US 9,751,304 B2 · Printer and control method therefor

Abstract

A printer that prints printouts processed in a post-printing process such as a label application step reduces the difference between the target time for printing completion and the actual completion of printing. When a print command is acquire-d from a control device 2, the printer 10 calculates a required printing time Tp including a time T1 required for the print preparation operation, and acquires a target time Tt for completing the specified printing. The controller 12 supplies a trigger signal for starting printing to the print unit 11 at a time calculated back from the target time Tt. The controller 12 calculates the required printing time Tp by adding the time required for the print preparation operation according to the current status of the printer 10 to the time required for the printing operation itself.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A printer comprising:

a print unit configured to print on a print medium;
and
a control unit configured to control the print unit, and
when a print command is acquired, calculate a required printing time including the time from the start to the end of the printing operation printing the specified content, and the time required for a print preparation operation setting the print unit to a state able to start the printing operation, as the time required to complete printing based on the print command,
acquire a target time until printing controlled by the print command is completed, and
start the print preparation operation based on the required printing time and the target time.

3 more elements

A control method of a printer having a print unit configured to print on a print medium, and a control unit configured to control the print unit, comprising:

a print command acquisition step of the control unit acquiring a print command;
a required printing time calculating step of calculating a required printing time including the time from the start to the end of the printing operation printing the specified content, and the time required for a print preparation operation setting the print unit to a state able to start the printing operation, as the time required to complete printing based on the print command;
a target time acquisition step of the control unit acquiring a target time until printing controlled by the print command is completed;
and
a printing start time determination step of the control unit determining the time to start the print preparation operation based on the required printing time and the target time.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Printer and control method therefor

Life of this patent

Printer and control method therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16