Communication Unit and Printer

Abstract

To provide a technique to increase safety in a printing system that controls a printer based on voice data input by voice.SOLUTION: In a printing system, a voice analysis service inputs a print job based on voice data in a print job storage server 6. A relay unit 4 determines whether a voice input device being a transmission source of the voice data is nearby, and when determining that the voice input device is nearby, access the print job storage server 6, receives a print job associated with a device ID indicating the relay unit 4 from the print job storage server 6, and inputs the received print job to a printer 1. On the other hand, when determining that the voice input device is not nearby, the relay unit 4 does not input the print job to the printer 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a printer and a communication unit connectable to the printer, and more particularly to a printer that receives a print job generated based on a voice input and a communication unit that relays the print job. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the spread of voice user interfaces (VUIs) such as smart speakers, printing systems have become widely known in which the VUI is connected to the Internet, a server on the Internet analyzes voice data input to the VUI, and controls other devices based on the analysis results. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for using a VUI to cause a printer to perform printing, in which a voice input device as a VUI, an application server that analyzes voice data, and a terminal device as a mobile terminal are connected via an access point, the application server analyzes voice data input to the voice input device, and pushes print instruction data based on the analysis results to the terminal device, and the terminal device transmits a print job based on the received print instruction data to the printer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-140299 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When controlling a printer with the printing system described above, the VUI, the terminal device, and the printer are not necessarily on the same network. In other words, the user who inputs voice data to the VUI may not be near the printer. In that case, the data may be output from a printer other than the one the user intended, which poses a safety issue.

[0005] This specification discloses a technique for improving security in a printing system that controls a printer based on voice data input by voice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The communication unit devised to solve the above-mentioned problems comprises: a first communication interface connectable to a network; a second communication interface connectable to a printer; A controller; A communication unit comprising: The controller: an acquisition process of receiving and acquiring a print job associated with identification information indicating the communication unit from a relay server connected to the network via the first communication interface; an input process of inputting the print job acquired in the acquisition process to the printer via the second communication interface; a print job is input to the relay server from a voice analysis service, identification information indicating a device to which the print job is to be sent and specific information specifying a source of the voice data are registered in association with each other in the voice analysis service, voice data is input to the voice analysis service in association with the specific information, the identification information associated with the input specific information is acquired, the voice analysis service generates the print job based on the input voice data, and the generated print job is input to the relay server in association with the acquired identification information, The controller further comprises: execute a first determination process for determining whether or not a voice input device that is a sender of the voice data is located nearby; When it is determined in the first determination process that the voice input device is not nearby, a first restriction process is executed to restrict at least one of the execution of the acquisition process and the execution of the input process; When it is determined in the first determination process that the voice input device is nearby, the first restriction process is not executed. It is characterized by the following.

[0007] According to the above-mentioned communication unit, a print job based on voice data is input from the voice analysis service to the relay server, and the communication unit receives the print job from the relay server and inputs the print job to the printer. Furthermore, if the voice input device that is the source of the voice data is not near the communication unit, at least one of the reception of the print job and the input to the printer is restricted. Therefore, if the voice input device is near the communication unit, the print job is input to the printer, and the print job can be safely acquired and passed to the printer.

[0008] A control method for implementing the functions of the above-mentioned device, a computer program, and a computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program are also novel and useful. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, a technology for improving security is realized in a printing system that controls a printer based on voice data input by voice. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the relay unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a user management table among tables included in the voice analysis service. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 shows a group of tables used to analyze voice data among the tables held by the voice analysis service, where (A) is an image table and (B) is a template table. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of the process executed by the printing system of the present embodiment, from voice input to storing a print job. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram of the process executed by the printing system of the present embodiment, from receiving a print job to printing by a printer. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart of a print job generation process. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart of a restriction determination process. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a template image and a print image. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printing system according to an applied embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Printing system configuration] A printing system 100 according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 100 according to this embodiment is composed of a home network 110 and various servers or services other than the home network 110. The home network 110 and the various servers or services other than the home network 110 are connected via the Internet 9. It is assumed that the home network 110 is used by the same user. On the other hand, the various servers or services other than the home network 110 are servers or services operated by a business operator that provides so-called cloud services, and it is assumed that they are used by multiple users. In other words, they can be used from networks other than the home network 110.

[0012] The devices constituting the home network 110 include a printer 1, a smart speaker 2, an access point 3, and a relay unit 4. In the home network 110 of this embodiment, a user inputs voice into the smart speaker 2, outputs a print job based on the voice to the printer 1, and causes the printer 1 to print based on the print job. The smart speaker 2 and the relay unit 4 are connected to the access point 3. The home network 110 may also include a personal computer (PC) 8 as necessary. The PC 8 can also be connected to the access point 3. Note that devices that can be connected to the access point 3 are not limited to these, and other devices such as a smartphone can also be connected.

[0013] The connection to the access point 3 may be wired or wireless. In this embodiment, the access point 3 realizes the function as a wireless LAN access point using a communication method conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) 802.11a / b / g / n standard. The access point 3 is also connected to the Internet 9. Therefore, devices connected to the access point 3, such as the smart speaker 2 and the relay unit 4, can access various servers or services other than the home network 110 via the access point 3.

[0014] The printer 1 may be any device that has a printing function, such as a copy machine or a multifunction machine. The printer 1 in this embodiment is a label printer that can store rolled label paper and print on the labels. Note that the print media that the printer 1 can handle is not limited to labels, and it may be capable of printing on cut paper.

[0015] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the printer 1 includes a control unit 10 including a CPU 11 and a memory 12. The printer 1 also includes a user interface (hereinafter, "interface" may be written as "IF") 13, a USB (short for Universal Serial Bus) communication IF 14, and a printing mechanism 15, all of which are electrically connected to the control unit 10. Note that the control unit 10 in Fig. 2 is a collective term for hardware and software used to control the printer 1, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware actually present in the printer 1.

[0016] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to the programs read from the memory 12 and based on the user's operation or the input job. The memory 12 can store various programs and data, and is used as a work area when various processes are executed. The buffer provided in the CPU 11 is also an example of a memory. In addition, an example of the memory 12 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, NVRAM, etc. built into the printer 1, but may be a storage medium that is readable and writable by the CPU 11. The memory 12 stores, for example, a program for controlling the print mechanism 15 to perform printing.

[0017] The user IF 13 is, for example, a touch panel, and includes hardware for displaying a screen for notifying the user of information and hardware for accepting operations by the user. Note that the user IF 13 may be a combination of a display and an operation unit such as a button.

[0018] The USB communication IF 14 includes at least hardware for performing USB communication. The printer 1 is connected to various devices via the USB communication IF 14. However, the printer 1 does not have a communication IF for performing wireless communication. Therefore, the printer 1 cannot directly access the access point 3.

[0019] As an example, the printing mechanism 15 is a thermal printing mechanism equipped with a print head having a plurality of (e.g., several hundred) heating elements. The print head forms dots on the sheet by heating the positions on the sheet where dots are to be formed using the heating elements under the control of the control unit 10. Note that the printing method is not limited to the thermal method, and may be, for example, an inkjet method or an electrophotographic method.

[0020] 1, the relay unit 4 is a device that can connect to the access point 3 via wireless communication and, as an example, connect to the printer 1 via USB communication. In this embodiment, since the printer 1 does not have a communication IF for wireless communication, the transfer of print jobs between the access point 3 and the printer 1 is realized via the relay unit 4 that has a wireless communication IF. The relay unit 4 is an example of a communication unit.

[0021] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the relay unit 4 includes a control unit 40 including a CPU 41 and a memory 42. The control unit 40 and the CPU 41 are an example of a controller. The relay unit 4 also includes a user IF 43, a USB communication IF 44, a first wireless communication IF 451, and a second wireless communication IF 452, which are electrically connected to the control unit 40. Note that the control unit 40 in Fig. 3 is also a collective term for hardware and software used to control the relay unit 4, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the relay unit 4.

[0022] The CPU 41 executes various processes according to the programs read from the memory 42 and based on the user's operation or input job. The memory 42 can store various programs and data, and is used as a work area when various processes are executed. The buffer provided in the CPU 41 is also an example of a memory. In addition, an example of the memory 42 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, NVRAM, etc. built in the relay unit 4, but may be a storage medium that is readable and writable by the CPU 41.

[0023] In the memory 42, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a print receiving tool 46, which is a program for relaying a print job, access information 47 for accessing the print job storage server 6, a speaker ID 48 for identifying the smart speaker, and a restriction flag 49 indicating whether or not to execute a print job output restriction based on whether or not the smart speaker 2 is nearby are stored. The access information 47 includes, for example, the address of the print job storage server 6 and authentication information used to authenticate the access right to the print job storage server 6. The print receiving tool 46 and the access information 47 are stored in the memory 42 from the time of shipment of the relay unit 4. The access information 47 may be stored by a user operation after shipment. The speaker ID 48 is not stored at the time of shipment, and is stored by a user operation after shipment. The restriction flag 49 indicates that an output restriction is executed if it is on, and indicates that an output restriction is not executed if it is off. The restriction flag 49 is set to off at the time of shipment, and can be changed by a user operation after shipment. Details of the print job output restriction will be described later.

[0024] The user IF 43 is, for example, a touch panel, and includes hardware for displaying a screen for notifying the user of information and hardware for accepting operations by the user. Note that the user IF 43 may be a combination of a display and an operation unit such as a button.

[0025] The USB communication IF 44 includes at least hardware for performing USB communication. The relay unit 4 is a portable device, and is attached to the printer 1 via the USB communication IF 44 and connected to the printer 1. The USB communication IF 44 is an example of a second communication interface.

[0026] The first wireless communication IF 451 includes at least hardware such as an antenna for wireless communication with the access point 3. The relay unit 4 is connected to the access point 3 via the first wireless communication IF 451, and can further access other devices connected to the access point 3 and various servers or services other than the home network 110 connected to the Internet 9 via the access point 3. The first wireless communication IF 451 is an example of a first communication interface.

[0027] The second wireless communication IF 452 includes hardware such as an antenna for performing wireless communication without going through the access point 3. The second wireless communication IF 452 is a communication IF for performing short-range communication conforming to a communication method different from that of the first wireless communication IF 451, for example, a Bluetooth method, and in this embodiment, is a communication IF capable of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication. The second wireless communication IF 452 is an example of a third communication interface.

[0028] 1, the relay unit 4 is capable of wireless communication with a smartphone 8S held by a user via the second wireless communication IF 452. Upon startup, the relay unit 4 attempts to establish wireless communication via the second wireless communication IF 452, and when the smartphone 8S enters the communication range of the second wireless communication IF 452, the relay unit 4 establishes wireless communication with the smartphone 8S and starts wireless communication with the smartphone 8S. The smartphone 8S is an example of a specific device.

[0029] Returning to the description of the printing system 100 in FIG. 1, the smart speaker 2 is a so-called voice user interface (VUI) that has a speaker and a microphone and executes a specific process according to the voice spoken by the user. The specific process includes, for example, a series of processes from detecting the voice spoken by the user, generating voice data based on the detected voice, to transmitting the generated voice data to the voice analysis service 5. The smart speaker 2 also has a communication IF for wireless communication with the access point 3. Therefore, the smart speaker 2 is connected to the access point 3, and can access other devices connected to the access point 3 and various servers or services other than the home network 110 connected to the Internet 9 via the access point 3. For example, Amazon Echo (Amazon is (registered trademark)) can be applied to the smart speaker 2 in this embodiment.

[0030] The PC 8 has both a USB communication IF (not shown) and a wireless communication IF (not shown). The PC 8 is used for advance preparations for operating the printing system 100. The advance preparations will be described later. The PC 8 is not involved in a series of processes from when a voice is input to the smart speaker 2 to when the printer 1 executes a print job based on the voice. Therefore, after the advance preparations, the PC 8 does not need to be connected to the access point 3. The PC 8 incorporates, for example, a browser 81, which is a program for displaying web pages.

[0031] In addition, the printing system 100 of this embodiment includes a voice analysis service 5 and a print job storage server 6 as various servers or services other than the home network 110 connected to the Internet 9. The voice analysis service 5 analyzes voice data and generates a print job based on the analysis result. The print job storage server 6 stores the print job until a transmission request is received. The printing system 100 may also include an image server 7 as necessary. The image server 7 provides an image to be printed and rasterizes image data. For example, the voice analysis service 5 is operated by the manufacturer of the smart speaker 2, and the print job storage server 6 and the image server 7 are operated by the manufacturer of the printer 1. Although each server or service is conceptually illustrated as one computer, in reality, it is a so-called cloud server or cloud service including a plurality of computers connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0032] The voice analysis service 5 is connected to the Internet 9, and various data can be input and output via the Internet 9. For example, voice data based on a voice input to the smart speaker 2 constituting the home network 110 of this embodiment is input via the Internet 9. In addition, a print job generated based on the voice data is output to the print job accumulation server 6 via the Internet 9.

[0033] The voice analysis service 5 incorporates a voice analysis tool 51, a print job related tool 52, and a data registration tool 54. Each tool is composed of one or more programs. The voice analysis service 5 also stores, as tables managed by the data registration tool 54, a table for managing devices for each user and a table used for analyzing voice data.

[0034] Specifically, among the tables possessed by the voice analysis service 5, the table for managing the devices for each user includes a user management table 54A that associates a user ID for identifying a user who uses the voice analysis service 5, a speaker ID for identifying the sender of the voice data, and a device ID for identifying the device to which the print job is to be sent, as shown in Fig. 4. The user ID or the speaker ID is an example of specific information for identifying the sender of the voice data, and the device ID is an example of identification information indicating the device to which the print job is to be sent. Note that, in this embodiment, the user ID, the speaker ID, and the device ID are managed in one table, but they may be managed in two tables, a table for associating the user ID with the speaker ID and a table for associating the user ID with the device ID.

[0035] Among the tables held by the voice analysis service 5, the tables used for analyzing voice data include an image table 54B that associates words extracted from voice data with image IDs that identify image data, as shown in Fig. 5(A). Also, as shown in Fig. 5(B), a template table 54C that associates words extracted from voice data with template IDs that identify templates is included. A table used for analyzing voice data is provided for each user ID that uses the voice analysis service 5. The data registration tool 54 executes a process of generating these tables and a process of adding or deleting records to these tables.

[0036] The voice analysis tool 51 executes voice recognition processing and morphological analysis processing. The voice recognition processing is processing of analyzing voice data to generate text data indicating the contents of the utterance indicated by the voice data. The morphological analysis processing is processing of analyzing the text data to extract structural units (called morphemes) such as words contained in the contents of the utterance and to identify the type of the extracted morpheme (for example, the type of part of speech). The voice analysis tool 51 in this embodiment is realized by using, for example, "Alexa Voice Service (Alexa is a registered trademark)".

[0037] The print job related tool 52 executes a process of generating a print job using text data obtained by analyzing the voice data, and a process of transmitting the generated print job to the print job accumulation server 6. The print job related tool 52 and the data registration tool 54 are provided by the manufacturer of the relay unit 4, and are incorporated into the voice analysis service 5.

[0038] The print job accumulation server 6 is connected to the Internet 9, and has a storage function of storing input print jobs for each device ID. Furthermore, it has a transmission function of transmitting a print job corresponding to a device in response to a request from the device. For example, when accessed from the relay unit 4 constituting the home network 110 of this embodiment, the print job accumulation server 6 transmits a print job associated with the device ID indicating the relay unit 4 to the relay unit 4. The print job accumulation server 6 is an example of a relay server. For example, MQTT (short for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is used as a communication protocol for realizing communication between the print job accumulation server 6 and the relay unit 4.

[0039] The image server 7 is connected to the Internet 9 and stores a plurality of image data 71 in advance. Therefore, when the image server 7 receives a request to transmit image data, it reads out the image data 71 specified in the transmission request and transmits the read out image data 71 to the device that has requested the transmission request. For example, when a request to transmit image data is made from the relay unit 4 constituting the home network 110 of this embodiment, the image server 7 transmits the image data 71 specified in the transmission request to the relay unit 4.

[0040] Furthermore, in addition to image data 71, image server 7 also stores in advance a plurality of template data 72. Therefore, similar to image data 71, when image server 7 receives a request to send template data, it reads out the template data 72 specified in the transmission request and transmits the read template data 72 to the device that has issued the transmission request. Note that, although image server 7 stores both image data 71 and template data 72 in this embodiment, they may also be stored in separate servers.

[0041] [Advance preparation] Next, a description will be given of advance preparations for printing by the printing system 100 of this embodiment. The advance preparations include advance preparations regarding the relay unit 4, advance preparations regarding images and templates, and advance preparations for the smartphone 8S.

[0042] Advance preparations for the relay unit 4 are performed by the PC 8. The PC 8 starts up a browser 81 by user operation and accesses a web page designated by the manufacturer of the relay unit 4. Furthermore, the PC 8 accepts input of a user ID and a device ID on the web page. The user ID accepted at this time is an identification number assigned to each user for using the voice analysis service 5, and the device ID is a product number stored in the relay unit 4. The device ID may be written in the manual or on the housing of the relay unit 4, or may be read by connecting the relay unit 4 to the PC 8.

[0043] Furthermore, when the PC 8 receives an operation for registering the relay unit 4 in the voice analysis service 5 with the user ID and device ID input, it transmits a registration instruction including the input user ID and device ID to the server of the manufacturer of the relay unit 4 via the Internet 9. When the server of the manufacturer of the relay unit 4 receives the user ID and device ID together with the registration instruction, it passes those IDs to the data registration tool 54 of the voice analysis service 5 and instructs the device to be registered.

[0044] When the data registration tool 54 is instructed to register the device, it associates the product ID of the relay unit 4 with the user ID and registers them in the user management table 54A. As a result, the relay unit 4 is registered as a destination of the print job associated with the registered user ID. Note that if the PC 8 can directly access the voice analysis service 5 and can instruct the data registration tool 54, the PC 8 may directly instruct the voice analysis service 5 to register.

[0045] The relay unit 4 also accepts input of a speaker ID via the user IF 43. Then, when an operation to register the speaker ID is accepted with the speaker ID being input, the relay unit 4 registers the input speaker ID. This registered speaker ID is set as a speaker ID 48. The relay unit 4 also accepts setting of a restriction flag 49 via the user IF 43. Then, when an operation to turn on or off the restriction flag 49 is accepted, the relay unit 4 sets the restriction flag 49 according to the operation. The restriction flag 49 is an example of setting information. Note that a setting application may be incorporated in an external device such as the PC 8, and the speaker ID may be registered and the restriction flag 49 may be set by the application.

[0046] Advance preparations regarding images and templates are also performed by the PC 8. Similar to the advance preparations for registering the relay unit 4, the PC 8 starts up the browser 81 by user operation and accesses a web page designated by the manufacturer of the relay unit 4. Furthermore, the PC 8 accepts input of a user ID on the web page. The user ID accepted at this time is also a user ID for using the voice analysis service 5.

[0047] Furthermore, when the PC 8 accepts an operation to register an image in the voice analysis service 5, it accepts input of an image ID and a word for specifying the image ID on the web page. The image ID accepted at this time is an identification number for the image server 7 to manage the image data 71. Then, it transmits a registration instruction including the input image ID and word, and the input user ID, to the server of the manufacturer of the relay unit 4 via the Internet 9. When the server of the manufacturer of the relay unit 4 receives the user ID, image ID, word, and user ID, it passes the information to the data registration tool 54 of the voice analysis service 5 and instructs the image to be registered.

[0048] When an instruction to register an image is given, the data registration tool 54 registers a record associating the passed image ID with the word in the image table 54B corresponding to the passed user ID. This allows the image ID corresponding to the voice-input word to be registered for each user ID. As with the image, the input of the user ID, template ID, and word is also accepted for the template, and a record associating the accepted template ID with the word is registered in the template table 54C corresponding to the accepted user ID.

[0049] If the PC 8 can directly access the voice analysis service 5 and can give instructions to the data registration tool 54, the PC 8 may directly instruct the voice analysis service 5 to register, similar to the registration of the relay unit 4. Also, an application program equivalent to the data registration tool 54 may be incorporated in the PC 8, and the image table 54B and the template table 54C may be created by the PC 8, and the created tables may be uploaded to the voice analysis service 5 in association with a user ID.

[0050] The smartphone 8S prepares the smartphone 8S in advance. A relay application 87, which is an application for registration, is incorporated in the smartphone 8S. The smartphone 8S starts the relay application 87 by a user's operation and accepts input of a speaker ID. Then, when an operation for registering the speaker ID is accepted with the speaker ID input, the smartphone 8S registers the input speaker ID. This registered speaker ID becomes the speaker ID 88 stored in the smartphone 8S. When the user uses the printing system 100 of this embodiment, the user registers the speaker ID of the smart speaker 2 in the relay unit 4 and the smartphone 8S. This makes the smartphone 8S compatible with the smart speaker 2.

[0051] In addition, as a preliminary preparation, the smart speaker 2 is also registered in advance in association with a user ID for using the smart speaker 2 in the voice analysis service 5. In this embodiment, the speaker ID stored in the smart speaker 2 is associated with the user ID and registered in the voice analysis service 5. That is, the speaker ID is registered in the user management table 54A in association with the user ID.

[0052] [Printing Procedure] Next, the procedure from voice input to printing by the printing system 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagrams of Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. This procedure is a procedure in which the smart speaker 2, the voice analysis service 5, the print job storage server 6, and the relay unit 4 cooperate to cause the printer 1 to execute printing. Note that Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram of the first half of the processing executed by the printing system 100 of this embodiment, from when the smart speaker 2 detects voice to when the print job is stored in the print job storage server 6, and Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram of the second half of the processing, from when the print job is retrieved from the print job storage server 6 to when the printer 1 prints.

[0053] Note that the processing steps of the processing and sequence diagrams in this embodiment basically indicate the processing of the CPU or computer of each device according to the instructions written in the program installed in each device. The processing by the CPU or computer also includes hardware control using the API of the OS (operating system) of each device. In this specification, the operation of each program will be described without a detailed description of the OS.

[0054] First, the first half of the processing executed by the printing system 100 of this embodiment will be described. The first half of the processing is started when the smart speaker 2 detects a voice spoken by a user (step S1, hereafter "step" will be omitted) as shown in Fig. 6. The smart speaker 2 that detected the voice generates voice data indicative of the detected voice (S2). For example, when the voice "Print a nameplate for XXX" is input to the smart speaker 2, the smart speaker 2 generates voice data indicative of the voice.

[0055] The smart speaker 2 transmits the voice data generated in S2, the speaker ID stored in the smart speaker 2, and address information indicating the IP address of the sender of the voice data to the voice analysis service 5 via the access point 3 and the Internet 9 (S3). The IP address of the sender of the voice data is the IP address of the smart speaker 2 if, for example, the voice data is transmitted from the home network 110. A known protocol, for example HTTP (short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol), is used for the transmission in S3.

[0056] When the voice analysis service 5 receives the voice data, the speaker ID, and the address information transmitted from the smart speaker 2, it analyzes the received voice data (S4). Specifically, the voice analysis service 5 executes a voice recognition process on the voice data using the voice analysis tool 51, and generates text data based on the voice indicated by the voice data. For example, when voice data indicating the voice "print a nameplate of XXX" is acquired, text data indicating the contents of the voice is generated. The voice analysis service 5 further executes a morphological analysis process on the generated text data using the voice analysis tool 51. As a result, for example, words such as "XXX", "nameplate", and "print it" are extracted, and the parts of speech of these words (for example, noun, verb) are identified. The voice analysis service 5 generates a list in which the parts of speech are associated with the extracted words as a result of the morphological analysis.

[0057] Furthermore, the speech analysis service 5 passes the analysis results including the generated text data and the morphological analysis results, the user ID corresponding to the received speaker ID, and the received address information to the print job related tool 52 (S5), and the print job related tool 52 executes the print job generation process (S6). The user ID corresponding to the speaker ID can be acquired by referring to the user management table 54A. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, when "VUI_1" is received as the speaker ID, "USER_A" is selected as the user ID.

[0058] 8 shows the procedure of the print job generation process in S6. The voice analysis service 5 selects words to be used for generating a print job from among the words extracted by morphological analysis (S601). For example, the voice analysis service 5 refers to the image table 54B and the template table 54C corresponding to the received user ID, and selects words included in the list of words for image selection and words included in the list of words for template selection from among the words extracted by morphological analysis. In the examples of FIGS. 5(A) and (B), "XXX" is selected as the word for image selection, and "nameplate" is selected as the word for template selection.

[0059] Next, the voice analysis service 5 selects a print target based on the selected word (S602). Specifically, the voice analysis service 5 selects an image to be printed based on the word selected for image selection. For example, if the word selected for image selection is "XXX", the voice analysis service 5 selects "image ID_001", which is the image ID associated with "XXX" by the image table 54B. Furthermore, if the word selected for template selection is "nameplate", the voice analysis service 5 selects "template ID_002", which is the template ID associated with "nameplate" by the template table 54C.

[0060] Next, the voice analysis service 5 generates a print job (S603). The print job includes the image ID and template ID selected in S602. Note that if only the image ID is selected as the print target in S602, only the selected image ID is included in the print job.

[0061] Returning to the sequence diagram of Fig. 6, after generating the print job, the voice analysis service 5 selects a destination for the print job using the print job-related tool 52 (S7). Specifically, the voice analysis service 5 refers to the user management table 54A and selects a device ID corresponding to the received user ID. For example, in the example of Fig. 4, when "USER_A" is received as the user ID, "CM_1" is selected as the device ID.

[0062] Next, the voice analysis service 5 transmits the print job generated in S6, and the device ID and address information of the destination of the print job selected in S7, to the print job storage server 6 by the print job related tool 52 (S8).

[0063] The print job storage server 6 that has received the print job and the device ID stores the received print job, speaker ID, and address information in a predetermined storage area in association with the received device ID (S9). According to the procedure shown in Fig. 6, the print job based on the voice input to the smart speaker 2 included in the home network 110 and the address information indicating the IP address of the sender of the voice data that is the source of the print job are stored in the print job storage server 6 in association with the device ID of the relay unit 4 included in the home network 110.

[0064] Next, the latter half of the process executed by the printing system 100 of this embodiment will be described. The latter half of the process is executed separately from the first half of the process shown in Fig. 6. After the relay unit 4 is started, as shown in Fig. 7, the print receiving tool 46 periodically sends a transmission request for a print job associated with the device ID of the relay unit 4 to the print job storage server 6 via the access point 3 and the Internet 9 from the relay unit 4 (S10). The print job storage server 6 sends a print job associated with the device ID of the relay unit 4 and address information associated with the print job to the relay unit 4, and the relay unit 4 receives and acquires the print job and the address information associated with the print job (S11). S11 is an example of an acquisition process.

[0065] Regarding S10 and S11, for example, if a storage area is assigned to each device ID in the print job accumulation server 6, the relay unit 4 can receive the print job associated with the device ID of the relay unit 4 from the print job accumulation server 6 by accessing the storage area assigned to its own device ID and requesting download of the print job stored in that storage area. Alternatively, the relay unit 4 may transmit the device ID together with a request to transmit a print job, and the print job accumulation server 6 may execute a process of extracting the print job associated with the received device ID and transmit the extracted print job to the relay unit 4.

[0066] When the relay unit 4 receives a print job and address information associated with the print job from the print job storage server 6, the print receiving tool 46 executes a restriction determination process to determine whether or not to restrict the output of the print job based on whether the sender of the voice data that is the source of the print job is near the relay unit 4 (S12).

[0067] 9 shows the procedure of the restriction determination process of S12. The relay unit 4 reads the restriction flag 49 from the memory 42 and determines whether the restriction flag 49 is on or not (S1201). If the restriction flag 49 is off (S1201: NO), the relay unit 4 does not perform output restriction of the print job based on whether the sender of the voice data is nearby or not, so determines "no restriction" (S1231) and ends this process.

[0068] When the restriction flag 49 is on (S1201: YES), the relay unit 4 identifies a network part that specifies a network by a predetermined upper bit of the IP address indicated in the received address information (S1211). Then, it is determined whether the network part of the IP address indicated in the received address information, that is, the network part of the IP address of the sender of the voice data that is the source of the print job, is the same as the network part of the IP address of the relay unit 4 (S1212). S1212 is an example of a first determination process. If the network parts of the IP addresses are not the same (S1212: NO), the voice data sender is not in the same network as the relay unit 4. For example, in this embodiment, the received print job is highly likely to be a print job based on voice data from the smart speaker 2 brought into another network, so the relay unit 4 determines that the restriction is present (S1232) and ends this process.

[0069] If the network part of the IP address is the same (S1212: YES), the relay unit 4 attempts to establish wireless communication with the external device via the second wireless communication IF 452 (S1221). For example, in this embodiment, the relay unit 4 attempts to establish wireless communication with the smartphone 8S. S1221 is an example of the establishment process.

[0070] After S1221, the relay unit 4 judges whether or not the wireless communication via the second wireless communication IF 452 has been successfully established (S1222). S1222 is an example of a first judgment process. If the wireless communication via the second wireless communication IF 452 has not been successfully established (S1222: NO), for example, in the system of this embodiment, the user with the smartphone 8S is not nearby, and the received print job is likely to be a print job based on voice data from the smart speaker 2 that has been taken away by a third party. Therefore, the relay unit 4 judges that the print job is "restricted" (S1232) and ends this process.

[0071] When the wireless communication via the second wireless communication IF 452 is successfully established (S1222: YES), the relay unit 4 judges whether the received signal strength indicator of the established wireless communication is equal to or greater than a threshold (S1223). S1223 is an example of a first judgment process. When the received signal strength is lower than the threshold (S1223: NO), even if the wireless communication is established, the user of the smartphone 8S is not nearby, and there is a possibility that the print job was inputted illegally without the user's intention. Therefore, the relay unit 4 judges that the wireless communication is "limited" (S1232) and ends this process.

[0072] If the received radio wave intensity is equal to or greater than the threshold (S1223: YES), the relay unit 4 acquires a speaker ID from the external device through the established wireless communication (S1224), and determines whether the acquired speaker ID matches the speaker ID 48 stored in the relay unit 4 (S1225). If the speaker IDs match (S1225: YES), the acquired speaker ID is likely to be the speaker ID 88 previously registered in the smartphone 8S as the speaker ID of the smart speaker 2, and as a result, the received print job is likely to be a print job based on the voice data from the smart speaker 2. Therefore, the relay unit 4 determines that there is "no limit" (S1231) and ends this process. On the other hand, if the speaker IDs do not match (S1225: NO), the smart speaker 2 is not connected to the corresponding smartphone 8S, and as a result, the received print job is likely not based on voice spoken by an appropriate user. Therefore, the relay unit 4 determines that there is a "restriction" (S1232) and terminates this process.

[0073] In this way, in the restriction determination process of S12, if the sender of the audio data is not in the same network as the relay unit 4, it is determined that the sender of the audio data is not nearby and is determined to be "no restriction." Also, if sufficient wireless communication cannot be established with the smartphone 8S corresponding to the smart speaker 2, it is determined that the sender of the audio data is not nearby and is determined to be "no restriction." Also, if wireless communication cannot be established with the smartphone 8S registered with the same speaker ID, it is determined to be "no restriction."

[0074] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 7, after S12, the relay unit 4 attempts to communicate with the printer 1 by the print receiving tool 46, and determines whether or not it is connected to the printer 1 (S13). The relay unit 4 executes a printer search via, for example, the USB communication IF 44, and determines that it is connected to the printer 1 if the printer is found, and determines that it is not connected to the printer 1 if the printer is not found. S13 is an example of a second determination process. Note that S12 and S13 may be performed in the reverse order or simultaneously.

[0075] After S12 and S13, if it is determined in S12 that there is "no restriction" and it is determined in S13 that the printer 1 is connected (ALT: no restriction and printer connected), the relay unit 4 executes processing to make the printer 1 print based on the received print job by the print receiving tool 46. In this embodiment, the printer 1 is a label printer, and the print job is a print job to be executed by the label printer. Therefore, for example, the image to be printed is the image obtained by arranging a designated image, which is an image indicated by the image ID included in the print job, on a template indicated by the template ID included in the print job. If the print job does not include a template ID, the image indicated by the image ID included in the print job becomes the image to be printed as it is.

[0076] An example of a template image and a print image is shown in Fig. 10. The template image 10T shown in Fig. 10(A) is an image of a template indicated by a template ID, and is, for example, an example of a template for a nameplate. The template image 10T includes a background image 10B and an image arrangement area 10A. The print image 10P shown in Fig. 10(B) is an arrangement image 10G in which a designated image 10M indicated by an image ID is arranged in the image arrangement area 10A of the template image 10T in Fig. 10(A).

[0077] Therefore, as a process for causing the printer 1 to print based on the received print job, the relay unit 4 first accesses the image server 7 via the access point 3 and the Internet 9, requests downloading of image data 71 corresponding to the image ID included in the received print job (S14), and receives and acquires the image data 71 sent from the image server 7 (S15).

[0078] Next, the relay unit 4 again accesses the image server 7 via the access point 3 and the Internet 9, requests downloading of template data 72 corresponding to the template ID included in the received print job (S16), and receives the template data 72 transmitted from the image server 7 (S17). Note that if a template ID is not included in the print job, steps S16 and S17 are not performed. Also, S16 and S17 may be performed prior to S14 or simultaneously with it.

[0079] Next, the relay unit 4 generates layout image data indicating a layout image in which the image data 71 received from the image server 7 is arranged as a designated image in the template data 72 received from the image server 7 (S18). Note that if the print job does not include a template ID, S18 is not performed.

[0080] Next, the relay unit 4 uses the print receiving tool 46 to rasterize the received layout image data to generate raster data (S20). Then, the relay unit 4 passes a new print job including the generated raster data to the printer 1 (S22). S22 is an example of input processing. When the printer 1 receives the print job from the relay unit 4, the printer 1 performs printing based on the raster data included in the print job using the print mechanism 15 (S23). According to the procedure shown in FIG. 7, the print job stored in the print job storage server 6, i.e., the print job based on the voice input to the smart speaker 2 included in the home network 110, is passed to the printer 1 via the relay unit 4, and the printer 1 prints it.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined in S12 that the printer 1 is “limited” or if it is determined in S13 that the printer 1 is not connected (ALT: limited or not connected to the printer), the relay unit 4 does not perform the process in S14 and thereafter, and notifies the user of the determination result by the print receiving tool 46 using the user IF 43 (S31). That is, if it is determined in S12 that the printer 1 is “limited”, it notifies that the device that outputted the voice data that was the source of the print job is not the smart speaker 2, or that the user is not near the smart speaker 2. If it is determined in S13 that the printer 1 is not connected, it notifies that the printer 1 is not connected. If the printer 1 is not connected, it includes a case where the printer 1 is not physically connected or has a communication failure in the network, as well as a case where the printer 1 is not turned on. By notifying that the printer 1 cannot be communicated with, it is expected that the user will perform the connection work with the printer 1. Examples of the notification mode include turning on a warning lamp provided in the relay unit 4, and outputting a warning sound or a warning message. The process when it is determined that "restriction exists" is an example of a first restriction process. The process when it is determined that there is no connection to the printer 1 is an example of a second restriction process.

[0082] After the notification in S31, the relay unit 4 repeats the attempt to communicate with the printer 1 again in S13 until it is determined that it is connected to the printer 1. Then, after it is determined that it is connected to the printer 1, the process proceeds to S14 and subsequent steps.

[0083] In the procedure shown in FIG. 7, when it is determined that the printer 1 is not connected (ALT: Restricted or Printer Not Connected), the image data 71 and the template data 72 are not received from the image server 7. However, the process may be configured to complete the generation of the raster data in S20 and wait for the transmission of the raster data. Alternatively, the process may be configured to determine whether the printer 1 is connected after the image data 71 and the template data 72 are received from the image server 7. With this configuration, the relay unit 4 holds the print job until the printer 1 is connected, and the print job can be passed to the printer 1 immediately after the printer 1 is connected, so that early printing can be started. In this case, the connection to the printer 1 may be determined after the image data 71 and the template data 72 are received from the image server 7. On the other hand, by waiting without performing rasterization until the printer 1 is connected as in the procedure shown in FIG. 7, the raster data is not stored in the memory 42, and an increase in the load on the memory 42 can be avoided.

[0084] As described above in detail, according to the relay unit 4 of this embodiment, a print job based on voice data is input from the voice analysis service 5 to the print job storage server 6, the relay unit 4 accesses the print job storage server 6, and the relay unit 4 directly receives and acquires the print job from the print job storage server 6. Furthermore, if the restriction determination process determines that "restriction exists," that is, if the sender of the voice data is not near the relay unit 4, the relay unit 4 restricts the output of the print job from the print job storage server 6 to the printer 1. Therefore, if the sender of the voice data is near the relay unit 4, the print job is input to the printer 1, and the print job can be safely acquired and passed to the printer 1.

[0085] In addition, the printing system 100 of this embodiment determines whether or not to restrict the output of a print job by the restriction flag 49. In other words, enabling printing based on voice data input from a VUI in a remote location from the printer 1 is a disadvantage in terms of security, but is an advantage in terms of convenience. Therefore, the user can selectively receive both advantages by deciding through settings whether or not to restrict the output of a print job based on whether the smart speaker 2 is nearby.

[0086] It should be noted that the present embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the present invention can be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the image server 7 is not a device that constitutes the home network 110, but it may be a device that constitutes the home network 110.

[0087] In the embodiment, the restriction determination process includes both a determination based on a match in the network parts of the IP addresses (S1212) and a determination based on wireless communication with the smartphone 8S (S1222, etc.), but only one of them may be performed. When only a determination based on a match in the network parts of the IP addresses is performed, registration of the speaker ID in the relay unit 4 and the smartphone 8S is not required. In addition, the relay unit 4 does not need to include the second wireless communication IF 452 for communicating with the smartphone 8S.

[0088] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the restriction determination process includes a determination based on a match in the network portion of the IP addresses (S1212) and a determination based on wireless communication with the smartphone 8S (S1222, etc.), but the determination based on wireless communication with the smartphone 8S (S1222, etc.) may also be performed for the smart speaker 2. In this case, the restriction determination process may be performed only by the determination based on wireless communication with the smart speaker 2. Furthermore, the smartphone 8S may also have the functions of the smart speaker 2.

[0089] In addition, in the embodiment, the determination based on a match between the network parts of the IP addresses (S1212) and the determination based on wireless communication with the smartphone 8S (S1222, etc.) are both performed after receiving the print job, but it is also possible to configure the system so that, for example, the determination based on establishment of wireless communication is performed before receiving the print job if the reception conditions for the print job are satisfied, and the print job accumulation server 6 is accessed and the print job is received, on the condition that permission is granted by the determination based on wireless communication with the smartphone 8S.

[0090] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the print job is stored in the print job accumulation server 6 in association with the address information of the smart speaker 2, and in the restriction determination process, it is determined whether or not the smart speaker 2 is in the same network based on the IP address of the smart speaker 2 and the IP address of the relay unit 4, but it is also possible to store the speaker ID of the smart speaker 2 in association with the print job instead of the address information of the smart speaker 2, and in the restriction determination process, it is determined whether or not the smart speaker 2 is in the same network based on the speaker ID of the smart speaker 2 associated with the print job and the speaker ID 48 registered in the relay unit 4. For example, if the speaker ID of the smart speaker 2 associated with the print job does not match the speaker ID 48 registered in the relay unit 4, it may be determined that the print job is "restricted."

[0091] In the embodiment, the speaker IDs are registered in the relay unit 4 and the smartphone 8S, respectively, and the speaker IDs are compared in the restriction determination process, but the comparison target is not limited to the speaker ID. For example, a user ID may be registered in the relay unit 4 and the smartphone 8S, respectively, and the user IDs may be compared. Even in this case, it can be determined that the user is near the smart speaker 2 or the relay unit 4.

[0092] Also, in the embodiment, as a preparation, the speaker ID of the smart speaker 2 is registered in advance as an association with a user ID for using the voice analysis service 5, but the method of identifying the source of the voice data is not limited to this. For example, if a user ID can be registered in the smart speaker 2 and voice data is transmitted from the smart speaker 2 in association with the registered user ID, there is no need to associate the speaker ID with the user ID in the voice analysis service 5, and the voice analysis service 5 can simply determine the image to be printed based on the received user ID and determine the destination of the print job. In this case, the user ID is an example of "specific information."

[0093] In the embodiment, the image ID is registered as information to be registered in the image table 54B, but address information indicating a reference destination of the image data may be registered. Similarly, the template ID to be registered in the template table 54C may be address information indicating a reference destination of the template. In this case, the relay unit 4 may access the address indicated in the address information and download the image data or the template.

[0094] In the embodiment, the voice analysis service 5 provides the image table 54B and the template table 54C for each user ID, but a common image table 54B and a common template table 54C that are not designated by a user ID may be provided. In this case, the manufacturer of the printer 1 may prepare the common image table 54B and the common template table 54C in advance, instead of preparing them in advance for each user.

[0095] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the print jobs stored in the print job storage server 6 include an image ID and a template ID, but do not include the image data itself. However, the image data or the template itself may be included without being specified by an image ID or a template ID. In that case, access to the image server 7 is not required, and the communication load can be reduced. On the other hand, by not including the image data or the template itself in the print jobs stored in the print job storage server 6, the size of the print jobs stored in the print job storage server 6 can be reduced, and the memory load of the print job storage server 6 is reduced.

[0096] Furthermore, in the embodiment, rasterization is performed by the relay unit 4, but an external device such as the image server 7 may also perform the rasterization. In this case, the relay unit 4 passes the layout image data to the external device and requests rasterization. Even if the external device performs the rasterization, the raster data is input to the printer 1, so even a printer that does not have a rasterization function can be applied to the system of the embodiment. Furthermore, if the printer 1 has a rasterization function, the relay unit 4 may pass a print job including the layout image before rasterization to the printer 1.

[0097] In the embodiment, the relay unit 4 periodically issues a transmission request to the print job storage server 6, but the timing or time of the transmission request may be registered in the relay unit 4, and the transmission request may be issued according to the registered timing or time. Also, an operation for issuing a transmission request may be accepted via the user IF 43 of the relay unit 4, and a transmission request may be issued in response to the operation. By periodically issuing a transmission request as in the embodiment, a print job is automatically received from the print job storage server 6 and input to the printer 1, so that the print job can be automatically passed to the printer 1 based on a voice input.

[0098] In the embodiment, the relay unit 4 executes the restriction determination process of S12 as a condition for passing the print job from the print job storage server 6 to the printer 1, but the restriction determination process of S12 can be applied even if the printer 1 is configured to directly receive the print job from the print job storage server 6. In this case, the relay unit 4 is not necessary, and the printer 1 includes wireless communication IFs corresponding to the first wireless communication IF 451 and the second wireless communication IF 452 of the relay unit 4, and stores the print receiving tool 46, the access information 47, the speaker ID 48, and the restriction flag 49 built into the relay unit 4 in the memory 12 as shown in FIG. 11. Furthermore, in the voice analysis service 5, instead of the device ID of the relay unit 4, the printer ID, which is the identification information of the printer 1, is associated with the user ID and the speaker ID, and the print job is stored in the print job storage server 6 in association with the printer ID. Then, the print receiving tool 46 of the printer 1 receives the print job associated with the printer ID of the printer 1 from the print job storage server 6. Furthermore, the printer 1 may execute the restriction determination process of S12 using the print receiving tool 46 of the printer 1, and perform printing if it is determined that there is no restriction, and may not perform printing if it is determined that there is a restriction.

[0099] In addition, in any of the flowcharts disclosed in the embodiments, the order of execution of multiple processes in any of the steps can be arbitrarily changed or the processes can be executed in parallel as long as no contradiction occurs in the process content.

[0100] The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, multiple CPUs, hardware such as ASIC, or a combination of these. The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be realized in various forms, such as a recording medium having a program for executing the processes recorded thereon, or a method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1. Printer 2. Smart Speaker 3. Access Points 4 Relay unit 5. Voice analysis service 6. Print job storage server 7 Image Server

Claims

1. a first communication interface connectable to a network; a second communication interface connectable to a printer; A controller; A communication unit comprising: The controller: an acquisition process of receiving and acquiring a print job associated with identification information indicating the communication unit from a relay server connected to the network via the first communication interface; an input process of inputting the print job acquired in the acquisition process to the printer via the second communication interface; a print job is input to the relay server from a voice analysis service, identification information indicating a device to which the print job is to be sent and specific information specifying a source of the voice data are registered in association with each other in the voice analysis service, voice data is input to the voice analysis service in association with the specific information, the identification information associated with the input specific information is acquired, the voice analysis service generates the print job based on the input voice data, and the generated print job is input to the relay server in association with the acquired identification information, The controller further comprises: execute a first determination process for determining whether or not a voice input device that is a sender of the voice data is located nearby; When it is determined in the first determination process that the voice input device is not nearby, a first restriction process is executed to restrict at least one of the execution of the acquisition process and the execution of the input process; When it is determined in the first determination process that the voice input device is nearby, the first restriction process is not executed. A communication unit comprising:

2. 2. The communication unit according to claim 1, the print job input to the relay server includes an IP address of the voice input device that is a sender of the voice data; In the first restriction process, the input process is restricted and the acquisition process is not restricted, In the first determination process, determining that the voice input device is not nearby when a network portion of an IP address of the voice input device included in the print job acquired in the acquisition process does not match a network portion of an IP address of the communication unit; A communication unit comprising:

3. 3. The communication unit according to claim 1, a third communication interface capable of wireless communication by a predetermined wireless communication method; The controller: executing an establishment process for establishing the wireless communication with a specific device via the third communication interface, the specific device being a device corresponding to the specific information; In the first determination process, determining that the voice input device is not nearby when the wireless communication with the specific device has not been established; A communication unit comprising:

4. 4. The communication unit according to claim 3, In the establishment process, Establishing BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication as the wireless communication with the specific device; A communication unit comprising:

5. 5. The communication unit according to claim 4, In the first determination process, Even if the BLE communication with the specific device is established, if the received radio wave strength is lower than a threshold, it is determined that the voice input device is not nearby. A communication unit comprising:

6. A communication unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The controller: execute a second determination process for determining whether communication with the printer is possible via the second communication interface; executing a second restriction process for restricting at least one of the execution of the acquisition process and the execution of the input process when it is determined in the second determination process that communication with the printer is not possible; when it is determined in the second determination process that communication with the printer is possible, the second restriction process is not executed. A communication unit comprising:

7. A communication unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, storing setting information indicating whether or not the first restriction process is to be executed; The controller further comprises: executes the first restriction process on the condition that the setting information indicating that the first restriction process is to be executed is stored, and does not execute the first restriction process when the setting information indicating that the first restriction process is not to be executed is stored. A communication unit comprising:

8. A communication unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, In the acquisition process, periodically accessing the relay server via the first communication interface, and receiving and acquiring the print job associated with the identification information indicating the communication unit from the relay server; A communication unit comprising:

9. a communication interface connectable to a network; A printing unit; A controller; A printer comprising: The controller: a specific printing process is executed to receive a print job associated with identification information indicating the printer from a relay server connected to the network via the communication interface, and to have the printing unit perform printing based on the received print job; a print job is input to the relay server from a voice analysis service, and identification information indicating a device to which the print job is to be sent and specific information specifying a source of the voice data are registered in association with each other in the voice analysis service, voice data is input to the voice analysis service in association with the specific information, the voice analysis service acquires the identification information associated with the input specific information, and the voice analysis service generates the print job based on the input voice data, and the generated print job is associated with the acquired identification information and input to the relay server; The controller further comprises: execute a determination process to determine whether or not a voice input device that is a sender of the voice data is nearby; When it is determined in the determination process that the voice input device is not nearby, a restriction process is executed to restrict execution of the specific print process. When it is determined in the determination process that the voice input device is nearby, the restriction process is not executed. A printer characterized by:

Images