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US 5,700,098 AGranted
Printing device
AssigneeEsselte N.V.
InventorsMichael Andrew Beadman, Ian Thompson-Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing device is described which can provide extended functions while nevertheless remaining portable and inexpensive. This is achieved by providing an interface which is connected to a controller of the printing device and which is adapted to be connected to one of a selection of external cartridges to support a wider variety of functions of the printing device.
Claims20
A printing device comprising:
- a printing mechanism for printing characters onto an image receiving tape;
- an input device for inputting information for controlling operations of the printing device;
- a controller coupled to the input device to receive control signals therefrom and operable to utilize the control signals to provide address signals for accessing data items for defining said characters to be printed and control data for controlling operations of the printing mechanism;
- an address bus coupled to said controller;
- a data bus for supplying said data items to the printing mechanism;
- a control bus for supplying the control data to the printing mechanism;
- and
- an interface connected to the address bus, the data bus and the control bus and having an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port adapted for connection to the respective corresponding ports of an external cartridge, whereby said external cartridge can supplement the operations of the controller,
- said data bus and said control bus being additionally coupled to said controller, with said input device and said external cartridge being contemporaneously usable with said controller, whereby said controller selectively supplies said data items and said control data to said printing mechanism.
6 more elements
A printing device comprising:
- a printing mechanism for printing characters onto an image receiving tape;
- an input device for inputting information for controlling operations of the printing device;
- a controller coupled to the input device to receive control signals therefrom and operable to utilize the control signals to provide address signals for accessing data items for defining said characters to be printed and control data for controlling operations of the printing mechanism;
- an address bus coupled to said controller;
- a data bus for supplying said data items to the printing mechanism;
- a control bus for supplying the control data to the printing mechanism;
- an interface connected to the address bus, the data bus and the control bus and having an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port;
- an external cartridge comprising an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port connected respectively to the address connection port, data connection port and control connection port of said interface, said external cartridge comprising memory accessible under the control of addresses converted from the input control signals by the controller and supplied to the external cartridge by the address bus and address connection port,
- wherein said data bus and said control bus are additionally coupled to said controller, with said input device and said external cartridge being contemporaneously usable with said controller, whereby said data items are supplied to said printing mechanism via said data bus from said external cartridge and said control data is supplied to said printing mechanism from said controller.
6 more elements
A printing device comprising:
- a printing mechanism for printing characters onto an image receiving tape;
- an input device for inputting information for controlling operations of the printing device;
- a controller coupled to the input device to receive control signals therefrom and operable to utilize the control signals to provide address signals for accessing data items for defining said characters to be printed and control data for controlling operations of the printing mechanism;
- an address bus coupled to said controller;
- a data bus for supplying said data items to the printing mechanism;
- a control bus for supplying the control data to the printing mechanism;
- an interface connected to the address bus, the data bus and the control bus and having an address connection port, a data connection port, a control connection port and a serial communications port;
- said data bus and said control bus being additionally coupled to said controller;
- an external cartridge having an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port connected respectively to the address connection port, data connection port and control connection port of the interface,
- wherein the serial communications port of the interface is connected to a serial communications port of the controller to permit serial communications with an external terminal of a host computer and wherein said external cartridge contains ROM holding program providing software support for serial communications between the controller and the host computer.
7 more elements
A printing device comprising:
- a printing mechanism for printing characters onto an image receiving tape;
- an input device for inputting information for controlling operations of the printing device;
- a controller coupled to the input device to receive control signals therefrom and operable to utilize the control signals to provide address signals for accessing data items for defining said characters to be printed and control data for controlling operations of the printing mechanism;
- an address bus coupled to said controller;
- a data bus for supplying said data items to the printing mechanism;
- a control bus for supplying the control data to the printing mechanism;
- an interface connected to the address bus, the data bus and the control bus and having an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port adapted for connection to respective corresponding ports of an external cartridge whereby said external cartridge can supplement the operations of the controller;
- and
- said data bus and said control bus being additionally coupled to said controller;
- a latch for the storage of address bits in addresses supplied by the controller responsive to the input control signals, which bits exceed the capacity of the address bus, wherein the interface is coupled to the latch to receive these extra address bits along auxiliary address lines so that an external cartridge can be accessed with addresses which have more bits than are available on the address bus linking the controller and the interface, said input device and said external cartridge being contemporaneously usable with said controller.
7 more elements
A printing device comprising:
- a printing mechanism for printing characters onto an image receiving tape, said printing mechanism including a motor for feeding said image receiving tape, a print head for printing an image on said image receiving tape and a cutting mechanism;
- an input device for inputting information for controlling operations of the printing device;
- a controller coupled to the input device to receive control signals therefrom and operable to utilize the control signals to provide address signals for accessing data items for defining said characters to be printed and control data for controlling operations of the printing mechanism;
- an address bus coupled to said controller;
- a data bus for supplying the data items to the printing mechanism;
- a control bus for supplying the control data to the printing mechanism for controlling operations thereof;
- and
- an interface connected to the address bus, the data bus and the control bus and having an address connection port, a data connection port, a control connection port and a serial communications port to permit serial communications with an external terminal of a host computer and wherein said device includes memory holding program providing software support for serial communications between the device and the host computer, whereby the host computer can control operation of the printing device.
5 more elements
a printing device comprising:
- a printing mechanism for printing characters onto an image receiving tape;
- an input device for inputting information for controlling operations of the printing device;
- a controller coupled to the input device to receive control signals therefrom and operable to utilize the control signals to provide address signals for accessing data items for defining said characters to be printed and control data for controlling operations of the printing mechanism;
- an address bus coupled to said controller;
- a data bus for supplying said data items to the printing mechanism;
- a control bus for supplying the control data to the printing mechanism;
- and
- an external cartridge for supplementing the operation of the controller and having an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port;
- an interface connected to the address bus, the data bus and the control bus and having an address connection port, a data connection port and a control connection port for connection to the respective corresponding ports of said external cartridge, whereby said external cartridge can supplement the operations of the controller,
- said data bus and said control bus being additionally coupled to said controller, with said input device and said external cartridge being contemporaneously usable with said controller, whereby said controller selectively supplies said data items and said control data to said printing mechanism.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.