Printer, system, control method thereof, and program

Abstract

To enable selective use of printing using service (business printing) and printing not using the service (non-business printing) by a method that does not require cartridge replacement of a printing agent in a printer that has contracted the service such as flat rate service.SOLUTION: An image processing device 301 determines a charging method of a print job on the basis of the state of a button 405 when the print job is received, performs printing of the print job under the management by a server 306 (S1105-S1107) when the charging method is "business", and performs printing of the print job independently of the management by the server (S1104) when the charging method is "non-business". Additionally, the image processing device 301 notifies the server 306 of the number of non-business prints at the timing when the remaining amount of consumables becomes equal to or less than a constant value, or the like (Fig. 8).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a system, a control method thereof, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] To accommodate telecommuting, services that allow employees to install commercial printing devices at their homes and use them for a fixed fee are becoming popular. Generally, a corporation that employs employees enters into a contract for this type of service, and the company pays for the printing done at the employee's home for business purposes. However, there is a demand for using such commercial devices installed at home for purposes other than business. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a user replaces a cartridge dedicated to a flat-rate service with a general cartridge, thereby enabling a printing device under a flat-rate service contract to be used outside the flat-rate service. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6819044 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a printing device under a flat-rate service contract cannot be used outside the flat-rate service without replacing the ink cartridges or the like.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for a printing device that has a contract for a flat-rate service or other service, which allows the user to easily switch between printing using the service (e.g., commercial printing) and printing not using the service (non-commercial printing) without replacing the printing agent cartridge, without having to replace the printing agent cartridge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, and is characterized in having a determination means that, when a print job is received, determines a charging method for the print job based on the state of a predetermined button provided on the printing device, a control means that controls the printing of the print job under management by the server if the charging method for the print job is a first charging method, and controls the printing of the print job without management by the server if the charging method for the print job is a second charging method, and a notification means that notifies the server of the number of printed sheets printed of the print job corresponding to the second charging method. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, in a printing device that has a service contract, it is possible to easily distinguish between printing using the service and printing without using the service, without replacing the printing agent cartridge. This makes it easy to distinguish between business printing and non-business printing, and makes it possible to manage the number of pages printed for business and non-business printing in a server that manages flat-rate services, etc. As a result, it is also possible to have individual employees bear the cost of non-business printing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation panel of the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server according to the embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a printing process in the first embodiment. [Figure 7A] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a process for checking a billing method. [Figure 7B] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a process for checking a billing method. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of non-business processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of communication between the image processing apparatus and a server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the number of printed sheets and the billing amount managed by the server of the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of an information processing system according to the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a printing process in a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an example of a display screen of a printer driver according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B are views illustrating examples of display screens of a printer driver according to the fifth and eighth embodiments. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are views illustrating examples of display screens of a printing application according to sixth and eighth embodiments. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of an information processing system according to a ninth embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of non-business processing according to the ninth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a screen of a payment application according to the ninth and tenth embodiments. [Figure 19] 23 is a flowchart showing the flow of non-business processing according to the tenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] <System configuration> A system configuration showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 100 of this embodiment includes a network 101, an image processing device 301, which is, for example, an inkjet printing device that communicates via the network 101, and a server 306. The image processing device 301 is an example of a printing device of this embodiment, and is a printing device that has a subscription to a flat-rate service.

[0010] <Hardware configuration of image processing device> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image processing device 301 according to this embodiment. The image processing device 301 includes a ROM 201, a RAM 202, a CPU 203, a network communication unit 204, a display unit 205, an operation unit 206, a scanner unit 207, a printer unit 208, and the like.

[0011] The ROM 201 stores fixed data such as control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 203, and operating system (OS) programs. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 201 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of an embedded OS stored in the ROM 201. The ROM 201 may also be configured as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) or the like, and can also be used as a non-volatile memory whose recorded contents are not erased even when the power is turned off.

[0012] The RAM 202 is composed of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that requires a backup power supply. The RAM 202 is also used as the main memory and work memory of the CPU 203, and stores various information and a reception buffer for temporarily storing print information received from a personal computer (PC) or the like. The RAM 202 also stores image data received by a network communication unit 204. The CPU 203 is a system control unit, and is a central processing unit for controlling each unit in the image processing device 301. The CPU 203 performs various controls by reading and executing programs stored in the ROM 201 or the like. A network communication unit 204 connects to a network such as the Internet or a local area network, and communicates with other devices.

[0013] The display unit 205 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode) and an LCD (liquid crystal display) and displays data and notifies the status of the image processing device 301. The operation unit 206 is composed of switches, hard keys, etc., with which the user performs various input operations. In this embodiment, the display unit 205 and the operation unit 206 constitute an operation panel 401 shown in FIG. The display unit 205 may also function as an operation unit for performing input operations, such as a touch panel.

[0014] In the image processing device 301 , the scan function is realized by the scanner unit 207 , and the print function is realized by the print unit 208 . The CPU 203 controls the scanner unit 207 to optically read an original document set on a transparent glass platen and convert it into electronic data. The image data is then converted into a specified file format and sent to an external device via a network or stored in the RAM 202.

[0015] The print unit 208 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper using a non-erasable colorant (recording agent) such as ink based on information stored in the ROM 201 or RAM 202 or a print job received from a PC or the like, and outputs the print result. The print unit 208 has print heads of four colors: yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. Each print head ejects a colorant of the corresponding color to form an image. The print result formed by the print unit 208 is discharged from a print result discharge port. Note that the print unit 208 is not limited to an inkjet system, and may be configured to use other recording agents such as toner.

[0016] The copy function is realized by transferring image data generated by scanning unit 107 to print unit 208, and print unit 208 recording an image on a recording medium based on the image data. The above-mentioned components are connected to each other via a system bus 209, and are capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from each other.

[0017] <Server hardware configuration> FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server 306 of the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the server 306 includes a CPU 11 as a hardware configuration. The CPU 11 performs processing based on an operating system (OS) 201 (Fig. 4(b)) stored in the storage unit 13, and programs corresponding to applications, program execution environments, and the like, thereby realizing the processing of each function or flowchart described below. The OS 201 is software that forms the foundation of the entire system. The process 202 is a unit of execution that runs software on the OS 201. A program can be run on the process 202.

[0018] The CPU 11 is connected to an input unit 12, a storage unit 13, a display unit 14, and an external connection IF 15 via a bus 10. The input unit 12 corresponds to a keyboard and / or a mouse for inputting information. The storage unit 13 includes, for example, a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk device, and / or a solid state drive, and stores data used in processing based on the programs in addition to the above-mentioned programs. The display unit 14 is a display that displays a screen and the like. The external connection IF 15 is a network interface and various connection interfaces with external devices.

[0019] The CPU 11 can function as various means by executing a program. A control circuit such as an ASIC that operates in cooperation with the CPU 11 may function as these means. These means may also be realized by cooperation between the CPU 11 and a control circuit that controls the operation of the server 306. The CPU 11 does not need to be a single one, and may be multiple. In this case, the multiple CPUs 11 can execute processing in a distributed manner. The multiple CPUs 11 may be located in a single computer, or may be located in multiple physically different computers. The server 306 may be configured to be realized using cloud computing technology. The means realized by the CPU 11 executing the program may be realized by a dedicated circuit.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation panel 401 of the image processing device 301 according to the first embodiment. The operation panel 401 is provided with a power button 402, a light 403 that indicates whether the power is on, a screen 407 that displays information, and a group of buttons 404 that the user operates. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a button 405 for instructing commercial printing and a light 406 for indicating whether commercial printing has been instructed are provided. The button 405 and the light 406 will be described in detail later.

[0021] In recent years, telecommuting has become common, and the demand for using image processing devices at home is increasing. To meet this demand, services (hereinafter referred to as "flat-rate services") are being offered that allow printing for a fixed fee if the usage amount is below a certain amount, and even include delivery of consumables such as ink cartridges. In flat-rate services, printing up to a preset maximum number of pages is permitted for a fixed fee during the contract period, and any printing exceeding the maximum number is charged according to the number of pages printed in accordance with the contract. Companies that employ employees can sign a contract for the service and install the contracted image processing device at the employees' homes, allowing the employees to smoothly print for business purposes even when working from home.

[0022] However, employees want to use their image processing devices at home for non-business printing as well. The image processing device sales company that provides the printing service also wants to print more and increase profits. On the other hand, the company that has contracted for the service does not want to bear the cost of non-business printing. Therefore, a system is required to distinguish between business printing and non-business printing.

[0023] The configuration for realizing this mechanism will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. The image processing device 301 includes a job receiving unit 302, a server communication unit 303, a job discrimination unit 304, a consumables confirmation unit 305, etc. Each of the functional units 302 to 305 is realized by the CPU 203 of the image processing device 301 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 201 or the like.

[0024] The job receiving unit 302 receives a job, which is print data. The job may be not only a print job but also a copy, scan, fax, etc. The server communication unit 303 manages the contract status of the flat-rate service. In the first embodiment, the job discrimination unit 304 determines the billing method for the job based on whether a button 405 is pressed. The consumables confirmation unit 305 confirms consumables such as ink.

[0025] The server 306 includes a communication unit 307, a contract management unit 308, a consumables delivery unit 309, a print management unit 310, etc. Each of the functional units 307 to 310 is realized by the CPU 11 of the server 306 reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 13 or the like.

[0026] A communication unit 307 communicates with the image processing device 301. A contract management unit 308 manages the contract status of the flat-rate service. A consumables delivery unit 309 issues instructions for delivery of consumables. A print management unit 310 tallyes up the number of pages printed by the image processing device. By linking such an image processing device 301 with the server 306, a service that allows printing at a fixed rate while working from home can be realized.

[0027] The mechanism of the flat-rate service that allows for proper use of printing for business and non-business purposes, which is realized in the first embodiment, will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of print processing in the first embodiment. The processing of the image processing device 301 in this flowchart is performed by the CPU 203 of the image processing device 301 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 201 or the like. The processing of the server 306 is performed by the CPU 11 of the server 306 reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 13 or the like.

[0028] When the image processing apparatus 301 receives print data from a PC or a mobile terminal (S1101), the process proceeds to S1102. In S1102, the image processing apparatus 301 checks the billing method for the print data received in S1101 (details will be described later).

[0029] Next, in S1103, the image processing device 301 determines whether the billing method confirmed in S1102 is business or not. If the billing method is business (Yes in S1103), the image processing device 301 transmits a confirmation request to the server 306 that manages the contract status (S1106). Note that this confirmation request includes information that identifies the image processing device 301 (e.g., a serial number) and information such as the number of pages printed based on the print job.

[0030] When the server 306 receives the confirmation request from the image processing apparatus 301, the process proceeds to S1107. In S1107, the server 306 checks whether the image processing device 301 is under a fixed-price contract. If the image processing device 301 is under a fixed-price contract (Yes in S1107), the server 306 updates the count of the number of pages printed for business purposes with the number of pages printed included in the confirmation request (S1108), and responds to the image processing device 301 that printing is permitted (S1109). When the image processing apparatus 301 receives the response of permission to print from the server 306, it executes printing of the print data received in S1101 (S1105). The purpose of updating the business printing count in S1108 above is to charge a usage-based fee for printing of a certain amount or more. A specific example of usage-based fee is a flat rate for up to 500 sheets per month, but 5 yen per sheet is charged once the number of sheets exceeds 500.

[0031] On the other hand, if the user is not under a fixed-price contract (No in S1107), the server 306 responds to the image processing apparatus 301 with "printing not permitted" (S1110). If the image processing device 301 receives a "printing not permitted" response from the server 306, the image processing device 301 does not perform printing.

[0032] Furthermore, if the billing method is not business in S1103 (No in S1103), the image processing device 301 performs non-business processing (S1104). Specifically, in the processing of S1104 in the existing flat-rate service, only printing is performed without communicating with the server 306 (details will be described later). This is because the ink cartridges consumed in the printing are personal property purchased by the employee and can be considered to have already been paid for.

[0033] As described above, by distinguishing between "business" and "non-business" printing, the company and employees can appropriately cover the costs. In recent years, environmental protection has become important, and devices that can be refilled with ink without replacing cartridges are becoming more common. Furthermore, replacing cartridges to distinguish between different types of printing, as in the conventional technology, is a heavy burden for users. Below, we will explain the mechanism of this embodiment that allows for distinguishing between business and non-business printing without replacing cartridges.

[0034] In this embodiment, the button 405 shown in FIG. 3 is used to distinguish between business printing and non-business printing. For example, the button 405 is an alternate type push button. When the button 405 is pressed in the OFF state, it becomes the ON state, and the ON state is maintained even if the button 405 is released. When the button 405 is pressed again in this state, it becomes the OFF state, and the OFF state is maintained even if the button 405 is released. When performing business printing, the user presses the button 405 to set the button 405 to a pressed state (ON state), thereby setting the operation mode of the image processing device 301 to "business printing". When the button 405 is pressed (ON state), that is, when business printing is set, the light 406 turns on (emits light). Note that when the button 405 is pressed again in this state to return the button 405 to a non-pressed state (OFF state), the setting of "business printing" is released, and the light 406 is turned off. As shown in FIG. 3, by providing a button 405 and a light 406 in an easily visible location on the operation panel 401, the user can easily recognize whether or not commercial printing is set.

[0035] The billing method confirmation process (S1102) will be described in detail below. 7A and 7B are flowcharts for explaining details of the billing method confirmation process. Hereinafter, FIGS. 7A and 7B will be collectively referred to as "FIG. 7." FIG. 7(a) shows details of the billing method confirmation process according to the first embodiment.

[0036] First, in S1401, the job discrimination unit 304 of the image processing apparatus 301 checks whether the button 405 is pressed and in the down state. If the button 405 is ON (i.e., pressed) (Yes in S1401), the job determination unit 304 determines that the billing method is "business" (S1402). In this case, the light 406 is turned on.

[0037] On the other hand, if it is determined that the button 405 is OFF (i.e., not pressed) (No in S1401), the job determination unit 304 determines that the billing method is "non-business" (S1403). In this case, the light 406 is turned off. After the process in S1402 or S1403, the job discrimination unit 304 ends the process in this flowchart.

[0038] Next, details of non-business processing will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a non-business process. First, in step S1501, the CPU 203 of the image processing apparatus 301 updates the count of non-business printing. Next, in step S1502, the CPU 203 executes printing of the print data received in step S1101 described above. However, as will be described later, step S1501 may be omitted.

[0039] Next, communication between the image processing device 301 and the server 306 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of communication between the image processing device 301 and the server 306. The process of the image processing device 301 in this flowchart is performed by the CPU 203 of the image processing device 301 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 201 or the like. The process of the server 306 is performed by the CPU 11 of the server 306 reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 13 or the like. Note that, in this embodiment, the image processing device 301 communicates with the server 306 once a day, but the image processing device 301 may communicate at other times, such as after printing is completed.

[0040] First, in S1201, the image processing device 301 checks whether the remaining amount of the consumable is equal to or less than a certain value. If it is equal to or less than the certain value (Yes in S1201), the image processing device 301 transmits the remaining amount of the consumable to the server 306 (S1202). When the server 306 receives the remaining amount of the consumables from the image processing device 301, it instructs delivery of the consumables as necessary (S1203). After the process of S1202, the image processing apparatus 301 advances the process to S1204. On the other hand, if the remaining amount of the consumable is greater than the certain value (No in S1201), the image processing apparatus 301 advances the process to S1204.

[0041] In S1204, the image processing device 301 checks whether any non-business printing has been performed since the previous non-business printing count was transmitted to the server 306. If no non-business printing has been performed (No in S1204), the image processing device 301 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0042] On the other hand, if non-business printing has been performed (Yes in S1204), the image processing apparatus 301 transmits the count of non-business printing to the server 306 (S1205). When the server 306 receives the non-business printing count from the image processing apparatus 301, the server 306 updates the billing amount for non-business printing based on the received business printing count (S1206).

[0043] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the number of prints and the billing amount managed by the print management unit 310 of the server 306. Note that the actual data of the billing amount is stored in the ROM 201 of the image processing device 301.

[0044] In the example of the flat-rate service shown in FIG. 10, a flat-rate contract of 1,000 yen per month includes free printing of up to 500 sheets and delivery of consumables. And even if the printing is for business purposes, if the number of sheets exceeds 500, a flat-rate charge of 5 yen per sheet will be applied. In addition, for printing outside of work, employees will be charged 5 yen per sheet. There are no restrictions on how individual employees can pay for non-work related printing; they may pay directly to the flat-rate service provider by credit card or the like, or they may pay the company that employs them.

[0045] In the example shown in Figure 10, an employee printed 400 sheets for business use in January and printed zero sheets for non-business purposes, so the company that has contracted for the service was billed a fixed amount of 1,000 yen, and the employee was billed 0 yen. In February, 600 sheets were printed for business use. In other words, 500 sheets were printed within the fixed rate and 100 sheets were printed outside the fixed rate. Therefore, the fixed rate of 1,000 yen and the pay-as-you-go charge of 500 yen were combined to total 1,500 yen, which was the total amount billed to the company that had contracted the service. In addition, since there were no sheets printed outside of business use, the amount billed to the individual employee was 0 yen. In March, 400 sheets were printed for business use and 100 sheets were printed for non-business purposes, so the fixed amount charged to the company was 1,000 yen and the amount charged to each individual employee was 500 yen.

[0046] It is natural that the non-business printing count value updated in S1501 shown in FIG. 8 is retained in the image processing device 301 and transmitted to the server 306 when other communication is required, but it may also be transmitted to the server 306 sequentially.

[0047] Alternatively, instead of specifically counting non-business printing in S1501, the image processing device may retain only the combined value of business and non-business printing as the printing count, and when transmitting the remaining amount of consumables in S1205, the combined value of the number of business prints and the number of non-business prints may be transmitted. 6, since business printing always requires a confirmation request to the server 306, the server 306 can accurately grasp the value wpn of business printing. Therefore, if the combined value of business and non-business printing by the image processing device 301 is taken as apn, it is possible to calculate "apn-wpn = count of non-business printing." Therefore, it is not essential for the image processing device 301 to count business and non-business printing separately.

[0048] As described above, the image processing device 301 as a printing device of the first embodiment determines the billing method of the print job by a simple operation such as the operation of the button 405, and when the billing method of the print job is "business", it communicates with the server 306 and prints the print job under the management of the server 306. On the other hand, when the billing method of the print job is "non-business", it prints the print job without communicating with the server 306, that is, without the management of the server 306. Then, it notifies the server 306 of information based on the number of sheets printed for non-business. Therefore, in a printing device that has a contract for a service such as a flat-rate service, it is possible to easily distinguish between printing using the service and printing without using the service in a method that does not involve replacing the printing agent cartridge. This makes it possible to easily distinguish between printing for business use and non-business use, and it is possible to manage the number of sheets printed for business use and non-business use in the server that manages the flat-rate service. As a result, it is also possible to have individual employees bear the cost of printing for non-business use. In addition, since there is no need to replace cartridges as in the past, the present invention can be applied to printing devices other than those that use replaceable cartridges, such as printing devices that use a method of refilling ink, etc., and it is also possible to reduce the burden on users.

[0049] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment described above, the user interface for switching between business and non-business printing is the operation panel, but adding such a button to the operation panel may increase the manufacturing cost of the image processing device. Also, if the image processing device is not installed near the user, it may be more convenient for the user if instructions can be given from somewhere other than the operation panel.

[0050] Consumables for the image processing device 301 include not only recording agents such as ink, but also printing paper. When printing paper is delivered as a flat-rate service, it is desirable that paper used for non-business printing be purchased personally. In this case, the desired behavior can be achieved by setting paper for business use in one cassette of the image processing device 301 equipped with multiple paper cassettes and paper for non-business use in the other cassettes, and having the image processing device determine whether printing is for business use or not based on the cassette specified by the user when printing. This configuration will be described below as the second embodiment.

[0051] FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of an image processing device in the second embodiment, where the same components as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The image processing device 301 includes a paper cassette A 601 and a paper cassette B 602. In the following, an example will be described in which paper for business use is set in paper cassette A and paper for non-business use is set in paper cassette B.

[0052] It is possible to set the paper to be used for printing using an existing general printer driver. When printing, the user specifies paper cassette A 601 for business printing and paper cassette B 602 for non-business printing. As a result, a print job specifying paper cassette A 601 or paper cassette B 602 is sent to the image processing device 301. When the image processing apparatus 301 receives such a print job (S1101 in FIG. 6), it executes the process of FIG. 7B as the charging method confirmation process of S1102.

[0053] FIG. 7B is a flowchart illustrating details of the billing method confirmation process according to the second embodiment.

[0054] First, in S1410, the job discrimination unit 304 of the image processing device 301 checks whether the paper feed source specified in the received print job is the paper feed source for business use, that is, the paper cassette A. If the paper feed source is the paper feed source for business use, that is, if Yes in S1410, the job discrimination unit 304 determines that the "billing method is business use" (S1411).

[0055] On the other hand, if the paper feed source is the paper cassette B which is a non-business paper feed source (No in S1410), the job determination unit 304 determines that the "charging method is non-business" (S1412). After the process in S1411 or S1412, the job discrimination unit 304 ends the process in this flowchart.

[0056] As described above, according to the second embodiment, printing using a flat-rate service or other service (business printing) and printing not using the service (non-business printing) can be easily selected according to the paper cassette specified by the user. Since this method does not require cartridge replacement as in the past, it can be applied to printers other than those with replaceable cartridges, and it also reduces the burden on the user.

[0057] Third Embodiment In the second embodiment described above, whether the paper cassette is for business use or not is determined by referring to the paper cassette specified by the user. If the image processing device uses paper cassette A601 and paper cassette B602 by referring to the pressed state of button 405, which instructs business printing, the user can be saved the trouble of setting the paper cassette. This method will be described below as the third embodiment.

[0058] 12 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of print processing in the third embodiment. Note that steps S501, S502, and S503 are similar to steps S1101, S1102, and S1103 in FIG. In this embodiment, if it is determined in S503 that the billing method is not business (No in S1103), the image processing device 301 feeds paper from paper cassette B602, which contains non-business paper (S504), and performs printing in the same manner as S1105 in Figure 6 (S505).

[0059] 6. Moreover, steps S506 to S510 are similar to steps S1106 to S1110 in FIG. In this embodiment, when the image processing device 301 receives a “printing permitted” response sent from the server 306 in S509, it feeds paper from paper cassette A601, which contains paper for business use (S511), and executes printing (S505).

[0060] As described above, according to the third embodiment, costs including paper costs for printing that does not use a flat-rate service or other service (non-business printing) can be borne by individual employees. Note that the process shown in Fig. 12 can be applied to other states besides when the button 405 is pressed, and can also be applied to the fourth and subsequent embodiments described later.

[0061] [Fourth embodiment] In the first embodiment, the information used by the image processing device 301 to determine whether printing is for business or non-business use is the pressed state of a button on the operation panel, and in the second embodiment, it is the paper cassette with print settings specified by the user. In this manner, in the above embodiments, the user sets the information each time printing is performed. In this embodiment, a configuration will be described in which, after a single setting, the image processing device 301 automatically determines whether printing is for business or non-business use, thereby reducing the burden on the user and making it easier to switch between printing for business or non-business use.

[0062] In telecommuting, it is assumed that a user will take a laptop computer or the like provided by the company home and use it exclusively for work. In other words, when printing for business purposes, the user is assumed to use the provided PC. On the other hand, when printing for non-business purposes, the user is assumed to use a personal PC. In such an environment, devices connected to an image processing device can be classified as business use and non-business use.

[0063] A method for selectively using business printing and non-business printing depending on the device connected to the image processing apparatus 301 will be described below. 11B is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a PC 601 connected to an image processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. The hardware configuration of the PC 601 is the same as the hardware configuration of the server 306 shown in FIG. The PC 601 includes an address storage unit 602 that stores an address for communicating with the image processing device. The PC 601 also includes a driver 603, which is a printer driver for transmitting print data to the image processing device. The entity of the address may be an IP address of a home LAN, or may be information equivalent to an IP address that the image processing device 301 can identify. For example, it may be a MAC address or a PC name. If the business PC and the image processing device 301 are connected via USB and the connection is wireless for non-business use, the address may be a communication interface. In this case, it is possible to determine that a job via the USB interface is for business use, and that a job via the wireless interface is for non-business use. In setting the image processing device 301 from the operation unit 206 or the like, the user registers the address (or interface) of a PC (hereinafter also referred to as a "business machine") that performs business printing in the image processing device 301. It is also possible to connect the image processing device 301 to an information processing device such as a PC or a smartphone, and register the address of the business machine from the information processing device. The address of this business machine is stored in the ROM 201 of the image processing apparatus 301. The job determination unit of the image processing apparatus 301 of this embodiment uses this address to determine whether the printing is for business use or non-business use.

[0064] When the image processing apparatus 301 of the fourth embodiment receives a print job from the PC 601 (S1101 in FIG. 6 or S501 in FIG. 12), it executes the process of FIG. 7C as the billing method confirmation process (S1102 or S502). FIG. 7C is a flowchart illustrating details of the billing method confirmation process according to the fourth embodiment.

[0065] First, in S1407, the job discrimination unit 304 of the image processing device 301 checks whether the sender of the received print data is the address of a business machine. If it is the address of a business machine (Yes in S1407), the job discrimination unit 304 determines that the "billing method is business" (S1408).

[0066] On the other hand, if the sender of the received print data is not a business machine (No in S1407), the job discrimination unit 304 determines that the billing method is "non-business" (S1409). After the process in S1408 or S1409, the job discrimination unit 304 ends the process in this flowchart.

[0067] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the user can easily select between printing using a flat-rate service (business printing) and printing not using the service (non-business printing) depending on the address of the device used for printing. This method does not require cartridge replacement as in the past, so it can be applied to printers other than those with replaceable cartridges, and also reduces the burden on the user.

[0068] Fifth embodiment In the above fourth embodiment, the configuration is based on the premise that there are multiple devices connected to the image processing apparatus, and the environment can be classified into business use and non-business use. It is also possible to assume an environment in which a user uses only one personal PC to perform both business and non-business printing. In this case, the user installs two types of drivers, a business driver and a general driver, on the PC, and the image processing apparatus 301 can distinguish between business and non-business printing by determining whether a received job is from the business driver or the general driver. This configuration will be described below as the fifth embodiment.

[0069] FIG. 11C is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a PC 601 connected to an image processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. 11C, the PC 601 includes a business driver 604 and a general driver 603 as printer drivers compatible with the image processing device 301. The business driver 604 has a function of adding information indicating business printing to a print job and transmitting the print job to the image processing device 301. Note that the print job transmitted from the general driver 603 does not include the information indicating business printing.

[0070] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a driver selection screen when the user uses the PC 601 for printing. Printer option 701 is a printer option that is generated as a result of installing business driver 604 on PC 601. Printer option 702 is a printer option that is generated as a result of installing general driver 603. In this way, it appears to the user that there are two printers (image processing devices), one for business use and one for non-business use.

[0071] It is also possible to set whether printing is for business use or non-business use using only one driver 604, without installing both the business driver 604 and the general driver 603. In this case, this driver 604 operates to add information indicating business use printing to the print job when business use printing is set, and not to add information indicating business use printing to the print job when non-business use printing is set. The setting screen for this driver 604 will be described below.

[0072] FIG. 14A is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen of the driver 604 that allows the user to set whether printing is for commercial use or not. As shown in FIG. 14(a), this setting screen has an input field 801 for specifying business printing, and an input field 802 for specifying non-business printing. Only when an input field 801 for specifying commercial printing is specified, does the driver 604 add information indicating commercial printing to the print job.

[0073] When the image processing apparatus 301 of the fifth embodiment receives a print job from the PC 601 (S1101 in FIG. 6 or S501 in FIG. 12), it executes the process of FIG. 7D as the billing method confirmation process (S1102 or S502). FIG. 7D is a flowchart illustrating details of the billing method confirmation process according to the fifth embodiment.

[0074] First, in S1404, the job determination unit of the image processing device 301 checks whether the received print job includes information indicating business printing. If the information indicating business printing is included (Yes in S1404), the job determination unit determines that the "billing method is business" (S1405).

[0075] On the other hand, if the received print job does not include information indicating business printing (No in S1404), the job determination unit determines that the billing method is "non-business" (S1406). After the process of S1405 or S1406, the job discrimination unit ends the process of this flowchart.

[0076] It is also possible to prepare a device (PC) with a business driver 604 installed and a device with a general driver 603 installed, and to distinguish between business and non-business printing depending on the device used when issuing a print command.

[0077] As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, the user can easily select between printing using a flat-rate service (business printing) and printing not using the service (non-business printing) depending on the printer driver (or settings in the printer driver) used for printing. This method does not require cartridge replacement as in the past, so it can be applied to printers other than those with replaceable cartridges, and also reduces the burden on the user.

[0078] Sixth Embodiment In the above-mentioned fourth and fifth embodiments, the case where a print job is sent from a PC to the image processing device 301 has been described. Note that the image processing device 301 may also be used by connecting to it from a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. Below, a method of using the image processing device 301 from a mobile terminal for business and non-business use will be described as the sixth embodiment.

[0079] 11D is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal connected to an image processing device 301 according to the sixth embodiment. Note that the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal is the same as that of a typical mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, and description thereof is omitted here. The mobile terminal 605 includes a print application 606 as a print application compatible with the image processing device 301. Here, the display screen of the print application 606 will be described.

[0080] FIG. 15A is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the print application 606 when the user uses the print application 606 to print. The print application 606 has an input field 901 for inputting the print purpose, and accepts instructions from the user. When "for business use" is input as the print purpose in the input field 901, the print application 606 adds information indicating business printing to the print job and transmits it to the image processing device 301. On the other hand, when "for business use" is not input as the print purpose in the input field 901, the print application 606 transmits to the image processing device 301 a print job without information indicating business printing.

[0081] When the image processing device 301 of the sixth embodiment receives a print job from the mobile terminal 605 (S1101 in FIG. 6 or S501 in FIG. 12), it executes the process of FIG. 7(d) as the billing method confirmation process (S1102 or S502). Since FIG. 7(d) has been described in the fifth embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0082] As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the user can easily select between printing using a flat-rate service or other service (business printing) and printing without using the service (non-business printing) depending on the settings in the printing app used for printing. This method does not require cartridge replacement as in the past, so it can be applied to printers other than those with replaceable cartridges, and also reduces the burden on the user.

[0083] Seventh embodiment In the first to sixth embodiments, the image processing device judges whether the document is for business or non-business use by referring to the settings and operation contents by the user. In this case, if the user prints a non-business document as business, the company's expenses will be used inappropriately. Therefore, when printing for business purposes, a mechanism is required to transmit the name of the printed document to the server and to check whether the expenses are used appropriately. Specifically, when a confirmation request is made to the server 306 in S1106 of FIG. 6 (or S506 of FIG. 12), the document name is also transmitted. Note that document data or an image may be transmitted instead of or in addition to the document name.

[0084] In the seventh embodiment, the name of the document to be printed during business printing is sent to the server 306, and this information is stored and managed in the storage unit 13 of the server 306. A subscriber to the flat-rate service can access the server 306 from a web browser or the like to confirm information such as the document name of business printing managed by the server 306. This allows the company to verify this later and bill the user even if the user prints something that is not business related as business. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of situations in which company expenses are used inappropriately.

[0085] Eighth embodiment In the seventh embodiment, a mechanism has been described that allows a user to verify non-business printing later, even if the user performs non-business printing as business printing. In order to prevent a user from processing non-business printing as business printing, it is considered effective to clearly indicate to the user that information such as the document name will be sent to the server. Below, a mechanism for clearly indicating that the document name, etc. will be sent to the server in business printing will be described as the eighth embodiment.

[0086] FIG. 14(b) is a diagram showing an example of a dialog screen that is displayed when a user selects an input field (input field 801 in FIG. 14(a)) for specifying commercial printing on the driver setting screen according to the eighth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14(b), by clearly indicating that print document data such as the document name will be stored on the server in the case of commercial printing, the user is expected to appropriately select the document to be printed for commercial printing.

[0087] FIG. 15(b) is a diagram showing an example of a display for clearly indicating that printed document data, such as the document name, will be stored on the server when a user enters “for business use” as the printing purpose in input field 901 on the display screen of a printing app according to the eighth embodiment. A display item 902 is a display clearly indicating that business print data is being sent.

[0088] As described above, in the eighth embodiment, the user is informed that information regarding the print contents, such as the document name to be printed and the print data, is sent to the server when printing for business purposes. As a result, it is expected to have an effect of preventing the user from processing non-business printing as business printing.

[0089] Ninth embodiment In the above first to eighth embodiments, the server 306 manages the billing fees for business use and non-business use in the print management unit 310 as shown in Fig. 10, and the employee pays the non-business printing fee later. When employees pay for non-business printing, they are accustomed to paying before printing, similar to the experience of paying for an image processing device at a convenience store, and it is thought that this increases their sense of security. Below, a method of making a payment before printing when printing for non-business use will be described as the ninth embodiment.

[0090] 16 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of an information processing system according to the ninth embodiment. The same components as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The image processing device 301 includes an application communication unit 1001 . In a mobile terminal 605 capable of communicating with the image processing device 301, a payment application 1002 that communicates with an application communication unit 1001 runs. The payment application 1002 communicates with a payment management unit 1004 of a payment management server 1003 .

[0091] Although the payment management server 1003 may be integrated into server 306, this embodiment describes a configuration in which the payment management server 1003 and server 306 are separated. This makes it possible to handle payments even if server 306 goes down, for example. The hardware configuration of the payment management server 1003 is the same as that of server 306.

[0092] When the billing method is not business (No in S1103), the image processing apparatus 301 of the ninth embodiment starts the process of FIG. 17 as non-business processing (S1104). 17 is a flowchart explaining details of non-business processing according to the ninth embodiment. The processing of the image processing device 301 in this flowchart is performed by the CPU 203 of the image processing device 301 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 201 or the like. Moreover, the processing of the payment application 1002 is performed by the CPU (not shown) of the mobile terminal 605 reading and executing a program functioning as the payment application 1002 stored in a storage unit. Moreover, the processing of the payment management server 1003 is performed by the CPU (not shown) of the payment management server 1003 reading and executing a program functioning as the payment management unit 1004 stored in a storage unit.

[0093] First, in S1601, the image processing device 301 transmits a payment request to the payment application 1002. This request includes at least information on the usage fee. When the payment application 1002 receives the payment request transmitted from the image processing device 301, it displays a payment operation screen (S1602). Here, the payment screen will be described.

[0094] FIG. 18(a) is a diagram showing an example of a payment operation screen in the ninth embodiment. The payment operation screen displays a usage fee 1703 based on the payment request data sent by the image processing device 301 in S1601 above. It also displays credit card information 1702 as information for payment. It also displays an execute button 1701 for executing payment and printing.

[0095] Returning now to the explanation of the flowchart in FIG. When the user presses the execute button 1701 on the payment operation screen displayed in S1602, the payment application 1002 communicates with the payment management server 1003 (S1603a, S1603b). In this communication, the payment application 1002 sends a request (payment request) based on the information displayed on the payment operation screen (such as the usage fee 1703 and credit card information 1702). The payment management server 1003 performs payment processing in response to this payment request. When the payment processing is completed, the payment management server 1003 replies to the payment application 1002 with information indicating that the payment processing has been completed, and ends the above-mentioned communication. Note that when the payment processing fails, the payment management server 1003 replies to the payment application 1002 with information indicating that the payment processing has failed, and ends the above-mentioned communication.

[0096] Next, in S1604, the payment application 1002 checks whether the payment process is complete. If it is confirmed that the payment process is complete (Yes in S1604), the payment application 1002 returns a response indicating that the payment is complete (or a response permitting printing) to the image processing device 301 (step S1605). When the image processing device 301 receives a response indicating that the payment has been completed from the payment application 1002, the image processing device 301 executes printing (S1606).

[0097] On the other hand, if the payment process is not completed due to an error or other reason (No in S1604), the payment application 1002 ends the process of this flowchart. At this time, a response may be sent to the image processing device 301 to inform the user that the payment has failed.

[0098] As described above, in the ninth embodiment, it is possible to make a payment before printing (non-business printing) that does not use a service such as a flat-rate service. Furthermore, since the image processing device 301 does not communicate with the server 306 during non-business printing, it is possible to accept the payment and perform non-business printing even if the server 306 goes down, for example. This is expected to improve usability.

[0099] Tenth embodiment In the above-mentioned ninth embodiment, a configuration was described in which payment for non-business printing is made using the payment management server 1003. This configuration can be applied to a method for temporarily executing business printing when the server 306 goes down due to a malfunction, etc. Below, a configuration for executing business printing when the image processing device 301 cannot communicate with the server 306 will be described as a tenth embodiment.

[0100] In order to perform commercial printing, the user confirms that the button 405 of the image processing device 301 is in the ON state (i.e., pressed state) and transmits a print job to the image processing device 301 from, for example, a print application of the mobile terminal 605. At this time, it is assumed that the image processing device 301 cannot communicate with the server 306 due to a down of the server 306, and cannot perform commercial printing. In such a case, in this embodiment, the user switches the button 405 of the image processing device 301 to the OFF state (i.e., not pressed state) and transmits a print job to the image processing device 301 from the print application of the mobile terminal 605. The image processing device 301 that receives this print job performs non-business processing (S1104) for the print job. The non-business processing according to the tenth embodiment will be described below. Note that, although the method of specifying commercial printing using the button 405 is used as an example here, it is similarly applicable to the case where commercial printing is specified by the other methods shown in each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0101] 19 is a flowchart explaining details of non-business processing according to the tenth embodiment. The processing of the image processing device 301 in this flowchart is performed by the CPU 203 of the image processing device 301 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 201 or the like. Moreover, the processing of the payment application 1002 is performed by the CPU (not shown) of the mobile terminal 605 reading and executing a program functioning as the payment application 1002 stored in a storage unit. Moreover, the processing of the payment management server 1003 is performed by the CPU (not shown) of the payment management server 1003 reading and executing a program functioning as the payment management unit 1004 stored in a storage unit.

[0102] Steps S1801 and S1802 are the same as steps S1601 and S1602 in Fig. 17. However, the request in S1801 includes at least information on the usage fee and the number of pages to be printed. Also, in S1802, the payment application 1002 displays a payment screen as shown in Fig. 18(b). FIG. 18(b) and FIG. 18(c) are diagrams showing an example of a payment operation screen in the tenth embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements as in FIG. 18(a).

[0103] The payment operation screen of the tenth embodiment shown in Fig. 18(b) displays an input field 1704 for selecting commercial printing. When the user selects (checks) the input field 1704, the print job is processed as commercial printing. When input field 1704 is selected, the payment operation screen is updated as shown in Fig. 18(c). The usage fee 1703 is a flat rate plan, and since it is not an individual payment, the credit card information 1702 is hidden. Instead, as shown in 1704, the fact that commercial printing has been specified and the information on the number of sheets to be printed are displayed. Note that although the request in S1801 includes information on the number of sheets to be printed, when input field 1704 is selected, the payment application 1002 may communicate with the image processing device 301 to obtain the information on the number of sheets to be printed.

[0104] Hereafter, we return to the explanation of the flowchart in FIG. When the user presses the execute button 1701 on the payment operation screen as shown in FIG. 18(c), the payment application 1002 communicates with the payment management server 1003 (S1803a, S1803b). In this communication, the payment application 1002 notifies the information displayed on the payment operation screen (designation of commercial printing, number of sheets to be printed) and the identification information of the printing device. At this time, the payment application 1002 does not request payment. When the payment management server 1003 receives the designation of commercial printing and the information on the number of sheets to be printed, it immediately replies to the payment application 1002 with information indicating the completion of payment (as this is not a payment request) and ends the above-mentioned communication. Note that the case where commercial printing is not designated on the payment operation screen is the same as in the ninth embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Moreover, the processes in steps S1806 to S1808 are similar to those in steps S1604 to S1606 in FIG. 17, and therefore will not be described.

[0105] When the payment management server 1003 receives the specification of business printing, the number of sheets to be printed, and the identification information of the printing device in the above-mentioned communication (S1803b) (Yes in S1804), it updates the business printing count corresponding to the printing device (S1805). The business printing count is managed by the print management unit 310 of the server 306, and if communication with the server 306 is not possible at this point, the payment management server 1003 will execute the process of S1805 asynchronously. Specifically, the payment management server 1003 executes the process of S1805 (updating the business printing count) after the server 306 has recovered and is able to communicate. On the other hand, if the business printing specification and the information on the number of copies to be printed have not been received in the above communication (S1803b) (No in S1804), the payment management server 1003 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0106] As described above, in the tenth embodiment, even when the image processing device 301 cannot communicate with the server 306, such as when the server 306 that manages a service such as a flat-rate service goes down due to a malfunction, it is possible to execute printing (commercial printing) using the service. This is expected to further improve usability.

[0107] According to each of the above embodiments, in a printing device that has a contract for a service such as a flat-rate service, it is possible to easily distinguish between printing using the service and printing without using the service, without replacing the printing agent cartridge. This makes it possible to easily distinguish between business printing and non-business printing, and makes it possible to manage the number of printed pages for business printing and non-business printing in a server that manages the flat-rate service. As a result, it is also possible to have individual employees bear the cost of non-business printing. Furthermore, since each of the embodiments does not require the replacement of printing agent cartridges as in the past, they can be applied to devices that do not use cartridge replacement methods.

[0108] It goes without saying that the configurations and contents of the various data described above are not limited to those described above, and the data may have various configurations and contents depending on the application and purpose. Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention can be embodied, for example, as a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, etc. Specifically, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of multiple devices, or may be applied to an apparatus composed of a single device. Furthermore, any combination of the above-described embodiments is also included in the present invention.

[0109] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system made up of a plurality of devices, or to an apparatus made up of a single device. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications (including organic combinations of the embodiments) are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention includes all configurations that combine the above-mentioned embodiments and their modifications.

[0110] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration, method, and program. (Configuration 1) A printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, a determination unit which, when a print job is received, determines a billing method for the print job based on a state of a predetermined button provided on the printing device; a control means for controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification means for notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; A printing device comprising: (Configuration 2) The printing device according to configuration 1, further comprising a light emitting means that emits light according to the state of the button. (Configuration 3) A paper feeder includes a plurality of paper feed means, The printing device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that when the charging method for the print job is the first charging method, the control means controls the printing job to be executed by feeding paper from a specific storage means among the multiple storage means, and when the charging method is the second charging method, the control means controls the printing job to be executed by feeding paper from a storage means other than the specific storage means. (Configuration 4) A printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, a determination unit which, when receiving a print job, determines a billing method for the print job based on information about the print job; a control means for controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification means for notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; A printing device comprising: (Configuration 5) A paper feeder includes a plurality of paper feed means, The printing device described in configuration 4, characterized in that the judgment means judges the first billing method to be used if the paper feed source set for the print job is a specific storage means among the multiple storage means, and judges the second billing method to be used if the paper feed source is not the specific storage means. (Configuration 6) a setting means for setting an address of a sender of a print job corresponding to the first charging method, The printing device described in configuration 4, wherein the determination means determines that the first billing method is used if the sender address of the print job is the set address, and determines that the second billing method is used if the sender address is not the set address. (Configuration 7) The printing device described in configuration 4, wherein the determination means determines that the first charging method is used when the print job contains specific information, and determines that the second charging method is used when the print job does not contain the specific information. (Configuration 8) 8. The printing device according to configuration 7, wherein the specific information is information included in a print job generated by a printer driver corresponding to the service. (Configuration 9) The printing device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the specific information is information contained in a print job generated by a printer driver or a print application that has print settings for performing printing corresponding to the first billing method. (Configuration 10) The printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the control means further transmits a document name or print data of the print job to the server when the billing method of the print job is the first billing method. (Configuration 11) 11. The printing device according to configuration 10, wherein, when the control means transmits a document name or print data of the print job to the server, the control means clearly indicates that to a user. (Configuration 12) The control means If the billing method for the print job is the second billing method, notify a predetermined payment application operating on an information processing device capable of communicating with the printing device of a printing fee corresponding to the print job; printing the print job in response to receiving a response sent from the payment application when the payment of the printing fee has been completed; 12. The printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11. (Configuration 13) A system having a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, and a payment application that runs on an information processing device that can communicate with the printing device, The printing device includes: a determination means for determining a billing method for a print job when the print job is received; a first control means for controlling printing of the print job under management by the server when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, and for controlling printing of the print job in response to receiving a response from the payment application when payment of the print fee has been completed, notifying the payment application of a printing fee corresponding to the print job and the number of sheets printed for the print job when the billing method for the print job is a second billing method, The payment application, an input means for presenting a printing fee corresponding to the print job in response to a notification from the printing device and receiving an input of a first instruction to execute printing or a second instruction to execute printing by specifying the first charging method as the charging method for the print job; and a second control means for controlling the printing device to return a response to permit printing of the print job to the printing device in response to completion of payment of the printing fee when the instruction to execute the first print is received, and to return the response to the printing device in response to completion of a predetermined process without payment of the printing fee when the instruction to execute the second print is received, The system is characterized in that the specified processing is a processing for notifying a server that the first billing method has been designated as the billing method for the print job and the number of printed sheets corresponding to the first billing method, which notifies the server. (Configuration 14) 14. The system according to configuration 13, wherein the determining means determines a billing method for the print job based on a state of a predetermined button provided on the printing device. (Configuration 15) 14. The system according to configuration 13, wherein the determining means determines a billing method for the print job based on information about the print job. (Method 1) A method for controlling a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, comprising: a determination step of determining a billing method for a print job based on a state of a predetermined button provided on the printing device when the print job is received; a control step of controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification step of notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; 13. A method for controlling a printing device, comprising: (Method 2) A method for controlling a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, comprising: a determination step of determining a billing method for a print job based on information of the print job when the print job is received; a control step of controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification step of notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; 13. A method for controlling a printing device, comprising: (Method 3) A method for controlling a system having a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, and a payment application that operates on an information processing device that can communicate with the printing device, comprising the steps of: Executed by the printing device, a determination step of determining a billing method for a print job when the print job is received; a first control step of printing the print job under management by the server when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, and notifying the payment application of a printing fee corresponding to the print job and the number of sheets printed for the print job when the billing method is a second billing method, and controlling to print the print job in response to receiving a response returned from the payment application when payment of the printing fee has been completed; Executed by the payment application, an input step of presenting a printing fee corresponding to the print job in response to a notification from the printing device and accepting input of a first instruction to execute printing or a second instruction to execute printing by specifying the first charging method as a charging method for the print job; a second control step for controlling the printing device to return a response to permit printing of the print job to the printing device in response to completion of payment of the printing fee when the instruction to execute the first print is received, and to return the response to the printing device in response to completion of a predetermined process without payment of the printing fee when the instruction to execute the second print is received, The system control method is characterized in that the specified processing is processing for notifying a server that the first billing method has been designated as the billing method for the print job and the number of printed sheets corresponding to the first billing method, the server notifying the server of this number of printed sheets corresponding to the first billing method. (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to execute the control method described in Method 1. (Program 2) A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to method 2.

Claims

1. A printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, a determination unit which, when a print job is received, determines a billing method for the print job based on a state of a predetermined button provided on the printing device; a control means for controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification means for notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; A printing device comprising:

2. 2. A printing device according to claim 1, further comprising a light emitting means that emits light in accordance with the state of said button.

3. A paper feeder includes a plurality of paper feed means, The printing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control means controls the printing job to be executed by feeding paper from a specific storage means among the multiple storage means when the charging method for the print job is the first charging method, and to be executed by feeding paper from a storage means other than the specific storage means when the charging method for the print job is the second charging method.

4. A printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, a determination unit which, when receiving a print job, determines a billing method for the print job based on information about the print job; a control means for controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification means for notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; A printing device comprising:

5. A paper feeder includes a plurality of paper feed means, The printing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the judgment means judges the first billing method to be used when the paper feed source set for the print job is a specific storage means among the multiple storage means, and judges the second billing method to be used when the paper feed source is not the specific storage means.

6. a setting unit for setting an address of a sender of a print job corresponding to the first billing method, The printing device according to claim 4, wherein the determination means determines that the first billing method is used when the address of the sender of the print job is the set address, and determines that the second billing method is used when the sender address is not the set address.

7. 5. The printing device according to claim 4, wherein the determination means determines that the first charging method is used when the print job contains specific information, and determines that the second charging method is used when the print job does not contain the specific information.

8. 8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the specific information is information contained in a print job generated by a printer driver corresponding to the service.

9. A printing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the specific information is information contained in a print job generated by a printer driver or a printing application that has print settings for performing printing corresponding to the first charging method.

10. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further transmits a document name or print data of the print job to the server when the billing method of the print job is the first billing method.

11. 11. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when the control unit transmits a document name or print data of the print job to the server, the control unit notifies a user of the transmission.

12. The control means If the billing method for the print job is the second billing method, notify a predetermined payment application operating on an information processing device capable of communicating with the printing device of a printing fee corresponding to the print job; printing the print job in response to receiving a response sent from the payment application when the payment of the printing fee has been completed; 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second printing units are arranged in a first direction.

13. A system having a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, and a payment application that runs on an information processing device that can communicate with the printing device, The printing device includes: a determination means for determining a billing method for a print job when the print job is received; a first control means for controlling printing of the print job under management by the server when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, and for controlling printing of the print job in response to receiving a response from the payment application when payment of the print fee has been completed, notifying the payment application of a printing fee corresponding to the print job and the number of sheets printed for the print job when the billing method for the print job is a second billing method, The payment application, an input means for presenting a printing fee corresponding to the print job in response to a notification from the printing device and receiving an input of a first instruction to execute printing or a second instruction to execute printing by specifying the first charging method as the charging method for the print job; and a second control means for controlling the printing device to return a response to permit printing of the print job to the printing device in response to completion of payment of the printing fee when the instruction to execute the first print is received, and to return the response to the printing device in response to completion of a predetermined process without payment of the printing fee when the instruction to execute the second print is received, The system is characterized in that the specified processing is a processing for notifying a server that the first billing method has been designated as the billing method for the print job and the number of printed sheets corresponding to the first billing method, which notifies the server of the number of printed sheets for the print job.

14. 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said determining means determines a billing method for said print job based on a state of a predetermined button provided on said printing device.

15. 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said determining means determines a billing method for said print job based on information about said print job.

16. A method for controlling a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, comprising: a determination step of determining a billing method for a print job based on a state of a predetermined button provided on the printing device when the print job is received; a control step of controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification step of notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; 13. A method for controlling a printing device, comprising:

17. A method for controlling a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, comprising: a determination step of determining a billing method for a print job based on information of the print job when the print job is received; a control step of controlling, when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, to print the print job under management by the server, and, when the billing method is a second billing method, to print the print job without management by the server; a notification step of notifying the server of the number of printed sheets printed in the print job corresponding to the second charging method; 13. A method for controlling a printing device, comprising:

18. A method for controlling a system having a printing device that communicates with a server that manages a service that charges according to the number of printed sheets based on a contract, and a payment application that operates on an information processing device that can communicate with the printing device, comprising the steps of: Executed by the printing device, a determination step of determining a billing method for a print job when the print job is received; a first control step of printing the print job under management by the server when the billing method for the print job is a first billing method, and notifying the payment application of a printing fee corresponding to the print job and the number of sheets printed for the print job when the billing method for the print job is a second billing method, and controlling the printing of the print job in response to receiving a response returned from the payment application when payment of the printing fee has been completed; Executed by the payment application, an input step of presenting a printing fee corresponding to the print job in response to a notification from the printing device and accepting input of a first instruction to execute printing or a second instruction to execute printing by specifying the first charging method as a charging method for the print job; a second control step for controlling the printing device to return a response to permit printing of the print job to the printing device in response to completion of payment of the printing fee when the instruction for the first print execution is received, and to return the response to the printing device in response to completion of a predetermined process without payment of the printing fee when the instruction for the second print execution is received, The system control method is characterized in that the specified processing is a processing for notifying a server that the first billing method has been designated as the billing method for the print job and the number of printed sheets corresponding to the first billing method, which notifies the server of the number of printed sheets for the print job.

19. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 16.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 17.

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