Method and device for restarting typewriters and printers with stepping motor

Claim 1

A method for operating a machine for printing on a paper, such as a typewriter, printer or the like, said machine having a control unit comprising a microprocessor and a memory, said memory storing a control program for said microprocessor and including a RAM for storing variable data, said RAM being of the value-preserving type at least in part of its storage area, a stepping motor connected to the control unit and supplied with sequences of energization patterns under the control of said control unit, to move the paper, a basic step input device which causes, by each actuation thereof by an operator of the machine, the stepping motor to be supplied with a respective corresponding sequence of at least one of said energization patterns by the control unit, so that the stepping motor executes at least one predetermined step to move the paper by at least one corresponding, predetermined fraction of a normal line spacing for each said actuation, wherein any successive pair of said energization patterns of each said corresponding sequence are different from each other, said method comprising: said control unit storing an information identifying the energization pattern lastapplied to the stepping motor at at least one first address located in said value-preserving part of said RAM; said control unit storing a first bit pattern, contained in the control program, in identical form at at least one second address in the value preserving part of the RAM; and upon the restart of the machine after a shut-off of power thereto, said control unit comparing a bit pattern then in storage at the at least one second RAM address with said first bit pattern contained in the control program; wherein, (1) in the event of coincidence from the comparing, the stepping motor is enegized so that the first energization pattern sequence applied after said restart starts from said energization pattern identified by said information stored at said first RAM address, and (2) in the event of non-coincidence, the stepping motor is energized after said restart at least once with a predetermined one of said energization patterns identified by a further information contained in the control program, and the first energization pattern sequence thereafter applied starts from said predetermined energization pattern identified by said further information contained in the control program.

Claim 2

A method for operating a machine for printing on a paper, such as a typewriter, printer or the like, said machine having a control unit comprising a microprocessor and a memory, said memory storing a control program for said microprocessor and including a RAM for storing variable data, said RAM being of the value-preserving type at least in part of its storage area, a stepping motor connected to the control unit and supplied with sequences of energization patterns under the control of said control unit, to move the paper, a basic step input device which causes, by each actuation thereof by an operator of the machine, the stepping motor to be supplied with a respective corresponding sequence of at least one of said energization patterns by the control unit, so that the stepping motor executes at least one predetermined step to move the paper by at least one corresponding, predetermined fraction of a normal line spacing for each said actuation, wherein any successive pair of said energization patterns of each said corresponding sequence are different from each other, said method comprising: said control unit storing an information identifying the energization pattern lastapplied to the stepping motor at at least one first address located in said value-preserving part of said RAM; said control unit storing a first bit pattern, contained in the control program, in identical form at at least one second address in the value preserving part of the RAM; and upon the restart of the machine after a shut-off of power thereto, said control unit comparing a bit pattern then in storage at the at least one second RAM address with said first bit pattern contained in the control program; wherein, (1) in the event of coincidence from the comparing, the stepping motor is enegized so that the first energization pattern sequence applied after said restart starts from said energization pattern identified by said information stored at said first RAM address, and (2) in the event of non-coincidence, the stepping motor is energized after said restart at least once with a predetermined one of said energization patterns identified by a further information contained in the control program, and the first energization pattern sequence thereafter applied starts from said predetermined energization pattern identified by said further information contained in the control program.

Claim 12

An apparatus for operating a machine for printing on a paper, such as a typewriter, printer or the like, said apparatus comprising a control unit comprising a microprocessor and a memory, said memory storing a control program for said microprocessor and including a RAM for storing variable data, said RAM being of the value-preserving type at least in part of its storage area, a stepping motor connected to the control unit and supplied with sequences of a plurality of different energization patterns under the control of said control unit, to move the paper, and a basic step input device which causes, by each actuation thereof by an operator of the control unit, the stepping motor to be supplied with a sequence of at least one energization pattern by the control unit, so that the stepping motor executes at least one step to move the paper by at least one corresponding, predetermined fraction of a normal line spacing for each said actuation, wherein: for preserving an exact vertical position of the paper after shut-off and restart of the machine, an information identifying the energization pattern last-applied to the stepping motor is stored by the control unit at a first address located in said value-preserving part of said RAM; a first bit pattern, contained in the control program, is stored in a second address in the value preserving part of the RAM; upon the restart of the machine, the control unit compares a bit pattern then in the second RAM address with said first bit pattern in the control program; (1) in the event of coincidence from the comparing, the stepping motor is energized so that the first energization pattern sequence then applied starts from said energization pattern identified by said information stored at said first RAM address, and (2) in the event of non-coincidence, the stepping motor is energized with a predetermined one of said energization patterns identified by a further information contained in the control program, and the first energization pattern sequence then to be applied starts from said predetermined energization pattern identified by said further information contained in the control program; and data corresponding to an initial selection by an operator of a fraction of said normal line spacing, prior to said shut-off, for printing a plurality of lines separated by respective integral numbers of said normal line spacing, is stored and checked on after said restart, so that said typing by said operator after said restart continues with respect to said initial selection of said fraction of a normal line spacing, irrespective of said shut-off, in said event of coincidence of said bit pattern stored in said second address of said memory after said restart and said first bit pattern in said control program.

Claim 13

An apparatus for operating a machine for printing on a paper, such as a typewriter, printer or the like, said apparatus comprising a control unit comprising a microprocessor and a memory, said memory storing a control program for said microprocessor and including a RAM for storing variable data, said RAM being of the value-preserving type at least in part of its storage area, a stepping motor connected to the control unit and supplied with sequences of a plurality of different energization patterns under the control of said control unit, to move the paper, and a basic step input device which causes, by each actuation thereof by an operator of the control unit, the stepping motor to be supplied with a sequence of at least one energization pattern by the control unit, so that the stepping motor executes at least one step to move the paper by at least one corresponding, predetermined fraction of a normal line spacing for each said actuation, wherein: for preserving an exact vertical position of the paper after shut-off and restart of the machine, an information identifying the energization pattern last-applied to the stepping motor is stored by the control unit at a first address located in said value-preserving part of said RAM; a first bit pattern, contained in the control program, is stored in a second address in the value preserving part of the RAM; upon the restart of the machine, the control unit compares a bit pattern then in the second RAM address with said first bit pattern in the control program; (1) in the event of coincidence from the comparing, the stepping motor is energized so that the first energization pattern sequence then applied starts from said energization pattern identified by said information stored at said first RAM address, and (2) in the event of non-coincidence, the stepping motor is energized with a predetermined one of said energization patterns identified by a further information contained in the control program, and the first energization pattern sequence then to be applied starts from said predetermined energization pattern identified by said further information contained in the control program; and data corresponding to an initial selection by an operator of a fraction of said normal line spacing, prior to said shut-off, for printing a plurality of lines separated by respective integral numbers of said normal line spacing, is stored and checked on after said restart, so that said typing by said operator after said restart continues with respect to said initial selection of said fraction of a normal line spacing, irrespective of said shut-off, in said event of coincidence of said bit pattern stored in said second address of said memory after said restart and said first bit pattern in said control program.