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US 6,297,841 B1Granted
Thermosensitive recording method and apparatus
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorKazuhiro Takeda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermally sensitive printing apparatus and method checks the temperature of a recording device after rolling back a recording medium to a ready position. If the temperature is below a first predetermined value, a warm-up operation is performed allowing the recording medium to be fed through the apparatus at normal operating speed. If the temperature is below a second predetermined value, the recording medium is either fed through the apparatus at a reduced speed or more energy is sent to the recording device while feeding recording medium at the normal operating speed.
Claims22
A method of operating a printer including a recording device operable to print an image on a thermosensitive recording medium, a feed mechanism for the recording medium and a controller, the method comprising:
- establishing first, second and third printer speed-print energy combinations for the feed mechanism and the recording device;
- generating a start signal indicating the beginning of a printing operation;
- determining the temperature of the recording device in response to the start signal;
- operating the controller in response to the determined temperature being equal to or higher than a first temperature to activate the feed mechanism to move the recording medium from a wait position to a print start position, and thereafter operating the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- operating the controller in response to the determined temperature being below the first temperature, but equal to or higher than a second temperature to preheat the recording device while activating the feed mechanism to move the recording medium from the wait position to the print start position using the third printer speed-print energy combination, and thereafter operating the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- and
- operating the controller in response to the determined temperature being lower than the second temperature to preheat the recording device while activating the feed mechanism to move the recording medium from the wait position to the print start position using the third printer speed-print energy combination, and thereafter operating the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the second printer speed-print energy combination.
4 more elements
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a recording device operable to print an image on a thermosensitive recording medium;
- a feed mechanism for the recording medium;
- a temperature sensor that measures the operating temperature of the recording device;
- a circuit that generates a start signal indicating the beginning of a printing operation;
- and
- a controller, the controller being operative to establish first, second and third printer speed-print energy combinations for the feed mechanism and the recording device;
- the controller being responsive to the start signal to determine the temperature of the recording device measured by the temperature sensor,
- the controller being responsive to the measured temperature being equal to or higher than a first temperature to activate the feed mechanism to move the recording medium from a wait position to a print start position, and thereafter to operate the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- the controller being responsive to the measured temperature being below the first temperature, but equal to or higher than a second temperature to preheat the recording device while activating the feed mechanism to move the recording medium from the wait position to the print start position using the third printer speed-print energy combination, and thereafter to operate the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- and
- the controller being responsive to the measured temperature being lower than the second temperature to preheat the recording device while activating the feed mechanism to move the recording medium from the wait position to the print start position using the third printer speed-print energy combination, and thereafter to operate the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the second printer speed-print energy combination.
8 more elements
A method of operating a printer including a recording device operable to print an image on a thermosensitive recording medium and a feed mechanism for the recording medium, the method comprising:
- establishing first and second printer speed-print energy combinations for the feed mechanism and the recording device;
- generating a start signal indicating the beginning of a printing operation;
- determining the temperature of the recording device in response to the start signal;
- operating the feed mechanism and the recording device in response to the determined temperature being equal to or higher than a first temperature to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- preheating the recording device in response to the determined temperature being below the first temperature, but equal to or higher than a second temperature and thereafter operating the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- and
- preheating the recording device in response to the determined temperature being lower than the second temperature and thereafter operating the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the second printer speed-print energy combination.
4 more elements
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a recording device operable to print an image on a thermosensitive recording medium;
- a feed mechanism for the recording medium;
- a temperature sensor that measures the operating temperature of the recording device;
- a circuit that generates a start signal indicating the beginning of a printing operation;
- and
- a controller, the controller being operative to establish first and second printer speed-print energy combinations for the feed mechanism and the recording device and responsive to the start signal to determine the temperature of the recording device measured by the temperature sensor,
- the controller being responsive to the measured temperature being equal to or higher than a first temperature to activate the feed mechanism and the recording device to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- the controller being responsive to the measured temperature being below the first temperature, but equal to or higher than a second temperature to preheat the recording device and thereafter to operate the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the first printer speed-print energy combination;
- and
- the controller being responsive to the measured temperature being lower than the second temperature to preheat the recording device and thereafter to operate the recording device and the feed mechanism to print an image on the recording medium using the second printer speed-print energy combination.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.