Printing apparatus, method of operating the printing apparatus, and program

Abstract

This technology provides continuous printing on a printing medium that can suppress user errors. [Solution] The printing apparatus 100 includes a printing unit 120 that prints on a printing medium, a transport unit 130 that transports the printing medium, and a control unit 110 that controls the printing unit 120 and the transport unit 130. The control unit 110 controls the transport speed of the printing medium by the transport unit 130 so that the transport of the printing medium continues from the end of each print job to the start of the next print job during a continuous printing period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a printing apparatus, a method of operating the printing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is known a label printer that prints images of a plurality of pieces of print data on continuous paper in the order of the print data.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a label printer as described above, during continuous printing in which images of a plurality of pieces of print data are printed in order, the conveyance of the printing medium may temporarily stop. A temporary stop in conveyance that occurs during continuous printing may be misrecognized by the user as the end of continuous printing, leading to an incorrect operation by the user, which is undesirable.

[0005] Based on the above circumstances, an object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a continuous printing technique for a printing medium that can suppress incorrect operations by the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a printing unit that performs printing on a printing medium, a conveyance unit that conveys the printing medium, and a control unit that controls the printing unit and the conveyance unit. The control unit controls the conveyance speed of the printing medium by the conveyance unit so that the conveyance of the printing medium continues from the end of each printing performed during a continuous printing period until the start of the next printing.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide a continuous printing technology on a printing medium that can suppress user errors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates an example of a transport route for the printing medium. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing device. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the structure of continuous labels created by continuous printing. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the interaction between an information processing device and a printing device. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the pause position during continuous printing in a conventional printing device. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing an example of continuous printing performed by a printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 7 illustrates the state of the printing medium during the continuous printing period. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of continuous printing performed by a printing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 9 illustrates the state of the printing medium during the continuous printing period. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing an example of continuous printing performed by a printing apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates the state of the printing medium during the continuous printing period shown in Figure 11. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described using as an example a system that includes a printing device 100 capable of printing characters, images, etc., onto a tape which is a printing medium, and ejecting the printed tape (label) to the outside of the device, as shown in Figure 1, and an information processing device 1 that instructs the printing device 100 to print.

[0010] In this specification, "tape" refers to a long, thin, strip-shaped printable medium made of plastic, paper, or any other material. Tape typically has an adhesive layer and is detachable. However, tape does not necessarily have an adhesive layer. A "label" refers to a label on which some information is printed using tape as the printable medium. The printing method of the printing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is not particularly limited. The printing apparatus 100 is, for example, a thermal printer that performs printing using a thermal transfer method or a thermal-sensitive method. However, the printing apparatus 100 is not limited to a thermal printer; it may also be an inkjet printer or a laser printer.

[0011] In the system shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 1 outputs a print command to the printing device 100 for a label image created, for example, using a dedicated application. The printing device 100 then prints the label image onto tape to create a label with the label image printed on it.

[0012] The information processing device 1 is not particularly limited as long as it transmits print instructions to the printing device 100. The information processing device 1 may be a tablet terminal, a notebook terminal, a smartphone, etc. Furthermore, the information processing device 1 is not limited to a mobile terminal, but may also be a stationary device. In addition, the printing device 100 and the information processing device 1 exchange data by wireless communication, for example, but the communication between the printing device 100 and the information processing device 1 is not limited to wireless communication, but may also be communication using a wired cable.

[0013] The printing device 100 is a label printer equipped with a thermal head 121, a platen roller 131, and a cutter 141, as shown in Figure 2, for example. More specifically, the printing device 100 includes, for example, a control unit 110 that controls the printing device 100, a printing unit 120 having a thermal head 121 that prints on the tape 201, a transport unit 130 having a platen roller 131 that transports the tape 201, a cutting unit 140 having a cutter 141 that cuts the tape 201, an input unit 150 having a cut button 103 that accepts user input, a communication unit 160 that exchanges data with the information processing device 1, and a storage unit 170 that stores data received from the information processing device 1. The control unit 110 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The printing unit 120 includes, in addition to the thermal head 121, a drive circuit for driving the heating element of the thermal head 121, and a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the thermal head 121. The transport unit 130 includes, in addition to the platen roller 131, a motor connected to the platen roller 131, a drive circuit for driving the motor, and an encoder for detecting the rotation speed (rotation angle) of the platen roller 131. The cutting unit 140 includes a cutter 141 that operates mechanically in conjunction with the cut button 103. When the user presses the cut button 103 on the input unit 150, the pressing force applied to the cut button 103 is mechanically transmitted to the cutter 141 through the mechanism between the input unit 150 and the cutting unit 140, and as a result the cutter 141 operates to cut the tape 201. In addition to the cut button 103, the input unit 150 includes, for example, a power button. The communication unit 160 includes a wireless communication module, etc. The storage unit 170 includes, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). In the printing device 100, the control unit 110 executes a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 170 to control the operation of the printing device, which will be described later.

[0014] In the printing device 100, as shown in FIG. 2, the tape 201 unwound from the tape roll 200 housed in the case 101 and supplied to the printing device 100 passes between the platen roller 131 and the thermal head 121 as the platen roller 131 rotates, and is conveyed along a conveyance path leading to the discharge port 102 of the case 101. The platen roller 131 can appropriately switch between rotation in the first rotation direction that feeds the tape 201 toward the discharge port 202 by the power of a motor (not shown) and rotation in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. Hereinafter, the rotation of the platen roller 131 in the first rotation direction is referred to as forward rotation, and the conveyance direction of the tape 201 when the platen roller 131 is rotated forward is referred to as the forward direction. The operation of conveying the tape 201 in the forward direction is simply referred to as conveyance. Also, the rotation of the platen roller 131 in the second rotation direction is referred to as reverse rotation, and the conveyance direction of the tape 201 when the platen roller 131 is rotated in reverse is referred to as the reverse direction. The operation of conveying the tape 201 in the reverse direction is referred to as reverse conveyance. In the printing device 100, printing on the tape 201 is performed by applying heat from the thermal head 121 to the tape 201 conveyed in the forward direction. Hereinafter, the position where the tape 201 and the thermal head 121 contact each other in the conveyance path is referred to as the printing position. The tape 201 conveyed along the conveyance path is cut by the cutter 141 at the cut position between the printing position and the discharge position (the position corresponding to the discharge port 202) when the user presses the cut button 103 provided on the case 101. That is, the cutting unit 140 is configured to cut the tape 201 in response to the user's operation on the input unit 150. The tape piece separated from the tape 201 by being cut by the cutter 141 is discharged outside the printing device 100 by falling due to gravity. Alternatively, the cut tape piece is discharged outside the printing device 100 by pulling it by hand.

[0015] Next, we will explain the continuous printing performed by the system described above. Here, continuous printing refers to multiple printing processes based on one or more print images, for example, printing processes performed by the system in response to a user's instruction to create multiple labels at once. The multiple labels may have the same label image printed on them, or they may have different label images printed on them. For example, when an instruction to create three labels at once, specifying three label images ("AAA", "BBB", "CCC"), is input to the information processing device 1, the printing device 100 will print the three label images sequentially onto the tape 201 according to the instructions from the information processing device 1, creating three labels (label L1, label L2, label L3) as shown in Figure 4. Each label consists of a print area PA on which the label image is printed, and a front margin LM and a rear margin TM provided before and after it. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, when an instruction to create three labels at once, specifying three label images, is input to the information processing device 1, the information processing device 1 starts the continuous printing process with the printing device 100. First, the information processing device 1 sends a continuous printing instruction to the printing device 100, which includes print data corresponding to the first label image. Upon receiving the print data along with the continuous printing instruction, the printing device 100 starts the continuous printing process and prints the first label image onto tape 201 based on the information contained in the received print data, creating the first label L1. When the printing device 100 notifies the information processing device 1 that the creation of the first label L1 is complete, the information processing device 1 sends print data corresponding to the second label image to the printing device 100. Upon receiving the print data, the printing device 100 prints the second label image onto tape 201 based on the information contained in the received print data, creating the second label L2. When the printing device 100 notifies the information processing device 1 that the creation of the second label L2 is complete, the information processing device 1 sends print data corresponding to the third label image to the printing device 100. Upon receiving the print data, the printing device 100 prints the third label image onto tape 201 based on the information contained in the received print data, creating the third label L3.Finally, when the information processing apparatus 1 is notified by the printing apparatus 100 that the creation of the third label L3 has been completed, both the information processing apparatus 1 and the printing apparatus 100 end the continuous printing process.

[0016] In the system described above, in consideration of the limitations of the memory capacity of the storage unit 170 and the like, in the continuous printing process, the print data corresponding to each label image is transmitted and received immediately before the label printing for printing that label image. That is, the print data used for the next label printing is transmitted from the information processing apparatus 1 to the printing apparatus 100 after the previous label printing is completed. Therefore, in the printing apparatus 100, after the label printing is completed, various preparatory processes for the next label printing, such as the transmission and reception process with the information processing apparatus 1 including the reception of print data, and the development process of the received print data, are performed. For this reason, the next label printing is not started immediately after the previous label printing is completed. Also, when the temperature of the thermal head is high, it waits until it reaches an appropriate temperature, and the start of the next label printing is postponed.

[0017] In relation to the fact that the next label printing is not started immediately after the previous label printing is completed, for example, in the printing apparatus of the reference example, the conveyance process is temporarily stopped between the end of the previous label printing and the start of the next label printing. The stop position is not particularly limited, but as shown in Fig. 6(a), it may be stopped immediately after the end of each label printing, or as shown in Fig. 6(b), it may be stopped after conveying up to the end of the label corresponding to each label printing, that is, by the trailing margin TM, or as shown in Fig. 6(c), it may be stopped after further conveying by the leading margin LM. Note that P and F shown in Figs. 6(a) to 6(c) indicate the printing position and the cutting position in the conveyance state, respectively.

[0018] In the example printing device, a user may mistake a temporary halt in the transport process during continuous printing for the completion of continuous printing and press the cut button 103. The continuous printing period refers to, for example, the period from when the printing device 100 receives a continuous printing instruction until it transmits the completion of the last label print. The cut position F is located towards the leading edge of the tape 201 relative to the print position P. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c), the cut position F during a pause is often located in the middle of the label image printed in the previous label print, so pressing the cut button 103 results in the created label being cut at an incomplete position.

[0019] To eliminate the inconvenience caused by temporary interruptions during continuous printing, in the printing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the control unit 110 that controls the printing unit 120 and the transport unit 130 controls the transport speed of the tape 201 by the transport unit 130 so that the transport of the tape 201 continues from the end of each label printing to the start of the next label printing during the continuous printing period. As a result, the transport process is not stopped between label printings, and there is no period in which neither transport nor printing takes place. Therefore, there is no risk of the user mistaking the completion of continuous printing, and it is possible to prevent the tape 201 from being cut due to incorrect operation by the user. In addition, by controlling the transport speed between label printings, it is also possible to prevent the tape 201 from being excessively pulled out at the start of the next label printing. Consequently, it is possible to avoid situations in which an unnecessarily large margin is formed between the previous label and the current label, resulting in the wasteful consumption of tape 201.

[0020] The following describes specific examples of how the printing device 100 operates, from the first to the third embodiment, using the case where an instruction to create three labels in a batch, specifying three label images ("AAA", "BBB", and "CCC"), is input to the information processing device 1, and a continuous print instruction is sent from the information processing device 1 to the printing device 100 as an example. In the first embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8, the control unit 110 of the printing device 100 first determines whether the print instruction received from the information processing device 1 is a continuous print instruction (step S1), and if it is a continuous print instruction, it executes the processes from step S2 to step S19.

[0021] Specifically, the control unit 110 of the printing device 100 controls the communication unit 160 to receive print data including the label image via the communication unit 160 and unpack the received print data (steps S2 to S5). After the unpacking of the print data is complete, the control unit 110 determines, for example, whether the temperature of the thermal head 121, measured by a temperature sensor provided in the printing unit 120, is below a predetermined temperature (step S6). If the temperature of the thermal head 121 is below the predetermined temperature, the control unit 110 determines that the conditions for starting label printing have been met and starts label printing and transport (step S7). In other words, in this example, the conditions for starting label printing are met when the reception of the next print data, the unpacking of the next print data, and the decrease in head temperature are all completed. However, the conditions for starting label printing are not necessarily limited to this example. For example, it may be the completion of receiving the next print data and the completion of unpacking the next print data, or it may also include meeting other criteria in addition to these. The conditions for starting label printing only need to include the completion of the unpacking process of the print data for the next print. In step S7, the control unit 110 controls the printing unit 120 and the transport unit 130 so that the transport unit 130 starts transporting the tape 201 at a first transport speed, and the printing unit 120 starts printing the label image included in the print data. Step S7 is an example of a printing step in which printing is performed on the tape 201, and is also an example of a transport step in which the tape 201 is transported. Figure 8(a) shows the state of the tape 201 after the first label printing is completed. When label printing is completed (step S8YES), the control unit 110 determines whether all printing constituting continuous printing has been completed (step S9). If not all printing has been completed, the control unit 110 controls the transport unit 130 so that the transport unit 130 starts transporting the tape 201 at a second transport speed (step S10). Step S10 is an example of a transport step in which the tape 201 is transported, and is also an example of a speed control step in which the transport speed of the tape 201 is controlled. Figure 8(b) shows tape 201 being transported at the second transport speed after the first label has been printed. The second transport speed is slower than the first transport speed.In other words, the control unit 110 is configured to reduce the transport speed of the transport unit 130 during the continuous printing period, from the end of each label printing until the start conditions for the next label printing are met. More specifically, the second transport speed is a predetermined speed determined based on prior experiments, for example, so that the printing position P is not transported to the printing area PA of the next label before the start conditions for the next label printing are met. The second transport speed may be appropriately selected by the user of the printing device 100 from among a plurality of candidate speeds obtained from experiments conducted under several different conditions (e.g., radio wave conditions, amount of print data, ambient temperature, etc.). The control unit 110 monitors whether the start conditions for label printing have been met while the transport unit 130 is transporting the tape 201 at the second transport speed (steps S11 to S15). Specifically, the control unit 110 controls the communication unit 160 to receive print data including the next label image via the communication unit 160 (steps S11, S12), expands it in the storage unit 170 (steps S13, S14), and determines whether the temperature of the thermal head 121 is below a predetermined temperature (step S15). If the temperature of the thermal head 121 is below the predetermined temperature and the conditions for starting the next label printing are met, the control unit 110 determines whether the tape 201 is ahead of the print start position for the next label printing (step S16). The determination of whether the tape 201 is ahead of the print start position is made by comparing the print position P with the beginning of the print area PA of the next label. If the beginning of the print area PA of the next label has not been transported to the print position P, the control unit 110 determines that the tape 201 is ahead of the print start position and controls the transport unit 130 to start transporting the tape 201 at the third transport speed (step S17). The processes from step S11 to step S15 are performed while the transport unit 130 transports the tape 201 at the second transport speed, and the process in step S16 is performed while the transport unit 130 transports the tape 201 at the second or third transport speed. Step S17 is an example of a transport step for transporting the tape 201, and is also an example of a speed control step for controlling the transport speed of the tape 201.Figure 8(c) shows the tape 201 being transported at a third transport speed because it had not yet been transported to the print start position when the second label printing was ready to begin. The third transport speed is higher than the second transport speed. In other words, during the continuous printing period, if the conditions for starting the next label printing are met after the completion of each printing and before the tape 201 has been transported to the print start position for the next label printing, the control unit 110 is configured to increase the transport speed of the transport unit 130. More specifically, the third transport speed may be, for example, the highest transport speed of the printing device 100 that allows the tape 201 to be moved to the print start position in the shortest possible time. After the tape 201 has been transported to the print start position, the control unit 110 repeats the process from step S7 onward. Figures 8(d), 8(e), 8(f), and 8(g) show the printing of the second label at the first transport speed, transport at the second transport speed after the second label has finished printing, transport at the third transport speed after preparation for printing the third label is complete, and the printing of the third label at the first transport speed. When the printing of the third label is completed and the control unit 110 determines that all printing constituting the continuous printing has been completed (step S9 YES), the control unit 110 further determines whether the tape 201 has been transported to the cutting position (step S18). After all printing is completed, the tape 201 is transported by the amount of the remaining margin TM and transported to the cutting position (step S18 YES), at which point the control unit 110 stops transporting (step S19) and terminates the continuous printing process. Figure 8(h) shows the state after continuous printing is completed, when the user operates the cut button 103 and the three connected label pieces are cut from the tape 201.

[0022] By performing the process shown in Figure 7 above, the printing device 100 does not stop the transport process between label prints, thus suppressing errors that may occur due to the user mistakenly believing that continuous printing is complete. Furthermore, since the printing device 100 is configured to acquire the print data for the next label print after the completion of each label print during the continuous printing period, a large volume of label prints can be appropriately processed with a relatively small-capacity storage unit 170. In addition, by making the transport speed between label prints slower than the transport speed during label printing, it is possible to prevent the tape 201 from passing the next print start position between label prints. This prevents the creation of unnecessarily large margins and the wasteful consumption of tape 201. Furthermore, if the tape 201 has not been transported to the print start position when the label print preparation is complete, the transport speed is increased to transport the tape 201 to the print start position. This allows label printing to start in a short time after the label print is ready.

[0023] The second embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10 differs from the first embodiment in that, if the tape 201 is transported beyond the next print start position due to transport between label prints, the tape 201 is transported in reverse to the print start position. Specifically, during the continuous printing period, after each label print is completed, if the conditions for starting the next label print are met after the tape 201 has passed the print start position for the next label print, the control unit 110 is configured to have the transport unit 130 transport the tape 201 in reverse to the print start position for the next label print.

[0024] Specifically, as in the first embodiment, label printing is performed at a first transport speed as shown in Figure 10(a), and transport is performed at a second transport speed as shown in Figure 10(b). The control unit 110 determines whether the tape 201 is before the print start position for the next label printing, at the moment when the preparation for the next label printing is complete, that is, when the conditions for starting label printing are met, or at the moment when the tape 201 has passed the print start position (step S20). If it is determined that the tape 201 has been transported to a position past the print start position, the control unit 110 transports the tape 201 in reverse to the print start position at a fourth transport speed as shown in Figure 10(c) (step S21), and then repeats the processing from step S7 onwards. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10(d), label printing is performed at a first transport speed, and as shown in Figure 10(e), transport is performed at a second transport speed between label printings. Furthermore, if it is determined that the tape 201 has been transported to a position before the print start position for the next label printing when it is ready for the next label printing, the control unit 110 transports the tape 201 to the print start position at a third transport speed exceeding the second transport speed, as shown in Figure 10(f), which is the same as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10(g) and 10(h), the tape 201 is transported to the cutting position after the last label printing is completed, which is also the same as in the first embodiment. If the tape 201 is exactly at the print start position when it is ready for the next label printing, the transport speed is changed from the second transport speed to the first transport speed, and the next label printing is performed.

[0025] By performing the process shown in Figure 9 described above, the printing device 100 can obtain the same effect as when the process shown in Figure 7 is performed. Furthermore, the time required from the end of label printing until the next label printing is ready (the time required until the conditions for starting label printing are met) can vary depending on the size of the print data, the communication environment, temperature conditions (for example, the temperature of the thermal head 121 and the ambient temperature). For this reason, even when transporting between label printings at a second transport speed that is sufficiently slower than the first transport speed, the tape may overshoot the printing start position. By performing the process shown in Figure 9, if the tape overshoots the printing start position between label printings, the tape 201 is rewound to the printing start position by reverse transport, making it possible to create labels with margins of the specified size and preventing the creation of unnecessarily large margins that would waste the tape 201. In this case, the second transport speed may be the same as the first transport speed, and in step S10, the tape 201 may be transported at the same speed as the first transport speed. In the second embodiment, if the tape 201 has passed the print start position during label printing, it is rewound back to the print start position by reverse transport. In this case as well, user errors are suppressed and the tape 201 is not wasted.

[0026] The third embodiment shown in Figures 11 and 12 differs in that, in step S31, before the start of transport between label prints in step S10, the transport speed between label prints (second transport speed) is determined based on the estimated transport distance and transport time. Specifically, the control unit 110 is configured to estimate the time from the end of each label print to the start of the next label print, and the distance from the end position of each label print to the start position of the next label print, and to determine the transport speed between the end of each label print and the start of the next label print based on the estimated time and distance. For example, the transport speed is calculated by dividing the estimated distance by the estimated time.

[0027] It is desirable that at least one of the distance and time used to determine the transport speed be dynamically estimated. The distance L from the end position of each label print to the start position of the next label print is the sum of the length of the trailing margin TM of the previous label and the length of the trailing margin LM of the next label, and the length of the trailing margin TM of the previous label is known at the time of determining the transport speed in step S31. Therefore, the distance L from the end position of each label print to the start position of the next label print may be estimated based on the length of the trailing margin TM of the previous label, for example, twice the length of the trailing margin TM of the previous label. Also, the time T from the end of each label print to the start of the next label print can vary depending on the data size, radio wave conditions, and various other factors. Therefore, the time T may be estimated based on the actual time from the end of the previous label print to the start of the next label print. Furthermore, if preventing excessive transport is important, the time T may be estimated based on the detected radio wave conditions, assuming that the maximum print data size determined in advance by the print data specifications is transmitted.

[0028] By performing the process shown in Figure 11, the printing device 100 can achieve the same effect as when the process shown in Figure 7 is performed. Furthermore, by performing the process shown in Figure 11, if the time required for the next label printing to be ready after the completion of the previous label printing (the time required for the start conditions for label printing to be met) differs for each label printing, the transport between label printings is performed at the appropriate transport speed (second transport speed V21 in Figure 12(b) and second transport speed V22 in Figure 12(e)) as shown in Figures 12(b) and 12(e). This makes it possible to position the tape 201 near the label printing start position at the moment each label printing is ready, regardless of the time required for preparation for each label printing. As a result, the time from when the label printing is ready to when printing actually starts can be shortened, and the overall time required for continuous printing can be reduced. Note that Figures 12(a), 12(c), 12(d), and 12(f) through 12(h) are the same as Figures 8(a), 8(c), 8(d), and 8(f) through 8(h).

[0029] In the third embodiment shown in Figure 11, an example is shown in which the second transport speed is determined before the start of transport in step S10, but the second transport speed may be updated as appropriate. For example, the control unit 110 may start transport in step S10 at the second transport speed provisionally determined in step S31, and then, after starting to receive print data in step S11, it may re-determine the second transport speed and continue transport at the determined second transport speed. This makes it possible to start transport at a second transport speed provisionally determined based on limited information that can be grasped at the start of transport, and then, when the necessary information is obtained, to determine a more appropriate transport speed and update the second transport speed to the determined transport speed. Therefore, it becomes possible to position the label more accurately near the label printing start position when each label printing is ready, and thus the overall time required for continuous printing can be further reduced.

[0030] The embodiments described above are provided as concrete examples to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but should be understood as encompassing various modifications and alternative forms of the embodiments described above. For example, it will be understood that the embodiments described above can be materialized by modifying the components without departing from the spirit thereof. It will also be understood that various embodiments can be implemented by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the embodiments described above. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various embodiments can be implemented by deleting some components from all the components shown in the embodiments, or by adding some components to the components shown in the embodiments.

[0031] For example, the second and third embodiments may be combined, in which case the printing device 100 may operate with a processing flow that adds the process of step S21 in Figure 9 to the process shown in Figure 11. In the second embodiment, the tape 201 is transported between labels at a transport speed (second transport speed) slower than the transport speed during label printing (first transport speed), and if the tape is in front of the print start position when the print start condition is met, it is transported to the print start position at a transport speed (third transport speed) faster than the transport speed during label printing (first transport speed). However, the printing device 100 may operate at the same transport speed throughout. In this case as well, since transport does not stop during continuous printing, it is possible to prevent the user from misinterpreting the completion of continuous printing.

[0032] In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which transport is controlled to continue between label printings. However, the control unit 110 may control the transport unit 130 so that transport continues even during label printing. That is, the control unit 110 may control the transport speed of the tape 201 by the transport unit 130 so that the transport of the tape 201 continues during the continuous printing period. For example, even if the thermal head 121 becomes hot during label printing and the printing process is temporarily stopped, the transport of the tape 201 may continue, and the tape 201 may be transported in reverse to the position where the printing process was interrupted after the temperature of the thermal head 121 has dropped to a predetermined temperature. This makes it possible to prevent the user from mistakenly believing that continuous printing has ended due to a temporary stop in transport during label printing, and further suppresses user errors during continuous printing.

[0033] In the embodiments described above, examples were shown where the label images for each label were different. However, in each label print that constitutes a continuous print, the same label image may be printed. When the same label image is printed, it is not necessary to receive the label image for each label print, and the processes in steps S11 and S12 shown in Figures 7, 9, and 11 can be omitted, thus shortening the time required to receive print data. However, since processing such as unpacking the print data is performed for each label print even if the label images are the same, a certain amount of time is required between the end of each label print and the start of the next label print, whether the label images for each label are the same or different. Therefore, the operation method of the printing device described above is applicable not only to continuous prints containing multiple label images, but also to any continuous print.

[0034] In the embodiments described above, the printing device is exemplified as a label printer, but the printing device is not limited to a label printer. Any printing device capable of continuous printing using continuous paper such as tape as the printing medium is acceptable. Furthermore, although an example was shown in which the printing device receives print instructions from an information processing device other than the printing device, the printing device may also be a standalone type printing device that performs continuous printing according to print instructions directly entered by the user. In addition, although an example was shown in which the printing device has a cutting unit 140 that cuts the tape 201 according to the user's operation, the printing device does not have to have a cutting unit 140, and for example, the user may cut the tape 201 that is sticking out of the case 101 from the discharge port 102 with scissors or the like as needed. Even with a printing device that does not have a cutting unit 140, if the transport of the tape 201 stops during continuous printing, the user may mistakenly believe that the continuous printing is complete, and in the event of such a misunderstanding, the user may mistakenly cut the tape 201 that is sticking out of the case 101 from the discharge port 102 with scissors or the like. Therefore, the above-described method of operating the printing apparatus is also useful for printing apparatuses that do not have a cutting unit 140. However, for printing apparatuses that have a cutting unit 140 that cuts the tape 201 by manual operation, the above-described operation control of the printing apparatus is particularly suitable because even a short pause can easily lead to errors. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 100: Printing device, 110: Control unit, 120: Printing unit, 130: Transport unit, 201: Tape

Claims

1. The printing unit performs printing on the printing medium, A transport unit for transporting the printing medium, The system comprises a printing unit and a control unit that controls the transport unit, The control unit controls the transport speed of the transport unit so that the transport of the medium to be printed continues from the end of each print run to the start of the next print run during the continuous printing period. Printing device.

2. In the printing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit reduces the transport speed of the transport unit from the end of each print until the start conditions for the next print are met. Printing device.

3. In the printing apparatus according to claim 2, The control unit increases the transport speed of the transport unit if the conditions for starting the next print are met before the medium to be printed is transported to the print start position for the next print. Printing device.

4. In the printing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit, when the conditions for starting the next print are met after the printing medium has passed the printing start position for the next print, causes the transport unit to transport the printing medium in the reverse direction to the printing start position for the next print. Printing device.

5. In the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The condition for starting the next print includes at least the completion of the data unpacking process for the next print. Printing device.

6. In the printing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit, The time from the end of each print job to the start of the next print job, and the distance from the end position of each print job to the start position of the next print job are estimated. Based on the estimated time and distance, the transport speed between the end of each print and the start of the next print is determined. Printing device.

7. In the printing apparatus according to claim 1, further, It includes a cutting unit that cuts the printing medium in response to user operation. Printing device.

8. The printing step involves printing onto the printing medium, A transport step for transporting the printing medium, Includes a speed control step that controls the transport speed of the medium to be printed so that the transport of the medium to be printed continues from the end of each print run to the start of the next print run during a continuous printing period. How the printing device operates.

9. A printing apparatus comprising a printing unit that prints on a printing medium and a transport unit that transports the printing medium, The transport speed of the medium to be printed is controlled so that the transport of the medium to be printed continues between the end of each print run and the start of the next print run during a continuous printing period. A program that executes a process.

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