JP7722150B2 - Program and printing system - Google Patents

Description

The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a program for controlling a printer and a printing system.

Conventionally, printers that perform desired printing on sheets fed from an external source are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile printer in which a sheet fed from an external source is guided to a pressure contact section where a platen roller and a thermal line head are brought into pressure contact, the sheet is inserted into the pressure contact section by the rotation of the platen roller, and the thermal line head prints on the sheet inserted into the pressure contact section.

JP 2017-56704 A

In configurations like the printer mentioned above, where the sheet is sent out using a platen roller facing the thermal line head, it is necessary to leave a large unprintable area on the upstream and downstream sides of the sheet in the transport direction, and the minimum top and bottom margins tend to be large. This can easily lead to problems such as the image to be printed not fitting on a single sheet, with the bottom of the image not being printed or being printed on a second sheet.

This specification discloses technology that reduces the problems that occur when the image to be printed does not fit on a single sheet.

A program for solving the above-mentioned problems,
The computer of the information processing device
an acquisition process is executed to acquire a reverse rotation amount from a printer via a communication interface of the information processing device, the printer comprising a printing unit and a roller that faces and is pressed against the printing unit, and by rotating the roller in a first direction, the sheet can be inserted into the pressing portion between the printing unit and the roller and sent from the insertion side to the discharge side, the printer is further capable of setting the reverse rotation amount, and when the printer receives a print command, before starting printing, the printer rotates the roller in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction based on the set reverse rotation amount to send the sheet to the insertion side, and then rotates the roller in the first direction to start transporting the sheet to the discharge side, thereby starting printing of an image on the sheet;
Furthermore, the computer
a calculation process for calculating a print area in which a margin on an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the sheet in the printer is reduced and a length in the conveyance direction of the sheet in the printer is extended based on the reverse rotation amount acquired in the acquisition process;
a response process for responding to an application program installed in the information processing device with the print area calculated in the calculation process based on a request from the application program;
Execute
The present invention is characterized by being configured as follows.

The printer disclosed in this specification returns the sheet to the insertion side before printing begins based on the set reversal amount, allowing printing to begin higher on the sheet, resulting in a smaller upper margin. Therefore, the program disclosed in this specification obtains the reversal amount from the printer and responds to the application program with a print area with a smaller upper margin according to that reversal amount, i.e., a print area expanded in the sheet transport direction, making it easier for the image to be printed to fit on one page. As a result, there is less chance of problems occurring, such as the lower part of the image to be printed not being able to be printed or the image to be printed being printed across two pages.

The printing system that realizes the functions of the above device is also new and useful.

The technology disclosed in this specification makes it possible to reduce the problems that occur when the image to be printed does not fit on a single sheet.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the tablet. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen for adjusting a head position. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the printing device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the printing apparatus. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the minimum margins on the top, bottom, left, and right of a printing device, (B) is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the print area based on the print settings of an application and the actual print area by the printing device, and (C) is an explanatory diagram for explaining the print area after reverse feeding based on the setting values. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a printing process in the printing system. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a printing process in a printing system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a confirmation screen.

(First embodiment)
An embodiment of a printing system according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing system according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the printing system 1 is composed of a tablet computer (hereinafter referred to as "tablet") 10 and a printing device 30. The tablet 10 is an example of an information processing device. Instead of the tablet 10, for example, a smartphone or a personal computer may be used. The tablet 10 and the printing device 30 can be powered by battery units 22, 51, which are composed of rechargeable batteries (described below), and are therefore portable, meaning they can be carried and used in various locations. The printing device 30 can be connected to the tablet 10 at its destination, and can print on printing paper 60 in response to instructions from the tablet 10. The printing device 30 is an example of a printer, and the printing paper 60 is an example of a sheet.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the tablet 10. Specifically, the tablet 10 has a control unit 11. The control unit 11 is responsible for central control of the tablet 10. The control unit 11 includes a CPU 12, ROM 13, and RAM 14. The CPU 12 is a central processing unit that executes various control programs. The ROM 13 stores various control programs executed by the CPU 12 as well as permanent data. The RAM 23 temporarily stores the results of calculations performed by the CPU 12 on the control programs. Note that the control unit 11 in Figure 2 is a general term that collectively refers to the hardware and software used to control the tablet 10, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists on the tablet 10.

The tablet 10 also has a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 15 connected to the control unit 11. In this embodiment, the communication IF 15 is configured as an interface conforming to a wireless LAN communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Alternatively, the communication IF 15 may be, for example, an interface conforming to a wired LAN communication standard or a USB communication standard. It may also be an interface conforming to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The tablet 10 also has a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "user IF") 16 connected to the control unit 11. In this embodiment, the user IF 16 is configured as a touch panel with display and operation reception functions. Alternatively, the user IF 16 may be configured as a combination of a display, such as an LCD display or organic EL display, that displays information, and a keyboard or mouse that receives input operations by the user.

The tablet 10 also has a storage device 17 connected to the control unit 11. The storage device 17 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 17 stores an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 18, an application program (hereinafter referred to as "app") 19, an adjustment amount setting application program (hereinafter referred to as "adjustment amount setting app") 20, and a printer driver 21.

The OS 18 may be, for example, Windows (registered trademark), MacOS (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), or Android (registered trademark).

App 19 is a program for executing processes for specific purposes. Specifically, it is a program that can, for example, accept images that will become image data, accept edits to those images, accept print settings, specify the printing device 30 that will perform printing, and accept instructions to perform printing via user IF 16. App 19 may also include various application programs such as a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, and a web browser program.

The adjustment amount setting app 20 is a program for setting various adjustment amounts for the printing device 30. When started by a user, it can display a head position adjustment screen 201 on the user IF 16, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. The head position adjustment screen 201 displays an adjustment amount setting field 202 for selecting the adjustment amount for head position adjustment, a set button 203, and an exit button 204 for exiting the program without setting a new head position adjustment amount.

The adjustment amount setting field 202 is configured as a pull-down menu, and by tapping on the adjustment amount setting field 202 via the user IF 16, it is possible to display a list of multiple setting values. When the user taps one of the listed setting values via the user IF 16, the tapped setting value is selected as the adjustment amount. When the user then taps on the setting button 203 via the user IF 16, the setting value selected as the adjustment amount is stored in the printing device 30. Note that the setting value options displayed in the adjustment amount setting field 202 are pre-installed in the adjustment amount setting app 20 to the extent that they are compatible with the printing device 30, and values that are not compatible with the printing device 30 are not displayed. Additionally, a positive setting value represents the transport amount of the print paper 60 in the printing direction (the transport direction of the print paper in the printing device 30, from the paper insertion side toward the paper ejection side), and a negative setting value represents the transport amount of the print paper 60 in the anti-printing direction (the transport direction of the print paper in the printing device 30, from the paper ejection side toward the paper insertion side), i.e., the reverse amount.

The printer driver 21 is a program related to printing using the printing system 1, and is a program used to control the printing device 30. For example, when the user issues a print request via the user IF 16 while the app 19 is running, the printer driver 21 is started. The printer driver 21 may also be started when the app 19 is started.

Then, the started printer driver 21 generates print data that is compatible with the printing device 30 based on the image data specified in the print instruction information. The printer driver 21 also sends a print job including the generated print data, print settings, etc. to the printing device 30.

Furthermore, when the app 19 inquires about the capabilities of the printing device 30, the printer driver 21 acquires the adjustment amount setting value from the printing device 30 and resets the size of the print area based on the acquired setting value. The printer driver 21 then sends the capability information of the printing device 30, including the reset print area, to the app 19.

The tablet 10 is equipped with a battery unit 22 composed of a rechargeable battery, which supplies power to the control unit 11 and other components.

Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the printing device. The printing device 30 includes a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing 31, made of, for example, a resin material, which forms the outer shell of the device. The top of the housing 31 is formed with an insertion slot 32 through which print paper 60 is inserted during printing, and a guide member 33 that forms a transport path extending diagonally downward from the insertion slot 32. A discharge slot 36 is also formed on one side of the housing 31. Furthermore, a platen roller 34 and a thermal line head 35 are disposed facing each other inside the printing device. Accordingly, print paper 60 inserted through the insertion slot 32 is guided along the transport path formed by the guide member 33 located below the insertion slot 32, and then guided to the opposing portion P between the platen roller 34 and the thermal line head 35. The print paper 60 is then transported toward the discharge slot 36 and discharged through the discharge slot 36. The thermal line head 35 is an example of a printing unit, and the platen roller 34 is an example of a roller.

The platen roller 34 is rotatably mounted inside the housing 31 and is driven to rotate by a drive motor 50 (described below) to transport the printing paper 60. The platen roller 34 is also configured so that its rotation direction can be switched. That is, when the platen roller 34 rotates clockwise in FIG. 4, i.e., in the first direction, the printing paper 60 is transported toward the discharge opening 36. When the platen roller 34 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 4, i.e., in the second direction, the printing paper 60 is fed backward toward the insertion opening 32.

The thermal line head 35 is mounted on a heat sink 38 that has a shaft member 37 at its rear end. The heat sink 38 is urged to rotate toward the thermal line head 35 by multiple coil springs 39. This allows the thermal line head 35 to be pressed against the platen roller 34. During printing, the thermal line head 35 contacts the platen roller 34 with a predetermined pressure, and the desired printing is performed on the printing paper 60 inserted between them.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printing device 30. That is, the printing device 30 includes a control unit 40, a storage device 41, and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 42.

The control unit 40 is responsible for central control of the printing device 30. The control unit 40 is equipped with a CPU 43, ROM 44, and RAM 45. The CPU 43 is a central processing unit that executes various control programs. The ROM 44 stores the various control programs executed by the CPU 43 and permanent data. The RAM 45 temporarily stores the results of calculations performed by the control programs by the CPU 43. Note that the control unit 40 in Figure 5 is a general term that collectively refers to the hardware and software used to control the printing device 30, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the printing device 30.

The storage device 41 can be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 41 has an adjustment amount storage area 47. The adjustment amount storage area 47 stores the setting value set by the user on the head position adjustment screen 201 displayed on the user IF 16 of the tablet 10.

The communication IF 42 is configured as an interface conforming to a wireless LAN communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Alternatively, the communication IF 42 may be, for example, an interface conforming to a wired LAN communication standard or a USB communication standard. It may also be an interface conforming to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The printing device 30 also includes a thermal line head control circuit 48 and a motor drive circuit 49 connected to the control unit 40. The thermal line head control circuit 48 controls the drive of the thermal line head 35. The motor drive circuit 49 also controls the drive of the drive motor 50, which drives and rotates the platen roller 34.

The printing device 30 also includes a battery unit 51 composed of a rechargeable battery. The battery unit 51 supplies power to the thermal line head control circuit 48 and the motor drive circuit 49. The battery unit 51 also supplies power to the control unit 40 via a power supply circuit 52.

Incidentally, the printing device 30 has minimum top, bottom, and left and right margins set, for example, as shown in Figure 6(A), due to limitations such as the printing mechanism consisting of the thermal line head 35 and the transport mechanism consisting of the platen roller 34. Specifically, for example, in this printing device 30, the minimum top margin is set to "35 mm" and the minimum bottom margin is set to "30 mm." Here, "top" and "bottom" correspond to the upstream and downstream sides in the printing direction.

Figure 6 (B) shows the print area when the user sets the print settings of the app 19, for example, to "A4" as the paper size of the print paper 60, portrait as the document orientation, "30 mm" as the top margin 601, and "30 mm" as the bottom margin 602. Therefore, with these print settings, the length 603 of the print area in the print direction is "237 mm."

However, when actually printing on print paper 60 using printing device 30, the minimum top margin 604 of printing device 30 is 35 mm, so the length 605 of the print area in the actual printing direction is limited to 232 mm. Therefore, characters 606 located below the print area in Figure 6(B) created using application 19 may be printed with portions missing or printed on the second page. In other words, because the user sets the top margin 601 in the print settings of application 19 to a small value of 30 mm, which exceeds the minimum top margin 604 of printing device 30 (35 mm), an image located 5 mm below the print area in Figure 6(B) created using application 19, such as character 606, cannot be printed on the printing device 30 or will be printed on the second page unless some adjustment is made.

Next, the procedure for printing processing by the printing system 1 will be explained with reference to the chart shown in Figure 7. Note that in the chart shown in Figure 7, printing processing on the tablet 10 side is processed by the adjustment amount setting application 20, printer driver 21, and application 19, but printing processing on the tablet 10 side is mainly processed by the printer driver 21.

First, before printing an image on printing paper 60 using the printing device 30, the user launches the adjustment amount setting app 20 on the tablet 10 (step 10) (hereinafter referred to as T10). When the adjustment amount setting app 20 is launched, it displays a head position adjustment screen 201 on the user IF 16, as shown in Figure 3 (T11).

When the user taps one of the multiple setting values displayed in the adjustment amount setting field 202 on the leading position adjustment screen 201 via the user IF 16, the feed amount setting app 20 selects the tapped setting value as the adjustment amount. When the user then taps the setting button 203 via the user IF 16 (T12), the adjustment amount setting app 20 sends the selected setting value to the printing device 30 as the adjustment amount. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, if "-10 mm" is selected in the adjustment amount setting field 202, the setting value "-10 mm" selected as the adjustment amount is sent to the printing device 30 (T13). This process is an example of a setting process, and the setting value is an example of a reversal amount.

In the printing device 30, the setting value transmitted from the tablet 10 is stored in the adjustment amount storage area 47 of the storage device 41 (T14). Specifically, in this embodiment, for example, the setting value "-10 mm" selected by the user as the adjustment amount is stored in the adjustment amount storage area 47.

In this embodiment, the user launches app 19 on tablet 10, and then launches adjustment amount setting app 20 to set the adjustment amount. However, it is also acceptable to launch adjustment amount setting app 20 independently of the launch status of app 19 and set the adjustment amount, and it is also acceptable to launch app 19 and adjustment amount setting app 20 in the reverse order.

Also, although not shown, prior to printing an image on printing paper 60 using printing device 30, the user launches app 19 on tablet 10 and then sets the print settings of app 19, for example, to "A4" as the paper size of printing paper 60, portrait orientation, top margin 601 to "30 mm," and bottom margin 602 to "30 mm." The user also inputs characters 606 as an image, for example, consisting of "ABC," via user IF 16 into the print area set in the print settings.

Although not shown, before using the printing device 30 to print an image on printing paper 60, the user inserts the printing paper 60 vertically through the insertion slot 32 formed on the top surface of the housing 31 and sets the printing paper 60 vertically in the printing device 30. The control unit 40 of the printing device 30 then controls the drive motor 50 via the motor drive circuit 49, causing the platen roller 34 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 4. As the platen roller 34 rotates, the leading edge of the printing paper 60 passes over the opposing portion P between the platen roller 34 and the thermal line head 35 and is transported toward the discharge port 36 opened on the side of the housing 31.

When the leading edge of the printing paper 60 passes the opposing portion P and the printing paper 60 is transported by the minimum top margin amount 604, i.e., 35 mm in this embodiment, the control unit 40 of the printing device 30 stops the drive motor 50 via the motor drive circuit 49, thereby stopping the rotation of the platen roller 34. In other words, in the printing device 30, transport of the printing paper 60 stops when the portion 35 mm from the leading edge of the printing paper 60 is sandwiched between the opposing portion P of the platen roller 34 and the thermal line head 35.

In this case, the transport amount of the printing paper 60 may be detected by a paper sensor (not shown) located on the guide member 33, or by the amount of rotation of the platen roller 34, i.e., the amount of rotation of the drive motor 50, or by a combination of the paper sensor and the amount of rotation of the platen roller 34.

After these preparations have been made, the user issues a print request instruction in app 19 to proceed with the printing process, for example by selecting the "Print" item displayed in the app 19 menu or by operating an icon displayed in app 19 corresponding to the print request (T20). This causes app 19 to launch printer driver 21. App 19 then queries printer driver 21 about the capabilities of the printing device 30 selected in app 19 (T21).

Next, upon receiving an inquiry about the capabilities of the printing device 30 from the application 19, the printer driver 21 inquires of the printing device 30 about the capabilities of the printing device 30, including the adjustment amount (T22). The printing device 30 then reads the setting value stored in the adjustment amount storage area 47 of the storage device 41 as the adjustment amount (T23), and then transmits information indicating the capabilities of the printing device 30, including the read adjustment amount, to the printer driver 21. In other words, the printer driver 21 acquires the adjustment amount, which is the setting value set by the adjustment amount setting application 20, from the printing device 30 as part of the information indicating the capabilities of the printing device 30 (T24). Specifically, in this embodiment, the printer driver 21 acquires, for example, the setting value "-10 mm" from the printing device 30 as the adjustment amount.

Next, the printer driver 21 resets the print area based on the adjustment amount acquired from the printing device 30 (T25). For example, if the printer driver 21 acquires a setting value of "-10 mm" as the adjustment amount from the printing device 30, it resets the modified top margin amount 608 to "25 mm", which is calculated by subtracting "10 mm" as the setting value 607 from "35 mm" as the minimum top margin amount 604. Note that this process is an example of a calculation process.

For example, if the user sets the adjustment amount to "+10 mm" in the adjustment amount setting field 202 on the start position adjustment screen 201, the printer driver 21 will obtain the adjustment amount setting value "+10 mm" from the printing device 30 and will reset the modified top margin to "45 mm," which is the minimum top margin 604 of "35 mm" plus the setting value "10 mm."

In this manner, in this embodiment, the printer driver 21 obtains the setting values from the printing device 30 at the timing when the user performs a print request instruction operation (T20) to proceed with the printing process. This makes it possible to obtain the latest setting values stored in the adjustment amount memory area 47 of the printing device 30 and to reset the print area based on the setting values. Therefore, the latest setting values set by the user can be reflected in the resetting of the print area, improving convenience.

Next, the printer driver 21 returns the capability information of the printing device 30, including the print area reset in T25, to the application 19 (T26). Note that this process is an example of response processing.

Next, the application 19, which has received the capability information of the printing device 30, changes the print settings based on the print area included in the received capability information (T27). Specifically, in this embodiment, for example, the top margin 601 initially set by the user in the print settings of the application 19 is changed from "30 mm" to "25 mm" as the changed top margin 608 included in the received capability information.

Next, the application 19 displays a preview screen on the user IF 16 of the tablet 10 based on the changed print settings and image data (T28). Then, when the user taps a predetermined position on the user IF 16 to instruct the application 19 to execute printing (T29), the application 19 sends print instruction information including the changed print settings and image data to the printer driver 21. In other words, the printer driver 21 receives the print instruction information including the changed print settings and image data (T30).

Next, the printer driver 21 generates print data compatible with the printing device 30 based on the image data specified in the print instruction information (T31). This process is an example of a generation process. The printer driver 21 then sends a print job including the generated print data, print settings, etc. to the printing device 30 (T32). This process is an example of a transmission process, and the print job is an example of a print command.

Next, before starting printing, the control unit 40 of the printing device 30 that received the print job rotates the platen roller 34 to transport the print paper 60 toward the insertion slot 32 or toward the ejection slot 36 based on the setting value stored in the adjustment amount memory area 47 of the memory device 41 (T33). Specifically, in this embodiment, the adjustment amount setting value is set to "-10 mm" in the adjustment amount memory area 47, so the control unit 40 rotates the platen roller 34 counterclockwise in FIG. 4, i.e., in the second direction, to transport the print paper 60 toward the insertion slot 32. Then, once the print paper 60 has been transported toward the insertion slot 32 by a length of "10 mm," the control unit 40 stops the rotation of the platen roller 34.

Then, in the printing device 30, the transport of the printing paper 60 stops when a portion 25 mm from the leading edge of the printing paper 60 is sandwiched between the opposing portion P of the platen roller 34 and the thermal line head 35.

If, for example, a setting value of "+10 mm" is set as the adjustment amount in the adjustment amount storage area 47, the control unit 40 rotates the platen roller 34 clockwise in FIG. 4 to transport the print paper 60 toward the discharge opening 36. Then, when the print paper 60 has been transported toward the discharge opening 36 by a length of "10 mm," the control unit 40 stops the rotation of the platen roller 34.

In this case, in the printing device 30, transport of the printing paper 60 stops when a portion 45 mm from the leading edge of the printing paper 60 is sandwiched between the opposing portion P of the platen roller 34 and the thermal line head 35. The transport amount of the printing paper 60 in this case may be detected by a paper sensor (not shown) disposed on the guide member 33, or by the amount of rotation of the platen roller 34, i.e., the amount of rotation of the drive motor 50, or by a combination of the paper sensor and the amount of rotation of the platen roller 34.

The printing device 30 then rotates the platen roller 34 clockwise in FIG. 4 to transport the print paper 60 toward the discharge port 36, while sequentially printing on the print paper 60 using the thermal line head 35 (T34). In this case, in this embodiment, printing begins 25 mm from the leading edge of the print paper 60, so the actual length 609 of the print area is 242 mm, as shown in FIG. 6(C). Therefore, the printing device 30 can print all images created using the app 19, including images positioned within 5 mm of the print area in FIG. 6(B).

In this way, the printing device 30 of this embodiment transports the print paper 60 toward the insertion slot 32 before printing begins based on the set value, allowing printing to begin closer to the leading edge of the print paper 60 and reducing the margin at the leading edge. Therefore, the transport amount setting app 20 of this embodiment accepts input of the set value, stores the input set value in the printing device 30, and the printer driver 21 reads the set value from the printing device 30 and responds to the app 19 with a print area with a reduced top margin according to the read set value, making it easier for the image to be printed to fit on one page. As a result, the possibility of problems occurring, such as the lower part of the image to be printed not being able to be printed or one page of image to be printed being printed across two pages, can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the printer driver 21 is configured to obtain setting values from the printing device 30 when the user issues a print request instruction (T20) to proceed with the printing process. However, this is not limiting. For example, the application 19 may also be configured to start the printer driver 21 when the user starts the application 19, and the printer driver 21 may obtain setting values from the printing device 30. In this case, the application 19 can set print settings based on the print area included in the capability information received from the printing device 30 upon startup. This allows the user to input an image into the print area based on the print settings, including adjustment values, improving convenience. In other words, the image can be properly input into the print area reconfigured based on the setting values obtained from the printing device 30, i.e., within the range that will fit on one page when actually printed. As a result, the possibility of problems occurring when inputting an image into the application 19, such as the lower portion of the image to be printed not being printed or one page of the image to be printed being printed across two pages, can be reduced.

Even if the setting values are configured to be acquired from the printing device 30 when the user launches the app 19, it is also possible to configure the setting values to be acquired again from the printing device 30 when the user issues a print request instruction (T20) to proceed with the printing process. In this case, the latest setting values set by the user can be reflected in the print area settings in a timely manner prior to the printing process, improving convenience.

In addition, the timing for obtaining the setting values from the printing device 30 may be when the margin setting screen is opened in the app 19, when an update request is received from the user, or when the printing device 30 is connected to the tablet 10.

Second Embodiment
8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the printing process in the printing system according to the second embodiment. The details will be explained below with reference to the drawings. In the explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components that have the same effects as those in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, when the printer driver 21 receives print instruction information including the changed print settings and image data (T30), it checks the size of the print area (T40). Specifically, the printer driver 21 checks the size of the print area based on the print settings included in the received print instruction information, the length 603 of the print area in the printing direction, and the actual length 609 of the print area.

Next, if the length 603 of the print area in the printing direction is the same as or smaller than the actual length 609 of the print area, the printer driver 21 determines that the size is acceptable (T41: YES) and, as in the first embodiment, sends a print job including the generated print data, print settings, etc. to the printing device 30 (T32).

Furthermore, if the length 603 of the print area in the printing direction is greater than the actual length 609 of the print area, the printer driver 21 determines that there is a problem with the size (T41: NO). The printer driver 21 then displays the confirmation screen 211 shown in FIG. 9 on the user IF 16 of the tablet 10 (T42). The confirmation screen 211 displays a guidance message 212, a continue button 213, and a cancel button 214.

Here, if the user taps the continue button 213, the printer driver 21 determines that printing should continue (T43: YES) and, as in the first embodiment, sends a print job including the generated print data, print settings, etc. to the printing device 30 (T32).

On the other hand, if the user taps the cancel button 214, the printer driver 21 determines that the printing should not continue, i.e., that the printing should be canceled (T43: NO), and then the printer driver 21 executes the print cancellation process (T44).

In this way, in this embodiment, a confirmation screen 211 is displayed on the user IF 16 of the tablet 10, allowing the user to select whether or not to cancel printing. Some users may want to continue printing even if it causes problems, and in such cases printing can be continued, improving convenience.

Furthermore, if the user further changes, for example, the changed top margin amount 608 after the setting values are acquired from the printing device 30 when the user launches the app 19, or after the app 19 changes the print settings at T27, there is a risk of problems occurring, such as the lower part of the image to be printed not being able to be printed, or one page of the image to be printed being printed across two pages. However, even in this case, in this embodiment, the confirmation screen 211 is displayed to alert the user, thereby reducing the possibility of printing being performed against the user's wishes.

Note that this embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present invention in any way. Naturally, therefore, the present invention can be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the tablet 10 and printing device 30 that make up the printing system 1 of this embodiment are not limited to one unit, and there may be multiple units.

In addition, in this embodiment, the setting values are configured using the adjustment amount setting app 20, but they may also be configured using the printer driver 21. Also, although the adjustment amount setting app 20 and the printer driver 21 are configured as separate application programs, the adjustment amount setting app 20 and the printer driver 21 may also be configured as a single application program.

In addition, in this embodiment, we have described a case where the user sets the top margin amount 601 to a value smaller than the minimum top margin amount 604, but it goes without saying that this can also be applied when the user sets the bottom margin amount 602 to a value smaller than the minimum bottom margin amount.

In addition, while this embodiment is applied to a portable printing device 30 equipped with a thermal line head 35, it goes without saying that it can be applied to a variety of printing devices, such as label printers, inkjet printers, and laser printers.

In addition, in this embodiment, cut paper is used as the printing paper 60, but continuous paper, or so-called roll paper, may also be used.

Furthermore, in any processing procedure disclosed in the embodiments, the execution order of multiple processes in any multiple steps can be arbitrarily changed or can be executed in parallel, as long as no contradictions occur in the processing content.

Furthermore, the processing procedures disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by hardware such as a single CPU, multiple CPUs, or an ASIC, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the processing procedures disclosed in the embodiments may be realized in various ways, such as a recording medium on which a program for executing the processing is recorded, or a method.

1 Printing system 10 Tablet 17 Storage device 20 Conveyance amount setting application 21 Printer driver 30 Printing device 34 Platen roller 35 Thermal line head 41 Storage device 47 Conveyance amount storage area 60 Printing paper 601 Top margin amount 604 Minimum top margin amount 607 Setting value 608 Changed top margin amount

Claims (7)

The computer of the information processing device
an acquisition process is executed to acquire a reverse rotation amount from a printer via a communication interface of the information processing device, the printer comprising a printing unit and a roller that faces and is pressed against the printing unit, and by rotating the roller in a first direction, the sheet can be inserted into the pressing portion between the printing unit and the roller and sent from the insertion side to the discharge side, the printer is further capable of setting the reverse rotation amount, and when the printer receives a print command, before starting printing, the printer rotates the roller in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction based on the set reverse rotation amount to send the sheet to the insertion side, and then rotates the roller in the first direction to start transporting the sheet to the discharge side, thereby starting printing of an image on the sheet;
Furthermore, the computer
a calculation process for calculating a print area in which a margin on an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the sheet in the printer is reduced and a length in the conveyance direction of the sheet in the printer is extended based on the reverse rotation amount acquired in the acquisition process;
a response process for responding to an application program installed in the information processing device with the print area calculated in the calculation process based on a request from the application program;
Execute
A program that is structured as follows. 2. The program according to claim 1,
The computer,
When image data is received from the application program,
a generation process for generating the print command for causing the printer to print an image represented by the image data based on the received image data;
a transmission process of transmitting the print command generated in the generation process to the printer via the communication interface;
Execute
A program that is structured as follows. 3. The program according to claim 2,
The computer,
When the image data is received from the application program,
If the size of the print area indicated in the received image data fits within the print area calculated in the calculation process, the transmission process is executed, and if the size does not fit within the print area calculated in the calculation process, a process for canceling the print job based on the received image data is executed before the transmission process is executed.
A program that is structured as follows. 4. The program according to claim 3,
The computer,
As the process for canceling the print job, a selection of whether or not to cancel the print job is accepted via a user interface of the information processing device, and if the selection of cancellation is accepted, the print job is cancelled, and if the selection of cancellation is not accepted, the transmission process is executed.
A program that is structured as follows. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The computer,
In response to receiving the request from the application program installed in the information processing device, the information processing device executes the acquisition process and the calculation process before executing the response process.
A program that is structured as follows. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The computer,
receiving an input of the reversal amount via a user interface of the information processing device, transmitting the inputted reversal amount to the printer via the communication interface, and executing a setting process to set the inputted reversal amount in the printer;
A program that is structured as follows. A printing system comprising a printer, a setting tool, and a printer driver that controls the printer,
The printer
a printing unit and a roller that faces the printing unit and is in pressure contact with the printing unit, and by rotating the roller in a first direction, the sheet can be inserted through the pressure contact portion between the printing unit and the roller, and the sheet can be sent from the insertion side to the discharge side;
The setting tool
a first information processing apparatus that receives an input of a reversal amount and transmits the input reversal amount to the printer via a communication interface of the first information processing apparatus;
The printer
When the reverse rotation amount sent from the setting tool is received, the received reverse rotation amount is set;
The printer driver
a second information processing apparatus installed therein, the second information processing apparatus acquiring the amount of reverse rotation from the printer via a communication interface of the second information processing apparatus;
Based on the acquired reverse rotation amount, a margin on the upstream side of the sheet transport direction in the printer is reduced, and a print area is calculated by extending the length of the sheet transport direction in the printer;
responding to a request from an application program installed in the second information processing apparatus with the calculated printing area;
Furthermore, the printer driver
When image data is received from the application program, a print command is generated based on the received image data to cause the printer to print an image shown in the image data, and the generated print command is transmitted to the printer via the communication interface of the second information processing device;
The printer
when the print command is received, before starting printing, the rollers are rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction based on the set reverse rotation amount to feed the sheet to the insertion side, and then the rollers are rotated in the first direction to start conveying the sheet to the discharge side, thereby starting printing on the sheet.
A printing system configured to: