Printing control apparatus, printing management method, and printing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662917-B2
Application number	US-201514811147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

There is provided a printing control apparatus that is communicably connected to a printing apparatus, the printing control apparatus including a medium information obtaining unit that obtains medium information from the printing apparatus, the medium information including at least one of amount information of a medium mounted in the printing apparatus and mounted state information of the medium, a screen generating unit that generates an information display screen according to the medium information, and a display unit that displays the information display screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing control apparatus that is communicably connected to a printing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a medium information obtaining unit that obtains medium information from the printing apparatus, the medium information including at least one of amount information of a medium mounted in the printing apparatus and mounted state information of the a medium mounted in the printing apparatus;
a screen generating unit that generates an information display screen according to the medium information; and
a display unit that displays the information display screen,
wherein the screen generating unit generates the information display screen, which shows whether the printing apparatus is capable of printing on the medium or not, according to the following process based on the medium information:
a first determination that determines whether the medium is mounted in a paper feeding device or not;
when it is determined that the medium is mounted in the paper feeding device, a second determination that determines whether medium remaining information can be obtained or not; and
when it is determined that the medium remaining information can be obtained, a third determination that determines whether the medium remains or not.

2. The printing control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the screen generating unit generates the information display screen that shows the printing apparatus is capable of printing on the medium when the medium is mounted in the paper feeding device, the medium remaining information is obtained, and the medium remains; and
wherein the screen generating unit generates the information display screen that shows the printing apparatus is not capable of printing on the medium when one of the following occurs:
the medium is not mounted in the paper feeding device;
the medium remaining information cannot be obtained; or
the medium does not remain.

3. The printing control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the screen generating unit, when the medium information obtaining unit obtains the medium information about a plurality of the paper feeding devices from the printing apparatus, generates the information display screen that includes the medium information about each of the plurality of the paper feeding devices.

4. A printing system that is provided with a printing apparatus which performs printing on a medium and a printing control apparatus which is communicably connected to the printing apparatus, the system comprising:
the printing apparatus including
a sensor unit that detects a detection signal which includes at least one of attachment/detachment detection of the medium and amount detection of the medium,
a paper feeding device,
an information computing unit that computes medium information which includes at least one of mounted state information and amount information of the medium on the basis of the detection signal, and
a printing apparatus communication unit that transmits the medium information to the printing control apparatus; and

the printing control apparatus including
a medium information obtaining unit that obtains the medium information from the printing apparatus,
a screen generating unit that generates an information display screen according to the medium information, and
a display unit that displays the information display screen,

wherein the screen generating unit generates the information display screen, which shows whether the printing apparatus is capable of printing on the medium or not, according to the following process based on the medium information:
a first determination that determines whether the medium is mounted in the paper feeding device or not;
when it is determined that the medium is mounted in the paper feeding device, a second determination that determines whether medium remaining information can be obtained or not; and
when it is determined that the medium remaining information can be obtained, a third determination that determines whether the medium remains or not.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Shinkai Masanari

Classifications

• B41J11/0075

  Low-paper indication, i.e. indicating the state when copy material has been used up nearly or completely · CPC title

• B41J29/38 Primary

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

• B41J15/042

  for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material · CPC title

• B65H2553/40

  using optical, e.g. photographic, elements · CPC title

• B41J3/46

  Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication · CPC title