Print system, printer driver, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10437533-B2
Application number	US-201715616210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a printer having a first processor and a printing unit. A registration device is connected to the printer. The registration device includes a second processor and has a printer driver. The printer stores a control program that when executed by the first processor causes the printer to request the printer driver to cause the printer to request first maintenance information of the registration device from the printer driver. The printer, under control of the control program, acquires second maintenance information, which represents maintenance information of the printer, and outputs at least one of the first and second maintenance information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a printer including a first processor, a printing unit that is capable of printing on a print medium, and an operation panel; and
a registration device connected to the printer and including a second processor and storing a printer driver, wherein
the printer stores a control program that when executed by the first processor causes:
the printer to request first maintenance information of the registration device from the printer driver,
the printer to acquire second maintenance information of the printer, and
the printer to output at least one of the first and second maintenance information, and
the operation panel includes a button that when pressed for a predetermined time period while the printer is in a standby mode causes the printer to enter a maintenance mode during which the control program is executed by the first processor.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when executed, the control program causes the printer to store the first maintenance information in a storage medium.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printing unit is one of a thermal printing unit, an inkjet printing unit, or a dot impact printing unit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the registration device is a point-of-sale terminal.

5. The printing apparatus of according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an external apparatus connected to the registration device, wherein
the printer driver is configured to acquire third maintenance information of the external apparatus and transmit the third maintenance information to the printer.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the external apparatus is one of a customer display, a magnetic card reader, or a cash register drawer.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control program, when executed by the first processor, further causes the printer to output the third maintenance information.

8. The printing apparatus of according to claim 1 , wherein the output of at least one of the first and second maintenance information is by printing at least one of the first and second maintenance information on the print medium.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly transmit data including at least one of the first and second maintenance information to an external information terminal, wherein
the output of at least one of the first and second maintenance information is by transmission of data including at least one of the first and second maintenance information to the external information terminal.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless communication unit is a near field communication interface unit.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the near field communication unit is incorporated within the printer.

12. A printer driver stored in a registration device connected to a printer, the printer driver being configured to:
control the printer to print information on a print medium;
acquire first maintenance information of the registration device upon a request being received from the printer; and
transmit first maintenance information from the registration device to the printer after the first maintenance information has been acquired.

13. The printer driver according to claim 12 , wherein the first maintenance information includes at least one of a version number of the printer driver, a version number of an operating system running on the registration device, or a cumulative operation time of the registration device.

14. The printer driver according to claim 13 , further configured to:
acquire second maintenance information of an external apparatus connected to the registration device upon the request being received from the printer; and
transmit the second maintenance information from the registration device to the printer.

15. The printer driver according to claim 12 , wherein the registration device is a point-of-sale terminal.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions for a printer driver that when executed by a processor in a registration device connected to a printer causes the registration device to:
control the printer to print information on a print medium;
acquire first maintenance information of the registration device upon a request being received from the printer, the first maintenance information including at least one of a version number of the printer driver, a version number of an operating system running on the registration device, or a cumulative operation time of the registration device; and
transmit the first maintenance information from the registration device to the printer after the first maintenance information has been acquired.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the printer driver further causes the registration device to:
acquire second maintenance information of an external apparatus connected to the registration device upon the request being received from the printer; and
transmit the second maintenance information from the registration device to the printer.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the registration device is a point-of-sale terminal.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Iwamoto Jun

Classifications

• G06F3/0227

  Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer (G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/1232 Primary

  Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically · CPC title

• G06F3/1203

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• G06F3/1231

  Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification · CPC title

• G06F3/1204 Primary

  resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data · CPC title