Printer including cartridge mounted interchangeable read only memory
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsNobuyuki Ukai, Ryoji Shibata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer with a main body having a printing head, motors, a plurality of circuits driving the printing head and the motors, a processor and a random access memory. The printer also includes a cartridge for containing memory devices for storing the data for at least one character font set and for storing the printing operation control program. A connector removably connects the cartridge mechanically and electrically to the main body of the printer. As a result, the print operation control program and character font set data can be selectively set by connecting an appropriate cartridge to the main body of the printer.
Claims25
A printer comprising:
- a main body including a printing head, at least one motor , a plurality of circuits for driving the printing head and the at least one motor , processing means and a random access memory;
- a cartridge for containing memory means for storing data associated with at least one character font set and a printing operation control program and further including interface means for connecting the printer to a host machine;
- and means for removably connecting the cartridge mechanically and electrically to the main body;
- whereby the printing operation control program and character font sets can be selectively set by connecting an appropriate cartridge.
In a printer including a printing head, a circuit for driving the printing head, a carriage motor, a circuit for driving a carriage motor, a line feed motor, a circuit for driving the line feed motor, a microprocessor unit operationally connected to the circuits for driving the printing head, carriage motor and line feed motor, a character read-only memory device operationally connected to the microprocessor unit for specifying a style of characters , a control read-only memory device operationally connected to the microprocessor unit for controlling the printing operation and an interface for connecting the printer to a host machine, the improvement comprising:
- a cartridge supporting the control and character read-only memory devices and interface, a main body of the printer being defined as the printing head, carriage motor, line feed motor, circuits for driving the printing head, carriage motor and line feed motor and the microprocessing unit, the cartridge and memory devices and interface supported thereby being removably coupled to the main body of the printer.
A printer comprising:
- a main body including a printing head, at least one motor, a plurality of circuits for driving the printing head and the at least one motor, processing means and a random access memory;
- a cartridge for containing memory means for storing data associated with at least one character font set and interface means for connecting the printer to a host machine;
- and means for removably connecting the cartridge mechanically and electrically to the main body;
- whereby the character font sets and interface means can be selectively set by connecting an appropriate cartridge.
A printer comprising:
- a main body including a printing head, at least one motor, a plurality of circuits for driving the printing head and the at least one motor, processing means and a random access memory;
- a cartridge for containing a printing operation control program and interface means for connecting the printer to a host machine;
- and means for removably connecting the cartridge mechanically and electrically to the main body;
- whereby the printing operation control program and interface means can be selectively set by connecting an appropriate cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.