Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
200 words
A printing device for printing an image on an image receiving medium comprising: a printing mechanism; a keyboard having a plurality of data entry keys for entering data for controlling the printing mechanism, and a user key; storage means for holding data accessible in response to said data entered at the keyboard; a controller for defining an image to be printed on said image receiving medium in dependence on the data accessed in response to said data entered at the keyboard, wherein said controller operates selectively in one of a plurality of modes of operation, said modes including: a normal mode of operation in which at least some of the keys have predetermined functions associated therewith to access predetermined data associated with the predetermined functions; a user determination mode entered by activation of the user key in which the user is able to define a user function associated with one or more of said data entry keys so that user defined data is held in the storage means to implement said user function; and a user defined mode in which said data entry keys are operable to define a label to be printed in accordance with the user defined data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user defined data defines a set of label settings selected by the user in the user determination modes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said set of label settings comprises a plurality of label attributes and/or character attributes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said label attributes includes at least one of the following attributes: label layout; underlining; boxing; orientation of characters with respect to the image receiving medium; label length and label format.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein said character attributes include at least one of the following attributes: font; character style; character size; and capitalization.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the controller comprises process means operable, when said selected label settings are recalled when the device is in a user defined mode, to provide an image in which the input data entered via said data entry keys is modified in accordance with said selected set of label settings.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printing device as claimed in preceding claim, wherein said user defined data defines a symbol selected by the user from a table of symbols associated with a symbol key.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A printing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the controller is arranged in said user determination mode to cause the user defined function to be stored in said storage means on activation of a store key.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controller, when in the user defined mode, is arranged to recall the user function in response to activation of said store key.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controller, when in the user defined mode, is arranged to recall the user function in response to activation of a recall key, different to said store key.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A printing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said controller is arranged so that the user defined function is accessed, in said user defined mode, through activation of said user key.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A printing device as claimed in claim 7 or any claim appended thereto, wherein the controller is arranged so that the user defined data defines a symbol which is accessed in said user defined mode by activation of the symbol key of said keyboard.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of defining a user function in a printing device, said method comprising the steps of: activating a user key of a keyboard of the printing device to define a user determination mode; activating one or more data entry keys of the keyboard to define a user function associated with one or more data entry keys of the keyboard; storing user defined data associated with the activated data entry keys in storage means of the printing device to implement the user function; activating said data entry keys to define a user defined mode, wherein said data entry keys are operable to define a label to be printed in accordance with the user defined data; and printing the label on an image receiving medium.