JP2019069619A - Parameter setting system and parameter terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a parameter setting system and a parameter terminal which can acquire and change a parameter during operation of a printing device.SOLUTION: A printing device includes a parameter storage unit, a first antenna, a parameter condition storage unit, and a first control unit. The parameter storage unit stores a parameter. The first antenna transmits the parameter to an external device, and receives a parameter for rewriting from the external device. The parameter condition storage unit stores conditions of a timing rewriting the parameter. The first control unit rewrites the parameter to a parameter for rewriting based on the conditions of the timing when receiving the parameter for rewriting. The external device includes a second antenna, a display unit, a parameter creation unit, and a second control unit. The second antenna receives the parameter. The display unit displays the received parameter. The parameter creation unit creates the parameter for rewriting. The second control unit transmits the parameter for rewriting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

 An embodiment of the present invention relates to a parameter setting system and a parameter terminal capable of changing parameters set when printing.

  Conventionally, when printing on a printing medium with a printing apparatus, the printing result may differ depending on the difference in the environment, consumables, etc. used. Therefore, the parameters which are various printing conditions are changed so that the same printing result is obtained even if the use environment and the consumables are different.

  However, when the printing apparatus is in operation, acquisition and change of parameters can not be performed, and it is necessary to wait until the operation of the printing apparatus is finished.

JP-A-8-118742

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a parameter setting system and parameter terminal capable of acquiring and changing parameters even while the printing apparatus is in operation.

The parameter setting system of the embodiment has a printing device and an external device. The printing apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a printing unit, a parameter storage unit, a first antenna, a parameter condition storage unit, and a first control unit. The transport unit transports the medium along the transport path. The printing unit prints on the medium. The parameter storage unit stores parameters related to printing by the printing unit. The first antenna transmits the parameter to the external device and receives a parameter for rewriting from the external device. When the first antenna receives the parameter for rewriting, the parameter condition storage unit rewrites the parameter to the parameter for rewriting when the printing under processing is completed, or the parameter condition storage unit Is forcibly terminated, and the condition of timing for rewriting the parameter to the parameter for rewriting is stored. The first control unit transmits the parameter stored in the parameter storage unit via the first antenna when the external device requests acquisition of the parameter during printing by the printing unit. The parameter is transmitted to the external device, and when the first antenna receives the parameter for rewriting, the parameter is rewritten to the parameter for rewriting at timing based on the condition stored in the parameter condition storage unit.

 The external device includes a second antenna, a display unit, a parameter creation unit, and a second control unit. The second antenna receives the parameter transmitted by the first antenna. The display unit displays the parameter received by the second antenna. The parameter creation unit receives the change of the value of the parameter displayed on the display unit, and creates the parameter for rewriting. The second control unit transmits the changing parameter created by the parameter creation unit to the printing apparatus via the second antenna.

It is a figure showing an example of system composition concerning this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the parameter terminal of the system which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a main part configuration diagram of a label printer according to the present embodiment. It is a block diagram explaining the control circuit composition of the label printer concerning this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the parameter which concerns on this embodiment.

A parameter setting system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

 An example of the system configuration of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. The parameter setting system 100 is used when acquiring parameters in the printing apparatus and setting parameters. The parameter setting system 100 has a parameter terminal 40, a label printer 10, and a host computer 51. The parameter terminal 40 sets parameters which are printing conditions. The label printer 10 is a printing device that performs printing according to parameters. The label printer 10 incorporates an antenna 30 for transmitting and receiving parameters to and from the parameter terminal 40. The label printer 10 is connected to a host computer 51 for transmitting print data.

 Note that the label printer 10 and the parameter terminal 40 are, for example, appropriate wireless or wired devices such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), infrared connection, optical connection such as IEEE80, IEEE802.11, IEEE802.3, IEEE3304, etc. Communicate through

 Next, a configuration example of the parameter terminal 40 is shown in FIG. The parameter terminal 40 is provided with an input / output unit 41, a battery 42, a data transmission unit 43, a data reception unit 44, a parameter creation unit 45, a key input unit 46, a display unit 47, and an antenna 48.

  The main configuration of the label printer 10 is shown in FIG. In the label printer 10, a long mount 11 having a plurality of labels 12 attached thereto is transported from the right to the left in the figure. Therefore, in the following description, the right side in the drawing is the upstream side, and the left side is the downstream side. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a long base 11 wound around a winding shaft 13. The winding shaft 13 is rotatably supported by the label printer 10.

 An idler roller 14 and a lower surface conveyance guide 15 are provided in accordance with the downstream side of the wound mount 11. The idler roller 14 is rotatably supported by the label printer 10. An upper surface conveyance guide 16 is provided above the lower surface conveyance guide 15, and the mount 11 is conveyed with the conveyance path 17 between the lower surface conveyance guide 15 and the upper surface conveyance guide 16.

 Further, downstream of the idler roller 14, a feed roller 18 rotatable by a motor (not shown) and an idler roller 19 disposed opposite to the feed roller 18 with the conveying path 17 interposed therebetween are disposed.

 A label position sensor 20 for detecting the position of the label 12 attached to the backing 11 is disposed downstream of the feed roller 18. The label position sensor 20 is a transmission type sensor, and a light emission sensor and a light reception sensor are provided with the conveyance path 17 interposed therebetween. Although a transmission type sensor is used as the label position detection sensor 20 here, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a reflection type sensor may be used.

 Further, a print unit 23 is provided downstream of the label position sensor 20. The printing unit includes a platen roller 21 that can be rotated by a motor (not shown), and a thermal print head 22 disposed opposite to the platen roller 21 with the conveying path 17 interposed therebetween.

 The thermal print head 22 prints one line at a time on the labels 12 stuck on the mount 11 in accordance with the conveyance of the mount 11 when the mount 11 is transported toward the downstream side on the transport path 17.

 A heat sensitive layer is provided on the surface of the label 12 to develop a color by heating, and a predetermined print is performed on the surface of the label 12 when the thermal print head 22 generates heat. When a label 12 not provided with a heat sensitive layer is used, it is necessary to provide an ink ribbon between the label 12 and the thermal print head 22 so that the heated part is melted and transferred to the surface of the label 12.

 The thermal print head 22 is pressed by the platen roller 21 and sends the mount 11 and the label 12 to the downstream side by the friction between the thermal print head 22 and the platen roller 21.

A peeling plate 24 is disposed downstream of the printing unit 23. The label 12 attached to the mount 11 is peeled off from the mount 11 by the peeling plate 24. The peeled label 12 is discharged from the discharge port 25 to the outside. The backing sheet 11 from which the label 12 is peeled off is wound by the winding roller 27 via the idler roller 26.

  The discharge port 25 is provided with a label discharge sensor 28. The label discharge sensor 28 detects whether the label 12 discharged from the discharge port 25 has been collected by an operator or the like.

 Above the discharge port 25 is provided a display 29 for displaying a paper jam or label breakage of the backing 11 to which the label 12 is attached. Further, an antenna 30 is provided on the upper surface side of the label printer 10.

  FIG. 4 shows the control unit 50 of the label printer 10 described above. The control unit 50 controls conveyance, printing, and ejection of the backing 11 and the label 12, status display of the label printer 10, winding of the backing 11, and acquisition and transmission of parameters.

The control unit 50 is configured of, for example, a microcomputer. The central processing unit (CPU) 52 of the control unit 50 performs various controls and calculations such as conveyance control of the mount 11 and the label 12, print control, label discharge control, printer status display control, mount winding control according to a program. . The CPU 52 also includes a timer 53 as means for performing time setting and time control.

  The control unit 50 has a ROM 54 and a RAM 55 as main storage means for storing control programs to be executed by the CPU 52 and data in the process of control or calculation. The ROM 54 is a read only memory having a control program and the like. The RAM 55 is a write memory for storing data in the process of calculation. The RAM 55 further includes a parameter storage unit 70 that stores various parameters of the label printer 10, and a parameter execution condition unit 71 that stores the execution timing of the rewritten parameter. The parameter storage unit 70 stores the energization temperature and the energization time of the thermal head 22, the conveyance speed of the backing sheet 11 to which the label 12 is attached, and the like.

  Further, the control unit 50 is provided with an input / output unit (I / O) 56 which takes in various input data from the host computer 51 and takes out a control output of the control unit 50 to the host computer 51. The I / O 56 is connected to the CPU 52, the ROM 54 and the RAM 55 through a bus.

 The I / O 56 also includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh drivers 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, as means for taking out control output. 63 are connected.

 The first driver 57 supplies a drive output to the printing unit 23. The second driver 58 provides the drive output to the feed roller 18. The third driver 59 supplies a drive output to the label position sensor 20. The fourth driver 60 supplies a drive output to the winding roller 27. The fifth driver 61 supplies a drive output to the label ejection sensor 28. The sixth driver 62 supplies a display drive output that causes the display 29 to perform various displays. The seventh driver provides a drive output to the antenna 30.

 The printing unit 23 includes a thermal print head 22 and a platen roller 21 as shown in FIG. The platen roller 21 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) based on a command from the CPU 52. The thermal print head 22 prints on the label 12 based on print data from the host computer 51.

 Further, the CPU 52 of the control unit 50 drives the feed roller 18 via the second driver 58, and conveys the backing sheet 11 to which the label 12 is attached in the downstream direction. Further, the CPU 52 of the control unit 50 drives the label position sensor 20 via the third driver 59 to obtain the position information of the label 12. In addition, the CPU 52 of the control unit 50 drives the winding roller 27 via the fourth driver 60 to wind the mount 11. In addition, the CPU 52 of the control unit 50 drives the label discharge sensor 28 via the fifth driver 61, and determines whether the label after printing has been removed. The CPU 52 of the control unit 50 also displays various information of the label printer 10 on the display 29 via the sixth driver 62. Further, the CPU 52 of the control unit 50 performs acquisition and transmission of parameters from the antenna unit 30 via the seventh driver 63.

 Next, the operation of the label printer 10 will be described. The parameters in the present embodiment will be described as two types of the temperature of the thermal print head 22 and the energization time as an example.

 The control unit 50 transports the mount 11 and the label 12 and prints on the label 12 in accordance with the program stored in the ROM 54 and the information in the parameter storage unit 71.

 First, the operator withdraws the backing sheet 11 and passes the idler roller 14 and the conveyance path 17 and then passes the idler roller 26 along the peeling plate 24 and winds the eleventh tip around the winding roller 27.

 When the mount 11 is first set in the label printer 10, the label 12 attached to the top portion is wasted. For this reason, it is desirable that the label 12 not be attached to the leading end of the backing sheet 11 for about the distance from the printing unit 23 to the take-up roller 27 via the peeling plate 24.

 In this state, when a print request from the host computer 51 is input, the control unit 50 drives the feed roller 18 to transport the backing sheet 11 to which the label 12 is attached to the downstream side. Thereafter, the position of the label 12 is detected by the label position sensor 20. The transmittance of the portion where the label 12 is attached to the backing 11 (the portion where the backing 11 and the label 12 overlap) differs from the transmittance of the portion of only the backing 11 which is between the label 12 and the label 12. The label position sensor 20 can detect the application position of the label 12 from the difference in transmittance. The control 50 drives the feed roller 18 to transport the mount 11 by a specified amount from the attachment position. The control unit 50 causes the printing unit 23 to print on the label 12. At the time of printing, the thermal print head 22 is driven at the temperature stored in the parameter storage unit 71 and the drive time of the drive pulse.

 When predetermined printing is performed on the label 12 by the printing unit 23, the mount 11 to which the label 12 is attached by the cooperation of the thermal print head 22 and the platen roller 21 is conveyed to the downstream method.

 Thereafter, the backing sheet 11 to which the label 12 is attached is conveyed along the peeling plate 24 provided at an acute angle.

 When the backing 11 to which the label 12 is attached is conveyed along the acute-angled surface of the peeling plate 24, the label 12 is peeled off from the backing 11 by its stiffness, not in accordance with the backing 11 changing the transport direction.

 A part of the label 12 is peeled off from the backing sheet 11, and the conveyance is stopped in a state where the label 12 has reached the detectable range of the label discharge sensor 28. In this case, if the next label 12 is issued before the operator or the like collects the peeled label 12, the label 12 which is not collected may drop. In order to prevent this, a label discharge sensor 28 is provided.

 The label ejection sensor 28 is a reflective sensor and detects whether a label is present within the detectable range.

 As described above, when the part of the label 12 is peeled off from the backing 11, and the peeled part reaches the detectable range of the label discharge sensor 28, the transport of the backing 11 is stopped. At this time, light emitted from a light emitting unit (not shown) of the label discharge sensor 28 is reflected by the label 12 and reaches a light receiving unit (not shown) of the label discharge sensor 28. Thus, the label discharge sensor 28 determines that the issued label 12 remains without being collected.

 When the operator removes the issued label 12 from the backing sheet 11 to attach it to an article etc., the light emitted from the light emitting portion (not shown) of the label discharge sensor 28 is not reflected by the label 12. It does not reach the light receiving unit (not shown). As a result, the label discharge sensor 28 determines that the issued label 12 has been collected, and issues the next label 12. When the next label is issued, the take-up roller 27 winds up the backing 11 in synchronization with the conveyance of the backing 11 to which the label 12 is attached. As a result, labels 12 having predetermined contents printed thereon are sequentially issued.

 As described above, printing is performed in accordance with the parameter information of the parameter storage unit 70 provided in the RAM 55.

 An example of a parameter is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, this parameter can change the drive temperature and drive pulse time of the thermal print head 22.

 However, since the use environment such as the temperature / humidity in which the label printer 10 is used is not always constant, the parameters may not always be constant. Further, the label 12 which is a consumable item may not be able to obtain the same printing result even if printing is performed with the same parameter depending on the manufacturer. In that case, it is necessary to change to an optimal parameter. Usually, the parameter is checked or changed on the touch panel (not shown) provided on the display unit 29 with the label printer 10 in the offline state. However, the label printer 10 has already implemented printing, and there are cases where it can not be stopped halfway. For this reason, in the present system, it is possible to confirm or change the parameters while printing at the parameter terminal 40.

 Hereinafter, confirmation and change of parameters will be described using the parameter terminal 40.

(Confirmation of parameters)
The parameter terminal 40 is provided with a data receiving unit 44. A button (not shown) is provided in the data receiving unit 44. When the button is pressed, parameter information is acquired from the parameter storage unit 70 of the label printer 10 via the antenna 48. The acquired parameter information is displayed on the display unit 47, so that acquisition and confirmation of parameter information of the label printer 10 currently being printed can be performed.

(Change of parameter)
A parameter creating unit 45 is provided in the parameter terminal 40, and the value of each parameter displayed on the display unit 47 is changed by the key input unit 46. For example, the current temperature of the thermal print head of 300 ° C. is changed to 350 ° C., and the driving pulse time of 1 ms is changed to 0.7 ms. A data transmission unit 43 is provided with a button (not shown). When the button is pressed, the parameter value of the label printer 10 is rewritten via the antenna 48. However, if it is applied immediately after rewriting the parameter value, the printing quality will be changed in the middle of the printing, and some printing quality will be different. However, if the previous print quality is poor, it may be possible to print immediately with a new print quality.

 Therefore, in the present embodiment, the parameter execution condition unit 71 is provided in the RAM 55. The parameter execution condition unit 71 stores the conditions at which timing to start printing with the changed parameter. This condition is, for example, changed when printing in process is completed, forcedly terminated and changed the print process in current process, changed when out of paper due to paper shortage, etc. This condition is an operator. It can be arbitrarily set by If the condition for forcibly terminating and changing the current printing process is stored, printing is forcibly terminated, and then printing is performed with the new parameter. If the current printing process is forcibly terminated and changed, although the printing quality is changed, the number of printed sheets is continued as before, and forced termination is made at the time of printing 200 sheets in the printing process to a total of 500 sheets. May be processed to print 300 sheets at the new parameter. In this case, although the print quality becomes two types, the print by the previous parameter may be usable, and the already printed one is not wasted.

 As described above, the parameter setting system according to the present invention can obtain parameter information from the printing apparatus during printing and can change the parameters of the printing apparatus during printing. This makes it possible to easily reflect parameter information being printed on other printing devices. Further, even when the optimum parameter is obtained using another printing apparatus, it is possible to reflect the optimum parameter obtained without stopping the printing apparatus.

 In the parameter setting system according to the present embodiment, the parameter terminal 40 is used to check and rewrite the parameters of the printing apparatus during printing. However, the present invention is not limited to this. You may use it with 40 functions.

 While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and the gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

10: label printer 11: mount 12: label
21: Platen roller 22: Thermal print head
24: Peeling plate 27: Winding roller
30: Antenna 40: Parameter terminal 70: Parameter storage unit 71: Parameter execution condition unit 100: Parameter setting system

Claims (6)

In a parameter setting system having a printing device and an external device,
The printing device is
A transport unit that transports the medium along the transport path;
A printing unit for printing on the medium;
A parameter storage unit that stores parameters related to printing by the printing unit;
A first antenna that transmits the parameter to the external device and receives a parameter for rewriting from the external device;
If the first antenna receives the parameter for rewriting, the parameter is rewritten to the parameter for rewriting when the printing in process is completed, or the current printing process is forcibly terminated. A parameter condition storage unit that stores a condition of timing of rewriting a parameter to the parameter for rewriting;
When the external device requests acquisition of the parameter during printing by the printing unit, the parameter stored in the parameter storage unit is transmitted to the external device via the first antenna. A first control unit that rewrites the parameter to the rewriting parameter at a timing based on a condition stored in the parameter condition storage unit when the first antenna receives the rewriting parameter;
Have
The external device is
A second antenna for receiving the parameters transmitted by the first antenna;
A display unit for displaying parameters received by the second antenna;
A parameter creation unit that receives the change of the parameter value displayed on the display unit and creates the rewriting parameter;
A second control unit that transmits the parameter for rewriting created by the parameter creation unit to the printing apparatus via the second antenna;
Parameter setting system with. The printing unit is composed of a thermal head,
The parameter setting system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter includes at least one of a temperature of the thermal head and a driving time of the thermal head.   The parameter setting system according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus and the external device communicate using NFC. A printing unit for printing on a medium, a parameter storage unit for storing parameters related to printing by the printing unit, and the first device for transmitting the parameter to the external device and receiving a rewriting parameter from the external device If the antenna and the first antenna receive the parameter for rewriting, the parameter is rewritten to the parameter for rewriting when the printing in process is completed, or the one for the current printing process is forcibly terminated. And a parameter condition storage unit for storing a condition of a timing of rewriting the parameter to the parameter for rewriting, and the acquisition request for the parameter from the external device during printing by the printing unit, The parameter stored in the parameter storage unit is transmitted to the outside through the first antenna. The first parameter is transmitted to the device, and when the first antenna receives the parameter for rewriting, the parameter is rewritten to the parameter for rewriting at a timing based on the condition stored in the parameter condition storage unit. A second antenna capable of communicating with the printing apparatus having the control unit of
A display unit for displaying the parameter received by the second antenna;
A parameter creation unit that receives a change in the value of the parameter displayed on the display unit and creates the parameter for rewriting;
A second control unit that transmits the parameter for rewriting created by the parameter creation unit to the printing apparatus via the second antenna;
Parameter terminal with. The printing unit is composed of a thermal head,
The parameter terminal according to claim 4, wherein the parameter includes at least one of a temperature of the thermal head and a driving time of the thermal head.   The parameter terminal according to claim 4, wherein the printing device and the external device communicate using NFC.

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