Printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902180-B2
Application number	US-201715460354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a printer including a memory. The memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the printer to perform a first process, a second process, and a third process. In the first process, an N-th determination target value is calculated, from an N-th pulse count index value and an (N+1) th pulse count index value. In the second process, a mean value of a plurality of consecutive pulse count index values within a predetermined range is calculated. In the third process, a comparison value is calculated by comparing (N−1) th the determination target value with the mean value. The first process to the third process are performed while increasing N one by one. A first determination step includes determining whether the elongated medium has reached a consumption completion status or not, on the basis of a magnitude relation between the comparison value and a first threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a feeder configured to transport an elongated medium that is to be consumed during printing fed out from a roll that includes an outer periphery around which said elongated medium is wound;
a pulse motor configured to drive said feeder;
a drive control device configured to output a pulse signal for driving said pulse motor;
a body to be detected that is configured to rotate in conjunction with rotation of said roll, and includes M (M is an integer greater than or equal to 2) detected elements along a circumferential direction;
an optical detection device configured to optically detect said detected elements of said body to be detected;
a processor; and
a memory,
said memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause said printer to perform:
a comparison value calculation step;
an index value detection step; and
a first determination step,
said index value detection step including:
detecting a pulse count index value expressed by a pulse count of said pulse signal per one of said detected elements, in sequence for each of said detected elements, in accordance with transport of said elongated medium by said feeder driven by said pulse motor,
said comparison value calculation step including:
a first process for calculating an N-th determination target value to be determined, from an N-th (N: an integer greater than or equal to 1) pulse count index value from start of transport and an (N+1) th pulse count index value adjoining the N-th pulse count index value, among a plurality of said pulse count index values detected in sequence at said index value detection step;
a second process for calculating a mean value of a plurality of consecutive pulse count index values within a predetermined range with its latest value being an (N−1) th pulse count index value when N is an odd number greater than or equal to 3 or an (N−2) th pulse count index value when N is an even number greater than or equal to 4, among the plurality of said pulse count index values detected in sequence at said index value detection step; and
a third process for calculating a comparison value by comparing, with using a predetermined arithmetic operation, (N−1) th said determination target value among said determination target values calculated in sequence in said first process with said mean value calculated in said second process,
said first process to said third process being performed in sequence while increasing N one by one with consumption of said elongated medium,
said first determination step including determining whether said elongated medium wound around the outer periphery of said roll has reached a consumption completion status or not, on the basis of a magnitude relation between said comparison value calculated at said comparison value calculation step and a predetermined first threshold value.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
slits disposed on said body to be detected and portions between two adjacent said slits function as said detected elements.

3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
after detection of one of the detected elements by said optical detection device, said index value detection step is performed based on the result of the detection.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
after completion of detection of M pulse count index values equal to the number of said detected elements in said index value detection step, after start of transport by said feeder, in said second process of said comparison value calculation step, a mean value of latest said M pulse count index values within said predetermined range is calculated.

5. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
before completion of detection of M pulse count index values equal to the number of said detected elements in said index value detection step, after start of transport by said feeder, in said second process of said comparison value calculation step, a mean value of less than said M pulse count index values within said predetermined range is calculated.

6. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
in said first process of said comparison value calculation step, as said N-th determination target value, a total value of said N-th pulse count index value and said (N+1) th pulse count index value is calculated, and wherein
in said third process of said comparison value calculation step, said comparison value is calculated by comparing (N−1) th said total value based on a result of calculation in said first process with said mean value calculated in said second process.

7. The printer according to claim 6 , wherein
in said third process of said comparison value calculation step, said comparison value is calculated by dividing said (N−1) th said total value based on the result of calculation in said first process by the double of said mean value calculated in said second process, and
in said first determination step, it is determined that said elongated medium has reached said consumption completion status in the case that said comparison value calculated in said third process becomes greater than said first threshold value.

8. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
said memory stores instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause said printer to further perform a second determination step for determining, separately from determination in said first determination step, whether said elongated medium has reached said consumption completion status or not, on the basis of a magnitude relation between latest said pulse count index value detected in said index value detection step and a predetermined second threshold value.

9. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
in said first determination step, a determination related to said consumption completion status is not performed for a first predetermined period immediately after start of transport by said feeder and the determination related to said consumption completion status is started after the elapse of said first predetermined period.

10. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a printing head configured to form print on a print-receiving medium, wherein
said elongated medium is a thermal transfer ribbon configured to perform a thermal transfer on said print-receiving medium by heat from said printing head, or is said print-receiving medium.

11. The printer according to claim 10 , further comprising a cutter configured to cut said print-receiving medium after print formation by said printing head, wherein
in said first determination step, a determination related to said consumption completion status is not performed during a second predetermined period before and after a cutting action by said cutter, and the determination related to said consumption completion status is performed at timing other than said second predetermined period.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishimura Yohei

Classifications

• B41J35/36 Primary

  Alarms, indicators, or feed disabling devices responsive to ink ribbon breakage or exhaustion · CPC title

• B41J33/54

  for ensuring maximum life of the ribbon (B41J33/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J33/34

  driven by motors independently of the machine as a whole · CPC title

• B41J33/22

  by gears or pulleys · CPC title

• B41J2/32

  using thermal heads · CPC title