Practical timer in food freshness printer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a practical timer in a food freshness printer. A method of adding a plurality of customizable event timers to a food freshness printer or smart printer (1) is disclosed. The customizable event timers are added by an operator for sounding an alarm at predetermined intervals to indicate the elapse of time and / or printing a label. When the event timer expires and the user acknowledges an audible tone, the user has the option of restarting the timer for the next event or deleting the timer. Further, the event timer enables the user to display a message or print a set of labels when the timer expires.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application No. 201480082617.0, filed on October 13, 2014, entitled “Practical Timer in Food Freshness Printer”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a food freshness barcode printer or smart printer including multiple customizable timers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for an operator to add multiple customizable timers for sounding an alarm to indicate the passage of time. Background Art

[0003] A barcode printer is a computer external device used to print barcode marks or labels that can be attached to or printed directly onto physical objects. Barcode printers are often used to mark cartons before shipping, or to mark retail items with a UPC or EZN. The most common barcode printers use one of two different printing technologies. Direct thermal printers use a print head to generate heat that causes a chemical reaction in a specially designed paper stock that turns the paper black. Thermal transfer printers also use heat, but instead of causing the paper stock to react, the heat melts a wax or resin substance on a ribbon stretched over the marking or label material. The heat causes the ink to transfer from the ribbon to the paper stock.

[0004] Barcode printers are designed for different markets. Industrial barcode printers are used in large warehouses, manufacturing plants, and food plants. They have large paper capacity, operate faster, and have a long service life. For retail and office environments, desktop barcode printers are the most common.

[0005] Furthermore, in conventional food preparation or other suitable fields, there are several functions, operations, tasks, etc. that occur in a timed or periodic manner. As a result, employees often lose time waiting for tasks or become overwhelmed trying to keep track of all functions, operations, tasks, etc.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a food freshness barcode printer or smart printer that includes multiple customizable timers. The present invention discloses a method for an operator to add multiple customizable timers for sounding an alarm to indicate the passage of time. When the timer expires and the user confirms an audible tone, the user can choose to restart the timer for the next event or delete the timer. Summary of the invention

[0007] The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an exhaustive review, and it is not intended to establish key / critical elements or to define its scope. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that will be presented later.

[0008] The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein includes, in one aspect, a method of adding a plurality of customizable event timers to a food freshness printer or a smart printer. Specifically, the customizable event timers are added by an operator for sounding an alarm to indicate the passage of time.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, when the event timer expires and the user confirms the audible tone, the user can choose to restart the timer for the next event or delete the timer. Further, the event timer enables the user to display a message or print a set of labels when the timer expires.

[0010] To achieve the above and related purposes, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in conjunction with the following description and accompanying drawings. However, these aspects are indicative of some of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein may be employed, and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 A block diagram of a bar code printer according to the disclosed construction is shown.

[0012] Figure 2A A flow chart illustrating an item selection form process pre-installed in a food freshness printer or smart printer according to the disclosed construction.

[0013] Figure 2B A flow chart showing a reference timer event process pre-installed in a food freshness printer or smart printer according to the disclosed construction.

[0014] Figure 2C A flow chart showing a timer form removal timer process pre-installed in a food freshness printer or smart printer according to the disclosed construction.

[0015] Figure 2D A flow chart showing a confirmation timer process pre-installed in a food freshness printer or smart printer according to the disclosed construction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present innovation is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout the text. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding thereof. However, it may be apparent that the present innovation may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate their description.

[0017] The present invention discloses a method of adding multiple customizable event timers to a food freshness printer or smart printer. An operator adds customizable event timers for sounding an alarm to indicate the passage of time. When an event timer expires and the user acknowledges an audible tone, the user can choose to restart the timer for the next event or delete the timer. Further, the event timer enables the user to display a message or print a set of labels when the timer expires.

[0018] First, refer to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 A barcode printer 1 according to the present invention is shown, however any suitable barcode printer may be used as known in the art. The barcode printer 1 includes a thermal print head 2 for printing barcodes and alphanumeric information on a recording member strip such as a tag, label, etc. The supply of the recording member strip may be a direct printing type, such that the recording member includes a paper material coated with a thermally responsive material. Alternatively, the supply used with the barcode printer 1 may be a transfer type, in which the carbon ribbon is thermally activated by the print head 2 in order to print on the recording member. The print head 2 is strobed to control the energy applied to the print head for printing. More specifically, an electric current is applied to the print head 2 during the strobe time in order to print a line on the recording member.

[0019] The barcode printer 1 also includes a stepper motor 3, etc., responsive to a periodic drive signal 4, the period 6 of the periodic drive signal 4 being defined by the time between the leading edges of successive or adjacent pulses of the drive signal. The stepper motor 3 responds to the drive signal 4 to advance the recording member strip past the print head 2 for printing. The drive signal 4 controls the speed of the stepper motor 3, which in turn controls the printing speed of the barcode printer 1.

[0020] The controller 5 includes a microprocessor 7 and the like which operates according to software routines stored in a memory 8 to control the operation of the bar code printer 1. A number of sensors, monitors, detectors and the like, such as depicted at 9, 11, 12 and 14, monitor the operating conditions of the bar code printer 1, including the resistance of the print head 2, the contrast setting of the bar code printer, the temperature of the heat sink 13 on which the print head 2 is mounted, and the voltage of the battery that powers the bar code printer 1. The measured values ​​of the print head resistance, contrast setting, heat sink temperature, battery voltage and other operating variables can be utilized by the microprocessor 7, if desired, when implementing print speed control.

[0021] Overall reference FIG. 2A to FIG. 2DThe disclosed food freshness barcode printer or any other suitable barcode printer or smart printer includes at least one customizable event timer. The (one or more) event timer enables the user to display a message or print a set of labels when the timer expires. Further, when the timer expires and the user confirms that a tone can be heard, the user can choose to restart the timer for the next event or delete the timer.

[0022] In the food preparation field, there are several functions that occur in a timed or periodic manner. For example, if a frozen roll needs to be thawed before being placed on a food preparation station in preparation for sale, the user can set a timer that expires at the end of the thawing period and a freshness date label will then be printed. Thus, the function of setting a timer will enable food preparation employees to focus on other tasks before the thawing period of the roll expires. Once the thawing period of the roll has expired, the timer will emit an audible noise, and the printer will then automatically print the required freshness date label (i.e., the labor-saving step of printing the freshness label without additional interaction will be performed).

[0023] For example, Figure 2A As shown, entry point 10 is where the user enters the button process (or item selection form process). At 20, it is determined whether the button is a label. If the button is a label, then at 30, a label batch (i.e., a print job) is printed, and at 40, the process is exited. If the button is not a label (i.e., a non-print job), then at 50, a valid event timer is added. Then at 60, the event timer is added to the list of valid timers. At 70, it is determined whether the one-second reference timer is running. If the one-second reference timer is not running, then at 80, the one-second reference timer is started. If the one-second reference timer is running, then at 90, the process is completed and exited at 100.

[0024] like Figure 2BAs shown, the reference timer event process starts at 110. At 120, the one-second reference timer has expired. At 130, the list of valid timers is checked. At 140, it is determined whether the timer screen is visible. If the timer screen is visible, then at 150 the user updates the valid timer countdown display. If the timer screen is not visible, then at 160 it is determined whether there are any expired timers. If there are no expired timers, then at 190 it is determined whether an alarm is issued. If there are expired timers, then at 170 it is determined whether the timer form is visible to the user. If the timer form is visible to the user, then at 190 it is determined whether an alarm is issued. If the timer form is not visible to the user, then at 180 the timer form is displayed to the user. Then at 190, it is determined whether an alarm is issued. If an alarm is issued, then at 210 the process is exited. If no alarm is issued, then the process proceeds to 200 where an alarm is issued. Then, the process is completed and exited at 210.

[0025] like Figure 2C As shown, the timer form remove timer process begins at 220. At 230, the process proceeds to the remove timer button. At 240, the process removes the selected timer from the active timer list. At 250, it is determined whether there are any remaining timers on the active timer list. If there are no remaining timers on the active timer list, then the one second reference timer is stopped at 260. Then, the process is exited at 270. If there are remaining timers on the active timer list, then these timers are processed and the process is completed and exited at 270.

[0026] like Figure 2D As shown, the confirmation timer process starts at 280. At 290, the user presses the back button. At 300, it is determined whether there are any expired timers on the valid timer list. If there are no expired timers on the valid timer list, then the process is exited at 350. If there are expired timers on the valid timer list, then the expired timer is removed from the valid timer list at 310. At 320, the alarm is silenced. At 330, it is determined whether there are any remaining timers on the valid timer list. If there are remaining timers on the valid timer list, then these timers are processed and the process is completed and exited at 350. If there are no remaining timers on the valid timer list, then the one-second reference timer is stopped (or terminated) at 340. Then, the process exits at 350.

[0027] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. Of course, for the purpose of describing the claimed subject matter, it is not possible to describe every possible combination of components or methods, but those skilled in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Therefore, the claimed subject matter is intended to cover all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, to the extent that the term "includes" is used in the specific description or in the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive similar to the term "comprising", as "comprising" is interpreted when used as a transition word in a claim.

Claims

1. A method for creating a timer event in a smart printer that will sound in a periodic form or at the elapse of a specific time, comprising the following steps: Start the process; Determine the expiration of a one-second reference timer; When the one-second reference timer expires, checking a valid timer list (130); Determines whether the timer screen is visible; If the timer screen is not visible, determining whether there are any expired timers; If no expiration timer exists, determining whether an alarm is being sounded; as well as If an alarm is being sounded, then the process is exited (210).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the timer screen is visible, then the active timer countdown display is updated (150).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If an expiration timer exists, determine whether the timer form is visible to the user.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: If the timer form is visible to the user, determining whether an alarm is sounding; If the timer form is not visible to the user, displaying the timer form to the user (180); and Determines if an alarm is sounding.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: If an alarm is being sounded, then exiting (210) the process; If an alarm is not being issued, then advancing (200) the process to where the alarm is being issued; and The process is completed and exited (210). The method of claim 5 , wherein at the end of the timer event, a reminder message can be displayed to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein there is no predetermined limit on the number of active timers allowed in the system.

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