This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-053895 filed on Mar. 25, 2020. The entire subject matter of the application is incorporated herein by reference.
Aspects of the present disclosure are related to a printer having a reflection sensor for detecting a mark on a tape, and to the tape having the mark thereon.
A printer has been known that is configured to detect a mark on a tape by a reflection sensor and detect a position of the mark based on whether a level of a detection signal output from the reflection sensor has reached a threshold.
The known printer might falsely detect the position of the mark due to influences of a print density of the mark and a reflectivity of the tape.
Aspects of the present disclosure are advantageous to provide one or more improved techniques for a printer that make it possible to accurately detect a position of a mark on a tape without being affected by variations in a print density of the mark and a reflectivity of the tape.
According to aspects of the present disclosure, a printer is provided, which includes a conveyor configured to convey a tape in a conveyance direction, the tape having a plurality of marks formed thereon, the plurality of marks including a first mark, and a second mark formed downstream of the first mark in the conveyance direction, a print head configured to print an image on the tape being conveyed by the conveyor, a reflection sensor configured to detect the plurality of marks on the tape by emitting light toward the tape and receiving reflected light from the tape, and output a detection signal according to the received reflected light when detecting the plurality of marks, and a controller. The controller is configured to set a threshold to be variable based on a level of the detection signal when the reflection sensor detects the second mark, and identify a position of the first mark based on a result of comparison between the set threshold and a level of the detection signal when the reflection sensor detects the first mark.
According to aspects of the present disclosure, further provided is a tape that includes a plurality of marks formed thereon. The plurality of marks include a first mark colored uniformly and entirely, and a second mark colored in a striped pattern or a dot pattern. The second mark is spaced apart from the first mark in a longitudinal direction of the tape.
According to aspects of the present disclosure, further provided is a tape that includes a plurality of marks formed thereon. The plurality of marks include a first mark colored in a first striped pattern or a first dot pattern, and a second mark colored in a second striped pattern or a second dot pattern. The second mark is spaced apart from the first mark in a longitudinal direction of the tape. A coloring ratio of the second mark is lower than a coloring ratio of the first mark. The coloring ratio of each mark is a ratio of a colored area to a whole area of each mark.
It is noted that various connections are set forth between elements in the following description. It is noted that these connections in general and, unless specified otherwise, may be direct or indirect and that this specification is not intended to be limiting in this respect. Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented on circuits (such as application specific integrated circuits) or in computer software as programs storable on computer-readable media including but not limited to RAMs, ROMs, flash memories, EEPROMs. CD-media, DVD-media, temporary storage, hard disk drives, floppy drives, permanent storage, and the like.
Hereinafter, an illustrative embodiment according to aspects of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the illustrative embodiment, aspects of the present disclosure are applied to a label producing apparatus as a printer.
As shown in
A holder support member 15 is disposed at one side end section of the holder storage 4 in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveyance direction (hereinafter, which may be referred to as a “sheet conveyance direction”) in which the label sheet 3A is conveyed. The holder support member 15 has a first positioning groove 16 that is open upward. An attachment member 13, protruding outward of the positioning holding member 12, is in close contact with the first positioning groove 16, thereby being fitted into the holder support member 15. A lever 27 is disposed at a front end portion, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the other side end section of the holder storage 4.
As shown in
On an opposite side (i.e., an upper left side in
As shown in
The reflection sensor 11 is disposed between the insertion port 18 and the platen roller 26 in the sheet conveyance direction. The reflection sensor 11 is a reflection-type optical sensor including a light emitting element (not shown) and a light receiving element (not shown). The reflection sensor 11 is configured to detect the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 formed on the release material layer 3a of the label sheet 3A based on light received by the light receiving element, and output a corresponding detection signal.
The aforementioned guide member 20 is stored in the holder storage 4, with a front portion thereof in contact with a placement section 21 and a positioning groove 22A. Below the holder storage 4, a control board 32 is disposed on which a controller 210 is formed. The controller 210 is configured to drive and control each mechanism included in the label producing apparatus 1 according to instructions from an external device such as a personal computer. A power cord 10 is connected with one side end portion of a rear section of the main body housing 2.
As shown in
As shown in
In
The label producing apparatus 1 includes the aforementioned platen roller 26, a platen roller driving motor 208, a platen roller drive circuit 209, and a print drive circuit 205. The platen roller 26 is configured to convey the label sheet 3A toward a discharge port E. The platen roller driving motor 208 is configured to drive the platen roller 26. The platen roller drive circuit 209 is configured to control the platen roller driving motor 208. The print drive circuit 205 is configured to perform energization control for the thermal head 31. Further, the label producing apparatus 1 includes the aforementioned controller 210 and the aforementioned LED display 34. The controller 210 is configured to control overall operations of the label producing apparatus 1 via the print drive circuit 205 and the platen roller drive circuit 209. The LED display 34 is configured to be turned on by a control signal from the controller 210. The disposition, as shown in
The controller 210 is a so-called microcomputer, which includes a CPU 210A, a ROM 210B, and a RAM 210C. The controller 210 performs signal processing according to programs 210b stored in the ROM 210B, using a temporary storage function of the RAM 210C. The controller 210 is supplied with electricity from a power supply circuit 211A. The controller 210 is connected, for instance, with a communication network via a communication circuit 211B. The control unit 210 is further configured to perform data communication to exchange information with a root server (not shown), other terminals (not shown), a general-purpose computer (not shown), and an information server (not shown) via the communication network.
The controller 210 receives detection signals from the reflection sensor 11 and performs a position identification process and a threshold setting process based on the detection signals. The position identification process is a process to identify the position of the first mark M1 based on a result of comparison between a level of the detection signal when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 and a threshold set in the threshold setting process. The threshold setting process is a process to set a threshold to be variable based on a level of the detection signal when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2. The specific details of these processes will be described below with reference to
As shown in
A length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction (i.e., a left-right direction in
The second mark M2 has a striped pattern. In general, the “striped pattern” is a pattern formed with a plurality of lines colored with two or more different colors or different densities of the same color being arranged parallel to or crossing each other. Examples of the “striped pattern” may include, but are not limited to, a pattern of vertical stripes, a pattern of horizontal stripes, and a pattern of crossing stripes (e.g., a checkered pattern). In the illustrative embodiment, the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is formed with a plurality of black straight lines substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction being arranged parallel to each other at intervals of a particular pitch. Further, the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is formed with the black color of the said plurality of lines and the white color that is a base color of the release material layer 3a. Thereby, a coloring ratio (i.e., a black-white ratio) of the second mark M2 is lower than the coloring ratio of the first mark M1. It is noted that the coloring ratio is a ratio of an area of portion(s) colored black to the whole area. As a result, an amount of light received by the light receiving element when the second mark M2 is detected by the reflection sensor 11 is larger than an amount of light received by the light receiving element when the first mark M1 is detected by the reflection sensor 11. In the illustrative embodiment, a line width Ws and the pitch of the striped pattern are set in such a manner that the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is approximately 50%, while the coloring ratio of the first mark M1 is 100%.
The coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is not limited to 50% but may be any other ratio. However, as will be described below, a threshold for detecting the first mark M1 is set based on the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2. Therefore, the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is preferred to be a value (e.g., 40% to 60%) around half of the coloring ratio of the first mark M1, in such a manner that the threshold is set to a value around half of the detection signal level for the first mark M1 so as to more securely prevent false detection of the first mark M1.
The line width Ws of the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is not limited to a particular value, as long as the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is settable to about 50%. However, the line width Ws is preferred to be equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction, in such a manner that the reflection sensor 11, when detecting the second mark M2, outputs a detection signal with a gentle waveform.
As shown in
In the aforementioned threshold setting process, the controller 210 sets, to the level LV2, a threshold TH of the detection signal level to be used for detecting the first mark M1. Further, in the aforementioned position identification process, the controller 210 identifies the position of the first mark M1 based on a result of comparison between the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 and the set threshold TH (i.e., the level LV2). In the example shown in
Subsequently, an explanation will be provided of a case in which a white level (i.e., reflectivity) of the base color of the release material layer 3a of the label sheet 3A decreases. The white level of the release material layer 3a may decrease due to, for instance, a change in material, a manufacturing process, or a manufacturer of the release material layer 3a, or a decrease in the reflectivity of the release material layer 3a due to the release material layer 3a being thinner.
In
As shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the controller 210 sets the threshold TH to the level LV2(A) in the state shown in
Next, an explanation will be provided of a case where the print densities of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 change. The first marks M1 and the second marks M2 on the label sheet 3A are printed in a unit of roll in a printing process. The print density is controlled in each printing process. Therefore, variations in the print density may occur among individual printing processes.
In
As shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the controller 210 sets the threshold TH to the level LV2(A) in the state shown in
Next, an explanation will be provided of a case where the white level of the base color of the release material layer 3a of the label sheet 3A increases. For instance, the white level of the release material layer 3a may be unexpectedly higher due to the use of glossy paper as the release material layer 3a, changes in the material, the manufacturing process, or the manufacturer of the release layer 3a, or an increase in the reflectivity of the release material layer 3a due to the release material layer 3a being thicker.
In
As shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the controller 210 sets the threshold TH to the level LV2(A) in the state shown in
As shown in
In S10, the controller 210 drives the platen roller driving motor 208 via the platen roller drive circuit 209, thereby driving the platen roller 26 to start conveying the label sheet 3A.
In S15, the controller 210 receives a detection signal from the reflection sensor 11 that has detected the second mark M2.
In S20, the controller 210 performs the threshold setting process to set a threshold for identifying the position of the first mark M1 to be variable based on a level of the detection signal received in S15 from the reflection sensor 11 having detected the second mark M2.
In S25, the controller 210 receives a detection signal from the reflection sensor 11 that has detected the first mark M1.
In S30, the controller 210 performs the position identification process to identify a position of the first mark M1 based on a result of comparison between the level of the detection signal received in S25 from the reflection sensor 11 having detected the first mark M1 and the threshold set in S20.
In S35, the controller 210 determines whether the label sheet 3A has been conveyed to a particular print start position. Specifically, the controller 210 determines whether a conveyance distance from the detection position of the first mark M1 as identified in S30 has reached a particular conveyance distance. The controller 210 repeatedly makes the determination in S35 while waiting until the label sheet 3A is conveyed to the print start position (S35: No). The controller 210 goes to S40 when determining that the label sheet 3A has been conveyed to the print start position (S35: Yes).
In S40, the controller 210 sends a control signal to the thermal head 31 via the print drive circuit 205. Thereby, the controller 210 performs printing to form, on the heat-sensitive layer 3ca, the image (e.g., characters) corresponding to the print information read in S5.
In S45, the controller 210 determines whether the label sheet 3A has been conveyed over a particular print area length. Specifically, the controller 20 determines whether the conveyance of the label sheet 3A over the print area length has been completed, based on the conveyance distance from the detection position of the first mark M1 as identified in S30. The controller 210 repeatedly makes the determination in S45 while waiting until the conveyance of the label sheet 3A over the print area length is completed (S45: No). The controller 210 goes to S50 when determining that the conveyance of the label sheet 3A over the print area length has been completed (S45: Yes).
In S50, the controller 210 stops supplying electricity to the thermal head 31 via the print drive circuit 205, thereby stopping the printing on the label sheet 3A.
In S55, the controller 210 stops driving the platen roller driving motor 208 via the platen roller drive circuit 209, thereby stopping the rotation of the platen roller 26. As a result, the conveyance of the label sheet 3A is stopped.
In S60, the controller 210 sends a lighting control signal to the LED display 34. Thereby, the LED display 34 shows thereon that the label sheet 3A is ready to be cut by manually operating the cutter lever 9.
In S65, the controller 210 determines whether a cutting operation of cutting the label sheet 3A by operating the cutter lever 9 has been completed. The controller 210 repeatedly makes the determination in S65 while waiting until the cutting operation is completed (S65: No). The controller 210 terminates the process shown in
As described above, in the illustrative embodiment, the first marks M1 and the second marks M2 are printed on the surface of the release material layer 3a side of the label sheet 3A. As mentioned above, when the first marks M1 and the second marks M2 are printed on the label sheet 3A held by the same holder 3, the first marks M1 and the second marks M2 are printed in the same printing process. Thus, for instance, even if there are variations in the print density among individual printing processes, the first marks M1 and the second marks M2 printed on the label sheet 3A in the same printing process will be darker or lighter together to substantially the same degree. In other words, the first marks M1 and the second marks M2 printed on the same label sheet 3A may be considered to be printed with substantially the same density. In the threshold setting process of the illustrative embodiment, using the above properties, the threshold TH of the detection signal level for detecting the first mark M1 is determined based on the detection signal level when the second mark M2 is detected.
For instance, if the first mark M1 is printed lighter in color (i.e., with a density lower than a normal density), the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 will be a level when the first mark M1 has a reflectivity higher than when printed as usual (i.e., with the normal density). Namely, in this case, the sensor voltage when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 is higher than when the first mark M1 is printed with the normal density. As a result, if the threshold TH set when the printing is performed with the normal density is used as is when the printing is performed with a lower density, false detection may occur such as the first mark M1 being detected to be located in a position displaced from the actual position or being unable to be detected. At this time, the second mark M2 is also printed with such a lower density. Therefore, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 is a level when the second mark M2 has a reflectivity higher than when printed with the normal density. Thereby, it is possible to set the threshold TH to be shifted toward a level for the first mark M1 having a reflectivity higher than when the printing is performed with the normal density, based on the detection signal level for the second mark M2. Accordingly, even though the printing is performed with a lower density as described above, it is possible to identify the position of the first mark M1 with substantially the same degree of accuracy as when the printing is performed with the normal density, in the position identification process to identify the position of the first mark M1 based on a result of comparison between the detection signal level and the threshold TH.
Conversely, if the first mark M1 is printed darker in color (i.e., with a density higher than the normal density), the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 will be a level when the first mark M1 has a reflectivity lower than when printed as usual (i.e., with the normal density). Namely, in this case, the sensor voltage when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 is lower than when the first mark M1 is printed with the normal density. As a result, if the threshold TH set when the printing is performed with the normal density is used as is when the printing is performed with a higher density, the first mark M1 may be detected to be located in a position displaced from the actual position. At this time, the second mark M2 is also printed with such a higher density. Therefore, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 is a level when the second mark M2 has a reflectivity lower than when printed with the normal density. Thereby, it is possible to set the threshold TH to be shifted toward a level for the first mark M1 having a reflectivity lower than when the printing is performed with the normal density, based on the detection signal level for the second mark M2. Accordingly, even though the printing is performed with a higher density as described above, it is possible to identify the position of the first mark M1 with substantially the same degree of accuracy as when the printing is performed with the normal density.
On the other hand, if the print densities of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 do not change, and the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A becomes lower, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the base color will be a level when the base color of the label sheet 3A has a reflectivity lower than its normal reflectivity. Namely, in this case, the sensor voltage when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 is lower than when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is normal. As a result, if the threshold TH set when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is normal is used as is when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is lower, false detection may occur such as the first mark M1 being detected to be located in a position displaced from the actual position or being unable to be detected. At this time, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 is also a level when the base color of the label sheet 3A has a reflectivity lower than its normal reflectivity. Thereby, it is possible to set the threshold TH to be shifted toward a level for the base color of the label sheet 3A having a reflectivity lower than its normal reflectivity, based on the detection signal level for the second mark M2. Accordingly, even though the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A has become lower as described above, it is possible to identify the position of the first mark M1 with substantially the same degree of accuracy as when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is normal.
Conversely, if the print densities of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 do not change, and the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A becomes higher, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the base color will be a level when the base color of the label sheet 3A has a reflectivity higher than its normal reflectivity. As a result, if the threshold TH set when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is normal is used as is when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is higher, the first mark M1 may be detected to be located in a position displaced from the actual position. At this time, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 is also a level when the base color of the label sheet 3A has a reflectivity higher than its normal reflectivity. Thereby, it is possible to set the threshold TH to be shifted toward a level for the base color of the label sheet 3A having a reflectivity higher than its normal reflectivity, based on the detection signal level for the second mark M2. Accordingly, even though the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A has become higher as described above, it is possible to identify the position of the first mark M1 with substantially the same degree of accuracy as when the reflectivity of the base color of the label sheet 3A is normal.
As a result, in the illustrative embodiment, even though there are variations in the print densities of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 on the label sheet 3A and in the reflectivity of the label sheet 3A, it is possible to detect the position of the first mark M1 with high accuracy without being affected by those variations.
Further, in the illustrative embodiment, particularly, an amount of light received by the light receiving element when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 is larger than when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1.
Thereby, the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 may be considered as such a level that the second mark M2 has a reflectivity higher than the reflectivity of the first mark M1. As a result, it is possible to set the detection signal level for the second mark M2 as the threshold TH of the detection signal level for detecting the first mark M1, and thus, to easily set the threshold TH.
Further, in the illustrative embodiment, particularly, the coloring ratio (i.e., the ratio of the area of the portion(s) colored black to the whole area) of the second mark M2 is smaller than the coloring ratio of the first mark M1.
Thereby, it is possible to adjust the threshold TH of the detection signal level for detection of the first mark M1 to be an appropriate value according to the coloring ratio of the second mark M2. Further, the second mark M2 may include a colored portion (e.g., a portion colored black) and a portion with the base color of the label sheet 3A. As a result, when the reflectivity of the base color portion of the label sheet 3A becomes higher or lower, the detection signal level for the second mark M2 varies according to the variation in the reflectivity of the base color portion. Thus, it is possible to set the threshold TH to be variable according to the variation in the reflectivity of the base color portion. Accordingly, it is possible to detect the position of the first mark M1 with high accuracy without being affected by the variation in the reflectivity of the label sheet 3A.
Further, in the illustrative embodiment, particularly, the first mark M1 is a mark colored uniformly and entirely. The second mark M2 is a mark colored in the striped pattern.
Thereby, it is possible to set the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 with high accuracy in accordance with the line width Ws and the pitch of the striped pattern, with respect to the coloring ratio (i.e., 100%) of the first mark M1 that is colored uniformly and entirely.
Further, in the illustrative embodiment, particularly, the line width Ws of the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction.
In general, the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set to be equal to or more than the spot diameter of the reflection sensor 11. Therefore, when the line width Ws of the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is set to be equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction, the reflection sensor 11, when detecting the second mark M2, outputs a detection signal with a gentle waveform. Thereby, it is possible to improve the accuracy for setting the threshold TH.
Further, the label sheet 3A of the illustrative embodiment provides the following advantageous effects. In general, when marks for position detection are printed on the label sheet 3A as a printing medium, it is necessary to control the print densities of the marks. This is because, for instance, if the densities of the marks become lower, the level of the detection signal output from the reflection sensor 11 detecting the marks may be equal to or more than the threshold TH, thereby causing false detection. However, the accurate densities of the marks need to be measured by a densitometer, for instance, in a process separate from the printing process. Therefore, in this case, there are problems as follows. It takes time to measure the densities by the densitometer since the measurement has to be performed offline after stopping the printing process. Further, it is not possible to measure the densities of all the printed marks. Further, more ink than necessary is used because, in most cases, the densities are controlled using results of the density measurement at the beginning and the end of the printing process, and a target print density is set with a margin in consideration of density variations (which may include a variation due to measurement errors). Moreover, since the density of each printed mark varies depending on how dried the ink of each printed mark is, it takes time to check whether each examined mark satisfies the required density.
Therefore, in the illustrative embodiment, the first mark M1 colored uniformly and entirely and the second mark M2 colored in the striped pattern are formed to be spaced apart from each other in the sheet longitudinal direction. Thereby, the label producing apparatus 1 is enabled to determine the threshold TH of the detection signal level to be used for detection of the first mark M1, based on the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2. In this case, the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 are printed with substantially the same density, since the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 are formed in positions close to each other in the same printing process. Therefore, the threshold TH may be adjusted to an appropriate value according to the coloring ratios of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2, regardless of the print density. Further, since the first mark M1 is formed as a mark colored uniformly and entirely, and the second mark M2 is formed as a mark colored in the striped pattern, it is possible to accurately set the coloring ratios of the first and second marks M1 and M2 according to the line width Ws and the pitch of the striped pattern of the second mark M2. As a result, even though there are variations in the print densities of the first marks M1 and the second marks on the label sheet 3A, it is possible to detect the position of each first mark M1 with high accuracy without being affected by the density variations, and to prevent false detection.
Thus, since strict control of the print densities is unnecessary, it is possible to omit the offline measurement of the print densities or reduce the frequency of the density measurement. Further, the coloring ratios of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 have only to be within respective specified ranges. Hence, a pass/fail judgment may be made, for instance, using an imaging device such as a camera. Therefore, the pass/fail judgment may be made in-line in the printing process, thereby enabling inspection of all the printed marks. As a result, it is possible to avoid undesirable situations such as the printing process being stopped halfway to perform the offline measurement of the densities and occurrence of a lot defect due to a mark out of standards being found at the end of the printing process.
Further, in the illustrative embodiment, the distance D between the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 in the sheet longitudinal direction is equal to or more than the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction.
In general, the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set equal to or more than the spot diameter of the reflection sensor 11 of the label producing apparatus 1. Therefore, when the distance D between the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set equal to or more than the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction, the said distance D is set equal to or more than the spot diameter of the reflection sensor 11. Thereby, the level of the detection signal from the reflection sensor 11 is restored to the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the base color of the label sheet 3A, during a period of time from when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 until when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1. Consequently, it is possible to render neat the waveform of the detection signal from the reflection sensor 11 detecting the first mark M1 and improve the accuracy for detecting the position of the first mark M1.
Hereinabove, the illustrative embodiment according to aspects of the present disclosure has been described. Aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced by employing conventional materials, methodology and equipment. Accordingly, the details of such materials, equipment and methodology are not set forth herein in detail. In the previous descriptions, numerous specific details are set forth, such as specific materials, structures, chemicals, processes, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it should be recognized that aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced without reapportioning to the details specifically set forth. In other instances, well known processing structures have not been described in detail, in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure.
Only an exemplary illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure and but a few examples of their versatility are shown and described in the present disclosure. It is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure are capable of use in various other combinations and environments and are capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein. For instance, the following modifications may be feasible.
(1) Different Striped Patterns for the Second Mark
In the aforementioned illustrative embodiment, the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is formed with a plurality of black straight lines substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction being arranged parallel to each other at intervals of a particular pitch. However, the striped pattern may be other patterns than the pattern as exemplified in the illustrative embodiment. For instance, as shown in
In any of the above modifications of the second mark M2, a line width Ws and the pitch of the striped pattern are set such that the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is approximately 50%, in substantially the same manner as in the aforementioned illustrative embodiment. Further, the line width Ws of the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction. Further, a distance D between the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set to be equal to or more than the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction.
Each of the lines included in the striped pattern is not limited to a straight line, but may be a bent line or a curved line, and the lines may be arranged not to be parallel to each other. Each of the lines included in the striped pattern may not necessarily be uniform in thickness. For instance, each of the lines included in the striped pattern may be an elongated area.
The above modifications also produce substantially the same effects as in the aforementioned illustrative embodiment.
(2) When the Second Mark is Colored in a Dot Pattern
In the aforementioned illustrative embodiment, the second mark M2 is colored in the striped pattern. However, for instance, the second mark M2 may be colored black in a dot pattern. The “dot pattern” may be formed with a plurality of dots being arranged regularly or irregularly. Each of the dots included in the “dot pattern” may be formed in any shape, for instance, a rectangle, a parallelogram, a circle, or other shapes. For instance, as shown in
In any of the above modifications of the second mark M2, a dot width Wd and the pitch of the dot pattern are set such that the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is approximately 50%, in substantially the same manner as in the aforementioned illustrative embodiment. In addition, the dot width Wd of the dot pattern of the second mark M2 is equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction. Further, a distance D between the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set to be equal to or more than the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction.
Each of the dots included in the dot pattern is not limited to the dots shaped as above, but may be formed in any other shape. Further, the dots may be arranged in contact with each other, or may be spaced apart from each other. The arrangement of the dots is not limited to the parallel arrangement or the staggered arrangement, but the dots may be arranged, for instance, irregularly.
The above modifications also produce substantially the same effects as in the aforementioned illustrative embodiment.
(3) When Both the First Mark and the Second Mark have a Striped Pattern or a Dot Pattern
In the aforementioned illustrative embodiment, the first mark 1 is uniformly and entirely colored black, and the second mark M2 is colored in the striped pattern. However, for instance, both the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 may be colored in a striped pattern or a dot pattern.
For instance, as shown in
Further, for instance, as shown in
The coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is not limited to approximately half of the coloring ratio of the first mark M1, but may be another ratio. However, as described above, the threshold TH for detecting the first mark M1 is set based on the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2. Therefore, the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is preferred to be around half (e.g., 40% to 60%) of the coloring ratio of the first mark M1, in such a manner as to set the threshold TH to be around half of the detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 and to more certainly prevent false detection of the first mark M1.
Although the following features are not shown in any drawing, for instance, a mark (e.g., the first mark M1) colored in a striped pattern and a mark (e.g., the second mark M2) colored in a dot pattern may be mixed.
The above modifications may also produce substantially the same effects as in the aforementioned illustrative embodiment. In the present modifications, each of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 is colored in a striped pattern or a dot pattern. Thereby, it is possible to accurately set the respective coloring ratios of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 in accordance with the line widths Ws1 and Ws2 and the pitches of the respective striped patterns of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 or the dot widths Wd1 and Wd2 and the pitches of the respective dot patterns of the first mark M1 and the second mark M2.
In the present modifications, particularly, the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 is preferred to be approximately 50% of the coloring ratio of the first mark M1 or within a range of 40% to 60% of the coloring ratio of the first mark M1. Thereby, it is possible to set the threshold TH for detecting the first mark M1 to be around half of the detection signal level LV1 when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1, based on the detection signal level LV2 when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2. Therefore, it is possible to more certainly prevent false detection of the first mark M1.
(4) When Three or More Types of Marks are Formed
In the aforementioned illustrative embodiment, the two types of marks, i.e., the first mark(s) M1 and the second mark(s) M2 are formed on the label sheet 3A. However, the number of the types of the marks is not limited to two, but may be three or more.
For instance, in
The line width Ws of the striped pattern of the second mark M2 is equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction. In addition, a distance D between the first mark M1 and the second mark M2 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set to be equal to or more than the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction. Likewise, the dot width Wd of the dot pattern of the third mark M3 is equal to or less than half of the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction. Further, a distance D between the second mark M2 and the third mark M3 in the sheet longitudinal direction is set to be equal to or more than the length Wm of the first mark M1 in the sheet longitudinal direction.
In this modification, in a threshold setting process, the controller 210 sets the threshold TH to be variable based on a detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the third mark M3 and a detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2. Specifically, the level of the detection signal from the reflection sensor 11 detecting the third mark M3 is substantially equal to the level of the detection signal from the reflection sensor 11 detecting the second mark M2. Hence, for instance, the controller 210 may calculate an average value of these detection signal levels and set the average value as the threshold TH. Then, in a position identification process, the controller 210 identifies a position of the first mark M1 based on a result of comparison between a detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the first mark M1 and the threshold TH.
In this modification, as described above, the threshold TH is set using the two types of marks. Therefore, it is possible to set the threshold TH with a higher degree of accuracy than when the threshold TH is set using only one type of mark.
In the above example, both the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 and the coloring ratio of the third mark M3 are set to 50%. However, each of the coloring ratios of the second and third marks M2 and M3 may be a ratio other than 50%. For instance, the coloring ratio of the second mark M2 may be set to 60%, and the coloring ratio of the third mark M3 may be set to 40%. In this case, the controller 210 may calculate an average value of a detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the second mark M2 and a detection signal level when the reflection sensor 11 detects the third mark M3, and may set the average value as the threshold TH.
In the above descriptions, when there are expressions such as “perpendicular,” “parallel.” and “flat,” these expressions may not necessarily give their rigorous meanings. Namely, the expressions of “perpendicular,” “parallel.” and “flat” may give meanings of “substantially perpendicular,” “substantially parallel,” and “substantially flat,” respectively, in consideration of tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing.
In the above descriptions, when there are expressions such as “same.” “equal.” or “different” in terms of dimensions or size in appearances, these expressions may not necessarily give their rigorous meanings. Namely, the expressions of “same,” “equal,” and “different” may give meanings of “substantially the same.” “substantially equal,” and “substantially different,” respectively, in consideration of tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing.
However, unlike the above, for instance, when there are criteria such as a threshold (see
In the above descriptions, each arrow, showing an example of a signal flow in drawings such as
The control process (see
The following shows examples of associations between elements exemplified in the aforementioned illustrative embodiments and modifications and elements according to aspects of the present disclosure. The label producing apparatus 1 may be an example of a “printer” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The label sheet 3A may be an example of a “tape” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The first mark M1 may be an example of a “first mark” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The second mark M2 may be an example of a “second mark” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The platen roller 26 may be included in a “conveyor” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The thermal head 31 may be an example of a “print head” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The reflection sensor 11 may be an example of a “reflection sensor” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The controller 210 may be an example of a “controller” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The CPU 210A may be an example of a “processor” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The ROM 210B storing the programs 210b may be an example of a “memory storing computer-readable instructions” according to aspects of the present disclosure. The CPU 210A and the ROM 210B may be included in the “controller” according to aspects of the present disclosure.
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