Printing apparatus, print medium identification method, and program

Abstract

To identify a print medium using an existing configuration of a printing apparatus.SOLUTION: A printing apparatus comprises: a wireless communication unit 150 that wirelessly receives print data from a wireless communication terminal; a printing unit 160 that performs printing on a print medium on the basis of the print data received by the wireless communication unit 150 from the wireless communication terminal; a measuring unit that measures a reception speed between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal; and an identification unit that identifies the print medium on the basis of the reception speed measured by the measuring unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a printing device, a print medium identification method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Label printers that print characters, graphics, etc. on long print media are well known. There are various types of print media used in label printers, each with different widths, colors, materials, etc., and these can be interchanged as needed. In order to perform printing control according to the print media, it is desirable for the label printer to have a function for identifying the print media.

[0003] A technology related to such technical issues is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes a technology for identifying the type of cassette based on cassette information acquired from an RFID tag provided on the cassette that stores the print medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-070249 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, to identify the type of print medium using the technology described in Patent Document 1, a dedicated structure is required. Specifically, an RFID reader is required for the printing device, and an RFID tag is required for the cassette.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for identifying a print medium using an existing configuration of a printing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A printing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a wireless communication unit that wirelessly receives printing data from a wireless communication terminal, a printing unit that prints on a printing medium based on the printing data received by the wireless communication unit from the wireless communication terminal, a measurement unit that measures the reception speed between the wireless communication unit and the wireless communication terminal, and an identification unit that identifies the printing medium based on the reception speed measured by the measurement unit.

[0008] A method for identifying a print medium according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for identifying a print medium performed by a computer of a printing device that receives print data wirelessly from a wireless communication terminal and prints it on a print medium, and includes a measurement step of measuring the reception speed between the wireless communication unit that receives the print data and the wireless communication terminal, and an identification step of identifying the print medium based on the measured reception speed.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer of a printing device that receives print data wirelessly from a wireless communication terminal and prints it on a print medium to function as a measurement means for measuring the reception speed between the wireless communication unit that receives the print data and the wireless communication terminal, and as an identification means for identifying the print medium based on the measured reception speed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above aspect, it is possible to identify the print medium using the existing configuration of the printing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a printing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printing device with the cover removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printing device with the lid and cassette removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a printing process performed by a printing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the printing device with the main board and printing mechanism exposed. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the printing device with the rear surface of the main board exposed. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cassette, the substrate, and the mechanism portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a cassette and a substrate. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of wireless communication units. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the arrangement of the wireless communication unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing communication between a wireless communication terminal and a printing device that constitute the printing system. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a printing process performed by a printing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The printing system shown in Fig. 1 is a system including a wireless communication terminal 1 and a printing device 100, and the printing device 100 performs printing based on print data received from the wireless communication terminal 1. The wireless communication terminal 1 is an information processing device that performs wireless communication with the printing device 100. The wireless communication terminal 1 may be any information processing device that has a wireless communication function, such as a tablet-type personal computer as shown in Fig. 1. However, the wireless communication terminal 1 may also be a smartphone, a laptop-type personal computer, a desktop personal computer, or the like.

[0013] The standard for wireless communication between the wireless communication terminal 1 and the printing device 100 is, for example, a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (hereinafter referred to as BLE). However, for example, a wireless LAN standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may also be adopted, and the wireless communication between the wireless communication terminal 1 and the printing device 100 may be performed in infrastructure mode via an access point (not shown) rather than in ad hoc mode.

[0014] The printing device 100 may be any printing device that wirelessly receives print data from the wireless communication terminal 1 and prints on a print medium, such as a label printer that prints on tape, which is a long, thin, strip-shaped print medium made of plastic, paper, magnet, aluminum, or any other material. By changing the print medium stored in the printing device 100, the printing device 100 can print on various types of print media with different widths and materials. The printing method of the printing device 100 is, for example, a thermal transfer method or a thermal method, but the printing device 100 is not limited to a thermal printer and may also be a laser printer, inkjet printer, etc.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the case 101 of the printing device 100 is shaped like a cylinder with a substantially rectangular bottom surface and an oval top surface. Of the surfaces of the case 101, the portions that correspond to the sides of the cylinder are made up of two side surfaces that are substantially parallel to the Y direction and two curved surfaces that connect the two side surfaces. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the front surface, which is one of the two curved surfaces, is provided with an outlet 102 through which the printed printing medium M is discharged. The outlet 102 is an opening that is parallel to the X direction.

[0016] Part of the case 101 of the printing device 100 is a removable lid that is opened and closed when replacing the print medium M, and as shown in FIG. 2, the printer 100 is configured so that removing the lid exposes the cassette 103 attached to the printer 100. The cassette 103 is an example of a storage unit that stores the print medium M, and the print medium M is stored in the cassette 103 in a rolled state. As shown in FIG. 3, the cassette 103 can be removed from the printing device 100, and the printer 100 can print on various print media by replacing the cassette 103.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, the printing device 100 further includes a CPU 110, a RAM 120, a memory unit 130, an operation unit 140, a wireless communication unit 150, a printing unit 160, a cutting unit 170, and a detection unit 180, which are connected by a bus 190.

[0018] The CPU 110 is a processor that controls each unit of the printing device 100. The CPU 110 executes predetermined processing by reading out a program 131 stored in the storage unit 130 into the RAM 120 and executing the program. Specifically, by executing the program 131, the CPU 110 operates as a measurement unit that measures the communication state between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal 1, an identification unit that identifies the print medium M based on the communication state measured by the measurement unit, and a print control unit that controls the printing unit 160 based on the type of print medium M identified by the identification unit, thereby performing the print processing described below. The RAM 120 provides a working memory space for the CPU 110.

[0019] The storage unit 130 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and includes, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory. The storage unit 130 may also include a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, or other types of storage device instead of or in addition to the non-volatile semiconductor memory. In addition to the program 131 described above, the storage unit 130 also stores a communication status table 132, which will be described later.

[0020] The operation unit 140 is a part that is operated by a user of the printing device 100, such as a power button provided on the printing device 100. The wireless communication unit 150 is a wireless communication module, such as a BLE module, that establishes a wireless communication connection with the wireless communication terminal 1 and performs wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal 1. The wireless communication unit 150 receives print data and other data from the wireless communication terminal 1 wirelessly.

[0021] The printing unit 160 is a printing mechanism that includes a print head 161 such as a thermal head. The printing unit 160 prints on the print medium M that is pulled out from the cassette 103 onto the transport path based on print data that the wireless communication unit 150 receives from the wireless communication terminal 1. The cutting unit 170 is a cutting mechanism that cuts the print medium M. The cutting unit 170 includes a full cutter that completely cuts the print medium M to create a tape piece, and may further include a half cutter that cuts part of the print medium M.

[0022] The detection unit 180 detects and outputs information (hereinafter, width information) relating to the width of the print medium M housed in the cassette 103. The detection unit 180 includes, for example, a plurality of physical switches provided in the space inside the case 101 in which the cassette 103 is housed. The cassette 103 has a different shape for each width of the print medium M housed therein, and each shape is designed to press a different combination of the plurality of physical switches. The detection unit 180 outputs a signal (width information) according to the combination of pressed physical switches among the plurality of physical switches.

[0023] 5 is started, for example, by receiving print data from the wireless communication terminal 1. When the print process shown in Fig. 5 is started, first, the CPU 110 operates as a measurement unit and measures the communication state between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal 1 (step S1).

[0024] The communication state refers to the state of communication performance or communication quality, such as radio wave reception strength and reception speed, rather than the content of data communicated between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal 1 (i.e., information carried by radio waves). In step S1, the CPU 110 measures, for example, the radio wave reception strength or reception speed as the communication state when the wireless communication unit 150 receives print data from the wireless communication terminal 1.

[0025] When the communication state is measured, the CPU 110 operates as an identification unit and identifies the print medium M based on the communication state measured in step S1 (step S2).

[0026] If there is a difference in characteristic impedance (difference in relative dielectric constant) in the medium through which the radio waves propagate, reflection occurs there. Since the characteristic impedance (relative dielectric constant) of the print medium M differs depending on the type of print medium M, in the printing device 100, the reflection loss of the radio waves generated by the print medium M differs depending on the print medium M. In other words, the communication state between the wireless communication terminal 1 and the wireless communication unit 150 varies depending on whether a print medium is present and the print medium M that is accommodated.

[0027] In step S2, the CPU 110 utilizes this fact to identify the print medium M. That is, the CPU 110 utilizes the fact that the communication state between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal 1 varies depending on the print medium M accommodated in the printing device 100 to identify the print medium M.

[0028] For example, the CPU 110 may identify the print medium M by comparing the communication state measured in step S1 with a reference communication state. More specifically, the print medium M may be identified from the difference (or ratio) between the received radio wave strength (or reception speed), which is the communication state measured in step S1, and the received radio wave strength (or reception speed), which is the reference communication state. The relationship between the type of print medium and the difference (or ratio) in the received radio wave strength (or reception speed) is stored in advance in a communication state table 132 in the storage unit 130, and the CPU 110 may identify the print medium M by referring to the communication state table 132.

[0029] When the print medium M is identified, the CPU 110 operates as a print control unit and controls the printing unit 160 based on the type of print medium M identified in step S2 (step S3).

[0030] In step S3, the CPU 110 adjusts printing parameters such as power-on time according to the type of print medium M, and then controls the printing unit 160 based on the print data. As a result, the printing device 100 prints on the print medium M with settings suitable for the print medium M.

[0031] The printing device 100 configured as described above identifies the print medium M based on the communication status between the wireless communication unit 150 that receives the print data and the wireless communication terminal 1. Therefore, there is no need to provide a new dedicated configuration for identifying the print medium M, and the print medium M can be identified using the existing configuration of the printing device. Furthermore, since printing is performed by adjusting printing parameters according to the identified print medium M, high-quality printing can be performed regardless of the print medium M.

[0032] Furthermore, when comparing the printing device 100 with a conventional configuration that acquires information for identifying the print medium from an RFID tag or the like attached to the cassette that stores the print medium, the conventional configuration requires a cassette for each type of print medium, and the cassette must be replaced along with the print medium. In contrast, the printing device 100 can identify the print medium M by replacing only the print medium M in the cassette 103. This is desirable in that it matches the current need for environmental considerations.

[0033] With reference to FIGS. 6 to 11, a particularly desirable example of the arrangement of the wireless communication unit 150 when identifying the print medium M based on the communication state will be described.

[0034] The main board 104 is provided in the case 101 so as to be located on the rear side of the cassette 103 (the side opposite the lid when viewed from the cassette 103) when the cassette 103 is housed in the case 101.

[0035] 6 and 7, the printing unit 160 is provided closer to the lid (positive side in the X-axis direction) than the main substrate 104, and in an area (positive side in the Y-axis direction) relatively closer to the discharge port 102 than the main substrate 104. Further closer to the discharge port 102 (positive side in the X-axis direction) than the printing unit 160, a cutting unit 170 is provided, as shown in FIG. 8. In this way, the main mechanisms such as the printing unit 160 and the cutting unit 170, which contain a relatively large amount of metal with a high dielectric constant, are arranged near the discharge port 102.

[0036] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the main board 104 is disposed further back (negative side in the Y-axis direction) from the ejection opening 102 than mechanisms such as the printing unit 160 and the cutting unit 170. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, a printer control board 105 is also disposed on the main board 104, and a wireless communication unit 150, which is a wireless communication module, is disposed on the printer control board 105. In this manner, various boards on which electronic circuits such as the wireless communication module (wireless communication unit 150) are disposed are disposed in areas farther from the ejection opening 102 than major mechanisms such as the printing unit 160 and the cutting unit 170. In other words, in the printing device 100, the mechanism parts and the board parts are disposed in different areas in the conveyance direction. Furthermore, the printer control board 105 is disposed relatively close to the printing unit 160 within the main board 104, that is, near the edge of the main board 104 on the ejection opening 102 side.

[0037] 8, cassette 103 is arranged in an area that overlaps with main board 104, printer control board 105, and printing unit 160 when viewed from the cover side. In other words, cassette 103 is arranged straddling the boards and mechanism. More specifically, the part of cassette 103 that stores rolled print medium M (hereinafter referred to as roll tape) is arranged on the board (main board 104, printer control board 105) side, and the part through which print medium M pulled out from the roll tape passes is arranged on the printing unit 160 side.

[0038] In this configuration, the cassette 103, which serves as a storage unit, and the printer control board 105 are arranged in an area where they overlap in the width direction of the print medium M, so the wireless communication unit 150, which is a wireless communication module provided on the printer control board 105, is also close to the print medium M. In particular, in this example, the wireless communication unit 150 is arranged in an area where the cassette 103 and the printer control board 105 overlap in the width direction of the print medium M, so the communication state between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal 1 changes significantly depending on the presence or absence of the print medium M and the type of the print medium M. Therefore, the above-described arrangement of the wireless communication unit 150 is suitable for a printing device 100 that identifies the print medium M based on the communication state. In particular, by combining it with the detection unit 180 and performing identification based on the communication state with the width of the print medium M specified, it is possible to identify the print medium M with higher accuracy.

[0039] Furthermore, the printer control board 105 is disposed upstream of the printing unit 160 in the transport direction and relatively close to the printing unit 160. Therefore, the wireless communication unit 150 provided on the printer control board 105 is located below the roll tape in the cassette 103 where the print medium M is densely packed. With this configuration, the communication status between the wireless communication unit 150 and the wireless communication terminal 1 changes significantly depending on the presence or absence of the print medium M and the type of print medium M. Therefore, the above-described location of the wireless communication unit 150 is suitable for a printing device 100 that identifies the print medium M based on the communication status. In particular, by combining it with the detection unit 180 and performing identification based on the communication status after the width of the print medium M has been identified, the print medium M can be identified with higher accuracy.

[0040] Furthermore, the printer control board 105 is positioned so that it does not overlap the printing unit 160 and the cutting unit 170. This prevents interference with radio waves reflected by mechanical parts such as the printing unit 160 and the cutting unit 170, which contain many metal components, from excessively affecting the communication status being measured. This makes it possible to stably measure the communication status and accurately identify the print medium M.

[0041] While the above describes an example in which the wireless communication unit 150 is disposed on the printer control board 105, the placement of the wireless communication unit that receives print data is not limited to being on the printer control board 105. It may be located in a position where the communication state is easily affected by the print medium M. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the wireless communication units (wireless communication units 151 and 152) that are wireless communication modules may be provided on the main board 104, and the wireless communication units (wireless communication units 151 and 152) that are wireless communication modules may be placed in an area where the cassette 103 and the main board 104 overlap in the width direction of the print medium M. Even with this placement, the communication state of the wireless communication units changes significantly due to the influence of the print medium M, so it is possible to accurately identify the print medium M based on the communication state.

[0042] Also, although an example has been shown in which the wireless communication unit 150 is disposed on the rear side of the cassette 103, the wireless communication unit that receives print data may be disposed on the front side (lid side) of the cassette 103. The wireless communication unit may be disposed, for example, on a board provided on the lid of the printing device that is opened and closed when replacing the print medium M, and the board provided on the lid may be disposed in an area where the cassette 103 and its board overlap in the width direction of the print medium M. In this case as well, the influence of interference with radio waves reflected by mechanical parts can be minimized.

[0043] 12 and 13, a specific example of a printing medium identification method for identifying the printing medium M based on the communication state will be described, assuming that the change in communication state that occurs between when the printing medium M is not stored in the printing device 100 and when it is is known from experiments conducted in advance, and that information is stored in the communication state table 132.

[0044] In this example, the communication status table 132 stores information on the data reception speed ratio that occurs when the printing device 100 does not contain the printing medium M and when it does, for each combination of the width and material of the printing medium M.

[0045] The user of the wireless communication terminal 1 calibrates the printing device 100 before sending print data from the wireless communication terminal 1 to the printing device 100 and issuing a printing instruction. The user first removes the cassette 103 from the printing device 100 (step S10) and then performs a calibration operation on the wireless communication terminal 1 (step S20). It is desirable to limit the environment in which the calibration operation is performed in advance. For example, it is desirable to perform the calibration operation under conditions in which the storage status of the print media is known (specifically, the stored print media is known, or it is known that no print media is stored) and the distance between the wireless communication terminal 1 and the printing device 100 is a predetermined distance. For example, when the user performs the calibration operation, a limit on the distance between the wireless communication terminal 1 and the printing device 100 may be displayed on the screen displayed on the wireless communication terminal 1. For example, a message such as "Please operate the printer approximately n meters away" may be displayed. Furthermore, a message such as "If tape identification is not possible during printing, move to the calibration position" may also be displayed. This makes it easy to perform calibration in a known environment for the print medium and under conditions at a predetermined distance from the printing device 100, thereby minimizing the influence of factors that cause fluctuations in the communication state other than the print medium M. Note that the following description will be given taking as an example a situation where it is known that no print medium is stored as the storage status of the print medium.

[0046] In response to the calibration operation, the wireless communication terminal 1 transmits a calibration instruction to the printing device 100 (step S30). The printing device 100 receives the calibration instruction and executes the calibration process (step S40).

[0047] In step S40, the CPU 110 measures the reception speed of the initial communication data (hereinafter referred to as initial communication data) when the wireless communication unit 150 receives data including a calibration instruction from the wireless communication terminal 1 while the print medium M is not housed in the printing device 100, and stores the measured reception speed in the storage unit 130 as the reference communication speed. Note that the method for measuring the reception speed is not particularly limited, and for example, the reception speed may be calculated by simply dividing the received initial communication data by the time from the start of reception to the end of reception. The reference communication speed is an example of a first communication state, which is the communication state when the wireless communication unit 150 receives data from the wireless communication terminal 1 under a known environment (in this example, when the print medium M is not housed in the printing device 100).

[0048] Thereafter, when the user loads cassette 103 into printing device 100 (step S50) and performs a print operation on wireless communication terminal 1 (step S60), wireless communication terminal 1 transmits a print instruction including print data to printing device 100 (step S70). Upon receiving the print instruction, printing device 100 executes the print process shown in Fig. 13 (step S80).

[0049] In step S80, wireless communication unit 150 first receives print data (step S81), and CPU 110 measures the reception speed of wireless communication unit 150 when the print data is received (step S82). The method for measuring the reception speed in step S82 is the same as the method for measuring the reception speed in the first communication state in step S40. Note that the reception speed of the print data is an example of a second communication state, which is the communication state when wireless communication unit 150 receives the print data from wireless communication terminal 1.

[0050] Next, the CPU 110 detects the width of the print medium M accommodated in the printing device 100 based on the signal (width information) output by the detection unit 180 (step S83), and further acquires the reference communication speed measured in the calibration process described above from the storage unit 130 (step S84).

[0051] Thereafter, the CPU 110 identifies the print medium M based on the information acquired in steps S82 to S84 (the reference communication speed, which is the first communication state; the print data reception speed, which is the second communication state; and the width of the print medium M (width information)) (step S85). More specifically, the CPU 110, for example, calculates the ratio between the reference communication speed and the print data reception speed, and identifies the material of the print medium M corresponding to the combination of the calculated reception speed ratio and the detected width of the print medium M by referring to the communication state table 132. If the identification fails, a message such as "Please move to the position used during calibration" may be displayed on the screen displayed on the wireless communication terminal 1. This allows the printing device 100 to receive a print instruction when the printing device 100 and the wireless communication terminal 1 are separated by the same distance as during calibration.

[0052] Finally, the CPU 110 controls the printing unit 160 based on the type of print medium (e.g., width and material) identified in step S85 (step S86). As a result, printing is performed on the print medium M with settings according to the type of print medium M.

[0053] 12 and 13, the print medium is identified by taking into consideration not only the material of the print medium but also the effect that the width of the print medium has on the communication state. Therefore, it is possible to identify the type of print medium with high accuracy, particularly the material that can have a significant effect on printing parameters, which is suitable for controlling printing according to the print medium.

[0054] 12 and 13, in addition to the second communication state measured during printing, the first communication state (in this example, the reference communication speed) is also measured by the printing device 100. Therefore, compared to when the first communication state is given in advance in specifications, for example, it is possible to accurately capture fluctuations in the communication state that also reflect individual differences between printing devices, and as a result, it is possible to accurately identify the printing medium M.

[0055] While the example in which the reception speed is used as the communication state measured to identify the print medium M has been described, the received radio wave strength may be used instead of or in addition to the reception speed. Similar to the reception speed, the received radio wave strength is preferably measured under conditions where the printing device 100 and the wireless communication terminal are the same distance apart during calibration and printing. Furthermore, while the example in which the reception speed ratio is used to identify the print medium M has been described, the reception speed difference or the received radio wave strength difference may also be used. The reception speed and the received radio wave strength are particularly desirable as communication states to be measured because they can be measured without adding any new components to the printing device 100. The printing device 100 only needs to identify the print medium M based on the first and second communication states. As described above, the print medium M may also be identified based on width information in addition to the first and second communication states.

[0056] Furthermore, although an example has been shown in which the printing device 100 includes the detection unit 180 and identifies the print medium M using information output from the detection unit 180, the printing device 100 does not have to include the detection unit 180. In this case, the CPU 110 may identify the type of print medium, including both its material and width, based on the first communication state and the second normal state. Note that in this case as well, the communication state table 132 only needs to store information calculated from the first communication state and the second communication state (for example, information on the data reception speed ratio that occurs between when the print medium M is not stored in the printing device 100 and when it is stored therein) for each combination of width and material of the print medium M.

[0057] Furthermore, although an example has been shown in which the printing device 100 identifies the type (material, width) of the print medium M, it may also identify the remaining amount of the print medium M. In this case, the communication status table 132 only needs to store information calculated from the first communication status and the second communication status for each combination of width, material, and remaining amount of the print medium M.

[0058] Furthermore, although an example has been shown in which the identification result of the print medium M is used for printing control, the use of the identification result of the print medium M is not limited to printing control. For example, in a printing system, a warning may be issued based on the identification result of the print medium M. The warning operation may be performed by the printing device 100 or the wireless communication terminal 1. For example, when the printing device 100 transmits the identification result to the wireless communication terminal 1, if the identification result of the print medium M indicates a type of print medium different from the type previously set on the wireless communication terminal 1 or if the identification result indicates that no print medium is stored in the printing device 100, the wireless communication terminal 1 that receives the identification result may display a warning message on the screen of the wireless communication terminal 1, urging the user to replace the print medium M stored in the printing device 100.

[0059] Furthermore, while the desirable positional relationship between the wireless communication unit 150 and the cassette 103 and the mechanical unit has been described above, the layout and size of each component of the printing device 100 may be adjusted as appropriate to make fluctuations in the communication state more pronounced. For example, if the fluctuation range of the communication state varies depending on the size and position of the board, the size and position of the board may be adjusted to increase the fluctuation range.

[0060] Furthermore, although the reception speed and received radio wave intensity are given as examples of the communication state, the communication state is not limited to these. Anything that indicates communication performance or quality that varies depending on the print medium M may be measured, such as VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) or radiation efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1...wireless communication terminal, 100...printing device, 103...cassette, 104...main board, 105...printer control board, 110...CPU, 131...program, 132...communication status table, 150...wireless communication unit, 151...wireless communication unit, 152...wireless communication unit, 160...printing unit, 161...print head, 170...cutting unit, 180...detection unit, M...printing medium

Claims

1. a wireless communication unit that wirelessly receives print data from a wireless communication terminal; a printing unit that prints on a print medium based on the print data received by the wireless communication unit from the wireless communication terminal; a measurement unit that measures a reception speed when the wireless communication unit receives data from the wireless communication terminal; an identification unit that identifies the print medium based on the reception speed measured by the measurement unit; A printing device characterized by:

2. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, The identification unit identifies the print medium based on a first reception speed measured by the measurement unit, the first reception speed being the first reception speed when the wireless communication unit receives initial communication data from the wireless communication terminal, and a second reception speed measured by the measurement unit, the second reception speed being the second reception speed when the wireless communication unit receives the print data from the wireless communication terminal. A printing device characterized by:

3. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, further comprising: a detection unit that outputs width information relating to the width of the printing medium; The identification unit identifies the print medium based on the first receiving speed, the second receiving speed, and the width information output by the detection unit. A printing device characterized by:

4. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, The measurement unit measures the second reception speed when the wireless communication unit receives the print data from the wireless communication terminal after receiving the initial communication data from the wireless communication terminal. A printing device characterized by:

5. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, The measurement unit further measures the received radio wave intensity when the wireless communication unit receives data from the wireless communication terminal, The identification unit identifies the print medium based on the first receiving speed, the second receiving speed, a first received radio wave intensity measured by the measurement unit when the wireless communication unit receives the initial communication data from the wireless communication terminal in an environment where the print medium is not accommodated, and a second received radio wave intensity measured by the measurement unit when the wireless communication unit receives the print data from the wireless communication terminal. A printing device characterized by:

6. 6. The printing device according to claim 2, further comprising: a print control unit that controls the printing unit based on the type of the print medium identified by the identification unit; A printing device characterized by:

7. 3. The printing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit that stores the print medium; The wireless communication unit is a wireless communication module provided on a substrate, and is disposed in an area where the housing unit and the substrate overlap in the width direction of the print medium. A printing device characterized by:

8. 8. The printing device according to claim 7, The substrate is provided on a cover of the printing device that is opened and closed when replacing the printing medium. A printing device characterized by:

9. A method for identifying a print medium, which is performed by a computer of a printing device that wirelessly receives print data from a wireless communication terminal and prints on a print medium, comprising: a measuring step of measuring a reception speed between the wireless communication unit that receives the print data and the wireless communication terminal; and identifying the print medium based on the measured reception speed. A method for identifying a print medium.

10. A computer of a printing device that wirelessly receives print data from a wireless communication terminal and prints on a print medium, a measuring means for measuring a reception speed between the wireless communication unit that receives the print data and the wireless communication terminal; an identification means for identifying the printing medium based on the measured receiving speed; A program characterized by functioning as

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