Label producing apparatus with optical sensor and external light correction

• US 8,585,303 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Iriyama, Yasuhiro, Imamura, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): COLILLA, DANIEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US13/033,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20110217108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 400/76, 400/583, 400/583.3, 400/578
• US Class Current: 400/76
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a label producing apparatus comprising: a housing; a feeding device that feeds a label tape; a printing device that prints desired print; an optical sensor comprising a light projecting device and a light receiving device capable of outputting a detected voltage value; a light-on control portion that controls said optical sensor so that said light projecting device is turned on; an initial value storage device that stores a predetermined initial threshold value; a threshold value correction portion that calculates a corrected threshold value using said initial threshold value; a mark detecting portion that detects a positioning mark by an arrival of said detected voltage value at said corrected threshold value after calculation of said corrected threshold value; a feeding control portion that controls said feeding device; and a print control portion that controls a print operation of said printing device.

Claims

1. A label producing apparatus comprising:

a housing including a discharging exit;

a feeding device provided inside said housing that feeds a label tape comprising a light

absorbing positioning mark toward said discharging exit;

a printing device that prints desired print on the label tape to be fed by said feeding device or

a print receiving tape to be bonded to said label tape;

an optical sensor provided inside said housing, and comprising a light projecting device capable of projecting light toward a feeding path of said label tape to be fed by said feeding device and a light receiving device capable of outputting a detected voltage value corresponding to a received amount of light;

a light-on control portion that controls said optical sensor so that said light projecting device is turned on in accordance with an input of a label production instruction signal;

an initial value storage device that stores a predetermined initial threshold value in relation to said detected voltage detected by said light receiving device;

a threshold value correction portion that calculates a corrected threshold value using said initial threshold value stored in said initial value storage device in accordance with a correction instruction signal issued at a predetermined time at which said light projecting device is off and an external light can enter the inside of said housing from said discharging exit;

a mark detecting portion that detects said positioning mark by an arrival of said detected voltage value of said light receiving device at said corrected threshold value after calculation of said corrected threshold value by said threshold value correction portion and with said light projecting device in an on state;

a feeding control portion that controls said feeding device so that feeding is started in accordance with an input of the label production instruction signal, and to control a feeding operation of said feeding device based on a detection result of said mark detecting portion; and

a print control portion that controls a print operation of said printing device based on the detection result of said mark detecting portion wherein

said initial value storage device stores a predetermined initial white voltage value Vw0 and initial black voltage value Vb0 corresponding to a range of said detected voltage values of said light receiving device, and said predetermined initial threshold value as equal to Vb0+k (Vw0−

Vb0) related to the range of said detected voltage values where k is a number less than 1;

said threshold value correction portion calculates said corrected threshold value as equal to V1+k (Vw0−

V1), where V1 is said detected voltage value of said light receiving device when said correction instruction signal is issued, based on said predetermined initial white voltage value Vw0 stored in said initial value storage device and in accordance with said correction instruction signal; and

said mark detecting portion detects said positioning mark by the arrival of said detected voltage value of said light receiving device at said corrected threshold value V1+k (Vw0−

V1) after calculation of said corrected threshold value V1+k (Vw0−

V1) by said threshold value correction portion and with said light projecting device in an on state.

2. The label producing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first correction instruction portion that outputs said correction instruction signal at said predetermined time, which is after input of said label production instruction signal, before said feeding device starts feeding based on the control of said feeding control portion, and before said light projecting device turns on based on the control of said light-on control portion;

wherein;

said threshold value correction portion calculates said corrected threshold value as equal to V1+k (Vw0−

V1) based on said detected voltage value V1, in accordance with said correction instruction signal inputted from said first correction instruction portion.

3. The label producing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a tape detecting portion that detects a passing of a front end of said label tape by an arrival of the detected voltage value V of said light receiving device at a predetermined tape threshold value Vt after said feeding device starts feeding based on the control of said feeding control portion after input of said label production instruction signal and with said light projecting device in an on state based on the control of said light-on control portion;

a light-off control portion that turns off said light projecting device when said tape detecting portion detects the passing of the front end of said label tape; and

a second correction instruction portion that outputs said correction instruction signal at said predetermined time, which is after said light projecting device turns off based on the control of said light-off control portion;

wherein;

said threshold value correction portion calculates said corrected threshold value as equal to V1+k (Vw0−

V1) based on said detected voltage value VI, in accordance with said correction instruction signal inputted from said second correction instruction portion.