Thermal transfer sheet, thermal transfer recording method, and thermal transfer recording system

• US 20020140799A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hideichiro Takeda, Kazunori Yokouchi, Kensuke Shinozaki, Taketomo Katai
• Original Assignee: Hideichiro Takeda, Kazunori Yokouchi, Kensuke Shinozaki, Taketomo Katai
• Inventors: Takeda, Hideichiro, Shinozaki, Kensuke, Yokouchi, Kazunori, Katai, Taketomo
• Granted Patent: US 6,773,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/218
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/38207 characterised by aspects not provided for in groups B41M5/385 - B41M5/395

Abstract

A thermal transfer sheet is equipped with an approval information of being approved as applicable to the predetermined printer. When the thermal transfer sheet is set on a printer and a determinator determines that the approval information is correct for the printer, the printer is interlocked with the determinator to actuate in the state where the thermal transfer sheet is set thereon. A front part of a thermal transfer sheet may be provided with a mark coded from the approval information. The mark may be formed of a material detectable with the light in a visible region or invisible region, a magnetic material, an electrically conductive material, a material responsive to microwave or a resonance circuit. The approval information may be recorded on an approval card, a resonance circuit or IC card which makes a pair with a thermal transfer sheet. In addition, a host system as a determinator may be connected to a facsimile as a printer via a communication circuit.

Claims

1. A thermal transfer sheet which comprises an approval information of being approved as applicable to the predetermined printer.

2. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein a mark coded from the approval information is provided on a front part of the thermal transfer sheet.

3. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 2, wherein the mark is formed on the thermal transfer sheet.

4. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 2, wherein the mark is formed on a lead film connected to a front end of the thermal transfer sheet.

5. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 2, wherein the mark is an invisible mark not detectable with the visible light.

6. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 5, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by absorbing or emitting in response to an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray.

7. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 5, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by changing electromagnetic properties in response to a microwave.

8. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 5, wherein the invisible mark contains a magnetic material.

9. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 5, wherein the invisible mark contains an electrically conductive material.

10. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 2, wherein the mark is a circuit which makes a resonance with the received high frequency wave to transmit an echo wave corresponding to the approval information.

11. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 2, wherein the mark is detectable with the visible light.

12. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein an approval card is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one, and the number of usable image planes and an invisible mark coded from the approval information are recorded on the approval card.

13. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 12, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by absorbing or emitting in response to an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray.

14. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 12, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by changing electromagnetic properties in response to a microwave.

15. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein a resonance circuit is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one and, the resonance circuit makes a resonance with the received high frequency wave to transmit an echo wave corresponding to the number of usable image planes and the approval information.

16. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein an IC card having an integrated circuit is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one and, on the integrated circuit, the number of usable image planes is electrically recorded in advance and at the same time a code showing the approval information is recorded.

17. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 16, wherein the integrated circuit of the IC card can record the remaining number of usable image planes obtained by subtracting the actually used number of image planes from the original number of usable image numbers every thermal transfer.

18. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein the approval information is an approval code which is registered in a host system capable of being accessed via a communication circuit.

19. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 18, wherein the approval code is an approval number.

20. A method of thermal transfer recording which comprises:

setting a thermal transfer sheet provided with an approval information of being approved as applicable to the predetermined printer on a printer;

confirming the approval information from a determinator; and

,

when the determinator determines that the approval information is correct for the printer, interlocking the printer with the determinator to actuate in the state where the thermal transfer sheet is set thereon.

21. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 20, wherein the mark coded from the approval information is provided on a front part of the thermal transfer sheet and, the approval information is determined by making the determinator detect the mark.

22. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 21, wherein the mark is formed on the thermal transfer sheet.

23. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 21, wherein the mark is formed on a lead film connected to a front end of the thermal transfer sheet.

24. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 21, wherein the mark is an invisible mark not detectable with the visible light.

25. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 24, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by absorbing or emitting in response to an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray.

26. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 24, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by changing electromagnetic properties in response to a microwave.

27. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 24, wherein the invisible mark contains a magnetic material.

28. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 24, wherein the invisible mark contains an electrically conductive material.

29. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 21, wherein the mark is a circuit which makes a resonance with the received high frequency wave to transmit an echo wave corresponding to the approval information.

30. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 21, wherein the mark is detectable by the visible light.

31. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 20, wherein an approval card on which the number of usable image planes and an invisible mark which is coded from the approval information are recorded is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one and, the approval information is determined by mounting the approval card on a card reader as the determinator to detect the invisible mark.

32. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 31, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by absorbing or emitting in response to an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray.

33. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 31, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by changing electromagnetic properties in response to a microwave.

34. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 20, wherein a resonance circuit which makes a resonance with the received high frequency wave to transmit an echo wave corresponding to the number of usable image planes and the approval information is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one, and the approval information is determined by mounting the resonance circuit on a reader as the determinator, transmitting an electromagnetic wave having the predetermined frequency to the resonance circuit, and making the reader detect an echo wave from the resonance circuit in response to the electromagnetic wave.

35. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 20, wherein an IC card having an integrated circuit on which the number of usable image planes is electrically recorded in advance and at the same time a code showing the approval information is recorded is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one, and the approval information is determined by mounting the IC card on a card reader as the determinator, sending the predetermined signal to the IC card, and making the card reader detect a signal produced from the integrated circuit of the IC card in response to the signal.

36. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 35, wherein the integrated circuit of the IC card can record the remaining number of usable image planes by subtracting the actually used number from the original number of usable image planes every thermal transfer and, when the card reader detects the signal produced from the integrated circuit of the IC card to determine that the approval information is correct for the printer and the actually used number of image planes dose not exceed the original number of usable image planes, the printer is actuated.

37. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 20, wherein an approval code showing the approval information is given to the thermal transfer sheet and, when the thermal transfer sheet is set on a facsimile apparatus as the printer, the facsimile apparatus is connected to a host system as the determinator via a communication circuit, the approval code is input in the host system via a communication circuit to be confirmed and the host system determines that the approval information is correct for the facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus is interlocked with the host system to make receivable and recordable.

38. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 37, wherein the approval code is an approval number.

39. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 37, wherein the approval code input in the host system is determined by checking with a list of approval codes pre-registered in the host system.

40. The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 37, wherein a correct approval code input in the host system is not reused.

41. A thermal transfer recording system comprising a printer and a determinator,

wherein an approval information of being approved as applicable to a printer, which has been given to a thermal transfer sheet in advance, is confirmed from the determinator,

when the determinator determines that the approval information is correct for the printer, the printer is interlocked with the determinator to actuate in the state where the thermal transfer sheet is set thereon.

42. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 41, wherein a mark coded from the approval information is provided at a front part of the thermal transfer sheet, and the determinator detects the mark to determine the approval information.

43. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 42, wherein the mark is formed on a thermal transfer sheet.

44. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 42, wherein the mark is formed on a lead film connected to a front end of the thermal transfer sheet.

45. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 42, wherein the mark is an invisible mark not detectable with the visible light.

46. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 45, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by absorbing or emitting in response to an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray.

47. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 45, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by changing electromagnetic properties in response to a microwave.

48. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 45, wherein the invisible mark contains a magnetic material.

49. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 45, wherein the invisible mark contains an electrically conductive material.

50. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 42, wherein the mark is a circuit which makes a resonance with the received high frequency wave to transmit an echo wave corresponding to the approval information.

51. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 42, wherein the mark is detectable by the visible light.

52. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 41, wherein an approval card on which the number of usable image planes and an invisible mark which is coded from the approval information are recorded is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one, and the card reader as the determinator detects the invisible mark to determine the approval information.

53. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 52, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by absorbing or emitting in response to an ultraviolet ray or an infrared ray.

54. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 52, wherein the invisible mark is detectable by changing electromagnetic properties in response to a microwave.

55. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 41, wherein a resonance circuit which makes a resonance with the received high frequency wave to transmit an echo wave corresponding to the number of usable image planes and the approval information is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one, and a reader as the determinator detects an echo wave produced from the resonance circuit in response to a transmitted electromagnetic wave having the predetermined frequency to determine the approval information.

56. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 41, wherein an IC card having an integrated circuit on which the number of usable image planes is electrically recorded in advance and at the same time a code showing the approval information is recorded is combined with the thermal transfer sheet at one versus one, and the card reader as the determinator detects a signal produced from an integrated circuit of the IC card in response to the predetermined signal sent to the IC card to determine the approval information.

57. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 56, wherein when the card reader detects the signal produced from an integrated circuit in an IC card and determines that the approval information is correct for the printer and that the actually used number of image planes dose not exceed the original number of usable image planes, the printer is interlocked with the card reader to actuate in the state where the thermal transfer sheet is set thereon, and at the same time,

the actually used number of image planes is successively subtracted from the original number of usable image planes and the remaining number of usable image planes is recorded on an integrated circuit of the IC card.

58. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 41,

wherein a facsimile as the printer and a host system as the determinator are connected via a communication circuit and at the same time an approval code showing the approval information is given to the thermal transfer sheet in advance,

the approval code is input in the host system via a communication circuit to be confirmed, and

when the host system determines that the approval information is correct for the facsimile apparatus, the facsimile apparatus is interlocked with the host system to become receivable and recordable.

59. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 58, wherein the approval code is an approval number.

60. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 58, wherein the approval code input on the host system is determined by checking with a list of approval codes pre-registered in the host system.

61. The thermal transfer recording system according to claim 58, wherein a correct approval code input in the host system is not reused.