Printer, POS system, wireless communication control method, and data storage medium

A printer, comprising:

• a first input/output unit connected to a host device;
• a wireless communication unit;
• a printing mechanism for printing data;
• and
• a received data processing unit for processing data received through the first input/output unit and through the wireless communication unit, wherein the received data includes destination information, the received data processing unit including
• a data allocation control unit for allocating received data, in accordance with the destination information, to an externally-located wireless communication device through the wireless communication unit, or to the printing mechanism.

A printer, comprising:

• at least one input/output unit, each input/output unit being physically connected to a corresponding external device;
• a wireless communication unit;
• a printing mechanism for printing data;
• and
• a received data processing unit for processing data received through the at least one input/output unit and through the wireless communication unit, wherein the received data includes destination information, the received data processing unit including
• a data allocation control unit for allocating received data, in accordance with the destination information included in the received data, through each input/output unit to the corresponding external device, through the wireless communication unit to an externally-located wireless communication device, or to the printing mechanism.

An interface board, comprising:

• host interface connected to a host PC by a physical connection;
• a wireless communication module;
• a wireless communication interface for sending data through the wireless communication module to an externally-located wireless communication device;
• an installed printer board;
• a printer interface for sending print data to the installed printer board;
• and
• an allocation unit for allocating data received from the host PC to the host interface, to the wireless communication interface, or to the printer interface based on destination data associated with the received data.

A POS system, comprising:

• a main printer including a main interface board having
• a host interface connected to a host PC by a physical connection,
• a main wireless communication interface for sending data through a main wireless communication module to a secondary wireless communication module,
• a main printer interface for sending print data to a main printer board installed in the main printer, and
• a main allocation unit for allocating data received from the host PC to the host interface, to the main wireless communication interface, or to the main printer interface, based on destination data associated with the received data;
• and
• a secondary printer including a secondary interface board having
• a secondary wireless communication interface for receiving data from the main wireless communication module through the secondary wireless communication module,
• a secondary printer interface for sending print data to a secondary printer board installed in the secondary printer, and
• a secondary allocation unit for sending data received from the main wireless communication module to the secondary printer interface when the destination data of the received data indicates the secondary printer interface as the destination.

A POS system, comprising:

• a master POS terminal including a host controller for executing one or more POS application programs and a master printer to be controlled by and physically connected to the host controller by way of a first input/output unit, the master printer having a master wireless communication unit, a master printing unit, and a master data switch unit;
• and
• a slave POS terminal including a slave printer having a slave wireless communication unit and a slave printing unit;
• wherein the master printer and the slave printer are adapted to allow control of the slave printer by the host controller through wireless communication via the master printer, and wherein the master data switch unit is adapted to direct data received from the host controller to the master wireless communication unit or to the master printing unit in response to the destination data attached to the received data.

A wireless communication control method for controlling a printer, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving transmission data from an input device, via wireless communication, in response to a request from a POS application program running on a host controller;
• (b) determining a first destination to send the transmission data based on predefined connection data in the transmission data;
• (c) sending the transmission data to the first destination, as determined in determining step (b), via wireless communication;
• (d) determining a second destination to send the transmission data based on the predefined connection data in the transmission data;
• and
• (e) sending the transmission data to the second destination, as determined in determining step (d).

A computer-readable medium embodying a computer program for executing a wireless communication control method for controlling a printer, the computer program comprising:

• (a) instructions for receiving transmission data from an input device, via wireless communication, in response to a request from a POS application program running on a host controller;
• (b) instructions for determining a first destination to send the transmission data based on predefined connection data in the transmission data;
• (c) instructions for sending the transmission data to the first destination, as determined in (b), via wireless communication;
• (d) instructions for determining a second destination to send the transmission data based on the predefined connection data in the transmission data;
• and
• (e) instructions for sending the transmission data to the second destination, as determined in (d).