PRINTING APPARATUS AND THERMAL HEAD

• US 20190023025A1
• Filed: 07/19/2018
• Published: 01/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: IMAIZUMI, Atsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/32 using thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/355 Control circuits for heating-element selection

Abstract

A thermal printer has an identification information holding circuit that has identification information, a line thermal head in which the identification information holding circuit is mounted, a control signal line through which a signal that controls the line thermal head is transmitted, a memory that stores specification information about the line thermal head corresponding to the identification information, and a controller that acquires the identification information that has been output from the identification information holding circuit through the control signal line and also acquires the specification information about the line thermal head from the memory according to the acquired identification information.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a logical circuit that has identification information;

a thermal head in which the logical circuit is mounted;

a signal line through which a signal that controls the thermal head is transmitted;

a memory that stores information about the thermal head corresponding to the identification information; and

a control circuit that acquires the identification information that has been output from the logical circuit through the signal line and also acquires the information about the thermal head from the memory according to the acquired identification information.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal line is one of a plurality of signal lines that include a first signal line through which print data is transmitted to the thermal head; and

the control circuit

is connected to the first signal line,

has a port that is switchable between an input setting and an output setting, and

switches the port to the input setting to acquire the identification information that has been output from the logical circuit to the first signal line.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal line is one of a plurality of signal lines that include a second signal line through which a latch signal is transmitted to the thermal head, the latch signal causing print data to be temporarily held; and

when the latch signal is not in an active state in control of the thermal head, the logical circuit outputs the identification information to the control circuit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal line is one of a plurality of signal lines that include a third signal line through which a clock signal that synchronously transmits print data to the thermal head is transmitted; and

the logical circuit outputs the identification information in synchronization with the clock signal entered through the third signal line.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal line is one of a plurality of signal lines that include a fourth signal line through which a voltage is applied and also include a fifth signal line a voltage in which is at a ground level; and

the logical circuit creates the identification information according to a combination between a connection of the fourth signal line and a connection of the fifth signal line.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit creates a signal that controls the thermal head and transmits the created signal through the control signal line, according to the acquired information.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the signal line is one of a plurality of signal lines that include a sixth signal line through which a strobe signal corresponding to an energization time for the thermal head is transmitted; and

the control circuit controls the energization time for the thermal head through the sixth signal line according to the acquired information.

8. A printing apparatus comprising:

a thermal head in which a logical circuit that has identification information is mounted;

a plurality of signal lines through which signals that control driving of the thermal head are conveyed;

a memory that stores specification information about the thermal head in relation to the identification information; and

a processor that acquires the identification information through one of the plurality of signal lines, the identification information having been output from the logical circuit, and also acquires the specification information related to the acquired identification information from the memory;

wherein

of the plurality of signal lines, the signal line through which the identification information is conveyed is a signal line through which print data is conveyed to the thermal head.

9. A thermal head attachable to and detachable from a printing apparatus, wherein:

a logical circuit having identification information about the thermal head is mountable in the thermal head;

the thermal head has a signal line through which a signal that controls the thermal head is transmitted from the printing apparatus that stores information about the thermal head; and

the logical circuit transmits the identification information to the printing apparatus through the signal line.