Printing device and control program of printing device

Abstract

To provide a printing device that enables data communication to be appropriately performed between medium rolls such as a ribbon roll and a label paper roll.SOLUTION: A printing device according to an embodiment comprises a shaft, an antenna, a driving part and a control part. The shaft is inserted and arranged into a cylindrical body of a medium roll having a medium wound around a cylindrical body comprising a wireless tag to support the cylindrical body rotatably. The antenna is provided in the shaft to perform data communication with the wireless tag. The driving part rotates the cylindrical body comprising the wireless tag around the shaft. The control part controls the driving part so that the cylindrical body comprising the wireless tag rotates, by a predetermined angle, around the shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a printing device that uses an ink ribbon and a control program for the printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a label printer transports a long piece of label paper with an ink ribbon overlapping it, transfers the ink from the ink ribbon to the label paper using a thermal head, and prints various types of information such as barcodes on each label on the label paper.

[0003] Label printers change their print speed depending on the type of ink ribbon used. Conventionally, there is a technology that attaches a wireless tag to the ribbon roll around which the ink ribbon is wound, and communicates data between the printer body and the wireless tag. Using this technology, the print speed of the printer body can be automatically set to a speed that matches the ink ribbon of the ribbon roll newly installed in the printer body.

[0004] The printer body is equipped with an antenna to communicate data with the wireless tag of the ribbon roll. To ensure good data communication with the wireless tag, the antenna on the printer body needs to be located close to the wireless tag of the ribbon roll.

[0005] The diameter of the ribbon roll becomes smaller as the ink ribbon is used. Looking at it from another perspective, when the print speed is automatically set (when the ribbon roll starts to be used), the diameter of the ribbon roll is at its maximum. For this reason, for example, if a wireless tag is attached to the core material of the ribbon roll, the distance between the wireless tag and the antenna becomes large, making good data communication difficult.

[0006] The same can be said not only for ribbon rolls but also for label paper rolls in which long strip-shaped label paper is wound into a roll. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-185420 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printing device and a control program for the printing device that are capable of good data communication with a medium roll such as a ribbon roll or a label paper roll. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The printing device of the embodiment has a shaft, an antenna, a drive unit, and a control unit. The shaft is inserted into a cylindrical body of a media roll having a medium wound around a cylindrical body including a wireless tag, and rotatably supports the cylindrical body. The antenna is provided on the shaft for data communication with the wireless tag. The drive unit rotates the cylindrical body including the wireless tag around the shaft. The control unit controls the drive unit so that the cylindrical body including the wireless tag rotates around the shaft by a predetermined angle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a label printer according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a main portion of the delivery shaft of the label printer of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the delivery shaft of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the delivery shaft of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a paper core of a ribbon roll to be attached to the delivery shaft of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system of the label printer of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the IC tag of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the success or failure of data reading depending on the angle with respect to the antenna when the IC tag in FIG. 7 is attached to a paper tube. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the angle of the IC tag with respect to the antenna is 0 degrees. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the angle of the IC tag with respect to the antenna is 90 degrees. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process by the control unit of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of photosensors for measuring the diameter of the ink ribbon. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the stored contents of a ribbon information memory configured in the memory of the label printer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process performed by the control unit of the label printer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process performed by a control unit of a label printer according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process performed by a control unit of a label printer according to a modified example of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scale of each part of the drawings used in the following description may be changed as appropriate. Also, the drawings may be simplified or omitted to make the description easier to understand.

[0012] [First embodiment] A label printer 100 according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 12. The label printer 100 is an example of a printing device as defined in the claims of the present application.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a label printer 100 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the label printer 100 has a housing 2 and a cover 4. The cover 4 is rotatably connected to the housing 2 via two hinges 3. The cover 4 is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 1, which opens the inside of the housing 2, and a closed position, which covers the inside of the housing 2. Between the cover 4 and the housing 2, there is a damper 1 for easing the opening and closing operation of the cover 4. With the cover 4 closed, the label printer 100 has an outer shape of a substantially rectangular block.

[0014] The front surface of the housing 2 is provided with an operation unit 202, a display unit 204, and a power switch 206. The operation unit 202 is used to input information related to label paper, the number of copies to be printed, etc. The display unit 204 displays operation information, operation menus, and the like.

[0015] The label printer 100 has a supply shaft 6 to which a label paper roll is attached, a feed shaft 10 to which a ribbon roll consisting of an unused ink ribbon wound around a paper tube 30 (FIG. 5) is detachably attached, a take-up shaft 12 to which a ribbon roll for taking up the used ink ribbon is detachably attached, and a printing unit 20. The printing unit 20 is an example of a printing section described in the claims of the present application.

[0016] A label paper roll is a long strip of label paper wound into a roll. The label paper is a long backing paper with multiple labels lined up and attached to one side. The labels have an adhesive layer on the backing paper side, are detachable, and can be attached to other items after being peeled off from the backing paper. A label paper roll is a label paper wound around a core material with the side of the backing paper to which the label is attached facing inward. The label paper is an example of printing paper described in the claims of the present application. The printing paper is not limited to label paper, and may be, for example, a strip of thermal paper.

[0017] The ribbon roll is a long ink ribbon wound into a roll. The ink ribbon holds ink to be transferred to label paper by heat. The ribbon roll before use is an ink ribbon before ink transfer wound around a paper tube 30, and its diameter becomes smaller with use. The ribbon roll after use is an ink ribbon after ink transfer wound up, and its diameter gradually becomes larger. In other words, the ink ribbon pulled out from the ribbon roll before use and wound up downstream of the printing unit 20 is the ribbon roll after use. The ribbon roll before use is an example of the medium roll and ribbon roll described in the claims of the present application. The paper tube 30 is an example of a cylinder described in the claims of the present application.

[0018] The side wall 201 of the housing 2 fixes one end of the supply shaft 6, the delivery shaft 10, and the take-up shaft 12. In other words, the side wall 201 holds the three shafts 6, 10, and 12 in a cantilevered state. The take-up shaft 12 has substantially the same structure as the delivery shaft 10, except that it does not include an antenna 40 (FIGS. 2 and 3), which will be described later. Therefore, in the following description, a detailed description of the take-up shaft 12 will be omitted.

[0019] The supply shaft 6 is provided with two hold plates 701, 702 near both ends in the longitudinal direction, which respectively abut against both end surfaces in the axial direction of the label paper roll. The hold plate 701 on the far side, closer to the side wall 201, is movable along the longitudinal direction of the supply shaft 6. The hold plate 701 determines the axial attachment position of the label paper roll so that the axial center of the label paper roll is aligned with the center of the label printer 100. The hold plate 702 on the near side, which is attached near the end of the supply shaft 6 away from the side wall 201 of the housing 2, is fixed to the supply shaft 6 by a fixture 703.

[0020] When attaching a label paper roll to the supply shaft 6, the front hold plate 702 is removed from the supply shaft 6, and the label paper roll is then attached to the supply shaft 6. The front hold plate 702 is then attached to the front end of the supply shaft 6. The label paper of the label paper roll is pulled out of the label paper roll by the label paper transport rollers 68 (Figure 6), passes through the printing unit 20, and exits the label printer 100.

[0021] The ribbon roll delivery shaft 10 and take-up shaft 12 each include stopper plates 13, 14 near the side wall 201 of the housing 2. The stopper plates 13, 14 are movable along the longitudinal direction of the respective shafts 10, 12. The stopper plate 13 abuts against one axial end of an unused ribbon roll attached to the delivery shaft 10, and aligns the axial center of the ribbon roll with the center of the label printer 100. The stopper plate 14 abuts against one axial end of a used ribbon roll attached to the take-up shaft 12, and aligns the axial center of the ribbon roll with the center of the label printer 100.

[0022] A ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 is located at a position facing the front ends of the feed shaft 10 and the take-up shaft 12, which are away from the side wall 201. The ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 is rotatably connected via a hinge 16 to a support plate 203 that stands upward from the bottom wall 205 of the housing 2. The ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 has a receiving hole 151 that receives a tip 411 of a fixed shaft 41 (described later) of the feed shaft 10 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as the tip 411 of the feed shaft 10), and a receiving hole 152 that receives the tip 121 of the take-up shaft 12. The ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 has an insertion hole 153 through which the head lever 21 of the printing unit 20 is inserted.

[0023] When attaching a ribbon roll to the let-off shaft 10, the ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 is opened to a position not shown, and the ribbon roll is attached to the let-off shaft 10. After that, the ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 is rotated to the position shown, and the tip 411 of the let-off shaft 10 is inserted into the receiving hole 151, and the tip 121 of the take-up shaft 12 is inserted into the receiving hole 152. In this state, the ribbon shaft fixing plate 15 fixes the tip 411 of the let-off shaft 10 and the tip 121 of the take-up shaft 12.

[0024] The ink ribbon is pulled out from a ribbon roll attached to a delivery shaft 10, passes through a printing unit 20, and is taken up by a take-up shaft 12. The printing unit 20 transports the ink ribbon, superimposed on the label paper, and passes through the printing unit 20 at the same speed as the label paper.

[0025] The printing unit 20 has a thermal head arranged on the opposite side of the ink ribbon to the label paper. The printing unit 20 has a platen roller located opposite the thermal head, sandwiching the ink ribbon and label paper between them. The printing unit 20 presses the ink ribbon against the label paper using the thermal head, thermally transferring the ink from the ink ribbon to the label paper. The printing unit 20 prints two-dimensional barcodes and the like on the labels of the label paper.

[0026] Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the feed shaft 10 of the label printer 100. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the feed shaft 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the feed shaft 10 has a fixed shaft 41 fixed in a cantilever state to the side wall 201 of the housing 2, an intermediate sleeve 42 arranged coaxially on the outside of the fixed shaft 41, and a bearing 43 arranged coaxially on the outside of the fixed shaft 41. The fixed shaft 41 is an example of a shaft described in the claims of the present application.

[0027] The fixed shaft 41 is, for example, a solid metal shaft, and is fixed in a cantilever state to the side wall 201 of the housing 2 using a bolt. A tip 411 of the fixed shaft 41 protrudes from the front end of the intermediate sleeve .

[0028] The intermediate sleeve 42 is substantially cylindrical and includes a bearing 43 therein near the end on the side wall 201 side. The bearing 43 is fitted into the inside of the end of the intermediate sleeve 42 and fixed to the intermediate sleeve 42. The bearing 43 is cylindrical and can be made of resin or metal. The inner diameter of the intermediate sleeve 42 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the bearing 43.

[0029] The intermediate sleeve 42 is rotatable relative to the fixed shaft 41 by means of a bearing 43. The intermediate sleeve 42 is provided with the above-mentioned stopper plate 13 on the outside near the end on the side wall 201 side. The stopper plate 13 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate sleeve 42, and can be fixed at a desired position in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] The outer peripheral surface of the intermediate sleeve 42 has two bosses 421 for positioning the leaf spring 44 and screw holes 422 for fastening and fixing the leaf spring 44 to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate sleeve 42. The leaf spring 44 has a slit 441 at one end on the side wall 201 side through which the bosses 421 are inserted, and a screw hole at the other end through which a screw 442 is inserted. The leaf spring 44 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate sleeve 42 by inserting the bosses 421 of the intermediate sleeve 42 into the slits 441 and screwing the screws 442 into the screw holes 422.

[0031] The leaf spring 44 is made of metal, and with the cardboard tube 30 of the ribbon roll attached to the outside of the intermediate sleeve 42, it presses the inner surface of the cardboard tube 30 outward to fix the cardboard tube 30 to the intermediate sleeve 42. The leaf spring 44 protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate sleeve 42 to an extent that the intermediate sleeve 42 can be inserted into the cardboard tube 30. The leaf spring 44 has a circumferential width narrower than the width of the antenna 40 along the circumferential direction of the fixed shaft 41.

[0032] A sheet-like antenna 40 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed shaft 41. A wiring 401 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed shaft 41, electrically connected to the antenna 40 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixed shaft 41. The antenna 40 and the wiring 401 are, for example, continuous metal foil, and may be a metal foil patterned on the surface of a flexible substrate. For example, the pattern of the antenna 40 is in the shape of a loop antenna to generate a magnetic field.

[0033] There is a magnetic sheet 45 between the outer circumferential surface of the fixed shaft 41 and the antenna 40. The magnetic sheet 45 is provided so that the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40 does not cause eddy currents to be generated in the metallic fixed shaft 41, thereby preventing the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40 from being cancelled out. For this reason, the magnetic sheet 45 has a size slightly larger than the antenna 40 so that it is present between the antenna 40 and the fixed shaft 41.

[0034] Since antenna 40 is separated from the outer circumferential surface of fixed shaft 41 by the thickness of magnetic sheet 45, the end of wiring 401 on the antenna 40 side is slightly inclined in a direction away from the outer circumferential surface of fixed shaft 41 towards antenna 40. Since bearing 43 is provided between intermediate sleeve 42 and fixed shaft 41, the inner diameter of intermediate sleeve 42 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of fixed shaft 41. For this reason, when fixed shaft 41 is inserted into intermediate sleeve 42 or when intermediate sleeve 42 rotates relative to fixed shaft 41, the inner surface of intermediate sleeve 42 does not come into sliding contact with antenna 40 and wiring 401.

[0035] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the delivery shaft 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the fixed shaft 41 has a groove-shaped recess 412 provided on its outer circumferential surface along the longitudinal direction. The width of the recess 412 along the circumferential direction of the fixed shaft 41 is slightly wider than the width of the wiring 401. The depth of the recess 412 is slightly deeper than the thickness of the wiring 401. The antenna 40 is attached by bonding the magnetic sheet 45 to the outer circumferential surface of the fixed shaft 41, and then overlapping and attaching the magnetic sheet 45.

[0036] A protective sleeve 50 is located near the end of the fixed shaft 41 on the side wall 201 side. The inner diameter of the protective sleeve 50 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the fixed shaft 41, and the outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the bearing 43. In other words, there is a gap between the intermediate sleeve 42 and the fixed shaft 41 that is the thickness of the protective sleeve 50. The protective sleeve 50 is interposed between the wiring 401 and the bearing 43, and is fitted and fixed to the end of the fixed shaft 41.

[0037] When the fixed shaft 41 with the protective sleeve 50 fixed thereto is inserted into the intermediate sleeve 42 with the bearing 43 fitted at one end thereof, and the intermediate sleeve 42 is attached to the fixed shaft 41, the inner peripheral surface of the bearing 43 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the protective sleeve 50. Since the inner diameter of the bearing 43 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the protective sleeve 50 and there is a small gap between the two, the intermediate sleeve 42 with the bearing 43 is rotatable relative to the fixed shaft 41 with the protective sleeve 50. The protective sleeve 50 prevents the intermediate sleeve 42 from sliding against the wiring 401 housed and arranged in the recess 412 of the fixed shaft 41 when the intermediate sleeve 42 rotates relative to the fixed shaft 41.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cardboard tube 30 of the ribbon roll to be attached to the delivery shaft 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the cardboard tube 30 of the ribbon roll has an IC tag 32 that communicates wirelessly. The IC tag 32 is, for example, a rectangular sheet, and is attached to the outer circumferential surface 301 of the cardboard tube 30 by adhesive at approximately the center in the axial direction of the cardboard tube 30. The ink ribbon is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the cardboard tube 30, overlapping the outside of the IC tag 32. The IC tag 32 may be provided on the cardboard tube 30, and may be provided on the inner surface of the cardboard tube 30 or on an intermediate portion between the outer circumferential surfaces and the inner surface of the cardboard tube 30. The IC tag is an example of a wireless tag described in the claims of the present application.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system of the label printer 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the label printer 100 has a control unit 60 that sets the print speed according to the type of ink ribbon. The control unit 60 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor may be, for example, an MPU (micro processing unit), an SoC (system on a chip), a DSP (digital signal processor), a GPU (graphics processing unit), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), a PLD (programmable logic device), or an FPGA (field-programmable gate array). Alternatively, the processor may be a combination of a plurality of these. The control unit 60 is an example of a control unit described in the claims of the present application.

[0040] The control unit 60 is connected to a power switch 206 , an operation unit 202 , a display unit 204 , a memory 62 , a reader / writer 63 , a label paper transport motor 64 , an ink ribbon feed motor 65 , an ink ribbon take-up motor 66 , and a communication unit 67 .

[0041] The memory 62 stores a control program and data related to a printing speed suitable for the type of ink ribbon. The reader / writer 63 wirelessly communicates with the IC tag 32 via the antenna 40, writes data to the IC tag 32, and reads data from the IC tag 32. The reader / writer 63 is an example of a data communication unit described in the claims of the present application. The label paper transport motor 64 rotates a label paper transport roller 68 that pulls out the label paper from the label paper roll. The ink ribbon feed motor 65 rotates the intermediate sleeve 42 of the feed shaft 10 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201). The ink ribbon take-up motor 66 rotates the intermediate sleeve 42 of the take-up shaft 12 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202). The ink ribbon feed motor 65, the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201, and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 are examples of the drive unit described in the claims of the present application. The communication unit 67 transmits and receives various data to and from an external device ED such as a host computer.

[0042] When the power switch 206 is turned ON, the control unit 60 controls the reader / writer 63 to read data from the IC tag 32 via the antenna 40. In particular, the label printer 100 is designed such that when replacing the ribbon roll on the feed shaft 10, the cover 4 of the housing 2 cannot be opened to replace the ribbon roll unless the power switch 206 is turned OFF once, or it is recommended to turn the power switch 206 OFF once before replacing the ribbon roll. Therefore, in many cases, when using the label printer 100 after replacing the ribbon roll on the feed shaft 10, the power switch 206 is turned ON, and data is read from the IC tag 32 at that time. Alternatively, the memory 62 may store the number of times the cover 4 has been opened and closed in a non-volatile manner, and an opening and closing counter may be provided that mechanically counts the number of times the cover 4 has been opened and closed and the count value can be read by the control unit 60, so that when the power switch 206 is turned ON, if the count value of the opening and closing counter differs from the number of times the cover 4 has been opened and closed stored in the memory 62, the control unit 60 may read data from the IC tag 32.

[0043] The IC tag 32 stores data related to the ink ribbon wound around the paper tube 30. The data related to the ink ribbon includes, for example, the product name, type (for plain paper, for thick paper), width, length, manufacturing date, serial number (production number), remaining amount of ink ribbon, etc.

[0044] Thereafter, the control unit 60 reads from the memory 62 a print speed that matches the type of ink ribbon read from the IC tag 32, and controls the label paper transport motor 64, the ink ribbon feed motor 65, and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 to print at this print speed. The control unit 60 controls the label paper transport motor 64, the ink ribbon feed motor 65, and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 to print at this print speed until the ink ribbon is used up.

[0045] Furthermore, when each print task is completed, the control unit 60 rewrites the remaining amount of the ink ribbon recorded in the memory 62. The control unit 60 can display the remaining amount of the ink ribbon via the display unit 204.

[0046] As described above, in the label printer 100 according to this embodiment, the antenna 40 is provided on the delivery shaft 10 to which the ribbon roll in which the ink ribbon is wound around the cardboard tube 30 is attached. This allows the antenna 40 to be positioned close to the IC tag 32 affixed to the cardboard tube 30, enabling good data communication between the antenna 40 and the IC tag 32.

[0047] Incidentally, the orientation of the cardboard tube 30 when attaching the ribbon roll to the feed shaft 10 is left to the discretion of the user. Therefore, the circumferential position of the IC tag 32 when the ribbon roll is attached to the feed shaft 10 is not specified. That is, the IC tag 32 may be attached facing directly to the antenna 40, or may be attached facing the opposite direction.

[0048] The diameter and length of the paper tube 30 of the ribbon roll are limited to a certain extent because they are determined by the shape and size of the delivery shaft 10 of the label printer 100, but there is no limit to the shape and size of the IC tag 32 attached to the outer circumferential surface 301 of the paper tube 30 by adhesion. The shape and size of the IC tag 32 to be adopted is left to the discretion of the ribbon roll manufacturer. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the IC tag 32. For reference, the paper tubes 30 are arranged side by side. As shown in FIG. 7, one manufacturer adopts a rectangular sheet-shaped IC tag 321 of 31×14 mm, and another manufacturer adopts a circular sheet-shaped IC tag 322 of φ35 mm in diameter.

[0049] Therefore, there are various combinations of the shape and size of the IC tag 32 and the positional relationship between the antenna 40 and the IC tag 32 when the ribbon roll is attached to the delivery shaft 10. Depending on the combination, there may be cases where the reader / writer 63 cannot read data from the IC tag 32 via the antenna 40.

[0050] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the success or failure results of data reading for IC tags 321, 322 in Fig. 7 attached to cardboard tube 30 depending on the angle with respect to antenna 40. In Fig. 8, a circle indicates successful data reading, and a cross indicates unsuccessful data reading. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the angle of IC tag 32 with respect to antenna 40 is 0 degrees, and Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the same state at 90 degrees. In Figs. 9 and 10, the hollow arrows indicate the main direction and magnitude of the magnetic field that IC tag 32 receives.

[0051] For example, assume that the width of the antenna 40 in the radial direction of the fixed shaft 41 is half the radial width of the fixed shaft 41 as shown in Figures 9 and 10, that is, the antenna 40 covers half the radial width of the fixed shaft 41. In this case, the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40 is strong at the center of the antenna 40 and weak at the ends, as shown in Figure 9.

[0052] In the case of the IC tag 322 whose maximum width is more than half the diameter of the cardboard tube 30, as shown in FIG. 9, when the IC tag 322 is at 0 degrees to the antenna 40, that is, when the center point of the radial width of the IC tag 322 and the center point of the radial width of the antenna 40 coincide, the IC tag 322 receives a strong magnetic field generated by the antenna 40, and data reading is successful. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, when the IC tag 322 is at a position at 90 degrees to the antenna 40, that is, when the antenna 40 and the IC tag 322 are in a perpendicular positional relationship, the IC tag 322 is unlikely to receive the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40, and data reading fails. This is also true for the positional relationship of 270 degrees, which is the -90 degree position. Note that data reading is successful in the 180 degree (back side of the antenna 40) direction, so it is presumed that the magnetic field is stronger than that in the ±90 degree direction.

[0053] Since the basic operation is electromagnetic induction, no electromotive force is generated in IC tag 322 and communication is not possible unless the magnetic field generated by antenna 40 penetrates the loop antenna of IC tag 322. This situation in which communication is not possible occurs when the positional relationship between IC tag 322 and antenna 40 is ±90 degrees.

[0054] In the case of IC tag 321, which has a small width relative to the radial dimension of cardboard tube 30, the angle at which data communication fails is in a wider range than in the case of IC tag 322.

[0055] There may be a case where a leaf spring 44 is located between the IC tag 32 and the antenna 40. However, as shown in Fig. 8, this leaf spring 44 does not become a major obstacle to communication. For example, unlike high-frequency wireless communication such as WiFi (registered trademark) that uses 2.4 GHz, the IC tag 32 and the antenna 40 communicate with each other using a magnetic field of, for example, 13.56 MHz, so this leaf spring 44 does not become a major obstacle that blocks communication.

[0056] In the label printer 100 according to this embodiment, the control unit 60 performs the following operations to enable good data communication with the ribbon roll regardless of the shape and size of the IC tag 32. Note that the contents of the processes in the following operational explanation are merely examples, and various processes that can achieve similar effects can be used as appropriate.

[0057] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process by the control unit 60. The control unit executes this process based on a control program stored in the memory 62. Unless otherwise specified, the processing operation of the control unit 60 transitions from ACTx (x is a natural number) to ACT(x+1).

[0058] When the power switch 206 is turned on, for example, the control unit 60 of the label printer 100 starts the process shown in FIG.

[0059] In ACT 11, the control unit 60 initializes the value of a counter n provided inside the control unit 60 or configured in the memory 62 to "0".

[0060] In ACT12, the control unit 60 judges whether the data reading is OK or not, that is, whether the reader / writer 63 has read the data from the IC tag 32 attached to the paper core 30 of the ink ribbon via the antenna 40. This judgment can be said to be a judgment of whether the data communication with the IC tag 32 has been successful or not. Note that the data reading is performed in a stationary state where the paper core 30 is not rotating around the fixed shaft 41 of the feed shaft 10.

[0061] In response to the determination that the data reading is OK (ACT12, YES), the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon delivery motor 65 in ACT13 to rotate the delivery shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 by -(90 degrees x n). At this time, the control unit 60 also controls the ink ribbon winding motor 66 to rotate the winding shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 by -(90 degrees x n). This allows the ink ribbon to be smoothly rewound, and the paper tube 30 to be rotated without stress. In this way, the control unit 60 rotates the delivery shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 and the winding shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 by an angle obtained by multiplying 90 degrees by the value of the counter n in the direction in which the ink ribbon is rewound (hereinafter, this direction will be referred to as reverse rotation) which is the opposite direction to the direction in which the ink ribbon is paid out (hereinafter, this direction will be referred to as forward rotation). In other words, the paper tube 30 of the ink ribbon is rotated in the reverse direction (n x 90 degrees). Here, the value of the counter n is "0", so no rotation is performed and the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart is terminated.

[0062] In response to the determination that the data reading is not OK (ACT12, NO), the control unit 60 determines in ACT14 whether the value of the counter n is less than "4".

[0063] In response to the determination that the value of the counter n is less than "4" (ACT14, YES), the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon feed motor 65 in ACT15 to rotate the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 by +90 degrees. At this time, the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 to also rotate the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 by +90 degrees. This allows the ink ribbon to be smoothly fed out, and the cardboard tube 30 to rotate without stress. In this way, the control unit 60 rotates the cardboard tube 30 of the ink ribbon by 90 degrees in the forward direction.

[0064] The method by which the control unit 60 grasps the rotation angle of the cardboard tube 30 is not limited to the above, but may be, for example, the following method.

[0065] (1) The rotation angle of at least one of the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 is detected by a sensor such as an optical sensor.

[0066] (2) At least one of the ink ribbon delivery motor 65 and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 is configured as a stepping motor, and the control unit 60 calculates the rotation angle of the cardboard tube 30 from the number of rotations of the stepping motor.

[0067] (3) The control unit 60 calculates the rotation angle of the paper tube 30 from the transport amount (length) of the ink ribbon and the diameter of the ink ribbon. The transport amount for rotating the paper tube 30 by a certain angle such as 90 degrees varies depending on the remaining amount of the ink ribbon. The transport length of the ink ribbon can be calculated, for example, by providing a rotating body such as a roller that contacts the ink ribbon on the transport path of the ink ribbon, and the control unit 60 can calculate it from the number of rotations of the rotating body, although this is not limited to this. In addition, the diameter of the ink ribbon is the outer diameter of the currently remaining ink ribbon, and can be detected, for example, by using several photosensors, although this is not limited to this. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of photosensors for measuring the diameter of the ink ribbon. A plurality of reflective photosensors 70 are installed in a row at regular intervals on the side wall 201 of the label printer 100 so as to face the ribbon roll RR attached to the delivery shaft 10.

[0068] In ACT16, the control unit 60 increments the value of the counter n by 1. After that, the control unit 60 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT12.

[0069] In this way, the paper tube 30 is rotated 90 degrees at a time until the data reading is OK. As a result, when the data reading is OK (ACT12, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 in the reverse direction (n x 90 degrees) in ACT13. In this case, since the value of the counter n is the value updated in ACT16, the paper tube 30 is rotated in the reverse direction according to the number of times the 90-degree rotation has been performed. As a result, the ink ribbon that has been paid out for reading the data of the IC tag 32 is rewound onto the ribbon roll RR, so that the ink ribbon is not wasted. In addition, in response to the end of this rewinding, the control unit 60 may rotate the ink ribbon delivery motor 65 in the reverse direction and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 in the forward direction by a small angle, respectively, to remove the slack in the ink ribbon.

[0070] If the cardboard tube 30 rotates once without the data being read as OK, it is determined that the value of the counter n is equal to or greater than "4" (ACT14, NO). In this case, the control unit 60 issues an error notification in ACT17, for example by displaying an error message on the display unit 204. At this time, the rotation of the cardboard tube 30 around the fixed shaft 41 of the delivery shaft 10 is stopped. In this way, the control unit 60 stops the rotation of the cardboard tube 30 when the data reading of the IC tag 32 is not successful even if the cardboard tube 30 is rotated by a fixed angle such as 90 degrees until the cardboard tube 30 rotates once. Then, the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart is terminated.

[0071] As described above, in the label printer 100 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon delivery motor 65, the ink ribbon take-up motor 66, the delivery shaft intermediate sleeve 4201, and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 as driving units so that the paper tube 30 equipped with the IC tag 32 rotates around the fixed shaft 41 of the delivery shaft 10 by a predetermined angle. Therefore, depending on the position of the IC tag 32 attached to the paper tube 30, the data of the IC tag 32 may not be readable. In this first embodiment, in such a case, the paper tube 30 is rotated to read the data, so that the data of the IC tag 32 can be reliably read. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printing device capable of good data communication with the ribbon roll.

[0072] Moreover, the control unit 60 repeatedly rotates the cardboard tube 30 by a predetermined angle multiple times. By performing rotation by a predetermined angle multiple times in this manner, the data of the IC tag 32 can be reliably read.

[0073] The label printer 100 also includes a reader / writer 63 that performs data communication with the IC tag 32 via the antenna 40, and the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon delivery motor 65, the ink ribbon take-up motor 66, the delivery shaft intermediate sleeve 4201, and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 as driving units so that the paper tube 30 equipped with the IC tag 32 rotates around the fixed shaft 41 of the delivery shaft 10 by a predetermined angle until the reader / writer 63 acquires the data recorded in the IC tag 32. Therefore, depending on the position of the IC tag 32 affixed to the paper tube 30, data from the IC tag 32 may not be readable. In this first embodiment, in such a case, the paper tube 30 is rotated to read the data, so that the data of the IC tag 32 can be reliably read. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printing device that can perform good data communication with the ribbon roll. The control unit 60 also controls the reader / writer 63 to perform data communication with the IC tag 32 when the rotation of the paper tube 30 is stopped. Therefore, data reading is performed while the IC tag 32 is not moving, so that the reader / writer 63 can reliably read the data of the IC tag 32. In other words, it is possible to prevent a situation from occurring where, even if the IC tag 32 reaches a position where data reading can be performed due to the rotation of the paper tube 30, the data cannot be read because the IC tag 32 is moving.

[0074] The predetermined angle is a constant angle, such as 90 degrees, in each repetition, and is therefore easy to control. Note that 90 degrees is just an example. The predetermined angle can be determined based on the radial sizes of the cardboard tube 30 and the antenna 40, and the assumed radial size of the IC tag 32. In other words, if the radial sizes of the cardboard tube 30, the antenna 40, and the assumed IC tag 32 are determined, the predetermined angle can be determined.

[0075] Furthermore, in the label printer 100 according to the first embodiment, when the control unit 60 acquires the data recorded in the IC tag 32 by the reader / writer 63, it rotates the paper tube 30 in the reverse direction by the amount of rotation of the paper tube 30 up to that point. This makes it possible to prevent the ink ribbon from being wasted.

[0076] Furthermore, when the data recorded in the IC tag 32 cannot be acquired by the reader / writer 63 even after the cardboard tube 30 has been rotated a predetermined angle, 360 degrees, which is one rotation in this case, the control unit 60 ends the rotation of the cardboard tube 30. This prevents unnecessary unwinding of the ink ribbon, and prevents further consumption of the ink ribbon and waste of electricity.

[0077] Also, although it has been explained that the processing shown in FIG. 11 starts when the power switch 206 is turned ON, the timing of the start is not particularly limited. For example, the processing may be started by operating the display unit 204 or the operation unit 202, or the start of the processing may be controlled from an external device ED, such as a host computer for controlling the label printer 100, via the communication unit 67.

[0078] [Second embodiment] A label printer 100 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 13 and 14. In the first embodiment, regardless of the type of ribbon roll RR to be attached, that is, regardless of the shape and size of the IC tag 32 affixed to the paper tube 30 of the ribbon roll RR, the paper tube 30 is rotated at a fixed angle of 90 degrees within a range of one rotation until data reading is successful. In contrast, in this embodiment, the fixed angle of rotation is changed depending on the IC tag 32 from which data is to be read.

[0079] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in the ribbon information memory 621 configured in the memory 62 of the label printer 100 according to the second embodiment. As described in the first embodiment, the ribbon information memory 621 stores data (printing speed) related to the printing speed that matches the type of ink ribbon (ink ribbon product name). There are, for example, six printing speed levels, and the ribbon information memory 621 stores the number of levels. The six printing speed levels are, for example, 76.2 mm / sec, 127 mm / sec, 203.2 mm / sec, 254 mm / sec, 304.8 mm / sec, and 355.6 mm / sec.

[0080] In addition, the ribbon information memory 621 stores a fixed angle α that matches the type of ink ribbon, that is, the type of IC tag 32, and a repetition number R for determining one rotation. Note that the repetition number R does not necessarily have to be stored in the ribbon information memory 621 because it is easy to calculate the repetition number R based on the angle α.

[0081] 14 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process by the control unit 60 of the label printer 100 according to the second embodiment. For example, when the power switch 206 is turned on, the control unit 60 starts the process shown in FIG.

[0082] In ACT21, the control unit 60 creates a list of available ribbon rolls RR based on the ink ribbon product names stored in the ribbon information memory 621, and displays the list on the display unit 204 as a selection list for allowing the user to select the type of ribbon roll RR to be used. Note that the data of the selection list may be stored in the memory 62 separately from the ribbon information memory 621, and the control unit 60 may read it out and display it on the display unit 204.

[0083] In ACT22, the control unit 60 accepts the selection of the ribbon roll RR by the user operating the operation unit 202.

[0084] In ACT23, the control unit 60 initializes the value of the counter n to “0.” This processing operation is the same as the processing operation in ACT11 of the first embodiment.

[0085] In ACT24, the control unit 60 judges whether the data reading is OK or not. This processing operation is the same as the processing operation in ACT12 of the first embodiment.

[0086] In response to the determination that the data reading is OK (ACT24, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper core 30 of the ribbon roll RR by -(α degrees x n) in ACT25. That is, the control unit 60 rotates the delivery shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 in the reverse direction by an angle obtained by multiplying α degrees by the value of the counter n. In other words, the control unit 60 rotates the paper core 30 of the ink ribbon in the reverse direction by (n x α degrees). Here, the value of the counter n is "0", so the control unit 60 does not rotate the paper core 30 and ends the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart.

[0087] In response to the determination that the data reading is not OK (ACT24, NO), in ACT26, the control unit 60 reads the number of repetitions R of the ribbon roll RR selected in the processing operation of ACT22 from the ribbon information memory 621, and determines whether the value of the counter n is less than the number of repetitions R. That is, while the number of repetitions required for the cardboard tube 30 to make one rotation was a fixed number of "4" in the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the number of repetitions is a number according to the type of ribbon roll RR.

[0088] In response to the determination that the value of the counter n is less than the number of repetitions R (ACT26, YES), the control unit 60 reads out the fixed angle α for the ribbon roll RR selected in the processing operation of ACT22 from the ribbon information memory 621 in ACT27, and rotates the paper tube 30 of the ink ribbon forward by α degrees. That is, while the fixed angle for rotating the paper tube 30 was a fixed angle of "90 degrees" in the first embodiment, in this embodiment, it is a rotation angle according to the type of the ribbon roll RR.

[0089] In ACT28, the control unit 60 increments the value of the counter n by 1. This processing operation is the same as that in ACT16 in the first embodiment. After that, the control unit 60 proceeds to the processing operation in ACT24.

[0090] In this way, the paper tube 30 is rotated α degrees at a time until the data reading is OK. As a result, when the data reading is OK (ACT24, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 in the reverse direction (n×α degrees) in ACT25. This causes the ink ribbon that was unwound to read the data of the IC tag 32 to be rewound onto the ribbon roll RR.

[0091] If the cardboard tube 30 rotates once without the data reading being OK, it is determined that the value of the counter n is equal to or greater than the number of repetitions R (ACT26, NO). In this case, the control unit 60 notifies an error in ACT29, for example by displaying an error message on the display unit 204. This processing operation is the same as ACT17 in the first embodiment. Then, the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart ends.

[0092] As described above, the label printer 100 according to the second embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0093] Furthermore, in the label printer 100 according to the second embodiment, the control unit 60 switches the predetermined angle, which is a fixed angle in the repetition of the paper tube 30, depending on the type of ribbon roll RR. Therefore, the paper tube 30 can be rotated at an appropriate angle, so that the data of the IC tag 32 can be read more reliably. Also, the time until the data can be read can be shortened.

[0094] [Third embodiment] Hereinafter, a label printer 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In the first embodiment, the paper tube 30 is rotated at a fixed angle of 90 degrees within a range of one rotation until data reading is OK. In contrast, in this embodiment, the paper tube 30 is rotated by any angle within a range of one rotation until data reading is OK.

[0095] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process by the control unit 60 of the label printer 100 according to the third embodiment. The control unit 60 starts the process shown in FIG.

[0096] In ACT 31, the control unit 60 initializes the total rotation angle β stored in a temporary storage unit provided in the memory 62, for example, to "0."

[0097] In ACT 32, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the data reading is OK. This processing operation is the same as the processing operation in ACT 12 of the first embodiment.

[0098] In response to the determination that the data reading is OK (ACT32, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper core 30 of the ribbon roll RR by -β degrees in ACT33. That is, the delivery shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 are rotated in the reverse direction by a total rotation angle β. That is, the paper core 30 of the ink ribbon is rotated in the reverse direction by β degrees. Here, since the total rotation angle β is "0 degrees", no rotation is performed, and the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart is terminated.

[0099] In response to the determination that the data reading is not OK (ACT32, NO), the control unit 60 determines whether the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees in ACT34. That is, while in the first embodiment, whether the cardboard tube 30 has made one rotation is determined based on the number of repetitions, in this embodiment, it is determined based on the actual rotation angle.

[0100] In response to the determination that the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees (ACT34, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 of the ink ribbon forward by an arbitrary angle in ACT35. That is, the certain angle by which the paper tube 30 is rotated is a fixed angle of "90 degrees" in the first embodiment, whereas in this embodiment, it is an arbitrary angle. Note that the arbitrary angle may be any angle except 0 degrees, but if the angle is too small, there will be no change in reading, so it is desirable that it be equal to or greater than a certain angle, such as 15 degrees. In addition, there is no restriction that the arbitrary angle that is repeated be the same angle each time.

[0101] In ACT36, the control unit 60 updates the total rotation angle β by adding the rotation angle, which is an arbitrary angle rotated in the processing operation of ACT35, to the total rotation angle β stored in the memory 62. After that, the control unit 60 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT32.

[0102] In this way, the paper tube 30 is rotated by an arbitrary angle at a time until the data reading is OK. As a result, when the data reading is OK (ACT32, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 in the reverse direction by a total rotation angle β degrees in ACT33. As a result, the ink ribbon that was unwound to read the data of the IC tag 32 is rewound onto the ribbon roll RR.

[0103] If the cardboard tube 30 rotates once without the data reading being OK, it is determined that the total rotation angle β is 360 degrees or more (ACT34, NO). In this case, the control unit 60 notifies an error in ACT37, for example by displaying an error message on the display unit 204. This processing operation is the same as ACT17 in the first embodiment. Then, the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart ends.

[0104] As described above, in the label printer 100 according to the third embodiment, the predetermined angle for each rotation of the paper tube 30 can be an angle that is not constant, and even if done in this way, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0105] The arbitrary angle may be 360 ​​degrees or more. In this case, the IC tag reading process is as shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flow chart showing an example of an IC tag reading process by the control unit 60 of the label printer 100 according to a modified example of the third embodiment. The same processing operations as those shown in Fig. 15 are given the same reference symbols and their explanations are omitted, and only the parts that differ from the processing operations shown in Fig. 15 will be explained below.

[0106] After initializing the total rotation angle β to "0" in ACT 31, the control unit 60 initializes the value of the counter n to "0" in ACT 41. After that, the control unit 60 proceeds to the process of ACT 32.

[0107] In response to a determination that the data reading is not OK (ACT33, NO), the control unit 60 reads out the total rotation angle β and the value of the counter n stored in the memory 62 in ACT42, and determines whether the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees x n. For example, if the value of the counter n is "1", it determines whether the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees, that is, whether the cardboard tube 30 has made one rotation by repeating rotations of an arbitrary angle at a time. If the arbitrary angle is less than 360 degrees, it is determined as NO here, and if it is 360 degrees or more, it is determined as YES here.

[0108] In response to the determination that the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees×n (ACT42, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 of the ink ribbon forward by an arbitrary angle in ACT43. In this case, the arbitrary angle may be 360 ​​degrees or more. After that, the control unit 60 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT36.

[0109] In this way, the paper tube 30 is rotated by an arbitrary angle at a time until the data reading is OK. Then, if the data reading is not OK (ACT32, NO) and the paper tube 30 is rotated by n×360 degrees or more, in ACT42, it is determined that the total rotation angle β is 360 degrees×n or more (ACT42, YES). In response to this determination, in ACT44, the control unit 60 increments the value of the counter n by "+1".

[0110] In ACT45, the control unit 60 judges whether the value of the counter n is less than "4". This value "4" is an example. Here, it is assumed that the control unit 60 judges whether the cardboard tube 30 has already rotated three times. In response to the judgment that the value of the counter n is less than "4" (ACT45, YES), the control unit 60 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT43.

[0111] In this way, the cardboard tube 30 is rotated forward by an arbitrary angle at a time until the cardboard tube 30 completes one rotation a specified number of times, three times in this case, and data reading is attempted. If data reading fails even after the cardboard tube 30 completes one rotation the specified number of times, the control unit 60 determines that the value of the counter n is "4" or more (ACT45, NO), and proceeds to the processing operation of ACT37 described above.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the IC tag reading process is terminated after an error notification is issued, but the ink ribbon that was unwound to read the data from the IC tag 32 may be rewound before the IC tag reading process is terminated after the error notification.

[0113] Alternatively, after notifying the user of the error, the display unit 204 may display a confirmation message asking the user whether it is OK to print at the specified print speed, and upon confirmation from the operation unit 202, the specified print speed may be adopted, allowing the ribbon roll RR from which data could not be read to be used.

[0114] In addition, in the embodiment, in order to prevent unnecessary consumption of the ink ribbon, when the data of the IC tag 32 is read, the ink ribbon that has been unwound for reading the data is rewound. However, it is also possible to simply stop unwinding the ink ribbon when the data of the IC tag 32 is read without performing the rewinding. This prevents further unwinding of the ink ribbon, so that unnecessary consumption of the ink ribbon can be prevented, although it is less than when the ink ribbon is rewound. In addition, since the ink ribbon is not rewound, there is an advantage that the operation can be immediately shifted to the printing operation. In addition, after the rewinding, it is also unnecessary to rotate the ink ribbon delivery motor 65 in the reverse direction and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 in the forward direction by a small angle to remove slack in the ink ribbon.

[0115] An antenna and IC tag may also be attached to the supply shaft 6 and the core material of the label paper roll, in the same way as the delivery shaft 10 and the paper tube 30. In this case, the label paper roll is an example of a paper roll as described in the claims of the present application, and the core material is an example of a cylindrical body as described in the claims of the present application. By attaching an antenna to the supply shaft 6 and an IC tag to the label paper roll in this way, the control unit 60 of the label printer 100 can obtain various data such as the size, thickness, and material of the paper.

[0116] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above-mentioned embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-mentioned embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above-mentioned embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 2...housing, 10...feed-out shaft, 12...winding shaft, 20...printing unit, 32,321,322...IC tag, 40...antenna, 41...fixed shaft, 42...intermediate sleeve, 4201...feed-out shaft intermediate sleeve, 4202...winding shaft intermediate sleeve, 43...bearing, 60...control unit, 62...memory, 621...ribbon information memory, 63...reader / writer, 64...label paper transport motor, 65...ink ribbon feed motor, 66...ink ribbon winding motor, 67...communication unit, 68...label paper transport roller, 70...reflective photosensor, 100...label printer, 201...side wall, 202...operation unit, 204...display unit, 206...power switch, ED...external device, RR...ribbon roll.

Claims

1. a shaft that is inserted into a cylindrical body of a medium roll having a medium wound around the cylindrical body and that rotatably supports the cylindrical body; an antenna provided on the shaft for performing data communication with the wireless tag; a driving unit that rotates the cylindrical body having the wireless tag around the shaft; a control unit that controls the drive unit so that the cylindrical body having the wireless tag rotates around the shaft by a predetermined angle; A printing device comprising:

2. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the cylindrical body through the predetermined angle a plurality of times.

3. a data communication unit that performs the data communication with the wireless tag via the antenna, The control unit is controlling the data communication unit to perform the data communication with the wireless tag while the rotation of the cylindrical body is stopped; When the data recorded in the wireless tag is acquired by the data communication unit, the drive unit is controlled to rotate the cylindrical body in a reverse direction by an amount corresponding to the amount of rotation of the cylindrical body up to that point. The printing device according to claim 2 .

4. A printing unit that prints on a printing paper via an ink ribbon is further provided. the medium roll is a ribbon roll in which the ink ribbon is wound around a cylindrical body having the wireless tag; 4. The printing device according to claim 1.

5. A printing unit that prints on a printing paper via an ink ribbon is further provided. the medium roll is a paper roll in which a long strip of printing paper is wound in a roll shape around a cylinder equipped with the wireless tag; 4. The printing device according to claim 1.

6. A processor of a printing device including: a shaft that is inserted into a cylindrical body of a media roll having a medium wound around the cylindrical body and that rotatably supports the cylindrical body, an antenna provided on the shaft for performing data communication with the wireless tag, and a drive unit that rotates the cylindrical body having the wireless tag around the shaft; a function of controlling the driving unit so that the cylinder equipped with the wireless tag rotates around the shaft by a predetermined angle; A control program for a printing device to realize the above.

Images