Patent Publication Number: US-7717339-B2

Title: Printing apparatus and printing method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-106401, filed Apr. 1, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, which prints a face image and private information of an owner on a medium, such as an ID card for personal authentication and passbook with a built-in memory for wireless data reading/writing, and a printing method. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   There is a known printing apparatus, which prints a face image and private information of an owner on a passbook with an IC to permit wireless data reading and wring data. (For example, refer to Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI No. 2002-2154.) As a passbook printing apparatus of this kind, an apparatus using an intermediate transfer film is known. (For example, refer to Published Japanese Patent No. 3465110 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI No. 2003-94701.) 
   A passbook printing apparatus using an intermediate transfer film has a printer, a transfer unit, and a reader/writer. In this apparatus, the printer prints a face image and character information on an image-receiving layer of the intermediate transfer film, the transfer unit thermally transfers the image-receiving layer of the intermediate transfer film to a printing surface of a passbook, and the reader/writer unit writes necessary data in an IC chip. Namely, this apparatus writes data in the IC chip after printing information on the printing surface of a passbook. 
   Thus, this apparatus cannot read previously written from the IC chip and reflect it on data to be printed on the printing surface of a passbook. 
   If the IC chip is found defective when writing data in the IC chip after printing the data on the printing surface, it is unknown whether the IC chip was broken from the beginning or broken in the passbook printing apparatus. In this case, the cause of the defect of the IC chip is unknown, and the responsibility is unclear. 
   In this case, the passbook is abandoned, and the intermediate transfer film and ink ribbon used for the printing are wasted. Besides, the abandoned passbook includes the printed private information, and must be carefully handled from the viewpoint of protection of private information. 
   Further, the above passbook printing apparatus cannot use data other than the information previously printed in a passbook, and security information to be printed on a passbook can be created only from visible information. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and method, which can increase invisibility of printing information and decrease a running cost. 
   In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising a reader which reads identifying information specific to a printing medium from a memory built in the printing medium, and a printer which prints printing information including the identifying information read by the reader on the printing medium. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising a reader which reads identifying information specific to a printing medium from a memory built in the printing medium, a printing information generator which generates printing information including the identifying information read by the reader, and a printer which prints the printing information generated by the printing information generator in the printing medium. 
   According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing method comprising a step of reading identifying information specific to a printing medium from a memory built in the printing medium, and a step of printing printing information including the identifying information read in the reading step on the printing medium. 
   Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration showing a passbook with a front cover opened; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration showing the passbook of  FIG. 1 , with information printed on a printing page; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration showing a passbook printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration showing the configuration of a printing unit incorporated in the passbook printing apparatus; 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing a control system to control the operation of the passbook of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the passbook printing apparatus of  FIG. 3 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration showing a modification of the passbook printing apparatus of  FIG. 3 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  shows an unused passbook  1  with a printing page  2  (printing surface) opened, as an example of printing medium before printing information. In this embodiment, a page next to a front cover  3  is allocated to the printing page  2 . The front cover  3  has a previously printed passbook number  4 , for example, as identifying information specific to the passbook  1 . The printing page  2  may be allocated to any page. 
   The front cover  3  has a buried IC chip  5  (memory) and antenna  6  for wireless data reading/writing and wireless communication with a reader/writer described later, respectively. The IC chip  5  includes at least the passbook number  4  of the passbook  1  written previously as electronic data. The IC chip  5  also includes other information such as a serial number of the passbook to identify the passbook written previously as invisible electronic data. The IC chip  5  and antenna  6  may be buried in other pages than the front cover  3 . 
     FIG. 2  shows the passbook  1  with information printed on the printing page  2 . The passbook  1  has a printing area  2   a  to print a face image and private information of the owner, and a reading area  2   b  having previously printed bar code readable optically through a machine. 
   A face image  7  is printed in color and private information is printed in eight black characters in the printing area  2   a . The printing area  2   a  printed with the face image  7  and character data  8  is coated with a protection film (shaded part)  9  given a transparent hologram layer having a specific pattern. The face image  7  and character data  8  are visible through the pattern of the transparent hologram layer. 
   In the reading area  2   b , encrypted specific face image data is printed, for example. Further, character data such as private information and a bar code of a passbook number specific to the passbook  1  are printed in the area  2   b . In the following explanation, data such as these encrypted face image and bar code data printed in the reading area  2   b  is called security information  10 . The reading area  2   b  having previously printed security information  10  is coated with a plain transparent protection film. 
     FIG. 3  shows schematically the configuration of a passbook printing apparatus as an example of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The passbook printing apparatus has a passbook take-in unit  11  to feed an object or the unused passbook  1  shown in  FIG. 1  one by one, and a conveying path  12  to receive and convey the passbook  1  fed from the passbook take-in unit  11 . On the conveying path  12 , a wireless IC reader/writer unit  13  (a reading unit), a page turn-over unit  14 , a printing unit  15  (a printer), a wireless IC reader/writer unit  16  (a writing unit), and a passbook ejection unit  17  are provided sequentially along the direction of feeding the passbook  1 . 
   The passbook take-in unit  11  houses a closed passbook  1  in the state stacked in several numbers, feeds the passbooks  1  to the conveying path  12  one by one sequentially from the lowermost one, and takes in another unused passbook  1 . The passbook  1  housed in the passbook take-in unit  11  is an unused book as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   The wireless IC reader/writer unit  13  has feeding rollers  21  to hold and feed the passbook  1  through the conveying path  12 . At the position above and separated from the conveying path  12 , or at the position opposite to the outside surface of the front cover  3  of the passbook  1  having the buried IC chip  5 , a wireless IC reader/writer  22  is provided for wireless data communication with the IC chip  5  through the antenna  6  buried in the front cover  3 . 
   The page turn-over unit  14  has feeding rollers  21  to feed the passbook  1  fed from the wireless IC reader  13  to the conveying path  12  in both forward and backward directions, a turn-over mechanism  23  to open a desired page of the passbook  1 , and a page detector (not shown) to identify the opened page of the passbook  1  by detecting a page mark given to the page of the passbook  1  opened by the turn-over mechanism  23 . 
   The turn-over mechanism  23  has a backup plate  24  provided under the conveying path  12 , a swing shaft  25  to swing about fulcrum  25   a  provided at the center of the swinging of the backup plate  24 , and a turn-over roller  26  placed above the conveying path  12  and attached rotatably to the top end of the swing shaft  25 . When the swing shaft  25  is swung by a not-shown motor to the position indicated by a broken line in the drawing, the turn-over roller  26  is swung and the backup plate  24  is swung interlocking with the motion of the roller  26 . The turn-over roller  26  is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise by a not-shown motor. 
   When turning over a page of the passbook with the turn-over mechanism  23 , first convey the passbook  1  to a predetermined position in the turn-over mechanism  23  and stop there, and swing the swing shaft  25  to the left as indicated by a broken line in the drawing and press the turn-over roller  26  onto the passbook  1 . In this time, the backup plate  24  is oscillated by the swing of the swing shaft  25 , and the backside of the passbook  1  is pushed up by the inclined backup plate  24 . 
   In this state, rotate the turn-over roller  26  pressed to a page of the passbook  1  on the upstream side of the conveying direction, and start turning over of the uppermost page of the passbook. When the page is swollen just like raised gradually and turned over by a certain extent, stop the rotation of the roller. Return the swing shaft  25  to the position indicated by a solid line in the drawing, and rotate again the turn-over roller  26 , and turn over the page completely onto the roller  26 . 
   Convey the passbook  1  in the upstream direction of the conveying direction, open completely the page turned over onto the turn-over roller  26 , detect the page mark of the opened page by a not-shown page detector, and confirm the opened page. By the above operation, a desired page of the passbook  1  can be automatically opened, and the opened page can be confirmed. In this way, the passbook  1  with a desired page opened is conveyed to the printing unit  15 . 
   A page of the passbook  1  can also be opened in the reverse direction by operating the turn-over mechanism  23  in the direction reverse to the above-mentioned operation. 
   The printing unit  15  has a printer  31 , a feeding mechanism  32 , and a transfer unit  33 , for example, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   The printer  31  has a thermal head  34 , and a platen roller  35  provided opposite to the thermal head  34  and rotated freely in the forward and reverse directions. Between the thermal head  34  and platen roller  35 , an ink ribbon  36  having parallel stripes of fused ink of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (B), and an intermediate transfer film  37  are interposed. 
   One end of the ink ribbon  36  is wound around a feed-out shaft  38 , and the other end is wound around a take-up shaft  39 . At least one of the feed-out shaft  38  and take-up shaft  39  is rotatable independently in both forward and backward directions. The midstream part of the ink ribbon  36  fed out from the feed-out shaft  38  is laid over guide shafts  40  and  41 . 
   Such a fusion thermal transfer system is characterized by high image durability and relative easiness to use functional material (e.g., fluorescent pigment and aluminum-evaporated thin film) as ink material, and suitable for prints to prevent forgery. The ink ribbon  36  may be a single color ink ribbon. The ink ribbon may have ribbon material having a function of a fluorescent pigment ink to emit light when exposed to an ultraviolet ray, a metallic thin film having a shiny surface (aluminum-evaporated) layer for printing, or a hologram layer for printing. 
   The feeding mechanism  32  feeds the intermediate transfer film  37  at a predetermined speed, and has a first shaft  42  and a second shaft  43 , and can feed the intermediate transfer film  37  from one shaft to the other shaft. Namely, one end of the intermediate transfer film  37  is wound around the second shaft  43  provided in the upper side of the printer  31 , and the other end is wound around the first shaft  42  provided in the lower side of the printer  31 . 
   The first and second shafts  42  and  43  are independently rotated in both forward and backward directions, and convey the intermediate transfer film  37  to a printing position in the printer  31  and a transfer position in the transfer unit  33  at a predetermined speed. 
   When the first shaft  42  functions as a take-up shaft to take up the intermediate transfer film  37 , the second shaft  43  functions as a feed-out shaft to feed out the intermediate transfer film  37 . In this time, the intermediate transfer film  37  is conveyed in the forward direction A. When the second shaft  43  functions as a take-up shaft to take up the intermediate transfer film  37 , the first shaft  42  functions as a feed-out shaft to feed out the intermediate transfer film  37 . In this time, the intermediate transfer film  37  is conveyed in the reverse direction B. 
   The feeding mechanism  32  is provided between the platen roller  35  and transfer unit  33 , and has a feeding roller  44  to feed the intermediate transfer film  37  with data printed in the printer  31  at a predetermined speed. The feeding roller  44  is rotatable independently in both forward and backward directions, and feeds the intermediate transfer film  37  at a predetermined speed. Namely, the intermediate transfer film  37  feeding speed is determined mainly by the feeding roller  44 , and the feeding roller  44  is driven exactly by combining a stepping motor and a reduction mechanism, for example. 
   Between the first shaft  42  and second shaft  43 , the midstream part of the intermediate transfer film  37  is laid over guide shafts  45 ,  46  and  47 , and kept in substantially constant tension. The guide shaft  47  functions as a separation guide, which separates the intermediate transfer film  37  from the passbook  1  after the film is fed through a heating roller  48  described later. 
   The transfer unit  33  has a heating roller  48 , and a backup roller  49  provided opposite to the heating roller  48 . The heating roller  48  has a heating heater  50 , and a cut side  51  cut partially from the circumference. The peripheral surface of the heating roller is covered with heat-resistant rubber with the thickness of 1-2 mm. The intermediate transfer film  37  is interposed between the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49 . 
   The heating roller  48  can be driven exactly by a DC servomotor or a stepping motor at a predetermined speed. The rotatable backup roller  49  is energized by a not-shown coil spring to apply a certain pressure to a space to the heating roller  48 . 
   In transfer standby mode, the heating roller  48  is placed with the cut side  51  opposed to and substantially parallel to a passbook conveying path  52 . Thus, a clearance large enough to place the passbook  1  is formed between the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49 . In this time, the intermediate transfer film  37  is desirably placed at the position not contacting the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49 , and not contacting the surface of the passbook  1  which comes into when the transfer is started. 
   The heating roller  48  rotates only when transferring, and contacts the intermediate transfer film  37 . Namely, as the printing of the intermediate transfer film  37  is advanced, the intermediate transfer film  37  is conveyed without contacting the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49 . During the transfer, at the transfer position (the position where the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49  are contacting), the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49  press the printing surfaces of the intermediate transfer film  37  and passbook  1  by a certain pressure without depending on the thickness of the passbook  1 , and heat them by the heat from the heater  50 , whereby the image receiving layer (transfer layer) of the intermediate film  37  is transferred from the transfer start position of the intermediate transfer film  37  to the printing surface of the passbook  1 . 
   A tension mechanism  53  is provided between the feeding roller  44  and transfer unit  33 . The tension mechanism  53  gives tension to the intermediate transfer film  37  fed by the feeding mechanism  32 . Namely, the tension mechanism  53  gives tension to the intermediate transfer film  37  even if the conveyed intermediate transfer film  37  slacks, and can remove the slack. 
   The passbook conveying path  52  has a first pair of feeding rollers  54 , a second pair of feeding rollers  55 , and a third pair of feeding rollers  56 . The first pair of feeding rollers  54  is provided in the upstream side of the transfer unit  33  in the conveying direction. The second and third pairs of feeding rollers  55  and  56  are provided in the downstream side of the transfer unit  33  in the conveying direction. 
   The first to third pairs of feeding rollers  54 - 56  feed the passbook  1  with the printing page opened up to the transfer position of the transfer unit  33 . Namely, the first to third pairs of feeding rollers  54 - 56  rotate in the forward direction, and feed the passbook  1  so that the transfer start position on the printing page of the passbook  1  coincides with the transfer position of the heating roller  48 . Further, the first to third pairs of feeding rollers  54 - 56  rotate in the forward direction, and feed the passbook  1  to the downstream side after being transferred in the transfer unit  33 . 
   On the ink ribbon  36  feeding path, a first sensor  57  is provided to optically detect existence of the ink ribbon  36 . On the intermediate film  37  feeding path, a second sensor  58  and a third sensor  59  are provided. The second sensor  58  and third sensor  59  optically detect a bar mark given on the outside surface of the effective area of the intermediate transfer film  37 . On the passbook conveying path  52 , a fourth sensor  60  and a fifth sensor  61  are provided. The fourth sensor  60  and fifth sensor  61  optically detect the existence of the conveyed passbook  1 . 
   The wireless IC reader/writer unit  13  has feeding rollers  21  to hold and feed the passbook  1  through the conveying path  12 . At the position above and separated from the conveying path  12 , or at the position opposite to the outside surface of the front cover  3  of the passbook  1  having the buried IC chip  5 , a wireless IC reader/writer  22  is provided for wireless data communication with the IC chip  5  through the antenna  6  buried in the front cover  3 . 
     FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing a control system to control the operation of the passbook. 
   The control system of the passbook printing apparatus has a data input control unit  81 , and a printing unit control unit  82  connected to the data input control unit  81  through a communication line. 
   The data input control unit  81  has a main controller  83  to control the whole apparatus, a memory  84  storing a control program, an interface  85  to make data transfer with the printing unit control unit  82 , an operation panel  86  to accept operation inputs by the operator and display operation guides to the operator, and an image input unit  87  to input a face photograph and images of a registration seal, etc. of the owner of the passbook  1  to be printed. As the image input unit  87 , a digital camera, a video camera or a scanner to read a face photograph may be used. 
   The printing unit control unit  82  has a main controller  88  connected to the interface  85  of the data input control unit  81 . The main controller  88  functions as a judgment unit of the present invention. The main controller  88  is connected with an image processor  89  which functions as a printing information generator of the present invention, a conveying controller  90 , a printing controller  91 , and IC reader/writer units  13  and  16 . 
   The image processor  89  is connected with a head controller  92 , which drives and controls the thermal head  34  of the printer  31  based on the printing information (printing information) generated by the image processor  89 . 
   The conveying controller  90  is connected with the passbook take-in unit  11 , feeding rollers  21  provided along the conveying path  12 , a conveying mechanism  93  to rotate and control the platen roller  35  of the printer  31 , and the page turn-over unit  14 . 
   The printing controller  91  is connected with a feeding mechanism  32  to feed the intermediate transfer film  37 , an ink ribbon feeding mechanism  94  to rotate and drive the feed-out shaft  38  and take-up shaft  39  to feed the ink ribbon  36 , a head moving mechanism  95  to move the thermal head  34  to/from the platen roller  35 , and a heating roller rotating mechanism  96  to rotate and control the heating roller  48  and backup roller  49  of the transfer unit  33 . 
   Next, explanation will be given on a passbook printing operation with reference to the flow chart of  FIG. 6 . 
   First, the unused passbook  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is take out to the conveying path  12  by the passbook take-in unit  11 , and conveyed ( FIG. 6 , step  1 ). The passbook  1  taken out to the conveying path  12  is fed to the IC reader/writer unit  13 . The IC reader writer unit  13  reads prerecorded electronic data including a passbook number from the IC chip  5  built in the passbook  1 , and sends the passbook to the main controller  88  (step  2 ). The main controller  88  judges whether the IC chip  5  is normal or abnormal based on the data read from the IC chip  5  (step  3 ). 
   When the IC chip  5  is judged abnormal as a result of the judgment in step  3  (step  3 , NO), a subsequent printing operation is not performed, and the passbook  1  is ejected to the passbook ejection unit  17  (step  8 ). 
   When the IC chip  5  is judged normal as a result of the judgment in step  3  (step  3 , YES), printing information including the passbook number read from the IC chip is created (step  4 ). In this time, for example, the image processor  89  creates printing information including security information reflecting the passbook number, by adding the passbook number read from the IC chip to the color face image of the owner of the passbook entered through the image input unit  87  and the private information of the owner entered through the operation panel  86 . The created printing information is sent to the head controller  92 . 
   Further, When the IC chip  5  is judged normal as a result of the judgment in step  3  (step  3 , YES), the passbook  1  is fed to the page turn-over unit  14 , and a desired page is opened (step  5 ). In this embodiment, as the passbook  1  is conveyed with the front cover  3  with the built-in IC chip  5  set forward, all pages except the front cover  3  are turned over. 
   The passbook  1  with a desired page opened is fed to the printing unit  15 . The printing unit  15  prints the printing information created by the image processor  89  on the printing page  2  of the passbook  1  fed from the page turn-over unit  14 , under the control of the printing controller  91  and head controller  92  (step  6 ). 
   In this time, the printer  31  first prints the intermediate transfer film  37 . Namely, the head controller  92  controls the thermal head  34 , and prints a face image and character data (including security information) on the surface of the image receiving layer compatible with a bonding layer of the intermediate transfer film  37 , based on the printing information created by the image processor  89 . In this time, the printing position of the intermediate film  37  is controlled by the sensor  58  detecting the bar mark of the intermediate transfer film  37  fed from the feed-out shaft  43 , and the data is printed at a predetermined position. 
   The printing information is printed in color by overlaying for colors of Y, M, C and K. In the case of printing by overlaying two or more colors, the intermediate transfer film  37  reciprocates through the thermal head  34  by the same times as the number of colors. The speed of feeding the intermediate transfer film  37  is determined mainly by the platen roller  35 . Therefore, the platen roller  35  is driven exactly by combination of a reduction mechanism and a 5-phase stepping motor, for example. The data recorded in this way is a reversed image. 
   Then, in the transfer unit  33 , the recording surface (image receiving layer) of the intermediate transfer film  37  printed by the printer  31  is laid on the printing page  2  of the passbook  1 , and pressed and heated by the heating roller  48 , whereby the printing information (image receiving layer) and hologram layer  72  are simultaneously transferred. After the transfer is completed, the passbook  1  is fed to the next IC reader/writer unit  16  leaving the printing page  2  opened. 
     FIG. 2  shows an example of the passbook after the data is printed as described above. In the printing area  2   a  of the printing page  2 , the face image  7  of the owner of the passbook  1  is printed in color and character data  8  such as private information is printed in black characters, for example. In the reading area  2   b , an encrypted specific face image of the owner of the passbook  1 , character data such as private information, and bar code data (security information) of a passbook number as identifying information specific to the passbook  1  are printed in black, for example. In this example, security information  10   a  in the bar code data  10  is the security information reflecting the passbook number read from the IC chip  5 . 
   The example of  FIG. 2  shows the case that the security information  10  is printed in a visible state. The security information  10  (or only the security information  10   a ) may be printed with fluorescent ink, printed by converting to micro characters, or printed as an electronic watermark. These technologies increase the security effect. 
   After various data is printed in step  6 , finally, the IC reader/writer unit  16  records the data related to the printing information printed on the printing page  2 , for example, private information such as a face image, name, registration seal image, account number, financial institution, branch name, personal authentication code, personal identification number of the owner of the passbook  1 , as electronic data in the IC chip  5  built in the printed passbook  1  (step  7 ). After electronic data is recorded in the IC chip  5 , the passbook  1  is ejected to the passbook ejection unit  17  (step  8 ). 
   As described above, according to the aforementioned embodiments, data can be read from the IC chip  5  of the passbook  1  before printing information on the printing page  2  of the passbook  1 , and the data read from the IC chip  5  can be reflected to the printing information. For example, a passbook number specific to the passbook  1  can be read from the IC chip  5 , and this passbook number can be printed on the printing page  2  of the passbook  1 . This prevents alterations and forgery of the passbook  1 . 
   Further, according to the aforementioned embodiments, when data is not normally read from the IC chip  5  in step  2 , the IC chip  5  is judged abnormal and the passbook  1  can be ejected without executing the subsequent printing process. This prevents the waste of intermediate transfer film and ink ribbon, and increases the running cost. Further, in this case, it can be known that the abnormality of the IC chip  5  does not occur during processing in the printing apparatus, and the responsibility of the abnormality of the IC chip  5  can be made clear. 
   Further, according to the aforementioned embodiments, printing is possible by using invisible data recorded in the IC chip  5 , and the security can be improved. 
   Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
   For example, in the aforementioned embodiment, a passbook number specific to the passbook  1  is previously recorded in the IC chip  5  of the passbook  1 . As identifying information specific to the passbook  1 , a face image and character data such as private information of the owner of the passbook  1  may also be used. In this case, before the identifying information is printed on the printing page  2 , the identifying information can be read and reflected on the printing information. 
   Further, in the aforementioned embodiment, the IC reader/writer unit  16  is provided also in a stage after the printing apparatus  15 , and the data related to the printing information printed on the printing page  2  is recorded in the IC chip  5  built in the passbook  1  after being printed. This IC reader/writer unit  16  is not necessarily required, it may be provided if necessary. 
   For example, as shown in  FIG. 7 , when the IC reader/writer unit  16  is omitted, the passbook  1  with data printed on the printing page  2  may be conveyed reversely to the IC reader/writer unit  13 , and necessary data may be written in the IC chip  5 . In this case, as the IC reader/writer unit  16  is omitted, the apparatus configuration can be simplified, the apparatus cost can be decreased, and the apparatus installation space can be reduced. 
   Further, in the aforementioned embodiments, the passbook  1  is taken as an example of a printing medium having a built-in IC chip. A printing medium is not limited to this. The present invention may be applied to an apparatus, which processes other books such as a student&#39;s handbook, and card media such as an IC card and an identification card.