Information management system, and printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509864-B2
Application number	US-201514923864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Customers are able to obtain information printed on a receipt without greatly changing the configuration of devices such as POS registers that process product sales. In an information management system 1 , a printer 3 prints a receipt based on transaction information related to a product sale; a receipt database 7 stores transaction information relationally to a unique ID 52 ; an member service server 6 registers unique IDs 52 in the receipt database 7 ; an NFC reader 45 reads the unique IDs 52 ; and a control unit 30 determines if a unique ID 52 is registered in the receipt database 7 , prints transaction information and access information for accessing the member registration server 62 if the unique ID 52 is not registered, and sends the unique ID 52 and the transaction information to the member service server 6 if the unique ID 52 is registered.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printing device adapted to communicate with a remote server, a POS terminal, and an external device, the printing device comprising:
a print unit configured to print a receipt; and
a controller configured to acquire identification information from the external device and transaction information from the POS terminal, and to send the transaction information and the identification information to the remote server, wherein
the controller is configured to access and reference an identification information database in which the identification information is stored and to determine whether the identification information acquired from the external device is stored in the identification information database, and
if the identification information acquired from the external device is not stored in the identification information database, the controller sends access information to access the remote server to the print unit and controls the print unit to print the receipt based on the access information.

2. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein
the print unit is configured to print the receipt based on the transaction information.

3. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine whether the identification information is input from the external device during a specific time period after the transaction is input from the POS terminal, and
if the identification information is not input during the specific time period, the controller controls the print unit to print the receipt based on the transaction information.

4. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein
the identification information database stores a print receipt flag corresponding to the identification information and specifying whether or not to print the receipt.

5. The printing device described in claim 4 , wherein
the controller is configured to acquire the print receipt flag from the remote server.

6. The printing device described in claim 5 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured to store the identification information database.

7. A control method for a printing device adapted to communicate with a remote server and having a print unit configured to print a receipt, a controller, a POS terminal, and an external device, the control method comprising:
acquiring customer identification information from the external device and transaction information from the POS terminal;
sending the transaction information and the identification information to the remote server;
accessing and referencing an identification information database in which the identification information is stored; and
determining whether the identification information acquired from the external device is stored in the identification information database, and
if the identification information acquired from the external device is not stored in the identification information database, sending access information to access the remote server to the print unit and controlling the print unit to print the receipt based on the access information.

8. The control method described in claim 7 , wherein
printing the receipt based on the transaction information.

9. The control method described in claim 7 , further comprising:
determining whether the identification information is input from the external device during a specific period of time after the transaction information is input from the POS terminal, and
if the identification information is not input during the specific period of time, printing the receipt based on the transaction information.

10. The control method described in claim 7 , wherein the identification information database stores a print receipt flag corresponding to the identification information, the control method further comprising:
determining whether or not to print the receipt based on the print receipt flag.

11. The control method described in claim 10 , further comprising:
acquiring the print receipt flag from the remote server.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yokoyama Kazuyuki

Classifications

• G07G1/14

  Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit · CPC title

• H04N2201/0082

  Image hardcopy reproducer (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) · CPC title

• G07G1/00

  Cash registers · CPC title

• G07G1/06

  with provision for the noting of the money to be paid · CPC title

• H04N1/00244 Primary

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title