Including Control Of Format By Programmed-control-system Patents (Class 400/76)
  • Patent number: 8681368
    Abstract: A method of communicating non-native print objects in MO:DCA Architecture for controlling and operating RFID writer or reader devices without requiring separate control data streams or systems to be implemented at the host computer. Data references and command identifiers are placed by application program means at the host computer into the page description data so that RFID information can be retrieved and downloaded to the printer and RFID apparatus when the print data is being processed in the print server or main processor of the printer without interfering with normal operation of the printer itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: InfoPrint Solutions Company, LLC
    Inventors: Reinhard Heinrich Hohensee, Louis Stephen Sickenius, David Earl Stone, John Thomas Varga
  • Patent number: 8662768
    Abstract: An image forming device is provided with a sheet feeding unit capable of selectively feeding recording sheets of a plurality of sizes, a print unit configured to print out images represented by print data on page-by-page basis, the print data including information of designated size of the recording sheets. On condition that running out of the recording sheets of the designated size in the sheet feeding unit is detected during printing out of the images, the sheet feeding unit starts feeding the recording sheets of a substitute size which is different from the designated size and the print unit continues printing out of images represented by remaining part of the print data on the recording sheet of the substitute size. A storing unit stores the remaining part of the print data after printing, but not part of the print data printed on the recording sheets of designated size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8659788
    Abstract: A printer can print to paper with a narrow width while maintaining a print format with good legibility without changing the application program and printer driver installed on the host computer. The control method of a printer that prints based on print data 5 sent from a host computer 3 has a step S105 of extracting data attributes contained in the print data 5 and assigning the print data 5 to data segment areas for each data attribute; a step of setting the data segment areas to specific printing areas based on the data attribute; an actual print data generating step (steps S122, S107, S133, S134, S111) of converting the print data 5 assigned to the data segment areas to actual print data according to the data attributes; and a printing step S113 of printing the actual print data in the printing areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Watanabe, Akihiro Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20140050512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of placing a line feed operation on hold. A memory holds an amount of line feed and discharge direction information. A controller parses the printer control data, and detects the position of the print medium based on the detection signal. An image forming section prints on the print medium while transporting the print medium. When the discharge direction information indicates a direction opposite to a direction in which the print medium is line fed. When the position of a final printed area on a page of print medium is within the page of the print medium, if a line feed is performed, the controller adds a new amount of line feed to the amount of line feed in the memory, and then places the resultant amount of line feed on hold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Taisei KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8646996
    Abstract: When the paper loaded in a printer is changed to a different type of paper, the paper setting in the printer can be easily updated without a paper mismatch error occurring. When the paper is replaced or the paper setting is changed in the printer 1, the cover 3 is first opened, the roll paper 12 is removed from the roll paper compartment 11, and the cover 3 is then closed. A paper settings update command from the host device 32 is received and executed when no roll paper is loaded. After the command is executed, the cover 3 is opened, new roll paper 12 is loaded, and the cover 3 is closed. The printer 1 then indexes the newly loaded paper for printing, and executes a paper identification process to determine if the newly loaded paper matches the content of the current paper settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Oi, Hiroyuki Motoyama
  • Publication number: 20140037354
    Abstract: When a plurality of images is printed on both the surfaces of a continuous sheet, an optimum scheduling is carried out including maintenance of a print head, thereby suppressing amount of consumption of a sheet as a whole. For such a purpose, acquiring information regarding on which of the first and second surfaces and where on the surface of the continuous sheet a unique portion exists, the unique portion is unsuitable for image printing that exists on the continuous sheet; and setting, based on the acquired information, a print unavailable region including the unique portion and a maintenance region posterior thereto on a specific sheet surface having the unique portion existing thereon, and another print unavailable region and a maintenance region posterior thereto on a reverse side of the specific sheet surface, the another print unavailable region being set so as to include a region corresponding to the maintenance region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichiro Araki
  • Publication number: 20140037353
    Abstract: Provided is a corrugated paperboard sheet printing device which includes a conveyance device for conveying a corrugated paperboard sheet fed out from a sheet feeding device, while suckingly holding the sheet; a plurality of printing units for printing the sheet through a series of printing processes; an information generator for generating basis weight information indicative of a basis weight of a corrugated paperboard sheet in each order; a storage device for storing therein a plurality of correction information for correcting a plurality of printing timings at each of which a respective one of the plurality of printing units performs the printing process on the sheet, in association with the basis weight information; and a controller for, based on the correction information, correcting the printing timing in each of the printing units, and causing the printing unit to operate according to the corrected printing timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Isowa
    Inventors: Junichi Kodama, Tsutomu Okamoto, Yusuke Tozuka
  • Patent number: 8641305
    Abstract: A print control apparatus having a decision unit, a print control unit, and a determination unit. The decision unit decides a print order for duplex printing on a continuous sheet. The print control unit causes the print unit to execute a continuous print of first face images on a first face and second face images on a second face after completion of the print on the first face in accordance with the decided print order. In a case where the determination unit determines that an interruption factor occurs before the completion of the print on the first face, the print control unit performs switches to a print on the second face and to cause the print unit to execute a print of any second face image that is predetermined to be arranged on the second face relative to any first face image already printed on the first face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Yasuzaki
  • Patent number: 8641304
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces, a tape that is a print medium housed in the housing, a tape exit that discharges, from the housing, the tape guided in the housing along a predetermined feed path, at least a part of the feed path extending parallel to the front surface, and a type indicator portion provided adjacent to the tape exit and in a specified area of the front surface on an upstream side of the tape exit in a feed direction of the tape, the type indicator portion indicating a type of the tape and including vertical information sections and a protrusion formed in at least one of the vertical information sections, the vertical information sections being strip-shaped sections extending along a direction orthogonal to the feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki
  • Patent number: 8636430
    Abstract: In printing data of a plurality of pages on a continuous sheet, it is determined whether the data is to be printed on a single side of the continuous sheet or on both sides thereof. A first sequence of pages arranged on a first side of the continuous sheet occurring when it is determined that the data is to be printed on the single side and a second sequence of pages arranged on the first side of the continuous sheet occurring when it is determined that the data is to be printed on the both sides such that the first and second sequences are opposite to each other. Each of the first and second sequences indicates whether the pages are arranged in descending order or in ascending order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sho Nakamura, Kazunari Shishido, Koji Yasuzaki, Ruriko Mikami
  • Patent number: 8638470
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of band rendering an image. The method comprises receiving (201) object data of the image in the page description language. From this the method determines a plurality of buckets (bucket #1-#3, FIG. 14) by which the object data is to be divided. The method then assigns (FIG. 3, 350) object data of each object in the image to one of the buckets based on an initial visibility of the object in the image. Then, for each band of the image, in a band sequential fashion (900, 920), the method identifies (1016-1024) object data visible within a band from a subset of the buckets active for the band. Then, the method analysis (FIGS. 10(i)-(iii); 1028-1052) the identified object data within the band and selects at least one rendering method (RCCR, PCR) from a plurality of rendering methods by which the band is to be rendered. Then the method renders (960,970) the identified object data into the band from the object data using the selected at least one rendering method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Thomas Benjamin Sanjay Thomas, David Christopher Smith
  • Patent number: 8634097
    Abstract: A receiver configured to receive a first command that contains a predetermined code string and a second command that does not contain the predetermined code string from a host computer. A first command analyzer configured to analyze and process only the first command received by the receiver. A buffer configured to temporarily store at least the second command received by the receiver. A second command analyzer configured to analyze and process the second command stored by the buffer. A sound generator configured to generate a sound when the first command analyzer analyzes the first command and determines that the first command includes a sound generating command. The first command analyzer analyzes the first command before the buffer temporarily stores the first command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Saikawa
  • Patent number: 8632266
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for a printing device for use with a mobile device are described herein. The printing device may include an image capture module to capture surface images of a medium and a positioning module to determine positioning information based at least in part on navigational measurements and the captured surface images. A print module of the printing device may cause print forming substances to be deposited based at least in part on the positioning information. A mobile device may include one or more features of the printing device including the image capture module, the positioning module, and the print module. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Asher Simmons, James D. Bledsoe, Paramesh Gopi, Patrick A. McKinley
  • Patent number: 8622640
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is supplied capable of printing without the occurrence of the slack of copying paper. The printing apparatus comprises a paper cut mechanism for cutting successive paper printed in a print mechanism; a first conveying section which holds and sends out successive paper to the print mechanism; a second conveying section which holds and sends out the successive paper that is printed out in the print mechanism and is sent out from the first conveying section to the paper cut mechanism; and a controlling section which returns a tip of the successive paper after being cut by the paper cut mechanism to between the print mechanism and the first conveying section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Sato, Takashi Nagakubo
  • Patent number: 8614824
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus determines a size of a recording medium based on an instruction to print an image of a predetermined size in the recording medium. A control unit causes application software to generate data to be printed having a size corresponding to the number of pages and the size of one page according to the instruction, causes a printer driver to generate print data based on the generated data to be printed corresponding to the size of the recording medium and the number of pages by registering the determined size of the recording medium in the printer driver and by designating processing for generating the print data of a size corresponding the size of the recording medium according to the instruction, and causes the printer driver to execute processing for printing the image of the number of pages on the recording medium of the size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Arai
  • Publication number: 20130336697
    Abstract: When an insufficient quantity of a preferred print media is installed in a selected printing device, methods and systems automatically output an insufficient-print-media notice and one or more reconfiguration options for proceeding with printing the print data on one of the installed print media types. In response, a selected reconfiguration option is received that identifies an alternative print media to be used in place of the preferred print media when executing the print request. Additional processing is performed to print the print data on the alternative print media including: automatically resizing the print data to fit on the alternative print media; automatically printing a cutline on the alternative print media to indicate where the alternative print media should be cut to be reduced to the preferred print media; and automatically formatting multiple pages of the print data to print on one page of the alternative print media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Trevor J. Snyder, Jignesh P. Sheth, Paul V. Gasse, Daniel C. Park
  • Publication number: 20130336698
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an input unit and a printing control unit to cause a printing unit to execute printing on a continuous sheet. The input unit inputs an instruction for printing by the printing unit. The printing control unit causes the printing unit to execute printing according to a second job subsequent to printing on a first surface of the continuous sheet based on a first job, wherein the instruction input by the input unit may include a first job that is a two-sided printing and a second job that is a one-sided printing, or a first job that is a one-sided printing and a second job that is a two-sided printing. A supplying unit is controlled to supply the printed continuous sheet to a reversal unit which reverses the continuous sheet to execute printing on a second surface after executing printing on a first surface of the continuous sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayoshi Noguchi, Kazunari Shishido, Sho Nakamura, Atsushi Hirahara, Tatsuhiko Tomita
  • Patent number: 8602667
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a printing device includes a conveyance mechanism configured to convey a printing medium along a conveying path, and a detection device provided on the conveying path and configured to detect a position of the printing medium therealong. The printing device further includes a control device configured to select one of first and second conveyance modes in response to a predetermined condition, the control device being further configured to control the conveyance mechanism so as to convey the printing medium along the conveying path based on the selected conveyance mode. In the second conveyance mode, the printing medium is conveyed along the conveying path while being detected by the detection device, at a conveyance speed slower than that of the first conveyance mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Inoue
  • Patent number: 8605301
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reading unit, an acquiring unit, a transmission control unit, and a printing control unit. The reading unit reads images of multiple pages of originals. The acquiring unit acquires device information from connected child devices. The transmission control unit determines a child device which takes charge of part of a printing process of the read images and images to be transmitted to the child device based on the acquired device information, and transmits the determined images to the determined child device. The printing control unit determines printing order according to the acquired device information, and transmits an instruction to print the images in the determined printing order to the child device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akihiro Kakoi, Ryohta Kawamata, Satoru Ohno, Naoya Ohhashi, Toshihiro Isozaki
  • Patent number: 8585303
    Abstract: This disclosure discloses a label producing apparatus comprising: a housing; a feeding device that feeds a label tape; a printing device that prints desired print; an optical sensor comprising a light projecting device and a light receiving device capable of outputting a detected voltage value; a light-on control portion that controls said optical sensor so that said light projecting device is turned on; an initial value storage device that stores a predetermined initial threshold value; a threshold value correction portion that calculates a corrected threshold value using said initial threshold value; a mark detecting portion that detects a positioning mark by an arrival of said detected voltage value at said corrected threshold value after calculation of said corrected threshold value; a feeding control portion that controls said feeding device; and a print control portion that controls a print operation of said printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Imamura, Yasuhiro Iriyama
  • Patent number: 8587821
    Abstract: A tape printer having a large-size printing function of printing an enlarged printing image which is larger than the tape width of a long tape into a plurality of tape parts, includes: a tape width detecting section detecting the tape width; a layout determination section determining enlargement layout information for forming the enlarged printing image; a margin determining section determining the widths of an upper margin and a lower margin of the enlarged printing image and determining whether or not the sum of the determined margin widths is equal to or greater than the tape width; an image data generating section generating image data of the enlarged printing image; and a printing section sequentially printing, on two or more tape parts respectively, the image data of the enlarged printing image other than part of the upper margin and part of the lower margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noriaki Murayama
  • Patent number: 8582133
    Abstract: Provided herein is a cable label forming apparatus having an edit screen display device, a selection candidate display instructing device, and a selection candidate display device. The selection candidate display device displays a last selected candidate among the plurality of selection candidates on a priority basis in a normal edit screen when displaying the plurality of selection candidates is instructed, and displays a specific candidate among the plurality of selection candidates on a priority basis in a cable label forming edit screen when displaying the plurality of selection candidates is instructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyasu Kurashina
  • Publication number: 20130287464
    Abstract: System and methods are disclosed for determining the print path of a printer to facilitate manual duplexing. The method includes instructing a printing device to print a first object on a first side of a test sheet and then instructing a user to reinsert the test sheet in the printing device. The printing device is then instructed to print a second object on the test sheet. The user can further provide information indicating a location of the second object with respect to the first object. Based on the information, the printing path of the printer is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Mike Whitmarsh, Cornelius J. O'Donnell, William E. Hertling
  • Patent number: 8564416
    Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically programming an RFID tag using machine readable indicia. A dual mode device performs a bar code scan of a bar coded label. Information obtained from the bar code scan is stored. This information may be used to query a database indexed by the bar code information that contains detailed product information. The bar code information as well as the detailed information may be transmitted in an RF signal by the dual mode device to an RFID tag to be stored in a memory structure in the tag. The dual mode device may perform a read operation on the tag after the write operation to confirm that the data was successfully stored and provide an indication thereof. The indication may be a visual indication, a textual indication, an audible indication or combinations of these.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
    Inventors: Tethrake M. Steven, Robert Varner, Jeffrey H Nycz
  • Patent number: 8565680
    Abstract: An article (100) has a device (122), and a radio frequency identification (RFID) module (102) coupled to the device. The RFID module is programmed to receive (210) provisioning instructions from a wireless source (142), and transfer (212) to the device the provisioning instructions when said device is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Feng Wang, Huitao Liu
  • Patent number: 8562228
    Abstract: A tape printer includes a tape cassette including a housing, a cassette housing portion, a feeding device, a printing device, a plurality of detecting switches that protrude toward a side surface of the housing of the tape cassette installed in the cassette housing portion, a first determining device that, if a part of the detecting switches is pressed, determines that the tape cassette is installed, and a second determining device that, if a specific detecting switch among the detecting switches is pressed, determines that the tape cassette is not installed at a proper position. The tape cassette includes a first pressing portion that, if the tape cassette is installed at the proper position, presses a part of the detecting switches, and a second pressing portion that, if the tape cassette is not installed at the proper position, presses the specific detecting switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Masato Kato, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 8540441
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus may execute printing on a continuous sheet by using a printing unit. The printing control apparatus includes a reversal unit, an input unit, and a printing control unit. In executing printing by the printing unit on both surfaces of the continuous sheet, the reversal unit reverses the continuous sheet to execute printing on a second surface after executing printing on a first surface. If the printing on the first surface currently is being executed by the printing unit to execute two-sided printing of a preceding job based on a preceding job in a case where an instruction for interruption printing is input by the input unit, the printing control unit executes the interruption printing according to the instruction subsequent to the printing on the first surface of the continuous sheet based on the preceding job, and supplies the printed continuous sheet to the reversal unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayoshi Noguchi, Kazunari Shishido, Sho Nakamura, Atsushi Hirahara, Tatsuhiko Tomita
  • Publication number: 20130243509
    Abstract: This disclosure discloses print label producing apparatus comprising a controller, a memory including a first sub memory, a second sub memory, and a third sub memory, and the controller being configured to execute a decoration setting process to perform at least one of a first sub decoration setting process for setting a decoration style randomly, a second sub decoration setting process for setting a frame randomly, and a third sub decoration setting process for setting a symbol randomly, a first print data generating process for generating first print data, by means of including at least one or more results of the decoration setting process of any of the decoration style of one or more types randomly set, the frame of one type randomly set, or the symbol of one type randomly set, and a first coordination control process for controlling the feeder and the printing head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu ISHII, Nako YOSHIMURA, Yasunori SUZUKI, Daisuke MIFUNE
  • Patent number: 8534938
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a printer includes a motor and a roller turned by the motor to discharge a backing sheet-attached label from a roll wound with the backing sheet-attached label, or a liner-less label from a roll wound with the liner-less label with an adhesive surface on one side of the liner-less label. The printer further includes a print unit to perform printing on the backing sheet-attached label or the liner-less label discharged from the roll, a switching unit to switch the printer to a standard mode in which the print unit performs printing on the backing sheet-attached label or a liner-less mode in which the print unit performs printing on the liner-less label, and a control unit to control the operation of the motor in response to the switching of the printer to the standard mode or the liner-less mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kaname Iga
  • Patent number: 8534939
    Abstract: A CPU detects whether or not a type of a tape cassette housed in a cassette housing portion is a stripped-tape accommodating cassette that creates an after-printed tape with a separator being peeled off from its adhesive layer. In case the CPU detects that the type of the tape cassette in the cassette housing portion is a stripped-tape accommodating cassette that creates an after-printed tape with a separator being peeled off from its adhesive layer, only one after-printed tape in predetermined length with a separator being peeled off from its adhesive layer is made subject to tape printing, and consequently conveyed to a cutting point, whereby tape printing is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Teruo Imamaki, Akira Sago
  • Patent number: 8526837
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a first mode for operation with predetermined power consumption and a second mode for operation with less power consumption than the power consumption in the first mode includes: a paper cassette capable of being attached to a predetermined section of the image forming apparatus, the paper cassette storing paper therein; a detection part detecting the attachment and detachment of the paper cassette to and from the predetermined section; and a shift part, upon the detection by the detection part that the paper cassette has been attached to the predetermined section during the operation in the second mode, shifting the image forming apparatus from the second mode to the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 8517617
    Abstract: A printer is provided that includes a double-side feeding path on which a first sheet is conveyed in a double-side printing operation, a manual feeding path on which a manually-fed second sheet is conveyed to a junction where the manual feeding path joins the double-side feeding path, a detector detecting the second sheet fed via the manual feeding path, and a controller configured to continue the double-side printing operation when the detector detects the second sheet during a continued-execution period, during which feeding of the second sheet is unlikely to have an influence on feeding of the first sheet even though the second sheet is fed via the manual feeding path in execution of the double-side printing operation. When the detector detects the second sheet outside the continued-execution period, the controller stops the double-side printing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130216290
    Abstract: Disclosed is a label printing device and a method of using the device to label objects with time and date information. For example, the label printing device may be used to label food with time and date information. The label printing device is configured to provide a simple means of labeling. Illustrative configurations of the label printing device provide a primary print effectuator, e.g. a button, so that user input requirements are minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventor: Ross A. Kimble
  • Patent number: 8510170
    Abstract: A point of sale (POS) system includes primary and auxiliary printers powered by a shared power supply. A POS terminal includes the shared power supply, a user interface, and a host including a printer driver for dynamically generating primary print commands. A printer connection card connected to the POS terminal includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub in communication with the host and having at least one USB connector powered by the shared power supply. The primary printer is connected to the USB hub for receiving power and the primary print commands through the USB hub from the POS terminal. An auxiliary printer has a power-only connection to the printer connection card, receiving independently generated auxiliary print commands from a separate host computer. A controller includes control logic for selectively blocking the primary print commands to the primary printer in response to the signal drawn by the auxiliary printer exceeding a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Landers, Jr., David J. Steiner, Paul M. Wilson, Kimberly A. Wood
  • Publication number: 20130177343
    Abstract: Provided herein are devices, systems, methods and various means, including those related to printer systems and, more particularly, relate to methods, apparatuses, systems and other means for monitoring a printer ribbon. Some embodiments use a multi-element detector, which is configured to detect a particular type of light emitted from a light emitter. The multi-state detector can include two sensors, one of which includes a polarizer filter that blocks polarized light. Embodiments can be used to determine, among other things, whether or not a printer ribbon is installed in a printer without the use of a snap plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: ZIH CORP.
    Inventor: ZIH CORP.
  • Publication number: 20130164067
    Abstract: A printer is disclosed. The printer has a carriage that holds at least one print head. The printer measures the power used by a motor that drives the carriage along a roller bar during a printing operation. The printer displays an error message when the power used by the motor exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventor: Bantwal Sandeep
  • Publication number: 20130161387
    Abstract: Methods of generating a secured printed document on paper or other medium by printing a security layer made of a transparent conductive material over the ink/toner layer that forms the visible content of the document. The security layer is printed using a transparent conductive material such as transparent conductive toner or ink and is invisible to human eyes. In one embodiment, the transparent conductive material contains a pattern that forms a radio frequency (RF) transponder circuit which has an RF antenna and a digital memory storing security data, which can be read out and used to authenticate the document. In another embodiment, the pattern forms a memory circuit without an RF antenna. In yet another embodiment, the transparent conductive material is patterned but does not form a functional circuit, and the electrical properties of the security layer such conductivity and/or capacitance are used to authenticate the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA LABORATORY U.S.A., INC.
    Inventor: Chao King
  • Patent number: 8456703
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus wherein if paper used to print a first page of a first print job is not tab paper, the paper of a size equal to the size of the paper used to print the first page is used for a job information sheet and, if the paper used to print the first page of the first print job is tab paper, the paper of a type different from the tab paper of the size determined based on the size of the tab paper used to print the first page is used for the job information sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8441654
    Abstract: Provided herein is a cable label forming apparatus having an edit screen display device, a selection candidate display instructing device, and a selection candidate display device. The selection candidate display device displays a last selected candidate among the plurality of selection candidates on a priority basis in a normal edit screen when displaying the plurality of selection candidates is instructed, and displays a specific candidate among the plurality of selection candidates on a priority basis in a cable label forming edit screen when displaying the plurality of selection candidates is instructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyasu Kurashina
  • Patent number: 8442433
    Abstract: An article (100) has a device (122), and a radio frequency identification (RFID) module (102) coupled to the device. The RFID module is programmed to receive (210) provisioning instructions from a wireless source (142), and transfer (212) to the device the provisioning instructions when said device is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Feng Wang, Huitao Liu
  • Publication number: 20130114985
    Abstract: Methods and devices determine the media properties of a sheet of media exiting a printing device. The methods and devices apply the media properties to a predetermined velocity equation to calculate a corresponding sheet exit velocity for the sheet of media that will optimize stack quality in a particular output tray. Then, the methods and devices change process controls sheet movement elements within a media path of the printing device to cause the sheet of media to exit the printing device at the sheet exit velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Victoria L. Warner, David L. Rasmussen, Michele D. Cleary, Aldwin A. Roberts, Benjamin W. Paulson, Biruk Gossaye, Jamison Delorenzo
  • Publication number: 20130108345
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a consumable housing unit configured to detachably house one of multiple types of consumables used for image formation; an image formation unit configured to execute printing of print data received from a host apparatus on a record medium in accordance with a print condition specified by the host apparatus; a printable mode determination unit configured to determine a currently executable print mode based on a type of a consumable installed in the consumable housing unit; and a print controller configured to determine whether or not the printing of the print data received from the host apparatus is possible based on the print conditions specified by the host apparatus and the executable print mode determined by the printable mode determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: OKI DATA CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8432567
    Abstract: A label printer for handling labels with RFID tags includes one or more advantageous features such as locating an RF encoder unit antenna in position to read and/or write to label antennas after the label antennas have exited a label output slot of the printer, providing light elements to indicate status of a read and/or write operation to a label RFID tag or a voiding step to void labels when a read and/or write operation is unsuccessful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Premark FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Mark E. Eberhardt, Jr., Nigel G. Mills, Randall L. Redman, Kinred Bowling
  • Patent number: 8430583
    Abstract: Provided is a printing device including: a transport unit configured to transport a sheet-shape printing medium; a printing unit configured to print an image on the printing medium transported by the transport unit; a shape detection unit configured to detect the shape of edges of the printing medium; a position detection unit configured to detect the positions of the edges when an image is printed on the printing medium by the printing unit; and a first determination unit configured to determine the attitude of the printing medium based on the shape of the edges detected by the shape detection unit and the positions of the edges detected by the position detection unit, wherein the printing unit controls a printing position based on the attitude of the printing medium determined by the first determination unit and performs printing on the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8432566
    Abstract: A printer driver conserves recording paper by removing blank space formed at the top and bottom of each page when printing. The printer driver acquires the coordinates of the top and bottom of the part of the print image, and calculates the page length required to print the middle area between the top and bottom blank space areas based on these coordinates. The print data for printing this middle area is then extracted and printed. When printing is completed, the recording paper is conveyed only the difference between the page length and the transportation distance of the recording paper to set the print head to a position separated only the page length from the printing start position of the area print data, that is, to a position touching the middle area. As a result, blank space between the middle areas of consecutively printed pages is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Adachi, Toshiyuki Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20130101328
    Abstract: An image representation of an image and printing specifications describing how the image is to be printed may be accepted at a device. A predicted ink drop count may be calculated by a processor in the device using the image representation and a printer imaging step, the printer imaging step to convert image data into printer data. A predicted ink use value may be calculated by processor based on the predicted ink drop count, predicted ink drop weights, the image representation (e.g., a histogram) and the printing specifications. Actual ink use during a printing operation may be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventors: Peter MOROVIC, Jordi VILAR, Jan MOROVIC
  • Patent number: 8425130
    Abstract: PRINTER (1) WITH MODULAR CARTRIDGE made up of a printing module (2) and a modular (3) cartridge, in independent cabinets but in the same printer, being that said modular cartridge can be fiscal or a non-fiscal cartridge. Said printing module (3) comprises at least a printing mechanism (4), a paper support (5), an auxiliary connection board (7), and the latter's connection to the control board (8). In fiscal cartridges, a fiscal control board is provided, comprising the devices responsible for all fiscal control functions and also for the printing control. In case of printers that do not need fiscal control, the control board can be simplified to a board with printing control function only, making up the so-called non-fiscal cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Bematech S.A.
    Inventors: Marcelo Filipak, Ricardo Trauer, Ricardo Dalla Pria, Danilo Emir De Bassi, Eduardo Ferreira
  • Publication number: 20130094889
    Abstract: A method of controlling a printing apparatus is provided. The method is utilized for printing on a plurality of print media, and there are intervals between the print media. The method determines a starting reference point for printing on a print medium. The method includes generating a predicted interval position according to a interval reference position and an period average corresponding to an average width of a single print medium and an average width of a single interval; calculating a difference between a measured interval position and the predicted interval position; generating an error compensation value according to a compensation operation and updating the reference interval position by adjusting the reference interval position according to the error compensation value if the difference value is not greater than a threshold value; and controlling the printing apparatus to print by updating the predicted interval position according to the updated reference interval position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventor: Ting-Yuan Cheng
  • Patent number: 8419301
    Abstract: Provided herein is a printer, including a printing head configured to execute printing in units of columns of dots; a feed roller configured to feed a print medium; a motor configured to drive the feed roller; a drive control section configured to control driving of the printing head and the motor, wherein in case of halting and restarting printing operation, the drive control section implements printing of data for a first dot column to be printed at printing restart after driving the motor by a first driving amount, further restarts printing from the first dot column data after driving the motor by a second driving amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubota
  • Patent number: 8419300
    Abstract: A modular roll bar assembly for use in a continuous web imaging device includes a plurality of roll bars and a support frame configured to operably support the plurality of roll bars such that the plurality of roll bars define a web path having a non-linear shape with an entrance end and an exit end. The entrance end is configured to receive a substantially continuous web of substrate material, and the plurality of roll bars is configured to guide the continuous web past the exit end. A load cell is operably coupled to the support frame and configured to generate a signal indicative of a down force applied to the support frame. A controller is operably coupled to the load cell to receive the signal and to correlate the down force applied to the support frame indicated by the signal to a tension measurement value for the continuous web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Spence, Matthew Ryan McLaughlin