Image formation device, server, system, control method, and program

Abstract

To improve convenience in performing procedures related to registration of a maintenance service of an image formation device.SOLUTION: An image formation device includes: first execution means that, when receiving an instruction of subscription to a maintenance service via an operation unit, performs checking processing of checking if a device body satisfies conditions of the subscription to the maintenance service; and second execution means that, when the conditions are satisfied as a result of the checking processing, executes registration processing to subscribe to the maintenance service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to registration for maintenance services for an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a maintenance work in which an operator visits a place where an information device such as a printer or a copier is installed to repair or maintain the information device. In this case, the maintenance work can be performed free of charge if it is within the warranty period. Patent Document 1 describes that the start date of the warranty period and customer information are managed inside the image forming device or in an external server in order to appropriately determine whether or not to perform the maintenance work free of charge. There are two types of maintenance services that perform maintenance work: a free warranty that performs maintenance work free of charge from the date of purchase of the device to the end date of the warranty period, and a paid warranty that performs maintenance work according to a contract with a dealer or the like. In some cases, the paid warranty can be contracted even after the end date of the free warranty period. In some cases, the contract for the paid warranty has conditions, and in such cases, the contract cannot be made unless the conditions are met. In many cases, this condition is that the device itself is in normal operation. In addition, in the paid warranty, similar conditions may be set not only for new contracts but also for renewal of existing contracts. In such cases, the contract cannot be renewed unless the conditions are met. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-235682 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, even if information related to equipment maintenance services can be managed, in many cases the information must be registered via the Web or by mail, and registration procedures related to maintenance services cannot be performed on the equipment itself. Also, when conditions such as the normal operation of the equipment are imposed, there is no way to check on the equipment itself whether the conditions are met. Therefore, registration procedures related to maintenance services cannot be performed on the equipment itself, which is inconvenient.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to improve the convenience when carrying out procedures relating to registration for maintenance services for an image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized by having a first execution means which executes a confirmation process to confirm that the device main body meets the conditions for subscribing to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit, and a second execution means which executes a registration process to subscribe to the maintenance service when it is confirmed as a result of the confirmation process that the conditions are met. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve convenience when carrying out procedures related to registration for maintenance service of an image forming apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a multifunction peripheral. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a registration management system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a maintenance service plan. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a registration management server. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a multifunction peripheral. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing an entire registration update process. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing screen transitions of an operation screen. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a plan presentation process. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of the multifunction peripheral in a check process. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of the server in the check process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In this embodiment, a case where an image forming apparatus is registered for a maintenance service will be described. The maintenance service is a service in which an operator visits the image forming apparatus for repairs and regular maintenance. Various plans, which will be described later, are prepared in advance for the maintenance service. By subscribing to and registering for one of the plans, the user can use the maintenance service that corresponds to the plan.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus is an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) in which multiple functions such as a scan function and a print function are integrated. Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus will be described as a multifunction device 100. The multifunction device 100 has a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a storage device 104, an operation unit 105, a communication unit 106, an external storage IF 107, a print control unit 108, a printing unit 109, a reading control unit 110, and a reading unit 111. These components are connected to each other via a system bus 112.

[0012] The CPU 101 (Central Processing Unit) is a system control unit and controls the entire MFP 100. The ROM 102 is a non-volatile memory and stores a control program executable by the CPU 101. The CPU 101 executes the control program stored in the ROM 102 to realize the processing of the MFP 100 in the flowchart described below. The RAM 103 is a volatile memory and temporarily stores various data. The storage device 104 is a storage device such as a HDD and stores various data such as image data and registration information related to a maintenance service plan for the device body. The operation unit 105 displays various screens on an operation screen and inputs user operations on the operation screen. In this embodiment, the operation unit 105 includes a liquid crystal display unit having a touch panel function. The communication unit 106 is an interface unit for connecting to the network 200 (FIG. 2) by wire or wirelessly. The CPU 101 transmits and receives various data to and from external devices connected to the network 200 via the communication unit 106.

[0013] The external storage IF 107 is an interface for connecting to an external storage device such as a USB memory. The CPU 101 reads data stored in the external storage device and writes data to the external storage device via the external storage IF 107. The print control unit 108 applies image processing to the input image data to generate print data. The print unit 109 receives the print data generated by the print control unit 108 and prints it on a recording medium such as paper. The read control unit 110 performs processing according to settings for reading the original image and settings for the read image data. The read unit 111 reads the original image and generates image data. The print control unit 108 and the print unit 109 realize the print function of the multifunction device 100. The read control unit 110 and the read unit 111 realize the scan function of the multifunction device 100.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the registration management system in this embodiment. The registration management system is a system that manages information on each multifunction device registered in the registration management system. The registration management system is configured to include a multifunction device 100 and a registration management server 210. The multifunction device 100 and the registration management server 210 are connected via a network 200, and transmit and receive data between them. In the registration management system in Fig. 2, one multifunction device 100 is connected to the registration management server 210, but multiple multifunction devices may also be connected.

[0015] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing examples of plan information indicating the contents of various maintenance service plans. Three types of plan information are shown here: "free warranty", "paid warranty plan A", and "paid warranty plan B". By subscribing to one of the plans and registering, maintenance services with contents corresponding to that plan can be used. Plan information includes information such as the plan name, models available for subscription, subscription period (e.g., number of years from the start date of use of the plan), whether or not there are subscription conditions, the contents of the subscription conditions, maintenance contents, warranty period, and fees. The warranty period is the period during which the maintenance service is available.

[0016] The "Free Warranty" is a plan that allows free maintenance for one year from the date of purchase. After the "Free Warranty" period ends, you can subscribe to either "Paid Warranty Plan A" or "Paid Warranty Plan B." To continue using "Paid Warranty Plan A" or "Paid Warranty Plan B," you must renew your registration every year. With "Paid Warranty Plan A," you receive monthly inspections in addition to the regular warranty. With "Paid Warranty Plan B," you receive annual inspections in addition to the regular warranty.

[0017] In order to subscribe to "Paid Warranty Plan A", the device body at the time of subscription must satisfy certain conditions. In this embodiment, the certain condition is normal operation of the device body. Note that the above-mentioned certain condition is not limited to normal operation of the device body, but may be conditions related to the usage status of the device body, such as the usage environment, usage method, usage amount, and usage time, or conditions related to the remaining period until the product life of the device body, or a combination of these conditions. On the other hand, no subscription conditions are imposed on "Paid Warranty Plan B".

[0018] Note that "free warranty", "paid warranty plan A" and "paid warranty plan B" are examples of maintenance service plans, and other plans may be available. Some maintenance service plans may require a separate contract to be concluded at the time of subscription. In this embodiment, "paid warranty plan A" and "paid warranty plan B" are available for subscription for all products, but the plans and maintenance contents that can be subscribed to may be limited depending on the model, the number of years from the start date of the currently subscribed plan, etc.

[0019] Figure 3(b) shows examples of combinations of the various plans shown in Figure 3(a). Figure 3(b) shows three combination patterns as representative examples. Pattern 401 is a pattern in which a customer subscribes to "paid warranty plan A" at the end of the "free warranty" period, and renews it one year later. Pattern 402 is a pattern in which a customer subscribes to "paid warranty plan B" after the "free warranty" period has ended, and renews it one year later. Pattern 403 is a pattern in which a customer subscribes to "paid warranty plan A" after the "free warranty" period has ended, and resubscribes to "paid warranty plan B" one year later. Note that the combination patterns of plans shown here are just examples, and other combination patterns may be used.

[0020] Next, the functional configuration of the registration management server 210 will be described with reference to FIG. The registration management server 210 is a server that manages registration information related to the maintenance service plans of each multifunction device. The registration management server 210 has the functions of a plan information processing unit 211, a registration information management unit 212, a payment information processing unit 213, and a normal operation confirmation unit 214.

[0021] The plan information processing unit 211 holds multiple pieces of plan information, and performs processing to extract plan information to which the multifunction device can subscribe from the multiple plan information based on the model information of the multifunction device and the current registration information, and present the plan information to the multifunction device. The registration information management unit 212 manages registration information relating to the plan to which each multifunction device is subscribed, by linking it to model information, etc. This registration information is the same as the registration information held in the multifunction device 100.

[0022] The payment information processing unit 213 performs processing related to the payment of the plan fee when subscribing to the plan. Specifically, the payment information processing unit 213 reads out information related to the fee from the plan information held in the plan information processing unit 211, generates a URL for payment, and receives a payment completion notification.

[0023] When the normal operation confirmation unit 214 receives from the multifunction device 100 the execution result of the check process for normal operation in the multifunction device 100, it compares the execution result of the check process with an expected value stored inside the normal operation confirmation unit 214. The normal operation confirmation unit 214 transmits to the multifunction device 100 a check result indicating the result of the comparison with the expected value as a confirmation result of normal operation. The normal operation confirmation unit 214 may receive information on the usage state from the multifunction device 100 and compare the received information with a reference value stored inside the normal operation confirmation unit 214 to perform a process of confirming whether the subscription conditions of the plan are met. The information on the usage state includes device installation information indicating the usage environment and usage method, the number of printed sheets indicating the amount of usage, the usage time, the usage frequency, and the like. In addition, this reference value may be set for each model.

[0024] 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the multifunction device 100 according to this embodiment. The multifunction device 100 functions as a registration information holding unit 150, a screen display control unit 151, a registration information processing unit 152, and a normal operation processing unit 153 as a result of the CPU 101 executing a control program stored in the ROM 102.

[0025] The registration information holding unit 150 stores registration information of the device body related to the maintenance service plan in the storage device 104. The registration information includes the start date of the subscription plan, the warranty expiration date of the subscription plan, information on the subscription plan, the purchaser of the device, the serial number of the device, customer information, and the like. The screen display control unit 151 controls the display of the screen of the operation unit 105 based on data received from the registry management server 210 and input information accepted from the user. The registration information processing unit 152 performs an acquisition process of the registration information held in the registration information holding unit 150. In addition, the registration information processing unit 152 performs an update process of the registration information held in the registration information holding unit 150 based on the data received from the registration management server 210. The normal operation processing unit 153 executes a check process to check the normal operation of the device body when the subscription plan has subscription conditions. The normal operation processing unit 153 transmits the execution result of the check process to the registration management server 210, and receives the check result from the registration management server 210. The check process will be described later with reference to FIG. 9. When the subscription condition of the subscription plan is a condition related to the usage state of the device body, the MFP 100 transmits information related to the usage state (such as the amount of usage) to the registration management server 210, and receives the check result from the registration management server 210.

[0026] 5 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the registration management server 210 according to this embodiment. The registration management server 210 according to this embodiment has a CPU 221, a memory 222, a communication unit 223, a display unit 224, and an input unit 225. These components are connected to each other via a system bus 226. The registration management server 210 may be a physical server, or may be composed of one or more cloud servers. The CPU 221 is responsible for the overall control of the registration management server 210. The registration management server 210 functions as the functional units shown in Fig. 2 by the CPU 221 executing the programs stored in the memory 222. Furthermore, the CPU 221 executes the programs stored in the memory 222 to realize the processing of the registration management server 210 in the flowchart described below.

[0027] The memory 222 is a ROM, a HDD, or the like, and stores various types of plan information, registration information for each multifunction device, expected values ​​required for check processing, and other data, in addition to programs executable by the CPU 221. The communication unit 223 is an interface for connecting to the network 200 by wire or wirelessly. The CPU 221 transmits and receives various data to and from external devices connected to the network 200 via the communication unit 223. The display unit 224 is a display or the like, and displays various information and execution results of various processes under the control of the CPU 221. The input unit 225 is a human interface device or the like, and inputs operation information from a user.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the whole registration and update process of the maintenance service. At the start of this flowchart, the storage device 104 of the multifunction device 100 stores registration information indicating that the device body is subscribed to any plan (here, any of "free warranty", "paid warranty plan A" and "paid warranty plan B"). This registration information is generated by a previous registration and update process. The registration and update process shown in this flowchart is a process for subscribing to a new plan other than the current plan or continuing to subscribe to the same plan as the current plan a specified number of days before the warranty expiration date of the current plan. The process of each step shown in this flowchart is realized by the CPU 101 executing a control program stored in the ROM 102. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a typical transition of a screen displayed on the operation unit 105 when this flowchart is executed. The process of each step shown in this flowchart will be described below with reference to FIG. 7. In the following description of the flowchart, each process (step) is written with an S at the beginning, and the notation of the process (step) is omitted. 6 may be executed by the CPU 221 of the registration management server 210. In this case, the CPU 221 controls the multifunction device 100 to execute a check process in response to receiving a request from the multifunction device 100 to subscribe to the selected plan. The CPU 221 then receives a result of the execution of the check process from the multifunction device 100. The CPU 221 then checks the received execution result, and if the check result is "OK", updates the registration information of each multifunction device 100 stored in the memory 222.

[0029] In S501, the CPU 101 acquires the warranty expiration date of the subscription plan from the registration information of the device body stored in the storage device 104, and judges whether the current date and time is a preset designated number of days ago. If the CPU 101 judges that the current date and time is not the designated number of days ago (S501; NO), the process returns to S501, and if the current date and time is the designated number of days ago (S501; YES), the process proceeds to S502. For example, if the alert timing is set to 90 days before the warranty expiration date, the CPU 101 advances the process to S502 when it becomes 90 days before. If the CPU 101 judges that the current date and time is not the designated number of days ago (S501; NO), the CPU 101 may make a judgment again one week later. In addition, various methods can be considered for judging whether the current date and time is the designated number of days ago, such as a method using an RTC (real-time clock) or a timer function of the CPU 101, or a method of acquiring the current date and time from an external device via the network 200 and comparing the current date and time.

[0030] In S502, the CPU 101 displays a registration update confirmation screen 900 on the operation unit 105. A message is displayed at the top of the screen 900, asking the user whether to continue subscribing to the currently subscribed plan. Also, at the bottom of the screen 900, a continuation update button 920 for instructing the user to continue subscribing to the currently subscribed plan, a plan confirmation button 921 for instructing the user to present other plans to which the user can switch, and a no update button 922 for instructing the user not to continue the currently subscribed plan. Note that if there are no other plans to which the user can switch, the plan confirmation button 921 may be hidden or grayed out.

[0031] In S503, if the CPU 101 detects pressing of the plan confirmation button 921 via the operation unit 105 (S503; YES), the process proceeds to S504, and if the CPU 101 does not detect pressing of the plan confirmation button 921 (S503; NO), the process proceeds to S517. In S504, the CPU 101 acquires information necessary for transmission to the registration management server 210 from the registration information stored in the storage device 104. The information acquired here is the usage start date of the subscription plan, information on the subscription plan, etc. Note that the usage start date may be replaced with the first power-on date and time, the contract start date, etc., and various other modes are possible.

[0032] In S505, the CPU 101 transmits to the registration management server 210 the model information, the information acquired in S504, and a request for presentation of available plans. In S506, the CPU 101 acquires information on available plans from the registration management server 210. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the plan information required for generating new registration information in S510 at a later stage is also acquired, but in cases where there are a large number of available plans, the plan information may be acquired again when a plan is selected in S508 at a later stage.

[0033] In S507, the CPU 101 displays a plan selection screen 901 on the operation unit 105 based on the plan information acquired in S506. The plan selection screen 901 displays a list of information such as the plan name, the presence or absence of subscription conditions, the warranty period, and the fee for each plan to which subscription can be made. In the example of Fig. 7, a plan that is presented when the warranty period of the "free warranty" expires is assumed. Therefore, the plan selection screen 901 displays both "paid warranty plan A" and "paid warranty plan B" as selectable plans. In S508 , the CPU 101 accepts the selection of a plan via the operation unit 105 .

[0034] In S509, CPU 101 determines whether or not the plan selected in S508 is a plan with subscription conditions based on the plan information acquired in S506. If CPU 101 determines that the plan is a plan with subscription conditions (S509; YES), it advances the process to S514 to execute a check process, and if it determines that the plan is a plan without subscription conditions (S509; NO), it advances the process to S510 to subscribe to the selected plan. The check process is a process for checking whether the device body meets the subscription conditions. In this embodiment, the check process is a series of processes for checking whether the device body operates normally. Details of the check process will be described later with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 9.

[0035] In S510, CPU 101 acquires information to be carried over when subscribing to the selected plan from the registration information stored in storage device 104. The information to be carried over includes, for example, customer information such as the place of purchase of the device, the serial number of the device, and contact information. CPU 101 generates new registration information by adding this information, the plan usage start date, the plan warranty expiration date, information on the selected plan, and the like.

[0036] In S511, the CPU 101 displays a registration content confirmation screen 902 on the operation unit 105. The registration content confirmation screen 902 displays a preview image of the new registration information generated in S510 in a format in which the necessary information is applied to a handwritten registration form. As shown in the figure, the registration information may be displayed in a form format in which the item name and the content correspond one-to-one to each other for each item. In the case of a plan that involves the conclusion of a contract at the time of subscription, a contract number may be included. Also, the contract start date in the figure corresponds to the start date of use of the plan, and the contract period in the figure corresponds to the warranty period. The registration content confirmation screen 902 displays a correction button 930 for instructing correction of the registration information and a confirmation button 931 for instructing confirmation of the registration information.

[0037] In S512, if CPU 101 detects pressing of correction button 930 via operation unit 105 (S512; YES), the process proceeds to S516, and if CPU 101 detects pressing of confirmation button 931 (S512; NO), the process proceeds to S513. In S513, the CPU 101 updates the current registration information stored in the storage device 104 with the new registration information confirmed in S512. This completes the registration procedure for subscribing to the selected plan. The process of updating the current registration information with the new registration information is an example of a registration process. Thereafter, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0038] In S514, the CPU 101 executes a check process in cooperation with the registry management server 210. The details of the check process will be described later with reference to the flowchart in FIG. In S515, CPU 101 determines whether the check result of the check process executed in S514 is "OK" or "NG". Specifically, CPU 101 determines whether a flag for the check result stored in RAM 103 is set to "OK" or "NG". If CPU 101 determines that the check result is "OK" (S515; YES), it determines that the subscription conditions are met and it is possible to subscribe to the selected plan, and proceeds to S510. On the other hand, if CPU 101 determines that the check result is "NG", it determines that the subscription conditions are not met and it is not possible to subscribe to the selected plan, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0039] In S516, the CPU 101 updates the display of the registration content confirmation screen 902 with the editing information input via the operation unit 105. After that, the process proceeds to S512. In S517, if CPU 101 detects pressing of continue update button 920 via operation unit 105 (S517; YES), the process proceeds to S518, and if CPU 101 detects pressing of no update button 922 (S517; NO), the process of this flowchart ends. Note that if no update button 922 is pressed, CPU 101 may set so that registration update confirmation screen 900 is not displayed again.

[0040] In S518, CPU 101 acquires information on the currently subscribed plan from the registration information of the main body stored in storage device 104, and judges whether the currently subscribed plan is a plan with subscription conditions. If CPU 101 judges that the plan is a plan with subscription conditions (S518; YES), the process proceeds to S521 to execute a check process, and if it judges that the plan is a plan without subscription conditions (S518; NO), the process proceeds to S519 to continue subscribing to the currently subscribed plan. Details of the check process will be described later with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 9.

[0041] In S519, CPU 101 acquires information to be carried over when the current plan is renewed from the registration information stored in storage device 104. The information to be carried over includes, for example, customer information such as the plan start date, plan information, where the device was purchased, the device serial number, and contact information. CPU 101 generates new registration information by adding information such as the plan warranty expiration date to this information. In S520, the CPU 101 updates the current registration information stored in the storage device 104 with the new registration information generated in S519. This completes the renewal procedure to continue with the subscription plan. The process of updating the current registration information with the new registration information is an example of a registration process. After that, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0042] In S521, the CPU 101 executes a check process in cooperation with the registration management server 210. Details of the check process will be described later with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9. The process of this step is similar to that of S514. In S522, CPU 101 determines whether the check result of the check process executed in S521 is "OK" or "NG." If CPU 101 determines that the check result is "OK" (S522; YES), it determines that the subscription conditions are met and that continued subscription to the current plan is possible, and proceeds to process S519. On the other hand, if CPU 101 determines that the check result is "NG," it determines that continued subscription to the current plan is not possible because the subscription conditions are not met, and ends the process of this flowchart.

[0043] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the process in which the registration management server 210 presents plans to which the multifunction device 100 can subscribe in response to a request from the multifunction device 100 during the maintenance service registration and update process of Fig. 6. The process of each step shown in this flowchart is realized by the CPU 221 executing a program stored in the memory 222. The process of this flowchart is executed at the timing of S505 to S506 in Fig. 6.

[0044] In S701, the CPU 221 receives the model information and current registration information transmitted from the multifunction device 100 in S505, and a request to present available plans. The information received from the multifunction device 100 may be the serial number of the device itself. In this case, the CPU 221 may acquire the registration information of the corresponding multifunction device 100 and the model information associated therewith from the registration information of each multifunction device stored in the memory 222 based on the received serial number.

[0045] In S702, the CPU 221 performs a determination by comparing the information received in S701 with a plurality of plan information stored in the memory 222, and extracts a subscription-available plan from the plurality of plan information. As described above, the method of determining the plan is based on the model and the number of years from the start date of the plan. In S703, the CPU 221 transmits information such as the plan name of the available plan acquired in S702, the presence or absence of subscription conditions, the warranty period, and the fee to the requesting multifunction device 100. As a result, a plan selection screen 901 is displayed on the operation unit 105 of the multifunction device 100. After that, the processing of this flowchart ends. According to the process of this flowchart as described above, information on plans to which the multifunction device 100 can subscribe, from among various pre-prepared maintenance service plans, can be presented to the user of the multifunction device 100 in an easily understandable manner.

[0046] Next, the check process executed in S514 and S521 of the maintenance service registration update process in Fig. 6 will be described. In this embodiment, the check process is described below, but is not limited to the following as long as it is a process for checking the normal operation of the device body. In this embodiment, the check process is executed by the multifunction device 100 and the registration management server 210 in cooperation with each other.

[0047] In the check process, first, the registration management server 210 acquires the serial number, version information, and toner tag information of the multifunction device 100, and verifies that they are appropriate for the warranty. The purpose of the verification is to verify that the serial number is a genuine device, that the version information is a version covered by the warranty, and that the toner tag information is genuine toner. Toner is an example of a consumable item for the multifunction device 100.

[0048] Next, the multifunction device 100 prints a test pattern and measures the printing time, and scans the printed test pattern and warranty card and measures the scan time. By printing the test pattern, it is possible to confirm that the printing operation can be completed normally and that there are no problems with the print results, and by measuring the print time, it is possible to confirm that there are no problems with the print performance. By scanning the printed test pattern, it is possible to confirm that the scanning operation can be completed normally and that there are no problems with the scan results, and by measuring the scan time, it is possible to confirm that there are no problems with the scan performance. By scanning the warranty card, it is possible to prove that the warranty was purchased when the device was purchased.

[0049] In this embodiment, the subscription condition for the selected plan is the normal operation of the device body, so the check process is a process for confirming the normal operation of the device body. The subscription condition for the selected plan may include a condition related to the usage state of the device body in addition to the normal operation of the device body, or may be a condition related to the usage state of the device body instead of the normal operation of the device body. In such a case, the check process may be a process for confirming whether the conditions of the selected plan are met by acquiring information related to the usage state (such as the amount of usage) from the multifunction device 100 and comparing the acquired information with a reference value stored in the registration management server 210.

[0050] 9 is a flowchart showing the process executed by the multifunction device 100 during the execution of the check process. Note that all or part of the process of each step shown in FIG. In S601, the CPU 101 displays a screen 903 indicating that a body check is required on the operation unit 105. A body check button 940 is provided on the screen 903 indicating that a body check is required. In S602, if CPU 101 detects that main body check button 940 has been pressed (S602; YES), the process proceeds to S603, and if CPU 101 does not detect that main body check button 940 has been pressed (S602; NO), the process returns to S601. In step S603 , the CPU 101 sets a flag for storing the result of the check process to “NG” as an initial value, and stores the flag in the RAM 103 .

[0051] In S604, the CPU 101 acquires the device information of the device and transmits it to the registration management server 210. The device information includes, but is not limited to, the device serial number, version information, toner tag information, etc. During execution of S604, the CPU 101 displays a screen 904 on the operation unit 105 indicating that the device information is being checked. In S605, the CPU 101 receives from the registration management server 210 the check result of the machine information transmitted in S604.

[0052] In S606, CPU 101 determines whether the check result of the machine information received in S605 is "OK" or "NG". If it is determined to be "OK" (S606; YES), processing proceeds to S607. If it is determined to be "NG" (S606; NO), processing proceeds to S616. In S607, the CPU 101 executes a print process of a test pattern. The test pattern may be acquired by previously storing it in the ROM 102, RAM 103, storage device 104, etc. and reading it out from there, or by requesting the test pattern from the registration management server 210 and receiving it. During execution of S607, the CPU 101 displays a screen 906 on the operation unit 105 indicating that the test pattern is being printed. Furthermore, the CPU 101 measures the time required from the start to the end of the print process, and stores the measured time in the RAM 103 as the print time.

[0053] In S608, CPU 101 determines whether the printing process of the test pattern executed in S607 has been completed normally. If CPU 101 determines that the printing process has been completed normally (S608; YES), the process proceeds to S609, and if CPU 101 determines that the printing process has not been completed normally (error) (S608; NO), the process proceeds to S617. In S609, the CPU 101 displays a screen 908 for instructing the user to scan a test pattern and a warranty card on the operation unit 105. The test pattern refers to the output result of S607, and the warranty card refers to something that the user has stored in advance, such as when purchasing the device. The screen 908 for instructing the user to scan has a scan start button 950.

[0054] In S610, if CPU 101 detects that scan start button 950 has been pressed (S610; YES), the process proceeds to S611, and if CPU 101 does not detect that scan start button 950 has been pressed (S610; NO), the process returns to S609. In S611, the CPU 101 executes a scan process and a transmission process for transmitting image data (scan data) of the scan result to the registry management server 210. During execution of S611, the CPU 101 displays a screen 909 indicating that scanning is in progress on the operation unit 105. Furthermore, the CPU 101 measures the time required from the start to the end of the scan process, and transmits the measured time (scan time) and the print time stored in S607 to the registry management server 210.

[0055] In S612, CPU 101 determines whether the scanning process and the transmission process executed in S611 have been completed normally. If CPU 101 determines that the scanning process and the transmission process have been completed normally (S612; YES), the process proceeds to S613, and if CPU 101 determines that the scanning process and the transmission process have not been completed normally (error) (S612; NO), the process proceeds to S618. In S613, the CPU 101 receives the check results for the scan data, scan time, and print time transmitted in S611 from the registry management server 210. During execution of S613, the CPU 101 displays on the operation unit 105 a screen 911 indicating that the check process is in progress.

[0056] In S614, CPU 101 determines whether the check result received in S613 is "OK" or "NG". If it is determined to be "OK" (S614; YES), the process proceeds to S615. If it is determined to be "NG" (S614; NO), the process proceeds to S619. In S615, the CPU 101 sets the flag that stores the result of the check process to "OK" and stores it in the RAM 103. The process of this step means that all check items in the series of check processes were "OK", which indicates that it is possible to join the plan with subscription conditions. Then, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0057] In S616, the CPU 101 displays a screen 905 indicating that the check result of the device information received in S605 was "NG" on the operation unit 105. This indicates that it is not possible to subscribe to the plan with subscription conditions. After that, the processing of this flowchart ends. In S617, the CPU 101 displays on the operation unit 105 a screen 907 indicating that the printing operation of the test pattern executed in S607 was not normal. This indicates that it is not possible to subscribe to the plan with subscription conditions. After that, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0058] In S618, the CPU 101 displays on the operation unit 105 a screen 910 indicating that the scan process and transmission process executed in S611 were not normal. This indicates that it is not possible to subscribe to a plan with subscription conditions. After that, the process of this flowchart ends. In S619, the CPU 101 displays a screen 912 indicating that the check result received in S613 was "NG" on the operation unit 105. This indicates that it is not possible to subscribe to the plan with subscription conditions. After that, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0059] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the registry management server 210 during the execution of the check processing. Steps S801 to S803 in this flowchart are executed at the timings of steps S604 to S605 in FIG. 9, and steps S804 to S806 are executed at the timings of steps S611 to S613 in FIG.

[0060] In S801, the CPU 221 receives the device information transmitted in S604 from the multifunction device 100. As described in the description of S604, the device information includes the serial number of the device, version information, toner tag information, and the like, and only these will be described in this embodiment, but the information is not limited to these. Next, in S802, the CPU 221 compares the data of each item of the machine information received in S801 with the expected values ​​stored in the memory 222 to check whether they match. There are no particular limitations on the method of checking, but the following method can be used as an example.

[0061] Regarding the serial number of the device, there is a method of searching for a match in a database that stores the serial numbers of all devices. With this method, if the CPU 221 finds a serial number in the database that matches the received serial number, it has confirmed that the device is an actual, legitimate device and the check result is "OK", otherwise it is "NG". Regarding version information, there is a method for checking whether the firmware version implemented in the machine and the version of the installed application match the version covered by the warranty (e.g., the latest version). With this method, if the versions received match the versions covered by the warranty, the CPU 221 determines the check result as "OK" and if not, determines the result as "NG." Regarding the tag information of the toner, the CPU 221 checks whether the toner is genuine from the tag information, and if it is genuine, the check result is "OK", otherwise it is "NG". Finally, if the check results for each item of this machine information are all "OK", the CPU 221 determines the check result for the entire machine information to be "OK", and if not, determines it to be "NG".

[0062] Next, in S803, the CPU 221 transmits the check results of the entire device information in S802 to the multifunction peripheral 100. As a result, the multifunction peripheral 100 executes the process of S605.

[0063] In S804, the CPU 221 receives the scan data (the scanned image of the test pattern and the scanned image of the warranty card), the scan time, and the print time from the multifunction device 100 in S611. Next, in step S805, the CPU 221 checks the scan data, scan time, and print time received in step S804. There are no particular limitations on the method of checking, but the following method can be used as an example.

[0064] For the scanned image of the test pattern, the CPU 221 adjusts the position of the scanned image according to the characteristics of the correct image of the test pattern stored in the memory 222 so as to eliminate misalignment during printing and scanning of the test pattern. The CPU 221 then subtracts pixel values ​​for each pixel between the image after the position adjustment and the correct image to obtain a difference, and determines whether the difference is equal to or smaller than a threshold value. If the difference is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, it can be confirmed that there is no problem with the print result and the scan result.

[0065] As for the scanned image of the warranty, the CPU 221 acquires the serial number, warranty period, customer information, and the like written on the warranty from the scanned image of the warranty using a known character recognition technique such as OCR. Then, the CPU 221 determines whether the acquired information matches the registration information of the serial number stored in the memory 222. Alternatively, the CPU 221 may be configured to embed a marking partial image for proving that the warranty is genuine in the warranty itself, and determine whether the marking partial image can be detected from the scanned image of the warranty. If the registration information stored in the memory 222 matches or if the marking partial image can be detected, it can be confirmed that the warranty was purchased at the time of purchasing the device.

[0066] Furthermore, for the printing time and scanning time, the CPU 221 compares each time with a threshold value stored in the memory 222 and determines whether or not it is below the threshold value. If it is below the threshold value, it can be confirmed that there is no problem with the printing and scanning performance. In this manner, if CPU 221 is able to confirm that there are no problems with the scanned image of the test pattern, the scanning time, and the printing time, and if it is able to confirm the legitimacy of the scanned image of the warranty, it will mark the check result as "OK", otherwise it will mark it as "NG". In S806, the check result in S805 is sent to the multifunction device 100. As a result, the multifunction device 100 executes the process of S613.

[0067] According to this embodiment, even if conditions such as normal operation of the device body are imposed when subscribing to the maintenance service, whether or not the conditions are met can be confirmed on the device body, so that the procedure for registering for the maintenance service can be completed only by operations on the image forming device. Also, the legitimacy of the satisfaction of the subscription conditions such as normal operation of the device body can be guaranteed.

[0068] In this embodiment, the timing for displaying the plan selection screen 901 in S507 of FIG. 6 is the timing when an instruction is given to present another plan that can be switched to a specified number of days before the warranty expiration date of the subscribed plan, but the timing is not limited to this. For example, if no plan is subscribed to, the plan selection screen 901 may be displayed at any timing instructed by the user. That is, even if the registration information is not stored in the storage device 104 of the multifunction device 100, it is possible to execute the processes of S507 to S513 of FIG. 6. In this case, in S510, the CPU 101 generates registration information by newly inputting the purchaser of the device, the serial number of the device, customer information, and the like via the operation unit 105. In addition, in S513, the CPU 101 saves the registration information generated in S510 in the storage device 104.

[0069] 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.

[0070] The disclosure of each of the above-described embodiments includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Configuration 1) a first execution means for executing a confirmation process for confirming that the device body satisfies the conditions for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit; a second execution means for executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied as a result of the confirmation process; An image forming apparatus comprising: (Configuration 2) The method further includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a condition is set for subscription to the maintenance service of the target that received the instruction, When the determination means determines that the condition is set, the first execution means executes the confirmation process, The image forming apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the condition is not set, the first execution means does not execute the confirmation process, and the second execution means executes the registration process. (Configuration 3) The first execution means executes the confirmation process when an instruction to continue the subscribed maintenance service is received, The image forming apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the second execution means updates the registration information registered by the previous registration process when it is confirmed that the conditions are met as a result of the confirmation process. (Configuration 4) The method further includes a determination means for determining whether or not a condition is set for the continuation of the maintenance service currently subscribed to, When the determination means determines that the condition is set, the first execution means executes the confirmation process, The image forming apparatus according to configuration 3, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that the condition is not set, the first execution means does not execute the confirmation process, and the second execution means updates the registration information. (Configuration 5) The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the first execution means receives an instruction as to whether to subscribe to a maintenance service other than the currently subscribed maintenance service or to continue the currently subscribed maintenance service a specified number of days before the expiration date of the period during which the currently subscribed maintenance service is available. (Configuration 6) 6. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming that the apparatus body is operating normally. (Configuration 7) 7. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 6, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming normal operation of a print process of a test pattern and normal operation of a scan process of the print result. (Configuration 8) 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming that a difference between a scanned image of a test pattern and a correct image is equal to or smaller than a threshold value. (Configuration 9) 9. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 7 or 8, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming that a printing time required for a printing process and a scanning time required for a scanning process are equal to or less than a threshold value. (Configuration 10) The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the confirmation process is performed using at least one of the serial number of the apparatus body, version information of firmware implemented in the apparatus body or installed applications, and tag information of consumables of the apparatus body. (Configuration 11) The first execution means transmits an execution result of the confirmation process to a server, The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the second execution means determines whether or not the condition is satisfied based on a check result of the execution result received from the server. (Configuration 12) 12. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein a condition for joining the maintenance service is a condition related to a usage state of the apparatus main body. (Configuration 13) 13. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 12, wherein the condition relating to the usage state relates to at least one of a usage environment, a usage method, a usage amount, and a usage time. (Configuration 14) A server for managing registration information of a maintenance service to which an image forming apparatus subscribes, a control means for controlling the image forming apparatus to execute a confirmation process for confirming whether the apparatus main body satisfies a condition for subscription to the maintenance service when a request for subscription to the maintenance service is received from the image forming apparatus; an execution means for receiving an execution result of the confirmation process from the image forming apparatus, and when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied based on the execution result, executing a registration process for subscribing the image forming apparatus to a maintenance service; A server comprising: (Configuration 15) The system further includes a management unit for managing information on maintenance services for each type of maintenance service, The server according to configuration 14, characterized in that when the control means receives a request from the image forming device to subscribe to a maintenance service, the control means extracts maintenance services to which the image forming device can subscribe from among a plurality of maintenance services managed by the management means based on the registration information of the image forming device, and presents information on the extracted maintenance services to the image forming device. (Configuration 16) A system including an image forming apparatus and a server, The image forming apparatus includes: a first execution means for executing a confirmation process for confirming whether the device body satisfies the conditions for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit; a first transmission means for transmitting an execution result of the confirmation process to the server; a second execution means for receiving a check result of the execution result from the server, and executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied by the check result; having The server, a check unit that receives the execution result from the image forming apparatus and checks whether the condition is satisfied based on the execution result; a second transmission means for transmitting a check result by the checking means to the image forming apparatus; A system comprising: (method) a first execution step of executing a confirmation process for confirming whether the apparatus main body satisfies a condition for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via the operation unit; a second execution step of executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied as a result of the confirmation process; A control method comprising: (program) The computer of the image forming apparatus a first execution means for executing a confirmation process for confirming whether the device body satisfies the conditions for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit; a second execution means for executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied as a result of the confirmation process; A program to operate as. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 100: Multifunction device, 210: Registration management server

Claims

1. a first execution means for executing a confirmation process for confirming that the apparatus main body satisfies the conditions for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit; a second execution means for executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied as a result of the confirmation process; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. The method further includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a condition is set for subscription to the maintenance service of the target that received the instruction, When the determining means determines that the condition is set, the first executing means executes the confirmation process, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the determination means determines that the condition is not set, the first execution means does not execute the confirmation process, and the second execution means executes the registration process.

3. the first execution means executes the confirmation process when an instruction to continue the subscribed maintenance service is received, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second execution means updates the registration information registered by the previous registration process when it is confirmed that the condition is met as a result of the confirmation process.

4. The method further includes a determination means for determining whether or not a condition is set for the continuation of the maintenance service currently subscribed to, When the determining means determines that the condition is set, the first executing means executes the confirmation process, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the determination means determines that the condition is not set, the first execution means does not execute the confirmation process, and the second execution means updates the registration information.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first execution means accepts an instruction as to whether to subscribe to a maintenance service other than the currently subscribed maintenance service or to continue the currently subscribed maintenance service a specified number of days before the expiration date of the period during which the currently subscribed maintenance service can be used.

6. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming that the main body of the apparatus is operating normally.

7. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming normal operation of a print process of a test pattern and normal operation of a scan process of the print result.

8. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming that a difference between the scanned image of the test pattern and a correct image is equal to or smaller than a threshold value.

9. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the confirmation process is a process for confirming that a printing time required for a printing process and a scanning time required for a scanning process are equal to or less than a threshold value.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the confirmation process is performed using at least one of the serial number of the device body, version information of firmware implemented in the device body or installed applications, and tag information of consumables of the device body.

11. The first execution means transmits a result of the confirmation process to a server, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second execution unit determines whether the condition is satisfied based on a check result of the execution result received from the server.

12. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a condition for joining the maintenance service is related to a usage state of the apparatus body.

13. 13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the condition relating to the usage state relates to at least one of a usage environment, a usage method, a usage amount, and a usage time.

14. A server for managing registration information of a maintenance service to which an image forming apparatus subscribes, a control means for controlling the image forming apparatus to execute a confirmation process for confirming whether the apparatus main body satisfies a condition for subscription to the maintenance service when a request for subscription to the maintenance service is received from the image forming apparatus; an execution means for receiving an execution result of the confirmation process from the image forming apparatus, and when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied based on the execution result, executing a registration process for subscribing the image forming apparatus to a maintenance service; A server comprising:

15. The system further includes a management unit for managing information on maintenance services for each type of maintenance service, The server according to claim 14, characterized in that when the control means receives a request from the image forming device to subscribe to a maintenance service, it extracts maintenance services to which the image forming device can subscribe from among a plurality of maintenance services managed by the management means based on the registration information of the image forming device, and presents information on the extracted maintenance services to the image forming device.

16. A system including an image forming apparatus and a server, The image forming apparatus includes: a first execution means for executing a confirmation process for confirming whether the device body satisfies a condition for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit; a first transmission means for transmitting an execution result of the confirmation process to the server; a second execution means for receiving a check result of the execution result from the server, and executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied by the check result; having The server, a check unit that receives the execution result from the image forming apparatus and checks whether the condition is satisfied based on the execution result; a second transmission means for transmitting a check result by the checking means to the image forming apparatus; A system comprising:

17. A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a first execution step of executing a confirmation process for confirming whether the apparatus main body satisfies a condition for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via the operation unit; a second execution step of executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied as a result of the confirmation process; A control method comprising:

18. The computer of the image forming apparatus a first execution means for executing a confirmation process for confirming whether the device body satisfies a condition for subscription to the maintenance service when an instruction to subscribe to the maintenance service is received via an operation unit; a second execution means for executing a registration process for subscribing to a maintenance service when it is confirmed that the condition is satisfied as a result of the confirmation process; A program to operate as.

Images