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JP-7855663-B2 - Printer, printer control method, and program

JP7855663B2JP 7855663 B2JP7855663 B2JP 7855663B2JP-7855663-B2

Inventors

  • 新井 秀和
  • 斉藤 有二

Assignees

  • 株式会社サトー

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20241113

Claims (7)

  1. A printer that reads and writes information to a printing medium having RFID, A communication unit that communicates with the RFID, The system includes a control unit that receives radio wave intensity from the RFID while changing the relative position between the RFID and the communication unit, and determines the optimal relative position between the RFID and the communication unit based on a plurality of received radio wave intensity values, The control unit determines the optimal relative position using weights calculated based on the multiple radio wave intensities received from the RFID. Printer.
  2. A printer according to claim 1, The control unit performs the weighting based on the strengths and weaknesses of multiple radio wave intensities received from the RFID. Printer.
  3. A printer according to claim 1, The control unit receives a first radio wave intensity from the RFID at a first relative position, and receives one or more second radio wave intensity from the RFID at one or more second relative positions adjacent to the first relative position. The weighting is performed based on the first radio wave intensity and one or more second radio wave intensity values. Printer.
  4. A printer according to claim 1, The control unit determines whether communication with the RFID is successful at a first relative position, and determines whether communication with the RFID is successful at one or more second relative positions adjacent to the first relative position. Based on the success or failure of communication at the first relative position and one or more of the second relative positions, the optimal relative position is determined. Printer.
  5. A printer according to claim 1, The control unit determines whether communication with the RFID is successful at a first relative position, and determines whether communication with the RFID is successful at one or more second relative positions adjacent to the first relative position. Among the multiple first relative positions where communication was successful, the first relative position with the largest number of second relative positions where communication was successful is identified as the optimal relative position. Printer.
  6. A method for controlling a printer that reads and writes information to a printing medium having RFID, The printer comprises a communication unit that communicates with the RFID, and a control unit that receives radio wave intensity from the RFID while changing the relative position between the RFID and the communication unit, and determines the optimal relative position between the RFID and the communication unit based on a plurality of received radio wave intensity values. The optimal relative position is determined using a weight calculated based on the multiple radio wave intensities received from the RFID. How to control the printer.
  7. A computer program executable by a printer that reads and writes information to a printing medium having RFID, The printer comprises a communication unit that communicates with the RFID, and a control unit that receives radio wave intensity from the RFID while changing the relative position between the RFID and the communication unit, and determines the optimal relative position between the RFID and the communication unit based on a plurality of received radio wave intensity values. The procedure involves causing the computer to perform a step to determine the optimal relative position using weights calculated based on multiple radio wave intensities received from the RFID. Program.

Description

This invention relates to a printer, a printer control method, and a program. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, which transmits and receives information via contactless communication from an IC chip on which identification information is written, is being applied to various fields (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a printer that writes information to an RFID element contactlessly and also prints on label paper containing an RFID element. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-296669 This is a schematic diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.This is a control block diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.This is a plan view of the printing medium.This is a schematic diagram illustrating the movable mechanism.This is a flowchart of the processes executed by the controller.This is an explanatory diagram of the menu screen.This is a flowchart of the best point search process.This is an explanatory diagram of the start screen.This is an explanatory diagram of the search results display screen.This is a flowchart of the search process.This is an explanatory diagram of the search points in quick mode.This is an explanatory diagram of the search points in detailed mode.This is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of search points in detail mode.This is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of search points in detail mode.This is a flowchart for determining the best point.This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the acquisition of success/failure information at key points of interest.This is a flowchart of another embodiment of the best point determination process.This is an explanatory diagram showing a set of success points in another embodiment. The printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Printer 1 uses a thermal transfer method to print by heating an ink ribbon R and transferring the ink from the ink ribbon R to the printing medium M. The printing medium M is, for example, constructed as a continuous body ML in which multiple labels are temporarily attached at predetermined intervals to a strip-shaped backing and wound into a roll. The printing medium M is configured as an RFID medium incorporating an RFID inlet 110 having an RFID-compliant IC chip C and antenna A. Note that the printer 1 can also print on printing mediums that do not have the IC chip C and antenna A. Printer 1 prints variable information such as price, barcode, other product information, and management information related to goods or services onto the printing area of the printing medium M as needed, and also writes information corresponding to the variable information as electronic data to the RFID inlet 110. In this embodiment, a label with adhesive on its back surface that can be attached to an object is described as an example of the printing medium M. However, it is not limited to this, and may also be a tag, wristband, or other object that is fixed to the object using fixing parts. As shown in Figure 1, the printer 1 includes, for example, a printing mechanism 10, a ribbon supply shaft 20, a ribbon winding shaft 30, a media supply shaft 40, a communication unit 50, a movable mechanism 200, an upstream position detection sensor 71, a downstream position detection sensor 72, and a controller 60 as a control unit. The printing mechanism 10 comprises a head unit 11 and a platen roller 12, and performs printing on the printing medium M and transporting the continuous material ML and the ink ribbon R. The head unit 11 holds the thermal head 13 with its heating element exposed from below. The platen roller 12 is positioned directly below the thermal head 13 and, together with the thermal head 13, constitutes the printing section 15 that prints on the printing medium M. The head unit 11 is supported by a support shaft 14 so as to be able to swing in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1. The head unit 11 can be moved between a head-open position, where the thermal head 13 is separated from the platen roller 12, and a head-closed position, where the thermal head 13 is in contact with the platen roller 12. In Figure 1, the head unit 11 is in the head-closed position. The ribbon supply shaft 20 holds the ink ribbon R supplied to the printing unit 15 in a roll shape. The ink ribbon R supplied from the ribbon supply shaft 20 to the printing unit 15 is held between the thermal head 13 and the platen roller 12. The media supply shaft 40 holds the continuous material ML supplied to the printing unit 15 in a roll shape. The continuous material ML supplied from the media supply shaft 40 to the printing unit 15 is held together with the ink ribbon R between the thermal head 13 and the platen roller 12.