JP5445434B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus driven by a rechargeable battery.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing apparatus that operates using a rechargeable battery has been proposed so that, for example, a user can use it on the go. In such a printing apparatus, the battery deteriorates due to repeated charging and use, and the internal resistance increases. Therefore, paying attention to this point, a method has already been proposed for determining whether or not a battery has deteriorated based on the amount of voltage drop when a load is applied during discharging (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this prior art, the time required for a battery that has not deteriorated to drop to a predetermined voltage is measured and stored in advance. Then, when the battery to be determined is discharged, if the voltage drops to the predetermined voltage when a time shorter than the stored time has elapsed, it is determined that the battery is deteriorated, and the voltage drops to the predetermined voltage. If it does not occur, it is determined that the battery has not deteriorated.

JP 2001-119862 A

  However, the above-described conventional technique is simply a method for determining battery deterioration by comparing voltage values at a certain point in time. Therefore, there is a possibility that the deterioration state of the battery cannot be accurately detected depending on the use mode of the battery and the degree of deterioration.

  The objective of this invention is providing the printing apparatus which can detect the deterioration state of a battery accurately.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the invention is a rechargeable battery that supplies a printing means for performing desired printing on a printing medium, a driving source for driving the printing means, and a voltage to the driving source. A battery storage section for storing the battery, a first threshold characteristic for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small, based on the time-dependent change characteristic of the output voltage value when the battery is discharged from a fully charged state, and the battery Characteristic storage means for storing a second threshold value characteristic for determining that the degree of deterioration is large, and performing a discharge process by applying a predetermined load to the battery stored in the battery storage unit, The discharge means, the voltage detection means capable of detecting the output voltage value of the battery a plurality of times at a predetermined interval after the start of the discharge process by the discharge means, and the output voltage value detected by the voltage detection means, First threshold characteristic The first section on the higher voltage side, the second section on the lower voltage side than the second threshold characteristic, or the third section between the first section and the second section; Or a deterioration determining means for determining a degree of deterioration of the battery according to whether or not.

  The printing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a printing unit, a drive source that drives the printing unit, and a battery storage unit. Desired printing is performed on the printing medium by the printing means. A rechargeable battery is stored in the battery storage unit, and voltage supply to the drive source is performed by the battery.

  The battery gradually deteriorates due to repeated charging and use, and the internal resistance increases. Therefore, whether or not the battery has deteriorated can be identified by the change over time in the output voltage value when discharging from the fully charged state. Therefore, in the first invention of the present application, the characteristic storage means includes a first threshold value characteristic for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small, and a second threshold value characteristic for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is large. I remember it. Then, the discharge means applies a predetermined load to the battery to perform a discharge process, the voltage detection means detects the output voltage value of the battery after the start of the discharge process, and the deterioration determination means determines the deterioration of the battery based on the detected value. Determine the degree. That is, when the detected value belongs to the first category on the higher voltage side than the first threshold characteristic, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is sufficiently small (a battery in a normal state). Further, when the detected value belongs to the second category on the lower voltage side than the second threshold characteristic, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is large (the battery is deteriorated by repeated use and difficult to use as it is). Is done. Further, when the detected value belongs to the third section between the first section and the second section, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is slightly recognized (the battery needs attention).

  As described above, in the first invention of the present application, it is possible to determine the degree of deterioration of the battery step by step using the three categories assumed in advance for the output voltage value that changes with time. Thereby, the deterioration state of the battery can be accurately detected as compared with the conventional method in which the deterioration is simply determined by comparing the voltage values at a certain point in time.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, there is provided display means capable of displaying a degree of deterioration of the battery based on a determination result of the deterioration determination means.

  Thereby, the deterioration state of the battery detected with high accuracy can be reliably notified to the user and recognized.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, when the deterioration determination unit determines that the detected output voltage value is in the first category, the discharge process and the detection of the output voltage value are performed. The discharge unit and the voltage detection unit are controlled so as to end the process, and the display unit is controlled to display that the degree of deterioration is small.

  In the third invention of the present application, when it is found that the degree of deterioration of the battery is sufficiently small and in a normal state, a message to that effect is displayed, and the discharge process and voltage detection are terminated and not performed thereafter. To. As a result, unnecessary operations more than necessary can be prevented, and the deterioration detection process can be speeded up.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, when the deterioration determination unit determines that the detected output voltage value is in the second category, the discharge process and the detection of the output voltage value are performed. The discharge means and the voltage detection means are controlled so as to end the process, and the display means is controlled so as to display that the degree of deterioration is large.

  In the fourth invention of this application, when it is determined that the battery is not in a normal state with a large degree of deterioration, a message to that effect is displayed and the discharge process and voltage detection are terminated and not performed thereafter. To do. As a result, unnecessary operations more than necessary can be prevented, and the deterioration detection process can be speeded up.

  In a fifth aspect based on the fourth aspect, the printing unit includes a thermal head that performs desired printing on the print medium, and the deterioration determination unit determines that the output voltage value is the second category. In this case, a print control means for controlling the thermal head is provided so as to reduce the number of on-dots, reduce the print density, or reduce the print speed thereafter.

  Thereby, even if the battery is in a deteriorated state, electric power can be supplied to the thermal head and the minimum necessary printing can be executed.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any of the third to fifth aspects of the present invention, when the deterioration determination unit determines that the detected output voltage value is in the third category, the detection is performed. Controlling the discharging means and the voltage detecting means so as to continue the discharging process and the detection of the output voltage value until it is determined that the output voltage value has become the first section or the second section, It has 3 control means.

  When the output voltage value belongs to the third category, there is a possibility that the degree of deterioration of the battery is increased by the subsequent operation. Therefore, in the sixth invention of the present application, in this case, the discharge process and the detection of the output voltage value are continuously repeated. Thereby, highly accurate deterioration detection can be performed even for a battery in a state where the deterioration is delicate.

  A seventh invention is characterized in that, in any one of the second to sixth inventions, the display means displays an overall size degradation image corresponding to the degree of degradation of the battery.

  Thereby, it is possible to inform the user of the deterioration state of the battery intuitively and easily.

  An eighth invention is characterized in that, in the seventh invention, the display means displays a remaining amount image representing the remaining amount of electric power of the battery at a ratio occupied in the image.

  Accordingly, it is possible to notify the user of the battery deterioration state intuitively and easily, and also notify the remaining power level of the battery in the deterioration state.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect a deterioration state of a battery.

1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an appearance of a portable small-sized printer that is a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic plan view of the main body case of a portable small printer device. It is a perspective view of the paper package with which the portable small printer is mounted. It is a perspective view of the pick-up roller part of the main body case of a portable small printer apparatus. It is a sectional side view of a portable small printer device. It is a block diagram of a portable small printer device. It is a graph showing the threshold value characteristic data for battery discharge memorize | stored in ROM in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the battery deterioration determination process performed by CPU in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the detail of the process sequence of step S130 of FIG. It is a graph showing the specific example of the relationship between the voltage measurement value of a rechargeable battery, and the threshold value characteristic data for battery discharge memorize | stored in ROM. It is a graph showing the specific example of the relationship between the voltage measurement value of a rechargeable battery, and the threshold value characteristic data for battery discharge memorize | stored in ROM. It is a figure showing the example of a display of the degradation condition of the rechargeable battery by a liquid crystal display part. It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the battery deterioration determination process performed by CPU in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the detail of the process sequence of step S340 of FIG. It is a graph showing a mode that the output voltage value of a rechargeable battery changes with time by the discharge process of a rechargeable battery.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an appearance of a portable small printer (mobile printer) as a printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. 2 is a schematic plan view of a main body case of the portable small printer apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a paper package mounted on the portable small printer apparatus, and FIG. 4 is a pickup of the main body case. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the portable small printer device.

  1 to 5, the portable small printer apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a top open box type main body case 2 having a size of about A6 size or A7 size in a plan view and a thickness of about 1 cm or more. doing. On the upper surface of the main body case 2, a fixed cover 3 and a rotatable lid 13 are provided side by side. Formed in the main body case 2 is a paper storage portion 6 for storing a paper package 5 containing a plurality of thermal papers 4 as cut sheet-like print-receiving media. The paper storage unit 6 is covered with the lid 13. Further, a thermal head 8, a platen roller 9, a paper guide 10, a pickup roller 11, a separation block 12, etc., which will be described in detail later, are arranged near the fixed cover 3 in the main body case 2. Yes. The platen roller 9 and the pickup roller 11 constitute a conveying unit that conveys the thermal paper 4.

  The thermal head 8 is a line head type printing unit, and prints characters, images and the like for each line on the thermal paper 4 which is sandwiched and conveyed between the platen roller 9. The print width when printing one line is set to be approximately equal to the paper width of the thermal paper 4. The thermal head 8 and the platen roller 9 have a length in the short side direction of the thermal paper 4 of A6 size or A7 size. The thermal head 8 is used as a print head because the thermal paper 4 is used as a print medium, so that no consumable ink or ink ribbon is required, and the mechanism therefor can be omitted. This is because it can be made compact.

  The thermal paper 4 includes various types such as a thermal coloring type having a coloring layer that develops color when heated by the thermal head 8, and a thermal punching type in which a perforated layer that is perforated by overheating is laminated on a substrate. Can be used.

  The pickup roller 11 and the separation block 12 are arranged on the side of the paper storage unit 6 close to the printing mechanism unit 7. The paper package 5 accommodated in the paper accommodating portion 6 is urged toward the bottom plate 6a of the paper accommodating portion 6 via an urging means 15 such as a leaf spring provided on the inner surface of the main body of the closed lid 13. Is done. Of the stacked thermal paper 4 in the paper package 5, the lowermost thermal paper 4 is abutted against the pickup roller 11. Only the lowermost thermal paper 4 passes through the gap between the lower end of the separation block 12 and the guide plate 17 by the cooperation of the rotational drive of the pickup roller 11 and the guide locking surface (not shown) of the separation block 12. The platen roller 9 is rotatably provided adjacent to the separation block 12, and the paper guide 10 is biased to the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9 by a biasing means 16 such as a pressing coil spring. The thermal paper 4 separated and conveyed from the paper package 5 by the guide locking surface (not shown) of the pickup roller 11 and the separation block 12 is conveyed between the platen roller 9 and the paper guide 10.

  By the paper guide 10 and the lower surface of the thermal head 8, the thermal paper 4 separated and conveyed from the paper container 6 is reversed and conveyed in a horizontal U shape and conveyed to the printing position of the platen roller 9. On the back surface (upper surface) side of the thermal head 8, a spring hooking portion of a coil spring 19 that urges the platen roller 9 is locked, and the printing portion of the thermal head 8 is in contact with the platen roller 9. Then, printing is performed on the upper surface of the thermal paper 4 by the thermal head 8, and the thermal paper 4 is discharged from the gap 20 between the upper surface of the separation block 12 and the edge of the fixed cover 3 to the outside of the lid 13.

  The platen roller 9 and the pickup roller 11 are driven by a drive motor 22 and a gear transmission arranged on one inner side surface (in the embodiment, in the conveyance direction side of the thermal paper 4 shown in FIG. 2) along the long side of the main body case 2. And a mechanism (gear train) 23. By making the diameter of the platen roller 9 larger than the diameter of the pickup roller 11, the paper conveyance speed at the platen roller 9 is set larger than the paper conveyance speed at the pickup roller 11, and the pickup roller 11, the separation block 12, The sheet separation at this point is performed slowly, and the sheet conveyance by the platen roller 9 and the printing speed are increased. For this purpose, a one-way clutch (not shown) is provided downstream of the platen roller 9 in the gear train so that the pickup roller 11 can be rotated with respect to high-speed conveyance at nine platen rollers. A guide support block 24 extending from the paper guide 10 toward the platen roller 9 is fixed to the inner surface along the pair of long sides of the main body case 2.

  When a print command and image data (print data) are sent from an external device 53 (described later) such as a personal computer to the portable small printer 1 via a USB terminal or the like, the drive motor 22 is driven to rotate, and the pickup roller 11 and the platen roller 9 starts to rotate at the same time. Then, due to the rotation of the pickup roller 11, only the tip of the lowermost thermal paper 4 among the laminated thermal papers 4 collides with the separation block 12. Thereby, only the lowermost thermal paper 4 is separated and conveyed between the lower surface of the separation block 12 and the guide plate 17. The thermal paper 4 nipped between the platen roller 9 and the paper guide 10 is nipped and conveyed by the rotating platen roller 9 and the paper guide 10 and moves in the direction of the thermal head 8. The desired printing is performed on the surface of 4. Thereafter, the printed thermal paper 4 is discharged out of the portable small printer 1 through a gap 20 between the solid cover 3 and the back of the separation block 12.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the portable small printer 1. 6, the portable small printer 1 has a CPU 41. The CPU 41 includes a ROM 42, an SRAM 43, a power supply SW circuit 44, a battery voltage detection circuit 45, a motor drive circuit 46, a thermal head control circuit 47, a liquid crystal display unit. 48, a USB I / F drive circuit 49, and an operation unit 51 are connected. The drive motor 22 is connected to the motor drive circuit 46, and the thermal head 8 is connected to the thermal head control circuit 47. The motor drive circuit 46 and the thermal head control circuit 47 are supplied with voltage from the rechargeable battery 50 stored in the battery storage unit 50a. That is, the motor drive circuit 46 and the thermal head control circuit 47 constitute a drive source described in each claim.

  The ROM 42 stores a program for determining the deterioration status of the rechargeable battery 50, which will be described later, and battery discharge threshold characteristic data (described later) used when determining the deterioration status of the rechargeable battery 50. (See FIG. 7). The SRAM 43 is used as a work area when developing print data. The battery voltage detection circuit 45 detects the voltage of the rechargeable battery 50.

  The motor drive circuit 46 is a circuit that drives the drive motor 22, and the head control circuit 47 is a circuit that controls the heating element of the thermal head 8. The thermal head 8 has a discharge circuit described later. The USB I / F drive circuit 49 is an interface circuit for performing communication based on the USB standard with an external device 53 that transmits a print signal to the portable small printer 1, and the external device 53 is connected via a USB connector 49 a. Are connected to the USB I / F drive circuit 49. The power SW circuit 44 is a circuit for turning on / off the power of the portable small printer 1. The liquid crystal display unit 48 is a display means for displaying instructions to the user related to battery deterioration determination and battery deterioration determination results and notifying the user.

  FIG. 7 is a graph showing battery discharge threshold characteristic data stored in the ROM 42. The horizontal axis represents elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents voltage value. In FIG. 7, the battery discharge threshold characteristic data relates to the time-dependent change characteristic (discharge characteristic) of the output voltage value when the rechargeable battery 50 is discharged from a fully charged state by a constant load (constant resistance or constant current). This is data in which threshold characteristics are set. As the battery discharge threshold characteristic data, a first threshold characteristic V1 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small and a second threshold characteristic V2 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is large are set. It is remembered. The first section P on the higher voltage side than the first threshold characteristic V1 is a range where the degree of battery deterioration is sufficiently small, and the second section Q on the lower voltage side than the second threshold characteristic is about the degree of battery deterioration. The third section R between the first section P and the second section Q is a range in which the degree of battery deterioration is slightly recognized.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for determining the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 in the processing executed by the CPU 41. In FIG. 8, first, in step S100, a voltage measurement value of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45 is acquired.

  In step S110, it is determined whether or not the rechargeable battery 50 is fully charged. Here, whether or not the rechargeable battery 50 is fully charged depends on whether or not the voltage measurement value of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45 is equal to or higher than a desired voltage (for example, 8.4 V). Is judged. When it is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is not fully charged, in step S120, the liquid crystal display unit 48 displays a message for prompting the rechargeable battery 50 to be charged, and this flow is ended.

  When it is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is fully charged, the battery discharge threshold value stored in the ROM 42 is the voltage measurement value of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45 in step S130. A deterioration state determination process for determining the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 is performed by comparing with the characteristic data. Step S130 will be described in detail later. In step S140, the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 (including an error described later) is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 48, and this flow is terminated.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing details of the deterioration state determination processing in step S130. In FIG. 9, first, in step S200, time t is initially set to “1”. Thereafter, in step S205, the discharge circuit of the rechargeable battery 50 is started by controlling the discharge circuit of the thermal head 8 and applying a predetermined load to the rechargeable battery 50. Note that the discharge treatment of the rechargeable battery 50 may be performed using a resistive load other than the thermal head 8.

  Thereafter, in step S210, the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45 is acquired. Thereafter, in step S215, it is determined whether or not the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is higher than the first threshold value characteristic V1 (described above). When it is determined that the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is higher than the first threshold value characteristic V1, it is determined in step S220 that the rechargeable battery 50 is in a normal state (for example, a degradation state of 100%). (For example, an appropriate flag to that effect may be set, or an identifier indicating that may be associated with the measurement value, and so on). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S270 described later.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S215 that the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is not higher than the first threshold value characteristic V1, the process proceeds to step S225, and the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is It is determined whether it is higher than the second threshold characteristic V2 (described above) and lower than the first threshold characteristic V1. When it is determined that the condition that the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is higher than the second threshold characteristic V2 and lower than or equal to the first threshold characteristic V1 is reached, the process proceeds to step S230 and the condition is changed. If it is determined that the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S250.

  In step S230, it is determined that the situation in which the state of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 should be continuously confirmed. In step S235, after the time t is incremented (added by 1), in step S240, the time t is equal to or longer than the measurement time n (hereinafter simply referred to as the measurement number n) corresponding to the preset number of measurements. Determine whether or not. If it is determined that the time t is not greater than or equal to the number of measurements n, the process returns to step S210 and the same procedure is repeated. If it is determined that the time t is equal to or greater than the number of measurements n, it is determined in step S245 that the rechargeable battery 50 is in a slightly deteriorated state (for example, 80% deterioration state), and the process proceeds to step S270.

  On the other hand, in step S250, it is determined whether or not the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is equal to or lower than the second threshold value characteristic V2. When it is determined that the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is less than or equal to the second threshold characteristic V2, the process proceeds to step S255, where the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is less than or equal to the second threshold characteristic V2. If it is determined that it is not, the process proceeds to step S265.

  In step S255, it is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is in a deteriorated state (for example, a deterioration state of 50%). In step S260, when the subsequent printing is performed by the thermal head 8, the number of heating elements to be energized (number of on dots) is decreased, the printing density is decreased, or the printing speed is decreased. Then, the head control circuit 47 is controlled, and the process proceeds to step S270. In step S265, it is determined that there is an error, and the process proceeds to step S270.

  In step S270, by stopping the application of load to the rechargeable battery 50, the discharge process of the rechargeable battery 50 is terminated, and this routine is terminated.

  10 and 11 are graphs showing specific examples of the relationship between the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 and the battery discharge threshold characteristic data stored in the ROM 42. FIG. As shown in FIG. 10A, when the voltage measurement value Vt obtained first belongs to the first section P higher than the first threshold value characteristic V1, the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is sufficiently small. That is, it is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is in a normal state (see step S220 in FIG. 9 described above).

  As shown in FIG. 10 (b), the third division R between the first threshold value characteristic V1 and the second threshold value characteristic V2 is continuously measured several times (n points) from the measurement start. If it belongs to the above, it is determined that the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is slightly recognized, that is, the rechargeable battery 50 is in a state of caution (see step S245).

  As shown in FIG. 11A, when the voltage measurement value Vt obtained first belongs to the second section Q lower than the second threshold value characteristic V2, the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is large. It is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is deteriorated by repeated use and is difficult to use as it is (see step S255). In addition, as shown in FIG. 11B, the voltage measurement value Vt belongs to the third section R between the first threshold value characteristic V1 and the second threshold value characteristic V2 continuously several times from the start of measurement. However, when the voltage measurement value Vt comes to belong to the second section Q lower than the second threshold characteristic V2 before the measurement point of the voltage measurement value Vt reaches the n point (step S240 → step S210). → From step S215 → step S225 → step S230 → step S235 → step S240 →... (When the determination in step S215 is satisfied), it is also determined that the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is large (step S220). reference).

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 by the liquid crystal display unit 48. In FIG. 12, the liquid crystal display unit 48 displays the degradation image 61 represented by the overall size corresponding to the degree of degradation of the rechargeable battery 50, and the power (power) of the rechargeable battery 50 in the ratio (number) of the degradation image 61. A remaining amount image 62 representing the remaining amount is displayed. The deterioration image 61 is represented by the outer shape of the battery mark in this example. The remaining amount icon image 62 is represented by a plurality of rectangular areas existing in the outer shape of the battery mark. As the number of displayed rectangular areas increases, the remaining power of the rechargeable battery 50 increases.

  The display example on the left side of FIG. 12 displays a state in which the remaining amount of power is less than half when the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is sufficiently small (the deterioration state is 100%). The display example in the center of FIG. 12 shows a state in which the remaining amount of power is about 2/3 when the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is slightly recognized (the deterioration state is 80%). The display example on the right side of FIG. 12 displays a state in which the remaining amount of power is large (almost full) when the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is large (deterioration state is 50%).

  In this way, the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 is represented by the deterioration icon 61 and the remaining amount icon 62, so that the user can be notified of the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 intuitively and in an easy-to-understand manner. The remaining amount of power in the battery 50 can also be notified.

  In the above, step S205 of FIG. 9 executed by the CPU 41 functions as a discharging unit in the present embodiment. The battery voltage detection circuit 45 and the step S210 of the CPU 41 function as voltage detection means in the present embodiment. Also, step S215, step S220, step S225, step S245, step S250, and step S255 in FIG. 9 function as a deterioration determination unit in the present embodiment. Further, step S270 in FIG. 9 and step S140 in FIG. 8 function as the first control unit in the present embodiment, and also function as the second control unit in the present embodiment. Further, step S260 in FIG. 9 functions as a print control unit in the present embodiment. Further, step S230, step S235, and step S240 function as the third control unit in the present embodiment.

  As described above, in the portable compact printer device 1 of the present embodiment, desired printing is performed by the thermal head 8 on the thermal paper 4 conveyed by the platen roller 9 and the pickup roller 11 as described above. Is called. The voltage supplied to the thermal head control circuit 47 for driving and controlling the thermal head 8 and the motor driving circuit 46 for driving and controlling the driving motor 22 for driving the pickup roller 11 and the platen roller 9 is charged in the battery housing 50a. This is performed by the battery 50. The rechargeable battery 50 is deteriorated by repeated charging and use, and the internal resistance is increased. Therefore, whether or not the rechargeable battery 50 has deteriorated can be distinguished by the change with time of the output voltage value during discharging.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described above, the first threshold value characteristic V1 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small and the second threshold value characteristic V2 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is large are previously set. Remember. Then, a discharge is applied by applying a predetermined load to the rechargeable battery 50, the output voltage value of the rechargeable battery 50 after the start of the discharge process is measured, and the rechargeable battery 50 is deteriorated based on the measured voltage value Vt. Determine the degree. Specifically, when the voltage measurement value Vt belongs to the first section P on the higher voltage side than the first threshold characteristic V1, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is sufficiently small, and the voltage measurement value Vt is In the case of belonging to the second section Q on the lower voltage side than the two-threshold characteristic V2, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is large, and the voltage measurement value Vt is between the first section P and the second section Q. In the case of belonging to the three categories R, it is determined that some degree of battery deterioration is recognized.

  As described above, the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 can be determined step by step using the three sections P to R assumed in advance with respect to the voltage measurement value Vt that changes with time. As a result, the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 can be accurately detected as compared with the conventional method in which the deterioration is simply determined by comparing the voltage measurement values Vt at a certain point in time.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, the deterioration level of the rechargeable battery 50 determined as described above is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 48, so that the user can be sure of the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 detected with high accuracy. Can be informed and recognized.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, when it is found that the deterioration degree of the rechargeable battery 50 is sufficiently small and in a normal state (see the flow from step S215 to step S220 to step S270 and FIG. 10A). Alternatively, when it is found that the rechargeable battery 50 has a large degree of deterioration and is not in a normal state (step S250 → step S255 → step S260 → step S270 flow and FIG. 11), a message to that effect is displayed. At the same time, the discharge process and the voltage detection are terminated and are not performed thereafter. As a result, unnecessary operations more than necessary can be prevented, and the deterioration detection process can be speeded up.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, when it is determined that the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 is the second category Q, in the subsequent printing process, the number of on dots is reduced or the printing density is reduced. Is made thinner or the printing speed is decreased (see step S260). Thereby, even when the rechargeable battery 50 is in a deteriorated state, electric power can be supplied to the thermal head 8 and the minimum necessary printing can be executed.

  In addition, when the voltage measurement value Vt of the rechargeable battery 50 belongs to the third section R, there is a possibility that the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is increased by the subsequent operation, but even in such a case, the discharge continues. Processing and detection of the output voltage value are continuously repeated (Step S240 → Step S210 → Step S215 → Step S225 → Step S230 → Step S235 → Step S240 →... And see FIG. 10A). Thereby, highly accurate deterioration detection can be performed even for the rechargeable battery 50 in a state where the deterioration is delicate.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, the same or equivalent parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted or simplified. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the process of determining the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 executed by the CPU 41.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for determining the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 among the processing executed by the CPU 41 in the present embodiment, and corresponds to the flow of FIG. 8 of the first embodiment. .

  In FIG. 13, first, in step S300, the voltage measurement value of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45 is acquired. In step S310, it is determined whether or not the rechargeable battery 50 is fully charged. The determination method at this time is the same as that in step S110 of the flow shown in FIG. When it is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is not fully charged, the process proceeds to step S320, a message is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 48 to prompt the rechargeable battery 50 to be charged, and this flow is ended.

  When it is determined that the rechargeable battery 50 is fully charged, the discharge circuit of the thermal head 8 is controlled to apply a predetermined first load to the rechargeable battery 50 in step S330. The primary discharge process of the rechargeable battery 50 is performed for the time t. Note that the discharge treatment of the rechargeable battery 50 may be performed using a resistive load other than the thermal head 8. In step S340, the discharging circuit of the thermal head 8 and the like are controlled so that the rechargeable battery 50 is temporarily in a no-load state.

  Thereafter, in step S350, a voltage drop amount is obtained from the voltage measurement value of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45, and this voltage drop amount is used as a voltage during secondary discharge processing (described later) of the rechargeable battery 50. The deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 is determined by comparing with the voltage drop characteristic data regarding the amount of drop. The voltage drop characteristic data includes a first threshold value V1 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small and a second threshold value V2 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is large, and is stored in the ROM 42 in advance. ing. Step S350 will be described in detail later. In step S360, the deterioration status (including errors described later) of the rechargeable battery 50 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 48, and this flow ends.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of the processing procedure in step S350. 14, first, in step S400, charging is performed by applying a predetermined second load higher than the first load to the rechargeable battery 50 for a predetermined short time in the same manner as in step S330 shown in FIG. The secondary discharge process of the battery 50 is repeated a plurality of times.

  Thereafter, in step S410, the voltage drop amount Vd of the rechargeable battery 50 is obtained a plurality of times from the voltage measurement value of the rechargeable battery 50 detected by the battery voltage detection circuit 45, and the average value of the voltage drop amount Vd (average voltage drop amount) Value) Calculate Vdave.

  Thereafter, in step S420, it is determined whether or not the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is lower than the first threshold value V1. When it is determined that the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is lower than the first threshold value V1, it is determined in step S430 that the rechargeable battery 50 is in a normal state (for example, a degradation state of 100%) (for example, An appropriate flag may be set up, or an identifier indicating that may be associated with the measurement value (the same applies hereinafter). Then, this flow ends.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S420 that the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is not lower than the first threshold value V1, in step S440, the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is greater than or equal to the first threshold value V1. And it is judged whether it is lower than the second threshold value V2. When it is determined that the condition that the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is equal to or higher than the first threshold value V1 and lower than the second threshold value V2 is satisfied, the rechargeable battery 50 is slightly deteriorated in step S450. It is determined that the deterioration state is 80% (for example, 80%), and this flow ends.

  If it is determined in step S440 that the above condition is not satisfied, it is determined in step S460 whether or not the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is greater than or equal to the second threshold value V2. When it is determined that the average voltage drop amount Vdave is equal to or greater than the second threshold value V2, it is determined in step S470 that the rechargeable battery 50 is in a deteriorated state (for example, a deterioration state of 50%). In step S480, when the subsequent printing is performed by the thermal head 8, the number of heating elements to be energized (number of on dots) is decreased, the printing density is decreased, or the printing speed is decreased. Then, the head control circuit 47 is controlled, and this flow is finished.

  If it is determined in step S460 that the voltage drop amount average value Vdave is not equal to or greater than the second threshold value V2, it is determined in step S490 that an error has occurred, and this flow ends.

  FIG. 15 is a graph showing how the output voltage value of the rechargeable battery 50 changes with time due to the discharging process of the rechargeable battery 50. In FIG. 15, the primary discharge process of the rechargeable battery 50 described above is a time t1 from when discharge starts until the output voltage value of the rechargeable battery 50 drops by a predetermined amount from a stable state (stable region) where the output voltage value is stable over time. It is performed only during (see FIG. 15A). And after making the rechargeable battery 50 into a no-load state only for the temporary time t2, the secondary discharge process of the rechargeable battery 50 is performed only for a short time t3. A time of about 1 to 2 seconds is set for t2, and no load is applied during this time, so the output voltage value temporarily rises. The time t3 is set to about 1 to 2 seconds and a predetermined load is applied, so that the output voltage value drops. The degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is determined based on the voltage drop amount (see FIG. 15B) of the rechargeable battery 50 during the secondary discharge process. At this time, it is determined that the deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is more serious as the voltage drop amount of the rechargeable battery 50 is larger. Note that the characteristics X, Y, and Z in FIG. 15 (a) conceptually represent the degradation states of 100%, 80%, and 50%, respectively.

  The display on the liquid crystal display unit 48 when the deterioration state is 100%, 80%, and 50%, respectively, is the same as that of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. Omitted.

  In the above, step S330 of FIG. 13 executed by the CPU 41 functions as a primary discharge unit in the present embodiment, and step S400 functions as a secondary discharge unit in the present embodiment. The battery voltage detection circuit 45 functions as voltage detection means in this embodiment. The ROM 42 functions as characteristic storage means in this embodiment. Further, the above step S410, step S420, step S430, step S440, step S450, step S460, and step S470 function as deterioration determination means in the present embodiment. The step S480 functions as a print control unit in the present embodiment.

  The second embodiment is based on a different viewpoint from the first embodiment with respect to the deterioration characteristics of the battery. That is, when a predetermined load is applied to the rechargeable battery 50 and discharge is started, there is a stable region in which the voltage drops relatively abruptly immediately after the start of discharge, but the voltage becomes almost constant for a while after that. To do. After this stable region is over, the voltage drop behavior best reflects the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50, and the voltage drops more rapidly as the deterioration is larger.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, a first threshold value V1 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small and a second threshold value V2 for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is large are stored in advance. First, a predetermined first load is applied to the rechargeable battery 50 for a predetermined time to perform a discharging process (see step S330), and then a higher second load is applied to the rechargeable battery 50 for a short time (step S330). S400). During this time, the output voltage value of the rechargeable battery 50 is detected, and the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is determined based on the voltage drop at that time. Specifically, when the voltage drop amount is smaller than the first threshold value V1, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is sufficiently small, and when the voltage drop amount is larger than the second threshold value V2. Is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is large, and if the amount of voltage drop is between the first threshold value V1 and the second threshold value V2, it is determined that the degree of battery deterioration is slightly recognized.

  In this way, in the secondary discharge process after the stable region by the primary discharge process, which most reflects the deterioration state, two threshold values V1 and V2 that are assumed in advance with respect to the voltage drop amount that changes with time are set. The degree of deterioration of the used rechargeable battery 50 can be determined. As a result, the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 can be accurately detected as compared with the conventional method in which deterioration is simply determined by comparing voltage values at a certain point in time.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, the secondary discharge process is performed on the rechargeable battery 50 by placing a no-load state after the primary discharge process (see step S340) and applying the second load for a short time. Thereby, the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 can be emphasized and detected with higher accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, after the discharge is started, the primary discharge process is performed until the output voltage value of the rechargeable battery 50 drops by a predetermined amount from the stable region (see step S330). Thereby, in the secondary discharge process that reflects the most deterioration state after the stable region ends, it is possible to reliably determine the degree of deterioration of the battery with high accuracy.

  Also in the present embodiment, the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 determined as described above is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 48 as in the first embodiment. For example, when it is found that the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is sufficiently small and in a normal state (see the flow from step S420 to step S430), the degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery 50 is large and not in a normal state. If it is found (see step S460 → step S470), a message to that effect is displayed. Thereby, the user can be surely notified and recognized of the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 50 detected with high accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, when it is determined that the voltage drop amount average value Vdave of the rechargeable battery 50 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value V2, is the number of on dots reduced in the subsequent printing process? Then, the print density is decreased or the print speed is decreased (see step S480). As a result, as in the first embodiment, even when the rechargeable battery 50 is in a deteriorated state, power can be supplied to the thermal head 8 and the minimum necessary printing can be performed.

  In the above, the arrows shown in FIG. 6 and the like show an example of the signal flow, and do not limit the signal flow direction.

  The flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 13, 14 and the like are not intended to limit the present invention to the procedure shown in the above-described flow, and additional procedures / additions can be made without departing from the spirit and technical idea of the invention. You may delete or change the order.

  In addition to those already described above, the methods according to the above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

  In addition, although not illustrated one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

1 Portable small printer (printing device)
4 Thermal paper (print medium)
8 Thermal head (printing means)
9 Platen roller 11 Pickup roller 22 Drive motor 41 CPU
42 ROM (characteristic storage means)
45 Battery voltage detection circuit 46 Motor drive circuit (drive source)
47 Thermal head control circuit (drive source)
48 Liquid crystal display (display means)
50 Rechargeable battery 50a Battery compartment 61 Image of deterioration 62 Image of remaining capacity

Claims (8)

Printing means for performing desired printing on a printing medium;
A drive source for driving the printing means;
A battery storage section for storing a rechargeable battery for supplying a voltage to the drive source;
A first threshold value characteristic for determining that the degree of battery deterioration is small and a determination that the degree of battery deterioration is large based on the time-dependent change characteristic of the output voltage value when the battery is discharged from the fully charged state. Characteristic storage means for storing the second threshold characteristic of
Discharging means for performing a discharge process by applying a predetermined load to the battery stored in the battery storage unit;
Voltage detection means capable of detecting the output voltage value of the battery a plurality of times at predetermined intervals after the start of the discharge process by the discharge means;
The output voltage value detected by the voltage detecting means is a first section on a higher voltage side than the first threshold characteristic, or a second section on a lower voltage side than the second threshold characteristic. Or a deterioration determining means for determining a degree of deterioration of the battery according to whether the third section is between the first section and the second section,
A printing apparatus comprising: The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
A printing apparatus comprising: a display unit capable of displaying a degree of deterioration of the battery based on a determination result of the deterioration determination unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 2,
When it is determined by the deterioration determination means that the detected output voltage value has become the first category, the discharge means and the voltage are terminated so as to end the discharge process and the detection of the output voltage value. A printing apparatus comprising: first control means for controlling the display means so as to control the detection means and display that the degree of deterioration is small. The printing apparatus according to claim 2,
When it is determined by the deterioration determination means that the detected output voltage value has become the second category, the discharge means and the voltage are terminated so as to end the discharge process and the detection of the output voltage value. A printing apparatus comprising: a second control unit that controls the detection unit and controls the display unit to display that the degree of deterioration is large. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
The printing means includes a thermal head for performing desired printing on the printing medium,
And,
When it is determined by the deterioration determining means that the output voltage value is the second section, thereafter, the number of on dots is decreased, the print density is decreased, or the print speed is decreased. A printing apparatus comprising printing control means for controlling the thermal head. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
When the deterioration determining means determines that the detected output voltage value is in the third category, the detected output voltage value is in the first category or the second category. A printing apparatus comprising: a third control unit that controls the discharge unit and the voltage detection unit so as to continue the discharge process and the detection of the output voltage value until a determination is made. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The display means includes
A printing apparatus for displaying a deterioration image of an overall size corresponding to the degree of deterioration of the battery. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
The display means includes
A printing apparatus that displays a remaining charge image representing the remaining amount of electric power of the battery at a ratio occupied in the image.

Images