Printing device, printing method, and nonvolatile computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124600-B2
Application number	US-201715716117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A printing device includes a thermal head and a head controller. The head controller acquires a number of heater elements to energize based on the line print data, and determines an energization time of one or more heater elements corresponding to the line print data according to a result of comparison between the number of heater elements to energize and a first threshold, wherein in a case where a width of an ink ribbon heated by the energization is equal to or wider than a second threshold, the first threshold being set to be a value that is greater than a value that is set for the first threshold when the width of the ink ribbon heated by the energization is narrower than the second threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing device, comprising:
a thermal head comprising heater elements arrayed into a line along an array direction intersecting a conveying direction of a printing medium; and
a head controller that causes the thermal head to print on the printing medium by energizing the heater elements based on line print data into which print data is divided along the array direction,
wherein the head controller:
acquires a number of the heater elements to energize based on the line print data; and
determines an energization time of one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the line print data according to a result of a comparison between the number of the heater elements to energize and a first threshold, and

wherein, in a case where a width of an ink ribbon heated by the energization is equal to or wider than a second threshold, the first threshold is set to be a value that is greater than a value that is set for the first threshold when the width of the ink ribbon heated by the energization is narrower than the second threshold.

2. A printing method executed by a printing device,
the printing device comprising (i) a thermal head comprising heater elements arrayed into a line along an array direction intersecting a conveying direction of a printing medium, and (ii) a head controller that causes the thermal head to print on the printing medium by energizing the heater elements based on line print data into which print data is divided along the array direction, and the printing method comprising:
acquiring a number of the heater elements to energize based on the line print data; and
determining an energization time of one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the line print data according to a result of a comparison between the number of the heater elements to energize and a first threshold,

wherein, in a case where a width of an ink ribbon heated by the energization is equal to or wider than a second threshold, the first threshold is set to be a value that is greater than a value that is set for the first threshold when the width of the ink ribbon heated by the energization is narrower than the second threshold.

3. A printing method executed by a printing device, the printing device comprising (i) a thermal head comprising heater elements arrayed into a line along an array direction intersecting a conveying direction of a printing medium, and (ii) a head controller that causes the thermal head to print on the printing medium by energizing the heater elements based on line print data into which print data is divided along the array direction, and the printing method comprising:
acquiring a temperature of the thermal head; and determining an energization time of one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the line print data according to a result of a comparison between the acquired temperature of the thermal head and a first threshold;
wherein, in a case where a width of an ink ribbon heated by the energization is equal to or wider than a second threshold, the first threshold is set to be a value that is greater than a value that is set for the first threshold when the width of the ink ribbon heated by the energization is narrower than the second threshold.

4. A printing method executed by a printing device, the printing device comprising (i) a thermal head comprising heater elements arrayed into a line along an array direction intersecting a conveying direction of a printing medium, and (ii) a head controller that causes the thermal head to print on the printing medium by energizing the heater elements based on line print data into which print data is divided along the array direction, and the printing method comprising:
energizing one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the line print data for a shorter energization time in a case where a state acquired before printing on the printing medium satisfies a first set condition than in a case where the acquired state does not satisfy the first set condition.

5. The printing method according to claim 4 , further comprising determining that the first set condition is satisfied and causing the thermal head to print on the printing medium when a number of the heater elements to energize based on the line print data is greater than a number range for which the head controller determines that the first set condition is not satisfied.

6. The printing method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that (i) the first set condition is satisfied when a number of the heater elements to energize based on the line print data is greater than a first threshold and (ii) the first set condition is not satisfied when the number of the heater elements to energize based on the line print data is equal to or smaller than the first threshold; and
causing the thermal head to print on the printing medium.

7. The printing method according to claim 6 , wherein
in a case where a width of an ink ribbon heated by the energization is equal to or wider than a second threshold, a value of the first threshold is set to be greater than a value of the first threshold that is set when the width of the ink ribbon heated by the energization is narrower than the second threshold.

8. The printing method according to claim 6 , wherein
in a case where a temperature of the thermal head is equal to or higher than a second threshold, a value of the first threshold is set to be greater than a value of the first threshold that is set when the temperature of the thermal head is lower than the second threshold.

9. The printing method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
changing the line print data to other line print data for a portion of a time period for printing each line print data, and causing the thermal head to print on the printing medium based on the line print data and the other line print data; and
energizing one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the other line print data for an energization time shorter than a duration time, when a number of the heater elements to energize based on the other line print data is higher than a number range, with the duration time being a time during which the head controller energizes the one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the other line print data when the number of the heater elements to energize based on the other line print data falls within the number range.

10. The printing method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
determining that (i) the first set condition is satisfied when the number of the heater elements to energize based on the other line print data is greater than a first threshold and (ii) the first set condition is not satisfied when the number of the heater elements to energize based on the line print data is equal to or smaller than the first threshold; and
causing the thermal head to print on the printing medium.

11. The printing method according to claim 9 , further comprising energizing the one or more of the heater elements corresponding to the other line print data for a shorter energization time in a case where the first set condition is satisfied and any one of a material and a color of the printing medium and a material and a color of an ink ribbon heated by the energization satisfies a second set condition than in a case where the first set condition is satisfied and any one of the material and the color of the printing medium and the material and the color of the ink ribbon heated by the energization does not satisfy the second set condition.

12. The printing method according to claim 4 , further comprising energizing the one or more of the heater elements corresponding

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uematsu Kenji

Classifications

• B41J2/36

  Print density control · CPC title

• B41J2/365

  by compensation for variation in temperature · CPC title

• B41J2/3551 Primary

  Block driving · CPC title

• B41J2/35 Primary

  providing current or voltage to the thermal head · CPC title

• B41J2/325

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title