Tape printing device

The present invention relates to a tape printing device for printing one or more lines of input characters on strip-like tape.

In the case of a conventional tape printing device for printing a title on the spine of a binder or on what is called a title label to be attached to a cassette for use in a VCR (VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER) or in a VTR (VIDEO TAPE RECORDER), input characters entered by using keys or the like for inputting characters are printed on a side of tape, on the other side of which an adhesive layer is formed, by performing a thermal transfer printing or the like. Thereby, an objective printed tape is produced.

In the conventional tape printing device, operating elements (keys or buttons or the like) for entering information representing characters are placed on a console panel. Users can input a desired sequence of characters by operating these operating elements for entering information representing characters. Moreover, this conventional tape printing device is formed in such a manner that tape can be fed through a tape discharging slot by driving a tape feeding mechanism. Furthermore, a printing mechanism, which is constituted by a thermal print head, and a tape cutting mechanism are placed in series in this passage for tape.

When a print directing key is operated, a control means of the tape printing device controls and causes the tape feeding mechanism to feed the tape at a predetermined speed. The control means further controls and causes a print station to print preliminarily inputted characters on the fed tape. Moreover, upon completion of printing of a sequence of the characters, the control means of the tape printing device continuously controls and causes the tape feeding mechanism to feed the tape without printing characters (namely, perform a non-printing feeding operation on the tape) until a printed part of the tape goes out of the device. Thereafter, the control means causes the tape feeding mechanism to make the tape stop running.

Further, after the tape stops running, a user operates the tape cutting mechanism to thereby obtain a custom label, on which the sequence of desired characters are printed.

Meanwhile, a user sometimes inputs character strings erroneously to the tape printing device of such a kind and operates a printing operation element without being aware of an error. Further, the tape printing device of such a kind is adapted so that a user can freely designate the typefaces, sizes and arrangement of characters and so forth. However, a user sometimes causes the tape printing device to print characters without correcting attributes of characters, which have been erroneously designated. Further, sometimes, a user advertently operates the printing operation element halfway through a character inputting stage.

Upon occasion, a user is aware of such an error in the middle of a character printing operation. The conventional tape printing device, however, possesses the properties that a medium, on which characters are printed, is tape and that the number of characters to be printed is considerably small and a print time is short, in comparison with other kinds of character information processors (for example, what is called a word processor). Thus the conventional tape printing device does not have the function of stopping a printing operation. Therefore, when a user wishes to cease printing so as to effectively avoid wasting expensive tape, the user operates a power-supply operation element and turns off the power to thereby cease printing. Thereafter, the user turns on the power again and corrects the error. Subsequently, the user causes the device to perform a non-printing feed operation on tape and then print the correct characters again. Thus the user obtains a desired label.

However, such an operation of turning off the power and printing characters again in this way has the problem that if such an operation is not performed without errors, the tape is wasted.

As shown in FIG. 1(A), in the case of the conventional tape printing device, a thermal printing head 2 and a tape cutting mechanism 3 are placed in series on a tape transport passage on which tape T is moved by a tape feeding mechanism (not shown) in the direction of an arrow A (incidentally, an ink ribbon is omitted). Therefore, when the power is turned off and the printing operation is suspended, unfinished tape is left between the thermal printing head 2 and the tape cutting mechanism 3 (see FIG. 1(B)).

Thus, a label, on the leading part of which an unnecessary character is printed, is made if the power is then turned on and the printing operation is performed again without a non-printing feeding of the tape. Therefore, in the case that the power is turned off halfway through a printing operation, it is necessary to perform a non-printing feeding operation on tape and then cut the tape before the next printing operation is instructed. However, when a user wrongly operates a printing operation element in the tape printing device, a user may not perform a non-printing feeding operation on tape. Further, the user may turn off the power and leave the tape. In such a case, the user is required to cut a label, which is made by resuming a printing operation on the tape, namely, by arranging a character string, which has not been printed, at the head of a character string to subsequently be printed on the tape, at the front position of the label with scissors or the like.

Moreover, even in the case that the tape has been fed without printing characters or the like, if the amount of a fed part of tape is too small, an unnecessary character may be printed at the front position of the label (see FIG. 1(B)). Conversely, if too large, the tape is wasted by the amount of an excessively fed part thereof (see FIG. 1(C)).

Objects to be printed by the tape printing device are labels. Thus, in the case of printing a label by using the tape printing device, it is very frequent that a user requires the tape printing device to print mixed characters of various character sizes thereon, as compared with the case of making printed matter by using other kinds of character information processors. The tape printing device, therefore, have characters of various character sizes available. Moreover, the tape printing device is adapted so that the character size can be easily altered in a part of a character string to be printed. Such various character sizes include not only character sizes of characters represented by blocks of dots, in each of which the number of lines of dots is equal to that of rows of dots, but also other character sizes of characters, each of which is laterally shrunken. Thus, there are provided many kinds of the sizes of full-size characters. Further, the character size of a character can be easily changed among the sizes of full-size characters. Consequently, half-size characters are not available in the conventional tape printing device. When a user requests the conventional tape printing device to print a character of the size which is of the order of the half size, the tape printing device copes with such a request by using a smaller full-size character size.

Here, the half-size character is a character whose width is half the printing width of an ordinary character. Especially, in the case of kanji characters of Japanese and Chinese, the number of dots required for forming a kanji character is larger than that of dots required for forming a letter of the English alphabet. Thus, in the case of printing a numeric character that can be represented by dots of the number which is as small as that of dots required for representing a letter of the English alphabet, usually, both of a corresponding half-size numeric character, whose character width is half the character width of a kanji character, and a corresponding full-size numeric character, which represents a number by using dots of the same number as of dots required to represent a kanji character, are properly used.

Further, labels, which are printed matter made by using the tape printing device, are frequently used as those to be attached to the spine of a file cover, to a cassette tape for use in AV equipment. In the case when put to such uses, character strings printed on labels often contain dates. Moreover, files and cassette tapes are often placed in longitudinal positions, respectively. Therefore, labels, on each of which characters are written and printed in such a manner that the characters are written longitudinally or vertically thereon, namely, in such a way that the direction of height of each of the characters is in agreement with the longitudinal or vertical direction of tape, are frequently attached thereto in longitudinal or vertical positions, respectively.

Thus, in the case that a character string contains Japanese characters "10 <img file="EP0936076B1_D0001.tif" /> 23 <img file="EP0936076B1_D0002.tif" /> " representing "October 23rd", if such a character string is printed in such a way that the direction of height of each of the characters is in agreement with the longitudinal direction of tape, a label printed with the characters "1", "0", "<img file="EP0936076B1_D0003.tif" />", "2", "3" and "<img file="EP0936076B1_D0004.tif" />", which are individually longitudinally or vertically written and are aligned in the longitudinal or vertical direction of the tape, is obtained. Consequently, when reading the printed character string, a user feels a strong sense of incongruity. Even if the size of the numeric characters contained in the character string representing the date are made to be smaller than that of the other characters, or even if the shrunken character size is selected as the size of the numeric characters, the characters "1", "0", "<img file="EP0936076B1_D0005.tif" />", "2", "3" and "<img file="EP0936076B1_D0006.tif" />" remain individually longitudinally or vertically written and aligned in the longitudinal or vertically direction of the tape. Thus, a user still feels a strong sense of incongruity when reading the character string.

It is not only in the case of longitudinally or vertically writing the characters that a user feels a sense of incongruity when reading the characters. Even in the case of laterally or horizontally writing the characters, when a plurality of numeric characters are aligned, a user sometimes feels a sense of incongruity. For example, in the case that Japanese characters "1234<img file="EP0936076B1_D0007.tif" />" or the like contained in a character string representing an address are printed, the intervals, at which these numeric characters are written, sometimes appear to be too long.

Further, in the case of a label formed in the herein-above described manner, margins are provided in front of and behind a portion of a portion, on which the character string is printed, of tape in the longitudinal direction thereof by performing the aforementioned non-printing feeding operation on the tape. In the case of the conventional tape printing device, the length of such a margin is fixed. Actually, the tape used in the tape printing device is provided with released paper on the back surface thereof and is adapted so that when the released paper is peeled off, the tape can adhere to something. Moreover, the tape is adapted so that a thermal transfer of characters thereon can be achieved, and is enclosed in a tape cartridge. As a result, the tape has become expensive. Consequently, hitherto, the length of the margins has been fixed at a value that is set as short as possible.

The label, however, consists of a text portion and front, rear, top and bottom margins. Thus, if the length of, for example, the front and rear margins is set at a fixed value, a user cannot freely set the balance between the text portion and the space for the margins, so that a user sometimes is not satisfied with the set balance therebetween.

Thus, there has already been proposed a tape printing device adapted so that a user can designate the length of the front and rear margins from a plurality of kinds of values. However, some of tapes, which can be loaded into tape printing devices, have various kinds of tape widths. Even if the length of the margins is set in such a manner as to be most suitable for a tape having a certain width, this length of the margins is too long or too short for labels obtained by printing the characters on tapes having other tape widths. Therefore, every alteration of the tape to be loaded, it is necessary to perform an operation of changing the length of the margins. Thus, such a tape printing device is susceptible to improvement in operability thereof.

Further, a tape feeding mechanism entails a mechanistic operation and thus the power consumption thereof is large. As above described, the tape is expensive, so that when making a label, it is required that useless or wasteful parts of the tape are reduced as much as possible. Even in the case of the conventional tape printing device, a tape portion provided between a print head and a cutter mechanism is used as a front margin to be provided in front of the next text part to be printed. Thereby, the efficiency in using the tape, as well as the efficiency in consuming the power, is enhanced. However, in the case that for example, the length of the front margin is short, the tape portion provided between the print head and the cutter mechanism is wasted. Therefore, the aforementioned requirement is not fully satisfied.

Moreover, late or recent tape printing devices are adapted to deal with tapes of a large number of kinds of tape widths. Namely, the recent tape printing devices nearly satisfy user's requirements concerning the kinds of the tape width. It is, however, thought that a user needs a label whose width is wider than the widest width of the tapes used by the tape printing devices. Although a tape printing device may be configured in such a manner as to be able to deal with wider tape, it is considered from the viewpoint of cost-performance or the like as very disadvantageous to configure a tape printing device by taking a tape width, which is employed extremely rarely, into account.

Thus, there has been contrived an enlargement printing system whereby a pseudo label being equivalent to a label, which has a width being N times the width of tape loaded in the system and is printed with enlarged characters, is obtained by first dividing a tape, the printing of which is completed, into N sub-tapes aligned in the longitudinal direction of the tape, and by subsequently placing the N sub-tapes in such a manner as to adjoin in the direction of the width of the tape. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 2(A), in the case of performing the enlargement printing by employing 2 times as a magnification or enlargement ratio, an upper half MU of an object such as a character string to be printed is first printed on a tape T. Then, a margin of a predetermined length is left thereon. Subsequently, a lower half MD of the object to be printed is printed thereon.

Incidentally, in the case of a tape printing device whose main purpose is to make a label, it is required to make a label readable easily by providing top and bottom margins arranged in the direction of the width of tape. Thus, when printing normally, the top and bottom margins are formed by setting the printable width of a print head at a value that is narrower than the width of tape loaded into the device. If the setting of the printable width of a print head at a value, which is narrower than the width of tape loaded into the device, is employed, it is unnecessary to alter a structure for driving the print head. Therefore, such a setting is preferable. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 2(A), the top and bottom margins can be also formed when performing the enlargement printing.

After the tape T, on which the enlargement printing is completed as above described, is divided into a fore-tape-portion T1 and a hind-tape-portion T2 (see FIG. 2(B)), the top and bottom margins formed on each of the tape-portions T1 and T2 at the time of the enlargement printing are cut off therefrom. Then, these tape-portions T1 and T2 obtained by dividing the tape are placed side by side in the vertical direction as viewed in this figure. Thereby, a large label, whose width is wider than that of the tape, can be formed.

If, however, a dividing position is shifted from a predetermined position when dividing the tape T into the fore-tape-portion T1 and the hind-tape-portion T2, the front and rear edges of the upper tape-portion T1 are shifted from those of the lower tape-portion T2, respectively, in the case that these tape-portions are stuck to each other so that the text part of the tape-portion T1 is not shifted from that of the tape-portion T2 laterally. Further, in the case that the dividing position is shifted from the predetermined position, if the two tape-portions T1 and T2 are stuck to each other so that the front or rear edge of the tape-portion T1 is adjusted to the corresponding one of the front and rear edges of the tape-portion T2, the text part of the upper tape-portion is shifted from that of the lower tape-portion. Thus, a desirable label is not obtained. On the contrary, an awkward label is formed.

Furthermore, when removing the top and bottom margins, if these margins are not correctly cut and removed straight, a gap is formed between the upper text part and the lower text part (as illustrated in FIG. 2(C)). Alternatively, the upper text part and the lower text part are placed in such a manner as to overlap each other unnaturally.

Incidentally, as a device for making a rendering tape on condition that a printed part is transferred, there has already been proposed a device having an enlargement printing function (refer to the Japanese Patent Laying-Open (Kokai) No. 6-162256/1988 Official Gazette). In the case of making a rendering tape, even if the dividing position is shifted from the mid-point of the tape from which the two tape-portions are obtained, it is no problem because a printed part is transferred onto another sheet of paper or the like. Moreover, because of the condition that the printed part is transferred, it is unnecessary to form the top and bottom margins to be provided in the direction of the width of the tape, when printing. Therefore, there are not caused the aforementioned disadvantages of the tape printing device which aims mainly to the making of a label.

In EP-A-0 577 250 a tape printing device for printing a plurality of lines is described. To enhance the visual impression of the printing, blank spaces on the top and bottom of the tape and between the lines are adjusted with respect to the character size.

Moreover, it is the object of the present invention to provide a tape printing device which can increase the variety of manners of printing numeric characters, thereby obtaining a label on which a plural-digit number representing a date, an address and so on are printed in such a way as to cause a user to feel no sense of congruity.

The object of the present invention is achieved by a tape printing device for printing one or more lines of input character strings on strip-like tape, which is provided with: (1/M)-scale reduced numeric-character input taking means (incidentally, M is an integer which is 2 or more) for taking in a (1/M)-scale reduced numeric-character input (to which a character width being equal to (1/M) of the width of other characters (having a full-size character attribute) of a character string to be printed is assigned); and printing means for printing contiguous M of (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters by using a character size of a full-size character in case that a character string to be printed contains consecutive N occurrences of (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters (incidentally, N is an integer which is 1 or more) and for printing (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters, the number of which is not more than (M - 1), by using the character size of a full-size character in case that the (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters, the number of which is not more than (M - 1), are left at the beginning or last part of a character string to be printed.

Brief Description of Drawings

<ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>FIGS. 1(A), 1(B) and 1(C) are perspective views of a printing portion and a cutting portion, which are illustrated for illustrating the problems caused in the conventional tape printing device; FIGS. 2(A), 2(B) and 2(C) are diagrams for illustrating a result of the enlargement printing, which are also illustrated for illustrating the problems caused in the conventional tape printing device;</li><li>FIG. 3 is a flowchart for illustrating an interruption operation to be performed so as to stop printing; FIG. 4 is a block diagram for illustrating the configuration of an entire tape printing device; FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram for illustrating a printing mechanism;</li><li>FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) are flowcharts which respectively illustrate a half-size numeric-character input taking operation and a printing operation to be performed;</li><li>FIG. 7 is a block diagram for illustrating the configuration of an entire tape printing device;</li><li>FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) are diagrams for illustrating a half-size character displaying method;</li><li>FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B) are diagrams for illustrating the flow of a development processing of half-size numeric-characters to be performed when printing;</li><li>FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are diagrams for illustrating examples of printed half-size numeric-characters;</li><li>FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) are diagrams for illustrating a method of displaying (1/M)-scale reduced half-size numeric-characters in the case of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a flowchart for illustrating a font development processing to be performed when printing in the embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 13(A) to 13(F) are diagrams for illustrating the flow of a development processing of (1/M)-scale reduced half-size numeric-characters to be performed in the embodiment of the present invention when printing;</li></ul>

Hereinafter, a tape printing device will be described in detail by appropriately referring to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 4 is a block diagram for showing the configuration of the entire tape printing device

In the case of this tape printing device 5, various kinds of information necessary for printing is inputted to a control portion 20 through an input portion 10. Moreover, an output portion 30 is controlled by this control portion 20. Thus, input character strings or the like inputted from the input portion 10 are monitored. Furthermore, the input character strings are printed.

The input portion 10 is comprised of: a keying or key-operating portion 11 for detecting an operation performed by a user; and a tape-width detecting sensor 12 for detecting the width of tape. This key-operating portion 11 is provided with a plurality of operating elements for inputting characters, a print operating element, an operating element for feeding tape and so on. Further, the key-operating portion 11 outputs character codes, which represent characters, control codes, which represent typefaces or the like corresponding to characters, and a control code, which is used for printing, in response to operations of these operating elements. Thereby, in the tape printing device 5, the typefaces of characters and the spaces therebetween and so forth are set by operating this key-operating portion 11. Further, the tape printing device 5 is adapted so that character strings to be printed can be preliminarily inputted thereto and that subsequently, printing operations and so on can be started.

In this case, an operating element (to be described later) for stopping a printing operation is provided in the key-operating portion 11.

The tape-width detecting sensor 12 is operative to detect physical discriminating or identification elements such as holes formed in a tape cartridge indicated by a character K in FIG. 5 and to output a result of such a detection to the control portion 20. Here, the tape cartridge holds tape by enclosing or accommodating the tape in a housing thereof. Further, in the case of this tape printing device 5, this tape cartridge is set at a predetermined storage position to thereby load the tape therein. Moreover, discriminating elements such as this hole is formed in the tape cartridge correspondingly to the width of the tape enclosed therein. The tape printing device 5 is further adapted so that the width of the loaded tape can be detected according to a result of such a detection and subsequently, the size and so forth of each character to be printed can be set correspondingly to the detected width of the tape.

The output portion 30 consists of a printing portion 30a and a display portion 30b for displaying character strings or the like inputted through the key-operating portion 11.

The printing portion 30a is composed of a tape feeding mechanism 31 and 33 for feeding the tape T enclosed in the tape cartridge K at a predetermined speed, and a printing mechanism 32 and 34 for printing input character strings.

Here, as is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5, the tape printing device is constructed so that the tape T is fed from the tape cartridge K at a prescribed speed, as indicated by an arrow B, by driving a tape/ribbon feeding motor 31 constituted by a stepping motor. Further, a thermal head 32 and a tape cutting mechanism 37 are placed serially on a path through which this tape T runs. The tape feeding mechanism consists of the tape/ribbon feeding motor 31, which is used for feeding forward this tape, and a motor drive circuit 33 for driving this tape/ribbon feeding motor 31. Incidentally, in FIG. 5, an ink-ribbon running structure, is omitted.

The thermal head 32 is configured by placing a plurality of heating elements, the adjacent ones of which are close to each other, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tape T. Further, the thermal transfer of ink of the ink ribbon, which is stored in this tape cartridge K aside from the tape, onto the tape is achieved by making each of the heating elements emit heat. Thereby, characters or the like are printed on the tape T. The printing mechanism is composed of this thermal head 32 and a head drive circuit 34 for driving the thermal head 32 in accordance with a control command sent from the control portion 20. Incidentally, the thermal head 32 is held by being inserted into a window formed in the tape cartridge K, so that the thermal head 32 pushes the tape T from the ink-ribbon side (not shown) thereof.

Thereby, the tape printing device 5 is adapted so that the tape T is supplied to the thermal head 32 at a predetermined speed by the tape feeding mechanism and moreover, the character strings or the like can be printed on the tape in sequence by driving the printing mechanism and that the tape T can be fed without being printed by driving only the tape feeding mechanism alone.

The tape cutting mechanism 37 is comprised of two kinds of cutters 38 and 39 and an operating element for cutting tape or the like, which is disposed on a console panel terminal portion. When pushing this operating element for cutting, the cutter 39 is turned in such a way as to intersect the cutter 38 fixed to a casing, as indicated by an arrow C. Thus, the tape T is cut by the cutters 38 and 39. Consequently, in the tape printing device 5, the tape T, the printing of which is completed, is cut off from the tape conveyed from the tape cartridge K by pushing this operating element for cutting. Further, a label is formed from the removed tape T. Incidentally, the tape cutting mechanism 37 may be adapted to automatically cut tape or the like under the control of the control portion 20.

The display portion 30b consists of a liquid crystal display 35, which is placed on the console panel, and a display drive circuit 36 for driving this liquid crystal display 35 according to a control command sent from the control portion 20. Thereby, the tape printing device 5 is adapted to be able to check the inputted character strings, the typeface or typestyle used to print the characters and the spaces therebetween through this liquid crystal display 35.

The control portion 20 is constituted by a microcomputer and is composed of a central processing unit (CPU) 21, a read-only memory (ROM) 22, a random access memory (RAM) 23, a character-generator ROM (CG-ROM) 24, an input interface (IF) 25 and an output interface (IF) 26 which are connected with each other through a system bus 27.

The input interface 25 is operative to output a control code or the like, which is inputted from the input portion 10, to the system bus 27 at a prescribed moment.

The CPU 21 performs a procedure, which is stored in the ROM 22, in response to the control code or the like, which is inputted through this system bus 27, to thereby control an operation of the entire tape printing device 5.

Thus, processing programs to be executed by this CPU 21 are stored in the ROM 22. Moreover, kana-kanji translation dictionary data or the like is also stored in the ROM 22. Incidentally, a processing program for stopping a printing operation is also stored in the ROM 22 (see FIG. 3).

The RAM 23, in which a work area to be used by the CPU 21 is established, stores character strings or the like, which are inputted through the key-operating portion 11, and character strings, which are obtained by thereafter performing the kana-kanji translation, together with control codes in the form of character codes. Here, control codes stored in the RAM 23 represent the typeface or typestyle for printing and displaying characters and so on, the spaces between the characters, the sizes of the characters and so forth and are codes inherent in this tape printing device 5.

Hereunder, the kana-kanji translation will be described. In the case of Japanese character translation, some tape printing devices employ a two-stage translation system in which a combination of letters of the English alphabet is once translated into a combination of letters of "kana", namely, the Japanese alphabet, and next this "kana" is further translated into "kanji". This translation system is designated as "kana-kanji translation". Further, letters of "kana" are inputted correspondingly to the pronunciation of letters of "kanji". In the case that input keys respectively correspond to letters of the English alphabet (namely, Roman letters), input codes corresponding to the Roman letters are translated into "kana" character codes which are further translated into "kanji" character codes through the kana-kanji translation.

In the RAM 23, a certain area is assigned to a print memory 23a. In the case of the tape printing device 5, this print memory 23a is used as a buffer memory for printing.

The character-generator ROM 24 stores font information, which concerns characters and symbols to be printed and displayed in this tape printing device 5, therein. Information concerning bit-map fonts and outline fonts is stored therein as this font information.

The output interface 26 is controlled by the CPU 21 and outputs the font information, which is stored in the character-generator ROM 24, and control codes, which are issued from the CPU 21, to the output portion 30.

Thereby, the CPU 21 accesses the character-generator ROM 24 according to character codes and control codes, which are stored in the RAM 23, and causes the liquid crystal display 35 to display the character strings that are inputted by a user.

Further, when detecting through the input interface 25 that the print operating element is operated by being pushed, the CPU 21 similarly accesses the character-generator ROM 24 after a control command for starting a printing operation is issued to the head drive circuit 34 and the motor drive circuit 33. Moreover, the CPU 21 then outputs data, which has been outputted from the character-generator ROM 24, to the head drive circuit 34 in a prescribed order. At that time, the CPU 21 changes addresses used for writing information to and reading information from the print memory 23 by causing the memory 23a to output the font information, after the font information outputted from the character-generator ROM 24 is once stored in this print memory 23a. Thus, the size, the orientation and so forth of characters to be printed are changed.

Thereby, the CPU 21 has the character string, which has been displayed on the liquid crystal display 35, printed on the tape T sequentially in the format as a user desires. Further, upon completion of printing the character string, the CPU 21 drives the motor drive circuit 33. Thereafter, the CPU 21 controls and causes the motor drive circuit 33 to stop the motor. Consequently, the tape T is fed without being printed. Thus, the printing operation is finished.

Therefore, in the case of this tape printing device 5, when a user performs a simple operation of only pushing the print operating element after inputting a desired character string by operating the key-operating portion 11 while monitoring the liquid crystal display 5, tape printed with the input character string is outputted to the tape cutting mechanism 37. Upon completion of feeding out the tape, the tape cutting mechanism is caused to act, when the user performs pushing the operating element for cutting. Thus, the tape is cut, so that a label is formed.

If the operating element for stopping the printing operation or the power-supply operating element is operated halfway through the printing of the character string, the input interface 25 causes an interruption to the CPU 21. At that time, the CPU 21 performs the procedure of FIG. 3 in response to this interruption.

Incidentally, a dedicated operating element may be provided as the operating element for stopping the printing operation. However, in the case of this embodiment, a general purpose operating element is used by taking the efficient arrangement of the console panel into consideration. For example, a print operating element, a deletion operating element or an cancellation operating element are used. Here, the print operating element is an operating element which relates to a printing operation. It is, therefore, preferable that the print operating element is used for stopping a printing operation, because a user can easily recognize the functions of this operating element. Further, the deletion operating element has the function of deleting a file or the like. Moreover, a cancellation operating element (which is also used as the deletion operating element in some tape printing device) is an operating element has the function of canceling or erasing input characters. Both of these operating elements have the function of canceling the operation performed in the past. Thus, such a function and the function of stopping a printing operation, by which the printing operation performed in the past is canceled, have a common point. Therefore, the deletion operating element and the cancellation operating element can easily be remembered as the operating element for stopping a printing operation. Consequently, the deletion operating element and the cancellation operating element are suited to the operating element for stopping a printing operation.

When starting an interruption for stopping a printing operation, the CPU 21 first sends out a control command to the head drive circuit 34 in step 101. Thus, the printing of a character string is stopped. Consequently, when a user notices an occurrence of an error and pushing the operating element for stopping the printing operation or the power-supply operating element, the printing operation is immediately stopped, so that the wasteful consumption of tape is effectively avoided. Incidentally, there has already been proposed a tape printing device adapted to manage the number of times of printing a character string. In the case of such a tape printing device, when the printing operation is forcefully terminated halfway in step 101, data representing the number of times of printing the character string is held therein.

Subsequently, the CPU 21 advances to step 102, whereupon the CPU 21 causes the liquid crystal display 35 to display a message "stop a printing operation !" by blinking the message. Thereby, in the liquid crystal display 35, even a user, who is unaccustomed to the operation, can ascertain through this liquid crystal display 35 that an intended operation is performed.

Thereafter, the CPU 21 advances to step 103 whereupon the CPU 21 sends out a control command, by which an operation is stopped, to the motor drive circuit 33 when a prescribed time of a timer, which has started clocking, elapses. Consequently, the tape T is fed forward by a prescribed amount without being printed. Here, note that when normally printing, the non-printing feeding is performed so as to secure an unprinted space area, which has a length selected by a user, posterior to a printed character string, whereas the non-printing feeding to be performed after stopping a printing operation is carried out by a distance L between the position of the printing portion of the thermal head 32 (namely, the position at which the heating elements are placed) and the cutting position at which tape is cut by the cutters 38 and 39 (see FIG. 5).

The tape printing device is configured so that when the operating element for cutting is pushed by a user after finishing the non-printing feeding, the tape T can be cut at the rear end of the printed part of the character string, the printing of which is stopped. Therefore, even when a user does not perform the feeding of the tape, the tape can be cut in such a manner that a waste of the tape is minimized. Namely, even when a user, who is unaccustomed to the operating of the tape printing device 5 of such a type, operates the device, the wasteful consumption of the tape T can be reduced without performing the complex operation after stopping the printing operation.

When the non-printing feeding of the tape T is performed in this way, the CPU 21 subsequently advances to step 104 whereupon the blinking display of the message "stop a printing operation !" is turned off. Then, the CPU 21 advances to the next step 105 whereupon it is judged whether or not the operated operating element is the power-supply operating element.

Here, in the case that an interruption is generated by a user's operation of the power-supply operating element, the CPU 21 advances to step 106 whereupon the power supply is turned off. Thus, this procedure is finished. In contrast, in the case that an interruption is caused by operating the operating element for stopping a printing operation, the procedure of the interruption is immediately finished and the device waits for the subsequent operation of the operating element because a user wishes to continue to operate this tape printing device 5.

In the device having the aforementioned configuration, a character string preliminarily inputted through the key-operating portion 11 is stored in the form of a character code in the RAM 2 together with a control code. If the print operating element is operated during the device is in this state, the tape T is supplied to the thermal head 32 at the predetermined speed by means of the tape/ribbon feeding motor 31. Further, the font information is outputted from the character-generator ROM 24 to the head drive circuit 34 through the print memory 23a according to the character code and the control code stored in the RAM 23. Thus, the preliminarily input character string is printed on the tape. If the operating element for stopping the printing operation or the power-supply operating element is operated halfway through the printing operation, the printing by using the thermal head 32 is controlled in such a manner as to be stopped. Thereafter, the message for stopping a printing operation is displayed by being blinked. Further, the tape T is fed by the distance L between the thermal head 32 and the cutting position at which the cutting operation is performed by the cutters 38 and 39. Moreover, in the case that the power-supply operating element is operated, the power supply is subsequently turned off. The operation is finished. In contrast, in the case that the operating element for stopping the printing operation is performed, the subsequent operation of the operating element is waited for after the non-printing feeding of the tape is performed.

In the case that the operating element for stopping a printing operation or the power-supply operating element is operated, the printing operation is immediately stopped. Thereafter, the tape is fed by the distance between the thermal head and the cutting position at which the tape is cut by the cutters, without being printed. Thereby, the tape can be held by performing the non-printing feeding of the tape so that the waste of the tape is minimized. Consequently, the waste of the tape can be reduced by simplifying the complex operation.

Further, the device is adapted so that the message for stopping the printing operation is displayed. Thereby, a user can know that the tape printing device accepts a command for stopping the printing operation. Consequently, the operability of the tape printing device can be enhanced.

Moreover, a general purpose operating element, whose assigned function of stopping a printing operation is easily remembered by a user, is employed as the operating element for stopping a printing operation. Thereby, the efficiency in placing the operating element can be increased. Moreover, the operability of the tape printing device can be enhanced.

Incidentally, the case, in which the tape T is fed without being printed by the distance L between the thermal head 32 and the cutting position where the tape T is cut by the cutters, has been described. The present invention, however, is not limited to such a case. In all cases other than the case of stopping or ceasing a printing operation, the wasteful consumption of the tape in the subsequent printing operation can be effectively avoided by feeding the tape T at least by the distance L between the thermal head 32 and the cutting position where the tape T is cut by the cutters 38 and 39 after the last character is printed. Thereby, the wasteful consumption of the tape can be reduced.

Further, the case, in which a printing operation is stopped by operating the general purpose operating element or the power-supply operating element halfway through the printing operation, has been described. A dedicated operating element may be placed as the operating element for stopping a printing operation.

Moreover, the case, in which the tape is cut by manually pushing the operating element for cutting, has been described. The operability of the tape printing device can be enhanced by cutting the tape after a printing operation is stopped after the tape printing operation is stopped and then the tape is fed without being printed.

Furthermore, there has been described the tape printing device that is adapted to feed the tape T by the distance L between the thermal head 32 and the cutting position, at which the tape T is cut by the cutters 38 and 39, without being printed when stopping the printing operation. However, the distance, by which the tape is fed without being printed in the case of instructing to stop the printing operation during a rear feeding operation for making a rear or right margin, may be smaller than that in the case of the aforementioned embodiment. In short, it has only to feed the tape, without being printed, even after the issuance of the command, by which a printing operation is stopped, so that the position of the last printed character reaches the cutting position at which the tape is cut by the cutters 38 and 39 and from which the cut part of the tape is discharged.

Next, another tape printing device will be described hereinbelow.

First, the electrical configuration of the entire tape printing device will be described by referring to a functional block diagram of FIG. 7.

The differences between the configuration of FIG. 7 and that of FIG. 4 are a part of processing programs and data, which are stored in the ROM 22. In the ROM 22 of this tape printing device, various kinds of processing programs and inalterable data such as kana-kanji translation dictionary data are stored.

The processing programs and the inalterable data, and the data stored in the RAM 23 will be described later in detail. Incidentally, in the ROM 22, a processing program 22a for taking in input characters and a development program 22b to be executed when printing characters, which will be described later, are stored. Further, when executing these programs 22a and 22b, a work area therefor is suitably established in the RAM 23. The remaining composing elements are the same as of FIG. 4. Thus, the descriptions of such composing elements are omitted.

This tape printing device provides support for half-size numeric-characters (namely, (1/2)-scale reduced numeric-characters), the combination of two of which has a size that is equal to the size of an ordinary character. Hereinafter, a half-size numeric-characters input taking operation and another half-size numeric-character development operation will be described in this order by referring to FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B).

FIG. 6(A) is a flowchart for illustrating a half-size numeric-character input taking operation. Half-size numeric-characters are available as symbols. When operating a key for designating a symbol input (for example, a key dedicated to the symbol input) is operated, the CPU 21 starts executing the processing program 22a of FIG. 6(A) stored in the ROM 22.

Incidentally, half-size numeric characters respectively representing numbers "0" to "9" are available as half-size numeric characters to be inputted.

Further, first, the CPU 21 causes the liquid crystal display 35 in step 201 to display initial candidates for kinds of symbols. The kinds of available symbols are, for instance, symbols suitable for VTR cassettes, unit symbols, descriptive symbols, living-thing symbols, vehicle symbols and mathematical-expression symbols. As above described, the half-size numeric characters are available as symbols of a kind. Among these kinds of symbols, the kinds of symbols, which have a highest frequency of use, or the kinds thereof, which are selected by a learning function just before displayed, are displayed as the initial candidates. Incidentally, if the display device is adapted to display a plurality of kinds of symbols at a time, a cursor is positioned at a current candidate and is then blinked thereat.

Thereafter, the CPU 21 judges in step 202 whether a selection key or an alteration key (for example, a cursor moving key) is operated. When the alteration key is operated, the current candidate for the kind of symbols is changed in step 203. The CPU 21 then returns to step 202.

When the selection key is operated in a condition in which a certain kind of symbols is the current candidate, the CPU 21 advances from step 202 to step 204 whereupon the CPU 21 judges what the selected kind of symbols is. If a kind of symbols other than the half-size numeric-characters is selected, the CPU 21 goes to step 205 whereupon a symbol selection process of selecting a symbol among symbols of the selected kind is performed by executing a routine of a processing program.

In contrast, if the selected kind of symbols is the half-size numeric character, the CPU 21 advances to step 206 whereupon one of the half-size numeric characters is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display 35 as an initial current candidate. A half-size numeric character is displayed by using an area for displaying one ordinary character. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8(A), a combination symbol obtained by the combination of a dot pattern S1, which indicates that the displayed character is a half-size numeric character, and another hatched dot pattern S2, which indicates the displayed number itself, is displayed by using an area having a size of one ordinary character. Thus, the half-size numeric character is displayed in a manner different from the representation of a numeric character having a character width which is equal to the width of an ordinary kanji-character as illustrated in FIG. 8(B). Naturally, fonts as shown in FIG. 8(A) are provided in the CG-ROM 24.

When causing the liquid crystal display to indicate the half-size numeric character which is the current candidate, the CPU 21 advances to step 207 whereupon the CPU 21 judges whether the selection key or the alteration key (for example, the cursor moving key) is operated. When the alteration key is operated, the current candidate for the half-size numeric character is changed in step 208. The CPU 21 then returns to aforementioned step 207.

When the selection key is operated in a condition in which a certain half-size numeric character is the current candidate, the CPU 21 advances from step 207 to step 209 whereupon the CPU 21 judges that the half-size numeric character, which is the current candidate, is definitely selected. Further, the CPU 21 causes the RAM 23 to store a code representing this half-size numeric character at a location in an input character-string buffer area, which is subsequent to the location where the last one of character codes stored heretofore in this buffer area. Moreover, a display buffer area is also operated, so that a display image is returned to a character input screen image at the stage where a symbol key is operated. Furthermore, a dot pattern, which prescribes the selected half-size numeric character and is as illustrated in FIG. 8(A), is displayed at a character input position designated by the cursor when the symbol key is pushed down. Then, the CPU 21 finishes the process consisting of a sequence of these steps. If a kind of symbols other than the half-size numeric-characters is selected, the CPU 21 goes to step 205 whereupon a symbol selection process of selecting a symbol among symbols of the selected kind is performed by executing a routine of a processing program.

Here, note that a code representing a half-size numeric character is not the combination of a code, which indicates a half-size, and a code indicating a number and that a code represented by bits of the number, which is equal to that of other ordinary character code, indicating a half-size numeric character. For instance, in the case that numbers "1", "0", "2" and "3" contained in the character string "10 23 " are represented by half-size numeric characters, respectively, the characters of this character string are represented by "EC61", "EC60", "8C8E", "EC62", "EC63" and "93FA" in hexadecimal representation, respectively. Thereby, the fonts for displaying half-size numeric characters can easily be fetched from the CG-ROM 24.

Incidentally, although the description is omitted, the symbol selection operation can be canceled halfway through the symbol selection operation by depressing the cancellation key.

As above described, it is necessary for a user to select a half-size numeric character from the symbols every time when a half-size numeric character is inputted. Therefore, when inputting an N-digit half-size numeric character, a user requires performing an operation of selecting this numeric character from the symbols N times.

Meanwhile, the following methods have been devised as a method for designating a half-size numeric character. Namely, one of such methods comprises the step of providing a key for designating a half-size mode in the device, and the step of thereafter taking in numeric characters, which are inputted during this key is depressed two times, as half-size numeric characters . Further, another method is to take in numeric characters indicated between a numeric character, at which the cursor is positioned when the key for designating a half-size mode is first depressed in the case of depressing this key two times, and another numeric character at which the cursor is positioned when the key for designating the half-size mode is depressed for a second time, as half-size numeric characters (incidentally, this method is still another embodiment). However, half-size numeric characters are selected from the symbols as above described, for the following reasons.

The tape printing device has a diversity of character sizes. Thus, the tape printing device can deal with a demand for reduction in size of letters of the alphabet or the like by selecting a character size. Therefore, the half-size (numeric) characters are applied only to numeric characters. This limitation on the number of half-size characters obviates the necessity of provision of a large number of symbols, even if a half-size numeric character is selected from symbols. Further, the configuration of the tape printing device, which includes the CD-ROM 24 and so on, becomes hardly complex. Moreover, in the case of employing the aforementioned latter selection method, the tape printing device should be provided with a new processing routine which is not provided in the conventional tape printing device. However, from the viewpoint of effective utilization of memory capacity of the ROM 22, it is not efficient to provide the new input processing routine in the device for handling a small number of half-size characters. In contrast, in the case of employing the method of selecting a half-size numeric character from symbols, there is no necessity of providing a new processing program. Further, the tape printing device can cope with the demand or problem by altering only a part of the symbol selection processing program.

A single half-size numeric character is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display 35 in such a manner as to have the same size as of a single full-size character as illustrated in FIG. 8(A), for the following reason. Namely, the displaying of a half-size numeric character in such a way as to have the size which is equal to that of a single full-size character, can be easily achieved, because it has only to utilize the fonts stored in the ROM 24. In contrast, if two half-size numeric characters are displayed in such a manner as to have the size, which is equal to that of a single full-size character, the tape printing device is required to perform computations therefor. Thus, the process to be performed in the device becomes complex. In addition, a displaying position, at which the character is displayed, should be changed with progress in the input operation. It is inefficient to perform the operation of displaying two half-size numeric characters in such a way as to have the size, which is equal to that of a single full-size character, every change in the displaying position.

Next, the development of each character during the printing thereof (incidentally, such a development operation naturally includes a development of a half-size numeric character) will be described hereinafter by referring to FIG. 6(B).

Character development at the time of printing is carried out by iteratively performing the development of each of the characters of a character string. FIG. 6(B) is a flowchart for illustrating the development of each of the characters to be performed repeatedly. Incidentally, in the case of printing characters on tape in such a manner that the characters are written longitudinally or vertically thereon, namely, in such a way that the direction of height of each of the characters is in agreement with the longitudinal or vertical direction of tape, the following two methods may be employed. Namely, one of these methods includes the step of turning or rotating the font (namely, the corresponding dot pattern) outputted from the CG-ROM 24 when performing the development. The other method includes the step of storing the font (namely, the dot pattern), which is outputted from the CG-ROM 24, without being turned, and the step of thereafter reading the font (namely, the dot pattern) by turning or rotating the font (namely, the dot pattern) when driving the thermal head 32. The development of each character during the printing thereof will be described hereinbelow on the premise that the latter method is employed for printing characters on tape in such a manner that the characters are written longitudinally or vertically thereon. Namely, the development itself is similarly performed in both cases that characters are longitudinally or vertically written on tape and that characters are transversely or horizontally written thereon.

When the CPU 21 starts performing the process of FIG. 6(B), it is first judged in step 211 whether or not a character to be developed this time is a half-size numeric character. If not, the CPU 21 performs a process, which is similar to the conventional development process, in step 212, and then the development of the character to be developed is finished.

In contrast, if the character to be developed this time is a half-size numeric character, the CPU 21 judges in step 213 whether or not the next character to be developed is a half-size numeric character.

If so, the CPU 21 advances to step 214 whereupon the font (namely, the dot pattern) corresponding to a full-size numeric character, which represents the same number as represented by the first one of the consecutive two half-size numeric characters, is read from the CG-ROM 24 and is developed in a font development area (hereunder referred to as an area 1) indicated by a printing pointer. The character size of each of the numeric characters is determined according to the attributes of the character string to be printed. Further, the correspondence table representing the correspondence relation between each half-size numeric character and a corresponding full-size numeric character is preliminarily stored in, for instance, the ROM 22. This table is utilized in the process to be performed in step 214. FIG. 9(A) illustrates the development operation to be performed in step 214. Subsequently, the CPU 21 shrinks or compresses the developed font to half (namely, 1/2) thereof only in the lateral direction in step 215. Further, the shrunken font is stored in the left-side half of the area 1 as viewed in this figure. FIG. 9(B) illustrates the shrinking/storage operation performed in step 215.

A method of performing the logical OR, namely, the logical sum between 2 dots adjoining in the lateral direction according to an equation given below is employed as a method of compressing the developed font to half (namely, 1/2) thereof only in the lateral direction.<maths id="math0001" num=""><math display="block"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>new</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>) = D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>old</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>2n-1</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>) + D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>old</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>2n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><mtext>)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0936076B1_D0008.tif" /></maths>

Next, the CPU 21 advances to step 216 whereupon the font (namely, the dot pattern) corresponding to a full-size numeric character, which represents the same number as represented by the second one of the consecutive two half-size numeric characters, is read from the CG-ROM 24 and is developed in an unused font development area (hereunder referred to as an area 2, and for example, an area subsequent to the area indicated by the printing pointer). FIG. 9(C) illustrates the development operation to be performed in step 216. Subsequently, the CPU 21 shrinks or compresses the developed font to half (namely, 1/2) thereof only in the lateral direction in step 217. Further, the shrunken font is stored in the right-side half of the area 1 as viewed in this figure. FIG. 9(D) illustrates the shrinking/storage operation performed in step 217.

On the other hand, if the character to be developed this time is a half-size numeric character but the character to be developed next time is other than a half-size numeric character, the CPU 21 advances to step 219 whereupon the font corresponding to a full-size numeric character, which represents the same number as represented by the first one of the consecutive two half-size numeric characters, is read from the CG-ROM 24 and is developed in the font development area 1 indicated by the printing pointer. Thereafter, the CPU 21 shrinks or compresses the developed font to half thereof only in the lateral direction in step 220. Further, the shrunken font is stored in the left-side half of the area 1 as viewed in this figure. Further, the blanking of the right-half of the area 1 is performed in step 221.

Upon completion of dot development in the area 1 designated by the printing pointer, which is performed as above described, the CPU 21 finishes a sequence of the development operations performed on the character to be developed this time by incrementing the printing pointer by 1 in step 218.

In the case of printing information concerning the font developed by performing such a development operation, if, for example, two half-size characters are contained in the character string to be printed, a label, on which two half-size numeric characters are printed in such a manner as to have the size being equal to that of an ordinary character, is obtained as illustrated in FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B). Incidentally, FIG. 10(A) illustrate the case in which the characters are written laterally or horizontally on the tape; and FIG. 10(B) the case in which the characters are written longitudinally or vertically thereon.

As above described, only the fonts for printing full-size numeric characters are preliminarily stored in the CG-ROM 24. Further, the tape printing device deals with half-size numeric characters by performing the shrinking or compressing operation. Even in the case of the conventional tape printing device, for the purpose of increasing the variety of character sizes, compressed character sizes for treating a font corresponding to a ceratin character size as a full-size character are available. Further, such a compressing operation can be applied to the generation of fonts corresponding to half-size numeric characters.

In the foregoing description, the development operation, which is different from the development performed in the conventional tape printing device, has been described. Other kinds of processing or operations to be performed when printing, which becomes different from that performed in the conventional device as a result of employing half-size numeric characters, are operations of determining a tape length, a character size and so forth, which depend on the number of characters (incidentally, the flowcharts for illustrating these operations are omitted). In the case of consecutive N half-size numeric characters, the number of characters is determined as follows. Namely, in the case that N is even, the number of characters is (N/2). However, in the case that N is odd, the number of characters is an integer obtained by raising (N/2).

The aforementioned second device is adapted so that input half-size numeric characters can be accepted and printed. Thereby, there is realized a tape printing device which can increase the variety of the manners of printing numeric characters, and which can provide a label printed with plural-digit numeric characters which cause users to feel no sense of congruity.

In the case of the aforementioned second tape printing device, the numbers "0" to "9" are available as half-size numeric characters and symbols which can be selected as input characters. Further, the tape printing device may be adapted so that symbols corresponding to two-digit half-size numeric characters such as "00" to "99" can be used.

In the case of the aforementioned second device, only full-size fonts are available as numeric-character fonts for printing. However, the tape printing device may be adapted so that fonts corresponding to half-size numeric characters are available. In this case, this tape printing device may be further adapted so that symbols corresponding to two-digit half-size numeric characters such as "00" to "99" can be used. Consequently, the capacity of the CG-ROM 24 may be increased, whereas it can be expected that the development operation is achieved at a high speed.

Moreover, when an odd number of consecutive half-size numeric characters are contained in an input character string, the last one of the half-size numeric characters is printed in such a manner as to have a character size of a half-size character. However, the last one of the half-size numeric characters may be printed in such a way as to have a character size of a full-size character. Further, when an odd number of consecutive half-size numeric characters are contained in an input character string, the first one of these consecutive half-size numeric characters may be printed independent of the remaining ones thereof. Moreover, each pair of adjacent half-size numeric characters may be printed in such a manner as to have the character size of a full-size character.

Next, yet another tape printing device embodying the present invention will be described hereinbelow. Although the aforementioned tape printing device can deal with (1/2)-scale reduced numeric characters (namely, half-size numeric characters) as the printable reduced numeric characters, this embodiment can cope with a plurality of kinds of reduced numeric characters. Namely, in the case of the embodiment of the present invention, not only half-size numeric characters, whose reduction ratio is (1/2), but also half-size numeric characters, whose reduction ratio are (1/3) ... (1/J), are available as (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters, M of which can be concurrently printed in such a way as to have a size being equal to that of an ordinary full-size character.

The configuration of the entire embodiment is nearly the same as that of the entire aforementioned tape printing device and thus is not shown in the drawing.

Further, the reduced-numeric-character input taking operation of the embodiment is almost the same as that of the aforementioned tape printing device (see FIG. 6(A)) but is different in the following respects.

In the case of this embodiment, the reduced numeric characters are provided as symbols. When operating the key for indicating symbol input (for example, a key dedicated to the symbol input), the CPU 21 starts executing a processing program for taking in symbols, which is stored in the ROM 22 (see FIG. 6(A)). Incidentally, in the case of this embodiment, reduced numeric characters, whose reduction ratio is each of (1/2), (1/3), ..., (1/J), corresponding to the numbers "0" to "9", respectively, are provided therein.

Further, the CPU 21 first causes the liquid crystal display 35 to indicate an initial candidate for the kinds of symbols. When operating the alteration key, a current candidate for the kinds of symbols is changed. Moreover, when the selection key is operated in a condition in which a certain kind of symbols is the current candidate, the CPU 21 discriminates the selected kind of symbols (see steps 201 to 204). If a kind of symbols other than the (1/M)-scale reduced numeric-characters (incidentally, M is 2, ..., or J), the CPU 21 performs a symbol selection operation of selecting one of symbols of the selected kind (see step 205). In contrast, if the selected kind of symbols is the (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character, the CPU 21 causes the liquid crystal display 35 to display one of the (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters as an initial current candidate (see step 206). In the case of this embodiment, a (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character is displayed by using an area for displaying a character. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), a combination symbol obtained by combining a dot pattern S1, which indicates that the selected symbol is a (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character, with a hatched dot pattern S2, which represents a number itself, is displayed in a manner, which is different from the representation of a numeric character having a width which is equal to the width of an ordinary kanji character, in such a way as to have a size of one character. Naturally, in the CG-ROM 24, there are provided fonts as illustrated in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B).

When causing the liquid crystal display to indicate the (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character which is the current candidate, the CPU 21 judges whether the selection key or the alteration key is operated. When the alteration key is operated, the current candidate for the (1/M)-scale reduced half-size numeric character is changed. When the selection key is operated in a condition in which a certain (1/M)-scale reduced half-size numeric character is the current candidate, the CPU 21 judges that the half-size numeric character, which is the current candidate, is definitely selected. Further, the CPU 21 causes the RAM 23 to store a code representing this (1/M)-scale reduced half-size numeric character at a location in an input character-string buffer area, which is subsequent to the location where the last one of character codes stored heretofore in this buffer area. Moreover, a display buffer area is also operated, so that a display image is returned to a character input screen image at the stage where the symbol key is operated. Furthermore, a dot pattern as illustrated in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), which prescribes the selected (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character, is displayed at a character input position designated by the cursor when the symbol key is pushed down. Then, the CPU 21 finishes the process consisting of a sequence of these steps (see steps 207 to 209).

In the case of this embodiment, a code representing a (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character is not the combination of a code, which indicates a (1/M)-scale, and a code indicating a number and that a code represented by bits of the number, which is equal to that of other ordinary character code, indicating a (1/M)-scale numeric character. Thereby, the fonts for displaying (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters can easily be fetched from the CG-ROM 24.

Next, the development of each character during the printing thereof (incidentally, such a development operation naturally includes a development of a (1/J)-scale reduced numeric character) will be described hereinafter by referring to FIG. 12.

Character development at the time of printing is carried out by iteratively performing the development of each of the characters of a character string. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for illustrating the development of each of the characters to be performed repeatedly. Incidentally, in the case of printing characters on tape in such a manner that the characters are written longitudinally or vertically thereon, namely, in such a way that the direction of height of each of the characters is in agreement with the longitudinal or vertical direction of tape, the following two methods may be employed. Namely, one of these methods includes the step of turning or rotating the font (namely, the corresponding dot pattern) outputted from the CG-ROM 24 when performing the development. The other method includes the step of storing the font (namely, the dot pattern), which is outputted from the CG-ROM 24, without being rotated, and the step of thereafter reading the font by turning or rotating the font when driving the thermal head 32. The development of each character during the printing thereof will be described hereinbelow on the premise that the latter method is employed for printing characters on tape in such a manner that the characters are written longitudinally or vertically thereon. Namely, the development itself is similarly performed in both cases that characters are longitudinally or vertically written on tape and that characters are transversely or horizontally written thereon.

When the CPU 21 starts performing the process of FIG. 12, it is first judged in step 301 whether or not a character to be developed this time is a reduced numeric character. If not, the CPU 21 performs a process, which is similar to the conventional development process, in step 302, and then the development of the character to be developed is finished.

In contrast, if the character to be developed this time is a reduced numeric character, the CPU 21 recognizes the reduction ratio (1/M) in step 304. Thereafter, in step 304, the CPU 21 recognizes how many reduced numeric characters including the reduced numeric character to be developed this time are consecutive (L in this case). Incidentally, the upper limit set on the recognized number L of consecutive characters is the reciprocal number M of the reduction ratio (1/M) recognized in step 301. Namely, L ≤ M.

Next, the CPU 21 sets a parameter K for prescribing which of the consecutive L characters a reduced numeric character in question is, at a value of 1 in step 305. Then, the CPU 21 advances to step 306 whereupon the font (namely, the dot pattern) corresponding to a full-size numeric character, which represents the same number as represented by Kth one of the consecutive reduced numeric characters, is read from the CG-ROM 24 and is developed in an unused font development area (hereunder referred to as an area 2, for example, an area subsequent to a font development area (hereunder referred to as an area 1) indicated by a printing pointer) independently of the area 1. It is assumed that the character size in this case is determined according to the attributes of the character string to be printed. Further, the correspondence table representing the correspondence relation between each (1/M)-scale reduced numeric character and a corresponding full-size numeric character is preliminarily stored in, for instance, the ROM 22. This table is utilized in the process to be performed in step 306.

Subsequently, the CPU 21 shrinks or compresses the developed font stored in the area 2 to (1/M) thereof only in the lateral direction in step 305. Further, the shrunken font is stored in the Kth (1/M)-division-region of the area 1 as viewed in this figure. A method of performing the logical OR, namely, the logical sum between 2 dots adjoining in the lateral direction according to an equation given below is employed as a method of compressing the developed font to (1/M) thereof only in the lateral direction.<maths id="math0002" num=""><math display="block"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>new</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>) = D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>old</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>Mn-(M-1)</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>) + D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>old</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>Mn-(M-2)</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><mtext>)</mtext><mspace linebreak="newline" /><msub><mrow><mtext> ... + D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>old</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>Mn-1</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>) + D</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>old</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>(X</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>Mn</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, Y</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><mtext>)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0936076B1_D0009.tif" /></maths>

Thereafter, the CPU 21 judges in step 308 from a comparison between the current value of the parameter K and the number L of the consecutive reduced numeric characters whether or not the development operation performed on the last one of the consecutive L (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters is finished. If finished, the parameter K is incremented by 1 in step 309. Then, the CPU 21 returns to the aforementioned step 306.

Upon completion of the dot development of L consecutive (1/M)-scale reduced numeric characters in the area 1 designated by the printing pointer, which is performed by repeatedly carrying out the processing loop consisting of steps 306 to 309, an affirmative result is obtained in step 308. Then, the CPU 21 finishes a sequence of the development operations performed on the character to be developed this time by incrementing the printing pointer by 1 in step 310.

FIGS. 13(A) to 13(F) are diagrams for showing changes in the area 1 and the area 2 in time sequence during the dot development, which is illustrated in FIG. 12, of consecutive three (1/3)-scale reduced numeric characters "1", "2" and "0" is performed. Incidentally, in the case of performing the dot development of consecutive two (1/3)-scale reduced numeric characters "1" and "2", the contents of data stored in the area 1 at the time of finishing the development are data as illustrated in FIG. 13(D).

As above described, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, the tape printing device can deal with various numeric representation as users desire.

Incidentally, partial modifications similar to those made to the aforementioned tape printing device can be made to the embodiment. Thus, the description of the modifications of the embodiment is omitted here.