Thermal printer-plotter system for multi-directional printing and plotting

Abstract

A printer-plotter system is provided having a single horizontally movable, print-plot head comprising geometrically arranged thermal resistor elements which are processor-controlled for plotting continuous multi-directional line segments and for printing, while plotting, upper and lower case alphanumeric characters and punctuation characters in four orthogonal directions. Characters are printed in 5-columns-by-7-rows dot matrix form, with neighboring dots partly overlapping each other in order to impart a continuous or drawn appearance rather than a discontinuous dot appearance to the printed characters. The geometric arrangement of the head elements also provides for varying the width of line segments plotted along selected orthogonal directions.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for forming visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.on a web, comprising: head means having a .Iadd.non-linear .Iaddend.plurality of print elements engaging said web, each element being located at the intersection of first and second .[.coordinate positions.]. .Iadd.coordinates of position .Iaddend.in the head, with no .[.element occupying.]. .Iadd.two elements having .Iaddend.the same first coordinate .[.position.]. and no .[.element occupying.]. .Iadd.two elements having .Iaddend.the same second coordinate .[.position.].;   drive means coupled to at least one of the web and the head means for providing relative motion .[.of.]. .Iadd.between .Iaddend.the head means .[.with respect to.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.the web along .Iadd.at least one of the .Iaddend.two orthogonal coordinates .Iadd.of the web.Iaddend.; and   logic means disposed to receive data and coupled to the drive means and to the .Iadd.print elements of the .Iaddend.head means for forming visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.on the web in one of four directions along the two orthogonal coordinates .Iadd.of the web .Iaddend.by causing the drive means to move at least one of the web and head means to a selected position .Iadd.in selected steps .Iaddend.and energizing selected .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements of the head means to form selected portions of the visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.in response to said data .Iadd.at each position of the head means relative to the web. .Iaddend.   
     
     
       2. The system as in claim 1 wherein each first coordinate of the print elements is a row coordinate and each second coordinate is a column coordinate, the print elements being symmetrically located about at least one of two substantially 45° diagonals. 
     
     
       3. The system as in claim 1 wherein the logic means includes a stored routine for producing alphanumeric characters, the web is thermally sensitive paper, and the print elements comprise at least nine thermal resistive elements. 
     
     
       4. The system as in claim 1 wherein the head means includes a plot element for plotting lines on the web. 
     
     
       5. The system as in claim 2 wherein the print elements are aligned in overlapping contiguity along the coordinates, this arrangement being effective for producing contiguous partly-overlapping marks on the web. 
     
     
       6. The system as in claim 5 wherein the drive means includes a web drive means and a head drive means, and the logic means controls .[.the head means,.]. the head drive means, the web drive means and .[.controls.]. the energizing of selected numbers of those .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements contiguously aligned along a selected coordinate, to produce line segments in the direction of the selected coordinate having thickness related to the number of elements energized. 
     
     
       7. A method of forming output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images having one or more rows and columns .Iaddend.on a web using a movable head with a .Iadd.non linear .Iaddend.plurality of print elements .Iadd.thereon .Iaddend.to form portions of each output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.in one of four orthogonal directions, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a number of .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements to be energized;   positioning one of the head and web with the selected .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements located over selected portions of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.to be formed in such a manner that at each positioning no more than one .Iadd.print .Iaddend.element is located over a column of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.to be printed, and no more than one .Iadd.print .Iaddend.element is located over a row of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.to be printed; and   energizing the selected .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements to form portions of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.in one or four orthogonal directions.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 where the step of positioning includes the steps of moving the head in a first direction to produce output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.oriented in said first direction, and moving the head in a second direction to produce output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.oriented in said second direction. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 7 where the step of positioning further includes the steps of moving the web in a third direction to produce output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.oriented in a fourth direction opposite to said third direction, and moving the web in a fourth direction to produce output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.oriented in the third direction. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 7 where the movable head includes a plot element for forming lines on the web in any selected direction and the method includes the steps of: selecting the plot element to be energized;   positioning one of the head and web such that the plot element is located over a segment of the line to be formed; and   energizing the plot element to form the line segment in the selected direction. .[.11. A print head comprising a cluster of a selected number of print elements disposed on and about at least two diagonals for forming output manifestations on a web in any of four orthogonal directions, such elements being located at the intersection of first and second coordinate positions, with no element occupying the same first coordinate position and no element occupying the same second coordinate position..]. .[.12. The print head as in claim 11 wherein each first coordinate of the print element is a row coordinate and each second coordinate is a column coordinate..]. .[.13. The print head as in claim 11 wherein the print elements are aligned in overlapping contiguity along the coordinates for producing partly-overlapping contiguous output manifestations on the web..]. .[.14. The print head as in claim 11 wherein the print elements are disposed having independent conductor leads and a common ground lead..]. .[.15. The print head as in claim 11 wherein a first group of the selected number of print elements are used for printing output manifestations in the form of upper case characters, a second group of said elements are used for printing lower case characters, and a third group of said elements are used to print punctuation characters..].   
     
     
        .[.     The print head as in claim 11 including a plot element disposed 
     
     
        externally to the cluster of print elements for plotting lines..]. 17. A system for forming visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.on a web, comprising: head means having a .Iadd.non-linear .Iaddend.plurality of print elements and a plot element engaging said web, each element being located at the intersection of first and second .[.coordinate positions.]. .Iadd.cartesian coordinates of position .Iaddend.in the head, with no .[.element occupying.]. .Iadd.two elements having .Iaddend.the same first coordinate .[.position.]. and no .[.element occupying.]. .Iadd.having .Iaddend.the same second coordinate .[.position.].;   drive means coupled to at least one of the web and the head means for providing relative motion .[.of.]. .Iadd.between .Iaddend.the head means .[.with respect to.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.the web along .Iadd.at least one of the .Iaddend.two orthogonal coordinates .Iadd.of the web.Iaddend.; and   logic means disposed to receive data and coupled to the drive means and to the head means for substantially simultaneously printing and plotting visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.on the web in one of four directions along the two orthogonal coordinates .Iadd.of the web .Iaddend.by causing the drive means to move at least one of the web and head means to a selected position .Iadd.in selected steps .Iaddend.and energizing selected .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements of the head means to form selected portions of the visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images .Iaddend.in response to said data .Iadd.at each position of   
     
     
        the head means relative to the web.Iaddend.. 18. A method of substantially simultaneously printing and plotting visual output .[.manifestations.]. .Iadd.images having one or more rows and columns .Iaddend.on a web using a movable head with a .Iadd.non-linear .Iaddend.plurality of print elements and a plot element .Iadd.thereon .Iaddend.to form portions of each output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.in one of four orthogonal directions, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a number of .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements to be energized;   positioning one of the head and web with the selected .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements located over selected portions of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.to be formed in such a manner that at each positioning no more than one .Iadd.print .Iaddend.element is located over a column of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.to be printed, and no more than one .Iadd.print .Iaddend.element is located over a row of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.to be printed; and   energizing the selected .Iadd.print .Iaddend.elements to form portions of the output .[.manifestation.]. .Iadd.image .Iaddend.in one of four orthogonal directions. .[.19. A print head comprising a plot element and a cluster of a selected number of print elements disposed on and about at least two diagonals for printing and plotting substantially simultaneously and forming output manifestations on a web in any of four orthogonal directions, such elements being located at the intersection of first and second coordinate of positions, with no element occupying the same first coordinate position and no element occupying the same second coordinate position..].