EP0929403B1 - Anordnung zum automatischen einstellen von drucken und materialien dafür - Google Patents

Anordnung zum automatischen einstellen von drucken und materialien dafür Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0929403B1
EP0929403B1 EP97934840A EP97934840A EP0929403B1 EP 0929403 B1 EP0929403 B1 EP 0929403B1 EP 97934840 A EP97934840 A EP 97934840A EP 97934840 A EP97934840 A EP 97934840A EP 0929403 B1 EP0929403 B1 EP 0929403B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
code
printer
printer according
previous
printing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP97934840A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0929403A1 (de
Inventor
Mats Gunnarsson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Intermec PTC AB
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Intermec PTC AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Intermec PTC AB filed Critical Intermec PTC AB
Priority to EP00203281A priority Critical patent/EP1093930A3/de
Publication of EP0929403A1 publication Critical patent/EP0929403A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0929403B1 publication Critical patent/EP0929403B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
    • B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges
    • B41J2/17543—Cartridge presence detection or type identification
    • B41J2/17546—Cartridge presence detection or type identification electronically
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/36—Blanking or long feeds; Feeding to a particular line, e.g. by rotation of platen or feed roller
    • B41J11/42—Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
    • B41J11/46—Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering by marks or formations on the paper being fed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J29/00—Details of, or accessories for, typewriters or selective printing mechanisms not otherwise provided for
    • B41J29/38—Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
    • B41J29/393—Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a printer including an arrangement for the automatic setting of printers, and more particularly to the setting of printer parameters by means of code reading.
  • the parameters concern the printer work parameters, data communication or printing layout.
  • the code to be read may be affixed directly onto material to be used in the printer, or onto separate sheets or labels.
  • This invention also relates to materials, i.e. printing materials and dyes, to be used together with a printer. With the aid of the present invention, an optimum setting of the printer is automatically obtained, entailing a high quality and making the printer easily usable also for unqualified staff members.
  • the setting of the printer was performed by entering parameters using a keyboard in connection to the printer, or by data transfer.
  • parameters to be entered There are, however, many parameters to be entered, and the parameter theory is rather complicated, implying that frequently the user may not be able to perform a correct printer setting himself.
  • some parameters are factory set and can only be changed by a qualified service technician. This of course means that the quality of the printed product will be less than optimal.
  • coding has been used for the setting of various devices.
  • programming of video recorders with the aid of bar codes setting of cameras by reading codes on film cartridges, setting of audio tape recorders by sensing cavities on the tapes, etc. It is not known, however, to control a printer by codes in the way that the present invention teaches.
  • the document WO 97/28001 was published after the priority date of the present application. Thus, the document falls under Art. 54(3 (EPC).
  • the document discloses a printer for use with at least one cartridge of consumable material.
  • the printer includes communication means using an electomagnetic connection to an electric label on each cartridge. The communication is effected when a cartridge is inserted into the printer. Data is sent from the labels to the printer for optimizing the function of the printer.
  • the preamble of claim 1 is based on this document.
  • the present invention resolves the problem of setting the printer by affixing a code onto, or in connection with, materials to be used together with the printer.
  • the code may be read automatically or through a simple manipulation performed by the printer user.
  • an optimum setting of the printer is achieved fully automatically or semi-automatically. This means that a high print-out quality can be warranted.
  • the invention allows for quick and easy exchange of dye and receiver material with an automatic or semi-automatic optimal setting of the printer work parameters with regard to the dye as well as to the receiver material.
  • other printer functions such as data communication with peripheral equipment, and printing layout, can be controlled in a simple manner.
  • the present invention thus provides a printer including an arrangement for the automatic setting of printer parameters.
  • the printer includes a printing mechanism and a control unit for providing a print-out on a panting material with the aid of a dye.
  • an external code reader is connected to the control unit for reading a code for controlling at least one parameter of the printer.
  • the code may be associated with the printing material, the dye, a,printer means peripheral device, or a printing layout.
  • the present invention also provides materials intended for use together with such an arrangement.
  • the invention is defined in claim 1.
  • the printer 1 comprises a printing mechanism 2, perfomning the actual printing.
  • the printing mechanism is of the thermo-transfer type, i.e. the printing mechanism includes a printing head having heated points or dots (not shown).
  • the dots act on a heat-sensitive dye or transfer ribbon which transfers dye to a receiver material, normally paper, but synthetic materials are also commonly used.
  • the paper may be a single layer or comprise of a carrier or back paper carrying labels or tickets to be printed.
  • the receiver material may come in the form of a roll, loose sheets, or a continuous web.
  • the transfer ribbon is delivered as a roll which is fitted into the machine and wound past the printer head. Printing mechanisms of this type are well known in the trade and do not, as such, constitute any part of the invention.
  • thermo-transfer technology it is especially important that the transfer ribbon and the receiver material are adapted to each other.
  • the printing mechanism is controlled by a control unit 3 (CPU), which may be microprocessor based.
  • a code reader is used.
  • the code reader may be external 4, and be complemented by an internal code reader 5, or vice versa, as will be explained below.
  • the code reader reads a code, in the discussed example illustrated by a bar code 6 (Fig. 2), which is provided in connection with the transfer ribbon and the receiver material.
  • the code is pre-printed or affixed directly onto the start end of the dye ribbon roll and the roll of receiver material.
  • the internal code reader is utilised, reading the code at the beginning of the roll, before any print-out has been performed. Thereby, the printer is immediately set for optimum printing quality.
  • the printer according to the invention however includes also an external code reader 4, that may completely replace the internal code reader, e.g. if wanting to modemise an existing printer without a code reader.
  • the external code reader 4 may be used for reading from e.g. separate sheets comprising codes for various possible paper and dye ribbon qualities.
  • a printer manufacturer could for example enclose such a separate sheet with many different codes listing dye ribbon and printing material data from different manufacturers, in order to make his printer flexible and not to be confined to certain manufacturers. The materials manufacturer obtains the same advantage of increased flexibility, as his material will not be confined to a certain printer.
  • Another suitable location for affixing the code may be on a material packing. This is especially preferable when the printing material comes in sheets rather than on a roll, and when the dye consists of ink or dye powder that is not suitable in itself to carry the code.
  • the code may in this case be read either internally, if the package or a part thereof is fed into the reader, or be read by the external code reader.
  • a bar code is shown.
  • the advantage of the bar code is that a reliable reading is quickly and simply available.
  • Other optical codes are of course also possible, e.g. two-dimensional codes, colour codes, dot codes, matrix codes, etc.
  • magnetic codes and magnetic code readers are suitable for the present invention.
  • the magnetic code may be applied directly onto the material in question, or onto a label in the same manner as the above described bar code.
  • the magnetic code may also be provided on a plastic card and be read by an internal or external slot reader.
  • the code may also be provided in the form of a conductive metal layer for electronic reading.
  • the metal layers might preferably be arranged on the packaging for internal reading; compare film cartridges in minicameras.
  • Codes may also be read electronically by means of RF tags or RF labels. These consist of metal layers constituting electronic components. When subjected to a radio frequency magnetic field, caused by the code reader, they answer with a frequency comprising the code.
  • Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, where an RF tag 7 is positioned at the beginning of a roll of material 8, i.e. at the exterior end 9 of the roll.
  • the RF tag is read automatically by an integrated RF code reader.
  • an RF tag 10 may alternatively be positioned at the inner end 14 of the roll, i.e. adjacent the core 11, or support, upon which the material has been wound. As the reading is electronic, reading through the material can be performed without problems.
  • One advantage with this location is that the RF tag 10 is completely protected and there is no risk of it accidentally falling off or being torn off.
  • a further variant is to place an RF tag 12 directly on the outside of the core before winding the material on, or an RF tag 13 on the inside of the core 11.
  • the RF tag can be placed on the inside also when the material has already been wound onto the core.
  • the invention may also be applied to other types of printers.
  • Direct thermo-printers function in a similar manner to thermo-transfer printers but utilise no transfer ribbon. Instead, the printing head is allowed to apply heat directly onto a heat-sensitive paper.
  • Ink jet and laser printers use ink and carbon powder, respectively, as dye, which is supplied in cartridges.
  • the printers may need adjustment for writing on special materials, e.g. metal and plastic resins. Codes may be easily applied e.g. on the ink or carbon powder package, as mentioned above.
  • reader readers of different types that can be used with the present invention.
  • the most common types are contact readers, e.g. bar code pens, or distance readers, e.g. CCD readers and laser scanners, which may be fixed or hand held, and slot readers, being common with plastic cards but also usable for bar codes.
  • the external reader may be mounted on a stand, or be fixed in the form of an eye on the side of the printer, for reading by sliding the code past the eye at a suitable distance.
  • the readers as such do not constitute any part of the present invention.
  • the printer has been set mainly with regard to the print-out quality.
  • the invention is not intended to be limited to this only, but the reading may also be used for controlling the data communication between the printer and its peripheral equipment, such as baud rate and number of bits, and printing layouts.
  • the printing can thus be controlled by a simple reading of a code from a "ready-reckoner", best done using the external reader 4.
  • the code constitutes a command to the control unit or to an external computer, controlling the printing layout.

Landscapes

  • Accessory Devices And Overall Control Thereof (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Mirrors, Picture Frames, Photograph Stands, And Related Fastening Devices (AREA)

Claims (18)

  1. Drucker (1), enthaltend eine Anordnung zum automatischen Einstellen der Druckerparameter, wobei der Drucker (1) aufweist:
    einen Druckmechanismus (2) und eine Steuereinheit (3) zum Erzeugen eines Ausdruckes auf einem Druckmaterial mittels eines Farbstoffes und weiterhin enthaltend zumindest eine Codeleseeinrichtung (4, 5), welche mit der Steuereinheit (3) zum Lesen eines Codes verbunden ist, um zumindest einen Parameter des Druckers (1) zu steuern,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Drucker eine externe Codeleseeinheit (4) enthält, die mit der Steuereinheit (3) zum Lesen eines Codes von einem Gegenstand verbunden ist, um zumindest einen Parameter des Druckers (1) zu steuem.
  2. Drucker nach Anspruch 1,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass eine Codeleseeinheit (4, 5) angeordnet ist, um Hochfrequenzetiketten oder Hochfrequenzlabels zu erfassen.
  3. Drucker nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code mit dem Druckmaterial, dem Farbstoff oder einem Peripheriegerät des Druckers (1) oder mit einem Drucklayout verknüpft ist.
  4. Drucker nach einem der Ansprüche 1, 2 oder 3,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Codeleseeinheit (4, 5) eine optische Leseeinheit ist.
  5. Drucker nach Anspruch 4,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code ein Barcode, ein Punktcode, ein Matrixcode oder ein Farbcode ist.
  6. Drucker nach einem der Ansprüche 1, 2 oder 3,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Codeleseeinheit (4, 5) eine maghetische Leseeinheit ist und dass der Code ein magnetischer Code ist.
  7. Drucker nach einem der Ansprüche 1, 2 oder 3,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Codeleseeinheit (4, 5) eine elektronische Einheit ist und dass der Code elektronisch lesbar ist.
  8. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass eine weitere Codeleseeinheit (5) in das Druckmittel integriert ist.
  9. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code auf einem Druckmaterial oder einer Farbstoffpackung angeordnet ist.
  10. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code auf einer Farbstoffwalze angeordnet ist.
  11. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code auf einem Druckmaterial angeordnet ist.
  12. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Druckmaterial eine Rolle oder eine kontinuierliche Bahn ist.
  13. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code auf einem separaten Blatt angeordnet ist.
  14. Drucker nach einem, der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code auf einem Etikett angeordnet ist.
  15. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code auf einer Plastikkarte angeordnet ist.
  16. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code die Datenkommunikation des Druckmittels, beispielsweise die Baud-Rate oder die Zahl an Bits oder die Arbeitseinstellungen des Druckmittels, beispielsweise eine Temperatureinstellung für den Druckkopf steuert.
  17. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code einen Befehl zum Beeinflussen des Drucklayouts des Druckmittels enthält.
  18. Drucker nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Code einen Arbeitsbefehl für einen externen Computer bildet.
EP97934840A 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Anordnung zum automatischen einstellen von drucken und materialien dafür Expired - Lifetime EP0929403B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP00203281A EP1093930A3 (de) 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Anordnung zum automatischen Einstellen von drucken und Materialen dafür

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9602934A SE508004C2 (sv) 1996-08-07 1996-08-07 Arrangemang för automatisk inställning av printrar samt material därtill
SE9602934 1996-08-07
PCT/SE1997/001322 WO1998005508A1 (en) 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Arrangement for automatic setting of printers and materials therefor

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00203281A Division EP1093930A3 (de) 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Anordnung zum automatischen Einstellen von drucken und Materialen dafür

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0929403A1 EP0929403A1 (de) 1999-07-21
EP0929403B1 true EP0929403B1 (de) 2003-06-04

Family

ID=20403531

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97934840A Expired - Lifetime EP0929403B1 (de) 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Anordnung zum automatischen einstellen von drucken und materialien dafür
EP00203281A Withdrawn EP1093930A3 (de) 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Anordnung zum automatischen Einstellen von drucken und Materialen dafür

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00203281A Withdrawn EP1093930A3 (de) 1996-08-07 1997-08-04 Anordnung zum automatischen Einstellen von drucken und Materialen dafür

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (2) EP0929403B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE242127T1 (de)
DE (1) DE69722638T2 (de)
SE (1) SE508004C2 (de)
WO (1) WO1998005508A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6802659B2 (en) * 1996-08-07 2004-10-12 Mats Cremon Arrangement for automatic setting of programmable devices and materials therefor
US5877798A (en) * 1997-03-21 1999-03-02 Lexmark International Inc. Method and apparatus for automatically determining the style printhead installed in a laser printer
US6416154B1 (en) * 1997-07-12 2002-07-09 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Printing cartridge with two dimensional code identification
US7044589B2 (en) 1997-07-12 2006-05-16 Silverbrook Res Pty Ltd Printing cartridge with barcode identification
WO2000032406A1 (fr) * 1998-12-03 2000-06-08 Sony Corporation Systeme d'impression a transfert thermique
ATE248411T1 (de) * 1999-06-17 2003-09-15 Thales E Transactions S A Mensch- und maschinenschnittstellenverfahren und -vorrichtung für eine verarbeitungsvorrichtung für fahrkarten die einen magnetstreifen enthalten
US6409401B1 (en) * 2000-03-30 2002-06-25 Zih Corp. Portable printer with RFID encoder
CA2343853A1 (en) 2000-04-14 2001-10-14 Muga Mochizuki Semiconductor device, ink tank provided with such semiconductor device, ink jet cartridge, ink jet recording apparatus, method for manufacturing such semiconductor device, and communication system, method for controlling pressure, memory element, security system of ink jet recording apparatus
ATE372214T1 (de) * 2000-12-27 2007-09-15 Seiko Epson Corp Druckvorrichtung
GB2395593B (en) * 2002-11-21 2007-05-16 Hewlett Packard Co Apparatus for printing,data writing to memory tags and data reading from memory tags, and methods therefor
GB0230199D0 (en) 2002-12-24 2003-02-05 Esselte Nv Information on consumables
DE10344799A1 (de) 2003-09-26 2005-04-14 Ganymed Pharmaceuticals Ag Identifizierung von Oberflächen-assoziierten Antigenen für die Tumordiagnose und -therapie
FR2873222A1 (fr) 2004-07-13 2006-01-20 Neopost Ind Sa Systeme d'affranchissement a niveau d'encre controle
WO2018111239A1 (en) 2016-12-13 2018-06-21 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Three-dimensional printing

Citations (1)

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WO1997028001A1 (fr) * 1996-02-01 1997-08-07 Imaje S.A. Imprimante industrielle apte a recevoir au moins une cartouche de consommable

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GB9222460D0 (en) * 1992-10-26 1992-12-09 Hughes Microelectronics Europa Radio frequency baggage tag

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE242127T1 (de) 2003-06-15
WO1998005508A1 (en) 1998-02-12
SE9602934D0 (sv) 1996-08-07
SE508004C2 (sv) 1998-08-10
DE69722638D1 (de) 2003-07-10
EP1093930A3 (de) 2002-01-02
SE9602934L (sv) 1998-02-08
EP1093930A2 (de) 2001-04-25
DE69722638T2 (de) 2004-04-29
EP0929403A1 (de) 1999-07-21

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