Patent ID: 8169644
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A thermal dye sublimation printer to which an ink ribbon cassette having a function of transmitting and receiving data via wireless communication, the ink ribbon cassette being either operably connected to the thermal dye sublimation printer or disconnected therefrom but located in close proximity thereto, the thermal dye sublimation printer comprising: communication means that transmits and receives data via wireless communication with the ink ribbon cassette, the communication means including a first antenna and a second antenna; and control means that acquires management information of the ink ribbon cassette stored in the ink ribbon cassette side via the communication means, stores the acquired management information in a printer storage unit, controls printing processing based on the acquired management information, causes a printing operation, updates at least a portion of the management information to form updated management information after causing the printing operation, storing the updated management information in the printer storage unit and transmitting the updated management information to the ink ribbon cassette, wherein the communication means receives and transmits the data via the first antenna when the ink ribbon cassette is operably connected to the thermal dye sublimation printer and the communication means receives and transmits the data via the second antenna when the ink ribbon cassette is disconnected from the thermal dye sublimation printer yet is located in close proximity thereto and wherein the control means acquires printable number of sheets information of the ink ribbon cassette operably connected or disconnected therefrom yet in close proximity to the thermal dye sublimation printer when the ink ribbon cassette having a cleaning part before a first printing surface or after a last printing surface of the ink ribbon is operably connected or disconnected therefrom yet in close proximity to the thermal dye sublimation printer and controls cleaning processing based on the acquired printable number of sheets information.