Esselte N.v.

The Technology Partnership, Plc.

Mathew Richard Palmer

David Smith

Antony William Rix

David Russell Anderson

Matthew C B Lumb

Charles Robert Sims

Robert Charles Day

Robert Charles Lewis Day

Sam Cockerill

Costa Panayi

Andrew Buchanan Halket

Victor Carey Humberstone

Anthony Roy Dunn

Andrew Jonathan Sant

Jonathan Peter Tremlett

Ian Thompson-Bell

Guy Charles Newcombe

Andrew Richard Buchanan Halket

Charles Roberts Sims

A system for controlling an electricity supply to a load comprises at least one battery for storing energy. The system also comprises a controller for determining when to switch between a first mode wherein electricity is supplied to the load from a mains electricity circuit; and a discharging mode wherein electricity is supplied from the battery to the load via the mains electricity circuit. The determining is based on information associated with the electricity supply.

System and method for controlling an electricity supply

The invention relates to a tape printing apparatus for printing an image on an image receiving tape. In order to detect characteristics of the tape thus avoiding representation means on a tape cassette, it is proposed to have detecting means for detecting-markings provided on the image receiving tape, which provide information on a characteristic of the tape; and the tape printing apparatus is controlled in accordance with the detected characteristics. Alternatively, it is proposed to have monitoring means for monitoring the speed of the image receiving tape, which detect marking on the image receiving tape whereby the printing means is controlled in dependence on the detected speed. Consequently, the exact tape speed is considered for printing purposes, even when slippage between driving means and tape occurs.

Tape printing apparatus

The invention relates to a tape holding case housing a supply of image receiving tape and includes an angled surface to bend the surface of the tape approximately 90&deg;, the angled surface being provided upstream of the printing position of the tape. The tape holding case also includes a casing that is designed to attach the tape holding case to an identically shaped tape holding case.

Tape printing apparatus and tape holding cases

A tape printing device comprises a print head, means for causing relative movement between an image receiving tape and the print head, and control circuitry for controlling the print head. The print head has a set of selectively activable printing elements arranged along a longitudinal axis of the print head. The control circuitry prints each pixel by activating the same printing elements on successive print cycles to limit the peak current of the print head. Each group of printing elements lie at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the print head to prevent staggering in the printed image. The tape printing device uses an arrangement of group switches and switches for individual printing elements to reduce the required number of switches which reduces the cost of the apparatus. Current is controlled to prevent accidental activation of printing elements to reduce the number of errors in the printed image.

The present invention relates to a label printing method and apparatus which includes a housing providing a zone for receiving printing tape on which an image is to be printed, a data input device for inputting information defining the image to be printed as a label, a printing mechanism including a group of printing elements to which pixel data defining the image to be printed is passed sequentially on a group-by-group basis by a printhead controller and a motor operable to drive the printing tape past the printing mechanism.

Drive system for a printing apparatus having text size based feed speed

A printing device (2) for printing an image receiving medium has a printing mechanism and a keyboard (4) having a plurality of data entry keys (6) for entering data for controlling the printing mechanism and a user key (16). Storage means for holding data accessible in response to the data entered at the keyboard (4) is provided. A controller defines an image to be printed on an image receiving medium in dependence on the data accessed in response to the data entered at the keyboard (4) so that the controller operates selectively in one of a plurality of modes of operation. The modes of operation include a normal mode of operation in which at least some of the keys (6) have predetermined functions associated therewith to access predetermined data associated with the predetermined functions. There is also a user determination mode which is entered by activation of the user key (16) in which the user is able to define a user function associated with one or more of the data keys (6) so that the user defined data is held in the storage means to implement the user function. There is also a user defined mode in which the data entry keys (6) are operable to define a label to be printed in accordance with the user defined data.

Printing apparatus having user keys

An apparatus and method for printing characters that minimizes the information that needs storage for each character that can be printed. The apparatus according to the invention uses a storage device containing font data for the characters and identifiers which identify an algorithm to be used for recreating the character. A processor coupled to the storage device generates pixel data for printing based on the stored font data, an identifier, and one of multiple

Apparatus and method for printing characters utilizing stored algorithms

Fluid droplets production apparatus and method

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Cottenham, United Kingdom

Mathew Richard Palmer