US4024506A — Control device for a matrix printer

Claim 1

Independent Claim 319 words

A control device for actuating recording elements in a recording device for recording characters composed of discrete elements, the recording device including a member which is reciprocatable in the line direction in front of a recording sheet, from one extreme position to another extreme position, the recording elements being arranged at a predetermined distance from each other and forming at least one group, comprising measuring means for supplying signals which indicate the movement, direction and the position of the reciprocatable member; a buffer store for storing at least as many characters as there are to be recorded on the recording sheet during a single movement of the reciprocatable member; addressing means for said buffer store; a character generator for supplying character shape information; a row counter having a first counting capacity for addressing the separate rows of elements constituting the characters in said character generator; a column counter having a second counting capacity for addressing the separate columns constituting the characters in said character generator; an element information register in which for each recording element the element information can be stored, and wherein the recording elements can be actuated in response to a control pulse; means for performing recording actions during the movement of the movable member from the said other extreme position to the said one extreme position; means for supplying the starting position device with an address code which corresponds to an address which indicates the number of character positions the last recording element, viewed from the other extreme position, situated from the 0 th character to be recorded on a line, said code being stored in the buffer store for supplying the starting position device; and means for ensuring that, in the other extreme position of the movable position of the movable member, the column counter is in its highest position, and that the column counter code can be decreased by 1 after each recording action.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 319 words

A control device for actuating recording elements in a recording device for recording characters composed of discrete elements, the recording device including a member which is reciprocatable in the line direction in front of a recording sheet, from one extreme position to another extreme position, the recording elements being arranged at a predetermined distance from each other and forming at least one group, comprising measuring means for supplying signals which indicate the movement, direction and the position of the reciprocatable member; a buffer store for storing at least as many characters as there are to be recorded on the recording sheet during a single movement of the reciprocatable member; addressing means for said buffer store; a character generator for supplying character shape information; a row counter having a first counting capacity for addressing the separate rows of elements constituting the characters in said character generator; a column counter having a second counting capacity for addressing the separate columns constituting the characters in said character generator; an element information register in which for each recording element the element information can be stored, and wherein the recording elements can be actuated in response to a control pulse; means for performing recording actions during the movement of the movable member from the said other extreme position to the said one extreme position; means for supplying the starting position device with an address code which corresponds to an address which indicates the number of character positions the last recording element, viewed from the other extreme position, situated from the 0 th character to be recorded on a line, said code being stored in the buffer store for supplying the starting position device; and means for ensuring that, in the other extreme position of the movable position of the movable member, the column counter is in its highest position, and that the column counter code can be decreased by 1 after each recording action.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 79 words

A control device as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for decreasing the position of the starting position device by one address unit, each time in one of the positions of the column counter which corresponds to a column number in the space portion of a character, in total as many times as there are characters which are passed during the movement of the movable member from the said other extreme position to the said one extreme position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 79 words

A control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the point-element or line-element information register is a shift register having parallel outputs and a serial input and output, a gate being provided whereby a flag signal can be applied to the input of the shift register before the first point-element or line-element information appears on the output of the character generator, a said calculation phase being stopped when the flag appears on the serial output of the shift register.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 184 words

A control device for actuating recording elements in a recording device for recording characters composed of discrete elements, the recording device including a member which is reciprocable in the line direction in front of a recording sheet, from one extreme position to another extreme position, the recording elements being arranged at a predetermined distance from each other and forming at least one group, comprising measuring means for supplying signals which indicate the movement direction and the positions of the movable member; a buffer store for the storage of at least as many characters as there are to be recorded on the recording sheet during a forward or return movement; addressing means for the buffer store which can be preset by a starting position device; a character generator for generating elements of point-shaped or line-shaped characters to be recorded; a row counter having a counting capacity r for addressing the separate rows of point elements or line elements constituting the characters in the character generator; a column counter having a counting capacity 0 for addressing the separate columns constituting the characters in the character generator;

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 184 words

A control device for actuating recording elements in a recording device for recording characters composed of discrete elements, the recording device including a member which is reciprocable in the line direction in front of a recording sheet, from one extreme position to another extreme position, the recording elements being arranged at a predetermined distance from each other and forming at least one group, comprising measuring means for supplying signals which indicate the movement direction and the positions of the movable member; a buffer store for the storage of at least as many characters as there are to be recorded on the recording sheet during a forward or return movement; addressing means for the buffer store which can be preset by a starting position device; a character generator for generating elements of point-shaped or line-shaped characters to be recorded; a row counter having a counting capacity r for addressing the separate rows of point elements or line elements constituting the characters in the character generator; a column counter having a counting capacity 0 for addressing the separate columns constituting the characters in the character generator;

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 328 words

a point or line element information register in which for each recording element the point or line element information can be stored, and whereby the recording elements can be actuated in reaction to a control pulse; first means in the one extreme position of the movable member, for supplying the starting position device with an address code which corresponds to an address which indicates the number of character positions whereby the first recording element precedes, viewed from the said one extreme position, the address of the buffer store in which the buffer store the first character to be recorded on a line is stored; second means for transferring an address code from the starting position device to the addressing means of the buffer store; third means for setting the row counter to a starting position, in the said extreme position, and for increasing the position of the circulating row counter by 1 each time, in total as many times as there are actuable recording elements, after which a recording action can be performed, these third means furthermore being provided for increasing, simultaneously with the increasing of the position of the row counter, the position of the addressing means for the store by each time a value of s addressing units, and for setting the column counter, in said extreme position, to a starting position, and for increasing the position of the column counter by 1 each time a recording action has been completed, in total a number of times equalling the counting capacity of 0 of the column counter; and fourth means for increasing the position of the starting position device by one address unit, each time in one of the positions of the column counter which corresponds to a column number in the space portion of a character, in total as many times as there are characters which are passed during the movement of the movable member from the one extreme position to the other extreme position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 328 words

a point or line element information register in which for each recording element the point or line element information can be stored, and whereby the recording elements can be actuated in reaction to a control pulse; first means in the one extreme position of the movable member, for supplying the starting position device with an address code which corresponds to an address which indicates the number of character positions whereby the first recording element precedes, viewed from the said one extreme position, the address of the buffer store in which the buffer store the first character to be recorded on a line is stored; second means for transferring an address code from the starting position device to the addressing means of the buffer store; third means for setting the row counter to a starting position, in the said extreme position, and for increasing the position of the circulating row counter by 1 each time, in total as many times as there are actuable recording elements, after which a recording action can be performed, these third means furthermore being provided for increasing, simultaneously with the increasing of the position of the row counter, the position of the addressing means for the store by each time a value of s addressing units, and for setting the column counter, in said extreme position, to a starting position, and for increasing the position of the column counter by 1 each time a recording action has been completed, in total a number of times equalling the counting capacity of 0 of the column counter; and fourth means for increasing the position of the starting position device by one address unit, each time in one of the positions of the column counter which corresponds to a column number in the space portion of a character, in total as many times as there are characters which are passed during the movement of the movable member from the one extreme position to the other extreme position.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

The device as defined in claim 4, wherein at least some of said discrete elements are arranged on a line which encloses an acute angle with respect to said line direction of motion of said recording device.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-05-16	1980-11-15	1981-05-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-05-16	1984-11-15	1985-05-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-05-16	1988-11-15	1989-05-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Control device for a matrix printer

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