Label printer

A user's operation burden can be reduced by giving the data recording command and the label printing command by the use of only an interface for writing data to a recording medium. A label printer includes an extraction portion extracting label information from a recording medium image file which stores data to be written to a recording surface of a recording medium and label information to be printed on a label surface of the recording medium. A label information printing portion prints the extracted label information on the label surface of the recording medium. A file writing portion writes the recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium.

This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/JP2006/311247 filed 5 Jun. 2006 which designated the U.S. and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-189510 filed 29 Jun. 2005, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a label printer.

BACKGROUND

Label printers have been widely used which print self-prepared label information (title, reference number, date, image, etc.) on a label surface of a rewritable recording medium such as a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-R and a DVD-RW.

In the past, when the label information was printed and data was written on and to the recording medium by the use of computers, writing of data to a recording surface of the recording medium and printing of the label information on the label surface of the recording medium were performed in accordance with different commands, respectively.

It is troublesome for a users however, to separately provide a data writing command and a label printing command to a label printer by the use of a computer.

SUMMARY

An object of the described embodiments is to reduce a user's operation burden by providing the data recording command and the label printing command by the use of only an interface for writing data.

The described embodiments are contrived to achieve the above-mentioned object. That is, the described embodiments provide a label printer including an extraction portion extracting label information from a recording medium image file which stores data to be written to a recording surface of a recording medium and label information to be printed on a label surface of the recording medium; a label information printing portion printing the extracted label information on the label surface of the recording medium; and a file writing portion writing the recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium.

According to the configuration, the label printer acquiring the recording medium image file storing the data and the label information extracts the label information from the recording medium image file, and the label information printing portion prints the label information on the label surface of the recording medium. The file writing portion writes the recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium. That is, a user prepares the recording medium image file storing the data and the label information, and transmits the recording medium image file to the label printer so as to perform printing of the label information and writing of the recording medium image file on and to the recording medium.

Accordingly, since the user can perform writing of data and printing of the label information by the use of only one command, the operation is made easier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, constituent members of the invention will be described.

A recording medium image file is information written to a recording surface of a recording medium (for example, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, etc.).

FIG. 1(A)shows a data configuration of the recording medium image file. The data of the recording medium image file is constituted by a header area storing a header having information such as a preparer, a preparation date, a data type, a data size, and the like and a recording information area. The recording information area is an area storing a content written to the recording surface of the recording medium. A file and a folder structure are stored in the recording information area. The type of the stored file is not particularly limited. The stored file may include data (text data, and image data) and label information, for example.

FIG. 1(B)is a diagram showing a folder structure when the data and the label information are stored. The data (text data and the image data) is stored in a data folder, and the label information is stored in a label information folder.

The recording medium image file can be prepared by the use of general recording medium writing software. When the recording medium image file is prepared by the use of the recording medium writing software, the user designates a file (data or label information) that the user wishes to store. Next, the recording medium writing software reads out the information and stores the readout information in the recording information storing area of the recording medium image file. The recording medium writing software adds a predetermined header to the header area again and prepares the recording medium image file. As described above, the recording medium image file including the label information is prepared by the use of the general recording medium writing software, and a label printing operation starts from the recording medium image file. Accordingly, the user can perform the label printing operation in a simple manner.

The label information is information including predetermined titles, images and reference numbers. The label information is printed on the label surface of the recording medium and is used as information specifying a content of the recording medium. The label information can be prepared by the use of general label preparing software.

The configuration of the label information is not particularly limited, but the label information may include only image information such as a bitmap. The label information may include layout information and contents information (for example, text information and image information). The layout information is information specifying formats such as a coordinate, a size, a color, a font, and a slope. As a result, it is possible to change the label information in an easy manner merely by changing the contents information when the layout information is determined.

Recording medium preparing information may be used as the contents information instead of the text information and the image information. The recording medium preparing information is data-specific information. The recording medium preparing information includes information such as a recording date and time, a target folder, a JOB number, and a disc ID of corresponding data.

A file format of the label information is not particularly limited. The file format of the label information may include XML, JPEG, and the bitmap, for example.

In the label information, data designating information may be used instead of or in addition to the contents information. The data designating information allows the content of a file other than a file storing the label information to be used as the contents information by designating the file other than the file storing label information.

The label printer includes an extraction portion receiving the recording medium image file and extracting the label information, a label information printing portion printing the extracted label information on the label surface of the recording medium, and a file writing portion writing the recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium. The label printer is connected to a file forming device preparing the recording medium image file using a network, thereby receiving the recording medium image file.

The extraction portion extracts the label information from the recording medium image file. In a method of extracting the label information, a specific file name, folder name, or extension is designated and extracted from the recording medium image file. For example, a file having a file name of “Label.bmp” is designated and extracted from files stored in the recording information area of the recording medium image file. The extracted label information is transmitted to the label information printing portion. The label information printing portion prints the label information on the label surface of the recording medium on the basis of the label information. A method of printing the label information on the label surface of the recording medium is not particularly limited, but it may include an ink-jet method and a sublimation method, for example.

The file writing portion writes the recording medium image file transmitted from the extraction portion to the recording surface of the recording medium. A method of writing the recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium is not particularly limited. For example, in a one-time writable CD-R, the recording surface of the CD-R is coated with an organic dye, which is degenerated by a laser beam so as to record data. In a repetitively writable/rewritable CD-RW, the recording surface of the CD-RW employs a phase-change recording material. A change in power of the laser beam radiated on the recording surface causes the phase-change recording material to be in a crystalline state or a noncrystalline state. Since a light reflectance is different in the crystalline state and the noncrystalline state, the data is erased and recorded by the use of the different light reflectance. The recording medium image file written to the recording surface of the recording medium includes the label information in addition to the data, but since extra data is not written, the recording medium image file from which the label information is erased may be written to the recording surface of the recording medium.

The order of printing of the label information on the label surface of the recording medium and writing of data to the recording surface of the recording medium is not particularly limited. For example, after the label information is printed on the label surface, the data may be written to the recording surface, or printing of the label information and writing of data may be simultaneously performed.

Hereinafter, the label printing operation performed by the use of the constituent members will be schematically described.

FIG. 2is a block diagram showing a process of printing the label information in the recording medium.FIG. 2shows a file forming device10preparing the recording medium image file, and a label printer20extracting the label information from the recording medium image file and printing the extracted label information in the recording medium.

The file forming device10includes a label information preparing portion11, a label information storing portion12, a data storing portion13and a recording medium writing portion14. The label printer20includes an extraction portion21, a label information printing portion22, and a file writing portion23. The file forming device10and the label printer20are in a communicable state using the network.

The label information preparing portion11prepares the label information printed on the label surface of the recording medium. The label information prepared by the label information preparing portion11is stored in the label information storing portion12. The data (data such as text data or image data) to be written to the recording surface of the recording medium is stored in the data storing portion13. The recording medium writing portion14reads out the label information and the data stored in the label information storing portion12and the data storing portion13, and prepares the recording medium image file. The prepared recording medium image file is transmitted to the label printer20.

In the label printer20acquiring the recording medium image file, the extraction portion21extracts the label information by designating a specific file name from the recording medium image file. The extracted label information is transmitted to the label information printing portion22, which prints the label information on the recording medium. The extraction portion21transmits the recording medium image file to the file writing portion23, which writes the recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium24.

As described above, the user can perform label printing and writing of the recording medium image file in a simple manner only by performing a writing operation of the file forming device10.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described.

FIG. 3is a diagram showing a configuration of a file forming device100and a label printer200according to the embodiment.

The file forming device100is schematically constituted by a control portion110and a data storing portion140. The label printer200is schematically constituted by a control portion210, an extraction portion220, a label information printing portion230, a file writing portion240, and a data storing portion250. The file forming device100and the label printer200include network interfaces (150and260), respectively, whereby the data can be transmitted from the file forming device100to the label printer200.

The control portion110includes a CPU111. The portions110,140of the file forming device100are connected to the CPU111via a bus line. The portions110,140are controlled by the CPU111. A computer program for operating the CPU111is stored in a program storing area141. The CPU111reads out the program and performs a predetermined operation.

An input device such as a keyboard or a mouse is connected to an input portion120, which is used to operate the file forming device100.

An imaging device such as a display is connected to an input portion130.

The data storing portion140includes a program storing area141, a label information storing area142, and a data storing area143. The program storing area141stores a program required to control the CPU111. The label information storing area142stores the label information. The label information is prepared by the use of the label preparing software. The data storing area143is an area storing the data to be written to the recording surface of the recording medium. The data storing area143stores the text data and the image data.

The control portion210of the label printer200includes a CPU211, and the portions210,220of the label printer200are controlled via the bus line. The computer program for operating the CPU211is stored in a program storing area251of a data storing portion250. The CPU211reads out the program and performs a predetermined operation.

The extraction portion220extracts the label information from the recording medium image file. In a method of extracting the label information, a specific file name is designated from the file stored in the recording information of the recording medium image file so as to extract the label information.

The label information printing portion230prints the extracted label information on the label surface of the recording medium. A printing method employs an ink-jet method in view of a small impact on the recording medium and a printing speed.

The file writing portion240reads out the recording medium image file stored in the data storing portion250and writes the readout recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium. The file writing portion240separates the label information from the recording information stored in the recording medium image file so as to write the recording medium image file, which the label information is separated from, to the recording surface of the recording medium.

The data storing portion250includes a program storing area251and a recording medium image file storing area252. The program storing area251is an area storing a program required to control the CPU211. The recording medium image file storing area252is an area storing the recording medium image file transmitted from the file forming device100.

Hereinafter, operations of the file forming device100and the label printer200will be described.

FIG. 4is a flowchart showing a label printing operation from the recording medium image file.

The data to be written to the recording surface of the recording medium is prepared by the operation of the input portion120(step1), and the data is stored in the data storing area143(step3). Next, the label information is prepared by executing the label preparing software (step5), and the label information is stored in the label information storing area142(step7). By executing the recording medium writing software, the data is read out from the data storing area143, and the label information is read out from the label information storing area142, and the readout data and label information are stored in the recording information area of the recording medium image file so as to prepare the recording medium image file. The prepared recording medium image file is transmitted to the label printer200using the network (step11).

After the label printer200receives the recording medium image file (step13), the label printer200stores the recording medium image file in the recording medium image file storing area252of the data storing portion250(step15). Next, the extraction portion220designates a specific file name from the recording medium image file so as to extract the label information (step17). The extracted label information is transmitted to the label information printing portion230, which prints the label information on the label surface of the recording medium (step19). The file writing portion240reads out the recording medium image file from the recording medium image file storing area252. When the label information is required for the data to be written to the recording medium (step21; N), the recording medium image file is just written to the recording surface of the recording medium (step23). When the label information is not required (step21; Y), the label information is separated from the recording medium image file (step25), and the recording medium image file, which the label information is separated from, is written to the recording surface of the recording medium (step27).

As described above, the user can perform label printing and writing of the recording medium image file in a simple manner only by performing the writing operation of the file forming device by the use of the label printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5is a diagram showing configurations of a file forming device300and a label printer400according to another embodiment. The same elements as described in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is thus omitted.

A label information storing area342of the file forming device300includes a layout information storing area344and a contents information storing area345. According to this configuration, the configuration of the label information can be prepared to include the layout information and the contents information.

A data storing portion450of the label printer400includes a program storing area251, the recording medium image file storing area252and a predetermined layout information storing area453.

Hereinafter, operations of the file forming device300and the label printer400will be described.

FIG. 6is a flowchart showing the label printing operation of from the recording medium image file.

The data to be written to the recording surface of the recording medium is prepared by the operation of the input portion120(step31), and the data is stored in the data storing area143(step33). Next, the label information is prepared to include the layout information and the contents information by executing the label preparing software (step35). The layout information and the contents information are stored in the layout information storing area344and the contents information storing area345, respectively (step37). By executing the recording medium writing software, the data is read out from the data storing area143, the layout information and the contents information are read out from the layout information storing area344and the contents information storing area345, and the readout data, and the layout information and the contents information are stored in the recording information area of the recording medium image file so as to prepare the recording medium image file (step39). When the layout information does not exist, only the contents information is read out so as to prepare the recording medium image file. The prepared recording medium image file is transmitted to the label printer400using the network (step41).

After the label printer400receives the recording medium image file (step43), the recording medium image file is stored in the recording medium image file storing area252(step45). Next, the extraction portion220designates a specific file name from the recording medium image file so as to extract the label information (step47). When the extracted label information includes the layout information (step49; Y), the label information is prepared by synthesizing the contents information with a coordinate designated by the layout information, and the label information is printed (step55). Meanwhile, when the extracted label information does not include the layout information (step49; N), the predetermined layout information is read from the predetermined layout information storing area453(step51), and the contents information is synthesized with the predetermined layout information so as to prepare the label information (step53). The prepared label information is printed (step55). After label printing is terminated, the file writing portion240reads out the recording medium image file from the recording medium image file storing area252and writes the readout recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium (step57).

As described above, even when the label information does not include the layout information, the predetermined layout information is read out, and the contents information is synthesized with the read out layout information so as to prepare the label information, by using the label printer according to the embodiment.

When a stylized data processing operation is performed (when electronic chart data is treated), it is possible to perform label printing in a simple manner only by changing the image information (image information concerning a patient's face, etc.) or text information (a patient's name, a preparation date, etc.) on the basis of the predetermined layout information with the label printer according to the embodiment.

The recording medium preparing information including the recording date and time, the JOB number, and a serial number may be used as the contents information used in the embodiment.

FIG. 7is a diagram showing configurations of a file forming device500and a label printer600according to another embodiment. The same elements as described in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is thus omitted.

A label information storing area542of the file forming device500includes a layout information storing area544. The layout information storing area544includes a data designating information storing area S45. The data designating information storing area545is an area (for example, information concerning a link destination) in which information designating specific data (contents data such as text data or image data) is included in a data folder of the recording medium image file. The information designating the specific data is used as data designating information.

Hereinafter, operations of the file forming device500and the label printer600will be described.

FIG. 8is a flowchart showing the operation of performing label printing from the recording medium image file.

The data to be written to the recording surface of the recording medium is prepared by the operation of the input portion120(step61), and the data is stored in the data storing area143(step63). Next, the layout information including the data designating information is prepared by executing the label preparing software (step65) and the layout information is stored in the layout information storing area544(step67). By executing the recording medium writing software, the data is read out from the data storing area143, and the layout information is read out from the layout information storing area544of the label information storing area542, and the data and the layout information are stored in the recording information area of the recording medium image file so as to prepare the recording medium image file (step69). The prepared recording medium image file is transmitted to the label printer600using the network (step71).

After the label printer200receives the recording medium image file (step73), the label printer200stores the recording medium image file in the recording medium image file storing area252(step75). Next, the extraction portion220extracts the data designating information from the recording medium image file and extracts the data (contents data) on the data designating information (step77). The data and the layout information are synthesized, and thus, the label information is prepared (step79). The prepared label information is transmitted to the label information printing portion230, which prints the label information in the recording medium (step81). Meanwhile, the file writing portion240reads out the recording medium image file from the recording medium image file storing area252so as to write the read out recording medium image file to the recording surface of the recording medium (step83).

As described above, even when the recording medium image file transmitted to the label printer is prepared to include the data and the layout information including the data designating information, it is possible to perform label printing. According to this configuration, it is not necessary to prepare for the contents information at the time of preparing the label information. Accordingly, the user can perform label printing in a simple manner.

FIG. 9is a diagram showing a configuration of a label printer700according to another embodiment. The same elements as described in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is thus omitted.

The label printer700includes a data erasing portion710and a label information erasing portion720.

The data erasing portion710erases the data written to the recording surface of the recording medium.

The label information erasing portion720erases the label information by coating the label surface of the recording medium with white paint.

Hereinafter, an operation of the label printer700will be described.

FIG. 10is a flowchart showing an operation of erasing the label surface when a rewritable recording medium is stored in the label printer700.

When the recording medium is stored in the label printer700(step91), the data erasing portion710judges whether the recording medium is the rewritable recording medium (step95) with reference to the recording surface of the recording medium (step93). When the recording medium is rewritable (step95; Y), the data erasing portion710erases the data of the recording medium (step97). When the recording medium is not rewritable (step95; N), the operation of the label printer700is ended. The data erasing portion710reports the information indicating that the recording medium is the rewritable recording medium to the label information erasing portion720(step99), and the label information erasing portion720receiving the report erases the label surface of the recording medium (step101).

According to this configuration, the recording medium is in a state in which new data can be written and a new label can be printed.

Other operations are the same as those of the example shown inFIG. 3.

As described above, when the label printer according to the embodiment is used, the rewritable recording medium is in the state in which the new data can be written and the new label can be printed by erasing the data and the label information of the rewritable recording medium.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described above. The invention may be modified in various forms by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.