Back to results
US 7,563,044 B2Granted
Identifying compatible combination for a thermal printer
AssigneeDymo
InventorsKris Vandermeulen, Jos Vleurinck, Geert Heyse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing apparatus having a first zone for receiving a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone for receiving a supply of thermal transfer ribbon, means for identifying the nature of the image receiving tape and the thermal transfer ribbon located in the first and second zones, and means for implementing a compatibility check to determine whether said image receiving tape and said thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and to generate an incompatibility indication if the the compatibility check fails.
Claims29
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a first zone for receiving a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone for receiving a supply of thermal transfer ribbon,
- means for identifying a nature of the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of thermal transfer ribbon located in the first and second zones, and
- means for implementing a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and to generate an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails, wherein said incompatibility indication comprises a prompt for a user to insert an alternate supply of thermal transfer ribbon or an alternate supply of image receiving tape.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a first zone adapted to receive a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone adapted to receive a supply of thermal transfer ribbon,
- a reader adapted to receive information from the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of the thermal transfer ribbon to identify a nature of the supply of image receiving tape, and the supply of thermal transfer ribbon located in the first and second zones, and
- a controller adapted to implement a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and any said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and to generate an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails, wherein said incompatibility indication comprises a prompt for a user to insert an alternate supply of thermal transfer ribbon or an alternate supply of image receiving tape.
A method of operating a printing apparatus, the method composing:
- reading an identifier from a supply of image receiving tape located in a first zone of the printing apparatus;
- reading an identifier from a supply of thermal transfer ribbon located in a second zone of the printing apparatus,
- implementing a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and
- generating an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails, wherein said incompatibility indication comprises a prompt for a user to insert an alternate supply of thermal transfer ribbon or an alternate supply of image receiving tape.
1 more element
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a first zone adapted to receive a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone adapted to receive a supply of thermal transfer ribbon,
- a reader adapted to receive information from the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of the thermal transfer ribbon to identify a nature of the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of thermal transfer ribbon, and
- a controller adapted to implement a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and to generate an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails, wherein said reader operates by remote detection of said supply of image receiving tape and the supply of thermal transfer ribbon.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a first zone adapted to receive a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone adapted to receive a supply of thermal transfer ribbon,
- an identifying device adapted to identify a nature of the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of thermal transfer ribbon located in the first and second zones,
- a processor, and
- a memory storing a compatibility matrix identifying possible combinations of supplies of thermal transfer ribbon and supplies of image receiving tape, each combination being associated with an indication as to whether or not that combination is a compatible combination,
- the processor being operable to determine whether the identified supply of image receiving tape and the identified supply of thermal transfer ribbon are a compatible combination using the compatibility matrix and to generate an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails.
2 more elements
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a first zone adapted to receive a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone adapted to receive a supply of thermal transfer ribbon,
- a reader adapted to receive information from the supply of image receiving tape to identify a nature of the supply of image receiving tape,
- an identifying unit adapted to determine if a supply of thermal transfer ribbon is present in the second zone, and
- a controller adapted to generate an incompatibility indication if the supply of image receiving tape comprises direct thermal tape and a supply of thermal transfer ribbon is present in the second zone.
1 more element
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a first zone adapted to receive a supply of image receiving tape and a second zone adapted to receive a supply of thermal transfer ribbon,
- a reader adapted to receive information from the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of the thermal transfer ribbon to identify a nature of the supply of image receiving tape and the supply of thermal transfer ribbon, and
- a controller adapted to implement a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and to generate an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails, wherein said compatibility check comprises at least one of a color compatibility check and a material compatibility check.
A method of operating a printing apparatus, the method comprising:
- reading an identifier from a supply of image receiving tape located in a first zone of the printing apparatus;
- reading an identifier from a supply of thermal transfer ribbon located in a second zone,
- implementing a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible using a compatibility matrix, said compatibility matrix being stored in memory and identifying possible combinations of supplies of thermal transfer ribbon and supplies of image receiving tape, each combination being associated with an indication as to whether or not that combination is a compatible combination, and
- generating an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails.
1 more element
A method of operating a printing apparatus, the method comprising:
- reading an identifier from a supply of image receiving tape located in a first zone of the printing apparatus;
- checking in a second zone of the printing apparatus whether a supply of thermal transfer ribbon is present, and
- generating an incompatibility indication if the supply of image receiving tape comprises direct thermal tape and a supply of thermal transfer ribbon is present in the second zone.
A method of operating a printing apparatus, the method comprising:
- reading an identifier from a supply of image receiving tape located in a first zone of the printing apparatus;
- reading an identifier from a supply of thermal transfer ribbon located in a second zone of the printing apparatus,
- implementing a compatibility check to determine whether said supply of image receiving tape and said supply of thermal transfer ribbon are compatible, and
- generating an incompatibility indication if the compatibility check fails, wherein said compatibility check comprises at least one of a color compatibility check and a material compatibility check.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.