Print control program product, print control device, and printing method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a print control program product, a print control device, and a print method capable of charging without separately preparing a settlement server for performing settlement corresponding to the charge in a print system for performing charge printing. A print control program in a print control program product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a transmission process, a charging process, and an actuarial process. The transmission process transmits print data to the printer. The charging process accepts a charge in a sales server in which a vendor of an operating system of a computer sells an application program. The actuarial processing performs actuarial when the print data is transmitted and printing is successful by the printer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing control program, a printing control device, and a printing method. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a document printing system for the purpose of reducing labor costs and securely collecting fees.

[0003] However, in the document printing system described in Patent Document 1, in order for users to perform printing for a fee, a settlement server that performs settlement corresponding to the fee needs to be separately installed in advance.

[0004] Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a technology that enables charging in a printing system that performs charged printing without separately preparing a settlement server that performs settlement corresponding to the charges.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-118406 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The printing control program involved in one embodiment of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to perform the following processing, namely: a sending process that sends printing data to a printer; a charging process that accepts charges from a sales server where the supplier of the computer's operating system sells application programs; and an actuarial process that performs an actuarial calculation when the printing data is sent and printed successfully by the printer.

[0007] The printing control device involved in one embodiment of the present disclosure is a device comprising: a universal printer driver; a sending processing unit that sends printing data to a printer; a charging processing unit that accepts charges from a sales server where a vendor of the operating system of the printing control device sells applications; and an actuarial processing unit that performs actuarial calculation when the printing data is sent and printed successfully by the printer.

[0008] A printing method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a sending process in which a computer sends printing data to a printer; a charging process in which the computer receives a charge from a sales server where a supplier of an operating system of the computer sells an application; and an actuarial process in which the computer performs an actuarial calculation when the printing data is sent and the printer successfully prints the data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printing system according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 For the purpose of summarizing Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the flow of printing processing in a printing system.

[0011] Figure 3 For use in Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the printer administrator in the printing process.

[0012] Figure 4 For use in Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed on the user side in the printing process.

[0013] Figure 5 For use in Figure 1 A sequence diagram illustrating a first example of a printing process in a printing system.

[0014] Figure 6 To express Figure 5 A diagram showing an example of information referred to in the first example of the description.

[0015] Figure 7 For use in Figure 1 A sequence diagram illustrating a second example of printing processing in the printing system.

[0016] Figure 8 For use in Figure 1 A sequence diagram illustrating a third example of printing processing in the printing system.

[0017] Figure 9 A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, each of the accompanying drawings is merely an illustration for illustrating embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, not all of the structural elements described in the embodiments of the present invention are necessarily essential structural elements of the present invention.

[0019] Implementation Method

[0020] Printing system structure

[0021] Regarding a configuration example of a printing system according to the embodiment, Figure 1 To explain. Figure 1 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printing system according to the present embodiment.

[0022] like Figure 1As shown, the printing system 100 according to this embodiment can include a terminal device 10, an App sales server 20, a printer A (31), a printer B (32), and a printer C (33). "App" is used as an abbreviation for an application program. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "server" refers to a server computer or a server device.

[0023] The terminal device 10 is an information processing device with communication capabilities, such as a PC (Personal Computer), smartphone, or tablet terminal, and can be used by a user who wishes to print. To process print requests, the terminal device 10 is connected to printers A (31), B (32), and C (33) via a network N2. Although not shown, the printing system 100 can include multiple terminal devices 10.

[0024] Printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) are all examples of printers that can print on a medium when receiving print data. Each printer produces printed materials by performing such printing. In addition, although the printing system 100 is described as having a structure including three printers as described above for the sake of convenience, it is sufficient to include at least one printer. In addition, printer A (31) can have an authentication unit 31a for authenticating whether the print request is from a user with permission to use. In addition, printer B (32) and printer C (33) can also have authentication units 32a and 33a, respectively, which have the same function as authentication unit 31a. In addition, the authentication unit 31a will be described later in the first example of printing processing.

[0025] While each printer can be any device that has both communication and printing functions, it may also be a multifunction printer with other functions, such as a scanner, a copy, or a fax transmission function. Furthermore, each printer may also be referred to as a printing device or an image forming device. Furthermore, regardless of the printing method employed by each printer, various printing methods, such as inkjet printing and laser printing, may be employed. Furthermore, while each printer may be installed in public locations, such as schools, libraries, and convenience stores, the installation locations are not limited to these examples.

[0026] The printing system 100 prints using the selected printer among printers A (31), B (32), and C (33) in response to user operations from the terminal device 10. Since the terminal device 10 controls such printing, it can also be called a print control device.

[0027] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 can be connected to the App sales server 20 via the network N1. The terminal device 10 can access the App sales server 20 to download and install various applications. In addition, the applications provided by the App sales server 20 can also include free applications in advance.

[0028] The app sales server 20 is a sales server used by the vendor of a computer's operating system (OS) to sell applications. An example of such a computer is the terminal device 10. The app sales server 20 stores various applications so that they can be downloaded from the terminal device 10. As the operator of an app store that provides a variety of applications, the OS vendor or a contracted operator can manage and operate the app sales server 20.

[0029] Hereinafter, the configuration examples of the App sales server 20 and the terminal device 10 will be described in detail. The description of the configuration examples of each printer will be omitted.

[0030] Configuration example of the App sales server 20

[0031] Although not shown, the app sales server 20 can include a storage unit for storing provided application programs, a communication unit for communicating with the terminal device 10 via the network N1, and a control unit for overall control. This control unit, similar to the control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 described later, can be configured to include, for example, a processing unit, a work memory, and a storage device for storing control programs and parameters. Of course, the control program in the control unit of the app sales server 20 is different from the control program in the control unit 11.

[0032] To provide applications, the app distribution server 20 simply stores an executable file, or installer, in its storage unit. The following description assumes that the terminal device 10 downloads the installer for the target application and installs it. However, the target application can also be downloaded and installed on the terminal device 10 by executing the installer on the app distribution server 20.

[0033] Furthermore, the App sales server 20 can provide, as an application, one or more billing assistance applications 22. Hereinafter, the billing assistance application will be simply referred to as a billing assistance App.

[0034] The charging assistance app 22 is an application provided to the app sales server 20 by, for example, an administrator who manages the printer A (31) for sale or free provision. In this case, the charging assistance app 22 can be an application for allowing the user of the terminal device 10 to print on the printer A (31) in exchange for a fee. In other words, the charging assistance app 22 can be an application provided by, for example, an administrator who manages the printer A (31) to assist the user of the terminal device 10 in performing paid printing on the printer A (31).

[0035] Therefore, the app sales server 20 can store in its storage unit an installation program for the fee-charging auxiliary app 22 for each administrator. For example, if the administrator of printer A (31) is different from the administrator of printer B (32), the storage unit of the app sales server 20 can pre-store the following installation program. That is, the storage unit pre-stores the installation program for the fee-charging auxiliary app 22 for fee-charging printing in printer B (32) in a manner different from the installation program for the fee-charging auxiliary app 22 for fee-charging printing in printer A (31). Alternatively, the fee-charging auxiliary app 17 can be an application provided by a common administrator of printers A (31) and C (33).

[0036] Furthermore, the app sales server 20 can store a billing assistance app template 21 in its storage unit in advance. The billing assistance app template 21 is a template that serves as a basis for, for example, the administrator of printer A (31) and printer C (33) to generate a billing assistance app 22 for billing printing in printer A (31) or printer C (33). In other words, the billing assistance app template 21 is a template that serves as a basis for the administrator who manages one or more printers to generate a billing assistance app 22 that assists billing printing in the managed printers. Even if, for example, the administrator of printers A (31) and printer C (33) is different from the administrator of printer B (32), a common billing assistance app template 21 can be downloaded. Then, a separate billing assistance app 22 is generated for each administrator and registered in the app sales server 20.

[0037] Furthermore, while the charging assistance app 22 can be provided free of charge as described above, it can also be provided for sale, that is, for a fee. In the case of providing it for a fee, for example, the fee can be charged in the form of a membership fee for printing services provided by the administrator of one or more printers associated with the charging assistance app 22. Similarly, the charging assistance app template 21 can be provided free of charge or for a fee. In the case of providing it for a fee, for example, the application store operating the app sales server 20 can charge the printer administrator a registration fee for the charging assistance app 22.

[0038] In addition, the download of the installer of the application provided by the App sales server 20 in a charged manner means the sale of the application. Therefore, although not shown in the figure, the App sales server 20 has a charging unit that charges an equivalent reward for the target application. The charging unit can be implemented by the above-mentioned control unit and communication unit. The charging unit can be set as a structure in which the control unit and the communication unit work together to execute the program for performing the charging processing involved. In addition, the App sales server 20 can also be connected to an electronic settlement server not shown in the figure, and the above-mentioned charging unit settles the charged amount via the electronic settlement server. The electronic settlement server can be set as a server that implements settlement by credit cards of credit card companies, a server that implements settlement by debit cards issued by financial institutions, etc.

[0039] Configuration of the terminal device 10

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the terminal device 10 can include a control unit 11 , a storage unit 12 , a communication unit 13 , an operation unit 14 , and a display unit 15 .

[0041] The control unit 11 controls the entire terminal device 10. The control unit 11 can be configured to include, for example, a processing unit, a working memory, and a storage device for storing control programs or parameters. The processing unit can be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like. The control unit 11 can also be configured as a SoC (System on a Chip). As can be seen from these examples, the control unit 11 can be configured to store the control program in an executable state. However, the control unit 11 can also be configured to store a part of the control program as a circuit structure like an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or can also be configured as a dedicated circuit.

[0042] The above-mentioned control program may include a program for the processing device to perform processing related to printing while working in conjunction with the storage unit 12, the communication unit 13, the operating unit 14, and the display unit 15. The above-mentioned control program may include an OS. In addition, although the OS is an OS installed on the terminal device 10 and is therefore an OS of a type corresponding to the model of the terminal device 10, the supplier of the OS becomes the seller who sells the application program through the App sales server 20. Of course, the seller includes industrial and commercial businesses that accept commissions from the supplier of the OS and sell it. In addition, the above-mentioned control program may include a web browser inside or outside the OS. Although the example in which at least a part of the above-mentioned control program is stored in the storage unit 12 provided separately from the control unit 11 is cited below for explanation, the storage unit 12 may also be a part of the storage device inside the control unit 11. In other words, the storage unit 12 can also be understood as a part of the control unit 11.

[0043] The storage unit 12 is, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or other memory-based storage device. The storage unit 12 stores a universal printer driver 16 and a billing assistance app 17 as part of a control program, executable by the control unit 11. The billing assistance app 17 is a print control program for controlling billing printing.

[0044] Furthermore, the storage unit 12 can store various data such as files to be printed. Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, a vendor support application that assists the universal printer driver 16 can also be stored in the storage unit 12 in a state that can be executed by the control unit 11. Hereinafter, the vendor support application will be referred to as a vendor support app for short. The vendor support app is an application that assists the universal printer driver 16 and is used, for example, to expand the functions of the universal printer driver 16 for printer-specific functions. Therefore, the universal printer driver 16 can have the function of launching the vendor support app or sending print data to the vendor support app. The vendor support app can be, for example, a Print Support Application (PSA).

[0045] The vendor support app can be an application separate from the billing support app 17 or an application that includes the billing support app 17. Alternatively, the vendor support app can be an application that cooperates with the billing support app 17, such as an application that provides a paid printing function via the billing support app 17.

[0046] The communication unit 13 is a unit that communicates with external devices such as the App sales server 20 via the network N1 in a wireless or wired manner in accordance with various mobile communication standards, the Wi-Fi (registered trademark, hereinafter referred to as the same) standard, or other predetermined communication standards. Furthermore, the communication unit 13 is a unit that communicates with external devices such as the printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) via the network N2 in a wireless or wired manner in accordance with various mobile communication standards, the Wi-Fi standard, or other predetermined communication standards. The communication unit 13 can be composed of one or more communication interfaces capable of performing such communication.

[0047] The operation unit 14 is a portion that receives operations performed by the user of the terminal device 10 and can also be referred to as an operation receiving unit. The operation unit 14 can be implemented, for example, by any one or more of physical keys, a touch panel mounted on the display unit 15, a pointing device, and a keyboard. In a configuration where the operation unit 14 includes a touch panel, the display unit 15 and the touch panel can also be referred to as the operation panel of the terminal device 10.

[0048] The display unit 15 is a portion for displaying user interface (UI) images for operating the terminal device 10, and is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display. Alternatively, the display unit 15 may include a display and a drive circuit for driving the display.

[0049] The universal printer driver 16 is described below. The universal printer driver 16 is an OS-standard printer driver included in the operating system (OS) included in the control program or attached to the OS. In other words, the universal printer driver 16 is a universal printer driver provided by the vendor that provides the OS. For example, the universal printer driver 16 is a standard printer driver for the Windows (registered trademark, hereinafter referred to as the same) OS. The universal printer driver 16 can be a program that can control a variety of printer types and execute printing. Furthermore, the universal printer driver 16 can also be referred to as an OS-wide printing program or a universal printing program.

[0050] The universal printer driver 16 uses a universal protocol for printer search and printing. For example, the universal printer driver 16 uses mDNS / DNS-SD for printer search and IPP for printing. DNS stands for Domain Name System. mDNS stands for multicast DNS. DNS-SD stands for DNS Service Discovery. IPP stands for Internet Printing Protocol.

[0051] As can be seen from this example, the universal printer driver 16 can be, for example, an IPP Class driver. IPP is an example of a standard protocol for managing and controlling printers. IPP uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) POST requests and responses to acquire printer information and control printers. IPP allows for printer settings and printer status acquisition. Secure communication can also be achieved by using HTTPS (HTTP Secure) instead of HTTP.

[0052] The billing assistance app 17 will now be described. For example, the billing assistance app 17 can be a program that assists the universal printer driver 16 and causes the terminal device 10 to execute billing printing control on the target printer, that is, a program that supports the billing printing function of the printer. The following examples illustrate how the billing assistance app 17 assists the universal printer driver 16 in controlling billing printing, thereby expanding the functionality of the universal printer driver 16 by adding the billing printing function. Therefore, in the following examples, the universal printer driver 16 can have the function of launching the billing assistance app 17 or sending print data to the billing assistance app 17. Communication between the universal printer driver 16 and the billing assistance app 17 constitutes inter-process communication.

[0053] Furthermore, the charging assistance app 17 can be, for example, a PSA. Furthermore, the charging assistance app 17 can be a charging assistance app 22 provided by the app sales server 20, and installed by downloading an installer from the app sales server 20. In other words, the app sales server 20 can be the original sales server that downloads the charging assistance app 17, which is a PSA, to the terminal device 10. The following description assumes that the charging assistance app 17, which is a PSA, is the charging assistance app 22. However, the charging assistance app 17 can also be installed by downloading or other means other than from the app sales server 20.

[0054] The following example illustrates a billing support app 17 provided by a common administrator for printers A (31) and C (33). While the following example illustrates a user performing billing printing on printer A (31), the same applies to billing printing on printer C (33). Furthermore, when performing billing printing on printer B (32), the billing support app for printer B (32) is used.

[0055] The billing support app 17 is a print control program for controlling paid printing. More specifically, the billing support app 17 is a program that causes a computer to execute the following processing: transmission, billing, and calculation. The computer here also refers to the terminal device 10 or the control unit 11.

[0056] The sending process sends the print data to the printer A (31) designated by the user, out of the printers A (31) and C (33). This sending process is executed via the communication unit 13. In addition, in this example, the charging assistance app 17 assists the universal printer driver 16 to implement the charging printing. Therefore, the sending process is preferably performed after converting the print data received from the universal printer driver 16 into print data corresponding to the charging, and then sending it to the printer A (31) directly or through the universal printer driver 16. The so-called print data corresponding to the charging is only required to be print data that can be allowed to be printed in the authentication unit 31a of the printer A (31). If the user authentication can be performed in the authentication unit 31a, the administrator of the printer A (31) can recover the equivalent of the printing from the application store of the OS vendor, for example, by paying points in advance, through the charging process described below. The points will be described later.

[0057] The charging process is to receive a charge from the App sales server 20 that sells the application program from the vendor of the OS of the terminal device 10. This charge is for the service of printing the print data on the printer A (31). Therefore, the charge amount may vary depending on the number of prints, the size or type of paper, etc. The charging process is to receive the charge by communicating with the App sales server 20 via the communication unit 13 and the network N1. In other words, the App sales server 20 charges the terminal device 10 for the service of printing on the printer A (31) via its own communication unit and the network N1.

[0058] Furthermore, since the description herein assumes that the payment assistance app 17 serving as the PSA is the payment assistance app 22, the payment processing is performed in the original app store where the payment assistance app 17 itself is downloaded to the terminal device 10. In other words, the payment processing is performed by the PSA itself using the original app store.

[0059] The calculation process performs a calculation when the print data is sent and the printer A (31) prints successfully. This calculation becomes the calculation of the charge received in the charging process. A specific example of this calculation process will be described later in the first to third examples of the printing process together with a specific example of the sending process.

[0060] Flow of printing processing in the printing system 100

[0061] Next, use Figures 2 to 4 , the flow of the printing process in the printing system 100 is briefly described. Figure 2For a summary of Figure 1 Schematic diagram illustrating the flow of printing processing in the printing system 100. Figure 3 For Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the printer administrator in the printing process. Figure 4 For Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed on the user side in the printing process.

[0062] First, the operator that provides the paid printing service using printer A (31) and printer C (33), i.e., the printer manager, uses the terminal device 40 to download the paid auxiliary app template 21 ( Figure 2 Processing i). Processing i is equivalent to Figure 3 In addition, the terminal device 40 is an information processing device similarly to the terminal device 10.

[0063] The printer manager becomes the bill collector for charging the user U of the terminal device 10 for the paid printing service using printers A (31) and C (33). Therefore, it is pre-configured to be able to prohibit printing on printers A (31) and C (33) and to release the prohibition, depending on whether or not a fee equivalent to the charge has been paid. Therefore, the billing assistance app template 21 provided by the app sales server 20 is pre-configured as a PSA template that allows the name of the billing assistance app 22, i.e., the name of the PSA, and the printer password to be changed for each printer manager.

[0064] Next, the printer administrator of printer A (31) and printer C (33) uses the terminal device 40 to set the PSA name and the password shared by printers A (31) and C (33) in the downloaded charging assistance app template 21. In this way, the printer administrator generates a charging assistance app 22 ( Figure 2 Processing ii). Processing ii is equivalent to Figure 3 Step S2. The name of the PSA and the password can be recorded as set values in the charging assistance app 22. The name of the PSA is preferably set in advance to a name that the user can recognize, for example, it can include the name of the company that manages the printer.

[0065] Here, only when the set password is received, printer A (31) or printer C (33) is allowed to print. In other words, the password becomes the lock release password for releasing the print lock in printer A (31) or printer C (33). In this way, the password corresponding to the use authority of printer A (31) and printer C (33) is set in the billing support app 22.

[0066] Next, the printer manager registers the charging support app 22 as its own PSA in the app sales server 20 ( Figure 2 Processing iii). Processing iii is equivalent to Figure 3 This registration is performed by providing or selling the payment assistance app 22 or its installation program free of charge from the app sales server 20, while the payment assistance app 22 or its installation program can be downloaded from the terminal device 10. In step S2, the PSA name and password can also be recorded as a settings file, etc. In this case, in step S3, the payment assistance app 22 is configured to read the settings file and is registered as a set with the settings file. Furthermore, while the registration name can be the name of the PSA being set, a name that omits the PSA name or a more easily understood name can also be used.

[0067] Next, the printer administrator sets passwords for printer A (31) and printer C (33). Figure 3 In step S4 of the printer A (31), for example, the password is set by storing the password in the authentication unit 31a. In the authentication unit 31a, not only the password is set, but also the name of the PSA corresponding to it is set. Figure 2 The process corresponding to step S4 is omitted in the figure. The password set here is the lock release password, and the same password as the password set in step S2 is used. Therefore, unless the correct password is sent from the PSA instantiated by the charging assistance app 17, printing cannot be performed on printers A (31) and C (33).

[0068] Furthermore, the order of setting passwords for printers A (31) and C (33) and creating or registering the billing assistance app 22 may be reversed. Furthermore, even if the printer administrator is the same, if there is a need to change the billing system, two billing assistance apps 22 may be created and registered for printers A (31) and C (33). In this case, the password set for printer A (31) and the password set for printer C (33) will be different.

[0069] For the charging assistance App 22 registered in this way, the user U who wishes to print will perform printing preparation and printing instructions according to the following steps. First, the user U downloads the charging assistance App 22 registered by the printer administrator of the printer A (31) to the terminal device 10 from the App sales server 20 ( Figure 2 Here, the installation program of the charging assistance App 22 can be downloaded as described above. Figure 4 Then, the user U installs the charging support App 22 to the terminal device 10 ( Figure 4 The installed charging assistance app 22 installed in the terminal device 10 will be described as the charging assistance app 17.

[0070] Next, the user U uses the terminal device 10 to start the charging assistance app 17, and purchases points required for printing from the app sales server 20 in the charging assistance app 17 ( Figure 4 Purchasing points in this manner means accepting payment in advance through the billing assistance app 17, that is, accepting payment in advance within the app. The billing assistance app 17 then associates the purchased points with the app store account and records them. The timing of point purchase is independent of whether the billing assistance app 17 is installed or not; it can be done before the printing instructions in process vi (described below).

[0071] Next, the user U uses the charging support app 17 to specify the printer A (31) and perform various settings ( Figure 2 After that, the user U issues a print instruction from the charging support app 17, causing the charging support app 17 to send the print data of the target print file to the printer A (31) via the communication unit 13 ( Figure 2 Processing vi). Processing vi is equivalent to Figure 4 Here, the charging support app 17 includes the set password in the print data and transmits it. An example of a method of including the password in the print data will be described later together with the first to third examples of the print process.

[0072] Printer A (31) receives the print data containing the password and performs authentication by comparing the password it has set with the received password. If the authentication is successful, the printer executes the printing. The charging support app 17 calculates the equivalent of the printing by deducting the stored points, etc., and receives the printed material at the location where printer A (31) is installed. Furthermore, upon receiving the printing, the printer returns the profit to the printer administrator via the app sales server 20, that is, the app store operated by the OS vendor.

[0073] In this way, in this embodiment, the user U purchases the points required for printing in advance via the charging assistance app 17. The charging assistance app 17 sends a password to the printer A (31) at the start of printing to unlock the printing function and execute printing. When printing is successful, the charging assistance app 17 preferably performs a point subtraction operation based on the information representing the print data, that is, the print job information. Then, through the settlement mechanism of the application store provided by the OS vendor, the printer administrator can collect the equivalent of the printing as a usage fee. In addition, in this embodiment, since the charging is implemented through the application store provided by the OS vendor, there is no need to prepare a separate settlement system or a charging server for charging printing.

[0074] While this embodiment illustrates an example in which the fee-based assistance app 17 assists the universal printer driver 16 to implement paid printing control, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the fee-based assistance app 17 can be used in environments where printing control is implemented using a vendor-specific printer driver that does not use the universal printer driver 16, such as when the vendor-specific assistance app 17 is not included in or does not cooperate with the vendor-specific assistance app. In such environments, the fee-based assistance app 17 serves as an application that assists the vendor-specific printer driver and implements paid printing. Even in such a scenario, the fee-based assistance app 17 receives payment from the OS vendor's app sales server 20.

[0075] Although the present embodiment has been described above, it can be said that the present embodiment can provide a printing method including the above-mentioned transmission process, billing process, and settlement process.

[0076] In other words, the terminal device 10 includes the following transmission processing unit, charging processing unit, and actuating processing unit. The transmission processing unit transmits print data to the printer A (31). The charging processing unit receives charges from the App sales server 20 where the supplier of the OS of the terminal device 10 sells the application. The actuating processing unit performs actuating when the print data is sent and the printer A (31) prints successfully. In addition, the terminal device 10 can include a universal printer driver 16. In this case, the supplier of the OS can be the same as the supplier of the universal printer driver 16, but they can also be different.

[0077] Effects of implementation methods

[0078] Before describing a more specific example of the printing process in this embodiment, the effects produced by this embodiment will be described.

[0079] As described above, in printing system 100, terminal device 10 is configured to receive printing charges from app sales server 20, the OS vendor's sales server, and terminal device 10 is already connected to this sales server. Therefore, in printing system 100, charging for printing is possible without requiring a separate settlement server to perform corresponding settlements.

[0080] In order to supplement the effects involved, the present embodiment is compared with the printing systems involved in Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Even in the printing systems involved in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, it is assumed that, for example, the printer is set up in a public place and charges are made based on the number of printed sheets. The printing system involved in Comparative Example 1 is a system that adopts a method of charging through a coin vendor. The coin vendor is a device installed in the printer. In this system, printing can be performed by the user inserting money such as coins into the coin vendor. The printing system involved in Comparative Example 2 is a system that adopts a method of charging through a printing management system. The printing management system is a system that centrally manages printing by connecting the printer and the printing management system.

[0081] However, the printing system described in Comparative Example 1 offers a limited selection of compatible printers for printer managers and is also expensive. Specifically, in Comparative Example 1, the printer manager, acting as the fee collector, must employ a dedicated hardware provider, a coin vendor. Coin vendors are inherently expensive, and their compatible printers are generally limited to business-use multifunction printers.

[0082] In addition, the printing system involved in Comparative Example 2 also has a narrow range of printers available for selection, and is expensive, mainly for printer managers. Specifically, in Comparative Example 2, as a first problem, since a server needs to be set up in the printing management system and the server needs to be managed, costs are incurred in the setup and management. In Comparative Example 2, as a second problem, since the printer communicates with the server independently, a large-scale structure is required to embed the authentication service function into the firewall of the printer body. In Comparative Example 2, as a third problem, the printer must be directly connected to the network, and cannot be applied to printers connected to other information processing devices via USB (Universal Serial Bus). In addition, USB is a registered trademark, and the same applies hereinafter. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 2, as a fourth problem, the user account needs to be set up, which requires complicated operations for printer managers and users.

[0083] On the other hand, as described above, in this embodiment, the print control program exemplified in the billing support app 17 is introduced, and the app sales server 20, which serves as the sales server of the OS vendor, accepts charges for printing. In other words, in this embodiment, the billing function is provided not by hardware or server software, but by an application such as PSA.

[0084] Therefore, in this embodiment, unlike in Comparative Example 1, dedicated hardware is not required, and the corresponding printer model only needs to be a model with user authentication function and communication function, so that the printer used in the service can be selected from a wide range of models.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the print control program, based on PSA or other means, is published to the app store, there is no need to prepare a separate server, as in Comparative Example 2, and the resulting server management costs are eliminated. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as long as the compatible printer models and user authentication are supported, there is no need for a large-scale firewall configuration, and it can also be applied to USB-connected printers. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since billing can be performed based on the app store account, there is no need to set up a dedicated account for paid printing.

[0086] In this manner, the printing system 100 according to this embodiment can charge printer users using the billing support app 17 without installing a server or dedicated hardware. Therefore, according to this embodiment, billing can be performed without requiring a coin vendor as in Comparative Example 1 or a separate settlement server for performing settlements corresponding to the billing as in Comparative Example 2.

[0087] First Example of Printing Process

[0088] Regarding the first example of the printing process, we will use Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 To explain. Figure 5 For Figure 1 A sequence diagram illustrating a first example of printing processing in the printing system 100. Figure 6 For, means in Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of information referred to in the first example described in FIG.

[0089] The print data sent to printer A (31) in the sending process of the first example may include, for example, a header, IPP attributes, and PDL data. PDL is an abbreviation for Page Description Language. Furthermore, in the sending process of the first example, the print data including the aforementioned password in the IPP header is sent to printer A (31).

[0090] First, the user U selects a print target file such as a document file from the operation unit 14 on the terminal device 10 and performs an operation such as printing on the printer A (31). Alternatively, the user U starts an application for starting or editing the print target file on the terminal device 10 and selects the printer A (31) in the print settings of the print target file from the operation unit 14. Alternatively, the user U starts the universal printer driver 16 on the terminal device 10 and performs an operation such as selecting the print target file and the printer A (31). In either operation, the operation of selecting printing in the charging auxiliary app 17 can be applied instead of selecting the printer A (31).

[0091] By such an operation, the universal printer driver 16 receives an instruction to start printing in the printer A ( 31 ) or an instruction to start printing in the printer corresponding to the billing support app 17 (step S21 ).

[0092] The universal printer driver 16, having received such a print start instruction from the user U, generates print data for the print target file and starts the charging support app 17, which is the charging support app corresponding to the printer A (31) (step S22). In step S22, the universal printer driver 16 also transmits the print data for the print target file to the charging support app 17. The communication between the universal printer driver 16 and the charging support app 17 is inter-process communication.

[0093] The charging assistance app 17, having received the print data, converts the print data (step S23). Alternatively, in step S22, the universal printer driver 16 may activate the charging assistance app 17 and transmit information about the print target file or its storage location to the charging assistance app 17. In this case, in step S23, print data is generated from the print target file.

[0094] Next, the billing support app 17 edits the IPP header for the converted print data so that the PSA name and password, which serve as the application name, are included in the IPP header (step S24). By embedding the PSA name and password, which are equivalent to the ID, in the IPP header, HTTP basic authentication can be used for authentication in printer A (31).

[0095] Furthermore, in step S24 , the billing support app 17 calculates points required for printing the print data, ie, the billing amount, before transmitting the print data in the subsequent step S25 , and checks whether the remaining points are sufficient for the billing amount.

[0096] This calculation refers to IPP attributes and determines the charge based on, for example, document size, color, whether it is single-sided or double-sided printing, and the number of prints. Here, "color" refers to whether it is color printing or black and white printing. The billing assistance app 17 can set the charge to increase with larger document size, and can increase the charge for color printing compared to black and white printing. Furthermore, the billing assistance app 17 can increase the charge for double-sided printing compared to single-sided printing, and can increase the charge proportionally with the number of prints.

[0097] The charging auxiliary App 17 can refer to the following for the converted printing data: Figure 6 The charge amount is calculated based on the following IPP Attribute information as shown in Table 60 illustrated in the example. In Table 60, the size, color, double-sided / single-sided, and number of pages of the original document are shown as function names, and media-size (media size), print-color-mode (print color mode), sides (sides), and pages (number of pages) are shown as the corresponding IPP Attributes. In this way, the charging assistance app 17 as the PSA can perform internal analysis of the printing job in accordance with the IPP and determine the charge amount based on the content. If supplemented, the PSA can obtain the information of the printing job in accordance with the IPP specifications and determine the charge amount based on the information.

[0098] Of course, the charge calculation method and the settings that form the basis for the calculation are not limited to these examples. For example, the printer administrator can pre-configure the calculations based on the document type, such as photo paper or plain paper, or the printer's printing speed. The printer's printing speed can be set as a "pages per minute" attribute that references the IPP's print speed, and the unit price can be increased for printers with faster printing speeds. In this way, the billing assistance app 17 can also change the charge based on the specifications of the target printer, such as attribute information obtained through the IPP. Information indicating the specifications of the target printer can be obtained by the billing assistance app 17, acting as a PSA, directly or via the universal printer driver 16 based on the IPP. Therefore, the billing assistance app 17 can flexibly utilize this structure to change the charge based on the printer's specifications.

[0099] Furthermore, when the points held are insufficient for the charged amount, the billing assistance app 17 preferably notifies the user U of an error via the universal printer driver 16 or directly.

[0100] On the other hand, if the credits held by the billing support app 17 are sufficient for the billed amount, the billing support app 17 sends the print data as a print job to the printer A (31) (step S25). The communication between the billing support app 17 and the printer A (31) is preferably performed in accordance with the vendor's extended IPP protocol. Alternatively, in step S25, the billing support app 17 may send the print job to the universal printer driver 16, and the universal printer driver 16 may send the print job to the printer A (31) in accordance with IPP. In this manner, the communication between the universal printer driver 16 and the printer A (31) becomes IPP communication.

[0101] In either case, printer A (31) can receive the IPP data packets required for printing. Printer A (31) compares the password included in the print data received in this manner with the password set within printer A (31) to see if it matches. Through this comparison, printer A (31) performs user authentication to determine if the user U who sent the print data is the user of printer A (31) (step S26). This user authentication is preferably performed by the authentication unit 31a included in printer A (31).

[0102] Next, printer A (31) performs processing corresponding to the user authentication result of step S26 (step S27). In step S27, if user authentication is successful, printer A (31) prints based on the received print job (step S28). Then, printer A (31) directly returns the print result as the status of the print job to the billing support app 17 (step S29). Alternatively, in step S29, printer A (31) may return the print result to the universal printer driver 16. In this case, the universal printer driver 16 only needs to send the print result to the billing support app 17.

[0103] The billing assistance app 17 refers to the print job status and, if the print result indicates a successful print, performs a point subtraction process (step S30) to reduce the user U's points by an amount corresponding to the print's equivalent remuneration. In this way, the billing assistance app 17 uses a configuration whereby points required for printing are purchased in advance and then deducted from the user's points if the print is successful. Furthermore, the print job status can be determined by, for example, receiving a "job notification event" indicating a successful print job, which is a mechanism that can obtain the job status of a PSA.

[0104] The billing assistance app 17 then notifies the user U of the success of the printing and the result of the point deduction process (step S31). On the other hand, the billing assistance app 17 refers to the status of the print job. If the print result indicates a failure, the user U's points are not reduced, and the app simply notifies the user U of the failure of the printing.

[0105] On the other hand, if the user authentication result in step S26 indicates that the two passwords do not match, the authentication fails, and printer A (31) directly sends an error notification to the billing assistance app 17 (step S32). The billing assistance app 17 then notifies the user U of the error (step S33). In step S32, printer A (31) may also notify the universal printer driver 16 of the error. In this case, the universal printer driver 16 only needs to send the error notification to the billing assistance app 17.

[0106] Furthermore, when the universal printer driver 16 receives an instruction to start printing in the printer corresponding to the billing assistance app 17 in step S1, the user U only needs to perform the following operation. That is, the user U only needs to select printer A (31) from the corresponding printers A (31) and C (33) between the time the billing assistance app 17 is started and the time the message is sent in step S25.

[0107] Furthermore, even when either the print data or the print target file is transmitted in step S22 , if the billing support app 17 has printer-specific functions described in the vendor support app, detailed print settings based on these functions can be received from the user U. Thus, the billing support app 17 can generate print data based on these detailed print settings.

[0108] As described above, in the first example of the printing process, print data containing a password in the IPP header is sent to printer A (31). Therefore, in the first example, by simply adding a simple process, user authentication can be performed in printer A (31) using, for example, HTTP basic authentication, and the printing function can be unlocked. In other words, printing in printer A (31) is only possible when user U issues a print instruction using the charging assistance app 17. In addition, in the first example, the charging assistance app 17, such as a PSA, can read the application name and printer password from internal settings or an external setting file. Since the charging assistance app 17 has such a simple structure, the printer administrator can easily create the charging assistance app 22 used as the charging assistance app 17 in the terminal device 10 as a printer administrator-only application. Then, the printer administrator only needs to register the charging assistance app 22 in the application store and set the password in printer A (31) and printer C (33) in advance.

[0109] Furthermore, as described with respect to the calculation of the charge amount in step S24, in the calculation process in the first example, if the current holding points are insufficient for the equivalent reward points serving as the equivalent reward for printing, the sending of the print data based on the sending process is prohibited. Here, the equivalent reward points are as described for the calculation of the charge amount. Furthermore, in this calculation process, to obtain the current holding points, points can be pre-credited when the equivalent reward for the charge is paid during the charging process. Then, in this calculation process, as described in step S30, if the print data is sent during the sending process and printing is successful, the calculation is performed by deducting the equivalent reward points from the holding points. This calculation process allows charging only when printing is successful.

[0110] In addition, although the example of managing the points held by the billing support app 17 is given, the information indicating the points held by the app can be shared with the app sales server 20. Alternatively, the app sales server 20 may pre-manage this information, and the billing support app 17 may obtain this information as needed.

[0111] Furthermore, in step S25, an example is given in which the charging support app 17 notifies an error when the held points are insufficient, and transmits the print data when the held points are sufficient. In this way, in the transmission process in the first example, when the held points are sufficient relative to the equivalent reward points, the print data can be transmitted to the printer A (31) via the universal printer driver 16, and when the held points are insufficient, an error is notified to the universal printer driver 16.

[0112] By adopting this transmission process, the user U can instruct printing that can be accommodated with the current points held, without running out of points after the print data is transmitted. Therefore, by adopting this transmission process, it is unnecessary to purchase points after the print data is transmitted, and the increase in the load on the printing system 100 caused by the transmission of unnecessary print data can be avoided.

[0113] In addition, as described for the calculation of the charge amount in step S24 and the point subtraction process in step S30, the actuation process in the first example can also be implemented as follows. That is, for this actuation process, when printing is successful, the equivalent reward points as the equivalent reward for printing can be deducted from the current held points based on the Attribute of the IPP. In addition, the held points can be set as the points that are counted when the equivalent reward for charging is paid in the charging process as described above. In this case, as described above, the sending process sends the printing data to the printer A (31) via the universal printer driver 16 that implements communication in accordance with the IPP. Alternatively, the charging assistance app 17 can also send the printing data directly to the printer A (31) in accordance with the vendor's extended IPP protocol. Through such actuation processing, the calculation of the equivalent reward points and the actuation of the printing equivalent reward can be easily implemented.

[0114] Second Example of Printing Process

[0115] Regarding the second example of printing process, we will use Figure 7 To explain. Figure 7 For Figure 1 A sequence diagram illustrating a second example of the printing process in the printing system 100.

[0116] In the second example, the print data sent to printer A (31) includes a password in an IPP attribute, instead of the IPP header in the first example. Therefore, the processing in the second example is basically the same as that in the first example, except for the change in the position of the password.

[0117] Even in the second example, the processing of steps S21 to S23 of the first example is applied (steps S41 to S43). Next, the billing assistance app 17 edits the converted print data so that the IPP Attribute includes the name and password of the PSA, which serves as the application name (step S44). For example, the billing assistance app 17 edits the IPP Attribute so that the "requesting-user-name" field of the IPP Attribute includes the name and password of the PSA.

[0118] In step S44, the billing support app 17 calculates the points required for printing the print data, i.e., the billing amount, and checks whether the points are sufficient for the billing amount before sending the print data in step S46 described later. The method described in the first example can be applied to calculate the billing amount.

[0119] Next, the billing support app 17 performs processing corresponding to the held points (step S45). Step S45 includes steps S46 to S55 described below. First, if the held points are sufficient for the billed amount, the billing support app 17 sends the print data as a print job to printer A (31) in the same manner as step S25 (step S46).

[0120] Next, printer A (31) performs user authentication (step S47) to determine whether user U is a user of printer A (31) in the same manner as in step S26. However, in step S47, the location where the password and other information are read from the received print data during user authentication is different: it is read from the IPP Attributes instead of the IPP Header.

[0121] Next, printer A (31) and the charging support app 17 perform processing according to the user authentication result of step S47 (step S48), similar to step S27. That is, in step S48, the same processing as steps S28 to S33 is performed (steps S49 to S54).

[0122] On the other hand, if the points held are insufficient for the charge amount, the charging assistance App 17 may notify the user U of an error indicating insufficient points via the universal printer driver 16 or directly (step S55). Figure 7 In the example above, the order of holding insufficient points is also shown. Figure 5 is omitted, but the order of this part in the first example Figure 5 The same is true in .

[0123] Although substantially the same effects as those achieved by the first example are achieved in the second example of the print process, setting of a password to print data can be performed in a method different from that in the first example.

[0124] Third Example of Printing Process

[0125] Regarding the third example of printing process, we will use Figure 8 To explain. Figure 8 For Figure 1A sequence diagram illustrating a third example of the printing process in the printing system 100.

[0126] In the third example, the print data sent to the printer A (31) includes a password in the PDL (page description language) instead of the IPP header in the first example. Therefore, the processing in the third example is basically the same as that in the first example, except for the processing accompanying the change in the position of the password.

[0127] Even in the third example, the processing of steps S21 to S23 of the first example is applied (steps S61 to S63). Next, the billing assistance app 17 edits the PDL data in the converted print data so that the PDL data includes the name of the PSA, which serves as the application name, and the password (step S64). A known method, such as an electronic watermarking method, can be used as a method for embedding information in the PDL data.

[0128] In step S64, the billing support app 17 calculates the billing amount and checks whether the points held are sufficient for the billing amount, similarly to step S25 in the first example, before sending the print data in step S65 described later. Next, similarly to step S25, the billing support app 17 sends the print data as a print job to printer A (31) (step S65).

[0129] Next, printer A (31) performs user authentication (step S66) by comparing the password included in the received print data with the password set within printer A (31), similar to step S26. However, in step S66, the method for reading the password from the received print data during user authentication is different. In the third example, the authentication unit 31a of printer A (31) is pre-equipped with a function for recognizing the password from the PDL data.

[0130] After that, in the third example, the same processing as steps S27 to S33 of the first example is performed (steps S67 to S73). Figure 7 As shown, the procedure for the case where the holding points are insufficient is omitted.

[0131] Even in the third example of the printing process, effects substantially similar to those achieved by the first or second example are achieved, but a password can be set to the print data using a method different from that of the first and second examples.

[0132] Other variations

[0133] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the main purpose. For example, the system structure of the printing system, the structure of each device that constitutes the system, the structure of each program included in each device, the processing sequence of each device, etc. are not limited to those shown in the examples. Furthermore, the sales server used by the OS vendor to sell applications is not limited to servers managed and operated by the vendor itself; it is a broad concept that also includes servers officially recognized by the vendor, such as servers operated by the vendor on a commission basis.

[0134] In addition, each device of the printing system according to the above embodiment can have the following hardware structure. Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As an example, the terminal device used by the user, the terminal device used by the printer administrator, the application sales server, and each printer can be listed. Figure 9 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device.

[0135] Figure 9 The device 1000 shown may include a processor 1001, a memory 1002, and an interface 1003. The interface 1003 may include, for example, a communication interface or an interface with an input / output device as required by the device.

[0136] The processor 1001 may be, for example, a CPU, a GPU, or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), also known as a microprocessor. The processor 1001 may also include multiple processors. The memory 1002 may be composed of, for example, a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The functions of each device are implemented by the processor 1001 reading programs stored in the memory 1002 and executing the programs while exchanging required information via the interface 1003.

[0137] In addition, the above-mentioned program includes an instruction group (or software code) that enables the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiment when read by the computer. The program can also be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium or a storage medium with an entity. As an example and not limitation, a computer-readable medium or a storage medium with an entity includes random-access memory (RAM, random access memory), read-only memory (ROM, read-only memory), ultra-high-speed cache memory, solid-state drive (SSD, solid-state hard disk) or other memory technology. In addition, as an example and not limitation, a computer-readable medium or a storage medium with an entity includes a CD-ROM (read-only compact disc), a digital versatile disc (DVD, digital versatile disc), a Blu-ray (registered trademark, Blu-ray) disc or other optical disc storage, a cassette tape, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program can also be transmitted on a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium. As an example and not limitation, a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium includes an electrical, optical, sound or other form of transmission signal.

[0138] While the present invention has been described above based on the aforementioned embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the aforementioned embodiments and obviously encompasses various variations, modifications, and combinations that can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical solutions set forth in the claims of this application. For example, the invention of a printing method can also be understood as an invention of a method for producing printed matter.

[0139] Explanation of symbols

[0140] 10…terminal device; 11…control unit; 12…storage unit; 13…communication unit; 14…operation unit; 15…display unit; 16…universal printer driver; 17…charging auxiliary App; 20…application (App) sales server; 31…printer A; 31a…authentication unit; 32…printer B; 32a…authentication unit; 33…printer C; 33a…authentication unit; 40…terminal device; 60…form; 100…printing system; 1000…device; 1001…processor; 1002…memory; 1003…interface; N1…network; N2…network; U…user.

Claims

1. A printing control program product, wherein the printing control program in the printing control program product causes a computer to execute the following processing, namely: Sending process, which sends print data to the printer; a billing processor that receives payment from a sales server of the computer's operating system vendor for selling the application; The calculation process is to perform calculations when the print data is sent and the printing is successful by the printer.

2. The printing control program product according to claim 1, wherein: The printing control program is a printing support application.

3. The printing control program product according to claim 2, wherein: The sales server is the original sales server that downloads the print support application itself to the computer.

4. The printing control program product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The sending process sends the print data to the printer via a universal printer driver.

5. The printing control program product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the actuarial processing, Points are awarded when a fee equivalent to the fee is paid in the above-mentioned fee processing. If the current holding points are insufficient for the equivalent reward points serving as the equivalent reward for the printing, the transmission of the print data by the transmission process is prohibited; When the print data is transmitted in the transmission process and the printing is successful, the equivalent reward points are deducted from the held points for settlement.

6. The printing control program product according to claim 5, wherein: In the sending process, When the held points are not less than the equivalent reward points, the print data is sent to the printer via a universal printer driver; When the held points are insufficient for the equivalent reward points, an error is notified to the universal printer driver.

7. The printing control program product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The print data includes a password corresponding to the permission to use the printer.

8. The printing control program product according to claim 7, wherein: The print data includes the password in a header of the Internet printing protocol.

9. The printing control program product according to claim 7, wherein: The print data includes the password in an attribute of the Internet printing protocol.

10. The printing control program product according to claim 7, wherein: The printing data includes the password in a page description language.

11. The printing control program product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the actuarial processing, Points are awarded when a fee equivalent to the fee is paid in the above-mentioned fee processing. If the printing is successful, the equivalent reward points as the equivalent reward for the printing are deducted from the currently held points based on the attributes of the Internet printing protocol.

12. A printing control device comprising: Universal printer driver; a sending processing unit that sends print data to a printer; a billing processing unit that receives payment from a sales server that sells the application program to a vendor of the operating system of the print control device; The calculation processing unit performs calculations when the print data is sent and the printing is successful by the printer.

13. A printing method comprising: a sending process in which the computer sends print data to the printer; a charging process in which the computer receives payment for the application program from a sales server of a supplier of the computer's operating system; The calculation process is a process in which the computer performs calculations when the print data is sent and the printer successfully prints the data.

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