Printer, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, and information processing system, for determining a number of print media printable with a rechargeable battery
A printer for issuing a print medium includes: a rechargeable battery configured to supply power to the printer; a printing part configured to print information on the print medium; a controller configured to determine a number of print media on which the printing part can print with present remaining battery capacity of the battery, based on information related to variation of remaining battery capacity of the battery relative to a number of print media that have been issued.
1. A printer for issuing a print medium, comprising:
a rechargeable battery configured to supply power to the printer;
a feed roller configured to feed the print medium;
a motor configured to drive the feed roller;
a printing part configured to print information on the print medium; and
a controller configured to determine, at a present time, a number of print media on which the printing part can print during an operating period of time, with present remaining battery capacity of the battery, the operating period of time being a period of time during which the battery is disconnected from a battery charger, or a period of time beginning when the battery is disconnected from the battery charger and ending when a user performs a manipulation of the printer,
wherein the controller is configured to determine the number of print media by performing steps comprising:
computing a number of print media that have been issued during a first period of time based on a number of rotations of the motor during the first period of time, the first period of time being before the present time during the operating period of time;
computing a decrease rate of remaining battery capacity of the battery during the operating period of time, based on information related to variation of remaining battery capacity of the battery during the first period of time and the number of print media that have been issued during the first period of time, and
determining the number of print media on which the printing part can print during the operating period of time, based on the decrease rate.
2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the printing part is configured to print information related to the number of print media determined by the controller, on the print medium.
3. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a display part configured to display information related to the number of print media determined by the controller.
4. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication part configured to transmit to an outside device, information related to the number of print media determined by the controller.
5. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to obtain from the battery at least one piece of information including:
information related to a number of charging to the battery;
information related to a capacity recovery rate of the battery;
information related to a maximum temperature of the battery to date; and
information related to the number of print media, and
wherein the printing part is configured to print the at least one piece of information obtained by the controller, on the print medium.
6. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to obtain from the battery at least one piece of information including:
information related to a number of charging to the battery;
information related to a capacity recovery rate of the battery;
information related to a maximum temperature of the battery to date; and
information related to the number of print media, and
wherein the printing part is configured to print the at least one piece of information obtained by the controller, on the print medium.
7. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the print media is a belt-shaped long strip of continuous paper on which location detection marks are formed with predetermined intervals;
the printer further comprises a sensor configured to detect each of the location detection marks; and
the step of computing the number of print media comprises computing the number of print media that have been issued during the first period of time, based on the number of rotations of the motor during the first period of time and on a number of rotations of the motor while the feed roller feeds a distance of the continuous paper between adjoining location detection marks.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that includes a program executed in a printer that operates with power from a rechargeable battery and issues a print medium, the printer comprising a feed roller configured to feed the print medium and a motor configured to drive the feed roller, the program being configured to cause a computer to function to:
instruct to print information on the print medium, and
determine, at a present time, a number of print media on which the printer can print during an operating period of time, with present remaining battery capacity of the battery, the operating period of time being a period of time during which the battery is disconnected from a battery charger, or a period of time beginning when the battery is disconnected from the battery charger and ending when a user performs a manipulation to the printer,
wherein determining the number of print media comprises:
computing a number of print media that have been issued during a first period of time based on a number of rotations of the motor during the first period of time, the first period of time being before the present time during the operating period of time;
computing a decrease rate of remaining battery capacity of the battery during the operating period of time, based on information related to variation of remaining battery capacity of the battery during the first period of time and the number of print media that have been issued during the first period of time, and
determining the number of print media on which the printing part can print during the operating period of time, based on the decrease rate.
9. An information processing system including a server and a printer, the printer being capable of communicating with the server and issuing a print medium,
wherein the printer comprises:
a rechargeable battery configured to supply power to the printer;
a feed roller configured to feed the print medium;
a motor configured to drive the feed roller;
a printing part configured to print information on the print medium;
a first communication part configured to transmit to the server,
information related to present remaining battery capacity of the battery and
information related to variation of remaining battery capacity of the battery during a first period of time and a number of print media that have been issued during the first period of time, the first period of time being before a present time during an operating period of time, the operating period of time being a period of time during which the battery is disconnected from a battery charger, or a period of time beginning when the battery is disconnected from the battery charger and ending when a user performs a manipulation to the printer; and
a printer controller configured to compute the number of print media that have been issued during the first period of time based on a number of rotations of the motor during the first period of time, and
wherein the server comprises:
a server controller configured to determine, at the present time based on the information transmitted, a number of print media on which the printing part can print during the operating period of time, with the present remaining battery capacity of the battery; and
a second communication part configured to transmit to the printer, information related to the number of print media on which the printing part can print during the operating period of time, as determined by the server controller,
wherein the server controller is configured to determine the number of print media by performing steps comprising:
computing a decrease rate of remaining battery capacity of the battery during the operating period of time, based on the information from the printer, and
determining the number of print media on which the printing part can print during the operating period of time, based on the decrease rate.