Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0887197B1/en
Timestamp: 2020-08-04 09:19:47
Document Index: 114741913

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 20', 'art 21', 'art 20', 'art 21', 'art 66', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 66', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 66', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 20', 'art 66', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 66', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21']

EP0887197B1 - Printer device and printing method - Google Patents
Printer device and printing method Download PDF
EP0887197B1
EP0887197B1 EP19980111552 EP98111552A EP0887197B1 EP 0887197 B1 EP0887197 B1 EP 0887197B1 EP 19980111552 EP19980111552 EP 19980111552 EP 98111552 A EP98111552 A EP 98111552A EP 0887197 B1 EP0887197 B1 EP 0887197B1
EP19980111552
EP0887197A3 (en
EP0887197A2 (en
1997-06-25 Priority to JP169102/97 priority Critical
1997-06-25 Priority to JP16910297 priority
1997-06-25 Priority to JP16910297A priority patent/JPH1110929A/en
1998-06-23 Application filed by Sony Corp filed Critical Sony Corp
1998-12-30 Publication of EP0887197A2 publication Critical patent/EP0887197A2/en
2000-05-24 Publication of EP0887197A3 publication Critical patent/EP0887197A3/en
2004-09-29 Publication of EP0887197B1 publication Critical patent/EP0887197B1/en
238000007639 printing Methods 0.000 title claims description 57
US 5,079,565 discloses a thermal transfer printing apparatus including a reading device for reading a code registered section provided on the peripheral surface of an ink sheet shaft such that a reading means can scan and read the code by making use of rotation of the shaft during printing operation. The code registered section is formed by directly printing the code or adhering a medium with the code printed thereon to the before mentioned portion of the supply shaft.
A thermal transfer printing film cassette having an outer surface provided with a reflective mark that, depending upon its position, indicates the ink characteristics of the thermal transfer printing film included in the cassette case is disclosed by US 5,035,325. Alternatively, the outer surface of the cassette case may be provided with a reflective mark that, depending upon its position, indicates the usage of the thermal transfer printing film comprised in the cassette case.
EP 0 304 823 discloses a colour thermal printer of a type which utilises any one of ink ribbons of 3 different colour combination, which comprises a different identifier means provided on and peculiar to each of the different ink ribbons and descriptive of the colour combination of the respective ink ribbon. The printer further comprises a detecting means cooperable with any one of the identifier means for detecting either electrically or optically, and providing an output signal indicative of one of the ink ribbons of different colour combinations which is actually mounted on the printer. The output signal from the detecting means is utilised to instruct the thermal printer that the ink ribbon of the particular colour combination has actually been mounted on the printer and, for this purpose, it may be supplied to the printer control generally used in the thermal printer.
It is the object of the present invention to remarkably improve convenience of operation of a printer device for a user and improve production efficiency by allowing identification of an actual fill level of the ink ribbon assembly.
The above object is solved in a printer device comprising the features of the preamble of independent claim 1 by the features of the characterising part of claim 1.
Furthermore, the above object is solved with a method of printing an image comprising the features of the preamble of independent claim 12 by the features of the characterising part of claim 12.
A data retention means for retaining correction data for correcting production variances of ink ribbons is integrated with an ink ribbon assembly. As a result, the necessity of the user inputting the correction data is saved by reading the correction data retained by the data retention means and correcting image data in accordance therewith.
The print system is utilized with an ink ribbon assembly which has integrated with it retention or storage means for storing data relevant to the ink ribbon, such has production variance data. The print system reads out such correction data. The print system has correction means for correcting the image information in accordance with the correction data. As a result, a user doesn't have to manually input the correction data into a printer device.
Still further, a printing method comprises the steps of storing correction data relating to production variances of ink in an ink ribbon in a storage device associated with an ink ribbon support, reading the correction data from the data storage device to then correct the image information in accordance with the correction data, and printing the corrected print information. As a result, a user can save the labor of inputting the correction data to a printer device.
Furthermore, the printer device comprises readout means for reading predetermined data from the storage means integrated with an ink ribbon for storing and retaining the predetermined data and correcting means for performing a predetermined correction in the image to be printed in accordance with the predetermined data.
A method of printing is realized comprising the steps of storing predetermined data indicative of ink ribbon characteristics in a storage device associated with an ink ribbon support structure, reading the predetermined data from the storage device, modifying the supplied printing information in accordance with the predetermined data and printing an image in accordance with the modified printing information.
As a resuit, by storing the necessary data in the storage device, a user can save the labor of inputting the correction data to a printer device and can allow a printer to perform the corresponding correction to the color image in accordance with the predetermined data.
Data retention means is integrated with an ink ribbon assembly for retaining the correction data for correcting the production variation of ink provided in an ink ribbon. Desirably, such an arrangement is adopted on the printer device side so as to read the correction data from the data retention means, correct the image printing information in accordance with the read correction data and perform the printing in accordance with the corrected image printing information. In this way, the correction data is given to a printer device without a user's manual input and, thus, an ink ribbon, a printer device and a printing method, capable of markedly promoting the using convenience of a user, is implemented.
Additionally, storage means integrated with a ribbon for storing and retaining predetermined data is provided in an ink ribbon assembly. With such an arrangement, a printer device reads the predetermined data from the storage means and executes the predetermined processing in accordance with the predetermined data. Thus, by storing the necessary data in the storage means, the printer device can automatically perform the corresponding processing in accordance with this data and, thus, markedly promoting the convenience of the printer.
Description of Preferred Embodiments (1) γ Correcting Processing and Variance Correcting Processing
In this case, the relation between a value of image data given to the PWM modulation circuit at the time of the transcription of a certain color by heating and the characteristics of density of a printed image (dynamic coloring characteristics) can be expressed in a curve (hereinafter, referred to as dynamic coloring characteristic curve) K1 as shown in Fig. 1. This dynamic coloring characteristic curve K 1 depends on the ink ribbon and the printing paper, so that a different curve is depicted with ink of another color. Incidentally, in Fig. 1, the shades of images are selected so as to be expressed in terms of 256 grades. The density of printed images and values ("00" to "FF") of image data supplied to the PWM modulation circuit are taken in the axis of ordinates and the axis of abscissas, respectively.
When a value of the image data supplied to the printer device is XX2 (Fig. 2), such a correction can be performed by providing the data value XX1 (Fig. 1) corresponding to the dynamic coloring characteristic curve K2 of the ink to the thermal head so that the same density Dx is obtained.
From Figs. 1 and 2, for example, values of data (the axis of abscissas in Fig. 1) according to the dynamic coloring characteristics of the ink having the same value of density for individual data values (the axis of abscissas in Fig, 2) of image data are measured in advance to prepare correction data (hereinafter, referred to as y correction data) as shown in Fig. 3 and a correction circuit (hereinafter, referred to as γ correction circuit) for converting the data value of the supplied image data into the data value according to the dynamic coloring characteristics of the ink which is actually disposed at the front stage of the thermal head, so that a mismatch in the printed result due to the difference between the dynamic coloring characteristics of individual ink ribbons and the γ characteristics of the monitor as described above can be avoided. Since the dynamic coloring characteristic curve K2 changes depending on the temperature, the γ correction data to be used is changed in accordance with the temperature of the thermal head.
Accordingly, γ correction data capable of obtaining a density curve (i.e., dynamic coloring characteristic curve K2 in Fig. 2) for a target in the image print using the ink ribbon of a lot serving as a reference (hereinafter, referred to as a reference lot) is first made and stored in a γ correction circuit. Fig. 4 shows a curve K3 interpolated based on the respective density values to be printed when data of "00", "11", "22", "33", "44", "55", "66", "77", "88", "99", "AA", "BB", "CC", "DD", "EE" and "FF" in hexadecimal digits are inputted in the γ correction circuit, which data points are designated with dots, e.g., ""
As shown in Figs. 8 (a) to 8(C), the lot correction ring 14 comprises a ring-shaped gear part 20 and a cylinder part 21 which is slightly smaller in outside diameter than and equal in inside diameter to the gear part 20. It is provided coaxially on one surface of the gear part 21.
Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 10, classification code data D1, representing the classification code of the ink ribbon, variance correction data D2 to D5 of individual colors of ink created as mentioned above, remaining amount data D6 representing the remaining amount of the ribbon 12, and the like, are written. Readout of memory 22 takes place via individual electrodes 23A to 23D of the memory substrate 23.
Provided on the lower surface side of this sensor 66, is a protuberant part 66A provided at the outer part (the part facing the outer part of the peripheral face of the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14) shown by the arrow "d" in Fig. 13(a) so as to protrude slightly lower than all contacts 67A to 67D. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 8(a) to 8(C), in the lot correction ring 14 of the ink ribbon 10, a concave part 21B is provided corresponding to the protuberant part 66A of the sensor 66 outside the flat part 21 A.
When the lot correction ring 14 of the ink ribbon 10 is rotationally driven from this state by the rotational driving section 41 (Fig. 11) of the printer device 30, like the progress of the positions in Fig. 14 (B), Fig. 15(a), Fig. 15(B) to Fig. 16 (a), then the flat part 21A of the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14 of the ink ribbon assembly 12 comes directly below the sensor 66 of the printer device 30 as shown in 16(B). The protuberant part 66A of the sensor 66 fits the concave part 21B of the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14, thereby allowing individual contacts 67A to 67D of the sensor 66 to come in contact with the corresponding electrodes 23A to 23D of the memory substrate 23 of the ink ribbon assembly 10 via the respective openings 21AX1 to 21 AX4 of the flat part 21 A of the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14.
In this embodiment, as evident especially from Figs. 8 (a), 11 and 12, a notch 20A is provided at the gear part 20 of the lot correction ring 14 so that the gear 52 (Fig. 11) of the rotational drive section 41 of the printer device 30 fits the notch 20A in a state where the protuberant part 66A of the sensor 66 fits the concave part 21B of the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14. See Fig. 16 (B).
Thus, in printer 9, after lot correction ring 14 goes from the state of Fig. 14 (a) and reaches that of Fig. 16 (B), the lot correction ring 14 does not rotates under exertion of a rotational force from the rotational driving section 41 of the printer device 30, thus enabling a distortion or a break of individual contacts 67A to 67D of the sensor 66.
Additionally, in this embodiment, as evident especially also from Figs. 8 (a) to (C), in the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14, a protuberant part 21C is provided on the peripheral part of the rear side of the flat part 21A which has a peripheral part of the same curvature as that of other peripheral parts of the cylindrical part.
Thus, in this print system 9, when the top cover 38 is closed after the lot correction ink ribbon assembly 10 is loaded in the ink ribbon setting section 37 of the printer device 30 in a state of being slightly rotated from the state shown in Fig. 16 (B) toward the direction of the arrow c, the protuberant part 66A of the sensor 66 of the printer device 30 touches against the protuberant part 21C of the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14, thereby preventing individual contacts 67A to 67D of the sensor 66 from coming into contact with corresponding electrodes 23A to 23D of the memory substrate 23 via the respective openings 21AX1 to 21AX4 bored in the cylindrical part 21 of the lot correction ring 14.
Here, in the printer device 30, a signal processing section 70 includes a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 71, as shown in Fig. 17, which is disposed inside the case 31. When the top cover 38 is closed after the ink ribbon 10 is loaded inside the case 31, the CPU 71 drives the aforementioned rotational driving section 41 (Fig. 11) via a mechanics control section 72 to rotate the lot correction ring 14 of the ink ribbon assembly 10, so that individual contacts 67A to 67D of the sensors 66 come into contact with the corresponding electrodes 23 A to 23D of the memory substrate 23 in the lot correction ring 14 as shown in Fig. 16 (B).
Next, the CPU 71 reads various data such as classification code data D1, variance correction data D2 to D5 of individual ink colors and remaining amount data D6 (Fig. 10) stored in the nonvolatile memory 22 of the memory substrate 23, switches the operating mode of the drive voltage application section (not shown) for applying the drive voltage to a thermal head 39 to the corresponding mode on the basis of the read classification code data D1 and moreover writes the read variance correction data D2 to D5 into an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory -- not shown) in the variance correction circuit 73.
Next, by delivering a color select signal S 1 to the memory controller 75, the CPU 71 allows the image data D10 to D13 for one predetermined color to be read from the corresponding buffer memories 76A to 76D for each line and to be delivered to the variance correction circuit 73.
On the basis of the color select signal S 1 given from the CPU 71 at this time, the variance correction circuit 73 selects the variance correction data D2 to D5 of a specified color out of the variance correction data D2 to D5 of individual colors written in the SRAM, interpolates the variance correction data D2 to D5 to create data having a conversion curve as shown, e.g., in Fig. 5, and, moreover, variance-corrects the image data D10 to D13 successively given from the memory controller 75 on the basis of that data, and then delivers the variance correction image data D16 to the γ correction circuit 78.
A printer device (9) for transferring ink from an ink ribbon to a print object to create an image in accordance with supplied printing information, comprising:
an ink ribbon assembly (10) including an ink ribbon (12) and storage means (22) for storing predetermined data relating to ink ribbon characteristics;
readout means (23) for reading the predetermined data from the storage means (22) of the ribbon assembly (10);
processing means (71) for modifying the supplied printing information in accordance with the predetermined data; and
print means (39) for printing the image in accordance with the modified printing information;
said storage means (22) comprises a nonvolatile memory for storing data indicative of the remaining amount of said ribbon; and
said processing means (71) additionally includes rewrite means for entering data in the storage means (22) indicating the amount of unused ink ribbon after an image is printed.
A printer device as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the predetermined data includes correction data for the correction of production variances in ink ribbon characteristics; and
wherein the processing means (71) modifies the supplied printing information in accordance with the correction data.
A printer device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said processing means (71) executes a predetermined warning, if necessary, on the basis of the data indicative of the remaining amount of ink read from the storage means (22).
A printer device as set forth in one of claims 1 to 3, including a video monitor which displays a color image to be printed, and wherein the predetermined data includes gamma correction data to produce a printed image which corresponds in color to that displayed on the monitor.
A printer device as set forth in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined data includes data indicating the type of the ink in the ink ribbon.
A printer as set forth in claim 2, wherein
the storage means (22) additionally stores, and the readout means (23) additionally reads out, data indicative of the remaining amount of ink ribbon (12); and
the printer device (9) further includes write means for entering data in the storage means (22) indicating the remaining amount of unused ink ribbon (12) after the print means (39) prints an image.
A printer device as set forth in claim 6,
further including warning means responsive to the readout means (23) for executing a predetermined warning when there is a shortage of ink ribbon 12, on the basis of the remaining amount of ink ribbon data read from the data storage means (22).
A printer device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the storage means (22) comprises a non-volatile memory in which said data indicative of the remaining amount of said ribbon is stored.
A printer device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the rewrite means enters data in said non-volatile memory (22) indicating the amount of unused ink ribbon after an image is printed.
A printer device as set forth in anyone of claims 1 to 7, wherein
said storage means is a magnetic disk or an optical disk.
A printer device as set forth in anyone of claims 1 to 10, wherein
said storage means (22) is supported by a correction ring lot (14) rotatably attached to one end of a supply spool of the ink ribbon assembly (10) in a longitudinal direction.
A method of printing an image by transferring ink from an ink ribbon to printing objects in accordance with supplied printing information, comprising:
storing predetermined data indicative of ink ribbon characteristics in a storage device associated with an ink ribbon support structure;
reading the predetermined data from the storage device;
modifying the supplied printing information in accordance with the predetermined data; and
characterised in that the method includes the additional step of
storing quantity data indicative of the remaining amount of unused ink ribbon in the storage device; and
rewriting the quantity data in the storage device after printing indicating the new remaining amount of unused ink ribbon.
A print method as set forth in claim 12, including the further step of modifying the supplied printing information in accordance with predetermined data comprising correction data indicating production variances of ink in the particular ink ribbon.
A print method as set forth in claim 12 or 13, including the additional step of storing data as to the type of ink in the ink ribbon.
A print method as set forth in one of claims 12 to 14, including the additional step of storing gamma correction data in the storage device to correct the colors of printed images to correspond with those displayed on a video monitor.
EP19980111552 1997-06-25 1998-06-23 Printer device and printing method Expired - Lifetime EP0887197B1 (en)
JP169102/97 1997-06-25
JP16910297 1997-06-25
EP0887197A2 EP0887197A2 (en) 1998-12-30
EP0887197A3 EP0887197A3 (en) 2000-05-24
EP0887197B1 true EP0887197B1 (en) 2004-09-29
EP19980111552 Expired - Lifetime EP0887197B1 (en) 1997-06-25 1998-06-23 Printer device and printing method
KR (1) KR19990007340A (en)
DE (1) DE69826564T2 (en)
FR2796002B1 (en) * 1999-07-09 2001-08-03 Sagem Printing device and associated assembly of a printing consumable roll and a roll-related information medium
KR101436319B1 (en) * 2007-10-30 2014-09-01 삼성전자주식회사 Photo printer and the controlling method thereof
CN104494319B (en) 2009-03-31 2017-04-12 兄弟工业株式会社 Tape cassette and tape printer
EP2965916A3 (en) 2008-12-25 2017-05-24 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Tape cassette and tape printer
PT2414165E (en) * 2009-03-31 2014-04-17 Brother Ind Ltd Tape cassette and tape printer
ES2521677T3 (en) 2008-12-25 2014-11-13 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Ribbon cartridge and ribbon printer
CN102361760B (en) 2009-03-31 2015-04-01 兄弟工业株式会社 Tape cassette
EP3418061A1 (en) * 2011-08-15 2018-12-26 Videojet Technologies Inc. Thermal transfer printer
JP2675082B2 (en) * 1988-07-08 1997-11-12 株式会社日立製作所 Thermal transfer recording device
JP2749075B2 (en) * 1988-10-03 1998-05-13 株式会社日立製作所 Thermal transfer recording device and ink paper cassette
FR2736863B1 (en) * 1995-07-21 1997-09-12 Sagem Ribbon consumable for printer-type machines
JP3330476B2 (en) * 1995-10-18 2002-09-30 株式会社 沖情報システムズ Adapter case and ticket processing device using the adapter case for mounting ink ribbon
1997-06-25 JP JP16910297A patent/JPH1110929A/en not_active Abandoned
1998-04-23 US US09/065,665 patent/US6059469A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1998-06-23 DE DE69826564T patent/DE69826564T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1998-06-23 EP EP19980111552 patent/EP0887197B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1998-06-25 KR KR1019980024101A patent/KR19990007340A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
US6059469A (en) 2000-05-09
DE69826564T2 (en) 2005-10-13
JPH1110929A (en) 1999-01-19
EP0887197A2 (en) 1998-12-30
DE69826564D1 (en) 2004-11-04
EP0887197A3 (en) 2000-05-24
KR19990007340A (en) 1999-01-25
EP0546944B1 (en) 1996-04-24 Device for identifying an ink ribbon cartridge used in a printer
EP1018433B1 (en) 2002-10-23 Printer for printing on a disk and method of assembling the printer
JP3455798B2 (en) 2003-10-14 Ink jet recording apparatus, ink cartridge and ink replenishing tool used therefor
KR0134341B1 (en) 1998-04-20 The method and device for sensing sheet film for a printer
DE60115206T2 (en) 2006-08-03 Ribbon identification by optical color coding
EP0277153B1 (en) 1991-02-06 Temperature compensated thermal printer apparatus
DE3932999A1 (en) 1990-04-12 Heat transfer printing device and ribbon cassette
US7760945B2 (en) 2010-07-20 Thermal transfer type image forming apparatus and method of indicating/detecting remaining amount of ink ribbon
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