Method, apparatus, and program for printing using modified print attributes

• US 6,203,220 B1
• Filed: 03/29/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Takenoshita, Hiroyuki, Sawa, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): EICKHOLT, EUGENE H
• Application Number:
  US09/280,237
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 400/61, 400/62, 400/70, 400/73, 400/76, 400/120.09, 400/120.13, 400/120.12, 235/375, 399/81, 399/85, 399/82, 399/144, 399/361, 399/376, 345/118, 345/349, 703/520, 703/500, 703/513
• US Class Current: 400/61
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0035 Handling copy materials differing in thickness B41J11/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/009 Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/283 on bank books or the like

Abstract

The present invention provides a printer system responsive to the request of an operator for performing specified control on a specified portion of a medium during a print operation. Such control minimizes the labor required by an operator to change the set-up condition of the printer when different print media is used. Print operations having modified print attributes for specified areas are set-up for each type of media in advance and stored in a storage device of a printer or a host processor for controlling the printer, such as a personal computer or a server. When a medium is inserted into the printer, medium identifying information, such as a bar coded form number or the size of the medium is used to determine which record stored in the storage device corresponds to the selected medium. The controlled print operation, such as a high print pressure printing, a high quality printing, a change or modification of line/column space, or a modification of font, is made in the area specified by the position data.

Claims

1. A method of printing onto a selected medium, comprising:

(a) detecting a characteristic of said selected medium;

(b) identifying a record corresponding to said detected characteristic, said record defining at least one area associated with a first set of print attributes;

(c) printing within said at least one area of said selected medium using said first set of print attributes defined in the identified record; and

(d) printing on said selected medium external to said at least one area using a second set of print attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said record corresponding to said detected characteristic is identified based on record identifying information, said record identifying information including at least one of a length of said selected medium, a width of said selected medium, a form number for said selected medium, and an inserted position of said selected medium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by measuring a length of said selected medium and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having length identifying information equivalent to said measured length of said selected medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by measuring a width of said selected medium and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having width identifying information equivalent to said measured width of said selected medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by reading a form number from said selected medium and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having form number identifying information equivalent to said read form number of said selected medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of print attributes includes at least one of a print pressure attribute, a print quality attribute, and a print characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising prior to step (a):

(e) storing record identifying information, area defining information, and said first set of print attribute information for said record corresponding to said selected medium.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising prior to step (e):

(f) receiving record identifying information, area defining information, and said first set of print attribute information for said record corresponding to said selected medium.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by detecting a position of said selected medium at an insertion entrance of a printer and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having inserted position identifying information equivalent to said detected position of said selected medium at said insertion entrance of said printer.

10. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the detecting device measures a length of said selected medium and wherein the processor identifies the record by determining one record having length identifying information equivalent to said measured length of said selected medium.

11. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the detecting device measures a width of said selected medium and wherein the processor identifies the record by determining one record having width identifying information equivalent to said measured width of said selected medium.

12. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the detecting device reads a form number from said selected medium and wherein the processor identifies the record by determining one record having form number identifying information equivalent to the form number read from said selected medium.

13. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the detecting device detects a position of said selected medium at an insertion entrance of a printer and wherein the processor identifies the record by determining one record having inserted position identifying information equivalent to said detected position of said selected medium.

14. A method of printing onto a selected medium, comprising:

(a) detecting a position of said selected medium at an insertion entrance of a printer;

(b) identifying a record having inserted position identifying information equivalent to said position of said selected medium at said insertion entrance of said printer, said record defining at least one area having modified print attributes, said record having associated print control information;

(c) retrieving print control information associated with said record;

(d) printing within said at least one area of said selected medium using said modified print attributes; and

(e) printing on said selected medium external to said at least one area using normal print attributes.

15. A printing system, comprising:

a storage device for storing at least one record corresponding to a selected medium, said record defining at least one area associated with a first set of print attributes;

a detecting device for detecting a characteristic of said selected medium;

a processor coupled to said detecting device and said storage device, wherein said processor is capable of identifying a record in said storage device corresponding to said detected characteristic, said record defining at least one area associated with a first set of print attributes;

a print assembly coupled to said processor, said print assembly operable to print within said at least one area of said selected medium using said first set of print attributes defined in the identified record and operable to print onto said selected medium external to said at least one area using a second set of print attributes.

16. The printing system of claim 15, wherein said first set of print attributes includes at least one of a print pressure attribute, a print quality attribute, and a print characteristic.

17. The printing system of claim 15, wherein said record corresponding to said detected characteristic is identified based on record identifying information, said record identifying information including at least one of a length of said selected medium, a width of said selected medium, a form number of said selected medium, and an inserted position of said selected medium.

18. A program embedded in a computer readable medium for causing a printer to print onto a selected medium, wherein the program is capable of causing a processor to perform:

(a) receiving a detected characteristic of said selected medium;

(b) identifying a record corresponding to said detected characteristic, said record defining at least one area associated with a first set of print attributes;

(c) causing a printer to print within said at least one area of said selected medium using said first set of print attributes defined in the identified record; and

(d) causing a printer to print on said selected medium external to said at least one area using a second set of print attributes.

19. The program of claim 18, wherein said record corresponding to said detected characteristic is identified based on record identifying information, said record identifying information including at least one of a length of said selected medium, a width of said selected medium, a form number of said selected medium, and an inserted position of said selected medium.

20. The program of claim 18, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by measuring a length of said selected medium and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having length identifying information equivalent to said measured length of said selected medium.

21. The program of claim 18, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by measuring a width of said selected medium and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having width identifying information equivalent to said measured width of said selected medium.

22. The program of claim 18, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by reading a form number from said selected medium and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having form number identifying information equivalent to said read form number of said selected medium.

23. The program of claim 18, wherein the characteristic of said selected medium is detected by detecting a position of said selected medium at an insertion entrance of a printer and wherein the record is identified by determining one record having inserted position identifying information equivalent to said detected position of said selected medium at said insertion entrance of said printer.

24. The program of claim 18, wherein the first set of print attributes includes at least one of a print pressure attribute, a print quality attribute, and a print characteristic.