JP2006007710A - Printer, and printing controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a printer which is highly useable for a user, and to provide a printing controller. <P>SOLUTION: The printer which carries out printing to a rolled sheet has a setting part for setting the rolled sheet, a printing head for printing to the rolled sheet set in the setting part, and a controller for printing with the use of the printing head information related to the printer to the rolled sheet set in the setting part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing control apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art A printing apparatus including a mounting unit for mounting roll paper and a print head is already well known. Such a printing apparatus performs printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit using the print head.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-91091

Before the roll paper is used up, the user may remove the roll paper loaded in the printing apparatus from the printing apparatus. For example, such a situation occurs when the user replaces the roll paper loaded in the printing apparatus with another roll paper of another paper type in order to print on the roll paper of another paper type. sell.
When the user does not use the removed roll paper for a certain period, the user stores the roll paper. However, when the user uses the roll paper again, the following inconvenience occurs. there is a possibility.
That is, the user may be confused with which printing apparatus the roll paper should be attached. For example, when the user forgets which printing apparatus the roll paper is mounted on, or when the user who removed the roll paper is different from the user who intends to use the roll paper again Can occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to realize a printing apparatus and a printing control apparatus that are highly convenient for the user.

  A main aspect of the present invention is a printing apparatus for printing on roll paper, a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and the print head. And a controller for printing information relating to the printing device on roll paper attached to the attachment unit.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A printing apparatus that prints on roll paper, a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and the printing head using the printing head And a controller for printing information relating to the apparatus on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit.
In this way, it is possible to realize a printing apparatus that is highly convenient for the user.

The information related to the printing apparatus may be a model name of the printing apparatus.
When the user removes the roll paper before it is used up from the printing apparatus, if the model name of the printing apparatus is printed on the roll paper, the user refers to the model name when the roll paper is used again. Thus, it is possible to grasp which printing apparatus the roll paper should be attached to. Therefore, in such a case, a printing apparatus that is highly convenient for the user is realized.

Further, the information related to the printing apparatus may be supplier information of the printing apparatus.
When the user removes the roll paper before it is used up from the printing apparatus, if the supplier information of the printing apparatus is printed on the roll paper, the user can use the supplier information when the roll paper is used again. By referencing, it is possible to grasp which printing apparatus the roll paper should be attached to. Therefore, in such a case, a printing apparatus that is highly convenient for the user is realized.

Further, the information regarding the printing apparatus may be ID information for individually specifying the printing apparatus.
When the user removes the roll paper before it is used up from the printing apparatus, if the ID information of the printing apparatus is printed on the roll paper, the user refers to the ID information when the roll paper is used again. Thus, it is possible to grasp which printing apparatus the roll paper should be attached to. Therefore, in such a case, a printing apparatus that is highly convenient for the user is realized.

The controller may print information on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit on the roll paper.
In such a case, whether or not it is appropriate to use the roll paper mounted on the printing apparatus can be determined by referring to information on the roll paper.

The information on the roll paper may be information indicating a date when the roll paper is first loaded.
In such a case, referring to the date, it is possible to determine whether the roll paper should be used after ascertaining how old the roll paper is.

The controller may print information indicating a running cost generated by printing an image on roll paper on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit.
In such a case, it is possible to respond to a user's request to know the running cost.

Further, the controller may print information indicating a use environment of the printing apparatus on a roll paper attached to the attachment unit.
In such a case, by referring to the information indicating the use environment, it is possible to identify the cause of the problem when the problem occurs in the printing apparatus.

Moreover, it has a cutting member for cut | disconnecting the roll paper with which the said mounting part was mounted | worn, The said controller is good also as not cutting the said roll paper by the said cutting member after printing the said information.
In such a case, when the user uses the roll paper again, the information is reliably referred to by the user.

Further, an input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user may be provided, and the controller may print the information when the information print command is input by the input receiving unit.
In such a case, the user can cause the printing apparatus to print information at an arbitrary timing.

The controller may print the information as a barcode.
In such a case, the information can be used more effectively.

Moreover, it is good also as having a reading member for reading the said bar-coded information.
In such a case, the information can be used more effectively.

Further, a printing apparatus that performs printing on roll paper, using a mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, a print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and the print head, A controller for printing information on the printing device on roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, the information on the printing device is a model name of the printing device, and the information on the printing device is: Supplier information of the printing apparatus, the information about the printing apparatus is ID information for individually identifying the printing apparatus, and the controller stores information about the roll paper attached to the attachment unit on the roll paper. The information relating to the roll paper that has been printed is information indicating the date when the roll paper is first loaded, and the controller generates a label generated by printing an image on the roll paper. Printing information on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit, and the controller prints information showing the use environment of the printing device on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit. An input receiving unit configured to receive an input of a print command from a user, and the controller prints the information when the information print command is input by the input receiving unit; It is also possible to realize a printing apparatus characterized by having a reading member for printing in the form of a bar code and reading the bar code information.
In this way, the object of the present invention can be achieved more effectively because most of the effects described above can be achieved.

In addition, a printing control apparatus that performs printing on roll paper, the mounting unit for mounting the roll paper, the print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit, and the print head And a controller for printing information relating to the print control device on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit.
In this way, it is possible to realize a print control apparatus that is highly convenient for the user.

Further, an input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user may be provided, and the controller may print the information when the information print command is input by the input receiving unit.
In such a case, a print control device is realized in which the user can input an information print command on the desk on which the computer is placed.

=== Configuration Example of Print Control Apparatus ===
First, a print control apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of the print control apparatus 700. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of the print control apparatus 700 shown in FIG.

 The print control apparatus 700 includes an inkjet printer (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) 10 as an example of a printing apparatus, and a computer 702 that can communicate with the printer 10. The computer 702 includes a computer main body 703, a display device 704 such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a liquid crystal display device and a plasma display, an input device 708 such as a keyboard 708A and a mouse 708B, and an FD (flexible drive). ) A reading device 710 such as a device 710A, a CD-ROM drive device 710B, a MO (Magneto Optical) disk drive device (not shown), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) device (not shown), and an internal memory such as a RAM (not shown). ) And an external memory (not shown) such as a hard disk drive unit.

 The printer 10 is a printing apparatus that prints a print image on a medium such as paper, cloth, or film. The printer 10 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the roll paper 1 is detachable, and the printer 10 prints a print image on the roll paper 1 attached to the printer 10. FIG. 1 also shows a roll paper 1 that can be attached to and detached from the printer 10 together with the print control apparatus 700.

 The computer 702 is electrically connected to the printer 10 and includes an operating system, an application program 795 that operates under the operating system, and a printer driver 796. The printer driver 796 includes an image processing unit 797, a display interface unit 801, an input interface unit 803, and a user interface processing unit 805.

  The application program 795 is a program on the computer 702 for causing the printer 10 to perform printing. The image data AD on the application program is sent to the printer driver 796 by a print execution command from the application program 795.

  The image processing unit 797 receives the image data AD that can be interpreted by the application program 795, converts the image data AD into print data PD that can be interpreted by the printer 10, and sends the converted print data PD to the printer 10 together with various control signals COM. It has a function to do. That is, the image processing unit 797 of the printer driver 796 instructs the printer 10 to execute printing after performing the above-described image processing. In order to realize the function, the image processing unit 797 performs resolution conversion, color component conversion, and the like, for example.

  The display interface unit 801 has a function of displaying various user interface windows related to the printer 10 on the display device 704. The input interface unit 803 has a function of receiving input information input by the user using the input device 708 on the user interface window.

  The user interface processing unit 805 has a function of interfacing between the display interface unit 801 or the input interface unit 803 and the printer 10. For example, the user interface processing unit 805 receives the input information from the input interface unit 803 and interprets the input information. Then, various control signals COM are sent to the printer 10 and the image processing unit 797. Further, it interprets various control signals COM received from the printer 10 and sends information related to display to the display interface unit 801.

  Note that the printer driver 796 included in the computer 702 is supplied in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Such recording media include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, IC cards, ROM cartridges, punch cards, printed matter printed with codes such as barcodes, computer internal storage devices (such as RAM and ROM). A variety of computer-readable media such as a memory) and an external storage device can be used. It is also possible to download such a computer program to the computer 702 via the Internet.

 In the above description, the printer 10 is electrically connected to the computer main body 703, the display device 704, the input device 708, the reading device 710, the internal memory, and the computer 702 having an external memory, and the print control device 700. However, the printer 10 may have some of the functions or mechanisms of the computer main body 703, the display device 704, the input device 708, the reading device 710, the internal memory, and the external memory. Good. For example, the printer 10 includes an image processing unit that performs image processing, a display unit that performs various displays, and a recording medium attachment / detachment unit for attaching / detaching a recording medium that records image data captured by a digital camera or the like. It is good.

  Accordingly, the “printing control device” means a computer system including the printer 10 and the computer 702 in a narrow sense, but in a broad sense, printing of the printer 10 or the like having the function or mechanism related to the computer 702. Also means device.

=== Configuration Example of Printing Apparatus ===
Next, a printer 10 as an example of a printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of the printer 10. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram schematically showing some of the components of the printer 10. In FIG. 3, the roll paper loading unit 14 is shown detached from the casing 12 and the roll paper 1 of the printer 10 in order to clearly show the configuration of a holder 14 a described later.

<<< External Configuration of Printer 10 >>>
First, the external configuration of the printer 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The printer 10 includes a housing 12, a roll paper mounting unit 14 as an example of a mounting unit, a paper feeding unit 16, a paper discharging unit 18, and an operation panel 20 as an example of an input receiving unit. ing.

The housing 12 is a box that houses various components of the printer 10.
The roll paper loading unit 14 is for loading the roll paper 1 and holds the loaded roll paper 1. The roll paper 1 includes a core material 3 and a printing paper wound around the outer periphery of the core material 3. The “roll paper” means a combination of the core material 3 and the printing paper wound around the outer periphery of the core material 3, but in a narrow sense also means only the printing paper.
The roll paper mounting unit 14 is provided with a holder 14a. The holders 14 a are arranged so as to form a pair on both sides of the back surface of the printer 10, and hold the roll paper 1 so that the roll paper 1 is sandwiched therebetween. The roll paper mounting unit 14 is also provided with a mounting detection sensor (not shown) for detecting that the roll paper 1 is mounted on the roll paper mounting unit 14.
The paper feed unit 16 is an insertion port of the roll paper 1 into the housing 12 provided on the back surface of the printer 10. The paper discharge unit 18 is a discharge port provided on the front surface of the printer 10 to the roll paper 1 to the outside of the housing 12. That is, the printer 10 is configured to discharge the roll paper 1 inserted from the back surface from the front surface. The printer 10 is also provided with a paper discharge tray 19 that closes the paper discharge unit 18 when the printer 10 is not used.
The operation panel 20 is provided on the front surface of the printer 10 and includes an operation button 20a and a liquid crystal display unit 20b. The user can give various commands to the printer 10 by operating the operation buttons 20a while referring to information (menu screen or the like) displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 20b.

<<< Internal Configuration of Printer 10 >>>
Next, the internal configuration of the printer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
The printer 10 can print a color image. For example, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) inks are ejected onto the roll paper 1 to form dots. By doing so, a printed image is formed. In addition to the above four colors, light cyan (light cyan, LC), light magenta (light magenta, LM), dark yellow (dark yellow, DY), light black (light black, LK), etc. are used as the color ink. May be.

 The printer 10 includes a transport unit 25, a carriage unit 30, a head unit 35, a cutter unit 40, a detector group 45, a timer 50, and a controller 60.

  The transport unit 25 is for feeding the roll paper 1 to a printable position and transporting the roll paper 1 by a predetermined transport amount in a predetermined transport direction during printing. The transport unit 25 includes a plurality of rollers for feeding, transporting, and discharging the roll paper 1, a motor for applying a rotational force to these rollers, a platen for supporting the roll paper 1 during printing, and the like. (In FIG. 5, some of these components, that is, the transport roller 26, the paper discharge roller 27, and the platen 28 are shown).

  The carriage unit 30 is for moving the print head 36 (FIG. 5) in a predetermined movement direction (a direction penetrating the paper surface in FIG. 5). The carriage unit 30 includes a carriage 31 (FIG. 5), a carriage motor for moving the carriage 31, and the like. A print head 36 is mounted on the carriage 31, and the carriage 31 can reciprocate in the movement direction. As a result, the print head 36 moves along the moving direction. Further, a barcode reader 47 (FIG. 5) as an example of a reading member is mounted on the carriage 31, and the barcode reader 47 also moves in the moving direction as the carriage 31 moves. The carriage 31 detachably holds an ink cartridge that stores ink.

  The head unit 35 is for ejecting ink onto the roll paper 1. The head unit 35 has a print head 36 and the like. The print head 36 has a plurality of nozzles that are ink ejection portions, and ejects ink intermittently from each nozzle. The print head 36 is provided on the carriage 31. Therefore, when the carriage 31 moves in the moving direction, the print head 36 also moves in the moving direction. Then, by intermittently ejecting ink while the print head 36 is moving, dot lines (raster lines) along the moving direction are formed on the roll paper 1.

  The cutter unit 40 is for cutting the roll paper 1 and cutting off the printed portion of the roll paper 1. The cutter unit 40 is a cutter 41 (FIG. 5) as an example of a cutting member, and rotates the rotary blade or moves the cutter 41 in a direction along the moving direction of the carriage 31. It has a motor. When the cutter 41 moves in the above direction while the rotary blade is rotating, the roll paper 1 is cut.

The detector group 45 includes a linear encoder, a rotary encoder, a temperature / humidity meter and the like in addition to the barcode reader 47 and the attachment detection sensor described above. The linear encoder is for detecting the position of the carriage 31 in the moving direction. The rotary encoder is for detecting the rotation amount of the transport roller 26. The thermohygrometer is for detecting the temperature and humidity in the printer 10.
The timer 50 is a clock for obtaining the current date and time.

  The controller 60 is for controlling the printer 10. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the controller 60 includes an interface unit 62, an image buffer 64, a CPU 66, a memory 68, and a unit control circuit 70. The interface unit 62 is for transmitting and receiving data and signals to and from the computer 702. The image buffer 64 is for storing the print data PD. The CPU 66 is an arithmetic processing unit for controlling the entire printer. The memory 68 is for securing an area for storing programs and various information, a work area, and the like, and includes a RAM, an EEPROM, and the like. The unit control circuit 70 is for controlling each unit (conveyance unit 25, carriage unit 30, head unit 35, cutter unit 40).

 When the controller 60 receives the print data PD and the control signal COM from the computer 702 with the interface unit 62, the print data PD is stored in the image buffer 64. The CPU 66 controls each unit (conveyance unit 25, carriage unit 30, head unit 35, cutter unit 40) via the unit control circuit 70 while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64 based on the control signal COM. To do. In this way, the controller 60 prints the print image on the roll paper 1 and appropriately separates the portion of the roll paper 1 on which the print image is printed. The state in the printer 10 is monitored by a detector group 45, and the detector group 45 outputs a detection result to the controller 60. The controller 60 receiving the detection result from the detector group 45 controls each unit based on the detection result.

  The controller 60 according to the present embodiment can print a print image on the roll paper 1 even when the computer 702 is not electrically connected to the printer 10. In such a case, the CPU 66 creates the print data PD and the control signal COM while referring to various information in the memory 68 as appropriate based on the program in the memory 68. The print data PD is stored in the image buffer 64, and the CPU 66 controls each unit while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64 based on the control signal COM. In this way, the controller 60 prints the print image on the roll paper 1 and appropriately separates the portion of the roll paper 1 on which the print image is printed.

=== About printing on roll paper of information relating to printing apparatus ===
In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, information related to the printer 10 (hereinafter also referred to as printer-related information) is printed on the roll paper 1 when the user instructs printing of the information on the operation panel 20. The
Hereinafter, printing of the printer-related information on the roll paper 1 will be described with two examples.

<<<< first embodiment >>
In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, as the printer-related information, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier information of the printer 10, and ID information that individually identifies the printer 10 are printed, and information about the roll paper 1 ( Hereinafter, the remaining amount information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the use start date of the roll paper 1 are printed. Furthermore, the date when these pieces of information are printed is also printed.

  Here, explanation is added to each piece of information described above. The model name of the printer 10 is the name of the model of the printer 10. The supplier information of the printer 10 is, for example, the name of the supplier who supplies the printer 10 or a logo representing the supplier. Here, the supplier may be a manufacturer of a product, a manufacturer of a product, or a manufacturer, or may receive an OEM supply of a product of a manufacturer who does not substantially manufacture. In some cases, the person who sells. The ID information that individually identifies the printer 10 is, for example, a manufacturing ID number of the printer 10. The remaining amount information of the roll paper 1 is information indicating how many meters of roll paper 1 remain, for example. The paper type information of the roll paper 1 is information indicating the paper type (special paper such as plain paper, special paper, glossy paper, etc.), for example. The size information of the roll paper 1 is information indicating the size of the roll paper 1 (A4, B5, etc.). The use start date of the roll paper 1 is information indicating a date when the roll paper 1 is opened and the roll paper 1 is first loaded in the printer.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which the above-described information is printed on the roll paper 1. As shown in this figure, the above-described information is converted into a barcode so that it can be read by a barcode reader, and printed in the form of a barcode.

 Of the information described above, the remaining amount (total amount) information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, and the size information of the roll paper 1 are recorded before the roll paper 1 is shipped (the roll paper 1 is manufactured at the factory). Information printed on the roll paper 1 in the form of a barcode. In such a case, a flag (information) indicating that the above-mentioned bar code information has been printed before shipment of the roll paper 1 is also printed on the roll paper 1 in the form of a bar code.

 As described above, the above-described information is printed on the roll paper 1 when the user instructs printing of the information on the operation panel 20. The operation of the printer 10 that receives the instruction and prints the information will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer 10.

 This flowchart starts when the user instructs printing of information on the operation panel 20 (step S2). The operation panel 20 serves as an input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user. As described below, the controller 60 receives information when an information print command is input on the operation panel 20. Is to be printed.

  The CPU 66 in the controller 60 reads the information printing command and creates the image shown in FIG. In such a case, the CPU 66 first determines the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, the ID for individually identifying the printer 10, the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1, the size of the roll paper 1, And the information which concerns on the use start date of the roll paper 1 is acquired from the EEPROM provided in the memory 68 (step S4). Information relating to the printer 10 (information relating to the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, and the ID for individually identifying the printer 10) is stored in advance in the EEPROM as invariant information. Information on the paper 1 (the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1, the size of the roll paper 1, and the information regarding the use start date of the roll paper 1) is always stored in the EEPROM with the latest and accurate information. To be managed within the controller 60. CPU 66 also acquires the current date from timer 50 (step S4).

  Here, a method in which the controller 60 manages information related to the roll paper 1 will be described. When a new roll paper 1 is loaded on the roll paper loading unit 14, the loading detection sensor detects the loading of the roll paper 1. As described above, the new roll paper 1 includes the remaining amount (total amount) information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the barcode before the roll paper 1 is shipped. A flag (information) indicating that the above-described information has been printed is printed in the form of a barcode. The controller 60 reads these pieces of information by operating the bar code reader 47 while moving the carriage 31 based on the output of the mounting detection sensor. The controller 60 stores the read remaining amount (total amount) information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, and the size information of the roll paper 1 in the EEPROM. Further, the flag is interpreted, the current date is obtained from the timer 50, and information related to the date is stored in the EEPROM.

  When the user removes the roll paper 1 from the printer 10 before the roll paper 1 is used up, the roll paper 1 is loaded in the roll paper loading unit 14 in order to reuse the roll paper 1 (that is, a new article). In the case where a non-roll paper 1 is attached), the attachment detection sensor detects the attachment of the roll paper 1. As described above, the printer 10 has information related to the roll paper 1 (remaining amount information of the roll paper 1, paper type information of the roll paper 1, size information of the roll paper 1, and information related to the use start date of the roll paper 1). Is printed on the roll paper 1 so that the information is printed on the roll paper 1 in the form of a barcode. The controller 60 reads these pieces of information by operating the bar code reader 47 while moving the carriage 31 based on the output of the mounting detection sensor. The controller 60 stores the read information in the EEPROM. When the controller 60 detects that the bar-coded information is not printed when reading the information, the user may be prompted to input the information. In such a case, the information input by the user is stored in the EEPROM.

  Of the information relating to the roll paper 1, the roll paper 1 is not attached to or removed from the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the information related to the use start date of the roll paper 1. The information regarding the remaining amount of the roll paper 1 is information that changes in accordance with the use of the printer 10. Such information is updated as needed, for example, by calculating the consumption amount of the roll paper 1 from the rotation amount of the transport roller 26 detected by the rotary encoder described above, and subtracting the calculated consumption amount from the remaining amount. Is done.

  As described above, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, the ID for individually identifying the printer 10, the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1, the size of the roll paper 1, the roll paper 1 The CPU 66 having acquired the information related to the use start date and the current date creates an image shown in FIG. 6 including the information (step S6). Next, the CPU 66 converts the created image into print data PD and a control signal COM for printing as a print image (step S8), and stores the print data PD in the image buffer 64 (step S10). The CPU 66 controls each unit while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64 based on the control signal COM, and prints the print image (information) shown in FIG. 6 on the roll paper 1 (step S12). Then, after printing the information, the controller 60 ends the printing process without cutting the roll paper 1 by the cutter 41 (step S14).

As described above, the printer 10 according to this embodiment includes the controller 60 for printing the printer related information on the roll paper 1. This realizes a printing apparatus and a printing control apparatus that are highly convenient for the user.
That is, as described in the section of the problem to be solved by the invention, the user may remove the roll paper 1 attached to the printer 10 from the printer 10 before the roll paper 1 is used up. For example, when the user replaces the roll paper 1 mounted on the printer 10 with the roll paper 1 of another paper type in order to print on the roll paper 1 of another paper type, this is necessary. A situation can arise.

When the user does not use the removed roll paper 1 for a certain period of time, the user stores the roll paper 1, but when the user uses the roll paper 1 again, the following Inconvenience may occur.
That is, the user may be confused as to which printer 10 the roll paper 1 should be mounted. For example, when the user forgets which printer 10 the roll paper 1 is mounted on, or when the user who removed the roll paper 1 is different from the user who intends to use the roll paper 1 again. This situation can arise.

  Since the printer 10 according to the present embodiment prints printer-related information on the roll paper 1, it is possible to eliminate such inconvenience. That is, when the user removes the roll paper 1 that has not been used up from the printer 10, if the printer-related information is printed on the roll paper 1, the user can use the printer-related information when the roll paper 1 is used again. By referring to the information, it is possible to grasp which printer 10 the roll paper 1 should be attached to. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a printing apparatus and a printing control apparatus that are highly convenient for the user are realized.

  In this embodiment, since the roll paper 1 is not cut by the cutter 41 after the information is printed, when the roll paper 1 before being used up by the user is removed from the printer 10, the removed roll paper 1 is removed. Information is printed on itself. Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, when the user uses the roll paper 1 again, the printer-related information is reliably referred to by the user.

<<< second embodiment >>>
In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the above-described information, that is, printer-related information (model name of the printer 10, supplier information of the printer 10, ID information for individually identifying the printer 10), roll paper-related information (roll In addition to the remaining amount information of the paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, the use start date of the roll paper 1), the date when the information was printed, the running cost, and the use of the printer 10 Information indicating an environment (hereinafter simply referred to as a use environment) is printed.

Here, description is added about the information which shows running cost, and the information which shows use environment.
The running cost is a cost generated by printing a print image on the roll paper 1. That is, the running cost is the price of the ink and the roll paper 1 that are consumed when printing the print image on the roll paper 1. Note that in this embodiment, the printer 10 prints the running cost as an average of how much cost is taken per unit length (for example, 1 m) of the roll paper 1, but is not limited thereto. For example, the average cost per page may be printed.
The use environment is an operation environment when the printer 10 is used, and for example, temperature and humidity correspond to this.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the above-described information is printed on the roll paper 1. As shown in this figure, the above-described information is converted into a barcode so that it can be read by a barcode reader, and printed in the form of a barcode.

 As described above, the above-described information is printed on the roll paper 1 when the user instructs printing of the information on the operation panel 20. The operation of the printer 10 that receives the instruction and prints the information will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer 10.

 This flowchart starts when the user instructs printing of information on the operation panel 20 (step S102). The operation panel 20 serves as an input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user. As described below, the controller 60 receives information when an information print command is input on the operation panel 20. Is to be printed.

  The CPU 66 in the controller 60 reads the information printing command and creates the image shown in FIG. In such a case, the CPU 66 first determines the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, the ID for individually identifying the printer 10, the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1, the size of the roll paper 1, Information relating to the start date of use of the roll paper 1 and the running cost is acquired from the EEPROM provided in the memory 68 (step S104). Information relating to the printer 10 is stored in advance in the EEPROM as invariant information, while information relating to the roll paper 1 is managed in the controller 60 so that the latest and accurate information is always stored in the EEPROM. This has been described in the section of the first embodiment, but information indicating the running cost is also managed in the controller 60. The CPU 66 also obtains the current date from the timer 50 and the temperature and humidity from the thermohygrometer (step S104).

Here, a method in which the controller 60 manages information indicating the running cost will be described.
The consumption amounts of the roll paper 1 and ink are calculated for each print job, for example. Here, as described above, the consumption amount of the roll paper 1 is calculated from the rotation amount of the transport roller 26 detected by the rotary encoder. On the other hand, the amount of ink consumed is calculated based on the image data AD when the printer driver 796 described above converts the image data AD into print data PD. The calculated ink consumption is sent to the controller 60 as a control signal COM together with the print data PD. On the other hand, the EEPROM stores a roll paper 1 and the price per unit amount of ink in a database, and the controller 60 calculates a formula (ink price × ink consumption + price of roll paper 1 × roll paper 1 The cost is calculated from (consumption). In addition, regarding the price per unit amount of the roll paper 1 and the ink, the user may be prompted to input the information when the roll paper 1 or the ink cartridge is mounted. In such a case, information (price) input by the user is stored in the EEPROM.

 In this way, the controller 60 calculates, for each print job, a cost that is generated when a print image is printed by the print job, and adds the cost to a cost that has occurred in the past (total cost). Update total cost. Similarly, the controller 60 updates the consumption amount of the roll paper 1. Then, the running cost (how much cost is averaged per unit length of roll paper 1) is calculated by the calculation formula (updated total cost ÷ updated consumption of roll paper 1), The controller 60 updates the running cost.

  As described above, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier of the printer 10, the ID for individually identifying the printer 10, the remaining amount of the roll paper 1, the paper type of the roll paper 1, the size of the roll paper 1, the roll paper 1 The CPU 66 that has acquired information on the use start date, running cost, use environment, and current date creates an image shown in FIG. 8 including these pieces of information (step S106). Next, the CPU 66 converts the created image into print data PD and a control signal COM for printing as a print image (step S108), and stores the print data PD in the image buffer 64 (step S110). Based on the control signal COM, the CPU 66 controls each unit while reading the print data PD from the image buffer 64, and prints the print image (information) shown in FIG. 8 on the roll paper 1 (step S112). In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the controller 60 prints the information on the roll paper 1 by operating the cutter 41 and cutting the roll paper 1 after printing the information. The cut portion is separated (step S114), and the printing process is terminated (step S116).

  As described above, in the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, not only the printer related information but also information indicating the running cost and the use environment is printed on the roll paper 1. Therefore, the above-described information printing function of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment is not only used when the roll paper 1 removed before being used up again but also when the user wants to know the running cost, This is also effective when it is desired to refer to the usage environment in order to identify the cause of the failure when the failure occurs.

 Further, in this embodiment, since the portion on which the information is printed is cut off after the information is printed, the paper on which the information is printed is removed when the roll paper 1 before use is removed from the printer 10 and stored. The options for where to store are expanded (for example, a paper on which information is printed is attached to a box for storing the roll paper 1, or a paper on which information is printed on the administrator's desk of the roll paper 1) Or you can put

As described above, in this embodiment, there is an advantage that the utilization pattern of the information printing function is expanded.
In the above description, the controller 60 prints only information alone, but the information may be printed together with a print image different from the information. In such a case, the price of the ink and the roll paper 1 consumed for printing the print image and information may be printed as the running cost.

=== Other Embodiments ===
Although the printing apparatus and the like according to the present invention have been described based on the above-described embodiment, the above-described embodiment is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Absent. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the ink jet printer 10 has been described as an example of the printing apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a printing apparatus such as a dot impact printer.

  In the above embodiment, as the printer related information to be printed, the model name of the printer 10, the supplier information of the printer 10, and ID information for individually identifying the printer 10 have been described as examples. It is not limited to these. For example, it may be information indicating a color printer or a monochrome printer.

  In the above embodiment, the controller 60 prints not only the printer related information but also the roll paper related information on the roll paper 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the controller 60 may not print the roll paper related information.

  However, if the roll paper related information is also printed, the user can grasp which printer 10 the roll paper 1 should be loaded by referring to the printer related information when the roll paper 1 is used again. In addition, it is possible to determine whether or not it is appropriate to use the roll paper 1 mounted on the printer 10 by referring to the roll paper related information. For example, the user can refer to the remaining amount information of the roll paper 1 and determine whether or not to use the roll paper 1 based on whether the remaining amount is large or small. Further, with reference to the paper type information and size information of the roll paper 1, it is possible to determine whether or not the roll paper 1 is a roll paper to be used. Further, referring to the use start date of the roll paper 1, it is possible to determine whether the roll paper 1 should be used after grasping how old the roll paper 1 is.

  In the above embodiment, as the roll paper related information to be printed, the remaining amount information of the roll paper 1, the paper type information of the roll paper 1, the size information of the roll paper 1, and the roll paper 1 are loaded for the first time. The information indicating the date (the start date of use of the roll paper 1) has been described as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the color information of the roll paper 1 or the supplier information of the roll paper 1 may be used.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the controller 60 converts the information into a barcode and prints it. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the information may be converted into a barcode and not printed.

  However, if the information is printed in the form of a barcode, the following merits arise. For example, when the roll paper related information is printed on the roll paper 1 as the barcode-coded information, the roll paper related information is transferred to the controller without causing the user to input the roll paper related information as described above. Can be obtained. In addition, the printer driver can set parameters relating to printing conditions based on the roll paper related information. When the printer-related information is printed on the roll paper 1 as the barcode-coded information, the controller reads the printer-related information by operating the barcode reader, and the read printer-related information Can be compared with printer-related information provided in advance in the controller, and if both are different, the printer can be notified of a warning message.

 In this way, if the information is printed as a barcode, the information can be used more effectively. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable in this respect.

  It should be noted that the above-described merit by printing the information in the form of a barcode is that the roll paper 1 is removed from the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, and the printer 10 according to the present embodiment can be applied to another printer. This can also occur when the roll paper 1 is remounted. That is, even when the printer 10 according to the present embodiment is not provided with a barcode reader, the above-described advantages can occur, but when the printer 10 according to the present embodiment is provided with a barcode reader. Even when the roll paper 1 is removed from the printer 10 according to the present embodiment and the roll paper 1 is remounted on the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the above-described advantages can be obtained. Therefore, the above embodiment is more desirable in this respect.

In the above embodiment, the controller 60 prints information when an information print command is input on the operation panel 20, but the timing at which the information is printed is limited to this. Instead, for example, the printer has a configuration in which the roll paper can be removed only when the roll paper removal button is pressed, and when the user presses the roll paper removal button, the controller May be printed.
However, the above embodiment is more preferable in that the user can cause the printer 10 to print information at an arbitrary timing.

In the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 includes the input receiving unit (that is, the operation panel 20) for receiving the input of the information print command from the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this. is not. For example, the printer driver 796 included in the computer 702 or the like may include the input receiving unit (for example, the input interface unit 803 described above).
When the printer driver 796 includes an input receiving unit, there is an advantage that the user can input an information print command on a desk on which the computer is placed.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the image shown in FIG. 6 or 8 is created (step S6, step S106), and the created image is converted into the print data PD and the control signal COM (step S8, step S106). S108) is performed in the controller 60 of the printer 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, the creation and the conversion may be performed in the printer driver 796 included in the computer 702 or the like.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of a print control apparatus 700. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a part of the configuration of the print control apparatus 700 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of a printer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing some of the components of the printer. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which information is printed on a roll paper. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which information is printed on a roll paper. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Roll paper 3 Core material 10 Inkjet printer 12 Case 14 Roll paper mounting unit 14a Holder 16 Paper feed part 18 Paper discharge part 19 Paper discharge tray 20 Operation panel 20a Operation button 20b Liquid crystal display part 25 Carry unit 26 Carry roller 27 Paper discharge Roller 28 Platen 30 Carriage unit 31 Carriage 35 Head unit 36 Print head 40 Cutter unit 41 Cutter 45 Detector group 47 Bar code reader 50 Timer 60 Controller 62 Interface unit 64 Image buffer 66 CPU 68 Memory 70 Unit control circuit 700 Print control device 702 Computer 703 Computer main body 704 Display device 708 Input device 708A Keyboard 708B Mouse 710 Reading device 710A FD device 710B CD-ROM drive device 795 Application program 796 Printer driver 797 Image processing unit 801 Display interface unit 803 Input interface unit 805 User interface processing unit AD Image data COM control signal PD print data

Claims (15)

A printing apparatus for printing on roll paper,
A mounting section for mounting roll paper;
A print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
A printing apparatus comprising: a controller for printing information on the printing apparatus on roll paper attached to the attachment unit using the print head. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The information related to the printing apparatus is a model name of the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The information relating to the printing apparatus is supplier information of the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The information relating to the printing device is ID information that individually identifies the printing device. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The printing apparatus, wherein the controller prints information on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit on the roll paper. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The information relating to the roll paper is information indicating a date when the roll paper is first mounted. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The controller prints information indicating a running cost generated by printing an image on roll paper on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The printing apparatus, wherein the controller prints information indicating a use environment of the printing apparatus on a roll paper attached to the attachment unit. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A cutting member for cutting the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
The printing apparatus, wherein the controller does not cut the roll paper by the cutting member after printing the information. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user;
The printing apparatus, wherein the controller prints the information when the information printing command is input by the input receiving unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The printing apparatus, wherein the controller prints the information as a barcode. The printing apparatus according to claim 11.
A printing apparatus comprising a reading member for reading the bar-coded information. A printing apparatus for printing on roll paper,
A mounting section for mounting roll paper;
A print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
A controller for printing information on the printing apparatus on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit using the print head,
The information regarding the printing device is a model name of the printing device,
The information regarding the printing device is supplier information of the printing device,
The information related to the printing device is ID information that individually identifies the printing device,
The controller prints information on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit on the roll paper,
The information about the roll paper is information indicating a date when the roll paper is first mounted,
The controller prints information indicating a running cost generated by printing an image on roll paper on the roll paper attached to the attachment unit,
The controller prints information indicating a use environment of the printing apparatus on a roll paper attached to the attachment unit,
An input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user;
When the information print command is input at the input receiving unit, the controller prints the information,
The controller prints the information as a barcode,
A printing apparatus comprising a reading member for reading the bar-coded information. A printing control apparatus for printing on roll paper,
A mounting section for mounting roll paper;
A print head for printing on the roll paper mounted on the mounting unit;
And a controller for printing information about the print control device on roll paper attached to the attachment unit using the print head. The print control apparatus according to claim 14,
An input receiving unit for receiving an input of an information print command from a user;
The print control apparatus, wherein the controller prints the information when the information print command is input by the input receiving unit.

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