Apparatus having a printer unit

• US 20010030691A1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakata, Koichi, Higuchi, Yoshinari, Ishimitsu, Hajime, Morikawa, Seiichi, Ishihara, Junya
• Granted Patent: US 7,068,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2132 Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00899 Detection of supply level or supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer

Abstract

A stable condition for a printing operation regarding an apparatus having a printer unit and a battery unit, eliminating problems related to lack of a battery power during the printing operation performed by the battery, specifically for a portable apparatus using the battery, is obtained by an apparatus having the printer unit in which the printing operation is performed by processing data inputted from outside an embodiment thereof and/or data stored therein, in which the apparatus having the printer unit can be activated by the battery and perform communication with the battery so that, based on received information related to the remaining power of the battery as well as calculating the printing enabling power based on, for example, temperatures outside and/or inside the apparatus and the amount of data to be printed out, the remaining power of the battery is compared with the printing enabling power and, if the remaining power of the battery is lower than the printing enabling power, then a condition of inability of execution of printing operation is established and informed to a user in order to restrain printing action.

Claims

1. Apparatus having a printer unit, a battery unit and a main body unit, wherein

said apparatusprinter unit performs a printing operation of data inputted from outside or data stored in said main body unit,

said battery unit provides power supply to said printer unit, and

said main body unit including said printer unit, wherein

said main body unit receives information related to a remaining power of said battery unit through communication with said battery unit, calculates a printing enabling power required for said printing operation, compares said remaining power of the battery with said printing enabling power before performing said printing operation, and informs a user about inability of said printing operation when said remaining power of the battery is lower than said printing enabling power.

2. Apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said printing enabling power is calculated based on external and internal temperatures of said apparatus, and an amount of data to be printed out.

3. Apparatus according to

claim 1

in which, when the inability of said printing operation is determined, a warning action is performed.

4. Apparatus according to

claim 1

in which, when the inability of said printing operation is determined, a warning action is performed and said printing operation is restrained.

5. Apparatus according to

claim 1

in which, when the inability of said printing operation is determined, said printing operation is restrained.

6. Apparatus according to

claim 1

in which, when the inability of said printing operation is determined, said printing operation is restrained and a message is provided in order to notify a user on the inability of said printing operation.

7. Method of controlling a printer unit receiving a power supply from a battery unit, comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to a remaining power of said battery unit,

calculating a printing enabling power required for a printing operation of said printer unit,

comparing said remaining power of said battery unit with said printing enabling power before performing said printing operation, and

informing a user about a condition of inability of said printing operation when said remaining power of the battery is lower than said printing enabling power.