# US 11,321,595 B2 · Media processing apparatus capable of printing label on storage media without interrupting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,321,595 B2 - Document ID: US11321595B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/101,228 - Filed: 2020-11-23 - Published: 2021-05-27 - Granted: 2022-05-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-25 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Hidetoshi Maeshima; Sadaaki Horiuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11321595B2 ## CPC - G06K 15/024: {for printing on segmented surfaces, e.g. sticker sheets, label rolls} - H04N 1/00931: {Synchronising different operations or sub-apparatus, e.g. controlling on-times taking into account different warm-up times} - G06F 3/1207: {resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission} - G06F 3/1259: {Print job monitoring, e.g. job status} - G06F 3/1285: {Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server} - G11B 20/10: Digital recording or reproducing - G11B 7/0037: with discs - G11B 2020/10861: {Finalising a record carrier after a recording operation, e.g. to ensure compatibility with a ROM medium} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A media processing apparatus includes a medium drive, a label printer, and a medium-processing-apparatus control section. When the medium-processing-apparatus control section receives a first photographic data file, the medium-processing-apparatus control section causes the medium drive to write the first photographic data file to a medium. After the medium-processing-apparatus control section has received the first photographic data file, the medium-processing-apparatus control section receives a second photographic data file and causes the medium drive to write the second photographic data file to the medium. When the medium-processing-apparatus control section receives a medium close command from a control apparatus, the medium-processing-apparatus control section terminates write processing by the medium drive in response to the received medium close command, and causes the label printer to perform printing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A media processing apparatus configured to communicate with a control apparatus that sends first write data and second write data, the media processing apparatus comprising: a data writing unit configured to write the first write data and the second write data to a medium; a printing unit configured to perform printing on a label surface of the medium; and a controller configured to control the data writing unit and the printing unit; wherein the data writing unit write, to the medium, the first write data received from the control apparatus, after the first write data is received, the second write data is received from the control apparatus, the data writing unit write the second data to the medium, when a medium close command that commands close processing on the medium is received from the control apparatus after the second write data is received, write processing by the data writing unit is terminated in response to the medium close command, and the printing unit perform printing on the label surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a free space in the medium to which the first write data is written, and send, when the controller decides based on the calculated free space that a space to which the second write data is written is insufficient in the medium, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the space to which the second write data is written is insufficient in the medium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, third write data to be sent from the control apparatus is not received within a predetermined time without the medium close command being received, the controller sends, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the third write data is not received. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, the medium close command is not received from the control apparatus within a predetermined time, the controller sends, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the medium close command is not received. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, third write data to be sent from the control apparatus or the medium close command is not received within a predetermined time, the controller terminates the write processing by the data writing unit and causes the printing unit to perform printing on the label surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a medium create command that commands media creation on the medium is received from the control apparatus, the controller starts the write processing by the data writing unit. ### Claim 7 A method for controlling a media processing apparatus configured to communicate with a control apparatus, the media processing apparatus including a data writing unit that writes first write data and second write data to a medium, the first write data and second write data being received from the control apparatus, and a printing unit that performs printing on a label surface of the medium, the method comprising: receiving the first write data from the control apparatus; writing the first write data to the medium by the data writing unit; receiving the second write data from the control apparatus after the first write data is received; writing the second data to the medium by the data writing unit; and after the second write data is received, receiving, from the control apparatus, a medium close command that commands close processing on the medium, terminating write processing by the data writing unit in response to the received medium close command, and performing printing on the label surface by the printing unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising calculating, after the first write data is written, a free space in the medium to which the first write data is written. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising calculating, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, a free space in the medium to which the first write data is written; and comparing the calculated free space and a data amount of the second write data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising sending, when a space to which the second write data is written is decided to be insufficient in the medium based on the calculated free space, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the space to which the second write data is written is insufficient in the medium. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising sending, when after the second write data is received from the control apparatus third write data is not received from the control apparatus within a predetermined time without the medium close command being received, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the third write data is not received. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising sending, when the medium close command is not received from the control apparatus within a predetermined time after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the medium close command is not received. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein when, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, third write data is not received from the control apparatus within a predetermined time without the medium close command being received, the write processing by the data writing unit is terminated and the printing unit performs printing on the label surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein when, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, the medium close command is not received within a predetermined time, the write processing by the data writing unit is terminated and the printing unit performs printing on the label surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising starting, when a medium create command that commands media creation on the medium is received from the control apparatus, the write processing by the data writing unit. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program executed by a controller in a media processing apparatus configured to communicate with a control apparatus, the media processing apparatus including a data writing unit that writes first write data and second write data to a medium, the first write data and second write data being received from the control apparatus, and a printing unit that performs printing on a label surface of the medium, the program instructions comprising: receiving the first write data from the control apparatus and causing the data writing unit to write the first write data to the medium; receiving the second write data from the control apparatus after the first write data is received and causing the data writing unit to write the second data to the medium; and receiving a medium close command from the control apparatus after the second write data is received, the medium close command commanding close processing on the medium, terminating write processing by the data writing unit in response to the received medium close command, and causing the printing unit to perform printing on the label surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, the program instructions further comprising calculating, after the first write data is written to the medium, a free space in the medium to which the first write data is written. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, the program instructions further comprising calculating, after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, a free space in the medium, and comparing the calculated free space and a data amount of the second write data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, the program instructions further comprising sending, when a space to which the second write data is written is decided to be insufficient in the medium based on the free space, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the space to which the second write data is written is insufficient in the medium. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, the program instructions further comprising sending, when the medium close command is not received from the control apparatus within a predetermined time after the second write data is received from the control apparatus, to the control apparatus, information indicating that the medium close command is not received.