JP7047266B2 - Printing device, printing control method of printing device, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present specification relates to a printing device, a printing control method of the printing device, and a program.

Conventionally, a printing device (label printer) that creates a printing tape piece (label) on which characters or the like are printed by printing characters or the like on a long printed medium (printing tape) and then cutting the characters or the like. A tape cassette containing a printing medium used for printing is known.
In such a printing apparatus, a function capable of detecting the end of a printed medium by detecting an identification mark formed on the printed medium before the remaining amount of the printed medium in the tape cassette is exhausted is provided. There is a printing device provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-181829

However, although the end of the printed medium can be detected by using the technique of Patent Document 1, in order to use this technique, it is necessary to process the printed medium to form an identification mark.

Based on the above circumstances, an object of the present invention according to one aspect is to provide a technique for detecting the end of a printed medium without processing the printed medium.

In the printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the first member and the first member and the first member have different colors contained in the respective regions of at least one surface, or different brightness in each region of at least one surface. Based on the detection result, the color or the brightness of the object to be conveyed, which is conveyed in a state where a plurality of members having two members are stacked, is detected from at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position. A control means for detecting the boundary between one of the first member and the second member of the object to be transported, as seen from at least one surface side, and a print head for printing on at least a part of the object to be transported. The first member is an ink ribbon used for printing by the print head, and the second member is a printing medium on which printing is performed by the print head .
Further, the printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a first member in which the colors included in the respective regions of at least one surface are different from each other, or the brightness in each region of at least one surface is different from each other. Based on the detection result of detecting the color or the brightness of the object to be conveyed, which is conveyed in a state where a plurality of members having the second member are stacked, from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position. The control means for detecting the boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported and printing on at least a part of the object to be transported as seen from at least one surface side. The control means includes a head, and the control means starts the printing or the transport in response to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device, and the detection in response to the completion of the printing or the transport. The boundary is determined by acquiring the second detection result by the apparatus and determining whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result. To detect.

The print control method of a printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a print control method executed by a control means of a printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of an object. A plurality of members having a first member and a second member whose colors contained in the respective regions of at least one surface are different from each other, or whose brightness in each region of at least one surface is different from each other. Based on the detection result detected from the at least one surface side by the control means by the detection device at the detection position, the color or brightness of the conveyed object to be conveyed in a state of being overlapped with each other is detected on the at least one surface. The boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be conveyed as viewed from the side is detected , and the first member is an ink ribbon used for printing by the print head, and the first member is the first member. The two members are printed media on which the printing is performed by the printing head .
Further, the print control method of the printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is printing executed by the control means of the printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of the object. A plurality of control methods having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface, or different brightness in each region of at least one surface. The color or the brightness of the object to be conveyed, which is conveyed in a state where the members are stacked, is detected from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position, based on the detection result, the at least one surface. The boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be conveyed as seen from the side is detected, and the printing or the transfer is started according to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device. Then, the second detection result by the detection device is acquired in response to the completion of the printing or the transfer, and the boundary is the boundary based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result. The boundary is detected by determining whether or not the detection position has been passed.

A program according to an aspect of the present invention is for the control means of a printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of an object, each region of at least one surface of the control means. A transport object to be transported in a state in which a plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in or at least one surface having different brightness in each region are stacked. The first member and the first member of the object to be conveyed, as seen from the at least one surface side, based on the detection result in which the color or the brightness is detected from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position . The boundary of one of the two members is detected, the first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head, and the second member is a printed medium on which the printing is performed by the print head. There is .
Further, in the program according to one aspect of the present invention, at least one of the control means of the printing apparatus including the print head for printing and the control means for detecting the color or brightness of the object is provided. A transport target in which a plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in the regions of the above or at least one surface having different brightness in each region are stacked. The first of the objects to be transported, as viewed from the at least one surface side, based on the detection result of detecting the color or the brightness of the object from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position. When the boundary between one member and the second member is detected, the printing or the transport is started in response to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device, and the printing or the transport is completed. Accordingly, the second detection result by the detection device is acquired, and it is determined whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result. Causes the boundary to be detected.

According to the above aspect, it is possible to detect the end of a long printed medium without processing the existing printed medium.

It is a figure which illustrates the structure of the printing system including the printing apparatus 1. It is a perspective view of the opening / closing lid 3 of a printing apparatus 1 in an open state. It is sectional drawing which saw the printed medium M used for printing apparatus 1 from the medium width direction Y. It is a perspective view of the tape cassette 30 housed in a printing apparatus 1. It is a perspective view of the cassette storage part 19 of a printing apparatus 1. It is sectional drawing of the main part of printing apparatus 1. It is a front view of the tape end detection board 41 of a printing apparatus 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which showed the hardware composition of the printing apparatus 1 and the electronic apparatus 100. It is a flowchart of a tape end determination process. It is a figure which shows the transport state of the printing medium M and the ink ribbon R.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system including the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opening / closing lid of the printing device is opened. The printing system shown in FIG. 1 includes a printing device 1 and an electronic device 100 for transmitting print data to the printing device 1. The printing device 1 and the electronic device 100 exchange data by wireless communication or wired communication.

In the present embodiment, the transport direction of the printed medium M (printing tape) is defined as the “conveying direction X”, and the width direction of the printed medium M (printing tape) orthogonal to the transport direction X is the “medium width”. The direction Y is defined, and the thickness direction of the printing medium M (printing tape) is defined as the “thickness direction Z”. These X, Y, and Z directions are orthogonal to each other.
The printing device 1 is a printing device including a thermal head (printing head) that prints on a printing medium, and is, for example, a label printer that prints on a long strip-shaped printing medium M by a single pass method. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printed medium M used in the printing apparatus 1 as viewed from the medium width direction Y. The print medium M is, for example, a long tape member having a base material B having an adhesive layer A, an adhesive layer A (glue surface), and a peelable release paper F covering the adhesive layer A. .. The print medium M may be a long tape member without a release paper F.
In the present embodiment, printing is performed by the thermal head 10 on the surface of the base material B opposite to the adhesive layer A (the surface of the base material B, which is referred to as the “printing surface P”). Hereinafter, a thermal transfer type label printer using an ink ribbon will be described as an example, but the printing method is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the printed medium M and the ink are in a state where one surface of the printed medium (second member) M and one surface of the ink ribbon (first member) R are overlapped in the same direction. The length direction of the ribbon R is transported in the transport direction along the transport path. Hereinafter, when the transport target in a state where the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R are overlapped with each other is not distinguished, it is also simply referred to as a transport target. The first member and the second member have different colors contained in the respective regions of at least one surface, or the brightness in each region of the at least one surface differs from each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes an apparatus housing 2 and an opening / closing lid 3 that is openably / closably attached to the apparatus housing 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus housing 2 includes a cassette storage unit 19 for storing a tape cassette 30 inside. The details of the cassette storage unit 19 will be described later.
On the upper surface of the apparatus housing 2, in addition to the power button 25, operation buttons 26a, 26b, 26c (hereinafter referred to as "operation button 26") for performing various operations, a lid opening / closing button 27 for opening the opening / closing lid 3 and the like are provided. Have been placed.
When the power button 25 is pressed while the external power supply D (see FIG. 8) is connected (that is, the AC adapter is connected), a signal is sent to the power supply circuit 40 (see FIG. 8) to supply power to the printing device 1. Is turned on. Further, when the operation button 26 or the lid open / close button 27 is pressed, a signal is sent to the control device 5 (see FIG. 8), and processing corresponding to each button is performed.
Further, although not shown, the device housing 2 is provided with a power cord connection terminal, an external device connection terminal, a storage medium insertion port, and the like. If the printing device 1 operates on an internal power source such as a battery, the power cord connection terminal may not be provided. Further, when the printing device 1 can be used without connecting to an external device such as a personal computer or various terminal devices, or when it is configured to be wirelessly connectable to the external device, the external device It does not have to have a connection terminal.

The opening / closing lid 3 is arranged so as to be openable / closable so as to cover the upper part of the cassette storage portion 19. The opening / closing lid 3 is opened by pressing the lid opening / closing button 27.
Further, the opening / closing lid 3 has a window 3a so that it can be visually confirmed whether or not the tape cassette 30 (see FIG. 4) is stored in the cassette storage portion 19 even when the opening / closing lid 3 is closed. It is formed.
Further, a discharge port 2a is formed on the side surface of the apparatus housing 2 located on the downstream side of the transfer direction X of the print medium M. The printed medium M printed by the thermal head 10 in the printing apparatus 1 is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the ejection port 2a.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tape cassette 30 housed in the printing apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cassette storage unit 19 of the printing apparatus 1. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 4 is detachably stored in the cassette storage unit 19 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the tape cassette 30 is stored in the cassette storage unit 19.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tape cassette 30 has a cassette case 31 for accommodating a printed medium M and an ink ribbon R on which a thermal head insertion portion 36 and an engaging portion 37 are formed. The cassette case 31 is provided with a tape core 32, an ink ribbon supply core 34, and an ink ribbon winding core 35. The print medium M is wound in a roll around the tape core 32 inside the cassette case 31. Further, the ink ribbon R for thermal transfer is wound around the ink ribbon supply core 34 inside the cassette case 31 in a roll shape with its tip wound around the ink ribbon winding core 35.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cassette accommodating portion 19 of the apparatus housing 2 is provided with a plurality of cassette receiving portions 20 for supporting the tape cassette 30 at a predetermined position.

The cassette storage unit 19 further has a thermal head 10 having a plurality of heat generating elements and printing on the printed medium M, a platen roller 21 as a transport mechanism for transporting the printed medium M, and a tape core engaging shaft. 22 and an ink ribbon winding drive shaft 23 are provided. Further, a thermistor 13 is embedded in the thermal head 10. The thermistor 13 is a head temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the thermal head 10.

The cassette storage unit 19 is further provided with a tape end detection substrate 41 having a configuration for determining whether or not the print medium M has a remaining amount. FIG. 7 is a front view of the tape end detection substrate 41 of the printing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 7A, the tape end detection substrate 41 is provided with an optical sensor 42 and a light source (irradiation device) 43. The optical sensor 42 has a light receiving region 42a that receives light. The tape end detection substrate 41 provided with the optical sensor 42 and the light source 43 is arranged on the upstream side of the thermal head 10 in the transport direction in the transport path C of the printed medium M shown in FIG. 7 (b). Therefore, before printing is started by the thermal head 10, the optical sensor 42 detects the color or brightness of the object to be conveyed, so that the end E, which is one of the boundaries of the printed medium M, is formed by the optical sensor 42. The boundary can be detected by determining whether or not the detection position S has passed, that is, whether or not the remaining amount of the printed medium M has run out. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the optical sensor 42 and the light source 43 are arranged at positions facing substantially the center of the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R in the medium width direction Y in the transport direction of the transport path C. Will be done. The region of the object to be transported that faces the light receiving region 42a of the optical sensor 42 is the detection position S. Here, the cassette storage unit 19 can store a plurality of types of tape cassettes 30 having different widths of the printed medium M. Then, regardless of which of the plurality of types of tape cassettes 30 having different widths of the printed medium M is stored in the cassette storage unit 19, the center of the printed medium M in the medium width direction Y is at a substantially constant position. It is configured in. As a result, no matter which of the plurality of types of tape cassettes 30 having different widths of the printed medium M is stored in the cassette storage unit 19, the printed medium M is located at a position facing substantially the center of the medium width direction Y of the printed medium M. The optical sensor 42 and the light source 43 will be arranged. Therefore, regardless of the width of the printed medium M, it is possible to satisfactorily determine whether or not the printed medium M has a remaining amount.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the tape end detection substrate 41 in which the optical sensor 42 and the light source 43 are arranged, the optical sensor 42 and the light source 43 have a print medium M (the print medium M has a release paper F). The release paper F and the printed medium M face the base material B) when the release paper F is not provided, and the distance between the tape end detection substrate 41 and the printed medium M is approximately a predetermined distance. It is arranged so as to be (d1). In this embodiment, the interval (d1) is set to about 5 mm. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the optical sensor 42 and the light source 43 are arranged on the tape end detection substrate 41 at a predetermined interval (d2). In this embodiment, the interval (d2) is set to about 3 mm.

The light source 43 is formed of, for example, a white LED, and illuminates the transported object with illumination light when the optical sensor 42 detects the color or brightness of the transported object. The light source 43 irradiates light including a wavelength range that can be detected by the optical sensor 42 according to the sensitivity characteristic of the optical sensor 42. That is, the light source 43 is not limited to the white LED as long as it can irradiate light including a desired wavelength range, and is, for example, three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). It may be composed of the LED of the above, and may be an incandescent lamp or a fluorescent lamp.

The optical sensor 42 is a detection device that detects the color or brightness of the object to be transported at a position facing the light receiving region 42a. In the present embodiment, the object to be detected is the print medium M or the ink ribbon R, and the optical sensor 42 uses the print medium M (when the print medium M has the release paper F, the release paper F, When the print medium M does not have the release paper F, it is possible to detect the color or brightness of the base material B) and the color or brightness of the ink ribbon R. The optical sensor 42 is, for example, a color sensor configured to include a photodiode having filters for each color of a red value (R), a green value (G), and a blue value (B). In this case, the optical sensor 42 converts the intensity of the light detected by each photodiode into, for example, a 16-bit digital value to obtain an RGB value. Therefore, the optical sensor 42 detects color information having an RGB value according to the spectrum of the detected light, and outputs this as a detection signal. As a result, the optical sensor 42 can detect RGB values different from each other for each color even if the color of the print medium M and the color of the ink ribbon R are similar colors. The optical sensor 42 sends the detected RGB value as a detection signal to the control device 5. Therefore, the control device 5 is based on the change in the RGB value with respect to the color of the object to be conveyed detected by the optical sensor 42, even if the color of the print medium M and the color of the ink ribbon R are similar colors. It can be determined that the object to be conveyed, which is located at a position facing the light receiving region 42a of the optical sensor 42, has changed from the printed medium M to the ink ribbon R.

The optical sensor 42 may detect the brightness of the object to be conveyed. That is, the difference in brightness due to the difference in the reflectance of the irradiation surface illuminated by the light source 43 may be detected. In this case, it is determined that the object to be detected has changed from the print medium M to the ink ribbon R based on the detected brightness. The optical sensor 42 includes a color or brightness of a printed medium M to be transported, such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor, and an infrared sensor, in addition to a color sensor, and an ink ribbon R. It may be formed by a sensor that can distinguish the color or brightness of the.

In a state where the tape cassette 30 is stored in the cassette storage portion 19, as shown in FIG. 6, the engaging portion 37 provided in the cassette case 31 is supported by the cassette receiving portion 20 provided in the cassette storage portion 19. , The thermal head 10 is inserted into the thermal head insertion portion 36 formed in the cassette case 31. Further, the tape core 32 of the tape cassette 30 is engaged with the tape core engaging shaft 22, and the ink ribbon winding core 35 is engaged with the ink ribbon winding drive shaft 23.

When a printing instruction is input to the printing apparatus 1, the printing medium M is unwound from the tape core 32 by the rotation of the platen roller 21. At this time, the ink ribbon winding drive shaft 23 rotates in synchronization with the platen roller 21, so that the ink ribbon R is fed out from the ink ribbon supply core 34 together with the printing medium M. As a result, the print medium M and the ink ribbon R are conveyed in an overlapping state. Then, when the ink ribbon R is heated by the thermal head 10 as it passes between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21, the ink is transferred to the printing medium M and printing is performed.

The used ink ribbon R that has passed between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 is wound around the ink ribbon winding core 35. On the other hand, the printed medium M to be printed that has passed between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 is cut by the half-cut device 16 and the full-cut device 17 and discharged from the discharge port 2a.
In the present embodiment, the length of the print medium M is formed to be shorter than the length of the ink ribbon R. Since the end E of the printed medium M is not fixed to the tape core 32, the end E of the printed medium M finally passes in front of the optical sensor 42 and is discharged from the discharge port 2a. On the other hand, since both ends of the ink ribbon R are fixed to the ink ribbon supply core 34 and the ink ribbon winding core 35, the end of the ink ribbon R is not exposed to the outside of the tape cassette 30, and the optical sensor. It does not pass in front of 42.

In the present embodiment, the tape end detection substrate 41 on which the optical sensor 42 is arranged is arranged on the cassette storage portion 19 side. Therefore, the detection of the color or brightness of the object to be conveyed by the optical sensor 42 is performed from the side to be printed, of the medium M to be printed and the ink ribbon R, which are conveyed in an overlapping state.
Therefore, when the printed medium M remains, the optical sensor 42 peels the printed medium M (when the printed medium M has the release paper F, the release paper F and the printed medium M are peeled off. When the paper F is not provided, the color or brightness of the base material B) is detected. Then, after the printed medium M is conveyed and the end (boundary) E of the printed medium M passes through the position (detection position S) facing the optical sensor 42, the optical sensor 42 has the color of the ink ribbon R or the color of the ink ribbon R. Detects brightness. The control device 5 recognizes that the object to be detected by the optical sensor 42 has changed from the printed medium M to the ink ribbon R based on the change in color or brightness detected by the optical sensor 42, so that the printed medium M has changed. It is possible to determine whether or not the terminal E of the printing medium M has passed the detection position S and the remaining amount of the printed medium M has run out.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the printing device 1 and the electronic device 100. In addition to the above-mentioned thermal head 10, thermista 13, half-cut device 16, full-cut device 17, and platen roller 21, the printing device 1 includes a control device 5, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 6, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 7. , Communication interface (IF) 8, head drive circuit 9, transfer motor drive circuit 11, stepping motor 12, cutter motor drive circuit 14, cutter motor 15, and power supply circuit 40. At least the control device 5, the ROM 6, and the RAM 7 constitute the computer of the printing device 1.

The control device 5 includes a processor 5a such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control device 5 controls the operation of each part of the printing device 1 by expanding and executing the program stored in the ROM 6 in the RAM 7.

The control device 5 supplies, for example, a control signal (strobe signal, latch signal, clock signal) and print data to the head drive circuit 9, and controls the thermal head 10 via the head drive circuit 9. Further, the control device 5 controls the motor (stepping motor 12, cutter motor 15) via the motor drive circuit (transport motor drive circuit 11, cutter motor drive circuit 14).

The control device 5 determines whether or not the end E of the printed medium M has passed the detection position S based on the change in color or brightness of the conveyed object detected by the optical sensor 42, that is, the printed medium M. Determine if there is a remaining amount of. Specifically, when the optical sensor 42 detects the color of the object to be conveyed, the control device 5 has a red value (R), a green value (G), and a blue value included in the RGB values detected by the optical sensor 42. It is determined whether or not there is a remaining amount of the print medium M based on whether or not the value of at least 1 of (B) has changed by a predetermined ratio or more. The control device 5 determines whether or not the end E of the printed medium M has passed the detection position S based on the color information of the release paper F detected by the optical sensor 42 and the color information of the ink ribbon R. That is, it is determined whether or not there is a remaining amount. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a remaining amount of the printable medium M to which the release paper F is attached. The details of the control device 5 for determining whether or not the printed medium M has a remaining amount will be described later.

The ROM 6 stores a print program for printing on the print medium M and various data (for example, fonts and the like) necessary for executing the print program. The ROM 6 also functions as a storage medium in which a program readable by the control device 5 is stored. The RAM 7 includes a print data storage unit that stores data indicating a pattern of print contents (hereinafter referred to as print data). Further, the RAM 7 includes a display data storage unit for storing display data. The communication interface 8 exchanges data with an external device (for example, the electronic device 100) by wired communication or wireless communication.

The head drive circuit 9 drives the thermal head 10 based on the control signal and print data supplied from the control device 5. The thermal head 10 is a print head having a plurality of heat generating elements 10a arranged in the main scanning direction. The head drive circuit 9 selectively directs a current to any of a plurality of heat generating elements 10a according to the print data output from the head drive circuit 9 during the energization period specified by the strobe signal supplied from the control device 5. Any one of the plurality of heat generating elements 10a generates heat and heats the ink ribbon R. As a result, the thermal head 10 prints one line at a time on the printing medium M by thermal transfer. That is, the printing device 1 is a thermal line printer.

The transport motor drive circuit 11 drives the stepping motor 12. The stepping motor 12 rotates the platen roller 21. The platen roller 21 is a transfer mechanism that is rotated by the power of the stepping motor 12 and conveys the print medium M in the longitudinal direction (sub-scanning direction) of the print medium M.

The cutter motor drive circuit 14 drives the cutter motor 15. The half-cut device 16 and the full-cut device 17 are operated by the power of the cutter motor 15 to half-cut or full-cut the printed medium M. The full cut is an operation of cutting the base material of the printing medium M together with the release paper along the width direction, and the half cut is an operation of cutting only the base material along the width direction. The power supply circuit 40 is a power supply unit that generates an output voltage from a DC voltage (for example, 24V) from the external power supply D and supplies electric power to each unit of the printing apparatus 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the electronic device 100 is a portable computer including a display device 101 and an input device 102, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The display device 101 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (organic EL) display. The input device 102 is, for example, a touch panel.

In addition to the above configuration, the electronic device 100 includes a display unit drive device 103, a communication interface (IF) 104, a ROM 105, a RAM 106, and a control device 107. The display unit drive device 103 is, for example, a liquid crystal display driver circuit or an organic EL display driver circuit. The control device 107 includes a processor 108. The processor 108 is a calculation unit, and by executing an application program, an error message sent from the printing device 1 is displayed on the display device 101.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the tape end determination process. The tape end determination process will be described together with FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a transport state of the print medium M and the ink ribbon R. Here, it is assumed that the print medium M has a release paper F. The release paper F has, for example, at least the surface on the optical sensor 42 side having a color such as cream or light blue. The ink ribbon R has, for example, black, red, and white. FIG. 10A shows a state before the end E of the printed medium M passes through the detection position S on the transport path C by the optical sensor 42, and the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R are in the width direction Y. It is a schematic diagram which shows the transport state seen from. FIG. 10B shows a state after the end E of the printed medium M has passed the detection position S by the optical sensor 42, and is a conveyed state in which the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R are viewed from the width direction Y. It is a schematic diagram which shows. Hereinafter, the case where the optical sensor 42 detects the color at the detection position S of the object to be conveyed will be described, but the color information is also bright when the optical sensor 42 detects the brightness at the detection position S of the object to be conveyed. The same processing can be performed simply by replacing the information with the above information.

In the tape end determination process, a process of determining whether or not there is a remaining amount of print tape, which is the print medium M, is performed. The printing apparatus 1 starts the tape end determination process shown in FIG. 9 based on the instruction to start printing. In the tape end determination process, the control device 5 first operates the optical sensor 42 before conveying the printed medium M, and acquires the RGB value of the detection signal detected by the optical sensor 42 as an initial value (step S101). ..
Before transporting the printed medium M, as shown in FIG. 10A, the end E of the printed medium M is located at the detection position S by the optical sensor 42 in the transport direction of the transport path C of the printed medium M. It is located on the upstream side. Therefore, before the transfer of the print medium M, the optical sensor 42 faces the release paper F of the print medium M, and the red value (R), the green value (G), and the green value (G) corresponding to the color of the release paper F. The RGB value including the blue value (B) is detected, and this is sent to the control device 5 as a detection signal. Then, the control device 5 sets the red value (R), the green value (G), and the blue value (B) included in the RGB values of the detection signal sent from the optical sensor 42 as initial values R _before and G _before , respectively. , B _before and store in RAM7.

Then, the control device 5 turns on the thermal head 10 and turns on the stepping motor 12. As a result, the platen roller 21 rotates in the transport direction, transport of the print medium M is started, and printing is performed on the print medium M based on the print data. When printing based on the print data is completed, the control device 5 turns off the thermal head 10 and turns off the stepping motor 12. As a result, the rotation of the platen roller 21 is stopped, the transfer of the printed medium M is completed, and the printing on the printed medium M is also completed (step S102).

When the transfer of the print medium M is completed, the control device 5 operates the optical sensor 42 after the transfer of the print medium M is completed, and acquires the RGB value of the detection signal detected by the optical sensor 42 (step S103).
At this time, as in the case of FIG. 10A, when the printed medium M still remains even after the printed medium M is conveyed, the end E of the printed medium M is the printed medium M. It is located upstream of the detection position S by the optical sensor 42 in the transport direction of the transport path C. In this case, the printing medium M and the ink ribbon R are present at the detection position S by the optical sensor 42 in an overlapping state, and the optical sensor 42 is in a state of facing the release paper F of the printing medium M. Therefore, the optical sensor 42 detects an RGB value including a red value (R), a green value (G), and a blue value (B) corresponding to the color of the release paper F of the print medium M existing at the detection position S. , This is sent to the control device 5 as a detection signal. Then, the control device 5 finishes transporting the red value (R), the green value (G), and the blue value (B) included in the RGB values of the detection signal sent from the optical sensor 42, respectively, of the printed medium M. It is acquired as the later RGB values R _after , G _after , and B _after .

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the remaining amount of the printed medium M is exhausted after the printed medium M is conveyed, the end E of the printed medium M is conveyed by the printed medium M. It is located downstream of the detection position S by the optical sensor 42 in the transport direction of the path C. In this case, there is no printed medium M at the detection position S by the optical sensor 42, only the ink ribbon R exists, and the optical sensor 42 faces the ink ribbon R. Therefore, the optical sensor 42 detects an RGB value including a red value (R), a green value (G), and a blue value (B) corresponding to the color of the ink ribbon R existing at the detection position S, and detects the RGB value. Is sent to the control device 5. Then, the control device 5 finishes transporting the red value (R), the green value (G), and the blue value (B) included in the RGB values of the detection signal sent from the optical sensor 42, respectively, of the printed medium M. It is acquired as the later RGB values R _after , G _after , and B _after .

Next, the control device 5 determines the initial values (R _before , G _before , B _before ) (first detection result) of the RGB values detected by the optical sensor 42 before the transfer of the printed medium M, and the printed medium M. It is determined whether or not there is a change based on the comparison with the RGB values (R _after , G _after , B _after ) (second detection result) detected by the optical sensor 42 after the transfer is completed (step S104).
In this process, the control device 5 has the initial values R _before , G _before , and B _before of the RGB values of the printed medium M acquired in step S101 before transfer, and the printed medium M acquired in step S103. The rate of change of each of the RGB values R _after , G _after , and B _after after transportation is determined. That is, the ratio of the change of R _before to R _after , the ratio of the change of G _before to G _after , and the ratio of the change of B _before to B _after are determined.
In the control device 5, whether or not at least one of the red value (R), the green value (G), and the blue value (B) included in the RGB values has changed by a predetermined ratio (threshold value) or more. Is determined. Specifically, in the control device 5, whether at least one of the red value (R), the green value (G), and the blue value (B) included in the RGB values has changed by a predetermined threshold value or more. That is, as a result of comparing the RGB values, it is determined whether or not the change is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. In this embodiment, the threshold is set to, for example, 10%. The threshold value is not limited to this, and can be set to any ratio.
That is, the control device 5 determines whether or not at least one of the following (Equation 1) to (Equation 3) is satisfied.
(| R _after -R _before | / R _before ) ≤0.1 ... (Equation 1)
(| G _after -G _before | / G _before ) ≤0.1 ... (Equation 2)
(| B _after -B _before | / B _before ) ≤0.1 ... (Equation 3)

When there is no change beyond the threshold value between the RGB values acquired before and after the transfer of the print medium M (YES in step S104), the control device 5 determines that the RGB values acquired before and after the transfer of the print medium M are the RGB values. It is determined that the color information of the release paper F of the print medium M is shown. In this case, in the control device 5, the end E of the printed medium M has not yet passed on the transport path C, the boundary E has not yet passed the detection position S, and the remaining amount of the printed medium M remains. Judge that there is still. When this process is completed, the tape end determination process is completed.

On the other hand, when there is a change equal to or greater than the threshold value between the RGB values acquired before and after the transfer of the print medium M (NO in step S104), the control device 5 controls the RGB acquired after the transfer of the print medium M. It is determined that the value does not indicate the color information of the release paper F of the print medium M, but indicates the color information of the ink ribbon R. That is, the control device 5 indicates that the object to be conveyed at the detection position S has changed from the release paper F of the print medium M to the ink ribbon R based on the change in the color information detected by the optical sensor 42. It is determined that the terminal E of the printed medium M has passed the detection position S on the transport path C, and the boundary E has passed the detection position S. When the control device 5 determines that the end E of the printed medium M has passed the detection position S, the control device 5 determines that the remaining amount of the printed medium M is exhausted.

When the control device 5 determines that the remaining amount of the printed medium M has run out based on the RGB values detected before and after the transfer of the printed medium M, for example, the display device 101 of the electronic device 100 has the remaining amount of the printed medium M. The remaining amount of the printed medium M is exhausted by displaying an error message indicating that the printed medium M has disappeared or outputting a message sound indicating that the remaining amount of the printed medium M has been exhausted by a speaker or the like (not shown) of the electronic device 100. Control is performed to notify that (step S105). As a result, it is possible to clearly inform the user that the remaining amount of the printed medium M has run out.
Further, the control device 5 stops the operation of the printing device 1 (step S106). In this process, the control device 5 temporarily stops the transfer and printing operation of the printing device 1 by stopping the supply of power to the thermal head 10 and the stepping motor 12 until the control device 5 is replaced with another tape cassette 30. Stop. Then, when the control device 5 is replaced with another tape cassette 30, the stop of the power supply to the thermal head 10 and the stepping motor 12 is released. When this process is completed, the tape end determination process is completed. As a result, when the remaining amount of the printing medium M is exhausted, it is possible to prevent blank printing by the thermal head 10. Thereby, the components of the printing apparatus 1 such as the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 can be protected.

In the printing apparatus 1 configured as described above, it is determined whether or not there is a remaining amount of the printed medium M based on the change in color or brightness of the object to be conveyed detected by the optical sensor 42. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the print medium M has a remaining amount without any processing. Further, since it is determined whether or not there is a remaining amount of the printed medium M based on the difference in color information between the ink ribbon R and the printed medium M, external light is used for this determination. In addition, it can be made less susceptible to environmental changes such as temperature changes. Further, since it is determined whether or not there is a remaining amount of the printed medium M based on the change in color and brightness, any color or material can be used in the relationship between the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R. Even when a combination of structures is adopted, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a remaining amount of the print medium M. For example, even if the structure of the printed medium M does not have the release paper F, it is possible to determine whether or not the printed medium M has a remaining amount.

Further, when the optical sensor 42 detects a color, the control device 5 has an RGB value including a red value (R), a green value (G), and a blue value (B) detected by the optical sensor 42. The presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium M is determined based on whether or not at least one of the values has changed by a predetermined ratio or more. Thereby, for example, even if the ink ribbon R and the printed medium M have similar colors, it is possible to determine whether or not the printed medium M has a remaining amount.

Further, the optical sensor 42 detects the color information of the printed medium M on the irradiated surface irradiated by the light source 43 and the color information of the ink ribbon R. Therefore, even in a dark environment, the printing medium M and the ink ribbon R can be detected separately. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not the print medium M has a remaining amount.
Further, since the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R are made of different materials, the reflectances of the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R are different from each other even if the colors of the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R are similar. Therefore, the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R can be detected separately due to the difference in brightness due to the difference in reflectance. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not the print medium M has a remaining amount.

Further, the control device 5 receives color information detected by the optical sensor 42 before the printed medium M is conveyed, color information detected by the optical sensor 42 after the printed medium M is conveyed, and the color information. The presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium M is detected based on the above. Therefore, since the detection interval by the optical sensor 42 is relatively short, the influence of environmental changes such as temperature changes on external light and the optical sensor 42 using a semiconductor is used in determining the presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium M. It is possible to make it difficult to receive the light, and thereby it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not the print medium M has a remaining amount.
Further, in the prior art, the identification mark processed on the print medium is detected in order to detect the end of the print medium, and therefore it is necessary to continuously detect the identification mark. In the present embodiment, it is only necessary to perform detection by the optical sensor 42 twice, before and after the print medium M is conveyed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the power consumption related to the determination of the presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium M, and it is also possible to reduce the processing load of the control device 5.

The above-described embodiments show specific examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The printing device, the printing control method of the printing device, and the program can be variously modified and changed without departing from the description of the claims.

In the above-described embodiment, the control device 5 displays an error message on the display device 101 of the electronic device 100, but this is not the case. For example, when the printing device 1 is provided with a display device such as a display or a light emitting diode and the control device 5 determines that the remaining amount of the printed medium M is exhausted, it means that the remaining amount of the printed medium M is exhausted. Control may be performed to display the error message on the display device of the printing device 1. As a result, it is possible to clearly inform the user that the remaining amount of the printed medium M has run out.

In the above-described embodiment, the presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium M is based on the information on the color or brightness of the printed medium M detected by the optical sensor 42 and the information on the color or brightness of the ink ribbon R. An example of determining is shown, but this is not the case. For example, the printed medium M is created in a plurality of colors (for example, three colors) for each length, and the color or brightness information of the printed medium M (release paper F) that varies for each length, and the ink ribbon R. The presence or absence of the remaining amount of the print medium M may be determined based on the difference between the color or brightness information of the print medium M. In this case, the control device 5 controls to display a message according to the remaining amount.

In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the optical sensor 42 is arranged on the upstream side of the thermal head 10 in the transport direction of the transport path C of the print medium M is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the optical sensor 42 may be arranged on the transport path C, such as on the downstream side of the thermal head 10, in which the printed medium M and the ink ribbon R overlap each other.

In the above-described embodiment, the control device 5 detects the color or brightness information detected by the optical sensor 42 before the printed medium M is conveyed and the optical sensor 42 after the printed medium M is conveyed. An example is shown in which the presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium is determined based on the changed color or brightness information, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the optical sensor 42 continuously (for example, every second) detects color or brightness information while the print medium M is conveyed, and the control device 5 continuously detects the color or brightness. The presence or absence of the remaining amount of the printed medium M may be determined based on the difference in the brightness information. When it is determined that the remaining amount of the printing medium M is exhausted, the control device 5 stops the feeding and printing operation of the printing device 1 by stopping the supply of power to the thermal head 10 and the stepping motor 12. As a result, it is possible to protect the components of the printing apparatus 1 such as the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 by preventing blank printing by the thermal head 10. Further, by preventing unnecessary operation of the printing device 1, the power consumption of the printing device 1 can be reduced.

In the above-described embodiment, the control device 5 has an initial value of an RGB value detected by the optical sensor 42 before the transfer of the printed medium M, and an RGB value detected by the optical sensor 42 after the transfer of the printed medium M is completed. An example of determining whether or not there is a change in is shown, but this is not the case. For example, the control device 5 stores the RGB value detected only once as the initial value when the tape cassette 30 is replaced, and the optical sensor 42 stores the stored RGB value as the initial value and the optical sensor 42 after the transfer of the printed medium M is completed. It may be determined whether there is a change between the detected RGB value and the detected RGB value.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the color or brightness of the printed medium is detected by the optical sensor 42 from the printed medium M side, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the length of the printed medium M is longer than the length of the ink ribbon R, the color or brightness of the printed medium may be detected by the optical sensor 42 from the ink ribbon R side. ..

Hereinafter, the inventions described in the scope of claims at the time of filing the application of the present application will be added.
[Appendix 1]
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. A detection device that detects the color or brightness of the object to be transported in a state from at least one of the surfaces.
A print head that prints on at least a part of the object to be transported,
Based on the detection result of the detection device, the control device for detecting the boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported as seen from at least one surface side, and the control device.
A printing apparatus characterized by being equipped with.

[Appendix 2]
The control device is based on a comparison between the first detection result detected by the detection device before the transfer is performed and the second detection result detected by the detection device after the transfer is performed. The boundary is detected by determining whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 3]
The detection device determines the red value (R), green value (G), and blue value (B) of the color of the transported object at the detection position as the first detection result and the second detection result. Detects RGB values including
The control device detects the boundary based on the comparison of at least one of the red value, the green value, and the blue value in the first detection result and the second detection result. Determine if you have passed the position,
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 2, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 4]
The object to be transported is transported in a state where the one surface of the first member and the one surface of the second member are overlapped in the same direction.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 5]
The first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head.
The second member is a printing medium on which the printing is performed by the printing head.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 6]
The printing medium has a long base material having a printing surface on one side on which printing by the printing head is performed.
The printed medium is shorter than the ink ribbon,
When the ink ribbon is transported in a state where the ink ribbon is overlapped on the printing surface side of the base material when the remaining amount of the printed medium is sufficient, the conveyed object is conveyed when the remaining amount of the printed medium is exhausted. Is transported in a state where the ink ribbon does not overlap with the base material.
The detection device is provided so as to detect the color or brightness of the object to be conveyed from the opposite side of the printed surface of the base material.
When the control device determines that the boundary has passed the detection position, the control device determines that the remaining amount of the printable medium is exhausted.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 5, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 7]
The printing medium has a release paper that covers the surface of the substrate opposite to the printing surface with an adhesive layer.
When the printing medium has a remaining amount, the detection device detects the color or brightness of the release paper on the detection device side.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 6, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 8]
With more display devices
When it is determined that the remaining amount of the second member is exhausted, the control device executes control to display on the display device that the remaining amount of the second member is exhausted.
The printing apparatus according to Supplementary note 6 or Supplementary note 7, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 9]
Further, a transport device for transporting the printable medium along the transport path of the transport target is further provided.
When the control device determines that the remaining amount of the second member is exhausted, the control device executes control to stop the transfer by the transfer device.
The printing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary note 6 to Supplementary note 8, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 10]
The detection device further includes an irradiation device that illuminates the detection position of the transport object when the detection device detects the color or brightness of the transport object at the detection position.
The printing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 9, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized in that.

[Appendix 11]
The detection position is arranged at a position at the center in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transport object.
The printing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 10, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized in that.

[Appendix 12]
The detection device is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the print head in the transport path of the transport target.
The printing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 11, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized in that.

[Appendix 13]
It is a print control method of a printing device.
The printing device includes a print head for printing and a detection device for detecting the color or brightness of an object.
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. The color or brightness of the object to be transported in the state is detected from at least one surface side by the detection device.
Based on the detection result, the boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported as seen from at least one surface side is detected.
A printing control method for a printing apparatus.

[Appendix 14]
A program that is executed by the computer of the printing device.
The printing device includes a print head for printing and a detection device for detecting the color or brightness of an object.
To the computer
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. The color or brightness of the object to be transported in the state is detected from at least one surface side by the detection device.
Based on the detection result, the boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported as seen from at least one surface side is detected.
A program characterized by that.

1 ... printing device, 2 ... device housing, 2a ... discharge port, 3 ... opening / closing lid, 3a ... window, 5 ... control device, 5a ... processor, 6 ... ROM, 7 ... RAM, 8 ... communication interface (IF), 9 ... head drive circuit, 10 ... thermal head, 10a ... heat generating element, 11 ... transport motor drive Circuit, 12 ... Stepping motor, 13 ... Thermista, 14 ... Cutter motor drive circuit, 15 ... Cutter motor, 16 ... Half cut device, 17 ... Full cut device, 19 ...・ Cassette storage part, 20 ・ ・ ・ cassette receiving part, 21 ・ ・ ・ platen roller, 22 ・ ・ ・ tape core engaging shaft, 23 ・ ・ ・ ink ribbon winding drive shaft, 25 ・ ・ ・ power button, 26 ・ ・-Operation button, 27 ... lid open / close button, 30 ... tape cassette, 31 ... cassette case, 32 ... tape core, 34 ... ink ribbon supply core, 35 ... ink ribbon winding core , 36 ... Thermal head insertion part, 37 ... Engagement part, 40 ... Power supply circuit, 41 ... Tape end detection board, 42 ... Optical sensor, 43 ... Light source, 100 ... Electronic equipment, 101 ... Display device, 102 ... Input device, 103 ... Display unit drive device, 104 ... Communication interface (IF), 105 ... ROM, 106 ... RAM, 107 ... Control device, 108 ... Processor, M ... Printed medium, R ... Ink ribbon

Claims (19)

A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. The transport as seen from the at least one surface side based on the detection result that the color or the brightness of the transport object to be transported in the state is detected from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position. A control means for detecting the boundary between the first member and the second member of the object, and
A print head that prints on at least a part of the object to be conveyed is provided.
The first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head.
The printing apparatus, wherein the second member is a printing medium on which printing is performed by the printing head. The control means passes the boundary through the detection position based on a comparison between the first detection result detected before the transport is performed and the second detection result detected after the transport is performed. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the boundary is detected by determining whether or not the printing device has been used. The control means starts the printing or the transport in response to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device, and the second detection by the detection device in response to the completion of the printing or the transport. The feature is that the boundary is detected by acquiring the result and determining whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result. The printing apparatus according to claim 1. A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. The color or the brightness of the object to be transported in the state is viewed from the at least one surface side based on the detection result detected from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position. A control means for detecting the boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported, and
A print head that prints on at least a part of the object to be conveyed is provided.
The control means starts the printing or the transport in response to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device, and the second detection by the detection device in response to the completion of the printing or the transport. The feature is that the boundary is detected by acquiring the result and determining whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result. Printing equipment. The first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head.
The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second member is a printing medium on which printing is performed by the printing head. As the first detection result and the second detection result, the control means determines a red value (R), a green value (G), and a blue value (B) of the color of the transported object at the detection position. The RGB values to be included are detected, and the boundary is determined based on the comparison of at least one of the red value, the green value, and the blue value in the first detection result and the second detection result. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein it is determined whether or not the detection position has been passed. Equipped with the detection device
One of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detection device is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the print head in the transport path of the transport target. The printing device described in. The printing medium has a long base material having a printing surface on one side on which printing by the printing head is performed.
The printed medium is shorter than the ink ribbon,
When the ink ribbon is transported in a state where the ink ribbon is overlapped on the printing surface side of the base material when the remaining amount of the printed medium is sufficient, the conveyed object is conveyed when the remaining amount of the printed medium is exhausted. Is transported in a state where the ink ribbon does not overlap with the base material.
Any of claims 1, 2, 3 and 5, wherein the control means determines that the remaining amount of the printable medium is exhausted when it is determined that the boundary has passed the detection position. The printing apparatus according to item 1. The first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head.
The second member is a printing medium on which the printing is performed by the printing head.
The printing medium has a long base material having a printing surface on one side on which printing by the printing head is performed.
The printed medium is shorter than the ink ribbon,
When the ink ribbon is transported in a state where the ink ribbon is overlapped on the printing surface side of the base material when the remaining amount of the printed medium is sufficient, the conveyed object is conveyed when the remaining amount of the printed medium is exhausted. Is transported in a state where the ink ribbon does not overlap with the base material.
The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means determines that the remaining amount of the printable medium is exhausted when it is determined that the boundary has passed the detection position. The printing medium has a release paper that covers the surface of the substrate opposite to the printing surface with an adhesive layer.
The printing according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the control means detects the color or brightness of the release paper on the detection device side when there is a remaining amount of the printable medium. Device. With more display devices
The claim is characterized in that, when it is determined that the remaining amount of the second member is exhausted, the control means executes control to display on the display device that the remaining amount of the second member is exhausted. 8. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 10. Further, a transport device for transporting the printable medium along the transport path of the transport target is further provided.
Any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the control means executes control to stop the transfer by the transfer device when it is determined that the remaining amount of the second member is exhausted. The printing apparatus according to item 1. Further equipped with irradiation means,
Of claims 1 to 12, the control means illuminates the detection position of the transportation object when detecting the color or brightness of the transportation object at the detection position. The printing apparatus according to any one of the following items. The printing according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the detection position is arranged at a position at the center in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transport object. Device. Claims 1 to claim 1, wherein the object to be transported is transported in a state where the one surface of the first member and the one surface of the second member are overlapped in the same direction. 14. The printing apparatus according to any one of 14. A print control method executed by a control means of a printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of an object.
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. The color or brightness of the object to be transported in the state is viewed from the at least one surface side based on the detection result detected from the at least one surface side by the control means by the detection device at the detection position. , The boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported is detected.
The first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head.
A printing control method for a printing apparatus, wherein the second member is a printing medium on which printing is performed by the printing head. A print control method executed by a control means of a printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of an object.
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. The color or the brightness of the object to be transported in the state is viewed from the at least one surface side based on the detection result detected from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position. The boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported is detected, and the boundary is detected.
The printing or the transfer is started in response to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device, and the second detection result by the detection device is acquired in response to the completion of the printing or the transfer. The printing apparatus according to the present invention, characterized in that the boundary is detected by determining whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result. Print control method. The control means of the printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of an object.
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. Based on the detection result that the color or brightness of the object to be conveyed in the state is detected from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position, the object to be conveyed is viewed from the at least one surface side. The boundary between the first member and the second member of the object is detected.
The first member is an ink ribbon used for the printing by the print head.
The program characterized in that the second member is a printing medium on which the printing is performed by the printing head. The control means of the printing apparatus including a print head for printing and a control means for detecting the color or brightness of an object.
A plurality of members having a first member and a second member having different colors contained in each region of at least one surface or different brightness in each region of at least one surface are overlapped. Based on the detection result of detecting the color or the brightness of the object to be conveyed in the state from the at least one surface side by the detection device at the detection position, the color or the brightness is viewed from the at least one surface side. The boundary between the first member and the second member of the object to be transported is detected.
The printing or the transfer is started in response to the acquisition of the first detection result by the detection device, and the second detection result by the detection device is acquired in response to the completion of the printing or the transfer. A program characterized in that the boundary is detected by determining whether or not the boundary has passed the detection position based on the comparison between the first detection result and the second detection result.

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