Printing apparatus

Abstract

To reduce an operation burden on a user in a case where the user wants to perform printing by commonly using the same printing data to different templates.SOLUTION: A CPU 21 of a printer 18 receives selection of the first template T1 in the plurality of templates T, acquires object data to be formed on a printing label L1 to store it in an object data storage region 24A, incorporates the acquired object data into an object of the template T1, generates the printing label L1 by using the template T1, receives selection of the second template T0, determines whether or not the object of the template T0 satisfies a prescribed association rule with respect to the object of the template T1, incorporates the stored object data into the object of the template T0 when determining that the association rule is satisfied, and generates a printing label L2 by using the template T0.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs printing using a template.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, a printing apparatus is known in which one template instructed by a user is selected from a plurality of templates stored in advance, and print data input by the user is assigned to the template for printing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a user uses a printing apparatus that stores a plurality of templates as described above, there may be a case where the same print data is commonly used for printing for each of a plurality of different templates. In the above conventional technology, such needs are not particularly considered, so it is necessary to input print data each time for each template while switching between a plurality of templates, and the operation is complicated.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can reduce the operation burden on the user when the same print data is commonly used for printing for a plurality of different templates.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a printing apparatus comprising a first storage unit, a second storage unit, a printing unit, and a control unit, which generates a printed material using a template in which print objects are arranged in a predetermined manner, wherein the control unit includes: a first selection acceptance process that accepts the selection of a first template from among a plurality of templates stored in the first storage unit; a first print data acquisition process that acquires first print data to be formed on a first printed material generated using the first template from an external source and stores it in the second storage unit; a first embedding process that embeds the first print data into the first print object of the first template as object data of a first print object that can be embedded in the first template selected in the first selection acceptance process; a first printing process that prints using the first template into which the first print data has been embedded in the first embedding process, and generates the first printed material; and after the first printing process The following are performed: a second selection acceptance process that accepts the selection of a second template from among the plurality of templates stored in the first storage unit; an association determination process that determines whether a second print object that can be incorporated into the second template selected in the second selection acceptance process satisfies a predetermined association rule with respect to the first print object; a second incorporation process that, if the association determination process determines that the second print object satisfies the predetermined association rule with respect to the first print object, incorporates the first print data stored in the second storage unit into the second print object of the second template as object data for the second print object that can be incorporated into the second template selected in the second selection acceptance process; and a second printing process that uses the second template into which the first print data has been incorporated in the second incorporation process to perform printing by the printing unit and generate a corresponding second printout.

[0007] In the present invention, a plurality of templates are stored in the first storage unit. The user can select a desired template from among these templates and assign appropriate printing data to the printing objects contained in the selected template to generate the desired printed material. When the user assigns the same printing data to multiple templates to create multiple printed materials, the control unit performs control processing to reduce the user's operational burden.

[0008] When generating the first printed document, the control unit performs the first selection acceptance process, the first print data acquisition process, the first embedding process, and the first printing process. In the first selection acceptance process, the user's selection of the first template from among multiple templates stored in the first storage unit is accepted. In the first print data acquisition process, the first print data to be formed on the first printed material is acquired from an external source. The acquired first print data is stored in the second storage unit. In the first embedding process, the acquired first print data is embedded into the first print object of the first template as object data for the first print object that can be embedded into the selected first template. During embedding, if there is already object data inserted into the first print object by default, that object data is replaced with the first print data; if there is no such object data, the first print data is newly inserted into the first print object. In the first printing process, the printing unit prints using the first template into which the first print data is incorporated as described above, and the first printed material is generated.

[0009] After the generation of the first printed material, when generating the second product, the control unit first performs a second selection acceptance process, and accepts the selection of the second template chosen by the user from among multiple templates stored in the first storage unit. Subsequently, an association determination process is performed to determine whether the second print object that can be incorporated into the second template satisfies predetermined association rules with respect to the first print object. If the association rule is determined to be met, the second embedding process is executed, the first print data stored in the second memory unit is read, and the read first print data is incorporated as the object data of the second print object. Subsequently, in the second printing process, the printing unit prints using the second template into which the first print data has been incorporated as described above, and the second printed material is generated.

[0010] In the present invention, after generating a first printed document by incorporating the first print data into the first template as described above, a second printed document can be generated by incorporating the first print data into the second template without re-entering the first print data. According to the present invention, when it is necessary to print using the same print data in common for multiple different templates, the user's operational burden can be reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of errors such as accidentally entering slightly different content when repeatedly entering the same print data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, when users want to print using the same print data across multiple different templates, the burden on the user can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing device. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a template. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of template information. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of an input screen for object data displayed on a display panel. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a template that reflects object data. [Figure 6] This is an external view showing an example of a printed label generated using a template. [Figure 7] It is an external view showing another example of a printed label generated using a template. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing a template of a comparative example used for generating the printed label of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram showing the template of the present embodiment used for generating the printed label of FIG. 7, and the state in which object data is incorporated therein. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by a CPU.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Each drawing is used to explain the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention. The configuration of the described device, flowcharts of various processes, etc. are not intended to be limited thereto, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0014] <Printing device> Referring to FIG. 1, the schematic configuration of the printing device 18 of the present embodiment will be described. In this example, the printing device 18 is a label printer that prints characters such as letters, symbols, and graphics on a tape M, which is a long printing medium, to generate a printable label. The printed label is an example of a printed matter. In the printing device 18, a label image indicating the printing content of the printed label can be edited.

[0015] In FIG. 1, the printing device 18 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a CGROM 23, a RAM 24, and a flash memory 25. The ROM 22, CGROM 23, RAM 24, and flash memory 25 are each electrically connected to the CPU 21. The ROM 22 stores various programs and the like necessary for the control of the printing device 18. The CPU 21 performs various calculations based on those programs. The CPU 21 and the ROM 22 are an example of a control unit.

[0016] In the CGROM 23, dot pattern data for printing various characters are classified according to format and size and stored in correspondence with code data. The RAM 24 is provided with a plurality of storage areas and temporarily stores various data. The plurality of storage areas include, for example, an object data storage area 24A for storing object data described later, a print buffer (not shown) in which appropriate dot patterns for printing are stored, and the like. The object data storage area 24A is an example of the second storage unit.

[0017] The flash memory 25 stores a plurality of templates T to which print objects (details will be described later) are assigned in a predetermined manner. The flash memory 25 is an example of the first storage unit. In each template T, for example, the width W of the tape M, the number of objects, etc. are defined in association with each of the IDs of the template information described later. The width W is the width of the tape M which is the printing medium. The flash memory 25 further stores the object information of the object 115. Details will be described later.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 18 further includes an operation unit 7, a display panel 31, and drive circuits 12 to 15. The operation unit 7 and the drive circuits 12 to 15 are each electrically connected to the CPU 21. The operation unit 7 is used for an operator to input various data and instructions. The operation unit 7 is, for example, a touch panel. The operation unit 7 is used when a user inputs object data such as text data. The operation unit 7 only needs to be able to input various instructions, and other configurations such as switches and dials may also be used.

[0019] The display panel 31 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). The display panel 31 can display the input screen 33 (see Figure 4, described later). The drive circuit 12 is an electronic circuit for outputting characters, etc., to the display panel 31. The drive circuit 13 is an electronic circuit for driving the tape feed motor 9 that transports the tape M. The drive circuit 14 is an electronic circuit for driving the thermal head 10. The thermal head 10 is an example of a printing unit. The drive circuit 15 is an electronic circuit for driving the cutter motor 11 that operates the moving blade (not shown). The moving blade cuts the printed tape M that is discharged to the outside of the printing device 18.

[0020] <Template> Figure 2 shows template T1, an example of a template for creating a label image. In Figure 2, template T1 has a slightly wide rectangular shape and contains four objects 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D. These objects 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D are examples of printable objects.

[0021] <object> Along the left side of the rectangle shown above, from top to bottom, are object 115A with the object name "Text_a", object 115B with the object name "Text_b", and object 115C with the object name "Text_c". The object data embedded within these objects 115A to 115C is variably configured, and the user can input the embedded object data using the input screen 33 (see Figure 4 below).

[0022] Near the right edge of the rectangle mentioned above, object 115D with the object name "BC_1" is provided. Object 115D contains two-dimensional barcode information that is appropriately generated according to the object data incorporated into objects 115A to 115C.

[0023] <Image> Template T1 also includes an image 114A with the file name "Shoho" near the center of the top edge of the rectangle, and an image 114B with the file name "Hospital" near the lower left corner. The appearance of these images 114A and 114B will be described later.

[0024] <Template Information> Figure 3 shows template information representing the data structure of a template, using template T1 as an example. As shown in Figure 3, in this example, the template information includes body information, image information A and image information B relating to images 114A and 114B respectively, and object information A, object information B, object information C and object information D relating to objects 115A, 115B, 115C and 115D respectively.

[0025] <Device Information> The main information includes the template ID, which is the identification information of template T1, the width and length of the printed content of the printable label L realized by template T1, and the number of objects included in template T1. In this example, as shown in the figure, the template ID is "001", the width of template T1 is 36 mm, and the length is 50 mm. Also, as mentioned above, the number of objects is 4. The template information is stored in the flash memory 25 in association with the template ID of each template.

[0026] <Image Information> The image information includes the image file names for images 114A and 114B, their positions in the X and Y directions corresponding to the horizontal and vertical directions in Figure 2, respectively, and their data types. In this example, the X and Y directions represent the positions of the upper left corners of each object, with the upper left corner of the template in Figure 2 as the reference point, in units of dots corresponding to a predetermined resolution.

[0027] Image information A corresponds to the image 114A above. In this example, the image file name is "Shoho.bmp", the position X is 160 dots, and the position Y is 10 dots. The data type is a bitmap image. Image information B corresponds to the image 114B shown above. In this example, the image file name is "Hospital," the position X is 20 dots, and the position Y is 230 dots. The data type is a bitmap image.

[0028] <Object Information> The object information includes the object name for each of the objects 115A to 115D, the position in the X and Y directions as described above, the vertical size along the Y direction, the horizontal size along the X direction, and the data type. In this example, similar to the image information above, the X and Y position are expressed in units of dots corresponding to a predetermined resolution, using the predetermined position of the template in Figure 2, for example, the upper left corner of each object as the reference point. Similarly, the vertical and horizontal sizes are also expressed in units of dots.

[0029] Object Information A is the information corresponding to object 115A. In this example, the object name is "Text_a", the position X is 15 dots, and the position Y is 70 dots. The vertical size is 20 dots and the horizontal size is 150 dots. The display area of ​​object 115A is defined by the vertical and horizontal sizes. The data type is text.

[0030] Object Information B corresponds to the information for object 115B. In this example, the object name is "Text_b", the position X is 15 dots, and the position Y is 95 dots. The vertical size is 20 dots and the horizontal size is 150 dots. The display area of ​​object 115B is defined by the vertical and horizontal sizes. The data type is text.

[0031] Object Information C corresponds to the object 115C described above. In this example, the object name is "Text_c", the position X is 15 dots, and the position Y is 120 dots. The vertical size is 20 dots and the horizontal size is 150 dots. The display area of ​​object 115C is defined by the vertical and horizontal sizes. The data type is text.

[0032] Object Information D is the information corresponding to object 115D described above. In this example, the object name is "BC_1", the position X is 260 dots, and the position Y is 160 dots. The vertical size is 80 dots and the horizontal size is 110 dots. The display area of ​​object 115D is defined by the vertical and horizontal sizes. The data type is a 2D barcode.

[0033] Furthermore, each object's information is stored in the flash memory 25, associated with the template ID of the corresponding template T.

[0034] <Inputting object data> An example of the input screen 33 for entering the above object data is shown in Figure 4, using the case of object data incorporated inside objects 115A to 115C of the template T1 mentioned above as an example.

[0035] In Figure 4, the input screen 33 in this example includes three input units 11A, 11B, and 11C. The user, for example, operates the appropriate control unit 7 to display an appropriate template selection screen on the display panel 31, and selects and reads template T1 from among the multiple templates T stored in the flash memory 25. Subsequently, the user further operates the appropriate control unit 7 to display the input screen 33 on the display panel 31, selects input units 11A, 11B, and 11C, and inputs object data.

[0036] To the left of each of the input sections 11A, 11B, and 11C, the object names [Text_a], [Text_b], and [Text_c] of the corresponding objects 115A, 115B, and 115C are displayed, respectively. In other words, object data entered into input section 11A is incorporated into object 115A. Object data entered into input section 11B is incorporated into object 115B. Object data entered into input section 11C is incorporated into object 115C.

[0037] In the illustrated example, the user operates the control unit 7, inputting the text "Collectim Ointment" to the input unit 11A as object data intended for incorporation into object 115A. Input unit 11B receives the text "Myzer Ointment" as object data intended for incorporation into object 115A. Input unit 11C receives the text "Hirudoid Soft" as object data intended for incorporation into object 115C. After the user inputs the desired object data into the input units 11A to 11C as described above, the user operates the execution button 5 via the operation unit 7, thereby incorporating the object data into the objects 115A to 115C of template T1, respectively.

[0038] <Input via barcode reader> Furthermore, instead of manually inputting the object data to the input units 11A to 11C via the operation unit 7 as described above, the input may be performed using the barcode reader BR mentioned above. In this case, for example, a barcode corresponding to the text "Collectim Ointment" can be prepared in advance, and by scanning this barcode with the barcode reader BR, the text "Collectim Ointment" will be automatically entered into the input unit 11A. Similarly, by scanning a barcode corresponding to the pre-prepared text "Myzer Ointment" with the barcode reader BR, the text "Myzer Ointment" will be automatically entered into the input unit 11B. By scanning a barcode corresponding to the pre-prepared text "Hirudoid Soft" with the barcode reader BR, the text "Hirudoid Soft" will be automatically entered into the input unit 11C. Alternatively, in this case, an execution barcode with the same function as the execution button 5 can be prepared in advance. In that case, for example, by scanning the execution barcode when input to each input unit 11A to 11C is completed via the above scan, the object data will be incorporated into objects 115A to 115C of template T1, respectively. In the following sections, we will primarily use the example of inputting object data using a barcode reader (BR) in this manner.

[0039] <Reflecting on the template> Figure 5 shows the state in which object data has been incorporated into each object and reflected in template T, using the case of objects 115A to 115C of template T1 mentioned above as an example.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, as a result of input by the aforementioned barcode reader BR, object 115A has object data with the text "Collectim Ointment" inserted into it. Object 115B has object data with the text "Myzer Ointment" inserted into it. Object 115C has object data with the text "Hirudin Soft" inserted into it.

[0041] In this example, as mentioned above, in the initial state of template T1, no object data is inserted into objects 115A to 115C, and the entered object data is inserted into each object 115A to 115C as described above. However, this is not the only possible configuration. In other words, appropriate initial object data may be inserted into objects 115A to 115C in the initial state, and then the initial object data may be replaced by the subsequent insertion of entered object data into each object 115A to 115C. In this specification, the term "incorporation of object data," etc., includes both the insertion of new object data as described above and the replacement of initial object data with the entered object data.

[0042] Figure 5 also shows the appearance of the aforementioned images 114A and 114B. Image 114A, corresponding to the image file "Shoho.bmp", displays the text "Prescription" as shown in the figure. Image 114B, corresponding to the image file "Hospital.bmp", displays the text "○○ Dermatology Clinic 〒000-0000" as shown in the figure. Furthermore, Figure 5 also shows the external appearance of the aforementioned object 115D. As mentioned above, object 115D incorporates two-dimensional barcode information generated according to the object data incorporated into objects 115A to 115C. In this example, object 115D will have two-dimensional barcodes corresponding to "Collectim Ointment," "Myzer Ointment," and "Hirudoin Soft," as shown in the figure.

[0043] <Printed Labels> Figure 6 shows an example of a printable label L, which is printed by the printing device 18 using the template T described above, with the printable label L1 generated using the aforementioned template T1. This printing is performed by an appropriate print command operation via the operation unit 7 or barcode reader BR scanning, with the embedded object data and other information reflected.

[0044] The printed label L1 shown in Figure 6 is used as a prescription issued by a hospital. In the printed label L1 of Figure 6, the printed text 215A, 215B, and 215C for "Collectim Ointment," "Myzer Ointment," and "Hirudoin Soft" are formed, corresponding to objects 115A, 115B, and 115C into which object data is embedded. In this example, the printed text 216A for the quantity of "Collectim Ointment" "200g" is formed, the printed text 216B for the quantity of "Myzer Ointment" "200g" is formed, and the printed text 216C for the quantity of "Hirudoin Soft" "100g" is formed. The contents of these printed texts 216A, 216B, and 216C were input to the printing device 18 by the user performing appropriate operations via the control panel or barcode reader BR scanning before issuing the aforementioned print command.

[0045] Furthermore, the printed label L1 has the text 214A and 214B printed on it, corresponding to the images 114A and 114B mentioned above, which read "Prescription" and "○○ Dermatology Clinic 〒000-0000". In addition, a two-dimensional barcode 215D, corresponding to the object 115D mentioned above, is printed on it.

[0046] <Features of this embodiment> The key feature of this embodiment lies in the process of generating separate printable labels L by reading multiple templates T from the flash memory 25. The details of this process will be explained in order below.

[0047] <Background> For example, it may be desirable to use the same object data in common to print different labels L for multiple different templates T. Figure 7 shows an example of such a case, where a printed label L2 issued as a receipt at a hospital corresponds to a printed label L1 used as a prescription. Figure 8 shows an example of a template T2 used to print label L2. Note that this template T2 is a comparative example to the template T0 described later, which is used in this embodiment to print label L2.

[0048] In Figure 8, template T2 has the same shape as template T1 shown in Figure 2. It also includes object 165A with object name "Text_d", object 165B with object name "Text_e", and object 165C with object name "Text_f", similar to objects 115A to 115C. These objects 165A, 165B, and 165C are also examples of printable objects. Template T2 also includes image 164A with the image file name "Ryoshu," similar to image 114A of template T1, and image 164B with the image file name "Hospital," similar to image 114B of template T1.

[0049] When creating the printable label L2, the user uses the input screen 33 or the barcode reader BR to incorporate object data for "Collectim Ointment," "Myzer Ointment," and "Hirudoin Soft" into objects 165A, 165B, and 165C. As a result, in the printable label L2 shown in Figure 7, the printed labels 265A, 265B, and 265C for "Collectim Ointment," "Myzer Ointment," and "Hirudoin Soft" are formed corresponding to objects 165A, 165B, and 165C into which the object data has been incorporated. Furthermore, in the printed label L2, corresponding to the aforementioned images 164A and 164B, the printed text 264A and 264B, "Receipt" and "○○ Dermatology Clinic 〒000-0000", are formed.

[0050] In this example, similar to the printed label L1, the user's operation using the control panel or barcode reader BR creates the printout 266A for the quantity of "Collectim Ointment" "200g" and the corresponding printout 267A for the receipt amount "500 yen". Similarly, the printout 266B for the quantity of "Myzer Ointment" "200g" and the corresponding printout 267B for the receipt amount "300 yen" are created. Similarly, the printout 266C for the quantity of "Hirudoin Soft" "100g" and the corresponding printout 267C for the receipt amount "200 yen" are created. Furthermore, the printout 268A for "Subtotal 1000 yen" based on the sum of the above amounts and the printout 268B for "Total 1080 yen" which is the sum of that amount plus the prescribed taxes, etc. are created.

[0051] For example, when sequentially creating the above print labels L1 and L2, as mentioned above, after reading templates T1 and T2, it is necessary to input object data for each object in each template T1 and T2. Therefore, the same object data for "Collectim Ointment," "Myzer Ointment," and "Hirudoin Soft" will be repeatedly entered into both template T1 for print label L1 and template T2 for print label L2, making the operation cumbersome.

[0052] <Method of the Embodiment> In response to the above, in this embodiment, even if the templates T are different from each other, if there are objects that share the same object data, those object names will be the same. Then, after creating a print label L by inputting object data into one object in one template T, the same object data is automatically entered into an object with the same name as the aforementioned object in another template T.

[0053] Following the example above, Figure 9(a) shows an example of the template T0 used in this embodiment when creating a printable label L2 corresponding to printable label L1. That is, it is known in advance that the printed text 265A to 265C of printable label L2, which is a receipt, is the same as the printed text 215A to 215C of printable label L1, which is a prescription. Correspondingly, in template T0 for print label L2 shown in Figure 9(a), the object name of object 165A is set to "Text_a", the same as object 115A in template T1 for print label L1. Similarly, the object name of object 165B in template T0 is set to "Text_b", and the object name of object 165C is set to "Text_c".

[0054] As a result, when printing label L1, the object data stored corresponding to objects 115A, 115B, and 115C are automatically incorporated into objects 165A, 165B, and 165C, respectively. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9(b), object 165A of "Text_a" is incorporated with "Collectim Ointment," which was associated with object 115A of the same "Text_a" (see Figure 5 above; the same applies below). Object 165B of object name "Text_b" is incorporated with "Myzer Ointment," which was associated with object 115B of the same object name "Text_b." Object 165C of object name "Text_c" is incorporated with "Hirudin Soft," which was associated with object 115C of the same object name "Text_c."

[0055] <Control Procedure> To implement the above method, the control procedure executed by the CPU 21 is explained using the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0056] In S5, with the template selection screen of the display panel 31 displayed, for example, an operation on the operation unit 7 allows the selection of the first template T from among multiple templates T stored in the flash memory 25 to be accepted. The selected template T is read from the flash memory 25. The first template T is an example of the first template, and the processing executed by the CPU 21 in S5 is an example of the first selection acceptance processing.

[0057] In S10, object data to be incorporated into each object of the template T selected in S5 is acquired from outside the CPU 21, for example by scanning with a barcode reader BR, in order to create the first printable label L. In S15, the object data acquired in S10 is stored in the object data storage area 24A. The first printable label L is an example of the first printed material, the object data acquired from the outside is an example of the first object data, and the processing performed by the CPU 21 in S10 and S15 is an example of the first object data acquisition process.

[0058] In S20, the object data obtained in S10 is incorporated into the object contained in the template T read in S5. This object is an example of the first print object, and the processing performed by the CPU 21 in S20 is an example of the first incorporation processing.

[0059] In S25, the template T that was read in S5, with the object data incorporated in S20, is displayed on the display panel 31.

[0060] In S30, it is determined whether the user, after viewing the content displayed in S25, performed the aforementioned print command operation. If a print command operation was performed, the result is "Yes," and the process proceeds to S35. In S35, printing is performed using the template T in which object data was incorporated in S20, and the corresponding first print label L is created. The process executed by CPU 21 in S35 is an example of the first printing process.

[0061] Subsequently, in S40, similar to S5 above, the selection of a second template T from among multiple templates T is accepted by operating with the template selection screen on the display panel 31 displayed. The accepted template T is read from the flash memory 25. The second template T is an example of a second template, and the process executed by the CPU 21 in S40 is an example of the second selection acceptance process.

[0062] In S45, it is determined whether the objects contained in the second template T read in S40 and the objects contained in the first template T satisfy a predetermined association rule. In this case, the association rule, following the example above, is whether the object names are the same. That is, S45 determines whether the names of the objects contained in the second template T and the names of the objects contained in the first template T match. The objects contained in the second template T are an example of a second print object, and the names of those objects are an example of second identification information. Also, the names of the objects contained in the first template T are an example of first identification information.

[0063] Another example of an association rule is when the object name of an object in the second template T and the object name of an object in the first template T contain a common string. In this case, S45 determines whether at least part of the two object names are common. Following the example above, this would apply if the name of object 115A in the first template T1 is "Text_a" and the name of an object in the second template T2 is "Text_a1". In this case, "Text_a" is an example of the first identification information, and "Text_a1" is an example of the second identification information. Furthermore, there are cases where the last character and the first character match, such as when the object name associated with the first template T is "PQR" and the object name associated with the second template T is "QRS". In this case, "PQR" is an example of the first identification information, and "QRS" is an example of the second identification information. Furthermore, there are cases where the individual characters of the constituent elements match but the order does not, such as when the object name associated with the first template T is "PQR" and the object name associated with the second template T is "RQP". In this case, "PQR" is an example of the first identification information, and "RQP" is an example of the second identification information.

[0064] Furthermore, if the object name contains an order identifier that represents the creation order rule for the two print labels L, it is also possible to determine whether or not the above association rule is satisfied by taking this order identifier into account, as shown below.

[0065] In other words, for example, if the object name associated with the first template T is "Text_1a" and the object name associated with the second template T is "Text_1b", then there is a common part "Text_1" in both. Also, the subscript part "a" → "b" matches alphabetically. Therefore, it is determined that the association rule is satisfied, and the object data incorporated into the object "Text_1a" of the first template T is also incorporated into the object "Text_1b" of the second template T (see S50 below). In this case, "Text_1a" is an example of the first identification information, and "Text_1b" is an example of the second identification information. On the other hand, for example, if the object name associated with the first template T is "Text_1b" and the object name associated with the second template T is "Text_1a", then there is a common part "Text_1" in both. However, the subscript sequence "b" → "a" does not match alphabetically. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that the association rule is not satisfied, and the object data incorporated into the "Text_1b" object of the first template T cannot be incorporated into the "Text_1a" object of the second template T. In this case, "Text_1b" is an example of the first identification information, and "Text_1a" is an example of the second identification information.

[0066] The process executed by CPU21 in S45 as described above is an example of association determination processing. If the object contained in the second template T and the object contained in the first template T satisfy the above association rule, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S50.

[0067] In S50, the object data saved in S15, which is the same data already embedded in the corresponding object in the first template T, is embedded into the object contained in the second template T. The process executed by CPU 21 in S50 is an example of the second embedding process.

[0068] In S55, similar to S25 above, the second template T read in S40, with the object data incorporated in S50, is displayed on the display panel 31.

[0069] In S60, similar to S30 above, it is determined whether the user who saw the content displayed in S55 has performed the aforementioned print command operation. If a print command operation has been performed, it is determined as Yes, and the process proceeds to S65. In S65, similar to S35 above, printing is performed using the template T in which object data was incorporated in S50, and a corresponding second print label L is created. The second print label L is an example of a second printout, and the process executed by the CPU 21 in S65 is an example of a second printing process.

[0070] On the other hand, in S45, if the object included in the second template T and the object included in the first template T do not satisfy the above association rule, the result is determined to be No, and the process proceeds to S70.

[0071] In S70, similar to S10 above, new object data to be incorporated into the objects included in the second template T is acquired from outside the CPU 21, for example, by scanning with a barcode reader BR. The object data acquired from the outside is an example of second object data, and the processing performed by the CPU 21 in S70 is an example of second object data acquisition processing.

[0072] In S75, the object data obtained in S70 is incorporated into the object contained in the second template T. The process executed by CPU21 in S75 is an example of the third incorporation process.

[0073] In S80, similar to S25 and S55 above, the display panel 31 shows the second template T, which was read in S40, with the object data incorporated in S75.

[0074] In S85, similar to S30 and S60 above, it is determined whether the user who saw the content displayed in S80 has performed the aforementioned print command operation. If a print command operation has been performed, it is determined as Yes, and the process proceeds to S90. In S90, similar to S35 and S65 above, printing is performed using the template T in which object data has been incorporated in S75, and the corresponding second print label L is created. The process executed by CPU 21 in S90 is an example of the third printing process.

[0075] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, multiple templates T are stored in the flash memory 25. The user can select a desired template T from among these multiple templates T and generate a desired print label L by assigning appropriate object data to the objects contained in the selected template T. When the user assigns the same object data to multiple templates T to create multiple print labels L, the CPU 21 controls the system to reduce the user's operational burden. In other words, when generating the first printable label L, in S5, the selection of template T1 chosen by the user from among multiple templates T stored in the flash memory 25 is accepted. Subsequently, in S10 and S15, object data to be formed on the first printable label L1 is acquired. The acquired object data is stored in the object data storage area 24A. Subsequently, in S20, the object data acquired above is incorporated into the object of the first template T1. In S35, printing is performed using the first template T1 into which the object data has been incorporated as described above, and the first print label L1 is generated. After the first print label L1 is generated, when generating the second print label L2, in S40 the selection of the second template T0 chosen by the user from among multiple templates is accepted. Then, in S45 it is determined whether the object of the second template T0 satisfies a predetermined association rule with respect to the object of the first template T1. If the association rule is met, the object data stored in the object data storage area 24A is read in S50, and the read object data is incorporated into the object of the second template T0. Then, in S65, printing is performed using the second template T0 into which the object data has been incorporated as described above, and the second print label L2 is generated. In this embodiment, after generating printable label L1 by incorporating object data into the first template T1 as described above, printable label L2 can be generated by incorporating the aforementioned object data into the second template T0 without having to re-enter the object data. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when it is necessary to print using the same object data in common for multiple different templates T, the user's operational burden can be reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of errors such as accidentally entering slightly different content when repeatedly entering the same object data.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, step S45 determines whether the identification information of the object in the first template T1 and the identification information of the object in the second template T0 satisfy predetermined association rules with each other. In the example above, the identification information is the object name. According to this embodiment, it is possible to smoothly determine whether or not objects included in each of the multiple templates T are already associated according to association rules, based on the identification information of those objects.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, in S45, it is also possible to determine whether the identification information of the object in the first template T1 and the identification information of the object in the second template T0 contain a common string. In this case, based on the identification information of the objects contained in each of the multiple templates T, it is possible to easily determine whether those objects are already associated by association rules.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, in S45, it is also possible to determine whether the object identification information of the first template T1 and the object identification information of the second template T0 include an order identifier corresponding to the creation order rule for print labels L1 and L2. In this case, based on the object identification information in each template T, it is possible to distinguish and process whether the same object data should be assigned to the objects in the two templates T1 and T0 respectively, according to the creation order of the two print labels L1 and L2, or whether it should not be assigned.

[0079] In this embodiment, the printing device 18 is equipped with a barcode reader BR, and in S10 and S15, object data is acquired based on the reading from the barcode reader. According to this embodiment, the user can easily input object data to be incorporated into the respective objects of templates T1 and T0 simply by performing the desired reading using the barcode reader BR.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is determined in S45 that the object of the first template T1 and the object of the second template T0 do not satisfy a predetermined association rule, then S70, S75, and S90 are performed to generate the second print label L2. In S70, object data to be formed on the printable label L2 is acquired, and in S75, the acquired object data is incorporated into the object of the second template T0. In S90, printing is performed using the template T0 into which the object data has been incorporated as described above, and the printable label L2 is generated. According to this embodiment, if the object of the first template T1 and the object of the second template T0 are not associated according to a predetermined association rule, the print label L2 can be generated using a conventional method.

[0081] In the above, the arrows shown in Figure 1 represent an example of signal flow and do not limit the direction of signal flow.

[0082] Furthermore, the flowchart shown in Figure 10 does not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the flowchart above, and procedures may be added, deleted, or their order changed within the scope that does not depart from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0083] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0084] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 10. Thermal head (an example of a printing unit) 18 Printing device 21 CPU 22 ROM 24. Object data storage area (an example of the second storage unit) 25. Flash memory (an example of the first storage unit) 115A~115D Objects 165A~165C Objects T template T0 template (an example of a second template) T1 template (an example of the first template) T2 Template L Printed label (example of printed material) L1 Printed label (Example of the first printed item) L2 Printed Label (Example of a second printed item)

Claims

1. First memory unit and, The second memory unit, The printing department, Control unit and It has, A printing apparatus that generates printed material using a template in which print objects are arranged in a predetermined manner, The control unit, A first selection acceptance process that accepts the selection of a first template from among a plurality of templates stored in the first storage unit, A first print data acquisition process that acquires first print data to be formed on a first printed material generated using the first template from an external source and stores it in a second storage unit, A first embedding process that embeds the first print data into the first print object of the first template as object data of the first print object that can be embedded into the first template selected in the first selection acceptance process, A first printing process is performed by the printing unit using the first template into which the first print data has been incorporated in the first embedding process, thereby generating the first printed material. After the first printing process, a second selection acceptance process is performed to accept the selection of a second template from among the plurality of templates stored in the first storage unit, An association determination process that determines whether a second print object that can be incorporated into the second template selected in the second selection acceptance process satisfies a predetermined association rule with respect to the first print object, If the association determination process determines that the second print object satisfies the predetermined association rules with respect to the first print object, a second embedding process is performed to embed the first print data stored in the second storage unit into the second print object of the second template as object data of the second print object that can be embedded into the second template selected in the second selection acceptance process. A second printing process, which involves printing using the second template into which the first print data has been incorporated in the second embedding process, and generating a corresponding second printed item, A printing device that performs this task.

2. In the association determination process, the control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 1, which determines whether the first identification information of the first printable object and the second identification information of the second printable object satisfy the predetermined association rule.

3. In the association determination process, the control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the association rule determines whether the first identification information and the second identification information contain a common string.

4. The first identification information includes a subscript, The second identification information includes a subscript, In the association determination process, the control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the association rule determines whether the first identification information and the second identification information contain a common string, and whether the subscripts included in the first identification information and the subscripts included in the second identification information are aligned in a predetermined order.

5. It also has a barcode reader, The control unit further performs the first print data acquisition process, The first print data is obtained based on the reading result by the barcode reader. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control unit further, If the association determination process determines that the second print object does not satisfy the predetermined association rule with respect to the first print object, A second print data acquisition process for acquiring second print data to be formed on the second printed material generated using the second template, A third embedding process that incorporates the second print data acquired in the second print data acquisition process into the second print object of the second template as object data of the second print object that can be embedded into the second template, A third printing process in which the printing unit performs printing using the second template in which the second print data is incorporated as object data of the second print object in the third embedding process, thereby generating the corresponding second print item, A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which performs the following:

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