Kiosk printer
AssigneeTelpar, Inc.
InventorsDavid J. Baird, Xianming Fang, Eric J. Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a microprocessor controlled kiosk printer with a communication interface to a remote host for printing documents, such as receipts and tickets. The printer includes a printer mechanism and an idler roller and a drive roller in engagement for gripping the document. The drive roller is under the control of the microprocessor. Guide plates are provided which, together with the controlled drive roller, prevent access to the document during printing. The controlled drive roller also provides for retracting the document.
Claims27
A kiosk printer for printing and processing a document from a continuous roll of paper comprising:
- means for printing information on the document and feeding the document downstream;
- cutting means for separating the document from the continuous roll after said printing and feeding means has completed printing information on the document;
- roller means for receiving the document from said cutting means and for delivering and discharging the document, whereby said roller means engages the document before said cutting means separates the document from the continuous roll;
- sensor means for detecting the document upstream from said roller means;
- a delivery location;
- a discharge location;
- and
- controlling means for activating and deactivating said printing and feeding means, said cutting means and said roller means, wherein said controlling means activates said roller means to feed the document to said delivery location after said cutting means has separated the document from the continuous roll, deactivates said roller means when said detecting means detects the trailing edge of the document and activates said roller means to retract and discharge the document to said discharge location if said sensor means detects the trailing edge of the document when said printing and feeding means is activated to print information on the next document and before the next document is printed.
A kiosk printer for printing and processing a document from a continuous roll of paper comprising:
- means for printing information on the document;
- cutting means for separating the document from the continuous roll after said printing means has completed printing information on the document;
- roller means for receiving the document from said cutting means and for delivering and discharging the document, whereby said roller means engages the document before said cutting means separates the document from the continuous roll;
- sensor means for detecting the document upstream from said roller means;
- a delivery location;
- a discharge location;
- and
- controlling means for activating and deactivating said printing means, said cutting means and said roller means, wherein said controlling means activates said roller means to feed the document to said delivery location after said cutting means has separated the document from the continuous roll, deactivates said roller means when said detecting means detects the trailing edge of the document and activates said roller means to retract and discharge the document to said discharge location if said sensor means detects the trailing edge of the document when said printing means is activated to print information on the next document and before the next document is printed.
A method for controlling the printing and processing of a document from a continuous roll of paper in a kiosk printer having a printer, a feeder, a paper cutter, a roller mechanism, a sensor positioned upstream from the roller mechanism, a delivery location and a discharge location comprising the steps of printing information on the document and feeding the document through the paper cutter to engage the roller mechanism, cutting the document from the continuous roll of paper after printing has been completed, delivering the document through the roller mechanism to the delivery location and, if the trailing edge of the document is detected by the sensor when the printer receives the next print command, retracting the document through the roller mechanism and discharging the document to the discharge location before commencing printing of the next document.
A system having a microprocessor controlled kiosk printer with a communication interface coupled to a remote host for printing and processing a document from a continuous roll of paper, the system comprising:
- means for printing information on the document;
- cutting means for separating the document from the continuous roll after said printing means has completed printing information on the document;
- roller means for receiving the document from said cutting means and for delivering and discharging the document;
- sensor means for detecting the document upstream from said roller means;
- a delivery location;
- a discharge location;
- means for two-way communication with the remote host, said two-way communication means including means for communicating printing status to the remote host;
- and
- controlling means for activating and deactivating said printing means, said cutting means and said roller means, wherein said controlling means activates said roller means to deliver the document to said delivery location after said cutting means has separated the document from the continuous roll and activates said roller means to discharge the document to said discharge location if said sensor means detects the document when said printing means is activated to print information on the next document and before the next document is printed.
A kiosk printer for printing and processing a document from a continuous roll of paper comprising:
- means for printing information on the document and feeding the document downstream;
- cutting means for separating the document from the continuous roll after said printing and feeding means has completed printing information on the document;
- roller means for receiving the document from said cutting means and for delivering and discharging the document, whereby said roller means engages the document before said cutting means separates the document from the continuous roll;
- sensor means for detecting the document upstream from said roller means;
- a delivery location;
- a discharge location;
- and
- controlling means for activating and deactivating said printing and feeding means, said cutting means and said roller means, wherein said controlling means activates both said printing and feeding means and said roller means to initiate printing, deactivates said roller means to engage the document after said sensor means detects the leading edge of the document, activates said roller means to feed the document to said delivery location after said cutting means has separated the document from the continuous roll, deactivates said roller means when said sensor means detects the trailing edge of the document and activates said roller means to retract and discharge the document to said discharge location if said sensor means detects the trailing edge of the document when said printing and feeding means is activated to print information on the next document and before the next document is printed.
A kiosk printer for printing and processing a document from a continuous roll of paper comprising:
- means for printing information on the document;
- cutting means for separating the document from the continuous roll after said printing means has completed printing information on the document;
- roller means for receiving the document from said cutting means and for delivering and discharging the document, whereby said roller means engages the document before said cutting means separates the document from the continuous roll;
- sensor means for detecting the document upstream from said roller means;
- a delivery location;
- a discharge location;
- and
- controlling means for activating and deactivating said printing means, said cutting means and said roller means, wherein said controlling means activates both said printing and feeding means and said roller means to initiate printing, deactivates said roller means to engage the document after said sensor means detects the leading edge of the document, activates said roller means to feed the document to said delivery location after said cutting means has separated the document from the continuous roll, deactivates said roller means when said sensor means detects the trailing edge of the document and activates said roller means to retract and discharge the document to said discharge location if said sensor means detects the trailing edge of the document when said printing means is activated to print information on the next document and before the next document is printed.
A system having a microprocessor controlled kiosk printer with a communication interface coupled to a remote host for printing and processing a document from a continuous roll of paper, the system comprising:
- means for printing information on the document;
- cutting means for separating the document from the continuous roll after said printing means has completed printing information on the document;
- roller means for receiving the document from said cutting means and for delivering and discharging the document;
- sensor means for detecting the document upstream from said roller means;
- a delivery location;
- a discharge location;
- means for two-way communication with the remote host, said two-way communication means including means for communicating printing status to the remote host;
- and
- controlling means for activating and deactivating said printing means, said cutting means and said roller means, wherein said controlling means activates both said printing and feeding means and said roller means to initiate printing, deactivates said roller means to engage the document after said sensor means detects the leading edge of the document, activates said roller means to deliver the document to said delivery location after said cutting means has separated the document from the continuous roll and activates said roller means to discharge the document to said discharge location if said sensor means detects the document when said printing means is activated to print information on the next document and before the next document is printed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.