JP2003009401A - Control method for battery-driven printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively use a battery by preventing wasteful discarding of the battery. SOLUTION: Residual power of a battery 2 as a driving source is monitored and when it is detected that the residual power of the battery 2 reaches a first threshold value for predetermined shortage warning, a warning is issued while printing operation continues. When it is detected that the residual power reaches a second threshold value indicating a battery residual power corresponds to discharging of a recording medium, the printing operation is stopped and controlled to discharge the recording medium in the middle of printing.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a method of controlling a printer using a battery as a drive source, and more particularly to a method of controlling a battery drive printer which can effectively use a battery without waste. It relates to a control method. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, miniaturization of electric appliances has been attempted, and many portable compact printers have been developed. In particular, many of such portable printers use a battery as a drive source thereof. In a printer using a battery as a driving source, the remaining battery level is detected using a comparator, a converter, or the like, and the presence or absence of a sufficient remaining level is determined before printing based on the remaining level. When it is determined that the battery is not sufficient, a warning is given to the user with a display or the like that blinks an LED provided in the printer, and the user is prompted to replace the battery (including charging). [0004] Conventionally, the determination level regarding the presence or absence of a sufficient remaining amount is a solid printing (full-surface printing) that consumes the maximum power in order to prevent the battery from remaining too low and the system from going down. ) The level at which several sheets can be printed in the state is set as the threshold. Generally, the threshold is often set in a state where the remaining number of prints is about ten. [0005] However, the printing of a normal pattern is 2/3 to 1/1 as compared with the time of solid printing.
A power consumption of about two is usually sufficient. Therefore, although there is enough battery power to enable actual printing,
There was a warning that the battery level was not enough. And if the user replaces the battery at this stage,
The batteries are not used up, and the amount of battery that is discarded is considerable. In particular, when color printing is performed in a thermal transfer printer using a thermal head, three times, one for each of the three colors cyan, magenta, and yellow (or a total of four to five times, including printing of black and a protective layer). 1), a single print result can be obtained by performing the printing operation of (b), and as described above, if the remaining battery level is such that a print result of ten sheets can be obtained, the remaining battery level is extremely large. . In particular, if the pattern to be actually recorded is a light color pattern, the power consumption can be further reduced, so that a plurality of print results can be obtained with the discarded power. Regardless, if the battery is replaced when the warning is issued, a considerable amount of the battery is wasted. Further, if printing is continued even after the warning due to the lack of the remaining battery power, the operation of the printer may be terminated before the discharge of the recording medium is completed due to the exhaustion of the battery (the discharge of the recording medium). Left). In this case, if the user forcibly tries to remove the recording medium remaining in the printer by pulling it, the printer mechanism may be damaged. Therefore, before the printer system goes down due to the battery exhaustion and the drive is stopped, it is desirable to perform control so that only the recording medium is discharged even if printing is in progress. Accordingly, the present invention is to prevent the above-mentioned wasteful disposal of the battery and to make it possible to use the battery effectively, and also to prevent a recording medium remaining in the printer, which causes damage to the printer mechanism. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control method for a battery-powered printer that can be performed. [0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a feature of a control method of a battery-driven printer according to the present invention is as follows.
The remaining amount of the battery as a drive source is monitored, and when it is detected that the remaining amount of the battery has reached a first threshold value for a predetermined remaining amount warning, a warning to that effect is issued. Then, the printing operation is continued, and when it is detected that the second threshold value indicating that the remaining amount of the battery required for discharging the recording medium has been reached is reached, the printing operation is interrupted, and the recording during printing is stopped. The point is to control the medium to be ejected. According to the control method of the battery-operated printer of the present invention, printing is continued even after the first threshold value is detected and a warning is displayed. It can reduce the amount of wasted waste,
When it is detected that the voltage has reached the second threshold value, the printing operation is forcibly interrupted and the recording medium during printing is ejected. Can also be prevented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A control method for a battery-powered printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a printer control unit 1 for executing a control method of a battery-driven printer according to the present invention, a battery 2 as a power source of the printer, a power ON / OFF unit 3, a voltage conversion unit 4, a print head, and various other components. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a relationship between components such as a motor and a printer mechanism 5. The following battery-powered printer will be described assuming that it is a thermal printer capable of color printing. However, the structure of the printer mechanism 5 including an information transmission path, an electric circuit, and components is a known printer. The description is omitted except for a part of the printer control unit 1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printer control section 1 is provided with a battery voltage detecting section 6 and a driving voltage detecting section 7.
Detects the voltage of the battery 2 supplied to the voltage conversion unit 4 provided in the printer, and determines whether or not the detected voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined first threshold voltage. Is configured. The driving voltage detecting section 7 detects a voltage supplied from the voltage converting section 4 provided in the printer to any driving section of the printer, such as a thermal head or a driving motor. Is determined to be not more than a voltage value lower than the normal voltage by 0.5 V as a second threshold value. In the method for controlling a battery-powered printer according to the present embodiment, the remaining battery power is monitored by the printer control unit 1. That is, when the voltage detected by the battery voltage detection unit 6 is equal to or lower than the first threshold, the LE 2 is warned to warn the user that the battery 2 is running low.
Control is performed so that D is turned on. In the present embodiment, the first threshold value is determined by applying a current to all the heating elements constituting the thermal head and performing a color printing operation using cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. Also, it is assumed that a voltage is set to such an extent that a printing result for the remaining several sheets can be obtained. Further, the printer control unit 1 in the present embodiment controls the printing operation to be performed in the same manner as in the normal state even after the warning is displayed. That is, depending on the judgment of the user, the printing operation can be stopped at this point, and the printing operation is continued unless there is a judgment to end the printing operation of the user. A user who knows from the warning display that the remaining battery level is low can determine the timing of battery replacement and charging in consideration of the density and the number of printed products. For example, in a case where the print result has a high density, it may be determined that the battery is to be replaced immediately after the warning is displayed, or only the remaining three sheets are printed, and the three sheets are printed. It is also possible to determine that the battery 2 should be replaced at the time when the operation is completed. When the printing operation is continued as it is, the printer control unit 1
Monitor the voltage of In the present embodiment, before the completion of printing, when it is detected that the voltage detected by the drive voltage detection unit 7 is equal to or less than the second threshold value, that is, a voltage value that is 0.5 V lower than the normal voltage, The printing operation is stopped, and only the driving of the conveyance motor for the recording medium is performed so that the recording medium is discharged from the printer. As described above, the present embodiment detects that the above-mentioned first threshold value is reached, and continues printing even after the warning is displayed. It is possible to reduce the amount to be performed. Further, when it is detected that the voltage has reached the second threshold, the printing operation is forcibly interrupted, and control is performed so as to discharge the recording medium during printing, thereby causing the printer mechanism 5 to be damaged. Can be prevented from remaining in the printer, and the user does not need to forcibly pull and remove the recording medium remaining in the printer without being discharged due to battery exhaustion. The triggering factor can be eliminated. Note that the control method of the present invention does not include both the battery voltage detection unit 6 and the drive voltage detection unit 7 in the printer control unit 1 as in the above-described embodiment. It is also possible to provide only the detection unit and control the detection unit to detect the first threshold value and the second threshold value. For example, only the battery voltage detector is provided in the printer controller, 3.0 V is set as the first threshold, 2.5 V is set as the second threshold, and a comparator or the like is used. It is also possible to detect a drop in the battery voltage and control the driving of the printer. Further, it is needless to say that the numerical values of the first threshold value and the second threshold value in the present embodiment are merely examples. As described above, according to the present invention,
Prevent wasteful disposal of batteries, make effective use of batteries effective, and make it economical.
An excellent effect is obtained such that a recording medium remaining in the printer, which causes damage to the printer mechanism, can be avoided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the relationship between a printer control unit of this embodiment and each component of a battery-powered printer. [Description of References] 1 Printer control unit 2 Battery 3 Power ON / OFF unit 4 Voltage converter 5 Printer mechanism 6 Battery voltage detector 7 Drive voltage detector

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A remaining battery level as a driving source is monitored, and when it is detected that the remaining battery level has reached a first threshold value for a remaining level warning, A warning to that effect is issued and the printing operation is continued, and the printing operation is interrupted when it is detected that the second threshold value indicating that the remaining amount of the battery required for discharging the recording medium has been reached is reached. And controlling the discharge of the recording medium during printing.