Information processing device, maintenance evaluation system, maintenance evaluation method, maintenance evaluation program, and ink jet printer

Abstract

To provide an information processing device for enhancing a user's motivation for maintenance to an ink jet header, a maintenance evaluation system, a maintenance evaluation method, a maintenance evaluation program and an ink jot printer.SOLUTION: In a maintenance evaluation system, a server 14 includes: an automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 for performing automatic cleaning evaluation on the basis of automatic cleaning information on automatic cleaning to be performed to a plurality of nozzles of an ink jet head by a cleaning function of an ink jet printer 12; a user cleaning evaluation unit 46 for performing user cleaning evaluation on the basis of user cleaning information on user cleaning performed to at least nozzle surfaces of the ink jet head; and a maintenance evaluation unit 48 for perming maintenance evaluation on the basis of the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a maintenance evaluation system, a maintenance evaluation method, a maintenance evaluation program, and an inkjet printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet printers require periodic cleaning of the inkjet head that ejects ink onto a recording medium. If inkjet head cleaning is neglected, the nozzles that eject ink may become clogged, resulting in poor printing.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a printing device that can perform printing with high color reproducibility using multiple heads. The printing device described in Patent Document 1 stores the history of the number of times the cleaning process of the first head has been performed and the history of the number of times the cleaning process of the second head has been performed as usage history, and determines which head has performed the cleaning process fewer times, which head has had a shorter elapsed time, and which head has a smaller total ejection volume. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-149764 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The printing device described in Patent Document 1 simply determines which of the first and second heads has been cleaned the least, but does not prompt the user to clean it. Because cleaning an inkjet head takes time and effort, users may not be highly motivated to clean it.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, a maintenance evaluation system, a maintenance evaluation method, a maintenance evaluation program, and an inkjet printer that can increase a user's motivation to perform maintenance on an inkjet head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device of a first aspect of the present invention includes a first evaluation means for performing a first cleaning evaluation based on first information regarding a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function of an inkjet printer on a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head, a second evaluation means for performing a second cleaning evaluation based on second information regarding a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and a maintenance evaluation means for performing a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation.

[0008] In this configuration, the maintenance of the inkjet head of the inkjet printer includes a first cleaning performed on the multiple nozzles of the inkjet printer and a second cleaning performed on at least the nozzle surface of the inkjet head. The second cleaning is performed by the user using a cloth or the like, for example. According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize whether the maintenance of the inkjet head is appropriate by performing a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning and the second cleaning. This configuration can increase the user's motivation to perform maintenance on the inkjet head.

[0009] In the information processing device, the first evaluation means may evaluate the first cleaning evaluation higher as the first cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing, and the second evaluation means may evaluate the second cleaning evaluation higher as the second cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing. With this configuration, more accurate maintenance evaluation can be achieved.

[0010] In the information processing device, the recommended timing may be set based on at least one of the surrounding environment of the inkjet head, the state of the inkjet head, and the operation history of the inkjet printer. With this configuration, more accurate maintenance evaluation can be performed.

[0011] The information processing device may further include an operation performance evaluation unit that performs an operation performance evaluation based on third information related to the operation performance of the inkjet printer, and a comprehensive evaluation unit that performs a comprehensive evaluation based on the maintenance evaluation and the operation performance evaluation. With this configuration, it is possible to evaluate the suitability of maintenance for the inkjet printer in accordance with the operation performance.

[0012] In the above information processing device, the comprehensive evaluation means may perform the comprehensive evaluation by setting an upper limit on the operation performance evaluation. If no upper limit is set on the operation performance evaluation, the higher the operation performance evaluation, the lower the maintenance evaluation relative to the comprehensive evaluation. Therefore, according to this configuration, by setting an upper limit on the operation performance evaluation, the importance of the maintenance evaluation relative to the comprehensive evaluation can be maintained.

[0013] The information processing device may further comprise a point calculation unit that calculates points based on the overall evaluation. With this configuration, it is possible to increase a user's motivation for maintenance of the inkjet head.

[0014] In the information processing device, at least one of the maintenance evaluation, the operation performance evaluation, and the overall evaluation may be notified to a user. With this configuration, the user can recognize evaluations that require attention.

[0015] In the above information processing device, the first evaluation means may perform the first cleaning evaluation based on the first information within a predetermined period, and the second evaluation means may perform the second cleaning evaluation based on the second information within the predetermined period. With this configuration, a user can recognize whether or not maintenance has been performed at each predetermined period.

[0016] The information processing device may further include an advice deriving unit that derives advice for a user based on at least one of the results of the first cleaning evaluation, the second cleaning evaluation, and the maintenance evaluation. With this configuration, it is possible to urge the user to perform appropriate cleaning of the inkjet head.

[0017] In the above information processing device, the maintenance evaluation means may be capable of changing a ratio of the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation used in the maintenance evaluation. With this configuration, it is possible to perform a maintenance evaluation according to the importance of the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation.

[0018] A maintenance evaluation system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes an inkjet printer that performs printing by ejecting ink from an inkjet head onto a recording medium, and the information processing device described above.

[0019] A maintenance evaluation method of a third aspect of the present invention includes a first step in which a first evaluation means performs a first cleaning evaluation based on first information regarding a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function of an inkjet printer on a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head, and a second evaluation means performs a second cleaning evaluation based on second information regarding a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and a second step in which a maintenance evaluation means performs a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation.

[0020] A maintenance evaluation program of a fourth aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as a first evaluation means for performing a first cleaning evaluation based on first information regarding a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function of an inkjet printer on a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head, a second evaluation means for performing a second cleaning evaluation based on second information regarding a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and a maintenance evaluation means for performing a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation.

[0021] An inkjet printer according to a fifth aspect of the present invention performs a first cleaning evaluation based on first information regarding a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function on a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head, performs a second cleaning evaluation based on second information regarding a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and performs a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation.

[0022] An inkjet printer according to a sixth aspect of the present invention transmits first information regarding a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function on a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head and second information regarding a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle face of the inkjet head to an information processing device, and causes the information processing device to perform a maintenance evaluation based on the first information and the second information. Effect of the Invention

[0023] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, a maintenance evaluation system, a maintenance evaluation method, a maintenance evaluation program, and an inkjet printer that can increase a user's motivation for performing maintenance on an inkjet head. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram of a maintenance evaluation system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a server related to the maintenance evaluation process of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart showing a flow of a maintenance evaluation process according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an evaluation confirmation screen displayed on the terminal device of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] A maintenance evaluation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic overall view of the maintenance evaluation system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0026] The maintenance evaluation system 10 includes an inkjet printer 12 , a server 14 , and a terminal device 16 .

[0027] The inkjet printer 12 is equipped with an inkjet head that ejects ink onto a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as "media"). In this embodiment, the inkjet printer 12 moves the inkjet head in a main scanning direction relative to the media, and ejects ink from the nozzles of the inkjet head toward the media. In this way, the inkjet printer 12 prints on the media in the main scanning direction, and transports the media in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction each time printing in the main scanning direction is completed. In other words, the inkjet printer 12 prints on the media by repeatedly ejecting ink in the main scanning direction from the inkjet head and transporting the media in the sub-scanning direction.

[0028] In the inkjet printer 12, there is a possibility that printing defects may occur due to the ink ejected from the inkjet head clogging the nozzles, etc. For this reason, cleaning of the inkjet head is necessary.

[0029] Therefore, the inkjet printer 12 of this embodiment has an automatic cleaning function. The automatic cleaning function automatically performs cleaning (hereinafter referred to as "automatic cleaning") on the multiple nozzles of the inkjet head. More specifically, the automatic cleaning function is a function that sucks ink from the multiple nozzles to eliminate and prevent ink clogging in the nozzles. Cleaning by the automatic cleaning function is performed automatically on a regular basis, but the user can change the time interval for cleaning, etc. as desired by changing the settings.

[0030] It is also recommended that the inkjet printer 12 of this embodiment perform cleaning of at least the nozzle surface of the inkjet head (hereinafter referred to as "user cleaning"). To perform user cleaning, the inkjet head is moved to a predetermined cleaning position in the main scanning direction. Then, the user uses a cloth or the like to wipe off ink and the like adhering to the nozzle surface, side surface, etc. of the inkjet head that has been moved to the cleaning position.

[0031] In this manner, the inkjet printer 12 of this embodiment cleans the inkjet head using two different methods.

[0032] The inkjet printer 12 of this embodiment stores automatic cleaning information (first information), which is information related to automatic cleaning, and user cleaning information (second information), which is information related to user cleaning. The automatic cleaning information includes the date and time when automatic cleaning was performed within a predetermined period (e.g., one month). The user cleaning information includes the date and time when user cleaning was performed within the predetermined period. The date and time when user cleaning was performed is, for example, the date and time when the inkjet head was moved to the cleaning position, and is obtained from the operation history of the inkjet printer 12. The automatic cleaning information then determines the timing (time interval, number of times, etc.) when automatic cleaning was performed within the predetermined period. The user cleaning information also determines the timing when user cleaning was performed within the predetermined period.

[0033] In addition, the inkjet printer 12 of this embodiment stores operation history information (third information) which is information related to the operation history of the inkjet printer 12. The operation history includes the amount of ink used within a predetermined period of time, the print area on the media, the continuous printing time, etc. Furthermore, if the inkjet printer 12 has an additional function such as a media cutting function, the cut distance of the media, etc. may be added to the operation history.

[0034] The server 14 is an information processing device that receives printer information from the inkjet printer 12, including automatic cleaning information, user cleaning information, and operational performance information stored in the inkjet printer 12.

[0035] The server 14 of this embodiment performs a maintenance evaluation process based on the printer information. The maintenance evaluation process is a process for evaluating whether or not cleaning (maintenance) of the inkjet head is performed appropriately. The server 14 transmits evaluation result information indicating the result of the maintenance evaluation process to the terminal device 16. The maintenance evaluation process is performed for each inkjet printer 12.

[0036] The terminal device 16 is an information processing device equipped with a display 30, and is, for example, a portable information processing device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, or a desktop or laptop personal computer. The terminal device 16 displays the results of the maintenance evaluation process transmitted from the server 14 on the display 30. The terminal device 16 in this embodiment is, for example, a smartphone, and the display 30 is a touch panel display.

[0037] 2 is a functional block diagram relating to the maintenance evaluation process executed by the server 14 of this embodiment. The server 14 includes a communication unit 40, a storage unit 42, an automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44, a user cleaning evaluation unit 46, a maintenance evaluation unit 48, an operation performance evaluation unit 50, a user overall evaluation unit 52, a point derivation unit 54, an advice derivation unit 56, and a recommended timing setting unit 58.

[0038] The functions of the automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44, the user cleaning evaluation unit 46, the maintenance evaluation unit 48, the operation performance evaluation unit 50, the user overall evaluation unit 52, the point derivation unit 54, the advice derivation unit 56, and the recommended timing setting unit 58 are realized by a computer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) provided in the server 14 executing a program stored in the memory unit 42.

[0039] The communication unit 40 transmits and receives information between the inkjet printer 12 and the terminal device 16 via wired or wireless communication.

[0040] The storage unit 42 stores a program for executing the maintenance evaluation process, printer information received from the inkjet printer 12, evaluation result information indicating the results of the maintenance evaluation process, various data, and the like.

[0041] The automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 performs an automatic cleaning evaluation (first cleaning evaluation) based on the automatic cleaning information.

[0042] The user cleaning evaluation unit 46 performs a user cleaning evaluation (second cleaning evaluation) based on the user cleaning information.

[0043] The automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 of this embodiment performs an automatic cleaning evaluation based on automatic cleaning information within a predetermined evaluation period. The user cleaning evaluation unit 46 performs a user cleaning evaluation based on user cleaning information within the evaluation period.

[0044] The maintenance evaluation unit 48 performs a maintenance evaluation based on the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation.

[0045] The operation performance evaluation unit 50 performs an operation performance evaluation based on the operation performance information.

[0046] The user overall evaluation unit 52 performs a user overall evaluation based on the maintenance evaluation and the operation performance evaluation.

[0047] The point derivation unit 54 derives points that can be exchanged for a predetermined product or service based on the user's overall evaluation. That is, the user is given points that can be exchanged for a product or service by performing the maintenance evaluation process. Products that can be exchanged for points include, for example, consumables such as ink and media used in the inkjet printer 12. Services that can be exchanged for points include, for example, paid repair services for the inkjet printer 12.

[0048] The advice deriving unit 56 derives advice for the user based on at least one evaluation result of the automatic cleaning evaluation, the user cleaning evaluation, and the maintenance evaluation. The advice deriving unit 56 may derive advice for the user based on the operation performance evaluation or the user overall evaluation.

[0049] The recommended timing setting unit 58 sets the recommended timing for performing automatic cleaning and user cleaning.

[0050] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the maintenance evaluation process. The maintenance evaluation process is realized by the computer included in the server 14 executing a program stored in the storage unit 42.

[0051] The maintenance evaluation process of this embodiment is performed at a specified evaluation execution date and time based on automatic cleaning information, user cleaning information, operation performance information, etc. within a specified evaluation period. As an example, the evaluation execution date and time is midnight on the 1st of each month. The evaluation period is monthly, such as from the 1st to the last day of the month prior to the specified date and time. This allows the user to recognize the appropriateness of maintenance for each specified evaluation period.

[0052] The evaluation period is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a half day, a day, a week, a year, etc., and the evaluation execution date and time are set according to the evaluation period. On the other hand, points are given to the user, for example, every month.

[0053] In the maintenance evaluation process of this embodiment, various evaluations are expressed as numerical values ​​(hereinafter referred to as "scores") as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and the evaluations may be expressed by levels or ranks. Levels include good, normal, poor, etc. Ranks include S, A, B, C, etc. This makes it possible for the maintenance evaluation process to provide an objective evaluation, and to clearly communicate to the user whether or not maintenance of the inkjet head has been performed appropriately.

[0054] First, in step 100, printer information including automatic cleaning information, user cleaning information, and operation history information is obtained from inkjet printer 12 via communication unit 40. More specifically, server 14 transmits a request to inkjet printer 12 to send the printer information at a specified evaluation execution date and time. Inkjet printer 12 transmits the printer information to server 14 in accordance with the received transmission request. As a result, inkjet printer 12 causes server 14 to perform a maintenance evaluation based on the printer information.

[0055] In the next step 102, the automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 performs an automatic cleaning evaluation based on the automatic cleaning information, and the user cleaning evaluation unit 46 performs a user cleaning evaluation based on the user cleaning information.

[0056] The automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 evaluates the automatic cleaning evaluation higher the closer the automatic cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing. The user cleaning evaluation unit 46 evaluates the user cleaning evaluation higher the closer the user cleaning is performed at a recommended timing. The recommended timing for automatic cleaning and the recommended timing for user cleaning may be the same or different.

[0057] In other words, if there is a large discrepancy between the timing at which automatic cleaning or user cleaning is actually performed and the recommended timing, the automatic cleaning evaluation or user cleaning evaluation will be low. Note that if the user sets the inkjet printer 12 to perform automatic cleaning at the recommended timing, the automatic cleaning evaluation will be high. By performing an evaluation based on such recommended timing, a more accurate maintenance evaluation can be achieved.

[0058] The recommended timing is set by the recommended timing setting unit 58, and includes, for example, a predetermined time interval (recommended interval) such as cleaning every day, the number of cleanings within a predetermined period (recommended number of cleanings) such as cleaning 30 times a month, and predetermined points in time (recommended points in time) such as cleaning before printing starts and after printing ends. The start and end of printing refers to the start and end of printing based on one piece of image data input to the inkjet printer 12. If it takes several hours from the start to the end of printing one image, it may be recommended to perform at least one of automatic cleaning and user cleaning during printing.

[0059] The recommended timing may be set based on at least one of the surrounding environment of the inkjet head, the condition of the inkjet head, and the operation history of the inkjet printer 12. By setting the recommended timing to perform cleaning based on various conditions, the maintenance evaluation process can perform a more accurate maintenance evaluation.

[0060] More specifically, if the type of ink solvent is different, the temperature and humidity at which the ink can be easily removed from the inkjet head are different. Therefore, the recommended timing may vary depending on the environment around the inkjet head. In other words, when the temperature and humidity make it difficult to remove the ink, the recommended interval is set to be short and the recommended number of times is set to be large. The temperature and humidity around the inkjet head may be measured using an existing thermometer or the like provided in the inkjet printer 12, or a dedicated thermometer or the like may be used.

[0061] The state of the inkjet head is, for example, the state of clogging of the nozzles. The inkjet head is provided with an NCU (Nozzle Check Unit) that detects the state of ink ejection from each nozzle. The recommended timing may be set according to the detection results of the NCU. That is, the more nozzles that are not ejecting ink normally, the shorter the recommended interval and the higher the recommended number of times are set.

[0062] The operational history of the inkjet printer 12 includes the amount of ink used, the printing area, and the continuous printing time, etc. For example, when the amount of ink used is large or the printing area is small, the recommended interval is set short and the recommended number of times is set high.

[0063] A minimum number of cleanings may be set for the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation to merit an evaluation. If the number of automatic cleanings or the number of user cleanings is less than the minimum number of cleanings, the evaluation is set to the lowest. Furthermore, if the automatic cleaning function of the inkjet printer 12 is broken, the automatic cleaning evaluation may not be performed.

[0064] In the next step 104, the maintenance evaluation unit 48 performs a maintenance evaluation based on the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation. As an example, the maintenance evaluation unit 48 calculates the average value of the automatic cleaning evaluation score and the user cleaning evaluation score as the maintenance evaluation. However, this is not limited to this, and the maintenance evaluation unit 48 may perform the maintenance evaluation by another method, such as adding up the automatic cleaning evaluation score and the user cleaning evaluation score.

[0065] The maintenance evaluation unit 48 of this embodiment is capable of changing the ratio between the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation used in the maintenance evaluation. In other words, the ratio is a weight. The ratio can be changed as desired by the user according to the importance of automatic cleaning and user cleaning. This allows the maintenance evaluation to be performed according to the importance of the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation.

[0066] In the next step 106, the operation performance evaluation unit 50 performs an operation performance evaluation based on the operation performance information. The operation performance evaluation is performed, for example, by deriving a score for each item included in the operation performance of the inkjet printer 12, such as the amount of ink used and the printed area, and averaging or adding up the derived scores. Note that the larger the value of the amount of ink used, the printed area, etc., the higher the score of the operation performance evaluation.

[0067] In the next step 108, the user overall evaluation unit 52 performs a user overall evaluation based on the maintenance evaluation and the operation performance evaluation.

[0068] As an example, the user overall evaluation unit 52 calculates the average value of the maintenance evaluation score and the operation performance evaluation score as the user overall evaluation. However, the user overall evaluation may be calculated by adding up the maintenance evaluation score and the operation performance evaluation score.

[0069] The user overall evaluation unit 52 performs the user overall evaluation by setting an upper limit on the operation performance evaluation. Here, the operation performance evaluation of the inkjet printer 12 tends to increase in proportion to the operation time of the inkjet printer 12. On the other hand, the maintenance evaluation does not necessarily increase in proportion to the operation time of the inkjet printer 12. If no upper limit is set on the operation performance evaluation, the higher the operation performance evaluation, the lower the maintenance evaluation relative to the user overall evaluation. For this reason, by setting an upper limit on the operation performance evaluation, it is possible to maintain the importance of the maintenance evaluation relative to the user overall evaluation. The value of the upper limit on the operation performance evaluation and whether or not there is one is set for each inkjet printer 12.

[0070] In the next step 110, the point derivation unit 54 derives points based on the user overall evaluation. As an example, the point derivation unit 54 derives points based on the score of the user overall evaluation. For example, the point derivation unit 54 multiplies the user overall evaluation by a predetermined numerical value (hereinafter referred to as the "award rate") to obtain the points.

[0071] The point derivation unit 54 may derive points using not only the user overall rating but also the operation performance rating. For example, the higher the operation performance rating, the higher the allocation rate by which the user overall rating is multiplied may be set. Also, the more inkjet printers 12 the user owns, the higher the allocation rate may be set. Also, the allocation rate may be different for each inkjet printer 12.

[0072] In the next step 112, the advice deriving unit 56 derives advice based on each evaluation result.

[0073] Specifically, for example, the automatic cleaning evaluation score, the user cleaning evaluation score, the operation performance evaluation score, the user overall evaluation score, the automatic cleaning information, the user cleaning information, and advice corresponding to the operation performance information are stored in advance in the storage unit 42 of the server 14. Then, the advice derivation unit 56 derives advice corresponding to the evaluation by selecting advice corresponding to each evaluation score and each information from the storage unit 42. Furthermore, without being limited to this, the advice derivation unit 56 may derive advice using, for example, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) that has been machine-learned to learn advice corresponding to each evaluation result.

[0074] In the next step 114, evaluation result information for each evaluation is sent to the terminal device 16 via the communication unit 40, thereby notifying the user of at least one of the maintenance evaluation, operation performance evaluation, and user overall evaluation. When this notification is completed, the maintenance evaluation process ends. The evaluation result information includes the automatic cleaning evaluation score for each model, the user cleaning evaluation score, the operation performance evaluation score, the user overall evaluation score, and points. The server 14 may not actively send the evaluation result information to the terminal device 16, but may send the evaluation result information to the terminal device 16 only when requested by the terminal device 16.

[0075] The terminal device 16 that has received the evaluation result information may, for example, display the evaluation result on the display 30, notify the user of the evaluation result by sound, or notify the user of the evaluation result by email or chat tool. This allows the user to recognize evaluations that require attention. When notifying the user of the evaluation result by sound, the sound or music changes depending on the evaluation.

[0076] As described above, the cleaning evaluation process of this embodiment performs a maintenance evaluation based on automatic cleaning and user cleaning, so that the user can easily recognize whether or not maintenance of the inkjet head is appropriate. Furthermore, the cleaning evaluation process performs a user overall evaluation based on the operation record information and maintenance evaluation of the inkjet printer 12, and derives points that can be exchanged for products, etc. from the user overall evaluation.

[0077] Such a cleaning evaluation process can motivate users to perform maintenance on their inkjet heads. Furthermore, regular cleaning of the inkjet heads reduces the number of times that the manufacturer of the inkjet printer 12 must make on-site repairs to the inkjet printers 12 owned by users.

[0078] 4 is an example of an evaluation confirmation screen 60 displayed on the display 30 of the terminal device 16. The evaluation confirmation screen 60 is an example of a mode for notifying the user of the evaluation results, and displays the evaluation results for each model owned by the user. As an example, the evaluation confirmation screen 60 is a screen that is displayed by starting an application related to the inkjet printer 12 installed in the terminal device 16.

[0079] The evaluation confirmation screen 60 displays the evaluation period, model information indicating the model being evaluated, the evaluation for each evaluation item, the recommended cleaning timing, and the total number of points awarded.

[0080] The evaluation items on the evaluation confirmation screen 60 are maintenance evaluation, operational performance evaluation, and user overall evaluation. Each evaluation item is expressed on a 10-point scale, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. The evaluation items may include an automatic cleaning evaluation and a user cleaning evaluation so that the user can easily check the cleaning status of the inkjet head.

[0081] The order of the evaluation items is not limited to the order shown in FIG. 4. For example, the evaluation items may be arranged in ascending or descending order of evaluation. The progress of each evaluation result may be displayed in chronological order. In addition, if the user owns multiple inkjet printers 12, the evaluation items may be displayed for each evaluation item, rather than for each model owned by the user. Furthermore, the display of the evaluation items may be made selectable or reorderable by the user, so that the user can easily recognize problems and issues in the maintenance of the inkjet head.

[0082] Furthermore, when the user clicks on each evaluation item, advice corresponding to the evaluation item is displayed in a pop-up. Displaying advice in a pop-up is one example, and clicking on a specific image may transition the screen to another page where advice is displayed. Furthermore, advice may not be displayed for each evaluation item, but rather only advice that integrates the evaluation items may be displayed.

[0083] The "80 points" displayed to the right of the user's overall rating indicates the points earned by that model. This allows users to check the points earned for each model.

[0084] The recommended cleaning timing is, for example, the timing when automatic cleaning and user cleaning should be performed next. The timing displayed as the recommended cleaning timing is the recommended timing set by the above-mentioned recommended timing setting unit 58. The display of the recommended cleaning timing changes every time the recommended timing setting unit 58 changes the setting. Note that the recommended timing may not be included in the evaluation confirmation screen 60, but may be displayed in another user interface that is easy for the user to check.

[0085] The total number of granted points is the total number of points currently granted. If the user owns multiple inkjet printers 12, the points granted to each inkjet printer 12 may be added together and displayed as the total number of granted points. The total number of granted points decreases every time points are exchanged for a product or service.

[0086] Although the present invention has been described above using the above embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention, and the forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the cleaning of the nozzle surface of the inkjet head (second cleaning) is performed by the user, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second cleaning may be performed as one of the automatic cleaning functions of the inkjet printer 12. For example, ink adhering to the side of the inkjet head moved to the cleaning position may be automatically removed with a cloth or air may be blown onto the side to remove the ink adhering to the side.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the timing when the inkjet head moves to the cleaning position is regarded as the timing when user cleaning is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a user performs user cleaning, the user may input the date and time when the user cleaning is performed to the server 14 via the terminal device 16 and store the data. In this case, the cleaning method performed by the user cleaning may also be input. This allows the user cleaning evaluation unit 46 to perform user cleaning evaluation taking the cleaning method into account. Also, the inkjet printer 12 does not necessarily have to have a cleaning position for performing user cleaning.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the point derivation unit 54 is provided in the server 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the user's overall evaluation score is used as the point as it is, the point derivation unit 54 is not necessary.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the server 14 performs the cleaning evaluation process, but the present invention is not limited to this. The terminal device 16 may receive printer information from the inkjet printer 12 and perform the cleaning evaluation process. The terminal device 16 may then transmit evaluation result information of the cleaning evaluation process to the server 14 and store it.

[0091] Alternatively, the inkjet printer 12 may perform the cleaning evaluation process. When the inkjet printer 12 performs the cleaning evaluation process, the evaluation result information may be displayed on a display provided in the inkjet printer 12, or the evaluation result information may be transmitted from the inkjet printer 12 to the terminal device 16 and displayed on the display 30 of the terminal device 16. Alternatively, the inkjet printer 12 may transmit the evaluation result information to the server 14, the server 14 may store the evaluation result information, and the evaluation result information may be displayed on the display 30 of the terminal device 16 via the server 14.

[0092] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The server 14 of this embodiment includes an automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 that performs an automatic cleaning evaluation based on automatic cleaning information related to automatic cleaning performed by the cleaning function of the inkjet printer 12 on multiple nozzles of the inkjet head, a user cleaning evaluation unit 46 that performs a user cleaning evaluation based on user cleaning information related to user cleaning performed on at least the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, and a maintenance evaluation unit 48 that performs a maintenance evaluation based on the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation. This embodiment can thereby increase the user's motivation for maintaining the inkjet head.

[0093] (2) In this embodiment, the automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 may give a higher automatic cleaning evaluation rating the more frequently automatic cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing, and the user cleaning evaluation unit 46 may give a higher user cleaning evaluation rating the more frequently user cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing. This allows for a more accurate maintenance evaluation.

[0094] (3) The recommended timing in this embodiment may be set based on at least one of the surrounding environment of the inkjet head, the condition of the inkjet head, and the operation history of the inkjet printer 12. This allows for a more accurate maintenance evaluation.

[0095] (4) The inkjet printer 12 of this embodiment may further include an operation performance evaluation unit 50 that performs an operation performance evaluation based on operation performance information related to the operation performance of the inkjet printer 12, and a user overall evaluation unit 52 that performs a user overall evaluation based on the maintenance evaluation and the operation performance evaluation. With this configuration, the inkjet printer 12 can be evaluated for suitability for maintenance in accordance with its operation performance.

[0096] (5) The user overall evaluation unit 52 of the present embodiment may perform the overall evaluation by setting an upper limit on the operation performance evaluation. This makes it possible to maintain the importance of the maintenance evaluation relative to the overall evaluation.

[0097] (6) The server 14 of the present embodiment may include a point deriving unit 54 that derives points that can be exchanged for a specific product or service based on the overall evaluation. This can increase the user's motivation for maintaining the inkjet head.

[0098] (7) At least one of the maintenance evaluation, the operation performance evaluation, and the overall evaluation of the present embodiment may be notified to the user. This allows the user to recognize evaluations that require attention.

[0099] (8) The automatic cleaning evaluation unit 44 of the present embodiment may perform an automatic cleaning evaluation based on automatic cleaning information within a predetermined period, and the user cleaning evaluation unit 46 may perform a user cleaning evaluation based on user cleaning information within a predetermined period. This allows the user to recognize whether maintenance is appropriate for each predetermined period.

[0100] (9) The server 14 of the present embodiment may include an advice deriving unit 56 that derives advice for the user based on at least one evaluation result of the automatic cleaning evaluation, the user cleaning evaluation, and the maintenance evaluation. This makes it possible to encourage the user to perform appropriate cleaning of the inkjet head.

[0101] (10) The maintenance evaluation unit 48 of the present embodiment may be configured to change the ratio of the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation used in the maintenance evaluation. This allows the maintenance evaluation to be performed according to the importance of the automatic cleaning evaluation and the user cleaning evaluation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 Maintenance Evaluation System 12. Inkjet Printer 14 Server (information processing device) 16 Terminal equipment (information processing equipment) 44 Automatic cleaning evaluation unit (first evaluation means) 46 User cleaning evaluation unit (second evaluation means) 48 Maintenance evaluation section (maintenance evaluation means) 50 Operational performance evaluation unit (operational performance evaluation means) 52 User comprehensive evaluation section (comprehensive evaluation means) 54 Point derivation unit (point derivation means)

Claims

1. a first evaluation means for performing a first cleaning evaluation based on first information related to a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function of the inkjet printer on a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head; a second evaluation means for performing a second cleaning evaluation based on second information related to a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head; a maintenance evaluation means for performing a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation; An information processing device comprising:

2. the first evaluation means evaluates the first cleaning evaluation higher as the first cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing, the second evaluation means evaluates the second cleaning evaluation higher as the second cleaning is performed at a predetermined recommended timing; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the recommended timing is set based on at least one of a surrounding environment of the inkjet head, a state of the inkjet head, and an operation history of the inkjet printer.

4. an operation performance evaluation means for performing an operation performance evaluation based on third information relating to the operation performance of the inkjet printer; a comprehensive evaluation means for performing a comprehensive evaluation based on the maintenance evaluation and the operation performance evaluation; The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the comprehensive evaluation means performs the comprehensive evaluation by setting an upper limit on the operation performance evaluation.

6. The information processing device according to claim 4 , further comprising point deriving means for deriving points based on the overall evaluation.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the maintenance evaluation, the operation performance evaluation, and the overall evaluation is notified to a user.

8. The first evaluation means performs the first cleaning evaluation based on the first information within a predetermined period of time, The second evaluation means performs the second cleaning evaluation based on the second information within the predetermined period.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. 3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: advice deriving means for deriving advice for a user based on at least one evaluation result of the first cleaning evaluation, the second cleaning evaluation, and the maintenance evaluation.

10. 3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the maintenance evaluation means is capable of changing a ratio of the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation used in the maintenance evaluation.

11. an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink from an inkjet head onto a recording medium; The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, A maintenance evaluation system comprising:

12. a first step in which a first evaluation means performs a first cleaning evaluation based on first information on a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function of the inkjet printer on a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head, and a second evaluation means performs a second cleaning evaluation based on second information on a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head; a second step in which a maintenance evaluation means performs a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation; A maintenance evaluation method including:

13. Computer, a first evaluation means for performing a first cleaning evaluation based on first information related to a first cleaning performed by a cleaning function of the inkjet printer on a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head; a second evaluation means for performing a second cleaning evaluation based on second information related to a second cleaning performed on at least a nozzle surface of the inkjet head; a maintenance evaluation means for performing a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation; Maintenance evaluation program to ensure that the system functions as intended.

14. performing a first cleaning evaluation based on first information related to a first cleaning performed by the cleaning function on the plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head; performing a second cleaning evaluation based on second information related to a second cleaning performed on at least the nozzle surface of the inkjet head; The inkjet printer performs a maintenance evaluation based on the first cleaning evaluation and the second cleaning evaluation.

15. First information regarding a first cleaning performed by the cleaning function on a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head; second information regarding a second cleaning to be performed on at least the nozzle surface of the inkjet head; to an information processing device, and causing the information processing device to perform a maintenance evaluation based on the first information and the second information.

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