Label printer and management system

Abstract

To provide a technique that can sense an abnormality of a gap sensor.SOLUTION: A label printer 1, which conveys a medium in which a plurality of labels are attached on a sheet 30 side by side in one direction and forms images on the labels, comprises: a gap sensor 40 that has a light emitting part 401 that emits light toward the medium and a light receiving part 402 that receives light emitted by the light emitting part 401; and a processor that sets a value lower than a peak value of detected values sensed by the gap sensor 40 or a value higher than a bottom value thereof, as a first sensor threshold for sensing a gap between the plurality of labels, and determines whether the gap sensor 40 is abnormal or not, on the basis of a result of comparison of the first sensor threshold with a second sensor threshold set to a predetermined value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a label printer that prints on a medium with a plurality of labels attached thereto so as to be arranged in one direction on a sheet. Some label printers are provided with a gap sensor having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion. The gap sensor detects the gap between adjacent labels, that is, the position of the portion on the base paper where no label exists. The label printer can correct the leading edge position of the medium by detecting the gap.

[0003] In such a label printer, the gap is detected based on the detection value of the gap sensor. Therefore, when dirt occurs on the light receiving portion of the gap sensor due to adhesion of paper dust or the like, the leading edge position of the medium cannot be appropriately corrected, and printing by the label printer may not be appropriately performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of detecting an abnormality of a gap sensor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment, a label printer transports a medium on which a plurality of labels are attached so as to be arranged in one direction on a sheet in the same direction and forms an image on the labels, comprising: a gap sensor having a light-emitting unit that irradiates light toward the medium and a light-receiving unit that receives the light irradiated by the light-emitting unit; and a processor that sets a first sensor threshold value for detecting gaps between the plurality of labels to a value lower than the peak value or higher than the bottom value of the detected value detected by the gap sensor, and determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the gap sensor based on a comparison between the first sensor threshold value and a second sensor threshold value set to a predetermined value relative to the detected value. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view showing a label printer used as an inline printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing the internal configuration of a label printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing a medium printed by a label printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system for a label printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the threshold setting process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the detected value by the gap sensor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the notification process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a schematic side view showing the internal configuration of a label printer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11]This is a schematic diagram showing a medium printed by a label printer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the threshold setting process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram showing the detected value by the gap sensor according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0009] <First Embodiment> (Management system configuration) The configuration of a management system including a label printer according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management system according to this embodiment.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the management system according to this embodiment comprises three label printers 1, three terminal devices 2, and one server device 3. The three label printers 1, the three terminal devices 2, and the server device 3 are connected to each other via a network N so that they can communicate with one another. In this embodiment, the management system only needs to include at least one label printer 1, at least one terminal device 2, and one server device 3.

[0011] Each of the three label printers 1 is assigned a unique identifier. The three terminal devices 2 are terminals used by service technicians responsible for maintaining one of the three label printers 1, and are, for example, portable terminal devices. Examples of such terminal devices include smartphones, tablet devices, and laptop computers. The server device 3 manages the three label printers 1 individually and, by performing the notification process described later, notifies the corresponding terminal devices 2 according to the status of the three label printers 1.

[0012] (Configuration of the Label Printer) The configuration of the label printer according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the label printer used as an in-line printer according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the internal configuration of the label printer according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the medium printed by the label printer according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the label printer according to this embodiment.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the label printer 1 according to this embodiment is used as an in-line printer installed in a workplace or the like. Specifically, in this embodiment, the label printer 1 is fixedly installed with respect to the transport device C that transports the article O, and performs printing on the label L attached to the article O. Another device may be used to supply the label L to the label printer 1. Another device may be used to attach the label L printed by the label printer 1 to the article O.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the label printer 1 is a thermal transfer printer that transfers ink to the label L by heat. The label printer 1 includes a housing 10, a thermal head 21, a ribbon take-up shaft 22, a ribbon support shaft 23, a platen roller 31, a peeling roller 32, a counter roller 321, a capstan roller 33, a counter roller 331, and a peeling bar 34.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, the medium to be printed by the label printer 1 is a sheet 30 to which labels L are attached so that the labels L are arranged in one direction. There is a gap between adjacent labels L in the juxtaposed direction on the sheet 30. In the label printer 1, the sheet 30 is transported to one side in the juxtaposed direction of the labels L.

[0016] [[ID=第十八条]] As shown in FIG. 5, the label printer 1 further includes a ribbon take-up motor 29, a sheet supply motor 39, a gap sensor 40, a MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 51, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 52, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 53, and a communication I / F (InterFace) 54.

[0017] The housing 10 is formed in a substantially box shape that defines an internal space for housing the above-described components. The housing 10 is formed with a label discharge port 101 and a sheet supply / discharge port 102. The label discharge port 101 is an opening formed by cutting off a corner portion on the front side (the right side in FIG. 3) on the bottom surface side of the housing 10. The sheet supply / discharge port 102 is an opening formed by cutting off a corner portion on the rear side (the left side in FIG. 3) on the bottom surface side of the housing 10. A sheet 30 with a plurality of labels L continuously attached thereto is supplied from the sheet supply / discharge port 102. Each of the plurality of labels L attached to the sheet 30 is discharged from the label discharge port 101. The sheet 30 from which the label L has been peeled off is discharged from the sheet supply / discharge port 102.

[0018] The ribbon support shaft 23 rotatably supports an ink ribbon 20 in which a belt-like member coated with ink is wound in a roll shape. The ribbon take-up shaft 22 is rotated by a ribbon take-up motor 29 to take up the ink ribbon 20 unwound from the roll. The ribbon support shaft 23 and the ribbon take-up shaft 22 are provided at the same position in the vertical direction. The ribbon support shaft 23 is located on the rear side of the ribbon take-up shaft 22.

[0019] The thermal head 21 is located below the ribbon support shaft 23 and the ribbon winding shaft 22, and has a plurality of heating elements adjacent to each other in the width direction of the label L. The ink ribbon 20, unwound from the roll, is wound onto the ribbon winding shaft 22 via the thermal head 21. The plurality of heating elements generate heat in response to the input pulse wave, thereby causing the thermal head 21 to transfer the ink applied to the ink ribbon to the label L and form an image. Methods for adjusting the amount of energy applied to the thermal head 21 according to this embodiment include increasing or decreasing the current value of the pulse wave and increasing or decreasing the duty cycle of the pulse wave.

[0020] The capstan roller 33 is located behind the platen roller 31 and the peeling roller 32. The capstan roller 33 transports the sheet 30 supplied from the sheet feeding port 102 to the front side where the thermal head 21 is located. The sheet 30 transported by the capstan roller 33 is positioned above the capstan roller 33 so that the back side, to which no labels L are attached, is in contact with the capstan roller 33. The opposing roller 331 is positioned opposite the capstan roller 33, sandwiching the sheet 30 between them. The capstan roller 33 works in cooperation with the opposing roller 331 to transport the sheet 30 while gripping it.

[0021] The platen roller 31 is located in front of the capstan roller 33 and the peeling roller 32, and is configured to press the label L onto the thermal head 21. The platen roller 31 transports the sheet 30 to the front side where the label discharge port 101 is located above it, and to the rear side where the sheet supply and discharge port 102 is located below it.

[0022] The peeling bar 34 is located in front of the platen roller 31 and is provided near the label discharge port 101. The peeling bar 34 is formed to be longer than the width of the label L, and a corner is formed at the front end along its entire length. The sheet 30 being transported forward is folded back so that it is transported backward using the corner of the peeling bar 34 as a pivot point. The peeling bar 34 can be bent at an acute angle so that the sheet 30 protrudes forward when its corner contacts the back surface of the sheet 30. Since the label L cannot follow this bend, the peeling bar 34 can discharge the printed label L from the label discharge port 101 by causing the sheet 30 to protrude forward.

[0023] The peeling roller 32 is positioned between the platen roller 31 and the capstan roller 33 in the front-rear direction. The peeling roller 32 transports the sheet 30 from which the label L has been peeled off toward the rear side where the sheet supply / discharge port 102 is located. The sheet 30 being transported to the peeling roller 32 is positioned below the peeling roller 32 so that its back surface is in contact with the peeling roller 32. The opposing roller 321 is positioned opposite the peeling roller 32, sandwiching the sheet 30 between them. The peeling roller 32 works in cooperation with the opposing roller 321 to transport the sheet 30 while gripping it. The sheet supply motor 39 rotates the platen roller 31, the peeling roller 32, and the capstan roller 33.

[0024] The gap sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the gap between labels L attached to the sheet 30. As shown in Figure 3, the gap sensor 40 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting unit 401 that emits light and a light-receiving unit 402 that receives the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 401. The light-emitting unit 401 is provided inside the housing 10 so as to be able to emit light from the back side, i.e., the side without labels attached, to the sheet 30 being transported toward the thermal head 21. The light-receiving unit 402 is provided inside the housing 10 so as to be able to receive the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 401 and transmitted through the sheet 30.

[0025] When calculating the leading edge position of the sheet 30, the MPU 51 corrects the leading edge position based on the detection of the gap between labels L by the gap sensor 40. The transmittance of the sheet 30 is higher in areas where labels L are not attached than in areas where labels L are attached. Therefore, the MPU 51 determines that areas where the value detected by the gap sensor 40 is greater than or equal to the first sensor threshold are gaps between labels L. The first sensor threshold is set by a threshold setting process that is executed triggered by operations such as powering on or opening and closing the cover provided for accessing the inside of the housing 10. This threshold setting process will be described in detail later.

[0026] The communication interface 54 is an interface for communication between the label printer 1 and the server device 3, which is a higher-level device. The MPU 51 works in cooperation with the RAM 52 to control the ribbon winding motor 29, the sheet supply motor 39, and the thermal head 21, and forms the image received from the higher-level device onto the label L. Furthermore, the MPU 51 performs threshold setting processing, which will be described later, based on the measurement results from the gap sensor 40. The ROM 53 stores the program and data used for processing by the MPU 51.

[0027] (Server hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the server device according to the first embodiment will now be described. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server device according to this embodiment.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the server device 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, RAM (Random Access Memory) 302, storage device 303, input / output interface 304, and communication interface 305 as hardware components.

[0029] The CPU 301 and RAM 302 work together to perform the notification processing described later, and the storage device 303 stores various data used for the notification processing. The input / output interface 304 is an interface for connecting input / output devices such as a display and keyboard to the server device 3. The communication interface 305 is an interface for the server device 3 to communicate with other devices via the network N.

[0030] The storage device 303 stores correspondence information as data used for notification processing. The correspondence information associates the printer ID, the number of consecutive errors, and the contact information. The printer ID is a unique identifier that identifies label printer 1. The contact information is the email address of the service technician who maintains / manages label printer 1, which is identified by the printer ID. The correspondence information only needs to associate the printer ID with the information to be notified to the service technician who maintains / manages label printer 1, which is identified by the printer ID. The number of consecutive errors indicates the number of times an error has been determined consecutively by the threshold setting process, as will be described in detail later.

[0031] (Threshold setting process operation) The operation of the threshold setting process according to the first embodiment will now be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the threshold setting process according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the detected value by the gap sensor according to this embodiment. In Figure 8, the vertical axis represents the detected value, and the horizontal axis represents time or the distance the sheet is fed. It is assumed that the sheet is fed a predetermined distance at the same time that the threshold setting process is executed. The gap sensor is assumed to perform detection at a predetermined period, and the threshold setting process is assumed to be executed at each detection period of the gap sensor.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, first, the MPU 51 of the label printer 1 acquires the detection value for the current period from the gap sensor 40 (S101), and determines whether the acquired detection value is greater than or equal to the peak value (S102). Here, the peak value is the maximum value of the detection value and is initially set to 0.

[0033] If the acquired detection value is greater than or equal to the peak value (S102, YES), the MPU51 updates the peak value by substituting the acquired detection value into the peak value (S103) and updates the first sensor threshold (S104). The first sensor threshold is calculated by subtracting a preset value from the peak value. That is, the first sensor threshold is set to a value relatively low to the peak value.

[0034] Next, the MPU 51 determines whether or not the feeding of the sheet 30 has finished (S105). Here, the detected value of the gap sensor 40 is explained. Once the detected value is acquired until the feeding of the sheet 30 is finished, as shown in Figure 8, a base value is obtained that falls within the range of the peak value and the detected value which is approximately constant and low. Unless there is a problem with the gap sensor 40, the base value is the detected value of the location on the sheet 30 where the label L is attached, and the peak value is the detected value of the location on the sheet 30 where a gap exists. The MPU 51 corrects the leading edge position of the sheet 30 by setting the location that is above the first sensor threshold, which is set relatively lower than the peak value, as the gap location.

[0035] When the feeding of sheet 30 is complete (S105, YES), the MPU 51 determines whether the first sensor threshold is less than or equal to the second sensor threshold (S106). Here, the second sensor threshold is a threshold that has been set to a predetermined value prior to the threshold setting process, and is set to a value higher than the base value, for example. If the peak value is detected as low due to paper dust adhering to the light receiving unit 402, the first sensor threshold will be set even lower than the peak value, and in some cases within the range of the base value. In this case, a gap will be falsely detected. Based on the determination using the second sensor threshold, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the gap sensor 40 that causes a gap to be falsely detected.

[0036] If the first sensor threshold is less than or equal to the second sensor threshold (S106, YES), the MPU 51 adds 1 to the number of consecutive errors (S107), sends the number of consecutive errors to the server device 3 in association with the printer ID assigned to it (S108), and terminates the threshold setting process. Here, the number of consecutive errors indicates the number of consecutive errors that occurred, i.e., the determination that the first sensor threshold is less than or equal to the second sensor threshold.

[0037] On the other hand, if the first sensor threshold is not less than or equal to the second sensor threshold (S106, NO), the MPU 51 resets the number of consecutive errors to 0 (S109), sends the number of consecutive errors to the server device 3 in association with the printer ID assigned to it (S108), and terminates the threshold setting process.

[0038] Furthermore, if the feeding of sheet 30 is not completed in step S105 (S105, NO), the MPU 51 again obtains the detection value of the current period from gap sensor 40 (S101).

[0039] Furthermore, in step S102, if the acquired detection value is not equal to or greater than the peak value (S102, NO), the MPU 51 determines whether or not the feeding of sheet 30 has been completed (S105).

[0040] This threshold setting process makes it possible to detect abnormalities in the gap sensor 40 that would hinder the detection of gaps between labels L.

[0041] (Notification process behavior) The operation of the notification process according to the first embodiment will now be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the notification process according to this embodiment.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9, first, the CPU 301 of the server device 3 selects an unselected label printer 1 (S201). Specifically, the CPU 301 selects an unselected printer ID from among the printer IDs included in the correspondence information.

[0043] Next, the CPU 301 determines whether the number of consecutive errors associated with the currently selected printer ID in the correspondence information is equal to or greater than the second error threshold (S202). Here, the second error threshold is a threshold that is set in advance to an integer value larger than the first error threshold, which will be described later, and in this embodiment, it is set to 2.

[0044] If the number of consecutive errors is not equal to or greater than the second error threshold (S202, NO), the CPU 301 determines whether the number of consecutive errors associated with the currently selected printer ID in the correspondence information is equal to or greater than the first error threshold (S203). Here, the first error threshold is a threshold that is set in advance to an integer value smaller than the second error threshold, and in this embodiment, it is set to 1.

[0045] If the number of consecutive errors is not equal to or greater than the first error threshold (S203, NO), the CPU 301 determines whether or not there is an unselected label printer 1, that is, whether or not there is an unselected printer ID among the printer IDs included in the correspondence information (S204).

[0046] If no unselected printer ID exists (S204, NO), CPU301 terminates the notification process.

[0047] On the other hand, if there is an unselected printer ID (S204, YES), CPU301 selects the unselected label printer 1 again (S201).

[0048] Furthermore, in step S203, if the number of consecutive errors is equal to or greater than the first error threshold (S203, YES), the CPU 301 notifies the service technician responsible for the maintenance / management of the label printer 1 indicated by the printer ID of the selected printer ID in the correspondence relationship information, using the email address of the contact person associated with the selected printer ID (S205). Here, the first message is a message prompting the service technician to clean the gap sensor 40 of the label printer 1 they are responsible for. An example of such a message would be a message recommending that the service technician clean the gap sensor 40 of the label printer 1 they are responsible for when visiting the location where the label printer 1 is installed. After notifying the first message, the CPU 301 determines whether or not there are any unselected label printers 1 (S204).

[0049] Furthermore, in step S202, if the number of consecutive errors is equal to or greater than the second error threshold (S202, YES), the CPU 301 notifies the service technician responsible for the maintenance / management of the label printer 1 indicated by the printer ID of a second message using the email address, which is the contact information associated with the printer ID selected in the correspondence relationship information (S206). Here, the second message is a message that more strongly urges the service technician to clean the gap sensor 40 of the label printer 1 in charge than the first message. An example of such a message would be a message recommending that the service technician immediately visit the location where the label printer 1 in charge is installed and clean the gap sensor 40 of the label printer 1 in charge. After notifying the second message, the CPU 301 determines whether or not there are any unselected label printers 1 (S204).

[0050] This notification process allows a service technician to be prompted to clean the gap sensor 40 based on the number of consecutive abnormalities detected by the label printer 1.

[0051] <Second Embodiment> (Label printer configuration) The configuration of the label printer according to the second embodiment will now be described. Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing the internal configuration of the label printer according to this embodiment. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the medium printed on by the label printer according to this embodiment.

[0052] The label printer 5 according to this embodiment differs from the label printer 1 according to the first embodiment in that it is equipped with a gap sensor 41 instead of a gap sensor 40. Furthermore, the label printer 5 differs from the label printer 1 in that it uses a sheet 50 as a medium instead of a sheet 30.

[0053] As shown in Figure 10, the gap sensor 41 is a reflective photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting part 411 and a light-receiving part 412. As shown in Figure 11, marks M are displayed on the back surface of the sheet 50, specifically the surface opposite to the side to which the label L is attached. Marks M are displayed at positions corresponding to each gap between the labels L in the transport direction of the sheet 50. On the sheet 50, two marks M are displayed near both ends in the width direction of the sheet 50 for each gap.

[0054] The gap sensor 41 is positioned to detect a mark M displayed on one end of the sheet 50 in the width direction, and the MPU 51 detects the gap by detecting the mark M. The light-emitting unit 411 is provided inside the housing 10 so as to be able to irradiate light from the back side of the sheet 50 as it is being transported toward the thermal head 21. The light-receiving unit 412 is provided inside the housing 10 so as to be able to receive light that has been irradiated by the light-emitting unit 411 and reflected by the back side of the sheet 50.

[0055] (Threshold setting process) The operation of the threshold setting process according to the second embodiment will now be described. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the threshold setting process according to this embodiment. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the detected value by the gap sensor according to this embodiment.

[0056] As shown in Figure 12, first, the MPU 51 of the label printer 1 acquires the detection value for the current period from the gap sensor 41 (S301), and determines whether the acquired detection value is less than or equal to the bottom value (S302). Here, the bottom value is the lowest value of the detection, and is set as an initial value to an appropriate value near the base value, which will be described later.

[0057] If the acquired detection value is less than or equal to the bottom value (S302, YES), the MPU51 updates the bottom value by substituting the acquired detection value into the bottom value (S303) and updates the first sensor threshold (S304). The first sensor threshold is calculated by adding a preset value to the bottom value. In other words, the first sensor threshold is set to a value relatively higher than the bottom value.

[0058] Next, the MPU 51 determines whether or not the feeding of the sheet 50 has finished (S305). Here, the detection value of the gap sensor 41 is explained. Once detection values ​​are acquired until the feeding of the sheet 50 is finished, a base value is obtained that falls within a range of detection values ​​that is approximately constant and high to the bottom value described above, as shown in Figure 13. Unless there is a problem with the gap sensor 41, the base value is the detection value of the location on the sheet 50 where the mark M is not displayed, and the bottom value is the detection value of the location on the sheet 50 where a gap exists. The MPU 51 corrects the leading edge position of the sheet 50 by using the location that is below the first sensor threshold, which is set relatively higher than the bottom value, as the gap position.

[0059] When the feeding of sheet 50 is complete (S305, YES), the MPU 51 determines whether the first sensor threshold is greater than or equal to the second sensor threshold (S306). Here, the second sensor threshold is a threshold that has been set to a predetermined value prior to the threshold setting process, and is set to a value lower than the base value, for example. If the base value is detected as low due to paper dust adhering to the light receiving unit 402, the first sensor threshold may be set within the range of the base value. In this case, a gap will be falsely detected. Based on the determination using the second sensor threshold, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the gap sensor 41 that causes a gap to be falsely detected.

[0060] If the first sensor threshold is greater than or equal to the second sensor threshold (S306, YES), the MPU 51 adds 1 to the number of consecutive errors (S307), sends the number of consecutive errors to the server device 3 in association with the printer ID assigned to it (S308), and terminates the threshold setting process.

[0061] On the other hand, if the first sensor threshold is not equal to or greater than the second sensor threshold (S306, NO), the MPU 51 resets the number of consecutive errors to 0 (S309), sends the number of consecutive errors to the server device 3 in association with the printer ID assigned to it (S308), and terminates the threshold setting process.

[0062] Furthermore, if the feeding of sheet 50 is not completed in step S305 (S305, NO), the MPU 51 again obtains the detection value of the current period from the gap sensor 41 (S301).

[0063] Furthermore, in step S302, if the acquired detection value is not less than or equal to the bottom value (S302, NO), the MPU 51 determines whether or not the feeding of sheet 50 has been completed (S305).

[0064] Thus, according to the label printer 5 of this embodiment, even when a reflective photoelectric sensor is used as the gap sensor 41, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the gap sensor 41 that would hinder the detection of the gap between labels L.

[0065] In the embodiments described above, the label printers 1 and 5 were described as printing on the label L using a thermal transfer method. However, any method may be used to print on a medium to which labels L are continuously attached.

[0066] While embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications are permitted without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0067] (Note 1) The server device further includes a storage unit that stores the number of times the gap sensor has malfunctioned based on the judgment result of the label printer, and the processor of the server device displays a first message prompting the terminal device to clean the gap sensor if the number of times the gap sensor has malfunctioned stored in the storage unit is equal to or greater than a preset first malfunction threshold. (Note 2) The processor of the server device is characterized in that, if the number of abnormalities of the gap sensor stored in the storage unit is greater than or equal to a second abnormality threshold which is set to be greater than the first count threshold, it causes the terminal device to display a second message prompting the cleaning of the gap sensor. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1.5 Label printer 30,50 seats L Label 40,41 Gap Sensor 401,411 Light-emitting part 402,412 Light receiving part

Claims

1. A label printer that transports a medium on which multiple labels are attached so as to be arranged in one direction on a sheet in the aforementioned one direction and forms an image on the labels, A gap sensor having a light-emitting unit that irradiates light toward the medium and a light-receiving unit that receives the light irradiated by the light-emitting unit, A processor sets a first sensor threshold for detecting gaps between a plurality of labels to a value lower than the peak value or higher than the bottom value of the detected value detected by the gap sensor, and determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the gap sensor based on a comparison between the first sensor threshold and a second sensor threshold set to a predetermined value relative to the detected value. A label printer equipped with the following features.

2. The light receiving unit receives the light that has been transmitted through the medium by the light emitting unit. The label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor sets the first sensor threshold to a value lower than the peak value of the detected value, and determines that the gap sensor is abnormal when the first sensor threshold is less than or equal to the second sensor threshold.

3. The light receiving unit receives the light that has been reflected by the medium from the light emitting unit. The label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor sets the first sensor threshold to a value higher than the bottom value of the detected value, and determines that the gap sensor is abnormal when the first sensor threshold is equal to or greater than the second sensor threshold.

4. The label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor performs the setting of the first sensor threshold and the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the gap sensor when the label printer is powered on or when the cover portion for accessing the inside of the label printer is opened or closed.

5. A management system comprising the label printer described in claim 1 and a server device that is communicatively connected to the label printer, The server device is A management system comprising a processor connected to the server device and associated with the label printer that was determined to be abnormal, which notifies the terminal device of the abnormality of the gap sensor when the label printer's judgment result is abnormal.

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