Tape Printer Display Block Break Lines and Sequence Numbers

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Solution Overview

Problem

The limited display area of liquid crystal displays in tape printers makes it difficult for users to distinguish and manage multiple blocks of text, leading to potential errors in editing the wrong block.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating block break lines and numbers on the display to indicate block sequences, along with scrolling functionality and cursor management to enhance display efficiency and user interaction, allowing users to easily identify which block is being displayed and preventing editing mistakes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the display area is kept small to maintain a compact printer design, then the printer size is reduced, but the user cannot easily distinguish and manage multiple blocks of text

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay areaVSAvoidblock identification
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display area is segmented into multiple functional zones: a main display area for showing text content and a side display area for showing block numbers and block break lines. This segmentation allows the system to provide comprehensive information without requiring a large overall display area, thus maintaining compact printer size while improving block identification ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If block numbers and break lines are displayed to improve block identification, then the user can easily determine which block is being displayed, but the available space for text display is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblock identificationVSAvoidtext display space
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes a two-dimensional display layout where block numbers are positioned in one dimension (side display area) and text content is positioned in another dimension (main display area). This dimensional arrangement allows both block identification information and text content to be displayed simultaneously without significantly reducing the text display space, as they occupy different spatial dimensions on the display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the display shows more information about blocks, then editing errors are prevented, but the display becomes more complex and harder to read

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveediting accuracyVSAvoiddisplay complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different parts of the display are assigned different functions with distinct visual characteristics. The main display area shows text content with standard formatting, while the side display area shows block numbers and break lines with distinct visual styling. This local differentiation allows the display to provide comprehensive information for editing accuracy while maintaining visual clarity and reducing overall complexity through functional specialization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2711189B1Printer
Publication Date: 2015.09.09 BROTHER KOGYO KK
  • EP2711189B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2711189B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2711189B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A plurality of blocks are displayed in an arraying direction on a display (5) of a printer (1). A block break line (862, 863, 864, 85) is displayed between adjacent blocks of the plurality of blocks. The block break line indicates a break position between the adjacent blocks of the plurality of blocks. A front end break line (861) is displayed in front of a front end block. A back end break line (866) is displayed in back of a back end block. Block numbers (89) are displayed above the block break line and the front end break line. The block numbers indicate sequence numbers of the plurality of blocks.