Media Processing System, Printing System, and Control Method of a Media Processing System

• US 20160210544A1
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Koike, Toshiaki, Kasuga, Takako, Iwasa, Yuya, Kuroda, Kiyomi
• Application Number:
  US15/085,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/663 Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1257 by using pre-stored settings, e.g. job templates, presets, print styles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/022 for printing on continuous media, e.g. tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/024 for printing on segmented surfaces, e.g. sticker sheets, label rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/16 Means for paper feeding or form feeding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/404 Managing other optional outputs, e.g. collators, staplers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4055 Managing power consumption, e.g. standby mode computer driven power saving management for a printer G06F3/1221; power saving in a data processing device in general G06F1/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0097 Printing on special media, e.g. labels, envelopes

Abstract

A media processing system 91 includes a host computer 92 having a control device control unit 108 as an application execution unit that runs an application that generates and outputs information for processing a medium, and a transmission unit that transmits the information output by the application; and a printer 1 having a communication unit that receives information transmitted by the transmission unit, a print mechanism 64 that based on the information performs an operation in a first operating mode or a second operating mode that is different from the first operating mode, and a media processing device control unit 100 that selects the first operating mode or the second operating mode based on the application that generated the information.

Claims

1. A printer configured to connect to a control device, comprising:

a processor configured to process a medium based on first control data received from the control device;

a conveyer configured to convey the medium;

a cutter configured to cut the medium;

a detector configured to detect displacement of the medium in a specific direction; and

a controller configured to control cutting of the medium by the cutter when displacement of the medium is detected by the detector;

wherein;

the controller goes into a standby mode upon the processor finishing processing of the medium based on the first control data, and

if displacement of the medium is detected by the detector while the controller is in the standby mode, the medium is cut by the cutter and the standby mode is cancelled.

2. The printer described in claim 1, wherein:

the processing of the medium by the processor includes printing an image on the medium, or writing information to an RFID tag affixed to the medium, or reading information from the RFID tag affixed to the medium.

3. The printer described in claim 1, wherein:

the conveyer is configured to convey the medium in a conveyance direction; and

the specific direction in which the detector detects displacement is different from the conveyance direction.

4. The printer described in claim 1, wherein:

the controller cancels the standby mode if second control data, which is received after the first control data, is received in the standby mode from the control device before displacement of the medium is detected by the detector.

5. The printer described in claim 4, wherein:

in response to second control data being received from the control device while the controller is in the standby mode, the controller initially maintains the standby mode and then removes the standby mode when one of two triggering events occurs, whichever Occurs first;

a first triggering event being if displacement of the medium is detected by the detector, and

a second triggering event being if a specific time period from when the second control data was received elapses.

6. The printer described in claim 1, further comprising:

a feed button configured to command conveying the medium;

wherein while in the standby mode, if the controller detects operation of the feed button, the controller controls the cutter to cut the medium instead of conveying the medium and cancels the standby mode.

7. The printer described in claim 4, wherein

while in the standby mode, the controller prohibits receiving second control data from the control device, and the controller permits receiving second control data after cancelling the standby mode.

8. The printer described in claim 4, wherein the first control data and the second control data include at least one of write data containing information to write to an RFID tag and print data containing information related to an image to print.

9. The printer described in claim 1, further comprising an annunciator, wherein the controller is further configured to control the annunciator to report when the standby mode is entered, and/or when the standby mode is cancelled.

10. The printer described in claim 1, further comprising:

a power switch having a power-on operation and a power off operation configured to turn power on and off, respectively; and

a memory;

wherein;

when the power-off operation of the power switch is detected while the controller is in the standby mode, the controller stores information indicating the standby mode into the memory and then executes a power-off process; and

when the power-on operation of the power switch is detected after the power-off process executes, the controller conditionally enters the standby mode upon turning on based on the information indicating the standby mode stored in the memory.

11. A control method of a printer, the method comprising:

providing a printer configured to connect to a control device, the printer having;

a processor configured to process a medium based on first control data transmitted from the control device,

a conveyer configured to convey the medium,

a cutter configured to cut the medium, and

a detector configured to detect displacement of the medium in a specific direction;

going to a standby mode after processing of the medium by the processor based on the first control data finishes; and

if while in the standby mode, displacement of the medium is detected by the detector, the medium is cut by the cutter, then the standby mode is cancelled.

12. The control method of a printer described in claim 11, wherein the processing of the medium by the processor includes printing an image on the medium, or writing information to an RFID tag affixed to the medium or reading information from the RFID tag affixed to the medium.

13. The control method of a printer described in claim 11, wherein:

the conveyer is configured to convey the medium in a conveyance direction; and

the specific direction in which the detector detects displacement is different from the conveyance direction.

14. The control method of a printer described in claim 11, further comprising:

cancelling the standby mode if, while in the standby mode, the printer receives second control data, which is received after the first control data is received, from the control device before displacement of the medium is detected by the detector.

15. The control method of a printer described in claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining the standby mode for a specific time after receiving the second control data when second control data is received from the control device in the standby mode;

cancelling the standby mode if displacement of the medium is detected by the detector and the medium is cut by the cutter during this specific time, and

cancelling the standby mode after the specific time has passed if displacement of the medium is not detected by the detector during this specific time.

16. The control method of a printer described in claim 11, wherein the printer also has a feed button configured to command conveying the medium;

the control method further comprises;

if while in the standby mode, operation of the feed button is detected, controlling the cutter to cut the medium instead of conveying the medium and cancelling the standby mode.

17. The control method of a printer described in claim 14, further comprising:

prohibiting reception of second control data, which is control data transmitted from the control device, while in the standby mode; and

permitting reception of second control data after the standby mode is cancelled.

18. The control method of a printer described in claim 14, wherein the first control data and the second control data include at least one of write data containing information to write to an RFID tag and print data containing information related to an image to print.

19. The control method of a printer described in claim 14, wherein the printer further has a annunciator, the control method further comprising:

controlling the annunciator to report when the standby mode is entered, and/or when the standby mode is cancelled.

20. The control method of a printer described in claim 14, wherein the printer further has a memory and a power switch having a power-on operation and a power off operation configured to turn power on and off, respectively, the method further comprising:

storing information indicating the standby mode into the memory and then executing a power-off process when the power-off operation of the power switch is detected while in the standby mode, and

when a power-on operation of the power switch is detected after the power-off process executes, entering the standby mode upon turning on based on information indicating the standby mode stored in the memory.