Printing system

Details Printing system Printing system

2001-01-12

2002-12-10

Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)

Typewriting machines

Sheet or web

Including programmed-control-system for record-medium feed

C400S120090, C347S188000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06491458

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system used favorably for printing relatively small objects that require printing (hereinafter referred to as “printing objects”), such as business cards or postcards.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional printing apparatus for printing a printing object of relatively small size, such as a business card or a postcard, is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 8(1996)-206573.
Such a printing apparatus is usually connected to a computer. Printing data are transferred from the computer to the printing apparatus, and a printer driver installed in the computer controls the printing apparatus so as to carry out printing. In the printing apparatus, printing objects are sequentially fed from a paper feed mechanism and transported to a printing mechanism by means of a front-stage transport mechanism. The printing mechanism prints the printing objects through thermal transfer printing by use of a thermal head and an ink ribbon. The thus-printed objects are transported by means of a rear-stage transport mechanism and delivered onto a paper delivery tray.
However, the above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus (printing system) involves the following problem.
A general-purpose printer is primarily intended to print on plain paper. Thus, once printing density is initially set, no further adjustment is necessary with respect to printing density. Accordingly, in the general-purpose printer, a function for setting printing density is imparted merely to the printer. By contrast, in the case of printing special printing objects, such as business cards, printing density must be adjusted optimally according to paper material and paper thickness in order to attain high printing quality, since paper material and paper thickness vary greatly among types of printing objects. However, since the conventional printing system utilizes the functions of a general-purpose printer as they are, the conventional printing system fails to provide sufficient utility with respect to adjustment (setting) of printing density, and thus involves problems in terms of convenience of use.
The above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus (printing system) also involves the following problem.
Whenever the type of a printing object is changed, printing density must be set (adjusted), causing burdensome adjustment work and waste of time and printing objects. Even when printing objects of the same type are printed, printing quality varies depending on when the objects are printed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system enabling easy, accurate setting of printing density for a printing object; for example, enabling use of the density-setting function of a printing apparatus without termination of a progressing process on the computer side, as well as having sufficient utility with respect to adjustment (setting) of printing density, thereby significantly enhancing convenience of use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing system which does not necessarily require setting (adjustment) of printing density even when the type of a printing object is changed, thereby avoiding burdensome adjustment work and waste of time and printing objects, as well as avoiding variations in printing quality to thereby maintain high printing quality at all times.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a printing system comprising a printing apparatus and a computer which is connected to the printing apparatus. In the printing system, printing data are transferred from the computer to the printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus is controlled by a printer driver installed in the computer. The printing apparatus and the computer each comprise a density setting section. The. printing system further comprises a data processing section, which is at least adapted to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus and to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the printing apparatus to the computer in order to store the printing density data in a database.
Since printing density can be set on either of the printing apparatus and the computer in, for example, a trial printing mode, printing density data are transferred from a database stored in the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus, thereby enabling trial printing. When the printing density set on the printing apparatus is modified on the basis of the result of the trial printing, the modified printing density data are transferred to the computer to thereby update the database accordingly.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4774525 (1988-09-01), Mitsushima et al.
patent: 4998216 (1991-03-01), Hino et al.
patent: 5444468 (1995-08-01), Fukushima et al.
patent: 6079885 (2000-06-01), Sano
patent: 6350072 (2002-02-01), Nunes et al.
patent: 2-206573 (1990-08-01), None

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