JP2012183774A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer that can accurately and efficiently detect marks.SOLUTION: The printer 100 comprises: a sensor 12a and a sensor 12b which detect the mark 114a and the mark 114b marked on rolled paper 110, and detect information on the mark 114a and the mark 114b; and an operation condition setting part 22 which sets an operation condition for detecting the marks on the basis of the information on the mark 114a detected by the sensor 12a and the information on the mark 114b detected by the sensor 12b.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer.

  Examples of the printer include a thermal printer for printing a receipt or the like. As a printing sheet for a thermal printer, for example, a marked sheet may be used to indicate a page break. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for reading a mark with an electronic pen. Patent Document 2 discloses a portable thermal printer.

JP 2005-332351 A JP 2008-73935 A

  The position of the mark, the size of the mark, etc. may change depending on the paper used. As described above, when using a plurality of types of paper, it is required to set an operation condition of a sensor for detecting a mark corresponding to the paper. However, setting the operating conditions each time the paper is changed causes a reduction in user work efficiency. In addition, a setting error may occur. In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of detecting a mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

  The present invention detects a mark on a sheet and detects information related to the mark, and sets an operation condition for detecting the mark based on the information related to the mark detected by the sensor. And an operating condition setting unit to perform. According to the present invention, it is possible to detect a mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

  In the above configuration, the sensor is a sensor that measures light reflectance, and the information regarding the mark includes light reflectance at the mark, light reflectance at a region other than the mark on the paper, and the mark. It can be set as the structure containing this width | variety.

  In the above configuration, the operating condition setting unit sets a threshold value of the light reflectance based on information about the mark, sets a mark detection width based on the width of the mark, and the sensor measures the measured When the area where the reflectance of light is not more than the threshold is not less than the mark detection width, the mark can be detected. According to this configuration, it is possible to detect a mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

  In the above configuration, the operation condition setting unit may set a width within a predetermined range from the width of the mark detected by the sensor as the mark detection width. According to this configuration, the detection accuracy can be further increased.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The information regarding the said mark can be set as the structure containing the distance between several said marks.

  In the above configuration, a conveyance control unit that controls conveyance of the sheet is provided, the mark indicates a page break in the sheet, and the operation condition setting unit is based on a distance between the plurality of marks. When the limit length is set, and the distance the sheet is transported is equal to or greater than the limit length, the transport control unit determines that the sheet has been transported to the end of the page regardless of whether or not the mark is detected. It can be configured. According to this configuration, it is possible to perform appropriate printing and mark detection.

  In the above configuration, each of the two sensors is provided corresponding to each of a front surface and a back surface of the paper, and of the two sensors, the sensor that detects the mark operates to detect the mark. The sensor that has not been used can be configured to stop operating. According to this configuration, the mark can be detected more efficiently. In addition, power consumption can be saved.

  In the above configuration, the sensor detects information about the mark in response to a request from a user or auto loading of the paper, and the operation condition setting unit sets the operation condition It can be. According to the above configuration, it is possible to detect a mark with higher accuracy and efficiency.

  In the above configuration, after the operation condition is set by the operation condition setting unit, the operation condition setting unit does not set the operation condition according to the autoloading and responds to a request from the user. Further, the operation condition can be set. According to the above configuration, it is possible to detect a mark with higher accuracy and efficiency.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer capable of detecting a mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic views illustrating a roll paper with a mark. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating the printer according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a functional block diagram illustrating the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating command analysis control of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation condition setting control of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation condition setting control of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the mark detection control of the printer according to the first embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, the roll paper 110 will be described as an example of a printing paper with a mark. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic views illustrating roll paper.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a mark 114 a is attached to the surface 112 a of the roll paper 110. Also, as shown in FIG. 1B, a mark 114b is attached to the back surface 112b of the roll paper. The mark 114a and the mark 114b are, for example, black areas. In contrast, the color of the roll paper 110 other than the marks 114a and 114b is, for example, white. The mark 114a and the mark 114b are provided so as to face each other through the paper surface of the roll paper 110, for example. Between adjacent marks distance _{L 1} is 15mm, for example. Mark width _{W 1} is 5mm, for example. A mark 114a and a mark 114b indicate the end of the page in the roll paper 110 in which a plurality of pages are continuous (see dotted lines in the figure). For this reason, it is possible to cue the page by conveying the roll paper 110 to the lower end of the mark 114a or the lower end of the mark 114b. Further, for example, the position from the lower end of the distance L ₂ of the marks 114a, or may even terminate the lower end from the position of the distance L ₂ pages of mark 114b (see a broken line in the figure). In this case, at a distance L ₂ from the lower end of the mark 114a, or by conveying the roll paper 110 to the position of the distance L ₂ from the lower end of the mark 114b, it is possible to cue page. Thus, the mark 114a and the mark 114b represent page breaks of the roll paper 110. The printer can perform operations such as changing the contents of printing, cutting the roll paper 110, and stopping printing, for example, for each page of the roll paper 110, thereby increasing convenience. The printer 100 according to the first embodiment can use a marked paper such as the roll paper 110.

  Next, the printer according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating the printer according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a functional block diagram illustrating the printer according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the printer 100 according to the first embodiment includes a printing unit 10, a conveyance unit 11, a sensor 12a and a sensor 12b, a cover sensor 13, a timer 14, an interface 16, a storage unit 18, and a control unit. 20.

The printing unit 10 is, for example, a thermal head or the like, and performs printing on a sheet such as a roll sheet 110. The conveyance unit 11 is, for example, a roller and conveys a sheet such as a roll sheet 110. The cover sensor 13 is a switch or the like, for example, and detects opening and closing of the cover of the printer 100. The cover is opened and closed when the roll paper 110 is set in the printer 100, for example. The sensors 12a and 12b are, for example, photosensors, and can measure the reflectance of light. The sensor 12a is a sensor for detecting the mark 114a attached to the surface 112a of the roll paper 110 shown in FIG. The sensor 12b is a sensor for detecting the mark 114b attached to the back surface 112b of the roll paper 110 shown in FIG. In addition, each of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b can detect information related to each of the mark 114a and the mark 114b, for example, an inter-mark distance L ₁ , a mark width W ₁ , a light reflectance, and the like. Details will be described later. The timer 14 is a clock, for example, and measures time. The sensor 12a and the sensor 12b can measure the reflectance at regular intervals measured by the timer 14. The fixed time can be arbitrarily determined such as 1 msec or 10 msec. The interface 16 is an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port or a LAN (Local Area Network) port, and mediates communication between an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer) and the printer 100, for example. The storage unit 18 is a nonvolatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) or a flash memory. As will be described later, the storage unit 18 can store operating conditions of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b. The control unit 20 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Note that the timer 14 may be, for example, an RTC (Real Time Clock) included in the control unit 20.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the control unit 20 functions as an operation condition setting unit 22, a sensor control unit 24, a print control unit 26, a conveyance control unit 28, and a communication control unit 30. The operation condition setting unit 22 generates an operation condition for the sensor 12a to detect the mark 114a and an operation condition for the sensor 12b to detect the mark 114b, and sets the operation condition. The operation condition setting unit 22 generates an operation condition for the transport unit 11 and sets the operation condition. The operating conditions will be described later. The sensor control unit 24 operates the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b based on the operation condition set by the operation condition setting unit 22. In addition, the sensor control unit 24 acquires the measurement result of the reflectance by the sensors 12a and 12b. The print control unit 26 controls the printing unit 10. The transport control unit 28 controls the transport unit 11. The communication control unit 30 controls communication via the interface 16.

Next, mark detection and setting by the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b will be described. The sensor 12a is provided to face the surface 112a. The sensor 12b is provided to face the back surface 112b. The white paper surface of the roll paper 110 is different from the light reflectance in the marks 114a and 114b painted black. For this reason, the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b can distinguish and detect a white area | region and a black area | region in the paper surface of the roll paper 110. FIG. Thereby, the sensor 12a can detect the mark 114a, and the sensor 12b can detect the mark 114b. The sensor 12a and sensor 12b can detect the distance followed by black areas in the roll paper 110 as the mark width _{W 1.} The sensor 12a and sensor 12b from moved from paper black areas of the roll paper 110 in the white areas, it is possible to detect the distance to move to the black region is the paper again a white region as a distance between marks L _1.

The operating condition setting unit 22 acquires information about the mark 114a and the mark 114b such as the inter-mark distance L ₁ , the mark width W ₁ , and the light reflectance measured by the sensor 12a or the sensor 12b via the sensor control unit 24. To do. The operating condition setting unit 22 determines a light reflectance threshold R ₀ , a mark detection width W ₀ , and a limit length L ₀ as operating conditions. The threshold value R ₀ is a threshold value for detecting a black region on the paper surface of the roll paper 110. The mark detection width W ₀ is a width for determining whether the detected black area is a mark. The limit length L ₀ is the length until the end of the page when no mark is detected. Details will be described later.

  Next, control of the printer according to the first embodiment will be described. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are flowcharts illustrating the control of the printer according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 20 performs command analysis (step S1). The command analysis control will be described in detail with reference to FIG. After step S1, the control unit 20 determines whether there is print data (step S2). If no, control returns to step S1. In the case of Yes, the printing control unit 26 activates the printing unit 10, and the conveyance control unit 28 activates the conveyance unit 11. Thereby, the transport unit 11 transports the roll paper 110. The printing unit 10 prints the print data transferred from the print control unit 26 on the roll paper 110. After step S3, the control ends.

  Next, command analysis will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating command analysis control of the printer according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 20 determines whether an operation condition setting command has been input (step S10). The operating condition setting command is a command for starting control for setting operating conditions of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b. The operating condition setting command can be input by a user from a PC external to the printer 100, for example. In addition, an operation condition setting command may be input by using auto loading when a sheet is set in the printer 100 as a trigger. Auto loading means that a sheet set on the printer 100 by a user is automatically conveyed to a predetermined position in the printer 100.

  In the case of Yes, the control part 20 performs operation condition setting control (step S11). The operation condition setting control will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the case of No in step S10, the operating condition setting unit 22 determines whether there is an adjustment command (step S12). Adjustment means adjustment of operating conditions. For example, the user can change an operation condition for at least one of a threshold value, a mark detection width, a limit length, and the like. The adjustment command can be input by a user from a computer outside the printer 100, for example. In the case of Yes, the operation condition setting unit 22 adjusts the operation condition (step S13). In No, the control part 20 judges whether there exists a notification command (step S14).

  The notification command is a command for notifying the user of operating conditions. In the case of Yes, the control unit 20 performs control for notifying the user of the operating conditions (step S15). The notification is performed, for example, when the printing unit 10 prints the operating condition, or when the interface 16 notifies the operating condition to the PC used by the user. In No, sensor control part 24 judges whether there is a mark detection command (Step S16). In the case of Yes, the sensor control unit 24 operates the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b. The sensor 12a and the sensor 12b detect the mark according to the operation condition set in step S11 (step S17). The mark detection control will be described later with reference to FIG. If No, the control ends.

  Next, the operation condition setting control will be described. 5 and 6 are flowcharts illustrating the operation condition setting control of the printer according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor control unit 24 activates the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b (step S20). After step S20, the transport control unit 28 activates the transport unit 11. The transport unit 11 transports the roll paper 110 (step S21). After step S21, the sensor control unit 24 determines whether one of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b has detected black, that is, whether a black area has been detected in the roll paper 110 (step S22). The black areas on the roll paper 110 are the mark 114a and the mark 114b. That is, in step S22, the sensor control unit 24 determines whether the area where the sensor 12a measures the reflectance enters the mark 114a from the white area on the surface 112a of the roll paper 110. Further, it is determined whether the area where the sensor 12b measures the reflectance enters the mark 114b from the white area on the back surface 112b.

  In No, the conveyance control part 28 judges whether the length (conveyance distance) by which the roll paper 110 was conveyed has reached the limit length (step S23). In No, control returns to Step S21. That is, since the end of the page has not been reached, the transport unit 11 further transports the roll paper 110. If Yes in step S23, the control ends (see “B” in FIGS. 5 and 6). At this time, the conveyance control unit 28 determines that the end of the page has been reached. At the end of the page, for example, the print control unit 26 may change the contents of printing, and the conveyance control unit 28 may perform control such as stopping the conveyance of the roll paper 110 by the conveyance unit 11.

If Yes at step S22, the operation condition setting unit 22 obtains the reflectivity _{R 2} of light in the black areas (step S24). In addition, the sensor control unit 24 stops the sensor that has not detected black (“the other sensor”) (step S25). Here, for example, consider a case where the mark 114a is attached to the front surface 112a shown in FIG. 1A and the mark 114b is not attached to the back surface 112b shown in FIG. In this case, in step S22, the sensor 12a detects black and the sensor 12b does not detect black. Accordingly, the sensor 12b stops operating in step S24.

After step S25, the sensor control unit 24 determines whether the sensor 12a has detected white, that is, whether the area measured by the sensor 12a has entered the white paper from the mark 114a (step S26). If no, the control proceeds to step S23. If Yes, the operation condition setting unit 22 obtains the reflectivity _{R 1} of the light in the white area (step S27). Incidentally, the reflectance R ₁ of the previous step S22, that is, a range for measuring the reflectance of the sensor 12a is, can have be detected before entering the black areas. After step S27, the operation condition setting unit 22, based on the reflectivity _{R 1} and _{R 2,} and calculates the threshold _{R 0} (step S28). The operation condition setting unit 22 acquires the mark width W ₁ (see “A” in FIGS. 5 and 6, Step S29), and sets the mark detection width W ₀ based on the mark width W ₁ (Step S30).

As shown in FIG. 6, the sensor control unit 24 determines whether the sensor 12a has detected the second mark 114a (step S31). In No, control returns to Step S21. In the case of Yes (see “C” in FIGS. 5 and 6, Step S27). After step S27, the operation condition setting unit 22 further determines the distance between the first mark 114a detected in steps S22 to S26 and the second mark 114a detected in step S31, that is, the inter-mark distance L. ₁ is acquired (step S32). The operating condition setting unit 22 sets the limit length L ₀ based on the inter-mark distance L ₁ (step S33). As described above, the operating condition setting unit 22 sets the threshold value R ₀ , the mark detection width W ₀ , and the limit length L ₀ as the operating conditions. After step S33, the operation condition setting unit 22 stores the operation condition in the storage unit 18 (step S34). After step S34, the control ends.

  Next, mark detection control will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the mark detection control of the printer according to the first embodiment. Here, of the sensors 12a and 12b, the sensor 12a will be described as an example, but the same control is performed for the sensor 12b.

As shown in FIG. 7, the sensor control unit 24 determines whether or not the reflectance measured by the sensor 12a is equal to or less than a threshold value _R0 (step S40). The case of No will be described later. In the case of Yes, the sensor control unit 24 determines whether the width of the region where the reflectance is equal to or less than the threshold value R _{0 is} equal to or greater than the mark detection width W ₀ (step S42). If no, control returns to step S40. In the case of Yes, the sensor control unit 24 determines that the sensor 12a has detected the mark 114a (step S43). The control unit 20 separates pages (step S44). Specifically, the print control unit 26 causes the printing unit 10 to execute printing corresponding to the page. Further, the roll paper 110 may be cut for each page. If No at step S40, the conveyance distance of the roll paper 110 determines whether there are a limit length _{L 0} or more (step S41). This is the same control as step S23 in FIG. If no, control returns to step S40. If yes, control continues to step S44. In other words, when the transport distance is equal to or longer than the limit length L ₀ , the control unit 20 separates pages even if no mark is detected.

  The printer 100 according to the first embodiment sets an operation condition based on the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b, information on the mark 114a detected by the sensor 12a, and information on the mark 114b detected by the sensor 12b. Unit 22. According to the first embodiment, in the operation condition setting control shown in FIG. 5, the operation condition setting unit 22 automatically sets the operation condition. Each of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b detects each of the mark 114a and the mark 114b in accordance with the set operation condition (step S17 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7). For this reason, it is possible to detect the mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

センサ１２ａ又はセンサ１２ｂが測定する光の反射率には、マーク１１４ａ又はマーク１１４ｂにおける光の反射率Ｒ_１、及びロール紙１１０のマーク以外の領域（白い領域）における光の反射率Ｒ_２が含まれる。表１に示すように、動作条件設定部２２は、光の反射率の閾値Ｒ_０を例えば次の式により算出する。

式中の０．５は係数である。係数は０．５以外に、０＜、かつ＜１の範囲の数とすることができる。反射率Ｒ_１及びＲ_２として、複数回の測定結果の平均値を用いてもよい。また数１以外の式を用いて閾値Ｒ_０を定めてもよい。また動作条件設定部２２は、マーク検出幅Ｗ_０をＷ_１±２ｍｍ、限界長Ｌ_０を２Ｌ_１とする。 Next, the operating conditions will be described in detail. As described above, the operating condition setting unit 22 determines the light reflectance threshold R ₀ , the mark detection width W ₀ , and the limit length L ₀ as operating conditions. Table 1 is a data table illustrating the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting unit 22.

The light reflectance measured by the sensor 12a or the sensor 12b includes the light reflectance R _{1 at} the mark 114a or the mark 114b and the light reflectance R _{2 at} a region (white region) other than the mark on the roll paper 110. It is. As shown in Table 1, the operating condition setting unit 22 calculates a light reflectivity threshold value R ₀ by, for example, the following equation.

0.5 in the formula is a coefficient. The coefficient may be a number in the range of 0 <and <1 other than 0.5. An average value of a plurality of measurement results may be used as the reflectances R ₁ and R ₂ . Further, the threshold value R ₀ may be determined using an expression other than Equation 1. Further, the operation condition setting unit 22 sets the mark detection width W ₀ to W ₁ ± 2 mm and the limit length L ₀ to 2L ₁ .

The sensor control unit 24, if the reflectance of the detected light is the threshold value R ₀ above the white area of the paper, it is determined that the black areas if the reflectance is the threshold value R ₀ or less is detected. When an area (black area) where the reflectance is equal to or greater than the threshold value R ₀ is continuously detected over the mark detection width W ₀ , the sensor 12a detects the black area as the mark 114a. In other words, the sensor control unit 24 determines that the mark 114a has been detected. Similarly, the sensor 12b detects the mark 114b. Incidentally, the mark detection width _{W 0} is to be a _{W 1} ± 2 mm, if the black area is followed by a width included in the range from _W 1 -2 mm to _W 1 + 2 mm, meaning that they are mark detection.

Next, a description will be given limit length _{L 0.} For example, when the mark 114a and the mark 114b are not detected, the end of the page becomes unclear, and there is a possibility that appropriate printing becomes difficult. If the transport distance from the top of the page of the roll paper 110 is equal to or longer than the limit length L ₀ , the transport control unit 28 determines that the end of the page even if the mark 114 a or the mark 114 b is not detected. To perform printing in this manner properly, it is preferable to limit the length L ₀ is defined. In order to perform mark detection appropriately, it is preferable that the limit length L ₀ is sufficiently large. Length Limit L ₀ In Table 1 it is two times the length of the mark distance L _1, for example, distance between marks L ₁ or more, or may be two or more times the distance between marks L _1. The length limit L ₀ As is determined based on the distance between marks L _1.

Depending on the type of the roll paper 110, the reflectivity _{R 1} of the paper white areas, the reflectivity _{R 2} of the marks 114a and the mark 114b, the mark width _{W 1,} there is the mark distance _{L 1} and the like is changed. For efficient mark detection, it is preferable that the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b have operating conditions set according to the type of the roll paper 110. However, if the operation condition is set again each time the type of the roll paper 110 is changed, the man-hour increases and the efficiency is poor. Further, when the user performs setting, a setting error may occur. In the first embodiment, when each of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b detects each of the mark 114a and the mark 114b, the operation condition setting unit 22 acquires information about the mark, and automatically sets the operation condition based on the information. Set up. For this reason, it is possible to detect the mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

表２に示すように、マーク検出幅Ｗ_０はマーク幅Ｗ_１と等しい幅としてもよい。しかし、マーク検出幅Ｗ_０を実際に測定されたマーク幅Ｗ_１から所定の範囲の幅とすることで、例えばロール紙１１０のマーク１１４ａ又はマーク１１４ｂの幅のバラつき、位置のバラつき、又はセンサ１２ａ及びセンサ１２ｂの位置バラつき、感度のバラつき等がある場合でも、より高精度、かつ効果的にマークを検出することができる。従って、動作条件設定部２２は、マーク検出幅Ｗ_０をマーク幅Ｗ_１よりも広くすることが好ましく、例えばマーク幅Ｗ_１から１ｍｍ、３ｍｍ、又は４ｍｍ程度の範囲とすることが好ましい。 The operation condition setting unit 22 may set other operation conditions other than those shown in Table 1, for example. Table 2 is a data table illustrating another operating condition.

As shown in Table 2, the mark detection width W ₀ may be equal to the mark width W ₁ . However, by setting the mark detection width W ₀ to a predetermined range from the actually measured mark width W ₁ , for example, the width of the mark 114 a or the mark 114 b of the roll paper 110 varies, the position varies, or the sensor 12 a. In addition, even when there is a variation in the position of the sensor 12b, a variation in sensitivity, etc., it is possible to detect the mark with higher accuracy and effectiveness. Therefore, the operation condition setting unit 22 preferably makes the mark detection width W ₀ wider than the mark width W ₁ , for example, in the range of about ₁ mm, 3 mm, or 4 mm from the mark width W ₁ .

表３に示すように、限界長Ｌ_０は、マーク間距離Ｌ_１の２倍である２Ｌ_１より２Ｌ_２だけ長い。これは、１ページの長さがマーク間距離Ｌ_１よりも長いＬ_１＋Ｌ_２である場合に対応したものである（図１（ａ）の破線参照）。この場合、例えばロール紙１１０のマーク１１４ａ及びマーク１１４ｂの付される位置のバラつき、又はセンサ１２ａ及びセンサ１２ｂの位置バラつき、感度のバラつき等がある場合でも、効果的にページの終端を検出することができる。動作条件設定部２２は、限界長Ｌ_０を例えば２ページ分の長さ２Ｌ_１＋２Ｌ_２と定める。これにより、適切な印刷、及びマーク検出が可能となる。Ｌ_２は、例えば１ｍｍ、２ｍｍ、３ｍｍ等、任意の長さとすることができる。なお、動作条件設定部２２は閾値Ｒ_０、マーク検出幅Ｗ_０、及び限界長Ｌ_０のうち、少なくとも１つを設定するとしてもよい。 When the operating condition setting unit 22 sets the limit length L ₀ to at least twice the distance L ₁ between marks, appropriate printing and mark detection can be performed. As indicated by broken lines in FIGS. 1A and 1B, when the length of one page is longer than the inter-mark distance L ₁ by L _2, it is preferable that the limit length L ₀ is also changed. Table 3 is a data table illustrating yet another operating condition.

As shown in Table 3, the limit length L ₀ is longer by 2L ₂ than 2L ₁ which is twice the inter-mark distance L ₁ . This is the length of one page corresponding to the case of the long L _{1 +} L ₂ than the distance between marks L ₁ (see the broken line in Figure 1 (a)). In this case, for example, even when there are variations in the positions of the marks 114a and 114b on the roll paper 110, or the positions of the sensors 12a and 12b, variations in sensitivity, etc., the end of the page can be detected effectively. Can do. The operating condition setting unit 22 determines the limit length L ₀ as, for example, a length 2L ₁ + 2L ₂ for two pages. As a result, appropriate printing and mark detection are possible. L ₂ can be set to an arbitrary length such as 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, or the like. The operation condition setting unit 22 may set at least one of the threshold value R ₀ , the mark detection width W ₀ , and the limit length L ₀ .

In response to the user's request, the operating condition setting unit 22 can adjust the operating conditions (steps S12 and S13 in FIG. 4). Specifically, for example, the threshold value R ₀ or the mathematical formula for calculating the threshold value R ₀ can be changed. For example, it can be determined how much the mark detection width W ₀ is wider than the measured mark width W ₁ . It is possible to determine how much the limit length L ₀ is larger than the inter-mark distance L _{1 and} the size of the distance L ₂ .

  As described in step S10 in FIG. 4, the operation condition setting command for performing the operation condition setting control shown in FIG. 5 is input to the control unit 20 in response to a request from the user or autoloading. In other words, operation condition setting control is performed in response to a request from the user or autoloading. For this reason, the user can start the operation condition setting control at an arbitrary timing. Auto loading is performed, for example, in response to the user closing the cover of the printer 100 after setting paper. Therefore, the operation condition setting control can be started by a simple operation of simply opening and closing the printer cover. In particular, when changing the type of paper used in the printer 100, it is possible to automatically and quickly set operating conditions suitable for new paper, so that mark detection can be performed more accurately and efficiently. It becomes possible to do.

  In addition, after the operation condition setting control is performed, an operation condition setting command may not be input in accordance with autoloading. In other words, the control unit 20 may not perform the operation condition setting control according to auto loading. Thereby, the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b can continue to operate according to the once set operation condition, and efficiency can be improved. In particular, when the same type of paper is used, unnecessary operation condition setting control can be omitted, and the mark can be detected more efficiently. Further, since mistakes can be suppressed, it is possible to detect marks with higher accuracy. When changing the paper type, operation condition setting control may be performed in accordance with a user request.

  Since the storage unit 18 is a non-volatile memory, the storage unit 18 can store operating conditions even after the printer 100 is turned off. Therefore, even after the printer 100 is turned on again, the operation condition setting unit 22 can read the operation condition from the storage unit 18 and set the operation condition. In other words, the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b can operate according to the operation condition stored in the storage unit 18 without performing the operation condition setting control. For this reason, a mark can be detected more accurately and efficiently. In particular, when the same type of paper is used, efficiency can be improved. The storage unit 18 may be a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). However, in order to detect the mark efficiently when the printer 100 is restarted, the storage unit 18 is preferably a nonvolatile memory.

  As described in steps S14 and S15 of FIG. 4, for example, the communication control unit 30 can notify the user of the operation condition by transmitting the operation condition to the computer via the interface. In addition, the printing control unit 26 causes the printing unit 10 to print the operating conditions, so that the operating conditions can be notified to the user. As described above, the communication control unit 30 and the print control unit 26 function as a notification unit that notifies the operation condition. As a result, the user can quickly determine whether an appropriate operating condition is set, and can detect a mark with high accuracy and efficiency.

  Each of the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b is provided corresponding to each of the front surface 112a and the back surface 112b. In step S24 of FIG. 5, the sensor that has not detected the black region (in the first embodiment, the sensor 12b) stops operating. In other words, the sensor 12b that has not detected the mark 114b stops operating. This simplifies the operation of the printer 100 and enables more efficient mark detection. Further, power consumption of the printer 100 can be saved. When the mark 114a is not detected, the sensor 12a stops operating. When both the mark 114a and the mark 114b are detected, both the sensor 12a and the sensor 12b continue to operate.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. It can be changed.

Printing section 10
Transport unit 11
Sensor 12a, 12b
Cover sensor 13
Storage unit 18
Control unit 20
Operating condition setting unit 22
Sensor control unit 24
Print control unit 26
Transport control unit 28
Communication control unit 30
Printer 100
Roll paper 110
Surface 112a
Back side 112b
Mark 114a, 114b

Claims (9)

A sensor for detecting a mark on the paper and detecting information about the mark;
An operation condition setting unit configured to set an operation condition for detecting the mark based on information on the mark detected by the sensor. The sensor is a sensor that measures the reflectance of light,
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the information about the mark includes a light reflectance at the mark, a light reflectance at an area other than the mark on the sheet, and a width of the mark. The operation condition setting unit sets a threshold value of the reflectance of the light based on the information about the mark, and sets a mark detection width based on the width of the mark,
The printer according to claim 2, wherein the sensor detects the mark when a region where the measured reflectance of the light is equal to or smaller than the threshold is equal to or larger than the mark detection width.   The printer according to claim 3, wherein the operation condition setting unit sets a width within a predetermined range from the width of the mark detected by the sensor as the mark detection width.   5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the mark includes a distance between the plurality of marks. 6. A conveyance control unit for controlling conveyance of the paper;
The mark indicates a page break in the paper,
The operating condition setting unit sets a limit length based on a distance between the plurality of marks,
The transport control unit determines that the paper has been transported to the end of a page regardless of whether the mark is detected when the transport distance of the paper is equal to or longer than the limit length. 5. The printer according to 5. Each of the two sensors is provided corresponding to each of the front surface and the back surface of the paper,
The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a sensor that detects the mark operates among the two sensors, and a sensor that does not detect the mark stops operating. In response to a request from a user or the auto loading of the paper, the sensor detects information about the mark,
8. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition setting unit sets the operation condition. After the operation condition is set by the operation condition setting unit, the operation condition setting unit does not set the operation condition according to the autoloading, and the operation condition according to a request from the user The printer according to claim 8, wherein the setting is performed.

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