Printing Controller Mode Switching for Multi-Device Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In a printing apparatus, when multiple external devices transmit print data, the control mode set by one device can cause printed materials from another device to be interposed between printed materials, leading to poor usability and inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
The printing apparatus includes a controller that determines the control mode set by each external device, stores print data received from one device without printing if in continuous mode, and executes printing and cutting based on predetermined conditions, ensuring separation of printed materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the printing apparatus is connected to multiple external devices and receives print data from different devices, then the printing apparatus can serve multiple users and increase productivity, but printed materials from different external devices may be interposed between each other, reducing usability and convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous printing medium into separate printed materials by introducing cut marks between printed materials from different external devices. The controller identifies when a new external device transmits print data during continuous mode operation, stops continuous printing, inserts a cut mark, and then resumes or switches to usual mode printing. This segmentation ensures that printed materials from different external devices are physically separated, resolving the usability issue while maintaining the ability to serve multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The cut mark acts as an intermediary element between printed materials from different external devices. By inserting this visual separator, the system mediates the transition between different printing sources, making it clear where one external device's output ends and another begins. This intermediary marker solves the problem of interposed printed materials without requiring physical separation of the printing processes themselves.
2Productivity
If the control mode is set to continuous mode to generate multiple printed materials efficiently, then the printing speed increases and productivity improves, but the printed materials remain connected without separation, reducing usability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-planning where cut marks should be inserted based on metadata from external devices (such as external device ID, print data ID, or timestamp). Before actually inserting the cut mark, the controller analyzes the incoming print data to determine if it originates from a different external device than the current continuous printing source. This preliminary identification allows the system to maintain continuous printing flow while preparing for necessary separations, thus preserving productivity while ensuring proper separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing mode dynamically switches between continuous mode and usual mode based on the external device source. When the same external device continues to transmit print data, the system maintains continuous mode for high-speed printing. When a different external device's print data is detected, the system dynamically transitions to insert a cut mark and may switch to usual mode temporarily. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize for both productivity (continuous printing) and usability (proper separation) based on real-time conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller of a printing apparatus is configured to, in a case where first print data is received from a first external device, determine whether the control mode is set to a continuous mode by a selection instruction from a second external device. In a case where it is determined that the control mode is set to the continuous mode, the controller stores the first print data in the memory without printing based on the received first print data, and determines whether a predetermined condition for performing processing under a usual mode is satisfied, after storing the first print data in the second processing. In a case where it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the print head to print on a printing medium based on the first print data, and controls a cutter to cut the printed medium.