Conveyance control system, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, and conveyance control device

{
  "publication_number": "US11443153B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Conveyance control system, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, and conveyance control device",
  "abstract": "A conveyance control system is provided with a conveyance mechanism that conveys a platen, a printer provided in the conveyance mechanism and capable of performing printing on a print medium held by the platen received from the conveyance mechanism, and a PC that is communicably connected to the printer and controls the conveyance mechanism. A storage of the PC stores identification information of the printer and identification information of the conveyance mechanism in association with each other. The PC acquires the identification information of the conveyance mechanism associated with the identification information of the printer. A CPU of the PC causes the platen to be conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, on the basis of the acquired identification information.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A conveyance control system comprising: a first conveyor and a second conveyor configured to convey a platen; a first printer provided in the first conveyor and configured to perform printing on a print medium held by the platen conveyed by the first conveyor; a second printer provided in the second conveyor and configured to perform printing on the print medium held by the platen conveyed by the second conveyor; a conveyance controller communicably connected to the first printer and the second printer on the basis of a predetermined communication protocol, and configured to control the first conveyor and the second conveyor; and a storage configured to store first printer identification information and first conveyance identification information in association with each other, and to store second printer identification information and second conveyance identification information in association with each other, the first printer identification information being configured to identify the first printer on the basis of the communication protocol, the first conveyance identification information being configured to identify the first conveyor, the second printer identification information being configured to identify the second printer on the basis of the communication protocol, and the second conveyance identification information being configured to identify the second conveyor, wherein when the first printer performs the printing, the conveyance controller acquires, from the storage, the first conveyance identification information associated with the first printer identification information, and causes the first conveyor to convey the platen on the basis of the acquired first conveyance identification information, and when the second printer performs the printing, the conveyance controller acquires, from the storage, the second conveyance identification information associated with the second printer identification information, and causes the second conveyor to convey the platen on the basis of the acquired second conveyance identification information.",
    "2. The conveyance control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a first sensor configured to detect a presence of the platen in the first printer, wherein when the platen is detected by the first sensor, the first printer transmits the first printer identification information to the conveyance controller.",
    "3. The conveyance control system according to claim 2, wherein the conveyance controller causes the first conveyor to convey the platen, and after causing the first conveyor to convey the platen, the conveyance controller stores, in the storage, the first printer identification information and the first conveyance identification information in association with each other, in accordance with receiving the first printer identification information from the first printer.",
    "4. The conveyance control system according to claim 2, wherein the conveyance controller causes the first conveyor to convey the platen, and after causing the first conveyor to convey the platen, when the first printer identification information is received from the first printer, the conveyance controller compares the first printer identification information stored in the storage in association with the first conveyance identification information, with the first printer identification information received from the first printer.",
    "5. The conveyance control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second sensor configured to detect the presence of the platen in the second printer includes, wherein when the platen is detected by the second sensor, the second printer transmits the second printer identification information to the conveyance controller.",
    "6. The conveyance control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a third conveyor, a printer being providable in the third conveyor, and the third conveyor being configured to convey the platen, wherein the conveyance controller causes the third conveyor to convey the platen, and after causing the third conveyor to convey the platen, when the printer identification information configured to identify the printer on the basis of the communication protocol is not received, the conveyance controller does not store third conveyance identification information configured to identify the third conveyor in the storage in association with the printer identification information.",
    "7. The conveyance control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a display, wherein the conveyance controller causes the display to display a related image, a first input area used to input the first printer identification information, and a second input area used to input the second printer identification information, the related image being an image in which a first printer image indicating the first printer is associated with a first conveyance image indicating the first conveyor and in which a second printer image indicating the second printer is associated with a second conveyance image indicating the second conveyor, the conveyance controller stores, in the storage, the first printer identification information input to the first input area, in association with the first conveyance identification information and the conveyance controller stores, in the storage, the second printer identification information input to the second input area, in association with the second conveyance identification information.",
    "8. The conveyance control system according to claim 7, wherein the conveyance controller displays the first input area in a first position at which a distance from the first printer image is shorter than a distance from the second printer image, and displays the second input area in a second position at which a distance from the second printer image is shorter than a distance from the first printer image.",
    "9. The conveyance control system according to claim 1, further comprising: an applicator configured to apply a pretreatment agent on the print medium before printing by the printer, wherein the storage further stores applicator identification information configured to identify the applicator on the basis of the communication protocol.",
    "10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions executed by a computer, the computer being communicably connected to a first working instrument and a second working instrument on the basis of a predetermined communication protocol, and controlling a first conveyor and a second conveyor, the first working instrument being a printer, a sewing machine, or a machine tool provided in the first conveyor conveying a holder holding a target object and being configured to perform processing on the target object held by the holder conveyed by the first conveyor, and the second working instrument being a printer, a sewing machine, or a machine tool provided in the second conveyor conveying the holder and being configured to perform processing on the target object held by the holder conveyed by the second conveyor, the holder being a platen when the first and the second working instrument are a printer, an embroidery frame when the first and the second working instrument are a sewing machine, or a table when the first and the second working instrument are a machine tool, the instructions, when executed by the computer, causing the computer to perform processes comprising: acquiring, when the first working instrument performs processing, first conveyance identification information associated with first working instrument identification information, from a storage, and causing the first conveyor to convey the holder on the basis of the acquired first conveyance identification information, the storage storing the first working instrument identification information configured to identify the first working instrument on the basis of the communication protocol in association with the first conveyance identification information configured to identify the first conveyor, and storing second working instrument identification information configured to identify the second working instrument on the basis of the communication protocol in association with second conveyance identification information configured to identify the second conveyor; and acquiring, when the second working instrument performs processing, the second conveyance identification information associated with the second working instrument identification information, from the storage, and causing the second conveyor to convey the holder on the basis of the acquired second conveyance identification information.",
    "11. A conveyance controller communicably connected to a first working instrument and a second working instrument on the basis of a predetermined communication protocol, and controlling a first conveyor and a second conveyor, the first working instrument being a printer, a sewing machine, or a machine tool provided in the first conveyor conveying a holder holding a target object and being configured to perform processing on the target object held by the holder conveyed by the first conveyor, and the second working instrument being a printer, a sewing machine, or a machine tool provided in the second conveyor conveying the holder, and being configured to perform processing on the target object held by the holder conveyed by the second conveyor, the holder being a platen when the first and the second working instrument are a printer, an embroidery frame when the first and the second working instrument are a sewing machine, or a table when the first and the second working instrument are a machine tool, the conveyance controller performing processes comprising: acquiring, when the first working instrument performs processing, first conveyance identification information associated with first working instrument identification information, from a storage, and causing the first conveyor to convey the holder on the basis of the acquired first conveyance identification information, the storage storing the first working instrument identification information configured to identify the first working instrument on the basis of the communication protocol in association with the first conveyance identification information configured to identify the first conveyor and storing second working instrument identification information configured to identify the second working instrument on the basis of the communication protocol in association with second conveyance identification information configured to identify the second conveyor; and acquiring, when the second working instrument performs processing, the second conveyance identification information associated with the second working instrument identification information, from the storage, and causing the second conveyor to convey the holder on the basis of the acquired second conveyance identification information."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a conveyance control system, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, and a conveyance control device.\n\nWhen processing, such as printing, is performed on a target object, in some cases, pretreatment is performed in a preceding process of the processing or post-treatment is performed in a subsequent process of the processing. A fabric printing device that includes a pretreatment agent application portion and a press portion that perform the pretreatment, a printing liquid ejection portion that performs printing, and a heater that performs the post-treatment is known. The fabric printing device conveys a tray, on which a medium to be printed is arranged, to the pretreatment agent application portion, the press portion, the printing liquid ejection portion, and the heater, in that order. The pretreatment agent application portion applies the pretreatment agent onto the medium to be printed. The press portion compresses the medium to be printed onto which the pretreatment agent has been applied, while heating the medium to be printed, and thus dries the pretreatment agent. The printing liquid ejection portion ejects the printing liquid onto the medium to be printed, and prints an image. The heater heats the medium to be printed onto which the printing liquid has been ejected.\n\nIn order to efficiently perform the processing, such as the printing, on a plurality of target objects after the pretreatment, a system is conceivable in which a plurality of processing devices are disposed latterly to a device that performs the pretreatment.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06K 15/16",
    "B41J 11/06",
    "B41J 13/0009",
    "B41J 13/009",
    "B41J 3/4078",
    "B65H 7/20",
    "G06K 15/002",
    "G06K 15/021"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06K 15/00",
    "G06K 15/02",
    "G06K 15/16",
    "G06F 3/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Brother Industries Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Takeshi Watanabe",
    "Shuichi Tamaki"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-03-25",
  "publication_date": "2022-09-13",
  "grant_date": "2022-09-13",
  "priority_date": "2020-03-30",
  "application_number": "US-202117212807-A",
  "family_id": "75223169",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "JP2007220047A",
    "JP2009146050A",
    "US20110236111A1",
    "EP2744319A1",
    "US20150273866A1",
    "JP2015183331A",
    "US20190366740A1",
    "CN110271855A"
  ]
}