Server and method of notification to user of service

Abstract

To suppress inappropriate notification to a user of a service.SOLUTION: A server for providing a service to a specific user includes: a result acquisition section that acquires result information indicating the use result of the service by the specific user; a notification section that performs notification about the service on the specific user during the period of providing the service; and a notification control section that controls the notification by the notification section using a release condition to be determined on the basis of the result information. The release condition is a condition that is satisfied when it is estimated that the variation of the use result of the service by the specific user is equal to or less than a reference. The notification control section restricts the notification by the notification section at the start of the service, and releases the restriction of the notification by the notification section when the release condition is satisfied on the basis of the result information after the start of the service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present specification relates to a server and a method for notifying a user of a service. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile phone that notifies an operator of an incoming call by a means according to the time period. This mobile phone notifies an operator of an incoming call by a notification means determined in a set timetable pattern. Specifically, the mobile phone notifies an operator of an incoming call by a set notification means by setting a timetable pattern that determines the notification means, such as a buzzer sound from 7:00 to 8:00, a vibration from 8:00 to 9:00, and a melody sound from 9:00 to 12:00. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-98224 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above technology, since the notification means is merely changed depending on the time period, there is a possibility that an inappropriate notification may be given to the user.

[0005] This specification discloses a technique for suppressing inappropriate notifications from being sent to users of a service. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in the following application examples.

[0007] [Application Example 1] A server that provides a service to a specific user, comprising: a performance acquisition unit that acquires performance information indicating the performance of the service by the specific user; a notification unit that executes a notification regarding the service to the specific user during a period in which the service is provided; and a notification control unit that controls notifications by the notification unit using a cancellation condition determined based on the performance information, the cancellation condition being a condition that is satisfied when it is estimated that fluctuations in the performance of the service used by the specific user are below a standard, wherein the notification control unit restricts notifications by the notification unit when the service is started, and lifts the restriction on notifications by the notification unit when the cancellation condition is satisfied based on the performance information after the service is started.

[0008] Immediately after a user starts using a service, the service usage history may be unstable. If a notification is made in such a state, an inappropriate notification may be made to the user. According to the above configuration, the server restricts notifications when the service starts, and lifts the notification restriction when a release condition is met based on the history information after the service starts. The release condition is a condition that is met when it is estimated that fluctuations in the service usage history are below a standard. As a result, notifications are restricted until the service usage history stabilizes, so that inappropriate notifications can be prevented from being made to users of the service.

[0009] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various forms, such as a method of notifying users of a service, a communication system including a server and a device, a computer program for realizing the functions of these servers, methods, and communication systems, a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, and the like. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 1000. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a management database DB and an information database IB. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of notification types. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a process for subscribing to a print service. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a usage information collection process. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a notification process. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart of a temporary invalidation release process according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart of a temporary invalidation release process according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A. Working Example A-1. Configuration of System 1000 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 1000. The system 1000 includes a printer 100, a terminal device 200 owned by a user of the printer 100, and a management server 300.

[0012] Printer 100 is a device that consumes ink as a printing material to perform printing. Printer 100 includes a CPU 110 as a controller for printer 100, a volatile storage device 120 such as a DRAM, and a non-volatile storage device 130 such as a hard disk or flash memory. Printer 100 also includes a display unit 140 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying images, an operation unit 150 such as buttons or a touch panel for acquiring operations by a user, a printing mechanism 170, and a communication interface (IF) 180.

[0013] The communication IF 180 is an interface for connecting to the Internet IT, for example, a wired interface conforming to Ethernet (registered trademark) or a wireless interface conforming to the Wi-Fi standard.

[0014] The CPU 110 is a calculation device (processor) that performs data processing. The volatile storage device 120 provides a buffer area for temporarily storing various intermediate data generated when the CPU 110 performs processing. The non-volatile storage device 130 stores a computer program PGp for controlling the printer 100 and an information database IB in which various information described later is recorded.

[0015] In this embodiment, the computer program PGp is ​​provided by being stored in advance in the non-volatile storage device 130 at the time of manufacturing the printer 100. Alternatively, the computer program PGp may be provided, for example, in a form downloaded from a server connected via the Internet IT, or in a form recorded on a CD-ROM or the like.

[0016] The CPU 110 executes the computer program PGp to execute various processes for controlling the printer 100. For example, as will be described in detail later, the CPU 110 executes a print process for controlling the print mechanism 170 to cause the print mechanism 170 to print an image. The CPU 110 also cooperates with the management server 300 to execute various processes related to the print service.

[0017] The printing mechanism 170 executes printing under the control of the CPU 110. The printing mechanism 170 of this embodiment is an inkjet printing mechanism that prints an image on a recording medium using multiple types of ink (for example, four types of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) contained in an ink tank 190 as color materials. Alternatively, the printing mechanism 170 may be an electrophotographic printing mechanism that prints an image on a recording medium using toner contained in a toner cartridge as color materials.

[0018] The terminal device 200 is a computer including a CPU, a memory, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display), not shown, and is, for example, a smartphone. In a modified example, the terminal device 200 may be a personal computer or a tablet computer. The terminal device 200 includes a predetermined communication interface, not shown, for example, a wireless communication interface conforming to the Wi-Fi standard or a mobile communication standard (e.g., the LTE standard). An application program AP is installed in the terminal device 200. The application program AP causes the CPU of the terminal device 200 to realize a process related to the print service. Hereinafter, a function realized by the CPU of the terminal device 200 by executing the application program AP is also referred to as a "terminal application". The terminal application executes a process of transmitting user information required for the print service, for example, payment information such as the user's credit card number, to the management server 300.

[0019] The management server 300 is, for example, a computer, such as a cloud server, operated by a business providing a printing service (for example, a business that manufactures and sells the printer 100). The management server 300 includes a CPU 310 as a controller for the management server 300, a volatile storage device 320 such as a DRAM, a non-volatile storage device 330 such as a hard disk or flash memory, and a communication interface (IF) 380. The communication IF 380 is, for example, a wired interface that complies with Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0020] The CPU 310 is a computing device (processor) that performs data processing. The volatile storage device 320 provides a buffer area for temporarily storing various intermediate data generated when the CPU 310 performs processing. The non-volatile storage device 330 stores computer programs PGs and a management database DB in which various information described later is recorded.

[0021] The computer programs PGs are provided, for example, in a form uploaded by a business operator who operates a printing service. The CPU 310 of the management server 300 executes the computer programs PGs to provide a printing service to a user. For example, the management server 300 cooperates with the terminal device 200 and the printer 100 to execute processes related to the printing service, specifically, a usage information collection process and a notification process, which will be described later.

[0022] 1 shows only one printer 100 and one terminal device 200, the management server 300 provides a print service to many users using many printers. In the following, various processes for the print service for one printer 100 and one terminal device 200 are described, but these processes are executed independently for each printer under management.

[0023] A-2. Overview of printing services In this embodiment, the management server 300 provides two types of print services with different billing methods, that is, a first print service and a second print service, and the user can select one of the two types of print services.

[0024] Both the first printing service and the second printing service are services that manage the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 190 of the printer 100 and deliver ink bottles containing ink for refilling the ink tank 190 to the user of the printer 100.

[0025] The first printing service charges a flat rate. For example, in the first printing service, the printing fee for up to a certain number of printable pages per month (for example, several hundred to tens of thousands of pages) is a flat monthly fee. In the first printing service, if the number of printable pages is exceeded, a fee is charged according to the number of pages exceeded. The fee for printer maintenance and refilling ink bottles is included in the flat rate.

[0026] The second printing service is billed on a pay-per-use basis. For example, in the second printing service, the user prepays for the number of sheets to be printed, and can print the number of sheets to be printed that has been prepaid. The cost of printer maintenance and refilling ink bottles is included in the printing fee.

[0027] A-3. Management database DB and information database IB The following describes the management database DB stored in the nonvolatile storage device 330 of the management server 300 and the information database IB stored in the nonvolatile storage device 130 of the printer 100. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the management database DB and the information database IB. The management database DB in Fig. 2(A) includes an account table AT, a device registration table DT, and a service information table ST.

[0028] The account table AT is a table in which user information is registered. The user information includes the account of the user of the printing service and information associated with the account. In this embodiment, the user information includes an account ID, a password, a user name, and payment information, as shown in FIG. 2. In the example of FIG. 2, the account ID "AC_a", password "PW_a", user name "KEN", and payment information "SI_a" of the administrative user of the printer 100 are recorded. Although not shown in the figure, the account table AT also includes other user information necessary for the printing service. The other user information includes, for example, the user's address (mailing address for ink bottles) and email address. The payment information includes, for example, a credit card number.

[0029] The device registration table DT is a table in which account IDs and device information are recorded in association with each other. The device information includes a device ID for identifying a device, model information, etc. This associates a user identified by an account ID with one or more printers used when using a print service. In the example of FIG. 2, the account ID "AC_a" of the user of printer 100 is recorded in association with the device ID "DID_a" and model information "MI_a" of printer 100.

[0030] The service information table ST is a table in which information related to the print service is recorded for each printer used in the print service. For example, the service information table ST records print management information and notification setting information in association with a device ID that identifies the printer. In the example of Fig. 2, the device ID "DID_a", print management information "PN_a", and notification setting information "NI_a" of the printer 100 are recorded.

[0031] The print management information includes, for example, performance information indicating the service usage performance (print performance) of a device having a corresponding device ID (for example, the printer 100) and billing-related information indicating the number of printable sheets according to the billing. The print management information differs depending on the type of print service.

[0032] For example, in the first printing service with a flat-rate system, the performance information includes information indicating the monthly number of printed sheets TN, which is the cumulative value from the beginning of the month of the number of printed sheets printed using the printer 100. The billing-related information includes information indicating the number of printable sheets LN per month that can be printed for a fixed price.

[0033] In the second print service, which is a pay-per-use service, the performance information includes the cumulative number of printed pages PN. The billing-related information includes the cumulative number of charged pages CN. The cumulative number of printed pages PN is the cumulative value of the number of pages printed using the printer 100 since the start of use of the print service. The cumulative number of charged pages CN is the cumulative value of the number of pages that are permitted to be printed by the printer used for the print service based on the amount charged. The cumulative number of charged pages CN increases with billing. The number of pages that are permitted to be printed based on the amount charged (also called the remaining number of charged pages RN) is the cumulative number of charged pages CN minus the cumulative number of printed pages PN (RN=CN-PN).

[0034] The notification setting information is setting information related to notifications to a user of a device having a device ID, i.e., a user of a print service. In this embodiment, the notification setting information includes a restriction flag, restriction target information, and user setting information.

[0035] The restriction flag is a flag that controls whether or not to restrict notifications, which will be described later. When the control flag is ON, this indicates that notification restrictions are to be performed, and when the control flag is OFF, this indicates that notification restrictions are not to be performed.

[0036] The restriction target information is information indicating whether each of a plurality of types of notifications is subject to notification restriction. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of types of notifications. The content of the notification differs depending on the type of printing service. As shown in FIG. 3(A), in the first flat-rate printing service, three types of notifications 1 to 3 are executed. Notification 1 is a notification that notifies the user when the additional fee for one month becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined amount. In the flat-rate system, an additional fee is incurred according to the number of sheets that exceeds a predetermined number of printable sheets. For this reason, notification 1 can also be said to be a notification that notifies the user when the number of sheets that exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Notification 1 is notified when the additional fee for one month becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined amount, so it is not a regular notification but an irregular notification. Notification 1 is subject to notification restriction as shown in FIG. 3(A).

[0037] Notification 2 is a notification of the monthly number of pages printed, and notification 3 is a notification of the monthly usage fee. The monthly number of pages printed is the total number of pages printed for the month. The monthly usage fee is the total usage fee for the month, for example, a total amount consisting of a fixed monthly fee plus an additional fee. Notifications 2 and 3 are periodic notifications, for example, sent once a month on a specified day (for example, the beginning of the month). Notifications 2 and 3 are not subject to notification restrictions, as shown in Figure 3(A).

[0038] As shown in Fig. 3(B), in the second pay-per-use print service, three types of notifications 4 to 6 are issued. Notification 4 is issued to inform the user when the remaining charge number RN falls to 100 sheets or less. Notification 5 is issued to inform the user when the remaining charge number RN falls to 10 sheets or less. Notification 6 is issued to inform the user when the remaining charge number RN falls to 0 sheets.

[0039] As described above, the remaining charge number RN is the number of sheets obtained by subtracting the cumulative number of printed sheets PN from the cumulative charge number CN. For this reason, notification 4 can also be said to be a notification that notifies the user when the cumulative number of printed sheets PN (service usage record) becomes equal to or greater than (CN-100). Similarly, notification 5 can also be said to be a notification that notifies the user when the cumulative number of printed sheets PN becomes equal to or greater than (CN-10), and notification 6 can also be said to be a notification that notifies the user when the cumulative number of printed sheets PN becomes equal to or greater than the cumulative charge number CN.

[0040] When the remaining charge number RN becomes 0, the printer 100 will not print even if it receives a print instruction from the user. In other words, when the remaining charge number RN becomes 0, the use of the second print service is restricted, and printing using the printer 100 becomes impossible. For this reason, the notification 6 can also be said to be a notification that notifies the user when the use of the second print service is restricted, specifically, when printing based on the second print service becomes impossible.

[0041] Notifications 4-6 are not periodic but irregular notifications, since they are all sent according to the cumulative number of printed pages PN and the cumulative number of charged pages CN. Notifications 4 and 5 are subject to notification restrictions, as shown in Figure 3(B). Notification 6 is not subject to notification restrictions, as shown in Figure 3(B).

[0042] With regard to notifications, user settings may be made based on user instructions. User setting information is information about user settings, and may include information indicating whether user settings have been made and information indicating the specific contents of the user settings. User settings include, for example, a setting to always enable notifications, and a setting to change the threshold value used for notifications to a desired value. Threshold values ​​used for notifications include, for example, a threshold value for notification 1 (a value of a specified amount) and threshold values ​​for notifications 4 and 5 (values ​​of 100 and 10).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2(B), the information database IB of the printer 100 includes setting information "ST_a" and print management information "PN_a." The setting information includes setting information on the printer 100, setting information related to printing, and network settings related to connections to a local network and the Internet IT. The print management information is information on a print service using the printer 100, and is similar to the print management information stored in the service information table ST of the management server 300. In other words, the print management information includes performance information indicating the usage performance (number of printed sheets, etc.) of the service using the printer 100, and billing-related information indicating the number of printable sheets according to the billing.

[0044] Although not shown in the figure, the information database IB, like the service information table ST, also records other information necessary for the printing service, such as information on the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 190 and status information indicating the printer's status (normal, error, etc.).

[0045] A-4. Operation of System 1000 The process of subscribing to a print service will be described. For example, a user who wishes to use the first print service operates the terminal device 200 to perform an operation for subscribing to the first print service. Subscribing to the first print service means that a user enters into a service contract for the first print service and is able to use the first print service. Subscribing to the first print service includes, for example, a case where a user purchases a new printer 100 and starts using the first print service as the first service using the printer 100. Subscribing to the first print service also includes, for example, a case where a user uses a second print service using a purchased printer 100, stops using the second print service, and starts using the first print service. Stopping the use of the second print service means that a user who has entered into a service contract for the second print service cancels the contract and is unable to use the second print service.

[0046] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the process when subscribing to a print service. FIG. 4(A) shows a sequence diagram of the process when subscribing. The user starts the above-mentioned terminal application of the terminal device 200. In S2, the terminal application transmits a service subscription request to the management server 300 based on the user's instruction. The service subscription request includes various information required for the subscription process described later, such as user information such as an account ID and information specifying the print service to be subscribed to. The service subscription request may also include a setting instruction by the user regarding notifications in the print service (hereinafter also referred to as a user setting instruction). This information is input by the user, for example, via an input screen (not shown) provided by the application program AP.

[0047] When the management server 300 (CPU 310) receives the service subscription request, it executes subscription processing in S4. For example, the subscription processing for subscribing the user to the first print service includes, for example, processing for storing various information for using the first print service using the printer 100 in each of tables AT, DT, and ST (FIG. 2(A)) of the management database DB. The subscription processing also includes processing for communicating with the printer 100 and storing various information for using the first print service in the information database IB (FIG. 2(A)) of the printer 100. A detailed explanation of the subscription processing will be omitted.

[0048] In S6, the management server 300 executes a notification-related process. The notification-related process is a process for performing initial settings related to notifications to the user. The notification-related process will be described later. When the notification-related process ends, the management server 300 transmits a subscription completion notification to the terminal device 200 in S8. This ends the subscription process, and the user is able to use the printing service using the printer 100.

[0049] Next, the notification-related process of S6 will be described. FIG. 4(B) shows a flowchart of the notification-related process. In S100, the management server 300 judges whether the user's subscription to the print service is a resubscription. For example, a specific example will be described in which the service subscription request of S2 is a subscription request to the first print service. The management server 300 stores data on the past contract status of the first print service in the management server 300. The management server 300 refers to the data to judge whether the user has used the first print service in the past, and if the user has used the first print service in the past, identifies the time when the use was stopped. If the period from the time when the use of the first print service was stopped in the past to the present is within a predetermined period (for example, six months), the management server 300 judges that the user's subscription to the first print service is a resubscription. If the period from the time when the use of the first print service was stopped in the past to the present is longer than the predetermined period, the management server 300 judges that the user's subscription to the first print service is not a resubscription. The management server 300 determines that the user's subscription to the first print service is not a resubscription, even if the user has not used the first print service in the past.

[0050] If the user's subscription to the first print service is a resubscription (S100: YES), the management server 300 continues the previous notification settings in S160. For example, the management server 300 stores the last notification setting information when the user previously used the first print service in the management server 300. The management server 300 stores the last notification setting information in the service information table ST as valid notification setting information.

[0051] In S165, the management server 300 sets the restriction flag of the notification setting information to OFF, and ends the notification-related processing. That is, in this case, the restriction (temporary invalidation) of the notification setting, which will be described later, is not performed.

[0052] If the user's subscription to the first print service is not a resubscription (S100: NO), the management server 300 sets the restriction flag in the notification setting information associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100 to ON.

[0053] In S120, the management server 300 judges whether or not there is a notification setting instruction from the user. For example, it is judged whether or not the service subscription request already received in S2 of FIG. 4A includes a notification setting instruction.

[0054] If there is a user instruction to set a notification (S120: YES), in S130 the management server 300 sets the notification that is the target of the user's setting instruction according to the setting instruction. For example, if there is a user instruction to enable notification 1 in FIG. 3(A), notification 1 is set to enabled. In this case, even if the restriction flag is ON, notification 1 is always enabled and is not set to temporary disabled, as described below. In other words, with respect to notifications for which there is a user instruction to set, the user's setting instruction is always given priority.

[0055] If there is no notification setting instruction from the user (S120: NO), the management server 300 skips S130 and advances the process to S140.

[0056] In S140, the management server 300 sets the notifications that are not subject to restriction to valid among the notifications for which there is no setting instruction from the user. For example, notifications 2 and 3 in Fig. 3(A) and notifications 6 in Fig. 3(B) are not subject to restriction, so if there is no setting instruction from the user for these notifications 2, 3, and 6, these notifications are set to valid in this step.

[0057] In S150, the management server 300 temporarily disables notifications that are subject to restriction among notifications for which there is no setting instruction from the user. For example, notification 1 in Fig. 3(A) and notifications 4 and 5 in Fig. 3(B) are notifications that are subject to restriction, so if there is no setting instruction from the user for notifications 1, 4 and 5, these notifications are temporarily disabled in this step. Notifications that are temporarily disabled are disabled from the start of the print service until a cancellation condition, which will be described later, is satisfied.

[0058] Next, the process after the printing service is started will be described. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram of the usage information collection process. When the time for periodic transmission arrives, the printer 100 transmits the service usage information to the management server 300 in S12. The timing of the periodic transmission may be, for example, several times a day or once every minute.

[0059] The service usage information includes information on the service usage record, such as information on the number of printed sheets and the ink consumption status of the printer 100. Specifically, the service usage information includes the current cumulative number of printed sheets PN and remaining ink amount information indicating the remaining amount of ink. The service usage information may further include status information indicating the state of the printer 100 (error state or normal state).

[0060] When the management server 300 receives the service usage information, in S14, the management server 300 stores the service usage information in the management database DB. For example, the received service usage information is accumulated as printing management information "PN_a" associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100 in the service information table ST of the management database DB.

[0061] By periodically repeating the usage information collection process of FIG. 5, the management server 300 can recognize the usage record of the print service using the printer 100.

[0062] Next, a notification process for notifying the user after the printing service is started will be described. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram of the notification process. When the timing for executing the notification process for the printer 100 arrives, the management server 300 executes the notification process. The notification process is executed periodically. The notification process is executed, for example, immediately after the above-mentioned usage information collection process is executed.

[0063] In S21, a valid notification is selected by referring to the notification setting information associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100. For example, notifications that are set to be temporarily disabled in the temporary disable release process described later and notifications that are disabled according to a user setting instruction are not selected.

[0064] In S22, the management server 300 executes a process of determining the notification conditions for each of the selected valid notifications.

[0065] The notification conditions are determined for each notification. For example, when the flat-rate first printing service is used, it is determined whether or not each of the notification conditions for notifications 1 to 3 is met. The notification condition for notification 1 is that the additional charge has reached a predetermined amount. The notification condition for notifications 2 and 3 is that a predetermined notification date and time (for example, the first day of the month) has arrived.

[0066] In S24, the management server 300 judges whether or not there is a notification that satisfies the notification condition based on the result of the judgment of the notification condition. If there is no notification that satisfies the notification condition (S24: NO), the management server 300 ends the notification process.

[0067] If there is one or more notifications that satisfy the notification condition (S24: YES), in S26, the management server 300 transmits a push notification for the notifications that satisfy the notification condition to the terminal device 200. The push notification is transmitted to a terminal application of the terminal device 200 using a known push notification service such as FCM (short for Firebase Cloud Messaging). In a modified example, the notification may be transmitted to the user's email address or to the printer 100.

[0068] The notification process described above is repeated periodically, so that a notification to the user is transmitted to the user's terminal device 200 at an appropriate timing.

[0069] Next, the temporary disable release process will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart of the temporary disable release process. For example, if a notification restriction is imposed when subscribing to a print service, the temporary disable release process is periodically executed until the notification restriction is lifted. In other words, the temporary disable release process is periodically executed while the above-mentioned restriction flag is ON.

[0070] For example, the temporary invalidation release process is executed once a day at a fixed time. However, in this embodiment, the temporary invalidation release process is started two weeks after subscription to the print service. This is because, as will be described in detail later, at least two weeks of usage history of the print service (the number of printed sheets in this embodiment) is used to determine the release conditions in the temporary invalidation release process. The period until the start of the temporary invalidation release process may be changed as appropriate by the print service provider.

[0071] When the temporary invalidation release process is started, the management server 300 acquires the number of sheets printed last week N1 at S200. Specifically, the management server 300 acquires the number of sheets printed in the seven days from 14 days ago to 8 days ago from the service information table ST, and calculates the total number of sheets printed in the seven days as the number of sheets printed last week N1.

[0072] In S210, the management server 300 acquires the number of printed sheets N2 for this week. Specifically, the management server 300 acquires the number of printed sheets in the seven days from seven days ago to one day ago from the service information table ST, and calculates the total number of printed sheets for the seven days as the number of printed sheets N2 for this week.

[0073] In S200, the management server 300 calculates the difference ΔN between the number of printed sheets N2 this week and the number of printed sheets N1 last week (ΔN=N2-N1). In S230, the management server 300 judges whether the calculated difference ΔN is equal to or smaller than a threshold value THn. The threshold value THn is experimentally determined in advance so that the difference ΔN is equal to or smaller than the threshold value THn when it is estimated that the user's use of the print service is stable and the fluctuation in the usage record of the print service is below a standard.

[0074] If the difference ΔN is equal to or smaller than the threshold value THn (S230: YES), the management server 300 enables the notifications that have been set to temporarily disabled in S240. For example, when the first print service is used, and if there is no special user setting, notification 1 (FIG. 3(A)) was temporarily disabled at the time of subscription, so the setting of notification 1 is changed from temporarily disabled to enabled. When the second print service is used, and if there is no special user setting, notifications 4 and 5 (FIG. 3(B)) were temporarily disabled at the time of subscription, so the settings of notifications 4 and 5 are each changed from temporarily disabled to enabled.

[0075] In S250, the management server 300 sets the restriction flag in the notification setting information associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100 to OFF, and ends the temporary disablement release process. As a result, the temporary disablement release process for the printer 100 is not performed thereafter.

[0076] If the difference ΔN is greater than the threshold value THn (S230: NO), the management server 300 skips S240 and S250 and ends the temporary disable release process. In this case, the restriction flag of the notification setting information associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100 is maintained ON, so the temporary disable release process for the printer 100 is executed again at the next execution timing.

[0077] In this way, the release condition is that the difference ΔN is equal to or less than the threshold value THn, and when the release condition is satisfied, the notification restriction (in this embodiment, specific types of notifications (e.g., notifications 1, 4, and 5) are disabled) is released. As described above, the release condition is a condition that is satisfied when it is estimated that the fluctuation in the usage record of the print service is below a standard.

[0078] According to the embodiment described above, the management server 300 acquires performance information (e.g., information indicating the number of printed sheets) indicating the performance of the print service by the user (S12 in FIG. 5, S200, S210 in FIG. 7). The management server 300 notifies the user about the service during the period when the print service is provided (S22 to S26 in FIG. 6). The management server 300 controls the notification to the user using the cancellation condition determined based on the performance information (FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 7). Specifically, the management server 300 restricts the notification to the user at the start of the print service (S110, S150 in FIG. 4(B)). After the start of the print service, if the cancellation condition is satisfied based on the performance information of the print service (YES at 230 in FIG. 7(B)), the management server 300 lifts the restriction on the notification to the user (S240, S250 in FIG. 7(B)).

[0079] Immediately after a user starts using a service, the usage record (number of times and amount of usage) of the service may be unstable. In particular, when a user starts using a new service with a different fee system, such as when switching from a flat-rate first print service to a pay-per-use second print service, the number of times and amount of usage by the user of the service often fluctuate significantly. If a notification is made in such a state, the user may receive an inappropriate notification. For example, the user may receive notifications excessively frequently, or notifications that are of little value to the user or are bothersome to the user may be received. In addition, it is possible to adjust the threshold value used in the notification condition based on the usage record of the service, but it is difficult to set an appropriate threshold value when the usage record of the service is unstable. For this reason, it is preferable to limit notifications to the user from the start of the service use until the usage record of the service becomes stable. In this embodiment, notifications are limited at the start of the print service, and the notification restriction is lifted when the release condition is met based on the performance information after the service starts. The release condition is a condition that is met when it is estimated that the fluctuation in the usage record of the print service is below a standard. As a result, notifications are restricted until the usage record of the print service becomes stable, so that inappropriate notifications can be prevented from being sent to users of the print service.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the management server 300 judges whether the cancellation condition is met based on a comparison between the usage record for a first period after the start of the print service (specifically, the number of sheets printed last week) and the usage record for a second period after the first period (specifically, the number of sheets printed this week) (S200 to S230 in FIG. 7). As a result, the fluctuation in the usage record of the service can be appropriately evaluated, and therefore it is possible to appropriately judge whether to cancel the notification restriction.

[0081] More specifically, according to this embodiment, the management server 300 determines that the release condition is satisfied when the difference ΔN between the value indicating the usage record for the first period and the value indicating the usage record for the second period is equal to or less than the threshold value THn (S220, S230 in FIG. 7). As a result, by determining whether the difference ΔN, which is the value indicating the fluctuation in the usage record between the first period and the second period, is equal to or less than the threshold value THn, it is possible to determine whether to release the notification restriction.

[0082] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the management server 300 acquires a user's setting instruction regarding notifications (S2 in FIG. 4). When the management server 300 acquires a user's setting instruction (YES in S120 in FIG. 4), it determines whether or not to restrict notifications according to the setting instruction, regardless of whether the release condition is met (S130 in FIG. 4). Since notifications based on the user's setting instruction are made in accordance with the user's will, changing the notification settings in accordance with the usage history is highly likely to be against the user's will. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent notification restrictions and lifting of restrictions against the user's will.

[0083] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the first print service is used, the notification to the user includes notification 1, and notifications 2 and 3 (FIG. 3(A)). The management server 300 restricts notification 1 at the start of the first print service (S150 in FIG. 4(B)) and does not restrict notifications 2 and 3 (S140 in FIG. 4(B)) except when there is a user setting instruction. Furthermore, when the second print service is used, the notification to the user includes notifications 4, 5, and 6 (FIG. 3(B)). The management server 300 restricts notifications 4 and 5 at the start of the second print service (S150 in FIG. 4(B)) and does not restrict notification 6 (S140 in FIG. 4(B)) except when there is a user setting instruction. Depending on the type of notification, notifications that are preferable to be restricted and notifications that should not be restricted can be restricted appropriately according to the type of notification in this embodiment.

[0084] For example, the notification 1 that is the subject of the restriction is a notification sent according to an additional charge according to the number of printed sheets that has exceeded, that is, a notification sent irregularly according to the usage history, as described above. The notifications 2 and 3 that are not subject to the restriction are notifications sent at the beginning of each month, that is, notifications sent periodically regardless of the usage history. In this way, when restricting printing at the start of the first service, by leaving periodic notifications and restricting irregular notifications, it is possible to suppress inappropriate notifications from being sent while leaving necessary notifications. Regardless of the usage history, notifications that are sent periodically are often important notifications that need to be notified whether the usage history is large or small, for example, basic and essential notifications. For this reason, it is considered undesirable to restrict periodic notifications. Notifications that are sent irregularly according to the usage history are often additional notifications, for example, notifications that are sent to improve the convenience of the service. For this reason, it is possible to restrict notifications that are sent irregularly according to the usage history without any problem, and if they are not sent at the appropriate time, they may be bothersome to the user. In this embodiment, in consideration of such characteristics, notifications can be appropriately restricted according to the type of notification.

[0085] As described above, notification 4, which is subject to limitation, is a notification that is sent when the cumulative number of printed sheets PN (usage record) becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value (CN-100), and notification 5, which is subject to limitation, is a notification that is sent when the cumulative number of printed sheets PN becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value (CN-10). Notification 6, which is not subject to limitation, is a notification that is sent when the cumulative number of printed sheets PN becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value CN (cumulative charge number CN) that is greater than the threshold values ​​of notifications 4 and 5. In this way, when multiple thresholds for the service usage record are used as notification conditions, the frequency of notification transmission can be reduced by limiting notifications sent based on relatively small threshold values ​​and not limiting notifications sent based on larger threshold values. As a result, it is possible to prevent an excessive number of notifications from being sent when the service usage record is not stable.

[0086] Furthermore, when the cumulative print count PN is equal to the cumulative charge count CN, that is, when the remaining charge count RN becomes 0, the use of the second print service is restricted and printing is not possible. That is, when the cumulative print count PN is equal to or greater than the threshold value (CN-100) or threshold value (CN-10), the use of the print service by the user is not restricted, but when the cumulative print count PN is equal to or greater than the threshold value CN, the use of the second print service by the user is restricted. That is, when notification is restricted, notifications 4 and 5 sent at a timing when the use of the second print service is not restricted are restricted, but notification 6 sent at a timing when the use of the second print service is restricted is not restricted. If the use of the second print service by the user is restricted without notifying the user of anything, for example, the user is taken by surprise and is unable to print, which is a major disadvantage. According to this embodiment, since excessive notifications are suppressed while notifications are sent at a timing when the use of the second print service is restricted, the disadvantage to the user caused by the notification being restricted can be suppressed.

[0087] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, if a user stops using a specific service (e.g., the first print service) and resumes using the specific service within a predetermined period of time from the suspension of use (YES in S100 of FIG. 4), the management server 300 does not restrict notifications to the user when the use of the specific service is resumed (S160 of FIG. 4). If the use of the specific service is resumed within the predetermined period of time, the user has used the specific service in the past, so it is considered that no time is needed for the user to get used to the specific service. For this reason, in this case, it is considered that the use of the specific service by the user will quickly stabilize, so there is little need to restrict notifications, and it is preferable to perform normal notifications. In this embodiment, since notifications are not restricted in such cases, unnecessary notification restrictions can be suppressed.

[0088] As can be seen from the above explanation, notifications 1, 4, and 5 in this embodiment are examples of the first type of notification, and notifications 2, 3, and 6 are examples of the second type of notification.

[0089] B. Modifications (1) The above-mentioned conditions for releasing the implementation are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Fig. 8 is a flowchart of a modified example of the temporary invalidation release process.

[0090] When the temporary invalidation release process is started, the management server 300 determines in S300 whether a certain period of time has passed since the user subscribed to the print service. The certain period of time is a predetermined period of time, such as six months or a year. If the certain period of time has passed since the user subscribed to the print service (S300: YES), the process proceeds to S340 and S350 to release the notification restriction.

[0091] If a certain period of time has not passed since subscription (S300: NO), the management server 300 acquires, in S305, trend data D1 of the number of printed sheets for the last week from the service information table ST. For example, the trend data D1 is data on the number of printed sheets for each day from 14 days ago to 8 days ago. The values ​​of the trend data D1 for the past 7 days are (X1 to X7).

[0092] In S310, the management server 300 acquires the trend data D2 of the number of printed sheets for the last week from the service information table ST. For example, the trend data D2 is data on the number of printed sheets for each day from seven days ago to one day ago. The values ​​of the trend data D2 for the seven days are (Y1 to Y7).

[0093] In S300, the management server 300 calculates a correlation coefficient Rp between this week's trend data D2 and last week's trend data D1. Rp can be expressed, for example, as (Sxy) / (Sx*Sy). Sxy is the covariance of the trend data D1 (X1-X7) and the trend data D2 (Y1-Y7). Sx is the standard deviation of the trend data D1 (X1-X7), and Sy is the standard deviation of the trend data D2 (Y1-Y7). The more similar the trend data D1 and the trend data D2 are, the larger the correlation coefficient Rp. It is considered that the more stable the usage record of the print service is, the larger the correlation coefficient Rp will be.

[0094] In S330, the management server 300 judges whether the calculated correlation coefficient Rp is equal to or greater than a threshold THr. The threshold THr is experimentally determined in advance so that the correlation coefficient Rp is equal to or greater than the threshold THrn when it is estimated that the user's use of the print service is stable and the fluctuation in the usage record of the print service is below a standard.

[0095] If the correlation coefficient Rp is equal to or less than the threshold THr (S330: YES), the management server 300 advances the process to S340. If the correlation coefficient Rp is less than the threshold THr (S330: NO), the management server 300 ends the temporary invalidation cancellation process.

[0096] In S340 and S350, the management server 300 executes processing for lifting the print restriction. That is, in S340, the management server 300 sets the restriction flag in the notification setting information associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100 to OFF, and in S350, the management server 300 sets the restriction flag in the notification setting information associated with the device ID "DID_a" of the printer 100 to OFF. After S340 and S350, the management server 300 ends the temporary disablement release processing.

[0097] In the modified example described above, the conditions for lifting the print restriction include two conditions: a certain period of time has passed since subscription (condition A), and the correlation coefficient Rp (which can also be called similarity) between last week's trend data D1 and this week's trend data D2 is equal to or greater than a threshold value THr (condition B). If at least one of condition A and condition B is met, it is determined that the lifting condition is met.

[0098] Condition B is a condition for determining whether or not the usage record of the print service has stabilized, similar to the cancellation condition in the embodiment, based on the usage record of the print service.

[0099] If the usage history of the print service is not stable even after a certain period of time has passed, it is not a temporary instability in the usage history of the print service, but rather the usage pattern of the user is considered to be one that is constantly fluctuating greatly. In this case, it is considered appropriate to lift the notification restriction because it is unlikely that the usage history of the print service will become stable in the future. For this reason, condition A is added in this modified example.

[0100] (2) The determination of the release condition is not limited to the method of comparing the results of the first period (in this embodiment, one week of last week) with the second period (in this embodiment, one week of this week), and may be determined using other methods. For example, the management server 300 may calculate an index value (e.g., standard deviation) indicating the variation in the number of printed sheets from the time of subscribing to the print service to the present once a day, and determine that the release condition is satisfied when the index value becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

[0101] In addition, the value related to the usage history of the printing service used to determine the release condition is not limited to the number of printed sheets, and other values ​​may be used. For example, the value related to the usage history of the printing service may be the number of prints or the amount of printing material such as ink used.

[0102] (3) In the above embodiment, the user can give a setting instruction regarding the notification, but the user may not be able to give a setting instruction for the notification. In this case, S120 and S130 in FIG. 4B may be omitted. Also, the user may be able to send a setting instruction for the notification to the management server 300 using the terminal device 200 at any time while using the print service, not just when subscribing to the print service. In this case, when the management server 300 acquires a setting instruction for the notification, it may immediately set the notification according to the setting instruction. For example, when the management server 300 acquires a setting instruction to enable a temporarily restricted notification, it may immediately release the restriction on the notification and enable the notification.

[0103] (4) In the above embodiment, some notifications (e.g., notifications 1, 4, and 5) are restricted when subscribing to the print service, while other notifications (e.g., notifications 2, 3, and 6) are not restricted when subscribing to the print service. Alternatively, all notifications may be restricted when subscribing to the print service. Also, in the above embodiment, all notifications that are set to be temporarily disabled are enabled when the release conditions are met. Alternatively, the management server 300 may, for example, set different release conditions for each notification and gradually release the restrictions on notifications starting from those for which the release conditions are met.

[0104] (5) In the above embodiment, notification is not restricted when resubscribing to the same print service, but notification may be restricted even when resubscribing to the same print service. Notification may be restricted only when the service being used is changed from one service (e.g., a first print service) to another service (e.g., a second print service) among the multiple services provided by the management server 300.

[0105] (7) The notifications 1 to 6 in the above embodiment are merely examples and are not limited thereto. Various other notifications may be issued. For example, in the first print service, the notification subject to the restriction may include a notification notifying the user when the total amount of the fee, including the additional fee for one month, is predicted to exceed a predetermined amount. In the first print service, the notification not subject to the restriction may include a notification notifying the user of the content of the payment when the fee has been paid. Furthermore, in the second print service, the notification subject to the restriction may include a notification notifying the user when the number of days until the timing when the remaining charge number RN is predicted to become 0 is equal to or less than a predetermined period (for example, one week). In the second print service, the notification not subject to the restriction may include a notification notifying the user that at least a part of the remaining charge number RN will become invalid due to, for example, the expiration date.

[0106] (8) In the above embodiment, the printer 100 is used as the device used to provide the service, but other types of devices may be adopted. The device may be, for example, a scanner or a digital camera that generates image data by optically reading an object using an image sensor. The device may be, for example, a sewing machine that forms an image such as a pattern on fabric by embroidering the fabric using thread, or a terminal device such as a smartphone or a personal computer.

[0107] In addition, the device is not limited to an image processing device such as a printer, a scanner, a camera, or a sewing machine, but may be any device that is connected to the Internet (IT). For example, the device may be a device unrelated to images, such as a home appliance such as a refrigerator or a microwave oven, or may be a music player or a temperature sensor.

[0108] The services provided by the management server 300 may be various services according to the device to be adopted. For example, the services that can be adopted include a service that can be realized by remotely operating a device by sending a command to the device, and a service that can be realized by collecting information about the device from the device by sending a command to the device.

[0109] The notification regarding the service may be changed as appropriate depending on the type of service employed. For example, notifications regarding the usage status of the service, notifications regarding the usage fee for the service, notifications regarding malfunctions of the server or device, etc. may be employed as appropriate.

[0110] (9) In the above embodiment, the print service is provided by one management server 300. Alternatively, the print service may be provided by two or more servers capable of communicating with each other, with each server sharing the roles. For example, the print service may be provided by an account management server that manages the account table AT, and a device management server that manages the device registration table DT and the service information table ST. In this case, for example, notification to the terminal device 200 may be executed by the account management server or the device management server.

[0111] (10) In the above embodiments, part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, part or all of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware.

[0112] The present invention has been described above based on examples and modifications, but the above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1000...system, 100...printer, 110...CPU, 120...volatile storage device, 130...non-volatile storage device, 140...display unit, 150...operation unit, 170...printing mechanism, 180...communication IF, 190...ink tank, 200...terminal device, 300...management server, 310...CPU, 320...volatile storage device, 330...non-volatile storage device, 380...communication IF, AP...application program, AT...account table, DB...management database, DT...device registration table, IB...information database, IT...Internet, PGp, PGs...computer program, ST...service information table

Claims

1. A server that provides a service to a specific user, a record acquiring unit that acquires record information indicating a record of use of the service by the specific user; a notification unit that notifies the specific user about the service during a period during which the service is provided; a notification control unit that controls a notification by the notification unit using a cancellation condition determined based on the performance information, the cancellation condition being a condition that is satisfied when a fluctuation in a performance of using the service by the specific user is equal to or less than a standard; and Equipped with The notification control unit, restricting a notification by the notification unit at the start of the service; After the service is started, a determination is made as to whether or not the cancellation condition is satisfied based on the performance information; A server that releases the restriction on notifications by the notification unit when the release condition is satisfied.

2. 2. The server of claim 1, The notification control unit determines whether the cancellation condition is satisfied based on a comparison of the usage history for a first period after the start of the service and the usage history for a second period after the first period.

3. 3. The server according to claim 2, The notification control unit determines that the cancellation condition is satisfied when a difference between a value indicating the usage history for the first period and a value indicating the usage history for the second period is equal to or less than a threshold value.

4. 2. The server of claim 1, an instruction acquisition unit that acquires a setting instruction of the specific user regarding the notification; The notification control unit, when the setting instruction of the specific user is acquired, determines whether or not to restrict the notification in accordance with the setting instruction, regardless of whether the cancellation condition is satisfied.

5. 2. The server of claim 1, The notification by the notification unit includes a first type notification and a second type notification, The notification control unit restricts the first type of notification and does not restrict the second type of notification.

6. 6. The server according to claim 5, the first type of notification includes a notification that is sent irregularly depending on the usage history, The second type of notification includes a notification that is periodically sent regardless of the usage history.

7. 6. The server according to claim 5, The first type of notification includes a notification that is sent when the usage record becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value, The second type of notification includes a notification that is transmitted when the usage record becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value.

8. 8. The server according to claim 7, A server, wherein when the usage history by the specific user becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold, the specific user's use of the service is not restricted, and when the usage history by the specific user becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold, the specific user's use of the service is restricted.

9. 2. The server of claim 1, A server in which, when the specific user stops using the service and resumes using the service within a specified period of time after the suspension of use, the notification control unit does not restrict notifications by the notification unit when the use of the service is resumed.

10. A notification method for notifying a specific user who receives a service, comprising: a result acquisition step of acquiring result information indicating a usage result of the service by the specific user; a notification step of notifying the specific user of the service during a period during which the service is provided; a notification control step of controlling the notification by the notification step using a cancellation condition determined based on the performance information, the cancellation condition being a condition that is satisfied when it is estimated that a fluctuation in the performance of use of the service by the specific user is equal to or less than a standard; Equipped with In the notification control step, limiting the notification in the notification step at the start of the service; After the service is started, a determination is made as to whether or not the cancellation condition is satisfied based on the performance information; When the lifting condition is satisfied, the notification restriction in the notification step is lifted.

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