Print apparatus, method of controlling the same, program, and rental system

Abstract

To provide, according to the present invention, an arrangement in which use of a print apparatus is preferably managed on a block chain network in a rental system of the print apparatus, for example.SOLUTION: A print apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided as a print apparatus for rental managed on a block chain network. The print apparatus acquires, through a smart contract, a non-fungible token (NFT) having right to print a predetermined pieces of paper at the print apparatus, to thereby make a print function of the print apparatus effective. The print apparatus determines, through a smart contract, whether or not the print number obtained from a print setting of a received print job is within a range of the number of printable pieces of paper based on the obtained NFT. If the number of print pieces of paper is within the range of the number of printable pieces of paper, the print apparatus executes the printing at the rented print apparatus by using the acquired NFT.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] There is a service that rents a printing device with a limited number of prints. Patent Document 1 proposes a technology to control the rental device using a non-fungible token (NFT). Specifically, the rental device is controlled by decrypting a message for device control using a public key stored in the NFT and sending the message from an information processing device to the rental device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-123070 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has the following problems. In the above-mentioned conventional technology, in which access control of a rental device is performed by messages for device control, access control at the start and end of rental is left to the user. In other words, it is difficult to prevent continued use of the rental device beyond its limit. For example, when a printing device (MFP) is rented with a limit on the number of pages that can be printed, it is difficult to stop access control of the MFP even when the number of pages printed by the MFP reaches the limit.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a mechanism for suitably managing the use of printing devices on a blockchain network in a printing device rental system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized in that it comprises, for example, a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, comprising an acquisition means for acquiring, via a smart contract, a non-fungible token (NFT) that has the right to print a specified number of sheets on the printing device, a restriction means for enabling a printing function of the printing device, a determination means for determining, via the smart contract, whether the number of sheets printed obtained from the print settings of a received print job is within a range of a printable number based on the acquired NFT, and an execution means for executing printing on the rented printing device using the acquired NFT if the number of sheets printed is within the range of the printable number.

[0007] The present invention also relates to a rental system that provides a rental printing device that is managed on a blockchain network, and is characterized in that it comprises an issuing means for issuing a non-fungible token (NFT) via a smart contract that has the right to print a specified number of sheets on the printing device, an acquiring means for acquiring the issued NFT via the smart contract, a restricting means for enabling a printing function of the printing device, a determining means for determining via the smart contract whether the number of sheets printed obtained from the print settings of a received print job is within the range of the number of sheets that can be printed based on the acquired NFT, and an execution means for executing printing on the rented printing device using the acquired NFT if the number of sheets printed is within the range of the number of sheets that can be printed. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, in a printing device rental system, the use of printing devices can be suitably managed on a blockchain network. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] System configuration diagram [Diagram 2] Rental MFP screen display example 1 [Diagram 3] Rental MFP screen display example 2 [Figure 4] MFP configuration diagram [Diagram 5] Flowchart for printing process on MFP [Figure 6] Flowchart for NFT ownership change on MFP [Figure 7] Flowchart for additional NFT purchases on MFP [Figure 8] Diagram explaining smart contract processing [Figure 9] Flowchart of smart contract NFT issuance process [Figure 10] Flowchart of smart contract NFT purchase and ownership change process [Figure 11] Flowchart for smart contract NFT printing quantity notification process [Figure 12] Rental company, information processing device, MFP, and smart contract sequence diagram DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0011] <First embodiment> <System configuration> An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, with reference to FIG. 1, an example of the configuration of a rental system according to this embodiment will be described. This rental system provides rental of printing devices managed on a blockchain network. The rental system includes a rental company 100 that sells and manages devices, a printing device (MFP (Multi-Function Printer) 131) as rental equipment, and a blockchain 120. The rental company 100 includes an information processing device, and the processing and control by the rental company 100 described below are realized by the information processing device.

[0012] The sales site 110 is a site that sells non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are non-fungible tokens that include rental information of MFPs, and is provided by the rental company 100. The sales site 110 is provided by an information processing device such as a server device. Note that the information processing device of the rental company 100 and the information processing device that provides the sales site 110 may be integrated. The sales site 110 is composed of a front-end web service that issues NFTs, issues purchase instructions, and sets the model of the MFP that can be rented, and a back-end that transmits transaction blocks to the blockchain 120.

[0013] The blockchain 120 is a system configured by P2P (peer-to-peer) communication between multiple information and communication devices arranged as nodes 121, and is also called a distributed management ledger. The blockchain 120 also uses blockchain technology that shares multiple blocked transaction data histories (transaction blocks) in a chain structure. The transaction blocks recorded in the blockchain 120 have the characteristics that they cannot be tampered with, there is no loss, and the owner can be identified with certainty. An overview of the operation of this system is given below.

[0014] (Issuance of NFTs) The sales site 110 has a web service for issuing NFTs, and allows input of an NFT name (e.g., NFT111), the number of printable sheets (e.g., 1000 color sheets), model information of the MFP to be rented (e.g., MFP131), and the like. The NFT name is the name of the NFT that is displayed on the sales site 110. The number of printable sheets indicates the number of sheets (predetermined number) that can be printed by the rented MFP, and the rental of the MFP ends when the rented MFP reaches the number of printable sheets. In other words, the NFT is set with the right to print a predetermined number of sheets on the MFP. The model information of the MFP 131 includes the model name of the MFP 131, printing capabilities (color, monochrome), and the like.

[0015] The web service for issuing NFTs uses the wallet of the rental company 100 and accepts a request to issue an NFT 111 based on the input information. The wallet is a wallet that can be used on the blockchain 120 and is used as a tool for sending transaction blocks to the blockchain 120, storing virtual currency used when selling and purchasing, storing NFTs, and displaying issued and owned NFTs. Upon accepting a request to issue an NFT 111, the web service for issuing NFTs sends a transaction block for issuance 801 to the smart contract 122.

[0016] When the smart contract 122 receives the issuance 801, it generates the NFT 111 block, adds it to the blockchain 120, and returns an issuance success response (S912) to the sales site 110. The owner of the NFT 111 immediately after issuance is set to the wallet address of the rental company 100. Note that, with regard to the owner information, the description of the wallet address of the rental company 100 will be abbreviated to the rental company 100 hereinafter. The issued NFT 111 is displayed as an NFT for sale on the sales site 110. In addition, the rental company 100 issues NFT 112 (set to 2000 color sheets and 4000 monochrome sheets) and NFT 113 (4000 color sheets and 10000 monochrome sheets) in the same way as the NFT 111, and sells them on the sales site 110. In this way, the rental company 100 can provide rental services with various conditions by preparing an MFP to be rented and preparing an NFT with the number of sheets that can be printed by the MFP (predetermined number) set.

[0017] (Rental model settings) The rental company 100 requests the sales site 110 to make a model setting request 810 for the inventory status of rental MFPs, model addition of rental MFPs, etc. In the model setting request 810, the model name of the rental MFP, the number of rentals available, the maximum number of printable sheets, the setting unit of the number of printable sheets (1000 sheets), etc. can be specified. The sales site 110 sets the rental model information of the smart contract 122 by sending a transaction block of the model setting 811 to the smart contract 122. Note that, when the inventory of the rental MFP becomes 0, it is also possible to delete the rental model information from the smart contract 122 by the transaction block of the model setting 811. Then, the NFT related to the MFP that can be rented from the sales site 110 is set to not be sold. Also, when the rental company 100 adds a new model, a setting request for model addition is made to the smart contract 122 by the model setting 811, and the new rental MFP is added to the rental models of the smart contract.

[0018] (Purchasing NFTs) When purchasing a rental MFP, the user 130 purchases the NFT 111 from the sales site 110 using the wallet of the information processing device 132 owned by the user 130. The information processing device 132 accesses the NFT purchase web service of the sales site 110 and sets the destination of the rental user 130 and the wallet address of the user 130. The sales site 110 stores the information input as meta information of the NFT 111 in an IPFS (distributed file system) referenced by the URI of the NFT. After storing the input information, the sales site 110 generates a block for purchase 802 and sends it to the smart contract 122. The smart contract 122 changes the owner information of the NFT 111 to the user 130 and sends a response to purchase 802 to the sales site 110 indicating that the owner change of the NFT 111 was successful. After receiving the response indicating that the owner of the NFT 111 has been successfully changed, the sales site 110 sends an instruction to the rental company 100 to rent the MFP 131 (including the address of the user 130), and delivers the MFP 131 to the delivery destination (the address of the user 130) based on the input information. The sales site 110 also sets the NFT 111 as unavailable for sale (hidden) on the sales site 110.

[0019] (NFT rental begins) After the NFT 111 is purchased, when the MFP 131 is delivered to the destination of the user 130, the owner is changed from the user 130 who purchased the NFT 111 to the MFP 131. In response to an instruction from the user 130, a transaction block (owner change 803) for changing the owner of the NFT 111 is sent to the smart contract 122 using the wallet of the information processing device 132. After receiving the owner change 803, the smart contract 122 performs confirmation to change the owner information of the NFT 111 to the MFP 131, generates a block 823 after the owner change, and adds it to the blockchain 120. When generating the block 823, the smart contract 122 stores the date on which the owner of the NFT 111 was changed to the MFP 131 in the block 823 as the rental start date of the MFP 131. The rental company 100 can confirm the date on which the user 130 started using the MFP 131 by checking the block generated by the smart contract 122.

[0020] (Print Quantity Notification) When the rental of MFP131 starts due to the change of ownership of NFT111, MFP131 enables the printing function. Also, when the printing function is executed, MFP131 sends a print quantity notification to smart contract 122. When the number of prints by the printing function reaches the printable number of NFT111, MFP131 disables (stops the function) the printing function with the printable number set to 0.

[0021] The above is the outline of the rental system using NFT. In this way, by using NFT111 and smart contract 122, the present invention can manage the number of prints of the rented MFP131 and construct a system in which the printing function of MFP131 can be used for the number of printable copies at the time of NFT purchase. Also, rental company 100 can manage a series of operations from the start of rental to monitoring the number of prints of the user and the end of rental on the blockchain network by issuing NFT. Note that it is also possible to rent MFP131 without purchasing NFT, purchase NFT on MFP131, and start the rental using the NFT purchased on MFP131. Also, when the rental contract has been completed, it is possible to use NFT sold in secondary circulation. In that case as well, when the owner of the NFT is changed to MFP131, the rental starts, and MFP131 can be used for the number of printable copies of the purchased NFT. In this way, the present invention can realize various usage forms by using NFT and smart contract. Note that the present invention can provide a rental system that takes advantage of the features of the blockchain, is impossible to falsify, has easy confirmation of history (traceability), and guarantees authenticity (identification of the owner).

[0022] <Screen Transition of MFP> Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the transition of the display screen displayed on the operation panel 409 of MFP131 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the description will start from the display screen of FIG. 2.

[0023] Home screen 201 shows a home screen that is displayed on operation panel 409 when MFP 131 delivered from rental company 100 is started for the first time. When MFP 131 is started for the first time, the owner of NFT 111 is not MFP 131, so home screen 201 is displayed including a message saying "Not owner of NFT" (no NFT display 210). Also, each function button is displayed to indicate that the function is disabled (e.g. copy 211). In this state, when copy 211 button is operated, transition to home screen 204 is made, and a message saying "Copy function is disabled" (copy function disabled 240) is displayed.

[0024] When the NFT owner change 212 on this home screen 201 is operated, the screen transitions to the NFT owner change screen 202. On the NFT owner change screen 202, the owner of the NFT can be changed by specifying the source and destination of the NFT owner in the setting area of ​​the NFT owner change 220. Note that this operation may also be performed by executing an NFT owner change operation (not shown) from the wallet on the information processing device 132. The NFT purchase 213 button on the home screen 201 is a button for purchasing a new NFT to increase the number of printable sheets, for example, when the number of printable sheets is insufficient. When the NFT purchase 213 is operated, the screen transitions to the NFT purchase screen 207.

[0025] When changing the owner of the NFT from the user 130 to the MFP 131, a check box 221 of the NFT owner change 220 is specified. When changing the owner of the NFT from the MFP 131 to the user 130, a check box 222 of the NFT owner change 220 is specified. When purchasing an NFT from the sales site 110 and changing the owner to the MFP 131, a check box 223 of the NFT owner change 220 is specified. After specifying each check box, the user can transition to the next screen by operating the OK 224 button. When the OK 224 button is operated after specifying the check boxes 221 and 222, the screen transitions to a screen 206 for connecting an information processing device. When the OK 224 button is operated after specifying the check box 223, the screen transitions to a screen 205 of the NFT sales site. On the other hand, when the Cancel 225 button is operated, the screen returns to the screen before transition to the NFT owner change. The screens 205 and 206 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0026] When the information processing device 132 is connected to the screen 206 and the owner of the NFT 111 is changed to the MFP 131, the screen transitions to the home screen 203, and includes a message 230 saying "You own the NFT 111." Unlike the home screen 201, each function button on the home screen 203 can be switched from a disabled display of the copy 211 to a enabled display of the copy 231 (without a cross), and transitions to an operation screen (not shown) for each function can be made. That is, each function button is displayed selectable. When the NFT owner change button 232 is operated while the NFT is in possession, transitions to the NFT owner change screen 202. It is possible to sell the NFT 111 from the MFP 131 to the sales site 110, move the NFT to another MFP, or return the owner of the NFT to the information processing device. This is a useful function when the rental ends, or when an additional NFT is purchased but not used.

[0027] Next, the display screen in Fig. 3 will be described. Screen 205 of the NFT sales site is a screen in which the sales site 110 is displayed on the MFP 131. NFTs for sale on the sales site 110 are displayed, and for NFTs that do not fit on the screen, they can be switched by scrolling or the like to make it possible to display all NFTs on the sales site 110. Note that the displayed NFTs may be limited to only NFTs that are available on the MFP 131 among the NFTs for sale by acquiring model information of the MFP 131.

[0028] The sales site screen 205 displays NFTs 111 to 113 being sold on the sales site 110, and an NFT can be selected by operating each of the buttons 251 to 253, and an NFT can be purchased on the NFT sales site 110 by operating the OK 244 button. In this case, it is necessary to send a transaction block from the information processing device 132 to transfer the purchase price in advance to the wallet of the MFP 131. When the NFT 111 is purchased, the owner of the NFT 111 is set to the MFP 131, and the screen transitions to the home screen 204 shown in FIG. 2. The Cancel 245 button returns to the NFT owner change screen 203 before transitioning to the NFT sales site screen 205.

[0029] The screen 206 connects to the information processing device 132 that purchased the NFT 111, acquires wallet information of the MFP 131, and sends an NFT owner change 803 from the information processing device 132 to the smart contract 122 to change the owner of the NFT 111. When the owner of the NFT 111 is changed to the MFP 131, the screen transitions to the home screen 204 shown in FIG. 2. The screen 206 displays an IP address input 261 for connecting to the information processing device 132 and a QR code 262, and connects to the information processing device 132 after input. The QR code is photographed by the information processing device 132, and the information processing device automatically executes a network connection process. The IP address input 261 communicates from the MFP 131 to the information processing device 132, acquires information for changing the owner of the NFT, and changes the owner of the NFT 111.

[0030] The NFT purchase screen 207 is a screen for the user 130 to purchase and add NFTs. The check box 271 of the MFP from the information processing device is a check to enable the use of the NFTs already purchased by the information processing device 132 on the MFP 131. By operating the OK button 273, it is possible to change the owner of the NFT to the MFP 131 and add the printable sheet count with the NFT whose owner has been changed. Also, when adding an NFT directly from the sales site 110 to the MFP 131, check the check box 272 and operate the OK button 273 to transition to the screen 205 of the NFT sales site.

[0031] As described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, on the MFP 131 distributed for rental, it becomes possible to set the owner of the NFT 111 to the MFP 131 from the NFT owner change screen 202. By owning the NFT 111, the MFP 131 can execute functions such as copy, scan, address book, fax, and ID card copy. Furthermore, by changing the owner of the NFT from the state where the function is enabled, it is also possible to transition to the home screen 201 where the function is disabled.

[0032] <Hardware Configuration of MFP> Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the hardware configuration of the MFP according to this embodiment will be described. The MFP 131 includes a controller unit 400, an operation panel 409, a print engine 413, and a scanner. The controller unit 400 includes a CPU 402, a RAM 403, a ROM 404, a storage device 405, a network I / F 406, a wireless LAN I / F 416, and an operation I / F 408. Also, the controller unit 400 includes a display controller 407, a print controller 412, and a scan controller 414.

[0033] In the controller unit 400, a CPU 402, a RAM 403, a ROM 404, and a storage device 405 are directly connected to a system bus 401. The controller unit 400 also connects to external devices via a network I / F 406, a display controller 407, an operation I / F 408, a print controller 412, and a scan controller 414. These components are connected to the system bus 401 and can communicate with each other.

[0034] The CPU 402 is a central processing unit that controls the overall operation of the controller unit 400. The RAM 403 is a volatile memory. The ROM 404 is a non-volatile memory, and stores a startup program for the CPU 402. The storage device 405 is a storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive: HDD) with a larger capacity than the RAM 403. The storage device 405 stores a control program for the MFP executed by the CPU 402. The storage device 405 may be replaced with another storage device having a function equivalent to that of a hard disk drive, such as a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 405 also stores the wallet of the MFP 131 that accesses the blockchain 120, and holds address information and token amount (virtual currency) on the blockchain 120, a private key, a public key, and NFT information. The NFT information includes the NFT name owned by the MFP 131, the NFT token (contract address and token ID), the token URI, and a description of the NFT.

[0035] When the power supply of the MFP 131 is turned on, the CPU 402 executes a startup program stored in the ROM 404. This startup program is for reading out a control program stored in the storage device 405 and expanding it on the RAM 403. After executing the startup program, the CPU 402 executes the control program expanded on the RAM 403 and performs control. The CPU 402 also stores data used when executing the control program in the RAM 403 and reads and writes it. The storage device 405 can further store various settings required when executing the control program and image data read by the scanner 415, which are read and written by the CPU 402. The CPU 402 communicates with other devices on the network 104 via the network I / F 406 and with the sales site 110 on the Internet via a gateway. In order for the MFP 131 to access the blockchain 120, transaction blocks such as purchase 802 and owner change 803 can be generated for the smart contract 122, and RPC can be implemented in the control program of the MFP 131. RPC is an abbreviation for remote procedure call.

[0036] A display controller 407 controls the screen display of a touch panel on a connected operation panel 409 in response to instructions from the CPU 402. An operation I / F 408 inputs and outputs signals related to operations performed on the operation panel 409. The operation I / F 408 is connected to the operation panel 409, and the CPU 402 can obtain the operated coordinates of the touch panel via the operation I / F 408 when the touch panel is operated.

[0037] The print controller 412 transmits control commands and image data to the connected print engine 413 in response to instructions from the CPU 402. The print engine 413 prints the received image data on a sheet in accordance with the control commands received from the print controller 412. A detailed description of the print engine 413 is not the subject of this embodiment, so further description will be omitted.

[0038] The scan controller 414 transmits a control command to the connected scanner 415 in response to an instruction from the CPU 402, and writes image data received from the scanner 415 to the RAM 403. The scanner 415 reads an original on a platen glass (not shown) provided in the printing device 101 or an original placed on the ADF using an optical unit in accordance with the control command received from the scan controller 414. The original read by the scanner 415 is stored in the RAM 403 as image data, and the image data is converted by the CPU 402 into a file format of PDF / JPEG / TIFF in accordance with the file format setting, and saved in the storage device 405.

[0039] <Printing process procedure> Next, a printing process procedure in the MFP 131 whose printing function is enabled by the NFT 111 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The MFP 131 executes each printing function by controlling the operation panel 409 and print engine 413 by the CPU 402. The process described below is realized, for example, by the CPU 402 reading a program stored in the ROM 404 or storage device 405 into the RAM 403 and executing it.

[0040] In S501, the CPU 402 displays a print setting screen (not shown) on the operation panel 409 as a print job and accepts input regarding print settings (number of prints, color, monochrome, number of copies, number of placements). In the case of copying, the CPU 402 obtains the number of prints by performing scanning first. In the case of receiving and printing print data from an external source, the CPU 402 obtains the number of prints from the number of pages of the image stored in the RAM 403. The initial number of printable sheets is obtained by inquiring of the smart contract 122 when the owner of the NFT 111 is changed to the MFP 131. The number of printable sheets of the NFT 111 is set by the rental company 100 when the NFT is issued, and is held as a state variable of the smart contract 122 for each NFT.

[0041] In S502, the CPU 402 determines whether or not the printable number has been acquired from the smart contract 122. If the number has been acquired, the process proceeds to S503, and if the number has not been acquired, the process proceeds to S508. In S503, the CPU 402 compares the printable number acquired in S501 with the printable number of NFT 111, and determines whether the printable number is within the range of the printable number. If the printable number is greater than the printable number, it determines that printing is not possible and transitions to S508. On the other hand, if the printable number acquired in S501 is equal to or less than the printable number of NFT 111, it determines that printing is possible and transitions to S504.

[0042] In S504, the CPU 402 executes printing according to the print settings in S501. Next, in S505, the CPU 402 transmits the print result including the number of printed sheets to the smart contract 122 in a print number notification 804. After transmitting the print number notification 804, the CPU 402 receives a response to the print number notification 804 from the smart contract 122, thereby acquiring the updated number of printable sheets. In S506, the CPU 402 determines whether the number of printable sheets has become 0, and if it is not 0, ends the processing of this flowchart. On the other hand, if the number of printable sheets has become 0, the process transitions to S507. In S507, the CPU 402 confirms that the number of printable sheets of the NFT 111 has become 0, disables the print function, displays the home screen 201, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0043] Meanwhile, in S508, the CPU 402 displays on the operation panel 409 that the printing set in S501 cannot be performed due to an insufficient number of printable sheets. The display screen is displayed including an object instructing the user to purchase additional NFTs. Next, in S509, the CPU 402 determines whether or not to purchase additional NFTs to increase the number of printable sheets. If an additional purchase is to be made, the process transitions to S510, and if an additional purchase is not to be made, the process of this flowchart ends. In S510, the CPU 402 displays the screen 205 of the NFT sales site and accepts the purchase of additional NFTs. When an additional purchase is made, in S511 the CPU 402 obtains the number of printable sheets from the additionally purchased NFT, updates the number of printable sheets, and returns the process to S502.

[0044] By executing the above-described printing process, it becomes possible to manage the printing function of the MFP 131 while monitoring the number of printed sheets with the NFT 111. Also, by enabling additional purchase of the NFT when the number of printable sheets reaches 0, it is possible to restore the printing function by additional purchase of the NFT even if it is not possible to predict in advance that the number of printable sheets will approach 0. Further, by preparing two types of printable sheet counts for color printing and monochrome printing, even if only the color printing count reaches 0, if the monochrome printing count has not reached 0, it is possible to disable only the color printing function and make the monochrome printing function available.

[0045] <Change of NFT Owner> Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a processing procedure for changing the owner of the NFT in the MFP 131 according to the present embodiment will be described. The processing described below is realized, for example, when the CPU 402 reads out a program stored in the ROM 404 or the storage device 405 into the RAM 403 and executes it.

[0046] In S601, the CPU 402 displays the NFT owner change screen 202 on the operation panel 409 and accepts operations. When an OK 224 operation is accepted with the check box 221 or 222 checked, the process proceeds to S602. In S602, the CPU 402 displays the screen 206 on the operation panel 409, accepts connection settings with the information processing apparatus 132, and makes a connection.

[0047] In S603, the CPU 402 determines whether or not it has connected to the information processing apparatus 132. If connected, the process transitions to S604, and if not connected, the process transitions to S605. In S605, the CPU 402 displays on the screen 206 that the connection to the information processing apparatus has failed, and returns the process to S602.

[0048] In S604, the CPU 402 acquires wallet information of the information processing device 132 and determines an NFT that can be used by the MFP 131 based on the model information and the number of printable sheets. If a usable NFT is owned, the process transitions to S607, and if not, the process transitions to S606. In S606, the CPU 402 displays on the screen 206 that there is no NFT that can be used by the information processing device 132 and returns the process to S602.

[0049] In S607, the CPU 402 displays an NFT on the information processing device 132 and accepts selection of the NFT. In S608, the CPU 402 determines whether or not selection of an NFT has been detected. If selection of an NFT has been detected, the process proceeds to S609, and if selection of an NFT has not been detected, the process returns to S607.

[0050] In S609, the CPU 402 acquires the selected NFT information from the information processing device 132 and executes the owner change process. Next, in S610, the CPU 402 enables the print function, makes the home screen 204 in which each function is executable displayable, and ends the process of this flowchart. If the function has already been enabled in S610, the CPU 402 skips the enable process.

[0051] Here, the processing procedure for changing the owner of the NFT to the MFP 131 has been described. However, the above-mentioned processing procedure is an example of a method for changing the owner, and is not intended to limit the present invention. For example, the processing content to be executed may be embedded in a QR code without user operation, and executed automatically. Also, as in this embodiment, it is possible to set the date and time when the user 130 moves the owner of the NFT from the wallet of the information processing device 132 to the wallet of the MFP 131 as the rental start of the MFP 131. Furthermore, it is possible to control so that the rental start is set by adding the trial period from the timing of the NFT owner change. Also, it is possible to interrupt the rental during the trial period by executing the owner change of the NFT during the trial period and returning the MFP 131 to the rental company 100. These processes can be realized by simply adding them to the smart contract 122.

[0052] <Additional Purchase of NFT> Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the processing procedure at the time of additional purchase of the NFT in S509 will be described. Note that an example of additional purchase after printing becomes impossible will be described, but it is not intended to limit the present invention, and control may be performed so as to perform additional purchase after the printable number of sheets decreases. In that case, an NFT additional purchase button may be prepared and purchased from the display of screen 205 of the NFT sales site. Further, the NFT purchased by changing the owner of the NFT already purchased by the information processing apparatus 132 may be made available on the MFP 131. The processing described below is realized, for example, when the CPU 402 reads out a program stored in the ROM 404 or the storage device 405 into the RAM 403 and executes it.

[0053] In S701, the CPU 402 displays the NFT additional purchase screen 207. In S702, the CPU 402 determines whether to add the NFT purchased by the information processing apparatus 132. If adding the NFT purchased by the information processing apparatus 132, the process proceeds to S707, and if purchasing from the sales site, the process proceeds to S703. In S707, the CPU 402 accepts and executes the change of ownership of the NFT from the information processing apparatus 132 to the MFP 131 via the screen 202, and proceeds to S706.

[0054] In S703, the CPU 402 displays the screen 205 of the NFT sales site and enables selection of the NFTs on the sales site 110. Subsequently, in S704, when the CPU 402 detects that an NFT has been selected, it determines the NFT to be purchased. Further, in S705, the CPU 402 uses the wallet of the MFP to transmit the purchase 802 block to the smart contract 122, purchases the NFT, and proceeds to S706.

[0055] In S706, the CPU 402 acquires the NFT information of the purchased NFT and adds the printable number of sheets of the NFT. Since the smart contract 122 subtracts the printable number of sheets for each NFT by the number of printed sheets, the MFP 131 notifies the smart contract 122 of the number of sheets that becomes 0 (the current remaining number of NFTs), and switches the next printable number of sheets to the additionally purchased NFT and processes the printable number notification.

[0056] The additional purchase of NFT has been explained above. By constructing such an MFP rental system linked to NFT, when renting an MFP based on the number of printable sheets, it is possible to start with a rental contract with a small number of printable sheets, and increase or decrease the number of printable sheets according to the actual usage situation. Also, if a rental contract stipulates that the MFP must be purchased three times a month, the smart contract 122 can realize processing according to the contract conditions.

[0057] <Smart Contract> Next, the contents of the processing of the smart contract according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. A smart contract is one of the blocks arranged in the blockchain 120, and is written to the blockchain like other blocks and is a block shared between nodes. A smart contract is different from a transaction block in that a process can be described in the smart contract, and an execution command can be written in a received transaction block, and a block generated from the execution result can be stored in the blockchain. In FIG. 8, the central blocks 811 to 814 show the processing in the smart contract for transaction blocks 801 to 805 received by the smart contract, and the right blocks show blocks 821 to 825 output as the processing results. The rental company 100, the user 130, and the MFP 131 show the instruction sources that transmit transaction blocks to the smart contract 122.

[0058] Issue 801 is a transaction block for issuing an NFT using the wallet of the rental company 100. The rental company 100 sets the number of printable sheets as 1000 color sheets and 0 monochrome sheets, the model name of the MFP 131, and the price of the NFT as information for issuing the NFT, and sends Issue 801 to the smart contract 122. Although only settings related to the present invention are illustrated, in order to issue an NFT, other information such as the NFT name, description, token ID, symbol, token URI, total number of issues, initial number of issues, and tradability may also be specified.

[0059] Issue 811 shows the NFT issuing process of the smart contract 122 when receiving issue 801. In the NFT issuing process, issue 811 generates block 821 and adds the generated block 821 to the blockchain 120. The main process of issue 811 is to check from the block information of issue 801 whether the issuer is the rental company 100, whether the number of printable sheets is a settable number based on the setting and the model name of the MFP, and whether there is a problem with the price setting. Block 821 shows the block referenced by the generated NFT, and the owner information is set to the rental company 100, and the number of printable sheets is set to 1000 and the token URI (model information) as state variables. Since the NFT saves changes to the owner, state variables, etc. as blocks on the blockchain network starting from block 821 generated at the time of issuance, it is possible to track the history of changes to the issued NFT.

[0060] Purchase 802 is a transaction block for purchasing the issued NFT using the wallet of the information processing device 132 of the user 130. Purchase 802 sets the owner change to the user 130 who purchases the NFT, payment information, address, and purchase date. Purchase 812 shows the NFT purchase process of the smart contract 122 when Purchase 802 is received. In the NFT purchase process, the owner of the NFT is changed to the wallet address of the user 130, payment to the rental company 100, address confirmation of the user 130, and purchase date are saved, and a block 822 is generated to save the result of the NFT purchase process. Block 822 is a block generated in the process of Purchase 812, in which the owner is changed to the user 130, and the number of printable sheets is also set to 1000 sheets in color. After the generation of block 822, when block 822 is added to the blockchain 120, the smart contract 122 notifies the rental company 100 of a delivery instruction to the address of the user 130 as a response to Purchase 802.

[0061] Owner change 803 is a transaction block for changing the owner of the NFT from user 130 to MFP 131. MFP 131 enables the print function based on the printable number of NFTs owned in its wallet. Owner change 813 indicates the process of generating a block for changing the owner of the NFT in smart contract 122. Here, the date on which the owner information of the NFT was changed from user 130 to MFP 131 is set as the rental start date. Block 823 is a block that sets the owner of the NFT to MFP 131 and sets the rental start date.

[0062] Print count notification 804 is a transaction block for notifying the smart contract 122 of the number of sheets (100) printed by the MFP 131. Here, a print count of 100 sheets is notified. Print count notification 814 is a process in which the smart contract 122 subtracts the print count (100) from the printable number of NFTs (10,000) and generates block 824 that changes the new printable number (900). Block 824 is stored in the blockchain as a block with the updated printable number.

[0063] Print count notification 805 is a transaction block for notifying the smart contract 122 of the number of sheets (900) printed by the MFP 131. Print count notification 814 generates block 825 in which the smart contract 122 subtracts the number of printed sheets (900) from the printable number of sheets (900) of the NFT and changes the new printable number to (0). Block 825 is a block in which the printable number has become 0, and when it is added to the blockchain, the print function of the MFP 131 is disabled due to the printable number of sheets being 0 notified in response to print count notification 805.

[0064] The printing function of the MFP becomes available up to the printable number specified in the rental of the MFP 131 through the processing of the smart contract 122 shown in FIG. 8. The rental company can check information such as the print history, rental start date, and rental end date of the rented MFP on the blockchain simply by setting rental information (printable number, model name, price) in the issuance 801. In addition, by using the smart contract 122, the print history of the MFP 131 is stored in an unalterable form (blocks) on the blockchain network, and it is possible to prevent fraudulent use such as falsifying the number of prints and extending the rental period. In addition, if the printable number is defined as color and monochrome in the issuance of the NFT 801, when the printable number of both color and monochrome becomes 0, the print function can be disabled, and the print function for which the printable number is not 0 can continue to be available.

[0065] <Smart Contract: NFT Issuance> Next, referring to Fig. 9, a processing procedure for issuing an NFT by a smart contract 122 will be described. Each step verifies a transaction block (issuance 801) by multiple nodes 121 in the blockchain and executes the issuance process.

[0066] In S901, the smart contract 122 receives the issue 801. Upon receiving the issue 801, the smart contract 122 executes a transaction block verification process in S902 to 904. In S902, the smart contract 122 verifies whether the sender is an address capable of issuing an NFT, and if it is an address capable of issuing an NFT, the process transitions to S903, and if it is not an address capable of issuing an NFT, the process transitions to S905. Note that the address information capable of issuing an NFT may be saved when the smart contract 122 is deployed to the blockchain 120, or may be saved as data that can be referenced from the smart contract 122.

[0067] In S903, the smart contract 122 refers to whether the model corresponding to the model information included in the issue 801 is available for rental, and if it is a rental model, transitions to S904, and if it is not a rental model, transitions to S906. In S904, the smart contract 122 determines whether the setting of the printable number included in the issue 801 is correct based on the maximum printable number of sheets in the rental model information. If the setting of the printable number is determined to be normal, transitions to S908, and if the setting of the printable number is determined to be invalid, transitions to S907.

[0068] In S905, the smart contract 122 sets in the response to issue 801 that the wallet address of the issuer is not the wallet address of the rental company 100, and transitions to S911. Also, in S906, the smart contract 122 sets in the response to issue 801 that the rental model setting is invalid, and transitions to S911. Also, in S907, the smart contract 122 sets in the response to issue 801 that the printable number setting is invalid, and transitions to S911.

[0069] Meanwhile, in S908, the smart contract 122 generates metadata for the NFT from the model information, sets the owner of the NFT to the wallet address of the rental company 100, sets the number of printable sheets as a state variable, and generates a block 821. Next, in S909, the smart contract 122 generates a block 821 of the NFT including the transaction block of the received issuance 801, and requests that it be added as a block of the blockchain 120. In S910, the smart contract 122 verifies the added block 821 by each node 121 of the blockchain 120 and determines whether it is a legitimate block. If it is confirmed that it is a legitimate block, it is determined that the addition of the block 821 to the blockchain 120 has been completed, and the process transitions to S912. On the other hand, if it cannot be confirmed that it is a legitimate block, the process transitions to S911.

[0070] In S911, the smart contract 122 returns a failure response for NFT issuance 801 to the sender as a response to issuance 801, and ends the processing of this flowchart. On the other hand, in S912, the smart contract 122 returns a success response for NFT issuance 801 to the sender, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0071] When the smart contract 122 issues an NFT, it notifies the sales site 110 of the token ID of the issued NFT, making the NFT available for sale. The issued NFT can be accessed by the token ID, the transaction block hash of block 821, and the transaction block ID, and can also be accessed by the address and token ID of the smart contract 122 in which the NFT was issued. The sales site 110 displays the issued NFT on the sales site, making the NFT available for purchase from user A's information processing device 132.

[0072] <Smart Contract: NFT Purchase / Owner Change> Next, a processing procedure for purchasing an NFT using the smart contract 122 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Owner change and NFT purchase execute similar processes, so they will be described using the same flowchart.

[0073] In S1001, the smart contract 122 receives a transaction block for purchasing an NFT 802 or changing the owner 803. In the case of purchasing an NFT 802, the owner is sold on the same sales site 110 as the issuer, and the only difference in changing the owner 803 is that the current owner of the NFT is changed to another owner, so both procedures will be described using this flowchart.

[0074] In S1002, the smart contract 122 checks whether the destination wallet address has the payment ability to purchase an NFT or change the owner, in order to confirm the destination information. The payment price includes the price defined by the sender and the network fee for generating the NFT block in the smart contract 122. In the case of purchasing an NFT 802, the destination of the rental MFP is also confirmed from the user information of the rental destination. In the case of changing the owner 803, the user information to be changed and the wallet address of the renting MFP 131 are confirmed, and if it is the wallet address of the MFP 131, the owner change is OK. If not, the owner change will be to an unauthorized MFP or user, so the owner change is NG.

[0075] In S1003, if the smart contract 122 determines that the destination wallet has the ability to pay, it determines that the owner change is OK (YES) and transitions to S1004, and if it determines that the owner change is NG (NO), it transitions to S1007. In S1004, the smart contract 122 generates the purchased block 822 or the block 823 whose owner has been changed, and adds it to the blockchain. Also, if the owner change is a move from the wallet address of the information processing device 132 of the purchasing user 130 to the wallet address of the MFP 131, the change date and time is added to the generated block 823 as the rental start date and time. In S1005, the smart contract 122 determines whether or not the addition of the block 822 or 823 whose owner has been changed to the blockchain has been successful. If the addition is successful, it transitions to S1006, and if the addition to the blockchain has failed, it transitions to S1007.

[0076] In S1006, the smart contract 122 sends a success response of the NFT purchase or owner change to the sender, and ends the processing of this flowchart. On the other hand, in S1007, the smart contract 122 sends a failure response of the NFT purchase or owner change to the sender, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0077] Here, the processing of the smart contract 122 when an NFT is purchased or the owner is changed has been described. In this way, by controlling the processing of the owner change within the smart contract 122, the MFP 131 can easily obtain the rental start date and time, the start of monitoring the number of sheets printed by the MFP 131, and the timing of enabling the printing function of the MFP 131. In addition, by storing the date and time of the owner change in a state variable that can be referenced from the smart contract 122 and a storage area on the URI, the rental company 100 can grasp the usage status of the MFP 131 by the user 130 who has signed a rental contract.

[0078] <Smart contract: Print quantity notification> Next, a procedure for processing a print count notification from the MFP 131 by the smart contract 122 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0079] In S1101, the smart contract 122 receives the print count notification 804 (print count color 100) or the print count notification 805 (print count color 900) as a transaction block for the print count notification. In S1102, the smart contract 122 checks the sender of the print count notifications 804 and 805 and the NFT owner information, and transitions to S1103 if they are the same address, and transitions to S1108 if they are different.

[0080] In S1103, the smart contract 122 subtracts the number of prints notified in the print count notification S504 from the number of printable sheets, and stores the result as a new number of printable sheets in a state variable of the smart contract 122. The smart contract 122 also transmits the new number of printable sheets to the MFP 131 as a response to the print count notification 804. For example, when the print count notification 804 of this embodiment is received, the number of printable sheets is stored as 900. On the other hand, when the print count notification 805 is received, the number of printable sheets is stored as 0.

[0081] In S1104, the smart contract 122 determines whether the printable number of copies is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, it transitions to S1105; if it is 0 or less, it transitions to S1106. In S1105, it adds the block with the changed printable number of copies to the blockchain 120 and then transitions to S1106. In S1106, the smart contract 122 determines whether the block has been added to the blockchain 120. If the addition is successful, it transitions to S1107; if the addition fails, it transitions to S1108.

[0082] In S1107, the smart contract 122 sends a printable number notification OK response to the sender of the printable number notification 804 and ends the processing of this flowchart. On the other hand, in S1108, the smart contract 122 sends a printable number notification NG response to the sender of the printable number notification and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0083] By executing the processing according to the flowchart in FIG. 11, the smart contract 122 can update the printable number of copies of the NFT and manage the printable number of copies of the MFP131 with the NFT for which the printable number of copies is set by storing it in the blockchain 120. By starting the rental of the MFP131 according to the flowchart of the owner change in FIG. 10 and managing the history of the printable number of copies according to the flowchart in FIG. 11, it becomes possible to construct a system for renting an MFP with an NFT for which the printable number of copies is set. Note that the smart contract 122 can manage various consumables and consumable materials by providing the life data of each component as a state variable in addition to the printable number of copies.

[0084] <Sequence from NFT issuance to rental end> Next, referring to FIG. 12, the overall sequence from the issuance of the NFT according to this embodiment to the end of the rental, including the activation of the printing function of the rental MFP, will be described.

[0085] In S1201, the sales site 110 sends an issuance 801 to issue the NFT 111 to the smart contract 122. In S1202, the smart contract 122 sends an NFT issuance response to the issuance 801 to the sales site 110. When the NFT 111 is issued, the sales site 110 starts selling the NFT 111 at the sales site 110.

[0086] In S1203, the information processing device 132 sends an NFT 111 purchase request to the selling site 110 in accordance with the operational instructions of the user 130 in order to purchase the rental MFP service using the NFT 111. In S1204, the selling site 110 sends a purchase of the NFT 111 to the smart contract 122. In S1205, the smart contract 122 sends an NFT purchase response to the selling site 110. Thereafter, in S1206, the selling site 110 sends the NFT 111 purchase response to the information processing device 132. Here, the owner of the NFT 111 is changed to the wallet address of the information processing device 132.

[0087] Next, in S1207, the sales site 110, triggered by the purchase response in S1205, performs the procedure to deliver the MFP 131 to the user 130 of the information processing device 132. In S1208, the information processing device 132 communicates with the MFP 131 to obtain the wallet address of the MFP 131, and transmits an owner change 804 to change the owner of the NFT 111 to the smart contract 122. In S1209, the information processing device 132 receives an NFT 111 owner change response from the smart contract 122 in which the owner of the NFT 111 has been changed to the MFP 131. At this timing, the MFP 131 becomes the owner of the NFT 111, and the print function is enabled.

[0088] In S1210, when the MFP 131 executes printing using the enabled print function, the MFP 131 transmits a print count notification to the smart contract 122 using the NFT 111. In S1211, the smart contract 122 transmits a print count notification response to the MFP 131. S1210 and S1211 are repeated until the printable number of sheets of the NFT 111 is reached.

[0089] Thereafter, in S1212, the MFP 131 sends a notification of the number of prints of the NFT 111 to the smart contract 122, and the number of printable sheets of the smart contract 122 becomes 0. At this point, the NFT 111 is invalidated. Next, in S1213, the smart contract 122 sends an NFT 111 invalidation response to the MFP 131 notifying the MFP 111 that the NFT 111 has been invalidated. The user 130 returns the MFP 131, which has been invalidated by the invalidation response, to the rental company 100, thereby terminating the rental contract for the MFP 131.

[0090] Here, the flow of the rental MFP system in which the printable number is set by the smart contract 122 is shown. In this way, by using the smart contract 122, the rental company can automatically manage the printable number of the MFP rented to the user and enable / disable the print function of the MFP until the printable number is reached. In addition, the rental start date can be set by moving the owner of the NFT 111 to the MFP 131. In addition, when a rental period is set, it can be realized by simply adding a process of determining whether it is the rental end date from the rental start date in the smart contract 122 and whether it is the rental end date when the printable number of the NFT 111 is notified in S1104. In this way, the rental system of MFPs using NFT can be built by setting various conditions using the smart contract.

[0091] As described above, the printing device according to the present embodiment is provided as a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network. The printing device acquires a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets on the printing device via a smart contract, and activates the printing function of the printing device. The printing device also determines via a smart contract whether the number of sheets to be printed obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within the range of the printable number based on the acquired NFT. If the number of sheets to be printed is within the range of the printable number, the printing device executes printing on the rented printing device using the acquired NFT. As a result, according to the present embodiment, a mechanism for suitably managing the use of the printing device on the blockchain network can be provided in a printing device rental system. For example, it is also possible to stop the printing function of the MFP when the printable number becomes 0, and end the rental.

[0092] The disclosure of this specification includes the following printing apparatus, its control method, program, and rental system. (Item 1) A rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, An acquisition means for acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; a restricting means for enabling a printing function of the printing device; A determination means for determining, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution means for executing printing on a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of printable sheets; A printing device comprising: (Item 2) 2. The printing device according to item 1, wherein the limiting unit disables the printing function when the number of printed sheets is not within the range of the number of printable sheets. (Item 3) The printing device described in item 1 or 2 is further characterized in that it further comprises a display control means for displaying on a display unit a screen including a message indicating that printing cannot be performed and an object for instructing the user to purchase additional NFTs if the number of prints is not within the range of the number of printable sheets. (Item 4) The printing device described in item 3 is characterized in that the display control means displays at least one of an object for a new purchase and an object for changing the owner of an already purchased NFT as an object for instructing the purchase of additional NFTs. (Item 5) The printing device described in any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the execution means transmits a transaction block indicating the printing result, including the number of printed sheets printed, to the blockchain network. (Item 6) The printing device described in item 5, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires an updated number of printable sheets based on the printing result from the smart contract in response to the printing result. (Item 7) The printing device described in item 6, characterized in that if the updated number of printable sheets obtained from the smart contract in response to the printing result is 0, the restriction means disables the printing function. (Item 8) The printing device described in any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires the NFT by changing the owner of the NFT purchased on the external device to the printing device via the smart contract. (Item 9) The printing device described in item 8, characterized in that the NFT is purchased using a wallet address of the printing device. (Item 10) 10. The printing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the printable number is set separately for color printing and monochrome printing. (Item 11) 11. The printing device according to item 10, wherein the restriction means enables or disables color printing and monochrome printing as the printing functions. (Item 12) A method for controlling a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, comprising: An acquisition means for acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; a restricting step in which a restricting means enables a printing function of the printing device; A determination step in which a determination means determines, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution step of executing printing by a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of printable sheets; 13. A method for controlling a printing device, comprising: (Item 13) A program for causing a computer to execute each step of a control method for a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, the control method comprising: An acquisition means for acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; a restricting step in which a restricting means enables a printing function of the printing device; A determination step in which a determination means determines, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution step of executing printing by a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of printable sheets; A program comprising: (Item 14) A rental system that provides a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, An issuing means for issuing a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets by the printing device via a smart contract; An acquisition means for acquiring the issued NFT via the smart contract; a restricting means for enabling a printing function of the printing device; A determination means for determining, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution means for executing printing on a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of printable sheets; A rental system comprising:

[0093] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0094] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 100: rental company, 110: sales site, 111, 112, 113: NFT (Non-Fungible Token), 120: blockchain, 122: smart contract, 131: MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), 132: information processing device

Claims

1. A rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, An acquisition means for acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; a restricting means for enabling a printing function of the printing device; A determination means for determining, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution means for executing printing on a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of prints that can be printed; A printing device comprising:

2. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the limiting unit disables the printing function when the number of printed sheets is not within the range of the number of printable sheets.

3. The printing device according to claim 1, further comprising a display control means for displaying on a display unit a screen including a message indicating that printing cannot be performed and an object for instructing the user to purchase additional NFTs if the number of prints is not within the range of the number of printable sheets.

4. The printing device according to claim 3 , characterized in that the display control means displays at least one of an object for newly purchasing an NFT and an object for changing the owner of an already purchased NFT as an object for instructing the purchase of an additional NFT.

5. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the execution means transmits a transaction block indicating the printing result, including the number of printed sheets printed, to the block chain network.

6. The printing device according to claim 5 , wherein the acquisition means acquires, in response to the printing result, from the smart contract an updated number of printable sheets based on the printing result.

7. The printing device according to claim 6, characterized in that if the updated printable number obtained from the smart contract in response to the printing result is 0, the restriction means disables the printing function.

8. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition means acquires the NFT by changing the owner of the NFT purchased on the external device to the printing device via the smart contract.

9. The printing device of claim 8 , wherein the NFT is purchased using a wallet address of the printing device.

10. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printable number is set separately for color printing and monochrome printing.

11. 11. The printing device according to claim 10, wherein the restriction unit enables or disables color printing and monochrome printing as the printing functions.

12. A method for controlling a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, comprising: An acquisition means for acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) having a right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; a restricting step in which a restricting means enables a printing function of the printing device; A determination step in which a determination means determines, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution step of executing printing by a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of printable sheets; 13. A method for controlling a printing device, comprising:

13. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of a control method for a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, the control method comprising: An acquisition means for acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) having a right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; a restricting step in which a restricting means enables a printing function of the printing device; A determination step in which a determination means determines, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution step of executing printing by a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of printable sheets; A program comprising:

14. A rental system that provides a rental printing device managed on a blockchain network, An issuing means for issuing a non-fungible token (NFT) having the right to print a predetermined number of sheets with the printing device via a smart contract; An acquisition means for acquiring the issued NFT via the smart contract; a restricting means for enabling a printing function of the printing device; A determination means for determining, via the smart contract, whether the number of prints obtained from the print settings of the accepted print job is within a range of the number of prints that can be made based on the acquired NFT; an execution means for executing printing on a rented printing device using the acquired NFT when the number of prints is within the range of the number of prints that can be printed; A rental system comprising:

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