JP7828167B2 - Printing method, program, and printing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing method executed by a printing device that prints on a label sheet on which multiple labels are arranged, a program that causes a computer to execute the printing method, and a printing device that executes the printing method.

Conventionally, there is known a printing device that prints on a label sheet on which multiple labels are arranged (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With this printing device, when editing the print content of multiple labels, after editing is completed for one specific label, a "label change operation" is performed and editing begins for the other labels.

Patent No. 4330359

In conventional printers, after a label change operation was performed, editing of the next label was started from the beginning, regardless of the printed content of the next label. In other words, even if the user wanted to use the same printed content on the next label as on the previous label, the editing work performed on the previous label had to be repeated when editing the next label. Furthermore, editing a label requires multiple operations, and in this case, when editing the next label, the user must repeat multiple operations with the same content as when editing the previous label. As a result, editing multiple labels could not be done efficiently.

The object of the present invention is to enable efficient editing of the printing content of multiple labels in a printing device that prints on a label sheet on which multiple labels are arranged.

A printing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method executed by a printing device that prints on a label sheet on which a plurality of labels are arranged, and includes the following steps.
Editing a first label of the plurality of labels.
A step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label when a label change operation is performed to start editing the second label following the first label. The "edited content" here is a concept that includes the text content entered on the label and the print layout, such as the size, placement, and type of decoration of the text when it is printed on the label.

In the above printing method, when a label change operation is performed after editing a first label, the edited content of the first label is copied to the second label. This means that when using the same printed content as the first label on the second label, the work of reflecting the printed content of the first label on the second label can be easily performed with a single operation, the "label change operation." As a result, the amount of work required to edit multiple labels is reduced, allowing multiple labels to be edited efficiently.

In the step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label, the text content entered on the first label may be copied to the second label. This eliminates the need to enter the text to be printed on the second label, allowing for efficient editing of multiple labels.

In the step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label, the print layout of the first label may be copied to the second label. This eliminates the need to specify the print layout of the second label, allowing for efficient editing of multiple labels.

The method may further include a step of displaying a preview screen that shows the print state when printing on a label based on the edited content. In this case, the preview screen may allow the user to set the number of labels to be printed for the label displayed on the preview screen. This makes it easy to set the number of labels to be printed for each label.

A program according to another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the above printing method.

A printing device according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a device that prints on a label sheet on which multiple labels are arranged. The printing device has a control unit that, after editing a first label among the multiple labels, copies the edited content of the first label to the second label when a label change operation is performed to start editing the second label following the first label.

In the above-mentioned printing device, when a label change operation is performed after editing the first label, the control unit copies the edited content of the first label to the second label. This makes it easy to reflect the printed content of the first label on the second label with a single operation, the "label change operation," when the same printed content as the first label is used on the second label. As a result, the amount of work required to edit multiple labels is reduced, allowing for efficient editing of multiple labels.

You can efficiently edit the printing content of multiple labels placed on a label sheet.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a label sheet. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the control configuration of the printing device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an input screen. 6 is a flowchart showing the label sheet printing operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a layout selection screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the input screen when a second label change operation is performed.

1. First Embodiment (1) Configuration of the Printing Device The following describes a printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. The printing device 100 is capable of printing characters on multiple labels L arranged in mutually separated sections on the same surface of a label sheet LS, as shown in FIG. 1. Each label L on the label sheet LS shown in FIG. 1 has a first printing sub-area La and a second printing sub-area Lb. The first printing sub-area La is located at the top of the label L and is surrounded by a first printing area frame line La1. The second printing sub-area Lb is located below the first printing sub-area La and is surrounded by a second printing area frame line Lb1. The printing device 100 can print characters separately in the first printing sub-area La and the second printing sub-area Lb of the label L. Note that a label L configured as described above is called an "index label." FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a label sheet.

Each label L can be separated from the label sheet LS. Once separated from the label sheet LS, the label L can be attached wherever you want to use it.

Note that label sheets that can be printed by the printer 100 are not limited to the "index labels" shown in Figure 1. Label sheets that can be printed by the printer 100 include, for example, labels with only one printable area per label. There are also various sizes (length and width) of labels and/or printable areas. Furthermore, there are also labels that do not have a printable area border.

In addition, the printing device 100 is capable of printing "characters" managed by various character codes in the printing sub-area, not limited to common characters such as kana, kanji, and the alphabet, but also alphanumeric characters, numbers such as Arabic numerals, and various symbols (for example, symbols with numbers written inside a circle).

The printing device 100 of this embodiment can set different print layouts and print different text content for each of the multiple labels L on a label sheet LS. Therefore, with the printing device 100 of this embodiment, the print layout is set and the text content to be printed is entered for each label L. After setting the print layout and entering the text content for one label L, the printing device 100 can set the print layout and enter the text content for the next label L by performing a "change label operation."

Here, "text content" refers to the text content itself that will be printed on the label L, and does not refer to the size, arrangement, or type of decoration of the characters when printed on the label L. On the other hand, "print layout" refers to the size, arrangement, and type of decoration of the characters when printed on the label L.

The configuration of the printing device 100 will be explained below using Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the printing device. Figure 3 is a top view of the printing device. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the control configuration of the printing device. The printing device 100 comprises a display unit 1, an input unit 3, a sheet supply port 5, a printing unit 7, and a control unit 9.

The display unit 1 is provided on top of the main body B of the printing device 100. The display unit 1 displays an operation screen for operating the printing device 100. As will be described later, when entering characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area La and second printing sub-area Lb of the label L, an input screen UI (Figure 5) modeled after the label L is displayed on the display unit 1 as the operation screen. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the display unit 1 has a rectangular display area, but it also has a certain degree of dimension not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction, providing a larger display area than conventional devices. The display unit 1 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

The input unit 3 is located below the display unit 1 on the main body B and accepts operations for the printing device 100. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the input unit 3 is composed of multiple keys. Specifically, the input unit 3 has character input keys 3a, which are primarily used to input characters, and other operation keys. The input unit 3's operation keys primarily include an execute key 3b, which is used to confirm and execute an operation; a relabel key 3c, which performs a relabel operation; cursor keys 3d, which move the cursor; a print key 3e, which prints on the label sheet LS; a tab switch key 3f, which switches tabs on the input screen UI, i.e., switches the character input area where character input is permitted; a function switch key 3g; and a preview key 3h, which displays a print preview. The input unit 3 also has operation keys for commanding other functions that can be executed by the printing device 100.

The sheet supply port 5 is located below the input unit 3 in the main body B. Label sheets LS to be printed are supplied to the sheet supply port 5. A pair of paper guides 5a are provided at the sheet supply port 5. The distance between the pair of paper guides 5a can be adjusted by moving them closer or farther apart. This allows the sheet supply port 5 to supply label sheets LS of multiple sizes.

The printing unit 7 prints on the labels L of the label sheet LS. The printing unit 7 has a printing mechanism 7a and a sheet transport mechanism 7b. The printing mechanism 7a is a mechanism that prints on the labels L, for example, using a thermal transfer method. The sheet transport mechanism 7b transports the label sheet LS supplied to the sheet supply port 5 to the printing mechanism 7a and discharges the label sheet LS printed by the printing mechanism 7a to the outside.

The control unit 9 has a CPU 9a, a storage device 9b such as RAM and ROM, and an input/output interface 9c, and controls the printing device 100. The CPU 9a executes various information processes. The storage device 9b stores programs executed by the CPU 9a, character data, parameters necessary for controlling the printing device 100, etc. The input/output interface 9c inputs and outputs signals and data between the CPU 9a, storage device 9b, display unit 1, input unit 3, and printing unit 7. The control unit 9 controls the printing device 100 by having the CPU 9a execute programs stored in the storage device 9b. Note that part of the control of the printing device 100 may be realized by the hardware that constitutes the control unit 9.

The control unit 9 may be realized by a computer system having a CPU 9a, a storage device 9b, and an input/output interface 9c as separate devices, or by an SoC (System on Chip) that integrates these components on a single chip.

(2) Input Screen Next, the configuration of the input screen UI displayed on the display unit 1 when inputting characters to be printed on the label L will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the input screen. As shown in Fig. 5, the input screen UI has an appearance that imitates the label L. Furthermore, the input screen UI makes it easy to recognize which printing sub-area of the label L the characters are being input into. Specifically, the input screen UI has a first character input area IA1, a second character input area IA2, a first tab T1, and a second tab T2.

The first character input area IA1 accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the first print sub-area La. The second character input area IA2 accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the second print sub-area Lb.

The first tab T1 is connected to the first character input area IA1 and is located on the side of the first character input area IA1. The first tab T1 is labeled "A screen input." The first tab T1 is activated when character input into the first character input area IA1 is permitted. The second tab T2 is connected to the second character input area IA2 and is located on the side of the second character input area IA2. The second tab T2 is labeled "B screen input." The second tab T2 is activated when character input into the second character input area IA2 is permitted.

In this embodiment, when a tab is "activated," for example, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab are displayed in a darker color and/or a thicker color. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the first tab T1 is activated. A cursor CU1 is displayed in the text input area where text input is permitted. Alternatively, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab may be displayed in different colors depending on whether the tab is activated. For example, when a tab is activated, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab may be displayed in blue, and when the tab is deactivated, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab may be displayed in gray.

As shown in FIG. 5, the side of the input screen UI displays information indicating the status of the printing device 100. Specifically, the input screen UI displays a label type indicator D1, a label number indicator D2, a superscript/subscript indicator D3, a character placement indicator D4, a character style indicator D5, a character size indicator D6, a font indicator D7, an input conversion indicator D8, a print direction indicator D9, and a remaining battery level indicator D10.

The label type indicator D1 indicates the type of label sheet LS to be printed. The label number indicator D2 indicates the number of the label L for which characters are currently being input. The superscript/subscript indicator D3 indicates whether the input characters will be superscripted or subscripted. The character placement indicator D4 indicates the placement of characters in the printing subarea. The character style indicator D5 indicates the character style applied to the input characters. The character size indicator D6 indicates the character size in the printing subarea. The font indicator D7 indicates the font of the characters printed in the printing subarea. The input conversion indicator D8 indicates the currently set character conversion mode. The printing direction indicator D9 indicates the direction of the characters printed in the printing subarea. The battery level indicator D10 indicates the remaining battery power.

(3) Printing Device Operation The printing operation of the label sheet LS in the printing device 100 will be explained below using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the label sheet printing operation. The following explanation will be given using the operation of printing a new label sheet LS as an example.

When a new printing operation is started in the printer 100, in step S1, the type of label sheet LS to be printed is specified. In this case, a label sheet LS with an index label, as shown in Figure 1, is specified.

After specifying the type of label sheet LS, in step S2, the print layout for label L (an example of a first label) is specified. Specifically, the control unit 9 displays a layout selection screen LO, as shown in FIG. 7, on the display unit 1 and accepts the selection of the print layout from the input unit 3. FIG. 7 shows the layout selection screen.

The printing device 100 allows the selection of seven print layouts LO1 to LO8, as shown in Figure 7. The selectable print layouts are broadly divided into print layouts LO1 to LO4, which print the same characters in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb, and print layouts LO5 to LO8, which print different characters in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb.

You can also select a print layout in which characters are written horizontally (print layouts LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO7, LO8) or a print layout in which characters are written vertically (print layouts LO2, LO6). You can also select a print layout in which characters are written in opposite directions in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb (print layouts LO3, LO4, LO7, LO8).

On the layout selection screen LO, the print layout can be specified by, for example, using the cursor key 3d to move the cursor CU2 to the display portion of the desired print layout, and then pressing the execute key 3b. Note that the print layout can also be changed while entering characters in the first character input area IA1 or the second character input area IA2 on the input screen UI.

After the print layout is selected, in step S3, the control unit 9 displays an input screen UI as shown in FIG. 5 on the display unit 1. At this time, the control unit 9 determines whether character input is permitted in the first character input area IA1 or the second character input area IA2 of the input screen UI, and activates the tab linked to the character input area determined to permit character input.

In the input screen UI shown in FIG. 5, character input into the first character input area IA1 is permitted, but by pressing the tab switching key after the input screen UI is displayed, the character input area into which character input is permitted can be switched to the second character input area IA2. Furthermore, by pressing the tab switching key, the character input area into which character input is permitted can be switched again from the second character input area IA2 to the first character input area IA1. Switching the character input area into which character input is permitted can be done at any time while the input screen UI is displayed.

In step S4, the control unit 9 accepts character input from the character input keys 3a of the input unit 3 into a character input area where character input is permitted. The control unit 9 displays the character input using the character input keys 3a in the character input area where character input is permitted.

After character input into the first character input area IA1 and/or the second character input area IA2 is completed, in step S5, the control unit 9 determines whether a label change operation has been performed. Specifically, the control unit 9 determines that a label change operation has been performed when the label change key 3c has been pressed alone, or when the label change key 3c and the function switching key 3g have been pressed simultaneously.

As will be explained in more detail below, the change label operation performed when only the change label key 3c is pressed is different from the change label operation performed when the change label key 3c and the function switching key 3g are pressed simultaneously. In other words, the "change label operation" performed when only the change label key 3c is pressed is different from the "change label operation" performed when the change label key 3c and the function switching key 3g are pressed simultaneously. In the following explanation, when only the change label key 3c is pressed alone, it will be referred to as the "first change label operation," and when the change label key 3c and the function switching key 3g are pressed simultaneously, it will be referred to as the "second change label operation."

If it is determined that a label change operation has not been performed after character input into the first character input area IA1 and/or the second character input area IA2 has been completed ("No" in step S5), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S6, where it executes various operations based on the operation performed using the input unit 3. For example, if the print key 3e is pressed, the control unit 9 begins printing on each label L on the label sheet LS. Furthermore, if the preview key 3h is pressed, the control unit 9 displays on the display unit 1 a preview of what the characters currently displayed on the input screen UI will look like when printed on the label L. The print layout set for the label L up to this point and the characters entered for the label L can also be saved in the storage device 9b.

If it is determined that a label change operation has been performed after character input into the first character input area IA1 and/or the second character input area IA2 has been completed ("Yes" in step S5), the control unit 9 determines in step S7 whether the above-mentioned first label change operation or second label change operation has been performed.

If the label change key 3c is pressed alone as a label change operation, i.e., if the first label change operation is performed ("first operation" in step S7), the printing operation returns to step S2. That is, editing of the next label L (an example of a second label) begins anew. Specifically, a new print layout is set for the next label L, and new characters to be printed in the first print sub-area La and second print sub-area Lb of the next label L are entered.

On the other hand, when the label change key 3c and function switching key 3g are pressed simultaneously as a label change operation, that is, when a second label change operation is performed ("second operation" in step S7), editing of the next label L begins, but unlike the first label change operation, the edited contents of the previous label L are copied to the next label L.

Specifically, in step S8, the control unit 9 sets the print layout set for the previous label L as the print layout for the next label L. Furthermore, in step S9, the control unit 9 copies the text content entered in the first print sub-area La and second print sub-area Lb of the previous label L to the first print sub-area La and second print sub-area Lb of the next label L, respectively. Then, in step S10, the control unit 9 causes the display unit 1 to display the input screen UI in a state in which the edited content of the previous label L has been copied to the next label L.

For example, in the input screen UI for the previous label L, as shown in FIG. 8(a), if the characters "aiueokaki" are entered in the first character input area IA1 and the characters "ABCDEFG" are entered in the second character input area IA2, and then a second label change operation (an operation of simultaneously pressing the label change key 3c and the function switching key 3g) is performed, the same screen as the input screen for the previous label L is displayed as the input screen UI for the next label L, as shown in FIG. 8(b). FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of how the input screen changes when a second label change operation is performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the label number indicator D2 of the input screen UI for the next label L displays a label number that is incremented by one from the label number displayed in the label number indicator D2 of the input screen UI for the previous label L. For example, if the label number indicator D2 of the input screen UI for the previous label L displays "New Label 1," the label number indicator D2 of the input screen UI for the next label L will display "New Label 2." This makes it easy to identify the label number of the label L currently displayed on the input screen UI based on the display of the label number indicator D2, even if the input screen UI for the previous label L and the input screen UI for the next label L have the same appearance.

After the input screen UI for the next label L is displayed, the printing operation returns to step S5. In other words, if a label change operation is performed while the input screen UI for the next label L is displayed, editing of the next label L will begin. Note that, for example, if you want to use only the print layout of the previous label L, you can enter the characters you want to print in the first print sub-area La and/or second print sub-area Lb of the next label L in the first character input area IA1 and/or second character input area IA2 of the input screen UI for the next label L, respectively.

In this way, with the printer 100, after editing a specific label L (first label) (setting the print layout and entering the characters to be printed), when a second label change operation is performed to start editing the next label L, the edited content of that label L is copied to the next label L. Specifically, the print layout set for one label L is set as the print layout for the next label L, and the text content entered on the one label L is copied to the next label L. The second label change operation can be performed with a single operation: simultaneously pressing the label change key 3c and the function switching key 3g. Therefore, with the printer 100, if you want to use the same print content as a specific label L on subsequent labels L, you can edit the print content for each subsequent label L with just a single key operation. As a result, the printer 100 significantly reduces the amount of work required to edit multiple labels L, allowing you to edit multiple labels L efficiently.

Furthermore, if you want to use the print layout of a specific label L on subsequent labels L, you can copy the print layout set for that specific label L to the subsequent labels L, eliminating the need to specify the print layout for the subsequent labels L. As a result, you can efficiently edit multiple labels L.

Furthermore, if you want to use the text content entered into a specific label L in a subsequent label L, you can copy the text content entered into the specific label L to the subsequent label L, thereby eliminating the need to enter text into the subsequent label L. As a result, multiple labels L can be edited efficiently.

Furthermore, the printer 100 has two types of label change operations: a first label change operation, in which only the label change key 3c is pressed, and a second label change operation, in which the label change key 3c and the function switching key 3g are pressed simultaneously. When the first label change operation is performed, a new print layout is set and new characters are entered for the next label L, while when the second label change operation is performed, the print layout of the previous label L is used for the next label L as is, and the content entered on the previous label L is copied directly to the next label L. This allows the user to freely choose whether or not to copy the content of the previous label L to the next label L, ensuring flexibility in editing labels L using label change.

(4) Commonalities of the Embodiments The first embodiment has the following common configurations and functions.
A printing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method performed by a printing device (e.g., printing device 100) that prints on a label sheet (e.g., label sheet LS) on which multiple labels (e.g., label L) are arranged, and includes the following steps:
Editing a first label of the plurality of labels.
A step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label when a label change operation (for example, a second label change operation) that starts editing the second label following the first label occurs.

In the above printing method, when a label change operation is performed after editing a first label, the edited content of the first label is copied to the second label. This means that when using the same printed content as the first label on the second label, the work of reflecting the printed content of the first label on the second label can be easily performed with a single operation, the "label change operation." As a result, the amount of work required to edit multiple labels is reduced, allowing multiple labels to be edited efficiently.

(5) Other Embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple embodiments and modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

(A) The processing content of each step in the printing operation described using Figure 6 and the processing order of each step can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

(B) As label modification operations, an operation for reflecting only the print layout settings of the previous label L on the next label L, and an operation for copying only the text content entered on the previous label L on the next label L may be provided as separate operations.

(C) When printing multiple label sheets LS, a sheet print layout display screen showing the print status of the entire label sheet LS may be displayed on the display unit 1 for each label sheet LS printed. Specifically, after printing of the first label sheet LS is complete, the sheet print layout display screen for the second label sheet LS is displayed on the display unit 1, and after checking the print status of the second label sheet LS using this print layout, printing of the second label sheet LS can begin.

(D) A preview screen may be displayed on the display unit 1, showing the print state when printing is performed on the label L based on the edited content that has been set. The preview screen may be displayed, for example, by pressing the preview key on the input unit 3 while entering the characters to be printed on the label L. The number of prints for the label L currently displayed on the preview screen may also be set. For example, an interface for setting the number of prints may be provided on the preview screen, and the number of prints for the label L displayed on the preview screen may be set using this interface. This makes it easy to set the number of prints for each label.

Also, if the number of prints is set to "0" or "none" on the preview screen, the label L displayed in preview will not be printed, and data related to that label L (text content, print layout, etc.) may be stored in the memory device 9b of the printing device 100.

(E) The type of change label (first change label operation, second change label operation) may be selected using an interface displayed on the input screen UI. Also, a key for performing the second change label operation may be provided on the input unit 3.

(F) When displaying a large number of characters in each print sub-area on the print layout display screen PR, the characters may be displayed as shapes such as "■" (black squares). In this case, the content represented by the "■" may be made visible by enlarging the display of the portion represented by the "■".

The present invention can be widely applied to printing devices that print on label sheets on which multiple labels are arranged.

100 Printing device 1 Display unit 3 Input unit 3a Character input key 3b Execute key 3c Change label key 3d Cursor key 3e Print key 3f Tab switching key 3g Function switching key 3h Preview key 5 Sheet supply port 5a Paper guide 7 Printing unit 7a Printing mechanism 7b Sheet transport mechanism 9 Control unit 9a CPU
9b Storage device 9c Input/output interface B Main body UI Input screen T1 First tab T2 Second tab IA1 First character input area IA2 Second character input area D1 Label type indicator D2 Label number indicator D3 Superscript/subscript indicator D4 Character layout indicator D5 Character decoration indicator D6 Character size indicator D7 Font indicator D8 Input conversion indicator D9 Print direction indicator D10 Battery remaining capacity indicator LO Layout selection screens LO1 to LO8 Print layouts CU1, CU2 Cursor LS Label sheet L Label La First print sub-area La1 First print area border Lb Second print sub-area Lb1 Second print area border

Claims (6)

A printing method performed by a printing device that prints on a label sheet on which a plurality of labels are arranged, comprising:
editing a first label of the plurality of labels;
a step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label when a label change operation is performed to start editing a second label next to the first label among the plurality of labels by simultaneously pressing a label change key and a function switching key of the printing device;
A printing method comprising: The printing method described in claim 1, wherein the step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label includes copying the text content entered on the first label to the second label. The printing method described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of copying the edited content of the first label to the second label includes copying the print layout of the first label to the second label. a step of displaying a preview screen that displays a print state when printing is performed on the label based on the edited content,
4. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the preview screen allows the user to set the number of labels to be printed for the label displayed on the preview screen. A program for causing a computer to execute the printing method described in any one of claims 1 to 4. A printing device that prints on a label sheet on which a plurality of labels are arranged,
A modified label key,
Function switching key,
A printing device comprising a control unit that copies the edited contents of the first label to the second label when, after editing a first label among the plurality of labels, the label change key and the function switching key are pressed simultaneously to perform a label change operation that starts editing a second label that follows the first label among the plurality of labels.