JP2013156916A - Data processing device, printing system, and printing control program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data processing device, a printing system, and a printing control program capable of performing radio communication in an ad hoc mode at appropriate timing.SOLUTION: If there occurs StartDoc which causes a printer driver to start generation of print data, a printer driver acquires a current communication setting value from a communication setting storage unit of a RAM (S21); changes the communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM to a communication setting value of a printing target printer (S23); and starts preparation of printing according to StartDoc (S25).

Description

  The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus capable of performing wireless communication with an external device, a printing system for performing wireless communication between the external device and a printer, and a print control used for a data processing apparatus for performing wireless communication with the external device. Regarding the program.

  Conventionally, printers capable of performing wireless LAN communication with a terminal device such as a personal computer (PC) are known. Furthermore, a printer apparatus that includes both a unit that performs wireless communication in an infrastructure mode and a unit that performs wireless communication in an ad hoc mode is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-64552 A

  When the infrastructure mode wireless communication and the ad hoc mode wireless communication are operated simultaneously as in the printer device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the power consumption of the printer device increases and the communication quality deteriorates due to the mixture of communication modes. There was a risk.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a data processing device, a printing system, and a printing control program that can execute wireless communication in an ad hoc mode at an optimal timing.

  A data processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a data processing apparatus capable of performing wireless communication with an external device, and stores a communication setting of a network used for wireless communication with the external device And, based on the communication settings stored in the setting storage means, a wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with the external device in one of the communication modes of the infrastructure mode and the ad hoc mode, and a predetermined event A setting changing means for changing the communication setting stored in the setting storage means to the communication setting of the specific network, which is the network that performs wireless communication in the ad hoc mode with the specific external device, Is provided.

  A printing system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a printing system in which the data processing apparatus and a printer that is the specific external device can be connected by wireless communication, and the printer includes the data processing apparatus and the printer. An ad hoc mode wireless communication is performed.

  A print control program according to the third aspect of the present invention is based on a setting storage unit that stores communication settings of a network used for wireless communication with an external device, and the communication settings stored in the setting storage unit. When a predetermined event occurs in a computer, which is a data processing device including a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the external device, in any one of the communication modes of the infrastructure mode and the ad hoc mode, Executing a setting change step of changing the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit to the communication setting of the specific network that is the network that performs wireless communication in the ad hoc mode with a printer that is the specific external device. It is characterized by.

  According to the first to third aspects, when a predetermined event occurs, the communication setting of the network used for wireless communication with the external device is set to a specific external device (a printer in the second aspect) and ad hoc. It is changed to the communication setting of the specific network that performs the mode wireless communication. Therefore, when a predetermined event occurs, ad-hoc mode wireless communication is automatically executed between the data processing apparatus and a specific external device, so that the ad-hoc mode wireless communication can be executed at an optimal timing. .

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing system 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a printing system 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the software structure of PC3. 5 is a specific example of a print setting screen 50. It is a flowchart of the application process of 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart of StartDoc processing. It is a flowchart of EndDoc processing. It is a sequence which shows the flow of the automatic change of the communication setting value in 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart of the spooler process of 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart of a StartDocPort process. It is a flowchart of EndDocPort processing. It is a sequence which shows the flow of the automatic change of the communication setting value in 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart of a SSID monitoring process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the data update of RAM303 in a modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings to be referred to are used for explaining the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention, and the configuration of the described apparatus is not intended to be limited thereto, but is merely an illustrative example. is there.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. A printing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the printing system 1, a printer 2 and a personal computer (PC) 3 can be connected by wireless LAN communication. The printer 2 is a small-sized label printer that prints characters (characters, symbols, figures, etc.) on a tape that is a long print medium and creates a label that can be pasted. The PC 3 of the present embodiment functions as a print data creation device and creates data (hereinafter referred to as print data) necessary for the printer 2 to create a label.

  In the PC 3, when the user edits the label image, print data for controlling printing of the edited content is generated and transmitted to the printer 2 by wireless LAN communication. The printer 2 performs a printing process on a tape based on the print data received from the PC 3 to create a label. Therefore, the user can create a label with the printer 2 by operating the PC 3.

  In the printing system 1 of the present embodiment, a case where wireless LAN communication based on the IEEE 802.11b standard is executed is illustrated. In the wireless communication based on IEEE802.11b, each communication mode of the infrastructure mode and the ad hoc mode can be controlled. In the wireless communication in the infrastructure mode, the PC 3 can connect to a network via an access point (AP) 4 serving as a base station, and print data can be output to the printer 2 existing on the network. In the ad hoc mode wireless communication, the PC 3 can directly connect to the printer 2 and output print data.

  The electrical configuration of the PC 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The PC 3 includes a CPU 301 that controls the PC 3. The CPU 301 is connected to a hard disk drive (HDD) 302, a RAM 303, a wireless communication unit 304, an input circuit 305, and an output circuit 306. Various programs executed by the CPU 301 are stored in the HDD 302. An OS (Operating System), applications described later, device drivers, and the like are also stored in the HDD 302.

  The RAM 303 stores various temporary data. The RAM 303 is provided with a communication setting storage unit that stores communication setting values (SSID and the like described later) that are information for allowing the PC 3 to perform wireless communication with an external device. Of the communication setting values received from the external terminal via the wireless communication unit 304, the communication setting value of the access point to which the PC 3 is actually connected is managed in a list form in the communication setting storage unit. The communication setting value of the access point arbitrarily set by the user is also registered in the communication setting storage unit. The communication setting value includes an SSID (Service Set Identifier), a network authentication method, a security password, and the like for each access point. The PC 3 performs wireless communication with one access point designated as a connection target among the access points stored in the communication setting storage unit.

  The wireless communication unit 304 is an interface (for example, a wireless LAN adapter) for performing wireless LAN communication with an external device. The CPU 301 can execute wireless LAN communication with an external device via the wireless communication unit 304. The input circuit 305 performs control to send an instruction from the input unit 307 (for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc.) to the CPU 301. The output circuit 306 performs control to display an image on the display 308 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 301.

  The electrical configuration of the printer 2 will be described. The printer 2 includes a CPU 201 that controls the printer 2. The CPU 201 is connected to the ROM 202, flash memory 203, RAM 204, CGROM 205, wireless communication unit 206, input unit 207, and drive circuits 209 to 211.

  Various programs executed by the CPU 201 are stored in the ROM 202. The flash memory 203 stores various setting data. The RAM 204 stores various temporary data. The CGROM 205 stores printing dot pattern data for printing various characters (characters, numbers, figures, etc.) on a tape. The wireless communication unit 206 is an interface (for example, a wireless LAN adapter) for performing wireless LAN communication with an external device. The input unit 207 is a button for performing an input operation on the printer 2.

  The drive circuit 209 drives the thermal head 213 that prints on the tape. The drive circuit 210 drives a tape feed motor 214 for transporting the tape. The drive circuit 211 cuts the printed tape and drives the cutter motor 215. The CPU 201 controls the drive circuits 209 to 211 to print on the conveyed tape, and then cuts the printed tape to create a label.

  In the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 304 of the PC 3 performs wireless communication with an external device by selectively using the infrastructure mode and the ad hoc mode according to the communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303. It can be executed. On the other hand, the wireless communication unit 206 of the printer 2 can execute wireless communication with an external device using only the ad hoc mode in accordance with a predetermined communication setting value.

  With reference to FIG. 3, a logical configuration of a program related to print control in the PC 3 will be described. The PC 3 includes an application 31, a GDI (Graphics Device Interface) 32, a print system 39, and a network system 37. The print system 39 includes a printer driver 33, a spooler 34, and a print monitor 38. The print monitor 38 includes a language monitor 35 and a port monitor 36. These software are managed by the OS.

  The application 31 has, for example, a function such as a word processor for creating and editing documents and graphics, editing a photographic image, and a function for issuing a print instruction based on the created and edited application data. In this embodiment, the application 31 is used for label editing. Specialized. The application 31 has a function for setting printer setting values. Examples of the contents of the printer setting value include a paper size, a paper type, the number of copies, whether or not to perform double-sided printing, and the like.

  The GDI 32 is one of programs installed in the OS, and is a program that controls the printer 2 and the display 308. Specifically, the GDI 32 draws a graphical object as bitmap image data in accordance with a drawing command from the application 31 and bridges the output device such as the printer driver 33 to a device driver.

  The printer driver 33 generates print data used in the printer 2 based on the printer setting value passed from the application 31. The print data includes image data and printer commands. The image data is image data obtained by converting drawing data described in a printer language into page image data. The printer command is a print command converted so that the printer 2 can interpret it. The print data generated by the printer driver 33 is passed to the spooler 34.

  The spooler 34 temporarily stores the generated job information in the HDD 302 and performs queue processing that is sequentially executed. Examples of job information include print data passed from the printer driver 33, a printer name that identifies a printer that performs print processing, and the like.

  The language monitor 35 receives print data from the spooler 34 and transmits it to the printer 2 via the port monitor 36. At this time, the language monitor 35 receives the status information of the printer 2 and transmits print data in accordance with the printing status of the printer 2.

  The port monitor 36 performs actual communication with the printer 2 using the network system 37. When the port monitor 36 receives status information from the printer 2, the port monitor 36 outputs the status information to the language monitor 35. The network system 37 performs communication such as print data and status information.

  A communication setting example of the PC 3 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when the user activates the application 31 and performs a predetermined operation on the PC 3, a screen (print setting screen) for the user to input print settings is displayed on the display 308. The print setting screen 50 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a layout tab 51 that displays input fields for the above-described printer setting values (paper size, paper type, number of copies, double-sided printing, and the like), and print execution of the PC 3. A communication setting tab 52 for displaying a communication setting input field at the time.

  When the communication setting tab 52 is selected, the setting change check box 53 can be selected or canceled on the print setting screen 50. In a state where the setting change check box 53 is cleared, the infrastructure is set according to the communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 at the time of executing printing on the PC 3 as in the normal time (when not printing). Wireless communication is performed with an external device in the mode or ad hoc mode. In the initial state (default state) of the application 31, the setting change check box 53 is cleared.

  On the other hand, when the setting change check box 53 is selected, the network name 54 and the security setting 55 can be input on the print setting screen 50. In the network name 54, an SSID (Service Set Identifier) of the printer 2 (hereinafter, the print target printer 2) to be communicated in the ad hoc mode is input. In the security setting 55, a network authentication method and a security password used during wireless communication with the printer 2 to be printed are input.

  That is, the network name 54 and the security setting 55 are input by the user with an SSID, a network authentication method, and the like common to the printer 2 to be printed. When printing is executed with the setting change check box 53 selected, the PC 3 connects to the network set in the network name 54 (that is, the print target printer 2), and the authentication method set in the security setting 55. And ad-hoc mode wireless communication using passwords.

  With reference to FIGS. 5-8, the printing process performed by PC3 of 1st embodiment is demonstrated. In the following description, only processing (application processing, StartDoc processing, EndDoc processing) related to the present invention will be described among printing processing executed by the PC 3.

  When the PC 3 is instructed to start printing, the application 31 controlled by the CPU 301 executes application processing (see FIG. 5) using an API (Application Program Interface) provided by the OS. In the following description, on the PC 3, the setting change check box 53 is selected on the print setting screen 50 (see FIG. 4), and the communication setting value of the print target printer 2 is input to the network name 54 and the security setting 55. It shall be.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the application process, OpenPrinter is called to obtain a printer handle (S1). Call StartDoc to notify the printer driver 33 of the communication settings and preparation for printing (S3). Call StartPage to notify the printer driver 33 of the new target page (S5). The drawing command is called, and the print data of the target page is drawn by the printer driver 33 and spooled to the spooler 34 (S7). Step S7 is repeatedly executed until drawing of the print data of the target page is completed.

  When drawing of the print data of the target page is completed, EndPage is called to notify the printer driver 33 that the target page has been written (S9). Steps S5 to S9 are repeatedly executed for the number of all pages included in the print job. Thereafter, EndDoc is called to complete the preparation for printing and notify the printer driver 33 of the start of printing (S11). Call ClosePrinter to release the printer handle (S13). Thereby, the application process (FIG. 5) is completed.

  The printer driver 33 controlled by the CPU 301 executes StartDoc processing (see FIG. 6) when StartDoc is called in step S3, and executes EndDoc processing (see FIG. 7) when EndDoc is called in step S11.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the StartDoc process, the current communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 is acquired (S21). The communication setting value acquired in step S21 is temporarily stored in a predetermined storage area of the RAM 303. The communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 is changed to the communication setting value of the printer 2 to be printed (S23). Specifically, in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303, the communication setting values input to the network name 54 and the security setting 55 are set as communication setting values to be connected. Next, preparation for printing is started (S25). Since the processing content of step S25 is a well-known process executed by the printer driver 33 in response to StartDoc, the details are omitted. Thereby, the StartDoc process (see FIG. 6) ends.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the EndDoc process, the preparation for printing ends (S41). Since the processing content of step S41 is a well-known processing executed by the printer driver 33 in accordance with EndDoc, details are omitted. Next, the communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 is returned to the communication setting value before being changed in step S23 (S43). Specifically, the communication setting value temporarily stored in the predetermined storage area of the RAM 303 in step S21 is reset in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303. As a result, the EndDoc process (see FIG. 7) ends.

  Through the processing shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the communication settings are switched in the PC 3 as shown in FIG. 8. That is, the printer driver 33 activated by OpenPrinter starts preparation for printing (that is, generation of print data) by StartDoc. When generation of print data is started, the communication setting value set on the print setting screen 50 is switched in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303. Further, the print data is spooled in the spooler 34 by StartPage, a drawing command, and EndPage. The PC 3 and the print target printer 2 perform wireless communication in the ad hoc mode based on the set communication setting value, and transmit and receive print data, status information, and the like by the ad hoc mode wireless communication. The printer 2 to be printed receives print data from the PC 3 by ad-hoc mode wireless communication and executes printing.

  Thereafter, the printer driver 33 ends preparation for printing (that is, generation of print data) by EndDoc. When the generation of the print data is completed, the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 returns to the communication setting value set on the print setting screen 50 before the change. The printer driver 33 terminates the operation by ClosePrinter. As a result, after the printing process on the PC 3 is completed, wireless communication with the external device is executed in the infrastructure mode or the ad hoc mode based on the communication setting value of the connection target set before the printing process is started. Is done.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when a print start instruction (StartDoc) that causes the printer driver 33 to start generating print data is generated, network communication used for wireless communication with an external device. The setting is changed to the communication setting of a specific network that performs the ad hoc mode wireless communication with the printer 2 to be printed. Accordingly, when StartDoc occurs, wireless communication in the ad hoc mode is automatically executed between the PC 3 and the printer 2 to be printed, so that wireless communication in the ad hoc mode can be executed at an optimal timing.

  When a print end instruction (EndDoc) for causing the printer driver 33 to end generation of print data is generated, the communication setting of the network used for wireless communication with the external device is returned to the communication setting before the change. Therefore, when EndDoc occurs, the PC 3 can execute the same wireless communication as before the start of printing, and thus can cancel the wireless communication in the ad hoc mode at the optimum timing.

  As a result, it is possible to automatically connect and disconnect the printer 2 to and from the PC 3 at a place outside the wireless communication environment by simply setting the communication setting value of the printer 2 to be printed on the PC 3, that is, wireless communication in ad hoc mode. Can be easily realized.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the details of the printing process executed by the PC 3. Only the points different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  With reference to FIGS. 9 to 11, the printing process executed by the PC 3 of the second embodiment will be described. In the following description, only the processes related to the present invention (spooler process, StartDocPort process, EndDocPort process) among the print processes executed by the PC 3 will be described.

  When the PC 3 is instructed to start printing, the spooler 34 controlled by the CPU 301 executes spooler processing (see FIG. 9) using an API provided by the OS. In the following description, on the PC 3, the setting change check box 53 is selected on the print setting screen 50 (see FIG. 4), and the communication setting value of the print target printer 2 is input to the network name 54 and the security setting 55. It shall be.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the spooler process, OpenPort is called to open the print monitor 38 (S101). Call StartDocPort to notify the print monitor 38 of the start of print data output (S103). WritePort is called and print data is written to the print monitor 38 (S105). Step S105 is repeatedly executed until the writing of the print data is completed. When writing of the print data is completed, EndDocPort is called to notify the print monitor 38 of the end of print data output (S107). Call ClosePort to close the print monitor 38 (S109). Thereby, the spooler process (FIG. 9) is completed.

  The print monitor 38 (more specifically, the port monitor 36) controlled by the CPU 301 executes the StartDocPort process (see FIG. 10) when the StartDocPort is called in step S103, and the EndDocPort process (see FIG. 10) when the EndDocPort is called in step S107. 11).

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the StartDocPort process, the current communication setting value is acquired (S121) and changed to the communication setting value of the printer 2 to be printed, as in steps S21 and S23 described in the first embodiment. (S123). Next, output of print data to the printer 2 to be printed is started (S125). Since the processing content of step S125 is a well-known processing executed by the print monitor 38 in response to StartDocPort, the details are omitted. Thereby, the StartDocPort process (see FIG. 10) ends.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the EndDocPort process, the output of print data to the print target printer 2 is terminated (S141). Since the processing content of step S141 is a well-known processing executed by the print monitor 38 in accordance with EndDocPort, the details are omitted. Next, as in step S43, the communication setting value stored in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 is returned to the communication setting value before being changed in step S123 (S143). Thus, the EndDocPort process (see FIG. 11) ends.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, when an output start instruction (StartDocPort) that causes the print monitor 38 to start outputting print data is generated, network communication used for wireless communication with an external device. The setting is changed to the communication setting of a specific network that performs the ad hoc mode wireless communication with the printer 2 to be printed. Therefore, when StartDocPort occurs, wireless communication in the ad hoc mode is automatically executed between the PC 3 and the printer 2 to be printed, so that wireless communication in the ad hoc mode can be executed at an optimal timing.

  When an output end instruction (EndDocPort) that causes the print monitor 38 to finish outputting the print data is generated, the communication setting of the network used for wireless communication with the external device is returned to the communication setting before the change. Therefore, when EndDocPort is generated, the PC 3 can execute the same wireless communication as before the start of printing, so that the wireless communication in the ad hoc mode can be canceled at the optimum timing.

  As a result, it is possible to automatically connect and disconnect the printer 2 to and from the PC 3 at a place outside the wireless communication environment by simply setting the communication setting value of the printer 2 to be printed on the PC 3, that is, wireless communication in ad hoc mode. Can be easily realized.

  In the above embodiment, the printer 2 corresponds to the “external device” of the present invention. The PC 3 corresponds to the “data processing apparatus” of the present invention. The RAM 303 corresponds to the “setting storage unit” of the present invention. The wireless communication unit 304 corresponds to the “wireless communication unit” of the present invention. The CPU 301 that executes step S23 or step S123 corresponds to the “setting changing unit” of the present invention. The CPU 301 executing step S43 or step S143 corresponds to the “setting return unit” of the present invention.

  The printer driver 33 or the print monitor 38 corresponds to the “print control program” of the present invention. Step S23 or step S123 corresponds to the “setting change step” of the present invention. Step S43 or step S143 corresponds to the “setting return step” of the present invention. The StartDoc process (FIG. 6) corresponds to the “print start step” of the present invention. The EndDoc process (FIG. 7) corresponds to the “print end step” of the present invention. The StartDocPort process (FIG. 10) corresponds to the “output start step” of the present invention. The EndDocPort process (FIG. 11) corresponds to the “output end step” of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. A modification of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this modification, the PC 3 according to the second embodiment stores an SSID monitoring program in the HDD 302. The SSID monitoring program always operates while the PC 3 is turned on, and monitors the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303.

  When the PC 3 is powered on, the SSID monitoring program is activated by the CPU 301, and the SSID monitoring process shown in FIG. 13 is executed. First, it is determined whether the SSID of the printer 2 to be printed is being received from an external device via the wireless communication unit 304 (S201). Specifically, the print input in the network name 54 of the print setting screen 50 to the SSID currently received from the external device via the wireless communication unit 304 (that is, the external device currently recognized by the PC 3). It is determined whether or not the SSID of the target printer 2 is included.

  When the SSID of the print target printer 2 is not being received (S201: NO), the PC 3 does not recognize the print target printer 2. In this case, since the PC 3 cannot connect to the printer 2 to be printed, the process returns to step S201. On the other hand, when the SSID of the print target printer 2 is being received (S201: YES), the PC 3 recognizes the print target printer 2. In this case, since the PC 3 can be connected to the printer 2 to be printed, the print job for the printer 2 is resumed (S203), and the process returns to step S201.

  Specifically, in the example illustrated in FIG. 14A, “SSID1” and “SSID2” are registered in the communication setting storage unit of the RAM 303 as communication setting values of two networks different from the printer 2 to be printed. . Among these, “SSID1” underlined in the drawing is set as a network to be connected. If the PC 3 does not recognize the print target printer 2 in this state (S201: NO), the print monitor 38 is in a state where it cannot output the print job registered in the print job list (print queue) to the external device. Detect. The print job list is a storage area for managing print jobs in the RAM 303 and is controlled by the spooler 34.

  In this case, since the PC 3 cannot execute the printing process based on the print job, the spooler 34 sets the print job registered in the print job list to “temporarily cancel” or “error” and reserves the progress of printing. Therefore, in the print monitor 38, the StartDocPort process (FIG. 10) is not executed, and as a result, the change to the communication setting value of the print target printer 2 (S123) is not executed.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 14B, when the PC 3 receives the SSID of the printer 2 to be printed (“printer SSID” underlined in the figure) (201: YES), the spooler 34 Then, the printing process based on the print job registered in the print job list in the RAM 303 is resumed (S203). As a result, the StartDocPort process (FIG. 10) is executed on the print monitor 38, and the change to the communication setting value of the print target printer 2 is executed (S123). After the end of printing, as in the second embodiment, when the EndDocPort process (FIG. 11) is executed, the network to be connected returns to the original “SSID1” (S143).

  According to this modification, when it is determined that the SSID of the print target printer 2 has been received and StartDocPort has occurred, the communication setting of the specific network that performs wireless communication in the ad hoc mode with the print target printer 2 is changed. Is done. For example, the PC 3 cannot receive the SSID of the print target printer 2 when the print target printer 2 is not turned on or when the print target printer 2 does not exist in the vicinity of the PC 3. Even if the progress of the printing process of the PC 3 is suspended in this state, printing is automatically resumed when the SSID of the printer 2 to be printed is received by the PC 3, so that the operation burden on the user can be reduced. Further, since the communication settings are not changed even when the progress of the printing process is reserved, the other network processes can be continued.

  In the above modification, the case where the SSID monitoring process (FIG. 13) is applied to the second embodiment is illustrated, but the SSID monitoring process (FIG. 13) may be applied to the first embodiment in the same manner. In the above modification, the CPU 301 that executes step S201 corresponds to the “setting determination unit” of the present invention. Step S201 corresponds to the “setting determination step” of the present invention.

1 Printing system 2 Printer 3 PC
31 Application 33 Printer Driver 34 Spooler 38 Print Monitor 301 CPU
303 RAM
304 wireless communication unit

Claims (9)

A data processing apparatus capable of performing wireless communication with an external device,
Setting storage means for storing communication settings of a network used for wireless communication with the external device;
Based on the communication settings stored in the setting storage means, wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with the external device in any one of the infrastructure mode and the ad hoc mode,
When a predetermined event occurs, the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit is changed to the communication setting of a specific network that is the network that performs wireless communication in the ad hoc mode with the specific external device. A data processing apparatus comprising: a setting change unit. It has a printer driver that can generate print data,
The setting change unit changes the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit to the communication setting of the specific network when a print start instruction is generated to cause the printer driver to start generating the print data. ,
Further, when a print end instruction for causing the printer driver to end the generation of the print data is generated, the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit is changed to the communication setting before being changed by the setting change unit. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising setting return means for returning. A print monitor for controlling output of print data to the external device by the wireless communication means;
The setting changing unit changes the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit to the communication setting of the specific network when an output start instruction for starting the output of the print data to the print monitor is generated. ,
Further, when an output end instruction for causing the print monitor to end the output of the print data is generated, the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit is changed to the communication setting before being changed by the setting change unit. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising setting return means for returning. Setting determination means for determining whether or not the communication setting of the specific network is received via the wireless communication means;
The setting change unit is configured to store the communication stored in the setting storage unit when the setting determining unit determines that the communication setting of the specific network is received and the predetermined event occurs. 4. The data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a setting change is executed. A printing system in which the data processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the printing device that is the specific external device can be connected by wireless communication,
The printing system performs wireless communication in the ad hoc mode with the data processing device. A setting storage unit that stores communication settings of a network used for wireless communication with an external device, and a communication mode of either an infrastructure mode or an ad hoc mode based on the communication settings stored in the setting storage unit By means of a computer that is a data processing device comprising a wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with the external device,
When a predetermined event occurs, the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit is used for the communication of a specific network that is a network that performs wireless communication in the ad hoc mode with a printing apparatus that is the specific external device. A print control program for executing a setting change step for changing to a setting. A print start step for starting generation of the print data in response to a print start instruction for starting generation of print data;
In response to a print end instruction for ending generation of the print data, a print end step for ending generation of the print data is executed,
In the setting change step, when the print start instruction is generated, the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit is changed to the communication setting of the specific network,
Furthermore, when the print end instruction is generated, a setting return step is executed to return the communication setting stored in the setting storage means to the communication setting before being changed by the setting changing step. A printing control program according to claim 6. In response to an output start instruction for starting output of print data, an output start step for starting output of the print data by the wireless communication means;
In response to an output end instruction for ending the output of the print data, an output end step for ending the output of the print data by the wireless communication unit is executed,
The setting change step changes the communication setting stored in the setting storage unit to the communication setting of the specific network when the output start instruction is generated,
Further, when the output end instruction is generated, a setting return step for returning the communication setting stored in the setting storage means to the communication setting before being changed by the setting changing step is performed. A printing control program according to claim 6. Executing a setting determination step for determining whether the communication setting received from the external terminal via the wireless communication means is the communication setting of the specific network;
In the setting change step, it is determined that the communication setting of the specific network is received by the setting determination step, and the communication stored in the setting storage unit when the predetermined event occurs. The print control program according to claim 7, wherein the setting is changed.

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