Printer, information processing method, and printer system

Abstract

To more easily set a printer than ever.SOLUTION: An embodiment according to the present invention is a printer capable of communicating with another printer. The printer comprises an acquisition part that acquires setting information on another printer by radio communication when getting near enough to enable the radio communication with another printer, and a setting part that performs setting of itself on the basis of the setting information on another printer, acquired by the acquisition part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For newly introduced or newly started printers, the operating environment must be adjusted for multiple items. It is necessary to set the printer to the appropriate settings for the environment, but this setting work is troublesome. When a user performs input operations using an input method that is shared with other devices, for example, Parameter input requires a lot of input and is time-consuming. Unlike computer terminals, the input keys are often small and the screen is relatively small, so there is a risk of inputting incorrect information. Furthermore, small mobile printers do not have input means. In some cases, manual input may not be possible due to the lack of

[0003] Therefore, various methods have been proposed to allow printer settings to be performed easily and reliably. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for acquiring printer setting information of a printer using an NFC communication terminal. This method copies the settings and applies them to other printers. When communication with the NFC communication terminal becomes possible, the printer The printer setting information stored in the memory is read and stored in the setting information memory of the printer. The information acquisition and setting unit is configured to perform information acquisition and setting operations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-061042 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above conventional method, the NFC communication terminal is used to copy setting information between printers. In other words, when a user sets up a printer, the user must You must carry an FC communication terminal, and once you have saved the settings information of the printer from which you want to copy, It is necessary to store the information in the NFC communication terminal. Therefore, it is easier to set up the printer. It is desirable to do so. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to make printer settings easier than ever before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a printer capable of wirelessly communicating with another printer, When the printer comes close enough to the other printer to enable wireless communication, an acquisition unit that acquires setting information of the device by wireless communication; A setting unit that sets its own settings based on the setting information of the other printer acquired by the acquisition unit Sadabe and It is a printer equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, printer settings can be made more easily than ever before. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functions of a printer system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a printer system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3]10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a printer that acquires setting information in the printer system of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functions of a printer system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printer that acquires setting information in a printer system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In this disclosure, "product information" refers to information used to distinguish or identify different products. For example, product type, model name, product code, etc. In this disclosure, "setting information" refers to the information required to enable the printer product to function. The printer is a device that supports different functions. It has multiple setting information for multiple items. "Product information-independent setting information" refers to the setting information that is not dependent on the product information among the multiple setting information that the printer has. This is setting information that is commonly used for multiple printers with different product information. An example of such setting information is connection information for connecting to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). (SSID (Service Set Identifier), etc.) Note that this setting does not depend on the product information. The information does not include the user's personal information, such as the user's personal password or user name. "Product information dependent setting information" refers to the setting information that is dependent on the product information among the multiple setting information that the printer has. In other words, it is the setting information that does not depend on product information. The setting information is setting information that can be set commonly only for printers with the same product information, for example, These include print speed and density adjustment.

[0010] In one embodiment of the printer system, when two printers are placed close to each other, one of the printers The other printer acquires the setting information of the other printer, and then performs In this printer system, two printers exchange setting information. The two printers can communicate wirelessly with each other. When the two printers are close enough to each other, communication is established between them and the configuration information of one printer is transferred. is sent to the other printer. That is, in the printer system of one embodiment, when copying setting information between printers, This eliminates the need for a separate communication terminal, making printer settings easier than ever before. It is possible.

[0011] Referring to FIG. 1, a printer system 1 according to an embodiment includes a printer 2A and a printer In one embodiment, printer 2A and printer 2B are capable of short-range wireless communication. In Figure 1, printer 2A and printer 2B of the same model are configured to communicate wirelessly. In the case where wireless communication is performed between printer 2A and printer 2B, which are different models, Here, the fact that printer 2A and printer 2B are the same model is shown. This means that the product information of printer 2A and printer 2B is the same. The fact that printer 2A and printer 2B are different models is confirmed by the product information for printer 2A and the product information for printer 2B. This means that the product information is different.

[0012] The communication protocol used for short-distance wireless communication is not limited, but for example, Bluetooth (registered (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Bluetooth Low Energy, NFC (Near Field Communication), etc. Among these, Bluetooth (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy rgy is preferable because it allows communication with low power consumption. That is, the range of short distances is not limited. In the following description, it is assumed that printer 2A and printer 2B communicate via Bluetooth (registered trademark). This will be explained using the case where the following is performed as an example. In the following description, matters common to the printer 2A and the printer 2B will be mentioned. Sometimes they are collectively referred to as "Printer 2."

[0013] In FIG. 1, the printer 2A is the copy source product of the setting information, and the printer 2B is the copy source product of the setting information. If the printer is a copy destination product, move printer 2A closer to printer 2B, or By bringing printer 2B close to printer 2A, printer 2A and printer 2B can communicate with each other via Bluetooth (registered trademark) Once communication is established, the printer 2A will The printer 2B receives the setting information and transmits it to the printer 2B. Configure yourself based on information.

[0014] If printer 2A and printer 2B are the same model, printer 2A will depend on the product information. In this case, both the setting information that depends on the product information and the setting information that does not depend on the product information are sent to the printer 2B. For example, printer 2A and printer 2B are products of the same model, so the printers are not dependent on product information. In addition to the configuration information that is not specific to the printer model, the configuration information specific to the printer model 2A (i.e., the information that does not depend on the product information) It is preferable to also copy the existing setting information to the printer 2B. Non-limiting examples of configuration information that depends on product information include the following items: do.

[0015] (item) Print speed, print density level, print density, vertical label size, horizontal label size, pitch correction , vertical base point correction, horizontal base point correction, automatic operation mode selection, printing operation, peeling operation (back feed operation), cutter operation, linerless label operation (backfeed operation), tear-off Set adjustment, cutter offset adjustment, peeling offset adjustment, printing method, sensor type, page Par end sensor type, ejection cut setting, paper jump check, head check, head check Check mode, head check number, language setting, time zone, calendar setting (date, time ), display language icon, power save setting, buzzer volume, printer power off sound, screen options Offset adjustment, auto online, initial feed, online feed, optical sensor adjustment ( Light receiving, light emitting), ribbon near-end detection, priority setting, effective print area movement, density adjustment, options Feed amount, total number of pages printed, hexadecimal dump mode enabled / disabled, application Mode, calendar check, reprint, barcode check result notification to host, barcode Number of columns specification method, communication protocol, serial communication connection, log collection, automatic paper length measurement, paper Number of long measurements

[0016] A non-limiting example of setting information that does not depend on product information is the wireless LAN connection information mentioned above. Examples include:

[0017] If printer 2A and printer 2B are different models, printer 2A will not rely on product information. In this case, for example, if the printer is a certain model product, only the setting information that is not included in the printer 2B is transmitted. Copying the setting information specific to Printer 2A to Printer 2B, which is a different model, is Therefore, the printer 2A does not print the setting information that depends on the product information. The data is controlled so as not to be sent to the printer 2B.

[0018] Next, the internal configuration of the printer 2 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 2A includes a control unit 21A, a storage 22A, an operation input unit 2 3A, a display unit 24A, a conveying unit 25A, a printing unit 26A, a LAN communication unit 27A, and a short-distance It is equipped with a communication unit 28A. The printer 2B includes a control unit 21B, a storage unit 22B, an operation input unit 23B, and a display unit 24B. , a conveying unit 25B, a printing unit 26B, a LAN communication unit 27B, and a short-distance communication unit 28B. do. The following are common points between the corresponding parts of printer 2A and printer 2B. For example, the following points will be mentioned in common between the conveying section 25A and the conveying section 25B. When the conveying unit 25 is used, it is referred to as a conveying unit 25. The same applies to the other components.

[0019] The control unit 21 is mainly composed of a microprocessor and memory (ROM and RAM). This controls the entire printer. The storage 22 is a non-volatile memory, for example, a SSD (Solid State Drive) such as a flash memory. The storage 22 is a firmware for the printing operation and the transport operation. In addition to the software, a setting information copy application program (hereinafter referred to as "setting information copy application") (abbreviated as "Puri"). The storage 22 also stores a plurality of pieces of setting information. It is information such as data and parameters that are set to enable the functions of the printer 2B. The plurality of setting information items are setting information items for a plurality of items corresponding to different functions.

[0020] The operation input unit 23 is, for example, a touch panel input mechanism mounted on the display panel of the display unit 24. However, physical input buttons may also be provided. The display unit 24 includes a display panel such as an LCD and a display drive circuit. Displays the results of running the software and settings copy app.

[0021] The control unit 21 executes the firmware to generate drawing data based on the print data, Generation of in-data (data for each line of drawing data), It generates control signals, etc. Print data is sent from a host computer (not shown) to the The line data is received via the AN communication unit 27. The control unit 21 sequentially sends the line data to the printing unit 26. Send it out. The conveying unit 25 includes a platen roller (not shown), a motor drive circuit (not shown), and a motor drive circuit (not shown). The printer includes a printer controller and transports the continuous paper through the printer. The label may be a paper with a temporary label attached, or a strip-shaped label without a liner. Based on the transport request from the motor drive circuit, the motor that controls the rotation of the platen roller By driving the rollers, the continuous paper is transported. The printing unit 26 includes a thermal head and a head drive circuit (both not shown). The driving circuit selectively applies current to each heating element of the thermal head based on line data. Then, printing is performed on the continuous paper label.

[0022] The control unit 21 functions as an acquisition unit and a setting unit by executing the setting information copy application. . Here, the acquisition unit is configured to acquire a printer that is capable of wireless communication with other printers via Bluetooth (registered trademark). When the printer approaches the other printer so that the printer can be connected, the setting information of the other printer is acquired via wireless communication. The setting unit sets its own settings based on the setting information of other printers acquired by the acquisition unit. .

[0023] The LAN communication unit 27 is a communication interface for communicating with a host computer (not shown). It is a face. The short-range communication unit 28 communicates with other printers that are relatively close by via Bluetooth (registered trademark). It is a communication interface for communicating with Bluetooth (registered trademark) The validity / invalidity (ON or OFF) may be switched manually or automatically. As shown in FIG. 2, the short-distance communication unit 28A of the printer 2A and the short-distance communication unit 28B of the printer 2B 28B performs communication to exchange setting information.

[0024] In one embodiment, the printer 2 is configured as a slave (a device that receives setting information) when shipped from the factory after manufacture. The printer 2 is already configured as the master (the one that receives the setting information), and the printer 3 is already configured as the master (the one that receives the setting information). Therefore, in one embodiment, the communication is established. When this happens, printer 2A of the copy source product is the master, and printer 2B of the copy destination product is the master. Once both parties recognize that they are slaves, the setting information is exchanged. In another embodiment, the user can select whether the printer 2 is a master or a slave on the setting menu. In this case, the user can manually set the Printer 2A will be the master and printer 2B of the copy destination product will be the slave. Set it in the printer's settings menu.

[0025] Next, the operation of the printer system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows a printer 2A (an example of a second printer) as a copy source product and a printer 2B as a copy destination product. 1 shows a flow chart showing the operation of printer 2B (an example of a first printer) when the printer 2B is brought close to the printer 2B. This flowchart shows the process executed by the setting information copy application of printer 2B. This is executed. The same operation occurs when the printer 2B is brought closer to the printer 2A.

[0026] In the flowchart of FIG. 3, the printers 2A and 2B are configured with Bluetooth (registered trademark) turned on. For example, the setting information copy application is set as follows: After turning on the power of the printer 2A set as the master, a predetermined time (e.g., 3 to 8 minutes; typically The Bluetooth (registered trademark) setting is configured to be ON for a period of time (e.g., 5 minutes). In this case, first turn on the power of printer 2B, which is set as the slave, and then turn on printer 2A. The power is turned on. If the series of processes shown in Figure 3 are completed within the specified time, Either printer may be turned on first. In the setting information copy app, the user manually turns on the Bluetooth (registered trademark) setting. In this case, there is no time constraint, so it is not necessary to decide which printer to use first. You can turn the power on at any time.

[0027] When Bluetooth (registered trademark) is operational, the printer 2B communicates according to the communication protocol. It sends advertising packets and searches for nearby Bluetooth devices. (Step S4). The nearby printer 2A responds to the advertising packet. The printer 2A responds to the printer 2B (step S6: YES). If the printer 2A is a device (step S8: YES), the pairing of the printer 2A and the printer 2B is completed. It is preferable to establish the "specific manufacturer" (step S10). For example, if the printer is manufactured by the same manufacturer as the printer 2B or has the same specifications as the printer 2B. For example, a manufacturer may be a manufacturer of a similar (or compatible) printer. In this embodiment, the printer 2A sends a manufacturer code for identifying its own manufacturer to the printer 2B. and printer 2B verifies whether the received manufacturer code is the specified manufacturer code. .

[0028] By verifying that printer 2A is a device from a specific manufacturer, If there are two or more Bluetooth devices in the same 2A can be identified as the correct communication partner. In another embodiment, confirmation that the printer 2A is a device of a specific manufacturer may be performed by After pairing is established, the printer 2A may be If it is confirmed that the printer is not a device, the printer 2B will terminate the pairing with the printer 2A that was once established. Eliminate the ring.

[0029] After pairing is established, printer 2B receives the model code of printer 2A from printer 2A. and check whether printer 2A is the same model as itself or a different model. If the printer 2A is the same model as the printer 2, the printer 2 B acquires all the setting information from the printer 2A (step S14). The setting information to be stored includes both product-dependent and product-independent setting information. Includes: If the printer 2A is a different model, the printer 2B receives some setting information from the printer 2A. That is, setting information that does not depend on product information is obtained (step S16). When the printer 2B receives the setting information, it performs setting processing for itself based on the received setting information. When the setting process is completed, the printer 2B sets itself as the master ( This is the setting for the side that sends the setting information.

[0030] As described above, in the printer system 1, the printer 2A, which is the copy source product, is When the printer is moved closer to the target printer, printer 2B, or when printer 2B is moved closer to printer 2A, If you do, the setting information for printer 2A will be copied to printer 2B. When copying setting information between computers, there is no need to use another communication terminal as an intermediary, and the printer setting This makes it possible to perform the above more easily than before.

[0031] The above-mentioned method of copying the setting information is suitable for a kitting center, a warehouse, a large-scale store, etc. This is particularly effective when multiple newly installed printers 2 need to share the same setting information. 4 shows the case where the setting information of a number of printers 2 is copied sequentially. Printer 2A is the copy source product, and the setting information stored in Printer 2A is sequentially copied to many other In this example, the printer 2 is copied to the printer 2. After becoming a copy destination product and receiving the setting information, it then becomes a copy source product and sends it to another product. This sends the setting information to the printer (the copy destination product). If there is one printer 2A, you can set other printers to the same setting one by one to make it the master printer. This allows you to set up multiple printers with the same settings in a relatively short time. It is possible to set it based on the information.

[0032] In one embodiment, new setting information cannot be received for a printer that has already been configured. That is, the setting unit is configured so that the setting based on the setting information of other printers is Once completed, prohibits configuration based on the setting information of a printer that is different from the other printer. This allows you to copy the settings of another printer to a printer whose settings have already been completed. This prevents the data from being copied, allowing for reliable setup work.

[0033] This prevents new settings from being received by a printer that has already been configured. An example of a flowchart is shown in Figure 5. In this case, as in Figure 3, the copy source product is a printer. This shows the behavior of printer 2B when printer 2A is brought close to the destination printer, printer 2B. are. In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the setting information acquisition flag indicates that the setting information has already been acquired (received). If the setting information has been acquired, the value is "1", and if the setting information has not been acquired, the value is "0". The initial value of the setting information acquisition flag at the time of shipment is "0".

[0034] When printer 2A is moved closer to printer 2B, the setting information acquisition flag for printer 2B is set to " If the value is "0" (step S20: NO), the series of processes shown in FIG. 3 (setting control process) (step S22), and then sets its own settings based on the setting information received from printer 2A. Next, the printer 2B sets the setting information acquisition flag to "1" (acquisition information acquisition flag). The result is set to "acquired" (step S24). If a printer other than printer 2A is then brought close to printer 2B, the setting Since the constant information acquisition flag is "1" (step S20: YES), a new setting control process is performed. is not performed.

[0035] In one embodiment, the control unit 21 of the printer 2 executes a setting information copy application. a mode selection unit that selects either the first mode or the second mode in response to a user operation; Here, the first mode may be a mode in which the setting unit sets the setting information of another printer based on the setting information of the other printer. In the second mode, the setting unit is allowed to set its own settings. This mode does not allow users to configure their own settings based on the printer's setting information. The operation is performed on the setting menu of the printer 2 via the operation input unit 23, for example. Whether to configure the printer based on the configuration information of other printers By allowing users to select which setting to copy, you can flexibly copy the setting information. For example, if a new printer is already installed at a location other than the kitting center, For printers that have already been configured, please be sure to set them up in advance so that they do not need to be configured at the kitting center. Can be set by the user.

[0036] The above is a description of the printer, information processing method, and printer system according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. The individual technical features described in the embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate unless there is a technical contradiction. It is possible to combine [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. Printer system 2 (2A, 2B)...Printer 21 (21A, 21B)...Control section 22 (22A, 22B)...Storage 23 (23A, 23B)...Operation input section 24(24A,24B)...Display section 25 (25A, 25B)...Transport section 26(26A,26B)…Printing part 27(27A,27B)…LAN communication department 28(28A,28B)…Short range communication department

Claims

1. A printer capable of wireless communication with other printers, When the printer comes close enough to the other printer to enable wireless communication, an acquisition unit that acquires setting information of the device by wireless communication; A setting unit that sets its own settings based on the setting information of the other printer acquired by the acquisition unit Sadabe and A printer equipped with

2. The setting unit is permitted to set its own settings based on the setting information of the other printer. The first mode, or the setting unit sets itself based on the setting information of the other printer. a second mode that does not permit the user to perform the operation; Further equipped with a department, The printer according to claim 1 .

3. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the product information of the other printer received by wireless communication from the own printer. If the product information of the printer is different from that of the other printer, the setting information of the other printer that depends on the product information Get no configuration information, 3. The printer according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The setting information that is independent of the product information includes setting information that is commonly used for a plurality of products. 、 4. The printer according to claim 3.

5. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the product information of the other printer received by wireless communication from the own printer. If the product information of the other printer is the same as that of the other printer, the product information of the other printer is included in the setting information of the other printer. and acquiring setting information that is independent of the product information and setting information that is dependent on the product information.

3. The printer according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The setting information depending on the product information includes the print speed, print density, language setting, and print operation. It contains at least one of the setting information 6. The printer according to claim 5.

7. After the setting based on the setting information of the other printer is completed, the setting unit Prohibits settings based on the setting information of a printer other than the printer in question. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The wireless communication uses Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) as a communication protocol. Low Energy communication, A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An information processing method between a first printer and a second printer, comprising: the first printer and the second printer are capable of wireless communication with each other; The information processing method includes: When the first printer comes close enough to the second printer to enable wireless communication, The printer acquires the setting information of the second printer via wireless communication, The first printer configures itself based on the acquired configuration information of the second printer. Information processing methods.

10. A printer system including a first printer and a second printer capable of wireless communication with each other. So, The first printer When the printer approaches the second printer so that wireless communication is possible, an acquisition unit that acquires the setting information by wireless communication; A setting unit that sets itself based on the setting information of the second printer acquired by the acquisition unit. A fixed part and Printer system.

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