# US 9,751,330 B2 · Printing apparatus, printing control system and control method of the printing apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,751,330 B2
- Document ID: US9751330B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/153,450
- Filed: 2016-05-12
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-24
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Kei Jintsugawa; Tomoharu Kifuku
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751330B2

## CPC

- B41J 3/4075: {Tape printers; Label printers}
- B41J 2/01: Ink jet
- B41J 2/07: characterised by jet control (B41J2/205 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/1205: {resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets}
- G06F 3/1243: {Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning}
- G06F 3/1257: {by using pre-stored settings, e.g. job templates, presets, print styles}
- G06K 15/022: {for printing on continuous media, e.g. tapes}
- G06K 15/024: {for printing on segmented surfaces, e.g. sticker sheets, label rolls}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A printing apparatus capable of continuously printing images on a recording medium, each of the images including a variable image of which an aspect is variable for each of the images to be continuously printed and a fixed image of which an aspect is the same for each of the images to be continuously printed, the printing apparatus includes a storage unit that associates and stores therein image data of the fixed image and a template having at least information about a position of printing an image, and a printing control unit that, when a control command which includes information for designating the template and instructs a printing of the variable image is input, superimposes the variable image and the fixed image associated with the designated template, on the basis of the template and print the superimposed image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A label printer configured to be able to couple to a computer, the label printer comprising:
a storage configured to associate and store therein:
fixed image data and designation information;
a template having position information about a position of printing a variable image data on a label and a template name; and
the designation information and the template name;
a print buffer configured to store image data;
a printing mechanism configured to print the image data on the label; and
a controller configured to, when receiving a command which includes the template name and the variable image data from the computer, read the designation information associated with the received template name from the storage, read the fixed image data associated with the designation information from the storage, write the readout fixed image into the print buffer, readout the template associated with the template name from the storage, write the variable image data into the print buffer based on the position information in the template;
wherein the command doesn't include fixed image information, and the printing mechanism prints the fixed image data and the variable image data wrote in the print buffer on the label based on the command.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the label is disposed on a label sheet at an interval,
wherein one designation information is associated with one template name in the storage, and
wherein when the controller receives a plurality of the command each of which includes the same template name, the fixed images which are the same images are continuously printed on the label.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The label printer according to claim 1, wherein when the controller writes the variable image and the fixed image data into the print buffer, the controller avoids that the variable image data and the fixed image data overlap with each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the fixed image data is a substitute for an image previously printed on the label.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the template includes information regarding size and kind of the variable image.

### Claim 6

A control method of a label printer configured to be able to couple to a computer, the control method comprising:
associating a fixed image data and a designation information;
associating a template having position information about a position of printing a variable image on a label and a template name;
associating the designation information and the template name;
when receiving a command which includes the template name and the variable image data from the computer, acquiring the designation information associated with the received template name, acquiring the fixed image data associated with the designation information, writing the acquired fixed image into a print buffer, acquiring the template associated with the template name, writing the received variable image data into the print buffer based on the position information in the template and printing the fixed image data and the variable image data wrote in the print buffer on the label based on the command;
wherein the command doesn't include fixed image information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The control method according to claim 6, wherein the label is disposed on a label sheet at an interval,
wherein one designation information is associated with one template name, and
wherein when receiving a plurality of the command each of which includes the same template name, the fixed images which are the same images are continuously printed on the label.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The control method according to claim 6, wherein when writing the variable image and the fixed image data into the print buffer, avoiding that the variable image data and the fixed image data overlap with each other.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The control method according to claim 6, wherein the fixed image data is a substitute for an image previously printed on the label.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The control method according to claim 6, wherein the template includes information regarding size and kind of the variable image.

### Claim 11

A storage medium storing a program controlling a label printer configured to be able to couple to a computer having a controller, the storage medium storing:
the program causing the controller to execute steps, said steps comprising:
associating a fixed image data and a designation information;
associating a template having position information about a position of printing a variable image on a label and a template name;
associating the designation information and the template name;
when receiving a command which includes the template name and the variable image data from the computer, acquiring the designation information associated with the received template name, acquiring the fixed image data associated with the designation information, writing the acquired fixed image into a print buffer, acquiring the template associated with the template name, writing the received variable image data into the print buffer based on the position information in the template and printing the fixed image data and the variable image data wrote in the print buffer on the label based on the command;
wherein the command doesn't include fixed image information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the label is disposed on a label sheet at an interval,
wherein one designation information is associated with one template name, and
wherein when receiving a plurality of the command each of which includes the same template name, the fixed images which are the same images are continuously printed on the label.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein when writing the variable image and the fixed image data into the print buffer, avoiding that the variable image data and the fixed image data overlap with each other.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the fixed image data is a substitute for an image previously printed on the label.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the template includes information regarding size and kind of the variable image.