Information processing apparatus, right purchase accepting apparatus, and information processing system

Abstract

To improve convenience by variably presenting a purchase mode of a printing right suitable for each user.SOLUTION: A management server 100 includes a non-volatile storage device 130 and a processing apparatus 110. The processing apparatus 110 is configured to perform printing with the printable number of sheets as an upper limit, and execute an ST 10 for acquiring model number information specific to a printer 200 to which the printable number is to be increased according to a predetermined number of purchased copies guaranteed by a purchase print right purchased at a user's financial expense, an ST 25 for determining a charge plan to be proposed to the corresponding user or printer 200 based on the acquired model number information, and a storing process after an ST 30 for storing the printer 200 for which the model number information has been acquired in an ST 15 and the charge plan determined in the ST 25 in the nonvolatile storage device 130 in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device that performs processing related to printing authority in a printing device, an authority purchase accepting device, and an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In a printing service in which a user who uses a printing device pays a service provider a fee according to the printing content, a prepaid fee system may be introduced. Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, a technique is known in which a user purchases printing authority for a fee and can print up to a certain amount of printing guaranteed by the purchased printing authority. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-68372 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above conventional technology, when a print process based on the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by the printing authority is completed and the allowable print volume, which is the upper limit of printable capacity, becomes zero, the user purchases new printing authority, i.e., charges up. This adds to the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by the purchased printing authority, increasing the allowable print volume, and allows printing to continue. Here, let us consider a process for accepting a new purchase of printing authority by a user. In this case, for example, a plurality of purchasing modes of printing authority are presented to the user as options, and the purchase of printing authority is accepted according to the purchasing mode selected by the user. However, if the same printing right purchasing methods were presented to various users, such as users of high-spec models and users of standard models, or users who print a lot and users who print a little, there was a risk that the methods presented would not be appropriate for some users.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an authority purchase receiving device, and an information processing system that can variably present a printing authority purchase mode suitable for each user and improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a memory unit and a control unit, and the control unit is configured to be able to perform printing up to an allowable printing volume, and is configured to execute an information acquisition process to acquire unique related information unique to a printing device that is the target of increasing the allowable printing volume in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a purchased printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense, a mode determination process to determine a printing authority purchasing mode to be proposed to the corresponding user or printing device based on the unique related information acquired in the information acquisition process, and a mode storage process to associate the printing device from which the unique related information was acquired in the information acquisition process and the printing authority purchasing mode determined in the mode determination process and store them in the memory unit in association with each other.

[0007] In the present invention, the control unit executes an information acquisition process to acquire unique associated information of the printing device, and a mode determination process to determine a printing authority purchase mode corresponding to the acquired unique associated information. The printing device from which the unique associated information was acquired and the printing authority purchase mode determined in accordance with the unique associated information are associated with each other in a mode storage process and stored in the storage unit.

[0008] In the present invention, a printing device and a printing authority purchase mode corresponding to the printing device are associated with each other and stored in advance. According to the present invention, it is possible to present an appropriate printing authority purchase mode to a user who uses a printing device to perform printing by reading out the printing authority purchase mode associated with the printing device.

[0009] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a display unit and a control unit, and the control unit is configured to be able to perform printing up to an allowable printing volume, and is configured to execute an apparatus designation acceptance process that accepts designation of a printing device for which the allowable printing volume is to be increased in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by purchased printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense, a mode display process that displays on the display unit at least one printing authority purchase mode corresponding to the printing device whose designation has been accepted in the apparatus designation acceptance process in accordance with an association between the printing device and a printing authority purchase mode that has been preset based on unique association information specific to the printing device, and a mode designation acceptance process that accepts designation of the printing authority purchase mode based on the display on the display unit in the mode display process.

[0010] In the present invention, a printing device is previously associated with a printing authority purchase mode corresponding to the unique associated information of the printing device. For example, when a user specifies a printing device when printing, the specification is accepted in a device specification acceptance process executed by a control unit. At least one printing authority purchase mode based on the unique associated information of the specified printing device is displayed on a display unit in a mode display process. When the user specifies a printing authority purchase mode that he or she wishes to purchase in response to the display, the specification is accepted in the mode specification acceptance process.

[0011] According to the present invention, the printing authority purchase mode associated with the unique related information of a printing device to be used for printing is displayed to a user who has specified the printing device, thereby making it possible to present an appropriate printing authority purchase mode.

[0012] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention includes a printing device that is configured to be able to perform printing up to an allowable printing volume, and that is a target for increasing the allowable printing volume in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a purchased printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense; an information acquisition unit that acquires unique related information unique to the printing device; a mode determination unit that determines a printing authority purchase mode to be proposed to the corresponding user or printing device based on the unique related information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a mode memory unit that stores the printing device from which the unique related information was acquired by the information acquisition unit and the printing authority purchase mode determined by the mode determination unit in association with each other; a device designation acceptance unit that accepts designation of the printing device; a mode display signal output unit that outputs a signal displaying at least one of the printing authority purchase modes corresponding to the printing device whose designation was accepted by the device designation acceptance unit in accordance with the association stored in the mode memory unit; and a mode designation acceptance unit that accepts designation of the printing authority purchase mode based on the display by the display signal output by the mode display signal output unit. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the purchasing mode of printing authority suitable for each user can be variably presented, thereby improving convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a print service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a mobile terminal. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for transmitting and receiving information between a management server, a printer, and a mobile terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user database. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plan group table in a charge plan database. [Figure 6]13 is a diagram showing an example of a model number applicable plan group table of the charge plan database. FIG. [Figure 7] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating screen transitions between a print charge purchase screen that displays a charge plan and a printer switching designation screen. [Figure 8] 11 is a sequence chart showing a processing sequence of each device during a printing charge purchasing procedure. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing a print charge purchase screen when plan groups of multiple model numbers are displayed together. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] <Outline of the printing service provision system> FIG. 1 shows an example of the system configuration of a print service system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The print service system 1 provides a prepaid print service in which a user, who is a customer, pays a fee in advance to use the print function of a printer 200. In FIG. 1, the print service system 1 has a management server 100, a printer 200, a mobile terminal 300, and a transaction server 400. The management server 100, the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, and the transaction server 400 are connected to a network NT including a mobile phone communication line, and can communicate with each other. The print service system 1 is an example of an information processing system, the management server 100 is an example of an information processing device, the printer 200 is an example of a printing device, and the mobile terminal 300 is an example of an authority purchase reception device.

[0017] <Administration Server> The management server 100 is a server installed and managed by, for example, the manufacturer of the printer 200. As shown in Fig. 1, the management server 100 has a processor 110, a storage device 115, and a communication interface 190. The processor 110, the storage device 115, and the communication interface 190 are connected via a bus 105 so as to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other.

[0018] The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a non-volatile storage device 130. The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, a DRAM, and stores various programs and data to be processed. The non-volatile storage device 130 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and includes a program storage area 131, a charge plan database storage area 132, and a user database storage area 133.

[0019] Various programs are stored in the program storage area 131. The various programs include programs related to management and output of charge plans for printing authority based on the sequence chart of FIG. 8, which will be described later. The charge plan database storage area 132 stores information such as charge plans and plan groups when purchasing printing authority. The user database storage area 133 stores various information related to users who have contracted for the prepaid printing service. The charge plan database and user database will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, which will be described later.

[0020] The processor 110 is a device for performing data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs including a program for managing the charge plan stored in the program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes including data communication with the mobile terminal 300, the printer 200, and the transaction server 400 connected to the network NT. The processor 110 executes the purchase of printing authority by the print service providing system 1 of this embodiment. The non-volatile storage device 130 is an example of a storage unit, and the processor 110 and the program stored in the program storage area 131 are an example of a control unit.

[0021] The communication interface 190 is a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to a network NT.

[0022] In addition, the storage device 115 is not limited to being configured with the above-mentioned device elements, but may be configured with, for example, a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, a HDD, a portable recording medium such as a USB memory that is detachably attached to the management server 100, a buffer provided in the processor 110, or a combination of these. The storage device 115 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. The same applies to the storage device 215 of the printer 200 described later.

[0023] <Printer> The printer 200 is owned, for example, by a user who receives the above-mentioned prepaid printing service. As shown in Fig. 1, the printer 200 has a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 285, a communication interface 270, and a printing unit 290. The processor 210, the storage device 215, the display unit 240, the operation unit 250, the communication interface 270, and the printing unit 290 are connected to each other via a bus 205 so as to be able to transmit and receive data therebetween.

[0024] The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a non-volatile storage device 230. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, a DRAM, and includes an image data storage area 221 that stores image data to be printed. The non-volatile storage device 230 is, for example, a flash memory, and includes a program storage area 232 and a data storage area 233. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 232 as, for example, firmware. The data storage area 233 stores the number of printable sheets, a printer ID for identifying the printer 200, and the like.

[0025] The processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, and is, for example, a CPU. The processor 210 executes various programs stored in the program storage area 232. The processor 210 and the programs stored in the program storage area 232 are an example of a control unit.

[0026] The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various information. The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts operations by a user. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0027] The printing unit 290 prints an image on the transported paper using a predetermined method while taking out paper from a paper feed tray using a transport mechanism (not shown). The printing method is not particularly limited, but printing is performed using an inkjet method or a laser method, for example. The printing unit 290 forms an image on the paper using ink from an ink cartridge or toner from a toner cartridge (not shown) in accordance with a print job sent from the mobile terminal 300 or a print job generated by the printing unit 290 itself based on an operation on the operation unit 250.

[0028] <Mobile devices> Fig. 2 shows an example of a system configuration of a mobile terminal 300. The mobile terminal 300 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user, and is connected to a network NT via wireless communication. As shown in Fig. 2, the mobile terminal 300 has a CPU 310, a memory 320, a communication control unit 330 for connecting to the network NT via wireless communication, a touch panel 340, and a large-capacity storage device 350.

[0029] The large-capacity storage device 350 is, for example, a flash memory, and includes a program storage area 351 and a data storage area 352. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 351 as, for example, applications. The CPU 310 executes the various programs stored in the program storage area 351. The CPU 310 executes various processes including data communication with the management server 100 connected to the network NT. The data storage area 352 stores a user ID and the like for identifying a user corresponding to the mobile terminal 300, which is issued based on the program or the print service. The CPU 310 is an example of a control unit, and the touch panel 340 is an example of a display unit.

[0030] The mobile terminal 300 also displays various information and accepts various operations by the user on a touch panel 340 that integrally combines a liquid crystal display and a touch pad. The user can input various instructions to the mobile terminal 300 by operating the touch panel 340.

[0031] Note that the mobile terminal 300 may be, instead of a mobile terminal, another information terminal such as a tablet computer or a desktop PC.

[0032] <Trade Server> 1, the transaction server 400 is a server for performing online settlement via a network NW. The transaction server 400 has a processor, a storage device, and a communication interface for connecting to the network NT (not shown).

[0033] <Prepaid printing service> In the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment, the management server 100, the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, and the transaction server 400 are connected to each other via the network NT so that they can transmit and receive information. As shown in FIG. 3, one mobile terminal 300 owned by a specific user and multiple printers 200 that the user has available for use by selectively switching between them each transmit and receive information individually to the management server 100. The management server 100 centrally manages the purchase procedure for the charge amount, which will be described later, performed from the mobile terminal 300 for each of the multiple printers 200, and the increase and decrease status of the printable number and the total number of prints for each printer 200. The management server 100 periodically communicates with each printer 200 to periodically update the printable number and the total number of prints that change as each printer 200 executes printing.

[0034] In this embodiment, the printing service provided by the printing service providing system 1 is a prepaid printing service. The prepaid printing service is a service in which the charge number guaranteed for the printing authority purchased in advance by the user is added to the printable number of the target printer 200, and the print process can be executed in the printer 200 with the printable number as the upper limit. The charge number is added to the printable number by, for example, the processor 110 of the management server 100, and is sent to the printer 200 at, for example, a regular timing. The printable number is stored, for example, in the user database storage area 133 of the nonvolatile storage device 130 of the management server 100 or the data storage area 233 of the nonvolatile storage device 230 of the printer 200, and is reduced by the number of printed sheets each time printing is executed. The printable number is reduced by, for example, the processor 210 of the printer 200, and is sent to the management server 100 at, for example, a regular timing. The charge number is an example of a guaranteed print amount, and the printable number is an example of an allowable print amount.

[0035] In the printing service providing system 1 of the present embodiment, as a purchasing form of the printing authority, first, the purchase of the printing authority based on a purchase request from the user can be executed. The purchase of the printing authority based on the user's purchase request is executed by transmitting the purchase application for the printing authority from the mobile terminal 300 to the management server 100 in response to the user's operation and receiving it from the management server 100. The purchase of the printing authority is executed at any timing desired by the user. At that time, the user selects one of a plurality of charge plans with different purchase numbers and purchase amounts, such as charge numbers of 50 sheets = 500 yen, 100 sheets = 900 yen, and 250 sheets = 2000 yen, and purchases the corresponding printing authority (described in detail later).

[0036] In this example, a plurality of charge plans corresponding to printing authority that can be purchased by the user are acquired in a form associated with the model number information of each of the plurality of printers 200 owned by the user. The plurality of charge plans are organized into plan groups for each model number of the printers 200 and stored in the management server 100, and the plan groups are displayed on the mobile terminal 300 as necessary, and one of the charge plans is selected by the user. The charge number guaranteed for the printing authority purchased corresponding to the selected charge plan is added to the number of printable sheets of the printer 200. The charge plan is an example of a printing authority purchase mode.

[0037] <Features of the embodiment> For example, when accepting a user's purchase of a new charge plan, multiple charge plans with different purchase quantities and purchase amounts as described above are presented to the user as options, and the purchase of printing authority is accepted according to the charge plan selected by the user. The reason for presenting a plan group that brings together multiple charge plans with different combinations of purchase quantities and purchase amounts in this way is to meet the diverse needs of users, such as the different desired printing volume and price ranges. In addition, the more the purchase amount of a charge plan with a higher purchase amount can be discounted, so a variety of charge plan variations can be presented to the user in terms of cost performance as well.

[0038] Here, factors that generally affect the printing cost of the printer 200 include the difference in printing method such as inkjet method or laser method in the printing unit 290, the price of the paper used, and the difference in specifications and prices such as the number of printable pages of consumables such as ink and toner. Depending on the combination of these factors, the printing cost required may differ greatly as the number of printed pages increases, and in consideration of user convenience, charge plans and plan groups that reflect such differences in printing costs should be presented. However, if the same charge plan is presented uniformly to various users, such as users of high-spec models and users of normal models, users who print a lot and users who print a little, etc., there is a risk that the presented plan may not be appropriate for some users.

[0039] Therefore, in the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment, a charge plan with appropriate content is presented according to the difference in hardware factors that affect the printing cost as described above. Specifically, in the example of this embodiment, the hardware factors that affect the printing cost in the printer 200 are collectively and uniquely defined by the model number information of the printer 200, and a plan group of charge plans is set corresponding to each model number information. Then, when a user switches which of the multiple printers 200 he owns to use, a plan group corresponding to the model number of the printer 200 to be used is applied, and multiple charge plans included therein are presented to the user. In addition, when setting the plan group, an upgrade plan is also provided as a service for heavy users who have printed a large number of pages in total.

[0040] In addition, information on factors that affect the printing costs of printer 200 as described above is an example of attribute information of the printing device, and information on the total number of printed sheets indicating to what extent the user used printer 200 for printing is an example of operation history information of the printing device, each of which is an example of unique related information.

[0041] <Various information related to charge plans and how they are displayed> 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams showing various information related to the charge plan stored by the management server 100. First, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a part of the contents of the user database stored in the user database storage area 133 in the non-volatile storage device 130 of the management server 100. In FIG. 4, the user database is a database that stores information about users who have made a contract to receive the prepaid print service of the print service providing system 1, and in correspondence with an ID that is identification information of each user, the user name of the user, the owned model number that is model number information of the printer 200 that the user owns and can switch between, the serial number of each of the owned printers 200, the number of printable sheets remaining in each printer 200 at that time, and the total number of prints that is the total number of sheets printed by each printer 200 up to that point are recorded. In the example of this embodiment, the information on the owned model number and serial number in the user database is transmitted to the management server 100 and registered when the user first connects the printer 200 and performs initial settings.

[0042] 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the contents of the charge plan database stored in the charge plan database storage area 133 in the non-volatile storage device 130 of the management server 100. The charge plan database is a database that stores information about the fee system of the prepaid printing service provided by the print service providing system 1, and stores as its contents a plan group table shown in Fig. 5 and an applicable plan group table by model number shown in Fig. 6 separately.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the plan group table records a plurality of charge plans (first to fourth plans in the figure) in ascending order of the number of purchases and the purchase amount, corresponding to each of the four plan groups A to D in the example shown. One charge plan consists of two pieces of information, the number of purchases and the purchase amount set corresponding to it, and the user ultimately selects one of these charge plans to purchase the corresponding printing authority. Between each plan group, the difference in the number of purchases between the charge plans in each plan group or the corresponding purchase amount is slightly different. Note that a specific plan group, such as plan group A, is an example of a first authority mode group, and a plan group other than plan group A, such as plan group B, is an example of a second authority mode group, and the plan groups A to D in this example are examples of printing authority mode groups.

[0044] 6, the model number applicable plan group table records information on the plan group to be normally applied, information on the upgrade plan group that is more cost-effective to be applied to users who print a lot with the printer 200 of the model number, and information on the upgrade applicable print count, which is the total print count condition for applying the upgrade plan group, for each model number of all printers 200 that are applicable to the print service providing system 1. The setting of the plan group in this model number applicable plan group table is set in advance by the operator of the print service providing system 1, etc., taking into consideration the actual printing cost of each model number of the printer 200.

[0045] In this embodiment, when the user purchases printing authority for the printer 200 that is currently being used, that is, when the user operates the mobile terminal 300 to purchase a printing charge, a printing charge purchase screen as shown in Fig. 7(a) is displayed on the touch panel 340. On this printing charge purchase screen, information about the printer 200 that is currently being used (in the illustrated example, the product name, model number, and serial number) is displayed together in the form of an icon 11, and the number of printable sheets at that time and buttons 12 for multiple charge plans that are applicable to that model number are displayed together as a plan group.

[0046] In the illustrated example, the print charge purchase screen has an end button 13 displayed at the bottom, and pressing this end button 13 transitions to another screen (not shown), where the print charge purchase procedure is completed. In the illustrated example, the print charge purchase screen also has a switch button 14 displayed at the top right, and pressing this switch button 14 transitions to a screen of a printer to be used selection list, as shown in Fig. 7(b). In this printer to be used selection list screen, information icons 11 for all printers 200 that the user owns and that can be selected and switched are displayed side by side, and the user can select and switch the printer 200 to be used next by pressing any one of the icons 11.

[0047] In the illustrated example, the topmost icon 11 is pressed, transitioning to and displaying a print charge purchase screen (see FIG. 7(c)) for the printer 200 corresponding to the selected icon 11. At this time, model number information of the selected printer 200 is sent to the management server 100, and the management server 100 acquires the plan group of the charge plan to be applied based on the received model number information and returns it to the mobile terminal 300. As a result, the print charge purchase screen for the newly selected printer 200 can be presented with a button 12 indicating a charge plan in a plan group suitable for the selected printer 200.

[0048] When the management server 100 obtains the corresponding plan group, it first obtains the normal plan group corresponding to the received model number information while referring to the above-mentioned applicable plan group table by model number, and then obtains all the corresponding charge plans by referring to the plan group table. Also, when the total number of prints corresponding to the model number information is referenced in the user database and is equal to or greater than the upgrade applicable print number corresponding to the same model number information in the applicable plan group table by model number, the upgrade plan group is applied as the corresponding plan group. In the example shown in Figure 7(c), the total number of prints (= 8459 sheets) corresponding to the selected model number "HL-L3333" exceeds the upgrade applicable print number (= 7000 sheets), which indicates that the upgrade plan group has been applied.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, various charge plans and plan groups that reflect differences in printing costs are set, and the applicable plan group can be switched depending on the model number and usage conditions of the printer 200 being used, making it possible to present an appropriate charge plan to the user.

[0050] <Sequence when purchasing printing charge> Next, a processing sequence of each device during a printing charge purchasing procedure in the printing system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that this processing sequence starts when a user performs an operation on the mobile terminal 300 to start a printing charge purchasing procedure.

[0051] First, in ST5, the mobile terminal 300 transmits to the management server 100 information that a print charge purchase procedure has been started by a user operation. The information that a print charge purchase procedure has been started includes, for example, an ID that is the user's identification information, and information on the model number and serial number that identify the printer 200 currently being used by the user. Next, in ST10, the management server 100 acquires the model number of the printer 200 currently being used corresponding to the ID of the user that has been stored in the user database storage area 133 up to that point, and information on all owned model numbers. In ST11, the management server 100 acquires the number of printable sheets and the total number of prints at that time from all printers 200 corresponding to the ID of the user. The acquired number of printable sheets and the total number of prints are updated and stored in the user database storage area 133. All acquired information such as the model number, serial number, and number of printable sheets is transmitted from the management server 100 to the mobile terminal 300 in ST12.

[0052] In the mobile terminal 300, in ST15, the other printers 200 are displayed as selectable based on the model number and serial number information transmitted from the management server 100 by operating the switch button 14 shown in FIG. 7(a) or 7(c) (FIG. 7(b)), and it is determined whether the printer 200 to be used is designated by the user's operation through selection switching. If the printer 200 is designated through switching, information (such as model number and serial number information) that identifies the printer 200 currently in use is transmitted to the management server 100 again in ST20. On the other hand, if the printer 200 is not designated through switching, the mobile terminal 300 waits as it is. The above-mentioned process in ST10 and the process in ST20 in which the management server 100 receives the model number and other information are examples of an information acquisition process and an information acquisition unit. The above-mentioned process in ST15 is an example of a device designation reception process and a device designation reception unit.

[0053] After that, in ST25, the management server 100 determines an appropriate plan group corresponding to the model number of the printer 200 currently used by the user. Specifically, as described above, the management server 100 acquires a normal plan group corresponding to the currently used model number information while referring to the model number application plan group table (FIG. 6) stored in the charge plan database storage area 132. Next, the management server 100 acquires all the corresponding charge plans by referring to the plan group table (FIG. 5) stored in the charge plan database storage area 132. In addition, the total number of printed sheets of the printer 200 currently used by the user stored in the user database storage area 133 is acquired, and the acquired total number of printed sheets is compared with the upgrade application number of printed sheets in the model number application plan group table to determine whether or not the upgrade is applicable. If the upgrade is applicable, the corresponding upgrade plan group is determined as the plan group. The process in ST25 is an example of a mode determination process and a mode determination unit, and the process in ST25 of acquiring information on the total number of printed sheets of the user database stored in the user database storage area 133 is an example of information acquisition process. Then, the information on the determined plan group is transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 in ST30. At this point, the process of storing the information on the plan group determined by the management server 100 in the non-volatile storage device 130 of the management server 100 is an example of a mode storage process and a mode storage unit.

[0054] The mobile terminal 300 that has received the plan group information displays the buttons 12 for each charge plan on the print charge purchase screen in ST35, as shown in FIG. 7(a) or 7(c). Thereafter, in ST40, it is determined whether or not the user has performed an operation to designate a charge plan, and if any of the buttons 12 has been operated to designate a charge plan, information on the designated charge plan is transmitted to the management server 100 in ST45. If no charge plan has been designated, the process waits as is. Note that the above ST35 is an example of a mode display process and a mode display signal output unit, and ST40 is an example of a mode command reception process and a mode designation reception unit.

[0055] In ST50, management server 100, which has received the charge plan information, performs the purchase procedure for the print charge under the charge plan specified for the model number currently in use. Specifically, information about the user, model number information, and charge plan information are sent to transaction server 400, which then performs a separate payment procedure. Then, when the payment procedure is completed, the number of printable sheets in the user database is overwritten by adding the number of sheets purchased under the charge plan. The increase in the number of printable sheets is sent to printer 200 in ST52, and printer 200 executes printing processing according to the added number of printable sheets.

[0056] Then, in ST55, the mobile terminal 300 determines whether or not the Finish button 13 on the print charge purchase screen (FIG. 7(a) or 7(b)) has been pressed. If the Finish button 13 has been pressed, the print charge purchase screen transitions to a separate screen (not shown) and the purchase procedure ends. If the Finish button has not been pressed, the process returns to ST15 and the same procedure is repeated.

[0057] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, in the management processing server 100 provided in the printing system 1 of this embodiment, model number information of the printer 200 is acquired in the reception processing of ST10 and ST20 executed by the processor 110, and a charge plan corresponding to the acquired model number information is determined in ST25. The printer 200 from which the model number information was acquired and the charge plan determined corresponding to the model number information are associated with each other in the storage processing after ST30, and are stored in the non-volatile storage device 130.

[0058] In this embodiment, the printer 200 and a charge plan corresponding to the printer 200 are previously stored in association with each other. According to this embodiment, it is possible to present an appropriate charge plan to a user who uses the printer 200 to perform printing by reading out the charge plan associated with the printer 200.

[0059] Particularly in this embodiment, when the processor 110 is connected to the printer 200 and initial settings are performed, the processor 110 acquires the model number information in the reception process of ST10 or ST20. In this embodiment, the reception process of ST10 or ST20 is executed during the initial settings of the printer 200 to acquire the model number information. According to this embodiment, for example, the model number information of the printer 200 can be automatically acquired without the user having to perform a manual acquisition operation, thereby improving convenience.

[0060] The management server 100 may obtain the model number information of the printer 200 when the user specifies the printer 200 that is actually used. The printer 200 that is actually used is an example of a print execution device. In this case, the model number information is obtained when the printer 200 is specified at the time of print execution. This makes it possible to automatically obtain the model number information of the printer 200 without the user having to manually perform the obtaining operation, for example, thereby improving convenience. As a result, a charge plan suitable for each user can be variably presented, improving convenience.

[0061] In particular, in this embodiment, the processor 110 acquires model number information of the printer 200 as information on factors affecting the printing cost in the reception process of ST10 and ST20, and determines a corresponding charge plan based on the model number information in ST25. In this embodiment, the charge plan is determined in ST25 according to the model number information, which is information on factors affecting the printing cost of the printer 200. According to this embodiment, a charge plan suitable for the attributes of the printer 200 used when printing is performed can be presented. Note that, in addition to the model number information of the printer 200, for example, specification information of the printer 200, monochrome or color print engine information, information on consumables such as paper, ink, and toner, destination information, etc. may be applied as information on factors affecting the printing cost.

[0062] Particularly in this embodiment, processor 110 acquires information on the total number of printed sheets from the user database as related information for printer 200 in ST25, and determines a corresponding charge plan based on the information on the total number of printed sheets in ST25. In this embodiment, the charge plan is determined in ST25 according to the total number of printed sheets and the like in printer 200. According to this embodiment, it is possible to present a charge plan suitable for the past usage of printer 200.

[0063] In particular, in this embodiment, the processor 110 selectively associates one of a plurality of charge plans with one printer 200 according to the total number of printed sheets in the storage process after ST30, and stores the associated charge plans in the non-volatile storage device 130. In this embodiment, a plurality of charge plans can be associated with one printer 200. Which of the plurality of charge plans is associated can be set according to the total number of printed sheets in the storage process after ST30. According to this embodiment, for example, it is possible to present a charge plan for upgrade with a lower setting to a printer 200 or its user with a particularly large total number of printed sheets, compared to a printer 200 or its user with a lesser total number of printed sheets, thereby improving service. In addition to the total number of printed sheets described above, the length of the usage period may be used as a condition for applying the upgrade to the charge plan. In this case, it is preferable to store information such as the start date of use for each model number information in the user database.

[0064] In particular, in this embodiment, multiple plan groups A to D are set, including, for example, plan group A having multiple charge plans in which the purchase amount and the number of purchases increase stepwise, and plan group B having multiple charge plans in which the purchase amount and the number of purchases increase stepwise, and having different contents from plan group A. Then, in ST25, the processor 110 determines a plan group to be proposed to the corresponding printer 200 from among the multiple plan groups A to D based on the model number information acquired in the reception process of ST10 and ST20. Then, in the storage process after ST30, the printer 200 from which the model number information acquired in the reception process of ST10 and ST20 was acquired and the plan group determined in ST25 are stored in the non-volatile storage device 130 in association with each other.

[0065] In this embodiment, a plurality of plan groups are set in advance. Each plan group includes a plurality of charge plans. Each charge plan is set so that the purchase amount and the number of purchases increase stepwise. In other words, for each plan group, a plurality of charge plans are set in a predetermined amount increment and a predetermined print amount increment, such as "●● sheets can be printed for XX yen," "■■ sheets can be printed for □□ yen," and so on.

[0066] In ST25, a decision is made as to which of the multiple plan groups, each of which has a charge plan set in multiple stages as described above, should be selected according to the acquired model number information. In the storage process after ST30, the plan group decided in the above manner is associated with the target printer 200 and stored.

[0067] According to this embodiment, by applying a plan group associated with the printer 200 to a user who prints using the printer 200, it is possible to present an appropriate charge plan in more detail.

[0068] In addition, in the mobile terminal 300 equipped in the printing system 1 of this embodiment, the CPU 310 is configured to be able to perform printing up to an upper limit on the number of printable sheets, and executes ST15, which accepts designation of the printer 200 for which the number of printable sheets is to be increased according to a specified purchase number guaranteed by the printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense, ST35, which displays on the touch panel 340 at least one charge plan corresponding to the printer 200 whose designation was accepted in ST15 according to the association between the printer 200 and a charge plan that is preset based on model number information unique to the printer 200, and ST40, which accepts the designation of a charge plan based on the display on the touch panel 340 in ST35.

[0069] In this embodiment, the printer 200 is previously associated with a charge plan corresponding to the model number information of the printer 200. For example, when a user specifies a printer 200 when printing, the specification is accepted in ST15 executed by the CPU 310. At least one charge plan based on the model number information of the specified printer 200 is displayed on the touch panel 340 in ST35. When the user specifies a charge plan to purchase in response to the display, the specification is accepted in ST40. According to this embodiment, a charge plan associated with the model number information of the printer 200 is displayed to the user who specified the printer 200 to be used for printing, so that an appropriate charge plan can be presented.

[0070] In particular, in this embodiment, the CPU 310 displays at least one charge plan corresponding to the printer 200, the designation of which was accepted in ST15, on the touch panel 340 in ST35 in accordance with the association between the printer 200 and a charge plan preset based on the model number information of the printer 200 as information on factors affecting the printing cost. In this embodiment, the charge plan is displayed in ST35 in accordance with the association preset in accordance with the attribute information of the printer 200, such as model number information, specification information, monochrome or color print engine information, information on consumables such as paper, toner, and ink, destination information, and the like. According to this embodiment, the charge plan, which is previously associated with the printer 200 in accordance with the attributes of the printer 200 used when printing is executed, can be displayed and presented on the touch panel 340.

[0071] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, in ST35, the CPU 310 displays on the touch panel 340 at least one charge plan corresponding to the printer 200 whose designation was accepted in ST15, in accordance with an association between the printer 200 and a charge plan preset based on the total number of pages printed by the printer 200. In this embodiment, the charge plan is displayed in ST35 in accordance with an association preset based on, for example, the total number of pages printed in the printer 200. According to this embodiment, it is possible to display and present on the touch panel 340 a charge plan that has been preset associated with the printer 200 in accordance with the actual past usage of the printer 200 used when printing is performed.

[0072] In particular, in this embodiment, multiple plan groups are set, including, for example, plan group A having multiple charge plans in which the purchase amount and the number of purchases increase stepwise, and, for example, plan group B having multiple charge plans in which the purchase amount and the number of purchases increase stepwise and with different contents from plan group A. Then, in ST35, CPU 310 displays on touch panel 340 at least one plan group corresponding to printer 200 designated in ST15, in accordance with the association between printer 200 and a plan group previously set based on model number information unique to printer 200 and the total number of prints.

[0073] In this embodiment, the printer 200 is previously associated with the plan group corresponding to the model number information and total number of prints of the printer 200. At least one plan group based on the model number information and total number of prints of the specified printer 200 is displayed on the touch panel 340 in ST35. According to this embodiment, the plan group associated with the printer 200 is applied and displayed for the user who prints using the printer 200, so that an appropriate charge plan can be presented in more detail.

[0074] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the present invention. Such modifications will be described below in order.

[0075] (1) When displaying plan groups with multiple model numbers In the above embodiment, only the plan group corresponding to the model number of the printer 200 used at that time was displayed on the touch panel 340. In addition, as shown in Fig. 9, plan groups corresponding to other printers 200 owned may be displayed together with the plan group corresponding to the printer 200 used at that time to facilitate comparison and consideration. In this case, the buttons 15 of the plan groups of the other printers 200 are displayed in a relatively inconspicuous manner, that is, grayed out, and the button 12 of the plan group corresponding to the printer 200 currently being used is displayed preferentially to be prominent. Note that the screen shown in Fig. 9 represents the entire screen displayed by vertical scrolling on the touch panel 340.

[0076] As described above, in the mobile terminal 300 of this modified example, in ST35, the CPU 310 displays on the touch panel 340 at least one button 15 for a charge plan corresponding to a printer 200 whose designation was not accepted in ST15, in addition to the button 12 for at least one charge plan corresponding to a printer 200 whose designation was not accepted in ST15. Note that the printer 200 whose designation was accepted in ST15 is an example of a first printing device, the at least one charge plan corresponding to that printer 200 is an example of a first charge plan, and the printer 200 whose designation was not accepted in ST15 is an example of a second printing device, and the at least one charge plan corresponding to that printer 200 is an example of a second charge plan.

[0077] As a result, in ST35, not only the charge plans related to the printer 200 that the user specified to be used, but also the charge plans related to the printers 200 not specified by the user are displayed on the touch panel 340. According to this embodiment, by presenting information related to the printers 200 not specified by the user as reference information, it is possible to improve convenience.

[0078] In this modified example, in ST35, the CPU 310 displays on the touch panel 340 the charge plan of the printer 200 for which designation has been accepted in a manner that gives priority to the charge plan of the printer 200 for which designation has not been accepted. As described above, this priority manner may involve displaying the button 15 for the charge plan of the printer 200 for which designation has not been accepted in a grayed-out manner so as to be inconspicuous, or displaying the button 12 for the charge plan of the printer 200 for which designation has been accepted in the top row. This makes it possible to avoid impeding the visibility of the charge plan for the specified printer 200, which the user is most interested in, when displaying the button 15 for the charge plan for the printer 200 not designated by the user as reference information, as described above.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above, the sequence shown in Figure 8 does not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the sequence, and procedures may be added or deleted, or the order may be changed, etc., within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit and technical concept of the invention.

[0080] In the sequence of FIG. 8, the processing of mobile terminal 300 is executed by a program stored in program memory area 351 of mobile terminal 300, but each process of mobile terminal 300 may be displayed and operations may be accepted based on web data generated by a web server of an external device via a browser installed in mobile terminal 300. The external device may be, for example, the management server 100, the printer 200 (a printer with an embedded web server), or another device, in which case the external device, together with the mobile terminal 300, is an example of an authority purchase acceptance device.

[0081] Furthermore, the processing of each of the devices already described above may be performed by another device. The management of the number of printable sheets may be performed by any of the management server 100, the printer 200, and the mobile terminal 300, either alone or in cooperation with each other. The charge plan database and the user database may be stored in, for example, the printer 200 or the mobile terminal 300, and the charge plan may be displayed based on this. Therefore, any of the management server 100, the printer 200, and the mobile terminal 300 may be configured to operate as an example of a single information processing device, or any of the management server 100, the printer 200, and the mobile terminal 300 may be configured to operate in cooperation with each other as an example of an information processing system.

[0082] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and their modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0083] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1. Printing service provision system (an example of an information processing system) 100 Management server (an example of an information processing device) 110 Processor (an example of a control unit) 130 Non-volatile memory device (an example of a memory unit) 200 Printer (an example of a printing device) 300 Mobile terminal (an example of an authority purchase acceptance device) 310 CPU (an example of a control unit) 340 Touch panel (example of display unit) 400 Trade Server NT Network

Claims

1. A storage unit; A control unit; having The control unit is an information acquisition process for acquiring unique related information unique to a printing device that is configured to be able to execute printing up to an allowable printing volume and is a target for increasing the allowable printing volume in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a purchased printing authority purchased at the user's expense; a mode determination process for determining a printing authority purchase mode to be proposed to the corresponding user or the printing device based on the unique related information acquired in the information acquisition process; a mode storage process for storing, in the storage unit, the printing device about which the unique associated information has been acquired in the information acquisition process and the printing authority purchase mode determined in the mode determination process in association with each other; An information processing device configured to execute the above.

2. The control unit is When the printer is connected and initial settings are performed, the unique related information is acquired in the information acquisition process. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to:

3. The control unit is When a designation operation is performed on the printing device as a print execution device, the unique related information is acquired in the information acquisition process. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to:

4. The control unit is In the information acquisition process, attribute information of the printing device is acquired as the unique related information; In the mode determination process, the corresponding print right purchase mode is determined based on the attribute information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The control unit is In the information acquisition process, operation history information of the printing device is acquired as the unique related information; In the mode determination process, the corresponding print right purchase mode is determined based on the operation history information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The control unit, in the mode storage process, Selectively associating one of a plurality of printing authority purchase modes with one of the printing devices in accordance with the contents of the operation history information and storing the associated information in the storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 ,

7. A plurality of printing authority mode groups are set, including a first authority mode group having a plurality of printing authority purchase modes in which the purchase amount and the guaranteed print amount increase stepwise, and a second authority mode group having a plurality of printing authority purchase modes in which the purchase amount and the guaranteed print amount increase stepwise, the second authority mode group being different from the first authority mode group; The control unit is In the mode determination process, a printing authority mode group to be proposed to the corresponding user or the printing device is determined based on the unique associated information acquired in the information acquisition process from among the plurality of printing authority mode groups; In the mode storage process, the printing device about which the unique associated information was acquired in the information acquisition process and the printing authority mode group determined in the mode determination process are stored in the storage unit in association with each other.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

8. A display unit; A control unit; having The control unit is a device designation receiving process for receiving a designation of a printing device that is configured to be capable of printing with an allowable print volume as an upper limit and is a target for increasing the allowable print volume in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed print volume guaranteed by a purchased print authority purchased by a user at his / her financial expense; a mode display process for displaying, on a display unit, at least one printing authority purchase mode corresponding to a printing device designated in the device designation receiving process, in accordance with an association between the printing device and a printing authority purchase mode preset based on unique association information unique to the printing device; a mode designation receiving process for receiving a designation of the print authority purchase mode based on the display on the display unit in the mode display process; The right purchase acceptance device is configured to execute the following:

9. The control unit is In the mode display process, in accordance with association between a printing authority purchase mode and the printing apparatus that is preset based on attribute information of the printing apparatus as the unique related information, at least one of the printing authority purchase modes corresponding to the printing apparatus that has been designated in the apparatus designation acceptance process is displayed on a display unit.

9. The right purchase acceptance device according to claim 8, configured to:

10. The control unit is In the mode display process, in accordance with association between a printing authority purchase mode and the printing apparatus that is preset based on operation history information of the printing apparatus as the unique association information, at least one of the printing authority purchase modes corresponding to the printing apparatus that has been designated in the apparatus designation acceptance process is displayed on a display unit.

9. The right purchase acceptance device according to claim 8, configured to:

11. The control unit, in the aspect display process, In addition to at least one first printing authority purchase mode corresponding to a first printing apparatus that has been designated in the apparatus designation receiving process, at least one second printing authority purchase mode corresponding to a second printing apparatus that has not been designated in the apparatus designation receiving process is displayed on the display unit.

11. The right purchase acceptance device according to claim 8, wherein the right purchase acceptance device is configured to:

12. The control unit, in the aspect display process, The first printing authority purchase mode is displayed on the display unit in a manner having priority over the second printing authority purchase mode. The right purchase acceptance device according to claim 11, configured to:

13. A plurality of printing authority mode groups are set, including a first authority mode group having a plurality of printing authority purchase modes in which the purchase amount and the guaranteed print amount increase stepwise, and a second authority mode group having a plurality of printing authority purchase modes in which the purchase amount and the guaranteed print amount increase stepwise, the second authority mode group being different from the first authority mode group; The control unit, in the aspect display process, In response to the association between the printing device and the printing authority mode group that is preset based on the unique association information unique to the printing device, at least one of the printing authority mode groups corresponding to the printing device that has been designated in the device designation acceptance process is displayed on a display unit.

9. The right purchase acceptance device according to claim 8, configured to:

14. a printing device configured to be capable of printing up to an allowable printing amount, and which is a target for increasing the allowable printing amount in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed printing amount guaranteed by a purchased printing right purchased by a user at his / her own financial expense; an information acquisition unit that acquires unique associated information that is unique to the printing device; a mode determination unit that determines a printing authority purchase mode to be proposed to the corresponding user or the corresponding printing device based on the unique associated information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a mode storage unit that stores the printing device about which the unique associated information is acquired by the information acquisition unit and the printing authority purchase mode determined by the mode determination unit in association with each other; a device designation receiving unit that receives designation of the printing device; a mode display signal output unit that outputs a signal that displays at least one of the printing authority purchase modes corresponding to the printing device designated by the device designation receiving unit in accordance with the association stored in the mode storage unit; a mode designation receiving unit that receives a designation of the printing authority purchase mode based on the display signal output by the mode display signal output unit; An information processing system having the above configuration.

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