Information processing device and information processing system

Abstract

To enable a user to recover at least a part of the allowable printing amount of a printing device.SOLUTION: A management server 100 manages the amount of printing for a printing system 1 equipped with a printer 200. The printing system 1 is configured to be able to execute a prepaid print service in which the number of printable sheets as an upper limit when printing an image on a sheet can be increased according to the number of charging sheets guaranteed by printing authority purchased based on a purchase request. When there is an instruction to execute recovery processing, the management server 100 executes a procedure of step S55 of subtracting the number of printable sheets associated with the printer 200 by the designated number of collected sheets, and a procedure of step S58 of adding the amount corresponding to the subtracted designated number of collected sheets to the number of collected sheets associated with a predetermined user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing system that perform processing related to printing authority in a printing device. [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. For example, there may be cases where a user mistakenly purchases a guaranteed print volume when purchasing printing rights, or where the user wishes to transfer part of the allowable print volume already granted to a printing device to another printing device. In such cases, a new need may arise for the user to recover at least part of the allowable print volume already granted to the printing device. The above-mentioned conventional technology does not take such new needs into consideration.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device and an information processing system that allow a user to recover at least a portion of the allowable print amount of a printing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an information processing device that manages the printing volume for a printing system having a server and a first printing device, wherein the printing system is configured to be capable of executing an authority purchase service that can increase the allowable printing volume, which is the upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to the guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased based on a purchase request, and the information processing device is configured to execute, when a first instruction is received, a subtraction process that subtracts a first desired amount from a first allowable printing volume associated with the first printing device, and a first addition process that adds an amount corresponding to the first desired amount subtracted by the subtraction process to a second allowable printing volume associated with a specified user.

[0007] The information processing device of the present invention manages the print volume of a printing system including a server and a first printing device. The printing system is configured to execute an authority purchase service that can increase an allowable print volume, which is an upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to a guaranteed print volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased based on a purchase request.

[0008] The information processing device executes a subtraction process and a first addition process. In the subtraction process, a first allowable printing amount associated with the first printing device is subtracted by a first desired amount based on a first instruction. In the first addition process, an amount corresponding to the first desired amount subtracted in the subtraction process is added to a second allowable printing amount associated with a specific user.

[0009] According to the present invention, when a user gives an instruction, a desired amount of the allowable print amount associated with a printing device can be collected as the user's allowable print amount and temporarily stored. As a result, for example, the allowable print amount of another printing device can be increased again by using an amount corresponding to the collected desired amount, or the allowable print amount of the printing device can be increased again later when necessary. As an example, when a printing device breaks down, it is also possible to transfer a part of the allowable print amount already granted to the printing device to another printing device.

[0010] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a printing system configured to be capable of executing an authority purchase service that can increase the allowable printing volume, which is the upper limit when a printing device prints an image on a sheet, in accordance with the guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased based on a purchase request, and has a subtraction unit configured to subtract a desired amount from a first allowable printing volume associated with the printing device when a first instruction is received, and an addition unit configured to add an amount corresponding to the desired amount subtracted by the subtraction unit to a second allowable printing volume associated with a specified user. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a user can recover at least a portion of the allowable print amount of a printing device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a terminal device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of a user database. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the contents of a printer database. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of a prepaid printing service provided by a printing system. [Figure 6]11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a touch panel of the terminal device when a collection operation is performed on the terminal device. FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a touch panel of the terminal device when an addition operation is performed on the terminal device. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of a control procedure executed during a process of collecting the printable number of sheets. [Figure 9] 10 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of a control procedure executed during an addition process of the number of printable sheets. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a touch panel of the terminal device when notifying a user that an automatic addition process has been executed. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a sequence chart showing an example of a control procedure in which the number of collected sheets is forcibly increased when the expiration date is reached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Printing system overview> FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a printing system 1 according to an embodiment. The printing system 1 provides a prepaid printing service in which a user, who is a customer, pays a fee in advance to use the printing function of a printer 200. In FIG. 1, the printing system 1 has a management server 100, a printer 200, a terminal device 300, and a transaction server 400. The management server 100, the printer 200, and the terminal device 300 are connected to a network NT and can communicate with each other. The network NT may include a mobile phone communication line. The printing system 1 is an example of an information processing system, the management server 100 is an example of a server and an information processing device, and the printer 200 is an example of a printing device.

[0015] <Management 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.

[0016] 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 user database storage area 132, and a printer database storage area 133.

[0017] Various programs are stored in the program storage area 131. The various programs include processing programs based on sequence charts in Figs. 8 and 9, which will be described later. The user database storage area 132 stores various information related to users who have contracted for the prepaid printing service. The printer database storage area 133 stores various information related to all printers 200 used under contracts for the prepaid printing service. The user database will be described in detail in Fig. 3, which will be described later, and the printer database will be described in detail in Fig. 4, which will be described later.

[0018] The processor 110 is a device for performing data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs stored in the program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes including data communication with the printer 200, the terminal device 300, and the transaction server 400 connected to the network NT.

[0019] The communication interface 190 is, for example, a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to a network NT.

[0020] 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. Furthermore, 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.

[0021] <Printer> The printer 200 is owned by, for example, 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 transport mechanism 260, 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 transport mechanism 260, 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.

[0022] 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 222 that stores image data to be printed. The non-volatile storage device 230 is, for example, an NVRAM, a flash memory, or the like, and includes a program storage area 231 and a data storage area 232. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 231. The various programs include firmware such as a processing program based on sequence charts in Figs. 8 and 9 described below, and a print processing program. The data storage area 232 stores the number of printable sheets, etc.

[0023] 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 231.

[0024] 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.

[0025] The conveying mechanism 260 conveys a sheet supplied from a tray capable of holding multiple sheets. The printing unit 290 is provided on a path along which the sheet is conveyed by the conveying mechanism 260, and forms an image corresponding to a print job on the sheet conveyed by the conveying mechanism 260 using a predetermined method. The predetermined method is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an inkjet method or a laser method. The printing unit 290 prints on the sheet according to a print job transmitted from the terminal device 300 or a print job generated by the printing unit 290 itself based on an operation on the operation unit 250.

[0026] <Terminal device> Fig. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the terminal device 300. The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile 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 terminal device 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 370.

[0027] The mass storage device 370 is, for example, a flash memory, and includes a program storage area 371 and a data storage area 372. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 371 as, for example, firmware. The various programs include processing programs based on sequence charts in Figs. 8 and 9 described later. The processing programs based on the sequence charts in Figs. 8 and 9 described later may be configured to perform the processing shown in the sequence charts in Figs. 8 and 9, or may be processing programs that execute a browser function in which the processing shown in the sequence charts in Figs. 8 and 9 proceeds with web data provided from the management server 100 or another server. The CPU 310 executes various programs stored in the program storage area 371. The CPU 310 executes various processes including data communication with the management server 100 and the printer 200 connected to the network NT via the communication control unit 330.

[0028] The terminal device 300 also displays various information and accepts various operations by the user on a touch panel 340 that is an integral combination of a liquid crystal display and a touch pad. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 300 by operating the touch panel 340.

[0029] As the terminal device 300, instead of a mobile terminal, other information terminals such as a tablet computer, a notebook PC, or a desktop PC may be used.

[0030] <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).

[0031] <User database, printer database> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic representation of part of the contents of a user database stored in the user database storage area 132 in the non-volatile storage device 130 of the management server 100 in relation to the prepaid printing service. In Fig. 3, the user database is a database that stores information about users who have signed a contract to receive the prepaid printing service of the printing system 1, and corresponding to a contract ID that is identification information for each contract, the user name of one or more users who are the subject of the contract, a user attribute category that indicates the difference in authority that each user has under the contract, the number of collected sheets that is recorded in common and linked to the subject users of the contract at that time, and the previous collection date and time when this number of collected sheets was most recently updated.

[0032] In this example, the above user attribute classification is set in three ways: owner, administrator, and non-administrator. The non-administrator is a user attribute classification that has only the printing authority to print directly using the printer 200. The administrator is a user attribute classification that has the authority to execute some procedures and settings in a limited manner in addition to the printing authority. The owner is a user attribute classification that has all the authority in the contract and can execute it without any restrictions, and is set to only one user as the position that bears the most responsibility in the contract. For example, when the printing system 1 is introduced in an ordinary home, it is assumed that the father is assigned the owner, the mother is assigned the administrator, and the child is assigned the non-administrator, and the scope of the authority that each has is different. Note that various authorities in such a contract, and the number of collected sheets and the last collection date and time in the above user database will be described in detail later.

[0033] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic representation of part of the contents of the printer database stored in the printer database storage area 133 in the non-volatile storage device 130 of the management server 100 in relation to the prepaid printing service. In Fig. 4, the printer database is a database that stores information about the printers 200 owned by users who have signed a contract with the prepaid printing service of the printing system 1, and records, for each contract ID, the model number and serial number of one or more printers to be used under the contract, and the number of printable pages associated with the printer 200 at that time. The number of printable pages will be described in detail later.

[0034] <Prepaid printing service> Fig. 5 shows a specific example of a prepaid printing service provided by the printing system 1 of this embodiment. Note that Fig. 5 illustrates a case where a user uses, for example, two printers 200A and 200B.

[0035] In this embodiment, the printing service provided by the printing system 1 is a prepaid printing service. The prepaid printing service is a service in which the charge number guaranteed for the printing right purchased in advance by the user through a purchase request by charging is added to the printable number A, B corresponding to each of the target printers 200A, 200B, respectively, and printing processing can be executed in the printers 200A, B up to the printable number A, B, respectively.

[0036] The addition of the charge number to each of the printable numbers A and B is performed, for example, by the processor 110 of the management server 100 updating the printable numbers A and B in the printer database. Furthermore, the addition information is also sent to each of the printers 200A and 200B, and is synchronously updated in the printable numbers A and B separately stored in the data storage area 233 of each of the non-volatile storage devices 230.

[0037] Each time printing is performed on each of the printers 200A, 200B, the processor 210 reduces the value of the printable numbers A, B by the number of sheets printed, and sends the reduced value to the management server 100, for example at regular intervals, and the printable numbers A, B in the printer database are updated synchronously.

[0038] In the above prepaid printing service, when each printer 200A, 200B completes printing based on the respective printable numbers A, B, and the printable numbers A, B, which are the upper limit of the printable numbers, become zero or become smaller, the user recharges by a new purchase procedure. This adds the purchased recharge number to the printable numbers A, B, increasing them, and printing can be continued.

[0039] Here, for example, there may be a case where a user mistakenly purchases too many sheets when charging during the purchasing procedure, or where the user wishes to transfer a portion of the printable sheet number A granted to one printer 200A to the printable sheet number B of the other printer 200B, etc. In such a case, a new need may arise where the user wishes to recover at least a portion of the printable sheet number A granted to the printer 200A.

[0040] In contrast, in this embodiment, when the user issues an instruction, a desired amount of the printable number associated with the printer 200A is collected as the printable number managed by the user, and the collected amount is added to the collected number and temporarily stored in the user database. As a result, for example, the collected number can be used to add to increase the printable number of another printer 200B, or can be added to increase the printable number of the printer 200A again when necessary later. As an example, when a failure occurs in the printer 200A, the printable number A granted to the printer 200A can be transferred to the printable number B of another printer 200B by collecting and adding via the collected number.

[0041] In the printing system 1 of this embodiment, the management server 100 centrally performs the procedures for purchasing the charge amount, management of the increase / decrease status of the printable numbers A and B, and the processes for collecting and adding to the printable numbers A and B. Through the terminal device 300 owned by the user, the user can transmit print jobs to the printers 200A and 200B, perform the procedures for purchasing the charge amount to the management server 100, and instruct the management server 100 to collect and add to the printable number. Note that print jobs are not limited to being received from the terminal device 300, but may be accepted through the operation unit 250 of the printer 200 based on the user's operation.

[0042] Note that the above printer 200A is an example of a first printing device, printer 200B is an example of a second printing device, the prepaid printing service is an example of an authority purchasing service, the charged number of sheets is an example of a guaranteed printing amount, the number of printable sheets A is an example of a first allowable printing amount, the number of sheets collected is an example of a second allowable printing amount, the number of printable sheets B is an example of a third allowable printing amount, the collection instruction is an example of a first instruction, and the addition instruction is an example of a second instruction.

[0043] In addition, due to the characteristics of the business model of the prepaid printing service, the purchase procedure for the charge number and the collection and addition operation of the printable number should be performed carefully, and some restrictions must be placed on the purchase authority and the collection and addition authority for each user attribute classification. In this embodiment, only the printing authority is given to the user attribute classification of the non-administrator, the printing authority, the purchasing authority, and the conditional collection and addition authority are given to the user attribute classification of the administrator, and the owner is given all the authorities of the printing authority, the purchasing authority, and the collection and addition authority, as well as the approval authority for the collection and addition authority requested by the administrator. The contents of this setting can be set arbitrarily only by the owner. Note that the above user attribute classification of the owner is an example of the first attribute classification, and the user attribute classification of the administrator is an example of the second attribute classification.

[0044] <Screen display when collecting and adding printable sheets> 6(a) to 6(e) are examples of screens displayed on the touch panel 340 of the terminal device 300 when the above-mentioned collection operation is performed on the terminal device 300, and Fig. 7(a) to 7(g) are examples of screens when the above-mentioned addition operation from the number of collected coins is performed. These screens may be configured to be displayed by the processing program itself stored in the program storage area 371 of the mobile terminal 300. Alternatively, they may be configured to be displayed via a browser provided in the terminal device 300 by web data provided from the management server 100 or another server.

[0045] When the user performs a predetermined operation on the terminal device 300 to operate the number of printable sheets for a specific printer 200, the home screen 340A shown in Fig. 6(a) is displayed. Note that the operation to switch the target printer 200 is performed on a separate screen not shown, so illustration and description of that screen will be omitted here.

[0046] The home screen 340A displays 341 the model number and serial number of the printer 200 currently being operated, 342 the number of printable sheets of the printer 200 at that time, a charge button 343 for performing a charge purchase operation, and a withdrawal button 344 for performing a withdrawal operation. Although this home screen 340A is displayed on a terminal device 300 whose user attribute classification is a non-administrator, the charge button 343 and withdrawal button 344 are displayed as grayed out and inoperable (not shown in particular).

[0047] When the user presses the collection button 344 on the home screen 340A displayed on the terminal device 300 of the owner and manager as shown in the example, the screen transitions to a collection menu screen 340B shown in Fig. 6(b). The collection menu screen 340B displays a button 345 for performing a collection operation based on the printable number of sheets of the target printer 200, a button 346 for checking the number of collected sheets recorded in the management server 100 at that point in time, and a back button 347 for returning to the previous screen (the home screen 340A in this case).

[0048] When a button 345 for performing a collection operation is pressed on the collection menu screen 340B as in the illustrated example, the screen transitions to a collection number designation screen 340C shown in Fig. 6(c). The collection number designation screen 340C displays a message 348 displaying the number of printable sheets at that time of the target printer 200 and asking how many of those sheets are to be collected, an input window 349 for the user to input and designate the number of sheets to be collected, a forward button 350 for executing the collection process and proceeding to the next screen, and a back button 351 for returning to the previous screen (in this case, the collection menu screen 340B).

[0049] As shown in the figure, when the proceed button 350 is pressed with the number of collected sheets (10 sheets in the illustrated example) input in the input window 349, the collection process is executed. Specifically, information on the model number and serial number for identifying the printer 200 to be collected in the terminal device and information on the specified number of collected sheets are sent to the management server 100. The specified number of collected sheets is an example of a first desired amount. Then, in the management server 100, the number of printable sheets of the target printer 200 in the printer database is subtracted by the specified number of collected sheets, and the number of collected sheets of the target contract ID in the user database is added. After the collection process is executed, a notification of the completion of the collection process is returned from the management server 100 to the terminal device 300, and the terminal device 300, receiving the notification, displays a collection completion screen 340D shown in FIG. 6(d).

[0050] In this way, the collection process is unconditionally executed by simply pressing the proceed button 350, and the collection completion screen 340D is automatically displayed only on the terminal device 300 whose user attribute classification is the owner. In the manager's terminal device 300, after pressing the proceed button 350, a confirmation screen 340C' shown in FIG. 6(c') is displayed, during which the owner is sent an email to confirm approval of the collection process. In the confirmation screen 340C', a message 352 indicating that confirmation is currently in progress, a cancel button 353 for canceling the collection process, and a home screen button 354 for returning to the home screen 340A are displayed. Only when approval of the collection process is confirmed by the owner without pressing these buttons 353 and 354, are necessary information and collection instructions transmitted from the terminal device 300 to the management server 100, and when the collection process is completed and a notification is received, the collection completion screen 340D shown in FIG. 6(d) is displayed.

[0051] The collection completion screen 340D displays a message 355 indicating that collection has been completed and an OK button 356, and when the OK button 356 is pressed, the terminal device 300 returns to the home screen. However, the home screen 340E at this point displays an indication 342 of the number of printable sheets that has been subtracted by the collection operation of the specified number of sheets.

[0052] When the button 346 for confirming the number of collected sheets is pressed on the collection menu screen 340B, the screen transitions to a collected sheet count confirmation screen 340F shown in Fig. 7(c). At this time, the terminal device 300 requests the number of collected sheets recorded in the user database from the management server 100, and the collected sheet count confirmation screen 340F displays a display 357 of the number of collected sheets received from the management server 100, a button 358 for performing an addition operation, and a back button 359 for returning to the previous screen (in this case, the collection menu screen 340B).

[0053] As shown, when button 358 for performing the addition operation is pressed, the screen transitions to destination printer selection screen 340G shown in Fig. 7(d). On destination printer selection screen 340G, icon buttons 360, 361 displaying the model number and serial number of each printer 200 (two in the illustrated example) owned by the contracted user are displayed in a list. When the user presses icon button 361 in this example as the destination printer 200, an addition quantity specification screen 340H shown in Fig. 7(e) is displayed.

[0054] The number-of-addition designation screen 340H displays a message 362 that displays the number of collected sheets at that time and asks how many of them to add, an input window 363 in which the user inputs the number of sheets to add, an addition button 364 for executing the addition process, and a back button 365 for returning to the previous screen (in this case, the destination printer selection screen 340G).

[0055] As shown in the figure, when the add button 364 is pressed with the number of sheets to be added (10 sheets in the illustrated example) input in the input window 363, an addition process is executed. Specifically, the information of the model number and serial number for identifying the printer 200 to which the terminal device 300 is to be added, and the information of the specified number of sheets to be added are sent to the management server 100. The specified number of sheets to be added is an example of a second desired amount. Then, in the management server 100, the number of sheets already collected for the target contract ID in the user database is subtracted by the specified number of sheets to be added, and the number of sheets that can be printed by the destination printer 200 in the printer database. During this addition process, the terminal device 300 displays an addition screen 340I in FIG. 7(f).

[0056] The addition in progress screen 340I displays a message 366 indicating that addition is currently in progress and a cancel button 367 for canceling the addition operation. If the cancel button 367 is not pressed and a notification of completion of the addition process is received from the management server 100, an addition completion screen 340J in Fig. 7(g) is displayed. The addition completion screen 340J displays a message 368 indicating that addition is complete and an OK button 369, and when the OK button 369 is pressed, the terminal device 300 displays a home screen (not shown) including a display of the printable sheet count reflecting the addition process.

[0057] <Control procedure when switching control modes> In order to realize the above-mentioned processing in this embodiment, an example of the control procedure executed by the CPU 310 of the terminal device 300, the processor 110 of the management server 100, and the processor 210 of the printers 200A and 200B when collecting / adding the printable number will be described with reference to the sequence charts of Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 shows the control procedure when, for example, collecting from the printable number A of the printer 200A, and Fig. 9 shows the control procedure when, for example, adding from the collected printable number to the printable number B of the printer 200B. First, the sequence of Fig. 8 is started when the user starts a dedicated application related to the prepaid printing service on the terminal device 300 and performs a predetermined operation for performing an operation related to the printable number on the printer 200A.

[0058] In step S5, the terminal device 300 displays on the touch panel 340 a home screen 340A (see FIG. 6(a) above) for the printer 200A in this example.

[0059] Next, the process proceeds to step S10, where the terminal device 300 waits until the withdrawal button 344 is pressed. If the charge button 343 is pressed during this wait, the charge procedure is performed in a separate sequence not shown. When the withdrawal button 344 is pressed, the process proceeds to the next step S15.

[0060] In step S15, the terminal device 300 displays the collection menu screen 340B (see FIG. 6(b) above).

[0061] Next, in step S20, the terminal device 300 judges whether the user has pressed the collection operation button 345 or the collected number confirmation button 346 on the collection menu screen 340B. If the user has pressed the collected number confirmation button 346, the process proceeds to the sequence chart of Fig. 9 described below. On the other hand, if the user has pressed the collection operation button 345, the process proceeds to S25. If the user has pressed the back button 347, the process returns to the procedure of S5 (not shown).

[0062] In S25, the terminal device 300 displays the number of sheets to be collected designation screen 340C (see FIG. 6(c)) and accepts input from the user of the number of sheets to be collected for the printer 200A, and in S30, the information on the input number of sheets to be collected is transmitted to the management server 100 together with a collection instruction.

[0063] The processor 110 of the management server 100 that receives this judges in step S35 whether the sender of the information corresponds to the user attribute classification of the owner. If the user attribute classification of the sender of the information is the owner, the judgment is satisfied (S35: YES), and the process proceeds to step S55. On the other hand, if the user attribute classification of the sender of the information is other than the owner, the judgment is not satisfied (S35: NO), and in step S40, an email is sent to the terminal device 300 of the owner to confirm the approval of the collection operation, and in step S45, the confirmation of the approval of the collection is awaited. Although not shown in particular, during this time, the terminal device 300 also displays a confirmation screen 340C' (see FIG. 6(c') above). Then, when a notice of approval of the collection is received from the terminal device 300 of the owner, the process proceeds to step S55. The owner may grant the administrator the authority to perform the collection operation (pre-approval). The owner may be able to set an upper limit on the number of sheets that can be collected for the administrator's authority to perform the collection operation. For example, the owner may be able to set a limit to the number of printable sheets that the administrator has charged. By doing so, it is not necessary to carry out the procedure (steps 35 to 50) of sending an email to the owner's terminal device 300 to confirm approval of the collection operation and waiting for the notification. On the other hand, if a notification that collection is not approved is received, the terminal device 300 that sent the email is notified to notify the owner that collection has been rejected in a separate sequence not shown.

[0064] In step S55, processor 110 of management server 100 subtracts the designated number of sheets to be collected from printable number A corresponding to printer 200A in the printer database to update the printer. Note that the procedure in step S55 is an example of a subtraction process, and processor 110, storage device 115, etc. that execute step S55 are an example of a subtraction unit.

[0065] Next, in step S58, the processor 110 of the management server 100 updates the number of collected sheets corresponding to the contract ID in the user database by adding the specified number of collected sheets. Note that the procedure in step S58 is an example of a first addition process, and the processor 110, storage device 115, etc. that executes step S58 are an example of an addition unit.

[0066] In the subsequent step S60, the processor 110 of the management server 100 transmits information equivalent to the information on the number of collected sheets received from the terminal device 300 in the above step S30 to the target printer 200A.

[0067] The processor 210 of the printer 200A that receives this subtracts the number of collected sheets from the printable sheet count A stored in its own non-volatile storage device 230 in step S65.

[0068] Furthermore, the processor 110 of the management server 100 transmits to the terminal device 300 in step S70 information indicating that the collection operation for the printable number A of the printer 200A has been completed.

[0069] The terminal device 300 that has received this displays the collection completion screen 340D (see FIG. 6(d) above) in step S75, and when the OK button 356 is pressed, displays the home screen 340E (see FIG. 6(e) above) in step S80. Then, this sequence ends.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S20 that the button pressed is the button 346 for confirming the number of collected sheets, the process proceeds to step S105 in the sequence chart of Fig. 9. In step S105, the CPU 310 of the terminal device 300 requests the management server 100 for information on the number of collected sheets corresponding to the contract ID in the user database.

[0071] The processor 110 of the management server 100 that receives this acquires information on the number of collected sheets corresponding to the contract ID from the user database in step S110, and returns the acquired information on the number of collected sheets to the terminal device 300 in step S115.

[0072] The CPU 310 of the terminal device 300 that receives this displays a collected number confirmation screen 340F (see FIG. 7(c) above) that reflects the collected number received in step S120. When the addition operation button 358 is pressed, the addition destination printer selection screen 340G (see FIG. 7(d) above) is displayed in step S125 to accept the selection input of the printer 200 to which the collected number is to be added. In this example, when the printer 200B is selected as the addition destination printer, the addition number designation screen 340H (see FIG. 7(e) above) is displayed in step S130 to accept the designation input of the number to be added. Then, in step S135, the CPU 310 of the terminal device 300 transmits information on the selected addition destination printer and the designated number to be added to the management server 100 together with an addition instruction.

[0073] The processor 110 of the management server 100 that receives this updates the printer database in step S140 by adding the specified number to the printable number B corresponding to the printer 200B to be added in this example. The procedure in step S140 is an example of a second addition process.

[0074] Next, in step S143, the processor 110 of the management server 100 updates the number of collected sheets corresponding to the contract ID in the user database by subtracting the specified addition number. Although not shown in the figure, during the addition process in steps S140 and S143, the CPU 310 of the terminal device 300 displays an addition screen 340I (see FIG. 7(f) above).

[0075] In the subsequent step S145, the processor 110 of the management server 100 transmits information equivalent to the information on the added number received from the terminal device 300 in the above step S135 to the target printer 200B.

[0076] The processor 210 of the printer 200B receiving this adds the additional number of sheets to the printable number B stored in its own non-volatile storage device 230 in step S150.

[0077] Furthermore, the processor 110 of the management server 100 transmits to the terminal device 300 in step S155 information indicating that the increment operation for the printable number B of the printer 200B has been completed.

[0078] The CPU 310 of the terminal device 300 that receives this displays the addition completion screen 340J (see FIG. 7(g) above) in step S160, and when the OK button 369 is pressed, displays the home screen reflecting the addition process in step S165. This ends the sequence.

[0079] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, the management server 100 included in the printing system 1 of this embodiment manages the printing volume for the printing system 1 including the printer 200. The printing system 1 is configured to be able to execute a prepaid printing service that can increase the printable number, which is the upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to the charge number guaranteed by the printing authority purchased based on a purchase request.

[0080] The management server 100 executes the procedure of step S55 and the procedure of step S58. In the procedure of step S55, the printable number A associated with the printer 200A is subtracted by the designated number of sheets to be collected based on the collection instruction from the user. In the procedure of step S58, the designated number of sheets to be collected subtracted in step S55 is added to the number of sheets already collected associated with the user of the contract ID.

[0081] According to this embodiment, when the user issues an instruction, the desired designated number of printable sheets out of the printable sheet count A associated with the printer 200A can be collected as a user-managed collected number of sheets and temporarily stored. As a result, for example, the printable sheet count of another printer 200B can be increased by using the amount corresponding to the collected number of sheets, or the printable sheet count of the printer 200A can be increased again later when necessary. As an example, when a failure occurs in the printer 200A, a part of the printable sheet count already granted to the printer 200A can be transferred to another printer 200B.

[0082] In this embodiment, in particular, depending on the attribute classification of the user who instructs the collection, it is possible to set whether or not the collection process in step S55 can be executed, and even if it is executable, various restrictions can be appropriately set. According to this embodiment, it is possible to set detailed authority settings at the time of collection according to the user attributes.

[0083] In particular, in this embodiment, a user attribute category of an owner who can perform collection without restrictions and a user attribute category of an administrator who has some restrictions on collection are set. According to this embodiment, by setting a user attribute category of an administrator who has restrictions on collection, collection of an inappropriate number of printable sheets can be suppressed.

[0084] In particular, in this embodiment, the owner's user attribute class is given the authority to set the constraints on the user attribute classes of other administrators. According to this embodiment, a user of the owner's user attribute class can set the desired contents of the collection process that can be executed by a user of the other administrator's user attribute class.

[0085] Particularly in this embodiment, in the procedure of step S140, at least a portion of the collected number of sheets is added to the printable number B associated with the printer 200B. According to this embodiment, at least a portion of the collected number of sheets collected from the printer 200A can be reused as the printable number B of the printer 200B. If the printer 200B is a printer 200 different from the printer 200A, the printable number can be transferred between the printers 200 by going through the above-mentioned collection. If the printer 200B is the same printer 200 as the printer 200A, after the above-mentioned collection, the printable number of the printer 200 can be increased again at an appropriate timing when necessary.

[0086] In particular, in this embodiment, the addition process in step S140 is executed based on an addition instruction from a specific user, such as the owner or administrator, via the terminal device 300. This allows the printable number B of the printer 200B to be increased at the user's desired timing.

[0087] <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.

[0088] (1) When the expiration date is reached and the number of collected cards is forcibly increased In the above embodiment, the addition process of the number of collected sheets is executed only after a predetermined user such as the owner or the administrator instructs the addition process. In addition, for example, an expiration date may be set for the number of collected sheets, and the addition process may be executed compulsorily when the expiration date is reached.

[0089] In this case, for example, when a part of the printable number A of the printer 200A is collected and the collected number is registered in the user database, the date and time at that time is also registered as the previous collection date and time. Then, when the expiration date that was set in advance from the previous collection date and time arrives, all of the collected number is automatically added to the printable number B of the other printer 200B. At this time, the management server 100 notifies the terminal device 300 that the automatic addition process has been performed due to the expiration date, and a notification screen 340K as shown in Fig. 10 is displayed on the touch panel 340 to notify the user that such automatic addition process has been performed.

[0090] A sequence chart executed in this modified example is shown in Fig. 11. This sequence chart starts to be executed when the number of collected sheets and the previous collection date and time are registered in the user database by a predetermined collection process.

[0091] First, in step S205, the processor 110 of the management server 100 judges whether the expiration date of the number of collected sheets has arrived based on the timing function of a timer (not shown), in other words, whether the expiration date has passed since the previous collection date and time. The processor 110 waits in a loop until the expiration date arrives, and when the expiration date arrives, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0092] In step S210, the processor 110 of the management server 100 identifies the printer 200 to be added. This identification may be set in advance by the user, or the management server 100 may appropriately select the printer 200 by referring to the printer database.

[0093] In the next step S215, the processor 110 of the management server 100 adds the total number of collected sheets to the printable number B of the printer 200B specified as the addition target in this example. Note that the procedure of this step S215 is an example of a second addition process. Then, in step S218, the value of the collected number is updated by subtracting it from the value of the printable number B to 0 (i.e., resetting it).

[0094] In the subsequent step S220, the processor 110 of the management server 100 transmits information equivalent to the number of sheets added to the printable sheet count B in the above step S215 to the target printer 200B.

[0095] The processor 210 of the printer 200B receiving this adds the additional number of sheets to the printable number B stored in its own non-volatile storage device 230 in step S225.

[0096] Furthermore, the processor 110 of the management server 100 transmits to the terminal device 300 information indicating that the forced addition process for the number of collected bills has been completed in step S230.

[0097] Upon receiving this, the terminal device 300 displays in step S235 the notification screen 340K shown in Fig. 10. This is the end of this sequence.

[0098] As described above, in the management server 100 provided in the printing system 1 of this modified example, the addition process in step S215 is executed when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the procedure in step S58. In this way, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the printable number B of the printer 200B can be automatically increased without user operation.

[0099] In this embodiment, the predetermined condition for executing step S215 is that the expiration date set for the use of the collected number of sheets has arrived. This allows, for example, if some expiration date for the collected number of sheets is set in advance, to increase the number of printable sheets B of printer 200B before the expiration date. (2) User attribute classification permissions and other restrictions The authority of the user attribute classification and other restrictions can be set in a variety of ways other than those shown in the above embodiment.

[0100] For example, restrictions may be set according to the charge history of each user or printer 200. Specifically, although not shown, the history of increases in the charge number for each user or printer 200 when printing authority is purchased is stored in association with the user or printer 200. Depending on the increase history, it may be possible to set whether or not subtraction processing can be performed, and even if it can be performed, various restrictions may be set appropriately, such as whether recovery is OK or not, or whether there are some restrictions even if recovery is OK. According to this modified example, it is possible to set fine-grained authority settings at the time of recovery according to the increase history of the number of printable sheets due to the purchase of printing authority.

[0101] In addition, specific examples of the specified constraints in the collection process include constraints related to the specified number of coins to be collected, constraints based on the time period of the history of increases in the number of coins charged, and constraints based on the number of times the number of coins charged has increased.

[0102] In the case where the predetermined constraint includes a constraint on the size of the designated number of coins to be collected, for example, the upper limit of the designated number of coins to be collected can be set to the number of coins charged by the user. In this case, according to this modified example, it is possible to make it impossible to collect an amount exceeding the amount purchased by the user.

[0103] In addition, in the case where the predetermined constraint includes a constraint according to the time of the increase in the charge amount history, for example, only the portion of the increased charge amount that was within a predetermined period immediately before can be collected, or only the user who made a purchase within that period can be collected. In these cases, according to this modified example, if a long time has passed since the purchase, the portion cannot be collected.

[0104] Alternatively, in the case where the predetermined constraint includes a constraint according to the number of times of increase in the charge amount, for example, only the portion of the increased charge amount within the previous predetermined number of times can be collected, or only users who have purchased within the predetermined number of times can collect. In these cases, according to this modified example, if a certain amount of time has passed since the purchase, it is possible to make it impossible to collect that portion.

[0105] In addition, a maximum value may be set for the designated number of sheets to be collected regardless of the user. According to this modification, it is possible to set a limit on the designated number of sheets to be collected regardless of the purchase history of printing rights or the attribute classification of the user.

[0106] In addition, the entire number of printable sheets may be collected regardless of the charge history. In this case, the maximum value of the designated number of sheets to be collected is set to be equal to the number of printable sheets to be collected at that time. According to this modification, the entire number of printable sheets in the printer 200 can be collected.

[0107] Also, regardless of the charge history, only a predetermined portion of the printable number may be collected. In this case, for example, the maximum value of the above-mentioned designated number of collected sheets is set so that it is a ratio of less than 100% of the printable number of sheets to be collected, or so that the printable number after the collection process is equal to or greater than the designated number of collected sheets. The ratio of less than 100% is an example of a first predetermined ratio. In this modification, only a portion of the printable number of sheets in the printer 200 is collected, not the entire amount. According to this modification, it is possible to prevent the printable number of sheets in the printer 200 from becoming zero after collection. Also, it is possible to call attention to the quantity when purchasing printing authority.

[0108] A maximum value may also be set for the designated addition number. In this case, for example, the maximum value of the designated addition number is set so that it is less than 100% of the designated recovery number, or the difference between the designated addition number and the designated recovery number is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The above-mentioned ratio of less than 100% is an example of a second predetermined ratio, and the above-mentioned predetermined amount is an example of a second predetermined amount. In this modification, only a part of the designated recovery number that has been recovered, rather than the entire amount, can be added to the printable number B of this example. According to this modification, it is possible to prevent easy reuse of the number of recovered sheets. It is also possible to call attention to the quantity when purchasing printing rights.

[0109] Furthermore, the sequence charts shown in Figures 8, 9, and 11 do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the above sequences, 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.

[0110] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and their modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0111] 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]

[0112] 1. Printing system (an example of an information processing system) 100 Management server (an example of an information processing device) 200 Printer (an example of a printing device) 200A Printer (an example of a first printing device) 200B Printer (an example of a second printing device) 300 Terminal Equipment 400 Trade Server NT Network

Claims

1. An information processing device that manages a print volume in a printing system including a server and a first printing device, The printing system includes: The printing authority purchase service is configured to be capable of increasing an allowable print volume, which is an upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to a guaranteed print volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased based on a purchase request, When a first instruction is received, the information processing device: a subtraction process for subtracting a first allowable print quantity associated with the first printing device by a first desired quantity; a first addition process for adding an amount corresponding to the first desired amount subtracted in the subtraction process to a second allowable print amount associated with a specific user; An information processing device configured to execute the above.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of a predetermined restriction on execution of the subtraction process and the presence or absence of a predetermined restriction is set according to the predetermined attribute category of the user.

3. The attribute division includes a first attribute division and a second attribute division; The first attribute category is: The subtraction process is executable and set without the constraint; The second attribute category is: The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the subtraction process is executable and the constraint is set.

4. The attribute division includes a first attribute division and a second attribute division; The first attribute category is: The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an authority to set the contents of the constraints on other attribute categories including the second attribute category.

5. an increase history of the guaranteed print volume corresponding to the purchase request is stored in association with the first printing device or a user corresponding to the first printing device; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of a predetermined restriction on execution of the subtraction process and the presence or absence of a predetermined restriction is set according to the increase history.

6. The predetermined constraint is: A constraint on the magnitude of the first desired amount; and A constraint according to the time of the increase history; and A constraint according to the number of times of the increase history; The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising at least one of the following:

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum value of the first desired amount in the subtraction process is set.

8. The maximum value is 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the print amount is set to be equal to the allowable print amount.

9. The maximum value is 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the allowable print amount is set to a first predetermined percentage less than 100% of the allowable print amount, or the allowable print amount after the subtraction process is set to be equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount.

10. The printing system further includes a second printing device. The information processing device further includes:

2. An information processing device as described in claim 1, configured to execute a second addition process that adds a second desired amount, which is at least a portion of the amount corresponding to the first desired amount included in the second allowable printing amount added in the first addition process, to a third allowable printing amount associated with the second printing device.

11. The second addition process is The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the information processing apparatus is executed based on a second instruction from the predetermined user.

12. The second addition process is The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the first addition process is executed when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the first addition process.

13. The predetermined condition is: The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the determining step is performed when a predetermined timing corresponding to a usage expiration date set for the first desired amount of usage arrives.

14. The maximum value of the second desired amount is The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first desired amount is set to a second predetermined ratio less than 100% of the first desired amount, or a difference between the second desired amount and the first desired amount is set to be equal to or greater than the second predetermined amount.

15. A printing system configured to be capable of executing an authority purchase service that can increase an allowable print volume, which is an upper limit when a printing device prints an image on a sheet, according to a guaranteed print volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased based on a purchase request. If the first instruction is given, a subtractor configured to subtract a first allowable print quantity associated with the printing device by a desired amount; an adder configured to add an amount corresponding to the desired amount subtracted by the subtracter to a second allowable print amount associated with a given user; An information processing system having the above configuration.

Images