Printing device and communication processing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a printing device and a communication processing system. The printing device includes: a communication unit that performs wireless communication with an external device; a storage unit that stores information therein; and a controller that causes the storage unit to store access information of the external device indicating a connection state in which data exchange is being performed via wireless communication, detects that the connection state of the external device has changed to a disconnected state in which data exchange via wireless communication is not performable, and, when the disconnected state is detected in disconnection detection processing, uses access information with a high priority ranking among a plurality of access information stored in the storage unit to establish a connection state to the external device corresponding to the access information based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs wireless communication with an external apparatus and a communication processing system including the printing apparatus and the external apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Printing devices that can communicate with external devices via wireless communication are known (for example, see JP-A-2017-177370). In conventional printing devices (portable printers), for example, a connection is established with only one of multiple operating terminals, and a print corresponding to the received print data is formed.

[0003] For example, when a printing device connected to one external device is disconnected for some reason, in order to prevent reconnection to an external device that does not want to be connected to the printing device for its connection request, it is expected that the printing device will attempt to reconnect exclusively to another external device that is desired to be properly connected to the printing device.

[0004] However, for example, an operation of determining and selecting an external device desired to be appropriately connected to the printing apparatus from among connectable external devices within the communication range of the printing apparatus at that time is complicated for the user. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus and a communication processing system in which user convenience can be improved during wireless communication between the printing apparatus and an external apparatus.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a printing device includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a printing medium; a printing unit configured to perform printing on the printing medium; a communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with an external device via mutual identification wireless communication; a storage unit configured to store information therein; and a controller configured to perform the following processing: access information storage processing of causing the storage unit to store access information of the external device indicating a connection state in which data exchange is being performed via wireless communication; disconnection detection processing of detecting that the connection state of the external device has changed to a disconnected state in which data exchange via wireless communication is not executable; and when a disconnected state is detected in the disconnection detection processing, using access information with a high priority ranking among multiple access information stored in the storage unit to establish a connection processing to the connection state of the external device corresponding to the access information based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule.

[0007] In the printing apparatus according to the present invention, each time the external apparatus enters the connection state through the communication unit, the access information of the external apparatus is stored in the storage unit through the access information storage process.

[0008] For example, when an external device enters a connected state with the printing device and changes to a disconnected state (connected state) for some reason while access information for the external device is being stored, the disconnected state is detected by the disconnection detection process. The cause of the disconnected state is presumably, for example, the external device has left the communication range of the communication unit of the printing device or the power of the printing device has been turned off.

[0009] As described above, in the present invention, when an external device changes from a connected state to a disconnected state, the next connection process automatically reestablishes the connection to the external device corresponding to the access information with a high priority ranking in the stored access information. In this case, the priority ranking is determined based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule. As a result, when the printing device and the external device change from a connected state to a disconnected state, complex operations on the external device side are unnecessary, and the printing device and the external device can be simply reconnected.

[0010] In particular, in this case, the rules for determining priority are appropriately set. As a result, it is possible to reliably reconnect to an external device that was initially preferred, for example, one that is frequently connected for printing. Furthermore, unlike methods that simply reconnect to a previously connected external device, it is also possible to prevent reconnection to an external device that is not the preferred connection. As a result, user convenience can be significantly improved.

[0011] According to the present invention, user convenience can be improved during wireless communication between a printing apparatus and an external apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a print processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the print processing system.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a state in which a label printer attempts to reconnect after the wireless communication between the label printer and a plurality of operation terminals changes from a connected state to a disconnected state.

[0015] Figure 4 2 is a diagram illustrating a registered access information storage unit and an access information management table storage unit provided in a storage area of ​​the access information storage unit.

[0016] Figure 5 is a table illustrating an example of storage contents of the access information management table.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the execution content of the reconnection mode 1.

[0018] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the execution content of reconnection mode 2, wherein Figure 7 (A) shows the case where registration access information is detected, and Figure 7 (B) illustrates a case where the registration access information cannot be detected.

[0019] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the execution content of reconnection mode 3, wherein Figure 8 (A) shows the case where registration access information is detected, and Figure 8 (B) illustrates a case where the registration access information cannot be detected.

[0020] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of a mode selection process performed by a connection controller of a label printer.

[0021] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process of reconnection mode 1 performed by the connection controller of the label printer.

[0022] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the process of reconnection mode 2 performed by the connection controller of the label printer.

[0023] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the process of reconnection mode 3 performed by the connection controller of the label printer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] <Configuration of Print Processing System>

[0026] First, refer to Figure 1 The overall configuration of the print processing system according to the embodiment is described.

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, the print processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes a label printer 3 and a plurality of operation terminals, here three operation terminals 2A, 2B, and 2C (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between "operation terminals 2A, 2B, and 2C", "operation terminals 2A, 2B, and 2C" will be collectively referred to as "operation terminals 2"). The operation terminals 2 and the label printer 3 are wirelessly connected so as to be able to communicate with each other through appropriate mutual recognition wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark name). The print processing system 1 corresponds to the communication processing system described in the claims, the label printer 3 corresponds to an example of the printing device described in the claims, and the operation terminal 2 corresponds to an example of the external device described in the claims.

[0028] The operation terminal 2 is a so-called smartphone that includes operation buttons 14 and a touch panel 17, which is a display unit having a display function and capable of touch operation. The operation terminal 2 is not limited to a smartphone and may be a so-called feature phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer. In addition, the display unit is not necessarily the touch panel 17.

[0029] The label printer 3 exchanges various information or instruction signals with the operation terminal 2 , and generates a print label L including a printed product such as desired text or image based on a user's operation in the operation terminal 2 .

[0030] Next, we will refer to Figure 2 The functional configuration of the print processing system 1 is described.

[0031] <Function Configuration>

[0032] like Figure 2 As illustrated, the operation terminal 2A includes a CPU 12, a memory 13 including a RAM and a ROM, an operation button 14, a communication controller 15, a high-capacity storage device 16 such as a flash memory, and a touch panel 17. The communication controller 15 corresponds to an example of a communication unit described in the claims, and the CPU 12 corresponds to an example of a controller described in the claims.

[0033] For example, the RAM of the memory 13 stores print data corresponding to desired print contents to be represented by the print label L, the print data being generated by appropriate operations of the touch panel 17 by the user.

[0034] The CPU 12 performs overall control of the operation terminal 2 by executing various programs stored in the ROM of the memory 13 or the high-capacity storage device 16 while using the temporary storage function of the RAM of the memory 13 .

[0035] The communication controller 15 performs control of communication with the label printer 3 .

[0036] The high-capacity storage device 16 is, for example, a main memory, but is not limited thereto. The high-capacity storage device 16 may be an appropriate external memory such as an SD memory card.

[0037] Figure 2 Although detailed functions of the operation terminals 2B and 2C are not shown in the figure, the operation terminals 2B and 2C have the same detailed functions as the operation terminal 2A.

[0038] The label printer 3 includes a control circuit 201, a display unit 205, an operation unit 206, a communication controller 208, a tape roll holder unit 210, a print head 204, a cutter 207, and a conveying device 209. The control circuit 201 corresponds to an example of a control unit described in the claims, the communication controller 208 corresponds to an example of a communication unit described in the claims, the print head 204 corresponds to an example of a printing unit, and the conveying device 209 corresponds to an example of a conveying unit described in the claims.

[0039] The control circuit 201 is configured with a CPU, RAM, ROM, flash memory, etc., and includes a disconnection detection controller 201A, a connection controller 201B, an access information storage controller 201C, and an access information storage unit 201D. Details of the disconnection detection controller 201A, the connection controller 201B, the access information storage controller 201C, and the access information storage unit 201D will be described below. The ROM stores instructions for the CPU of the control circuit 201 to execute Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 The processing procedures of the corresponding processes of the illustrated flowcharts.

[0040] The communication controller 208 performs control of communication with the communication controller 15 of the operation terminal 2 .

[0041] The tape roll 203 (originally having a spiral shape, but schematically illustrated as concentric circles in the drawing) around which the tape 202 is wound can be removed from the tape roll holder unit 210 (or the ink cartridge including the tape roll 203 can be removed from the tape roll holder unit 210). The tape 202 corresponds to an example of the printing medium described in the claims.

[0042] The conveying device 209 is provided to face the print head 204 and conveys the tape 202 fed from the tape roll 203 .

[0043] The print head 204 forms a printed product on the belt 202 conveyed by the conveying device 209 based on the print data received from the operation terminal 2 .

[0044] The cutter 207 cuts the tape 202 on which printed matter is formed into printed labels L having a predetermined length.

[0045] The display unit 205 displays various information input from the control circuit 201 to the user.

[0046] The operation unit 206 inputs various information or instructions to the control circuit 201 via operations from the user.

[0047] <Reconnection of Communication Terminal via Label Printer>

[0048] Here, as described above, the label printer 3 is able to communicate with a plurality of operation terminals 2 by mutually identifying wireless communications via the communication controller 208. In this example, in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark name) standard, the label printer 3 and the plurality of operation terminals 2 present in the communication range R of the label printer 3 at the time exchange access information as identification information with each other, identify each other, and enter a recognizable pairing state.

[0049] In this state, by the user operating either the operation terminal 2 or the label printer 3 in a known manner, the operation terminal 2 and the label printer 3 can enter a connection state in which data exchange is being performed by mutual recognition wireless communication. Figure 3 As shown on the left side of FIG, the label printer 3 and only one of the operation terminals 2 in the paired state can enter a connection state in which information such as print data can be exchanged.

[0050] When one of the operation terminals 2 is connected to the label printer 3 as described above and then disconnected from it for some reason, this disconnection state is detected in the disconnection detection processing of the disconnection detection controller 201A of the control circuit 201. The cause of the disconnection state is presumed to be, for example, a case where the operation terminal 2 in the connected state has deviated from the communication range R of the label printer 3 (refer to the upper center side in the drawing) or a case where the power of the label printer 3 has been turned off (refer to the lower center side in the drawing). The processing performed by the disconnection detection controller 201A corresponds to an example of the disconnection detection processing described in the claims.

[0051] When the label printer 3 is disconnected for some reason as described above, it is desirable to exclusively reconnect to another appropriate operation terminal 2 at the earliest possible time. Connections to the label printer 3 from all operation terminals 2 existing in the communication range R of the label printer 3 are not necessarily appropriate, and exclusive reconnection is not intended to receive connection requests from inappropriate operation terminals 2.

[0052] In this case, it is very troublesome and complicated for the user of the label printer 3 to determine whether the connection to each of the paired operation terminals 2 is appropriate based on the access information and to select the appropriate operation terminal for reconnection. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a disconnection state is detected, the label printer 3 itself selects an operation terminal 2 from the paired operation terminals 2 through the connection processing of the connection controller 201B, whose connection to the label printer 3 is suitable for exclusive reconnection (refer to the right side in the drawing).

[0053] <Two methods of selecting a reconnection target>

[0054] In the label printer 3 in the example according to the embodiment, as a method of selecting the operation terminal 2 as a reconnection target in the connection process, two methods including a selection method based on registered access information and a selection method based on priority score ranking are performed in combination.

[0055] In the label printer 3 for implementing these two methods, for example, Figure 4 As shown, the registered access information storage unit 201Da and the access information management table storage unit 201Db are provided in the storage area of ​​the access information storage unit 201D. In order to maintain the storage contents of the registered access information storage unit 201Da and the access information management table storage unit 201Db even after the power is turned off, it is desirable that the access information storage unit 201D is provided in the storage area of ​​the flash memory (not shown) provided in the control circuit 201. The access information storage unit 201D corresponds to an example of the storage unit described in the claims.

[0056] The registered access information storage unit 201Da stores only one piece of registered access information that is freely registered and set by the user of the label printer 3 through a separate setting operation process via the display unit 205 and the operation unit 206. The registered access information is access information that the user has determined to be appropriate for connection to the label printer 3. The registered access information may be any access information that is previously known, can be set, or can be selected and set among the access information of the paired operation terminal.

[0057] Furthermore, the access information management table storage unit 201Db stores an access information management table in which, for example, Figure 5As illustrated, a plurality of access information ("access ID" in the drawing; hereinafter, the same shall apply) obtained from the previous pairing of the label printer 3 and the access status corresponding to the access information are listed. The access information management table is recorded by processing in the access information storage controller 201C included in the control circuit 201. Since the storage capacity of the access information management table storage unit 201Db is limited, the storage capacity can be managed by limiting the number of access messages to be stored or by a so-called FIFO (first in, first out) in which a plurality of access information are stored in sequence so that the oldest access information is deleted to store new access information. The processing performed by the access information storage controller 201C on the access information management table storage unit 201Db corresponds to an example of the access information storage processing described in the claims.

[0058] In the access information management table in the example illustrated in the drawing, a plurality of access information previously acquired and the number of connections, the number of disconnections, the number of elapsed days, and the priority score corresponding to each access information are recorded.

[0059] The number of connections refers to the number of times the label printer 3 and the operation terminal 2 with the corresponding access information were previously in a connected state. In other words, the number of times the operation terminal 2 used the label printer 3 is counted and recorded.

[0060] The number of disconnections refers to the number of times the connection between the label printer 3 and the operation terminal 2 having the corresponding access information was disconnected from the operation terminal 2 side when the connection was previously established. In other words, the number of times the operation terminal 2 changed from the connected state to the disconnected state regardless of the operation of the label printer 3 is calculated and recorded.

[0061] As the number of elapsed days, the number of days that have elapsed from the previous day when the operation terminal 2 having the corresponding access information used the label printer 3 is calculated and recorded.

[0062] As a priority score, a score is calculated as an index representing the priority ranking of reconnection calculated based on the number of connections, the number of disconnections, and the number of days that have passed. As a specific method of calculating the priority score, a total score is calculated by adding the values ​​obtained by performing appropriate arithmetic operations on the number of connections, the number of disconnections, and the number of days that have passed, respectively. In the example illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the priority score is calculated according to the calculation formula "10×number of connections–5×number of disconnections+7 / number of days that have passed" by the following steps: multiplying the number of connections by "10" as coefficient A, multiplying the number of disconnections by "-5" as coefficient B, dividing "7" as constant C by the number of days that have passed, and then adding the corresponding calculated values. When the priority score of the access information is the highest, the label printer 3 that is the reconnection target has the highest priority ranking.

[0063] Here, the value of the number of connections is related to the frequency with which the label printer 3 was actually used in the past, and as this value increases, it can be considered that the operation terminal 2 corresponding to the access information is more reliable and has higher performance. Therefore, the coefficient A to be multiplied by the number of connections is set to a positive constant.

[0064] Furthermore, in the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard of this example, disconnection (release from the connected state) can be performed from either device. Therefore, the disconnection count value indicates the number of times the connection was unilaterally disconnected due to reasons on the part of the operator terminal 2. As this value increases, it can be considered that the operator terminal 2 corresponding to the access information is less reliable. Therefore, the coefficient B, by which the disconnection count is multiplied, is set to a negative constant.

[0065] Furthermore, the number of days that have passed is related to the frequency of recent use of the label printer 3, and as this value increases, it can be considered that the operation terminal 2 corresponding to the access information is less reliable and has been frequently used previously. Therefore, the constant C divided by the number of days that have passed is set to a positive constant.

[0066] As described above, in the label printer 3 according to the embodiment, two methods are used in combination to autonomously select the operation terminal 2 as the reconnection target, which methods include: a method based on registered access information registered by the user; and a method based on ranking of priority scores calculated according to previous access status.

[0067] <Various reconnection modes using selection methods in combination>

[0068] In the example of the label printer 3 according to the embodiment, as reconnection modes executed when the operation terminal 2 as the reconnection target is selected, three modes are prepared according to a combination of two selection methods.

[0069] First, in reconnection mode 1, such as Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the method based solely on the priority score ranking is executed. Reconnection mode 1 is executed under the assumption that the registered access information (abbreviated as "registration ID" in the figure; the same shall apply hereinafter) is not registered. Therefore, from the beginning, the access information of the respective operation terminals 2A, 2B, and 2C in the communication range R is detected (abbreviated as "ID: A," "ID: B," and "ID: C" in the figure; the same shall apply hereinafter), and the operation terminal 2C corresponding to the access information with the highest priority score ranking is reconnected as the connection target.

[0070] In reconnection mode 2, if Figure 7The method based on the registered access information is performed as shown. Reconnection mode 2 is performed under the assumption that the registered access information is registered. When access information (ID: A) matching the registered access information (registered ID: A) is detected among the corresponding access information of the operation terminals 2A, 2B, and 2C detected in the communication range R, the operation terminal 2A corresponding to the access information is reconnected (refer to Figure 7 However, when no access information matching the registered access information can be detected, reconnection itself is abandoned (see Figure 7 (B)).

[0071] In reconnection mode 3, if Figure 8 As shown in the figure, the method based on the registered access information and the method based on the priority score ranking are gradually switched. The reconnection mode 3 is performed under the assumption that the registered access information is registered. When the access information (ID: A) matching the registered access information (registered ID: A) is detected among the corresponding access information of the operation terminal 2 detected in the communication range R, the operation terminal 2A corresponding to the access information is reconnected (refer to Figure 8 However, when access information matching the registered access information cannot be detected, the operation terminal 2C corresponding to the access information (ID: C) having the highest priority score ranking among the corresponding access information of the operation terminals 2 detected in the communication range R is reconnected (refer to Figure 8 (B)).

[0072] In this embodiment, any one of the three reconnection modes can be freely selected and set as described above. As described above, the degree of freedom for setting the reconnection mode of the label printer 3 by a simple operation can be improved.

[0073] <Control Process>

[0074] Will use Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 The flowchart of FIG. 1 is used to describe the control process executed by the connection controller 201B of the label printer 3 to implement the above method. For example, during the activation or use of the label printer 3, the control process is pre-executed at an appropriate timing. Figure 9 When a disconnection state is detected in the disconnection detection controller 201A, the reconnection mode selected in advance by the mode selection process is executed. Figures 10 to 12 In the following, the following will be described in detail when executing Figure 9 The control process during the mode selection process is shown.

[0075] First, in step S5, the connection controller 201B determines whether the registration visit information is registered in the registration visit information storage unit 201da. When the registration visit information is not registered, the determination is not satisfied (S5: No), and the process proceeds to step S10.

[0076] In step S10, the connection controller 201B causes the display unit 205 to display the receipt of the registration access information, and receives the registration access information from the user via the operation unit 206. When an operation to register the registration access information is received from the user, the registration access information is stored in the registration access information storage unit 201da. If no registration operation is received, the registration is not performed.

[0077] Next, the process proceeds to step S15. The connection controller 201B determines whether an operation to register the registration access information is received from the user in step S10. When an operation to register the registration access information is not received from the user, the determination is not satisfied (S15: No), and the process proceeds to step S20.

[0078] In step S20 , the connection controller 201B sets the device to execute reconnection mode 1 when a disconnection state is detected, and ends the flow.

[0079] On the other hand, when the registration access information is registered in the determination step S5 or when an operation to register the registration access information is received from the user in the determination of step S15, the determination is satisfied (S5, S15: Yes) and the process proceeds to step S25.

[0080] In step S25 , the connection controller 201B causes the display unit 205 to display reception of a setting regarding whether to permit reconnection based on the priority score ranking, and receives a setting regarding whether to permit reconnection based on the priority score ranking from the user through the operation unit 206 .

[0081] Next, the process proceeds to step S30, and the connection controller 201B determines whether to allow reconnection based on priority score ranking in step S25. When reconnection based on priority score ranking is not allowed from the user, the determination is not satisfied (S30: No), and the process proceeds to step S35.

[0082] In step S35 , the connection controller 201B sets the device to execute reconnection mode 2 when a disconnection state is detected, and ends the flow.

[0083] On the other hand, when reconnection based on the priority score ranking is permitted from the user in the determination of step S30 , the determination is satisfied ( S30 : YES), and the process proceeds to step S40 .

[0084] In step S40 , the connection controller 201B sets the device to execute reconnection mode 3 when a disconnection state is detected, and ends the flow.

[0085] Next, we will describe in detail the execution Figure 10 The control process in reconnection mode 1 is shown.

[0086] First, in step S105 , the connection controller 201B calculates and updates the priority score by substituting the number of connections, the number of disconnections, and the number of elapsed days corresponding to each access information recorded in the access information management table into a predetermined calculation formula.

[0087] Next, the process proceeds to step S110 , and the connection controller 201B pairs with the operation terminal 2 existing in the communication range R of the label printer 3 at that time and detects access information thereof.

[0088] Next, the process proceeds to step S115 , and the connection controller 201B acquires access information having the highest priority score ranking among the access information detected in step S110 from the access information management table.

[0089] Next, the process proceeds to step S120, and the connection controller 201B transmits a connection request to the operation terminal 2 corresponding to the access information acquired in step S115 and performs reconnection. Next, this flow ends.

[0090] Next, we will describe in detail the execution Figure 11 The control process in reconnection mode 2 is shown.

[0091] In step S205, the connection controller 201B acquires the registration access information registered in the registration access information storage unit 201da.

[0092] Next, the process proceeds to step S210 , and the connection controller 201B pairs with the operation terminal 2 existing in the communication range R of the label printer 3 at that time and detects access information thereof.

[0093] Next, the process proceeds to step S215, and the connection controller 201B determines whether there is access information matching the registered access information acquired in step S205 among the access information detected in step S210. When there is access information matching the acquired registered access information among the detected access information, the determination is satisfied (S215: YES), and the process proceeds to step S220.

[0094] In step S220, the connection controller 201B sends a connection request to the operation terminal 2 corresponding to the registered access information and performs reconnection.

[0095] On the other hand, when there is no access information matching the acquired registered access information among the detected access information in the determination of step S215 , the determination is not satisfied ( S215 : NO), and the process proceeds to step S225 .

[0096] In step S225 , the connection controller 201B causes the display unit 205 to display that the operation terminal 2 corresponding to the registered access information does not exist, and ends the flow.

[0097] Next, we will describe in detail the execution Figure 12 The control process in reconnection mode 3 is shown.

[0098] In step S305, the connection controller 201B acquires the registration access information registered in the registration access information storage unit 201da.

[0099] Next, the process proceeds to step S310, and the connection controller 201B pairs with the operation terminal 2 existing in the communication range R of the label printer 3 at that time and detects access information thereof.

[0100] Next, the process proceeds to step S315, and the connection controller 201B determines whether there is access information matching the registered access information acquired in step S305 among the access information detected in step S310. When there is access information matching the acquired registered access information among the detected access information, the determination is satisfied (S315: YES), and the process proceeds to step S320.

[0101] In step S320, the connection controller 201B sends a connection request to the operation terminal 2 corresponding to the registered access information and performs reconnection.

[0102] On the other hand, when there is no access information matching the acquired registered access information among the detected access information in the determination of step S315 , the determination is not satisfied ( S315 : NO), and the process proceeds to step S325 .

[0103] In steps S325 to S340, the connection controller 201B executes Figure 10 The control process of step S105 to step S120 shown in the figure is the same control process, and reconnection to the operation terminal 2 selected based on the priority score ranking is performed. Then, this flow ends.

[0104] <About OS of the Operation Terminal Applicable in the Embodiment>

[0105] For example, when the operation terminal 2 is a smartphone, there are many operating systems (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "OS"), and the connection mode to the label printer 3 through wireless communication may vary depending on the OS. For example, when the OS is iOS (registered trademark name), a link key is exchanged between the label printer 3 and the operation terminal 2, and the operation terminal 2 and the label printer 3 are connected to enable data exchange. As a result, a connection state is established.

[0106] In this OS, basically, the connection state is maintained after exchanging print data etc. in the connection state to the label printer 3. Therefore, the label printer 3 according to the embodiment is preferably applied, which exclusively performs reconnection processing when the operation terminal 2 is disconnected from the connection state for some reason.

[0107] On the other hand, when the OS is, for example, Android (registered trademark name), a link key is exchanged between the label printer 3 and the operation terminal 2, so that a pairing state is established. Next, when a print instruction is given from the label printer 3, the operation terminal 2 and the label printer 3 are connected to enable data exchange and change from the pairing state to the connection state. When printing corresponding to the print instruction ends, the connection state in which data exchange is possible is forcibly released and returns to the pairing state. In this OS, a disconnected state is automatically established after printing ends, and reconnection does not have to be performed. Therefore, autonomous reconnection by the label printer 3 according to the embodiment is not applicable.

[0108] As described above, it is desirable to determine whether or not to execute the reconnection process by the label printer 3 according to the embodiment according to the type of the OS of the operation terminal 2 serving as the connection target. Therefore, the label printer 3 can determine whether or not to apply the reconnection process according to the type of the OS of the operation terminal 2 corresponding to each of the registered access information and the access information stored in the access information management table.

[0109] <Effects of the embodiment>

[0110] As described above, in this embodiment, when the operator terminal changes from a connected state to a disconnected state, the connection controller 201B automatically reestablishes a connection to the operator terminal 2 corresponding to the access message with the highest priority ranking among the multiple access information stored in the access information management table during the connection process. In this case, the priority ranking is determined based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule. As a result, when the label printer 3 and the operator terminal 2 change from a connected state to a disconnected state, complex operations on the operator terminal 2 side are unnecessary, and the label printer 3 and the operator terminal 2 can be simply reconnected.

[0111] In particular, at this time, the rules for determining priority are appropriately set. As a result, it is possible to reliably reconnect to the operation terminal 2 that was initially preferred, for example, the operation terminal 2 that is frequently connected for printing. Furthermore, unlike a method that simply reconnects to the previously connected operation terminal 2, it is also possible to prevent reconnection to the operation terminal 2 that was not preferred. As a result, the user's convenience in wireless communication between the label printer 3 and the operation terminal 2 can be significantly improved.

[0112] In addition, in this embodiment, in particular, the predetermined rule is a rule in which the priority of the operation terminal 2 increases as the total score obtained by adding at least one score includes: a score calculated based on "the number of times the operation terminal 2 is used × A (where A represents a positive constant)"; a score calculated based on "the number of times the operation terminal 2 changes from a connected state to a disconnected state regardless of an operation from the label printer 3 × B (where B represents a negative constant)"; and a score calculated based on "C (where C represents a positive constant) / the number of days that have passed since the previous use".

[0113] As a result, when the number of times the operation terminal 2 is used is large, when the number of times the operation terminal 2 is disconnected is small, or when the number of days that have passed since the last use of the operation terminal 2 is short, the total score of the operation terminal corresponding to the access information among the plurality of access information is high. Therefore, the priority of the operation terminal 2 is increased, so that the operation terminal 2 can be reconnected reliably. The calculation formula of the priority score is not limited to Figure 5 The values ​​of the respective constants A, B, and C to be applied can be appropriately changed depending on the setting mode of the reconstruction, the items to be added (items such as the number of connections, the number of disconnections, or the number of elapsed days), the calculation contents, and the like.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, in the connection processing performed by connection controller 201B, pre-registered registered access information is used to establish a connection to the operator terminal 2 corresponding to the access information, regardless of the priority scores of the plurality of access information stored in the access information management table of access information management table storage unit 201Db. As a result, the operator terminal 2 that can be reconnected reliably is pre-registered, enabling reliable reconnection of the operator terminal 2 regardless of the aforementioned priority ranking. The number of registered access information is not limited to one and may be multiple. In this case, it is desirable to pre-set a priority ranking among the registered access information.

[0115] In addition, in this embodiment, in particular, the operating system of the operation terminal 2 is the following operating system (for example, iOS (registered trademark name)), in which link keys are exchanged between the label printer 3 and the operation terminal 2, and the operation terminal 2 and the label printer 3 are connected to enable data exchange so that a connection state is established.

[0116] As a result, the label printer 3 according to the embodiment is preferentially applied, which executes the reconnection process exclusively when the operation terminal 2 is disconnected from the connected state for some reason.

[0117] In the above description, expressions such as "perpendicular", "parallel", and "planar" do not have precise meanings. That is, "perpendicular", "parallel", or "planar" allow for tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing, and mean "substantially perpendicular", "substantially parallel", or "substantially planar".

[0118] In addition, in the above description, when the expressions "same," "equal," or "different" are used in relation to the dimensions or sizes of the appearance, the expressions do not have a precise meaning. That is, "same," "equal," or "different" allow for tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing, and mean "substantially the same," "substantially equal," or "substantially different."

[0119] For example, when describing a value as a predetermined criterion or a value as a delimiter such as a threshold value or a reference value, unlike the above description, “same,” “equal,” or “different” used for this expression represents the precise meaning.

[0120] In the above description, such as Figure 2 The arrows in each of the drawings indicate examples of signal flows and do not limit the flow direction of the signals.

[0121] Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 or Figure 12 The illustrated flowchart does not limit the present invention to the processes illustrated in the flowchart, and the processes may be added, deleted, or changed in order without departing from the scope and technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0122] In addition to the above description, the methods of the embodiments and corresponding modified examples may be appropriately combined for use.

[0123] Furthermore, although not described in this specification, various changes can be made to the present invention within a range not departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A printing device, comprising: a conveying unit configured to convey a printing medium; a printing unit configured to perform printing on the printing medium; a communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with an external device via mutual recognition wireless communication; a storage unit configured to store information therein; as well as A controller configured to: access information storage processing of causing the storage unit to store access information of the external device, the access information indicating a connection state in which data exchange is being performed via the wireless communication; a disconnection detection process of detecting that the connection state of a first external device is changed to a disconnection state in which the data exchange via the wireless communication is not executable; as well as a connection process for, when the disconnection state is detected in the disconnection detection process, using access information having a high priority ranking among a plurality of access information stored in the storage unit based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule, establishing the connection state to a second external device corresponding to the access information, the second external device being different from the first external device; After the data exchange, the connection state is maintained.

2. The printing device according to claim 1, in, The predetermined rule is a rule in which the priority of the external device increases as the total score obtained by adding at least one score increases, The scores include: a first score calculated by multiplying the number of times the external device is used by a positive constant A; a second score calculated by multiplying the number of times the external device changes from the connected state to the disconnected state regardless of an operation from the printing device by a negative constant B; and A third fraction calculated by dividing a positive constant C by the number of days that have passed since the previous use.

3. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2, in, In the connection process, The connection state to the external device corresponding to the pre-registered access information is established using pre-registered access information regardless of the priority of the access information stored in the storage unit.

4. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2, in, In the operating system of the external device, A link key is exchanged between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus, and the external apparatus and the printing apparatus are connected to enable data exchange to establish the connection state.

5. The printing device according to claim 3, in, In the operating system of the external device, A link key is exchanged between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus, and the external apparatus and the printing apparatus are connected to enable data exchange to establish the connection state.

6. A communication processing system comprising: A printing device, comprising: a conveying unit configured to convey a printing medium; a printing unit configured to perform printing on the printing medium; a first communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with an external device through mutual recognition wireless communication; a storage unit configured to store information therein; and a first controller; and at least one external device, the at least one external device comprising: a second communication unit configured to perform the wireless communication with the first communication unit; and Second controller, The first controller is configured to perform a process including: access information storage processing of causing the storage unit to store access information of the external device, the access information indicating a connection state in which data exchange is being performed via the wireless communication; a disconnection detection process of detecting that the connection state of a first external device is changed to a disconnection state in which the data exchange via the wireless communication is not executable; and a connection process for, when the disconnection state is detected in the disconnection detection process, using access information having a high priority ranking among a plurality of access information stored in the storage unit based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule, establishing the connection state to a second external device corresponding to the access information, the second external device being different from the first external device; After the data exchange, the connection state is maintained.

7. A method for connecting a printing device to an external device, the method comprising: causing a storage unit of the printing apparatus to store access information of the external apparatus, the access information indicating a connection state in which data exchange is being performed between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus via wireless communication by using mutual identification wireless communication; detecting that the connection state of the first external device is changed to a disconnected state in which the data exchange via the wireless communication is not executable; as well as When the disconnected state is detected in the detection, the connection state to a second external device corresponding to the access information is established using access information having a high priority ranking among a plurality of access information stored in the storage unit, the second external device being different from the first external device, based on a priority determined according to a predetermined rule, After the data exchange, the connection state is maintained.

Images