SYSTEM, NETWORK DEVICE, SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

To provide a system, a network device, a method for controlling the system, and a program for placing an order for a consumable item at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: In a system managing a consumable item (ink) used in a device (printer), a portable terminal has: ink bottle management means that manages information on the consumable item for every container (ink bottle); acquisition means that acquires, from a plurality of devices using the consumable items in the same containers, consumption of the consumable items or a remaining amount of the consumable items; and delivery request means that, based on the total consumption obtained by adding up the consumption of the consumable items or the remaining amount of the consumable items, requests a delivery service for delivering the containers for the consumable items used in the device to deliver the containers for the consumable items. The delivery service is achieved by not only a server but also one or more information processing apparatuses, and further a virtual machine (cloud service) using resources provided by a data center including the information processing apparatuses, or the combination of these.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for managing consumables, a network device, a system control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a system that automatically delivers the next ink when the ink remaining amount reaches a predetermined state by transmitting the consumption amount of ink, which is a consumable, to a server and managing the ink remaining amount. Patent Document 1 discloses a server device that acquires the ink remaining amount and the printer ID from a printer and gives an instruction to an external device to deliver a cartridge to the user of the printer corresponding to the printer ID when the ink remaining amount is below a threshold value. On the other hand, in recent years, printers having a liquid tank into which liquid bottle ink can be injected have emerged. In such a printer, even if the ink remaining amount injected into the printer decreases, there may be ink remaining in the ink bottle. Patent Document 2 discloses a printing device that estimates the timing when the consumption of the ink injected into the ink bottle is completed based on the ink consumption amount per predetermined period and makes a delivery request for the ink bottle before the consumption of the ink is completed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The printing apparatus described in Patent Document 2 requests the delivery of ink bottles based on the amount of ink consumed by the device (one printer), but ink bottles can generally be used by multiple printers. In the system of Patent Document 2, when calculating ink consumption for multiple printers, it is not possible to calculate when the ink in an ink bottle will be fully consumed, and therefore the ink bottle cannot be delivered before the ink bottle is fully consumed.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a system for ordering consumables at the appropriate time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a system for managing consumables used in a device, comprising: a management means for managing information on consumables for each container; an acquisition means for acquiring the amount of consumption or remaining amount of consumables from multiple devices that use the same container of consumables; and a request means for making a delivery request for the containers of consumables to a delivery service that delivers the containers of consumables used in the device, based on the total amount of consumption obtained by summing the consumption amounts of the consumables or the remaining amount of the consumables. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, consumables can be ordered at the appropriate time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the appearance of the printer. [Figure 3] This is a diagram explaining ink tanks and ink. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This explains the ink supply mechanism. [Figure 6]This is a diagram showing the appearance of an ink bottle. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating the ink bottle records managed by the printer. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of a mobile device. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the software configuration of a mobile device. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates printer records managed by a mobile device. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates ink bottle records managed on a mobile device. [Figure 12] This is a sequence diagram showing the process of registering a printer. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a display on a mobile device. [Figure 14] This is a sequence diagram showing the process of registering an ink bottle. [Figure 15] This is a sequence diagram showing the process for determining ink delivery requests. [Figure 16] This is a sequence diagram showing the process for determining ink delivery requests. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying the results of the ink bottle delivery determination. [Figure 18] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the system according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 100. The printer 100 of the present embodiment has an ink tank 110 into which ink of a liquid bottle, which is a consumable, can be injected, and is an image forming apparatus that performs printing by discharging the ink supplied from the ink tank 110. In the present embodiment, a case where the printer 100 is a digital multi-functional peripheral (MFP) having a printing function and a scanning function will be described as an example, but the printer 100 only needs to have a function of forming an image by discharging ink. For example, the printer 100 may be a single-function printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, or the like.

[0010] The printer 100 has a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, and an EEPROM 104. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 controls each part within the printer 100. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 stores various program codes. The RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 temporarily stores image data and the like during the execution of each service, and performs buffering. Also, the RAM 102 functions as a work area of the CPU 101 and the like. The CPU 101 executes the program stored in the ROM 102 to comprehensively control each part connected to the system bus 111 and control the entire printer 100.

[0011] The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) 104 is a non-volatile memory and stores various data. The data stored in the EEPROM 104 is, for example, the shipping destination information of the printer 100, the ink bottle record, the setting of the language displayed on the display unit 106, and the like. The details of the ink bottle record will be described later using FIG. 7.

[0012] The printer 100 further includes a communication unit 105, a display unit 106, and an operation unit 107. The communication unit 105 connects to an external device via USB or a network and communicates with the external device. The RAM 103 temporarily stores image data and the like received by the communication unit 105 from the external device. The display unit 106 has, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays characters, graphics, indicators, and the like. The display unit 106 is not limited to a liquid crystal display and can also be configured using an LED or other display. Information displayed on the display unit 106 includes, for example, the setting information of the printer 100 and information regarding the ink contained in each ink tank. Information regarding the ink includes the remaining amount information of the ink contained in the ink tank and the ink injection instruction information. The display on the display unit 106 is controlled by the CPU 101. The operation unit 107 has switches, hard keys, and the like for the user to perform various input operations and receives input operations from the user. Also, in a form such as a touch panel, the display unit 106 can function as an operation unit 107 that performs input operations and the like. By associating the input coordinates and the display coordinates in the touch panel, a GUI can be configured as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the touch panel.

[0013] The printer 100 also includes a scanner unit 108, a printer unit 109, and an ink tank unit 110. In the printer 100, the printing function is implemented in the printer unit 109, and the scanning function is implemented in the scanner unit 108. The printer unit 109 prints images onto a recording medium such as printing paper using an inkjet method, based on image data received from an external source, image data read from the scanner unit 108, etc. The printer unit 109 has an inkjet head, and ink, which is a consumable, is supplied to the inkjet head from the ink tank unit 110 via a tube. The printer unit 109 also manages ink information and paper information. Ink information is information about the ink used by the printer 100 and includes information about the remaining ink level in the ink tank 110. Paper information is information about the paper used by the printer 100 and includes information about the number of sheets of paper loaded and the number of prints. The scanner unit 108 optically reads a document set on the document glass 201, converts it into electronic data, and transmits it to an external device via a network or makes a copy. The aforementioned components are interconnected by a system bus 111, enabling them to send and receive data to and from each other. The ink tank unit 110 stores ink. Ink is injected into the ink tank unit 110 from an ink bottle.

[0014] Figure 2 shows the external appearance of the printer 100. The printer 100 includes a display unit 106, an operation unit 107, an ink tank unit 110, and a document tray 201. The printer 100 is also equipped with (affixed to) a QR code (registered trademark) 202. In the example shown in Figure 2, the ink tank unit 110 is visible from the outside, allowing the user to visually check the ink level. However, the ink tank unit 110 may be located inside the printer 100 and not visible from the outside.

[0015] QR code 202 is a code image in which the printer serial ID for identifying the printer is encoded. In addition to the printer serial ID, QR code 202 may also encode additional information such as the product name, the URL of the server to connect to, startup information for launching the corresponding application when read by a mobile device, and the printer's specifications. Furthermore, multiple QR codes may be placed on the printer 100 for each of the above pieces of information. In this embodiment, the case where the code image is a QR code is described as an example, but it is not limited to this, and it may also be a two-dimensional code such as a barcode. Also, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which QR code 202 is affixed to the surface of the printer 100, but QR code 202 may also be displayed on the display unit 106.

[0016] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the ink tank and ink. Figure 3(A) is a diagram illustrating the method of injecting ink. Opening the ink tank cover 301 of the printer 100 allows access to the ink tank section 110. The printer 100 is capable of ejecting multiple types of ink of different colors to record color images on a recording medium. Therefore, the ink tank section 110 is equipped with four types of ink tanks to store yellow, cyan, magenta, and black inks. In the following description, to simplify the representation of the four colors, we will use the letters C for cyan, M for magenta, Y for yellow, and Bk for black. The ink tank section 110 has an ink tank 110C that stores cyan ink, an ink tank 110M that stores magenta ink, an ink tank 110Y that stores yellow ink, and an ink tank 110Bk that stores black ink. Each of the ink tanks 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110Bk is equipped with an ink inlet 302. The cap on the inlet 302 is opened to supply ink from the ink bottle 303 to the ink tank section 110. The ink inlet 302 has a different shape for each color, preventing the injection of ink from a different color. Furthermore, to ensure image quality, the shape of the inlet 302 is modified for inks whose composition differs and whose color would change if mixed. While this embodiment describes an example with four ink tanks, the number of ink tanks can be one or multiple.

[0017] Figure 2(B) is a diagram illustrating the ink bottles. Ink bottle 303 is a container for ink, which is a consumable material. Ink bottle 300 includes ink bottle 303C containing cyan ink, ink bottle 303 containing magenta ink, ink bottle 303Y containing yellow ink, and ink bottle 303Bk containing black ink. When refilling the ink tank 110C that contains cyan ink, ink is supplied from ink bottle 303C containing cyan ink.

[0018] Figure 4 shows the configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. The system is a system that realizes automatic delivery of ink bottles 300 by requesting delivery of ink bottles 300 from a delivery service according to the remaining amount of ink or the amount of ink used, and has multiple printers 100, a mobile terminal 402, and a server 401. The printer 100 is an ink bottle type recording device that injects ink using an ink bottle 303. Multiple printers 100 in the system (for example, printer 100a and printer 100b) share the ink bottle 300, which is a container for consumables. Therefore, ink is supplied from the ink bottle 300 to both printer 100a and printer 100b. Information on the ink consumed by each printer 100 is sent from each printer 100 to the mobile terminal 402.

[0019] The mobile terminal 402 is a network device with communication capabilities, such as a smartphone or tablet. Communication between the printer 100 and the mobile terminal 402 may consist of one or a combination of the following: wireless LAN, Bluetooth, cellular network (e.g., LTE or 5G), internet connection, infrared communication, wired connection, etc. The mobile terminal 402 also has a camera unit, which is an imaging means for capturing images. The server 401 is an information processing device that provides an automatic ink bottle delivery service, that is, a delivery service that delivers containers of consumables used in the device. For users who have subscribed to the automatic ink bottle delivery service, a new ink bottle is automatically delivered when the ink consumption exceeds a certain threshold. Communication between the mobile terminal 402 and the server 401 may consist of one or a combination of the following: a communication network such as LAN or WAN, a cellular network, a wireless network, a telephone line, a dedicated digital line, etc. In other words, it is sufficient that it is configured to enable the transmission and reception of data, and any communication method may be adopted. Furthermore, the delivery service may be implemented not only by Server 401, but also by one or more information processing devices, virtual machines (cloud services) that utilize resources provided by a data center including information processing devices, or a combination of these.

[0020] Figure 5 illustrates the ink supply mechanism. For simplicity, this explanation assumes a single-color configuration, but it is not limited to a single-color configuration. The recording head 501 is an inkjet recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium such as paper. The recording head 501 is mounted on the carriage 502. The guide shaft 503 is a guide for supporting the carriage 502. The carriage motor 504 is a motor that drives the carriage 502. The belt 505 is a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the carriage motor 504 to the carriage 502. Driving the carriage motor 504 causes the belt 505 to rotate, moving the carriage 502, which is connected to the belt 505, along the guide shaft 503 from left to right in Figure 5, and moving the recording head 501 to the recording position. The drive of the carriage motor 504, and thus the position of the recording head 501, is controlled by the CPU 101.

[0021] Ink 508 is stored in the ink tank section 110. A supply tube 511 is attached to the ink tank section 110. The supply tube 511 is a tube for supplying ink from the ink tank section 110 to the recording head 501. The ink 508 is supplied from the ink tank section 110 to the recording head 501 via the supply tube 511 and then discharged. A choke valve 512 is provided in the middle of the supply tube 511. The choke valve 512 closes or opens the flow path between the ink tank section 110 and the recording head 501. Specifically, the choke valve 512 provided in the middle of the supply tube 511 is closed to temporarily dam the ink, and the pressure on the recording head 501 side from the choke valve 512 of the supply tube 511 is reduced, creating negative pressure in the internal space. Then, in this state, the choke valve 512 is opened to supply ink to the recording head 501.

[0022] Furthermore, a pair of electrodes 509 and 510 are provided inside the ink tank section 110 in a state that allows them to come into contact with the ink 508. The CPU 101 obtains the voltage, which is the potential difference between when voltage is applied to electrodes 509 and 510 and when the application ends, and measures the remaining ink level in the ink tank section 110 by comparing this electrical information with a threshold value that serves as a reference. The CPU 101 can also calculate the amount of ink consumed from the difference between the amount of ink remaining when the ink consumption count was initialized and the current amount of ink remaining. However, the method of measuring the remaining ink level and consumption by the CPU 101 is not limited to this. For example, the amount of ink used and the remaining amount may be estimated based on print data.

[0023] The cap unit 506 is a cap that adheres tightly to the ejection surface of the recording head 501 to prevent the ejection surface of the recording head 501 from drying out and failing to eject. The cap unit 506 also functions as a recovery means that performs recovery operations such as dry ejection and suction recovery on the nozzle row of the recording head 501. The discharge tube 513 is a tube for discharging ink to the waste ink absorber 514. The suction pump 515 is a pump that sucks the ink from the recording head 501 and the supply tube 511 and discharges it to the waste ink absorber 514. Specifically, the suction pump 515 adheres tightly to the ejection surface of the recording head 501 to the cap unit 506 and reduces the pressure of the cap unit 506 to suck the ink from the recording head 501 and the supply tube 511. In this way, the suction pump 515 can supply ink to the recording head 501 and perform suction recovery operations that discharge air bubbles in the recording head 501 and the supply tube 511 along with the ink. The waste ink absorber 514 stores the ink that has been sucked out and discharged through the discharge tube 513.

[0024] Figure 6 shows the external appearance of the ink bottle. Here, we will explain the ink bottle 300 using ink bottle 300C as an example. The outlet 601 is the outlet for the ink 604, and the injection of ink 604 begins when the tip is combined with the injection port 302. The shape of the outlet 601 differs for each color to prevent the wrong color from being injected. In addition to the differences between colors, inks with different compositions that would change color if mixed are also manufactured with modified outlet shapes to ensure image quality.

[0025] The small window 602 is a window that allows the user to visually check the remaining amount of ink 604. The small window 602 is made of a transparent material and has a scale 603 on it. On the other hand, the material of the ink bottle 110C other than the small window 602 is made of a material that does not completely transmit light in order to reduce the optical changes of the ink 604. By reading the scale 603 on the small window 602 and the surface of the ink 604 together, the user can determine the remaining amount of ink 604 in the ink bottle 300C. Although the mechanism for determining the remaining amount has been explained through the small window 602, if the ink is made of a material that does not easily change optically, the entire bottle may be transparent.

[0026] Furthermore, a QR code 605 is attached to the surface of the ink bottle 300C. The QR code 605 is a code image into which information necessary for managing the ink bottle is embedded. The information necessary for managing the ink bottle includes at least the serial ID of the ink bottle to uniquely identify the ink bottle. In addition, the information necessary for managing the ink bottle may include information about the ink bottle such as the ink model number, ink color, initial remaining amount, and manufacturing date, as well as connection information (URL) to the server that manages the ink bottles, and startup information for the application that manages the ink bottles. In this embodiment, the case where the code image is a QR code is described as an example, but it is not limited to this, and it may be a two-dimensional code such as a barcode.

[0027] Figure 7 illustrates the ink bottle records managed by the printer 100. The ink bottle record 701 contains historical information about the ink bottles used by the printer 100 and is managed by the printer 100's EEPROM 104 and the server 401. The ink bottle record 701 holds a list of ink bottle records for each ink bottle (ink bottle record 702, ink bottle record 707, ink bottle record 708).

[0028] As an example of an ink bottle record for each ink bottle, we will describe ink bottle record 702. Ink bottle record 702 includes the ink bottle's serial ID 703, bottle information 704, server management information 705, and service information 706. The ink bottle's serial ID 703 is information for uniquely identifying the ink bottle. Bottle information 704 stores information such as the ink color, ink capacity, and ink manufacturing date. Server management information 705 stores information such as connection information to server 401, security information for connection, and a flag indicating whether it is registered with the server. Service information 706 stores information such as the subscription status of the automatic ink bottle delivery service and the date of the last delivery.

[0029] Figure 8 shows the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 402. The mobile terminal 402 has a main board 801 that performs the main control of the mobile terminal 402 and a communication unit 817 that communicates with the outside world. The main board 801 has a CPU 802, ROM 803, and RAM 804. The communication unit 817 is a unit for data communication with the outside world, such as a WLAN unit that performs WLAN communication. The communication unit 817 is connected to the system bus 818 of the main board 801 via a bus cable 816.

[0030] The CPU 802 controls the entire mobile terminal 402. The ROM 803 stores control programs executed by the CPU 802, embedded operating system (OS) programs, etc. Each control program stored in the ROM 803 performs basic software control such as scheduling and task switching under the management of the embedded OS also stored in the ROM 803. The RAM 804 consists of SRAM (static RAM), etc., and stores program control variables, as well as user-registered settings and management data for the mobile terminal 402. The RAM 804 also has buffer areas for various tasks. By executing the programs stored in the ROM 803, the CPU 802 comprehensively controls each part connected to the system bus 818, thereby controlling the entire mobile terminal 402.

[0031] The main board 801 further includes an image memory 805, a data storage unit 812, a non-volatile memory 815, a data conversion unit 806, a telephone unit 807, an operation unit 808, a GPS 809, and a display unit 810. The image memory 805 has DRAM (dynamic RAM) or the like and temporarily stores image data received via the communication unit 817 and image data read from the data storage unit 812 for processing by the CPU 802. The non-volatile memory 815 has flash memory or the like and stores data that needs to be saved even after the mobile terminal 402 is powered off. For example, information about the printer 100 read by the application is stored in the non-volatile memory 815. The data storage unit 812 stores image data captured by the camera unit 811. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal 402 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the image memory 805 and RAM 804 may be shared, or data backup may be performed in the data storage unit 812. In this embodiment, an example using DRAM for the image memory 805 was described, but non-volatile memory or a removable hard disk may also be used.

[0032] The data conversion unit 806 performs data conversion such as parsing of page description language (PDL), color conversion, and image conversion. The telephone unit 807 controls the telephone line and processes the audio data input and output via the speaker unit 813 to realize telephone communication. The operation unit 808 accepts input operations from the user. The display unit 810 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various input operations, the operating status of the mobile terminal 402, status status, etc. The operation unit 808 and the display unit 810 may be integrated, as in a touch panel. By associating input coordinates and display coordinates in a touch panel, a GUI can be configured that makes it appear as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the touch panel. The GPS (Global Positioning System) 809 acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude.

[0033] The main board 801 further includes a camera unit 811, a speaker unit 813, and a power supply unit 814. The camera unit 811 has an imaging optical system and an imaging sensor, and acquires an image by converting light incident through the imaging optical system into photoelectric energy using the imaging sensor. Images captured by the camera unit 811 are stored in the data storage unit 812. The camera unit 811 can also read code images such as QR codes to acquire information stored in the code images. The speaker unit 813 handles sound input and output. For example, the speaker unit 813 inputs or outputs sound for telephone functions, or outputs sound based on alarm notifications. The power supply unit 814 controls the power and battery of the mobile terminal 402. Each component of the main board 801 and the communication unit 817 are interconnected via a system bus 818 managed by the CPU 802.

[0034] Figure 9 shows the software configuration of the mobile terminal 402. The mobile terminal 402 has a registration application 901, a delivery application 910, an imaging means 920, and a communication means 921. Each means shown in Figure 9 is realized by the CPU 802 reading a control program stored in memory such as ROM 803 into RAM 804 and executing it. In this embodiment, an example is described in which two applications, the registration application 901 and the delivery application 910, are registered in the mobile terminal 402, but the registration application 901 and the delivery application 910 may be realized as a single application. The imaging means 920 controls the camera unit 811 to capture and acquire images. The communication means 921 controls communication with external devices (e.g., printer 100, server 401, etc.) via the communication unit 817.

[0035] The registration application 901 is an application for registering printer information and ink bottle information. In the mobile terminal 402 and server 401, printer information is managed as a printer record (Figure 10), and ink bottle information is managed as an ink bottle record (Figure 11). The registration application 901 has a printer management means 902, an ink bottle management means 903, and a display control means 904. The printer management means 902 of the registration application 901 acquires information about the printer 100 and registers and manages it as a printer record. The process of registering information about the printer 100 will be described later using Figure 12. The ink bottle management means 903 of the registration application 901 acquires information about the ink bottle 303 and registers and manages it as an ink bottle record. The process of registering information about the ink bottle 303 will be described later using Figure 14. The display control means 904 of the registration application 901 controls the display of the screen provided by the registration application 901 on the display unit 810.

[0036] The delivery application 910 is an application that requests delivery of ink bottles from an ink bottle delivery service based on the total amount of ink consumed or the remaining amount of ink. The delivery application 910 includes an ink bottle management means 911, an acquisition means 912, a delivery request means 913, and a display control means 914. The ink bottle management means 911 manages ink bottle records registered by the registration application 901. The acquisition means 912 acquires information from the printer, including the amount of ink consumed or the remaining amount. The delivery request means 913 determines whether an ink bottle delivery request is necessary based on the information acquired by the acquisition means 912 and makes a delivery request to the delivery service. The display control means 914 controls the display of the screen provided by the delivery application 910 on the display unit 810. The processing performed by the delivery application 910 will be described later with reference to Figures 15 and 16.

[0037] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating printer records. Printer record 1001 is a list of printer information managed by the mobile terminal 402 and is stored in non-volatile memory 815. Printer record 1001 stores printer records for each printer (printer record 1002, printer record 1013, printer record 1014) in list format.

[0038] Printer record 1002 is described as an example of a printer record for each printer. Printer record 1002 includes manufacturing information 1003 and field information 1008. Manufacturing information 1003 is information determined when the printer is manufactured. Manufacturing information 1003 includes the printer's serial ID 1004, manufacturing date 1005, product name 1006, and ink information 1007. The printer's serial ID 1004 is information that uniquely identifies the printer and is assigned at the time of manufacture. The manufacturing date 1005 is the date and time the printer was manufactured. The product name 1006 is the product name of the printer. Ink information 1007 stores information about the ink used in the printer.

[0039] Field information 1008 is information that changes after the printer is used at the user's location. Field information 1008 includes the registration date 1009, service information 1010, and the ink bottle used ID 1011. The registration date 1009 stores the registration date when the printer was registered. The service information 1010 stores the subscription status of services that support the printer and logs of services performed. For example, service information 1010 stores information such as the subscription status of the automatic ink bottle delivery service and the date of the last delivery. Regarding ink, service information 1010 stores the same information as service information 706. In addition, service information 1010 may store unique information, such as the date and time of communication with the server or information related to point services. The ink bottle used ID 1011 stores the serial ID that uniquely identifies the ink bottle used by the printer. The ID registered as "Ink Bottle ID 1011" is the same information as the ink bottle's serial ID 703. In the case of a printer that uses multiple inks, multiple "Ink Bottle IDs" will be registered according to the number of inks, such as "Ink Bottle ID 1012".

[0040] Figure 11 illustrates the ink bottle records managed by the mobile terminal 402. An ink bottle record is a list of information about ink bottles managed by the mobile terminal 402 and is stored in the non-volatile memory 815. Ink bottle record 1101 stores the ink bottle records for each ink bottle (ink bottle record 1102, ink bottle record 1114, ink bottle record 1115) in list format.

[0041] As an example of an ink bottle record for each ink bottle, ink bottle record 1102 is described. Ink bottle record 1102 includes manufacturing information 1102 and field information 1108. Manufacturing information 1103 is information determined when the ink bottle is manufactured. Manufacturing information 1103 includes the ink bottle's serial ID 1104, manufacturing date 1105, ink size 1106, and ink color 1107. The ink bottle's serial ID 1104 is information to uniquely identify the ink bottle and is assigned at the time of manufacture. The manufacturing date 1105 is the date and time when ink bottle 303 was manufactured. Ink size 1106 is information indicating the capacity of the ink bottle. Ink size 1106 may store the actual capacity, such as 100ml, 200ml, or 300ml, or it may store the relative capacity, such as large, medium, or small. Ink color 1107 is the color of the ink in the ink bottle, and it stores information indicating a specific color, such as cyan, magenta, or yellow.

[0042] Field information 1108 is information that changes after the ink bottle is used at the user's location. Field information 1108 includes the printer ID used 1109, registration date 1111, delivery information 1112, and service information 1113. The printer ID used 1109 stores the serial ID of the printer that used the ink bottle. If one ink bottle is used by multiple printers, the serial IDs of all the printers that used that ink bottle are registered. In the example of ink bottle record 1102, two printer IDs used, printer ID 1109 and printer ID 1110, are registered. The registration date 1111 stores the registration date when the ink bottle was registered. The delivery information 1112 stores the delivery information of the ink bottle. The initial state of the delivery information 1112 is "Not delivered" and is updated when a delivery request for the ink bottle is made. The timing of updating the delivery information 1112 is explained in Figure 15. Service information 1113 stores information such as connection information (URL) for the automatic ink bottle delivery service, service subscription status, and the date of the last delivery. Service information 1010 stores the same information as service information 706 regarding ink. In addition, service information 1010 may store unique information, such as the date and time of communication with the server or information related to the point service. The ink bottle record stored in server 401 has the same structure as the ink bottle record held by the mobile terminal 402 as explained in Figure 11.

[0043] Figure 12 is a sequence diagram showing the process of registering the printer 100 with the server 401. In this embodiment, the serial ID of the unregistered printer 100 is obtained using the mobile terminal 402 and registered with the server 401. Each process performed by the mobile terminal 402 shown in Figure 12 is realized by the CPU 802 of the mobile terminal 402 reading a control program stored in memory such as ROM 803 into RAM 804 and executing it. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the mobile terminal 402.

[0044] In S1201, the mobile terminal 402 launches the registration application 901 based on the user's instructions. In S1202, the registration application 901 displays a screen prompting the user to photograph the QR code of the printer to be registered. The user follows the instructions of the registration application 901 and photographs the QR code 202 of the printer 100 with the camera unit 811 of the mobile terminal 402. Figure 13(A) shows an example of the screen display of the mobile terminal 402 when photographing the QR code 202 of the printer 100. The display unit 810 displays an image of the QR code 202 to identify the printer 100 being photographed through the camera unit 811, and guidance 1301 to instruct the user on how to take the photograph. The guidance 1301 displays instructions to correct the shooting conditions if, for example, the image of the QR code 202 is incomplete or the shooting angle is not appropriate for reading the QR code 202.

[0045] In step S1203, the printer management means 902 of the registration application 901 analyzes the image of the captured QR code 202 and obtains information about the printer, including the serial ID of the printer 100. For example, in addition to the serial ID of the printer 100, the registration application 901 may also obtain manufacturing information such as the product name, manufacturing date, and ink information of the printer 100, as well as field information, from the QR code 202. Furthermore, the registration application 901 may also obtain connection information of the server 401 from the QR code 202. The registration application 901 then registers the obtained information in the printer record and stores it in the non-volatile memory 815. Figure 13(B) is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the results of analyzing the QR code 202. The display unit 810 displays the image analysis information 1302. The image analysis information 1302 displays the results of analyzing the QR code 202. For example, the image analysis information 1302 displays the printer's serial ID, product name, and connected server ID. Additionally, if the printer that reads the QR code 202 is not registered, the registration button 1303 may be displayed. The registration button 1303 is used to register the printer displayed in the image analysis information 1302 to the printer record 1001.

[0046] In S1204, the printer management means 902 of the registration application 901 sends the printer record generated in S1203 to the server 401 as information about the printer 100 to be registered. In S1205, the server 401 registers the printer record obtained from the mobile terminal 402. In S1206, the server 401 notifies the mobile terminal 402 that the registration of the printer information is complete, and the registration application 901, upon receiving the notification, terminates this flow. Through the above process, the unregistered printer 100 can be registered with the server 401 and become eligible for the services provided by the server 401.

[0047] Figure 14 is a sequence diagram showing the process of registering an ink bottle 303. In this embodiment, the serial ID of an unregistered ink bottle 303 is obtained using a mobile terminal 402 and registered with the server 401 and printer 100. Each process performed by the mobile terminal 402 shown in Figure 14 is realized by the CPU 802 of the mobile terminal 402 reading a control program stored in memory such as ROM 803 into RAM 804 and executing it.

[0048] In S1401, the mobile terminal 402 launches the registration application 901 based on the user's instructions. In S1402, the registration application 901 displays a screen prompting the user to photograph the QR code of the ink bottle to be registered. The user follows the instructions of the registration application 901 and photographs the QR code 605 of the ink bottle 303 with the camera unit 811 of the mobile terminal 402. Figure 13(C) shows an example of the screen display when photographing the QR code 605 of the ink bottle 303. The display unit 810 displays an image of the QR code 605 to identify the ink bottle 303 being photographed through the camera unit 811, and guidance 1310 to instruct the user on how to take the photograph. The guidance 1310 displays instructions to the user to correct the shooting conditions if, for example, the image of the QR code 605 is incomplete or the shooting angle is not appropriate for reading the QR code 202.

[0049] In step S1203, the ink bottle management means 903 of the registration application 901 analyzes the image of the captured QR code 605 and obtains information about the ink bottle 303, including its serial ID. For example, in addition to the serial ID of the ink bottle 303, the registration application 901 may also obtain manufacturing information such as the manufacturing date, capacity, and color of the ink bottle 303, as well as field information, from the QR code 605. The registration application 901 may also obtain connection information for the server 401 from the QR code 605. The ink bottle management means 903 of the registration application 901 then registers the obtained information in the ink bottle record and stores it in the non-volatile memory 815. Figure 13(D) is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the results of analyzing the QR code 605. The display unit 810 displays image analysis information 1311 and printer information. The image analysis information 1311 displays the results of analyzing the QR code 605. For example, the image analysis information 1311 displays the ink bottle ID, ink capacity, ink color, etc. Furthermore, the printer information 1312 displays the printer 100 that has registered the ink bottle ID corresponding to the image analysis information 1311. Additionally, the printer information 1312 may be configured to allow registration of the printer 100 that uses the ink bottle corresponding to the image analysis information 1311. If the ink bottle 303 with the attached QR code 605 is not registered, a registration button 1313 may be displayed. The registration button 1313 is used to register the ink bottle displayed in the image analysis information 1311 to the ink bottle record 1101.

[0050] In S1404, the ink bottle management means 903 of the registration application 901 sends the ink bottle record generated in S1203 to the server 401 as information about the ink bottle 303 to be registered. In S1405, the server 401 updates the ink bottle record managed by the server 401 based on the ink bottle record sent from the mobile terminal 402. In S1406, the server 401 notifies the mobile terminal 402 that the registration of the ink bottle information is complete.

[0051] In S1407, the mobile terminal 402 sends the ink bottle record generated in S1203 as information about the ink bottle 303 to be registered to the printer 100 that will use the ink bottle 303. In S1408, the printer 100 updates the ink bottle record managed by the printer 100 based on the ink bottle record sent from the mobile terminal 402, and completes this process. Through the above process, by taking a picture of the ink bottle with the mobile terminal 402, the information of the ink bottle, including the serial ID of the ink bottle, can be registered with the server 401 and also reflected in the printer 100.

[0052] Figures 15 and 16 are sequence diagrams showing the process of determining whether to request (order) ink delivery using the mobile terminal 402. Figure 15 shows an example where the feasibility of a delivery request is determined based on the total amount of ink consumed (total ink consumption), and Figure 16 shows an example where the feasibility of a delivery request is determined based on the remaining ink level. Each process performed by the mobile terminal 402 shown in Figures 15 and 16 is realized by the CPU 802 of the mobile terminal 402 reading a control program stored in memory such as ROM 803 into RAM 804 and executing it.

[0053] First, let's explain the case where the feasibility of a delivery request is determined based on the total ink consumption, using Figure 15. The processing of ink delivery requests is performed for each ink bottle record held by the mobile terminal 402. Here, we will explain using the ink bottle record 1102 shown in Figure 11 as an example. In S1501, the mobile terminal 402 launches the ink bottle delivery application 910 based on the user's instructions. The mobile terminal 402 can also be configured to automatically launch the delivery application at a time pre-set by the user.

[0054] In S1502, the acquisition means 912 of the delivery application 910 acquires the ink consumption from all printers whose printer IDs are registered in the field information 1108 of the ink bottle record 1102. When determining whether to request delivery of the ink bottle 303 corresponding to the ink bottle record 1102, the mobile terminal 402 acquires the ink consumption from the printers corresponding to printer IDs 1109 and 1110. The ink consumption acquired from each printer here is the ink consumption since the last ink consumption initialization (S1511). The method of acquiring the ink consumption from the printers is not limited; for example, it may be acquired via a printer management application that monitors the printer's operating status, including ink consumption.

[0055] In S1503, the delivery request means 913 of the delivery application 910 calculates the total ink consumption obtained from each printer and compares the calculated total ink consumption with a threshold. If the total ink consumption is less than the threshold, there is no need to have the next ink bottle delivered at this time, so this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the total ink consumption is equal to or greater than the threshold, the process in S1504 is performed in order to have the next ink bottle delivered.

[0056] In S1504, the delivery request means 913 of the delivery application 910 checks the delivery information 1112 of the ink bottle record. If the value of the delivery information 1112 is a value indicating that the delivery process is underway, such as "Delivered", this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the value of the delivery information 1112 is "Not Delivered", the process in S1505 is performed. In S1505, the delivery request means 913 of the delivery application 910 sends the ink bottle ID and an ink bottle delivery request to the server 401. In S1506, the server 401 accepts the delivery of the ink bottle from the mobile terminal 402. In S1507, the server 401 updates the ink bottle record managed by the server 401. In S1508, the server 401 notifies the mobile terminal 402 that the ink bottle delivery has been accepted. Upon receiving notification from server 401 that delivery acceptance has been completed, mobile terminal 402, in S1509, updates the delivery information 1112 in ink bottle record 1102 to delivered via the ink bottle management means 903 of the delivery application 910. In S1510, the delivery application 910 instructs the printers corresponding to the printer IDs used (printer ID 1109 and printer ID 1110) registered in ink bottle record 1102 to initialize their ink consumption. Upon receiving the instruction to initialize ink consumption, the printers perform the initialization in S1511.

[0057] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the mobile terminal 402 automatically requests delivery in S1504 when the value of delivery information 1112 is "not delivered". However, the user may be allowed to choose whether or not delivery is necessary. For example, the mobile terminal 402 notifies the user of a screen asking whether to request delivery along with the total amount of ink consumed calculated in S1503, and only requests delivery in S1505 if the user chooses to have the item delivered.

[0058] Next, we will explain the case where the feasibility of a delivery request is determined based on the remaining ink level, using Figure 16. The processing of ink delivery requests is performed for each ink bottle record held by the mobile terminal 402. Here, we will explain using the ink bottle record 1102 shown in Figure 11 as an example. Note that the same process as in Figure 15 is denoted by the same reference numerals and its explanation is omitted.

[0059] In S1601, the mobile terminal 402 retrieves the remaining ink levels from all printers whose printer IDs are registered in the field information 1108 of the ink bottle record 1102. When determining whether to request delivery of the ink bottle 303 corresponding to the ink bottle record 1102, the mobile terminal 402 retrieves the remaining ink levels from the printers corresponding to printer IDs 1109 and 1110. The method of obtaining the ink consumption from the printers is not limited; for example, it may be obtained through a printer management application that monitors the printer's operating status, including the remaining ink levels.

[0060] In S1602, the mobile terminal 402 compares the ink levels obtained from each printer with a threshold. If even one ink level obtained from each printer is below the threshold, the process in S1504 is performed. On the other hand, if all ink levels obtained from each printer are above the threshold, there is no need to have the next ink bottle delivered at this time, so this process is terminated.

[0061] If there are printers with ink levels below a threshold, the process from S1504 to S1509 is performed as in Figure 15 to check the delivery status of the ink bottles. If they have not been delivered, a delivery request is sent to the server 401 and the ink bottle record is updated. This completes the process of requesting delivery based on remaining ink levels, as shown in Figure 16. Alternatively, the decision to request delivery of ink bottles may be made by combining a determination based on the total ink consumption and a determination based on the ink levels of each printer. For example, even if the total ink consumption has not reached the threshold (first threshold), if the ink level in any printer falls below the threshold (second threshold), an ink bottle delivery request is made. When an ink bottle delivery request is made when the total ink consumption is below the threshold, the initialization of the ink consumption (S1511) is performed not when the ink bottle delivery information 1112 becomes "delivered," but when the total ink consumption reaches or exceeds the threshold. This allows for ordering and delivery of ink bottles to replenish ink in printers that consume ink quickly, even if there are significant differences in ink consumption among multiple printers, before the printers that consume ink quickly run out of ink.

[0062] Figure 17 shows an example of a screen displaying the results of the ink bottle delivery determination. Figure 17(A) is an example of the display when the total ink consumption is below a threshold. The screen shown in Figure 17(A) is displayed on the display unit 810 of the mobile terminal 402 after the processing of S1504 in Figure 15. Ink bottle information 1701 is information about the ink bottle 303 that is subject to the delivery determination. Ink bottle information 1701 is displayed based on the ink bottle record 1102. Ink bottle information 1701 includes, for example, the serial ID of the ink bottle, ink capacity, ink color, and delivery information. Printer information 1702 is information about the printer using the ink bottle displayed in ink bottle information 1701. Printer information 1702 includes, for example, the printer ID for identifying the printer and the amount of ink consumed by the printer. In addition, printer information 1702 may also include the remaining amount of ink in each printer. Delivery determination result 1703 is the result of the ink bottle delivery determination. The delivery judgment result 1703 includes, for example, the total ink consumption value 1704 of the printer displayed in the printer information 1702, and the judgment result 1705. If the total ink consumption value exceeds the threshold and a new bottle delivery is ordered, the judgment result 1705 displays a notification to the user that a delivery request has been made. On the other hand, if the total ink consumption value is below the threshold, guidance is displayed to inform the user of the threshold required for ink bottle delivery.

[0063] Figure 17(B) shows an example of the display when the total ink consumption is below a threshold (first threshold), but there are printers whose remaining ink level is below a threshold (second threshold). The screen shown in Figure 17(B) is displayed on the display unit 810 of the mobile terminal 402 after the processing of S1504 in Figure 16. The delivery judgment result 1703 includes, for example, the total ink consumption value 1704 of the printers displayed in the printer information 1702, and the judgment result 1706. The judgment result 1706 shows that there are printers whose remaining ink level is below the threshold, and a button to request ink bottle delivery from the server 401. The user can select ink bottle delivery by operating the button displayed in the judgment result 1706.

[0064] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the ink bottle record is stored in both the non-volatile memory 815 of the mobile terminal 402 and the server 401. However, it is also possible to store the ink bottle record only in the server 401 and not in the mobile terminal 402. The mobile terminal 402, which does not hold the ink bottle record, obtains the ink bottle information from the server 401 when necessary, such as when performing an ink delivery determination. This makes it possible to perform a delivery determination even if the information of the ink bottle 303 is not stored in the non-volatile memory 815 of the mobile terminal 402, and frees up the limited memory of the mobile terminal 402.

[0065] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example of acquiring information about the printer and ink bottle by capturing a code image, the information may also be acquired by reading the IC chip attached to the printer and ink bottle with the mobile terminal 402. Also, the imaging and reading units for acquiring information about the printer and ink bottle may be external devices attached to the network device. In addition, although this embodiment describes ink used for printing in a printer as a consumable, it is not limited to this, and may also be a material used in 3D printing to form three-dimensional objects using a consumable. When multiple 3D printers use the same container material, it becomes possible to order the material at the appropriate time.

[0066] As explained above, according to this embodiment, even when ink is being injected into multiple printers from a single ink bottle, the timing of when the ink will be used up can be estimated by summing the ink consumption of each printer. Furthermore, by checking the remaining ink level in each printer, the timing of when the ink will be used up can be estimated even if the ink consumption differs. This makes it possible to order ink bottles at the appropriate time, even when a single ink bottle is shared among multiple printers.

[0067] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, an example was described in which a program running on a mobile terminal 402 calculates the total amount of ink consumed and determines whether or not to request delivery. In this embodiment, a configuration is described in which the calculation of the total amount of ink consumed is performed by a server 401 that provides an ink delivery service. In other words, the server 401 implements the functions of the delivery application 910. The explanations that are common to the first embodiment are omitted.

[0068] Figure 18 shows the configuration of the system according to this embodiment. The system has a server 401, which is a network device connected to a plurality of printers 100 via a network. In the first embodiment, ink bottle information (ink bottle records) was managed by a mobile terminal 402, but in this embodiment, it is input to the printer 100. The printer 100 stores the ink bottle information in an EEPROM 104. The printer 100 also transmits information such as ink bottle information, printer information, and ink consumption input by the user to the server 401 via the network. Based on this information received from each printer, the server 401 calculates the total ink consumption for each ink bottle. After calculating the total ink consumption, the server 401 compares the total ink consumption with a threshold value to determine whether to deliver the ink bottle. The process for determining whether to deliver the ink bottle based on the total ink consumption is the same as the process in Figure 15. Alternatively, the server 401 may also obtain the remaining ink amount for each printer from the printer 100 and compare it with a threshold value to determine whether to deliver the ink bottle, similar to the process in Figure 16.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server 401 directly obtained information such as the ink level from the printer 100 and determined whether or not to make a delivery request. However, the server may also obtain information from the printer 100 via a network device such as a mobile terminal 402. The server 401 obtains information such as ink consumption and remaining ink from the printer 100 via the mobile terminal 402, calculates the total consumption, and compares the total consumption and remaining ink with each threshold to determine whether or not to deliver a new ink bottle. Alternatively, the mobile terminal 402 may calculate the total ink consumption and send the calculated total to the server 401 for comparison with the thresholds. Moreover, the device that collects information such as ink consumption from the printer and sends it to the server 401 is not limited to the mobile terminal 402. Instead of the mobile terminal 402, an information processing device such as a PC, or a printer that functions as a monitoring device to monitor the operating status of multiple printers, may collect information such as ink consumption from multiple printers and send it to the server 401.

[0070] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when ink is being injected into multiple printers from a single ink bottle, ink bottles can be ordered at the appropriate time.

[0071] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration of the information processing device. (Configuration 1) A system for managing consumables used in a device, comprising: management means for managing information on consumables for each container; acquisition means for acquiring the amount of consumption or remaining amount of consumables from multiple devices that use the same container of consumables; and request means for making a request for delivery of the containers of consumables to a delivery service that delivers the containers of consumables used in the device, based on the total amount of consumption obtained by summing the consumption amounts of the consumables or the remaining amount of the consumables. (Configuration 2) The system according to Configuration 1, wherein the request means requests the delivery service to deliver containers of the consumables when the total consumption amount obtained by summing the consumption amounts of the consumables from multiple devices is equal to or greater than a threshold. (Configuration 3) The system according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the request means makes a request to the delivery service for the delivery of a container of the consumable when the remaining amount of at least one of the consumables obtained from a plurality of devices is below a threshold. (Configuration 4) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the information on the consumables includes the delivery status of the containers of the consumables by the delivery service, and if the delivery status is that the containers have not been delivered, the request means makes a request to the delivery service for the delivery of the containers of the consumables based on the total amount of consumption obtained by summing the consumption amounts of the consumables or the remaining amount of the consumables. (Configuration 5) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the request means determines that it is possible to make the delivery request based on the total amount of consumption obtained by summing up the consumption amounts of the consumables or the remaining amount of the consumables, and confirms with the user whether to request delivery of the consumables, and if the user requests delivery, makes the delivery request to the delivery service. (Configuration 6) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the information on the consumables includes information that uniquely identifies the container of the consumables and information that uniquely identifies the device that uses the consumables, and the acquisition means acquires the amount of the consumables consumed or the remaining amount of the consumables from the device corresponding to the information that uniquely identifies the device into which the consumables are injected. (Configuration 7) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that the management means acquires and registers information on consumables by reading a code image attached to the container, and further registers information indicating a device that uses the consumables in the container in the consumables information. (Configuration 8) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that the count of the amount of consumables consumed transmitted by the device to the acquisition means is initialized when the total amount of consumption is equal to or greater than a threshold. (Configuration 9) The system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8, wherein the device is an image forming apparatus that prints an image onto a recording medium using consumables, or a 3D printer that forms a three-dimensional object using consumables, and the consumables are ink used in the image forming apparatus or material used in the 3D printer.

[0072] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0073] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 100 Printers 303 Ink Bottle 401 Server 402 Mobile devices

Claims

1. A system for managing consumables used in a device, comprising: A management means for managing information on consumables for each container; An acquisition means for acquiring a consumption amount or a remaining amount of the consumable material from a plurality of devices that use the consumable material in the same container; and a request means for transmitting information relating to a delivery request for a container of the consumable material to a delivery service that delivers containers of the consumable material used in the device, based on a total consumption amount obtained by adding up the consumption amounts of the consumable materials or a remaining amount of the consumable material.

2. The system described in claim 1, characterized in that the request means transmits information regarding a delivery request for a container of the consumable material to the delivery service when the total consumption amount of the consumable material obtained from multiple devices is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

3. The system described in claim 1, characterized in that the requesting means sends information regarding a delivery request for a container of the consumable material to the delivery service when the remaining amount of at least one of the consumable materials obtained from the multiple devices is less than a threshold value.

4. The system described in claim 1, characterized in that the information on the consumables includes the delivery status of the consumable container by the delivery service, and if the delivery status is undelivered, the request means sends information to the delivery service regarding a delivery request for the consumable container based on a total consumption amount of the consumables or a remaining amount of the consumables.

5. The system described in claim 1, characterized in that the request means confirms with the user whether to request delivery of the consumables when it determines that the delivery request can be made based on the total consumption amount of the consumables or the remaining amount of the consumables, and if the user requests delivery, sends information related to the delivery request to the delivery service.

6. the information on the consumable product includes information that uniquely identifies a container of the consumable product and information that uniquely identifies a device that uses the consumable product; The system according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition means acquires the consumption amount or the remaining amount of the consumable material from a device corresponding to information that uniquely identifies the device into which the consumable material is injected.

7. The system described in claim 1, characterized in that the management means obtains and registers information about the consumable by reading a code image attached to the container, and further registers information indicating a device that uses the consumable in the container as part of the information about the consumable.

8. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the count of the consumption amount of the consumables transmitted by the device to the acquisition means is initialized when the total consumption amount is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

9. The device is an image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording medium using consumable materials or a 3D printer that forms a three-dimensional object using consumable materials, The system of claim 1 , wherein the consumable material is an ink used in an image forming device or a material used in a 3D printer.

10. The system described in claim 1, characterized in that the sending of the information makes a request for delivery of a container of the consumable material.

11. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 10; A network device comprising: an imaging means for capturing an image.

12. A method for controlling a system for managing consumables used in a device, comprising: managing information on consumables for each container; acquiring a consumption amount or a remaining amount of a consumable material from a plurality of devices that use the consumable material in the same container; and sending information related to a delivery request for a container of the consumable material to a delivery service that delivers containers of the consumable material used in the device based on a total consumption amount obtained by adding up the consumption amounts of the consumable materials or a remaining amount of the consumable material.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the system described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the system described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images