Service registration system, computer program for server device

Abstract

To provide a service registration system and a computer program for a server device, capable of reducing a standby time of a terminal device while the server device performs registration processing of a service related to a printing device.SOLUTION: When transmitting a service registration request to an FE server 4 through a sales company server 7 (T32, T34), a terminal device 3 is made to be in a stand-by state by synchronous processing. At T36, the FE server 4 transmits a service registration request to a BE server 5. On the other side, the FE server 4 transmits a service registration request reception notification to the terminal device 3 through the sales company server 7 (T42, T44). When receiving the service registration request reception notification, the stand-by state of the terminal device 3 is cancelled and the terminal device displays a message showing that the service registration request reception is received, on a dash board at T46.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a service registration system and a computer program for a server device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an image processing device that can shorten the waiting time of users by performing image editing processing according to image editing instructions only on low-resolution portions of image data, and executing image editing processing on high-resolution portions asynchronously at a specified time, such as at night. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-194152 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a server device that provides services related to printing devices, service registration takes time, but it does not take so long that image editing processing for high-resolution parts must be performed at night, as in Patent Document 1. However, if the terminal device goes into standby mode during the service registration processing, the user may mistakenly determine that communication with the server device has been cut off, and perform other operations or turn off the power to the terminal device without waiting for the registration processing to be completed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a service registration system and a computer program for a server device that can reduce the waiting time of a terminal device while the server device is performing registration processing for a service related to a printing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a service registration system including a terminal device, a printing device, and a server device that responds to an application installed on the terminal device and provides a service related to the printing device, wherein the terminal device communicates with the server device by a synchronous process of transmitting a request to the server device and then waiting until a response to the request is received from the server device, and the server device includes a registration acceptance unit that accepts a registration request from the terminal device for requesting provision of the service to the printing device, an acceptance notification unit that transmits an acceptance notification to the terminal device notifying that the registration acceptance unit has accepted the registration request, a connection unit that connects to the printing device based on the registration request accepted by the registration acceptance unit, and a data exchange unit that exchanges data with the printing device connected to the connection unit. a progress receiving unit that receives from the terminal device a progress request inquiring about the progress status of the registration to the service; a progress notification unit that transmits a progress notification to the terminal device informing the terminal device of the progress status as a response to the progress request received by the progress receiving unit; and a completion notification unit that transmits to the terminal device a completion notification that notifies the terminal device that the registration of the printing device to the service has been completed, wherein the reception notification unit transmits the reception notification to the terminal device as a response to the registration request, and the completion notification unit transmits the completion notification to the terminal device as one state of the progress status that the progress notification unit notifies to the terminal device as the progress notification.

[0007] The terminal device according to the first aspect communicates with the server device through synchronous processing, but transmits a registration request to the server device and can receive an acceptance notification instead of a completion notification as a response. Therefore, the terminal device can reduce the waiting time for processing through synchronous processing from receiving the acceptance notification until receiving the completion notification. Since the user can operate the terminal device, etc., until receiving the completion notification, the user is unlikely to feel that communication has been interrupted and can wait for the registration processing to be completed.

[0008] The terminal device according to the first aspect may transmit the progress request to the server device at regular time intervals. The terminal device can periodically inquire about the progress status of the server device. Thus, by checking the progress status, the user can know that communication with the server device is maintained until a completion notification is received, and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0009] The terminal device according to the first aspect may include an input unit that receives an input for an operation to update the progress status, and may transmit the progress request to the server device when the input unit receives an input for an operation to update the progress status. The terminal device can inquire about the progress status of the server device in response to a user's operation. Therefore, by checking the progress status, the user can know that communication with the server device is maintained until a completion notification is received, and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0010] The terminal device according to the first aspect may communicate with the server device by asynchronous processing that does not wait until a response to the request is received from the server device after sending a request to the server device, and the process of sending the registration request to the server device may be performed by the synchronous processing, and the process of sending the progress request to the server device may be performed by the asynchronous processing. The terminal device may also communicate with the server device by asynchronous processing. Therefore, the terminal device can eliminate the waiting time of the processing by performing asynchronous processing after receiving the acceptance notification until receiving the completion notification. Since the user can operate the terminal device, etc., until receiving the completion notification, the user is unlikely to feel that communication has been interrupted and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0011] The reception notification unit of the server device according to the first aspect may transmit the reception notification together with standby screen data for displaying a standby screen on the display unit of the terminal device, the standby screen prompting the user to wait while the registration unit processes the service. After receiving the reception notification, the terminal device can display the standby screen. Thus, the user can recognize that the registration process performed by the server device takes time, and can wait for the registration process to be completed.

[0012] The progress notification unit of the server device according to the first aspect may transmit, to the display unit of the terminal device, progress screen data included in the progress notification, for displaying a progress screen informing the progress status of the registration of the service by the registration unit. After receiving the acceptance notification, the terminal device can display the progress screen. Thus, the user can grasp the progress status of the registration process performed by the server device and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0013] The progress notification unit of the server device according to the first aspect may display an error message on the progress screen when an error occurs in the registration process of the service by the registration unit. When an error occurs in the registration process, the server device can display an error message on the terminal device. Thus, the user can notice that an error has occurred in the registration process performed by the server device and can take measures to deal with the error.

[0014] The progress notification unit of the server device according to the first aspect may include an email sending unit that sends an email notifying the terminal device of the occurrence of an error when an error occurs in the registration process of the service by the registration unit. When an error occurs in the registration process, the server device can send an email notifying the terminal device of the error. Therefore, even if the user is away from the terminal device and is operating another terminal, the user can notice that an error has occurred in the registration process performed by the server device and can take measures to deal with the error.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program for a server device that responds to an application installed in a terminal device and provides a service related to a printing device, the terminal device communicating with the server device by a synchronous process of transmitting a request to the server device and then waiting until a response to the request is received from the server device, the computer program configuring the server device to include a registration acceptance unit that accepts a registration request from the terminal device requesting the provision of the service to the printing device, an acceptance notification unit that transmits an acceptance notification to the terminal device notifying that the registration acceptance unit has accepted the registration request, a connection unit that connects to the printing device based on the registration request accepted by the registration acceptance unit, and a data exchange unit that exchanges data with the printing device connected by the connection unit. a registration unit that transmits and receives data from the terminal device to inquire about a progress status of the registration to the service, a progress notification unit that transmits a progress notification to the terminal device informing the terminal device of the progress status as a response to the progress request received by the progress reception unit, and a completion notification unit that transmits a completion notification to the terminal device informing that the registration of the printing device to the service has been completed, the reception notification unit transmits the reception notification to the terminal device as a response to the registration request, and the completion notification unit transmits the completion notification to the terminal device as one state of the progress status that the progress notification unit notifies the terminal device of as the progress notification. Thus, the second aspect has an effect similar to that of the first aspect.

[0016] In addition, the present invention may include any combination of the invention-specifying features of claims 1 to 9. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a service registration system 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram (1 / 4) of communications performed in the service registration system 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram (2 / 4) of communications performed in the service registration system 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram (3 / 4) of communications performed in the service registration system 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram (4 / 4) of communications performed in the service registration system 1. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart of a main process executed in the FE server 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A service registration system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The drawings are used to explain technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. The configurations of the devices described are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0019] The service registration system 1 is a system for providing a flat-rate billing service (hereinafter referred to as the "flat-rate service") and an automatic ordering service for the printer 2. The flat-rate service is available by paying a predetermined flat-rate fee. The flat-rate service is a service in which, only when the number of printed sheets in a specified period (e.g., one month) exceeds the contracted number of printed sheets (e.g., 1,000 sheets), a billed amount is paid, which is the sum of the flat-rate fee and an additional fee according to the number of printed sheets exceeding the contracted number of printed sheets. The automatic ordering service is a service in which, when the amount of ink remaining in a cartridge installed in the printing unit 26 of the printer 2 falls below a specified amount, a new cartridge is automatically ordered and delivered. Hereinafter, the flat-rate service and the automatic ordering service are collectively referred to as the "services".

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the service registration system 1 includes a printer 2, a terminal device 3, a FE (front-end) server 4, a BE (back-end) server 5, a registration server 6, and a dealer server 7. The printer 2 and the terminal device 3 are connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 8. The printer 2 and the terminal device 3 are capable of communicating with each other via the LAN 8. The LAN 8, the FE server 4, the BE server 5, the registration server 6, and the dealer server 7 are each connected to the Internet 10. The printer 2, the terminal device 3, the FE server 4, the BE server 5, the registration server 6, and the dealer server 7 are capable of communicating with each other via the Internet 10. In the following explanation, when the FE server 4, the BE server 5, the registration server 6, and the dealer server 7 are collectively explained, they may be simply referred to as "servers."

[0021] The printer 2 is a peripheral device with a printing function. The printer 2 may be a multi-function device with a scanning function, a FAX function, etc. in addition to the printing function. The printer 2 has a control unit 20, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, a communication interface (I / F) 25, and a printing unit 26.

[0022] The control unit 20 includes a CPU 21 and a memory 22. The CPU 21 is responsible for the overall control of the printer 2. The memory 22 is composed of a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and the like. The memory 22 stores at least a printer ID, a printer model name, a token, number of sheets information, remaining amount information, and service flag information. The printer ID is a code for identifying the printer 2. The printer model name is a name given to each model of the printer 2. The token is authentication information (i.e., an access token) for establishing an XMPP (extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) connection between the printer 2 and the registration server 6. The XMPP connection is a so-called always-on connection. By using the XMPP connection, the registration server 6 can send a signal to the printer 2 beyond the firewall of the LAN 8 to which the printer 2 belongs, even if it does not receive a request from the printer 2. The number of sheets information indicates the number of sheets of printing paper printed by the printer 2. The remaining amount information indicates the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge installed in the printing unit 26 of the printer 2.

[0023] The service flag information is information indicating the state of the service flag of the printer 2 having the printer ID stored in association with the information. When the service flag information is "ON", it indicates that the printer 2 is in a state where it is receiving the service provided by the servers 4 to 7 (hereinafter referred to as "service provided state"). When the service flag information is "OFF", it indicates that the printer 2 is not receiving the service (hereinafter referred to as "non-service provided state"). When the printer 2 is in the service provided state, the printer 2 can print up to the contracted number of prints at a fixed price based on the flat-rate service, and can execute printing using a dedicated cartridge shipped based on the automatic ordering service. When the printer 2 is in the non-service provided state, the printer 2 executes printing based on a pay-per-use fee (for example, 0.02 [$ / sheet]) and executes printing using a dedicated cartridge ordered by the user or purchased by the user at a store.

[0024] The operation unit 23 has a plurality of keys. A user can input various instructions to the printer 2 by operating the operation unit 23. The display unit 24 is a display for displaying various information. The communication I / F 25 is a driver element for connecting to the LAN 8 and communicating. The printing unit 26 is an inkjet printing mechanism. Cartridges that contain ink are attached to the printing unit 26. The printing unit 26 executes printing by using the ink in the cartridges.

[0025] The terminal device 3 is, for example, a smartphone. The terminal device 3 has a control unit 30, an operation unit 33, a display unit 34, and a communication I / F 35. The control unit 30 includes a CPU 31 and a memory 32. The CPU 31 is responsible for the overall control of the terminal device 3. The memory 32 is composed of a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, etc. The memory 32 stores at least an OS and application programs. The OS is a program for controlling the basic operations of the terminal device 3. The application is a program for causing the printer 2 to execute printing, and is a program for assisting a user in registering for a service. In the following description, the application is also simply referred to as an "app."

[0026] The operation unit 33 is an interface for inputting various information to the terminal device 3, and includes a mouse, a keyboard, etc. The display unit 34 is a display for displaying various information. The communication I / F 35 is a driver element for connecting to the LAN 8 and performing communication.

[0027] The distributor's server 7 is installed on the Internet 10 by the vendor of the printer 2. The distributor's server 7 is a Web server that manages users and is prepared as a window for providing services to the users. Users operate the terminal device 3 to log in to the distributor's server 7 and receive services. Multiple vendors can prepare their own distributor's server 7 for their respective customers.

[0028] The servers 4-6 are installed on the Internet 10 by the manufacturer of the printer 2. The servers 4-6 are a group of servers prepared to manage information about the printer 2 (hereinafter referred to as "printer information") in providing services. The FE server 4 is a server that exposes an API (Application Programming Interface) to the distributor's server 7 and functions as an interface for providing services to users via the distributor's server 7. The BE server 5 is a server that receives instructions from the FE server 4 and executes various processes related to providing services. The registration server 6 is a server that receives instructions from the BE server 5, communicates with the printer 2, and performs a process of registering the printer 2 as a target for service provision.

[0029] The servers 4 to 7 each have a control unit 40, 50, 60, 70 and a communication I / F 45, 55, 65, 75. The control units 40, 50, 60, 70 each have a CPU 41, 51, 61, 71 and a memory 42, 52, 62, 72. The CPU 41, 51, 61, 71 controls the entire server 4, 5, 6, 7. The memory 42, 52, 62, 72 is composed of a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, etc. The memory 42, 52, 62, 72 stores a program executed by the CPU 41, 51, 61, 71 of the server 4, 5, 6, 7. The communication I / F 45, 55, 65, 75 is a driver element for connecting to the Internet 10 and communicating.

[0030] Furthermore, the memory 42 of the FE server 4 further stores progress management information. The progress management information is a database that associates email addresses with data indicating the progress status of service registration for each management ID. The email address is an email address registered by the user in the distributor's server 7, and is used to send an email notifying the occurrence of an error if an error occurs in the registration process for the service. The management ID is ID information generated in the distributor's server 7, and is notified from the distributor's server 7 to the FE server 4. The management ID is ID information that associates the printer ID with the user ID managed by the distributor's server 7. If there is progress in the process of registering the printer 2 to the service, the BE server 5 notifies the FE server 4 and updates the data indicating the progress status.

[0031] Printer information is also stored in the memory 52 of the BE server 5. The printer information is a database in which the printer ID, printer model name, number of pages information, remaining amount information, and service flag information are associated with each management ID. The management ID is notified to the BE server 5 via the FE server 4.

[0032] The memory 62 of the registration server 6 further stores connection information. The connection information is a database in which the printer ID, the printer model name, and the token are associated with each management ID. The management ID is notified to the registration server 6 via the FE server 4 and the BE server 5.

[0033] The memory 72 of the distributor's server 7 also stores user information. The user information is a database that associates a user ID, password, printer ID, printer model name, address information, email address, payment information, and service flag information with each management ID. The user ID and password are set by the user when connecting the terminal device 3 to the distributor's server 7, and are associated with the management ID as user information. The address information and payment information are information for providing the flat-rate service and automatic ordering service to the user.

[0034] The procedure for the registration server 6 to obtain the information of the printer 2 and store it in the memory 62 is as follows. The CPU 21 of the printer 2 periodically reads the printer ID, printer model name, number of pages information, and remaining amount information stored in the memory 22 from the memory 22. The CPU 21 periodically transmits the read printer ID, printer model name, number of pages information, and remaining amount information to the registration server 6.

[0035] The CPU 61 of the registration server 6 receives the printer ID, printer model name, number of pages information, and remaining amount information periodically transmitted from the printer 2, and transmits them to the BE server 5. The CPU 51 of the BE server 5 associates the received printer ID, printer model name, number of pages information, and remaining amount information with a management ID, and stores them in the memory 52 as printer information (database) together with service flag information.

[0036] 2 to 5, a flow of starting provision of a service by the service registration system 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the following sequence diagrams, for convenience, the processes executed by the CPUs 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, and 71 of each device (printer 2, terminal device 3, and servers 4 to 7) will be described as the subject of each process, rather than the CPU being described as the subject. In addition, although communication between each device is executed via the respective communication I / Fs 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75, in the following description, the phrase "via the communication I / F" will be omitted for convenience when describing communication. In the sequence diagrams described below, the timing of each process will be abbreviated as "T".

[0037] The user starts the app on the terminal device 3. The app is a program for causing the printer 2 to execute printing, but also has a function for assisting the user in registering for the service. The app progresses the process related to registration for the service by communicating with a group of servers provided by the manufacturer via the distributor server 7 provided by the vendor. The app communicates with the distributor server 7 by a synchronous process in which the app sends a request to the distributor server 7 and then waits until a response (notification) to the request is received from the distributor server 7.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, at T10, the user performs a login operation on the terminal device 3 to log in to the distributor's server 7. At T12, the terminal device 3 sends a login screen data request to the distributor's server 7. After sending the login request, the terminal device 3 goes into a standby state through synchronization processing. In the standby state, the terminal device 3 displays, for example, an hourglass icon on the display screen, and does not perform other processing until it receives a response to the request. When the terminal device 3 receives a login screen data notification from the distributor's server 7 as a response to the request at T14, it releases the standby state. At T16, the terminal device 3 displays a login screen on the display unit 34 based on the received login screen data.

[0039] At T18, the user inputs the user ID and password into the terminal device 3. As a result, at T20, the terminal device 3 transmits a login request including the user ID and password to the distributor's server 7, and goes into a standby state through synchronization processing. Note that the user has previously registered with the distributor's server 7, and the user ID and password are stored in the memory 72 of the distributor's server 7.

[0040] When the distributor server 7 receives the login request, in T22, it confirms that the combination of the user ID and password included in the login request is included in the user information stored in the memory 72, and determines that the user authentication has been successful. In T24, the distributor server 7 transmits a home screen data notification to the terminal device 3.

[0041] When the terminal device 3 receives the home screen data notification, it enters a login state, cancels the standby state, and displays a home screen corresponding to the home screen data at T26. The home screen is a screen for registering for a flat-rate service and an automatic ordering service. As shown in FIG. 3, the user executes a service registration operation on the terminal device 3 for registering for the flat-rate service and the automatic ordering service at T30. This causes the terminal device 3 to transmit a service registration request to the distributor server 7 at T32. The service registration request is a signal requesting registration for the flat-rate service and the automatic ordering service. After transmitting the service registration request, the terminal device 3 enters a standby state through synchronization processing.

[0042] When the distributor server 7 receives the service registration request, in T34 it sends the service registration request to the FE server 4 through the API. The user ID and the printer ID are associated with each other via the management ID. Therefore, the distributor server 7 adds the management ID and email address to the service registration request and sends it to the FE server 4. The email address is used to notify the user when an error occurs. When the FE server 4 receives the service registration request, in T36 it sends the service registration request to the BE server 5. The FE server 4 also adds the management ID and email address added to the service registration request to the progress management information (database). When the BE server 5 receives the service registration request, in T38 it adds a series of processes to be performed to register the printer 2 as a service to a task and starts the process. The BE server 5 also adds the management ID added to the service registration request to the printer information (database).

[0043] Meanwhile, in response to the request, the FE server 4 transmits a service registration request acceptance notification to the distributor server 7 through the API in T42. The service registration request acceptance notification is a signal notifying that the service registration request has been accepted. When the distributor server 7 receives the service registration request acceptance notification, it transmits the service registration request acceptance notification to the logged-in terminal device 3 in T44. When the terminal device 3 receives the service registration request acceptance notification, the standby state is released, and in T46, a message indicating that the service registration request has been accepted is displayed on the dashboard. The dashboard is a screen that displays a list of various data. For example, the dashboard displays "Your registration for the service has been accepted. Please wait until the registration process is completed." This allows the user to confirm that the process for registering for the service is in progress.

[0044] The BE server 5 executes the process added to the task, i.e., a series of processes to be performed to register the printer 2 for the service. The BE server 5 transmits a notification information request to the registration server 6 in T50. The notification information request is a signal requesting the registration server 6 to obtain information about the printer 2. A management ID is added to the notification information request. Upon receiving the notification information request, the registration server 6 generates a PIN code in T52, associates the generated PIN code with the management ID, and temporarily stores it in the memory 62. The registration server 6 also adds the management ID added to the notification information request to the connection information (database). The registration server 6 transmits the PIN code and management ID to the BE server 5 in T54. Upon receiving the PIN code and management ID, the BE server 5 transmits the PIN code and management ID to the FE server 4 in T56 as processing related to the task.

[0045] At T58, the FE server 4 updates the progress status stored in the memory 42. That is, the FE server 4 stores the PIN code received from the BE server 5 in the memory 42 as data conveying the latest progress status.

[0046] Meanwhile, the dashboard displayed on the terminal device 3 is updated at regular time intervals (for example, every 10 seconds). When a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous update, for example, at T60, the terminal device 3 transmits a progress request to the distributor's server 7 at T62. The progress request is a signal for inquiring about the progress of the service registration process. After transmitting the progress request, the terminal device 3 goes into a standby state through synchronization processing. Upon receiving the progress request, the distributor's server 7 transmits the progress request to the FE server 4 via the API at T64.

[0047] The FE server 4 reads out the data for displaying the progress status stored in the memory 42, i.e., the PIN code, and transmits a progress notification informing the distributor's server 7 of the progress status in T66. Upon receiving the progress notification, the distributor's server 7 transmits a progress notification to the terminal device 3 in T68. Upon receiving the progress notification, the terminal device 3 is released from the standby state, and displays the PIN code on the dashboard in T70. This allows the user to know the PIN code to be entered into the printer 2.

[0048] The user inputs a PIN code into the printer 2 in T74. As a result, the printer 2 transmits a token request including the PIN code, printer ID, and printer model name to the registration server 6 in T76. When the registration server 6 receives the token request, as shown in FIG. 4, in T78, the registration server 6 determines that the authentication has been successful because the PIN code temporarily stored in the memory 62 matches the PIN code in the token request. The registration server 6 generates a token in T80, and stores the printer ID, printer model name, and token in the connection information (database) in association with the management ID in T82. The registration server 6 erases the PIN code temporarily stored in the memory 62, and transmits the token to the printer 2 in T84.

[0049] Upon receiving the token, the printer 2 stores the token in the memory 22 in T86. The printer 2 establishes an XMPP connection with the registration server 6 using the token in T88.

[0050] When an XMPP connection with the printer 2 is established, the registration server 6 sends a notification information request to the printer 2 in T100. The notification information request is a signal for requesting the registration server 6 to send information necessary for providing the flat-rate service (i.e., information on the number of sheets) and information necessary for providing the automatic ordering service (i.e., information on the remaining amount).

[0051] When the printer 2 receives the notification information request, in T102, the printer 2 transmits a notification information notification notifying the notification information including the printer ID, the number of sheets, and the remaining amount information to the registration server 6. When the registration server 6 receives the notification information notification, in T104, the registration server 6 transmits a notification information notification including the printer ID, the number of sheets, and the remaining amount information to the BE server 5.

[0052] When the BE server 5 receives the notification information notification from the printer 2 in T106, it associates the number of pages information and remaining amount information in the notification information with the printer ID and stores them in the printer information (database). Since the BE server 5 has finished one process, in T108 it transmits data for updating the progress status (data indicating that acquisition of printer 2 information has been completed) to the FE server 4. When the FE server 4 receives the progress update data, in T110 it updates the progress status stored in the memory 42 to the latest progress status according to the received data.

[0053] When a predetermined time has elapsed since the last update, for example, in T114, the terminal device 3 transmits a progress request to the distributor's server 7 in T116 and goes into a standby state by synchronization processing. When the distributor's server 7 receives the progress request, it transmits the progress request to the FE server 4 through the API in T118. The FE server 4 reads the progress status stored in the memory 42, i.e., data indicating that the information acquisition of the printer 2 has been completed, and transmits a progress notification to the distributor's server 7 in T120. When the distributor's server 7 receives the progress notification, it transmits a progress notification to the terminal device 3 in T122. When the terminal device 3 receives the progress notification, the standby state is released, and in T124, for example, "Printer information has been acquired. Please wait a while until the registration process is completed" is displayed on the dashboard. This allows the user to confirm that the process for registering to the service is progressing.

[0054] The BE server 5 proceeds with processing according to the task, and at T128, sends a service status request to the registration server 6. The service status request is a signal for requesting that the status of the printer 2 be changed from a non-service providing state to a service providing state, and also for requesting the transmission of the service flag information of the printer 2.

[0055] When the registration server 6 receives the service status request, in T130 it transmits the service status request to the printer 2. When the printer 2 receives the service status request, in T132 it changes the service flag in the memory 22 from "OFF" to "ON". This changes the status of the printer 2 from a non-service providing state to a service providing state. In T134, the printer 2 transmits service flag information indicating that the service flag is "ON" to the registration server 6. The registration server 6 transmits the service flag information to the BE server 5 in T136.

[0056] When the BE server 5 receives the service flag information indicating "ON" from the printer 2 via the registration server 6, it stores the service flag information "ON" in the printer information (database) in association with the management ID in T138. This completes the registration of the printer 2 to the service in T142. As a result, the token, quantity information, remaining amount information, and service flag information "ON", which are information for providing the flat-rate service and automatic ordering service, are stored in the printer information in the memory 52.

[0057] Since the process related to the registration of the service is completed, in T144 the BE server 5 transmits data for updating the progress status (data indicating that registration of the printer 2 to the service has been completed) to the FE server 4. Upon receiving the progress update data, in T146 the FE server 4 updates the progress status stored in the memory 42 to the latest progress status according to the received data.

[0058] When a predetermined time has elapsed since the last update, for example, in T150, the terminal device 3 transmits a progress request to the distributor's server 7 in T152 and goes into a standby state by synchronization processing. When the distributor's server 7 receives the progress request, it transmits the progress request to the FE server 4 through the API in T154. The FE server 4 reads the progress status stored in the memory 42, i.e., data indicating that the registration process for the printer 2 to the service has been completed, and transmits a progress notification to the distributor's server 7 in T156. When the distributor's server 7 receives the progress notification, it transmits a progress notification to the terminal device 3 in T158. When the terminal device 3 receives the progress notification, the standby state is released, and in T160, for example, "Registration of the printer to the service has been completed" is displayed on the dashboard. This allows the user to know that the process for registration to the service has been completed and the provision of the flat-rate service and the automatic ordering service has started.

[0059] When the terminal device 3 receives as a progress notification data indicating that registration of the printer 2 with the service has been completed, it determines that provision of the flat-rate service and automatic ordering service has begun, and stops sending the progress request. In this way, as the information on the printer 2 is stored in the printer information database of the BE server 5, provision of the flat-rate service and automatic ordering service to the user begins.

[0060] Next, with reference to Fig. 6, a program for operating the FE server 4 so that the processing progresses as shown in the sequence diagrams described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5 will be described. When the power supply of the FE server 4 is turned on, the CPU 41 of the FE server 4 starts main processing by reading and executing a program stored in the memory 42. Similarly, in the following description of the flowcharts, the processing executed by the CPU of each device will be described as the subject of the processing, rather than the CPU being described as the subject. In the following description, each processing step will be abbreviated as "S".

[0061] The FE server 4 waits to receive a request transmitted from the terminal device 3 via the distributor server 7 (S1: NO, S12: NO). When a request is received from the terminal device 3 (S1: YES), if the request is a service registration request for registering a service as in T34 (S2: YES), the FE server 4 transmits the service registration request to the BE server 5 as in T36 (S3). Furthermore, the FE server 4 transmits a service registration request acceptance notification to the distributor server 7 as in T42. In response to this, as in T44, the distributor server 7 transmits a service registration request acceptance notification to the terminal device 3, and a message indicating that the service registration request has been accepted is displayed on the dashboard as in T46 (S4). The process returns to S1. In this way, after receiving the service registration request from the terminal device 3, the FE server 4 transmits the service registration request acceptance notification without waiting for the completion of the process by the BE server 5. This allows the terminal device 3 to shorten the waiting state associated with the synchronization process.

[0062] When a request is received from the terminal device 3 via the distributor server 7 and the request is a progress request inquiring about the progress status, such as T64, T118, and T154 (S2: NO, S6: YES), the FE server 4 reads out the data of the progress status updated in the memory 42 (S7). The FE server 4 transmits a progress notification to the distributor server 7, such as T66, T120, and T156. In response to this, the distributor server 7 transmits a progress notification to the terminal device 3, such as T68, T122, and T158, and a message indicating the progress status is displayed on the dashboard, such as T70, T124, and T160 (S8). The process returns to S1. In this way, when the FE server 4 receives a progress request from the terminal device 3, it reads out data indicating the progress status from the memory 42 and transmits it to the terminal device 3 as a progress notification. Since the FE server 4 can quickly transmit a progress notification in response to the progress request, the terminal device 3 can shorten the waiting state associated with the synchronization process.

[0063] When a request is received from the terminal device 3 via the distributor server 7 and the request is for other processing (S2: NO, S6: NO), the FE server 4 executes the corresponding processing (S11) and returns the processing to S1. Although not shown, when a request is made to withdraw from a service, for example, the FE server 4 executes processing related to withdrawal from the service.

[0064] An error may occur during the process of registering the service. An error may occur, for example, when the registration server 6 cannot establish an XMPP connection with the printer 2, when a timeout occurs because the information of the printer 2 cannot be obtained within a predetermined time, or when the printer 2 is already registered in the service. In such a case, the FE server 4 receives error information from the BE server 5 or the registration server 6 according to the error situation (S1: NO, S12: YES). In this case, the FE server 4 inquires of the distributor server 7 whether the terminal device 3 maintains a logged-in state to the distributor server 7. If the terminal device 3 is in a logged-in state (S13: YES), the progress status stored in the memory 42 is updated with data for displaying a message corresponding to the contents of the error included in the error information (S14). The process returns to S1. When the FE server 4 receives a periodic progress request from the terminal device 3, the FE server 4 can display the error message on the dashboard by sending data of an error message as a progress notification.

[0065] On the other hand, if the terminal device 3 has logged off from the distributor's server 7 (S13: NO), the FE server 4 creates an email containing a message corresponding to the content of the error contained in the error information, and sends it to the email address contained in the progress management information (S15). The process returns to S1. Therefore, even if the user accidentally logs off the terminal device 3 from the distributor's server 7 during the process related to the service registration of the printer 2, the user can be informed of the progress of the process by email.

[0066] As described above, the terminal device 3 communicates with the distributor server 7 through synchronous processing, but it transmits a service subscription request to the FE server 4 via the distributor server 7, and receives a service subscription request acceptance notice as a response, rather than data indicating the completion of service registration. Therefore, the terminal device 3 can reduce the waiting time for processing through synchronous processing from receiving the service subscription request acceptance notice until receiving the data indicating the completion of service registration. Since the user can operate the terminal device 3, etc., until receiving the data indicating the completion of service registration, the user is unlikely to feel that communication has been interrupted, and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0067] The terminal device 3 can periodically inquire about the progress status to the FE server 4 via the distributor server 7. Therefore, by checking the progress status, the user knows that communication with the distributor server 7 is being maintained until data indicating the completion of the service registration is received, and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0068] After receiving the service subscription request acceptance notification, the terminal device 3 can display a message on the dashboard to prompt the user to wait. This allows the user to know that the registration process performed by the BE server 5 takes time, and allows the user to wait for the registration process to be completed.

[0069] After receiving the service subscription request acceptance notification, the terminal device 3 can display a message indicating the progress of the registration process on the dashboard. Therefore, the user can grasp the progress of the registration process performed by the BE server 5 and can wait for the registration process to be completed.

[0070] If an error occurs in the registration process, the BE server 5 can display an error message on the terminal device 3. This allows the user to notice that an error has occurred in the registration process performed by the BE server 5, and to take appropriate action.

[0071] When an error occurs in the registration process by the BE server 5, the FE server 4 can send an email notifying the terminal device 3 of the error. Therefore, even if the user leaves the terminal device 3 and operates another terminal, the user can notice that an error has occurred in the registration process performed by the BE server 5 and can take action to deal with the error.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the printer 2 is an example of the "printing device" of the present invention. The flat-rate service and the automatic ordering service are examples of the "service related to the printing device" of the present invention. The FE server 4, the BE server 5, the registration server 6, and the distributor server 7 are examples of the "server device". The CPU 41 of the FE server 4 that executes S2: YES of the main process and accepts the service registration request transmitted from the terminal device 3 via the distributor server 7 in T34 is an example of the "registration acceptance unit" of the present invention. The CPU 41 of the FE server 4 that executes S4 of the main process and transmits a service registration request acceptance notification to the terminal device 3 via the distributor server 7 in T42 is an example of the "acceptance notification unit" of the present invention. The CPU 61 of the registration server 6 that establishes an XMPP connection with the printer 2 in T88 is an example of the "connection unit" of the present invention. The CPU 51 that acquires the service flag information of the printer 2 from the registration server 6 in T136 and adds the service flag information to the printer information stored in the memory 52 of the BE server 5 and stores it in T138 is an example of the "registration unit" of the present invention. The CPU 41 of the FE server 4 that executes S6: YES in the main process and accepts the progress request sent from the terminal device 3 via the dealer server 7 at T64, T118, and T154 is an example of the "progress accepting unit" of the present invention. The CPU 41 of the FE server 4 that executes S8 in the main process and sends a progress notification to the terminal device 3 via the dealer server 7 at T66, T120, and T156 is an example of the "progress notifying unit" of the present invention. The CPU 41 of the FE server 4 that executes S8 in the main process and sends a progress notification including data indicating that the registration process for the printer 2 to the service has been completed to the terminal device 3 via the dealer server 7 at T158 is an example of the "completion notifying unit" of the present invention.

[0073] In T46, the dashboard that displays a message encouraging the user to wait is an example of a "waiting screen" of the present invention. In T124 and T160, the dashboard that displays the progress of the registration process for the service is an example of a "progress screen" of the present invention. In S14 of the main process, the message displayed on the dashboard based on data that is updated as progress to display a message corresponding to the content of the error contained in the error information is an example of an "error message" of the present invention. In S15 of the main process, the CPU 41 of the FE server 4 that sends an email to the user's email address to notify them of the occurrence of an error is an example of an "email sending unit" of the present invention.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. The application may be a web browser that is included in the OS of the terminal device 3 or provided by a third party and stored in the memory 32. In this case, the memory 32 also stores data for displaying a local website that enables the web browser to execute operations equivalent to those of the application.

[0075] The distributor's server 7 may be installed on the Internet 10 by a business entity other than the vendor. The vendor of the printer 2 may also use an environment provided by an external cloud computing service, rather than preparing the hardware for the distributor's server 7 on its own. In this case, the vendor of the printer 2 may prepare a program (i.e., software) for the distributor's server 7 and implement it in the above-mentioned environment to realize the distributor's server 7.

[0076] Furthermore, the manufacturer of the printer 2 may use an environment provided by an external cloud computing service, instead of preparing the hardware of the FE server 4, BE server 5, and registration server 6 on its own. In this case, the manufacturer of the printer 2 may prepare the programs (i.e., software) of the FE server 4, BE server 5, and registration server 6, and implement them in the above environment to realize the FE server 4, BE server 5, and registration server 6. The FE server 4 and the BE server 5 may be configured by one server. Alternatively, the FE server 4, the BE server 5, and the registration server 6 may be configured by one server. The FE server 4 may provide the same functions as the distributor's server 7 and manage users. Furthermore, in addition to the FE server 4, the BE server 5, and the registration server 6, other servers may be prepared according to the purpose, such as a server for managing subscriptions and a server for managing personal information.

[0077] The terminal device 3 is not limited to a smartphone, and may be a portable terminal device such as a PDA, a tablet PC, or a notebook PC, or may be a stationary terminal device such as a desktop PC. The communication I / Fs 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75 may be wireless I / Fs or wired I / Fs.

[0078] Although the flat-rate service and the automatic ordering service are given as examples of the services, the service may be selectively provided according to the user's desire. Also, the service may include other services other than those mentioned above.

[0079] In the terminal device 3, the progress request is transmitted at regular time intervals, but this is not limiting, and for example, the progress request may be transmitted in response to a user's operation of the terminal device 3. For example, an "update button" may be provided on the dashboard, and a progress request may be transmitted when the user operates the update button. In this way, by inquiring about the progress status to the FE server 4 via the distributor server 7 in response to a user's operation, the user knows that communication with the distributor server 7 is maintained until data indicating completion of the service registration is received, and can wait for the completion of the registration process.

[0080] Although communication between the terminal device 3 and the distributor server 7 is performed by synchronous processing, communication may be performed by asynchronous processing. The terminal device 3 performs asynchronous processing from when it receives a service subscription request acceptance notification until it receives data indicating completion of service registration, thereby eliminating waiting time for processing. Therefore, the user can operate the terminal device 3, etc., until it receives data indicating completion of service registration, so that the user is unlikely to feel that communication has been interrupted and can wait for the completion of registration processing.

[0081] While the BE server 5 is performing the service registration process, a message urging the user to wait, such as "Please wait a moment," is displayed on the dashboard. However, by displaying something that has movement or change, such as a moving character or a video being played, it is possible to make it less likely that the user will mistakenly conclude that the terminal device 3 is frozen.

[0082] The terminal device 3 may register the printer 2 to the service by, for example, having the user manually input the printer ID of the printer 2. In this case, an XMPP connection between the registration server 6 and the printer 2 may not be established when registering the printer 2 to the service. In this case, the configuration of claim 1 of the present application may not include the configuration of the connection unit. Note that the mechanism for transmitting a request from the registration server 6 to the printer 2 may be another method other than the XMPP connection. For example, an HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) connection may be established between the printer 2 and the registration server 6. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Service Registration System 2. Printer 3 Terminal Equipment 4 FE Server 5 BE Server 6 Registration Server 7 Distributor Server 31,41,51,61,71 CPU 33 Operation section 34 Display Department

Claims

1. A service registration system including a terminal device, a printing device, and a server device that responds to an application installed in the terminal device and provides a service related to the printing device, The terminal device The communication with the server device is performed by a synchronous process that waits from sending a request to the server device until a response to the request is received from the server device; The server device includes: a registration receiving unit that receives a registration request from the terminal device for requesting provision of the service to the printing device; an acceptance notification unit that transmits an acceptance notification to the terminal device notifying that the registration request has been accepted by the registration acceptance unit; a connection unit that establishes a connection with the printing device based on the registration request accepted by the registration acceptance unit; a registration unit that transmits and receives data to and from the printing device connected to the connection unit and registers the printing device as a device that provides the service; a progress receiving unit that receives a progress request from the terminal device to inquire about a progress status of registration for the service; a progress notification unit that transmits a progress notification to the terminal device in response to the progress request received by the progress reception unit, the progress notification notifying the terminal device of the progress status; a completion notification unit that transmits a completion notification to the terminal device to notify the terminal device that the registration unit has completed registration of the printing device to the service; Equipped with the acceptance notification unit transmits the acceptance notification to the terminal device as a response to the registration request; the completion notification unit transmits the completion notification to the terminal device as one state of the progress status that the progress notification unit notifies to the terminal device as the progress notification. A service registration system comprising:

2. The terminal device transmits the progress request to the server device at regular intervals.

2. The service registration system according to claim 1,

3. The terminal device an input unit for receiving an input of an operation for updating the progress status; When the input unit receives an input for an operation to update the progress status, the progress request is transmitted to the server device.

2. The service registration system according to claim 1,

4. The terminal device The communication with the server device may be performed by an asynchronous process that does not wait until a response to the request is received from the server device after a request is sent to the server device, The process of transmitting the registration request to the server device is performed by the synchronization process; The process of transmitting the progress request to the server device is performed by the asynchronous process.

4. The service registration system according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The reception notifying unit of the server device and transmitting, in the acceptance notification, standby screen data for displaying, on a display unit of the terminal device, a standby screen that prompts the user to wait while the registration unit is processing the registration of the service.

5. The service registration system according to claim 4,

6. The progress notification unit of the server device Transmitting, in the progress notification, progress screen data for displaying, on a display unit of the terminal device, a progress screen that notifies the progress status of the registration of the service by the registration unit.

5. The service registration system according to claim 4,

7. The progress notification unit of the server device When an error occurs in the process of registering the service by the registration unit, an error message is displayed on the progress screen.

7. The service registration system according to claim 6,

8. The progress notification unit of the server device a mail sending unit that, when an error occurs in the process of registering the service by the registration unit, sends an email notifying the terminal device of the occurrence of the error; 7. The service registration system according to claim 6,

9. A computer program for a server device that responds to an application installed in a terminal device and provides a service related to a printing device, comprising: The terminal device The communication with the server device is performed by a synchronous process of transmitting a request to the server device and waiting until a response to the request is received from the server device; The computer program causes the computer of the server device to a registration receiving unit that receives a registration request from the terminal device for requesting provision of the service to the printing device; an acceptance notification unit that transmits an acceptance notification to the terminal device notifying that the registration request has been accepted by the registration acceptance unit; a connection unit that establishes a connection with the printing device based on the registration request accepted by the registration acceptance unit; a registration unit that transmits and receives data to and from the printing device connected to the connection unit and registers the printing device as a device that provides the service; a progress receiving unit that receives a progress request from the terminal device to inquire about a progress status of registration for the service; a progress notification unit that transmits a progress notification to the terminal device in response to the progress request received by the progress reception unit, the progress notification notifying the terminal device of the progress status; a completion notification unit that transmits a completion notification to the terminal device to notify the terminal device that the registration unit has completed registration of the printing device to the service; and make it work. the acceptance notification unit transmits the acceptance notification to the terminal device as a response to the registration request; the completion notification unit transmits the completion notification to the terminal device as one state of the progress status that the progress notification unit notifies to the terminal device as the progress notification. A computer program for a server device, comprising:

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