12-31
Garcia, Gabriel (Department: 2724)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06501558
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to printers, and more particularly to an interface module, a method of controlling the interface module, and an information record medium for recording programs for controlling the interface module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Accounting apparatus such as registers, receipt issuing machines and the like in retail trade are used for printing price statements, sales slips, receipts and the like to be given to customers by retailers. Therefore, these accounting apparatus are equipped with printers. Due to restrictions under the accounting and tax laws, retailers are often required to keep copies of such price statements, sales slips receipts and the like. These copies kept by retailers in the accounting apparatus are called journals.
In order to deal with the requirements above, a technique has been proposed that uses a two-sheet printer having two sets of character-graphic printers (a combination of a printhead, a platen, a paper feeder and the like) for printing receipts and journals separately. Another technique using a double sheet of paper using a carbon copy as what is intended to print a receipt and a journal is also used.
However, the technique of using the two-sheet printer equipped with two sets of character-graphic printers tends to increase the whole apparatus size and such a two-sheet printer is impossible to install in some retail stores whose store area is limited. There is also another problem arising from the fact that installation of the two sets of character-graphic printers will result in raising the production and maintenance costs.
Further, the technique of using a double sheet of paper also poses a problem in that paper cost tends to increase because printable paper is limited to carbon copy paper. Moreover, still another problem is that noise will be produced during the print operation because only an impact dot (wire dot) driving method for printing characters by pressing an ink ribbon against paper is usable for the printhead of the character-graphic printer.
In order to solve environmental problems arising from disposing carbon copy paper as well as dealing with the noise produced, there is a growing demand for not using a double sheet of paper but using a non-impact dot printhead (a thermal head ink-jet driving head and the like).
There is also an increasing demand for preserving not only journal data as the information printed on paper but also the data in the form of what can be processed by an information processor like a computer.
There is a further demand for saving precious paper resources by preserving the journal information in that form and dealing with the environmental problems by decreasing the amount of waste.
An object of the present invention intended to solve the foregoing problems is to provide an interface module which is fitted in the expanded slot of a printer and connected to a host computer, and used for extracting journal print data from the data received from the host computer in order to store the extracted data in a nonvolatile memory circuit and for extracting data for a record medium other than the journal print data and transmitting the extracted data to a printer in order to make the printer print a receipt. For example, the invention provides a method of controlling the printer; and an information record medium for recording programs for controlling the printer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may provide one or more of the following features.
The present invention provides an interface module which is fitted in the expanded slot of a printer and connected to a host computer, and is used for extracting journal print data from the data received from the host computer in order to store the extracted data in a nonvolatile memory circuit and for extracting data for a record medium other than the journal print data and transmitting the extracted data to a printer in order to make the printer print a receipt. For example, the invention proposes a method of controlling the printer; and an information record medium for recording programs for controlling the printer.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features an interface module which is inserted into the interface board slot of a printer and includes receive structure for receiving data from a host computer, a journal-data extract device for extracting journal print data from the data received by the receive structure, a nonvolatile memory circuit for storing the journal print data extracted by the journal-data extract device, transmitted-data extract structure for extracting data to be transmitted to the printer from the data received by the receive structure, and a transmit device for transmitting to the printer the transmitted data extracted by the transmitted-data extract structure.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of controlling an interface module which interface module is inserted into the interface board slot of a printer. The method comprises the steps of receiving the data received by a host computer, extracting journal print data from the data received thereby, storing the extracted journal print data at step in a nonvolatile memory circuit, extracting data to be transmitted to the printer from the data received thereby, and transmitting the received data extracted at step to the printer.
In another aspect, in an interface module having a nonvolatile memory circuit according to the present invention, an information record medium for storing programs for controlling the interface module which is inserted into the interface board slot of a printer is operated through the steps of receiving the data received by a host computer, extracting journal print data from the data received thereby, storing the extracted journal print data in the nonvolatile memory circuit, extracting data to be transmitted to the printer from the data received thereby, and transmitting the extracted transmitted data to the printer.
In another aspect, the invention features an interface board which is inserted into the interface board slot of a printer and includes a receiver for receiving the data transmitted from the host computer as received data via a host-computer interface, a journal-data-extract unit for extracting journal print data from the data received by the receiver, a nonvolatile memory circuit for storing the journal print data extracted by the journal-data-extract unit, a transmitted-data extract unit for extracting data to be transmitted to the printer from the data received by the receiver, and a transmitter for transmitting the transmitted data extracted by the transmitted-data extract unit to the printer via a printer interface.
In yet another aspect, the invention features a method of controlling the interface board according to the present invention as the method of controlling the interface board inserted into the interface board slot of the printer and used for receiving commands exchanged between the host computer and the printer. The method comprises the steps of receiving the first data from the host computer, deciding the kind of the first data received therefrom, and on finding the kind of the first data received therefrom to be journal print data, storing the journal print data in the nonvolatile memory circuit on the interface board when the first received data is journal print data.
In still yet another aspect, the invention features a method of controlling the interface board as the method of controlling the interface board inserted into the interface board slot of the printer and used for receiving commands exchanged between the host computer and the printer. The method comprises the steps of receiving the data transmitted from the host computer as received data, deciding the kind of the data received therefrom, and on finding the kind of the data received therefrom to be journal print data, storing the journal print data in the nonvolatile memory circuit on the interface board when the received data is the journal print data.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of controlling the interfa
Ebina Koichi
Nobutani Tsutomu
Garcia Gabriel
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
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