Network system, portable data entry terminal, program, and data output terminal control method

1. A network system, comprising:

a plurality of data input terminals, each data input terminal enabling data entry;

a plurality of data output terminals, each data output terminal for use in a predetermined one-to-one relationship with a corresponding one of the data input terminals and each data output terminal for outputting information based on data entered in the corresponding data input terminal;

a data processing server, in communication via a network with, and for centrally controlling, each of the data input terminals and each of the data output terminals, the data processing server comprising a storage medium for storing electronic identification pairing information linking each of the data input terminals with its corresponding data output terminal in accordance with the predetermined one-to-one relationship; and

a data output controller for controlling data output from each of the data output terminals, the data output controller being further configured to select, in response to an instruction from a specific data input terminal, the corresponding data output terminal linked to the specific data input terminal by referencing the electronic identification pairing information for the specific data input terminal and corresponding output terminal.

2. A network system as described in claim 1 , wherein each of the data output terminals comprises a printer, and the data output controller controls each of the printers.

3. A network system as described in claim 2 , wherein

the data processing server further comprises:

a print form storage medium for storing print forms for objects that can be printed, and

a print data generator for referencing a print form and generating print data for printing an object based on an instruction from a data input terminal; and

the data output controller further comprises a print data transmission module for sending the generated print data to the corresponding printer.

4. A network system as described in claim 3 , wherein

each data input terminal includes a payment processing function that comprises:

a product information acquisition module for acquiring product information about products ordered by a customer,

a payment method information acquisition module for acquiring information indicating whether a payment method selected for the ordered products is cash payment or credit card payment,

a card information acquisition module for acquiring information pertaining to a credit card presented by the customer when credit card is selected as the method of payment, and

a card transaction information transmission module for sending the product information and credit card information as card transaction information to

the data processing server; and

the data processing server further comprises:

a card transaction information storage medium for storing the card information linked to the product information when card transaction information is received from the data input terminal,

an order total calculator for calculating a total amount of the ordered products based on the product information,

a card authorization module for acquiring a credit card authorization based on the card information, and

a credit card transaction module for completing the credit card transaction based on the order total when charging the credit card is authorized by the card authorization module;

the print data generator generates card authorization result print data for printing based on the card authorization result; and

the print data transmission module sends the card authorization result print data to the corresponding printer.

5. A network system as described in claim 4 , wherein

the network system further comprises a cash transaction processing terminal that is centrally controlled over the network by the data processing server and that processes cash payments based on product information acquired by each data input terminal that does not have a cash payment processing function;

each data input terminal further comprises a cash transaction information transmission module for sending a product order number and product information as cash transaction information to the data processing server for later processing the cash payment when cash is selected as the payment method;

the data processing server further comprises a cash transaction information storage medium for storing the product order number linked to the product information when the cash transaction information is received from the data input terminal;

the print data generator generates product order receipt print data for printing a receipt object used to complete a cash transaction at the cash transaction processing terminal based on the product order number stored in the cash transaction information storage medium;

the print data transmission module sends the product order receipt print data to the corresponding printer;

each printer comprises a print mechanism for printing product order receipt print data to a receipt object; and

the cash transaction processing terminal comprises:

a product order number reader for reading the product order number by image scanning the product order receipt print data printed on the receipt object,

a product information reader for reading the product information from the cash transaction information storage medium of the data processing server based on the read product order number, and

a cash payment processor for completing the cash transaction based on the product information.

6. A data input terminal as described in claim 1 , wherein the network is a wireless network.