US 12,466,195 B2
Printer, printing method for printer, and program
Takuma Hirafuji, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SATO CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/267,393
Filed by SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed May 26, 2022, PCT No. PCT/JP2022/021559
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 14, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/259878, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 15, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-095021 (JP), filed on Jun. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0051307 A1, Feb. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. B41J 2/37 (2006.01); B41J 2/045 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/37 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04541 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printer being configured to print on a print medium having a thermal color developing layer, the printer comprising:
a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements that are arranged in a line; and
a processor configured to:
set a first application period of a pulse of energizing current for applying to the plurality of heating elements during a scanning line time for one line to cause the thermal color developing layer to develop color,
correct a length of the first application period based on an image to be printed,
determine a print speed to be applied in printing the whole image at a constant speed by extending the scanning line time so as to contain a maximum length of first application periods that have been corrected by the processor, and
further correct the length of the first application period so that a first ratio of the first application period of the pulse of energizing current during the scanning line time before the processor determines the print speed and a second ratio of the first application period of the pulse of energizing current during the scanning line time after the processor determines the print speed will be the same.