Abstract:
A kiosk printer for unattended operation is equipped with a presenter to prevent a user from prematurely trying to remove a printed document. The presenter has motor driven feed rollers and a document sensor for determining when the printing document is in the presenter document path. The presenter has a home position adjacent to the printer document exit path. When printing starts, the document enters the presenter feed rollers and is sensed by a document sensor. A drive motor moves the presenter at the same rate as the printing document. When the presenter reaches a feed position it stops and the document sags and forms a document loop as printing continues. When printing stops, the presenter feed rollers feed the document from the kiosk to a user. When the printed document has exited the presenter, the presenter returns to the home position awaiting succeeding printed document.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates in general to printers used in point of sale kiosks, where the printer may work without an attendant. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     A kiosk is a small, self-standing structure such as a news stand or ticket booth. Some unattended multimedia kiosks dispense public information via computer screens and may have either a keyboard, touch-screen or both used for input. Some kiosks are used for point of sales and may need to provide the user with a printed receipt or a ticket to a purchased event. 
     Kiosks are often located in places that are remote and the user is free to operate the kiosk without supervision from a merchant. A good kiosk design requires that the unit be as reliable as possible. The mechanisms must be reliable and every possible means of operator induced failures need to be eliminated. Printers in kiosks have been particularly vulnerable to operator induced failures. A common mode of printer failure occurs when the operator grabs a receipt document generated by the kiosk printer before the printing is complete thereby causing a paper jam. Several kiosk printer manufacturers have addressed this failure mode by designing a mechanism known as a presenter. 
     A presenter allows the kiosk printer to complete printing a document before the operator has the opportunity to extract the document. When printing is complete, the document is fed very rapidly from the kiosk giving the operator almost no time or reason to prematurely grab the document before it is fully available. There are several different methods used in presenter mechanisms to allow the printed document to be accumulated within the kiosk while allowing printing to complete. Most presenter mechanisms allow the document to “loop”, some have methods of coiling the document; but all known methods require the document to be pushed a distance before the loop or coil is created. The looping method requires the document to be pushed across a bridge a distance before the leading edge of the document is stopped. Feeding additional document length causes the portion of the document that spans the bridge to buckle. In the coiling method, the document is pushed into a coiling cage until printing is complete, then the entrance to the coiling cage is flipped in position opposite the exit slot of the enclosure. Once the coiling cage is in the proper position, the feed drive mechanism is reversed and the document is presented to the operator or user. Those skilled in printer design understand that a printer mechanism that “pushes” documents is far less reliable than one that pulls the document. 
     There is, therefore, a need for a presenter for a kiosk printer that does not push the document and will prevent the user of the kiosk from prematurely trying to extract a document from the kiosk before printing is complete. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A kiosk printer has a presenter mechanism that pivots and moves between two positions in response to a signal from a paper or document sensor. The presenter has a set of motor driven presenter rollers for moving a document from the presenter and a document sensor for detecting when a document is in the presenter document exit path. If no document is present in the presenter document exit path (e.g., a user has removed a receipt), the presenter returns to its “home” position where the presenter rollers are directly opposite the kiosk printer document exit path and positioned to receive a printed document. 
     When the kiosk printer starts printing a document, it feeds the document into the rotating presenter feed rollers. As soon as the document sensor in the presenter senses the document, the presenter is moved (pivoted) by a motor so the presenter moves at the same rate as the document exiting the kiosk printer. In this manner, the document does not buckle. The presenter pivots to a predetermined position where it stops creating a document “bridge”. At this point the document is hidden from view of the user of the kiosk. As the printer continues to print, the document (spanning the bridge) buckles and forms a loop between the printer document exit and the presenter. When printing is complete, the printer cuts the document and signals the presenter to feed the document to the user. The presenter feed rollers then feed the finished cut document through the document exit. If the user grabs the document, it freely moves from the presenter and the printer mechanism and feed path are protected. The presenter, according to embodiments of the present invention, predominately pulls the document through the document path while preventing a user from prematurely trying to extract the document before printing is complete. In an alternate embodiment, the document may be fed partially out of the presenter awaiting user action to physically remove the document. Then after a predetermined time, the presenter feed rollers are reversed and the document is fed into an internal trash bin or shredder in the kiosk. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a drawing of one embodiment of the present invention with the presenter in the two positions relative to the printing mechanism; 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing of details of the presenter according to embodiments of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of method steps in embodiments of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a kiosk system configured to use a printer with a presenter according to embodiments of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a drawing of another embodiment of the present invention where the presenter is translated; and 
     FIG. 6 is another flow diagram of method steps in an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted in as much as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
     Refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a kiosk printer system  100  according to embodiments of the present invention. Much of the detail of kiosk printer  100  is not shown so that the operation of the presenter  106  may be more easily seen. Documents are printed from a paper roll  101 . Paper  102  is threaded around a tension roller  103  into a print station  104 . Presenter  106  is shown dotted in position  112  next to the document exit path of print station  104 . Print station drive rollers (not shown) pull the paper document from paper roll  101  to begin the printing process. Before printing starts, the presenter home sensor  114  confirms that the presenter is in position  112 . The paper is fed under a print head (not shown) where printing starts and the presenter feed rollers  201  (see FIG. 2) start to rotate. As the document is printed, it exits the print station  104  and enters presenter  106 , is fed through the presenter feed rollers  201  and the presence of the document is sensed. As soon as the document is sensed, the presenter feed rollers  201  stop rotating and the action of drive belt  108  and motor  107  drive presenter  106  to pivot about  105  until it reaches feed position  110 . During this time, the presenter moves at a rate so that the document is “pulled” from the document exit path of the printer at the same rate as printing. When the presenter reaches the feed position  110 , it stops. During this time, a document bridge  113  has been formed. As document printing continues, the print station drive rollers cause the document bridge  113  to “buckle” to form document loop  109 . When printing completes, the print station  104  cuts the document and signals to presenter  106  to “present” the document to the user. At this time, the presenter feed rollers  201  within the presenter  106  pull the cut document in loop  109  and deliver the document from presenter exit  111  to the user. Document feed position sensor  115  is used to sense when the presenter  106  is in position  115  to feed a document from the kiosk. Likewise home position sensor  114  senses when the presenter  106  is in the home position  114  to enable printing to start. 
     FIG. 2 is a more detailed drawing of presenter  106 . A document  207  is engaged in presenter feed rollers  201 . Paper sensor  202  senses when document  207  is within drive rollers  201 . Document feed rollers  201  are driven by motor  204  via idler  203 . Drive belt  108  engages motor  107  with rollers  205  and  206  to drive presenter  106  about pivot  105 . The ends of drive belt  108  would be fixed causing motor  107  and thus presenter  106  to move along drive belt  108  when the shaft of motor  107  rotates. In this implementation, presenter  106  is only free to pivot in response to rotation of motor  107 . Presenter  106  may be made to translate laterally instead of pivoting; however, pivoting may result in a simpler and more reliable implementation. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates printer system  500  with another embodiment of the present invention where the presenter is translated instead of rotated. Much of the detail of kiosk printer system  500  is not shown so that the operation of the presenter  506  may be more easily seen. Documents are printed from a paper roll  101 . Paper  102  is threaded around a tension roller  103  into a print station  104 . Presenter  506  is shown dotted in position  512  next to the document exit path of print station  104 . Print station drive rollers (not shown) pull the paper document from presenter  506  is shown dotted in position  512  next to the document exit path of print station  104 . Print station drive rollers (not shown) pull the paper document from paper roll  101  to begin the printing process. Before printing starts, the presenter home sensor  514  confirms that the presenter is in position  512 . The paper is fed under a print head (not shown) where printing starts and the presenter feed rollers  201  (see FIG. 2) start to rotate. As the document is printed, it exits the print station  104  and enters presenter  506 , is fed through the presenter feed rollers  201  and the presence of the document is sensed. As soon as the document is sensed, the presenter feed rollers  201  stop rotating and the action of drive belt  508  and motor  507  drive presenter  506  to translate in guides  502  on roller  501  until it reaches feed position  510 . During this time, the presenter moves at a rate so that the document is “pulled” from the document exit path of the printer at the same rate as printing. When the presenter reaches the feed position  510 , it stops. During this time, a document bridge  513  has been formed. As document printing continues, the print station drive rollers cause the document bridge  513  to “buckle” to form document loop  509 . When printing completes, the print station  104  cuts the document and signals to presenter  506  to “present” the document to the user. At this time, the presenter feed rollers  201  within the presenter  506  pull the cut document in loop  509  and deliver the document from presenter exit  511  to the user. Document feed position sensor  515  is used to sense when the presenter  506  is in position  510  to feed a document from the kiosk. Likewise home position sensor  514  senses when the presenter  506  is in the home position  512  to enable printing to start. 
     FIG.  3  and FIG. 6 are flow diagrams of method steps according to embodiments of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG.  3 . In step  301 , a test is done to determine if the document path is clear. If the document path is not clear a wait is done until the document path is clear. If the result of the test in step  301  is YES, then the presenter is returned to the home position  112  in step  311 . In step  302 , a test is done to determine if the presenter  106  is at the home position  112  indicated by home sensor  114 . If the result of the test in step  302  is NO, then the printer waits for the presenter  106  to arrive at the home position  112 . If the result of the test in step  302  is YES, then in step  303  a test is done to determine if a begin print signal has been received. If the result of the test in step  303  is NO, then the printer waits for a begin print signal. When a print signal has been received, printing begins in step  304 . In step  305  a test is done to determine if the document edge has reached the document sensor  202  in the presenter  106 . If the result of the test in step  305  is YES, then the document is within presenter feed rollers  201 . If the document is not within the presenter feed rollers  201 , then a wait is executed. In step  306 , presenter feed rollers  201  are stopped and presenter  106  begins to move at the same rate as the document  102  forming document bridge  113 . 
     In step  308 , feed position sensor  115  is sampled to determine if presenter  106  has reached feed position  110 . Presenter  106  keeps moving until the result of the test in step  308  is YES indicating that the feed position  110  has been reached. Presenter  106  stops pivoting in step  307  when the feed position signal is True. Printing continues at this point forming loop  109 . In step  309 , a test is done to determine if printing is complete and the continuous document  102  has been cut. When the result of the test in step  309  is YES, then in step  310  the presenter is signaled to start motor  204  which engage document feed rollers  201  to move document  207  from the document exit path  111  of presenter  106 . In step  311  a test is done to determine if a predetermined time has passed. This gives a user time to remove the partially exited document from the presenter. After the predetermined time has elapsed, a branch is taken back to step  301  where the determination is made whether the partially exited document has been removed. A branch is taken back to step  301  where the presenter  106  waits until the document sensor  202  indicates that document  207  has cleared the presenter  106  before returning to home position  112  by action of motor  107  and drive belt  108 . 
     FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of method steps in an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In step  601 , a test is done to determine if the document path is clear. If the document path is not clear then in step  613  the document feed rollers  201  are reversed feeding the document into a trash bin (not shown) in the kiosk. If the result of the test in step  601  is YES, then the presenter is returned to the home position  112  in step  611 . In step  602 , a test is done to determine if the present is at the home position  112  indicated by home sensor  114 . If the result of the test in step  602  is NO, then the printer waits for the presenter  106  to arrive at the home position  112 . If the result of the test in step  602  is YES, then in step  603  a test is done to determine if a begin print signal has been received. If the result of the test in step  603  is NO, then the printer waits for a begin print signal. When a print signal has been received, printing begins in step  604 . In step  605  a test is done to determine if the document edge has reached the document sensor  201  in the presenter  106 . If the result of the test in step  605  is YES, then the document is within presenter feed rollers  201 . If the document is not within the presenter feed rollers  201 , then a wait is executed. In step  606 , presenter  106  begins to move at the same rate as the document  102  forming document bridge  113 . 
     In step  608 , a test is done to determine if presenter  106  has reached feed position  110 . Presenter  106  keeps moving until the result of the test in step  608  is YES indicating that the feed position  110  has been reached. Presenter  106  stops pivoting in step  607  when the feed position signal is True. Printing continues at this point forming loop  109 . In step  609 , a test is done to determine if printing is complete and the continuous document  102  has been. When the result of the test in step  609  is YES, then the presenter is signaled to start motor  204  which engage drive rollers  201  to move document  207  partially from the document exit path  111  of presenter  106 . In step  612  a test is done to determine if a predetermined time has passed. This gives a user time to remove the partially exited document from the presenter. After the predetermined time has elapsed, a branch is taken back to step  601  where the determination is made whether the partially exited document has been removed. 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a representative kiosk system  400  configured to use a printer  100  which incorporates a presenter  106  according to embodiments of the present invention. Kiosk system  400  contains a central processing unit (CPU)  434  which controls functions of the kiosk system  400  and processes user entered information and retrieves and presents information based on the user inputs (e.g., keyboard  424 , keypad  423  or touch-screen  438 ). CPU  434  may store and retrieve information from random access memory  414  or from remote data storage devices connected over network interface  441 . System bus  412  is used to interconnect all the various units of kiosk system  400 . RAM  414  may also contain non-volatile memory that does not lose content if power is lost. Printer  100  is coupled to CPU  434  via bus  412  and input/output (I/O) adapter  418 . A touch-screen  438  is coupled to CPU  434  via bus  412  and display adapter  436  and may be used to present user information as well as receive input commands. Kiosk system  400  may or may not have both a touch-screen  438  and a keypad  423 . A kiosk system  400  may have a conventional display and use a keyboard  424  or a keypad  423  for user inputs. Network  441  may be used to process credit card information or validate other user payment methods. Kiosk system  400  may contain a mechanism for dispensing point of sale items purchased by a user. A receipt for a point of sale transaction by a user is printed on printer  100  and presented to the user via a presenter  106  according to embodiments of the present invention. CPU  434  may be programmed to generate control signals for the printer  100  in response to signals indicating the position of the presenter  106  and the status of document sensor  202 . Alternately, printer  100  may have a self-contained controller (not shown) for printer operations with presenter  106  according to embodiments of the present invention. In this case, CPU  434  may only generate print data in response to user inputs and programmed data processing using the user inputs and stored data. 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.