Image forming device, control method of image forming device, and program

Abstract

To solve the problem that a conventional technique cannot control an expiration date for use of a printing function of an image forming device.SOLUTION: An image forming device includes: obtaining means that obtains information concerning a non-alternative token that is managed by a block chain network; verifying means that verifies an expiration date of the non-alternative token, by accessing a smart contract that is managed by the block chain network using the obtained information concerning the non-alternative token, when executing printing; and control means that performs control so that printing is executed when the expiration date of the non-alternative token is valid, and printing is not executed when the expiration data is not valid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system that restricts printing functions of an image forming device by using a non-fungible token (NFT) that is tokenized using blockchain technology. [Background technology]

[0002] A business service is being implemented that rents out the main body of an image forming device such as a printer or a multifunction device, and charges according to the number of prints. In this case, the rental fee is mainly paid in arrears, and there is a possibility that the device will continue to be used without payment after the rental period has ended. Even if the rental fee is paid in advance, there is no function to stop the service at the end of the rental period, so there is a possibility that the device will continue to be used after the rental period has ended. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to stop the service or continue the service according to the rental period. As a technology for restricting access, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that restricts access to digital content such as e-books so that only those who hold non-fungible tokens (NFTs) using blockchain technology can access digital content. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-149906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned prior art, although it is possible to restrict access to digital content by NFT, it is difficult to control the suspension of printing services or the continued use of printing services with respect to printing of electronic data using an image forming device. Therefore, a system capable of restricting the printing function of an image forming device is desired.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a mechanism for restricting the printing functions of an image forming device using a non-fungible token (NFT) managed on a blockchain network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized in that an image forming device holds a non-fungible token managed by a blockchain network, and when executing printing, verifies the expiration date of the non-fungible token by accessing a smart contract managed by the blockchain network, and performs printing if the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and prevents printing from being performed if the expiration date is not valid. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present invention can provide a mechanism for restricting the printing functions of an image forming device, for example, by using a non-fungible token (NFT) managed on a blockchain network. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] System configuration diagram [Diagram 2] Image forming device hardware block diagram [Diagram 3] A diagram showing the sequence from creating and purchasing an NFT to the printing process. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the sequence for creating an NFT [Diagram 5] Diagram of changing NFT roll and expiration using smart contracts [Figure 6] Flowchart for changing the expiration date of printing function using NFT [Figure 7] Flowchart showing expiration of printing capabilities using NFT [Figure 8] Diagram of an image forming device showing an NFT expiration DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 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.

[0010] <System configuration> An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the system of this embodiment is composed of an image forming device 101, an NFT issuer 102, a management server 103, a blockchain network 104, and a user 106 who is an NFT purchaser, and the blockchain network 104 includes a plurality of nodes 105.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 101 is a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having multiple functions such as copying, scanning, printing, and faxing. The image forming apparatus 101 is not limited to an MFP, and may be a device having a single function such as a printer or scanner. The management server 103 is a server that sells and manages non-fungible tokens (NFTs) using a blockchain network 104, and an issuer 102 of an NFT can issue an NFT using the management server 103. In this embodiment, the issuance of an NFT is not limited to the management server 103, and the NFT may be issued using an information and communication device owned by the issuer 102, and the information and communication device may be a mobile terminal, a personal computer, or the like. The management server 103 is composed of one or more cloud servers, and manages a service that manages electronic data including image data, and user information for accessing the electronic data. When the management server 103 receives an NFT acquisition request from the image forming apparatus 101 and the user 106, it transmits the NFT data stored in the blockchain network 104 to the user 106 via the Internet.

[0012] The blockchain network 104 realizes blockchain technology that shares the history (transactions) of multiple blocked transaction data in a chain structure. The blockchain network 104 also has network participants that are a large number of nodes 105, and the nodes 105 are computers that operate as part of the network on the blockchain network 104. The multiple nodes 105 store transactions while exchanging data between each other, and create blocks and approve transactions in the blockchain. This makes it impossible to tamper with the history of transaction data stored in the blockchain, there is no loss, and it is possible to reliably identify the owner.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 101 has a digital wallet used to store and send / receive cryptocurrency for the management server 103 and the blockchain network 104, and can store and send / receive NFTs. The wallet stores a unique address and token amount (held virtual currency), and can access the blockchain network 104 using a private key / public key pair for each blockchain.

[0014] <Hardware configuration of image forming device> 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 101 has a CPU 202, a RAM 203, a ROM 204, a storage 205, a network I / F 206, an operation I / F 207, a print controller 209, and a scan controller 211, all of which are connected to a system bus 201.

[0015] A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 202 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 101. The CPU 202 reads out a control program stored in a ROM 204 or a storage 205, and performs various types of control such as print control and read control.

[0016] The RAM 203 is a main storage memory of the CPU 202, and is used as a work area, and a temporary storage area for loading various control programs stored in the ROM 204 and the storage 205. The ROM 204 stores control programs executable by the CPU 202.

[0017] The storage 205 is a storage unit that stores print data, image data, various programs, and various setting information. In the image forming device 101 of this embodiment, a wallet for complementing NFT, which is a type of cryptocurrency, is stored in the storage 205. The wallet stores a public key used as the address of the sender or receiver of the cryptocurrency and a private key required to authenticate the identity of the sender. The wallet also has an interface that allows the user 106, who is the owner of the image forming device 101, to send and receive cryptocurrency and perform transactions, and the user 106 purchases and verifies NFTs through this interface. The network I / F 206 is an interface for allowing the image forming apparatus 101 to communicate with an external device via the Internet. The CPU 202 can transmit electronic data read by the scanner 212 to the management server 103 or a server on the Internet via the network I / F 206. The CPU 202 can also receive electronic data managed by the management server 103 or a server on the Internet via the network I / F 206 and print the data using the print engine 210. The CPU 202 can also transmit transaction data of the image forming apparatus 101 to the block chain network 104 via the network I / F 206.

[0018] The operation panel 208 is an example of a display unit that displays a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207. When a user operates the operation panel 208, the image forming device 101 obtains an event corresponding to the user operation via the operation I / F 207.

[0019] The print controller 209 is connected to the print engine 210, and the image data to be printed is transferred to the print engine 210 via the print controller 209. The print engine 210 receives the control command and the image data to be printed, and forms an image on the sheet based on this image data. The printing method of the print engine 210 may be an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method. In the case of the electrophotographic method, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor, then developed with toner, the toner image is transferred to the sheet, and the transferred toner image is fixed to form an image. On the other hand, in the case of the inkjet method, ink is ejected to form an image on the sheet.

[0020] The scan controller 211 is connected to the scanner 212, and the scanner 212 reads the image on the sheet and generates image data. The image data generated by the scanner 212 is stored in the storage 205. Also, the image forming apparatus 101 can perform copying, that is, form an image on the sheet using the image data generated by the scanner 212. The scanner 212 has an automatic document feeder (not shown) and can read while conveying the sheets placed on the automatic document feeder one by one.

[0021] <Sequence from NFT creation / purchase to printing process> Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the sequence from NFT creation / purchase to the printing process will be described. Here, the creation process of the NFT for print control, the process of the user 106 purchasing the NFT, the registration process of the wallet, and the process of executing printing using the NFT purchased by the user will be described. In the following, the step numbers of each process included in the sequence diagram and the flowchart are indicated by numbers starting with "S". The same applies to the subsequent sequence diagrams and flowcharts.

[0022] In S301, the issuer 102 issues an NFT through the management server 103. In order to issue an NFT, the issuer 102 creates a smart contract in advance according to the NFT specifications and registers it in the blockchain network 104 through the management server 103. To create a smart contract, it is necessary to create detailed information about the NFT, owner information, and functions such as transmission and trading, but these may be created using a platform provided by the management server 103.

[0023] In S302, the management server 103 deploys the smart contract created in S301 to the blockchain network 104. At this time, the management server 103 transmits a transaction for deploying the smart contract to the node 105 belonging to the blockchain network 104. In S303, the blockchain network 104 receives the transmitted transaction, verifies the validity of the transaction, and determines whether to register the transaction on the blockchain. After the transaction is verified, a new block is created and added to the blockchain network 104.

[0024] In S304, the blockchain network 104 transmits the address of the created smart contract to the management server 103. The address of the smart contract indicates the location on the blockchain network 104 where the smart contract is stored, and the deployed smart contract can be accessed from other applications or smart contracts.

[0025] In S305, the user 106 purchases an NFT from the management server 103. The purchase process involves transferring virtual currency from a wallet owned by the user 106 and adding the purchaser of the NFT to a role. A role indicates a user who has the right to use an NFT, separate from the owner of the NFT.

[0026] In S306, the management server 103 creates a transaction in response to an NFT purchase request from the user 106. The transaction specifies the user's wallet address as the source address of the user 106, and the smart contract address to be executed as the destination address. Through the smart contract, a process is performed in which virtual currency is transferred from the user's wallet and the purchaser is added to the role of the NFT.

[0027] In S307, the blockchain network 104 receives the transmitted transaction, verifies the validity of the transaction, and determines whether to register the transaction on the blockchain. After the transaction is verified, a new block is created and added to the blockchain network 104.

[0028] In S308, the user 106 performs an operation to register his / her own wallet address in the image forming apparatus 101. The registration operation can be performed by displaying "Register" on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207, and operating the operation panel 208.

[0029] In S309, the image forming apparatus 101 saves the data instructed in S308. The saved data includes the address of the smart contract, a public key used as the address of the sender or receiver of the cryptocurrency, and a private key required to authenticate the identity of the sender, as information about the NFT purchased in S305. Note that the information about the NFT is not intended to limit the present invention to the above information, and may include any additional or alternative information.

[0030] S310 to S313 are processes for restricting the printing function when printing is executed by the image forming apparatus 101. In S310, the user 106 instructs the image forming apparatus 101 to execute printing using NFT. Printing can be executed by displaying a print execution command on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207, and executing the print execution command by operating the operation panel 208.

[0031] In S311, the image forming apparatus 101 calls the smart contract stored in the blockchain network 104 in S303 using the smart contract address (information regarding the NFT) stored in S309. For calling the smart contract, the smart contract address held by the own apparatus and the information of the wallet (information regarding the NFT) are used.

[0032] In S312, the blockchain network 104 verifies the NFT. In this verification, verification of the NFT owned by the image forming apparatus 101, the role and expiration information of the NFT stored in the wallet held by the image forming apparatus 101 is performed. In S313, the blockchain network 104 transmits the verified result to the image forming apparatus 101.

[0033] The image forming apparatus 101 permits execution of the printing function if the verification result of the NFT shows that the user is legitimate and within the time limit, and restricts execution of the printing function if the user is not legitimate or outside the time limit.

[0034] <Sequence of NFT creation> Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a sequence showing issuance and purchase of the NFT for printing control according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a detailed sequence of the NFT issuance process and the purchase process in FIG. 3.

[0035] In S401, the issuer 102 creates an NFT through the management server 103. The issuer 102 creates a smart contract according to the NFT specifications to issue an NFT. The NFT smart contract is designed according to the ERC-721 token or ERC-4907 token standard. The ERC-721 token is a standard for creating NFTs on a blockchain. The ERC-4907 token is a standard that extends the ERC-721 token by adding a rental function, and is provided with a mechanism for the owner to set users who can use the NFT for a certain period of time and the period, and to revoke the user's rights if the period is exceeded. The created NFT is registered in the blockchain network 104 through the management server 103. To create a smart contract, it is necessary to create detailed information about the NFT, owner information, and functions such as transmission and trading based on the ERC-721 token or ERC-4907 token standard, but it can be created using the platform provided by the management server 103. In this embodiment, the explanation is mainly based on the ERC-4907 token standard, but the token may be a token of the ERC-721 standard. In this case, the role information is not set, but the owner and the expiration date are set.

[0036] In S402, the management server 103 deploys the smart contract created in S401 to the blockchain network 104. At this time, the management server 103 transmits a transaction for deploying the smart contract to the node 105 belonging to the blockchain network 104. This process is the same as S302.

[0037] In S403, the blockchain network 104 receives the transmitted transaction, verifies the validity of the transaction, and determines whether to register the transaction on the blockchain. After the transaction is verified, a new block is created and added to the blockchain network 104. This process is the same as S303.

[0038] In S404, the blockchain network 104 sends the address of the created smart contract to the management server 103. The smart contract address indicates the location on the blockchain network 104 where the smart contract is stored, and the deployed smart contract can be accessed from other applications or smart contracts. This process is the same as S304.

[0039] In S405, the issuer 102 issues an NFT through the management server 103. In S403, a token is issued on the blockchain network 104 using a smart contract. To issue a token, token information including the name, symbol, total issuance amount, and digital asset information of the token is passed to the smart contract, and the token is issued. In this embodiment, the token information of the NFT is issued by adding an expiration date and role information indicating a user who is a user, separately from the issuer (owner). In S406, the management server 103 creates and transmits a transaction to issue an NFT to the blockchain network 104. In S403, the transaction calls a function of a smart contract designed according to the token standard on the blockchain network 104, and issues an NFT using the address of the issuer of the NFT token and the token identifier. In S407, the blockchain network 104 issues and stores an NFT based on the transaction transmitted in S406.

[0040] In S408, the user 106 purchases an NFT from the management server 103. For the purchase, the user 106 transfers virtual currency from the wallet held by the user 106 and sends a transaction that sets the user as the user in the role information of the NFT. In S409, the management server 103 creates a transaction in the blockchain network 104 in response to an NFT purchase request from the user 106. The transaction specifies the source wallet address held by the user 106 and the smart contract address of the smart contract to be executed. In S403, the transaction calls a function of a smart contract designed according to the token standard on the blockchain network 104, and the owner of the NFT is changed. In this embodiment, the expiration date from the purchase and the role information indicating the user who is the current user are changed. As the role information, in S408, the address of the wallet held by the user 106 is added.

[0041] In S410, the blockchain network 104 receives the transmitted transaction, verifies the validity of the transaction, and determines whether to register it on the blockchain. After the transaction is verified, a new block is created and added to the blockchain network 104. In S411, the blockchain network 104 makes a payment to the issuer. The payment is made by transferring virtual currency from a wallet held by the user 106 in S408. In S412, the blockchain network 104 notifies the management server 103 of approval of the purchase of the NFT. In S413, the management server 103 transmits the verification result to the user 106.

[0042] <Hardware configuration of the management server> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a smart contract according to this embodiment. A smart contract 500 in Fig. 5 shows the configuration of a smart contract stored on the blockchain network 104 in S303 in Fig. 3 or S403 in Fig. 4.

[0043] The smart contract 500 has a contract address 501, which is its own address, a program logic 502, and a state variable 503. The contract address 501 is unique and is assigned when deployed on the blockchain network 104, and is used to access the smart contract. The program logic 502 indicates an interface for executing the smart contract 500, and a function calls the logic of the smart contract 500 to change the user and the deadline. The state variable 503 represents the state of the smart contract, and holds information about the user and the deadline, and changes this state variable by calling a smart contract function by sending a transaction. These state changes are stored on the blockchain network 104.

[0044] Transaction 510 indicates a transaction for the issuer 102 to request the issuance of an NFT. Transaction 510 includes information to change state variable 503, and in this embodiment includes role information indicating the owner as issuer 102 and the user who can use the NFT, as well as the expiration date. Transaction 510 specifies the owner as the issuer (shown as A in this figure as an example) and the expiration date of the NFT (shown as 365 days in this figure as an example). The contents of transaction 510 also include the sender's address and the destination smart contract address, but these are omitted in this figure.

[0045] Transaction 511 indicates a transaction in which the issuer 102 expires an NFT. Unlike transaction 510, transaction 511 is created with an expiration date of 0 days to indicate the expiration of the NFT. In addition, role information indicating users who can use the NFT is set to the same value as that indicated when transaction 510 was created.

[0046] Transaction 512 shows a transaction for user 106 to purchase an NFT. Unlike transaction 510, transaction 512 is created by specifying role information indicating a user who can use the NFT. In addition, the expiration date of the NFT set in transaction 511 (shown as 365 days in this figure as an example) is set.

[0047] Transaction 513 shows a transaction for user 106 to repurchase an NFT. Unlike transaction 512, transaction 513 sets a flag for expiration extension.

[0048] Request 520 indicates a request to issue an NFT by the issuer 102. This is the same as S301 in FIG. 3 and S406 in FIG. 4, and creates a transaction 510 and changes the state variables of the smart contract 500.

[0049] Request 521 indicates an expiration request for an NFT issued by management server 103. A transaction 511 is created to change the expiration state of smart contract 500. Request 521 may be made by issuer 102 itself. Alternatively, management server 103 may automatically issue transaction 511 when the expiration date is reached from the time when user 106 purchased the NFT.

[0050] Request 522 indicates a request to purchase an NFT issued by user 106. This is the same as S306 in FIG. 3 and S408 in FIG. 4, and creates transaction 512 and modifies the state variables of smart contract 500.

[0051] Request 523 indicates a request to repurchase an NFT issued by user 106. A transaction 513 is created to modify state variables of smart contract 500.

[0052] Request 524 indicates a request for the image forming apparatus 101 to confirm the expiration date of the NFT it owns. This is the same as S310 in FIG. 3, and the smart contract address and wallet address stored in the image forming apparatus 101 are specified to access the smart contract 500. The smart contract 500 verifies the NFT using the specified wallet address as an argument. For the verification, the expiration date and role of the state variable 503 of the smart contract 500 are verified, and the verification result is returned to the image forming apparatus 101. In this way, according to this embodiment, the validity of role information is verified when printing is executed.

[0053] <Deadline flow> Next, a process procedure for issuing the expiration request 521 by the management server 103 in Fig. 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The process described below is realized, for example, by the CPU of the management server 103 reading a program stored in a memory such as a ROM into a RAM and executing it.

[0054] In S601, the management server 103 issues a transaction to process the number of days of the expiration information held by the smart contract 500 to decrease, and updates the expiration of the state variable 503. This transaction may be issued every day when the number of days is decreased, or may be issued after a certain period of time has passed. In addition, the issuance of this transaction may be executed automatically or according to the instruction of the issuer 102. In S602, the management server 103 checks whether the number of days of the expiration of the NFT is 0. If the number of days of the expiration of the NFT is 0, proceed to S611, and if not, proceed to S603. The number of days of the expiration of the NFT can be confirmed from the state variable 503 stored in the smart contract 500. In S611, the management server 103 checks whether the smart contract 500 holds an expiration extension flag. This can be confirmed from the state variable 503 stored in the smart contract 500. This expiration extension flag is set by the repurchase transaction issuance 523 as shown in FIG. 5. If the deadline extension flag is held, the process proceeds to S621, and if not, the process proceeds to S612.

[0055] In S612, the management server 103 issues a transaction to delete the role information held by the smart contract 500, and updates the role in the state variable 503. This is realized by issuing an expiration transaction 521 as shown in Fig. 5. The role information stored in the state variable 503 of the smart contract 500 can be changed, and the role setting as to whether the image forming device 101 can execute printing can be changed.

[0056] If there is an expiration extension flag, in S621, the management server 103 issues a transaction to increase the number of days in the expiration information held by the smart contract 500, and updates the expiration date in the state variable 503. This is achieved by issuing a repurchase transaction 523 as shown in FIG. 5. The expiration date stored in the state variable 503 of the smart contract 500 is changed, and the expiration date for how long the NFT held by the image forming apparatus 101 can be used is extended. In S603, the management server 103 issues a transaction to the blockchain network 104, updates the state variable, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0057] <Judgment flow> Next, a process procedure for the image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment to print using NFT will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The process described below is realized, for example, by the CPU 202 of the image forming apparatus 101 reading a program stored in the ROM 204 or storage 205 into the RAM 203 and executing it.

[0058] In step S701, the CPU 202 starts printing. Printing can be executed by displaying a print execution command on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207, and executing the print command by operating the operation panel 208.

[0059] In S702, CPU 202 determines whether to execute printing using NFT. The determination may be made based on the operation of operation panel 208 by displaying whether to execute printing using NFT on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by its operation I / F 207. Also, in this embodiment, it is determined whether to execute printing using NFT, but printing can also be performed without using NFT. If printing is to be executed using NFT, the process proceeds to S703, and if not, the process proceeds to S724.

[0060] In S703, the CPU 202 determines whether or not NFT information is stored in the image forming apparatus 101. Whether or not NFT information is stored can be determined by whether or not a wallet for storing NFTs, which are a type of cryptocurrency, is stored in the storage 205. If the NFT is stored in the storage 205 (a wallet is stored), the process proceeds to S721, and if not, the process proceeds to S711.

[0061] In S711, the CPU 202 displays a wallet screen on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207. In S712, the CPU 202 accepts input of wallet information on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207, and proceeds to S721. This allows the storage 205 to store a wallet for storing NFTs, which are a type of cryptocurrency.

[0062] In S721, the CPU 202 acquires NFT information. Specifically, the CPU 202 accesses the smart contract 500 using the smart contract address stored in the storage 205, and acquires the NFT information. The acquired NFT information is similar to the state variable 503 of the smart contract 500 as shown in FIG. 5, and may include role information indicating the expiration date and user authority.

[0063] Next, in S722, the CPU 202 compares the wallet address stored in the storage 205 with the result acquired in S721. The result acquired in S721 includes role information indicating the user who can use the NFT, and it is possible to determine whether the role address and wallet address match. If they do not match, it is determined that the user does not have the authority to use the NFT to be executed for printing, and the process proceeds to S731. If they match, the process proceeds to S723.

[0064] In S723, the CPU 202 determines the expiration date in the result obtained in S721. The result obtained in S721 includes information on the expiration date during which the NFT can be used, and determines whether the expiration date is still valid. If the expiration date is still valid, the process proceeds to S724, where the CPU 202 executes printing and ends the process of this flowchart. If the expiration date is not yet valid, the process proceeds to S731.

[0065] If the expiration date is not yet reached, in S731, the CPU 202 displays an expiration date screen on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207. S731 is a process when it is determined in S722 or S723 that printing cannot be performed using NFT. Next, in S732, the CPU 202 displays a purchase screen on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207. In S733, the CPU 202 accepts the purchase on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207. If the purchase is accepted, the process returns to S721, and if the purchase is not accepted, the process of this flowchart is terminated. If the purchase is accepted, in the above S613, the management server 103 issues a transaction to increase the number of days of the expiration date information held by the smart contract 500, and updates the expiration date of the state variable 503.

[0066] <Image forming device screen transition> 8 is a diagram related to screen transitions when the image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment executes printing using NFT. A screen 801 is a home screen displayed on the operation panel 208 or a screen controlled by the operation I / F 207 thereof.

[0067] Screen 802 is a screen that is displayed when printing is specified on screen 801. In this embodiment, this is the screen when printing using NFT is performed, and if it is selected not to print on screen 802, the screen returns to screen 801. If it is selected to print on screen 802, the screen transitions to screen 803, screen 806, or screen 805 depending on the conditions.

[0068] Screen 803 is the screen to which the user transitions if the NFT is within its expiration date. Whether the NFT has expired is determined by the determination flow from S721 to S723 in Fig. 7. As in S721 to S723 in Fig. 7, the smart contract 500 is accessed using the smart contract address stored in the storage 205, and it is determined whether the NFT is within its expiration date based on the acquired NFT information. If the NFT is within its expiration date, the expiration date is displayed.

[0069] The screen 804 is a print execution screen. It is displayed when the screen 803 determines that the NFT is within the expiration date and printing is executed in the image forming apparatus 101. The screen 805 is a screen that displays that fact when the expiration date of the NFT is not within the expiration date and prompts the user to purchase the NFT. The screen 805 is displayed when the role information does not match in S722 of FIG. 7, or when the expiration date of the NFT has expired in S723 and it is determined that printing using the NFT cannot be continued. The screen 805 displays selectable objects, such as a "Yes" button and a "No" button, for whether or not to purchase the NFT again. The user can select whether or not to purchase the NFT again by operating the object. If purchasing again is selected, the screen transitions to a screen 806. If not, the screen may transition to end printing, or to proceed to printing without using the NFT if such printing is possible.

[0070] Screen 806 is a screen that displays a wallet address held by the image forming apparatus 101 and a screen that prompts the user to input a wallet address. Screen 806 is a screen that is displayed when a wallet has not been registered in the image forming apparatus 101 in S711 and S712 of Fig. 7, that is, when a wallet address is not held. Also, when repurchasing an NFT is selected on screen 805, screen 806 is displayed, and an NFT can be purchased using the displayed wallet address.

[0071] Screen 807 is a screen that prompts a purchase to extend the expiration date of an NFT. Screen 807 is a screen that accepts an extension operation to extend the expiration date displayed on screen 803 when execution of printing is not selected on screen 803. As a result, the expiration date of a non-fungible token according to this embodiment can be extended by an extension operation via the image forming apparatus 101.

[0072] A screen 808 displays purchasable NFTs. Details of the purchasable NFTs can be obtained by accessing the management server 103 using a wallet address stored in the image forming apparatus 101.

[0073] Screen 809 is a screen that is displayed when the NFT for executing printing is within the expiration date. Whether or not it is within the expiration date can be determined by comparing the expiration date of state variable 503 held in smart contract 500 shown in FIG. 5 with the time held by image forming device 101, for example. As a result, by using the NFT managed on the blockchain, it is possible to manage whether the image forming device 101 can print based on the expiration date of the NFT.

[0074] As described above, the image forming device according to this embodiment obtains information about a non-fungible token managed by a blockchain network, and when executing printing, verifies the expiration date of the non-fungible token by accessing a smart contract managed by the blockchain network using the obtained information about the non-fungible token. The image forming device performs control to execute printing if the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and not to execute printing if the expiration date is invalid. This makes it possible to restrict the printing function of the image forming device using NFT.

[0075] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 101 acquires information about the expiration date of the NFT in S721 when printing is executed. In this case, the acquired information may be stored in the storage 205, and a notification to that effect may be given when the expiration date reaches a predetermined number of days (for example, one week). The notification method may be, for example, a display output to the operation panel 208, a printout of the notification, or information may be sent to an external device via the network I / F 206. This allows the administrator, the user, and the like to be appropriately notified of the expiration date of the NFT.

[0076] Furthermore, when a user purchases an NFT, a printing app may be installed on a terminal owned by the user, and when the NFT expires, the printing app may be uninstalled. This allows the use of an image forming device to be restricted by the printing app on a terminal owned by the user. Furthermore, an NFT for which the user has usage authority may be installed on an image forming device by a user logging in to the image forming device. This allows a user to use multiple image forming devices.

[0077] <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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] The disclosure of this specification includes the following image forming apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program. (Item 1) An image forming apparatus, An acquisition means for acquiring information regarding non-fungible tokens managed on a blockchain network; A verification means for verifying the expiration date of the non-fungible token by accessing a smart contract managed by a blockchain network using information about the non-fungible token acquired when printing is performed; a control means for controlling printing to be performed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and for controlling printing not to be performed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is invalid; An image forming apparatus comprising: (Item 2) The non-fungible token further includes role information that sets a user who uses the non-fungible token, 2. The image forming apparatus according to item 1, wherein the verification unit further verifies the validity of the role information when executing printing. (Item 3) The control means 3. The image forming apparatus according to item 1 or 2, wherein if the expiration date of the non-fungible token is invalid, the image forming apparatus displays that fact on a display unit. (Item 4) The control means 4. The image forming apparatus according to item 3, further comprising, when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is not valid, an object for selecting the purchase of the non-fungible token is displayed on the display unit. (Item 5) 5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the expiration date of the non-fungible token can be extended by an extension operation via the image forming apparatus. (Item 6) The verification means causes a storage unit to store the expiration date of the non-fungible token acquired by accessing a smart contract, The image forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that when the expiration date of the non-fungible token stored in the memory unit reaches a predetermined number of days, the control means displays that fact on a display unit. (Item 7) The image forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the acquisition means receives information about the non-fungible token from an external device and reads and acquires the information from a storage unit in which the information is previously stored. (Item 8) The image forming apparatus according to item 7, characterized in that the acquisition means receives information regarding the non-fungible token via a display unit if information regarding the non-fungible token is not stored in the memory unit. (Item 9) The image forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that the information regarding the non-fungible token is a smart contract address and a wallet address. (Item 10) A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: An acquisition step in which an acquisition means acquires information regarding non-fungible tokens managed on a blockchain network; a verification step in which, when printing is executed, a verification means accesses a smart contract managed by a blockchain network using information related to the acquired non-fungible token to verify the expiration date of the non-fungible token; a control step in which a control means controls the printing to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and controls the printing not to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is not valid; A method for controlling an image forming apparatus comprising the steps of: (Item 11) A program for an image forming apparatus, For image forming devices An acquisition step in which an acquisition means acquires information regarding non-fungible tokens managed on a blockchain network; a verification step in which, when printing is executed, a verification means accesses a smart contract managed by a blockchain network using information related to the acquired non-fungible token to verify the expiration date of the non-fungible token; a control step in which a control means controls the printing to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and controls the printing not to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is not valid; A program for an image forming apparatus that causes the image forming apparatus to execute the above steps. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 101: image forming device, 102: NFT issuer, 103: management server, 104: blockchain network, 106: NFT purchaser

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, An acquisition means for acquiring information regarding non-fungible tokens managed on a blockchain network; A verification means for verifying the expiration date of the non-fungible token by accessing a smart contract managed by a blockchain network using information about the non-fungible token acquired when printing is performed; a control means for controlling printing to be performed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and for controlling printing not to be performed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is invalid; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. The non-fungible token further includes role information that sets a user who uses the non-fungible token, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the verification unit further verifies the validity of the role information when executing printing.

3. The control means 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is invalid, a message to that effect is displayed on a display unit.

4. The control means 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, if the expiration date of the non-fungible token is not valid, an object for selecting purchase of the non-fungible token is further displayed on the display unit.

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the expiration date of the non-fungible token can be extended by an extension operation via the image forming apparatus.

6. The verification means causes a storage unit to store the expiration date of the non-fungible token acquired by accessing a smart contract, 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit causes a display unit to display a message indicating that the validity period of the non-fungible token stored in the memory unit has reached a predetermined number of days.

7. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring unit acquires the information on the non-fungible token by reading it from a storage unit in which the information on the non-fungible token is received from an external device and previously stored.

8. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the acquiring unit accepts information regarding the non-fungible token via a display unit when the information regarding the non-fungible token is not stored in the memory unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the information about the non-fungible token is a smart contract address and a wallet address.

10. A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: An acquisition step in which an acquisition means acquires information regarding non-fungible tokens managed on a blockchain network; a verification step in which, when printing is executed, a verification means accesses a smart contract managed by a blockchain network using information related to the acquired non-fungible token to verify the expiration date of the non-fungible token; a control step in which a control means controls the printing to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and controls the printing not to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is not valid; A method for controlling an image forming apparatus comprising the steps of:

11. A program for an image forming apparatus, For image forming devices An acquisition step in which an acquisition means acquires information regarding non-fungible tokens managed on a blockchain network; a verification step in which, when printing is executed, a verification means accesses a smart contract managed by a blockchain network using information related to the acquired non-fungible token to verify the expiration date of the non-fungible token; a control step in which a control means controls the printing to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is valid, and controls the printing not to be executed when the expiration date of the non-fungible token is not valid; A program for an image forming apparatus that causes the image forming apparatus to execute the above steps.

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