Label printer system

Abstract

To prevent label peeling determination from becoming impossible.SOLUTION: A label printer system according to an embodiment includes: a printing mechanism; a peeling mechanism; a sensor; and a computer including a hardware processor and a memory. The printing mechanism prints on an opposite surface of an attachment surface of a label in a label paper to which the label is attached to a mount. The peeling mechanism peels the label after printing by the printing mechanism from the mount. The sensor detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism. When determining that the label has been peeled off from the mount based on an output value of the sensor, the hardware processor stores the output value of the sensor in the memory, and predicts the occurrence of a failure that the label peeling determination becomes impossible based on a degree of a time-series change in the output value of the sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a label printer system.

Background Art

[0002] As one of the image forming devices placed in a workplace, there is a label printer. A label printer is an image forming device for printing barcodes or the like on an adhesive label or tag.

[0003] What makes a label printer different from an image forming device called a normal multifunction printer is that it is equipped with unique mechanisms such as a paper feeding mechanism for feeding label roll paper, a cutting mechanism for cutting label sheets, or in the case of peeling label paper, a peeling mechanism for peeling labels from label backing paper. Such label printers are used for various purposes, including not only retail but also printing transport labels to be attached to transported goods.

[0004] As the printing method of a label printer, mainly, a thermal method or a thermal transfer method is often adopted. The thermal method is a method of causing color development by applying heat to heat-sensitive paper containing a special dye to cause a reaction, and it is possible to print labels at the lowest cost for applications that require a large amount of printing. On the other hand, since it is a method of causing color development by heat, it is weak against friction and can also cause discoloration by sunlight. Therefore, it is often used for applications where there is little need for long-term notation. In contrast, the thermal transfer method, unlike the thermal method, does not contain ink in the label, but is a mechanism that transfers ink onto the label material by heat through an ink ribbon that runs parallel to the label. In this thermal transfer method, it is possible to change the material of the label paper, and it is possible to give heat resistance, water resistance, etc. depending on the application.

[0005] In the label printers used as described above, the devices that use the aforementioned release label paper are configured to automatically feed the next label when the label is peeled off the label backing by the release mechanism, as follows: The printed label is transported to a position where it is partially peeled off the label backing to facilitate peeling. A release sensor, such as a reflective light sensor, is placed at this position to detect the presence of the label non-contactually. When the label is peeled off, the amount of light entering this light sensor increases, allowing the system to recognize that "the label has been peeled off." A threshold is set for the amount of light entering this light sensor, and when the amount of light entering exceeds the threshold, the peeling of the label is detected, and printing of the next label begins.

[0006] However, sometimes, due to some malfunction, the label backing paper becomes overloaded during transport after the labels have been peeled off, causing it to bend. When the label backing paper bends in this way, the bent portion of the backing paper may get between the peeled label and the light sensor. As a result, even if the label is peeled off, the amount of light that reaches the light sensor becomes insufficient, making it impossible to determine whether or not the label has been peeled off. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-127469 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The problem that the embodiments of the present invention aim to solve is to provide a label printer system that can prevent label peeling detection from becoming impossible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In one embodiment, the label printer system comprises a printing mechanism, a peeling mechanism, a sensor, and a computer equipped with a hardware processor and memory. The printing mechanism prints on the opposite side of the label on the label paper, where the label is attached to the backing paper. The peeling mechanism peels the label from the backing paper after printing by the printing mechanism. The sensor detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism. When the hardware processor determines that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, it stores the output value of the sensor in memory and predicts the occurrence of a failure that would make it impossible to determine if the label has been peeled off, based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in memory. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a label printer as a label printer system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a magnified view of the main components of the label printer. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a label printer's control system. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a label printer failure prediction process. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the number of labels printed, the output value of the peel sensor, and the slope threshold. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a label printer system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device included in a label printer system. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents stored in the device information storage unit of a server device. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the contents stored in the service technician information storage unit of a server device. [Figure 10]Figure 10 shows an example of the contents stored in the detection history storage unit of the server device. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of a label printer system. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of failure prediction processing in a label printer. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of failure prediction processing in a server device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The label printer system according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the scale of the parts in the drawings used in the description of the embodiment below may have been changed as appropriate. Also, in order to make the explanation easier to understand, some components may be omitted from the drawings used in the description of the embodiment below.

[0012] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a label printer 100 as a label printer system according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the label printer 100.

[0013] The label printer 100 is placed in the workplace. The label printer 100 has a label transport unit 101, a ribbon transport unit 102, and a printing unit 103. The label transport unit 101 transports label paper 105 via a transport path 104. The ribbon transport unit 102 transports an ink ribbon 106 on top of the label paper 105. The printing unit 103 prints on the label 107 on the label paper 105 via the ink ribbon 106. The label printer 100 has a frame (or housing) (not shown) on which the components of the label transport unit 101, the ribbon transport unit 102, and the printing unit 103 are mounted in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0014] The label paper 105 is formed by attaching a plurality of rectangular labels 107 at equal intervals with a gap of about 1 to 3 mm between them on one side of a long strip-shaped base paper 108. That is, the label paper is provided as a label roll paper in which a plurality of labels 107 are arranged and attached to the strip-shaped base paper 108 in the extending direction of the base paper 108. The label 107 has a certain length along the extending direction of the base paper 108, that is, the longitudinal direction. The label 107 has an adhesive layer on the adhesive surface with the base paper 108 in order to be peelable from the base paper 108 and attachable to other articles.

[0015] The label 107 has a printed area and a non-printed area along the conveyance direction of the label paper 105. Images, characters, etc. are printed in the printed area. Images, characters, etc. are not printed in the non-printed area. For example, when printing a two-dimensional barcode on the label 107, a rectangular area having the same length as the length of the two-dimensional barcode along the conveyance direction becomes one of the printed areas. Also, when printing characters in addition to the two-dimensional barcode, a rectangular area having a predetermined length along the conveyance direction of the label 107 on which these characters are printed becomes one of the printed areas. If there is an area of a predetermined length where nothing is printed between the printed area where the two-dimensional barcode is printed and the printed area where characters are printed along the conveyance direction, this area becomes one of the non-printed areas. Naturally, the gap between two adjacent labels 107 also becomes one of the non-printed areas. The printed area and the non-printed area of the label 107 are determined based on the data printed on the label 107, exist alternately along the conveyance direction, and their dimensions and layouts also vary depending on the print data.

[0016] The label conveyance unit 101 has a delivery roller 109 to which a label paper 105 provided as a label roll paper is detachably attached. The label conveyance unit 101 includes a capstan roller 110 on the lower surface side of the conveyance path 104 shown in the figure, between the delivery roller 109 and the printing unit 103, that is, on the back surface side of the backing paper 108 of the label paper 105 conveyed through the conveyance path 104. A pinch roller 111 is provided at a position facing the capstan roller 110 with the conveyance path 104 interposed therebetween, that is, on the label 107 side. The pinch roller 111 is pressed against the capstan roller 110 with the label paper 105 sandwiched therebetween by a spring or the like not shown in the figure. The capstan roller 110 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 and pulls out the label paper 105 sandwiched between it and the pinch roller 11 from the delivery roller 109.

[0017] In addition, the label conveyance unit 101 has two rollers 112 around which the label paper 105 is looped between the delivery roller 109 and the capstan roller 110. These rollers 112 rotate in a driven manner following the label paper 105 being conveyed.

[0018] The plurality of rollers 109 to 112 of the label conveyance unit 101 each have a rotation axis (not shown) extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1. The frame of the label printer 100 rotatably supports both ends of the rotation axes of these plurality of rollers 109 to 112. Also, the frame of the label printer 100 supports a conveyance motor 135 (FIG. 3) described later.

[0019] Furthermore, the label conveyance unit 101 cooperates with a platen roller 113 of the printing unit 103 described later to convey the label paper 105 through the conveyance path 104. The conveyance path 104 passes between a thermal head 114 and the platen roller 113 of the printing unit 103 described later. The platen roller 113 of the printing unit 103 can apply a conveyance force to the label paper 105. The label conveyance unit 101 conveys the label paper 105 with the surface of the backing paper 108 to which the label 107 is attached facing the thermal head 114 of the printing unit 103.

[0020] The label transport unit 101 is equipped with a peeling guide 115 for peeling the label 107 from the backing paper 108, located at a position spaced to the right of the platen roller 113 of the printing unit 103. The peeling guide 115 slides against the side of the label paper 105 that has been pulled out by the capstan roller 110, opposite to the label application surface, and folds the label paper 105 in the opposite direction (leftward in the illustration) by approximately 180°. The peeling guide 115 peels the label 107 from the backing paper 108 due to the stiffness of the label 107, which does not bend together with the backing paper 108.

[0021] The label transport unit 101 includes a pinch roller 116 for transporting the backing paper 108 after the label 107 has been peeled off. The pinch roller 116 is positioned opposite the platen roller 113, with the backing paper 108 sandwiched between them. The pinch roller 116 is pressed against the platen roller 113 by a spring or the like (not shown) that holds the backing paper 108 between it and the pinch roller 116. The platen roller 113 applies transport force to the backing paper 108 by rotating while clamping the backing paper 108 with the label 107 peeled off between it and the pinch roller 116. That is, the platen roller 113 rotates clockwise in Figure 1, transporting the backing paper 108, which has been folded back by the peeling guide 115 sandwiched between it and the pinch roller 116, in a direction away from the peeling guide 115.

[0022] The label printer 100 has a peel sensor 117 that non-contactually detects the label 107 peeled off the backing paper 108. The peel sensor 117 is, for example, a reflective optical sensor having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part. The peel sensor 117 is positioned so that light emitted from the light-emitting part is reflected from the adhesive surface of the peeled label 107 and incident on the light-receiving part. The peel sensor 117 measures the intensity of the light reflected from the adhesive surface of the peeled label 107 and outputs a voltage output value indicating the measured light intensity. Of course, the peel sensor 117 is not limited to an optical sensor, but may be any type of non-contact sensor, such as an ultrasonic sensor.

[0023] The ribbon transport unit 102 includes a delivery roller 118 on which a long ink ribbon 106 is wound into a roll, and a take-up roller 119 that winds the used ink ribbon 106 that has passed through the printing unit 103 into a roll. The ink ribbon 106 between the delivery roller 118 and the take-up roller 119 passes between the thermal head 114 and the platen roller 113 so as to sequentially overlap multiple labels 107 on the label paper 105 that is transported along the transport path 104 through the printing unit 103. The label paper 105 and the ink ribbon 106 are transported in the same direction at the same transport speed and pass through the printing unit 103. In addition, the ribbon transport unit 102 includes two rollers 120 on which the ink ribbon 106 is wrapped, and a transport roller 121 that applies transport force to the ink ribbon 106.

[0024] Multiple rollers 118-121 of the ribbon transport unit 102 have rotating shafts (not shown) that extend perpendicular to the paper surface in Figure 1. A frame (not shown) of the label printer 100 rotatably supports both ends of the rotating shafts of these multiple rollers 118-121. The ribbon transport unit 102 is equipped with a torque limiter (not shown) between the feed roller 118, the winding roller 119, and the transport roller 121 and the ribbon motor 136 (Figure 3), which will be described later. The frame of the label printer 100 also supports the ribbon motor 136.

[0025] The printing unit 103 includes a thermal head 114 and a platen roller 113. The printing unit 103 has the thermal head 114 positioned on the back side of the ink ribbon 106, that is, between the label paper 105 and the platen roller 113. The platen roller 113 is positioned opposite the thermal head 114, with the overlapping label paper 105 and ink ribbon 106 in between.

[0026] The thermal head 114 is equipped with multiple heating elements (not shown) arranged perpendicular to the paper surface in Figure 1. When the thermal head 114 moves to the printing position described later, it brings the multiple heating elements into contact with the back surface of the ink ribbon 106 and presses the ink ribbon 106 and the label paper 105 between itself and the platen roller 113. The platen roller 113 rotates while pressing the label paper 105 between itself and the thermal head 114, thereby providing a transport force to the label paper 105. The printing unit 103 presses the ink ribbon 106 against the label paper 105 using the thermal head 114, heats the ink ribbon 106 with the multiple heating elements, and prints on the printing area of ​​the label 107 on the label paper 105.

[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control system of the label printer 100. The label printer 100 includes a peel sensor 117, a processor 122, a main memory 123, a storage device 124, a display control unit 125, a communication unit 126, an operation unit 127, an image generation unit 128, a motor control unit 129, a motor control unit 130, a head drive unit 131, and a bus line 132. The bus line 132 connects the processor 122, the main memory 123, the storage device 124, the display control unit 125, the communication unit 126, the operation unit 127, the image generation unit 128, the motor control unit 129, the motor control unit 130, the head drive unit 131, and the peel sensor 117 in a communicative manner. The bus line 132 includes an address bus, a data bus, control signal lines, etc. The bus line 132 connects the processor 122 to each of the other units directly or via signal input / output circuits, and transmits data signals exchanged between them. The computer for the label printer 100 is configured by connecting the processor 122 and the main memory 123 via the bus line 132.

[0028] The processor 122 is a hardware processor that corresponds to the central part of the computer described above. The processor 122 controls each part to realize various functions as a label printer 100 according to the operating system or control program. The processor 122 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 122 may also 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 122 may be a combination of several of these.

[0029] Main memory 123 corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer described above. Main memory 123 includes a non-volatile memory area and a volatile memory area. In the non-volatile memory area, main memory 123 stores the operating system or control program. In addition, main memory 123 stores data necessary for the processor 122 to perform processing to control each part in the non-volatile or volatile memory area. Main memory 123 uses the volatile memory area as a work area where data is rewritten as needed by the processor 122. The non-volatile memory area is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). The volatile memory area is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0030] The storage device 124 corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer described above. For example, an EEPROM (Electric Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive) can serve as the storage device 124. The storage device 124 stores data used by the processor 122 in performing various processes, data created by the processing performed by the processor 122, and so on. For example, the storage device 124 has a history storage unit 133 and a threshold storage unit 134. The storage device 124 may also store the control program described above.

[0031] The history storage unit 133 functions as a memory for storing the output values ​​of the peel sensor 117. As will be described later, when the processor 122 determines, based on the output value of the peel sensor 117, that the printed label 107 has peeled off the backing paper 108, the history storage unit 133 stores the output value of the peel sensor 117 that was the basis for that determination. The history storage unit 133 stores the output values ​​of the peel sensor 117 at the time of peel determination for each label 107 in chronological order. However, in order to save storage capacity, in this embodiment, the history storage unit 133 does not store all output values, but stores them discretely.

[0032] The threshold memory unit 134 stores a peeling detection threshold, which is the threshold for determining whether the label 107 has peeled off by the peeling sensor 117, and a slope threshold for predicting the occurrence of a failure that would make peeling detection impossible. These thresholds will be described later.

[0033] The display control unit 125 controls the display unit located on the control panel (not shown) of the label printer 100.

[0034] The communication unit 126 communicates with externally located host computers, user terminals, etc.

[0035] The operating unit 127 is, for example, located on a control panel and includes various input keys for the operator to manually enter data.

[0036] The image generation unit 128 draws print data, such as a two-dimensional barcode or text, to be printed on the label 107 into a buffer. The communication unit 126 obtains information about this print data from a host computer or user terminal, for example, as a print command.

[0037] The motor control unit 129 controls the transport motor 135 that rotates the capstan roller 110 and the platen roller 113 of the label transport unit 101. The transport motor 135 is a stepping motor. The transport motor 135 provides driving force to the rotation axes of the two rollers 110 and 113 via belts and pulleys (not shown). In other words, the transport motor 135 rotates the two rollers 110 and 113 synchronously.

[0038] The motor control unit 130 controls the ribbon motor 136 that rotates the discharge roller 118, the winding roller 119, and the conveying roller 121.

[0039] The head drive unit 131 controls the heating state of the heating element of the thermal head 114.

[0040] Next, an example of the operation of the label printer 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. As described above, the label printer 100 prints on the label 107 on the label paper 105 using the thermal head 114, and peels the printed label 107 off the backing paper 108 using the peel guide 115. Then, by detecting this peeled label 107 with the peel sensor 117, the printer executes printing on the next label 107 on the label paper 105. When printing the next label 107, as shown in Figure 2, at the time the peel sensor 117 detects the printed label 107, at least a portion of the label 107 to be printed has advanced beyond the printing position of the thermal head 114. Therefore, the label printer 100 uses the transport motor 135 to apply opposite driving force to the rotation axes of the two rollers 110 and 113, rewinding the label paper 105 until the label 107 to be printed reaches the initial position for starting printing, and then starts printing.

[0041] As mentioned above, after the printed label 107 is peeled off, the backing paper 108 is pressed between the platen roller 113 and the pinch roller 116 and transported by the rotation of the platen roller 113. Some of the adhesive that made up the adhesive layer on the adhesive surface of the label 107 remains on the part of the backing paper 108 where the label 107 was peeled off. Since the pinch roller 116 is pressed against the platen roller 113 with the backing paper 108 in between, the adhesive remaining on the backing paper 108 also adheres to the pinch roller 116. Due to the effect of this adhesive adhering to the pinch roller 116, the frictional force of the pinch roller 116 increases. Therefore, when the label paper 105 is rewound, only the backing paper 108 is rewound more than necessary. However, this amount is negligible and does not affect the printing on the label 107.

[0042] As the number of printed sheets increases, the amount of excess unwinding of the backing paper 108 accumulates. Moreover, as the number of printed sheets increases, the amount of adhesive adhering to the pinch roller 116 also increases, so the amount of excess unwinding gradually increases as well. Due to this increasing amount of unwinding, the pulled-back backing paper 108 sags between the pinch roller 116 and the release guide 115, and remains in the space between the pinch roller 116 and the release guide 115. Once printing is complete on all the labels 107 prepared on the label paper 105, the label paper 105 is reduced to just the backing paper 108 and replaced with new label paper 105 provided as a label roll. In this way, the sagging backing paper 108 is removed from the label printer 100 before it affects the operation of the label printer 100.

[0043] However, even when the label paper 105 is replaced, the adhesive attached to the pinch roller 116 remains. Therefore, as the number of printed sheets increases, the amount of adhesive attached to the pinch roller 116 increases more and more. Consequently, when printing the same number of labels 107, the amount of deflection of the backing paper 108 becomes larger as the number of label paper replacements increases compared to the amount of deflection when the number of label paper replacements is small. As the amount of deflection of this deflected backing paper 108 increases, the deflected portion penetrates between the peel sensor 117 and the printed label 107, that is, it penetrates the detection area of ​​the peel sensor 117, affecting the output value of the peel sensor 117. When this amount of penetration exceeds a certain amount, it makes it impossible for the peel sensor 117 to determine that the label 107 has been peeled off.

[0044] When such a malfunction that makes it impossible to detect peeling occurs, the only way to restore functionality is through means other than the mechanism itself, such as the operator reattaching the backing paper 108. However, even if this temporarily restores functionality, the adhesive on the pinch roller 116 remains, leading to repeated malfunctions, and ultimately requiring the user to contact a service technician and request repairs.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, the aim is to prevent a malfunction that makes peeling impossible due to the sagging portion of the backing paper 108 entering the detection area of ​​the peeling sensor 117.

[0046] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the failure prediction process for the label printer 100. The processor 122 executes this failure prediction process in parallel with the normal printing process. Note that the process shown in Figure 4 and described below is just one example, and various other processes that can obtain similar results can be used as appropriate.

[0047] When power is turned on by operating the power switch (not shown) of the processor 122, the control program stored in the main memory 123 is started and the processing operations shown in this flowchart are executed. Unless otherwise specified, the processing of the processor 122 is assumed to transition from ACTn (where n is a natural number) to ACT(n+1).

[0048] First, in ACT101, the processor 122 determines whether or not the label 107 has been peeled off based on the output value of the peel sensor 117 in the normal printing process that is being executed in parallel.

[0049] Based on the determination that peeling has not been detected (ACT101, NO), the processor 122 determines in ACT102 whether or not the label roll paper, which is the label paper 105, has been replaced. For example, the processor 122 can make this determination based on the detection of the label roll paper being attached to the feed roller 109 by a mechanical switch (not shown), or based on a replacement notification indicated by a predetermined operation of the control unit 127 on a control panel (not shown) by the operator. Furthermore, if only a fixed number of labels 107 are used for the label roll paper, or if the number of labels 107 attached to the label paper 105 is set by a predetermined operation of the control unit 127 by the operator, the processor 122 can make this determination based on the number of labels 107 printed.

[0050] Based on the determination that the label roll paper has not been replaced (ACT102, NO), the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101. Thus, the processor 122 waits for a peeling detection or label roll paper replacement.

[0051] Based on the determination that peeling has occurred (ACT101, YES), the processor 122 determines in ACT103 whether or not to store the output value of the peeling sensor 117. As mentioned above, in order to save the storage capacity of the history storage unit 133, in this embodiment, all output values ​​of the peeling sensor 117 are not stored, but are stored discretely. For example, if the values ​​are to be stored at regular intervals, such as every certain number of labels 107 printed or every certain operating time of the thermal head 114, the processor 122 makes this determination by determining whether or not that timing has arrived. Based on the determination that the output value of the peeling sensor 117 will not be stored (ACT103, NO), the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101.

[0052] Based on the determination to store the output value of the peel sensor 117 (ACT103, YES), the processor 122 stores the output value of the peel sensor 117 in the history storage unit 133 in ACT104. Since the history storage unit 133 is located in the storage device 124, its stored contents are retained even when the power is turned off by turning off the power switch of the label printer 100.

[0053] In ACT105, the processor 122 calculates an approximate formula that shows the change in the time-series output value of the peeling sensor 117 stored in the history storage unit 133.

[0054] In ACT106, processor 122 determines whether the slope of the approximation formula calculated in ACT105 has reached the slope threshold stored as a threshold in the threshold memory unit 134. Based on the determination that the slope of the calculated approximation formula has not reached the slope threshold (ACT106, NO), the process proceeds to the operation of ACT101.

[0055] Figure 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the number of labels printed, the output value of the peel sensor 117, and the slope threshold. In Figure 5, the lines AF1, AF2, AF3, ..., AFn-1, AFn represent the approximate formulas for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ..., (n-1), and nth label rolls. Note that in Figure 5, for the sake of illustration simplicity, the approximate formulas are assumed to be linear. In reality, they may not be linear. As the number of labels 107 printed increases, the deflection of the backing paper 108 after the label 107 has peeled off increases, and the output value of the peel sensor 117 decreases from the specified voltage value. When the label roll is replaced, the output value of the peel sensor 117 returns to the specified voltage value. If the printed label 107 does not peel off the backing paper 108, the peel sensor 117 outputs an output value based on reflected light from the backing paper 108, rather than the adhesive surface of the label 107. The output value when the backing paper 108 is detected, or a voltage value with a certain margin added to it, is stored in the threshold storage unit 134 as the peeling judgment threshold TH. The slope threshold ST is the slope of the approximate formula that predicts will make peeling judgment impossible due to the bending of the backing paper 108 if printing continues on the label 107 as is. Specifically, the slope threshold ST is not limited to this, but for example, as shown in Figure 5, it can be an approximate formula that becomes the peeling judgment threshold TH after a specified number of sheets.

[0056] Based on the determination that the label roll paper has been replaced (ACT102, YES), the processor 122 clears the time-series output values ​​of the peel sensor 117 stored in the history storage unit 133 in ACT107. That is, the processor 122 erases the contents of the history storage unit 133. As a result, the approximation formula for the replaced label roll paper is used to determine whether peeling is impossible, instead of the approximation formula used before the label roll paper was replaced. After that, the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101.

[0057] Based on the determination that the slope of the calculated approximation formula has reached a slope threshold (ACT106, YES), the processor 122 outputs a fault prediction warning in ACT108. Subsequently, the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101. The processor 122 can display this fault prediction warning as a warning message on the display unit of a control panel (not shown) by, for example, the display control unit 125. The processor 122 can also transmit this fault prediction warning as error information to, for example, the communication unit 126, to a host computer or user terminal. An operator who has seen this fault prediction warning can contact a service technician and request repairs. In this case, since an actual failure has not yet occurred, the label printer 100 can be used continuously until the dispatched service technician arrives and an actual failure occurs.

[0058] As described above, the label printer 100 comprising the label printer system according to this embodiment includes a printing unit 103 as a printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label 107 attached to the label paper 105 on which the label 107 is attached to the backing paper 108; a peeling guide 115 as a peeling mechanism that peels the label 107 from the backing paper 108 after printing by the printing unit 103; a peeling sensor 117 as a sensor that detects the presence of the label 107 that has been peeled off by the peeling guide 115; and a computer equipped with a processor 122 as a hardware processor and a history storage unit 133 as memory. When the processor 122 determines that the label 107 has been peeled off from the backing paper 108 based on the output value of the peeling sensor 117, it stores the output value of the peeling sensor 117 in the history storage unit 133 and predicts the occurrence of a failure in which the peeling of the label 107 cannot be determined based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the peeling sensor 117 stored in the history storage unit 133. In this way, by utilizing the degree of change in the time-series output value of the peel sensor 117 when it is determined that the label 107 has peeled off from the backing paper 108, it is possible to predict the occurrence of a failure that makes it impossible to determine whether the label 107 has peeled off. Based on this prediction, the operator of the label printer 100 can request repairs from a service technician before it actually becomes impossible to determine whether the label has peeled off. Therefore, according to the label printer system of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the inability to determine whether the label has peeled off.

[0059] Furthermore, the failure to detect the peeling of label 107 occurs when the backing paper 108, after the label 107 has been peeled off, enters the space between the peeled label 107 and the peeling sensor 117, affecting the output value of the peeling sensor 117. Thus, the label printer system according to this embodiment makes it possible to prevent the label peeling detection from becoming impossible due to the backing paper 108 bending after the label 107 has been peeled off, which affects the output value of the peeling sensor 117.

[0060] Here, the processor 122 predicts that a failure will occur when the degree of change in the time-series output value of the peel sensor 117 reaches a threshold. In this way, failures can be easily predicted through a simple process of comparison with a threshold.

[0061] Specifically, the processor 122 calculates an approximate formula based on the time-series output values ​​of the peeling sensor 117, and predicts that a failure will occur when the slope of this approximate formula reaches a slope threshold. In this way, by approximating the degree of change in the time-series output value of the peel sensor 117, it becomes easier to compare it with the slope threshold.

[0062] The label paper 105 is a label roll paper in which multiple labels 107 are attached in a strip-shaped base 108 in the direction of the extension of the base 108, and the processor 122 resets the contents of the history storage unit 133 each time the label roll paper is replaced. In this way, when the label roll paper is replaced, the time-series output values ​​of the peel sensor 117 before replacement are discarded, thereby predicting the occurrence of a failure based on the time-series output values ​​of the peel sensor 117 on a per-label roll paper basis. Therefore, accurate prediction becomes possible.

[0063] Here, the processor 122 resets the contents of the history storage unit 133 each time the number of labels 107 on the label roll paper are printed. In this way, by checking the number of printed sheets, it is easy to determine when to replace the label roll paper.

[0064] Furthermore, the processor 122 stores the output value of the peel sensor 117 in the history storage unit 133 at regular intervals for every certain number of labels 107 printed by the printing unit 103. Therefore, the storage capacity of the history storage unit 133 can be saved, and the cost of the label printer can be prevented from increasing.

[0065] Alternatively, the processor 122 stores the output value of the peel sensor 117 in the history storage unit 133 at regular intervals of the printing unit 103's operation.

[0066] Therefore, the storage capacity of the history storage unit 133 can be saved, and the cost of the label printer can be prevented from increasing.

[0067] Furthermore, the label printer 100 further includes an output device, more specifically a display unit controlled by a display control unit 125 as a display device, or a communication unit 126 as a transmission device. When the processor 122 predicts that the aforementioned failure will occur, it displays a failure prediction warning via the display unit or sends the failure prediction warning via the network NW to a predetermined notification destination, such as a host computer or user terminal. Therefore, the operator of the label printer 100 can check the fault prediction warning displayed on the display unit, or the operator of the host computer or the user of the user terminal can check the fault prediction warning sent from the label printer 100. Upon checking this fault prediction warning, the operator or user can request repairs from a service technician before a failure occurs in the label printer 100 that would actually render label peeling impossible.

[0068] [Second Embodiment] Next, a label printer system according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that the same configurations and operations as in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0069] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a label printer system according to the second embodiment. The label printer system includes a label printer 100 and a server device 200 that communicates with the label printer 100 via a network NW. The server device 200 may be operated by, for example, a service company that performs maintenance and inspection of the label printer 100, in which case the network NW can be a public network such as the Internet. Alternatively, the server device 200 may be an in-house server operated by the management department within a company, in which case the network NW can be an in-house LAN (Local Area Network). Furthermore, the network NW may include both a public network and an in-house LAN.

[0070] The network NW can also be connected to a user terminal 300 and a service technician terminal 400. The user terminal 300 is a personal computer or the like that sends print data to be printed on the label 107 to the label printer 100 via the network NW. The service technician terminal 400 is a smartphone or the like that operated by a service technician responsible for the maintenance and inspection of the label printer 100.

[0071] Although Figure 6 shows only one label printer 100, one user terminal 300, and one service technician terminal 400, multiple units of each can be included.

[0072] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a server device 200 included in a label printer system. The server device 200 comprises a processor 201, main memory 202, storage device 203, communication unit 204, and bus line 205. The bus line 205 connects the processor 201, main memory 202, storage device 203, and communication unit 204 in a communicative manner. The bus line 205 includes an address bus, data bus, control signal lines, etc. The bus line 205 connects the processor 201 to the other units directly or via signal input / output circuits, and transmits data signals exchanged between them. The computer of the server device 200 is formed by connecting the processor 201 and the main memory 202 via the bus line 205.

[0073] The processor 201 is a hardware processor that corresponds to the central part of the computer described above. The processor 201 controls each part to realize various functions as a label printer 100 according to the operating system or control program. The processor 201 may be, for example, a CPU, MPU, SoC, DSP, GPU, ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. Alternatively, the processor 201 may be a combination of several of these.

[0074] Main memory 202 corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer described above. Main memory 202 includes a non-volatile memory area and a volatile memory area. In the non-volatile memory area, main memory 202 stores the operating system or control programs. In addition, main memory 202 stores data necessary for the processor 201 to perform processing to control each part in the non-volatile or volatile memory area. Main memory 202 uses the volatile memory area as a work area where data is rewritten as needed by the processor 201. The non-volatile memory area is, for example, ROM. The volatile memory area is, for example, RAM.

[0075] The storage device 203 corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer described above. For example, an EEPROM, HDD, or SSD may serve as the storage device 203. The storage device 203 stores data used by the processor 201 in performing various processes, data created by the processing performed by the processor 201, etc. For example, the storage device 203 has a device information storage unit 206, a service technician information storage unit 207, and a detection history storage unit 208. The storage device 203 may also store the control program described above.

[0076] The communication unit 204 communicates with the label printer 100, the user terminal 300, and the service technician terminal 400 via the network NW.

[0077] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents stored in the device information storage unit 206 of the storage device 203 of the server device 200. The device information storage unit 206 stores information for each of the multiple label printers 100. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, for example, it stores notification destination information, device status, service provider ID, and slope threshold, linked to the device ID. The order in which the information is stored linked to the device ID is not limited to this, and other information may also be included.

[0078] The device ID is identification information such as a device number used to identify each label printer 100.

[0079] The notification recipient information is the IP address or email address of the label printer 100 and / or user terminal 300 that should be notified when a malfunction is predicted in the label printer 100, indicated by the device ID, that will render peel detection impossible.

[0080] The equipment status information indicates various aspects of the label printer 100, such as whether a malfunction has occurred, whether it is operational, and whether a repair request has been made to a service technician, as indicated by the equipment ID.

[0081] The service provider ID is identification information that indicates a service technician who can be assigned to the label printer 100 indicated by the equipment ID. The number of label printers 100 that a service technician can handle is limited based on various conditions such as the manufacturer and model of the label printer 100, and the geographical area of ​​the workplace where the label printer 100 is located. Therefore, the service technicians who can handle the label printer 100 indicated by the equipment ID are identified in advance and stored in the equipment information storage unit 206. Note that multiple service provider IDs may be stored for a single label printer 100.

[0082] The tilt threshold is as described in the first embodiment, and the tilt threshold corresponding to the model of the label printer 100 indicated by the device ID is stored. Note that the peel-off detection threshold is stored in each label printer 100, so the server device 200 does not store it.

[0083] Figure 9 shows an example of the contents stored in the service technician information storage unit 207 of the storage device 203 of the server device 200. The service technician information storage unit 207 stores notification destination information and operational status, linked to the service ID of each of the multiple service technicians, as shown in Figure 9. The order in which the information is stored linked to the service ID is not limited to this, and other information may also be included.

[0084] The notification recipient information includes the IP address and email address of the service technician terminal 400 used by the service technician, as indicated by the service technician ID.

[0085] The operational status includes information such as the service technician's working days and hours (indicated by the service technician ID), the locations and scheduled dates and times for maintenance and inspection visits, etc.

[0086] Figure 10 shows an example of the contents of the detection history storage unit 208 provided in the storage device 203 of the server device 200. As shown in Figure 10, the detection history storage unit 208 stores the sensor output history linked to the device ID. The sensor output history stores the output value of the peel sensor 117 in the label printer 100 indicated by the device ID. In other words, the detection history storage unit 208 functions as a memory that stores the output value of the peel sensor 117.

[0087] Figure 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of a label printer system. As shown in Figure 11, when a print command containing print data is sent from the user terminal 300 to the label printer 100 via the network NW, a print instruction is given to the label printer 100 (step S1), and the label printer 100 prints on the label 107 (step S2). Then, the label printer 100 performs a peeling determination based on the output value of the peeling sensor 117 (step S3). If the label printer 100 determines that the label 107 has peeled off, the output value of the peeling sensor 117 used for the peeling determination is sent from the label printer 100 to the server device 200 via the network NW (step S4).

[0088] The server device 200 stores the output value of the peel sensor 117 that has been transmitted in the detection history storage unit 208 (step S5). Then, the server device 200 calculates an approximate formula based on the time-series output values ​​including the newly stored output value, and compares it with a slope threshold to predict whether a failure will occur that will make peel detection impossible (step S6). If a failure is predicted, the server device 200 sends a warning notification to the label printer 100 via the network NW (step S7), and the label printer 100 outputs a warning in response (step S8). Similarly, the server device 200 sends a warning notification to the user terminal 300 via the network NW (step S9), and the user terminal 300 also outputs a warning in response (step S10).

[0089] Furthermore, when a failure is predicted, the server device 200 determines which service technician to dispatch to repair the label printer 100 that is predicted to fail, and sends service technician dispatch information to the service technician's service technician terminal 400 via the network NW (step S11). Upon receiving this service technician dispatch information, the service technician at the service technician terminal 400 will proceed to repair the label printer 100 indicated in the service technician dispatch information.

[0090] The details of the processing in the label printer 100 and the server device 200 are described below. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the failure prediction process in the label printer 100. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the failure prediction process in the server device 200. Note that the processing shown in Figures 12 and 13, and described below, is just an example, and various processes that can obtain similar results can be used as appropriate.

[0091] As shown in Figure 12, the processor 122 of the label printer 100 waits for peel detection or label roll replacement in ACT101 and ACT102, as described in the first embodiment.

[0092] Based on the determination that peeling has occurred (ACT101, YES), in this embodiment, in ACT111, the processor 122 transmits the output value of the peeling sensor 117 to the server device 200 via the network NW using the communication unit 126. In this case, the processor 122 also transmits the device ID to identify the label printer 100.

[0093] In ACT112, the processor 122 determines whether or not it has received a warning notification transmitted from the server device 200 via the network NW by the communication unit 126. Based on the determination that it has not received a warning notification (ACT112, NO), the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101.

[0094] In the server device 200, as shown in Figure 13, the processor 201 first determines in ACT201 whether it has received an output value from the peel sensor 117 transmitted via the network NW from one of the label printers 100 by the communication unit 204. Based on the determination that it has not received an output value from the peel sensor 117 (ACT201, NO), the processor 201 then determines in ACT202 whether it has received a paper change notification from one of the label printers 100 via the network NW from the communication unit 204, indicating that the label roll paper needs to be changed. Based on the determination that it has not received a paper change notification (ACT202, NO), the processor 201 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT201. Thus, the processor 122 waits for the receipt of an output value from the peel sensor 117 or a paper change notification from one of the label printers 100.

[0095] Based on its determination that it has received an output value from one of the label printers 100 (ACT201, YES), the processor 201 determines in ACT203 whether or not to store the received output value from the peel sensor 117. In order to save the storage capacity of the detection history storage unit 208, in this embodiment as in the first embodiment, all output values ​​of the peel sensor 117 are stored discretely rather than all of them. Based on its determination that it will not store the received output value from the peel sensor 117 (ACT203, NO), the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT201.

[0096] Based on the determination to store the output value of the received peeling sensor 117 (ACT203, YES), the processor 201 stores the output value of the received peeling sensor 117 in the detection history storage unit 208 in ACT204, linked to the source device ID.

[0097] In ACT205, the processor 201 calculates an approximate formula that shows the change in the time-series output value associated with the device ID, including the output value currently stored in the detection history storage unit 208.

[0098] In ACT206, processor 201 determines whether the slope of the approximation formula calculated in ACT205 has reached the slope threshold stored in the device information storage unit 206 in association with the device ID. Based on the determination that the slope of the calculated approximation formula has not reached the slope threshold (ACT206, NO), the process proceeds to the ACT201 operation.

[0099] Returning to the explanation of Figure 12, the processor 122 of the label printer 100 determines that the label roll paper has been replaced (ACT102, YES), and in ACT113, the communication unit 126 sends a paper replacement notification to the server device 200 via the network NW. In this case, the processor 122 also sends the device ID to identify the label printer 100. After that, the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101.

[0100] Returning to the explanation of Figure 13, the processor 201 of the server device 200 determines that it has received a paper change notification (ACT202, NYE), and in ACT207, clears the time-series output values ​​of the peel sensor 117 stored in the detection history storage unit 208, which are associated with the device ID transmitted in conjunction with the paper change notification. That is, the processor 122 erases the stored contents associated with the device ID in the detection history storage unit 208. As a result, the approximate formula for the replaced label roll paper is used to determine whether peeling is impossible, instead of the approximate formula used before the replacement of the label roll paper attached to the label printer 100. After that, the processor 201 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT201.

[0101] Based on the determination that the slope of the calculated approximation formula has reached the slope threshold (ACT206, YES), the processor 201, in ACT208, sends a warning notification via the communication unit 204 to the corresponding label printer 100 and / or user terminal 300 via the network NW, according to the notification destination information stored in the device information storage unit 206 linked to the device ID. At this time, the processor 201 can store information in the device information storage unit 206 linked to the device ID indicating that a failure that makes peeling impossible has occurred, but printing is still possible.

[0102] Returning to the explanation of Figure 12, the processor 122 of the label printer 100 determines that it has received a warning notification (ACT112, YES) and outputs a fault prediction warning in ACT108. Subsequently, the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT101. The processor 122 can display this fault prediction warning as a warning message on the display unit of a control panel (not shown) by, for example, the display control unit 125.

[0103] Although not specifically illustrated, the user terminal 300 that receives this warning notification can also display the fault prediction warning.

[0104] Returning to the explanation of Figure 13, the processor 201 of the server device 200 executes the service technician dispatch process in ACT 209. Subsequently, the processor 122 proceeds to the processing operation of ACT 101. Specifically, in the service technician dispatch process, the processor 201 first extracts the service technician ID of the service technician responsible for maintaining the label printer 100 from the equipment information storage unit 206, based on the equipment ID received along with the sensor output value. Then, the processor 201 checks the operational status stored in the service technician information storage unit 207, which is linked to this service technician ID, and identifies the service technician ID of the service technician who can go to the workplace where the label printer 100 is installed as quickly as possible. The processor 201 transmits the service technician dispatch information to the corresponding service technician terminal 400 via the network NW using the communication unit 204, according to the notification destination information linked to this identified service technician ID. This service technician dispatch information includes the equipment ID of the label printer 100.

[0105] The service technician terminal 400 manages information such as the manufacturer, model, workplace address, and contact information of the person in charge of the label printer 100, linked to the equipment ID. Therefore, the service technician can easily confirm the repair location and determine the visit procedure based on the received service technician dispatch information. If such information is stored in the equipment information storage unit 206 of the server device 200, linked to the equipment ID, rather than in the service technician terminal 400, then such information can be included in the service technician dispatch information.

[0106] Furthermore, in this service technician dispatch process, if the processor 201 of the server device 200 transmits service technician dispatch information, it adds information indicating that a repair request has been made to the device status stored in the device information storage unit 206, which is linked to the device ID.

[0107] As described above, even if the label printer system according to this embodiment is configured with a label printer 100 and a server device 200, it can operate in the same way as the label printer system configured with only the label printer 100 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the label printer system according to this embodiment also provides the same effects as the label printer system according to the first embodiment.

[0108] [Other embodiments] The embodiments have been described above, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, in the first and second embodiments, the slope threshold was described as a fixed value stored in advance. However, the slope threshold may be made up to be updatable. That is, the updated slope threshold may be downloaded from the manufacturer's server or updated independently on the server device 200, either on the label printer 100 or its associated host computer or user terminal, or on the server device 200. Updating the slope threshold can be done, for example, by obtaining information such as the number of printed sheets and the number of times the label roll paper has been replaced through feedback from a service technician or automatic data collection from the label printer 100, and then generating an appropriate threshold by comparing it with the circumstances of the malfunction.

[0109] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the server device 200 only predicts when a failure occurs in the label printer 100 that makes peeling detection impossible. However, the server device 200 may also perform peeling detection of the label 107 in the label printer 100 by transmitting all the output values ​​of the peeling sensor 117 from the label printer 100 to the server device 200.

[0110] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it is assumed that control programs are pre-stored in the main memory 123 of the label printer 100 and the main memory 202 of the server device 200. In this regard, control programs that are transferred separately from the label printer 100 or the server device 200 may be written to a writable storage device provided by the label printer 100 or the server device 200 in response to an operation by an administrator or the like. The transfer of these control programs, etc., can be carried out by storing them on a removable, non-temporary, tangible computer-readable storage medium, or by communication over a network. The non-temporary, tangible computer-readable storage medium can take any form as long as it can store programs and is readable by the device, such as a CD-ROM or memory card.

[0111] In addition, several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments are included within the scope of the invention and within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0112] [Note] From the above-mentioned specific embodiments, the following configurations of inventions can be extracted. [1] A printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label on a label paper in which a label is attached to a backing sheet, A peeling mechanism for peeling the label from the backing paper after printing by the printing mechanism, A sensor that detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism, A computer having a hardware processor and memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned hardware processor is When it is determined that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, the output value of the sensor is stored in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the occurrence of a failure that makes it impossible to determine whether the label has peeled off is predicted. Label printer system. [2] The label printer system according to [1], wherein the failure in which the peeling of the label becomes impossible occurs when the backing paper after the label has been peeled off enters between the peeled-off label and the sensor, affecting the output value of the sensor. [3] The label printer system according to [1] or [2], wherein the hardware processor predicts that the failure will occur when the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor reaches a threshold. [4] The hardware processor is An approximate formula is calculated based on the time-series output values ​​of the aforementioned sensor. The label printer system according to [3], wherein the failure is predicted to occur when the slope of the approximation formula reaches the slope threshold, which is the threshold. [5] The label paper is a label roll paper in which a plurality of labels are attached in a strip-shaped backing sheet in the direction of the extension of the backing sheet, The label printer system according to [4], wherein the hardware processor resets the contents of the memory each time the label roll paper is replaced. [6] The label printer system according to [4], wherein the hardware processor resets the contents of the memory each time the number of labels on the label roll paper is printed. [7] The label printer system according to [1], wherein the hardware processor stores the output value of the sensor in the memory for every certain number of labels printed by the printing mechanism. [8] The label printer system according to [1], wherein the hardware processor stores the output value of the sensor in the memory at regular intervals of the printing mechanism. [9] Further equipped with an output device, The label printer system according to [1], wherein the hardware processor predicts that the failure will occur and outputs a failure prediction warning via the output device.

[10] The label printer system according to [9], which includes a display device.

[11] The label printer system according to [9], wherein the output device includes a transmitting device that transmits the fault prediction warning to a predetermined notification destination via a network.

[12] A label printer comprising the printing mechanism, the peeling mechanism and the sensor, A server device comprising the computer that communicates with the label printer via a network, A label printer system as described in [1], comprising:

[13] Hardware processor and, Memory and A label printer comprising: a printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label on a label paper with a label attached to a backing sheet; a peeling mechanism that peels the label from the backing sheet after printing by the printing mechanism; a sensor that detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism; and a determination device that determines whether or not the label has been peeled off the backing sheet based on the output value of the sensor; and a communication interface that communicates with the label printer. The hardware processor comprises, When the label printer determines that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, it stores the output value of the sensor in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the determination device predicts the occurrence of a failure that would render it impossible to determine if the label has peeled off. A server device configured in such a way.

[14] A label printer comprising a printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label on a label paper on which a label is attached to a backing sheet, a peeling mechanism that peels the label from the backing sheet after printing by the printing mechanism, and a sensor that detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism, wherein the hardware processor of a computer comprising a hardware processor and memory is provided, When it is determined that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, the output value of the sensor is stored in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the occurrence of a failure that makes it impossible to determine whether the label has peeled off is predicted. A program to execute.

[15] Hardware processor and, Memory and A label printer comprising: a printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label on a label paper with a label attached to a backing sheet; a peeling mechanism that peels the label from the backing sheet after printing by the printing mechanism; a sensor that detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism; and a determination device that determines whether or not the label has been peeled off the backing sheet based on the output value of the sensor; and a communication interface that communicates with the label printer. The hardware processor of a computer equipped with: When the label printer determines that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, it stores the output value of the sensor in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the determination device predicts the occurrence of a failure that will render it impossible to determine if the label has peeled off. A program to execute.

[16] A label printer comprising a printing mechanism for printing on the opposite side of the label on a label paper having a label attached to a backing sheet, a peeling mechanism for peeling the label from the backing sheet after printing by the printing mechanism, and a sensor for detecting the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism, wherein the hardware processor of a computer comprising a hardware processor and memory is provided, When it is determined that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, the output value of the sensor is stored in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the system predicts the occurrence of a failure that would make it impossible to determine if the label is peeling off. A non-temporary, tangible, computer-readable storage medium for storing programs.

[17] Hardware processor and, Memory and A label printer comprising: a printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label on a label paper with a label attached to a backing sheet; a peeling mechanism that peels the label from the backing sheet after printing by the printing mechanism; a sensor that detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism; and a determination device that determines whether or not the label has been peeled off the backing sheet based on the output value of the sensor; and a communication interface that communicates with the label printer. The hardware processor of a computer equipped with: When the label printer determines, based on the output value of the sensor, that the label has been peeled off the backing paper, it stores the output value of the sensor in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the determination device is made to predict the occurrence of a failure that would render it impossible to determine if the label has peeled off. A non-temporary, tangible, computer-readable storage medium for storing programs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 100…Label printer, 101…Label transport unit, 102…Ribbon transport unit, 103…Printing unit, 104…Transport path, 105…Label paper, 106…Ink ribbon, 107…Label, 108…Backing paper, 109…Feed roller, 110…Capstan roller, 111…Pinch roller, 112…Roller, 113…Platen roller, 114…Thermal head, 115…Peeling guide, 116…Pinch roller, 117…Peeling sensor, 122,201…Processor, 123,202…Main memory, 124,203…Storage device, 125…Display control unit, 126,204…Communication unit, 127…Operation unit, 128…Image generation unit, 129,130…Motor control unit, 131…Head drive unit 132,205...Bus line, 133...History storage unit, 134...Threshold storage unit, 135...Transport motor, 136...Ribbon motor, 200...Server device, 206...Equipment information storage unit, 207...Service technician information storage unit, 208...Detection history storage unit, 300...User terminal, 400...Service technician terminal, AF1,AF2,AF3,AFn-1,AFn...Linear, NW...Network, ST...Slope threshold, TH...Detachment judgment threshold.

Claims

1. A printing mechanism that prints on the opposite side of the label on a label paper in which a label is attached to a backing sheet, A peeling mechanism for peeling the label from the backing paper after printing by the printing mechanism, A sensor that detects the presence of the label peeled off by the peeling mechanism, A computer having a hardware processor and memory, Equipped with, The aforementioned hardware processor is When it is determined that the label has been peeled off the backing paper based on the output value of the sensor, the output value of the sensor is stored in the memory. Based on the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor stored in the memory, the occurrence of a failure that makes it impossible to determine whether the label has peeled off is predicted. Label printer system.

2. The label printer system according to claim 1, wherein the failure that makes it impossible to determine whether the label has been peeled off occurs when the backing paper, after the label has been peeled off, enters the space between the peeled-off label and the sensor, affecting the output value of the sensor.

3. The label printer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hardware processor predicts that the failure will occur when the degree of change in the time-series output value of the sensor reaches a threshold.

4. The aforementioned hardware processor is An approximate formula is calculated based on the time-series output values ​​of the aforementioned sensor. The label printer system according to claim 3, wherein it predicts that the failure will occur when the slope of the approximation formula reaches the slope threshold, which is the threshold.

5. It is further equipped with an output device, The label printer system according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor outputs a failure prediction warning via the output device when it predicts that the failure will occur.

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