Consumable pushing method, printing system, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a consumable pushing method, a printing system, electronic equipment and a storage medium. The consumable pushing method comprises the steps that the remaining amount of consumables of image forming equipment is acquired; when the remaining amount of the consumables is lower than a preset remaining amount threshold value, determining at least one use object of the image forming equipment; acquiring an actual pushing condition of a use object of the image forming equipment, and if the actual pushing condition meets a preset pushing condition, pushing a consumable pushing message of the image forming equipment to the use object meeting the preset pushing condition; the consumable pushing message is used for being displayed to the use object and indicating to purchase consumables of the image forming equipment. The method and the device can help to reduce the situation that use is affected due to too frequent pushing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of printing consumables delivery technology, specifically to a consumables delivery method, a printing system, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional technology, to facilitate timely replenishment of consumables when they are running low, the image forming equipment sends push notifications to users when the remaining consumables are low. However, this functionality is sometimes inadequate due to issues such as push notification times not meeting the need for timely consumable purchases or frequent push notifications, leading to some user disruption. Furthermore, traditional technology has limitations in handling situations where multiple client devices or user accounts are bound to the same image forming equipment, such as switching between different applications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a consumable delivery method, a printing system, an electronic device, and a storage medium to help solve the problem of insufficient consumable delivery functionality.

[0004] In one embodiment, this application provides a consumable delivery method applied to a server, comprising:

[0005] Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming equipment;

[0006] When the remaining amount of consumables is lower than a preset remaining amount threshold, at least one user of the image forming device is identified;

[0007] The system obtains the actual push status of the image forming equipment users. If the actual push status of the image forming equipment users meets the preset push conditions, the system pushes the consumables push message of the image forming equipment to the users who meet the preset push conditions. The consumables push message is used to display to the users and instruct them to purchase consumables for the image forming equipment.

[0008] In one embodiment, the preset push conditions are any one or a combination of the following:

[0009] First push condition: Whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device for image forming work meets the first preset number;

[0010] Second push condition: Whether the current interval since the last received consumable push message from the image forming device meets the preset time;

[0011] The third push condition: whether the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage.

[0012] In one embodiment, the actual delivery status of the image forming device's users is obtained. If the actual delivery status of the image forming device's users meets preset delivery conditions, then the consumable delivery message for the image forming device is pushed to the users who meet the preset delivery conditions, including:

[0013] Obtain the actual push status of the first user sub-object of the image forming device; the first user sub-object is the user object bound to the image forming device on the first control terminal;

[0014] If the actual push status of the first user object meets the preset push conditions, then the consumable push message of the image forming device is pushed to the first user object that meets the preset push conditions; and / or,

[0015] The system obtains the actual delivery status of the image forming equipment's users. If the actual delivery status of the image forming equipment's users meets preset delivery conditions, the system pushes the consumable delivery message of the image forming equipment to the users who meet the preset delivery conditions, including:

[0016] Obtain the actual push status of the second user sub-object of the image forming device; the second user sub-object is the user object bound to the image forming device on the second control terminal;

[0017] If the actual push situation of the second user object meets the preset push conditions, the consumable push message of the image forming device will be sent to the second user object that meets the preset push conditions.

[0018] The actual pushing situation of the first sub-object of the image forming device and the actual pushing situation of the second sub-object of the image forming device are not related.

[0019] In one embodiment, the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming apparatus is obtained, followed by:

[0020] Obtain the total number of print jobs that issue image forming jobs to the image forming equipment;

[0021] If the total reaches the threshold, then proceed with the step of obtaining the actual push status of the users of the image forming device.

[0022] In one embodiment, the sum is the sum of the number of print jobs issued by each user to the image forming device; or, the sum is the sum of the number of print jobs issued by the same user to the image forming device.

[0023] In one embodiment, the object used is a user account or a client device.

[0024] This application also provides a consumable delivery method applied to a printing system, the printing system including an image forming device, a first control terminal, a second control terminal, and a server, the method comprising:

[0025] After receiving the first consumable push message for the image forming device from the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, the first control terminal obtains the second consumable push message from the server. The first and second consumable push messages are used to display to the first control terminal and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

[0026] After receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, the second control terminal obtains the fourth consumable push message from the server if the preset push conditions are met. The third and fourth consumable push messages are used to display to the second control terminal and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

[0027] In one embodiment, the first control terminal is any one of a first application, a user account terminal of the first application, and a first client device; the second control terminal is any one of a second application, a user account terminal of the second application, and a second client device.

[0028] In one embodiment, the preset push conditions are any one or a combination of the following:

[0029] First push condition: Whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device for image forming work meets the preset number;

[0030] Second push condition: Whether the current time interval since the last received consumable push message from the image forming device meets the preset time;

[0031] The third push condition: whether the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first control terminal is a control terminal that establishes communication with the image forming device through a server, and issues image forming jobs to the image forming device through the server; the second control terminal is a control terminal that establishes communication with the image forming device through a server and / or a local area network and / or a short-range communication method.

[0033] After the second control terminal receives the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, including:

[0034] After receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, count the number of print jobs that are sent to the image forming device to create an image forming job;

[0035] Determine whether the first push condition is met based on the number of print jobs;

[0036] The number of print jobs includes the number of times the second control terminal sends image forming jobs to the image forming device via a local area network and / or via a server and / or via short-range communication.

[0037] In one embodiment, this application also provides a consumable delivery method applied to a client device, comprising:

[0038] Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming equipment;

[0039] After the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold and the third consumable push message for the image forming device is received from the server for the first time, it is determined whether the preset push conditions are met.

[0040] If so, the fourth consumable push message for the image forming device is obtained from the server; the third and fourth consumable push messages are used to display to the client device and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

[0041] In one embodiment, the preset push condition is whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device for image forming is sufficient to meet a preset number.

[0042] In one embodiment, after receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, if preset push conditions are met, including:

[0043] After receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, count the number of print jobs that are sent to the image forming device to create an image forming job;

[0044] Determine whether the preset push conditions are met based on the number of print jobs;

[0045] The number of print jobs includes the number of times the client device sends image forming jobs to the image forming device via a local area network and / or via a server and / or via short-range communication.

[0046] In one embodiment, this application also provides a printing system, including an image forming apparatus, a client device, and a server, wherein:

[0047] The server is configured to: send consumable push messages to the client device according to a first statistical mode or a second statistical mode; in the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs issued by the client device to the image forming device; if the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, the server sends a consumable push message to the client device; in the second statistical mode, the server sends a consumable push message to the client device according to the push request received from the client device when the number of second print jobs meets a second preset number locally.

[0048] The client device is configured to: send an image forming job according to a first printing mode or a second printing mode; in the first printing mode, the client device sends an image forming job to the image forming device through the server; in the second printing mode, the client device sends an image forming job to the image forming device, and the client device counts the number of second printing jobs locally;

[0049] Among them, the client device refers to the device logged in by the same user account.

[0050] In one embodiment, in the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs sent by the client device to the image forming device. If the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, a consumable push message is sent to the client device, including:

[0051] In the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs sent by different client devices to the image forming device. If the number of first print jobs of the corresponding client device meets the first preset number, a consumable push message is sent to the corresponding client device.

[0052] In one embodiment, this application also provides an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processor, wherein: the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor, and the processor can execute the above-described consumable delivery method by calling the program instructions.

[0053] In one embodiment, this application also provides a storage medium, which includes a stored program, wherein the program controls the execution of the above-described consumable delivery method in the device where the storage medium is located during runtime.

[0054] This application provides a consumable delivery method, a printing system, an electronic device, and a storage medium, which have at least the following technical effects:

[0055] By identifying the user of the image forming device, when the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is below a threshold and the actual push situation meets the push conditions, a consumables push message is sent to that user for display. Therefore, in the various embodiments of this application, by combining the user, the image forming device, and the push conditions, it helps to both push consumables push messages when the remaining amount is below the threshold and reduce the impact on user experience caused by overly frequent pushes. Simultaneously, it improves the clarity of the consumables push logic for the image forming device and reduces redundancy, further optimizing the consumables push function. Attached Figure Description

[0056] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0057] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of a printing system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a flowchart of a consumable delivery method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 3 The image shown is a schematic diagram of an information prompt provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of another information prompt provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of another information prompt provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of another information prompt provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 7 The diagram shown is another flowchart of a consumable delivery method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 8 The diagram shown is another flowchart of a consumable delivery method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 9 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0066] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0067] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] See Figure 1 The electronic device can be, but is not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, PCs, wearable devices, image forming devices, servers, and other devices with program execution capabilities. In this embodiment, the client device 120 communicates with the image forming device 110 through the server 130. The client device 120 can also connect to the image forming device 110 via a local area network or short-range communication. Therefore, the client device 120 can send image forming jobs to the image forming device 110 via the local area network or the server 130. Optionally, the client device 120 sending image forming jobs to the image forming device 110 via the local area network specifically involves the client device 120 establishing a one-to-one connection with the image forming device 110 (e.g., Bluetooth connection or the client device connecting to the image forming device's soft AP, etc.) and then sending the user's print job to the image forming device 110. When sending an image forming job to the image forming device 110 via the server 130, optionally, remote printing can be selected on the printing app of the client device 120. Through remote printing, the printing app can send the print file to the server 130, which then sends the print file to the image forming device 110. Alternatively, WeChat users or users of other platforms on the client device 120 can transfer the required print file from social media software to the server 130, which then outputs the print file to the printer. See also Figure 2 When a print job is sent to the image forming device via a server, a consumables delivery method provided in this embodiment can be executed, including:

[0069] Step S110: Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming device.

[0070] The server can obtain the remaining amount of consumables through the image forming device or the client device.

[0071] Step S120: When the remaining amount of consumables is lower than a preset remaining amount threshold, at least one user of the image forming device is identified.

[0072] The remaining quantity threshold varies for different specifications of consumable products and is adjustable. The user can be, but is not limited to, the user account or the client device. The user account can be identified using the unique UserID (useridentification), while the client device can be identified using device information such as the device serial number and / or device identification code. The client device can be any or a combination of mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, and image forming devices. Since multiple users can be bound to the same image forming device, and one user can be bound to multiple image forming devices, at least one user of the image forming device can be identified first to more accurately determine the user of the image forming device for consumable delivery.

[0073] Step S130: Obtain the actual push status of the users of the image forming equipment. If the actual push status of the users of the image forming equipment meets the preset push conditions, then push the consumable push message of the image forming equipment to the users who meet the preset push conditions. The consumable push message is used to display to the users and instruct them to purchase consumables for the image forming equipment.

[0074] The actual consumable supply status of the image forming equipment can be: the number of print jobs the user has requested from the image forming equipment, the time interval since the user last received a consumable supply push message, or the percentage decrease in the remaining consumables of the image forming equipment within a predetermined time or since the last time. Determining whether the actual supply status of the user meets the push conditions can reduce the frequency of consumable supply push messages. Since the same image forming equipment can be associated with multiple users, after obtaining the actual supply status of each user, if it is determined that the actual supply status of a user meets the preset push conditions, the consumable supply message for that image forming equipment is pushed to the corresponding user, i.e., the user meeting the push conditions. This achieves association between consumable supply push and user, reducing the impact between different users. When the consumables of the same image forming equipment associated with each user are exhausted, a consumables exhaustion prompt will be output to the user. Consumables of the image forming equipment can include: ink cartridges, drum assemblies, toner cartridges, toner canisters, etc. When obtaining information about the remaining amount of toner cartridges, if it is a color printer, it can be divided into obtaining the remaining amount of the four CMYK color toner cartridges.

[0075] See Figure 3 and Figure 5 Consumable push notifications are displayed to users, such as in the form of pop-ups. Figure 3"Insufficient consumables, [cyan] [toner cartridge] low on stock, model recommended for you." You can click "Cancel" or "View". Clicking "View" will redirect you to... Figure 4 The page lists details for the image forming device, printer A, including the remaining levels of each CMYK toner cartridge. For example, the C color cartridge has 15% remaining, the Y color cartridge has 60%, the M color cartridge has 100%, and the K color cartridge has 70%. It also displays an image of the cyan toner cartridge and a purchase link. For instance... Figure 5 As shown, the banner reads: "Your cyan powder compact is running low. Click here to view models." Clicking it will also redirect you to... Figure 4 The page.

[0076] In one feasible embodiment, assume that user A is simultaneously bound to image forming devices C and D. When the remaining consumables of image forming device C are below a certain threshold, user A sends 9 print jobs to image forming device C. Switching to image forming device D, the number of print jobs sent to it is 1. The total of 10 print jobs reaches the preset limit, but this does not trigger a push notification. Instead, user A switches back to image forming device C and sends another print job. At this point, user A's actual push activity, now bound to image forming device C, meets the push conditions, triggering a push notification and sending a consumables push message from image forming device C to user A.

[0077] In one feasible embodiment, assuming user A and user B are both bound to image forming device C, when the remaining consumables of image forming device C are below the remaining threshold, if user A's actual push meets the push condition but user B's actual push does not, the consumable push message will be sent to user A but not to user B. If both meet the conditions, the message can be pushed to both. In another feasible embodiment, if user A is a user account, when its actual push meets the push condition, the message will be pushed to different client devices logged into that user account. Both user A on the cloud printing mini-program and user A on the printing application will receive the consumable push message from image forming device C. That is, the actual push status of user A on the printing application and cloud printing mini-program is linked together on the server.

[0078] In one feasible embodiment, preferably, for a cloud printing mini-program, the user typically sends image forming jobs to the image forming device through a server, maintaining communication with the server so that the server can promptly obtain the actual push status of the user in the mini-program. For a printing app, however, jobs are sent both through the server and through a local area network or short-range communication, meaning there are instances where communication with the server is not possible. In such cases, the server's acquisition of the actual push status of the user is affected by delays, leading to inaccurate data. Therefore, to address this situation, this embodiment can be applied as follows: for the printing app, the determination of whether the actual push status meets the push conditions is performed locally within the printing app; for the mini-program, the determination is performed on the server, unaffected by the actual push status of the user in the printing app. Thus, in this embodiment, determining at least one user of the image forming device means that at least one user of the image forming device is bound to the mini-program.

[0079] If object B is a client device, then the client device is associated with the image forming device. When the actual push situation of object B meets the push conditions, a consumable push message will be pushed to the client device that meets the push conditions. That is, the actual push situation between multiple client devices bound to the same image forming device C does not affect each other.

[0080] This application's embodiments can help reduce mutual interference between different users associated with the same image forming device, and reduce the occurrence of usage disruptions due to overly frequent consumable push notifications. Simultaneously, it can improve the clarity and reduce redundancy of the consumable push notification logic for the image forming device, thereby further optimizing the consumable push notification function.

[0081] This application provides a consumables push method. By determining the user of an image forming device, and when the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is lower than a remaining threshold, and the actual push situation meets the push conditions, a consumables push message is pushed to the user so that it can be displayed to the user. Furthermore, this application embodiment, by combining the user, the image forming device, and the push conditions, helps to achieve both pushing consumables push messages when the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining threshold and reducing the occurrence of usage disruptions due to overly frequent pushes. Simultaneously, it improves the clarity of the consumables push logic for the image forming device and reduces redundancy, further optimizing the consumables push function.

[0082] In one specific embodiment, the preset push conditions are any one or a combination of the first push conditions, the second push conditions, and the third push conditions.

[0083] In one specific embodiment, the push condition is a first push condition: whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device for image forming work meets a first preset number.

[0084] In this embodiment, the user and the image forming device are associated. That is, when different users are bound to the same image forming device, the number of print jobs sent by each user to the same device can be counted separately, without affecting each other. Since each print job consumes remaining consumables, tracking the number of print jobs triggers a notification, which helps reduce frequent notifications while providing timely reminders so that consumables can be replaced within a reasonable timeframe.

[0085] In one feasible embodiment, assuming that user A and user B are both bound to the same image forming device C, when the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold, user A sends a first preset number of print jobs to image forming device C, but does not satisfy user B. In this case, a consumables push message is sent to user A, and vice versa. If the condition is met for both, a consumables push message can be sent to both.

[0086] In one specific embodiment, the push condition is a second push condition: whether the current interval since the last received consumable push message from the image forming device meets a preset time.

[0087] When the remaining consumables of the image forming equipment fall below the remaining threshold, and the user obtains a consumable push message for the image forming equipment, the current push time can be recorded. Then, based on this time, consumable pushes can be triggered again at preset intervals. This interval can be set according to actual needs, and can be, but is not limited to, 48 hours or 72 hours.

[0088] In one feasible embodiment, assuming that multiple users are bound to the same image forming device C, when the remaining amount of consumables of the image forming device C is lower than the remaining amount threshold, a consumable push message is pushed to each user bound to the image forming device C. Then, the current push time of each user is recorded, and the push is triggered again for the corresponding user after the respective interval time is reached.

[0089] The consumables push method of this application pushes consumables push messages for image forming equipment to users based on time intervals. This helps reduce frequent pushes while providing a certain frequency of reminders, thus meeting different usage needs.

[0090] In one embodiment, the push condition is a third push condition: whether the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables of the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage.

[0091] Suppose multiple users are bound to the same image forming device C. When the remaining consumables of image forming device C are less than or equal to a remaining threshold, the usage of consumables on image forming device C can be monitored. The system checks if the percentage decrease in remaining consumables is greater than or equal to a preset percentage. If so, a consumables push notification is sent to the corresponding user. These user groups do not affect each other. For example, if the remaining consumables of image forming device C bound to user A fall below the remaining threshold, and subsequent usage causes a decrease greater than or equal to a preset percentage, but user B has not used image forming device C during this period, then user A will trigger a push notification, while user B will not.

[0092] Furthermore, assuming multiple users are bound to the same image forming device C, when the remaining consumables of image forming device C are less than or equal to a remaining threshold, the usage of consumables of image forming device C can be monitored. The percentage decrease in the remaining consumables each time can be checked against a preset percentage. If so, a push notification is triggered for each user. Optionally, before triggering a push notification, it can be determined whether the time interval since the last time a user received a consumables push notification from image forming device C meets a preset time. If it does, the push is then triggered.

[0093] The consumable delivery method in this application triggers the delivery of consumable delivery messages based on the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables, thereby reducing the frequency of message delivery and also triggering timely and effective reminders so that appropriate measures can be taken before the consumables are about to run out.

[0094] In one specific embodiment, the actual push status of the image forming device's users is obtained. If the actual push status of the image forming device's users meets preset push conditions, then the consumable push message of the image forming device is pushed to the users who meet the preset push conditions, including:

[0095] Step S210: Obtain the actual push status of the first user sub-object of the image forming device; the first user sub-object is the user object bound to the image forming device on the first control terminal.

[0096] Step S220: If the actual push status of the first user object meets the preset push conditions, then the consumable push message of the image forming device is pushed to the first user object that meets the preset push conditions.

[0097] And / or, obtain the actual delivery status of the users of the image forming equipment. If the actual delivery status of the users of the image forming equipment meets the preset delivery conditions, then push the consumable delivery message of the image forming equipment to the users who meet the preset delivery conditions, including:

[0098] Step S230: Obtain the actual push status of the second user object of the image forming device; the second user object is the user object bound to the image forming device on the second control terminal.

[0099] Step S240: If the actual push status of the second user object meets the preset push conditions, then the consumable push message of the image forming device is sent to the second user object that meets the preset push conditions.

[0100] The actual pushing situation of the first sub-object of the image forming device and the actual pushing situation of the second sub-object of the image forming device are not related.

[0101] The first and second user objects are different control terminals. They could be two different applications, two different client devices, or two different user accounts logged into the same application or client device. No specific limitations are made here. Both can be bound to the same image forming device and control the execution of image forming. Their actual push statuses are independent, meaning that their actual push statuses are used independently to determine whether preset push conditions are met. Therefore, when the actual push status of the corresponding user object meets the preset push conditions, the consumable push message can be sent to the corresponding user object, thereby helping to reduce interference with other users. The server can identify the source of the received data through communication identification methods such as the user's identity ID, device identification code, or application programming interface.

[0102] In one feasible approach, the first user sub-object is the cloud printing mini-program, and the second user sub-object is the printing app. Users logged into the cloud printing mini-program and the printing app can be the same or different users, or there may be no logged-in user. Both the first and second user sub-objects are bound to the same image forming device. Since different applications use different application programming interfaces (APIs) to transmit data with the server, the origin of the data can be identified by recognizing the data received from different APIs. Furthermore, different applications use different communication and data parsing protocols when transmitting data with the server; the origin of the received data can also be identified by recognizing these protocols. During the consumables push notification process, the server obtains and judges the actual push status of the first and second user sub-objects bound to the image forming device C. If either meets a preset push condition, the consumables push notification is sent to the user sub-object that meets the preset push condition, and not to the user sub-object that does not meet the condition.

[0103] In the consumables delivery method of this application embodiment, the actual delivery situations of the first and second user sub-objects of the image forming device are independent and unrelated, thereby preventing data overlap between different user objects and reducing the impact on different users. This application embodiment can help reduce the frequency of consumables delivery messages to users while ensuring the independence between different user objects, making the delivery logic and delivery objects clearer, preventing mutual interference, and further optimizing the consumables delivery function. In a specific embodiment, the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is obtained, followed by:

[0104] Step S410: Obtain the total number of print jobs issued to the image forming device.

[0105] In one specific embodiment, the sum is the sum of the number of print jobs issued by each user to the image forming device; or, the sum is the sum of the number of print jobs issued by the same user to the image forming device.

[0106] Since each print job consumes a remaining amount of consumables, and to promptly send consumable push notifications to users of the image forming equipment so that appropriate measures can be taken within a reasonable timeframe, a system can be implemented to sum the number of print jobs after the remaining consumables fall below a certain threshold. This sum could be the total number of image forming jobs sent to all users bound to the same image forming equipment, or the total number of image forming jobs sent to the same image forming equipment by the same user. The specific setting can be determined based on actual needs.

[0107] Step S420: If the sum reaches the threshold, then execute the step of obtaining the actual push status of the user of the image forming device.

[0108] The consumable delivery method in this application embodiment obtains the total number of print jobs issued to the image forming device, and then determines whether the actual delivery status of the user of the image forming device meets the delivery conditions. This helps prevent delivery delays, improves the timeliness and accuracy of delivery, and also reduces interference caused by frequent message deliveries to some extent.

[0109] In one specific embodiment, the object of use is a user account or a client device.

[0110] The application can be, but is not limited to, user accounts or client devices. User accounts can be identified by the unique identifier UserID, while client devices can be identified by device information such as the device's serial number (SN) and / or device identification code.

[0111] The consumables push method in this application embodiment allows for the use of a user account logged into the device. If a user account is logged in on the device, the user account can be used as the target device, ensuring accurate consumables push notifications even when logged in on other devices. If no user account is logged in on the device, the client device bound to the image forming equipment can be used as the target device, facilitating reminders and reducing limitations. This application embodiment helps to push consumables push notifications when the remaining consumables are below a threshold, while also reducing the impact of overly frequent pushes on usage, thus meeting diverse user needs.

[0112] See Figure 1 and Figure 7 This application also provides a consumable delivery method applied to a printing system, the printing system including an image forming device 110, a first control terminal 1210, a second control terminal 1220, and a server 130, the method including:

[0113] Step S510: After the first control terminal receives the first consumable push message of the image forming device pushed by the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, it obtains the second consumable push message from the server; the first consumable push message and the second consumable push message are used to display to the first control terminal and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

[0114] Step S520: After the second control terminal receives the third consumable push message for the image forming device from the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, it obtains the fourth consumable push message from the server; the third and fourth consumable push messages are used to display to the second control terminal and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

[0115] In this embodiment, the image forming device is the same image forming device bound to both the first control terminal and the second control terminal. In the printing system, the client device includes both the first and second control terminals. The control terminal can be an application running on the client device or the client device itself. Further, the first and second control terminals are two different control entities, such as two different applications, two different client devices, or two different user accounts logged into the same application or on the same client device; no specific limitations are made here. In this embodiment, the determination of whether the first and second control terminals meet the preset push conditions is independent and unrelated. When the first control terminal meets the preset push conditions, it obtains a second consumable push message from the server. When the second control terminal meets the preset push conditions, it obtains a fourth consumable push message from the server.

[0116] In one feasible approach, the first control terminal is an application that sends image forming jobs to the image forming equipment via a server. This application maintains communication with the server and can be used without downloading or installing. Specifically, the first control terminal can locally determine whether the push conditions are met upon receiving the first consumable push message from the server. More preferably, the server performs the push condition determination; after receiving the first consumable push message from the server, the server determines whether the preset push conditions are met when the remaining consumables in the image forming equipment are below a certain threshold. The first control terminal can be used to log in to different user accounts, which are bound to the same image forming equipment. The server can identify the source of received data and send the data to the corresponding user account by recognizing the user's unique identifier (UserID).

[0117] The second control terminal is the printing app, which can have the push conditions determined by the server. However, since the printing app may send images to form jobs via the server or a local area network (LAN), and if the printing app sends print jobs via the LAN (i.e., images form jobs), frequent interaction with the server, such as reporting to the server every time a job is sent, would increase the number of network requests and potentially cause confusion for users regarding data being sent externally. Even with cumulative reporting, delays or reliance on the network could lead to unsuccessful reporting due to delayed information transmission, affecting accuracy. Therefore, to ensure data integrity and data privacy, especially when printing jobs are sent via the LAN, it is preferable for the second control terminal to determine whether it meets the push conditions locally.

[0118] The first and second control terminals can be either client devices acting as the user object, or user accounts acting as the user object for determination. If the client device itself acts as the user object, the consumable push message is received by the client device and is not affected by other user accounts; other user accounts logged in on the same client device can also receive it. If the user account acts as the user object for determination, the consumable push message is received by the user account logged in on the application and is not affected by the controlled client device; the same user account can also receive it when logged in on other client devices.

[0119] Since the same image forming device is used between the first control terminal and the second control terminal, in order to prevent cross-influence and improve the clarity and accuracy of the push logic, while serving to remind users of consumables, the effect of frequently pushing consumables push messages to users can be reduced. The push conditions can be judged through different channels, so that the push condition judgments of the first control terminal and the second control terminal are independent of each other. Thus, when users use the image forming device through the first control terminal, they will not be affected by the interference of the second control terminal, which will affect the user experience.

[0120] In one feasible embodiment, the first control terminal is, for example, a cloud printing mini-program, and the second control terminal is, for example, a printing APP, both of which are bound to the same image forming device.

[0121] When the user of the cloud printing mini-program receives the first consumable push message from the server for the image forming device, the server determines whether the user of the cloud printing mini-program meets the preset push conditions when the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is lower than the remaining amount threshold. If it does, the server obtains the second push message.

[0122] When the printing app receives the third consumable push notification from the server for the first time, it locally determines whether it meets the preset push conditions. If so, it retrieves the fourth consumable push conditions from the server. The above method uses independent consumable push condition judgments for the same image forming device bound to the cloud printing mini-program and the printing app.

[0123] The consumables push method of this application embodiment is applied to a printing system. It performs consumables push condition judgments on the use of the image forming device on a first control terminal and a second control terminal, respectively, involving cooperation between the first control terminal, the second control terminal, the image forming device, and the server. This prevents cross-influence of data between different control terminals, thus avoiding impact on user experience. It also makes the push logic clearer and more accurate, serving as a consumables reminder while reducing the frequency of frequent consumables push messages, thereby minimizing interference with normal use and reducing the load on the server caused by processing excessive data.

[0124] In one specific embodiment, the first control terminal is any one of the first application, the user account terminal of the first application, and the first client device; the second control terminal is any one of the second application, the user account terminal of the second application, and the second client device.

[0125] In this application embodiment, one of the following can be used as the control terminal: an application, a user account logged in on the application, or a client device, thereby meeting different usage scenarios and user needs.

[0126] In one specific embodiment, the preset push conditions are any one or a combination of the first push conditions, the second push conditions, and the third push conditions.

[0127] In one specific embodiment, the push condition is a first push condition: whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device for image forming work meets a preset number.

[0128] Since each printing job consumes the remaining amount of consumables, tracking the number of prints to trigger push notifications can help reduce the frequency of push notifications while also providing timely reminders so that consumables can be replaced within a reasonable timeframe.

[0129] For example, the first control terminal is a cloud printing mini-program, and the second control terminal is a printing APP, both of which are bound to the same image forming device.

[0130] When the cloud printing mini-program receives the first consumable push message from the server for the image forming device, it counts the number of print jobs sent by the cloud printing mini-program to the image forming device when the remaining consumable amount in the image forming device is lower than the remaining amount threshold. If the counted number of print jobs reaches a preset number, the push condition is determined to be met; otherwise, it is not.

[0131] When the printing app receives the second consumable push message from the server for the first time, it counts the number of print jobs sent by the printing app to the image forming device. If the counted number of print jobs reaches a preset number, the push condition is met; otherwise, it is not. Preferably, the second control terminal counts the number of print jobs locally.

[0132] The consumables push method in this application embodiment performs consumables push condition judgments on the use of the image forming device on the first control terminal and the second control terminal respectively. This prevents cross-influence of data between different control terminals, thus avoiding impact on user experience. It also makes the push logic clearer and more accurate, serving as a consumables reminder while reducing the frequency of frequent consumables push messages, thereby minimizing interference with normal use and reducing the load on the server caused by processing excessive data. Since each print job consumes the remaining consumables, push notifications are triggered by counting the number of print jobs, allowing for consumables replacement within a valid timeframe.

[0133] In one specific embodiment, the push condition is a second push condition: whether the current interval since the last received consumable push message from the image forming device meets a preset time.

[0134] The preset time can be set according to actual needs, and can be 12 hours or 24 hours.

[0135] In one feasible approach, when the cloud printing mini-program first receives the first consumable push message from the server for the image forming device, and the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is lower than the remaining amount threshold, the time interval between the cloud printing mini-program and the last time it received the consumable push message from the image forming device is counted. If the time interval is met, the push condition is determined to be met; otherwise, it is not met.

[0136] When the printing app obtains the remaining amount of consumables from the image forming device, and the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold, and the app receives the third consumables push message from the server for the first time, the app times the interval since the last time it received the consumables push message from the image forming device. If the preset time is reached, the push condition is determined to be met; otherwise, it is not met.

[0137] The consumable push method in this application embodiment, combined with time-interval triggered message push, not only serves as a consumable reminder, but also helps to reduce the frequency of frequent consumable push messages, thereby reducing interference with normal use and reducing the load caused by the server processing too much data.

[0138] In one specific embodiment, the push condition is a third push condition: the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables of the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage.

[0139] The preset percentage can be set according to actual needs.

[0140] In one feasible approach, when the cloud printing mini-program receives the first consumable push message from the server for the image forming device, if the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device is lower than the remaining amount threshold, the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming device bound to the cloud printing mini-program is calculated as a percentage decrease within a preset time or from the last time. If the remaining amount is greater than or equal to the preset percentage, the push condition is determined to be met; otherwise, it is not met.

[0141] When the printing app obtains the remaining amount of consumables from the image forming device, and the remaining amount is below a threshold, and it receives the first third consumables push message from the server, it calculates the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables of the image forming device bound to the printing app within a preset time period or from the last time. If the percentage decrease is greater than or equal to the preset percentage, the push condition is deemed met; otherwise, it is not. Preferably, the second control terminal calculates the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables locally, i.e., it performs the push condition judgment locally.

[0142] Optionally, after the condition is greater than or equal to a preset percentage, it can be further determined whether the interval between the current time and the last time the consumable push message of the image forming device was received meets the preset time. If it does, the consumable push message of the image forming device can be retrieved from the server.

[0143] The consumable push method in this application triggers message push based on the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables. While serving as a consumable reminder, it also helps reduce the frequency of frequent consumable push messages, thereby reducing interference with normal use and reducing the load on the server caused by processing too much data.

[0144] In one specific embodiment, the first control terminal is a control terminal that establishes communication with the image forming device through a server, and issues image forming jobs to the image forming device through the server; the second control terminal is a control terminal that establishes communication with the image forming device through a server and / or a local area network and / or a short-range communication method.

[0145] When the second control terminal receives the third consumable push message for the image forming device from the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, including:

[0146] Step S610: After receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, count the number of print jobs that have been sent to the image forming device for image forming.

[0147] Step S620: Determine whether the first push condition is met based on the number of print jobs.

[0148] The number of print jobs includes the number of print jobs sent from the second control terminal to the image forming device via a local area network and / or a server and / or via short-range communication.

[0149] When the number of print jobs reaches a preset number, the first push condition is determined to be met; otherwise, it is determined that the first push condition is not met. In this embodiment, in addition to issuing print jobs through the server, the second control terminal may also issue print jobs through a local area network and / or short-range communication. However, issuing print jobs through a local area network requires reporting to the server for each print job, increasing the number of network requests and potentially causing confusion for users regarding data transmission. Even with cumulative reporting, delays or network reliance may lead to untimely information transmission, affecting accuracy. Therefore, preferably, the second control terminal locally counts the number of print jobs, including those issued through a local area network and / or through a server and / or short-range communication, i.e., it performs the push condition determination locally.

[0150] In this embodiment of the consumable delivery method, the printing modes of the first control terminal and the second control terminal are different. The first control terminal's printing mode involves sending images from the server to form a job, while the second control terminal's printing mode can send images in different ways to form a job. This embodiment can determine the delivery conditions based on different control terminals. Specifically, for the second control terminal, it can count the number of print jobs, serving as a consumable reminder while reducing the frequency of frequent consumable delivery messages, thus minimizing interference with normal use. Furthermore, it helps prevent data overlap between the first and second control terminals, making the delivery logic clearer and further optimizing the consumable delivery function.

[0151] In one embodiment, this application also provides a consumable delivery method applied to a client device, comprising:

[0152] Step S710: Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming device.

[0153] The remaining amount of consumables can be sent by the image forming equipment.

[0154] Step S720: When the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold and the third consumable push message of the image forming device is received from the server for the first time, determine whether the preset push conditions are met.

[0155] The push conditions are as follows: whether the number of print jobs sent by the client device to the image forming device meets a preset number; or whether the time interval between the current client device and the last time it received a consumable push message from the image forming device meets a preset condition; or whether the percentage decrease in the remaining consumables of the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage. These judgments are made relative to the same image forming device bound to the client device.

[0156] Step S730: If yes, then obtain the fourth consumable push message for the image forming device from the server; the third and fourth consumable push messages are used to display to the client device and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

[0157] The client device can be a mobile phone, tablet, PC, or image forming device, etc. Preferably, to ensure data integrity and data privacy, such as when distributing print jobs over a local area network, the client device determines whether the push conditions are met; that is, the client device determines whether the push conditions are met locally.

[0158] In one feasible embodiment, assuming that the client device is bound to both image forming devices C and D, it is determined that image forming device C meets the push conditions, but image forming device D does not. At this time, a push is triggered to obtain the fourth consumable push message of image forming device C from the server.

[0159] In one feasible embodiment, assuming that client device A and client device B are both bound to image forming device C, when the remaining amount of consumables of image forming device C is lower than the remaining amount threshold, and when both receive the third consumable push message of image forming device C pushed by the server for the first time, they each determine whether to push the message.

[0160] The consumables push method of this application embodiment is applied to a client device. By combining the client device, the image forming device, and the push conditions, it helps to push consumables push messages when the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold, and also helps to reduce the occurrence of usage disruptions caused by excessively frequent pushes. At the same time, it can improve the clarity of the consumables push logic for the image forming device and reduce redundancy, thereby further optimizing the consumables push function.

[0161] In one specific embodiment, after receiving the third consumable push message for the image forming device from the server for the first time, it is determined whether the preset push conditions are met, including:

[0162] Step S910: After receiving the consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, count the number of print jobs that have been sent to the image forming device for image forming.

[0163] Step S920: Determine whether the preset push conditions are met based on the number of print jobs.

[0164] The number of print jobs includes the number of print jobs sent by the client device to the image forming device via a local area network and / or server and / or short-range communication.

[0165] If the preset number of print jobs is reached, the push condition is considered met; otherwise, it is considered not met. Preferably, to ensure data integrity and the privacy of the printed jobs, the client device determines whether the push condition is met locally.

[0166] The consumables push method of this application can help ensure data integrity and data privacy when issuing print jobs. It can prevent cross-influence of data between different client devices, which would affect user experience. At the same time, it can make the push logic clearer and more accurate. While serving as a consumables reminder, it can also help reduce the frequency of consumables push messages and reduce the load on the server caused by processing too much data.

[0167] In a feasible real-time scenario, suppose a client device is simultaneously bound to image forming devices C and D. If the number of print jobs sent to image forming device C is 9, and the device is switched to image forming device D and a print job is sent to it once, the total is 10, reaching the preset limit, but this does not trigger a push notification. Instead, the device switches back to image forming device C and sends another print job. At this point, the push notification condition is met relative to image forming device C, and a push notification is triggered, retrieving the consumables push message for image forming device C from the server.

[0168] See Figure 8 In one feasible embodiment, applied to a client device, the method is illustrated using the push condition of whether the number of print jobs for image forming tasks sent to the image forming device meets a preset number. The specific process is as follows:

[0169] Step S810: Determine whether the remaining amount of consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold. If not, proceed to step S812; if yes, proceed to step S814.

[0170] Step S812: Do not process.

[0171] Step S814: Is this the first time consumables have been pushed to the image forming device? If yes, proceed to step S816; otherwise, proceed to step S818.

[0172] Step S816: Send the device information of the image forming device, the information of the client device, and the information of consumables below the margin threshold to the server, and execute step S840.

[0173] Step S818: Determine whether the number of print jobs issued to the image forming device meets the preset number. If yes, proceed to step S820; otherwise, proceed to step S828.

[0174] Step S820: Send the device information of the image forming device, the information of the client device, and the information of consumables below the margin threshold to the server.

[0175] Step S824: Receive the information returned by the server regarding whether it conforms to the push notification. If it does, proceed to step S826; otherwise, return to step S812.

[0176] If it does not meet the requirements, it means that the client device has not enabled push notifications or does not meet the regional requirements.

[0177] Step S826: Obtain and display the consumable push message from the image forming device, and display it in the form of a banner, such as... Figure 5 Meanwhile, a new notification message has been added to the message center. Clicking "Message Center" will take you to the notification center. Figure 6 .

[0178] Step S828: Send the device information of the image forming device, the information of the client device, and the information of consumables below the margin threshold to the server.

[0179] Step S830: Receive the information returned by the server regarding whether it conforms to the push notification. If it does, proceed to step S832; otherwise, proceed to step S834.

[0180] Step S832: If there is a consumables push message being displayed, keep it displayed; otherwise, do nothing.

[0181] This prevents the message from being missed.

[0182] Step S834: If there is a consumables push message currently displayed, hide it; otherwise, do nothing.

[0183] Step S840: Receive the information returned by the server regarding whether it conforms to the push notification. If it does, proceed to step S842; otherwise, return to step S812.

[0184] Step S842: Determine whether a consumables push message has been displayed in the form of a pop-up window. If yes, proceed to step S844; otherwise, return to step S826.

[0185] Step S848: Displayed as a pop-up window, such as Figure 3 .

[0186] Specifically, the status value can be used to determine whether a consumables push message is being displayed. Optionally, when it is being displayed, the corresponding status value is recorded, while the current information used to determine whether the push conditions are met is cleared, such as clearing the number of print jobs. Before the next consumables push message from the image forming device is needed, the status value is read, and the status value is used to determine whether it is being displayed.

[0187] In one feasible embodiment, the sent consumables push messages can be associated with a user account. When a user logs into their account on a client device, and then switches between multiple platforms such as a mini-program and an app, all sent messages will be synchronized. In another scenario, there may be inconsistencies in the binding relationship between the user and the image forming device. Suppose the same user account is bound to image forming device C in a mini-program and receives two consumables push messages. If the user account then switches to the app, but the app is not bound to image forming device C, the app's homepage will not display the consumables push messages previously displayed on the mini-program because there is no binding relationship, but they will still be synchronized to the message center. Figure 5 You can click "Message Center" to view and jump to the following page. Figure 6 The system displays a notification message: "Low consumables reminder: Your cyan toner cartridge is running low. Click here to view." Clicking the message will redirect you to the following page. Figure 4 page.

[0188] See Figure 1 In one embodiment, this application also provides a printing system, including an image forming apparatus 110, a client device 120, and a server 130, wherein:

[0189] The server is configured to: send consumable push messages to the client device according to a first statistical mode or a second statistical mode; in the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs issued by the client device to the image forming device, and if the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, the server sends a consumable push message to the client device; in the second statistical mode, the server sends a consumable push message to the client device according to the push request received from the client device when the number of second print jobs locally meets a second preset number.

[0190] The client device is configured to: send image forming jobs according to a first printing mode or a second printing mode; in the first printing mode, the client device sends image forming jobs to the image forming device through the server; in the second printing mode, the client device sends image forming jobs to the image forming device, and the client device counts the number of second printing jobs locally.

[0191] Among them, the client device refers to the device logged in by the same user account.

[0192] In this embodiment, the client device can run various applications, such as a printing applet or a printing app. That is, depending on the type of application running, the client device has a first printing mode and a second printing mode. For example, when running a printing applet, image forming jobs are sent in the first printing mode; when running a printing app, image forming jobs are sent in the second printing mode, and the number of second printing jobs is counted locally in the second printing mode. Furthermore, in the second printing mode, the client device can send image forming jobs to the image forming device via a server and / or a local area network and / or short-range communication. Therefore, to reduce the frequency of interactions with the server, which increases the number of network requests, and to prevent reporting delays or untimely information transmission due to network reliance, thus affecting data accuracy, the client device counts the number of second printing jobs locally in the second printing mode to ensure data integrity and privacy.

[0193] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server counts the number of first print jobs when the same client device or device logged in with the same user account sends image forming jobs to the same image forming device. That is, in the first statistical mode, while processing the image forming jobs sent by the client device to transmit to the image forming device, the server can also count the number of times the client device sends image forming jobs to the same image forming device. When the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, a consumables push message is sent to the client device. In the second statistical mode, the server may process or not process image forming jobs depending on the printing mode of the client device, and may send consumables push messages to the same client device or to the same user account based on the received push request. Therefore, in this embodiment, the server can send consumables push messages to the client device based on either the first or second statistical mode. That is, when the same client device switches between running different applications and sending image forming jobs through different printing modes, the server can adopt different statistical modes based on different situations. Thus, when a user switches between different applications, the occurrence of multiple consumables push messages affecting normal use can be reduced, improving the user experience while still providing consumables push functionality.

[0194] The printing system in this application embodiment includes an image forming apparatus, a client device, and a server. The server sends consumable push messages to the client device according to a first statistical mode or a second statistical mode, depending on the client device's printing mode. The client device is either the same client device or a device logged into the same user account. Therefore, this application embodiment can help reduce the impact on user experience caused by excessively frequent consumable push messages. It can also help improve the clarity of the consumable push logic and reduce program redundancy. Furthermore, it can help reduce server load and prevent inaccurate consumable pushes due to excessive data requests.

[0195] In one specific embodiment, in the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs sent by the client device to the image forming device. If the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, a consumable push message is sent to the client device, including:

[0196] In the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs sent by different client devices to the image forming device. If the number of first print jobs of the corresponding client device meets the first preset number, a consumable push message is sent to the corresponding client device.

[0197] In this embodiment, assuming multiple client devices are simultaneously bound to the same image forming device D, and these client devices are A, B, and C, the server, in a first statistical mode, can count the number of first print jobs sent by different client devices to the image forming device D. At this time, if the count of first print jobs for client device A is 5, for client device B is 6, and for client device C is 10, then client device 3 meets the first preset count requirement and will send a consumables push message to client device C, instead of sending one to the other two client devices.

[0198] In this embodiment, when different client devices are bound to the same image forming device, the number of print jobs sent by the same client device to the image forming device can be counted separately and independently. Since each print job consumes the remaining amount of consumables, triggering push notifications by counting the number of print jobs helps reduce frequent push notifications while also providing timely reminders so that consumables can be replaced within a valid timeframe.

[0199] In one embodiment, this application also provides an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processor, wherein: the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor, and the processor can execute the consumable delivery method described in the above embodiments by calling the program instructions.

[0200] In one embodiment, this application also provides a storage medium including a stored program, wherein, when the program is running, it controls the execution of the consumable delivery method described in the above embodiments in the device where the storage medium is located.

[0201] In one possible implementation, see [link to implementation details]. Figure 1 This application provides a printing system, which includes an image forming apparatus, a client device, and a server. The client device is used to execute the method steps performed by the client device in the consumable delivery method of the above embodiments, and the server is used to execute the method steps performed by the server in the consumable delivery method of the above embodiments.

[0202] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of an electronic device. Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device may include at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the processing unit, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the processing unit, and the processor can execute the consumable delivery method provided in this embodiment by calling the program instructions.

[0203] The aforementioned electronic device can be a device capable of intelligent dialogue with the user, such as a server. This specification does not limit the specific form of the electronic device in the embodiments. It is understood that the electronic device here refers to the machine mentioned in the method embodiments.

[0204] Figure 9 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic device suitable for implementing embodiments of this specification is shown. Figure 9 The electronic device shown is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments described in this specification.

[0205] like Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device is represented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device may include, but are not limited to: one or more processors 1110, communication interface 1120, memory 1130, and communication bus 1140 connecting different system components (including memory 1130, communication interface 1120 and processor 1110).

[0206] Communication bus 1140 represents one or more of several bus architectures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus using any of the various bus architectures. Examples of these architectures include, but are not limited to, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) buses, Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) buses, Enhanced ISA buses, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local buses, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) buses.

[0207] Electronic devices typically include a variety of computer-readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the electronic device, including volatile and non-volatile media, and removable and non-removable media.

[0208] Memory 1130 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The electronic device may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. Memory 1130 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of the embodiments described herein.

[0209] A program / utility having a set (at least one) of program modules can be stored in memory 1130. Such program modules include—but are not limited to—an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules typically perform the functions and / or methods described in the embodiments of this specification.

[0210] The processor 1110 executes various functional applications and data processing by running programs stored in the memory 1130, such as implementing the consumable delivery method provided in the embodiments shown in this specification.

[0211] This specification provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores computer instructions that cause the computer to execute the consumable delivery method provided in the embodiments shown in this specification.

[0212] The aforementioned non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable media. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example,—but not limited to—an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0213] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including—but not limited to—electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, capable of transmitting, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0214] The program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including—but not limited to—wireless, wire, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0215] Computer program code for performing the operations described herein may be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or it may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0216] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are possible or may be advantageous.

[0217] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this specification, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0218] Any process or method described in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing custom logic functions or processes, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of this specification includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of this specification pertain.

[0219] Depending on the context, the word "if" as used here can be interpreted as "when," "when," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, depending on the context, the phrase "if determination" or "if detection (of the stated condition or event)" can be interpreted as "when determination," "in response to determination," "when detection (of the stated condition or event)," or "in response to detection (of the stated condition or event)."

[0220] It should be noted that the terminals involved in the embodiments of this specification may include, but are not limited to, personal computers (PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless handheld devices, tablet computers, mobile phones, MP3 players, MP4 players, etc.

[0221] In the embodiments provided in this specification, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0222] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this specification can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software functional units.

[0223] The integrated units implemented as software functional units described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. These software functional units, stored in a storage medium, include several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this specification.

[0224] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit this specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this specification should be included within the scope of protection of this specification.

Claims

1. A method for delivering consumables, characterized in that, Applied to servers, including: Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming equipment; When the remaining amount of the consumables is lower than a preset remaining amount threshold, at least one user of the image forming device is identified; The actual push status of the users of the image forming device is obtained. If the actual push status of the users of the image forming device meets the preset push conditions, the consumable push message of the image forming device is pushed to the users who meet the preset push conditions. The consumable push message is used to display to the users and instruct them to purchase the consumables of the image forming device.

2. The consumable delivery method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset push conditions are any one or a combination of the following: First push condition: Whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device to form an image job meets the first preset number; Second push condition: Whether the current interval since the last receipt of the consumable push message from the image forming device meets the preset time; The third push condition: whether the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables of the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage.

3. The consumable delivery method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Obtain the actual push status of the users of the image forming apparatus. If the actual push status of the users of the image forming apparatus meets the preset push conditions, then push the consumable push message of the image forming apparatus to the users who meet the preset push conditions, including: Obtain the actual push status of the first user sub-object of the image forming device; the first user sub-object is the user object bound to the image forming device on the first control terminal; If the actual push status of the first user object meets the preset push conditions, then the consumable push message of the image forming device is pushed to the first user object that meets the preset push conditions; and / or, Obtain the actual push status of the users of the image forming equipment. If the actual push status of the users of the image forming equipment meets the preset push conditions, then push the consumable push message of the image forming equipment to the users who meet the preset push conditions, including: The actual push status of the second user sub-object of the image forming device is obtained; the second user sub-object is the user object bound to the image forming device on the second control terminal. If the actual push status of the second user object meets the preset push conditions, then the consumable push message of the image forming device is sent to the second user object that meets the preset push conditions; The actual pushing situation of the first sub-object of the image forming device and the actual pushing situation of the second sub-object of the image forming device are not related.

4. The consumable delivery method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming device, followed by: Obtain the total number of print jobs that issue image forming jobs to the image forming device; If the sum reaches a threshold, then the step of obtaining the actual push status of the users of the image forming device is executed.

5. The consumable delivery method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sum is the sum of the number of print jobs issued by each of the users to the image forming device; or, the sum is the sum of the number of print jobs issued by the same user to the image forming device.

6. The consumable delivery method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target audience is the user account or client device.

7. A method for delivering consumables, characterized in that, Applied to a printing system, the printing system including an image forming device, a first control terminal, a second control terminal, and a server, the method includes: After the first control terminal receives the first consumable push message for the image forming device pushed by the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, it obtains the second consumable push message from the server; the first consumable push message and the second consumable push message are used to display to the first control terminal and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device; After the second control terminal receives the third consumable push message for the image forming device from the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, it obtains the fourth consumable push message from the server. The third and fourth consumable push messages are used to display to the second control terminal and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

8. The consumable delivery method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first control terminal is any one of the first application, the user account terminal of the first application, and the first client device; the second control terminal is any one of the second application, the user account terminal of the second application, and the second client device.

9. The consumable delivery method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The preset push conditions are any one or a combination of the following: First push condition: Whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device to form an image job meets the preset number; Second push condition: Whether the current time interval since the last received consumable push message from the image forming device meets the preset time; The third push condition: whether the percentage decrease in the remaining amount of consumables of the image forming device is greater than or equal to a preset percentage.

10. The consumable delivery method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first control terminal is a control terminal that establishes communication with the image forming device through the server, and issues image forming jobs to the image forming device through the server; the second control terminal is a control terminal that establishes communication with the image forming device through the server and / or a local area network and / or a short-range communication method. After the second control terminal receives the third consumable push message for the image forming device from the server for the first time, if the preset push conditions are met, including: After receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, the number of print jobs that send image forming jobs to the image forming device is counted. Based on the number of print jobs, determine whether the first push condition is met; The number of printing jobs includes the number of times the second control terminal sends image forming jobs to the image forming device via a local area network and / or via the server and / or via short-range communication.

11. A method for delivering consumables, characterized in that, Applied to a client device, the method includes: Obtain the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming equipment; After the remaining amount of the consumables is lower than the remaining amount threshold and the third consumable push message of the image forming device is received from the server for the first time, it is determined whether the preset push conditions are met. If so, a fourth consumables push message for the image forming device is obtained from the server; the third and fourth consumables push messages are used to display to the client device and instruct it to purchase consumables for the image forming device.

12. The consumable delivery method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The preset push condition is whether the number of print jobs sent to the image forming device for image forming operations meets the preset number.

13. The consumable delivery method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Upon first receiving the third consumable push message for the image forming device pushed by the server, if the preset push conditions are met, including: After receiving the third consumable push message from the server for the image forming device for the first time, the number of print jobs that send image forming jobs to the image forming device is counted. Based on the number of print jobs, determine whether the preset push conditions are met; The number of print jobs includes the number of times the client device sends image forming jobs to the image forming device via a local area network and / or via the server and / or via short-range communication.

14. A printing system, characterized in that, It includes image forming equipment, client equipment, and servers, among which: The server is configured to: send a consumable push message to the client device according to a first statistical mode or a second statistical mode; in the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs issued by the client device to the image forming device; if the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, the server sends a consumable push message to the client device; in the second statistical mode, the server sends the consumable push message to the client device according to the push request received from the client device when the number of second print jobs locally meets a second preset number. The client device is configured to: send an image forming job according to a first printing mode or a second printing mode; in the first printing mode, the client device sends the image forming job to the image forming device through the server; in the second printing mode, the client device sends the image forming job to the image forming device, and the client device counts the number of the second printing jobs locally; The client device refers to a device logged in using the same device or the same user account.

15. The printing system according to claim 14, characterized in that, In the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs issued by the client device to the image forming device. If the number of first print jobs meets a first preset number, the server sends a consumable push message to the client device, including: In the first statistical mode, the server counts the number of first print jobs sent by different client devices to the image forming device. If the number of first print jobs of the corresponding client device meets the first preset number, a consumable push message is sent to the corresponding client device.

16. An electronic device, characterized in that it comprises: At least one processor; And at least one memory communicatively connected to the processor, wherein: the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor, and the processor can execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15 by invoking the program instructions.

17. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium includes a stored program, wherein, when the program is executed, it controls the execution of the method of any one of claims 1 to 15 in the device where the storage medium is located.

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