TAPE PRINTER, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TAPE PRINTER, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20110142519A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TSUKUDA, Hideyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/967,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20110142519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/76
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication

Abstract

A tape printer printing an image on a tape, the tape printer includes: an operation accepting section accepting an entry operation; a display section performing screen display based on the entry operation accepted by the operation accepting section; an illuminating section illuminating the display section; a control section controlling the operation of the tape printer; and a printing section printing the image based on an entered character string on the tape, wherein while the printing section performs printing based on the entry operation, the control section switches a mode to the first power-saving mode in which the illuminating section is turned off.

Claims

1. A tape printer printing an image on a tape, the tape printer comprising:

an operation accepting section accepting an entry operation;

a display section performing screen display based on the entry operation accepted by the operation accepting section;

an illuminating section illuminating the display section;

a control section controlling the operation of the tape printer; and

a printing section printing the image based on an entered character string on the tape,

wherein

while the printing section performs printing based on the entry operation, the control section switches a mode to a first power-saving mode in which the illuminating section is turned off.

2. The tape printer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply circuit switching a power supply of the tape printer on and off,

wherein

the control section switches a mode to the first power-saving mode in which the illuminating section is turned off when the operation accepting section does not accept any entry operation for a first period, and switches a mode to a second power-saving mode in which the power supply of the power supply circuit is turned off when the operation accepting section does not accept any entry operation for a second period which is longer than the first period.

3. The tape printer according to claim 1, wherein

the control section switches a mode to a third power-saving mode in which the screen display of the display section is stopped when the operation accepting section does not accept any entry operation for a third period which is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period.

4. The tape printer according to claim 3, further comprising:

a period changing section changing at least one of the first period, the second period, and the third period according to a predetermined entry operation accepted by the operation accepting section.

5. A method for controlling a tape printer including a display section performing screen display based on an entry operation, an illuminating section illuminating the display section, and a printing section printing an image based on an entered character string on a tape, the method comprising:

(a) accepting an entry operation;

(b) switching a mode to the first power-saving mode in which the illuminating section is turned off, while the printing section prints the image based on the entry operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

(c) switching a mode to the first power-saving mode in which the illuminating section is turned off when no entry operation is accepted for the first period in the step (a); and

(d) switching a mode to a second power-saving mode in which the power supply of the power supply circuit is turned off when no entry operation is accepted for a second period in the step (a), the second period which is longer than the first period.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

(e) switching a mode to a third power-saving mode in which the screen display of the display section is stopped when the step (a) does not accept any entry operation for a third period which is longer than the first period and shorter than the second period.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

(f) changing at least one of the first period, the second period, and the third period according to a predetermined entry operation accepted by the step (a).

9. A computer program product for making a computer execute the steps of the method for controlling a tape printer according to claim 5.