Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Record receiver and transfer medium feeding or driving means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-30
2002-04-16
Tran, Huan (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Record receiver and transfer medium feeding or driving means
C347S217000, C400S708000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06373512
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a photographing box which includes a photographing mechanism for taking the steps of photographing an object such as a figure, perform the necessary processing of the video signal, and print out the picture according to the charges given by a user, end a thermal transfer recording apparatus which is intended to be used as one of several possible ways to the Automatic photographing boxes.
It has been, conventionally known an instant photographing system such as a silver photo system or a diffusing transfer type silver photo system as means for outputing a printed picture after about only a few minutes. The silver photo system needs a few minutes consumed from the end of the photographing to the output of the printed photo and to provide a developing solution and a fixing solution for wet processing. The system therefore has to do a troublesome operation of exchanging the solutions and maintaining the relevant equipment. Further, since the atmospheric temperature is greatly effects the image quality, the temperatures of the solutions are required to be minutely controlled. The diffusing transfer type silver photographing system needs to do a very costly running process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a photographing box which provides a sublimation transfer system and operates to output a printed image within about one or two minutes and to be maintained easily and at low cost.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a monitoring mechanism for the thermal transfer recording which operates to automatically detect trouble in a thermal transfer printer or a system having the thermal transfer printer and give a report about the sensed result.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer recording apparatus which enables to prevent any defective print or failure caused by the adverse effect of paper dust brought about when cutting a dye transfer sheet or dirt intruded from the outside.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic layout mechanism for thermal transfer recording which is arranged to detect if an abnormal state occurs in a thermal head of the thermal transfer printer and obtain a desired recording image if it is sensed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer printer which enables to prevent disability of printing caused in an out-of-paper state.
In carrying out the above objects, the present invention is arranged as follows.
According to a first aspect of the invention, an automatic photographing box includes a photographing mechanism house for housing a photographing mechanism and a photographing space, the photographing mechanism having means for lighting an object, means for photographing the object illuminated by the lighting means, image processing means for receiving an object image signal from the photographing means and having at least a magnifying or reducing function and an image layouting function, a sublimation transfer printer for receiving a processed image signal and printing the image on the image data signal, and control means for controlling the lighting means, photographing means, image processing means and sublimation transfer printer.
This invention further provides a monitor for displaying an image of an object to be imaged
This invention further provides a money handling mechanism and is arranged to generate a start signal from the money handling mechanism.
The photographing box according to the present invention uses a photographing device ouch as a video camera or a still video camera or a leased photographing device and activates the photographing mechanism to image an object, do an image magnification or layout the image of the object, and output plural images on a sheet, each image sized to each way of use such as a license or a passport from the sublimation transfer printer if a user pays for it by any method like cash or a pre-paid card. The photographing box uses the dry process and the heat-sensitive sublimation printer. Hence, it enables to quickly print out the photograph and may be made less costly. Further, the photographing box provides a monitor so that the image may be checked before printing it out and be imaged again.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a thermal transfer printer for the photographing box providing means for feeding a dye transfer sheet and an image receiving sheet, a thermal head for pressing the dye transfer sheet and the thermal transfer sheet being fed on a head surface by a platen roller, activating plural heating resistors according to the image date, and recording the image on the image receiving sheet, and a thermal head drive control means for transferring image data to the thermal head, includes:
resistance measuring means and resistance abnormality determining means for measuring a resistance of heating resistors of the thermal head, comparing the measured resistance value with the predetermined reference value and the resistance values of the adjacent heating resitors of the thermal heads with each other, determining if the resistance value is abnormal based on the compared result;
means for sensing printing defects;
means for sensing if jamming of the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet takes place by sensing rotation of a feed roll of the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet or rotation of the platen roller;
a micro switch located close to the feeding path of the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet and sensing if the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet is out by the micro switch,
means for sensing if the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet is out by sensing the feed roll of the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet or the rotation of the platen roller;
means for sensing the number of left images or used images on the dye transfer sheet, a protective layer transfer sheet, and the image receiving sheet.
This invention provides a photographing mechanism located in the photographing box and having means for lighting an object to be imaged, means for photographing the object illuminated by the lighting means, image processing image for receiving an image signal of the object generated by the photographing means, a thermal transfer printer for receiving an image signal and printing out the image based on the image signal, a money handling mechanism, and control means for controlling the lighting means, photographing means, image processing means, and thermal transfer printer based on a start signal sent from the money handling mechanism, the photographing mechanism including means for sensing the state of the photographing mechanism and means for notifying the sensed result, the sensing means being composed of one or more of means for measuring a resistance of the thermal head, means for sensing a pattern in the printing direction, means for sensing if the dye transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet is out or jammed, means for sensing the number of left images or used images on the dye transfer sheet, the transparent projective layer transfer sheet or the image receiving sheet, means for sensing if the lighting means is burnt out, or means for sensing if changes are out in the money handling mechanism.
This invention is arranged to constantly or occasionally monitor troubles such as an abnormal increase of a resistance or breaking of heating resistors breaking of the thermal head of the thermal transfer printer, an abnormality of the printer like heat resistor breaking of thermal head, out of paper, out of film, jamming, out of changes if the printer applies to the photographing box, or burnt-out of a lighting lamp, and automatically senses such a trouble, if any trouble takes place, and report it to a remote place at a time when such a trouble takes place or periodically. If lots of pieces of information of the photographing boxes located in plural places are allowed to be collected at a busi
Hamashima Mitsuhiro
Kawai Satoru
Kita Tatsuya
Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel LLP
Tran Huan
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