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

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- Number: US 9,751,304 B2
- Document ID: US9751304B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/258,827
- Filed: 2016-09-07
- Published: 2017-03-16
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-16
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Masayuki Akizuki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751304B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/04573: {Timing; Delays}
- B41J 3/4075: {Tape printers; Label printers}
- B65C 1/021: {the label being applied by movement of the labelling head towards the article (B65C1/028 takes precedence)}
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B65C: LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES (nailing or stapling in general B25C, B27F; applying labels for packaging purposes B65B; labels, name-plates G09F ){(series-printing machines B41L; containers for the storage or transport of packages B65D)}

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printer described in claim 1, further comprising:
a communication unit;
the control unit acquiring the print command and the target time through the communication unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The printer described in claim 1, further comprising:
a communication unit configured to communicate with a detection unit configured to detect products on a conveyor line;
the print medium being labels applied to product conveyed on the conveyor line; and
acquiring the detection signal of the detection unit through the communication unit, and calculating the target time based on the detection signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The printer described in claim 1,
the control unit determining based on the required printing time if printing can be completed by the target time, and
if printing cannot be completed by the target time, executing an error handling process of cancelling or postponing printing as instructed by the print command.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The printer described in claim 1,
the print unit including an inkjet head and ahead cap configured to cap the ink nozzle face of the inkjet head; and
the print preparation operation including a cap retracting operation of retracting the head cap from the position capping the ink nozzle face.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The printer described in claim 1,
the print unit including a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the print medium; and
the print preparation operation including a print medium indexing operation of the conveyance mechanism.

### Claim 7

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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The control method of a printer described in claim 7,
the print medium being labels applied to product conveyed on a conveyor line; and
the target time acquisition step including acquiring the detection signal of a detection unit that detects the product on the conveyor line, and calculating the target time based on the detection signal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The control method of a printer described in claim 7, further comprising:
a decision step of determining based on the required printing time if printing can be completed by the target time; and
an error handling step of the control unit cancelling or postponing printing as instructed by the print command if printing cannot be completed by the target time.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The control method of a printer described in claim 7,
the required printing time calculating step including calculating the time required for one or both of a cap retracting operation of retracting a head cap from the position capping the ink nozzle face, and a print medium indexing operation of the conveyance mechanism that conveys the print medium, as the time required for the print preparation operation.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
acquiring a print command indication a printing operation printing a specified content;
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 selling the print unit to a state able to start the printing operation;
acquiring a target time until printing the specified content is completed; and
starting the print preparation operation based on the required printing time and the target time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method described in claim 11, wherein:
the print medium is labels being applied to product conveyed on a conveyor line; and
the target time is calculated based on a detection signal of a detection unit that detects the product on the conveyor line.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method described in claim 11 further comprising:
determining if printing the specified content can be completed by the target time based on the required printing time; and
cancelling or postponing printing the specified content if it is determined that the printing the specified content cannot be completed by the target time.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method described in claim 11, wherein:
the time required for the print preparation operation is a time required for a cap retracting operation of retracting a head cap from the position capping the ink nozzle face.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method described in claim 11, wherein:
the time required for the print preparation operation is a time required for a print medium indexing operation conveyancing the print medium to a print position.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method described in claim 11, wherein:
the time required for the print preparation operation includes a time required for a cap retracting operation of retracting a head cap from the position capping the ink nozzle face and a time required for a print medium indexing operation conveyancing the print medium to a print position.