Printing device and control program for printing device

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

[0003] Label printers change their print speed depending on the type of ink ribbon they use. Conventionally, there is a technology that attaches a wireless tag to the ribbon roll around which the ink ribbon is wound, and allows data communication between the printer and the wireless tag. Using this technology, the printer's print speed can be automatically set to match the ink ribbon of a newly installed ribbon roll.

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

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

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

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-185420 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0016] A label paper roll is a long, strip-shaped label paper wound into a roll. Label paper is made by affixing multiple labels in a row to one side of a long backing sheet. The labels have an adhesive layer on the backing sheet side, making them detachable and affixable to other items after being peeled off the backing sheet. A label paper roll is made by wrapping label paper around a core material with the label-affixed side of the backing sheet facing inward. Label paper is an example of printing paper as defined in the claims of this application. The printing paper is not limited to label paper, and may be, for example, strip-shaped thermal paper.

[0017] The ribbon roll is a long ink ribbon wound into a roll. The ink ribbon holds ink that is transferred to label paper by heat. An unused ribbon roll is an ink ribbon wound around a paper tube 30 before the ink is transferred, and its diameter decreases with use. A used ribbon roll is an ink ribbon wound up after the ink has been transferred, and its diameter gradually increases. In other words, the used ribbon roll is an ink ribbon pulled out from an unused ribbon roll and wound downstream of the printing unit 20. An unused ribbon roll is an example of a medium roll and ribbon roll as defined in the claims of the present application. The paper tube 30 is an example of a cylindrical body as defined in the claims of the present application.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0033] A magnetic sheet 45 is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the fixed shaft 41 and the antenna 40. The magnetic sheet 45 is provided so that the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40 does not cause eddy currents to be generated in the metal fixed shaft 41, which would cancel out the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40. For this reason, the magnetic sheet 45 is slightly larger than the antenna 40 so that it is located between the antenna 40 and the fixed shaft 41.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0048] Furthermore, the diameter and length of the cardboard tube 30 of the ribbon roll are limited to some extent because they are determined by the shape and size of the delivery shaft 10 of the label printer 100, but there are no restrictions on the shape and size of the IC tag 32 that is adhesively affixed to the outer surface 301 of the cardboard tube 30. The shape and size of the IC tag 32 to be used is left to the discretion of the ribbon roll manufacturer. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of an IC tag 32. For reference, cardboard tubes 30 are arranged side by side. As shown in Figure 7, one manufacturer uses a rectangular sheet-shaped IC tag 321 measuring 31 x 14 mm, while another manufacturer uses a circular sheet-shaped IC tag 322 with a diameter of φ35 mm.

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

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

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

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

[0053] Since the basic operation is electromagnetic induction, no electromotive force is generated in the IC tag 322 and communication becomes impossible unless the magnetic field generated by the antenna 40 penetrates the loop antenna of the IC tag 322. This situation in which communication is impossible occurs when the positional relationship between the IC tag 322 and the antenna 40 is ±90 degrees.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0061] If the data reading is successful (ACT12, YES), the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon feed motor 65 to rotate the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 by −(90 degrees × n) in ACT13. At this time, the control unit 60 also controls the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 to rotate the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 by −(90 degrees × n). This allows for smooth unwinding of the ink ribbon and stress-free rotation of the paper tube 30. In this way, the control unit 60 rotates the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201 and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 by an angle obtained by multiplying 90 degrees by the value of the counter n, in the direction in which the ink ribbon is rewound (hereinafter, this direction of rotation will be referred to as reverse rotation), which is opposite to the direction in which the ink ribbon is unwound (hereinafter, this direction of rotation will be referred to as forward rotation). In other words, the paper tube 30 of the ink ribbon is rotated reversely by (n × 90 degrees). Here, the value of the counter n is "0", so no rotation is performed and the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart is terminated.

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

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

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

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

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

[0067] (3) The control unit 60 calculates the rotation angle of the paper tube 30 based on the ink ribbon transport amount (length) and diameter. The transport amount required to rotate the paper tube 30 by a certain angle, such as 90 degrees, varies depending on the remaining amount of ink ribbon. The ink ribbon transport length can be calculated, for example, by providing a rotating body, such as a roller, in contact with the ink ribbon on the ink ribbon transport path, and the control unit 60 can calculate it from its rotation speed. The ink ribbon diameter is the outer diameter of the currently remaining ink ribbon, which can be detected, for example, using several photosensors, for example, but is not limited to this. Figure 12 shows an example of the arrangement of photosensors for measuring the ink ribbon diameter. A number of reflective photosensors 70 are installed in a row at regular intervals on the side wall 201 of the label printer 100, facing the ribbon roll RR attached to the feed shaft 10.

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

[0069] In this way, the paper tube 30 is rotated 90 degrees at a time until the data reading is successful. As a result, when the data reading is successful (ACT12, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 in the reverse direction (n x 90 degrees) in ACT13. In this case, the value of the counter n is the value updated in ACT16, so the paper tube 30 is rotated in the reverse direction according to the number of 90-degree rotations. As a result, the ink ribbon that was unwound to read the data of the IC tag 32 is rewound onto the ribbon roll RR, so that the ink ribbon is not wasted. Note that, upon completion of this rewinding, the control unit 60 may rotate the ink ribbon supply motor 65 in the reverse direction and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 in the forward direction, each by a small angle, to remove slack from the ink ribbon.

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

[0071] As described above, in the label printer 100 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon feed motor 65, the ink ribbon take-up motor 66, the feed shaft intermediate sleeve 4201, and the take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 as drive units so that the paper tube 30 equipped with the IC tag 32 rotates around the fixed shaft 41 of the feed shaft 10 by a predetermined angle. Therefore, depending on the position of the IC tag 32 affixed to the paper tube 30, it may be impossible to read the data on the IC tag 32. In this first embodiment, however, in such cases, the paper tube 30 is rotated to read the data, thereby ensuring that the data on the IC tag 32 can be read reliably. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printing device that is capable of good data communication with the ribbon roll.

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

[0073] The label printer 100 also includes a reader / writer 63 that communicates data with the IC tag 32 via the antenna 40. The control unit 60 controls the ink ribbon supply motor 65, ink ribbon take-up motor 66, supply shaft intermediate sleeve 4201, and take-up shaft intermediate sleeve 4202 as drive units so that the paper tube 30 equipped with the IC tag 32 rotates a predetermined angle around the fixed shaft 41 of the supply shaft 10 until the reader / writer 63 acquires the data recorded in the IC tag 32. Therefore, depending on the position of the IC tag 32 affixed to the paper tube 30, data from the IC tag 32 may not be readable. However, in this first embodiment, in such cases, the paper tube 30 is rotated to read the data, thereby ensuring reliable reading of the data from the IC tag 32. This makes it possible to provide a printing device capable of good data communication with the ribbon roll. The control unit 60 also controls the reader / writer 63 to communicate data with the IC tag 32 while the paper tube 30 is stopped from rotating. Therefore, data reading is performed when the IC tag 32 is not moving, which ensures that the reader / writer 63 can read the data from the IC tag 32. In other words, it is possible to prevent a situation in which, even though the rotation of the paper tube 30 has caused the IC tag 32 to reach a position where data reading is possible, the IC tag 32 is moving and therefore data reading is not possible.

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

[0075] Furthermore, in the label printer 100 according to the first embodiment, when the control unit 60 acquires the data recorded on the IC tag 32 by the reader / writer 63, it rotates the paper tube 30 in the opposite direction by the same amount as the paper tube 30 has rotated up to that point. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary consumption of the ink ribbon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0085] In ACT 24, the control unit 60 determines whether the data has been read successfully. This processing operation is the same as that in ACT 12 of the first embodiment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0093] Furthermore, in the label printer 100 according to the second embodiment, the control unit 60 switches the predetermined angle, which is a fixed angle when the paper tube 30 is rotated, depending on the type of ribbon roll RR. This allows the paper tube 30 to be rotated at an appropriate angle, making it possible to read the data on the IC tag 32 more reliably. This also shortens the time it takes to read the data.

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

[0095] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an IC tag reading process by the control unit 60 of the label printer 100 according to the third embodiment. For example, when the power switch 206 is turned on, the control unit 60 starts the process shown in FIG.

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

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

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

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

[0100] In response to a determination that the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees (ACT34, YES), the control unit 60 rotates the paper tube 30 of the ink ribbon forward by an arbitrary angle in ACT35. That is, whereas the specific angle by which the paper tube 30 is rotated was a fixed angle of "90 degrees" in the first embodiment, in this embodiment it is an arbitrary angle. Note that the arbitrary angle may be any number of degrees except 0 degrees, but if the angle is too small there will be no change in reading, so it is desirable that it be at least a certain angle, such as 15 degrees. Furthermore, the repeated arbitrary angle does not have to be the same angle each time.

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

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

[0103] If the cardboard tube 30 makes one rotation without the data reading being OK, it is determined that the total rotation angle β is 360 degrees or more (ACT 34, NO). In this case, the control unit 60 issues an error notification in ACT 37, for example, by displaying an error message on the display unit 204. This processing operation is the same as ACT 17 in the first embodiment. Then, the IC tag reading process shown in this flowchart ends.

[0104] As described above, in the label printer 100 according to the third embodiment, the predetermined angle for each rotation of the paper tube 30 can be set to a non-constant angle, and even in this case, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

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

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

[0107] In response to a determination that the data reading is not OK (ACT 33, NO), the control unit 60 reads out the total rotation angle β and the value of the counter n stored in the memory 62 in ACT 42, and determines whether the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees × n. For example, if the value of the counter n is "1", it determines whether the total rotation angle β is less than 360 degrees, that is, whether the cardboard tube 30 has made one rotation by repeating rotations of an arbitrary angle each time. If the arbitrary angle is less than 360 degrees, it is determined as NO here, and if it is 360 degrees or more, it is determined as YES here.

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

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

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

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

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the IC tag reading process is terminated after an error notification is issued, but it is also possible to rewind the ink ribbon that was unwound to read the data from the IC tag 32 and then terminate the IC tag reading process after the error notification.

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

[0114] In addition, in this embodiment, in order to reduce wasteful consumption of the ink ribbon, when the data on the IC tag 32 is read, the ink ribbon that was unwound for data reading is rewound. However, it is also possible to simply stop unwinding the ink ribbon once the data on the IC tag 32 has been read, without rewinding it. This prevents further unwinding of the ink ribbon, thereby reducing wasteful consumption of the ink ribbon, although to a lesser extent than if the ink ribbon were rewound. In addition, since the ink ribbon is not rewound, there is the advantage that the printer can immediately proceed to printing. Furthermore, after rewinding, there is no need to rotate the ink ribbon supply motor 65 in the reverse direction and the ink ribbon take-up motor 66 in the forward direction by a small angle to remove slack from the ink ribbon.

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

[0116] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above-described embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents set forth in the claims. The inventions described in the original claims of this application are set forth below. [1] A shaft that is inserted into a cylindrical body of a media roll having a medium wound around a cylindrical body equipped with a wireless tag and that rotatably supports the cylindrical body; an antenna provided on the shaft for performing data communication with the wireless tag; a driving unit that rotates the cylindrical body having the wireless tag around the shaft; a control unit that controls the drive unit so that the cylindrical body equipped with the wireless tag rotates around the shaft by a predetermined angle; A printing device comprising: [2] The printing device described in [1], wherein the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the cylindrical body by the predetermined angle multiple times. [3] A data communication unit that performs the data communication with the wireless tag via the antenna, The control unit controlling the data communication unit to perform the data communication with the wireless tag while the rotation of the cylindrical body is stopped; When the data recorded in the wireless tag is acquired by the data communication unit, the drive unit is controlled to rotate the cylindrical body in the reverse direction by the amount of rotation of the cylindrical body up to that point. [2] The printing device according to [2]. [4] Further comprising a printing unit that prints on printing paper via an ink ribbon; the medium roll is a ribbon roll in which the ink ribbon is wound around a cylindrical body provided with the wireless tag; A printing device according to any one of [1] to [3]. [5] Further provided is a printing unit that prints on printing paper via an ink ribbon; The medium roll is a paper roll in which a long strip of printing paper is wound in a roll shape around a cylindrical body equipped with the wireless tag. A printing device according to any one of [1] to [3]. [6] A processor of a printing device including: a shaft that is inserted into a cylindrical body of a media roll having a medium wound around the cylindrical body and that rotatably supports the cylindrical body; an antenna provided on the shaft for performing data communication with the wireless tag; and a drive unit that rotates the cylindrical body that is provided with the wireless tag around the shaft, a function of controlling the driving unit so that the cylindrical body equipped with the wireless tag rotates around the shaft by a predetermined angle; A control program for a printing device to achieve this. [Explanation of symbols]

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

Claims

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

2. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the cylindrical body by the predetermined angle multiple times.

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

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

5. Further, a printing unit is provided that prints on printing paper via an ink ribbon, The medium roll is a paper roll in which a long strip of printing paper is wound in a roll shape around a cylindrical body equipped with the wireless tag.

4. The printing device according to claim 1.

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

Images