Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To specify a label before issuance and a label after issuance.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: a storage unit for associating and storing aggregation identification information for identifying an aggregate of a plurality of printing media and tag identification information for identifying a wireless tag included in each of the plurality of printing media; a first acquisition unit for acquiring the aggregate identification information stored in a printing medium issuing device; a second acquisition unit for acquiring the tag identification information on the wireless tag included in the printing media issued from the printing medium issuing device; and a specification unit for specifying the printing media before being issued by the printing medium issuing device or the issued printing media of the plurality of printing media corresponding to the aggregate identification information on the basis of the aggregate identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, printers that issue labels with wireless tags (also called inlays) that have an IC chip and an antenna are known. Such printers accommodate a label roll on which a strip of continuous paper with multiple labels is wound, and the continuous paper is pulled out from the label roll to issue labels in order. When issuing a label, a reader / writer installed in the printer writes (encodes) data to the wireless tag included in the label (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-157521 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When issuing labels with wireless tags, it is necessary to ensure traceability, especially for relatively expensive labels used for purposes such as preventing tampering. For example, when using a label roll, it is necessary to be able to identify which labels have already been issued and which labels are yet to be issued (labels to be issued).

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to identify labels that have not yet been issued and labels that have already been issued. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is An information processing device comprising: a memory unit that stores, in association with each other, collection identification information that identifies a collection of multiple printing media and tag identification information that identifies a wireless tag included in each of the multiple printing media; a first acquisition unit that acquires the collection identification information contained in a printing medium issuing device; a second acquisition unit that acquires tag identification information of a wireless tag included in a printing medium issued from the printing medium issuing device; and an identification unit that identifies, from among the multiple printing media corresponding to the collection identification information, a printing medium before being issued by the printing medium issuing device or a printing medium that has been issued, based on the collection identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify labels that have not yet been issued and labels that have already been issued. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic system configuration of a label issuing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roll of paper with an RFID label attached. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a label database. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the data structure of a printer database. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a printer with an internal view. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a label issuing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a sequence chart showing processing of a label issuing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data update in the label database. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data update in the label database. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation of making a printer recognize a label roll ID in the label issuing system of an embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a sequence chart showing the processing of a label issuing system according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The embodiments described below are not limited to the drawings described by the brief description of the drawings.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: a memory unit that stores, in association with each other, collection identification information that identifies a collection of multiple printing media and tag identification information that identifies a wireless tag included in each of the multiple printing media; a first acquisition unit that acquires the collection identification information contained in a printing medium issuing device; a second acquisition unit that acquires tag identification information of a wireless tag included in a printing medium issued from the printing medium issuing device; and an identification unit that identifies, from among the multiple printing media corresponding to the collection identification information, a printing medium before being issued by the printing medium issuing device or a printing medium that has been issued, based on the collection identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify the print medium before it is issued and the print medium that has already been issued.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention is an information processing device described in the first aspect, which has a third acquisition unit that acquires device identification information that identifies the print medium issuing device in which the collection is contained, and the identification unit identifies, among the multiple print media corresponding to the collection identification information, the print medium before being issued or the print medium that has been issued by the print medium issuing device corresponding to the device identification information, based on the collection identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit, the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, and the device identification information acquired by the third acquisition unit.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify the unissued labels and the issued labels of the set stored in the print medium issuing device among a plurality of sets.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention is an information processing device described in the first or second aspect, wherein the collection is made up of the plurality of printing media arranged in succession, and the memory unit stores the collection identification information, the issuing order of each printing medium arranged in the collection, and the order of tag identification information of the wireless tags included in the printing medium, in correspondence with each other.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to manage whether each print medium is issued in the correct order in a specific print medium issuing device.

[0016] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an information processing device described in the third aspect, wherein the identification unit outputs a warning when the multiple print media have not been issued in the order of issuance stored in the memory unit based on tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an administrator or the like of a print medium issuing device can recognize that print media are not issued in order in a specific print medium issuing device.

[0018] A fifth aspect of the present invention is an information processing device described in the second aspect, wherein the identification unit acquires, based on the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, information regarding the number of printing media that have been issued by the printing medium issuing device corresponding to the device identification information among the multiple printing media corresponding to the collection identification information, or information regarding the number of printing media that have not yet been issued.

[0019] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to know the number of print media issued and the number of print media yet to be issued in a specific print medium issuing device.

[0020] A sixth aspect of the present invention is an information processing device described in the second aspect, wherein the identification unit associates the device identification information with tag identification information of a wireless tag included in a printing medium issued by the printing medium issuing device that corresponds to the device identification information among a plurality of printing media corresponding to the collection identification information.

[0021] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure traceability of print media issued by a specific print medium issuing device.

[0022] A seventh aspect of the present invention is an information processing device described in the sixth aspect, wherein the memory unit stores multiple pieces of device identification information, and the identification unit outputs a warning if the device identification information acquired by the third acquisition unit is not included in the multiple pieces of device identification information stored in the memory unit.

[0023] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, an administrator or the like can recognize that a print medium has been issued by a device other than a pre-registered print medium issuing device.

[0024] An eighth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system including a print medium issuing device and an information processing device capable of communicating with the print medium issuing device, and is equipped with: a memory unit that stores collection identification information that identifies a collection of multiple print media and tag identification information that identifies a wireless tag included in each of the multiple print media, in correspondence with each other; a first acquisition unit that acquires the collection identification information contained in the print medium issuing device; a second acquisition unit that acquires tag identification information of the wireless tag included in the print medium issued from the print medium issuing device; and an identification unit that identifies the print medium before being issued by the print medium issuing device or the printed medium that has been issued, among the multiple print media corresponding to the collection identification information, based on the collection identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0025] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to determine the print medium issuing device that houses a collection of multiple print media before printing, and whether each print medium has been issued from that print medium issuing device.

[0026] A ninth aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed on an information processing device having a memory unit that stores, in correspondence with each other, collection identification information that identifies a collection of multiple printing media and tag identification information that identifies a wireless tag included in each of the multiple printing media, the information processing method acquiring the collection identification information stored in a printing medium issuing device, acquiring tag identification information of a wireless tag included in a printing medium issued from the printing medium issuing device, and identifying, based on the collection identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, a printing medium before being issued by the printing medium issuing device or a printing medium that has been issued, among the multiple printing media corresponding to the collection identification information.

[0027] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify labels before being issued and labels that have already been issued.

[0028] A tenth aspect of the present invention is a program that, when installed in an information processing device having a memory unit that stores, in association with each other, collection identification information that identifies a collection of multiple printing media and tag identification information that identifies the wireless tags included in each of the multiple printing media, causes a computer to execute the following steps: acquire the collection identification information contained in a printing medium issuing device; acquire tag identification information of the wireless tags included in printing media issued from the printing medium issuing device; and, based on the acquired collection identification information and the acquired tag identification information, identify the printing medium before being issued by the printing medium issuing device or the printing medium that has been issued, among the multiple printing media corresponding to the collection identification information.

[0029] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify labels before being issued and labels that have already been issued.

[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a label issuing system. The label issuing system 1 includes one or more printers 2 (an example of a print medium issuing device) located at a label issuing location that issues labels, an issuance management terminal 3 located at the label issuing location, a manufacturing management terminal 4 located at a label manufacturing factory that manufactures roll paper, and a management server 5 (an example of an information processing device). Although Fig. 1 shows one label manufacturing factory and one label issuing location, this is merely an example, and two or more label issuing locations and / or label issuing locations may be provided.

[0031] The printer 2 and the issuance management terminal 3 can communicate with the management server 5 via a network NW. The production management terminal 4 and the management server 5 can communicate with each other via a network NW. The network NW is not limited to, but may be, for example, a wireless or wired LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a mobile communication network. The issuance management terminal 3 and the production management terminal 4 are each an information processing terminal with communication functions, such as a computer terminal, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone.

[0032] In one embodiment, the label issuance system 1 aims to ensure detailed traceability of label issuance. For each roll of paper produced at a label manufacturing factory, the management server 5 stores the issuance order of each of the multiple labels arranged consecutively on the roll of paper (the order in which the labels are pulled out of the printer 2 when they are printed) in association with the TID of the inlay included in each label. The TID is, for example, identification information (tag identification information) that identifies the inlay (tag). For example, the management server 5 has a label database for each roll of paper, and stores the issuance order of each of the multiple labels arranged on the roll of paper in association with the TID of the inlay.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, roll paper R (an example of a collection of printing media) manufactured at a label manufacturing factory is a roll of continuous paper CP. The continuous paper CP includes a strip-shaped backing sheet PM and multiple labels PL (an example of printing media) removably attached to the backing sheet PM at intervals. The surface (front) of the backing sheet PM that comes into contact with the adhesive surface of the labels PL is coated with a release agent such as silicone, making it easy to peel the labels PL. The labels PL incorporate an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) inlay IL (hereinafter simply referred to as "inlay IL"). The back side of the backing sheet PM, on which the labels PL are not attached, may have position detection marks IM formed at predetermined intervals along the length to indicate the position of the labels. The labels PL may be made of thermal paper or plain paper. In the case of thermal paper, a thermosensitive coloring layer is formed on its surface that changes color to a specific color (such as black or red) when it reaches a predetermined temperature range. Although not shown, the roll paper R may be a roll of linerless labels having an adhesive surface formed by applying an adhesive to the back side of the printing surface.

[0034] 2, for example, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag 70 that stores a label roll ID (an example of aggregate identification information) that identifies the roll paper R is attached to the paper core of the roll paper R. The label roll ID stored in the NFC tag 70 is read by the printer 2 when the roll paper R is loaded into the printer 2.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows an example of the data structure of the label database. As shown in FIG. 3, a label database is stored for each label roll ID of a roll paper. The label database stores the issuance order of labels arranged on the roll paper (the order in which the labels are arranged is "order 1, 2, 3") in association with the TID contained in each label. In the example of "label roll ID: 00123" shown in FIG. 3, 80 labels are included on the roll paper, and each label is associated with a TID. The label database is generated, for example, during the production process at a label manufacturing factory by sequentially reading the TIDs from each of the multiple labels included in the continuous paper for each roll paper. The generated label database is centrally managed by the management server 5. The production management terminal 4 can view the label database stored in the management server 5.

[0036] Roll paper manufactured at a label manufacturing factory is loaded (stored) into printer 2 at a label issuance location. Printer 2 issues labels one by one from the loaded roll paper. The label issuance location is a location where the printed labels are affixed to items, and is not limited to, but may be a retail store, warehouse, factory, hospital, or the like. At the label issuance location, an issuance management terminal 3 sends a label issuance instruction to each printer 2. The label issuance instruction may be sent via network NW or via another network (such as a LAN) at the label issuance location. The label issuance instruction includes, for each label to be printed, print data and Electronic Product Code (EPC) data to be written in the EPC area of ​​the inlay.

[0037] The management server 5 has a printer database for managing information about each printer 2 used at the label issuing location, as well as a label database acquired from the manufacturing management terminal 4. Information about each printer 2 used at the label issuing location is registered in advance in the printer database.

[0038] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of the printer database. In the printer database shown in Figure 4, one record corresponds to one printer 2. Each record contains values ​​for the fields "User ID," "Printer ID," "Printer Model," "Status," and "Installation Location," for example. The user ID is information that identifies the user of the printer 2. The printer model is the product name or product code of the printer 2, etc. The status is information that indicates the current state of the printer 2. The installation location is the location where the printer 2 is installed in the label printing location. Each printer 2 notifies the management server 5 of information indicating the status of the printer 2, for example, periodically, and this information is reflected in the value of the "Status" field of the corresponding record.

[0039] When the label issuer performs a predetermined registration procedure for the printer 2 used at the label issuing location before the printer 2 is put into operation, a record corresponding to that printer 2 is added to the printer database. By registering the printer 2 that issues labels in the printer database in advance, it becomes possible to output a warning if a label is issued by an unauthorized, unregistered printer, as will be described later.

[0040] Next, the configuration of the printer 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of the printer 2 with the interior visible. Referring to Fig. 5, the printer 2 includes an RFID unit 16, a label position detection sensor 17, a label presence / absence detection sensor 18, a platen roller 20, a print head 21, a paper supply unit 36, a ribbon supply unit 37, a ribbon winding unit 38, and a damper 43.

[0041] 5, the paper supply unit 36 ​​has a shaft on which the paper core of the roll paper R is set so that the roll paper R can rotate freely. In the printer 2, the continuous paper CP is drawn from the roll paper R in the paper supply unit 36 ​​as the platen roller 20 rotates, and after printing on each label PL of the continuous paper CP, the labels PL are sequentially discharged from the issuing port 25. A damper 43 is provided on the transport path of this continuous paper CP. The damper 43 has a predetermined pivot shaft and is installed in a state where it can pivot freely around the predetermined pivot shaft so that tension can be applied to the continuous paper CP.

[0042] The platen roller 20 is connected to a motor (not shown) and is installed so that it can rotate in both forward and reverse directions in response to the operation of the motor. During printing, the platen roller 20 rotates together with the print head 21 while sandwiching the continuous paper CP. If the continuous paper CP is plain paper, during printing, the platen roller 20 rotates together with the print head 21 while sandwiching the continuous paper CP and an ink ribbon RB coated with printing ink. In this case, the ink ribbon RB is transported from a ribbon supply unit 37 and taken up by a ribbon take-up unit 38. The ribbon take-up unit 38 is rotated by a motor (not shown).

[0043] The print head 21 includes multiple heating resistors (heating elements) that generate heat when energized, and prints on the labels PL of the continuous paper CP. These multiple heating resistors are arranged in a line along the width direction of the continuous paper CP (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the continuous paper CP).

[0044] A label position detection sensor 17 is installed along the transport path of the paper web CP to detect the edge of each label PL in the transport direction of the paper web CP. The detection result (output signal) of the label position detection sensor 17 is used to control the transport of the paper web CP. In one embodiment, the label position detection sensor 17 is a light transmission sensor having a light-emitting element arranged above or below the transport path of the paper web CP and a light-receiving element arranged above or below the transport path. The label position detection sensor 17 is arranged upstream of the print head 21 and can detect the label PL. When the light-receiving element receives light emitted from the light-emitting element, the label position detection sensor 17 detects the edge of each label PL in the transport direction of the paper web CP based on the difference in received light intensity between light that has passed through the label PL and the liner PM and light that has passed only through the liner PM. In one embodiment, the label position detection sensor 17 is a light-reflection sensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and detects the presence or absence of a position detection mark IM (FIG. 2) on the back surface of the paper web CP. In this case, when the light emitted from the light-emitting element is received by the light-receiving element as reflected light from the back surface of the continuous paper CP, the label position detection sensor 17 detects the end of each label PL in the transport direction of the continuous paper CP based on the difference in received light intensity between the light reflected by the position detection mark IM on the back surface of the continuous paper CP and the light reflected by parts other than the position detection mark IM on the back surface of the continuous paper CP.

[0045] A label presence detection sensor 18 is installed near the issuing port 25 of the printer 2. The label presence detection sensor 18 is located downstream of the print head 21 and is capable of detecting the label PL issued (discharged) from the issuing port 25. The label presence detection sensor 18 is a light reflective sensor, but can also be configured as a light transmission sensor. The detection result (output signal) of the label presence detection sensor 18 is used to control the transport of the continuous paper CP.

[0046] An RFID unit 16 is installed on the transport path of the continuous paper CP. The RFID unit 16 has a built-in RFID antenna and communicates with the inlay IL of each label PL to read data (e.g., TID) from the inlay IL of each label PL of the transported continuous paper CP, or to write data (e.g., EPC data) to the inlay IL of each label PL.

[0047] Next, the configuration related to the control system of the printer 2 and management server 5 in the label issuing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer 2 and management server 5.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, the printer 2 includes a control unit 11, a storage 12, a motor control circuit 13, a head control circuit 14, an RFID unit 16, a label position detection sensor 17, a label presence / absence detection sensor 18, an NFC reader 22, and a communication unit 23. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), and controls various operations of the printer 2. Firmware is stored in the ROM, which is nonvolatile memory. The firmware is executed when the printer 2 starts up. The RAM is used to temporarily store data when the firmware is executed. Each time a label is printed, the control unit 11 associates the label roll ID of the roll paper stored in the printer 2 with the TID of the inlay IL incorporated in the printed label, and transmits this to the management server 5 via the communication unit 23.

[0049] Storage 12 is a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory, and stores the printer ID of printer 2, the label roll ID read from the roll paper stored in printer 2, the print data to be printed on the label, the print format, and parameters related to the settings of printer 2.

[0050] The motor control circuit 13 includes a drive circuit that drives a motor (not shown) connected to the platen roller 20 based on a control signal sent from the firmware. The control signal includes, for example, information regarding the transport amount of the continuous paper CP. The firmware of the control unit 11 controls the transport of the continuous paper CP based on output signals from the label position detection sensor 17 and the label presence / absence detection sensor 18. The head control circuit 14 includes an image buffer, and based on control signals (for example, one line's worth of data signals) sequentially sent from the firmware, controls the flow of current selectively to multiple heating elements included in the print head 21. The firmware generates control signals based on print data included in the label issuance instruction sent from the issuance management terminal 3.

[0051] The RFID unit 16 communicates with the inlay IL of each label that is sequentially fed out from the roll paper, reads the TID from the TID area of ​​the inlay IL of each label, and writes the EPC data sent for each label from the firmware to the inlay IL of each label. The firmware transmits the EPC data included in the label issuance instructions that are sequentially sent from the issuance management terminal 3 to the RFID unit 16. After writing the data to the inlay IL, the firmware reads the data from the EPC area of ​​the inlay IL and verifies whether the read data matches the EPC data included in the label issuance instruction.

[0052] When roll paper is loaded into printer 2, NFC reader 22 reads the label roll ID stored in NFC tag 70 (FIG. 2) attached to the roll paper and sends it to control unit 11. Although not shown, NFC reader 22 is attached to paper supply unit 36 ​​(FIG. 5), for example. Communication unit 23 is a communication interface that communicates with management server 5 via network NW.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, the management server 5 comprises a control unit 51, a storage 52, and a communication unit 53. The control unit 51 has a CPU, ROM, and RAM. For example, the control unit 51 executes a server program stored in the ROM to control various operations of the management server 5. The storage 52 (an example of a memory unit) stores one or more label databases (label DBs) and printer databases (printer DBs). The label databases and printer databases are accessed as appropriate by the server programs. The communication unit 53 is a communication interface for communicating with each of the management server 5 and the issuance management terminal 3 (FIG. 1).

[0054] The control unit 51 executes the server program to function as a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and an identification unit as described below. The first acquisition unit acquires the label roll ID of the roll paper R stored in the printer 2 by communicating with the printer 2 via the communication unit 53. The second acquisition unit acquires the TID of the inlay included in the label issued from the printer 2 by communicating with the printer 2 via the communication unit 53. Based on the label roll ID acquired by the first acquisition unit and the TID acquired by the second acquisition unit, the identification unit identifies, from among the multiple labels corresponding to the label roll ID, a label that has not yet been printed by the printer 2 or a label that has been printed. In the label database, the order of the TIDs contained in each label is associated with each label ID, so it is possible to identify, based on the acquired TID, which label has been printed on the roll paper R corresponding to the label roll ID.

[0055] In one embodiment, the control unit 51 functions as a third acquisition unit that acquires the printer ID of the printer 2 that accommodates the roll paper R. In this case, the identification unit identifies, from among the multiple labels included in the roll paper that corresponds to the label roll ID, a label that has not yet been printed or that has been printed by the printer 2 that corresponds to the printer ID, based on the label roll ID acquired by the first acquisition unit, the TID acquired by the second acquisition unit, and the printer ID acquired by the third acquisition unit.

[0056] Next, the processing of the label issuing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a sequence chart showing the processing of the label issuing system 1. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of data update in the label database accompanying the processing of Fig. 7.

[0057] When roll paper is loaded into the printer 2, the printer 2 acquires the label roll ID of the roll paper and records it in the storage 12 (step S1). Note that every time a new roll paper is loaded, the printer 2 acquires the label roll ID and updates the label roll ID recorded in the storage 12. Therefore, the storage 12 will have recorded therein the ID of the label roll currently housed in the printer 2. When the printer 2 receives a label issuance instruction from the issuance management terminal 3, it establishes a session with the management server 5 and begins communication. When establishing the session, the printer 2 notifies the management server 5 of its own printer ID (step S2). Note that the printer 2 may also initiate a session with the management server 5 at startup, in which case it notifies the management server 5 of its own printer ID at startup.

[0058] For example, if the received printer ID is not included in the printer database, the management server 5 may determine that the sending printer is not a legitimate printer and may not perform any further processing. A legitimate printer is a printer that has been registered in the printer database in advance and is subject to management in order to provide maintenance support. In this case, the management server 5 may send a warning message to the issuance management terminal 3 that the received printer ID is not included in the printer database. This allows the administrator or other person in charge to recognize that labels are being or are about to be issued by a legitimate printer.

[0059] The printer 2 issues a label in accordance with the issuance instruction from the issuance management terminal 3 (step S10). When issuing a label, the printer 2 reads the TID from the inlay IL of the label to be issued and, for example, writes the EPC data included in the label issuance instruction to the inlay. Next, the printer 2 reads data, for example, from the EPC area of ​​the inlay IL, and verifies whether the read data matches the EPC data included in the label issuance instruction. The printer 2 prints, for example, on the label into which the EPC data has been written, based on the print data included in the label issuance instruction.

[0060] When the printer 2 has completed printing one label, it associates the label roll ID recorded in the storage 12, for example, with the TID read from the printed label and transmits them to the management server 5 (step S12). By receiving the label roll ID, the management server 5 can recognize the roll paper stored in the printer 2. Note that the printer 2 may send the label roll ID together with the printer ID to the management server 5 in step S2. In that case, in step S12, it is possible to send only the TID of the printed label.

[0061] When the management server 5 receives the label roll ID and TID in step S12, it determines whether the received label roll ID and TID exist in the label database (step S14). If the received label roll ID and TID exist in the label database, the management server 5 updates the label database (step S16). If the received label roll ID and TID do not exist in the label database, it means that the issued label is not a genuine label provided by the label manufacturing factory. In this case, the management server 5 may notify the issuance management terminal 3 that a genuine label is not being used. In Figure 7, the processes of steps S10 to S16 are repeated every time a label is issued.

[0062] The method for updating the label database in step S16 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows an example of updating a label database corresponding to a roll of paper consisting of 80 labels. As shown in Fig. 3, the label database provided by the label manufacturing factory associates, for example, the issuance order of the labels arranged on each label with the TID contained in each label for each label roll. When the management server 5 acquires the label roll ID and TID from the printer 2 after labels have been issued, it records the values ​​of the "issue flag" and "issue date and time" fields in each record of the roll paper label corresponding to the acquired label roll ID and TID, and updates the label database. The value of the "issue flag" field is initially set to "0." In the example of Fig. 8, the "issue flag" indicates, for example, "0" if the corresponding label has not been issued, and indicates "1" if the corresponding label has already been issued. In the example of Fig. 8, the "issue date and time" indicates the issue date and time when the corresponding label was issued. The "issue date and time" shown in Fig. 8 is, for example, the date and time when the label roll ID and TID were received in step S12 of Fig. 7 (reception date and time).

[0063] The management server 5 can have multiple label databases for each label roll ID. Therefore, from among the multiple label databases, the management server 5 identifies the label database that corresponds to the label roll ID received in step S12 after labels have been issued from the printer 2. Next, the management server 5 determines whether the identified label database contains the TID received in step S12, and if it determines that it does, it writes "1" (issued) in the "issue flag" field of the record corresponding to that TID, and the value of the reception date and time in the "issue date and time" field.

[0064] For example, if the values ​​of the issue flag and issue date and time are recorded in the order of the label database, starting from the top record, the management server 5 can determine that there is no malfunction in the printer 2 and that labels are being issued successfully from the printer 2. On the other hand, if the values ​​of the issue flag and issue date and time are not recorded in the order of the label database, the management server 5 can determine that labels are not being issued successfully from the printer 2. For example, if a roll of paper is loaded in the printer 2 but a label is removed midway, or if a label jam occurs in the printer 2 and the jammed label is removed from the printer 2, the TID of the label that was not issued successfully will not be sent to the management server 5. In this case, the value of the "issue flag" field of the record in the label database that corresponds to that TID will remain the initial value of "0" (not issued).

[0065] The label database shown in Figure 8 shows an example where 10 labels, numbered 21 to 30, were extracted on-site. In the example of Figure 8, after the management server 5 received the TID corresponding to the 20th label, it wrote the issue flag ("1") and the issue date and time in the corresponding record, and then received the TID corresponding to the 31st label and similarly wrote the issue flag ("1") and the issue date and time in the corresponding record. Here, because the management server 5 has not received the TIDs for the 21st to 30th labels, the issue flags for the records corresponding to these labels remain at their initial value of "0" (not yet issued).

[0066] As explained above, the management server stores in advance a label database that associates, for each label roll ID of a roll of paper, the order in which each label is printed with the TID of the inlay included in each label. The management server 5 obtains from the printer 2 the label roll ID of the roll of paper stored in the printer 2 before printing a label. When the printer 2 starts printing a label, the management server 5 obtains from the printer 2 the TID corresponding to the printed label. This has the following advantages (1) to (5).

[0067] (1) For example, when a roll of paper is loaded into the printer 2, the printer 2 notifies the management server 5 of the label roll ID of that roll of paper. This allows the management server 5 to identify the roll of paper when it is loaded into the printer 2 and the labels yet to be printed from the printer 2. After the printer 2 starts using the roll of paper, each time a label is printed from the printer 2, the management server 5 receives from the printer 2 the TID read from the inlay of that label. This allows the management server 5 to identify the labels that have already been printed from the roll of paper and the labels that are scheduled to be printed in the future (labels yet to be printed). When starting to print labels from the roll paper stored in printer 2, printer 2 notifies management server 5 of its printer ID, so management server 5 can identify the printer 2 that stores the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID from among multiple roll paper. Management server 5 can also identify labels that have already been printed from the roll paper stored in printer 2 and labels that are stored in printer 2 and are scheduled to be printed in the future (labels stored in printer 2 that have not yet been printed).

[0068] (2) In the label database, the order in which labels are printed on the corresponding roll paper (label printing order) is associated with the TID of the inlay contained in the label for each label roll ID. Therefore, the management server 5 can recognize not just that any label contained in the corresponding roll paper has been printed, but also up to which label number on the roll paper has been printed. This allows for highly accurate traceability.

[0069] (3) When a label is printed by a legitimate printer (a printer registered in the printer database), the printing history of that label (the value of the printing flag and printing date / time corresponding to the TID) is recorded in the label database. In other words, when a label is printed by an unauthorized printer (a printer not registered in the printer database), no record of it remains in the label database. Therefore, a label (TID) recorded in the label database as a printed label can be certified as a label (TID) printed by a legitimate printer (i.e., the authenticity of printed labels can be determined).

[0070] (4) The management server 5 records the issuance history of each label in the label database in the order of the labels on the roll paper, so if some labels on the roll paper are not printed, it can identify those labels. In the label database, the TIDs are arranged consecutively according to the order in which the labels on the corresponding roll paper are printed. Therefore, when a label is removed from the printer 2, it means that the labels are not printed in consecutive order, and it can be recognized that the label has been removed (the TID of the removed label). If the control unit 51 of the management server 5 determines, based on the TID acquired from the printer 2, that the labels have not been issued in the order recorded in the label database, it may send a warning message to the issuance management terminal 3. This allows the administrator or the like to recognize that the labels have not been issued in the correct order by a specific printer 2. The management server 5 may obtain from the issuance management terminal 3 the label issuance instructions sent to the printer 2 from the issuance management terminal 3. In this case, if the number of times the management server 5 receives TIDs is small compared to the number of label issuance instructions sent to the printer 2, the management server 5 can detect, for example, that a label has been issued that is included in a roll paper other than the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID received from the printer 2, or that a label has been issued by a printer other than the printer 2 corresponding to the printer ID received before the label was issued.

[0071] (5) Because the label database is updated every time a label is printed, the management server 5 can accurately determine the number of labels remaining on the roll paper. Because the management server 5 records data (print flag, print date and time) in order in each record of the corresponding label database every time a label is printed, it can accurately determine the number of labels remaining by referencing the recorded data in the label database. That is, the control unit 51 of the management server 5 may obtain information regarding the number of labels that have been issued or the number of labels that have not yet been issued from the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID based on the TID obtained from the printer 2, and sequentially transmit this information to the issuance management terminal 3. This allows the issuance manager to constantly know the number of labels that have been issued or the number of labels that have not yet been issued by a specific printer 2, enabling accurate label issuance management.

[0072] 3, the label database associates the label roll ID with the issuing order TID of each label on the roll paper, but this is not the only case. The label database does not necessarily associate the TID of each label on the roll paper with the order of each label.

[0073] In one embodiment, a printer ID (an example of device identification information) is recorded in the label database in step S16 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows an example of updating the label database, similar to Fig. 8, but differs from Fig. 8 in that a value in the "Printer ID" field is recorded in each record. The value in the "Printer ID" field is the printer ID notified in step S2 of Fig. 7. When recording "1" (issued) in the "Issue Flag" field, the control unit 51 of the management server 5 records the printer ID in the corresponding record. This associates a TID and printer ID for each label. By recording the printer ID, it is possible to identify the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID stored in the printer 2 corresponding to the printer ID, as well as the unprinted and printed labels on the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID. Furthermore, by recording the printer ID, it is possible to identify the specific printer 2 that issued the printed labels. In other words, because the printer ID is recorded in the printer database, by referencing the printer database it is possible to identify the printer model of the printer that issued each label, the location of the printer at the label printing location, etc. For example, if you transfer a roll of paper to another printer before all the labels on that roll are used up and continue printing labels, the label database will record different printer IDs before and after the transfer, allowing accurate traceability of the printer that printed each label.

[0074] In the label issuing system 1, the ID of the label roll housed in the printer 2 can be recognized before labels are issued, and therefore the following processes or functions can be performed. (a) Automatic placement of RFID antennas By storing in advance in the management server 5 setting conditions such as the optimal position for communication between the label inlay and the antenna in correspondence with the label roll ID and printer ID, the printer 2 can obtain the corresponding setting conditions from the management server 5 before printing the label and move the antenna to the optimal position for communication with the label. (b) No paper waste function The no-waste paper function is a function that enables printing without waste, starting from the first sheet of roll paper. By obtaining label specifications (length in the transport direction, etc.) that have been stored in advance in the management server 5 in association with the label roll ID from the management server 5 before printing a label, the printer 2 can accurately align the print start position of the first label with the position of the print head 21, thereby realizing the no-waste paper function. (c) Automatic pitch sensor setting The printer 2 obtains the length (pitch) of the label in the transport direction, which is stored in advance in the management server 5 in correspondence with the label roll ID, from the management server 5 before printing the label, thereby eliminating the need to perform processes such as transporting the continuous paper in the reverse direction to locate the first label. (d) Data and label matching check At the label issuing location, if there is multiple data to be printed on the label and multiple label types, the combination of data and label type may be predetermined. In this case, before issuing the label, the printer 2 checks the data to be printed on the label with the label type corresponding to the label roll ID, and can output a warning if the combination is not one of the predetermined combinations. (e) Automatic setting of printing conditions The printer 2 can set itself according to the printing conditions by obtaining information on the optimal printing conditions (printing speed, printing density) corresponding to the label roll ID stored in advance in the management server 5 from the management server 5 before issuing the label. (f) Automatic label ordering After the roll paper is used up, the printer 2 and management server 5 can automatically order a roll paper corresponding to the same label roll ID. (g) Label information screen display The printer 2 can display the label information on the screen of the printer 2 by acquiring the label information corresponding to the label roll ID stored in advance in the management server 5 from the management server 5 before printing the label. (h) Display of eco-effects If the label reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per label, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced according to the number of labels issued can be displayed as the amount of eco-effect. The printer 2 can obtain the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced per label on the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID from the management server 5 and display the amount of eco-effect. (i) Expiration date management The printer 2 acquires information about the expiration date of the roll paper corresponding to the label roll ID from the management server 5, and can output a warning if it determines that the expiration date of the roll paper has passed.

[0075] In the embodiment described above, an NFC tag 70 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the roll paper to be loaded into the printer 2, and the label roll ID is acquired from the NFC tag 70 by the NFC reader 22 built into the printer 2, thereby allowing the printer 2 to recognize the label roll ID. Note that the printer 2 may also recognize the ID of the label roll stored in the printer 2 by using other methods.

[0076] In one embodiment, the label roll ID can be recognized by the printer 2 using a user terminal used by an operator at the label issuing location. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the process of having the printer 2 recognize the label roll ID using the user terminal 6. The roll paper sent from the label manufacturing factory to the label issuing location and loaded into the printer 2 is packaged in, for example, a label package LP. The label package LP has attached to it, for example, a label package sealing sticker printed with a two-dimensional code 71 corresponding to the label roll ID that identifies the label roll. In other words, the two-dimensional code 71 contains coded information about the label roll ID.

[0077] The user terminal 6 is, for example, a communication terminal carried by a worker at a label issuing location, and may be a smartphone, tablet terminal, smartwatch, or other wearable device. An NFC application or the like is installed on the user terminal 6 for NFC communication with the printer 2, for example. For example, as shown in state ST1 in Fig. 10 , when a two-dimensional code 71 is captured by an imaging unit built into the user terminal 6, the NFC application reads the two-dimensional code 71 to obtain the label roll ID.

[0078] The printer 2 has an NFC tag 32 built in, for example, at a predetermined position on the front surface. When the worker brings the user terminal 6 close to the predetermined position as shown in state ST2 in Fig. 10 , the NFC application performs processing to write the label roll ID acquired in state ST1 to the NFC tag 32 of the printer 2. The control unit 11 of the printer 2 reads the label roll ID from the NFC tag 32 and records it in the storage 12 (Fig. 6).

[0079] As described above, the printer 2 can acquire the label roll ID via the user terminal 6. The communication method for transmitting the label roll ID from the user terminal 6 to the printer 2 is not limited to NFC, and may be another communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). 10, there is a possibility that the two-dimensional code 71 read may correspond to a roll of paper different from the roll of paper that is to be loaded into the printer 2. Therefore, when the management server 5 receives a TID when the printer 2 issues the first label, if the received TID is not included in the label database corresponding to the label roll ID, it is preferable that the management server 5 send a warning message to the printer 2 or the issuance management terminal 3.

[0080] Next, another method for having the printer 2 recognize the label roll ID will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Like Fig. 7, Fig. 11 is a sequence chart showing the processing of the printer 2 and management server 5. In this method, the label roll ID of the roll paper is identified based on the first label on the roll paper loaded in the printer 2.

[0081] 11, when the printer 2 starts receiving a label issuance instruction from the issuance management terminal 3, it establishes a session with the management server 5 and begins communication. When establishing the session, the printer 2 notifies the management server 5 of its own printer ID (step S2). Next, the printer 2 prints the first label from the roll paper in accordance with the label printing instruction (step S3). In step S3, the printer 2 performs the same process on the first label as in step S10 in Figure 7. The printer 2 then sends a label roll ID identification request to the management server 5 based on the TID read from the inlay on the first label. The label roll ID identification request is a request to the management server 5 to identify the label roll ID.

[0082] When receiving the label roll ID specification request, the management server 5 searches one or more label databases based on the TID included in the label roll ID specification request, and specifies the label roll ID that includes the TID of the label roll ID specification request (step S7). The management server 5 updates the label database by writing "1" (issued) in the "issue flag" field of the record corresponding to the TID included in the label roll ID request, and the value of the date and time the label roll ID request was received in the "issue date and time" field, in the label database corresponding to the specified label roll ID (step S8). Next, the management server 5 sends the label roll ID identified in step S7 to the printer 2 (step S9). The printer 2 records the label roll ID received in response to the label roll ID request in the storage 12. In Fig. 11, the processing for each label from the second onwards (steps S10 to S16) is the same as steps S10 to S16 in Fig. 7, so a duplicated explanation will be omitted. In the method shown in Fig. 11, the management server 5 identifies the label roll ID based on the TID acquired from the printer 2, and therefore the same effects as those of (1) to (5) described above can be obtained.

[0083] Although the embodiments of the information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and program of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, at least some of the functions of the management server 5 may be realized by software of the printer 2, or at least some of the functions of the printer 2 may be realized by software of the management server 5. Furthermore, the functions of the printer 2 and the functions of the management server 5 may be distributed and realized between the printer 2 and the management server 5 as necessary. The functions executed by the management server 5 may be distributed among a plurality of devices. For example, a database server having a label database and a printer database may be provided separately from the management server. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1...Label issuing system 2. Printer 11...Control unit 12…Storage 13...Motor control circuit 14...Head control circuit 16...RFID unit 17...Label position detection sensor 18...Label presence detection sensor 20...Platen roller 21...Print head 22...NFC reader 23…Communications Department 25...Issuing port 31...Front of the printer 32...NFC tag 36...Paper supply unit 37...Ribbon supply unit 38...Ribbon winding section 43...Damper 3...Issuance management terminal 4...Manufacturing management terminal 5...Administration Server 51...Control unit 52…Storage 53…Communications Department 6...User terminal 70...NFC tag 71...2D code CP...Continuous paper, PM...Backing paper, PL...Label, IL...RFID inlay, IM...Position detection mark, LP...Label packaging, NW...Network, RB...Ink ribbon, R...Roll paper

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores, in association with, aggregate identification information that identifies an aggregate of multiple printing media and tag identification information that identifies a wireless tag contained in each of the multiple printing media, A first acquisition unit that acquires the collective identification information contained in the printing medium issuing device, A second acquisition unit that acquires tag identification information of a wireless tag contained in a printed medium issued by the aforementioned printed medium issuing device, The system includes a specification unit that, based on the aggregate identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, identifies a print medium that is either a print medium that has not yet been issued or a print medium that has been issued by the print medium issuing device, among a plurality of print media corresponding to the aggregate identification information. Information processing device.

2. It has a third acquisition unit that acquires device identification information for identifying a printing medium issuing device that houses the aforementioned assembly, The specified part is, Based on the aggregate identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit, the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, and the device identification information acquired by the third acquisition unit, the system identifies a print medium among a plurality of print media corresponding to the aggregate identification information that is either a print medium before being issued or a print medium that has been issued by the print medium issuing device corresponding to the device identification information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The assembly is formed by arranging the plurality of printing media in a continuous manner. The storage unit stores the aggregate identification information, the issuance order of each printing medium arranged in the aggregate, and the tag identification information of the wireless tags contained in the printing medium in association with each other. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The identification unit outputs a warning if the plurality of printing media are not issued in the issuance order stored in the storage unit, based on the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit. The information processing apparatus described in claim 3.

5. The identification unit, based on the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, acquires information regarding the number of issued printing media or the number of unissued printing media among the plurality of printing media corresponding to the aggregate identification information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

6. The specified unit associates the device identification information with the tag identification information of a wireless tag included in a printable medium issued by the printable medium issuing device corresponding to the device identification information, among a plurality of printable media corresponding to the aggregate identification information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

7. The aforementioned storage unit stores multiple device identification information, The identification unit outputs a warning if the device identification information acquired by the third acquisition unit is not included in the plurality of device identification information stored in the storage unit. The information processing apparatus described in claim 6.

8. An information processing system comprising a print media issuing device and an information processing device capable of communicating with the print media issuing device, The aforementioned information processing device is A storage unit that stores, in association with, aggregate identification information that identifies an aggregate of multiple printing media and tag identification information that identifies a wireless tag contained in each of the multiple printing media, A first acquisition unit that acquires the collective identification information contained in the printing medium issuing device, A second acquisition unit that acquires tag identification information of a wireless tag contained in a printed medium issued by the aforementioned printed medium issuing device, The system includes a specification unit that, based on the aggregate identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit and the tag identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, identifies a print medium that is either a print medium that has not yet been issued or a print medium that has been issued by the print medium issuing device, among a plurality of print media corresponding to the aggregate identification information. Information processing system.

9. An information processing method performed in an information processing device equipped with a storage unit that stores in association a collection identification information for identifying a collection of multiple printing media and a tag identification information for identifying a wireless tag contained in each of the multiple printing media, The assembly identification information contained in the printing medium issuing device is acquired, The tag identification information of the wireless tag contained in the printed medium issued by the aforementioned printing medium issuing device is obtained. Based on the acquired aggregate identification information and the acquired tag identification information, the system identifies a print medium that is either not yet issued by the print medium issuing device or has been issued, among a plurality of print media corresponding to the aggregate identification information. Information processing methods.

10. When installed in an information processing device that includes a storage unit that stores in association aggregate identification information for identifying an aggregate of multiple printing media and tag identification information for identifying wireless tags contained in each of the multiple printing media, A procedure for obtaining the collective identification information contained in the printing medium issuing device, A procedure for obtaining tag identification information of a wireless tag contained in a printed medium issued by the aforementioned printing medium issuing device, A procedure for identifying, based on the acquired aggregate identification information and the acquired tag identification information, a print medium that is either a print medium that has not yet been issued by the print medium issuing device or a print medium that has been issued, among a plurality of print media corresponding to the aggregate identification information; A program that causes a computer to execute something.

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