Device management server, device management method, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a device management server configured to associate consumable goods corresponding to a continuous printing speed when it is changed.SOLUTION: A device management server which manages a device designed to change continuous printing speed includes: storage means which stores commodity information of the device and consumable goods information for use in the device in association with the device; and changing means which performs changing processing to acquire, from the storage means, based on change information on the continuous printing speed received from the device, individual commodity corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed, acquire, from the storage means, consumable goods information available in the individual commodity when the consumable goods information associated with the device is not available in the individual commodity, and associate the acquired consumable goods information with the device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device management server, a device management method, a computer program, and the like.

[0002] Traditionally, the continuous print speed (PPM: Pages Per Minute) that determines the print speed of a printer or multifunction device (referred to as a device) is set at the factory. However, when user demand is concentrated on devices with a specific continuous print speed, it can be difficult to quickly supply the desired device.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a method in which a license management server issues a license for changing the continuous printing speed, and the continuous printing speed setting can be changed by performing license authentication when the device is installed at the user's site after shipping from the factory. A device that supports this type of continuous printing speed change function is called a speed license-compatible device.

[0004] In addition, there is generally a device management server that manages devices, performing tasks such as detecting errors, automatically ordering consumables, and compiling print results. Such device management servers are sometimes provided as cloud service systems. Devices are registered on the system, allowing service providers to manage them.

[0005] Such device management servers often use a method of managing devices by linking them to master information. Master information is used to centrally manage device information. Specific types of master information include product masters and consumable masters. Product masters define basic information about the device, such as the product name, continuous print speed, whether it is a printer or multifunction device, and whether it is a color or monochrome device.

[0006] The consumables master defines the name, color, capacity, and product for which the consumables (toner) can be used, etc. By linking the product master to a device, you can eliminate the need to set the above basic information for each device.

[0007] In addition, when managing multiple devices, it becomes easy to aggregate usage data for each product. Also, by linking a consumables master to a device, it becomes easy to manage inventory and automatically order consumables used on that device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-146111 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In Patent Document 1, the continuous printing speed of a device is changed through license authentication. When managing such a device with a changeable continuous printing speed using a device management server, it is also necessary to change the master information that links the device before and after license authentication.

[0010] A convenient procedure for starting management of a device with the device management server is to register the device with the device management server before installing the device, which allows you to start managing the device immediately after installing it.

[0011] If the device has not yet been installed and the continuous print speed has not yet been determined, link the device to a product series rather than a specific product in the product master. A product series is a group of products with the same device hardware but different continuous print speeds.

[0012] For example, suppose there are two products with the same hardware, the "M1-50" with a continuous printing speed of 50 sheets per minute and the "M1-70" with a continuous printing speed of 70 sheets per minute. These two products are grouped together into a product series called the "M1-series."

[0013] When registering a device to the device management server, the device is linked to a product series called "M1-series." Furthermore, the consumables that will actually be used are selected from those that can be used with the "M1-series" hardware and linked. Generally, the consumables that can be used with a device differ depending on the device's hardware, i.e., product series. This depends on the device that stores the consumables and the shape and performance of the consumables themselves.

[0014] When the continuous print speed is determined through license authentication after device installation, i.e., when the specific product is determined, manually updating the link to the specific product on the device management server is time-consuming. In particular, if the person who registers the device on the device management server is different from the service technician who installs the device, multiple people will be required after the device is installed.

[0015] Also, when registering a device on the device management server, it may be possible that the wrong product series was linked, and the product reported after the continuous print speed was determined is outside of the product series. In this case, the hardware of the actual product differs from the product series that was set, and the consumables set when registering the device may not be usable.

[0016] In addition, there are cases where it is not possible to uniquely identify the consumables to be used, such as when there are multiple types of consumables that can be used in the updated product, such as when there are standard and high-capacity toners of the same color, or when there are new and old toners due to a renewal.

[0017] One of the objectives of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above and to provide a device management server that can link consumables corresponding to a changed continuous printing speed when the continuous printing speed is changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] A device management server that manages a device capable of changing a continuous printing speed, a storage unit that stores product information of the device and information on consumables used in the device in association with the device; a change means for acquiring from the storage means an individual product corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, and, if the consumable product information linked to the device is not usable for the individual product, acquiring from the storage means consumable product information usable for the individual product and performing a change process to re-link the individual product to the device; The present invention is characterized by having the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, when the continuous printing speed is changed, the continuous printing speed is changed. It is possible to provide a device management server that can link appropriate consumables. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a device management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 200 that functions as a device management server 101, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a device 102. FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is a functional block diagram of an information processing device 200 that functions as a device management server according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a device 102. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a Web UI for registering a device to be managed in the device management server 101. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a license code input screen displayed on the UI 216 of the device 102. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a master association change process in the device management method according to the embodiment. [Figure 7A] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the device management server 101 after receiving a confirmed product name after license renewal. [Figure 7B] 7B is a flowchart continuing from FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a Web UI for managing part replacement for each device in the device management server 101 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the device management server 101 when the device management server 101 receives a confirmed product name after a license is updated in the third embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a part information update process in a device management method according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a Web UI for managing an error history for each device in the device management server 101 according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for re-determining the failure history of a device in a device management method according to a fourth embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In each drawing, the same members or elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device management system 100 is a system in which a device management server 101, a device 102, an information processing terminal 103, a license server 104, etc. are connected via a network 105.

[0023] The device management server 101 is a cloud service system that provides a variety of integrated device management services for managing devices. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the device management server 101 operates on one information processing device, but it may also be configured with multiple information processing devices that communicate with each other and operate together.

[0024] The device 102 is a device installed at a user's premises and is managed by a device management server 101. The device 102 is connected to the device management server 101 via a network 105, and transmits setting information and operating status of the device 102 to the device management server 101.

[0025] In this embodiment, the device is a printer or a copy machine, and the continuous printing speed or continuous copying speed can be changed according to, for example, a license. In this embodiment, the printing speed includes the copying speed.

[0026] Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which one device 102 exists at one user's location, the device management server 101 manages one or more devices that exist at each of one or more users' locations.

[0027] The information processing terminal 103 is an information processing terminal used by a person in charge (user) of the service provider company who issues various instructions to the device management server 101. The information processing terminal 103 is equipped with a web browser and has a function for operating the web UI provided by the device management server 101. The information processing terminal 103 may function as a part of the device management server 101, or may be configured integrally with the device management server 101.

[0028] The license server 104 is a system that issues license codes for changing the continuous printing speed (continuous copying speed, etc.) of a device. The network 105 is a network such as the Internet. The Web UI provided by the device management server 101 is made public on a network such as the Internet, and the device management server 101 is capable of communicating with the device 102 and the information processing terminal 103 via the network 105.

[0029] 2A is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 200 that functions as the device management server 101. The information processing device 200 includes a CPU 201 that serves as a computer that executes software stored in a hard disk drive (HDD) 210, which is a storage device. The CPU 201 comprehensively controls each piece of hardware connected to a system bus 204.

[0030] A memory 202 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 201. A network interface card (NIC) 203 exchanges data with other nodes via the network 105 in both directions.

[0031] A keyboard controller 205 controls instruction input from a keyboard 206 provided in the information processing device. Depending on the role of the information processing device, the keyboard controller 205 and keyboard 206 may be omitted.

[0032] Reference numeral 207 denotes a display controller that controls the display of a display module 208 that is configured, for example, as a liquid crystal display. Depending on the role of the information processing device, the configuration may not include the display controller 207 or the display module 208. Reference numeral 209 denotes a disk controller that controls an HDD 210 that is a storage device. The internal configuration of the license server 104 is the same as that of the information processing device.

[0033] 2B is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device 102. The device 102 includes a CPU 211 as a computer that executes software stored in a storage device, such as an HDD 219. The CPU 211 controls a printer 213, a scanner 214, and the like that are connected to a system bus 215.

[0034] Memory 212 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 211. UI 216 is provided with a touch panel, buttons, etc. for operation, and is used to transmit information input by the device user from UI 216 to CPU 211. Disk controller 217 controls data access to HDD 219. NIC 218 exchanges data bidirectionally with other nodes via network 105.

[0035] Fig. 3(A) is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device 200 functioning as the device management server 101. Note that some of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 3(A) are realized by a CPU 201, which serves as a computer included in the information processing device 200, reading a computer program stored in an HDD 210, which serves as a storage medium, into a memory 202 and executing the program.

[0036] However, some or all of these functions may be implemented by hardware, which may be a dedicated circuit (ASIC) or a processor (reconfigurable processor, DSP).

[0037] Furthermore, the functional blocks shown in Fig. 3(A) do not have to be built into the same housing, but may be configured as separate devices connected to each other via signal paths. The above explanation regarding Fig. 3(A) also applies to Fig. 3(B).

[0038] The control unit 301 is a software module that receives various processing execution instructions and executes various processes. The data storage unit 302 is a database configured with the HDD 210, etc., and functions as a storage means. As will be described later, the control unit 301 executes a storage step of storing product information of a device and information on consumables used in the device in the data storage unit 302, linking the information to the device.

[0039] The communication unit 303 is a software module for communicating with an external system via the network 105. The display unit 304 is a software module for providing a Web UI that can operate the device management server 101 in response to a request from the information processing terminal 103 or the like.

[0040] 3B is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the device 102. Each unit of the device 102 is realized by a CPU 211 as a computer reading a computer program stored in an HDD 219 into a memory 212 and executing the program.

[0041] The control unit 311 is a software module that receives various processing execution instructions from the UI 216 and executes the various processes. The communication unit 312 is a software module for communicating with an external system via the network 105. The display unit 313 displays a UI for the UI 216.

[0042] Next, Table 1 is an example of a product master management table, and the product master management table is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101.

[0043] The product master management table contains, as product master information, a "product code" that uniquely identifies the product, a "product name," and a "product type" that indicates the product type, such as a multifunction device or printer. The product master management table also contains a "color type" that indicates whether the product is color or monochrome, a "continuous print speed," and a "speed license (SL) flag."

[0044] In this embodiment, the SL flag is a flag used to distinguish whether the master is a product series, an individual product corresponding to the product series, or a product that does not support a speed license. S is stored for a product series, A for an individual product corresponding to the product series, and N for a product that does not support a speed license.

[0045] In the example in Table 1, product code MA001 indicates a product series, MA002 and MA003 indicate individual products corresponding to the product series, and MA004 indicates that it is defined as a product that does not support speed licenses.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] Table 2 is an example of a consumables master management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. The consumables master information includes a "consumables code" that uniquely identifies the consumables, a "consumables name," a "color" that indicates the color such as black or cyan, a "capacity," and a "product code" that indicates the product for which the consumables can be used.

[0048] [Table 2]

[0049] In the example of Table 2, consumables with consumable code CS0011 and CS0012 are registered as consumables that can be used with products with product code MA001, MA002, and MA003. Consumables with code CS0021 to CS0025 are registered as consumables that can be used with product code MA004. Table 3 is an example of a recommended consumables management table that defines recommended consumables for each product code, and is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101.

[0050] Recommended consumables are registered as one recommended consumable for each color when there are multiple types of consumables of the same color that correspond to each product code. In the example in Table 3, the recommended consumable for MA002 is CS0011.

[0051] [Table 3]

[0052] Table 4 is an example of a device management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. The device management table stores device information such as a "device ID" that uniquely identifies the device and a "serial number" that is assigned to each device when it is manufactured.

[0053] In addition, device information stored includes a "user ID" that uniquely identifies the user who owns the device, a "device name," an "IP address," a "product code" that indicates the linked product master, and a "consumable code" that indicates the consumables used on the device.

[0054] The device ID is used by the device management server 101 to uniquely identify and manage the device when registering the device. The method of device registration will be described later. In the case of a color machine (color printer), multiple consumables for each color are linked and stored in the consumables code field.

[0055] For a device with device ID D1, MA001 is linked to the product code. In other words, it is linked to a product series, and the continuous print speed has not yet been determined. For a device with device ID D2, MA002 is linked to a product. In other words, it is linked to an individual product corresponding to the product series, and the continuous print speed has been determined.

[0056] In this way, in this embodiment, the data storage unit 302 functions as a storage means that performs a storage step of storing product information for a device and information on consumables used in the device, linked to the device, as shown in Table 4, for example.

[0057] The device with device ID D3 is linked to product MA004, which means that it is linked to a product that does not support speed licensing, and is a device that does not support speed licensing.

[0058] [Table 4]

[0059] It should be noted that device registration can be performed by an instruction from the information processing terminal 103. That is, device registration is performed by the display unit 304 of the device management server 101 displaying a Web UI for device registration on the information processing terminal 103 in response to an instruction from the information processing terminal 103. Then, the person in charge (user) inputs device information using the information processing terminal 103.

[0060] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a Web UI for registering a device to be managed in the device management server 101. A person in charge of device registration (user) requests the device management server 101 to display a Web UI for device registration from the information processing terminal 103. In response to the request, the display unit 304 provides the Web UI for device registration.

[0061] The person in charge (user) enters the information required for device registration in the Web UI and presses the register button 407. When the register button 407 is pressed, the display unit 304 passes the entered device information to the control unit 301 and instructs it to execute device registration.

[0062] The control unit 301 stores (saves) the received device information in the device management table (Table 3). That is, a storage step is executed in which product information of the device and information on consumables used in the device are stored in the data storage unit 302 in association with the device.

[0063] 4, the input items include a serial number 401, a user name 402, a device name 403, an IP address 404, a product name selected from a pull-down list 405, and a consumable product name selected from a pull-down list 406. The pull-down list 405 displays a list of product names of the product masters registered in the product master management table (Table 1).

[0064] The pull-down list 406 displays the names of consumables that are available and are selected in the pull-down list 405 from the consumables masters registered in the consumables management table (Table 2). For example, if "M1-series" is selected as the product name in the pull-down list 405, the pull-down list 406 can display the consumable names "C0011Black" and "C0012Black" as candidates.

[0065] When a consumable product name is selected from the pull-down list 406, capacity information may also be displayed to confirm that the selection is correct. The product ID corresponding to the selected product name and the consumable product ID corresponding to the selected consumable product name are registered in the device management table (Table 4).

[0066] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a license code input screen displayed on the UI 216 of the device 102. The license code is issued by the license server 104. The license code is input by operating the hard keys or touch panel of the device.

[0067] The person installing the device (user) enters the license code that determines the continuous printing speed in the license code input field 501 and presses the set button 502. This determines the device's continuous printing speed and also determines the product name. The control unit 311 of the device 102 sends the determined product name to the device management server 101 via the communication unit 312.

[0068] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a master association change process in the device management method according to the embodiment. The process is performed by the device management server 101 after the device 102 performs license authentication and determines the product name, and then receives the determined product name from the device 102.

[0069] The CPU 201, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart of FIG.

[0070] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the device D1 has been registered in advance in the device management server 101. That is, it is assumed that the data in the first row of the device management table (Table 4) has been registered.

[0071] When license authentication is performed on a speed license-compatible device, the device notifies the device management server 101 of its own serial number and the product name determined by license authentication.

[0072] That is, for example, if a license for a continuous printing speed of 50 sheets is input for device D1, the product name "M1-50" is notified to the device management server 101. Then, upon receiving the confirmed product name from device 102, the device management server 101 searches for "Product Name" in the product master management table (Table 1) using the received product name in step S601, and identifies the product to be changed as an individual product.

[0073] That is, in step S601, based on the continuous printing speed change information received from the device, a process is performed to acquire from the data storage unit 302 individual products that correspond to the changed continuous printing speed.

[0074] Next, in step S602, the device management server 101 changes the product associated with the device to the identified individual product. Specifically, it changes the product code of device D1 in the device management table (Table 4) to MA002.

[0075] Next, in step S603, the device management server 101 determines whether the consumables linked to the device can be used with the changed product. The consumables master management table (Table 2) indicates that consumables CS0011 linked to device D1 can also be used with the changed product MA002. In this case, the determination in step S603 is Yes, and no processing related to the consumables is required, so the flow in FIG. 6 is terminated.

[0076] On the other hand, if the product name determined by license authentication for device D1 is, for example, "M3-70," the device management server 101 changes the product code of device D1 to MA007 in step S602 based on Table 1. When the device was registered, it was linked to the product series "M1-series," but this was incorrect, and it is thought that the product series should have been "M3-series."

[0077] In the consumables master management table (Table 2), consumables CS0011 linked to device D1 does not correspond to product code MA007. Therefore, the device management server 101 determines in step S603 that the consumables are unusable. That is, in step S603, it is determined that the consumables information linked to the device is an individual product that cannot be used, and the process proceeds to step S604.

[0078] In step S604, the device management server 101 obtains the consumables corresponding to the changed product code MA007 from the consumables master management table (Table 2). According to Table 2, the consumables that can be used with product code MA007 are CS0026 or CS0027. Next, in step S605, the device management server 101 determines whether the usable consumables obtained in step S604 can be uniquely identified.

[0079] If, in step S605, CS0026 is the only consumable item that can be used in MA007 and can be uniquely identified, the process proceeds to step S606, where the device management server 101 changes the consumable item associated with device D1 to CS0026. Thereafter, the flow in FIG. 5 ends.

[0080] However, in this case, the usable consumables acquired in step S604 are CS0026 and CS0027, and therefore, a determination of No is made in step S605, and the process proceeds to step S607. In step S607, the device management server 101 determines the consumables to be linked to device D1 from the consumables acquired in step S604.

[0081] In this embodiment, one of the following methods is used for the determination: The first determination method is to associate a recommended consumable with the changed product code MA007. In the recommended consumable management table (Table 3), the recommended consumable for product code MA007 is CS0027.

[0082] Therefore, in step S607, CS0027 is selected from the two consumables and linked. In other words, if there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the recommended consumable for the individual product after the change is selected as the consumable to be re-linked.

[0083] The second determination method is a method of linking a consumable item with attribute values similar to those of the linked consumable item. Here, an example is shown in which capacity is used for the determination. The reason for using capacity for the determination is that when selecting a consumable item name from the pull-down list 406 during device registration in the Web UI of FIG. 4, if a relatively large-capacity consumable item is selected, for example, it can be predicted that the user intended to select a large-capacity consumable item even though the type of consumable item is different.

[0084] The capacity of the originally linked consumable CS0011 is "normal" as shown in Table 2. Furthermore, the candidate CS0026 is "normal" and CS0027 is "large capacity." Therefore, the second judgment method determines that CS0026 should be linked. In other words, if there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the consumable to be re-linked is selected based on the attributes of the linked consumable information.

[0085] The third determination method is to determine which consumables are being used based on the number of pages printed and the remaining amount of consumables when the device has already printed. That is, first, the device management server 101 obtains information on the number of pages printed and the remaining amount of consumables for the device from the device.

[0086] For example, if a normal capacity printer can print 10,000 sheets and a high capacity printer can print 30,000 sheets, and if the actual print count is 5,000 sheets and the remaining amount of consumables is 50%, the third determination method determines that the consumables being used are normal capacity consumables.

[0087] That is, if there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the consumables to be re-linked are determined and selected based on the number of printed pages and the remaining amount of consumables in the device's printing history, and are those that are actually being used.

[0088] The method of determination to be adopted may be uniquely determined by the system, or may be selected in advance by the person in charge (user). Alternatively, the system may automatically determine whether or not to change the linkage of consumables, and if it is determined not to change the linkage automatically, the system may notify the user that the linkage needs to be changed.

[0089] In the second determination method, if all the attribute values of the determination criteria for the candidate consumables are the same, that is, if the capacity of all the candidate consumables is "normal," it is not possible to make a determination. Therefore, it is possible to combine multiple determination methods, such as first making a determination using the second determination method, and if a determination cannot be made, setting the recommended consumables using the first determination method.

[0090] Furthermore, a plurality of determination methods may be combined, such as using the third determination method if there is a printing history, and using the first determination method if there is no printing history.

[0091] When the consumable item to be linked is determined in step S607, the device management server 101 rewrites the consumable item code of the corresponding device in the device management table (Table 4) in step S606, and the flow in FIG. 6 ends.

[0092] In addition, step S607 etc. functions as a change step (change means) that, when the consumable information linked to the device cannot be used for an individual product, obtains consumable information that can be used for an individual product from the data storage unit and performs a change process to re-link it to the device.

[0093] Although the method for predicting the correct consumables and automatically changing the association has been described above, depending on the service provided to the user, it may be necessary to set more accurate consumables to be used in the device management server 101. For example, when an automatic ordering service for consumables is provided, if consumables that are different from those actually used on the device are registered on the service side, the incorrect consumables will be delivered.

[0094] Table 5 is an example of a service usage management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. Each user is set to decide whether or not to use each service provided by the device management server 101. These settings are made by the person in charge (user) when signing a service contract.

[0095] In the example of Table 5, user C1 uses the inventory management service and the print performance tally service, and user C2 uses the inventory management service, the consumables automatic ordering service, and the print performance tally service. Note that in this embodiment, the services to be used are set on a per-user basis, but it is also possible to set the services to be used on a different basis, such as a per-device basis.

[0096] [Table 5]

[0097] In addition, in the determination process of step S607, the device management server 101 may also determine whether the device is eligible for the automatic ordering service for consumables. If the device is not eligible, the predicted consumables are linked using the method described above. On the other hand, if the device is eligible, the person in charge (user) may be notified by communication means such as email that the product and consumable settings were incorrect, along with information about the predicted consumables.

[0098] <Embodiment 2> In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which, after the continuous printing speed is determined by license authentication, another license authentication is performed to change the continuous printing speed. Detailed descriptions of the same configurations and procedures as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0099] There may be cases where a device is initially used at a low speed, but in light of actual usage, it would be desirable to change to a higher speed. For example, let's consider an example where a device from the "M1-series" product series is being used with product code MA002, which is a product with a speed of 50 sheets per minute, but is then changed to product code MA003, which is a product with a speed of 70 sheets per minute. Let's assume that the device in question is device D2, owned by user C2, in the second row of the device management table (Table 4).

[0100] In the recommended consumables management table (Table 3), the recommended consumable for product code MA002 is the standard capacity consumable CS0011. On the other hand, the recommended consumable for product code MA003 is the high-capacity consumable CS0012. This is because when using product code MA003, which is a high-speed machine, it is expected that a large number of pages will be printed, so the high-capacity consumable is recommended in consideration of the amount of consumables consumed.

[0101] However, when changing to a high-speed device and changing the consumables to recommended consumables for high-speed devices, problems may occur if the association of the consumables for the device is immediately changed on the device management server 101.

[0102] When the device management server 101 provides a service for managing the inventory of consumables, if the originally linked normal capacity consumables remain in stock but the newly linked large capacity consumables do not exist, the device management server 101 may determine that the device is out of stock.

[0103] Furthermore, when using an automatic ordering service for consumables, consumables may be ordered even if there is usable stock. For this reason, in this embodiment, the linking of consumables is changed at an appropriate time.

[0104] That is, when a new license code is entered on the license code input screen (FIG. 5), the control unit 311 of the device 102 transmits the changed product name "M1-70" to the device management server 101 via the communication unit 312.

[0105] Fig. 7A is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the device management server 101 that receives the confirmed product name after license renewal, and Fig. 7B is a flowchart that follows Fig. 7A. The CPU 201, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowcharts of Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B.

[0106] In step S701, the device management server 101 receives the changed product name and acquires the product associated with the notified device from the device management table (Table 4). In this embodiment, MA002 is acquired.

[0107] Next, in step S702, the changed product is identified from the product master, and in step S703, the product linked to the device is changed to the identified individual product. Furthermore, in step S704, the device management server 101 determines whether the current product change is due to a license change.

[0108] The method of determination is whether the SL flag in the product master management table (Table 1) is "S". If the linked product before the change was "S", it is linked to a product series, so it is determined that this is the first license authentication and there is no license change. If it is anything other than "S", it is determined that this is the second or subsequent license authentication and there is a license change.

[0109] If the result of the determination in step S704 is that the license has not been changed, the process proceeds to step S705. Steps S705 to S709 are the same as in embodiment 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, since the SL flag of MA002, the product before the change acquired in step S701, is not "S," the process determines in step S704 that the license has been changed, and the process proceeds to step S710 in FIG. 7B.

[0110] In step S710, the device management server 101 determines whether the recommended consumables for the received changed product are the same as the consumables linked to the device. If they are the same, there is no need to change the linkage of the consumables, so the flow in Figures 7A and 7B ends.

[0111] In this embodiment, the recommended consumable item for the changed product code MA003 is CS0012, and the consumable item linked to the device is CS0011, so the determination in step S710 is No, and the process proceeds to step S711.

[0112] In step S711, the device management server 101 determines whether the device is under inventory management, i.e., whether it is using an inventory management service. If the result of the determination in step S711 is that the device is not under inventory management, the process proceeds to step S708, where the association of the consumables is changed to the recommended consumables for the changed product, and the flow in Figures 7A and 7B ends.

[0113] In this embodiment, in step S711, it is determined from the service usage management table (Table 5) that user C2 is using the inventory management service, and the process proceeds to step S712. In step S712, the device management server 101 checks the remaining inventory of the currently linked consumables for the user in question using the consumables inventory management table.

[0114] Table 6 is an example of a consumables inventory management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. For each user, the table stores the consumables' "consumables code," "remaining quantity," and, if an automatic ordering service is used, the "remaining quantity to be automatically ordered."

[0115] In the example in Table 6, user C1 has three units of CS0011 in stock and does not use the automatic ordering service. User C2 has five units of CS0011 in stock, and the automatic ordering service indicates that an order will be automatically placed when two units are left in stock.

[0116] [Table 6]

[0117] In this embodiment, the remaining inventory quantity of consumable item CS0011 for user C2 is 5. In step S713, the device management server 101 determines whether the association of the consumable item can be changed. The determination method is either determination method A or B below.

[0118] Judgment method A is a method of judging whether or not there is stock. If the remaining stock is 0, it is judged that the linking can be changed. If there is even one item in stock, it is judged that the currently linked consumables will continue to be used, so it is judged that the linking cannot be changed. This makes it possible to prevent the system from mistakenly judging that there is no stock when the new consumables do not exist in the inventory, even though there is stock.

[0119] If you are using an automatic consumables ordering service, you may use the following judgment method B. Judgment method B judges whether the remaining quantity has decreased to the quantity required for automatic ordering. The remaining quantity in stock of consumables CS0011 at user C2 is 5, and the remaining quantity required for automatic ordering is 2.

[0120] In other words, the quantity has not decreased to the remaining quantity for automatic ordering. In this case, it is determined that the linking cannot be changed. This makes it possible to prevent the changed consumables from being mistakenly ordered even if they are in stock.

[0121] If the device management server 101 determines in step S713 that the association cannot be changed, it performs the process of step S712 periodically or when the inventory quantity changes, and reconfirms whether the association can be changed.

[0122] If it is determined in step S713 that the linking can be changed, in step S708 the device management server 101 changes the linking of the consumables to the recommended consumables of the changed product, and ends the flow of FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0123] In this manner, in this embodiment, in steps S704 and S710 to S713, it is determined from the received change information whether change processing is possible based on the change history of the continuous printing speed (history of whether license authentication is the second or subsequent time, etc.).

[0124] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which if the linked consumable item is different from the recommended consumable item after the product is changed, it is changed to the recommended consumable item, but the configuration may also be such that it is possible to select whether or not to change to the recommended consumable item.

[0125] For example, the UI can be configured so that when entering a license code, the user can select whether or not to change the recommended consumables if they differ, and this information can also be notified to the device management server 101.

[0126] If the device management server 101 receives a notification that there will be no change to recommended consumables in the case of a license change, the device management server 101 does not change the association of consumables. Also, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the continuous printing speed is permanently changed depending on the usage situation, but there may also be cases in which it is desired to change the continuous printing speed temporarily.

[0127] For example, a low speed is not a problem under normal circumstances when the printing volume is not large, but when the device usage situation is one in which the printing volume temporarily increases, such as during busy periods, there is a desire to temporarily change to a high speed.

[0128] Generally, the higher the continuous printing speed license, the more expensive it is. In such cases, it is more cost-effective for the user to temporarily increase the device speed by purchasing a limited-time license rather than a permanent license change. In such cases, changing the association between products and consumables due to a license change may cause inconvenience in providing services by the device management server 101.

[0129] When the device management server 101 provides a summary report service or the like, if the products and consumables are temporarily changed and then immediately returned to their original state, the summary report may become difficult to understand.

[0130] Generally, device tally reporting services provide users with a list of devices owned by the user, monthly or yearly tally results of printing performance, etc. If a report is provided that tally results by product type on a yearly basis, it is conceivable that annual reports will become cumbersome, as the same device may be tallyed up as a different product only in the month in which it was used.

[0131] Furthermore, because product changes are temporary, even if the recommended consumables for the new product differ from those currently in use, it is expected that the change will be deemed unnecessary. For example, even if a high-speed machine is temporarily replaced, there is no need to change to the high-capacity consumables recommended for high-speed machines, and it is conceivable that the standard-capacity consumables in stock will be sufficient.

[0132] If the continuous printing speed is temporarily changed using a time-limited license, the device itself will operate as a changed product, but the product and consumables may not be changed on the device management server 101 side. In other words, if it is determined from the received change information that the change in continuous printing speed is temporary, the change process may not be performed.

[0133] In this case, the device 102 notifies the device management server 101 of the input license information in addition to its own serial number and product name during license authentication. The device management server 101 communicates with the license server 104 and inquires about the type of license information.

[0134] The license server 104 replies with whether the license is a permanent license or a time-limited license. If the license is a time-limited license, the device management server 101 does not perform processing to change the association between the product and the consumable item.

[0135] <Embodiment 3> In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which a device management server that manages devices with adjustable continuous printing speeds updates the planned replacement date for consumable parts and other components when the continuous printing speed is determined by license authentication and the product name is changed. Detailed descriptions of the same configurations and procedures as those in the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0136] A parts master is a type of master information used to manage device information. A parts master defines the parts that make up the device. Examples of parts include the transport roller that transports paper during printing, the stapler that performs stapling, and the toner recovery container that collects toner waste generated during printing.

[0137] [Table 7]

[0138] Table 7 is an example of a parts master management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. The parts master management table registers information about the parts that make up a product for each product code. Parts differ depending on the device hardware. For example, this shows that the transport rollers for the same hardware with product codes MA001, MA002, and MA003 are PRL001, and the transport roller for product code MA004 is PRL002.

[0139] The part master information includes a "part code," "part name," "part type," and "lifespan" that uniquely identify the part. Parts have a lifespan that is subject to wear and tear. For the same hardware, the parts themselves are the same, but the expected lifespan may differ depending on the continuous printing speed. For example, the faster the continuous printing speed, the faster the wear.

[0140] In this embodiment, the unit of lifespan is the number of days. However, the unit may not be the number of days, but may be the number of printed sheets or the number of times, depending on the part type. For example, the unit of lifespan may be the number of printed sheets for a transport roller or a collected toner container, and the unit of lifespan may be the number of times for a stapler.

[0141] In the example of Table 7, the lifespan of parts of PRL001 is set to 500 days for product codes MA001 and MA002, and 400 days for MA003.

[0142] MA001 is a product in the series with no confirmed continuous printing speed, but it is assumed to operate at the minimum speed before license activation, and it has the same lifespan as MA002, which has the lowest speed in the series, assuming it will operate at the minimum speed before license confirmation.

[0143] Table 8 is an example of a parts replacement management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. [Table 8]

[0144] The parts replacement management table in Table 8 registers the planned replacement date for each part for each device. The control unit 301 of the device management server 101 calculates the end-of-life date from the part replacement date and the lifespan in the parts master management table in Table 7. The first replacement date is the device installation date.

[0145] The control unit 301 of the device management server 101 sets the planned replacement dates of parts of the same device whose end of life dates are within a certain threshold, starting with the earliest, to the same date and registers them as recommended replacement dates.

[0146] In the example of Table 8, the threshold is set to 10 days, and PRL001 and PST001, which are within 10 days of April 5, 2025, of PWT001, the part of device D1 whose end of life is closest, are to be replaced on the same day, with the recommended replacement date being two days before the end of life. The method for registering the planned replacement date will be described later.

[0147] When the unit of lifespan is number of sheets or number of times, the planned replacement date is calculated by, for example, storing in advance in the data storage unit 302 the number of days since the same part was replaced in the past, and calculating the end of life date using the average number of days since replacement. In this embodiment, the recommended replacement date is calculated for each device, but if the same user uses multiple devices, the recommended replacement date may be calculated for all devices used by the user.

[0148] In this way, in embodiment 3, the data storage unit 302 functions as a storage means that performs a storage step of storing product information about a device and part information, such as lifespan information about parts that make up the device, linked to the device, as shown in Tables 7 and 8, for example.

[0149] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a Web UI for managing part replacement for each device in the device management server 101 according to the third embodiment. A person in charge of managing part replacement (user) requests the device management server 101 from the information processing terminal 103 to display a Web UI for part replacement management by specifying a specific device. In response to the request, the display unit 304 provides the Web UI for part replacement management.

[0150] The display unit 304 requests the control unit 301 to obtain data to be displayed on the Web UI. The control unit 301 obtains part information from the parts replacement management table (Table 8) stored in the data storage unit 302. When the device D1 is specified, the control unit 301 obtains information about the part whose device ID is D1 and sends it to the display unit 304.

[0151] The display unit 304 displays the acquired part name, replacement date, end of life date, planned replacement date, and recommended replacement date for each part.

[0152] When a person in charge (user) replaces a part, he or she inputs the replacement date 801 and presses the registration button 802 .

[0153] When the registration button 802 is pressed, the display unit 304 passes the device ID, part ID, and replacement date 801 to the control unit 301, and instructs it to calculate the end of life date and recommended replacement date.

[0154] The control unit 301 executes a storage step of calculating the end of life date and the recommended replacement date, and storing them in the data storage unit 302 together with the received replacement date in the parts replacement management table (Table 8).

[0155] The control unit 301 transmits the calculated results to the display unit 304. The display unit 304 updates and displays the received end of life date and recommended replacement date.

[0156] The person in charge (user) checks the recommended replacement date, inputs the planned replacement date 803 for each part, and presses the registration button 804.

[0157] When the registration button 804 is pressed, the display unit 304 passes the entered planned replacement date to the control unit 301 and instructs it to update the data.

[0158] The control unit 301 executes a storage step of storing the received planned replacement date of each part in a parts replacement management table (Table 8).

[0159] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a person in charge (user) inputs the replacement date on the Web UI, but the device side may detect the replacement of parts and send the information to the device management server 101, which then calculates the end of life date and recommended replacement date.

[0160] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the device management server 101 that receives a confirmed product name after a license renewal in embodiment 3. Note that the CPU 201, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart in FIG.

[0161] This example explains how to change a device of the "M1-series" product series, which is currently being used with product code MA002, which is a product that can print 50 sheets per minute, to product code MA003, which is a product that can print 70 sheets per minute. Note that the processing from steps S901 to S903 is the same as the processing from S701 to S703 in FIG. 7, respectively.

[0162] Next, in step S904, the device management server 101 determines for each part whether the recommended lifespan of the part has changed.

[0163] The method of determination is to compare the lifespan of the part with product code MA002 before the change with the lifespan of the part with the same part code with product code MA003 after the change, from the parts master management table (Table 7).

[0164] In the case of PRL001, the lifespan is 500 days when used in MA002 and 400 days when used in MA003, so it is determined that there is a change in the lifespan.

[0165] In the case of PWT001, the lifespan is the same 300 days whether it is used in MA002 or MA003, so it is determined that there is no change in the lifespan.

[0166] If it is determined in step S904 that there is no change in the lifespan, the process proceeds to step S906, whereas if there is a change in the lifespan, the process proceeds to step S905.

[0167] In step S905, the device management server 101 recalculates the end of life date and writes the result into the end of life date in the parts replacement management table (Table 8).

[0168] In step S906, it is determined whether or not any unconfirmed parts remain. If the confirmation of the end of life dates of all parts has been completed, the process proceeds to step S907; if the determination in step S906 is Yes, the process returns to step S904.

[0169] In step S907, the device management server 101 determines whether or not there is a part whose end of life date has been changed.

[0170] If it is determined in step S907 that there are no parts whose end of life dates have been changed, the process flow of FIG. 9 ends.

[0171] If there is a part whose end of life date has changed, in step S908, it is determined whether the planned replacement date needs to be changed. To do so, the device management server 101 recalculates the recommended replacement date using the method described above in the explanation of Table 8.

[0172] Next, the system compares the recommended replacement date with the scheduled replacement date that has already been set, and if the recommended replacement date is earlier than the scheduled replacement date, it determines that the scheduled replacement date needs to be changed, as there is a possibility that the part may reach the end of its life on the scheduled replacement date that has already been set.

[0173] Furthermore, if the recommended replacement date is later than the set replacement date by more than a threshold, it is determined that the replacement date needs to be changed. The threshold may be set to 20 days, for example. This is to prevent wasteful replacement when there is still a lot of life left on the set replacement date.

[0174] The reason for setting a threshold is that, for example, if a visit date for a part replacement has been agreed upon with the user, it is desirable to avoid changing the schedule as much as possible. If the determination in step S908 is No, that is, if it is determined that there is no need to change the scheduled replacement date, the processing flow in Figure 9 ends.

[0175] If the determination in step S908 is Yes, that is, if it is determined that a change to the planned exchange date is necessary, the device management server 101 notifies the person in charge (user) in step S909. The notification is carried out by sending an email to a pre-set email address, for example. Thereafter, the processing flow in FIG. 9 ends.

[0176] Here, steps S905 and S908 function as the recalculation step (recalculation means) in embodiment 3. Furthermore, in the recalculation step, the lifespan of parts linked to individual products corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed is obtained from storage means based on the change information for the continuous printing speed received from the device. Then, if the lifespan of parts linked to the changed product information is different from before the change, the lifespan end date and recommended replacement date are recalculated.

[0177] <Embodiment 4> In the fourth embodiment, an example will be described in which, if a product is incorrectly linked when the device is registered, the parts linked to the device in the parts replacement management table (Table 8) are updated. Detailed descriptions of the same configurations and procedures as those in the first to third embodiments will be omitted.

[0178] Table 9 is an example of a product master management table used in this embodiment. Table 9 includes, as product master information, a "series ID" that uniquely identifies a product series.

[0179] [Table 9]

[0180] In addition, in the example of Table 9, product codes MA001, MA002, and MA003 have the same series ID "M1," which indicates that they are in the same product series, that is, the same hardware.

[0181] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a part information update process in the device management method according to the fourth embodiment, in which the device management server 101, having received the confirmed product name, updates the part information linked to the device. Note that the CPU 201, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart of FIG. 10.

[0182] In step S1001, a process is performed to acquire from the data storage unit 302 individual products that correspond to the changed continuous printing speed based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device.

[0183] Next, in step S1002, the device management server 101 changes the product linked to the device to the identified individual product.

[0184] Next, in step S1003, the device management server 101 rewrites the product code corresponding to the device in the parts replacement management table (Table 8) to the changed product code.

[0185] Next, in step S1004, the device management server 101 determines whether the products before and after the change are in the same series.

[0186] If the original product is MA001 and the updated product is MA003, the series IDs are the same, so it is determined that they are from the same series. The same series means that it is the same hardware, and the parts are also determined to be the same, so the process of updating parts linked to the device ends. In other words, the process flow in Figure 10 ends.

[0187] If the original product was MA001 and the updated product was MA007, the series IDs are different and it is determined in step S1004 that they are not from the same series. This is the case when the device should have been linked to "M3-series" when it was registered, but "M1-series" was mistakenly linked instead. If the series are different, the parts are different.

[0188] If it is determined in step S1004 that the products are not from the same series, the process proceeds to step S1005. In step S1005, the device management server 101 obtains parts information corresponding to the updated product from the parts master management table (Table 7). The parts information is then compared with the parts corresponding to the device in the parts replacement management table (Table 8) to determine whether or not a part of the same part type exists.

[0189] If the determination in step S1005 is Yes, that is, if a part of the same part type exists, the part code is rewritten in step S1006 with the part corresponding to the updated product.

[0190] If the result of step S1005 is No, that is, if no part of the same part type exists, a new record is added to the parts replacement management table (Table 8) in step S1007. At this time, the replacement date is set to the date the product name was received.

[0191] Steps S1006 and S1007 acquire information on parts that make up individual products corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed from the storage means based on the change information on the continuous printing speed received from the device, and function as a change step (change means) that performs a change process to re-link the parts to the device.

[0192] In step S1008, it is determined whether or not there are any unconfirmed parts remaining. If the determination is Yes, the process returns to step S1005. If the determination is No, that is, if the confirmation of all parts corresponding to the changed product has been completed, the process proceeds to step S1009.

[0193] In step S1009, the device management server 101 deletes records of parts of part types that do not exist in the changed product from the parts of the corresponding device in the parts replacement management table (Table 8), and then ends the processing flow of FIG.

[0194] After the processing flow in Figure 10 is completed, the lifespan end date and recommended replacement date for each part are recalculated using a processing flow similar to the processing flow in Figure 9 of embodiment 3, thereby enabling part replacement management for parts linked to the correct product.

[0195] <Embodiment 5> In the fifth embodiment, an example will be described in which, if a product is linked incorrectly when the device is registered, a method for dealing with an error that occurred in the device in the past is reviewed. Detailed descriptions of the same configurations and procedures as those in the first to fourth embodiments will be omitted.

[0196] The error code master is a type of master information that manages device information. The error code master defines the content of errors that occur on devices and how to deal with them.

[0197] Table 10 is an example of an error code master management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. The error code master management table registers, for each product code, information about errors that may occur with that product.

[0198] [Table 10]

[0199] Errors that occur in devices vary depending on the hardware of the device. Different components may cause different errors. Even for the same error, depending on the hardware configuration, the method of resolving it may differ, such as whether the user can resolve it themselves or whether it is difficult for the user to resolve it themselves and a service technician must be dispatched.

[0200] The information in the error code master includes an "error code," "error content," and "dispatch" indicating whether or not a service technician needs to be dispatched.

[0201] Table 11 is an example of an error history management table, which is stored in the data storage unit 302 by the control unit 301 of the device management server 101. The error history management table is used to register the history of errors that have occurred for each device.

[0202] In this embodiment, the data storage unit 302 functions as a storage means that performs a storage step of storing product information about the device, information about errors that may occur in the device, and a history of errors that have occurred in the device, as shown in Tables 10 and 11, for example.

[0203] [Table 11]

[0204] When the control unit 311 of the device 102 detects an error that has occurred in itself, it transmits an error code to the device management server 101 via the communication unit 312. When the communication unit 303 of the device management server 101 receives communication from the device, it passes the received data to the control unit 301, and the control unit 301 stores the data in the data storage unit 302.

[0205] The error history information includes a "device ID," an "error code," a "date of occurrence," a "date of resolution," and a "dispatch result" that indicates whether a service technician has actually been dispatched.

[0206] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a Web UI for managing the error history for each device in the device management server 101 according to the fourth embodiment. A person in charge of handling a device error (user) requests the device management server 101 from the information processing terminal 103 to display a Web UI for error history management by specifying a specific device. In response to this request, the display unit 304 provides the Web UI for error history management.

[0207] The display unit 304 requests the control unit 301 to obtain data to be displayed on the Web UI. The control unit 301 obtains error history information from the error history management table (Table 11) stored in the data storage unit 302. When the device D1 is specified, the error history with device ID D1 is obtained. The control unit 301 also obtains error information corresponding to the obtained error code from the error code master management table (Table 10). The control unit 301 sends the obtained data to the display unit 304.

[0208] The display unit 304 displays the error code, occurrence date, and resolution date obtained from the error history management table for each error history. If the dispatch result is "Yes," the check box 1102 in the dispatch column is displayed checked. In addition, the display unit 304 displays the error content corresponding to the error code obtained from the error code master management table (Table 10) and whether dispatch is required.

[0209] When the person in charge (user) has dealt with the error, he / she inputs the resolution date 1101, checks the check box 1102 to see if the dispatch was carried out, and presses the registration button 1103.

[0210] When the registration button 1103 is pressed, the display unit 304 transmits the input data to the control unit 301 .

[0211] The control unit 301 executes a storage step of storing the received data in the error history management table (Table 11).

[0212] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for re-determining the failure history of a device in a device management method according to embodiment 4, in which the device management server 101, having received a confirmed product name, re-determines the failure history of the device. Note that the CPU 201, which serves as a computer within the information processing device, executes a computer program stored in memory, thereby sequentially performing the operations of the steps in the flowchart of FIG.

[0213] In step S1201, a process is performed to acquire from the data storage unit 302 individual products that correspond to the changed continuous printing speed based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device.

[0214] Next, in step S1202, the device management server 101 changes the product linked to the device to the identified individual product.

[0215] Next, in step S1203, the device management server 101 determines whether the products before and after the change are from the same series. That is, based on the change information about the continuous printing speed received from the device, it determines whether there is a change in information about errors that may occur in the device.

[0216] If the determination in step S1203 is Yes, the process flow in Fig. 12 ends. If the determination in step S1203 is No, that is, if it is determined that the items are not in the same series, the process proceeds to step S1204.

[0217] In step S1204, the device management server 101 searches the error history management table (Table 11) to determine whether or not an error history exists for the device. If the determination in step S1204 is No, that is, if no error history exists, the processing flow in FIG. 12 ends.

[0218] If the determination in step S1204 is Yes, that is, if an error history exists, the process proceeds to step S1205.

[0219] In step S1205, the device management server 101 determines whether the troubleshooting for the error is incomplete. That is, if there is no value in the "Resolved Date" field of the error history management table (Table 11), it is determined that the troubleshooting is incomplete.

[0220] If the determination in step S1205 is Yes, i.e., if it is determined that the troubleshooting has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S1206. If the determination in step S1205 is No, i.e., if it is determined that the troubleshooting has been completed, the process proceeds to step S1208.

[0221] In step S1206, the device management server 101 determines whether there is a change in the error handling method before and after the product change. The difference in the error handling method is determined by whether there is a difference in either "Error Content" or "Dispatch" in the error code master management table (Table 10).

[0222] For example, let's assume that the product before the change is MA005 and the product after the change is MA002. Regarding the error history in the third row of the error history management table (Table 11), the value of "dispatch" linked to the product before and after the change for error code E003 is different.

[0223] In addition to cases like this where the same error code is defined before and after the change, but the handling method is different, it is also possible that the relevant error code was not defined in the product before the change, and the error handling method could not be determined from the error code master. In such cases, the handling method is also determined to be different.

[0224] In this way, if the product has been changed correctly and the same error code exists but the solution is different, the solution can be corrected correctly. Also, for errors where the solution could not be determined from the error code master and the solution was unknown, the solution can now be confirmed.

[0225] If it is determined in step S1206 that there is no change in the error handling method, the process proceeds to step S1211. If it is determined that there is a change in the error handling method, the process proceeds to step S1207.

[0226] In step S1207, the device management server 101 notifies the person in charge (user) that the error handling method has been changed or determined. The notification is made by sending an email to a preset email address, for example.

[0227] Meanwhile, in step S1208, the device management server 101 determines whether a service technician was dispatched to handle the error based on the "dispatch result" in the error history management table (Table 11).

[0228] If the determination in step S1208 is No, that is, if the "dispatch result" is determined to be "None", the process proceeds to step S1211. If the determination in step S1208 is Yes, that is, if the "dispatch result" is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S1209.

[0229] In step S1209, it is determined whether the dispatch of a service technician is valid. That is, the device management server 101 determines whether the error code of the error in question is defined as requiring dispatch for the correct product after the change in the error code master management table (Table 10). If it is defined as requiring dispatch, it is determined that the dispatch of a service technician is valid, and the process proceeds to step S1211.

[0230] On the other hand, if the error code is E003 and the changed product is MA002, it is defined that a service technician does not need to be dispatched. However, if the error history shows that a service technician was dispatched, this means that the technician was dispatched when it was not actually necessary. This would be the case, for example, when the device was registered and the correct link was "M1-series," but instead "M3-series" was mistakenly linked.

[0231] For product code MA005, which is "M3-series," error code E003 is defined as requiring dispatch, so a service technician was dispatched accordingly. In this case, it is determined that the dispatch of a service technician was not legitimate, and the process proceeds to step S1210.

[0232] In step S1210, the device management server 101 reallocates the expenses for dispatching a service technician. Dispatching a service technician involves costs, but if a technician is dispatched when it was not actually necessary, the expenses are reassigned so that the department that made the mistake bears the costs.

[0233] For example, the device management server 101 also manages its own operating costs, and pre-sets departments to bill for legitimate and illegitimate serviceman dispatches, and changes the department to bill for the relevant dispatches.

[0234] Next, in step S1211, it is determined whether or not any unconfirmed fault history remains, and if it is determined that there remains, that is, if the determination in step S1211 is Yes, the process returns to step S1205. On the other hand, if it is determined that confirmation of all applicable error histories has been completed, that is, if the determination in step S1211 is No, the process proceeds to step S1212.

[0235] In step S1212, the device management server 101 corrects the failure report and recreates it. For example, if a list of error histories is provided to the user as a report, and the error content corresponding to each error code in the error history is different before and after the product change, the error content is replaced with the correct error content.

[0236] On the other hand, if the wrong product is linked, the correct error content is added to the error history that was indistinguishable because there was no corresponding error code.Then, the processing flow in Figure 12 ends.

[0237] Here, steps S1206, S1210, and S1211 function as correction steps (correction means) that correct the error history. That is, in the correction steps, it is determined whether there are any changes to the error information that may occur in the device based on the continuous printing speed change information received from the device. If there is an error in the error history information, the error history is corrected using error information linked to the product information that corresponds to the continuous printing speed.

[0238] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and combinations of the above embodiments are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. The present invention also includes the following combinations.

[0239] (Configuration 1) A device management server that manages a device whose continuous printing speed can be changed, characterized by having: a storage means that stores product information of the device and consumable information used by the device, linked to the device; and a change means that, based on change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, retrieves from the storage means an individual product corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed, and, if the consumable information linked to the device is not usable with the individual product, retrieves from the storage means consumable information usable with the individual product and performs a change process to re-link the device.

[0240] (Configuration 2) A device management server according to configuration 1, characterized in that when there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the recommended consumables for the individual product after the change are selected as the consumables to be re-linked.

[0241] (Configuration 3) A device management server according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that when there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the consumables to be re-linked are selected based on the attributes of the linked consumable information.

[0242] (Configuration 4) A device management server described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that when there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the device management server determines and selects the consumables that are actually being used based on the number of printed pages and the remaining amount of consumables in the device's printing history as the consumables to be re-linked.

[0243] (Configuration 5) A device management server described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that it determines whether to automatically change the linkage of consumables, and if it determines not to change it automatically, notifies the user that the linkage needs to be changed.

[0244] (Configuration 6) A device management server according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the change means determines whether the change process is possible based on the change history of the continuous printing speed from the received change information.

[0245] (Configuration 7) A device management server according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that the change means does not perform the change process if it determines from the received change information that the change in the continuous printing speed is temporary.

[0246] (Configuration 8) A device management server that manages a device whose continuous printing speed can be changed, characterized by having: a storage means that stores product information of the device and lifespan information of parts that constitute the device, linked to the device; and a change means that, based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, obtains from the storage means the lifespan of the parts linked to the individual product that corresponds to the changed continuous printing speed, and if the lifespan of the parts linked to the individual product after the change is different from before the change, recalculate the lifespan end date and recommended replacement date.

[0247] (Configuration 9) A device management server that manages a device whose continuous printing speed can be changed, characterized by having: a storage means that stores product information of the device and parts information that constitute the device, linked to the device; and a change means that, based on change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, obtains from the storage means the parts information that constitutes an individual product that corresponds to the changed continuous printing speed, and performs a change process to re-link it to the device.

[0248] (Configuration 10) A device management server that manages a device that can change the continuous printing speed, characterized in that it has: a storage means for storing product information of the device, error information that may occur in the device, and an error history that has occurred in the device; and a correction means for determining whether there has been a change in the error information that may occur in the device based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, and for correcting the error history with the error information linked to the individual product that corresponds to the continuous printing speed if there is an error in the information in the error history.

[0249] (Method) A device management method for managing a device whose continuous printing speed can be changed, comprising: a storage step for storing product information for the device and consumable information used by the device, linked to the device; and a change step for acquiring an individual product corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed based on the change information for the continuous printing speed received from the device, and, if the consumable information linked to the device is not usable with the individual product, acquiring consumable information usable with the individual product and performing a change process to re-link the device.

[0250] (Program) A computer program for controlling each means in the device management server according to any one of configurations 1 to 10 by a computer.

[0251] In order to realize some or all of the control in the above-described embodiments, a computer program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments may be supplied to a device management server or the like via a network or various storage media. Then, a computer (or a CPU, MPU, or the like) in the device management server or the like may read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

[0252] 101: Device management server 102:Device 103: Information processing terminal 104: License Server

Claims

1. A device management server that manages a device capable of changing a continuous printing speed, a storage unit that stores product information of the device and information on consumables used in the device in association with the device; a change means for acquiring from the storage means an individual product corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, and, if the consumable product information linked to the device is not usable for the individual product, acquiring from the storage means consumable product information usable for the individual product and performing a change process to re-link the individual product to the device; A device management server comprising:

2. The device management server according to claim 1 , wherein when there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, a recommended consumable for the individual product after the change is selected as the consumable to be re-linked.

3. The device management server according to claim 1, wherein when there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the consumables to be re-linked are selected based on attributes of the linked consumable information.

4. The device management server according to claim 1, characterized in that when there are multiple consumables that can be used for the individual product after the change, the consumables to be re-linked are determined and selected based on the number of pages printed and the remaining amount of consumables in the device's printing history.

5. 2. The device management server according to claim 1, wherein the server determines whether to automatically change the association of consumables, and if it determines not to change the association automatically, notifies the user that the association needs to be changed.

6. The change unit receives the change information and, based on the change history of the continuous printing speed, The device management server according to claim 1 , wherein the device management server determines whether the change process is possible.

7. 2. The device management server according to claim 1, wherein the change unit does not perform the change process when it determines from the received change information that the change in the continuous printing speed is temporary.

8. A device management server that manages a device capable of changing a continuous printing speed, a storage means for storing product information of the device and lifespan information of parts constituting the device in association with the device; a change means for acquiring from the storage means the lifespan of the parts associated with the product information corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, and recalculating the lifespan end date and recommended replacement date if the lifespan of the parts associated with the changed product information differs from that before the change; A device management server comprising:

9. A device management server that manages a device capable of changing a continuous printing speed, a storage means for storing product information of the device and information on parts constituting the device in association with the device; a change means for acquiring, based on change information about the continuous printing speed received from the device, from the storage means, the parts information constituting the individual product corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed, and performing a change process for re-associating the parts information with the device; A device management server comprising:

10. A device management server that manages a device capable of changing a continuous printing speed, a storage means for storing product information of the device, information on errors that may occur in the device, and a history of errors that have occurred in the device; a correction means for determining whether there is a change in the error information that may occur in the device based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, and correcting the error history information with the error information linked to the product information that corresponds to the continuous printing speed if there is an error in the error history information; A device management server comprising:

11. A device management method for managing a device capable of changing a continuous printing speed, comprising: a storing step of storing product information of the device and information on consumables used in the device in association with the device; Based on the change information of the continuous printing speed received from the device, an individual product corresponding to the changed continuous printing speed is acquired, and the consumable product information linked to the device is a change step of acquiring consumable product information usable for the individual product and performing a change process of re-associating the individual product with the device when the individual product is not usable; 1. A device management method comprising:

12. A computer program for controlling each unit in the device management server according to any one of claims 1 to 10 by a computer.

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