Printer evaluation method, printer evaluation apparatus, and printer evaluation system

Abstract

To calculate an evaluation value indicating a degree of environmental load in accordance with actual usage of a printer.SOLUTION: A printer evaluation method for calculating an evaluation value E indicating a degree of environmental load with respect to a target printer 10A includes: an acquisition step S101 of acquiring operation information 300 indicating an operation history for a plurality of printers 10; a statistical information generation step S103 of generating statistical information 400 regarding the environmental load based on the operation information 300 for the printers 10; and an evaluation value calculation step S105 of calculating the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A based on the statistical information 400.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer evaluation method, a printer evaluation apparatus, and a printer evaluation system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a printer evaluation method for calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load on a target printer, a printer evaluation apparatus for calculating the evaluation value, and a printer evaluation system including the printer evaluation apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus that prints an image to be printed. This printing apparatus has an eco-printing function considering the environment. The printing apparatus includes a determination unit, an addition unit, and a printing unit.

[0003] The determination unit determines whether the setting content set when printing is setting content corresponding to eco-printing. The addition unit adds an addition image indicating that the image is printed by eco-printing to the image to be printed when it is determined by the determination unit that the setting content corresponds to eco-printing. The printing unit prints the image to which the addition image is added. By this, it is possible to notify a user who has seen the printing result whether it is eco-printing depending on the presence or absence of the addition of the addition image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the criteria for determining whether the set content corresponds to eco-printing are those already set in the printing apparatus. That is, the criteria are, for example, those set in advance by the manufacturer of the printing apparatus. However, the indicators of eco-printing are preferably changed according to the actual usage by, for example, the user of the printing apparatus. In the above printing apparatus, it was difficult to accurately determine whether the set content corresponded to eco-printing according to the actual usage of the printing apparatus.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide a printer evaluation method, a printer evaluation apparatus, and a printer evaluation system capable of calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load according to the actual usage of a printer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The printer evaluation method according to the present invention is a printer evaluation method for calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load on a target printer. The printer evaluation method includes an acquisition step of acquiring operation information indicating the operation history of a plurality of printers, a statistical information creation step of creating statistical information regarding the environmental load based on the operation information for the plurality of printers, and an evaluation value calculation step of calculating the evaluation value of the target printer based on the statistical information.

[0008] The printer evaluation apparatus according to the present invention is a printer evaluation apparatus for calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load on a target printer. The printer evaluation apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires operation information indicating the operation history of a plurality of printers, a statistical information creation unit that creates statistical information regarding the environmental load based on the operation information for the plurality of printers, and an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates the evaluation value of the target printer based on the statistical information.

[0009] According to the printer evaluation method and the printer evaluation apparatus described above, it is considered that a plurality of printers are used in different ways by users. Here, the way of using a printer is referred to as "actual usage situation". Therefore, it can be said that the statistical information regarding the environmental load, which is created based on the operation information of a plurality of printers, is information corresponding to the actual usage situation of the printers by users. Thus, by calculating the evaluation value of the target printer based on the statistical information corresponding to the actual usage situation of the printers by users, it is possible to calculate an evaluation value that conforms to the actual usage situation of the printers.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer evaluation method, a printer evaluation apparatus, and a printer evaluation system capable of calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load according to the actual usage situation of a printer.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to particularly limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0013] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printer evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the printer evaluation system 1 includes a plurality of printers 10, a server 80, and a printer evaluation device 100. In the printer evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is a system that calculates an evaluation value E (see Figure 10) indicating the degree of environmental load on a target printer 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the target printer 10A) among the plurality of printers 10. Here, in the printer evaluation system 1, operation information 300 (see Figure 9) of the plurality of printers 10 described later is acquired, and statistical information 400 (see Figure 13) is created based on these operation information 300. Then, based on the statistical information 400, an evaluation value E indicating the degree of environmental load in the target printer 10A is calculated.

[0014] Here, the evaluation value E indicating the degree of environmental load is an index indicating the degree of negative impact on the environment by using the printer 10. For example, when using the printer 10, there is ink that is discarded without being used for printing. It can be said that the greater the amount of discarded ink, the greater the degree of negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, it can be said that the smaller the amount of discarded ink, the smaller the degree of negative impact on the environment. For example, the evaluation value E is calculated based on the amount of discarded ink.

[0015] Hereinafter, the printer 10, the server 80, and the printer evaluation device 100 will be described in order. The number of printers 10 included in the printer evaluation system 1 is three in Figure 1, but is not particularly limited. The plurality of printers 10 included in the printer evaluation system 1 may have different models or the same model. The locations where the plurality of printers 10 are installed are not particularly limited and may be different locations, or may be arranged to be scattered in Japan or abroad. Hereinafter, the basic configuration of the printer 10 will be described. The printer 10 includes the above-mentioned target printer 10A.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 10 taken along the III-III cross-section of FIG. 2. In the drawings related to the printer 10, the reference signs F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings respectively indicate the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of the printer 10. Further, the reference sign Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction, and the reference sign X in the drawings indicates the sub-scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The sub-scanning direction X intersects (here, is orthogonal to) the main scanning direction Y in a plan view. The sub-scanning direction X is, for example, the front-rear direction. However, these directions are merely defined for convenience and should not be construed in a limited manner.

[0017] The printer 10 is a so-called inkjet printer. However, the printing method of the printer 10 is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be a dot impact printer, or it may be a laser printer or a thermal printer. The printer 10 is a so-called roll-to-roll type printer, and is configured to move the medium 5 supported by the support base 18 (see FIG. 2) in the sub-scanning direction X without moving the support base 18 in the sub-scanning direction X. However, the printer 10 may be a so-called flatbed type printer, and may be configured to move the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X by moving the support base 18 in the sub-scanning direction X. Further, the printer 10 may be a so-called gantry type printer, and the medium 5 itself supported by the support base 18 may not be moved, and the ink head 35 (see FIG. 3) described later may move in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 performs printing on the medium 5. The type of the medium 5 is not particularly limited. For example, the medium 5 is a roll-shaped recording paper, that is, a so-called roll paper.

[0019] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a printer main body 11, a support base 18, a guide rail 20, a carriage 22, a medium conveyance mechanism 25, a head movement mechanism 30, and an ink head 35 (see FIG. 3).

[0020] The printer main body 11 has a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. Legs 12 are provided on the printer main body 11. The legs 12 support the printer main body 11 and extend downward from the printer main body 11. In FIG. 3, the illustration of the legs 12 is omitted.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, an operation panel 13 is provided on the printer main body 11. The operation panel 13 is for the user to perform operations related to printing. Here, the operation panel 13 is provided on the printer main body 11. The operation panel 13 has a display screen 14 on which information such as various settings of the printer 10 is displayed, and operation keys 15. The user can, for example, operate the operation keys 15 to display information on various settings on the display screen 14 or determine information on various settings. In this embodiment, the operation keys 15 are constituted by physical buttons, but may be realized by, for example, a touch panel provided on the display screen 14.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the support base 18 supports the medium 5. Printing is performed on the medium 5 with the medium 5 supported by the support base 18. Here, the medium 5 is placed on the upper surface of the support base 18. The upper surface of the support base 18 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X.

[0023] The printer 10 includes a heater 19 provided on the support base 18. The heater 19 warms the medium 5 supported by the support base 18. Here, the heater 19 is provided on the back surface of the portion of the support base 18 on the downstream side (here, the front side) of the ink head 35. When the heater 19 is driven and the support base 18 is warmed, the medium 5 supported by the support base 18 is warmed. This promotes the drying of the ink ejected onto the medium 5. The position of the heater 19 is not particularly limited. The heater 19 may be arranged, for example, directly below the ink head 35 or on the upstream side of the ink head 35. Also, the heater 19 may be arranged above the support base 18.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the guide rail 20 is disposed above the support base 18 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. A carriage 22 is engaged with the guide rail 20. The carriage 22 is provided slidably with respect to the guide rail 20. The carriage 22 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 20.

[0025] The medium conveyance mechanism 25 is a mechanism that conveys the medium 5 supported by the support base 18 in the sub-scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, the medium conveyance mechanism 25 includes a pinch roller 26, a grit roller 27, and a feed motor 28. The pinch roller 26 is provided above the support base 18 and below the guide rail 20, and presses the medium 5 from above as shown in FIG. 3. The grit roller 27 is a cylindrical member provided on the support base 18. Here, the grit roller 27 is embedded in the support base 18 with its upper surface portion exposed. The grit roller 27 faces the pinch roller 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the grit roller 27 is connected to the feed motor 28. In FIG. 2, two pinch rollers 26 are arranged, but actually, a plurality of pinch rollers 26 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. Also, two grit rollers 27 are arranged, but actually, a plurality of grit rollers 27 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y so as to be disposed below the pinch rollers 26. The plurality of grit rollers 27 are provided and connected, for example, to a shaft (not shown) extending in the main scanning direction Y. The feed motor 28 is connected to one of the plurality of grit rollers 27 or to the above-mentioned shaft.

[0026] Here, the feed motor 28 is driven in a state where the medium 5 is sandwiched between the pinch roller 26 and the grit roller 27. By driving the feed motor 28, the shaft and the plurality of grit rollers 27 rotate, and the medium 5 supported by the support base 18 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0027] The head movement mechanism 30 is a mechanism that moves the carriage 22 and the ink head 35 (see FIG. 3) in the main scanning direction Y. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the head movement mechanism 30 includes left and right pulleys 31a and 31b, a belt 32, and a head motor 33. The left pulley 31a is provided around the left end of the guide rail 20. The right pulley 31b is provided around the right end of the guide rail 20. The belt 32 is an endless belt and is wound around the left and right pulleys 31a and 31b. The carriage 22 is attached to the belt 32. Here, the head motor 33 is connected to the right pulley 31b. When the head motor 33 is driven, the right pulley 31b rotates and the belt 32 runs. As a result, the carriage 22 and the ink head 35 move in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 20.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the bottom surface of the carriage 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the ink head 35 is provided on the carriage 22. The ink head 35 is supported by the carriage 22 so that its bottom surface is exposed. The number of ink heads 35 is not particularly limited, but here it is four. The four ink heads 35 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0029] Each ink head 35 has a nozzle surface 36. The nozzle surface 36 constitutes the bottom surface of the ink head 35. A plurality of nozzles 37 through which ink is ejected are formed on the nozzle surface 36. In each ink head 35, the nozzles 37 are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the row of nozzles 37 arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction X is called a nozzle row 38. In the present embodiment, the number of nozzle rows 38 in one ink head 35 is two, but it is not particularly limited.

[0030] Figs. 5 and 6 are front views of the cap unit 50. In Fig. 5, a state where the cap 51 is not attached to the ink head 35 is shown. In Fig. 6, a state where the cap 51 is attached to the ink head 35 is shown. In the present embodiment, the printer 10 includes the cap unit 50. The cap unit 50 covers the nozzles 37 and sucks the ink in the ink head 35 from the nozzles 37. As shown in Fig. 5, the cap unit 50 includes a cap 51, a capping mechanism 52, and a suction pump 53.

[0031] The cap 51 can be attached to the ink head 35 so as to cover the nozzles 37. Here, "attachment" means a state where the cap 51 is attached to the ink head 35 so as to cover the nozzles 37. "Attachment" includes, as shown in Fig. 6, a state where the cap 51 fits into the lower part of the ink head 35, and also a state where the end face (here, the upper end face) of the cap 51 is in contact with the nozzle surface 36 so as to cover the nozzles 37.

[0032] In the present embodiment, one cap 51 is attached to one ink head 35. Therefore, the number of caps 51 is four, which is the same as the number of ink heads 35. The four caps 51 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The cap 51 has a box-like shape with an open upper part. The type of material forming the cap 51 is not particularly limited. At least the part of the cap 51 that contacts the ink head 35 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. Also, an absorber (not shown) such as a sponge may be arranged inside the cap 51. The shape of the opening at the upper part of the cap 51 corresponds to the shape of the outer peripheral part of the ink head 35.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the capping mechanism 52 is a mechanism that raises and lowers the cap 51 with respect to the ink head 35. The capping mechanism 52 is a mechanism that attaches and separates the cap 51 with respect to the ink head 35. In the present embodiment, the capping mechanism 52 is configured to raise and lower a plurality of caps 51 simultaneously without changing the relative positions of the plurality of caps 51 with respect to each other.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the capping mechanism 52 includes a support member 55 and a capping motor 56. The support member 55 is a member that supports the cap 51. Here, the support member 55 is a plate-shaped member. The capping motor 56 is connected to the support member 55. When the capping motor 56 is driven, the support member 55 moves up and down. As the support member 55 moves up and down, the plurality of caps 51 move up and down simultaneously.

[0035] The suction pump 53 is connected to the cap 51. Here, one suction pump 53 is connected to each cap 51. Therefore, the number of suction pumps 53 is four, which is the same as the number of caps 51. The suction pump 53 is a member that sucks ink, air, etc. inside the cap 51. The type of the suction pump 53 is not particularly limited. The suction pump 53 is, for example, a vacuum pump. The suction pump 53 is connected to the bottom surface of the cap 51 via a tube (not shown), for example. As shown in FIG. 6, when the suction pump 53 is driven with the cap 51 attached to the ink head 35, ink, etc. is sucked out from the nozzles 37 of the ink head 35. The ink, etc. sucked by the suction pump 53 is discarded into a waste liquid tank (not shown) via a tube (not shown), etc.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cap 51 is disposed at a home position (not shown) located at the right end of the guide rail 20. Therefore, by moving the ink head 35 in the main scanning direction Y by the head moving mechanism 30, the relative position of the ink head 35 with respect to the cap 51 in the main scanning direction Y can be changed. By moving the ink head 35 in the main scanning direction Y, the ink head 35 can be disposed at a position where the nozzle surface 36 overlaps the cap 51 in a plan view. Then, in a state where the nozzle surface 36 overlaps the cap 51 in a plan view, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 6, when the cap 51 rises, the cap 51 can be attached to the ink head 35.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a front view of the wiper unit 60. As shown in FIG. 7, the printer 10 includes a wiper unit 60. The wiper unit 60 is disposed in the vicinity of the cap 51 and is disposed below the ink head 35. The wiper unit 60 is a mechanism for wiping the nozzle surface 36 of the ink head 35. In this embodiment, the wiper unit 60 includes a wiper 61, a rotating shaft 62, a cleaning liquid tank 63, and a rotating motor 64.

[0038] The wiper 61 is a member for wiping the nozzle surface 36 of the ink head 35. The wiper 61 is a flat plate-shaped member extending in the sub-scanning direction X. The length of the wiper 61 in the sub-scanning direction X is configured to be longer than the length of the ink head 35 in the sub-scanning direction X. The wiper 61 is formed of, for example, rubber. One end of the wiper 61 is connected to the rotating shaft 62. The wiper 61 is configured to be rotatable about the rotating shaft 62. The rotating shaft 62 extends in the sub-scanning direction X. The cleaning liquid tank 63 is a container in which the cleaning liquid is stored and is disposed below the rotating shaft 62. When the tip of the wiper 61 faces downward, the tip of the wiper 61 enters the cleaning liquid tank 63 and is immersed in the cleaning liquid. By this, ink and the like attached to the wiper 61 can be removed, and the wiper 61 can be cleaned. The rotating motor 64 is connected to the rotating shaft 62 and rotates the wiper 61 together with the rotating shaft 62.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the wiper 61 is disposed at a rotational position such that the tip of the wiper 61 faces upward, the tip of the wiper 61 is disposed at a position slightly higher than the nozzle surface 36 of the ink head 35. Therefore, when the ink head 35 is moved in the main scanning direction Y while the wiper 61 is disposed at such a rotational position, the nozzle surface 36 can be wiped by the wiper 61. Note that the wiper 61 may be configured to move in the main scanning direction Y with respect to the nozzle surface 36 while contacting the nozzle surface 36 of the ink head 35. Further, the direction in which the wiper 61 wipes the nozzle surface 36 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the sub-scanning direction X.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the printer evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the printer 10 includes a secondary power supply 65. The secondary power supply 65 is provided, for example, in the printer main body 11 (see FIG. 2). By turning on the secondary power supply 65, the printer 10 can be made available for use. By turning on the secondary power supply 65, power is supplied to the components constituting the printer 10 (for example, the ink head 35, the medium conveyance mechanism 25, the head movement mechanism 30, etc.), and the printer 10 becomes controllable. By turning off the secondary power supply 65, the printer 10 enters a standby state and printing becomes impossible.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a control device 70. The control device 70 is a device that performs control related to printing and the like. The configuration of the control device 70 is not particularly limited. The control device 70 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but for example, an interface (I / F) for receiving print data and the like from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a ROM (read only memory) that stores a program executed by the CPU, a RAM (random access memory) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the above program and various data. Here, the control device 70 is provided inside the printer main body 11. However, the control device 70 does not necessarily have to be provided inside the printer main body 11, and for example, it may be a computer or the like that is installed outside the printer main body 11 and is communicably connected to a control board (not shown) provided in the printer 10 via wire or wirelessly.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 70 is communicably connected to an operation panel 13 (specifically, a display screen 14 and operation keys 15), a medium conveyance mechanism 25 (specifically, a feed motor 28), a head movement mechanism 30 (specifically, a head motor 33), an ink head 35, a cap unit 50 (specifically, a capping motor 56 of a capping mechanism 52 and a suction pump 53), and a wiper unit 60 (specifically, a rotation motor 64). The control device 70 is configured or programmed to be able to control the operation panel 13, the medium conveyance mechanism 25, the head movement mechanism 30, the ink head 35, the cap unit 50, and the wiper unit 60. Further, the control device 70 is communicably connected to a heater 19 and a secondary power supply 65. The control device 70 is configured or programmed to be able to control the heater 19 and the secondary power supply 65.

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the control device 70 includes a storage unit 71 and an information transmission unit 73. The information transmission unit 73 may be realized by, for example, one or more processors or a circuit.

[0044] The information transmission unit 73 transmits information regarding the printer 10. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the operation information 300. Here, the information transmission unit 73 transmits the operation information 300 (see FIG. 9) as information regarding the printer 10. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the operation information 300 is information indicating the operation history of the printer 10, and is information representing the operation state of the printer 10 in chronological order. The operation information 300 is information from when the printer 10 was delivered. The operation information 300 exists for each printer 10. The operation information 300 includes the start time and end time of an event of the printer 10. Here, the "event of the printer 10" refers to the type of control of the printer 10.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the events of the printer 10 at least include the secondary power OFF 301, printing 302, error 303, maintenance 304, and printing standby 305. The secondary power OFF 301 means turning off the secondary power 65 (see FIG. 8), and is a standby state in which printing by the printer 10 is not possible. When the secondary power is OFF 301, power is not supplied to the components constituting the printer 10 (for example, the ink head 35, the medium conveyance mechanism 25, the head movement mechanism 30, etc.), and it becomes a state where control is impossible. Printing 302 is to control the ink head 35, the medium conveyance mechanism 25, the head movement mechanism 30, etc., and eject ink from the ink head 35 toward the medium 5 supported by the support base 18 to print an image or the like on the medium 5.

[0046] Error 303 means that during printing 302, a malfunction occurs in printer 10, the operation stops, and printing 302 is interrupted. Error 303 means that the above malfunction of printer 10 has not been resolved and printing cannot be resumed. Maintenance 304 refers to the maintenance of ink head 35 and includes maintenance involving ink consumption from ink head 35. Maintenance 304 includes, for example, suction processing, flushing processing, wiping processing, etc.

[0047] Suction processing means, as shown in FIG. 6, the process of sucking ink from nozzle 37 with cap 51 attached to ink head 35. Here, in the suction processing, in order to attach cap 51 to ink head 35, capping mechanism 52 is controlled to raise cap 51. With cap 51 attached to ink head 35, suction pump 53 is driven. By driving this suction pump 53, ink is sucked from nozzle 37 and discharged into cap 51. In the suction processing, ink is consumed as ink is discharged from ink head 35 to cap 51.

[0048] Flushing processing is the process of discharging ink from nozzle 37 of ink head 35 towards cap 51. By executing the flushing processing, foreign matter or solidified ink attached inside ink head 35 can be discharged from ink head 35. In the suction processing and flushing processing, ink is consumed as ink is discharged from ink head 35 to cap 51.

[0049] Wiping processing means, as shown in FIG. 7, the process of wiping nozzle surface 36 of ink head 35 with wiper 61. Here, with the tip of wiper 61 facing upward, ink head 35 is moved in the main scanning direction Y. At this time, when ink head 35 passes over wiper 61, wiper 61 contacts nozzle surface 36, so that nozzle surface 36 is wiped and ink etc. attached to nozzle surface 36 is removed.

[0050] The printing standby 305 refers to the state in which the printer 10 is waiting to start printing. In the printing standby 305, the secondary power supply 65 is in the ON state, which means when it is other than printing 302, error 303, and maintenance 304. Note that in the printing standby 305, operations such as adjusting the conveyance amount of the medium 5 by the medium conveyance mechanism 25, or adjusting the landing position of the ink ejected from the ink head 35 to the medium 5 in the forward and return paths in so-called bidirectional printing may be performed.

[0051] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the operation information 300 includes the start time and the end time in each event of the printer 10 (here, the secondary power supply OFF 301, printing 302, error 303, maintenance 304, printing standby 305, etc.). Note that the start time of an event of the printer 10 may be the same as the end time of another event.

[0052] Also in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the operation information 300 includes the printed amount 310 (in other words, the cumulative printed amount 410 (see FIG. 13) described later), and the ink consumption amount 311 (in other words, the cumulative ink consumption amount 411 (see FIG. 14) described later). The printed amount 310 refers to the printed area on the medium 5 during printing 302 among the events of the printer 10. However, the printed amount 310 may be the length by which the medium 5 is conveyed. The ink consumption amount 311 refers to the amount of ink consumed when an event of the printer 10 is executed, in other words, the amount of ink ejected from the ink head 35. The ink consumption amount 311 refers to the amount of ink consumed in printing 302 and maintenance 304 (for example, suction processing, flushing processing) in the printer 10.

[0053] As described above, the information transmission unit 73 in FIG. 8 transmits the operation information 300. Note that the destination of the operation information 300 is not particularly limited. Here, the information transmission unit 73 transmits the operation information 300 to the server 80. The information transmission unit 73 transmits, as the operation information 300, the start time or end time of an event to the server 80 when, for example, an event of the printer 10 starts or ends. Also, when printing 302 ends, the information transmission unit 73 transmits the printed amount 310 and the ink consumption amount 311 due to the printing 302 to the server 80. When maintenance 304 ends, the information transmission unit 73 transmits the ink consumption amount 311 due to the execution of the maintenance 304 to the server 80. Note that the timing at which the information transmission unit 73 transmits the operation information 300 is not particularly limited, and for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation information 300 regarding the events of the printer 10 that occurred within the predetermined time may be collectively transmitted to the server 80.

[0054] The basic configuration of the printer 10 has been described above. Next, the server 80 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. For example, the printer evaluation system 1 is realized by a so-called cloud computing environment. In this case, the server 80 is a cloud server realized in the cloud computing environment. However, the printer evaluation system 1 may be realized by a so-called client-server environment. In this case, the server 80 is a server realized in the client-server environment. The server 80 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like.

[0055] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the server 80 is communicably connected to a plurality of printers 10 (specifically, a control device 70 (see FIG. 8)). Here, the server 80 is communicably connected to the plurality of printers 10 via the Internet 200.

[0056] Here, the server 80 stores information regarding a plurality of printers 10 including the target printer 10A, that is, the plurality of printers 10 provided in the printer evaluation system 1. In the present embodiment, the server 80 stores the operation information 300 of each printer 10. The information transmission unit 73 (see FIG. 8) of each printer 10 transmits the operation information 300 to the server 80. Therefore, the server 80 receives and stores the operation information 300 of each printer 10.

[0057] Next, the printer evaluation device 100 in FIG. 1 will be described. The printer evaluation device 100 is a device that calculates an evaluation value E (see FIG. 10) indicating the degree of environmental load on the target printer 10A. Specifically, the printer evaluation device 100 creates statistical information 400 (see FIG. 13) based on the operation information 300 of the plurality of printers 10. Then, based on the statistical information 400, the evaluation value E for the target printer 10A is calculated.

[0058] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printer evaluation device 100 is configured separately from the printer 10 and the server 80, for example. However, the printer evaluation device 100 may be configured to be integrated with the server 80, for example. The printer evaluation device 100 is realized by a computer. The computer that realizes the printer evaluation device 100 may be a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. The printer evaluation device 100 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like.

[0059] The printer evaluation device 100 is communicably connected to the server 80. In the present embodiment, the printer evaluation device 100 is connected to the server 80 via the Internet 200. The printer evaluation device 100 is indirectly communicably connected to the plurality of printers 10 via the server 80. However, the printer evaluation device 100 may be directly connected to the plurality of printers 10 without going through the server 80.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 8, the printer evaluation apparatus 100 includes an apparatus storage unit 101, an acquisition unit 103, a statistical information creation unit 105, an evaluation value calculation unit 107, and a notification unit 109. Each unit included in the printer evaluation apparatus 100 may be realized by one or a plurality of processors or may be realized by a circuit.

[0061] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a terminal 120 is communicably connected to the printer evaluation apparatus 100. The terminal 120 is connected to the printer evaluation apparatus 100 via the Internet 200. Although not shown, the terminal 120 may be communicably connected to the printer 10 or the server 80 via the Internet 200. In FIG. 1, the number of terminals 120 is one, but it may be plural.

[0062] The terminal 120 is a terminal used by a user. The terminal 120 may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a desktop or laptop personal computer used by the user. As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal 120 includes a display screen 121, operation means 122 operated by the user such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a terminal control device 123 configured by a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like.

[0063] The configuration of the printer evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the printer evaluation method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10. The printer evaluation method according to the present embodiment is a method for calculating an evaluation value E indicating the degree of environmental load on the target printer 10A. In the present embodiment, the printer evaluation method is embodied by the printer evaluation apparatus 100, which is an example of an information processing apparatus in the printer evaluation system 1.

[0064] In this embodiment, when calculating the evaluation value E by the printer evaluation method, for example, the user operates the operation means 122 (see FIG. 8) of the terminal 120 to send an evaluation start signal from the terminal 120 to the printer evaluation apparatus 100. In this embodiment, for example, the user operates the operation means 122 of the terminal 120 to select a target printer 10A to be evaluated from among the plurality of printers 10 included in the printer evaluation system 1. The terminal 120 transmits information regarding the target printer 10A to the printer evaluation apparatus 100 together with the evaluation start signal. The printer evaluation apparatus 100 starts calculating the evaluation value E for the target printer 10A by the printer evaluation method by receiving the evaluation start signal and the information regarding the target printer 10A.

[0065] When the printer evaluation method is started in this way, first, the acquisition step S101 in FIG. 10 is executed. The acquisition step S101 is embodied by the acquisition unit 103 (see FIG. 8) of the printer evaluation apparatus 100. In the acquisition step S101, the acquisition unit 103 acquires operation information 300 indicating the operation history of the plurality of printers 10. Here, the acquisition unit 103 acquires the operation information 300 of each printer 10 from the server 80. The timing at which the acquisition unit 103 acquires the operation information 300 is not particularly limited. For example, the acquisition unit 103 acquires the operation information 300 (specifically, the operation information 300 generated during the acquisition interval) from the server 80 every time a predetermined acquisition interval elapses. The acquisition unit 103 may acquire the operation information 300 of the plurality of printers 10 from the server 80 all at once. Here, the operation information 300 of the plurality of printers 10 includes the operation information 300 of the target printer 10A. The operation information 300 of the plurality of printers 10 acquired by the acquisition unit 103 is stored in the apparatus storage unit 101 in FIG. 8.

[0066] Next, the statistical information creation step S103 in FIG. 10 is executed. In the present embodiment, the statistical information creation step S103 is embodied by the statistical information creation unit 105 (see FIG. 8) of the printer evaluation apparatus 100. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the daily print volume 310 in the operation information 300. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the daily ink consumption 311 in the operation information 300. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the statistical information 400. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the distribution of the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the printer 10 whose cumulative print volume 410 belongs to an arbitrary reference range AR1 (here, the target reference range AR11). In the statistical information creation step S103, the statistical information creation unit 105 creates statistical information 400 (see FIG. 13) regarding the environmental load based on the operation information 300 for a plurality of printers 10. Here, the statistical information 400 is created for a plurality of printers 10 including the target printer 10A, and is the statistical information required to calculate the evaluation value E.

[0067] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the statistical information 400 is information created by the cumulative print volume 410 of the operation information 300 in a plurality of printers 10 and the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the operation information 300 (see also FIG. 14). Here, the cumulative ink consumption 411 in FIG. 14 is an example of a first characteristic value indicating the degree of environmental load, and the cumulative print volume 410 in FIG. 13 is an example of a second characteristic value serving as a reference when creating the statistical information 400.

[0068] The cumulative print volume 410 is the total amount of the print volume 310 (see FIG. 11) since the start of use in the printer 10. The print volume 310 is the printed area printed on the medium 5 at the time of printing 302 (see FIG. 9). For example, for the operation information 300 of one printer 10, as shown in FIG. 11, the print volume 310 is calculated every predetermined time (here, the date). Then, by adding up the print volumes 310 for each predetermined time, the cumulative print volume 410 in the operation information 300 of one printer 10 can be calculated. Note that the cumulative print volume 410 may be the total amount of the print volume 310 in an arbitrary period.

[0069] The cumulative ink consumption 411 in FIG. 14 refers to the total amount of ink consumption 311 (see FIG. 12) since the start of use in the printer 10. The ink consumption 311 refers to the amount of ink consumed in printing 302 (see FIG. 9) and maintenance 304 (see FIG. 9). For example, for the operation information 300 of one printer 10, as shown in FIG. 12, the ink consumption 311 is calculated for each predetermined time (here, the date). Then, by adding up the ink consumption 311 for each predetermined time, the cumulative ink consumption 411 in the operation information 300 of one printer 10 can be calculated. Note that the cumulative ink consumption 411 may be the total amount of ink consumption 311 in an arbitrary period. Also, the ink consumption 311 may be the amount of ink consumed only in maintenance 304.

[0070] Thus, the cumulative ink consumption 411 includes the ink consumption 311 consumed in maintenance 304. Therefore, when the cumulative ink consumption 411 is large, it is presumed that the amount of ink to be discarded also increases, which is considered to have a negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, when the cumulative ink consumption 411 is small, it is presumed that the amount of ink to be discarded also decreases, which is considered to be less likely to have a negative impact on the environment. Here, when the cumulative print volume 410 increases, it is presumed that the ink consumption 311 in printing 302 among the cumulative ink consumption 411 increases. On the other hand, when the cumulative print volume 410 decreases, it is presumed that the ink consumption 311 in printing 302 among the cumulative ink consumption 411 decreases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the degree of environmental load is evaluated based on the relationship between the cumulative print volume 410 and the cumulative ink consumption 411. The statistical information creation unit 105 creates statistical information 400 based on the cumulative print volume 410 and the cumulative ink consumption 411. In the statistical information creation step S103, statistical information 400 is created based on the cumulative print volume 410 and the cumulative ink consumption 411.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the statistical information creation unit 105 totals the cumulative ink consumption 411 for each cumulative print volume 410 to create statistical information 400. Here, in FIG. 13, a bar graph and error bars are shown for each reference range AR1 of the cumulative print volume 410. The bar graph and error bars in FIG. 13 respectively show the average value and variation (standard error or standard deviation) of the cumulative ink consumption 411 for which the cumulative print volume 410 belongs to the reference range AR1. In the statistical information creation step S103, based on the cumulative print volume 410 and cumulative ink consumption 411 in the plurality of printers 10, the cumulative ink consumption 411 is totaled for each cumulative print volume 410 to create statistical information 400.

[0072] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the numerical range of the cumulative print volume 410 is divided into a plurality of reference ranges AR1. Each printer 10 has a cumulative print volume 410 included in any one of the plurality of reference ranges AR1. Therefore, each printer 10 belongs to any one of the plurality of reference ranges AR1.

[0073] The statistical information creation unit 105 in FIG. 8 calculates the average value and variation of the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the printer 10 having the cumulative print volume 410 included in the reference range AR1 for each reference range AR1, and creates statistical information 400. Here, the average value and variation of the cumulative ink consumption 411 of one or more printers 10 having the cumulative print volume 410 included in an arbitrary reference range AR1 are calculated as the statistical information 400. Here, the average cumulative ink consumption 412 is the average of the cumulative ink consumption 411 of one or more printers 10 belonging to an arbitrary reference range AR1. As described above, in the statistical information creation step S103 in FIG. 10, the statistical information creation unit 105 calculates the average value and variation of the cumulative ink consumption 411 of one or more printers 10 belonging to the reference range AR1 for each reference range AR1 in the cumulative print volume 410, and creates statistical information 400.

[0074] Next, the evaluation value calculation step S105 in FIG. 10 is executed. In the present embodiment, the evaluation value calculation step S105 is embodied by the evaluation value calculation unit 107 (see FIG. 8) of the printer evaluation apparatus 100. In the evaluation value calculation step S105, the evaluation value calculation unit 107 calculates the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A based on the statistical information 400 created in the statistical information creation step S103. As described above, the evaluation value E is an index indicating the degree of negative impact on the environment by using the target printer 10A.

[0075] In the present embodiment, in FIG. 14, for example, among the plurality of reference ranges AR1 in FIG. 13, a histogram showing the distribution of the cumulative ink consumption amounts 411 of the plurality of printers 10 having the cumulative print amount 410 included in the target reference range AR11 is shown. Here, it is assumed that the cumulative print amount 410 of the target printer 10A is included in the target reference range AR11 in FIG. 13. The evaluation value calculation unit 107 in FIG. 8 calculates the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A by comparing the cumulative ink consumption amount 411 of the target printer 10A with the average cumulative ink consumption amount 412 that is the average value of the cumulative ink consumption amounts 411 of the printers 10 whose cumulative print amount 410 belongs to the target reference range AR11. In the present embodiment, the average cumulative ink consumption amount 412 is used as a statistical value for calculating the evaluation value E. Note that, as a statistical value used for calculating the evaluation value E, the variation (for example, standard deviation) of the cumulative ink consumption amounts 411 of the printers 10 whose cumulative print amount 410 belongs to the target reference range AR11 may be used. Here, the evaluation value E is a value calculated based on the difference between the cumulative ink consumption amount 411 of the target printer 10A and the average cumulative ink consumption amount 412. For example, when the cumulative ink consumption amount 411 of the target printer 10A is X and the average cumulative ink consumption amount 412 is μ, the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A is calculated by the following formula (1). Here, it is assumed that the histogram in FIG. 14 is a normal distribution. E = (X - μ) / μ ···(1)

[0076] In this embodiment, for example, when the evaluation value E is a negative value, in FIG. 14, the target printer 10A is distributed on the minus side (the left side in FIG. 14) of the average cumulative ink consumption 412. When the evaluation value E is a negative value, it means that the target printer 10A tends to have a smaller cumulative ink consumption 411 compared to other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410. The tendency for the cumulative ink consumption 411 to be small means that the ink consumption by maintenance 304 (see FIG. 9) tends to be small compared to other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410. As described above, the ink discharged by the maintenance 304 is waste ink and is wasted ink. Therefore, when the cumulative ink consumption 411 tends to be small for the same cumulative print volume 410 (in other words, the cumulative print volume 410 included in the same target reference range AR11), it is considered that the waste ink consumption is small and it is considered to be environmentally friendly. Therefore, when the evaluation value E is a negative value, the target printer 10A is evaluated as consuming less waste ink and being used in an environmentally friendly manner compared to other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410.

[0077] On the one hand, for example, when the evaluation value E is a positive value, in FIG. 14, the target printer 10A is distributed on the plus side (the right side in FIG. 14) of the average cumulative ink consumption 412. When the evaluation value E is a positive value, it means that the target printer 10A tends to have a larger cumulative ink consumption 411 compared to other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410. Here, the tendency of the cumulative ink consumption 411 to be large means that the ink consumption by the maintenance 304 is large compared to other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410. Therefore, when there is a tendency for the cumulative ink consumption 411 to be large for the same cumulative print volume 410, it is considered that there is a large amount of wasteful ink consumption, and it is considered not environmentally friendly. Thus, when the evaluation value E is a positive value, the target printer 10A is evaluated as having more wasteful ink consumption and being used in an environmentally unfriendly way compared to other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410.

[0078] After the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A is calculated in this way, next, the notification process S107 in FIG. 10 is executed. In the present embodiment, the notification process S107 is implemented by the notification unit 109 (see FIG. 8) of the printer evaluation device 100. In the notification process S107, the notification unit 109 notifies the user of the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A calculated in the evaluation value calculation process S105.

[0079] Here, for example, the evaluation value E can be converted so that the unit is expressed in %. For example, when the evaluation value E is a negative value, the notification unit 109 issues a notification indicating that "the environmental load (for example, the cumulative ink consumption 411) is E% less than that of other printers 10, and it is used in an environmentally friendly way." On the other hand, when the evaluation value E is a positive value, the notification unit 109 issues a notification indicating that "the environmental load (for example, the cumulative ink consumption 411) is E% more than that of other printers 10, and it is used in an environmentally unfriendly way."

[0080] Note that the notification destination to which the notification unit 109 notifies the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the notification unit 109 may notify the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A to the terminal 120 (see FIG. 1) used by the user. For example, the notification unit 109 may transmit the evaluation value E, which is the evaluation result of the target printer 10A, to the terminal control device 123 (see FIG. 8) of the terminal 120. The terminal control device 123 displays the evaluation value E, which is the evaluation result of the target printer 10A, on the display screen 121. Further, the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A may be notified to the target printer 10A. For example, the notification unit 109 may display the evaluation value E, which is the evaluation result of the target printer 10A, on the display screen 14 (see FIG. 2) of the target printer 10A.

[0081] The user can know the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A by visually observing the display screen 121 of the terminal 120. Therefore, based on the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A, the user can improve the usage method of the target printer 10A to be an environmentally friendly usage method.

[0082] As described above, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printer evaluation system 1 includes a printer evaluation device 100 and a plurality of printers 10 communicably connected to the printer evaluation device 100 via the Internet 200. The printer evaluation method is a method for calculating an evaluation value E indicating the degree of environmental load on the target printer 10A, and as shown in FIG. 10, includes an acquisition step S101, a statistical information creation step S103, and an evaluation value calculation step S105. In the acquisition step S101, the acquisition unit 103 of the printer evaluation device 100 in FIG. 8 acquires operation information 300 (see FIG. 9) indicating the operation history of the plurality of printers 10. In the statistical information creation step S103, the statistical information creation unit 105 of the printer evaluation device 100 in FIG. 8 creates statistical information 400 (see FIG. 13) regarding the environmental load based on the operation information 300 of the plurality of printers 10. In the evaluation value calculation step S105, the evaluation value calculation unit 107 of the printer evaluation device 100 in FIG. 8 calculates the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A based on the statistical information 400. For example, it is considered that the plurality of printers 10 are used in different ways by users. The operation information 300 can be information corresponding to the usage method (here, the actual usage) of the user's printer 10. Therefore, it can be said that the statistical information 400 regarding the environmental load created based on the operation information 300 of the plurality of printers 10 is information corresponding to the actual usage of the printer 10 by the user. Thus, by calculating the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A based on the statistical information 400 corresponding to the actual usage of the user, an evaluation value E that conforms to the actual usage of the printer 10 can be calculated.

[0083] In this embodiment, the operation information 300 includes the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the printer 10, which is an example of the first characteristic value indicating the degree of environmental load. In the statistical information creation step S103 of FIG. 10, statistical information 400 regarding the cumulative ink consumption 411, which includes a statistical value (here, the average cumulative ink consumption 412) calculated based on the cumulative ink consumption 411 in a plurality of printers 10, is created. In the evaluation value calculation step S105 of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 14, the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A is calculated by comparing the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the target printer 10A with the average cumulative ink consumption 412. Here, since the cumulative ink consumption 411 includes the amount of ink to be discarded, the cumulative ink consumption 411 can be a value indicating the degree of environmental load. Further, the average cumulative ink consumption 412 based on the cumulative ink consumption 411 in a plurality of printers 10 can be a reference value indicating the degree of environmental load. Therefore, by calculating the evaluation value E by comparing the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the target printer 10A with the average cumulative ink consumption 412, the evaluation value E indicating the degree of environmental load based on the average cumulative ink consumption 412 can be calculated.

[0084] In this embodiment, the operation information 300 includes the cumulative print volume 410 which is an example of the second characteristic value serving as a reference when creating the statistical information 400. In the statistical information creation step S103 of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 13, the numerical range of the cumulative print volume 410 is divided into a plurality of reference ranges AR1. Then, based on the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the printer 10 having the cumulative print volume 410 included in the reference range AR1 (here, the target reference range AR11) to which the cumulative print volume 410 of the target printer 10A belongs, the average cumulative ink consumption 412 is calculated, and the statistical information 400 is created. Here, the average cumulative ink consumption 412 is the average of the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the printer 10 having the cumulative print volume 410 included in the reference range AR1 (here, the target reference range AR11) to which the cumulative print volume 410 of the target printer 10A belongs. Here, the printer 10 having the cumulative print volume 410 included in the target reference range AR11 is considered to be a collection of printers 10 that are printed at the same frequency. Therefore, by comparing the average cumulative ink consumption 412 calculated based on the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the printer 10 that is printed at the same frequency as the target printer 10A with the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the target printer 10A, it is possible to know the degree of relative environmental load on the target printer 10A with respect to the printer 10 that is printed at the same frequency.

[0085] In this embodiment, in the evaluation value calculation step S105 of FIG. 10, based on the difference between the cumulative ink consumption 411 of the target printer 10A and the average cumulative ink consumption 412 (here, the average cumulative ink consumption 412 of the target reference range AR11), the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A is calculated. By this, it is possible to calculate the evaluation value E indicating the degree of environmental load of the target printer 10A with respect to the average cumulative ink consumption 412 of the target reference range AR11.

[0086] In this embodiment, the printer evaluation method includes the notification step S107 in FIG. 10. In the notification step S107, the notification unit 109 of the printer evaluation apparatus 100 in FIG. 8 notifies the user of the evaluation value E of the target printer 10A calculated in the evaluation value calculation step S105. By this, the user can know the degree of environmental load on the target printer 10A from the notified evaluation value E. Therefore, the user can improve the usage of the target printer 10A to be environmentally friendly based on the notified evaluation value E.

[0087] In the above embodiment, an example of the first characteristic value indicating the degree of environmental load was the cumulative ink consumption 411. However, the first characteristic value is not limited to the cumulative ink consumption 411. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the statistical information 400A according to a modification, and is a corresponding diagram to FIG. 13. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the distribution of the media usage rate 411A of the printer 10 in which the cumulative print volume 410 belongs to an arbitrary reference range AR1 (here, the target reference range AR11) in the modification. As shown in FIG. 16, the first characteristic value indicating the degree of environmental load may be the media usage rate 411A. The media usage rate 411A is the ratio of the printed area (in other words, the printing area) used in the printing 302 to the entire area used in the medium 5. Here, for example, the media usage rate 411A in all the printings 302 since the start of use in the printer 10 is calculated. However, the media usage rate 411A may be the ratio of the printed area used in the printing 302 to the entire area of the medium 5 used in an arbitrary period. The media usage rate 411A is included in the operation information 300 of each printer 10. As shown in FIG. 15, the statistical information 400A created by the statistical information creation unit 105 in FIG. 8 may be information showing the relationship between the cumulative print volume 410 and the media usage rate 411A in a plurality of printers 10. In this case, the average media usage rate 412A, which is the average value of the media usage rate 411A of the printer 10 to which the cumulative print volume 410 belongs to the target reference range AR11, is used as a statistical value for calculating the evaluation value E. The average media usage rate 412A is the average of the media usage rates 411A of one or more printers 10 having the cumulative print volume 410 included in an arbitrary reference range AR1 (for example, the target reference range AR11).

[0088] In this case, in the above formula (1), the evaluation value calculation unit 107 in FIG. 8 can calculate the evaluation value E by setting X as the media usage rate 411A of the target printer 10A and μ as the average media usage rate 412A of the target reference range AR11 to which the target printer 10A belongs.

[0089] When the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A is a negative value, in FIG. 16, the target printer 10A is distributed on the minus side (the left side in FIG. 16) of the average medium usage rate 412A. When the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A is a negative value, it means that the target printer 10A tends to have a low medium usage rate 411A. Having a tendency to have a low medium usage rate 411A means that, compared with other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410, the blank area not printed on the medium 5 is large. This blank area of the medium 5 is an area that can be discarded. Therefore, when the medium usage rate 411A tends to be low for the same cumulative print volume 410, it is considered not environmentally friendly. Accordingly, when the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A is a negative value, the target printer 10A is evaluated as being used in an environmentally unfriendly way because it has a lower usage efficiency of the medium 5 than other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410.

[0090] On the other hand, when the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A is a positive value, in FIG. 16, the target printer 10A is distributed on the plus side (the right side in FIG. 16) of the average medium usage rate 412A. When the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A is a positive value, it means that the target printer 10A tends to have a high medium usage rate 411A. Here, having a tendency to have a high medium usage rate 411A means that, compared with other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410, the blank area not printed on the medium 5 is small. Therefore, when the medium usage rate 411A tends to be high for the same cumulative print volume 410, it is considered environmentally friendly. Accordingly, when the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A is a positive value, the target printer 10A is evaluated as being used in an environmentally friendly way because it has a smaller blank area of the medium 5 than other printer 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410.

[0091] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the statistical information 400B according to another modified example, and is a corresponding diagram to FIG. 13. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a distribution regarding the cumulative heater time 411B of the printer 10 in which the cumulative print volume 410 belongs to an arbitrary reference range AR1 (here, the target reference range AR11) in another modified example. As shown in FIG. 18, the first characteristic value indicating the degree of environmental load may be the cumulative heater time 411B. The cumulative heater time 411B is the cumulative time during which the heater 19 (see FIG. 9) was operating (in other words, driven) in the printing 302. The cumulative heater time 411B is included in the operation information 300 of each printer 10. As shown in FIG. 17, the statistical information 400B may be information showing the relationship between the cumulative print volume 410 and the cumulative heater time 411B in a plurality of printers 10. In this case, the average cumulative heater time 412B, which is the average value of the cumulative heater time 411B of the printer 10 whose cumulative print volume 410 belongs to the target reference range AR11, is used as a statistical value for calculating the evaluation value E. The average cumulative heater time 412B is the average of the cumulative heater times 411B of one or more printers 10 having a cumulative print volume 410 included in an arbitrary reference range AR1 (for example, the target reference range AR11).

[0092] In this case, in the above formula (1), the evaluation value calculation unit 107 in FIG. 8 can calculate the evaluation value E by setting X as the cumulative heater time 411B of the target printer 10A and μ as the average cumulative heater time 412B of the target reference range AR11 to which the target printer 10A belongs.

[0093] When the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B is a negative value, in FIG. 18, the target printer 10A is distributed to the negative side (the left side in FIG. 18) of the average cumulative heater time 412B. When the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B is a negative value, it means that the target printer 10A tends to have a short cumulative heater time 411B. When the cumulative heater time 411B tends to be short for the same cumulative print volume 410, the power consumption is considered to be low, which is considered to be environmentally friendly. Therefore, when the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B is a negative value, the target printer 10A has a shorter cumulative heater time 411B than other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410, so it is evaluated that the target printer 10A is used in an environmentally friendly way.

[0094] On the other hand, when the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B is a positive value, in FIG. 18, the target printer 10A is distributed to the positive side (the right side in FIG. 18) of the average cumulative heater time 412B. When the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B is a positive value, it means that the cumulative heater time 411B of the target printer 10A tends to be long. When the cumulative heater time 411B tends to be long for the same cumulative print volume 410, the power consumption is considered to be high, which is considered to be not environmentally friendly. Therefore, when the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B is a positive value, the target printer 10A has a longer cumulative heater time 411B than other printers 10 belonging to the same target reference range AR11 with the same cumulative print volume 410, so it is evaluated that the target printer 10A is used in an environmentally unfriendly way.

[0095] Also, in the above embodiment, the statistical information 400, 400A, 400B may be created for each environment where the printer 10 is installed. Each environment means, for example, each country. That is, the statistical information 400, 400A, 400B may be created for each country where the printer 10 is installed.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, the evaluation value E may be an index comprehensively evaluating the evaluation value E based on the cumulative ink consumption 411 described above, the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A, and the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B. For example, for the evaluation value E based on the cumulative ink consumption 411, the evaluation value E based on the medium usage rate 411A, and the evaluation value E based on the cumulative heater time 411B, different weighting factors (in this case, the factors may be negative or positive) may be multiplied, and the sum of the values may be used as the overall evaluation value E. In this case, depending on whether the overall evaluation value E is a negative value or a positive value, it may be evaluated whether the target printer 10A is used in an environmentally friendly manner or not in an environmentally friendly manner.

Explanation of Signs

[0097] 1 Printer evaluation system 10 Printer 10A Target printer 80 Server 100 Printer evaluation device 103 Acquisition unit 105 Statistical information creation unit 107 Evaluation value calculation unit 109 Notification unit 300 Operation information 400 Statistical information 410 Cumulative print volume (second characteristic value) 411 Cumulative ink consumption (first characteristic value) 412 Average cumulative ink consumption (statistical value) S101 Acquisition process S103 Statistical information creation process S105 Evaluation value calculation process S107 Notification process E Evaluation value

Claims

1. A printer evaluation method for calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load on a target printer, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring operation information indicating the operation history of a plurality of printers; a statistical information creation step of creating statistical information related to the environmental load based on the operation information for the plurality of printers; an evaluation value calculation step of calculating the evaluation value of the target printer based on the statistical information; A printer evaluation method including the above steps.

2. The operation information includes a first characteristic value indicating the degree of the environmental load, in the statistical information creation step, statistical information related to the first characteristic value, including a statistical value calculated based on the first characteristic value in the plurality of printers, is created; in the evaluation value calculation step, the evaluation value of the target printer is calculated by comparing the first characteristic value of the target printer with the statistical value. The printer evaluation method according to claim 1.

3. The operation information includes a second characteristic value serving as a reference when creating the statistical information, in the statistical information creation step, the numerical range of the second characteristic value is divided into a plurality of reference ranges, and the statistical value is calculated based on the first characteristic value of the printers having the second characteristic value included in the reference range to which the second characteristic value of the target printer belongs, and the statistical information is created. The printer evaluation method according to claim 2.

4. In the statistical information creation step, the average of the first characteristic values of the printers having the second characteristic value included in the reference range to which the second characteristic value of the target printer belongs is calculated as the statistical value. The printer evaluation method according to claim 3.

5. The first characteristic value is the cumulative ink consumption of the printer. The printer evaluation method according to claim 2.

6. The second characteristic value is the cumulative print volume of the printer. The printer evaluation method according to claim 3.

7. In the evaluation value calculation step, the evaluation value of the target printer is calculated based on the difference between the first characteristic value of the target printer and the statistical value. The printer evaluation method according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. The printer evaluation method according to claim 1, further including a notification step of notifying the user of the evaluation value of the target printer calculated in the evaluation value calculation step.

9. A printer evaluation apparatus that calculates an evaluation value indicating the degree of environmental load on a target printer, an acquisition unit that acquires operation information indicating the operation history of a plurality of printers, a statistical information creation unit that creates statistical information regarding the environmental load based on the operation information for the plurality of printers, an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates the evaluation value of the target printer based on the statistical information, and a printer evaluation apparatus comprising the same.

10. The printer evaluation apparatus according to claim 9, and a plurality of printers communicably connected to the printer evaluation apparatus via the Internet, and a printer evaluation system comprising the same.

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