Printing apparatus and method for controlling the printing apparatus

Abstract

This enables simultaneous operation of the thermal head and external devices. [Solution] The printer 1 comprises a thermal head 161 that prints on a printing medium P, a first power supply circuit 141 that supplies power from a commercial power supply to each part of the printer 1, a second power supply circuit 151 that supplies power from a secondary power supply to each part of the printer 1, and a control unit 11 that controls the thermal head 161, the first power supply circuit 141, and the second power supply circuit 151. The control unit 11 comprises a voltage detection unit 111 that detects the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141, and a switching unit 112 that switches the power supply that supplies power to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151 when the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 is less than a threshold VS.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus and a control method for a printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a POS (Point of Sales) system including a tablet terminal, a printer, an electronic payment server, a card reader, a customer display, a barcode scanner, and a cash drawer.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, since the thermal head and the cash drawer particularly consume large power, there has been a problem that it is necessary to perform exclusive control on the driving of the thermal head and the cash drawer in order to avoid power supply interruption.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] A printing apparatus according to one aspect for solving the above problem includes: a thermal head that performs printing on a print medium; a first power supply that supplies power from a commercial power source to each unit of the printing apparatus; a second power supply that supplies power from a secondary power source to each unit of the printing apparatus; and a control unit that controls the thermal head, the first power supply, and the second power supply, wherein the control unit includes: a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage of the first power supply; and a switching unit that switches the power supply supplying power to each unit of the printing apparatus from the first power supply to the second power supply when the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is less than a threshold value.

[0006] A control method for a printing apparatus according to one embodiment for solving the above problem comprises a thermal head for printing on a printing medium, a first power supply that supplies power from a commercial power supply to each part of the printing apparatus, a second power supply that supplies power from a secondary power supply to each part of the printing apparatus, and a control unit that controls the thermal head, the first power supply, and the second power supply, wherein the control unit performs a voltage detection step of detecting the voltage of the first power supply, and a switching step of switching the power supply that supplies power from the first power supply to the second power supply when the voltage detected in the voltage detection step is less than a threshold. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the printer configuration according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] A flowchart illustrating an example of the simultaneous drive determination process in the control unit. [Figure 3] A flowchart showing an example of the power switching process for the control unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] First, the configuration of the printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the printer 1 according to this embodiment. The printer 1 constitutes, for example, part of a POS (Point of Sales) system. That is, the printer 1 is connected to a POS server device (not shown) in a communicative manner.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 1 includes an adapter 14 and a battery 15. Adapter 14 is connected to the commercial power supply and converts the AC voltage supplied from the commercial power supply into a DC voltage. Adapter 14 converts it to a DC voltage of, for example, "25V". Adapter 14 supplies the DC voltage to the first power supply circuit 141. Printer 1 is equipped with a first power supply circuit 141. The first power supply circuit 141 converts the DC voltage supplied from the adapter 14 into a DC voltage of a suitable magnitude for each part of Printer 1, and supplies the converted DC voltage to each part of Printer 1. The adapter 14 and the first power supply circuit 141 correspond to an example of a "first power supply".

[0011] Battery 15 supplies a DC voltage to the second power supply circuit 151. Battery 15 is also configured to be rechargeable by connecting to a commercial power source. Battery 15 is charged according to instructions from the control unit 11, which will be described later. Printer 1 is equipped with a second power supply circuit 151. The second power supply circuit 151 converts the DC voltage supplied from the battery 15 into a DC voltage of a suitable magnitude for each part of Printer 1, and supplies the converted DC voltage to each part of Printer 1. Battery 15 corresponds to an example of a "secondary power source". The second power supply circuit 151 corresponds to an example of a "second power supply".

[0012] In this embodiment, the case where the "secondary power source" is a battery 15 is described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The "secondary power source" may be an energy storage device such as an electric double-layer capacitor. An electric double-layer capacitor is also called a supercapacitor, for example.

[0013] Furthermore, an external device 2 is connected to printer 1. External device 2 includes a cash drawer 21 and a buzzer 22. Power is supplied to external device 2 from the first power supply circuit 141 or the second power supply circuit 151 of printer 1. External device 2 also operates according to instructions from the control unit 11 of printer 1.

[0014] The cash drawer 21 separates and stores banknotes and coins. The cash drawer 21 opens and closes according to instructions from the control unit 11 of the printer 1. Furthermore, the cash drawer 21 is supplied with power from either the first power supply circuit 141 or the second power supply circuit 151.

[0015] The buzzer 22 outputs a buzzer sound in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 11 of the printer 1. Further, electric power is supplied to the buzzer 22 from the first power supply circuit 141 or the second power supply circuit 151.

[0016] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes the control unit 11, an operation mechanism 12, a display mechanism 13, a printing mechanism 16, and a print medium accommodating unit 17. The control unit 11 controls operations of respective parts of the printer 1. Each of the operation mechanism 12, the display mechanism 13, and the printing mechanism 16 is configured to be capable of communicating with the control unit 11. The printer 1 corresponds to an example of a "printing apparatus".

[0017] The operation mechanism 12 includes input means such as an operation switch provided in the printer 1 and a touch panel, detects a user's operation on the input means, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 executes processing corresponding to the user's operation based on an input from the operation mechanism 12.

[0018] The display mechanism 13 includes a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and a display panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and executes lighting, turning off, and blinking of the LEDs in a predetermined mode, display of information on the display panel, and the like in accordance with control by the control unit 11.

[0019] The printing mechanism 16 executes a printing function in accordance with control by the control unit 11. The printing mechanism 16 prints characters, images, and the like on a print medium P such as printing paper in accordance with control by the control unit 11. The print medium P is, for example, thermal paper. The printing mechanism 16 includes a thermal head 161, a drive motor 162, and a conveyance roller 163 as components related to printing.

[0020] The thermal head 161 prints characters, images, and the like on the print medium P. That is, in the present embodiment, the printer 1 is a thermal printer. The thermal head 161 comprises a plurality of heating elements. The plurality of heating elements generate heat when energized. Heat is applied from the thermal head 161 to the print medium P, thereby forming an image on the print medium P. In the present embodiment, the thermal head 161 prints receipts. The printed receipt is cut by a cutter not shown in the drawings.

[0021] The drive motor 162 drives the conveyance roller 163. The drive motor 162 is, for example, a DC motor.

[0022] The conveyance roller 163 is disposed opposite to the thermal head 161. In a state where the conveyance roller 163 and the thermal head 161 sandwich the print medium P, the rotation of the conveyance roller 163 conveys the print medium P.

[0023] The print medium storage unit 17 is configured to be capable of storing the print medium P. For example, a roll body formed by winding a long print medium P into a roll shape is stored in the print medium storage unit 17, the print medium P is pulled out from the roll body, conveyed by the drive motor 162, and fed out onto a conveyance path not shown in the drawings. The print medium storage unit 17 may be provided with a configuration for collecting printed matter that is the print medium P after printing.

[0024] The control unit 11 comprises a processor 11A such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 11B such as a ROM (Read Only Memory). The memory 11B stores a control program PG.

[0025] The processor 11A may be configured by a plurality of processors, or may be configured by a single processor. The processor 11A may be hardware programmed to implement the functions of each part described later. In other words, the processor 11A may be configured to incorporate the control program PG as a hardware circuit. In this case, for example, the processor 11A may be composed of an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc. The following description explains the case in which the processor 11A executes the control program PG to realize various functions of the control unit 11.

[0026] Memory 11B has a non-volatile storage area for storing programs and data non-volatilely. Memory 11B may include, for example, ROM, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., as the non-volatile storage area. Alternatively, memory 11B may include a volatile storage area and constitute a work area for temporarily storing programs executed by processor 11A and data to be processed. Memory 11B may include, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., as the volatile storage area.

[0027] In this embodiment, the processor 11A controls each part of the printer 1 by executing a control program PG, but is not limited to this. The control unit 11 may include, for example, an ASIC, and the ASIC may perform processing according to its implemented functions. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may include, for example, a signal processing circuit, and the signal processing circuit may perform signal processing to perform the processing.

[0028] Next, we will describe the functional blocks provided in the control unit 11 of the printer 1. The control unit 11 includes a voltage detection unit 111, a switching unit 112, a determination unit 113, a drive control unit 114, an execution unit 115, and a simultaneous drive storage unit 116. By executing the control program PG, the processor 11A functions as the voltage detection unit 111, the switching unit 112, the determination unit 113, the drive control unit 114, and the execution unit 115. Also, by executing the control program PG, the processor 11A causes the memory 11B to function as the simultaneous drive storage unit 116.

[0029] The simultaneous drive storage unit 116 stores simultaneous drive information SD indicating whether or not simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is possible. If the drive control unit 114 permits simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, the drive control unit 114 stores simultaneous operation information SD, which indicates that simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is possible, in the simultaneous operation storage unit 116. If the drive control unit 114 prohibits simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, the drive control unit 114 stores simultaneous operation information SD, indicating that simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is not possible, in the simultaneous operation storage unit 116.

[0030] The voltage detection unit 111 detects the voltage value V1 of the DC voltage supplied from the adapter 14 to the first power supply circuit 141. The voltage value V1 of the DC voltage supplied from the adapter 14 to the first power supply circuit 141 corresponds to an example of the "voltage value of the first power supply".

[0031] Furthermore, the voltage detection unit 111 detects the voltage value V1 of the DC voltage supplied from the adapter 14 to the first power supply circuit 141 in a second period P2. The second period P2 is less than or equal to the time it takes for the thermal head 161 to print one dot line. The second period P2 is, for example, "1 microsecond". The second period P2 corresponds to an example of a "predetermined period".

[0032] The switching unit 112 switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151 when the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 is less than the threshold value VS. The threshold VS is smaller than the reference value of the voltage value V1. The reference value of the voltage value V1 is, for example, "25V". In this case, the threshold VS is, for example, "20V". The threshold VS could also be, for example, "17V". Alternatively, the threshold VS could be, for example, "22V".

[0033] For example, when power is supplied from the first power supply circuit 141 to the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, the DC voltage V1 supplied from the adapter 14 to the first power supply circuit 141 drops to a voltage value smaller than the reference value of voltage V1. In this way, when the power consumption of the load is greater than a predetermined value, the voltage value V1 drops to a voltage value smaller than the reference value. The threshold value VS is set to detect when the power consumption of the load is excessive and the voltage value V1 drops.

[0034] The switching unit 112, for example, when power is being supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141, switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151 when the voltage value V1 is less than the threshold VS. In other words, when the voltage value V1 is less than the threshold VS, power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151.

[0035] Furthermore, the switching unit 112 switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141 when the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 is equal to or greater than the threshold value VS. The switching unit 112, for example, when power is being supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151, switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141 if the voltage value V1 is equal to or greater than the threshold value VS. In other words, when the voltage value V1 is equal to or greater than the threshold value VS, power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141.

[0036] The determination unit 113 determines whether the second power supply circuit 151 can be used based on the remaining charge RA of the battery 15. The determination unit 113 detects the remaining charge RA of the battery 15 in, for example, the first cycle P1. The first cycle P1 is, for example, "1 millisecond". The determination unit 113 determines, for example, that the second power supply circuit 151 is usable if the remaining charge RA of the battery 15 is equal to or greater than the remaining charge threshold RS. Conversely, the determination unit 113 determines, for example, that the second power supply circuit 151 is unusable if the remaining charge RA of the battery 15 is less than the remaining charge threshold RS. The remaining charge threshold RS is, for example, "70%".

[0037] The drive control unit 114 permits simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 when the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is usable. The drive control unit 114 also stores simultaneous operation information SD, which indicates that simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is possible, in the simultaneous operation storage unit 116.

[0038] The drive control unit 114 prohibits simultaneous driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 when the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is unavailable. Furthermore, the drive control unit 114 exclusively controls the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 when the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is unavailable. Furthermore, when the drive control unit 114 performs exclusive control over the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, it prioritizes the driving of the thermal head 161 over the driving of the external device 2. That is, when the drive control unit 114 is driving the thermal head 161, it does not drive the external device 2. Also, when the external device 2 is being driven and a driving instruction for the thermal head 161 is output, the drive control unit 114 stops driving the external device 2 and drives the thermal head 161.

[0039] Furthermore, if the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is usable, the drive control unit 114 stores simultaneous drive information SD in the simultaneous drive storage unit 116, indicating that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is not possible.

[0040] The execution unit 115 executes task T based on the simultaneous drive information SD stored in the simultaneous drive storage unit 116. The execution unit 115 executes task T according to the user's operation on the operating mechanism 12. Task T includes a first task T1 and a second task T2. The execution unit 115 accepts task T according to the user's operation on the operating mechanism 12. The execution unit 115 stores the accepted task T in, for example, memory 11B. The first task T1 is to cause the thermal head 161 to print a receipt. The second task T2 is a task for the external device 2. The second task T2 includes the second task T21 and the second task T22. The second task T21 is a task for the cash drawer 21. The second task T22 is a task for the buzzer 22.

[0041] If the simultaneous drive information SD indicates that simultaneous drive is possible, the execution unit 115 executes the first task T1 and the second task T2 simultaneously. If the simultaneous drive information SD indicates that simultaneous drive is not possible, the execution unit 115 executes the first task T1 and the second task T2 in sequence. In this case, the execution unit 115 executes the first task T1 with priority over the second task T2. That is, the execution unit 115 executes the first task T1 and then the second task T2.

[0042] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the "simultaneous drive determination process" of the control unit 11 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the "simultaneous drive determination process" of the control unit 11. The "simultaneous drive determination process" is a process in which the drive control unit 114 determines whether simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is possible based on the determination result of the determination unit 113. The "simultaneous drive determination process" is executed, for example, in the first cycle P1. The first cycle P1 is, for example, "1 millisecond". It is preferable that the first cycle P1 is, for example, the same as the second cycle P2, "1 microsecond". In this case, the "simultaneous drive determination process" shown in Figure 2 and the "power supply switching process" shown in Figure 3 can be executed as a series of processes.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, first, in step S101, the determination unit 113 detects the remaining charge RA of the battery 15. Next, in step S103, the determination unit 113 determines whether the second power supply circuit 151 is usable based on the remaining charge RA of the battery 15. For example, the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is usable if the remaining charge RA of the battery 15 is equal to or greater than the remaining charge threshold RS. Conversely, the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is unusable if, for example, the remaining charge RA of the battery 15 is less than the remaining charge threshold RS.

[0044] If the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is unavailable, that is, that the second power supply circuit 151 is unusable (step S103; NO), the process proceeds to step S105. Then, in step S105, if the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is unusable, the drive control unit 114 prohibits simultaneous driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2. In other words, the drive control unit 114 mutually controls the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2. Furthermore, when the drive control unit 114 mutually controls the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, it prioritizes the driving of the thermal head 161 over the driving of the external device 2. Next, in step S109, the drive control unit 114 stores simultaneous drive information SD, indicating that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is not possible, in the simultaneous drive storage unit 116. After that, the process returns to step S101.

[0045] If the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is usable (step S103; YES), the process proceeds to step S107. Then, in step S107, the drive control unit 114 permits simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 if the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is usable. Next, in step S109, the drive control unit 114 stores simultaneous drive information SD, which indicates that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is possible, in the simultaneous drive storage unit 116. After that, the process returns to step S101.

[0046] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the "power switching process" of the control unit 11 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the "power switching process" of the control unit 11. The "power switching process" is a process in which the switching unit 112 switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141, or from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151, based on the detection result of the voltage detection unit 111. The "power switching process" is performed, for example, in the second cycle P2. The second cycle P2 is less than or equal to the time it takes for the thermal head 161 to print one dot line. The second cycle P2 is, for example, "1 microsecond".

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, first, in step S201, the control unit 11 determines whether the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 is the second power supply circuit 151. If the control unit 11 determines that the power supply providing power to each part of the printer 1 is the second power supply circuit 151 (step S201; YES), the process proceeds to step S211. If the control unit 11 determines that the power supply providing power to each part of the printer 1 is not the second power supply circuit 151, that is, the power supply providing power to each part of the printer 1 is the first power supply circuit 141 (step S201; NO), the process proceeds to step S203.

[0048] Then, in step S203, the control unit 11 determines whether simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is permitted based on the simultaneous operation information SD stored in the simultaneous operation storage unit 116. If the simultaneous drive information SD indicates that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is possible, the control unit 11 determines that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is permitted. If the simultaneous drive information SD indicates that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is not possible, the control unit 11 determines that simultaneous drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is not permitted.

[0049] If the control unit 11 determines that simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is not permitted (step S203; NO), the process returns to step S201. If the control unit 11 determines that simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is permitted (step S203; YES), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0050] Then, in step S205, the voltage detection unit 111 detects the voltage value V1 of the DC voltage supplied from the adapter 14 to the first power supply circuit 141. Next, in step S207, the switching unit 112 determines whether the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 in step S205 is less than the threshold value VS. If the switching unit 112 determines that the voltage value V1 is not less than the threshold VS (step S207; NO), the process returns to step S201. If the switching unit 112 determines that the voltage value V1 is less than the threshold VS (step S207; YES), the process proceeds to step S209. Then, in step S209, the switching unit 112 switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151. That is, the switching unit 112 has the second power supply circuit 151 supply power to each part of the printer 1 instead of the first power supply circuit 141. After that, the process returns to step S201.

[0051] If the answer in step S201 is YES, then in step S211, the voltage detection unit 111 detects the voltage value V1 of the DC voltage supplied from the adapter 14 to the first power supply circuit 141. Next, in step S213, the switching unit 112 determines whether the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 is equal to or greater than the threshold value VS. If the switching unit 112 determines that the voltage value V1 is not equal to or greater than the threshold VS, that is, that the voltage value V1 is less than the threshold VS (step S213; NO), the process returns to step S201. If the switching unit 112 determines that the voltage value V1 is equal to or greater than the threshold VS (step S213; YES), the process proceeds to step S215. Then, in step S215, the switching unit 112 switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141. That is, the switching unit 112 has the first power supply circuit 141 supply power to each part of the printer 1 instead of the second power supply circuit 151. After that, the process returns to step S201.

[0052] Step S205 corresponds to an example of a "voltage detection step". Step S207 corresponds to an example of a "switching step".

[0053] [Structure and Effects] As described above with reference to Figures 1-3, the printer 1 according to this embodiment includes a thermal head 161 for printing on a printing medium P, a first power supply circuit 141 that supplies power from a commercial power supply to each part of the printer 1, a second power supply circuit 151 that supplies power from a secondary power supply to each part of the printer 1, and a control unit 11 that controls the thermal head 161, the first power supply circuit 141, and the second power supply circuit 151. The control unit 11 includes a voltage detection unit 111 that detects the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141, and a switching unit 112 that switches the power supply that supplies power to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151 when the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 is less than a threshold VS.

[0054] In this configuration, when the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141 is less than the threshold VS, the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 is switched from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151. Thus, power interruption can be avoided. Furthermore, if the secondary power supply is, for example, a battery 15, the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, for example, a cash drawer 21, can be driven simultaneously.

[0055] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the secondary power source is a battery 15.

[0056] With this configuration, since the secondary power source is the battery 15, when power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151, for example, the thermal head 161 and the cash drawer 21 can be driven simultaneously.

[0057] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, an external device 2 is connected, and the control unit 11 includes a determination unit 113 that determines whether the second power supply circuit 151 can be used based on the remaining charge RA of the battery 15, and a drive control unit 114 that permits simultaneous driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 when the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 can be used.

[0058] According to this configuration, the availability of the second power supply circuit 151 is determined based on the remaining charge RA of the battery 15, and if it is determined that the second power supply circuit 151 is available, simultaneous operation of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is permitted. Therefore, when power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151, the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 can be driven simultaneously. The external device 2 is, for example, a cash drawer 21.

[0059] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the drive control unit 114 prohibits simultaneous driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 when the determination unit 113 determines that the second power supply circuit 151 is unusable, and controls the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 to be mutually exclusive.

[0060] With this configuration, if the second power supply circuit 151 is determined to be unusable, simultaneous driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is prohibited, and the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 is controlled to be mutually exclusive. Therefore, when power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141, the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 can be driven properly.

[0061] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, when the drive control unit 114 performs exclusive control over the driving of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2, it prioritizes the driving of the thermal head 161 over the driving of the external device 2.

[0062] With this configuration, when controlling the drive of the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 mutually, the drive of the thermal head 161 is given priority over the drive of the external device 2. Therefore, when power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the first power supply circuit 141, the thermal head 161 and the external device 2 can be driven properly.

[0063] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the external device 2 includes a cash drawer 21 and a buzzer 22.

[0064] With this configuration, when power is supplied to each part of the printer 1 from the second power supply circuit 151, the thermal head 161 and the cash drawer 21 or buzzer 22 can be driven simultaneously.

[0065] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the switching unit 112 switches the power supply from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141 when the voltage value V1 detected by the voltage detection unit 111 is equal to or greater than the threshold value VS.

[0066] In this configuration, when the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141 is equal to or greater than the threshold VS, the power supply that provides power is switched from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141. That is, if the first power supply circuit 141 can properly supply power to each part of the printer 1, the power supply that provides power to each part of the printer 1 is switched from the second power supply circuit 151 to the first power supply circuit 141. Therefore, the first power supply circuit 141 and the second power supply circuit 151 can be switched appropriately.

[0067] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the voltage detection unit 111 detects the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141 in the second cycle P2.

[0068] With this configuration, the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141 can be properly detected by appropriately setting the second period P2.

[0069] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the second cycle P2 is less than or equal to the time it takes for the thermal head 161 to print one dot line.

[0070] With this configuration, the second cycle P2 can be set appropriately. Therefore, the voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141 can be detected appropriately.

[0071] The control method for the printer 1 according to this embodiment comprises a thermal head 161 for printing on a printing medium P, a first power supply circuit 141 that supplies power from a commercial power supply to each part of the printer 1, a second power supply circuit 151 that supplies power from a secondary power supply to each part of the printer 1, and a control unit 11 that controls the thermal head 161, the first power supply circuit 141, and the second power supply circuit 151. The control unit 11 performs a voltage detection step of detecting a voltage value V1 of the first power supply circuit 141, and a switching step of switching the power supply that supplies power from the first power supply circuit 141 to the second power supply circuit 151 if the voltage value V1 detected in the voltage detection step is less than a threshold VS.

[0072] The control method for printer 1 according to this embodiment provides the same effects and advantages as printer 1 according to this embodiment.

[0073] [Other embodiments] This embodiment illustrates one aspect and can be modified and applied arbitrarily without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0074] In this embodiment, the case where the "secondary power source" is a battery 15 is described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The "secondary power source" may be an energy storage device such as an electric double-layer capacitor. An electric double-layer capacitor is also called a supercapacitor, for example.

[0075] In this embodiment, we describe a case where the external device 2 includes a cash drawer 21 and a buzzer 22, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The external device 2 only needs to include at least one of the cash drawer 21 and the buzzer 22.

[0076] In this embodiment, we will describe the case where the first period P1 is, for example, "1 millisecond" and the second period P2 is, for example, "1 microsecond," but the embodiment is not limited to this. Preferably, the second period P2 is less than or equal to the time it takes for the thermal head 161 to print one dot line. Also, preferably, the first period P1 coincides with the second period P2. That is, it is preferable that both the first period P1 and the second period P2 are, for example, "1 microsecond." In this case, the "simultaneous drive determination process" shown in Figure 2 and the "power supply switching process" shown in Figure 3 can be executed as a series of processes.

[0077] In this embodiment, we describe a case in which the processor 11A of the printer 1 executes a control program PG stored in memory 11B, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The control program PG can also be configured as a recording medium in which it is recorded in a way that is readable by a computer, or as a transmission medium for transmitting the control program PG. The above recording medium can be a magnetic, optical, or semiconductor memory device. Examples of recording media include portable or fixed recording media such as flexible disks, HDDs, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray® Discs, magneto-optical disks, flash memory, and card-type recording media. The above recording medium may also be a non-volatile storage device such as RAM, ROM, or HDD, which is an internal storage device of the printer 1.

[0078] The functions of the control unit 11 of printer 1 may be implemented by one or more processors or semiconductor chips. The control unit 11 may also be configured to further include a co-processor such as an SoC (System-on-a-Chip), MCU (Micro Control Unit), or FPGA. The control unit 11 may perform various controls by having both the CPU and the co-processor work together, or by selectively using one of them.

[0079] Each processing unit in the flowcharts of Figures 2 and 3 is divided according to its main processing content to facilitate understanding of the processing of the control unit 11 of printer 1, and is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or their names. The processing units in the flowchart may be further divided into more processing units depending on the processing content. One processing unit may be further divided to include more processing. The order of processing may be changed as appropriate, as long as it does not hinder the purpose.

[0080] The functional units shown in Figure 1 represent functional configurations, and their specific implementation is not particularly limited. It is not necessary for each functional unit to have its own corresponding hardware; a single processor can execute programs to realize the functions of multiple functional units. In the embodiments described above, some functions implemented by software may also be implemented by hardware, or vice versa. Furthermore, the specific detailed configurations of other parts of the printer 1 can be arbitrarily modified without departing from the main purpose.

[0081] [Note] A summary of this disclosure is provided below. (Note 1) A printing apparatus comprising: a thermal head for printing on a printing medium; a first power supply for supplying power from a commercial power source to various parts of the printing apparatus; a second power supply for supplying power from a secondary power source to various parts of the printing apparatus; and a control unit for controlling the thermal head, the first power supply, and the second power supply, wherein the control unit comprises: a voltage detection unit for detecting the voltage value of the first power supply; and a switching unit for switching the power supply that supplies power to various parts of the printing apparatus from the first power supply to the second power supply when the voltage value detected by the voltage detection unit is less than a threshold.

[0082] This allows the power supply to various parts of the printing device to be switched from the first power supply to the second power supply when the voltage value of the first power supply falls below a threshold. Thus, power interruption can be avoided. Furthermore, if the secondary power supply is, for example, a battery, the thermal head and external devices, such as a cash drawer, can be driven simultaneously.

[0083] (Note 2) The secondary power source is a battery, as described in Appendix 1 of the printing apparatus.

[0084] As a result, since the secondary power source is a battery, when power is supplied from the second power source to various parts of the printing device, for example, the thermal head and external devices such as a cash drawer can be driven simultaneously.

[0085] (Note 3) The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein an external device is connected, and the control unit comprises a determination unit that determines whether the second power supply can be used based on the remaining charge of the battery, and a drive control unit that permits simultaneous driving of the thermal head and the external device when the determination unit determines that the second power supply can be used.

[0086] This allows the system to determine whether a second power source is available based on the remaining battery level, and if it determines that the second power source is available, it permits simultaneous operation of the thermal head and external devices. Therefore, when power is supplied to various parts of the printing device from the second power source, the thermal head and external devices can be driven simultaneously. The external device is, for example, a cash drawer.

[0087] (Note 4) The printing apparatus as described in Appendix 3, wherein the drive control unit prohibits simultaneous driving of the thermal head and the external device and exclusively controls the driving of the thermal head and the external device when the determination unit determines that the second power supply is unavailable.

[0088] This prevents simultaneous operation of the thermal head and external device if the second power supply is deemed unavailable, thereby controlling the operation of the thermal head and external device mutually. Therefore, when power is supplied to each part of the printing device from the first power supply, the thermal head and external device can be driven properly.

[0089] (Note 5) The printing apparatus according to Appendix 4, wherein the drive control unit, when controlling the drive of the thermal head and the external device exclusively, prioritizes the drive of the thermal head over the drive of the external device.

[0090] This ensures that when controlling the drive of the thermal head and the external device mutually, the drive of the thermal head takes priority over the drive of the external device. Therefore, when power is supplied to each part of the printing device from the first power supply, the thermal head and the external device can be driven properly.

[0091] (Note 6) The external device is a printing apparatus according to any one of the appendices 3 to 5, which includes at least one of a cash drawer and a buzzer.

[0092] This allows the thermal head, cash drawer, or buzzer to be driven simultaneously when power is supplied to various parts of the printing device from a second power source.

[0093] (Note 7) The printing apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 6, wherein the switching unit switches the power supply from the second power supply to the first power supply when the voltage value detected by the voltage detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0094] This ensures that when the voltage value of the first power supply is above a threshold, the power supply is switched from the second power supply to the first power supply. In other words, if the first power supply can properly supply power to each part of the printing device, the power supply supplying power to each part of the printing device is switched from the second power supply to the first power supply. Therefore, the first and second power supplies can be switched appropriately.

[0095] (Note 8) The voltage detection unit detects the voltage value of the first power supply at a predetermined interval, as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7 of the printing apparatus.

[0096] This allows for the accurate detection of the voltage value of the first power supply by properly setting a predetermined cycle.

[0097] (Note 9) The printing apparatus according to Appendix 8, wherein the predetermined period is less than or equal to the time it takes for the thermal head to print one dot line.

[0098] This allows the predetermined cycle to be set appropriately. Therefore, the voltage value of the first power supply can be detected correctly.

[0099] (Note 10) A method for controlling a printing apparatus, comprising: a thermal head for printing on a printing medium; a first power supply for supplying power from a commercial power source to various parts of the printing apparatus; a second power supply for supplying power from a secondary power source to various parts of the printing apparatus; and a control unit for controlling the thermal head, the first power supply, and the second power supply, wherein the control unit performs a voltage detection step for detecting the voltage value of the first power supply, and a switching step for switching the power supply that supplies power from the first power supply to the second power supply when the voltage value detected in the voltage detection step is less than a threshold.

[0100] As a result, the control method for the printing apparatus described in Appendix 10 has the same effect as the printing apparatus described in Appendix 1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 1...Printer (printing device), 11...Control unit, 11A...Processor, 11B...Memory, 111...Voltage detection unit, 112...Switching unit, 113...Determination unit, 114...Drive control unit, 115...Execution unit, 116...Simultaneous drive memory unit, 12...Operation mechanism, 13...Display mechanism, 14...Adapter (part of the first power supply), 141...First power supply circuit (part of the first power supply), 15...Battery (secondary power supply), 151...Second power supply circuit (second power supply), 16...Printing mechanism, 161...Thermal head, 162...Drive motor, 163...Transport roller, 2...External device, 21...Cash drawer, 22...Buzzer, P...Printing medium, P1...First cycle, P2...Second cycle (predetermined cycle), PG...Control program, RA...Remaining amount, RS...Remaining amount threshold, SD...Simultaneous drive information, V1...Voltage value (voltage value of the first power supply), VS...Threshold.

Claims

1. A thermal head used for printing on a printing medium, A first power supply that supplies power from the commercial power supply to each part of the printing device, A second power supply that supplies power from the secondary power supply to each part of the printing apparatus, A control unit that controls the thermal head, the first power supply, and the second power supply, Equipped with, The control unit, A voltage detection unit for detecting the voltage value of the first power supply, A switching unit that switches the power supply that provides power to each part of the printing device from the first power supply to the second power supply when the voltage value detected by the voltage detection unit is less than a threshold, A printing device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned secondary power source is a battery. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. External devices are connected, The control unit, A determination unit that determines whether the second power supply can be used based on the remaining charge of the aforementioned battery, When the determination unit determines that the second power supply is usable, the drive control unit permits simultaneous operation of the thermal head and the external device, The printing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

4. The drive control unit, when the determination unit determines that the second power supply is unavailable, prohibits simultaneous driving of the thermal head and the external device, and controls the driving of the thermal head and the external device to be mutually exclusive. The printing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. When the drive control unit performs exclusive control over the driving of the thermal head and the external device, it prioritizes the driving of the thermal head over the driving of the external device. The printing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The external device includes at least one of a cash drawer and a buzzer. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. The switching unit switches the power supply from the second power supply to the first power supply when the voltage value detected by the voltage detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The voltage detection unit detects the voltage value of the first power supply at a predetermined period. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The predetermined period is less than or equal to the time it takes for the thermal head to print one dot line. The printing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. A thermal head used for printing on a printing medium, A first power supply that supplies power from the commercial power supply to each part of the printing device, A second power supply that supplies power from the secondary power supply to each part of the printing apparatus, A control unit that controls the thermal head, the first power supply, and the second power supply, A control method for a printing apparatus, comprising: The control unit, A voltage detection step for detecting the voltage value of the first power supply, If the voltage value detected in the voltage detection step is less than a threshold, a switching step is performed to switch the power supply from the first power supply to the second power supply, A method for controlling a printing device to perform the following actions.

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