Printing Apparatus and Printing Method

• US 20070187508A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TAKAYAMA, Shoji
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding

Abstract

There is provided a printing apparatus including: an image creating device which creates a plurality of two-dimensional code images; an interval setting device which sets an interval between the plurality of two-dimensional code images; and a printing device which prints the plurality of two-dimensional code images having the interval set therebetween by the interval setting device.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

an image creating device which creates a plurality of two-dimensional code images;

an interval setting device which sets an interval between the plurality of two-dimensional code images; and

a printing device which prints the plurality of two-dimensional code images having the interval set therebetween by the interval setting device.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the interval setting device secures a margin necessary for the two-dimensional code images and includes a plurality of alternatives by which the interval is selected and set to make the two-dimensional code images fall within a printing medium.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of two-dimensional code images are formed of a plurality of divided two-dimensional code images resulting from division of a series of input data.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of two-dimensional code images are formed of a plurality of divided two-dimensional code images resulting from division of a series of input data and formed of a single two-dimensional code image.

5. A printing method comprising:

an image creating step of creating a plurality of two-dimensional code images;

an interval setting step of setting an interval between the plurality of two-dimensional code images; and

a printing step of printing the plurality of two-dimensional code images having the interval set therebetween by the interval setting step.

6. A printing apparatus comprising:

a divided two-dimensional code image creating device which divides a series of input data into plural units and codes the same to create a plurality of divided two-dimensional code images having position marks indicative of the positions thereof,

a code image rotating device which individually rotates the created plurality of divided two-dimensional code images by any rotation angle including zero degree, and

a printing device which prints the rotated plurality of divided two-dimensional code images in a state in which they are arranged side by side.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the code image rotating device comprises:

a rotation angle setting device which sets respective rotation angles of the plurality of divided two-dimensional code images to be rotated; and

a rotation executing device which rotates the respective divided two-dimensional code images based on the rotation angles set by the rotation angle setting device.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the rotation angle setting device is configured so as to set the rotation angles before the divided two-dimensional code image creating device creates the plurality of divided two-dimensional code images.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the rotation angle setting device further comprises the rotation angles set when the last divided two-dimensional code images are created, as alternatives of the rotation angles.

10. A printing apparatus comprising:

a divided two-dimensional code image creating device which divides a series of input data into plural units and codes the same to create a plurality of divided two-dimensional code images; and

a printing device which prints the plurality of divided two-dimensional code images and an indication image representing the plurality of divided two-dimensional code images as the series of input data, the indication image being provided to the plurality of divided two-dimensional code images.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the indication image refers to a frame image surrounding the plurality of divided two-dimensional code images in whole.

12. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the indication image refers to a plurality of character images provided to the respective divided two-dimensional code images.

13. A printing method in which a series of input data is divided into plural units and then coded to create a plurality of divided two-dimensional code images having position marks indicative of the positions thereof and the created plurality of divided two-dimensional code images are printed, wherein

the created plurality of divided two-dimensional code images are individually rotated by any rotation angle including zero degree.