JP2020040271A - Printer and printer control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent poor printing while preventing printing time from being elongated.SOLUTION: A printer, which performs printing on a printing medium using electric power supplied from a battery, comprises a voltage information memorizing part that acquires voltage information about the battery and memorizes the information and a printing control part that controls printing onto the printing medium when receiving an instruction for printing. The printing control part acquires from the voltage information memorizing part the voltage information memorized before receiving the instruction for printing, and determines on the basis of the acquired voltage information whether printing should be performed on the printing medium or not.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable printer having a rechargeable battery and a control method thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known a portable printer which includes a charging battery therein and performs printing by using only the power of the battery. As a print head provided in a portable printer, a thermal head or the like in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged in a row is generally used, and when printing on a continuous label or other printing medium, a heating element is used. (See Patent Document 1).

JP 2014-188709 A

  However, in such a conventional printer, when printing is performed, if the power is not sufficiently supplied from the battery, the heating element is not appropriately heated, and a printing defect such as blurring or chipping of printing may occur. Therefore, before starting printing, it is checked whether the charge capacity of the battery is sufficient.

  If the charge capacity of the battery is checked before printing starts, processing time for checking the charge capacity (voltage detection by a voltage sensor, AD conversion, etc.) takes time, and the time until printing actually starts is There is a problem that it extends.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a technical problem, and an object of the present invention is to prevent a printing failure in a printer using a battery while preventing an increase in printing time.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer for performing printing on a print medium using power supplied from a battery, wherein the voltage information storage unit detects and stores voltage information of the battery, and has a printing instruction. A print control unit that controls printing on a print medium, and the print control unit obtains, from the voltage information storage unit, the voltage information stored before receiving the print instruction, It is characterized in that whether or not printing on a printing medium is possible is determined based on the acquired voltage information.

  According to this, it is determined whether or not printing on the printing medium is possible based on the voltage information stored before receiving the printing instruction. Therefore, it is necessary to perform processing such as voltage detection by a voltage sensor and AD conversion during printing. Is eliminated, and the processing time for checking the voltage can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to confirm that the state of charge of the battery is sufficient while preventing an increase in the printing time, and it is possible to prevent a printing failure.

1 is an external perspective view of a portable printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a portable printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of a control unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a functional block diagram of a control part concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a flowchart of a battery voltage check process according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining predetermined conditions according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, a portable printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a portable printer 1 to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of the portable printer 1.

  A portable printer 1 (hereinafter, referred to as a printer 1) is configured by housing mechanical components as shown in FIG.

  The housing 2 forms an outer wall of the printer 1 to partition the inside and the outside of the printer 1, and supports various components constituting the printer 1 to constitute an integrated apparatus as the printer 1.

  The housing 2 is formed in a size such that an operator can carry the printer 1. A pair of belt hooks 32 is provided at the upper part of the housing 2, that is, at the left and right corners of the upper surface of the printer 1. By attaching a shoulder strap to the pair of belt hooks 32 and hanging it on the shoulder, the operator can carry the printer 1 by hanging the printer 1 from the shoulder with the belt hook 32 up.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 2 includes a supply unit 21 as a mechanical component, a position detection unit 22, a printing unit 23, a battery storage chamber 25, an adapter connection terminal 26 (external power supply connection terminal), an input unit 27, and a display. A section 28 (display means), a control section 29 and a power switch 30 are provided.

  The supply unit 21 is provided at the bottom of the printer 1, accommodates an unused label continuous body 9 as a print medium, and supplies the label continuous body 9 to the printing unit 23.

  The label continuum 9 includes a band-shaped backing sheet 34 and a plurality of label pieces 35 temporarily attached on the backing sheet 34 at regular intervals. The supply unit 21 accommodates a roll of the label continuous body 9 wound in a roll shape. When supplying the label continuous body 9 from the supply unit 21 to the printing unit 23, the roll-shaped label continuous body 9 of the supply unit 21 is fed out in a belt shape from the outer peripheral side.

  The label piece 35 is a so-called thermal label, and the surface thereof is coated with a thermosensitive coloring layer. When heat is applied to the label piece 35, the heated portion develops color.

  The position detection marks 36 are printed at a predetermined pitch on the back side of the mount 34 in advance.

  An opening / closing cover 3 is provided below the front surface (front surface) of the printer 1. The opening / closing cover 3 is rotatably supported around a cover shaft 17 at a lower corner, and exposes the inside of the printer 1 to the outside or shields the inside from the outside by opening and closing the opening / closing cover 3. Thereby, the label continuous body 9 can be accommodated inside the printer 1.

  The opening / closing cover 3 is opened by pressing an opening push button 43 provided on the front surface of the printer 1. After the label continuum 9 is inserted into the supply unit 21, the label continuum 9 is stored in the specified position of the supply unit 21 by closing the open / close cover 3.

  The position detection section 22 has a position detection sensor 37. The position detection sensor 37 is attached to, for example, the opening / closing cover 3, and is located upstream of the printing unit 23 (thermal head 7) in the paper transport path on which the continuous label body 9 fed from the supply unit 21 is transported. At a position facing the paper transport path.

  When the position detection sensor 37 detects the position detection mark 36 of the label continuum 9 being conveyed along the paper conveyance path, the relative position of the label continuity 9 (the label piece 35) with respect to the printing unit 23 is detected. Printing is performed at an appropriate position on the label piece 35.

  The printing unit 23 is disposed on the front side in the printer 1 and near the center in the vertical direction, and includes the thermal head 7, the platen roller 8, and the drive motor 38.

  The thermal head 7 is attached to the housing 2, and is disposed above a paper transport path that transports the continuous label body 9. The thermal head 7 is arranged in a row in a direction parallel to the transport surface of the paper transport path (the surface on which the label continuous body 9 travels) and orthogonal to the transport direction of the label continuous body 9. A plurality of heating elements 7A are provided, and the heating elements 7A come into contact with the label pieces 35 of the label continuum 9 on the paper transport path and apply heat to the label pieces 35 to cause the label pieces 35 to develop color.

  The platen roller 8 is attached to the opening / closing cover 3, and is arranged below the paper transport path so as to face the thermal head 7. When the platen roller 8 comes into contact with the back surface of the label continuous body 9 in the paper transport path, the label piece 35 on the front surface side of the label continuous body 9 is pressed against the heating element 7A of the thermal head 7.

  Further, the platen roller 8 includes a platen roller shaft 13 serving as a central axis, and the platen roller shaft 13 is parallel to the conveyance surface of the paper conveyance path and along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the label continuous body 9. It is arranged and rotatably supported.

  A platen roller gear 39 is provided at one end of the platen roller shaft 13.

  The drive motor 38 is attached to the housing 2, and is disposed on the front side inside the printer 1 and above the thermal head 7. A connection gear 40 that is rotated by the power of the drive motor 38 is connected to the drive motor 38 via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). The connection gear 40 meshes with the platen roller gear 39.

  With such a configuration, the platen roller 8 rotates by the power of the drive motor 38, and the label continuous body 9 (label piece 35) in the paper transport path is transported while contacting the heating element 7A of the thermal head 7.

  According to the printing unit 23 thus configured, the label continuous body 9 supplied from the supply unit 21 to the printing unit 23 is sandwiched between the heating element 7 </ b> A of the thermal head 7 and the platen roller 8, and is driven. The platen roller 8 is rotationally driven by the motor 38, and the label continuous body 9 is conveyed while the label piece 35 is in contact with the heating element 7A. Then, the heat generation of the heating element 7A is controlled based on the print data given to the thermal head 7 from the control unit 29 together with the conveyance of the label continuous body 9, so that the thermal printing is performed on the label continuous body 9 (label piece 35). Will be

  The label continuous body 9 on which printing has been performed is discharged from the inside of the printer 1 to the outside through an issuing port 44 provided on the front surface of the printer 1.

  The battery storage chamber 25 is disposed on the rear side in the printer 1 and near the center in the vertical direction, and houses the charging battery 24 in a removable manner.

  The charging battery 24 is a lithium ion secondary battery, and supplies power to each unit of the printer 1.

  In addition, as the charging battery 24, a secondary battery of a type other than the lithium ion secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride storage battery or a nickel-cadmium storage battery may be employed.

  On one side of the printer 1, a battery cover 25A that can be opened and closed is provided. By opening the battery cover 25A, the charging battery 24 can be stored in the battery storage room 25, or the charging battery 24 can be removed from the battery storage room 25.

  The adapter connection terminal 26 is provided on the side surface of the printer 1 opposite to the battery cover 25A. As an external power supply, an AC adapter 41 connected to an AC commercial power supply can be connected to the adapter connection terminal 26, whereby the charging battery 24 stored in the battery storage chamber 25 can be charged.

  The AC adapter 41 is connected to the AC commercial power supply by inserting the power plug of the AC adapter 41 into the power outlet of the AC commercial power supply, and the output terminal (output plug) of the AC adapter 41 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 26 (jack) of the printer 1. ), The AC adapter 41 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 26. The AC adapter 41 converts AC commercial power to DC power of a predetermined voltage and supplies the DC power to the printer 1.

  The input unit 27 is provided on the upper side of the front surface of the printer 1, and can input data and commands necessary for the printer 1 by operating the input unit 27.

  The display unit 28 is provided adjacent to the input unit 27 on the front surface of the printer 1, and the information input by the input unit 27 and other necessary information are displayed on the display unit 28.

  The control unit 29 is disposed in the upper part of the printer 1, and is configured by electronic components mounted on electronic boards 29A and 29B. The control unit 29 exchanges data, commands, and power with the position detection unit 22, the printing unit 23, the charging battery 24, the adapter connection terminal 26, the input unit 27, and the display unit 28, and controls these appropriately. .

  The power switch 30 is provided substantially at the center of the front surface of the printer 1, and every time the power switch 30 is pressed, the power of the printer 1 is switched between on and off.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of the control unit 29 of the present embodiment.

  The control unit 29 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 51, a ROM (read only memory) 52, a RAM (random access memory) 53, a transport control circuit 54, a print control circuit 55, a paper detection circuit 57, and a communication interface. 58 (communication means), an IO port 59 and a power supply unit 60. These are mutually connected via a bus 65, and are configured so that various kinds of data can be mutually transmitted and received.

  The CPU 51 executes a program stored in the ROM 52 to control the entire control unit 29 as a whole, and causes each unit to execute required processing and control.

  The ROM 52 stores a program read and executed by the CPU 51.

  The RAM 53 stores various information necessary for processing executed by the CPU 51, print data necessary for printing, a print format, and the like.

  The transport control circuit 54 controls the drive motor 38 connected to the platen roller 8 according to an instruction signal from the CPU 51 to control the rotation / stop of the platen roller 8. Thereby, the conveyance of the label continuous body 9 in the paper conveyance path is controlled.

  The print control circuit 55 generates a print signal corresponding to print data such as characters, figures, and bar codes to be printed supplied from the CPU 51, and supplies the generated print signal to the thermal head 7. Printing is performed on the body 9.

  The paper detection circuit 57 detects the position detection mark 36 of the label continuous body 9 on the paper transport path based on the information acquired by the position detection sensor 37 of the position detection unit 22 and sends the information to the CPU 51. The CPU 51 controls the conveyance of the label continuous body 9 by the conveyance control circuit 54 based on the information from the paper detection circuit 57, and controls the timing of printing by the thermal head 7 to print the label piece 35 at an appropriate position. Execute

  The communication interface 58 is for connecting and communicating with an external device (host device 70) such as a personal computer (PC), and transmitting and receiving print data and commands to and from the host device 70 that supplies print data. It can be performed.

  As the communication interface 58, a wireless interface is preferable. For example, an interface of the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard using radio waves in the 2.45 GHz band is employed. However, the communication interface 58 may be a wireless communication interface of an arbitrary standard such as a communication interface of an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) standard using infrared rays or a communication interface of a standard used for a wireless LAN. Alternatively, a communication interface that performs wired communication such as the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard may be used.

  The IO port 59 is connected to the display unit 28 and the input unit 27, and outputs display data supplied from the CPU 51 to the display unit 28. The IO port 59 sends an operation signal corresponding to an operation performed on the input unit 27 by the user to the CPU 51.

  The power supply unit 60 monitors the pressing operation on the power switch 30, and switches on / off of power supply from the charging battery 24 to each unit based on the operation of the power switch 30, thereby turning on / off the power of the printer 1. Turn off. The power supply unit 60 monitors the connection of the AC adapter 41 to the adapter connection terminal 26, and when the AC adapter 41 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 26, the power supply unit 60 charges using the power from the AC adapter 41. The charging of the battery 24 is controlled.

  The power supply unit 60 includes a voltage sensor 60A and an AD converter 60B (see FIG. 4), and acquires voltage information of the charging battery 24 according to an instruction from the voltage information storage unit 120.

  Next, the voltage check of the charging battery 24 at the time of printing according to the present embodiment will be described.

  In the printer 1 of the present embodiment, thermal printing is performed by causing the heating element 7A of the thermal head 7 to generate heat using the electric power supplied from the charging battery 24.

  Therefore, when the charging capacity of the charging battery 24 is not sufficient, the power is not sufficiently supplied to the heating element 7A, and the heating element 7A is not appropriately heated. There are cases.

  Therefore, in the conventional printer, the control unit 29 determines whether the charging capacity of the charging battery 24 is sufficient before the printing is started, more specifically, between the time when the printing command is received and the time when the printing is started. Confirm.

  The state of charge of the charging battery 24 is detected by the output voltage of the charging battery 24. In the control unit 29, the voltage value is detected by the voltage detection element provided in the power supply unit 60, and the voltage value is AD-converted to obtain the voltage information of the charging battery 24.

  Since the charge capacity (remaining capacity) of the charge battery 24 and the voltage information of the charge battery 24 have a predetermined relationship, by storing this relationship in the control unit 29 in advance, the control unit 29 can store the voltage information based on the acquired voltage information. Thus, it can be determined whether the charging capacity of the charging battery 24 is sufficient.

  On the other hand, if the process of confirming the charged capacity is performed before the start of printing as described above, there is a problem that the printing time is extended by this process.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the printer 1 operated by the power of the charging battery 24, the following configuration is adopted in order to prevent the printing time from being extended by checking the charging capacity of the charging battery 24.

  FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the control unit 29 of the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 4, dotted lines are functional blocks realized by the CPU 51 executing a program, and include a print control unit 110, a voltage information storage unit 120, and a storage area 130.

  When receiving the print command, the print control unit 110 controls printing on a print medium by sending an instruction to the print control circuit 55 based on the print command.

  The voltage information storage unit 120 acquires the voltage information of the charging battery 24 by sending an instruction to the power supply unit 60, and stores the acquired voltage information in the storage area 130.

  In such a configuration, the print control unit 110 obtains the voltage information already recorded in the voltage information storage unit 120 when receiving a print command as a print instruction by a user operation or the like on the input unit 27. Then, it is determined whether or not the charging capacity of the charging battery 24 is sufficient based on the acquired voltage information.

  When determining that the charge capacity of the charging battery 24 is sufficient, the print control unit 110 causes the print control circuit 55 to execute printing based on the print command.

  After printing, the voltage information storage unit 120 acquires the voltage information of the charging battery 24 from the power supply unit 60 and records the acquired voltage information in the storage area 130 when a predetermined condition described later is satisfied.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a battery voltage check process executed in the control unit 29 of the present embodiment.

  This flowchart shows the contents of control of the print control unit 110 and the voltage information storage unit 120, which are functional blocks realized by the CPU 51 of the control unit 29 executing the control program.

  First, in step S10, the print control unit 110 determines whether a print command has been received. If a print command has been received, the process proceeds to step S20; otherwise, the process repeats this step and waits.

  The print command is received by the print control unit 110, for example, when the user issues a print start instruction via the input unit 27.

  Next, in step S20, the print control unit 110 acquires the voltage information of the charging battery 24 recorded in the storage area 130. Then, in step S30, print control section 110 determines whether or not the acquired voltage information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

  More specifically, the print control unit 110 estimates the power consumption based on the number of label pieces 35 to be printed based on the received print command, and calculates the power consumption estimated by the charging battery 24 based on the acquired voltage information. It is determined whether or not the acquired voltage information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold depending on whether or not the supply is sufficient.

  If the voltage information is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold, the process proceeds to step S40, and the print control unit 110 instructs the print control circuit 55 to perform printing based on the print command received in step S10. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S60.

  If the voltage information is less than the predetermined threshold, the process proceeds to step S50, where the print control unit 110 determines that the charging battery 24 does not have a sufficient voltage to perform printing, and executes error processing. I do.

  In the error processing, for example, the print control unit 110 causes the display unit 28 to display a message indicating that the voltage of the charging battery 24 is insufficient and printing cannot be performed (Low Battery). At this time, a message or the like prompting charging of the charging battery 24 may be displayed. After that, the process according to this flowchart ends, and the process returns to another process.

  In step S60, print control unit 110 determines whether a predetermined condition for determining whether to acquire voltage information on charging battery 24 is satisfied.

  If the predetermined condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S70, where the print control unit 110 sends an instruction to the voltage information storage unit 120 to acquire the voltage information of the charging battery 24. Voltage information storage section 120 sends an instruction to power supply section 60 to acquire voltage information of charging battery 24. The power supply unit 60 generates voltage information using the voltage sensor 60A and the AD converter 60B and sends the generated voltage information to the voltage information storage unit 120. Voltage information storage section 120 stores the transmitted voltage information in storage area 130.

  In step S60, if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the process according to the present flowchart ends, and the process returns to another process.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the predetermined condition shown in step S60 of FIG. 5 of the present embodiment.

  FIG. 6 illustrates four types of predetermined conditions of pattern 1, pattern 2, pattern 3, and pattern 4 as the predetermined conditions.

  In step S60, when at least one of the conditions of these patterns is satisfied, the control unit 29 acquires the voltage information of the charging battery 24.

  In the pattern 1, a predetermined condition is that printing of a predetermined number or more of the label pieces 35 has been performed since the voltage information was previously acquired.

  Note that the predetermined number is an integer of 1 or more, and voltage information may be acquired each time one label piece 35 is printed, or voltage information may be acquired every time two or more label pieces 35 are printed. May be.

  In the pattern 2, the predetermined condition is that the label continuous body 9 has been transported for a predetermined transport distance or more since the voltage information was previously acquired.

  Note that the predetermined transport distance may be, for example, a transport distance per label piece 35 or a transport distance corresponding to two or more label pieces 35.

  In pattern 3, a case where a predetermined time or more has elapsed after printing is set as a predetermined condition. For example, the predetermined condition is a case where a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed after the printing operation.

  In the pattern 4, a case where a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the previous voltage information acquisition is set as a predetermined condition. For example, if there is no printing operation for several hours or several days with the power turned off after printing, the charging battery 24 may be naturally discharged and the voltage may be reduced. Therefore, in such a case, for example, the voltage information is acquired three days after the previous acquisition of the voltage information.

  The print control unit 110 proceeds to step S70 when either one of the conditions of the pattern 1 or the pattern 4 is satisfied in step S60 of FIG. 5 described above, or when a plurality of conditions are simultaneously satisfied. Then, control can be performed to acquire voltage information.

  Further, patterns 1 to 4 shown in FIG. 6 are merely examples. Since the charging capacity of the charging battery 24 is consumed every time printing is performed, if the charging capacity for the next printing can be estimated to be sufficient after printing, acquisition of voltage information is omitted. Then, a predetermined condition may be set so that the voltage information is acquired when it is unknown whether the voltage is sufficient.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the printer 1 performs printing on the label continuum 9 as a print medium using the power supplied from the charging battery 24, and acquires the voltage of the charging battery 24. A voltage information storage unit 120 for storing the print command; and a print control unit 110 for controlling printing on a print medium when a print command is received. The print control unit 110 obtains the voltage information stored before receiving the print command from the voltage information storage unit 120, and determines whether or not printing on a print medium is possible based on the obtained voltage information.

  According to this, the charge capacity of the charging battery 24 is confirmed by the voltage information stored before the print command is received, so that the voltage is detected by the voltage sensor 60A during printing, and the AD conversion by the AD converter 60B is performed. Need not be performed, and the processing time for checking the voltage can be reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to confirm that the charging state of the charging battery 24 is sufficient while preventing the printing time from being extended, and it is possible to prevent a printing failure.

  Specifically, since the voltage information storage unit 120 acquires and stores the voltage information of the charging battery 24 after printing is performed on the print medium, the voltage information is detected by the voltage sensor 60A during printing, and the voltage information is stored in the AD converter 60B. AD conversion processing or the like is not required, and the processing time for checking the voltage can be reduced.

  The print medium has a plurality of label pieces 35 temporarily attached at regular intervals, and the voltage information storage unit 120 stores the charge battery 24 when a predetermined number or more of label pieces 35 are printed. Since the voltage information is acquired and stored, it is not always necessary to perform the process of acquiring the voltage information for each printing process, and the processing time for confirming the voltage can be reduced.

  Further, the voltage information storage unit 120 acquires and stores the voltage information of the charging battery 24 when the printing medium is conveyed by a predetermined distance or more by printing, so that the voltage information storage unit 120 does not necessarily acquire the voltage information for each printing process. Need not be performed, and the processing time for checking the voltage can be reduced.

  In addition, since the voltage information storage unit 120 acquires and stores the voltage information of the charging battery 24 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the voltage was stored, the voltage information storage unit 120 does not necessarily perform the process of acquiring the voltage information for each printing process. This eliminates the need to perform this operation, thereby reducing the processing time for checking the voltage.

  Further, since the printing medium is thermal paper and printing is performed on the printing medium by the thermal head 7, in the printer 1 using the thermal head 7 that requires power, the printing time is prevented from being extended while the charging battery 24 is used. It is possible to confirm that the state of charge is sufficient, and it is possible to prevent printing defects.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the above embodiments are merely examples of the application of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. is not.

  In the above embodiment, the configuration is such that the charging capacity of the charging battery 24 is determined based on the voltage information of the charging battery 24, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the charge capacity of the charge battery 24 may be determined by calculating the charge / discharge integrated amount of the charge battery 24.

1 Printer (portable printer)
2 Housing 3 Opening / closing cover 4 Pattern 7 Thermal head 7A Heating element 8 Platen roller 9 Continuous label (printing medium)
13 Platen roller shaft 17 Cover shaft 21 Supply unit 22 Position detection unit 23 Printing unit 24 Charging battery 25 Battery storage room 25A Battery cover 26 Adapter connection terminal 27 Input unit 28 Display unit 29 Control unit 29A Electronic board 29B Electronic board 30 Power switch 32 Belt hook part 34 Backing paper 35 Label piece 36 Position detecting mark 37 Position detecting sensor 38 Drive motor 39 Platen roller gear 40 Connecting gear 41 AC adapter 43 Release push button 44 Issue port 51 CPU
52 ROM
53 RAM
54 transport control circuit 55 print control circuit 57 paper detection circuit 58 communication interface 59 IO port 60 power supply unit 60A voltage sensor 60B AD converter 65 bus 70 host device 110 print control unit 120 voltage information storage unit 130 storage area

Claims (7)

A printer that prints on a print medium using power supplied from a battery,
A voltage information storage unit that acquires and stores the battery voltage information,
When a print instruction is given, a print control unit that controls printing on the print medium,
With
The print control unit obtains voltage information stored before receiving the print instruction from the voltage information storage unit, and determines whether or not printing on the print medium is possible based on the obtained voltage information. Printer to decide. The printer according to claim 1, wherein
The printer, wherein the voltage information storage unit acquires and stores voltage information of the battery after printing is performed on the print medium. The printer according to claim 1, wherein:
The print medium has a plurality of label pieces temporarily attached at regular intervals,
The printer, wherein the voltage information storage unit acquires and stores voltage information of the battery when printing is performed on a predetermined number or more of the label pieces. The printer according to claim 1, wherein:
The printer, wherein the voltage information storage unit acquires and stores voltage information of the battery when the printing medium is transported by a predetermined distance or more by printing. The printer according to claim 1, wherein:
The printer, wherein the voltage information storage unit acquires and stores the battery voltage information after a lapse of a predetermined time or more since the previous storage of the voltage information. The printer according to claim 1, wherein:
The printer, wherein the print medium is thermal paper, and prints on the print medium with a thermal head. A method for controlling a printer that performs printing on a print medium using power supplied from a battery,
When there is a print instruction,
Obtain the battery voltage information stored before receiving the print instruction,
Based on the obtained voltage information, determine whether to print on the print medium,
A control method for a printer that controls printing on the print medium based on the determination.

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