Control system, and information processing device

• US 10,154,081 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takasu, Kazuhiro, Tsutsumi, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Yohannes, Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US14/432,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20150295997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709223, 709227, 700276
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/128 Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0009 Details of the software in the checkout register, electronic cash register [ECR] or point of sale terminal [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Appropriate use of a device by each terminal is enabled based on plural terminals being able to use the device.

A control system 1 has a first tablet terminal 101 (terminal) that runs a web browser; a device DV that outputs data input to the web browser, or to which data output from the web browser is input; and a printer 11 including a device communication unit that communicates device input/output data with the device,

a terminal communication unit that communicates the device input/output data with the terminal, and a device management unit 20d that manages the relationship between the first tablet terminal 101 and the device DV.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a first terminal configured to run a web browser and execute a transaction-related process;

a second terminal configured to run a web browser and execute a transaction-related process;

a printer communicatively connected to the first terminal and the second terminal; and

a device communicatively connected to the printer, the device configured to communicate, through the printer, data output from the first and second terminals or data to be input to the first and second terminals,

wherein;

the printer is an intermediary between the device and the first and second terminals, and

the printer comprises;

a terminal communicator configured to communicate with the first and second terminals,

a device communicator configured to communicate with the device,

a print mechanism configured to print based on print data output from the first or second terminal, and

a device manager configured to maintain, when the first terminal is communicating data with the device and executing the transaction-related process, an exclusive state in which the device is exclusively used by the first terminal, by preventing the second terminal from communicating data with the device,

wherein the device manager is further configured such that, when the device manager is in the exclusive state, the device manager is configured to receive a cancellation request from the first terminal to cancel the exclusive state, and to cancel the exclusive state upon receipt of said cancellation request.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the device manager of the printer is configured to store information indicating the device and information indicating the first or second terminal that communicates data with the device.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein

the second terminal is configured to output a signal requesting use of the device;

and

the device manager of the printer is configured not to accept a request for use of the device from the second terminal when the second terminal outputs the signal while the first terminal is communicating data with the device.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the device manager is configured such that, when the device manager receives a request for use of the device from the second terminal when the first terminal is communicating data with the device, the device manager sends a report to the second terminal indicating that the device is in use.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the device manager is configured such that, when the device manager receives the cancellation request and cancels the exclusive state, the device manager sends a report to the second device indicating that the exclusive state has been cancelled.

4. A printer being an intermediately between a device and first and second terminals, the printer being configured to transmit data from the device to the first and second terminals or to transmit data from the first and second terminals to the device, the printer comprising:

a terminal communicator configured to communicate with the first and second terminals that are each configured to run a web browser and execute a transaction-related process,

a device communicator configured to communicate with the device,

a print mechanism configured to print based on print data output from the first or second terminal, and

a device manager configured to maintain, when the first terminal is communicating data with the device and executing the transaction-related process, an exclusive state in which the device is exclusively used by the first terminal, by preventing the second terminal from communicating data with the device,

wherein the device manager is configured such that, when the device manager is in the exclusive state, the device manager is configured to receive a cancellation request from the first terminal to cancel the exclusive state, and to cancel the exclusive state upon receipt of said cancellation request.

5. The printer of claim 4, wherein the device manager is configured to store information indicating the device and information indicating the first or second terminal that communicates data with the device.

6. The printer of claim 4, wherein when a signal requesting use of the device output by the second terminal is received while communicating data between the device and the first terminal, the device manager is configured not to accept a request for use of the device by the second terminal.

8. The printer of claim 4, wherein the device manager is configured such that, when the device manager receives a request for use of the device from the second terminal when the first terminal is communicating data with the device, the device manager sends a report to the second terminal indicating that the device is in use.

10. The printer of claim 4, wherein the device manager is configured such that, when the device manager receives the cancellation request and cancels the exclusive state, the device manager sends a report to the second device indicating that the exclusive state has been cancelled.