Information processing system, printing system and cost estimation method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system capable of estimating costs when performing multi-layer printing.SOLUTION: A storage unit 110 of an information processing system 2 stores history information HN, which is information when printing is performed by a printer 10. Print pattern information PN indicates ink layer patterns when printing is performed. A size identification unit 212 identifies a size of image data P10. A pattern selection unit 215 selects three pieces of the history information HN in descending order of the number of the pattern information PNs included therein. A cost acquisition unit 217 acquires cost information CN included in the selected history information HN. Because conditions contained in the selected history information HN are relatively close to conditions when printing the image data P10, the cost information CN contains information relatively close to costs when performing multi-layer printing of the image data P10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, a printing system, and a cost estimation method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, information processing devices that calculate the costs incurred during printing have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires information on the price per unit area of ​​print media and ink consumption for a print job executed by a printing device (inkjet printer), and a calculation unit that calculates the cost of the print job based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. In this information processing device, the size of the print media when printing is executed is acquired. For example, the cost of ink consumed when printing is executed is calculated based on the size of the print media and the ink ejection amount per unit area acquired by the acquisition unit. The cost of the consumed print media is also calculated in a similar manner using the media price per unit area. This allows users to estimate profits when selling the printed output as a commercial product. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-53347 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the information processing device described above, the cost of printing is calculated based on the size of the print medium and the cost per unit area of ​​the print medium. However, when printing with an inkjet printer, multi-layer printing is sometimes performed to create a three-dimensional effect or a textured appearance in the printed material. Multi-layer printing is a method of printing in which multiple print layers are formed on the print medium. In multi-layer printing, a print layer is formed on the print medium, and then another print layer is formed on top of that print layer. In such cases, the amount of ink required for printing varies depending on, for example, the number of print layers formed. Therefore, the cost of printing cannot be calculated based on the size of the print medium and the cost per unit area of ​​the print medium.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system that can estimate the cost when multi-layer printing is performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an information processing system comprising: a receiving unit that receives image data, which is data for an image to be printed by an inkjet printer; a size identification unit that identifies the size of an image to be printed using the image data; a storage unit that pre-stores a plurality of pieces of history information, each of which corresponds to printing pattern information, which is information on the pattern of the ink layers when multi-layer printing is performed by the inkjet printer to form a plurality of ink layers; size information, which is information on the size of the image printed by the multi-layer printing; and cost information, which is information on the cost required for each ink layer during the multi-layer printing; a pattern selection unit that selects, from the printing pattern information stored in the storage unit, printing pattern information that meets predetermined conditions; a history selection unit that selects one or more pieces of history information from the plurality of pieces of history information based on the printing pattern information selected by the pattern selection unit and the size identified by the size identification unit; and a cost acquisition unit that acquires the cost information contained in the history information selected by the history selection unit.

[0007] According to the information processing system of the present invention, the storage area stores the print pattern information when the multilayer printing was performed, the size information printed by the multilayer printing, and the cost information required for the multilayer printing, in association with each other. The history selection unit selects the history information based on the size specified by the size specification unit and the pattern information selected by the pattern selection unit based on the predetermined conditions. This makes it possible to select history information that is relatively close to the conditions for printing the image data by the multilayer printing. The cost acquisition unit acquires the cost information contained in the selected history information. The acquired cost information is information that is relatively close to the cost of printing the image data by the multilayer printing. This makes it possible to estimate the cost of performing the multilayer printing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system that can estimate the cost when multi-layer printing is performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a recording medium on which multiple layers are printed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing image data. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a database stored in a storage unit. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process for estimating the cost of printing image data. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing cost information displayed on a display screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 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 limit the present invention in any particular way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and redundant descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printing system 1. The printing system 1 includes an inkjet printer 10 (hereinafter referred to as "printer 10") and an information processing system 2. The information processing system 2 includes a cloud server 100 and an instruction device 200. The inkjet printer 10, cloud server 100, and instruction device 200 are wirelessly connected via a network NW. The network NW is made up of the Internet and various mobile communication systems constructed by wireless base stations (not shown). The printing system 1 is a system that prints an image desired by a user on a recording medium 5 (see FIG. 3). The printer 10, cloud server 100, and instruction device 200 will be described below in that order.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer 10. FIG. 3 is a front view of the printer 10 with the front cover 13 open. In the following description, left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom, respectively, as seen from a user standing in front of the printer 10. The side of the printer 10 approaching the user is referred to as the front, and the side away from the user is referred to as the rear. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The symbols X, Y, and Z in the drawings represent the front-to-back direction, left-to-right direction, and up-down direction, respectively. However, these directions are merely used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation form of the printer 10 in any way.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, printer 10 is a so-called flatbed printer. Printer 10 includes a casing 12 and an openable front cover 13. As shown in Fig. 3, printer 10 includes guide rails 18, a carriage 19, a carriage movement mechanism 20 (see Fig. 6), an ink cartridge 21, an ink consumption measuring device 81, an ink head 22, a table 25, a table movement mechanism 26, and a control device 50.

[0014] The guide rail 18 is provided above the table 25. The guide rail 18 extends in the left-right direction Y. A carriage 19 is slidably provided on the guide rail 18. The carriage 19 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction (main scanning direction) Y by a carriage movement mechanism 20.

[0015] The carriage movement mechanism 20 is configured to move the carriage 19 relative to the table 25 in the left-right direction Y. The carriage movement mechanism 20 includes a pair of pulleys (not shown) disposed at the right and left ends of the guide rail 18, a belt (not shown), and a carriage motor (not shown). The carriage 19 is fixed to the belt. The belt is wound around the pair of pulleys. One of the pulleys is connected to a carriage motor. When the carriage motor is driven, the pulley rotates and the belt moves. This causes the carriage 19 to move in the left-right direction Y along the guide rail 18. However, the mechanism described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the carriage movement mechanism 20 is not particularly limited.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, an ink head 22 is mounted on the carriage 19. The ink head 22 has nozzles 22a (see Figure 4) that open downward. The ink head 22 is configured to eject ink from the nozzles 22a toward the recording medium 5 during printing. A plurality of nozzles 22a are arranged in the front-rear direction X. Each ink head 22 is connected to an ink cartridge 21 by a flexible ink tube (not shown).

[0017] The ink cartridge 21 stores process color ink, white ink, and gloss ink. Examples of process color ink include cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, black ink, light cyan ink, and light magenta ink. However, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 21 is not limited to these. The ink may be colorless ink. Furthermore, the ink material is not limited in any way, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for printers 10 can be used. The ink may be, for example, a solvent-based pigment ink or a water-based pigment ink. Alternatively, the ink may be a water-based dye ink or an ultraviolet-curable pigment ink that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.

[0018] The ink cartridge 21 is provided with an ink consumption measuring device 81. The ink consumption measuring device 81 is a device that measures the amount of ink consumed during printing. There are no particular restrictions on the configuration of the ink consumption measuring device 81, and it can be realized by a known method. For example, the ink consumption measuring device 81 can be realized by a measuring device that includes a pressure-sensitive membrane (not shown), a detectable member (not shown), and a sensor unit (not shown). The pressure-sensitive membrane flexes and deforms in conjunction with the amount of ink stored inside the ink cartridge 21. When the pressure-sensitive membrane flexes and deforms, the position of the detectable member moves, and the sensor unit detects this position. The amount of ink consumed is measured based on the position of the detectable member. The ink consumption measuring device 81 is connected to the control device 50.

[0019] The table 25 is a platform on which the recording medium 5 is placed during printing. The table 25 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction X by a table moving mechanism .

[0020] The table movement mechanism 26 is configured to move the table 25 relative to the ink head 22 in the front-rear direction X (see FIG. 1). The table movement mechanism 26 includes two slide rails 26a, 26b extending along the front-rear direction X, a transport member 26c slidable on the slide rails 26a, 26b, and a front-rear movement motor (not shown) that drives the transport member 26c. The table 25 is supported above the transport member 26c. When the front-rear movement motor is driven, the transport member 26c moves in the front-rear direction X, and the table 25 moves in the front-rear direction X accordingly. However, the mechanism described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the table movement mechanism 26 is not particularly limited.

[0021] The control device 50 controls the operation of each part of the printer 10. The hardware configuration of the control device 50 is not particularly limited. The control device 50 includes, for example, an interface (I / F) that receives print data from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions from a control program, a read-only memory (ROM) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the program and various data. In this embodiment, the control device 50 controls the carriage movement mechanism 20, the ink head 22, and the table movement mechanism 26 to perform multi-layer printing on the recording medium 5.

[0022] Here, "multilayer printing" refers to printing in which multiple ink layers are formed on the recording medium 5. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a multilayer-printed recording medium 5. In Figure 4, a base layer 6a, a printing layer 6b, and a surface layer 6c are formed. The base layer 6a is a layer that serves as a base before the printing layer 6b is formed on the recording medium 5. The base layer 6a is formed, for example, by ejecting white ink from the ink head 22. The printing layer 6b is a layer on which desired image data P10 (see Figure 5) is printed. The printing layer 6b is formed by ejecting process color ink from the ink head 22. The surface layer 6c is a layer that forms a three-dimensional texture pattern. This texture pattern can impart special visual and design effects, such as partially changing the color of the image formed on the printing layer 6b. The surface layer 6c is formed by ejecting gloss ink from the ink head 22. Multilayer printing is achieved by a known method. For example, a plurality of nozzles 22a (see FIG. 4) arranged in the front-rear direction X are divided into nozzles that eject white ink, process color ink, and gloss ink, respectively. When the recording medium 5 is transported from the rear to the front by the table movement mechanism 26 (see FIG. 3), the inks are ejected in the order of white ink, process color ink, and gloss ink. This forms the base layer 6a, the printing layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c, respectively.

[0023] Herein, the order of ink layers formed by multilayer printing is referred to as the "ink layer pattern." In FIG. 4, the ink layers are formed in the order of base layer 6a, printing layer 6b, and surface layer 6c from bottom to top. Therefore, the ink layer pattern in FIG. 4 is "base layer, printing layer, surface layer." Note that, in printing by printer 10, base layer 6a and / or surface layer 6c may not be formed. Alternatively, two or more base layers 6a and / or surface layers 6c may be formed. Therefore, the ink layer pattern changes depending on the presence or absence of base layer 6a and surface layer 6c and the number of base layers 6a and surface layers 6c formed.

[0024] 6 is a block diagram of the printing system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 50 includes a printing time measurement unit 51, an ink consumption acquisition unit 52, and a transmission unit 53.

[0025] The printing time measurement unit 51 measures the time required to print an image for each ink layer. For example, when the printer 10 prints the base layer 6a, the printing layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c (see FIG. 4), the printing time measurement unit 51 measures the time required to print the base layer 6a, the printing layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c, respectively.

[0026] The ink consumption acquisition unit 52 measures the amount of ink required to print an image for each ink layer. For example, when the printer 10 prints the base layer 6a, the printed layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c (see FIG. 4), the ink consumption measurement device 81 measures the amount of ink consumed in printing the base layer 6a, the printed layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c, respectively. The ink consumption acquisition unit 52 acquires the consumption measured by the ink consumption measurement device 81.

[0027] Transmission unit 53 transmits information about the time measured by print time measurement unit 51 and information about the ink consumption amount acquired by ink consumption acquisition unit 52 to cloud server 100. The transmitted information is stored in storage unit 110 (see FIG. 1), which will be described later.

[0028] The configuration of the printer 10 has been described above. Next, the cloud server 100 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the cloud server 100 is configured to be wirelessly connectable to the printer 10 and the instruction device 200 via the network NW. The cloud server 100 includes a storage unit 110.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a database DT stored in the memory unit 110. The memory unit 110 is configured, for example, with a memory or storage. The database DT is data accumulated when a print job is executed by the printer 10 (see FIG. 1). A print job refers to one or more controls executed by the printer 10. The database DT stores multiple pieces of history information HN, each of which corresponds to job information JN, which is the name of the executed print job; size information SN, which is information about the size of the printed image; print pattern information PN, which is information about the ink layer pattern; cost information CN, which is information about the cost required for each ink layer during printing; and resolution information QN, which is information about the resolution of the printed material. In this embodiment, eight pieces of history information HN1 to HN8 are stored. However, the number of pieces of history information HN is not limited to eight. In the following description, when describing all of the history information HN1 to HN8, the term "history information HN" will be used as appropriate. Note that in this embodiment, the history information HN may include not only information when multi-layer printing is executed, but also information when single-layer printing is executed. The history information HN is stored such that information written on the same line is associated with each other.

[0030] Job information JN is information about the names of print jobs that have already been executed. In this embodiment, the job information JN has the names "JOB A" to "JOB H," respectively. However, the names of the print jobs are not particularly limited.

[0031] The size information SN is information about the size of the printed image. The size information SN includes information about the length of the printed image in the front-to-back direction X and the length of the printed image in the left-to-right direction Y. For example, the size information SN held by the history information HN2 is "40 x 20." This indicates that the length of the image printed by the print job "JOB B" in the front-to-back direction X is 40 mm, and the length of the image printed by the print job "JOB B" in the left-to-right direction Y is 20 mm. Note that the unit of size indicated by the size information SN is not limited to "mm." Note that in multi-layer printing, the size of the printed image may differ for each ink layer. In this case, for example, information about the largest ink layer among multiple ink layers is stored.

[0032] The print pattern information PN shown in FIG. 7 is information about the pattern of ink layers. For example, the print pattern information PN of the history information HN1 has information of "Wh / Data / Gr." Here, "Wh" indicates that the base layer 6a has been printed. "Data" indicates that the print layer 6b has been printed. "Gr" indicates that the surface layer 6c has been printed. In this embodiment, the print pattern information PN lists the ink layers in the order in which they were printed, from left to right. Therefore, the "Wh / Data / Gr" information of the print pattern information PN of the history information HN1 indicates that they were printed in the order of "base layer, print layer, surface layer." For example, when two "Wh"s are written side by side, as in the history information HN3, this indicates that two base layers 6a were formed.

[0033] The cost information CN is information on the cost required for each ink layer during printing. Here, cost information may include not only information on the amount of money but also information on the time required for printing and information on the amount of consumables consumed during printing. In this embodiment, the cost information CN includes printing time information TN and ink consumption information KN.

[0034] The printing time information TN is information about the printing time required for each ink layer when printing is performed. The printing time information TN is information transmitted by the transmission unit 53 of the printer 10 (see FIG. 6). In this embodiment, the printing time information TN is arranged from left to right in the order in which the ink layers were printed. For example, the printing time information TN of the history information HN1 contains information of "300 / 100 / 300." As described above, in the printing of the history information HN1, printing was performed in the order of the base layer 6a, the printed layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c. Therefore, the printing time information TN of the history information HN1 indicates that it took 300 seconds to print the base layer 6a, 100 seconds to print the printed layer 6b, and 300 seconds to print the surface layer 6c. The unit of information indicated by the printing time information TN is not limited to "seconds." The number of ink layers included in the printing pattern information PN and the number of time information pieces in the printing time information TN are the same.

[0035] The ink consumption information KN is information about the amount of ink consumed for each ink layer when printing is performed. The ink consumption information KN is information transmitted by the transmission unit 53 of the printer 10 (see FIG. 6). In this embodiment, the ink layers are arranged from left to right in the order in which they were printed. For example, the ink consumption information KN in the history information HN1 contains information such as "10 / 5 / 10." As described above, the printing in the history information HN1 was performed in the order of the base layer 6a, the printed layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c. The ink consumption information KN in the history information HN1 indicates that 10 mL of white ink was used to print the base layer 6a, 5 mL of process color ink was used to print the printed layer 6b, and 10 mL of gloss ink was used to print the surface layer 6c. The unit of information indicated by the ink consumption information KN is not limited to "mL." The number of ink layers included in the ink consumption information KN matches the number of pieces of time information contained in the ink consumption information KN.

[0036] The resolution information QN is information about the resolution when printing is performed. In this embodiment, the resolution information QN has the conditions "ultra high quality" and "high quality." "Ultra high quality" indicates that printing is performed at a higher resolution than "high quality." Therefore, when printing the same image, the amount of ink consumed when printing under the "ultra high quality" condition is greater than the amount of ink consumed when printing under the "high quality" condition. Note that the numerical values ​​of the resolution under the "ultra high quality" and "high quality" conditions are not particularly limited.

[0037] The identification code DN is a code for identifying the printer 10 on which printing was performed in the history information HN. The identification code DN is, for example, a user ID assigned to each printer 10. In FIG. 7, the code "00001" is displayed. Therefore, this indicates that the history information HN is information about the printer 10 used by the user with the user ID "00001."

[0038] The cloud server 100 has been described above. Next, the instruction device 200 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the instruction device 200 is configured to be wirelessly connectable to the printer 10 and the cloud server 100 via the network NW. The instruction device 200 is a device that creates print data to be printed on the printer 10, creates print jobs, and sends the print jobs to the printer 10. The print data is created, for example, by an application installed on the instruction device 200. The application includes a function for RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing image data P10 (see FIG. 5) to create the print data. The print data and the print jobs are created and sent, for example, on a web browser via the network NW. The instruction device 200 is implemented, for example, by a desktop or laptop computer used by a user. The instruction device 200 may be implemented by a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. The instruction device 200 may also be implemented by a portable terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0039] 6, the instruction device 200 includes an instruction control device 210, a display screen 200a, and an operation mechanism 200b. For example, a web browser is displayed on the display screen 200a. The operation mechanism 200b is operated by, for example, a user to select information on the display screen 200a or switch the information displayed on the display screen 200a. The operation mechanism 200b is realized by a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the like.

[0040] The instruction control device 210 is, for example, a microcomputer. The instruction control device 210 includes, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The instruction control device 210 is electrically connected to a display screen 200a and an operation mechanism 200b. As shown in FIG. 6 , the instruction control device 210 includes a receiving unit 211, a size identification unit 212, an input unit 213, a history acquisition unit 214, a pattern selection unit 215, a history selection unit 216, a cost acquisition unit 217, a time correction unit 218, an ink consumption correction unit 219, and a display unit 220. Note that each unit of the instruction control device 210 may be configured by software or hardware. For example, each unit of the instruction control device 210 may be realized by multiple processors or may be incorporated into a circuit.

[0041] The instruction device 200 has been described above. Next, a cost estimation method for printing in the printing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The cost estimation method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the cost estimation method here includes a receiving step S101, a size specification step S102, an input step S103, a history acquisition step S104, a pattern selection step S105, a history selection step S106, a cost acquisition step S107, a time correction step S108, an ink consumption correction step S109, and a display step S110.

[0042] In the receiving step S101, the receiving unit 211 (see FIG. 6) receives image data P10. The image data P10 is input to the receiving unit 211 from, for example, a storage medium such as a USB memory or another computer (not shown). Alternatively, the image data P10 may be generated by the instruction device 200.

[0043] In the size determination step 102, the size of the image to be printed is determined based on the image data P10 shown in FIG. 5. The image data P10 is, for example, data in PDF (Portable Document Format) format. The first direction Dx in FIG. 5 corresponds to the front-to-rear direction X (see FIG. 3) of the printer 10. The second direction Dy corresponds to the left-to-right direction Y (see FIG. 3) of the printer 10. The image data P10 is printed from Dx1 to Dx2 in the first direction Dx. The size of the image data P10 is determined by the length LDx of the image data P10 in the first direction Dx and the length LDy of the image data P10 in the second direction Dy. The image data P10 is electronic data, and the length LDx of the image data in the first direction Dx and the length LDy of the image data in the second direction Dy are specified, for example, by the number of pixels. For example, conversion rates may be determined in advance for the length LDx of the electronic data in the first direction Dx and the length LDy of the electronic data in the front-to-rear direction X and the length of the image in the left-to-right direction Y when actually printed. The size determination unit 212 converts the lengths LDx and LDy at a predetermined rate to determine the length in the front-to-back direction X and the length in the left-to-right direction Y of the image on which the image data P10 is printed. In this embodiment, the size of the image printed from the image data P10 is assumed to be 100 (mm) x 100 (mm). Note that when the image data P10 is to be enlarged or reduced for printing, the size determination unit 212 may determine the length in the front-to-back direction X and the length in the left-to-right direction Y, including the ratio of the enlargement or reduction.

[0044] Input step 103 shown in Fig. 8 is a step of inputting an identification code DN. Although not shown, the identification code DN is input, for example, via a web browser displayed on display screen 200a (see Fig. 6). For example, a window for inputting the identification code DN is displayed on display screen 200a. The user inputs the identification code DN into the window using operation mechanism 200b. This inputs the identification code DN into input unit 213 (see Fig. 6). In this embodiment, the user inputs the numerical value "00001".

[0045] In the history acquisition step S104, from among the multiple pieces of history information HN (see FIG. 7) stored in the database DT (see FIG. 7), the identification code DN input to the input unit 213 is acquired, which matches the identification code DN associated with the multiple pieces of history information HN. In the input step 103, the user inputs the identification code DN of "00001". Furthermore, the multiple pieces of history information HN1 to HN8 shown in FIG. 7 are associated with the identification code DN of "00001". Therefore, the history acquisition unit 214 acquires the history information HN1 to HN8.

[0046] The pattern selection step S105 shown in FIG. 8 selects printing pattern information PN (see FIG. 7) that meets predetermined conditions from the history information HN acquired in the history acquisition step S104. In this embodiment, the three printing pattern information PN that are included in the history information HN1 to HN8 acquired in the history acquisition step S104 are selected in descending order of the number of occurrences. However, the selection conditions are not limited to this. The selection is performed by the pattern selection unit 215 (see FIG. 6). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the printing pattern information PN includes three "Wh / Data / Gr", one "Data", two "Wh / Wh / Data", and two "Data / Gr". Therefore, the pattern selection unit 215 selects "Wh / Data / Gr", "Wh / Wh / Data", and "Data / Gr".

[0047] 8, the history selection unit 216 (see FIG. 6) selects one or more pieces of history information HN from among the multiple pieces of history information HN based on the printing pattern information PN selected by the pattern selection unit 215 in the pattern selection step S105 and the size specified by the size specification unit 212 in the size specification step S102. In this embodiment, from the history information HN having the printing pattern information PN selected by the pattern selection unit 215, the history information HN having the size information SN that is closest to the size specified by the size specification unit 212 is selected.

[0048] Here, a specific example of the history selection step 106 will be described. In this embodiment, the pattern selection unit 215 selects the print patterns of "Wh / Data / Gr", "Wh / Wh / Data", and "Data / Gr". As shown in FIG. 7, the history information HN1, HN7, and HN8 have the print pattern information PN of "Wh / Data / Gr". Also, as described above, in this embodiment, the size specified by the size specification unit 212 is "100 (mm) x 100 (mm) (= 10000 mm)". 2 The size information SN of the history information HN1, HN7, and HN8 is "100 x 100 (= 10000 mm)". 2 ) ", "150 × 150 (= 12500 mm 2 ) ", "400 x 400 (= 160000 mm 2 )". Therefore, the size information SN in the history information HN1 matches the size identified by the size identification unit 212. In other words, the size information SN in the history information HN1 is closest to the size identified by the size identification unit 212. Therefore, the history selection unit 216 selects the history information HN1 from the history information HN1, HN7, and HN8. Similarly, the history information HN3 is selected from the history information HN3 and HN4, which have printing pattern information PN of "Wh / Wh / Data." Furthermore, the history information HN6 is selected from the history information HN5 and HN6, which have printing pattern information PN of "Data / Gr."

[0049] 8 acquires cost information CN included in history information HN selected by the history selection unit 216. In this embodiment, as described above, in the history selection step S106, the history selection unit 216 selects history information HN1, HN3, and HN6. The cost acquisition unit 217 acquires the cost information CN included in each of the history information HN1, HN3, and HN6, i.e., printing time information TN and ink consumption information KN.

[0050] The time correction step S108 corrects the printing time information TN based on the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the size information SN included in the history information HN selected by the history selection unit 216. The correction is performed by the time correction unit 218 (see FIG. 6).

[0051] Here, a specific example of the time correction step S108 will be described. For example, the printing time information TN included in the history information HN3 shown in FIG. 7 has information of "100 / 100 / 50." As described above, the size specified by the size specifying unit 212 is "100 (mm) x 100 (mm) (= 10000 mm)." 2 )" as shown in FIG. 7. The size information SN included in the history information HN3 is "100×50 (=5000 mm 2 The time correction unit 218 calculates the ratio between the size specified by the size specifying unit 212 and the size information SN contained in the history information HN3. The ratio between the size specified by the size specifying unit 212 and the size information SN contained in the history information HN3 is 10000 (mm 2 ):5000(mm 2)=2:1. Therefore, the time correction unit 218 calculates a numerical value by doubling the numerical values ​​of the printing time information TN in the history information HN3. Since the printing time information TN in the history information HN3 is "100 / 100 / 50", the corrected numerical value is "200 / 200 / 100". A similar correction is made for the history information HN6. The corrected numerical value of the printing time information TN in the history information HN6 is "110 / 235" (rounded up to the nearest whole number). Since the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the size information SN in the history information HN1 are the same, this correction is not made.

[0052] The ink consumption correction step S109 shown in FIG. 8 corrects the ink consumption information KN based on the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the size information SN included in the history information HN selected by the history selection unit 216. This correction is performed by the ink consumption correction unit 219 (see FIG. 6). Similar to the time correction unit 218, the ink consumption correction unit 219 corrects the numerical value of the ink consumption information KN based on the ratio between the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the size information SN. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the ink consumption information KN of history information HN3 is "3 / 3 / 2", which is corrected to "6 / 6 / 4" by the ink consumption correction unit 219. A similar correction is performed for history information HN6. The corrected numerical value of the ink consumption information KN included in history information HN6 is "11 / 24" (rounded up to the nearest integer). The time correction step S108 and the ink consumption correction step S109 shown in FIG. 8 may be performed in reverse order.

[0053] The display step S110 displays the cost information CN acquired by the cost acquisition unit 217, i.e., the printing time information TN and the ink consumption information KN, on the display screen 200a (see FIG. 6). The printing time information TN and the ink consumption information KN are displayed on the display screen 200a by the display unit 220 (see FIG. 6). In this embodiment, the display unit 220 displays the values ​​corrected by the time correction unit 218 and the ink consumption correction unit 219 on the display screen 200a. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the cost information CN displayed on the display screen 200a.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 9, estimated cost information EN1 to EN3 are displayed on the display screen 200a. The estimated cost information EN1, EN2, and EN3 are information estimated from the history information HN1, HN3, and HN6 (see FIG. 7), respectively. For example, the "Wh / Data / Gr case" indicated by the estimated cost information EN1 indicates that the estimated cost is displayed when printing is performed in the order of the base layer 6a, the printed layer 6b, and the surface layer 6c (see FIG. 4). Similarly, the estimated cost information EN2 and EN3 indicate that each print pattern is displayed. To the right of the "Printing Time" display of the estimated cost information EN1 to EN3, the values ​​of the printing time estimated in the cost acquisition step S107 to the ink consumption correction step S109 are displayed. To the right of the "Ink Consumption" display, the values ​​of the ink consumption estimated in the cost acquisition step S107 to the ink consumption correction step S109 are displayed.

[0055] As described above, in the information processing system 2 of this embodiment, the storage unit 110 stores history information HN. The history selection unit 216 selects the history information HN based on the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the print pattern information PN selected by the pattern selection unit 215. This makes it possible to make the conditions included in the selected history information HN relatively close to the conditions when printing the image data P10. The cost acquisition unit 217 acquires cost information CN included in the selected history information HN. As described above, because the conditions included in the selected history information HN are relatively close to the conditions when printing the image data P10, the cost information CN contains information relatively close to the cost of multi-layer printing of the image data P10. This makes it possible to estimate the cost when performing multi-layer printing.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the pattern selection unit 215 selects the three pieces of printing pattern information PN that are included most frequently in the history information HN1 to HN8. This makes it possible to select printing pattern information PN that is frequently used in multi-layer printing by the printer 10. Therefore, there is a relatively high possibility that the printing pattern information PN contained in the selected history information HN is similar to the printing pattern when printing the image data P10. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of estimating the cost when printing the image data P10.

[0057] According to the embodiment described above, the cost information CN includes printing time information TN. The time correction unit 218 corrects the printing time information TN based on the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the size information SN included in the history information HN selected by the history selection unit 216. This allows the printing time value to be corrected when there is a relatively large difference between the size information SN included in the history information HN and the printing size of the image data P10. This improves the accuracy of the cost estimation for printing the image data P10.

[0058] According to the embodiment described above, the cost information CN includes ink consumption information KN. The ink consumption correction unit 219 corrects the ink consumption information KN based on the size identified by the size identification unit 212 and the size information SN included in the history information HN selected by the history selection unit 216. This makes it possible to correct the ink consumption figures when there is a relatively large difference between the size information SN included in the history information HN and the printing size of the image data P10. This improves the accuracy of cost estimation when printing the image data P10.

[0059] According to the embodiment described above, the history information HN is associated with an identification code DN. The user inputs the identification code DN into the input unit 213. The history acquisition unit 214 acquires the identification code DN input into the input unit 213 and the identification code DN associated with the history information HN that matches. By using the identification code DN, cost estimation can be performed using only specific information from the history information HN. In this embodiment, the identification code DN is a user ID. By using only the history information HN that matches the user ID, there is a relatively high possibility that the conditions under which the history information HN was printed are similar to the conditions under which the image data P10 desired by the user is printed. Therefore, the accuracy of the cost estimation for printing the image data P10 can be improved.

[0060] According to the embodiment described above, the display unit 220 displays on the display screen 200a the cost information CN acquired by the cost acquisition unit 217. This allows the user to grasp the estimated cost of printing the image data P10 on the display screen 200a before printing the image data P10.

[0061] According to the embodiment described above, the printing system 1 includes the information processing system 2 and the printer 10. This allows the image data P10 to be printed by the printer 10 after the estimated cost of printing the image data P10 is known.

[0062] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be embodied in various other forms.

[0063] According to the embodiment described above, the history selection unit 216 selects the history information HN based on the print pattern information PN selected by the pattern selection unit 215 and the size specified by the size specification unit 212. However, this is not limiting. For example, the history selection unit 216 may also select the history information HN based on the resolution information QN. For example, the history selection unit 216 selects the history information HN for which the resolution information QN is "ultra high quality." In the embodiment described above, the history information HN1, HN3, and HM6 are selected based on the print pattern information PN and the size specified by the size specification unit 212. As shown in FIG. 7 , among the history information HN1, HN3, and HM6, only the history information HN1 has the resolution information QN specified as "ultra high quality." Therefore, at this time, the history selection unit 216 selects only the history information HN1. As a result, for example, when printing image data P10 (see FIG. 5) under the condition of "ultra high quality," the cost can be estimated using history information HN1 having resolution information QN of "ultra high quality." Therefore, when the resolution for printing image data P10 is specified, the accuracy of cost estimation can be improved.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the storage unit 110 is provided in the cloud server 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the storage unit 110 may be built into the instruction device 200.

[0065] The technology disclosed herein can be applied to various types of printers. In addition to the flatbed type printer described in the above embodiment, the technology can also be applied to so-called roll-to-roll type printers, which transport a roll-shaped printing material in the front-to-back direction X. The technology can also be applied to so-called gantry type printers, which place the printing material on a table and move a carriage in the left-right direction Y and the front-to-back direction X relative to the table to print. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 2. Information Processing Systems 10 Printer (inkjet printer) 110 Storage section 211 Receiving unit 212 Size specification section 215 Pattern Selection Section 216 History Selection Department 217 Cost Acquisition Department CN Cost Information HN history information PN Printing pattern information SN Size Information

Claims

1. a receiving unit that receives image data that is data of an image to be printed by the inkjet printer; a size specifying unit that specifies the size of an image to be printed based on the image data; a storage unit in which multiple pieces of history information are stored in advance, each of which is associated with print pattern information, which is information on the pattern of the ink layers when multi-layer printing is performed by the inkjet printer to form multiple ink layers; size information, which is information on the size of the image printed by the multi-layer printing; and cost information, which is information on the cost required for each ink layer during the multi-layer printing; a pattern selection unit that selects the print pattern information that meets predetermined conditions from the print pattern information stored in the storage unit; a history selection unit that selects one or more pieces of history information from the plurality of pieces of history information based on the printing pattern information selected by the pattern selection unit and the size specified by the size specification unit; a cost acquisition unit that acquires the cost information contained in the history information selected by the history selection unit.

2. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is to select one or more pieces of printing pattern information from the printing pattern information in descending order of the number of pieces of printing pattern information included in the storage unit.

3. the cost information includes printing time information, which is information about the printing time required for each ink layer when the multi-layer printing is performed; 2. The information processing system of claim 1, further comprising a time correction unit that corrects the printing time information contained in the cost information acquired by the cost acquisition unit based on the size identified by the size identification unit and the size information contained in the history information selected by the history selection unit.

4. the cost information includes ink consumption information that is information about ink consumption for each ink layer when the multi-layer printing is performed, 2. The information processing system of claim 1, further comprising an ink consumption correction unit that corrects the ink consumption information contained in the cost information acquired by the cost acquisition unit based on the size identified by the size identification unit and the size information contained in the history information selected by the history selection unit.

5. The history information stored in the storage unit is associated with resolution information that is information about the resolution at which the multi-layer printing was performed, 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the history selection unit selects one or more pieces of history information from the plurality of pieces of history information based on the printing pattern information selected by the pattern selection unit, the size specified by the size specification unit, and the resolution information.

6. the plurality of pieces of history information are associated with an identification code for identifying the inkjet printer; an input unit capable of inputting the identification code; a history acquisition unit that acquires, from the plurality of pieces of history information, the identification code input to the input unit and the identification code associated with the plurality of pieces of history information that match, The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the history selection unit selects one or more pieces of history information from the history information acquired by the history acquisition unit.

7. A display screen; The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display unit that displays the cost information acquired by the cost acquisition unit on the display screen.

8. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7; A printing system comprising the inkjet printer communicably connected to the information processing system.

9. a receiving step of receiving image data that is data of an image to be printed by the inkjet printer; a size specifying step of specifying a size of an image to be printed based on the image data; a pattern selection step of selecting, from a plurality of pieces of history information stored in association with each other, print pattern information, which is information on the pattern of ink layers when multi-layer printing to form a plurality of ink layers is performed by the inkjet printer, size information, which is information on the size of the image printed by the multi-layer printing, and cost information, which is information on the cost required for each ink layer during the multi-layer printing; and a history selection step of selecting one or more pieces of history information from the plurality of pieces of history information based on the printing pattern information selected in the pattern selection step and the size specified in the size specification step; a cost acquisition step of acquiring the cost information contained in the history information selected in the history selection step.

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