Printer and medium storing programs executable by operation terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10877702-B2
Application number	US-201916362601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2019
Priority date	Jun 1, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A printer communicates with an operation terminal and a weight measuring apparatus. The printer includes a receiving buffer configured to store data, a memory in which an identification information list for the weight measuring apparatus is stored, and a controller. The printer has a weight measuring mode for transferring the data received via a specific interface, to which the weight measuring apparatus is connected, to the operation terminal, and an ordinary mode for executing a command analysis after developing, in the receiving buffer, the data received via all interfaces including the specific interface. The controller is configured to: identify an external device based on identification information of the external device connected to the printer, determine whether the identification information is included in the identification information list, and let the operation mode be the weight measuring mode based on determining that the identification information is included in the identification information list.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer configured to communicate with an operation terminal and a weight measuring apparatus configured to transmit a measuring data of weight of a measuring object, the printer comprising:
a receiving buffer configured to store data;
a memory in which an identification information list for the weight measuring apparatus is stored; and
a controller,
wherein the printer has, as an operation mode, a weight measuring mode for transferring the data received via a specific interface, to which the weight measuring apparatus is connected, to the operation terminal, and an ordinary mode for executing a command analysis after developing, in the receiving buffer, the data received via all interfaces including the specific interface, and
wherein the controller is configured to execute:
an identification processing of identifying an external device based on identification information of the external device connected to the printer;
a list determination processing of determining whether the identification information used for the identification processing is included in the identification information list stored in the memory; and
a first mode switch processing of letting the operation mode be the weight measuring mode based on determining that the identification information is included in the identification information list in the list determination processing.

2. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to execute a connecting determination processing of determining connection of the external device, and
in the identification processing, the controller is configured to identify the external device based on the identification information of the external device connected to the printer, based on determining that the external device is connected in the connecting determination processing.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , further comprising an operation part,
wherein the controller is further configured to execute:
a mode switch acceptance processing of accepting a mode switch operation via the operation part, based on determining that the external device is connected in the connecting determination processing and that the identification information is not included in the identification information list in the list determination processing; and
a second mode switch processing of letting the operation mode be the weight measuring mode based on the mode switch operation accepted in the mode switch acceptance processing.

4. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a first additional registration processing of additionally registering the identification information used in the identification processing into the identification information list stored in the memory, based on the mode switch operation accepted in the mode switch acceptance processing.

5. The printer according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute an additional request processing of transmitting, to the operation terminal, an additional request for adding the identification information used in the identification processing to a weight measuring apparatus list of an external server depending on the first additional registration processing.

6. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to execute:
a connecting determination processing of determining connection of the external device;
an inquiry processing of transmitting, to the operation terminal, an inquiry request for inquiring of an external server whether the identification information used in the identification processing is included in a weight measuring apparatus list in the external server, based on determining that the external device is connected in the connecting determination processing and that the identification information is not included in the identification information list in the list determination processing; and
a third mode switch processing of letting the operation mode be the weight measuring mode, based on receiving an answer, from the operation terminal, that the identification information is included in the weight measuring apparatus list in the external server, in response to the inquiry request transmitted in the inquiry processing.

7. The printer according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a second additional registration processing of newly registering the identification information used in the identification processing into the identification information list stored in the memory, based on receiving the answer from the operation terminal.

8. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the weight measuring apparatus is configured to transmit the measuring data repeatedly at a predetermined interval, and
the controller is further configured to execute:
a data determination processing of determining whether data is received from the external device;
an interval determination processing of determining whether intervals of receiving the data from the external device are within a predetermined range, based on determining that the data is received in the data determination processing; and
a fourth mode switch processing of letting the operation mode be the weight measuring mode based on determining that the intervals are within the predetermined range in the interval determination processing.

9. The printer according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a third additional registration processing of newly registering the identification information used in the identification processing into the identification information list stored in the memory, based on determining that the intervals are within the predetermined range in the interval determination processing.

10. The printer according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a fifth mode switch processing of letting the operation mode be the ordinary mode based on determining that the intervals are out of the predetermined range in the interval determination processing.

11. The printer according to claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to execute:
a disconnecting determination processing of determining whether the external device is disconnected in a state that the operation mode is in the weight measuring mode; and
a sixth mode switch processing of letting the operation mode be the ordinary mode based on determining that the external device is disconnected in the disconnecting determination processing.

12. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a data clearance processing of clearing the data stored in the receiving buffer in response to executing the first mode switch processing or the second mode switch processing.

13. The printer according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a data clearance processing of clearing the data stored in the receiving buffer in response to executing the third mode switch processing.

14. The printer according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a data clearance processing of clearing the data stored in the receiving buffer in response to executing the fourth mode switch processing or the fifth mode switch processing.

15. The printer according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute a data clearance processing of clearing the data stored in the receiving buffer in response to executing the sixth mode switch processing.

16. A non-tran

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Miyashita Tomoki

Classifications

• G06F3/1205 Primary

  resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets · CPC title

• G06F3/1231

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

• G06K15/405

  Choosing a data source, e.g. on a network · CPC title

• G06K15/1805

  Receiving printer configuration commands · CPC title

• G01G19/415

  combined with recording means · CPC title