JPH02146078A - Rewritable label and label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the rewritable label by forming a visible display label for an article from a material which changes between an invisible state and a visible state reversibly. CONSTITUTION:The label material which changes from the visible state to the visible state or vice versa is used. Namely, this label can use a mixed material containing one of a chalcogenide compound, an antimony compound, and a germanium compound which is a phase change material which varies in refractive index reversibly according to how heat is applied or a compound material of a perpendicular magnetism layer which changes in plane of polarization reversibly according to how a perpendicular magnetic field is applied and a polarizing layer. Consequently, the rewritable label is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a rewritable label attached to an article and a label printing device for such a label.

(Prior Art) Labels attached to the surface of articles are used for various purposes.

Taking a computer storage medium (floppy disk) as an example, it would be inconvenient to manage the disk if the index of the stored contents of the disk was not displayed visually, so the index was written by hand on the label and it was displayed. It is attached to the surface of the disc.

Another example of an item is a retail store item that has a barcode symbol. Barcode symbols are used for product management, such as entering product prices and registering sales information, but for products sold with in-store markings, the sales price may change depending on the product's sales status and time. be.

Furthermore, in recent years, POP (
More and more companies are adopting point-of-manufacture (point-of-manufacture) systems. The barcode used here contains data such as the supplier, product number, control number, packaging form, number of containers, process, and receiving location, and is used at each stage from the individual parts stage to the finished product being inspected and packaged. It collects real-time information and inputs it into a computer to check whether there are any errors in the parts used, the processes performed, etc.

Still further, mention may be made of magnetic cards such as Brebate cards, which are not labeled, but for which the use of the rewritable labels of the invention would be preferred.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventional floppy disk display labels are handwritten, so the writer's habits are reflected, and in some cases, they may be illegible, and the notation format may differ from person to person. Also, because the label is pasted, there are some differences in the pasting position, and if the contents of the floppy disk are rewritten, it becomes necessary to replace the label to change the display. For example, with a 5.25-inch floppy disk, there was a possibility of damaging the disk when replacing the label.

Therefore, in the conventional means, it is difficult to unify the display format and display position, and various inconveniences occur in other aspects as well.

Furthermore, in the case of products with barcodes, when changing sales charges, the barcode cannot be rewritten, so a new barcode must be created and pasted on the product again. In addition, in the case of source marking, a code is created in advance with a rewritable label on the package, etc.
By adding a rewriting processing device incorporating a laser or thermal print head to the barcode reader, it is possible to read product information from the barcode at the time of payment at the cash register and at the same time rewrite the label so that it can recognize that the payment has been completed. Especially in the case of very small purchases, there is no need to put them in plastic bags or put tape on them, which helps reduce operational costs and prevent shoplifting.However, conventional barcodes that cannot be rewritten I couldn't do something like this.

Furthermore, barcodes used in POP systems are created using different standards (barcode standards are not unified worldwide, so barcodes for the same part vary depending on the country). When using a component with a new barcode, a new barcode must be created, the old barcode must be peeled off, and the old barcode must be pasted, which requires a great deal of effort. In addition, if the barcodes of such parts are created using rewritable labels, the information updated at each process can be sent back from the computer to the individual products and the barcodes can be rewritten, ensuring that the product itself is always the same as it was at that point. It is possible to have the latest data, which allows for even more rigorous production and quality control, but 1. Conventional barcodes that cannot be rewritten cannot do this.

Furthermore, if we take a conventional magnetic card such as a BRIBATE card as an example, for the contents stored in the magnetic storage part of the card, an approximate guideline for the remaining power is displayed by the perforation or additional information is displayed using a heat-sensitive medium. There are very few cards that allow the user to visually confirm the number of cards remaining, and all of these cards are disposable because it is physically impossible to restore them to their initial state.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and provide a rewritable label.

Another main object of the present invention is to provide a label printing device that prints on rewritable labels.

A specific object of the present invention is to unify the display format and display position attached to a storage unit such as an IC card, a disk in which invisible storage such as magnetic storage or optical storage is performed, or a card. The goal is to provide rewritable labels that can be used.

Another specific object of the present invention is to improve the ability of product management in retail stores and parts management in POP systems by creating barcodes on rewritable labels.

Still another specific object of the present invention is that it can be applied to private cards to clearly display the number of usage points,
To provide a rewritable label that can make a private card reusable subject to repayment.

Still another specific object of the present invention is the above-mentioned storage unit,
To provide a label printing device for printing rewritable labels attached to products using barcodes and private cards.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a visible display label for articles, in which the label is formed of a material that reversibly changes into an invisible state/visible state and a pattern is formed. This uses a label that is characterized by being configured to be erasable and rewritable.

Further, the present invention provides a label printing device for printing on labels for articles, which includes erasing means for changing the label from a visible state to an invisible state, and writing means for changing the label from an invisible state to a visible state after erasure. This is a label printing device that is characterized by the following features.

Furthermore, in a label printing device, the present invention includes a storage means for storing label print data in advance, an erasing means for erasing a label based on a label printing mode in which label printing is performed, and a memory after erasing the label by the erasing means. The present invention employs a label printing device characterized by comprising: means for printing a label based on label printing data stored in the means.

(Example) First, to outline the characteristics of the label of the present invention, the label material is a material that reversibly changes into an invisible state/visible state. That is, the label material changes from an invisible state to a visible state, and from a visible state to an invisible state, and such a material may be a single material or a composite material. An example of such a material is a phase change material whose refractive index changes reversibly depending on how heat is applied.
For example, mixed materials containing chalcogenide compounds, antimony compounds, or germanium compounds), composite materials of MO layers (perpendicular magnetization layers) and polarizing layers whose plane of polarization changes reversibly depending on how a perpendicular magnetic field is applied, and materials with different wavelengths. It is a photochromic material (spiropyran-based material or fulgide-based material) whose absorbance (colorless to colored) changes reversibly by applying laser light.

In addition, labels are attached to articles by coating, by mixing the above-mentioned materials with the case (surface) material of the article, by sputtering, vapor deposition, and the like. With methods of forming the label part by coating or mixing, the inherent property of the material, whose refractive index changes reversibly through temperature control, tends to be difficult to demonstrate due to the presence of binders and other impurities. Since there are no impurities in this method, there are no such concerns and high print quality can be obtained. Further, there are advantages in that a desired material composition can be easily obtained with high precision and the film thickness can be controlled with high precision.

In addition, the contents displayed on the label include characters, symbols, figures,
It can be any suitable pattern, such as a bar code.

In addition, the items to which the label is attached include storage units such as IC cards, disks with invisible storage such as magnetic storage or optical storage, and cards (including private cards);
These are products (components) etc. to which barcodes are attached.

Other methods for erasing or printing labels include:
There are thermal heads, laser prints, laser beams with different wavelengths, etc. The laser printing method requires slightly more complicated and expensive equipment than using a thermal print head, but when it comes to writing, the beam spot diameter can be easily narrowed down to the level of a laser printer, resulting in beautiful printing quality with very high resolution. Obtainable. Furthermore, since printing can be performed without contacting the medium, the durability of the medium and the printing device itself can be significantly improved. Therefore, for high-end systems where cost is not a big concern, a method using a laser is effective from the viewpoint of reliability.

However, when it comes to erasing, it may take longer to narrow down the spot diameter, so we recommend using a two-beam laser and changing the spot diameter for writing and erasing, or using a thermal print head that uses a laser during writing and a thermal print head for erasing. You can also do that. Furthermore, even in the case of labels that do not require rewriting, it is possible to draw characters and patterns using the same medium and printing device. In other words, it can also be applied to write-once cards and labels.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, with particular reference to floppy disks and magnetic cards in which magnetic storage is performed as articles. A description will be given in relation to a label printing device incorporated in a floppy disk drive device that controls erasing, writing, etc. of a storage medium. Incorporating a label printing device into a floppy disk drive, etc. in this way requires a large number of functional units (computer,
This is preferable because the controller unit, key input unit, display unit, etc.) can be shared with such a floppy disk drive device. However, of course, the label printing device of the present invention may be constructed as a single unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a commonly used floppy disk, in which a floppy disk 10 is provided with a label portion 11. In this embodiment, a material whose refractive index changes reversibly depending on how heat is applied to the label portion (phase change material) is used, and the material is applied to the label portion or mixed with the case material, and sputtering is used. A label portion is formed by , vapor deposition, or the like. Examples of the materials mentioned above include antimontellulium, indium tellurium,
Germanium tellurium and mixed materials thereof are suitable, and although there are slight differences depending on the mixing ratio of these materials, printing can be performed at approximately 250°C (±20°C) and at approximately 170°C (±20°C).
It has been confirmed that the print is erased at a temperature of 20°C.

Currently, commonly used thermal heads can achieve temperatures of approximately 300°C or higher under no load, so the printing and erasing temperatures required for the present invention can be achieved by using commonly used thermal heads. It is something that can be fully generated. In addition, some high-power thermal heads can heat up to 500°C or more when no load is applied, so it is also possible to use materials with higher printing and erasing temperatures than those in the above embodiments. . Note that the label may be made of other reversibly invisible/visible materials as described above.

FIG. 2 shows the case where the present invention is applied to a floppy disk drive device (hereinafter referred to as FDD).
is a host computer, 22 is an interface section, 2
3 is a controller section, 24 is an FDD, 25 is a thermal print section, 26 is a key manual section, and 27 is a display screen.

The steps of loading a floppy disk on which a rewritable label section is formed as described above into the FDD storage section 24 and printing necessary information on the label section 11 according to instructions from the host computer 21 will be described below.

1) On the screen of the display unit 27, call up and confirm the list of file names, etc. stored on the floppy disk.

2) Referring to this screen, create print data such as a title and file name to be printed on the label of the floppy disk using the editor function of the host computer 21, and store it. Label printing data 1. It is encoded as an ASCII code or a bit pattern.

3) The host computer sends a control code corresponding to the label printing mode to the controller section 23 via the interface section 22. The control code is for distinguishing between a normal mode when operating as a normal floppy disk device and a label printing mode when operating to print on a label.

4) The controller unit 23 performs various controls according to the control code received, but when the control code for label printing mode is received, the controller unit 23 recognizes it and heats the thermal head of the thermal printer 25 to approximately 170°C. to erase the printing in a predetermined range of the label.

5) When the controller unit 23 confirms the completion of erasing, it sends a label print data transmission permission signal to the host computer 21.

6) The label printing data sent from the host computer 21 is converted into image data by the bit image converter built in the controller unit 23, and the thermal head is heated to about 250° C. in accordance with the printing data.
Predetermined printing is performed on a label portion formed on a floppy disk.

7) When the controller unit 23 confirms the end of printing, it sends a label printing end code signal to the host computer 21, and the label printing mode ends.

In the above description, the label section is configured to be repeatedly rewritten, but if the label does not need to be rewritten, a program that does not include an erasing step may be created using ordinary thermal paper as the label section. Furthermore, in this case, it is not necessarily necessary to use thermal printing means as the printing means.

Next, a telephone card as a private card will be explained as an example.

Conventionally, when a telephone card is inserted into a telephone, the current balance data is read by the magnetic card read/write section, processing is performed according to the user's operation, and the amount required for the current call is deducted and the remaining balance is restored. The data is magnetically recorded on the card by the magnetic card read/write unit. The remaining power can be visually displayed on the card by printing the power in a predetermined unit in advance and punching a hole in the vicinity of the area to display the approximate remaining power. However, the exact numbers could only be shown on the display of the phone when the phone card was inserted into the phone, and it was not possible to determine the exact numbers by looking at the card alone. .

By applying the technical idea of the present invention and using a telephone card in which a thermal printer is built into a telephone and a label section as described above is provided at an appropriate position on the card,
Since the remaining power data can be appropriately updated and printed on the card in the same manner as when applied to the above FDD, accurate remaining power information can be displayed on the telephone card alone.

In this case, as a means of displaying accurate remaining power information on the card alone, it is also possible to incorporate a memory function such as RAM into the card, read it out as necessary, and display it visually using a liquid crystal display means, etc. However, since this method requires that the power supply be built into the card, there are problems with the size, thickness, strength against bending, etc. of the card, and the method according to the present invention is better in such cases. This is suitable as it does not cause any problems.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a system in which the present invention is applied to a processing device having a magnetic storage read/write device for various cards. Similarly, by providing a thermal printer section in the system, necessary information can be displayed repeatedly and visually on a card having a temperature-erasable/rewritable label section.

If there is no need to rewrite the contents of the label part, it is the same as above that normal thermal recording paper is used as the label part to permanently print it, and it is not necessarily necessary to use a thermal/printer as the printer part. .

Note that the functional units indicated by reference numerals 31 to 37 in FIG. 3 are the same as F in FIG.
The functional units are the same as those shown by reference numerals 21 to 27 except for the DD storage unit 24.

Next, referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the functional units indicated by reference numerals 41 to 47 and 51 to 57 in FIGS. 4 and 5 are the same as those shown in FIG. They are the same as the functional units indicated by numerals 31 to 37 except for the numeral 35.

That is, in FIG. 4, a laser print section is used instead of the thermal print section.

Furthermore, in FIG. 5, a print section 55 consisting of a laser for writing and a thermal head for erasing is used in place of the thermal print section.

Using a laser print instead of a thermal print head in this way makes it possible to obtain high-resolution printing, and since erasing is unrelated to resolution, the thermal head can also be used just for erasing. .

A detailed explanation will be given below of the operation when the former side, in which a laser print section is used instead of such a thermal print section, is applied to a processing device for magnetic cards such as telephone cards.

1) When a magnetic card is inserted into the magnetic card read/write unit 44, the remaining power data stored in the magnetic stripe portion of the card is read and displayed on the display screen 47. At the same time, data is sent to the host computer 41 via the controller section 43 and interface section 42.

2) The host computer 41 performs processing (processing of subtracting the current usage power) according to the user's operation (using the key power 46), and temporarily stores data representing the calculated remaining power. The label print data is encoded into an ASCII code or a bit pattern.

3) The host computer 41 sends a control code corresponding to the label printing mode to the controller section 43 via the interface 42. The control code is for distinguishing between a normal mode when operating as a normal magnetic read/write device and a label printing mode when operating to print on a label.

4) The controller unit 43 performs various controls according to the control code received. When the control code for label printing mode is received, the controller unit 43 recognizes it and controls the laser in the laser print unit 45 to a predetermined erasing power and pulse cycle. Old printing is erased by scanning the label with a drive and heating the label.

5) When the controller unit 43 confirms the completion of erasing, it sends a label print data transmission permission signal to the host computer 41.

6) The label printing data sent from the host computer 41 is converted into image data by the bit image converter built in the controller section 43, and the laser is activated at a predetermined recording power and pulse cycle in the laser printing section 45 in accordance with the printing data. The card is scanned by the drive and a predetermined print is made on the label portion formed on the card.

7) When the controller unit 43 confirms the end of printing, it sends a label printing end code signal to the host computer 41 and ends the label printing mode.

In this embodiment, by adding appropriate software to the processing device side, it is possible to rewrite and print not only the data stored in the magnetic stripe area as print data but also information for card users, commercials, and other data as needed. is also possible.

Next, a case in which an MO film (layer) among the materials of the present invention is used will be described with reference to FIG. The medium can be formed directly on the base layer 65 by sputtering or vapor deposition. A layer 63 of a polarizing film is provided on the top of the MO layer 64 for extracting a specific polarized light from the natural light incident on the MO layer 64, and a protective layer 62 is provided thereon. base layer 65
The lower magnetic recording layer 66 is a portion where various data are written and read by a magnetic recording head, and a protective layer 67 is provided on the surface.

When natural light passes through the polarizing layer 63, only polarized light in a specific direction reaches the MO layer 64 and is reflected.

When the MO layer 64 is in the magnetization direction of the film in the normal erasing state, the angle of the polarization plane remains unchanged and passes through the polarizing layer 63 as it is, and the magnetization direction of the MO layer 64 in the part where characters etc. are written is the same as in the erasing state. The MO layer 64 is set so that when the direction of magnetization is opposite to the magnetization direction, the polarization plane of the reflected light and the polarization plane of the incident light change due to the Kerr effect and cannot pass through the polarizing layer 63.The MO layer 64 has a large Kerr rotation angle. The sharper the contrast of characters, etc.

In order to reverse the magnetization direction of the MO layer 64, an electromagnetic coil 60 for exciting a reversible perpendicular magnetic field or a mechanically reversible permanent magnet and a thermal print head or laser for heating the perpendicularly magnetized film are required. It is. However, when using a laser, it is necessary to narrow down the beam to some extent using an optical system. Although there are some changes depending on the composition of the MO layer, it has been confirmed that in order to reverse the magnetization direction of a perpendicularly magnetized film, it is necessary to heat it to about 200°C and apply a perpendicular magnetic field in the opposite direction of about 200 degrees or more. ing. It has been confirmed that these conditions can be sufficiently achieved by a combination of a thermal print head, a laser, an electromagnetic coil, or a permanent magnet.

Next, to outline phase change materials and photochromic materials, phase change materials are materials that change to a crystalline state by slow cooling and to an amorphous state by rapid cooling.
Therefore, it is a material whose refractive index (and thus reflectance) changes. A photochromic material is a material whose absorbance changes so that it becomes colored when excited by light of a certain wavelength, and becomes colorless when the excitation is stopped by light of another wavelength.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the label printing device of the present invention can be configured independently as described above, rather than together with an FDD or magnetic card drive device.

In particular, for articles with barcodes attached, it is necessary to have a stand-alone configuration. In that case, the aforementioned FDD storage unit,
The magnetic card read/write device section is omitted.

(Effects of the Invention) Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

When applied to FDDs, (1) label display can be controlled on the computer screen, saving time and effort for label display. (2) Since printed characters and positions can be unified, misinterpretation of displayed content is eliminated. (3) There is no need to replace the label, so it does not damage the disc. (4) Automatic display is possible by adding software, eliminating problems such as forgetting to attach a label. (5) It becomes easy to respond to changes in the contents of the disc.

Also, if applied to cards such as Bripay Card,
Necessary information such as remaining power can be displayed accurately and visually with just the card, and the magnetically recorded contents can be easily grasped. It is also possible to make reusable cards subject to repayment.

Furthermore, for articles to which barcodes are attached, efficiency and control of product management and parts management at POP can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floppy disk. 2 through 5 are block circuit diagrams of preferred embodiments of the label printing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a material using an MO layer. 10... Floppy disk, 11... Label part of floppy disk, 21.31
．． 41.51...Host computer. 22.32.42.52...Interface part, 2
3.33.43.53... Controller section, 24...
FDD storage unit. 34.44.54...Magnetic card read/write section,
25.35... Thermal printer department, 45... Laser print department, 55... Print department, 26.36.46.56... Key personnel department, 27.37
．． 47.57... Display section, 63... Polarizing layer, 64... MO layer. The description of amendments to the drawings and drawings shall be amended as follows. April 13, 1999 1, Display of the case 1999 Patent Application No. 58420 4, Agent 5, Date of amendment order 6, Detailed explanation of the invention in the specification to be amended

Claims (18)

[Claims] (1) A visible display label for articles, characterized in that the label is made of a material that reversibly changes between an invisible state and a visible state so that the pattern can be erased and rewritable. (2) The label according to claim 1, wherein the material is a phase change material whose refractive index changes reversibly depending on how heat is applied. (3) The label according to claim 2, wherein the phase change material is a mixed material containing any one of a chalcogenide compound, an antimony compound, and a germanium compound. (4) The label according to claim 1, wherein the material is a composite material of an MO layer and a polarizing layer whose plane of polarization changes depending on how a perpendicular magnetic field is applied. (5) The label according to claim 4, wherein the MO layer is an alloy containing a rare earth and a transition metal. (6) The label according to claim 1, wherein the material is a photochromic material whose absorbance changes by applying light of different wavelengths. (7) The label according to claim 6, wherein the material is a spiropyran material or a fulgide material. (8) A label according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the label is applied to the article by coating, mixing into the surface material of the article, sputtering or vapor deposition. (9) The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the article is an IC card, a disk with invisible storage such as magnetic storage or optical storage, a storage unit such as a card, or a bar code. A label characterized by being a product to which is attached. (10) A label printing device for printing on labels for articles, including erasing means for changing the label from a visible state to an invisible state, and writing means for changing the label from an invisible state to a visible state after erasing. Features of label printing equipment. (11) The label printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the erasing means and writing means are thermal printers. (12) The label printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the erasing means and writing means are laser printers. (13) The label printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the erasing means is a thermal head and the writing means is a laser printer. (14) The label printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the erasing means is a laser diode that emits laser light of a certain wavelength, and the writing means is a laser diode that emits laser light of a different wavelength. Label printing device. (15) In the label printing device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, the article is a storage unit such as an IC card, a disk or card on which invisible storage such as magnetic storage or optical storage is performed. . A label printing device, characterized in that a label printing means comprising the erasing means and the writing means is provided in close proximity to a drive section of the article. (16) In the label printing device according to claims 10 to 15, the label printing device erases the storage medium of the article itself.
A label printing device characterized in that it is incorporated in a device that performs writing, etc. (17) In a label printing device, a storage means for storing label print data in advance, an erasing means for erasing a label based on a label printing mode in which label printing is performed, and after the label is erased by the erasing means, the data is stored in the storage means. 1. A label printing device comprising: means for printing a label based on label printing data. (18) The label printing device according to claim 17, wherein the label printing device is incorporated in a device that performs erasing, writing, etc. on a storage medium of the article itself.