Printing apparatus and format edit program recorded in computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

When a user selects a printing format for use in producing a label and specifies block names of blocks constituting a printing format in an arbitrary order through a n th-block specifying screen (first block specifying screen, second block specifying screen, . . . ), edit sequence table 400a sets a new edit sequence number 404 based on a specifying order of block names 403. Then, the new edit sequence number 404 is written over current edit sequence number 401 in each block (edit sequence table 400b) and arrangement of each block is updated based on the edit sequence number 401 after overwritten (edit sequence table 400c).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a lid of a tape-accommodating portion of a tape printing apparatus has been removed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tape cassette;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the tape cassette;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a lower case in a state in which an upper case has been removed;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing control configuration of the tape printing apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a ROM;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of VHS video printing format;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a RAM;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing data structure of an edit sequence table;

FIG. 10 is a main flowchart of a tape printing apparatus;

FIG. 11 is a transition diagram of a screen displayed on a liquid crystal portion during main processing (FIG. 10);

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of label production processing for each application purpose in a first embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a transition diagram of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal display portion in the label production processing for each application purpose;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of edit sequence setting processing;

FIG. 15 is a transition diagram of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal display portion in the edit sequence setting processing;

FIG. 16 is a transition diagram of data structure of edit sequence table in the edit sequence setting processing;

FIG. 17 is a transition diagram of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal display portion in the label production processing for each application purpose;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing data structure of the edit sequence table;

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing details of label production processing for each application purpose in a second embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the detail of the edit sequence setting processing;

FIG. 21 is a transition diagram of data structure of the edit sequence table in the edit sequence setting processing;

FIG. 22 is a transition diagram of the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display portion in label production processing for each application purpose;

FIG. 23 is a data structure diagram of printing format for use in a conventional printer;

FIG. 24 is a screen transition diagram showing data input sequence to a printing format; and

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a specific example of a label produced based on the printing format after data input.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising: a format memory device that stores plural formats constituted of plural blocks for forming a data input area specified for each recording object medium and defining an edit sequence of the plural blocks so as to input data into the data input area;a format selecting device that selects any one format from the plural formats stored in the format memory device;a block edit sequence changing device that changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks defined by the format for the format selected by the format selecting device; anda printing device that prints print data produced based on the selected format on the recording object medium.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a block edit sequence specifying device that specifies the edit sequence of the plural blocks wherein the block edit sequence changing device changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks based on the edit sequence specified by the block edit sequence specifying device.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a block identification information display device that displays pieces of block identification information for identifying each of the plural blocks such that they are capable of being selected, wherein the block edit sequence specifying device specifies plural pieces of block identification information displayed on the block identification information display device in an arbitrary order and the block edit sequence changing device changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks based on a selection order of the plural pieces of block identification information specified by the block edit sequence specifying device.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a print information input device that inputs a print information of any image or character into each of the plural blocks along the edit sequence of the plural blocks defined by a format selected by the format selecting device, wherein the block edit sequence changing device changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks based on whether or not the print information is input by the print information input device.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a block input setting table memory device that stores a block input setting table in which whether or not the print information is input into each of the plural blocks by the print information input device is set, wherein the block edit sequence changing device changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks so that a block in which the print information is input comes first while a block in which no print information is input comes after, based on the block input setting table.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the recording object medium is a long tape comprising a print medium on which an image is to be printed, an adhesive agent layer provided on the rear face of the print medium and a separation layer covering the adhesive agent layer, the printing apparatus further comprising a cutting device that cuts the recording object medium so as to produce a label, the cutting device being provided at a place to which the recording object medium on which the print data is printed is to be discharged.

7. A format edit program recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, the format edit program comprising: a format selection step of selecting any one format from among formats stored preliminarily, the formats being constituted of plural blocks for forming a data input area specified for each recording object medium and defining an edit sequence of the plural blocks so as to input data into the data input area;a block edit sequence changing step of changing the edit sequence of the plural blocks defined by the format for the format selected in the format selection step; anda printing step of printing a print data produced based on the format on the recording object medium.

8. The format edit program according to claim 7 further comprising a block edit sequence specifying step of specifying the edit sequence of the plural blocks wherein the block edit sequence changing step changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks based on the edit sequence specified in the block edit sequence specifying step.

9. The format edit program according to claim 8 further comprising a block identification information display step of displaying pieces of block identification information for identifying each of the plural blocks such that they are capable of being selected, wherein the block edit sequence specifying step specifies plural pieces of block identification information displayed in the block identification information display step in an arbitrary order and the block edit sequence changing step changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks based on a selection order of the plural pieces of block identification information specified in the block edit sequence specifying step.

10. The format edit program according to claim 7 further comprising a print information input step of inputting print information of an image or character into each of the plural blocks along the edit sequence of the plural blocks defined by a format selected in the format selection step, wherein the block edit sequence changing step changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks based on whether or not the print information is input in the print information input step.

11. The format edit program according to claim 10 further comprising a block input setting table memory step of storing a block input setting table in which whether or not the print information is input into each of the plural blocks in the print information input step is set, wherein the block edit sequence changing step changes the edit sequence of the plural blocks so that a block in which the print information is input comes first while a block in which no print information is input comes after, based on the block input setting table.

12. The format edit program according to claim 7 further comprising a cutting step of cutting the recording object medium so as to produce a label on which the print data printed in the printing step is printed on the part of the recording object medium to be discharged.