Printing apparatus, printing control method, and program

Abstract

To effectively use a tape as far as possible without wasting the same.SOLUTION: A printer 1 comprises: a print mechanism 7 which performs printing for a belt-like tape 5 loaded to a device body according to print data; and a control part 10 functioning as print data provision means which provides print data to the print mechanism 7, residual amount detection means which detects a residual amount of a first tape 5a loaded to the device body, and calculation means which determines a tape length (printing length) of the tape 5 required for printing the print data. The control part 10 as the print data provision means sets a printing limit point P that is a limit point on the first tape 5a for performing printing onto the first tape 5a when the tape length (printing length) determined by the calculation means is larger than a tape length corresponding to the residual amount of the first tape 5a detected by the redial amount detection means, and provides first print data of print data for performing printing to at least the printing limit point P to the print mechanism 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing control method, and a program. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a printing apparatus (label printer) that produces labels by printing characters, graphics, and the like using a printing mechanism while conveying a tape, and cutting the printed tape with a cutting means (cutter). In such a printing apparatus, if the remaining amount of tape is unknown, only the printing operation may continue without noticing that the tape has run out, resulting in an unprinted portion.

[0003] In this regard, if the printing apparatus has a function capable of detecting the end of the tape, it can notify the user to replace the tape when the end of the tape is detected. However, if printing is still in progress when the end is detected, the portion after the tape has run out similarly cannot be printed due to insufficient tape. Therefore, there is also known a printing apparatus that includes a remaining tape amount detection means and has a function of warning the user to replace the tape when the remaining tape amount is insufficient for the length required for printing (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-151860 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that even if there is still tape remaining, if the tape length is insufficient to print all the characters and other elements corresponding to the print data, the tape has to be replaced at that point, making it difficult to use the tape completely and resulting in unnecessary waste.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a printing apparatus, a printing control method, and a program that can use tape efficiently and without waste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention is A print data providing means that provides print data to a printing means, A printing means for printing on a strip of tape loaded into the main body of the device according to the print data, A remaining amount detection means for detecting the remaining amount of tape on the first tape loaded in the main body of the device, A calculation means for determining the tape length of the tape necessary to print the aforementioned print data, Equipped with, The print data providing means sets a print limit point, which is the limit point for printing on the first tape, when the tape length required to print the print data determined by the calculation means is greater than the tape length corresponding to the remaining tape amount of the first tape detected by the remaining amount detection means, and provides the printing means with first print data from the print data to be printed up to at least the print limit point. death, The printing means prints an indicator showing the printing limit point. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the tape can be used efficiently without waste. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a tape cassette set in a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the main parts of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows the print control process in the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing an example of a label where the entire label can be printed using only the first tape loaded into the printing device. [Figure 5] (a) is a plan view showing a portion of the label printed on the first tape loaded into the printing device, and (b) is a plan view showing a portion of the label printed on the second tape after replacement. [Figure 6] (a) is a plan view of a label formed by bonding a portion of a label printed on the first tape shown in Figure 5(a) with a portion of a label printed on the second tape shown in Figure 5(b), and (b) is a side view of the label shown in (a). [Figure 7] (a) is a plan view showing a portion of the label printed on the first tape loaded into the printing device, and (b) is a plan view showing a portion of the label printed on the second tape after replacement. [Figure 8] (a) is a diagram showing the process of cutting off a portion of a label printed on the first tape shown in Figure 7(a), from the cut mark onwards, and (b) is a side view of a label formed by bonding a portion of the label shown in (a) with a portion of the label printed on the second tape shown in Figure 7(b). [Figure 9] (a) is a plan view showing a portion of the label printed on the first tape loaded into the printing device, and (b) is a plan view showing a portion of the label printed on the second tape after replacement. [Figure 10]Fig. (a) is a diagram illustrating how the portion after the cut mark is cut off from a part of the label printed with the first tape shown in Fig. 9(a), and Fig. (b) is a side view of a label obtained by laminating a part of the label shown in (a) and a part of the label printed with the second tape shown in Fig. 9(b). [Figure 11] Fig. (a) is a plan view showing a part of the label printed with the first tape loaded in the printing apparatus, and Fig. (b) is a plan view showing a part of the label printed with the second tape after replacement. [Figure 12] Fig. (a) is a diagram illustrating how the portion after the cut mark is cut off from a part of the label printed with the first tape shown in Fig. 11(a), and Fig. (b) is a side view of a label obtained by laminating a part of the label shown in (a) and a part of the label printed with the second tape shown in Fig. 11(b). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the printing apparatus, printing control method, and program according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12(a) and 12(b). It should be noted that although various technically preferable limitations are given to the embodiments described below for carrying out the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0011] The printing apparatus 1 (see Fig. 2) of the present embodiment is a label printer capable of creating a label L (see Fig. 6(a) etc.) by performing printing on a long tape 5 (see Fig. 1 etc.). The tape 5 is wound into, for example, a roll shape and accommodated in a tape cassette 50 schematically shown in Fig. 1, and the entire tape cassette 50 is stored in an apparatus main body (apparatus housing) (not shown) of the printing apparatus 1. The tape cassette 50 may be of a type that is discarded and replaced together with the cassette (case) when the tape 5 is used up, or may be of a refill type in which only the tape 5 accommodated in the cassette (case) is replaced.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a tape cassette 50 that houses a tape 5 therein is provided with an NFC tag 51. The NFC tag 51 is configured such that an NFC chip on which data is written and an antenna for transmitting and receiving data (NFC antenna) are held on a substrate (none of which are shown), is formed in a seal shape (sticker shape), and is adhered to an outer surface or the like of the tape cassette 50. The position where the NFC tag 51 is provided is not limited to the position shown in the drawing, as long as the position is readable by the reader / writer unit 15 described later.

[0013] At least information on the remaining amount of the tape 5 (hereinafter referred to as "remaining tape amount") is written in the NFC tag 51. Note that the information carried by the NFC tag 51 is not limited to information on the remaining tape amount. For example, the NFC tag 51 may include various types of information related to the type of the tape 5 (e.g., color, tape width, presence / absence of gloss on the printing surface, presence / absence of an adhesive surface, etc.). When the tape cassette 50 is housed in the apparatus main body (apparatus housing), the NFC tag 51 is detected by the reader / writer unit 15 (see FIG. 2) provided in the apparatus, and the information carried thereby can be read. Furthermore, the information carried by the NFC tag 51 can be appropriately rewritten by the reader / writer unit 15 under the control of the control unit 10.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a principal block diagram showing the functional configuration of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 10 and a storage unit 11 described later, and further includes a power supply circuit 2, an input unit 3, and a display unit 4.

[0015] The power supply circuit 2 is a power supply unit that generates an output voltage from a voltage from a power supply and supplies electric power to each part of the printing apparatus 1. Note that the power supply may be an internal battery or the like, or may be an external power supply connected via a cable or the like.

[0016] The input unit 3 is equipped with various keys, such as character input keys, directional keys, conversion keys, and confirmation keys, allowing the user to input characters (including strings of characters), symbols, shapes, illustrations, etc., that they wish to print on the printing device 1. The input information, such as entered character data, is received by the control unit 10 and stored in the storage unit 11. Furthermore, if a touch panel is integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 4 described later, the touch panel functions as the input unit 3, and the user can perform various input and setting operations by touching the touch panel. In addition, input of characters to be printed in the printing device 1 may be performed from an external terminal device (for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a personal computer). In this case, the printing device 1 is configured to communicate with the external device such as the terminal device by wired or wireless means.

[0017] The display unit 4 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescent display, or other flat display. In this embodiment, the display unit 4 may display various input information, such as character information entered by the user, so that the user can confirm it.

[0018] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the remaining tape length detected by the control unit 10, which will be described later as a remaining tape length detection means, is insufficient to perform printing based on the set print data, the user will be prompted to replace the tape 5 with a new one. In this case, the message may be displayed on the display unit 4. The display unit 4 displays various display screens based on the display data output from the control unit 10. Furthermore, a touch panel for various inputs may be integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 4. In this case, the touch panel also functions as the input unit 3.

[0019] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a printing mechanism 7, a transport mechanism 8, and a cutting mechanism 9. The printing mechanism 7 is a printing means that receives print data from the control unit 10, which will be described later as a print data providing means, and prints on a strip-shaped tape 5 loaded into the main body of the device (device housing) according to the provided print data. The printing mechanism 7 includes a print head 71. The print head 71 in this embodiment is, for example, a thermal head equipped with a heating element and can print on a thermal tape 5. The thermal head (heating element) is controlled by the control unit 10 and performs printing according to the print data. In this embodiment, a printing device that prints on a thermal tape 5 using a thermal method was used as an example. However, the printing method in the printing device 1 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a thermal transfer method using an ink ribbon.

[0020] The transport mechanism 8 includes a transport motor 81 that is driven according to the control of the control unit 10. The transport motor 81 is driven to rotate a platen roller (not shown) provided in the transport path of the tape 5, thereby transporting the tape 5 in a predetermined transport direction. The transport mechanism 8 may be capable of transporting the tape 5 not only in the forward direction toward the discharge port toward the discharge port toward the outside of the device, but also in the reverse direction toward the return of the tape 5 from the discharge port toward the inside of the device. The transport motor 81 is, for example, a stepping motor, which is driven in steps corresponding to the pulse signal input from the control unit 10, enabling accurate transport.

[0021] The cutting mechanism 9 includes a cutting mechanism drive motor 91 that operates a cutter (cutting blade) (not shown) that cuts the tape 5, and cuts the printed tape 5 at a predetermined location. Furthermore, the cutting mechanism 9 may include not only a full-cut mechanism that cuts all layers of the tape 5 in the thickness direction, but also a half-cut mechanism that cuts some of the layers of the tape 5 (for example, the printed layer other than the release layer, the adhesive layer, etc.).

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a reader / writer unit 15 is provided that reads the information carried on the NFC tag 51 provided on the tape cassette 50 and rewrites (updates) the information as appropriate. The reader / writer unit 15 is located within the printing device 1 and is positioned to read data such as the remaining tape amount carried on the NFC tag 51 when the tape cassette 50 is stored inside the device body (device housing). The information read by the reader / writer unit 15 is sent to the control unit 10. In addition, when printing is performed by the printing device 1 and the remaining amount of tape 5 loaded in the device decreases, or when tape 5 (first tape 5a) is replaced and a new tape 5 (second tape 5b) is loaded into the device, the reader / writer unit 15 writes the information to the NFC tag 51 of the tape cassette 50 as appropriate.

[0023] The control unit 10 includes a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Furthermore, the memory unit 11 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), which are not shown, as well as FLASH® memory (Flash memory), which is a non-volatile semiconductor memory that functions as ROM and RAM. The control unit 10 and the memory unit 11 constitute a computer, and the control unit 10 loads various programs stored in ROM or the like into the RAM's work area and executes them, thereby integrally controlling the operation of each part of the printing device 1.

[0024] Specifically, the control unit 10 works in cooperation with a program (for example, a print processing application program) to realize various functions necessary for the printing device 1 to perform printing. Each function of the control unit 10 may be implemented by the control unit 10 executing a program (software), or it may be implemented by a dedicated module (hardware).

[0025] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the operation of the display unit 4, the printing mechanism 7, the transport mechanism 8, and the cutting mechanism 9, and appropriately acquires input information received from the input unit 3 and tag information read by the reader / writer unit 15.

[0026] Furthermore, the control unit 10 functions as a remaining tape detection means that detects the remaining tape length of the tape 5 currently loaded in the device (referred to as "the first tape 5a") based on the tag information read by the reader / writer unit 15. When tape 5 is consumed by printing, the control unit 10 calculates the current tape length (remaining tape length) by subtracting the consumed amount from the tape length before printing (remaining tape length). The current remaining tape length obtained in this way is written to the NFC tag 51 by the reader / writer unit 15 based on the control of the control unit 10 as described above. Therefore, the information carried on the NFC tag 51 is overwritten with the latest information as needed, and the updated latest information is read by the reader / writer unit 15.

[0027] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 generates print data based on input information acquired from the input unit 3, etc., and functions as a print data providing means that provides the print data to the printing mechanism 7, which is a printing means.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 10 also functions as a calculation means for determining the tape length (print length) of the tape 5 necessary for printing the print data. That is, once the content to be printed (for example, the string "○○□ Corporation" in the example shown in Figure 4) is determined based on user input information, the control unit 10 derives the print length (the length of the tape 5 required to print the string) determined from the print data for printing that content. Furthermore, even with the same string of characters, the required tape length will differ depending on the font and arrangement of the characters (such as how much space to leave between each character). Therefore, the control unit 10, acting as a calculation means, determines the required tape length (print length) in light of various setting conditions.

[0029] When the "tape length required for printing print data" calculated by the control unit 10 serving as calculation means is larger than the tape length corresponding to the remaining tape amount of the "first tape 5a" detected by the remaining amount detection means, the control unit 10 serving as print data providing means sets a "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" (see FIG. 5(a)), and provides "first print data" for performing printing at least up to the "print limit point P" among the print data to the printing mechanism 7 serving as printing means.

[0030] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when it is desired to print the character string "XX□ Co., Ltd.", if the remaining amount of the "first tape 5a" is larger than the tape length (print length) required for printing derived in consideration of the character font, layout, and the like, the entire character string "XX□ Co., Ltd." can be printed on the "first tape 5a" currently loaded in the printing apparatus 1. Therefore, the control unit 10 serving as print data providing means outputs the entire print data of the character string "XX□ Co., Ltd." to the printing mechanism 7.

[0031] On the other hand, when the remaining amount of the "first tape 5a" is insufficient to print the entire character string "XX□ Co., Ltd." (for example, in the example shown in FIG. 5(a), only enough tape 5 for printing up to the left half of the character "kai" in "XX□ Co., Ltd." remains), the control unit 10 sets the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a". The details of the "print limit point P" will be described later. Then, the control unit 10 serving as print data providing means outputs, among the print data, the "first print data" for performing printing at least up to the "print limit point P" to the printing mechanism 7, and causes printing up to the "print limit point P" to be performed on the "first tape 5a". When printing on the "first tape 5a" is completed, the control unit 10 controls the display of the display unit 4 to prompt the user to replace the tape with a new tape 5 (referred to as a "second tape 5b" hereinafter).

[0032] In this embodiment, when a tape is replaced, for example, the reader / writer unit 15 reads the NFC tag 51 of the newly loaded tape cassette 50, thereby replacing the "first tape 5a" and the control unit 10 detects that a new tape 5 ("second tape 5b") has been loaded into the device body. In other words, the control unit 10 also functions as a tape replacement detection means that detects that the "first tape 5a" has been replaced with a new "second tape 5b". Then, when the control unit 10, acting as a tape replacement detection means, detects that the "second tape 5b" has been loaded into the device body, the control unit 10, acting as a print data provision means, outputs the "second print data," which is the data that should be printed at least from the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" onwards, to the printing mechanism 7, causing the printing mechanism 7 to print on the "second tape 5b" according to the "second print data."

[0033] The storage unit 11 of this embodiment (for example, a FLASH memory as the storage unit 11) stores a program for printing to the tape 5 (such as the program's source code), various data necessary for program execution (for example, character data composed of several types of fonts (Kanji, Katakana, Hiragana, Alphabet, Numbers, etc.), data such as symbols and figures, spacing between figures and characters, margins of a predetermined width, and various other data necessary for printing). If there is user-created data, the user-created data is also stored in the storage unit 11.

[0034] The printing control method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 12(a) and 12(b). Furthermore, if the remaining amount of tape 5 loaded in the printer 1 is shorter than the tape length (print length) required to print the print data (i.e., "remaining tape amount < print length"), there are several possible solutions. The printer 1 may use one of these solutions, or the user may be able to select which solution to use in the input unit 3, etc. The following explains how to handle the situation.

[0035] <Method 1> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the print control process according to the first method of handling the issue (referred to as Method 1), and Figures 4 to 6(a) and 6(b) illustrate the print results when the print control process shown in Figure 3 is used.

[0036] In this embodiment, when a user inputs characters or other information to be printed on tape 5 from the input unit 3, the input content (input information) is acquired by the control unit 10, and as shown in Figure 3, the control unit 10 generates print data based on the input information (step S1). The control unit 10 then uses a calculation means to determine the tape length (print length) of the tape 5 ("first tape 5a") necessary for printing according to the print data (step S2).

[0037] The reader / writer unit 15 also reads the remaining tape amount of the "first tape 5a" from the NFC tag 51 as needed and sends the reading result (tag information) to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 receives the tag information from the reader / writer unit 15 and, as a remaining amount detection means, detects the remaining tape amount of the "first tape 5a" loaded in the printing device 1 (device body) (step S3).

[0038] Once the remaining tape amount and the print length (tape length) are determined, the control unit 10 determines whether the remaining tape amount is equal to or greater than the print length (tape length) (step S4). Then, if the remaining tape length is equal to or greater than the print length (tape length) (step S4; YES), the control unit 10 outputs print data to the printing mechanism 7 so that all the characters to be printed are printed on the "first tape 5a," and the printing mechanism 7 performs the printing process based on the print data (step S5). As a result, a label L (see Figure 4, for example) with the strings desired by the user (for example, the string "○○□ Corporation") printed on it is formed. Here, even if the remaining tape length and the print length (tape length) are equal, it is treated as "step S4; YES" because it is possible to print all the characters according to the print data on the "first tape 5a." However, if the remaining tape length and the print length (tape length) are equal, printing will be done without any margins (borders, etc.), so it may also be treated as "step S4; NO."

[0039] When the printing process is performed, the control unit 10 subtracts the length of the tape 5 (first tape 5a) consumed by printing (i.e., the printing length) from the remaining tape length before printing (step S6). The control unit 10 also determines whether all printing is complete (step S7). If printing is complete (step S7; YES), the reader / writer unit 15 writes the latest remaining tape length, obtained by subtracting the amount of tape 5 consumed by printing (print length), to the NFC tag 51, updating the tag information to the latest version (step S8), and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if printing is not yet complete (step S7; NO), the process returns to step S4 and the subsequent steps are repeated.

[0040] In contrast to the above, if the remaining tape amount is not greater than or equal to the print length (tape length) (that is, when the remaining tape amount is insufficient, step S4: NO), the control unit 10 serving as print data providing means sets the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" (see FIG. 5(a) and the like) (step S9). Then, the control unit 10 outputs print data ("first print data") for performing printing up to said "print limit point P" for said "first tape 5a" to the printing mechanism 7, and controls the printing mechanism 7 to execute print processing in accordance with the print data ("first print data") (step S10).

[0041] Here, the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" is the limit point at which printing on the "first tape 5a" is performed. In Method 1, the "print limit point P" is, for example, the end position of the "first tape 5a" as shown in FIG. 5(a). In the example shown in FIG. 5(a), even if printing is performed up to the end position of the "first tape 5a", the remaining tape only suffices to print up to the left half of the character "会" (kai) in the character string "○○□ Co., Ltd.". The print data is constituted of individual data in which one character of character data such as "会" and "社" (sha) is taken as one unit, and it is preferable that data is transmitted in units of one unit without transmitting data up to half of one unit. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5(a), print data for printing up to "○○□ Kabukikai" is output to the printing mechanism 7 as print data to be printed on the "first tape 5a" ("first print data"). However, in this case, no printing is performed after the right half of the character "会" because there is no tape 5 there, resulting in the state as shown in FIG. 5(a).

[0042] When printing is completed using the "first print data" up to the "print limit point P" of the "first tape 5a" (the end of tape 5 in the example shown in Figure 5(a)), the control unit 10 controls the display unit 4 to display a message prompting the user to replace tape 5 (the tape cassette 50 containing the "first tape 5a") (step S11). Note that the message prompting the user to replace the tape is not limited to being displayed on the display unit 4. For example, if the printing device 1 communicates with an external terminal device such as a smartphone, the message may be displayed on the display unit of the terminal device separately from, or in conjunction with, the display on the display unit 4 of the printing device 1. Also, if the printing device 1 is equipped with an audio output unit such as a speaker, the message may be output to the user by providing voice guidance from the audio output unit.

[0043] The control unit 10 determines whether or not a tape has been changed at any given time (step S12). In this embodiment, when a new tape 5, the "second tape 5b," is loaded into the printing device 1 (the main body of the printing device 1), the reader / writer unit 15 reads the NFC tag 51 attached to the tape cassette 50. The tag information read by the reader / writer unit 15 is sent to the control unit 10, so the control unit 10 can detect from this tag information that the "first tape 5a" has been replaced and a new "second tape 5b" has been loaded into the main body of the device. Until it is detected that the tape has been changed (step S12; NO), the control unit 10 repeats the decision process in step S12.

[0044] When a tape change is detected (step S12; YES), the control unit 10, acting as a print data provision means, outputs the "second print data," which is data that should be printed at least from the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" onwards, to the printing mechanism 7, and controls the operation of the printing mechanism 7 to print on the "second tape 5b" according to the "second print data" (step S13). In this case, printing on the "second tape 5b" is performed without a margin at the beginning of the print (i.e., without the margin portion that is normally provided at the beginning of the print), as shown in Figure 5(b), for example.

[0045] Furthermore, even if the "first print data" is configured to print up to "XX□ Co., Lt", as in the example shown in Fig. 5(a), the right half of the letter "t" is not printed due to insufficient tape length. In this case, the "second print data" to be printed on the "second tape 5b" is data for printing the character string "Ltd" including the incompletely printed letter "t". When printing is performed on the "first tape 5a", the control unit 10 grasps whether a part of one unit of data (one character in the case of characters) is missing at the "print limit point P" which is the limit point of printing. If a part is missing, the "second print data" for printing on the "second tape 5b" includes the print data for the one unit that is partially missing.

[0046] When the "first tape 5a" is printed in accordance with the "first print data" and the "second tape 5b" is printed in accordance with the "second print data", print results as shown in Figs. 5(a) and 5(b) are obtained. As shown in Fig. 6(b), the user overlaps and adheres the leading end of the "second tape 5b" (the portion where the left part of "t" is printed) onto the trailing end of the "first tape 5a" (that is, the left part of "t" extra-printed at the trailing end of the "first tape 5a"), thereby generating a label L with no unnatural gap between characters as shown in Fig. 6(b).

[0047] When printing is performed on the "second tape 5b", the control unit 10 subtracts the length (that is, the print length) of the tape 5 ("second tape 5b") consumed by printing from the remaining tape amount before printing (step S6), and performs subsequent processing. The processing after step S7 is the same as that described for the "first tape 5a", so the description thereof is omitted.

[0048] <Method 2> Next, Figs. 7(a), 7(b), 8(a), and 8(b) exemplify print results obtained when print control processing is performed according to a second correspondence method (referred to as Method 2). In Method 2, unlike Method 1, the "printing limit point P" (the limit point for performing printing on the "first tape 5a") on the "first tape 5a" is set to a position a predetermined distance before the end position of the "first tape 5a". It should be noted that the predetermined distance in this case may be arbitrarily set.

[0049] For example, in the example shown in Fig. 7(a), even if printing is performed up to the end position of the tape 5, the remaining tape length of the "first tape 5a" is only sufficient to print up to the left half of the character "会" in the character string "○○□ Co., Ltd.". In such a case, when the entirety of the individual data (data with one character of character data as one unit) constituting the print data cannot be printed, the individual data portion is not included in the "first print data". That is, in this case, the control unit 10 serving as print data providing means sets the "printing limit point P" before the character "会" (between the characters "式" and "会"), and outputs print data for printing the character string up to "○○□ Co., Ltd" to the printing mechanism 7 as print data to be printed on the "first tape 5a" ("first print data"). By avoiding printing the portion after the "printing limit point P" (the portion shown in gray in Fig. 7(a)), unnecessary printing can be eliminated. It should be noted that the specification may also be such that printing is performed as long as there is remaining tape 5 after the "printing limit point P". In this case, the extra printed portion may be used as a reference when bonding the printed portion on the "first tape 5a" and the printed portion on the "second tape 5b" together.

[0050] Further, in this case, the printing mechanism 7 is caused to print a cut mark M (see Fig. 7(a)), which is an index indicating the "printing limit point P". By printing the cut mark M, as shown in Fig. 8(a), it serves as a mark for the cutting position when the user cuts the extra end portion on the tape end side with scissors or the like when producing the label L. Therefore, the user can easily cut the tape 5 (first tape 5a) at an appropriate position.

[0051] Then, the print data that could not be printed on the "first tape 5a" (data for printing the word "Company" which should have been printed after cut mark M in Figures 7(a) and 7(b)) is output to the printing mechanism 7 as "second print data". The printing mechanism 7 prints on the "second tape 5b" according to this "second print data". In this case as well, when printing on the "second tape 5b," the printing is performed without the margin portion that is normally provided at the beginning of the tape. As a result, as shown in Figure 8(b), the printed portion on the "first tape 5a" and the printed portion on the "second tape 5b" can be joined together without overlapping after the unnecessary portion at the end of the tape has been cut off. Therefore, the finished label L has a clean finish without any steps or unevenness. It is not mandatory to cut the end of the "first tape 5a" at the cut mark M. For example, the portion after the cut mark M can be left uncut, and the "second tape 5b" can be placed on top of that portion and joined together. In this case, the cut mark M serves as a guide for the joining position.

[0052] Furthermore, the "first print data" for printing on the "first tape 5a" may also include data for printing the portion beyond the "print limit point P" shown in gray in Figure 7(a), etc. In this way, if the first print data is used to print beyond the "print limit point P" to the end of the "first tape 5a" or its vicinity, the portion printed beyond the "print limit point P" will overlap with the portion printed on the "second tape 5b." However, this is not a problem because it will be hidden when the ends of the two tapes are overlapped and joined together. Furthermore, the overlapping portion serves as a guide for the joining position of the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b," even if, for example, the cut mark M is not printed, allowing the two tapes to be neatly joined together and easily form a single continuous label L.

[0053] <Method 3> Next, FIGS. 9(a), 9(b) and FIGS. 10(a), 10(b) illustrate examples of printing results obtained by printing control processing according to a third correspondence method (referred to as method 3). In method 3, similarly to method 2, the "printing limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" (the limit point at which printing on the "first tape 5a" is performed) is set to a position that is a predetermined distance closer to the starting end than the terminal end position of the "first tape 5a".

[0054] In method 3, the "printing limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" is set, in print data, at a location closest to the terminal end of the "first tape 5a" among blank portions where there is no portion requiring printing in the tape width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the "first tape 5a", and at which printing on the "first tape 5a" is possible. In this case, the "blank portion" is preferably a portion corresponding to a delimiter between individual data constituting the print data. By making the "blank portion" correspond to delimiters between individual data, character breaks and the like can be used as the "blank portion" for setting the "printing limit point P", and it is possible to reliably prevent characters from being cut off in the middle.

[0055] For example, in the case of the Japanese character "株", there is a gap between the left radical portion and the right component portion. Therefore, when there is sufficient remaining tape capacity to print up to the left radical portion, it is also conceivable to set the "printing limit point P" between the left radical portion and the right component portion, and cause only the left radical portion to be printed on the "first tape 5a". However, in a case where a single character is formed by combining a radical and a component as described above, if the radical portion and the component portion are printed separately on the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b", there is a risk that the balance between characters and the overall balance of the character may become unnatural or misaligned. If the balance of characters is disrupted or misalignment occurs in the middle of a character, there is a possibility that a beautiful finish will not be obtained when the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b" are bonded together to complete the label L.

[0056] Therefore, in print data, it is preferable to treat the data that makes up a single character as a single unit of individual data, and to avoid splitting the individual data for printing. Furthermore, a series of words such as "stocks" and "company" may be treated as a single individual data item so as not to be interrupted in the middle. For example, if the entire character up to "kai" can be printed, but the right half of "sha" cannot be printed, the control unit 10 may designate the gap between "stocks" and "company" as a "margin area" and set the "print limit point P" there.

[0057] In addition, in the case of Method 3, as in the case of Method 2, a cut mark M indicating the "print limit point P" is printed. As a result, as shown in Figure 10(a), the cut mark M serves as a guide when cutting the unnecessary portion at the end of the "first tape 5a," making it easy to cut the "first tape 5a" at the correct position. Also, similar to Method 2, the print data that could not be printed on the "first tape 5a" (data for printing the word "Company" which should have been printed after cut mark M in Figures 9(a) and 7(b)) is output to the printing mechanism 7 as "second print data". The printing mechanism 7 prints on the "second tape 5b" according to this "second print data". In this case as well, when printing on the "second tape 5b", the printing is performed without the margin portion that is normally provided at the beginning of the tape.

[0058] Then, by bonding the printed portion of the "first tape 5a" (see Figure 10(a)) and the printed portion of the "second tape 5b" (see Figure 9(b)), a clean label L can be formed without any breaks or misalignments in the text. In this case as well, by separating the "first tape 5a" from the cut mark M onwards and sticking the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b" together, it is possible to form a label L with a clean finish without any steps (unevenness).

[0059] <Method 4> Furthermore, Figures 11(a), 11(b), 12(a), and 12(b) illustrate the printing results when using the fourth method of handling (referred to as Method 4) for print control processing. In Method 4, similar to Methods 2 and 3, the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" (the limit point where printing on the "first tape 5a" is performed) is set to a position a predetermined distance before the end of the "first tape 5a," and a cut mark M indicating the "print limit point P" is printed. Note that the printing on "Tape 5a (First Tape)" is the same as in Methods 2 and 3, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0060] In Method 4, the "second print data" for printing on the "second tape 5b" is set to be data for printing starting from a predetermined distance before the portion of data that was not printed on the "first tape 5a". In other words, as shown in Figure 11(b), for example, printing is performed starting from the margin or the "formula" character shown in gray in the figure, before the word "company" which was not printed on the "first tape 5a". In this case, it is preferable to have the printing mechanism 7 print the cut mark M on the "second tape 5b" immediately before the word "company" (the "blank area" which is the demarcation point from the previous individual data) (see Figure 11(b)).

[0061] In method 4, the cut mark M printed on the "second tape 5b" serves as a guide for joining. That is, for example, as shown in Figure 12(a), the part of the "first tape 5a" from the cut mark M onwards is cut off with scissors or the like, and this is then placed on top of the "second tape 5b" so as to hide the cut mark M, thereby forming a continuous label L as shown in Figure 12(b). In this case, as with Method 1, there will be overlapping printed areas on the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b," but this is not a problem because the overlapping areas are hidden and become invisible when the tapes are joined together. Also, even if the cut mark M is not printed on the "second tape 5b," this overlapping area serves as a guide for where to join the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b." Therefore, the two can be neatly joined together to easily form a single continuous label L.

[0062] In the case of Method 4, the cut marks M printed on the "second tape 5b" are not only used as a guide for joining the tapes. The cut marks M printed on the "second tape 5b" may also be used as a guide when cutting. For example, as shown in Figure 12(a), by cutting off the part of the "first tape 5a" from the cut marks M onwards with scissors, and cutting off the part of the "second tape 5b" from the cut marks M onwards with scissors, and then joining the printed part of the "first tape 5a" (see Figure 12(a)) and the printed part of the "second tape 5b" (see the part from the cut marks M onwards in Figure 11(b)), a clean label L can be formed without any breaks or misalignments in the middle of the letters. By joining the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b" after cutting off the unnecessary parts in this way, it is possible to form a label L with a clean finish without any steps (unevenness).

[0063] By printing in this manner, even when the remaining tape on the tape 5 loaded in the printing device 1 ("first tape 5a") is low, the tape 5 can be combined with the tape 5 after replacement ("second tape 5b") to form a single label L, thereby making the tape 5 as efficient and waste-free as possible.

[0064] As described above, according to this embodiment, in a printing apparatus 1 comprising a printing mechanism 7 which is a printing means for printing on a strip-shaped tape 5 loaded in the main body of the apparatus according to print data, and a control unit 10 which functions as a printing data providing means for providing print data to the printing mechanism 7, as well as a remaining amount detection means for detecting the remaining amount of tape on the "first tape 5a" loaded in the main body of the apparatus, and a calculation means for determining the tape length of tape 5 necessary for printing print data, if the print length (tape length necessary for printing print data) determined by the calculation means is greater than the tape length corresponding to the remaining amount of tape on the "first tape 5a" detected by the remaining amount detection means, the control unit 10 as a printing data providing means sets a "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" and provides the printing mechanism with first print data for printing at least up to the "print limit point P" of the print data. This allows the tape 5 loaded in the printing device 1 ("first tape 5a") to be used as efficiently as possible, even when the remaining tape is low, by combining it with the tape 5 after replacement ("second tape 5b") to form a single label L.

[0065] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 also functions as a tape replacement detection means that detects when the "first tape 5a" has been replaced and a new "second tape 5b" has been loaded into the device body. When the control unit 10, as a tape replacement detection means, detects that the "second tape 5b" has been loaded into the device body, the control unit 10, as a print data provision means, provides the printing mechanism 7 with "second print data," which is data from the print data that should be printed at least from the "print limit point P" of the "first tape 5a" onwards. The printing mechanism 7 then performs printing on the "second tape 5b" according to the "second print data." Therefore, it is possible to automatically detect when the tape has been changed to "the second tape 5b," saving the user the trouble of manual input. Furthermore, the "second tape 5b" can print the portion that could not be printed on the "first tape 5a," and when the printed portion of the "first tape 5a" and the printed portion of the "second tape 5b" are joined together, a clean label L can be formed. In addition, since the new tape 5 ("second tape 5b") prints from where the "first tape 5a" left off, the consumption of tape 5 ("second tape 5b") can also be reduced.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Method 3 of the above embodiment, it is preferable that the "print limit point P" on the "first tape 5a" is set to a location that is printable on the "first tape 5a" and is closest to the end of the "first tape 5a," among the "margin areas" where there are no areas requiring printing in the tape width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the "first tape 5a" in the print data. This method prevents characters from being cut off during printing.

[0067] In this case, it is preferable that the "margin area" corresponds to the boundary between individual data items that make up the print data. This prevents the separation of characters or other elements from being printed across "the first tape 5a" and "the second tape 5b," which would result in an unnatural appearance when the labels are joined together on a single label L.

[0068] Furthermore, when printing a cut mark M, which serves as an indicator of the "print limit point P," using the printing mechanism 7, the unnecessary portion can be easily cut off when joining the "first tape 5a" and the "second tape 5b." It can also be used as a guide for the position when joining them.

[0069] Furthermore, the "first print data" may be data for printing beyond the "print limit point P" to the end of the "first tape 5a" or its vicinity. In this case, the excessively printed portion can be used as a position reference when bonding a "second tape 5b", on which the portion that could not be completely printed on the "first tape 5a" is printed, to the first tape.

[0070] Alternatively, the "second print data" may be data for starting printing at a position a predetermined distance before the data portion that was not printed on the "first tape 5a". In this case, for example as shown in Method 4 of the embodiment, by overlapping and bonding the "first tape 5a" onto the excessively printed portion of the "second tape 5b", the overlapping portion serves as a reference for the bonding position, making it easy to align the positions accurately and perform the bonding neatly.

[0071] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment, the remaining amount of the "first tape 5a" is managed using the NFC tag 51, so that the reader / writer unit 15 can acquire the latest remaining tape amount. However, the method for managing and acquiring the remaining tape amount is not limited to the NFC tag 51. The present invention can be widely applied to any means that can update data so that the latest remaining tape amount can be acquired at any time, such as various tags that can store data in a rewritable manner.

[0073] Further, for example, in the above embodiment, even when there is a gap between the left radical portion and the right component portion of a character such as the Japanese character "株", if the two portions form an integral character, the example configuration is such that the tape 5 to be printed is not split between the left radical portion and the right component portion; that is, when only the left radical portion can be printed, the entire character is not printed on the current tape, and the entire character is printed on the tape after replacement. However, the method of print processing is not limited to this. For example, only the left radical of the character "株" may be printed on the terminal end of the "first tape 5a", and the right radical of the character may be printed on the leading end of the "second tape 5b", and the two tapes may be bonded together. That is, in this case, a "print limit point P" is set between the left radical portion and the right radical portion of an integrated character. In such a case, it is preferable to display such a content as a message on the display unit 4 or the like to ask the user for confirmation.

[0074] Further, for example, the case where the printing apparatus 1 performs printing independently has been illustrated, where the printing apparatus 1 includes the input unit 3 and the like, input of print data and the like are performed in the printing apparatus 1, and all various arithmetic processes are also performed by the control unit 10 of the printing apparatus 1. However, the print control process is not limited to the case where it is completed only by the printing apparatus 1. For example, when the printing apparatus 1 can communicate with external devices such as various terminal devices and information processing devices, the print control process may be performed in cooperation with such external devices. In this case, programs for executing various processes are stored in a storage unit or the like of the external device. Further, when the printing apparatus 1 cooperates with various external devices, various inputs may be performed via an input unit of the external device. Also, various displays may be performed on a display unit of the external device. In this case, the printing apparatus 1 side does not need to include the input unit 3 or the display unit 4.

[0075] Several embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof. Description of Reference Signs

[0076] 1 Printing apparatus 3 Input unit 4 Display unit 5 Tape 50 Tape cassette 51 NFC tag 7 Printing mechanism 8 Conveyance mechanism 9 Cutting mechanism 10 Control unit 11 Storage unit 15 Leader / Writer Section L Label M Cut Mark P printing limit point

Claims

1. A print data providing means that provides print data to a printing means, A printing means for printing on a strip of tape loaded into the main body of the device according to the print data, A remaining amount detection means for detecting the remaining amount of tape on the first tape loaded in the main body of the device, A calculation means for determining the tape length of the tape necessary to print the aforementioned print data, Equipped with, The print data providing means sets a print limit point, which is the limit point for printing on the first tape, when the tape length required to print the print data determined by the calculation means is greater than the tape length corresponding to the remaining tape amount of the first tape detected by the remaining amount detection means, and provides the printing means with first print data from the print data to be printed up to at least the print limit point. The printing means prints an indicator showing the printing limit point. A printing apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The print limit point on the first tape is set to a location in the print data where there are no areas requiring printing in the tape width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the first tape, where printing on the first tape is possible, and which is closest to the end of the first tape. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The device further comprises tape replacement detection means for detecting when the first tape has been replaced and a new second tape has been loaded into the device body, When the tape replacement detection means detects that the second tape has been loaded into the device body, the print data providing means provides the print means with the second print data, which is data from the print data that should be printed at least from the print limit point of the first tape onwards. The printing means performs printing on the second tape according to the second print data. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The first print data is data for printing beyond the print limit point to the end of the first tape or its vicinity. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The second print data is data for printing from a predetermined distance before the portion of the data that was not printed on the first tape. The printing apparatus according to feature 3.

6. A printing control method performed by a printing apparatus, Provide print data to the printing method, When printing on a strip of tape loaded into the device body according to the print data, The remaining tape length of the first tape loaded in the device body is detected, Determine the tape length required to print the aforementioned print data. If the tape length of the tape deemed necessary to print the print data is greater than the tape length corresponding to the remaining tape amount of the detected first tape, a print limit point is set on the first tape, which is the limit point for printing on the first tape, and the printing means is provided with first print data for printing at least up to the print limit point, thereby controlling the printing means to print an indicator showing the print limit point. A printing control method characterized by the following:

7. A computer, A print data provision function that provides print data to a printing means that prints on a strip of tape loaded into the main body of the device, A remaining tape amount detection function that detects the remaining amount of tape on the first tape loaded in the main unit of the device, A calculation function for determining the tape length of the tape necessary to print the aforementioned print data, To make it happen, The print data provision function, when the tape length required by the calculation function to print the print data is greater than the tape length corresponding to the remaining tape amount of the first tape detected by the remaining tape amount detection function, sets a print limit point, which is the limit point for printing on the first tape, and provides the printing means with first print data for printing at least up to the print limit point, thereby controlling the printing means to print an indicator indicating the print limit point. A program characterized by the following features.

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