Printing/processing system, printing device, processing device, printing/processing apparatus, method for controlling printing/processing system, program, and storage medium

• US 20060222429A1
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kurashina, Hiroyasu
• Application Number:
  US11/371,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20060222429A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/76
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0025 Handling copy materials differing in width
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/009 Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0095 Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/666 Cutting partly, e.g. cutting only the uppermost layer of a multiple-layer printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/32 for printing in Braille or with keyboards specially adapted for use by blind or disabled persons
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/44 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/50 Mechanisms producing characters by printing and also producing a record by other means , e.g. printer combined with RFID writer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/51 the printed and recorded information being identical; using type elements with code-generating means

Abstract

A printing/processing system includes a printing mechanism performing a printing operation on a processing sheet; a processing mechanism performing a processing operation on the printed processing sheet; and a memory device into which the printing mechanism writes information and from which the processing mechanism reads information. The printing mechanism includes an input unit for inputting printing information for performing the printing operation and processing information for allowing the processing mechanism to execute the processing operation; an information-writing unit that writes process data into the memory device in correspondence with process-specifying data provided for specifying the process data, the process data being a control program and/or control data based on the input processing information; and a printing unit that prints print data and the process-specifying data on the processing sheet, the print data corresponding to the input printing information. The processing mechanism includes a reading unit that reads the process-specifying data printed on the processing sheet; an information-readout unit that refers to the memory device and reads out the process data corresponding to the read process-specifying data from the memory device; and a processing unit that performs the processing operation based on the read process data.

Claims

1. A printing/processing system comprising:

a printing mechanism performing a printing operation on a processing sheet;

a processing mechanism performing a processing operation on the printed processing sheet; and

a memory device into which the printing mechanism writes information and from which the processing mechanism reads information,

wherein the printing mechanism includes;

an input unit for inputting printing information for performing the printing operation and processing information for allowing the processing mechanism to execute the processing operation;

an information-writing unit that writes process data into the memory device in correspondence with process-specifying data provided for specifying the process data, the process data being a control program and/or control data based on the input processing information; and

a printing unit that prints print data and the process-specifying data on the processing sheet, the print data corresponding to the input printing information,

wherein the processing mechanism includes;

a reading unit that reads the process-specifying data printed on the processing sheet;

an information-readout unit that refers to the memory device and reads out the process data corresponding to the read process-specifying data from the memory device; and

a processing unit that performs the processing operation based on the read process data.

2. The printing/processing system according to claim 1, wherein the process-specifying data is an optically readable code.

3. The printing/processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing sheet includes an information formation layer on which the printing operation is performed, and a release layer attached to a rear surface of the information formation layer,

wherein the printing mechanism further includes a half-cutting unit that half-cuts the processing sheet in a width direction thereof in a manner such that the information formation layer is cut along a position proximate a leading end or a trailing end of the processing sheet with respect to a conveying direction of the processing sheet, the information formation layer thus being given a non-printing region in which the print data is not printed, and

wherein the printing unit prints the process-specifying data in the non-printing region.

4. The printing/processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing operation performed on the processing sheet by the processing unit includes a braille-embossing operation and/or a text cutout operation.

5. The printing/processing system according to claim 1, wherein the memory device is included in a personal computer, and

wherein the printing mechanism and the processing mechanism are independent of each other, and each includes a communication unit that communicates with the personal computer.

6. The printing/processing system according to claim 5, wherein the personal computer also functions as the input unit and the information-writing unit.

7. A printing device functioning as the printing mechanism included in the printing/processing system according to claim 1.

8. The printing device according to claim 7, wherein the memory device is included in the printing device, and

wherein the printing device includes a communication unit that communicates with the processing mechanism.

9. A processing device functioning as the processing mechanism included in the printing/processing system according to claim 1.

10. The processing device according to claim 9, wherein the memory device is included in the processing device, and

wherein the processing device includes a communication unit that communicates with the printing mechanism.

11. A printing/processing apparatus having a single housing in which the printing mechanism, the processing mechanism, and the memory device included in the printing/processing system according to claim 1 are disposed.

12. A method for controlling a printing/processing system that performs a printing operation on a processing sheet and a processing operation on the processing sheet, the method comprising:

obtaining printing information for performing the printing operation and processing information for performing the processing operation;

writing process data into a memory device in correspondence with process-specifying data provided for specifying the process data, the process data being a control program and/or control data based on the obtained processing information;

printing print data and the process-specifying data on the processing sheet, the print data corresponding to the obtained printing information;

reading the process-specifying data printed on the processing sheet;

reading out the process data corresponding to the read process-specifying data by referring to the memory device; and

performing the processing operation based on the read process data.

13. A program for allowing a computer to implement the steps included in the method for controlling the printing/processing system according to claim 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing the program according to claim 13.