Thermal printer with power save feature
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A printer comprising:
- image forming means for forming a portion of an image in accordance with image data;
a built-in battery for providing energy to said image forming means;
predicting means for predicting whether a remaining capacity of said battery, after said portion of said image has been formed, will be larger than a predetermined value;
driving means for driving said image forming means to form said portion of said image; and
inhibiting means for inhibiting said driving means from driving said image forming means if said remaining capacity is predicted to be less than said predetermined value.
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Abstract
A portable printer forms a portion of an image in accordance with image data. A built-in battery provides energy to form the portion of the image. The portable printer predicts whether a remaining capacity of the battery, after the portion of the image has been formed, will be larger than a predetermined reference termination value. The portion of the image is not formed if the remaining capacity of the battery is predicted to be less than the predetermined value.
17 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A printer comprising:
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image forming means for forming a portion of an image in accordance with image data; a built-in battery for providing energy to said image forming means; predicting means for predicting whether a remaining capacity of said battery, after said portion of said image has been formed, will be larger than a predetermined value; driving means for driving said image forming means to form said portion of said image; and inhibiting means for inhibiting said driving means from driving said image forming means if said remaining capacity is predicted to be less than said predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A portable printer comprising:
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image forming means for forming a line image on a recording sheet in accordance with image data; a built-in battery for providing energy to said image forming means; determining means for determining a printing ratio of a line of said image to be formed; predicting means for predicting whether a final voltage of said battery after said line of said image has been formed, will be larger than a predetermined value, said predicting means predicting said final voltage in accordance with said printing ratio; and driving means for driving said image forming means to form said line image only if said final voltage is predicted to be larger than said predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for forming a line of an image on a recording sheet using a printer having a built-in battery, said method comprising:
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detecting an initial voltage of said built-in battery before said line of said image is formed; determining a printing ratio of said line of said image to be printed, based on image data corresponding to said line of said image; predicting whether a remaining capacity of said battery after said line of said image has been formed, will be larger than a predetermined value; and forming said line of said image if a final voltage is predicted to be larger than said predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification