Consumable item ordering system and consumable item ordering program

Abstract

To provide a consumable item ordering system and a consumable item ordering program that can increase the possibility that a user recognizes a failure of automatic ordering of consumable items in a timely manner.SOLUTION: A device management system comprises an automatic ordering unit that automatically orders toner used in an image forming apparatus. When automatic ordering of toner fails, the automatic ordering unit informs a customer of automatic ordering failure information by e-mail to a specific e-mail address (S243 or S245).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a consumables ordering system and a consumables ordering program that automatically orders consumables used in electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known a consumables ordering system that automatically orders consumables used in electronic devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-187119 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional consumables ordering systems, it is not easy to make users aware in a timely manner of a failure to automatically order consumables. Therefore, if an automatic consumables ordering fails, there is a high possibility that replacement consumables will not be prepared when the consumables run out in the electronic device, resulting in a high possibility that the electronic device will become unusable.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a consumables ordering system and a consumables ordering program that can improve the likelihood of a user being notified in a timely manner of a failure in automatic consumables ordering. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The consumables ordering system of the present invention includes an automatic ordering unit that automatically orders consumables used in electronic devices, and is characterized in that, if the automatic ordering of the consumables fails, the automatic ordering unit notifies a specific destination of automatic order failure information indicating that the automatic ordering of the consumables has failed.

[0007] With this configuration, the consumables ordering system of the present invention notifies a specific destination of automatic order failure information when an automatic consumables ordering fails, thereby improving the likelihood that the user will be made aware of the failure of the automatic consumables ordering in a timely manner.

[0008] In the consumables ordering system of the present invention, if an automatic ordering of the consumables fails, the automatic ordering unit may record a history of the failure to automatically order the consumables, and at a specific time, notify the specific destination of the automatic ordering failure information based on the history.

[0009] With this configuration, the consumables ordering system of the present invention records the history of automatic toner ordering failures when an automatic toner ordering fails, and notifies the system of automatic order failure information based on the history at a specific time, thereby preventing the automatic order failure information from being notified too frequently.

[0010] In the consumables ordering system of the present invention, the automatic ordering unit may be capable of accepting designation of the specific time.

[0011] With this configuration, the consumables ordering system of the present invention can accept the specification of the time for notifying the automatic order failure information, so that the automatic order failure information can be notified at a time that is convenient for the user, thereby improving the user's work efficiency.

[0012] In the consumables ordering system of the present invention, when the specific time arrives, the automatic ordering unit may notify the specific destination of the automatic order failure information based on the history excluding the history that was the basis of the automatic order failure information that has already been notified to the specific destination.

[0013] With this configuration, the consumables ordering system of the present invention notifies, at a specific time, automatic order failure information based on the history of automatic consumables ordering failures, excluding the history of automatic consumables ordering failures that were the basis for the automatic order failure information that has already been notified, thereby improving the possibility of having the user manually order the correct amount of consumables quickly.

[0014] In the consumables ordering system of the present invention, when the specific time arrives and there is no history other than the history that was the basis for the automatic order failure information that has already been notified to the specific destination, the automatic ordering unit does not need to notify the specific destination of the automatic order failure information.

[0015] With this configuration, the consumables ordering system of the present invention does not notify automatic order failure information when a specific time arrives and there is no history of automatic consumables ordering failures, excluding the history of automatic consumables ordering failures that formed the basis of the already notified automatic order failure information, thereby improving the likelihood that users will not have to manually order consumables unnecessarily.

[0016] The consumables ordering program of the present invention causes a computer to implement an automatic ordering unit that automatically orders consumables used in electronic devices, and is characterized in that, if the automatic ordering of the consumables fails, the automatic ordering unit notifies a specific destination of automatic order failure information indicating that the automatic ordering of the consumables has failed.

[0017] With this configuration, a computer executing the consumables ordering program of the present invention notifies a specific destination of automatic order failure information if an automatic consumables ordering fails, thereby improving the likelihood that the user will be made aware of the failure of the automatic consumables ordering in a timely manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The consumables ordering system and consumables ordering program of the present invention can improve the likelihood that a user will be made aware of a failure in automatic consumables ordering in a timely manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the device management system shown in FIG. 1 when configured by one computer. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of model information shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of customer information shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of device information shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of order condition information shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of replacement history information shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of automatic order history information shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] 3 is a diagram showing an example of order failure history information shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 that is not a model that supports notification of the toner serial number. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, which is a model that supports notification of the toner serial number. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the external ordering system shown in FIG. 1 when configured with one computer. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the user terminal shown in FIG. 1 when configured by a PC. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of the operation of the equipment management system shown in FIG. 2 when automatic ordering conditions are set. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an order condition setting screen displayed in the operation shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 11 is a flowchart of the operation of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 10 when notifying the toner level. [Figure 17] 12 is a flowchart of the operation of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 11 when notifying the toner level. [Figure 18] 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the device management system shown in FIG. 2 when toner-related information is received. [Figure 19] 19 is a flowchart of the flag state update process shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 19 is a flowchart of the automatic ordering process shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 21] 13 is a diagram showing an example of information included in an order for a toner container to the external ordering system shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 22] 13 is a flowchart of the operation of the external ordering system shown in FIG. 12 when toner is ordered from the device management system. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the equipment management system shown in FIG. 2 when notifying automatic order failure information. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of information included in automatic order failure information notified in the operation shown in FIG. 23. [Figure 25] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the equipment management system shown in FIG. 2 when the state of the automatic ordering prohibition flag is changed manually. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic order prohibition status screen displayed in the operation shown in FIG. 25. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] First, the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 includes a device management system 20 that manages an image forming device as an electronic device. The device management system 20 may be configured with a single computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), or may be configured with multiple computers. The device management system 20 may be configured as a cloud server. The device management system 20 is managed, for example, by the manufacturer of the image forming device. The device management system 20 is used, for example, by service personnel belonging to a service company that performs maintenance on the image forming device.

[0024] The system 10 includes an image forming apparatus 30 and an image forming apparatus 40, such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) or a dedicated printer. The system 10 can include at least one other image forming apparatus with a configuration similar to that of the image forming apparatus 30 or the image forming apparatus 40, in addition to the image forming apparatus 30 and the image forming apparatus 40. The image forming apparatuses are installed at the offices of users of the image forming apparatuses, such as customers of a service company. Each image forming apparatus is assigned a serial number as identification information. A replaceable toner container containing toner, a consumable item used in the printer of the image forming apparatus, is attached to the image forming apparatus. Each toner container is assigned a toner serial number as identification information. The image forming apparatus 30 is not a model that supports notification of the toner serial number. On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 40 is a model that supports notification of the toner serial number.

[0025] The system 10 includes an external ordering system 50 that executes toner ordering outside the device management system 20. The external ordering system 50 may be configured with a single computer such as a PC, or may be configured with multiple computers. The external ordering system 50 may be configured as a cloud server. The external ordering system 50 is managed by, for example, a service company. The external ordering system 50 is used, for example, by service personnel who work for the service company and perform maintenance on image forming devices.

[0026] The system 10 includes a user terminal 60, such as a PC or a smartphone, used by a user of the device management system 20, such as a service person. The system 10 can include at least one other user terminal in addition to the user terminal 60 that has a similar configuration to the user terminal 60.

[0027] The device management system 20 and the image forming apparatus can communicate with each other via a network 11 such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0028] The equipment management system 20, the external ordering system 50, and the user terminals can communicate with each other via a network 12 such as a LAN or the Internet.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the device management system 20 when configured with one computer.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the equipment management system 20 includes an operation unit 21, which is an operation device such as a keyboard or mouse through which various operations are input; a display unit 22, which is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays various information; a communication unit 23, which is a communication device that communicates with external devices via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly via a wired or wireless connection without using a network; a memory unit 24, which is a non-volatile memory device such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various information; and a control unit 25 that controls the entire equipment management system 20.

[0031] The storage unit 24 can store a device management program 24a for managing the image forming apparatus. The device management program 24a may be installed in the device management system 20 during the manufacturing stage of the device management system 20, or may be additionally installed in the device management system 20 from an external storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or may be additionally installed in the device management system 20 from a network.

[0032] The storage unit 24 can store model information 24b as information relating to the model of the image forming apparatus.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the model information 24b.

[0034] The model information 24b shown in Fig. 3 includes, for each model, a model name as identification information for the image forming device model, installable toner information indicating how many toner containers of what color toner can be installed, and toner serial number compatibility information indicating whether the image forming device supports toner serial number notification. The model information 24b shown in Fig. 3 is drawn with some information omitted. For example, the model information 24b shown in Fig. 3 indicates that "an image forming device with a model name of 'M001' can install two toner containers each of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner, and supports toner serial number notification."

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 24 can store customer information 24c as information about users of the image forming apparatus, that is, customers of the service company.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the customer information 24c.

[0037] The customer information 24c shown in Figure 4 includes a customer ID as customer identification information, a customer name as the name of the customer, and customer account information in the external ordering system 50, all associated with each customer. The customer information 24c shown in Figure 4 is drawn with some information omitted. For example, the customer information 24c shown in Figure 4 indicates that "the customer whose customer ID is "C001" has a customer name of "XX Co., Ltd.", an ID in the external ordering system 50 of "0123," and a password in the external ordering system 50 of "456789."

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 24 can store device information 24d as information related to the image forming device.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the device information 24d.

[0040] The device information 24d shown in FIG. 5 includes, for each image forming device, the serial number of the image forming device, the model name of the image forming device, the customer ID of the user of the image forming device, the toner serial number of the toner container installed in the image forming device, toner level history information indicating the history of actual toner level measurements (representing the amount of toner remaining in the image forming device) (hereinafter referred to as "toner level history"), the predicted number of days remaining until the toner level in the image forming device reaches a specific level, and an automatic order prohibition flag indicating whether automatic ordering by the device management system 20 is prohibited. The device information 24d shows the toner serial number, toner level history information, predicted number of days remaining, and automatic order prohibition flag for each toner color. The upright state of the automatic order prohibition flag indicates that automatic ordering is prohibited, while the down state indicates that automatic ordering is not prohibited. The device information 24d shown in FIG. 5 is illustrated with some information omitted. For example, the device information 24d shown in FIG. 5 includes the following information: "The image forming device with serial number "D00001" has a model name and customer ID of "M001" and "C001", the toner serial numbers of the installed cyan toner containers are "TC00001" and "TC00002", the toner serial numbers of the installed magenta toner containers are "TM00001" and "TM00002", the toner serial numbers of the installed yellow toner containers are "TY00001" and "TY00002", and the installed The toner serial numbers of the black toner containers in the toner level history information are "TB00001" and "TB00002", the date and time of the latest toner level history in the toner level history information is 10:10 on February 5, 2024, the latest toner levels of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are 49%, 42%, 63%, and 5%, respectively, the predicted remaining days for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are 45, 35, 50, and 5 days, respectively, automatic ordering of cyan, magenta, and yellow is not prohibited, and automatic ordering of black is prohibited.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 24 can store order condition information 24e that indicates automatic order conditions as conditions for the device management system 20 to automatically order toner.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the order condition information 24e.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the order condition information 24e includes, for each automatic order condition, an order condition ID as identification information for the automatic order condition, an order condition name indicating the name of the automatic order condition, the serial number of the image forming device that the automatic order condition applies to, an automatic order level as the reference toner level for executing the automatic order, a number of days remaining for automatic order as the reference estimated number of days remaining for executing the automatic order, success notification requirement information indicating whether to notify the automatic order success information indicating whether to notify the automatic order success information indicating whether to notify the automatic order failure information indicating whether to notify the automatic order failure information, the name and email address of the recipient of the information, and the date and time the automatic order condition was registered. The order condition information 24e shown in Figure 6 has been omitted for clarity. For example, the ordering condition information 24e shown in Figure 6 indicates that "the automatic ordering condition with ordering condition ID "A001" has an ordering condition name of "Condition A", targets image forming devices with serial numbers such as "D00001", "D00002", and "D00003", has an automatic ordering level of 5%, has 10 days remaining for automatic ordering, requires notification of automatic ordering success information and automatic ordering failure information, has a failure notification time of 14:33, notifies information to Yamada Taro, whose email address is "Taro@example.com", Suzuki Hanako, whose email address is "Hanako@example.com", and the like, and was registered at 9:31 on January 4, 2024."

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 24 can store replacement history information 24f that indicates the history of replacement of the toner container (hereinafter referred to as "replacement history").

[0045] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the replacement history information 24f.

[0046] The replacement history information 24f shown in Figure 7 includes the date and time of toner container replacement, the serial number of the image forming device whose toner container was replaced, the color of the toner container whose replacement was performed, and the toner level of the toner container for each color immediately before replacement, all associated with each replacement history. The replacement history information 24f shown in Figure 7 is drawn with some information omitted. For example, the replacement history information 24f shown in Figure 7 indicates that "at 15:24 on March 16, 2024, a cyan toner container with a toner level of 5% was replaced with a new toner container in an image forming device whose serial number is "D00001."

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 24 can store automatic order history information 24g that indicates the history of automatic orders for toner containers (hereinafter referred to as "automatic order history").

[0048] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the automatic order history information 24g.

[0049] The automatic order history information 24g shown in FIG. 8 includes the date and time of the toner container order, the serial number of the image forming device for which the toner container was ordered, the color of toner for which the order was placed, the number of toner containers for each color for which the order was placed, and the order condition ID of the automatic order conditions that served as the basis for the automatic order, all associated with each automatic order history. The automatic order history information 24g shown in FIG. 8 is illustrated with some information omitted. For example, the automatic order history information 24g shown in FIG. 8 indicates that "two cyan toner containers were ordered for the image forming device with serial number "D00001" at 1:42 PM on February 29, 2024, based on the automatic order condition with order condition ID "A001."

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 24 can store order failure history information 24h that indicates the history of automatic order failures (hereinafter referred to as "order failure history").

[0051] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the order failure history information 24h.

[0052] The order failure history information 24h shown in FIG. 9 includes, for each order failure history, the date and time of the automatic order failure, the serial number of the image forming device for which the automatic order was placed, the color for which the automatic order was placed, the number of toner containers for each color for which the automatic order was placed, the order condition ID of the automatic order conditions that were the basis for the automatic order, and an error code indicating the reason for the automatic order failure. The order failure history information 24h shown in FIG. 9 is illustrated with some information omitted. For example, the order failure history information 24h shown in FIG. 9 indicates that "two cyan toner containers were ordered for the image forming device with serial number "D00001" at 11:23 AM on February 5, 2024, based on the automatic order condition with order condition ID "A001," but the order failed for the reason indicated by the error code "E0001."

[0053] 2 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs and various data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as a memory used as a work area for the CPU of the control unit 25. The CPU of the control unit 25 executes programs stored in the storage unit 24 or the ROM of the control unit 25.

[0054] The control unit 25 executes the device management program 24a to realize an automatic ordering unit 25a that automatically orders toner used in the image forming apparatus from the external ordering system 50. The automatic ordering unit 25a can automatically order toner as a consumable used in the image forming apparatus from the external ordering system 50. Therefore, the device management program 24a constitutes the consumables ordering program of the present invention, and the device management system 20 constitutes the consumables ordering system of the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus 30 that is not a model that supports notification of the toner serial number.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 10, the image forming apparatus 30 includes an operation unit 31, which is an operation device such as a button through which various operations are input; a display unit 32, which is a display device such as an LCD that displays various information; a printer 33, which is a printing device that prints images on a recording medium such as paper; a toner level sensor 34 that detects the toner level in a toner container attached to the printer 33; a scanner 35, which is a reading device that reads images from a document; a communication unit 36, which is a communication device that communicates with an external device via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly via a wired or wireless connection without using a network; a memory unit 37, which is a non-volatile memory device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD that stores various information; and a control unit 38 that controls the entire image forming apparatus 30.

[0057] The printer 33 has a replaceable toner container.

[0058] The toner level detected by the toner level sensor 34 becomes 100% when a new toner container is installed in the image forming apparatus 30 .

[0059] The storage unit 37 can store a toner level notification program 37a for notifying the device management system 20 of the toner level. The toner level notification program 37a may be installed in the image forming device 30 during the manufacturing stage of the image forming device 30, or may be additionally installed in the image forming device 30 from an external storage medium such as a USB memory, or may be additionally installed in the image forming device 30 from a network.

[0060] The storage unit 37 can store level notification time information 37b that indicates the level notification time as the time at which the toner level is notified to the device management system 20. The level notification time indicated in the level notification time information 37b may be a specific time in a day, or may be a specific number of times in a day.

[0061] Control unit 38 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores programs and various data, and a RAM as memory used as a work area for the CPU of control unit 38. The CPU of control unit 38 executes programs stored in storage unit 37 or the ROM of control unit 38.

[0062] The control unit 38 executes the toner level notification program 37a to realize a toner level notification unit 38a that notifies the device management system 20 of the toner level.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus 40 that is a model that supports notification of the toner serial number.

[0064] 11, the configuration of image forming apparatus 40 is similar to that of image forming apparatus 30, except that image forming apparatus 40 includes an RFID reader 45 as a consumables identification information acquisition unit for acquiring a toner serial number from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag of a toner container attached to printer 43. That is, image forming apparatus 40 includes an operation unit 41, a display unit 42, a printer 43, a toner level sensor 44, an RFID reader 45, a scanner 46, a communication unit 47, a memory unit 48, and a control unit 49.

[0065] The storage unit 48 can store a toner level notification program 48a for notifying the device management system 20 of the toner level. The toner level notification program 48a may be installed in the image forming device 40 during the manufacturing stage of the image forming device 40, or may be additionally installed in the image forming device 40 from an external storage medium such as a USB memory, or may be additionally installed in the image forming device 40 from a network.

[0066] The storage unit 48 is capable of storing level notification time information 48b.

[0067] The control unit 49 executes the toner level notification program 48a to realize a toner level notification unit 49a that notifies the device management system 20 of the toner level.

[0068] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an external ordering system 50 configured by a single computer.

[0069] As shown in Figure 12, the external ordering system 50 comprises an operation unit 51 which is an operating device such as a keyboard or mouse through which various operations are input; a display unit 52 which is a display device such as an LCD that displays various information; a communication unit 53 which is a communication device that communicates with external devices via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly via a wired or wireless connection without using a network; a memory unit 54 which is a non-volatile memory device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD that stores various information; and a control unit 55 that controls the entire external ordering system 50.

[0070] The storage unit 54 can store an external ordering program 54a for executing an order for toner outside the device management system 20. The external ordering program 54a may be installed in the external ordering system 50 during the manufacturing stage of the external ordering system 50, or may be additionally installed in the external ordering system 50 from an external storage medium such as a USB memory, or may be additionally installed in the external ordering system 50 over a network.

[0071] The control unit 55 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores programs and various data, and a RAM as a memory used as a work area for the CPU of the control unit 55. The CPU of the control unit 55 executes the programs stored in the storage unit 54 or the ROM of the control unit 55.

[0072] The control unit 55 executes the external ordering program 54a to realize an external ordering unit 55a that orders toner outside the device management system 20.

[0073] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the user terminal 60 when configured as a PC.

[0074] As shown in Figure 13, the user terminal 60 includes an operation unit 61, which is an operation device such as a keyboard or mouse through which various operations are input; a display unit 62, which is a display device such as an LCD that displays various information; a communication unit 63, which is a communication device that communicates with external devices via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly via a wired or wireless connection without using a network; a memory unit 64, which is a non-volatile memory device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD that stores various information; and a control unit 65 that controls the entire user terminal 60.

[0075] The control unit 65 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores programs and various data, and a RAM as memory used as a work area for the CPU of the control unit 65. The CPU of the control unit 65 executes programs stored in the storage unit 64 or the ROM of the control unit 65.

[0076] The operation of the system 10 will now be described.

[0077] First, the operation of equipment management system 20 when setting automatic ordering conditions will be described.

[0078] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of equipment management system 20 when setting automatic ordering conditions.

[0079] A user of the equipment management system 20, such as a service person who performs maintenance on an image forming device, can access the equipment management system 20 using a user terminal and then instruct the equipment management system 20 to start setting automatic ordering conditions via the operation unit of the user terminal.

[0080] When an instruction to start setting automatic ordering conditions is given, automatic ordering unit 25a of equipment management system 20 executes the operation shown in FIG.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 14, the automatic ordering unit 25a displays an order condition setting screen 70 (see Fig. 15) on the display unit of the user terminal as a screen for setting automatic order conditions (S101). The order condition setting screen 70 can be operated via the operation unit of the user terminal.

[0082] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the order condition setting screen 70 displayed in the operation shown in FIG.

[0083] The order condition setting screen 70 shown in Figure 15 includes a text box 71 as a widget for inputting the order condition name, a text box 72 as a widget for inputting the serial number of the image forming device that is the target of the automatic order conditions, a check box 73a as a widget for enabling the specification of the automatic order level, a spin box 73b as a widget for specifying the automatic order level, a check box 74a as a widget for enabling the specification of the remaining days for automatic order, a spin box 74b as a widget for specifying the remaining days for automatic order, a check box 75 as a widget for selecting whether or not to be notified of automatic order success information, a check box 76a as a widget for selecting whether or not to be notified of automatic order failure information, a text box 76b as a widget for inputting the time for the failure notification, text boxes 77a, 77b, and 77c as widgets for inputting the name of the recipient of the information notification, text boxes 78a, 78b, and 78c as widgets for inputting the email address of the recipient of the information notification, an execute button 79 as a widget for executing the setting of the automatic order conditions, and a cancel button 80 as a widget for canceling the setting of the automatic order conditions.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 14, when the process of S101 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether or not the execute button 79 has been pressed (S102).

[0085] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S102 that the execute button 79 has not been pressed, it determines whether the cancel button 80 has been pressed (S103).

[0086] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S103 that the cancel button 80 has not been pressed, it executes the process of S102.

[0087] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S102 that the execute button 79 has been pressed, it assigns an ordering condition ID to the automatic ordering condition to be set this time (S104).

[0088] When the processing of S104 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a inputs the order condition ID assigned in S104, the order condition name input in the text box 71 at the time the execute button 79 was pressed, the serial number input in the text box 72 at the time the execute button 79 was pressed, the automatic order level specified in the spin box 73b at the time the execute button 79 was pressed if the check box 73a was checked at the time the execute button 79 was pressed, the number of remaining days for automatic order specified in the spin box 74b at the time the execute button 79 was pressed if the check box 74a was checked at the time the execute button 79 was pressed, and the number of remaining days for automatic order specified in the spin box 74b at the time the execute button 79 was pressed if the check box 74a was checked at the time the execute button 79 was pressed. The automatic order condition information 24e is stored with the following correspondences: success notification necessity information selected by check box 75 at the time the execute button 79 was pressed, indicating whether notification of automatic order success information is necessary; failure notification necessity information selected by check box 76a at the time the execute button 79 was pressed, indicating whether notification of automatic order failure information is necessary; failure notification time information indicating the time for failure notification entered in text box 76b at the time the execute button 79 was pressed; the names and email addresses of the recipients of information notification entered in text boxes 77a, 77b, 77c, 78a, 78b, 78c at the time the execute button 79 was pressed; and the current date and time as the registration date and time of the automatic order condition (S105).

[0089] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S103 that the cancel button 80 has been pressed, or when the processing of S105 is completed, it terminates the display of the order condition setting screen 70 on the display unit of the user terminal (S106) and terminates the operation shown in Figure 14.

[0090] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 30 when notifying the toner level will be described.

[0091] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the operation of the image forming apparatus 30 when notifying the toner level.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 16, the toner level notification unit 38a of the image forming device 30 determines whether the current time is one of the level notification times indicated in the level notification time information 37b (S121) until it determines that the current time is one of the level notification times indicated in the level notification time information 37b.

[0093] When the toner level notification unit 38a determines in S121 that the current time is one of the level notification times indicated in the level notification time information 37b, it generates toner-related information including the serial number of the image forming device 30 and the toner levels for each color, such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, detected by the toner level sensor 34 (S122).

[0094] When the process of S122 is completed, the toner level notification unit 38a notifies the device management system 20 of the toner-related information generated in S122 (S123), and then executes the process of S121.

[0095] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 40 when notifying the toner level will be described.

[0096] FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the operation of image forming apparatus 40 when notifying the toner level.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 17, the toner level notification unit 49a of the image forming device 40 determines whether the current time is one of the level notification times indicated in the level notification time information 48b (S141) until it determines that the current time is one of the level notification times indicated in the level notification time information 48b.

[0098] When the toner level notification unit 49a determines in S141 that the current time is one of the level notification times indicated in the level notification time information 48b, it generates toner-related information including the serial number of the image forming device 40, the toner levels for each color, such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, detected by the toner level sensor 44, and the toner serial number for each toner container installed in the printer 43, read by the RFID reader 45 (S142).

[0099] When the process of S142 is completed, the toner level notification unit 49a notifies the device management system 20 of the toner-related information generated in S142 (S143), and then executes the process of S141.

[0100] Next, the operation of the device management system 20 when toner-related information is received will be described.

[0101] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device management system 20 when toner-related information is received.

[0102] When the automatic ordering unit 25a of the device management system 20 receives the toner-related information, it executes the operation shown in FIG.

[0103] As shown in Figure 18, the automatic ordering unit 25a executes a flag status update process (see Figure 19) to update the status of the automatic ordering prohibition flag associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the received toner-related information (hereinafter referred to as "target toner-related information") (S161).

[0104] FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the flag state update process shown in FIG.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 19, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether the image forming device identified by the serial number in the target toner-related information (hereinafter referred to as the "target image forming device") supports notification of the toner serial number based on the toner serial number correspondence information that is associated in model information 24b with the model name that is associated in device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S181).

[0106] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S181 that the target image forming device supports notification of toner serial numbers, it determines whether there is a toner color in which the toner serial number in the target toner-related information has changed from the toner serial number associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d (S182).

[0107] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S182 that there is a toner color in which the toner serial number in the target toner-related information has changed from the toner serial number associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d, it determines the toner color of the toner cartridge in which the toner serial number in the target toner-related information has changed from the toner serial number associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d as the toner color of the toner cartridge that has been replaced (S183).

[0108] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S181 that the target image forming apparatus does not support notification of the toner serial number, it determines whether there is a toner color whose toner level in the target toner-related information has increased by more than a specific level from the latest toner level in the toner level history information associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d (S184). The "specific level" in S184 is, for example, 60%. If the "specific level" in S184 is 60%, for example, when the latest cyan toner level in the toner level history information associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d is 5%, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S184 that the cyan toner level in the target toner-related information has increased by 60% from the latest cyan toner level in the toner level history information associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d.

[0109] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S184 that there is a toner color whose toner level in the target toner-related information has increased by more than a specific level from the latest toner level in the toner level history information that is associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines that the toner color whose toner level in the target toner-related information has increased by more than a specific level from the latest toner level in the toner level history information that is associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information is the color of toner whose toner cartridge has been replaced (S185).

[0110] When the processing of S183 or S185 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a turns off the automatic ordering prohibition flag for the color determined in S183 or S185, among the automatic ordering prohibition flags associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S186).

[0111] When the processing of S186 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a associates the current date and time as the date and time of toner container replacement, the serial number in the target toner-related information, the color determined in S183 or S185, and the toner level immediately before the toner container replacement in the replacement history information 24f (S187). Here, the automatic ordering unit 25a sets the latest toner level associated with the color determined in S183 or S185 in the toner level history information associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information as the toner level immediately before the toner container replacement.

[0112] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S182 that there is no toner color in which the toner serial number in the target toner-related information has changed from the toner serial number associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d, or when it determines in S184 that there is no toner color in which the toner level in the target toner-related information has increased by more than a specific level from the latest toner level in the toner level history information associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d, or when the processing of S187 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a terminates execution of the flag status update processing shown in Figure 19.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 18, when the automatic ordering unit 25a completes the execution of the flag state update process in S161, it determines whether or not the target toner-related information includes a toner serial number (S162).

[0114] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S162 that the target toner-related information includes a toner serial number, it updates the toner serial number associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information by overwriting the toner serial number associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information with the toner serial number in the target toner-related information (S163).

[0115] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S162 that the target toner-related information does not include a toner serial number, or when the processing of S163 is completed, it updates the toner level history information associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information by adding the toner level history based on the toner level in the target toner-related information to the toner level history information associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S164).

[0116] When the processing of S164 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines the predicted remaining days based on the toner level history information associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S165). For example, the automatic ordering unit 25a may determine the predicted remaining days using an approximation line based on the toner level history information, or may determine the predicted remaining days by repeatedly using a machine learning model that, when an explanatory variable based on the toner level history is input, outputs the toner level of a date later than the most recent date included in the toner level history as the objective variable.

[0117] When the processing of S165 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a updates the estimated remaining number of days associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d by overwriting the estimated remaining number of days associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the device information 24d with the estimated remaining number of days determined in S165 (S166).

[0118] When the process of S166 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a executes an automatic ordering process (see FIG. 20) to execute an automatic order (S167).

[0119] FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the automatic ordering process shown in FIG.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 20, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether there is a color for which automatic ordering is not prohibited based on the state of the automatic ordering prohibition flag associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S201).

[0121] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S201 that there is a color for which automatic ordering is not prohibited, it determines whether the serial number in the target toner related information is associated with an automatic ordering level in the ordering condition information 24e (S202).

[0122] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S202 that the serial number in the target toner-related information is associated with an automatic ordering level in the ordering condition information 24e, it identifies, from among the colors for which automatic ordering was determined in S201 to be not prohibited, colors for which the latest toner level in the toner level history information associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information is lower than the automatic ordering level associated in the ordering condition information 24e with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S203).

[0123] The automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S202 that the serial number in the target toner-related information is not associated with an automatic ordering level in the ordering condition information 24e, or, upon completion of processing in S203, determines whether the serial number in the target toner-related information is associated with the remaining number of days for automatic ordering in the ordering condition information 24e (S204).

[0124] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S204 that the serial number in the target toner-related information is associated with the number of remaining days for automatic ordering in the order condition information 24e, it identifies, from among the colors for which automatic ordering was determined in S201 to be not prohibited, colors for which the predicted number of remaining days associated in the device information 24d with the serial number in the target toner-related information is less than or equal to the number of remaining days for automatic ordering associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the order condition information 24e (S205).

[0125] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S204 that the serial number in the target toner-related information is not associated with the number of remaining days for automatic ordering in the ordering condition information 24e, or when the processing of S205 is completed, it determines whether any color has been identified in S203 or S205 (S206).

[0126] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S206 that any color has been specified in S203 or S205, it places an order for a toner container of the toner of the color specified in S203 or S205 to the external ordering system 50 (S207).

[0127] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of information included in an order for a toner container to the external ordering system 50. As shown in FIG.

[0128] 21, the order in S207 includes the model name of the image forming device to be ordered, the serial number of the image forming device to be ordered, the customer ID and customer name of the customer using the image forming device to be ordered, account information in external order system 50 of the customer using the image forming device to be ordered, the toner color to be ordered, and the number of toner containers for each toner color to be ordered. The automatic ordering unit 25a determines the number of toner containers for each toner color to be ordered based on the installable toner information that is associated in model information 24b with the model name that is associated in device information 24d with the serial number of the image forming device to be ordered.

[0129] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the operation of the external ordering system 50 when toner is ordered from the device management system 20.

[0130] When an order for toner is placed from the device management system 20, the external order unit 55a of the external order system 50 executes the operation shown in FIG.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 22, the external order unit 55a performs authentication based on the account information included in the toner order from the device management system 20 (S221).

[0132] When the process of S221 is completed, the external order unit 55a determines whether the authentication in S221 was successful (S222).

[0133] If the external order unit 55a determines in S222 that the authentication in S221 was successful, it determines whether or not there is a problem with the toner order from the device management system 20 (S223).

[0134] If the external ordering unit 55a determines in S223 that there is no problem with the toner order from the device management system 20, it places an order for the toner ordered by the device management system 20 with the provider of the toner container for that toner (S224).

[0135] When the processing of S224 is completed, the external ordering unit 55a determines whether the order placed in S224 was successful (S225). For example, if the external ordering unit 55a receives notification from the toner container provider that the order placed in S224 was successful, the external ordering unit 55a determines that the order placed in S224 was successful. On the other hand, if the external ordering unit 55a receives notification from the toner container provider that the order placed in S224 was unsuccessful, or if the external ordering unit 55a does not receive notification from the toner container provider that the order placed in S224 was successful or unsuccessful even after a specific period of time has passed since the order was placed in S224, the external ordering unit 55a determines that the order placed in S224 was unsuccessful.

[0136] If the external order unit 55a determines in S225 that the order in S224 was successful, it notifies the device management system 20 that the order for the toner ordered from the device management system 20 was successful (S226).

[0137] If the external ordering unit 55a determines in S222 that the authentication in S221 failed, or determines in S223 that there is a problem with the toner order from the device management system 20, or determines in S225 that the order in S224 failed, it notifies the device management system 20 that the toner order from the device management system 20 failed, along with an error code corresponding to the reason for the failure (S227). Reasons for failure include, for example, that the account information included in the toner order from the device management system 20 failed authentication in the external ordering system 50, or that there is a problem with the settings in the external ordering system 50 that are necessary for the external ordering system 50 to order a toner container from a toner container provider.

[0138] When the process of S226 or S227 is completed, the external order unit 55a ends the operation shown in FIG.

[0139] 20, when the processing of S207 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a of the equipment management system 20 determines whether the ordering in S207 was successful (S208). For example, if the automatic ordering unit 25a is notified by the external ordering system 50 that the ordering in S207 was successful, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines that the ordering in S207 was successful. On the other hand, if the automatic ordering unit 25a is notified by the external ordering system 50 that the ordering in S207 was unsuccessful, or if a specific period of time has passed since the ordering in S207 and the automatic ordering unit 25a has not notified the external ordering system 50 that the ordering in S207 was successful or unsuccessful, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines that the ordering in S207 was unsuccessful.

[0140] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S208 that the order in S207 was successful, it sets the automatic ordering prohibition flag for the color that was the target of the order in S207 among the automatic ordering prohibition flags that are associated in the equipment information 24d with the serial number of the image forming device that was the target of the order in S207 (S209).

[0141] When the processing of S209 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a records the automatic ordering history of the order placed in S207 in the automatic ordering history information 24g (S210). Specifically, the automatic ordering unit 25a associates the current date and time as the date and time of the order placed in S207, the serial number of the image forming device for which the order was placed in S207, the toner color for which the order was placed in S207, the number of toner containers for each toner color for which the order was placed in S207, and the ordering condition ID for the order placed in S207, and records these in the automatic ordering history information 24g.

[0142] When the processing of S210 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether the success notification requirement information associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the ordering condition information 24e indicates that notification of automatic order success information is required (S211).

[0143] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S211 that the success notification necessity information associated in the order condition information 24e with the serial number in the target toner-related information indicates that notification of automatic order success information is required, the automatic ordering unit 25a notifies the automatic order success information by email to the email address of the notification destination associated in the order condition information 24e with the serial number in the target toner-related information (S212). The automatic ordering unit 25a may use the name of the notification destination associated in the order condition information 24e with the serial number in the target toner-related information in, for example, the body of the email in S212.

[0144] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S208 that the ordering in S207 failed, it records the order failure history of the order in S207 in the order failure history information 24h (S213). Specifically, the automatic ordering unit 25a associates the current date and time as the date and time of the order failure in S207, the serial number of the image forming device that was the target of the order in S207, the toner color that was the target of the order in S207, the number of toner containers for each toner color that was the target of the order in S207, the order condition ID of the order in S207, and an error code that indicates the reason for the order failure in S207, and records these in the order failure history information 24h.

[0145] When the process of S213 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether the reason for the failure of the order in S207 is a specific reason (S214). Here, the specific reason may be, for example, that the automatic ordering failed due to a network failure.

[0146] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S214 that the reason for the failure of the order in S207 is a specific reason, it determines whether a specific time has elapsed since the first execution of the processing of S207 in the automatic ordering process shown in Figure 20 (S215).

[0147] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S215 that a specific time has not elapsed since the first execution of the process of S207 in the automatic ordering process shown in Figure 20, it determines whether the process of S207 has been executed a specific number of times in the automatic ordering process shown in Figure 20 (S216).

[0148] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S216 that the process of S207 has not been executed the specific number of times in the current automatic ordering process shown in FIG. 20, it executes the process of S207.

[0149] The automatic ordering unit 25a terminates the automatic ordering process shown in Figure 20 if it determines in S201 that there are no colors for which automatic ordering is prohibited, determines in S206 that no colors have been specified in S203 or S205, determines in S211 that the success notification requirement information associated with the serial number in the target toner-related information in the order condition information 24e does not indicate that notification of automatic order success information is required, terminates the processing of S212, determines in S214 that the reason for the order failure in S207 is not a specific reason, determines in S215 that a specific time has passed since the first execution of the processing of S207 in the automatic ordering process shown in Figure 20, or determines in S216 that the processing of S207 has been executed a specific number of times in the automatic ordering process shown in Figure 20.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 18, when the automatic ordering process of S167 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a ends the operation shown in FIG.

[0151] Next, the operation of equipment management system 20 when notifying automatic order failure information will be described.

[0152] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of equipment management system 20 when notifying automatic order failure information.

[0153] The automatic ordering unit 25a of the equipment management system 20 performs the operation shown in Fig. 23 each time the current time passes the failure notification time indicated in the failure notification time information in the ordering condition information 24e, for automatic ordering conditions for which the failure notification necessity information in the ordering condition information 24e indicates that notification of automatic ordering failure information is required. Hereinafter, the current date and time corresponding to the current failure notification time will be referred to as the current notification date and time.

[0154] As shown in Figure 23, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether the period from the registration date and time (hereinafter referred to as the "target registration date and time") associated with the automatic ordering conditions (hereinafter referred to as the "target automatic ordering conditions") that are the target of the operation shown in Figure 23 this time in the order condition information 24e to the current notification date and time is one day or less (S241).

[0155] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S241 that the period from the target registration date and time to the current notification date and time is one day or less, it determines whether there is a date and time of automatic ordering failure that is associated with the order condition ID of the target automatic ordering condition in the order failure history information 24h and is included in the period from the target registration date and time to the current notification date and time (S242).

[0156] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S242 that there is an automatic order failure date and time that is associated with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition in the order failure history information 24h and that is included in the period after the target registration date and time and before the current notification date and time, the automatic ordering unit 25a notifies the automatic order failure information by email to the email address of the notification destination associated with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition in the order condition information 24e, based on the order failure history associated in the order failure history information 24h with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition and the automatic order failure date and time that is included in the period after the target registration date and time and before the current notification date and time (S243). The automatic ordering unit 25a may use the name of the notification destination associated with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition in the order condition information 24e in, for example, the body of the email in S243. The automatic ordering unit 25a includes the information shown in FIG. 24 in the automatic order failure information in S243. The automatic ordering unit 25a may include the information shown in FIG. 24 as an attached file such as a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file in the email in S243.

[0157] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of information included in the automatic order failure information notified in the operation shown in FIG.

[0158] The information shown in FIG. 24 includes the order condition name of the target of the automatic order failure information, the model name of the image forming device of the target of the automatic order failure information, the serial number of the image forming device of the target of the automatic order failure information, the customer ID and customer name of the customer using the image forming device of the target of the automatic order failure information, the color of the toner of the target of the automatic order of the target of the automatic order failure information, the number of toner containers for each color of the toner of the target of the automatic order of the target of the automatic order failure information, the order date of the last toner container for the color of the toner of the target of the automatic order of the target of the automatic order failure information in the image forming device of the target of the automatic order failure information, and the order date of the last toner container for the color of the toner of the target of the automatic order of the target of the automatic order failure information. The information includes the date of the last toner container replacement for the toner color that is the target of the automatic order that is the target of the automatic order failure information in the target image forming device, the toner level immediately before the last toner container replacement for the toner color that is the target of the automatic order that is the target of the automatic order failure information in the target image forming device, the toner level of each color in the target image forming device that is the target of the automatic order failure information, the predicted remaining days for each color in the target image forming device that is the target of the automatic order failure information, the date and time of the automatic order failure that is the target of the automatic order failure information, and an error code that indicates the reason for the failure of the automatic order that is the target of the automatic order failure information. The error code is shown for each date and time of the automatic order failure.

[0159] For example, if a person who receives automatic order failure information accesses the equipment management system 20 and investigates in detail the reason why the automatic order for the item in the automatic order failure information failed, the person can check various information by referring to the order condition name included in the automatic order failure information.

[0160] For example, a person who receives automatic order failure information can determine that the previous toner container order was placed too early if the number of days between the previous toner container order date and the previous toner container replacement date is greater than a specific number of days.

[0161] For example, a recipient of the automatic order failure information can determine that the toner container was last replaced too early if the toner level immediately before the last toner container replacement was equal to or higher than a specific toner level.

[0162] In addition to the error codes received from the external ordering system 50, the error codes shown in FIG. 24 include, for example, one indicating that the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for accessing the external ordering system 50 is incorrect, and another indicating that no notification of order success or failure has been received from the external ordering system 50 even after a specific time has passed since the automatic ordering was executed, i.e., a timeout.

[0163] As shown in Figure 23, when the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S241 that the period from the target registration date and time to the current notification date and time is more than one day, it determines whether there is a date and time of automatic ordering failure that is associated with the order condition ID of the target automatic ordering condition in the order failure history information 24h and is included in the period from the date and time one day before the current notification date and time to the date and time before the current notification date and time (S244).

[0164] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S244 that there is an automatic order failure date and time associated with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition in the order failure history information 24h and included in the period from one day before the current notification date and time to the current notification date and time, the automatic ordering unit 25a sends automatic order failure information by email to the email address of the notification destination associated in the order condition information 24e with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition based on the order failure history associated in the order failure history information 24h with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition in the order failure history information 24h and the automatic order failure date and time included in the period from one day before the current notification date and time to the current notification date and time (S245). The automatic ordering unit 25a may use the name of the notification destination associated in the order condition information 24e with the order condition ID of the target automatic order condition in, for example, the body of the email in S245. The automatic ordering unit 25a includes the information shown in FIG. 24 in the automatic order failure information in S245. The automatic ordering unit 25a may include the information shown in FIG. 24 as an attached file such as a CSV file in the email in S245.

[0165] The automatic ordering unit 25a terminates the operation shown in Figure 23 when it determines in S242 that there is no date and time of automatic ordering failure that is associated with the ordering condition ID of the target automatic ordering condition in the order failure history information 24h and is included in the period after the target registration date and time and before the current notification date and time, or when it terminates processing of S243, or when it determines in S244 that there is no date and time of automatic ordering failure that is associated with the ordering condition ID of the target automatic ordering condition in the order failure history information 24h and is included in the period after the date and time one day before the current notification date and time and before the current notification date and time, or when it terminates processing of S245.

[0166] Next, the operation of equipment management system 20 when the state of the automatic ordering prohibition flag is changed manually will be described.

[0167] FIG. 25 is a flowchart of the operation of equipment management system 20 when the state of the automatic ordering prohibition flag is changed manually.

[0168] A user of the equipment management system 20, such as a service person performing maintenance on an image forming device, can access the equipment management system 20 using a user terminal and then instruct the equipment management system 20 via the operation unit of the user terminal to display an automatic ordering prohibition status screen that indicates whether automatic ordering is prohibited or not.

[0169] When an instruction to display the automatic ordering prohibition status screen is given, automatic ordering unit 25a of equipment management system 20 executes the operation shown in FIG.

[0170] As shown in Fig. 25, the automatic ordering unit 25a displays an automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 (see Fig. 26) on the display unit of the user terminal (S261). The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 can be operated via the operation unit of the user terminal.

[0171] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of the automatic order prohibition status screen 90 displayed in the operation shown in FIG.

[0172] The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 shown in FIG. 26 includes a check box (hereinafter referred to as the "automatic ordering prohibition check box") 91 as a widget for selecting whether or not automatic ordering is prohibited. The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 may include one or more automatic ordering prohibition check boxes other than the automatic ordering prohibition check box 91. The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 includes an automatic ordering prohibition check box for each toner color for each image forming device. The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 distinguishes between image forming devices by displaying the serial number of the image forming device. The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 shown in FIG. 26 is drawn with some information omitted.

[0173] The automatic ordering unit 25a sets the check state of the automatic ordering prohibition checkbox to a state corresponding to the state of the automatic ordering prohibition flag in the device information 24d when the automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 starts to be displayed. Specifically, the automatic ordering unit 25a sets the automatic ordering prohibition checkbox to a checked state for the toner color of the image forming device for which the automatic ordering prohibition flag in the device information 24d is set to on when the automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 starts to be displayed. On the other hand, the automatic ordering unit 25a sets the automatic ordering prohibition checkbox to an unchecked state for the toner color of the image forming device for which the automatic ordering prohibition flag in the device information 24d is set to off when the automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 starts to be displayed.

[0174] A user of equipment management system 20 can change the check state of the automatic ordering prohibition checkbox via the operation unit of the user terminal.

[0175] The automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 shown in Figure 26 includes a cancel button 92 as a widget for canceling the update of the status of the automatic ordering prohibition flag, and an update button 93 as a widget for updating the status of the automatic ordering prohibition flag.

[0176] As shown in FIG. 25, when the process of S261 is completed, the automatic ordering unit 25a determines whether or not the cancel button 92 has been pressed (S262).

[0177] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S262 that the cancel button 92 has not been pressed, it determines whether the update button 93 has been pressed (S263).

[0178] If the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S263 that the update button 93 has not been pressed, it executes the process of S262.

[0179] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S263 that the update button 93 has been pressed, it updates the state of the automatic ordering prohibition flag in the device information 24d according to the check state of the automatic ordering prohibition checkbox at the time the update button 93 was pressed (S264). Specifically, the automatic ordering unit 25a sets the automatic ordering prohibition flag in the device information 24d for the toner color of the image forming device corresponding to the checked automatic ordering prohibition checkbox at the time the update button 93 was pressed. On the other hand, the automatic ordering unit 25a clears the automatic ordering prohibition flag in the device information 24d for the toner color of the image forming device corresponding to the unchecked automatic ordering prohibition checkbox at the time the update button 93 was pressed.

[0180] When the automatic ordering unit 25a determines in S262 that the cancel button 92 has been pressed, or when the processing of S264 is completed, it terminates the display of the automatic ordering prohibition status screen 90 on the display unit of the user terminal (S265) and terminates the operation shown in Figure 25.

[0181] Next, the operation of the external ordering system 50 when toner is manually ordered will be described.

[0182] A user of the external ordering system 50, such as a service person who performs maintenance on an image forming apparatus, can access the external ordering system 50 using a user terminal and then instruct the external ordering system 50 to order toner containers via an operation unit of the user terminal. This instruction includes the model name of the image forming apparatus for which the order is being placed, the serial number of the image forming apparatus for which the order is being placed, the customer ID and customer name of the customer who uses the image forming apparatus for which the order is being placed, the color of toner for which the order is being placed, and the number of toner containers for each color of toner for which the order is being placed.

[0183] When an order for a toner container is instructed, the external ordering unit 55a of the external ordering system 50 places an order for the toner container to the provider of the toner container.

[0184] As described above, if an automatic toner order fails (NO in S208), the device management system 20 notifies a specific destination of the automatic order failure information (S243 or S245), thereby improving the likelihood that the user will be notified of the failure of the automatic toner order in a timely manner. A user who has been notified of the automatic order failure information can, for example, manually order toner based on the automatic order failure information.

[0185] If an automatic toner order fails (NO in S208), the device management system 20 records an order failure history, which is a history of automatic toner order failures (S213), and when the time for failure notification arrives, notifies the automatic order failure information based on the order failure history (S243 or S245), thereby preventing the automatic order failure information from being notified too frequently.

[0186] The device management system 20 may notify the automatic order failure information each time an automatic toner order fails.

[0187] The equipment management system 20 can accept the specification of a failure notification time for notifying the user of automatic order failure information, so that the automatic order failure information can be notified at a time that is convenient for the user, thereby improving the user's work efficiency.

[0188] The device management system 20 may use a fixed time for failure notification.

[0189] When the time for failure notification arrives, the device management system 20 notifies the user of automatic order failure information based on the order failure history excluding the order failure history that was the basis of the automatic order failure information that has already been notified (S245), thereby improving the possibility of the user manually ordering the correct amount of toner quickly.

[0190] When the time for failure notification arrives and there is no order failure history other than the order failure history that was the basis for the already notified automatic order failure information (NO in S244), the device management system 20 does not notify the automatic order failure information, thereby improving the possibility that the user will not needlessly order toner manually.

[0191] In this embodiment, the automatic order failure information is notified by email, but the device management system 20 may notify the automatic order failure information by a method other than email.

[0192] In this embodiment, the consumable of the present invention is toner used in an image forming apparatus, but the consumable of the present invention may be a consumable other than toner used in an image forming apparatus, or may be a consumable used in an electronic device other than an image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0193] 20 Equipment management system (consumables ordering system, computer) 24a Equipment Management Program (Consumables Ordering Program) 25a Automatic Ordering Section 30, 40 Image forming equipment (electronic equipment)

Claims

1. an automatic ordering unit that automatically orders consumables used in the electronic device; A consumables ordering system characterized in that, if the automatic ordering unit fails to automatically order the consumables, it notifies a specific destination of automatic order failure information indicating that the automatic ordering of the consumables has failed.

2. The consumables ordering system of claim 1, characterized in that the automatic ordering unit records a history of the failure to automatically order the consumables when the automatic ordering of the consumables fails, and at a specific time, notifies the specific destination of the automatic order failure information based on the history.

3. 3. The consumables ordering system according to claim 2, wherein the automatic ordering unit is capable of accepting a designation of the specific time.

4. The consumable ordering system described in claim 2, characterized in that the automatic ordering unit notifies the specific destination of the automatic order failure information based on the history excluding the history that was the basis of the automatic order failure information that has already been notified to the specific destination when the specific time arrives.

5. The consumables ordering system of claim 4, characterized in that the automatic ordering unit does not notify the specific destination of the automatic order failure information when the specific time arrives and there is no history other than the history that was the basis for the automatic order failure information that has already been notified to the specific destination.

6. An automatic ordering unit that automatically orders consumables used in electronic devices is implemented in a computer, The consumables ordering program is characterized in that, if the automatic ordering unit fails to automatically order the consumables, it notifies a specific destination of automatic order failure information indicating that the automatic ordering of the consumables has failed.

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