PRINT DATA GENERATION APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140139867A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: MORIYAMA, Satoru, KANDA, Mitsuhiro, ISHIDA, Minako
• Granted Patent: US 9,373,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A print data generation apparatus generating print data includes a processor, and a memory configured to store a database having a plurality of records in which texts are respectively set for fields, template data which is associated with one of operation keys and in which at least arrangement positions of the texts to be printed are set, link information associating arrangement positions in the template data with the fields of the database, and computer-readable instructions instructing the processor to execute steps including detecting operation of the operation keys, selecting, from among the plurality of records of the database, the record to be used for printing, and generating print data such that the texts that are respectively set for the fields of the selected record are arranged in the arrangement positions associated with the fields by link information, by using the template data corresponding to the operated operation key.

Claims

1. A print data generation apparatus generating print data to print texts on a print medium by a printing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a database having a plurality of records in which texts are respectively set for fields, template data which is associated with one of operation keys for receiving an operation from a user and in which at least arrangement positions of the texts to be printed on the print medium are set, link information associating arrangement positions in the template data with the fields of the database, and computer-readable instructions that instruct the processor to execute steps comprising;

detecting operation of the operation keys by the user;

selecting, from among the plurality of records of the database, the record to be used for printing; and

generating, when it is detected that one of the operation keys has been operated by the user, print data such that the texts that are respectively set for the fields of the selected record are arranged in the arrangement positions that are associated with the fields by the link information, by using the template data corresponding to the operated operation key in accordance with the link information.

2. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selecting of the record to be used for printing includes selecting the record to be used for printing in accordance with a number of times of operation of the operation key.

3. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selecting of the record to be used for printing includes selecting the record to be used for printing in accordance with a state in which a selection key is operated, the selection key being included among the operation keys and being used to select the record to be used for printing from among the plurality of records of the database.

4. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to execute steps comprising:

determining, when it is detected that one of the operation keys has been operated by the user, whether the template data corresponding to the operated operation key is the template data in which the arrangement positions and the fields are associated by the link information; and

second generating the print data to print, on the print medium, the texts that are set in advance in the template data that corresponds to the operated operation key when it is determined that the template data corresponding to the operated operation key is not the template data in which the arrangement positions and the fields are associated by the link information, and wherein

the generating of the print data by arranging the texts in the arrangement positions associated with the fields by the link information includes generating the print data when it is determined that the template data corresponding to the operated operation key is the template data in which the arrangement positions and the fields are associated by the link information.

5. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the link information associating the arrangement positions with the fields is included in the template data.

6. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a touch pad that is set the operation keys.

7. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a sheet, on which keys corresponding to the operation keys set on the touch pad are drawn, is arranged on a surface of the touch pad such that the sheet is replaceable.

8. The print data generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a printing device that prints the print data on the print medium.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that instruct a print data generation apparatus which generates print data to print texts by a printing device on a print medium, to execute steps comprising:

detecting operation of operation keys by a user;

selecting, from among a plurality of records of a database, the record to be used for printing; and

generating, when it is detected that one of the operation keys has been operated by the user, print data such that texts that are respectively set for fields of the selected record are arranged in arrangement positions that are associated with the fields by link information, by using template data corresponding to the operated operation key in accordance with the link information,

the database having the plurality of records in which the texts are respectively set for the fields,

the template data being associated with one of the operation keys for receiving an operation from the user and being configured such that at least the arrangement positions of the texts to be printed on the print medium are set, and

the link information associating the arrangement positions in the template data with the fields of the database.