Commodity-data processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142010-B2
Application number	US-201916280437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2019
Priority date	Feb 23, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A commodity-data processing apparatus includes a housing, a printer unit mounted in the housing and movable between a housed position at which the printer unit fits in a printer housing space and a drawn-out position, and a controller. The printer unit includes a cover that is movable between a closed position and an open position when the printer unit is at the drawn-out position and not movable between the closed position and the open position when the printer unit is at the housed position. The controller is configured to determine whether the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, determine whether or not the printer unit is ready for printing, upon determining that the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, and enable receipt printing by the printing unit, upon determining that the printer unit is ready for printing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A commodity-data processing apparatus comprising:
a housing having a printer housing space;
a printer unit mounted in the housing and movable between a housed position at which the printer unit fits in the printer housing space and a drawn-out position at which the printer unit is drawn out of the printer housing space, the printer unit including a cover that is movable between a closed position and an open position when the printer unit is at the drawn-out position and not movable between the closed position and the open position when the printer unit is at the housed position;
a printer sensor configured to detect a position of the printer unit;
a cover sensor configured to detect a position of the cover of the printer unit; and
a controller configured to:
determine whether the printer unit is moved from the housed position to the drawn-out position based on the detected position of the printer sensor,
determine whether the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position based on the detected position of the cover sensor, when determining that the printer unit is moved from the housed position to the drawn-out position,
determine whether or not the printer unit is ready for printing, upon determining that the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, and
enable receipt printing of a limited number by the printing unit, upon determining that the printer unit is ready for printing.

2. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines whether or not the printer unit is ready for printing based on at least one of a sheet availability and a sheet jam.

3. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an anomaly sensor configured to detect an anomaly of the printer unit, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the printer unit is ready for printing based on a detection result of the anomaly sensor.

4. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an indicator, wherein the controller is further configured to control the indicator to indicate that the printing unit is ready for printing, upon determining that the printer unit is ready for printing.

5. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the indicator is disposed on the printer unit.

6. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printer unit includes a printer head that is attached to the cover and movable as the cover moves.

7. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is positioned at a top portion of the printer unit.

8. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to disable receipt printing by the printing unit, after the printer unit prints receipts of the limited number.

9. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether the printer unit is moved from the drawn-out position to the housed position based on the detected position of the printer sensor after disabling the receipt printing by the printing unit, and
enable the receipt printing by the printing unit upon determining that printer unit is moved from the drawn-out position to the housed position.

10. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the limited number is one.

11. A commodity-data processing apparatus comprising:
a housing having a printer housing space;
a printer unit mounted in the housing and movable between a housed position at which the printer unit fits in the printer housing space and a drawn-out position at which the printer unit is drawn out of the printer housing space, the printer unit including a cover that is movable between a closed position and an open position when the printer unit is at the drawn-out position and not movable between the closed position and the open position when the printer unit is at the housed position;
a printer sensor configured to detect a position of the printer unit;
a cover sensor configured to detect a position of the cover of the printer unit;
an anomaly sensor configured to detect an anomaly of the printer unit; and
a controller configured to:
determine whether the printer unit is moved from the housed position to the drawn-out position based on the detected position of the printer sensor,
determine whether the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position based on the detected position of the cover sensor, when determining that the printer unit is moved from the housed position to the drawn-out position,
determine whether or not there is an anomaly in the printer unit based on a detection result of the anomaly sensor, upon determining that the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, and
enable receipt printing of a limited number by the printing unit, upon determining that there is no anomaly in the printer unit.

12. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the anomaly sensor detects at least one of a sheet shortage and a sheet jam as the anomaly.

13. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to disable receipt printing when the anomaly sensor detects an anomaly of the printer unit.

14. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to disable receipt printing by the printing unit, after the printer unit prints receipts of the limited number.

15. The commodity-data processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether the printer unit is moved from the drawn-out position to the housed position based on the detected position of the printer sensor after disabling the receipt printing by the printing unit, and
enable the receipt printing by the printing unit upon determining that printer unit is moved from the drawn-out position to the housed position.

16. A method for controlling a commodity-data processing apparatus including a housing having a printer housing space and a printer unit mounted in the housing and movable between a housed position at which the printer unit fits in the printer housing space and a drawn-out position at which the printer unit is drawn out of the printer housing space, the printer unit including a cover that is movable between a closed position and an open position when the printer unit is at the drawn-out position and not movable between the closed position and the open position when the printer unit is at the housed position, the method comprising:
determining whether the printer unit is moved from the housed position to the drawn-out position
determining whether the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, when determining that the printer unit is moved from the housed position to the drawn-out position;
determining whether or not the printer unit is ready for printing, upon determining that the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position; and
enabling receipt printing of a limited number by the printing unit, upon determining that the printer unit is ready for printing.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the receipt printing by the printing unit is enabled when the printer unit is at the drawn-out position.

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Gotanda Tsuyoshi
• Kikuchi Jun
• Susaki Akiko
• Yoshitomi Jun
• Hashimoto Shun

Classifications

• G07G5/00

  Receipt-giving machines · CPC title

• G07G1/0018 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means · CPC title

• G07G1/0027

  Details of drawer or money-box · CPC title

• B41J29/38 Primary

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title