Information processing system and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing system and an information processing program for predicting cost information to be estimated in a case of order reception without relying on sense.SOLUTION: A receiving unit 105 receives order reception information related to printing and including print job information and printed matter type information. An estimation unit 106 estimates, when the order reception information is input, cost information corresponding to the received order reception information, using a trained model which has been trained in advance to output the cost information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a print ordering system that places an order for printing with a factory, which identifies the type and amount of paper used at the factory based on information collected from the factory to which the order is placed, and sends the identified type and amount of paper to the supplier of the paper used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-26535 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a printing factory presents a quote to a customer in advance, taking into account the cost information of the printed matter, if the cost information is inaccurate, it can put a strain on the printing factory's profits and result in a loss. Also, if a quote is presented based on cost information that is too high and leaves a margin of error, the business may be lost.

[0005] The main reason for inaccurate cost information is that the cost of the printed material is unclear in advance. For example, when calculating the cost of resources used in the printed material, the calculation of reprint costs is unclear in advance. Furthermore, the calculation of reprint costs is sometimes determined on a hunch based on the craftsman's intuition, which can result in a lack of accuracy and reproducibility.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing system and an information processing program that can predict cost information to be estimated when an order is received without relying on intuition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing system according to the first aspect includes a processor, and when order information relating to printing, which includes information on the print job and information on the type of printed matter, is input, new order information relating to new printing is input into a trained model that has been trained in advance to output cost information indicating the cost of the printing, thereby outputting new cost information relating to the printing corresponding to the new order information.

[0008] An information processing system according to a second aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include the amount of consumables used in the printing.

[0009] An information processing system according to a third aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include orderer response information regarding the printing in the past order.

[0010] An information processing system according to a fourth aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include information relating to the atmosphere at the time of printing.

[0011] An information processing system according to a fifth aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include an operational status of a printing device used for the printing.

[0012] An information processing system according to a sixth aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include worker information related to the printing.

[0013] An information processing system according to a seventh aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include outsourced party information related to the printing.

[0014] An information processing system according to an eighth aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include imposition information for printing.

[0015] An information processing system according to a ninth aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the order information and the new order information further include a defect rate in the printing.

[0016] The information processing program according to the tenth aspect causes a computer to input new order information relating to new printing into a trained model that has been trained in advance to output cost information indicating the cost of printing when order information relating to printing, the order information including information on the print job and the type of printed matter, is input, thereby outputting new cost information relating to printing corresponding to the new order information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the first aspect, cost information to be estimated when an order is received can be predicted without relying on intuition.

[0018] According to the second aspect, it is possible to predict cost information based on the amount of consumption of consumables.

[0019] According to the third aspect, cost information can be predicted based on information on the customer's response to printing orders in the past.

[0020] According to the fourth aspect, cost information can be predicted based on information about the atmosphere during printing.

[0021] According to the fifth aspect, cost information can be predicted based on the operating status of the printing device.

[0022] According to the sixth aspect, cost information can be predicted based on worker information related to printing.

[0023] According to the seventh aspect, cost information can be predicted based on outsourcing information related to printing.

[0024] According to the eighth aspect, cost information can be predicted based on imposition information at the time of printing.

[0025] According to the ninth aspect, cost information can be predicted in consideration of the defective rate in printing.

[0026] According to the tenth aspect, cost information to be estimated when an order is received can be predicted without relying on intuition. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of an electrical system of a printing device in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main electrical system of a management device and a client computer in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a client computer in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of imposed sheets. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a trained neural network model. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a learning process performed in a client computer of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an estimation process performed in a client computer of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] An example of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an information processing system in which a management device, a printing device, a client computer, etc. are connected to each other via communication lines such as various networks will be described as an example. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an information processing system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0029] 1, an information processing system 10 according to this embodiment includes a management device 11, a printing device 12, and a client computer 14. The management device 11, the printing device 12, and the client computer 14 are connected to each other via a communication line 18 such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, or an intranet. The management device 11, the printing device 12, and the client computer 14 are each capable of transmitting and receiving various data to and from each other via the communication line 18. In this embodiment, the client computer 14 issues a printing instruction to the printing device 12 via the management device 11, causing the printing device 12 to form an image in accordance with the print instruction.

[0030] Although FIG. 1 shows one management device 11, one printing device 12, and one client computer 14, there may be a plurality of each, or there may be a plurality of any of them.

[0031] The printing device 12 according to this embodiment has multiple functions, such as a printing function for performing print processing, a post-processing function for performing post-processing on paper on which an image has been formed, etc. The multiple functions may include a reading function for reading an original to obtain image information representing the original, a copying function for copying an image recorded on the original onto paper, a facsimile function for sending and receiving various data via a telephone line (not shown), a transfer function for transferring original information such as image information read by the reading function, etc., and a storage function for storing original information such as read image information.

[0032] In the following description, the facsimile function may be referred to as fax, the reading function as scan, the printing function as print, and the copying function as copy.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the electrical system of the printing device 12 in the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0034] 2, the printing device 12 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 20. The control unit 20 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0035] Meanwhile, the printing device 12 according to this embodiment includes a hard disk drive (HDD) 26 that stores various data, application programs, and the like. The printing device 12 is also connected to a user interface 22 and includes a display control unit 28 that controls the display of various operation screens and the like on the display of the user interface 22. The printing device 12 is also connected to the user interface 22 and includes an operation input detection unit 30 that detects operation instructions input via the user interface 22. In the printing device 12, the HDD 26, the display control unit 28, and the operation input detection unit 30 are electrically connected to a system bus 42. While the printing device 12 according to this embodiment uses the HDD 26 as a storage unit, this is not a limitation and a non-volatile storage unit such as a flash memory may also be used. Furthermore, while this embodiment uses a touch panel capable of displaying and inputting operations as the user interface 22, this is not a limitation and a user interface having a display and an operation unit that are separate may also be used.

[0036] The printing device 12 according to this embodiment also includes a print control unit 34 that controls the printing process performed by the printing unit 24, the transport of paper to the printing unit 24 by the transport unit 25, and the post-processing performed by the post-processing unit 46. The printing device 12 may also include a read control unit that controls the optical image reading operation performed by the document reading unit and the document feeding operation performed by the document transport unit. The printing device 12 also includes a communication line I / F (interface) unit 36 ​​that is connected to the communication line 18 and transmits and receives communication data to and from other external devices, such as the client computer 14, connected to the communication line 18. The printing device 12 may also include a facsimile I / F (interface) unit that is connected to a telephone line (not shown) and transmits and receives facsimile data to and from a facsimile device connected to the telephone line. The printing device 12 may also include a transmission / reception control unit that controls the transmission and reception of facsimile data via the facsimile I / F unit 38. In the printing device 12, the print control unit 34 and the communication line I / F unit 36 ​​are electrically connected to a system bus 42.

[0037] With the above configuration, the printing device 12 according to this embodiment uses the control unit 20 to control the display of information such as operation screens and various messages on the display of the user interface 22 via the display control unit 28. The printing device 12 also uses the control unit 20 to control the operation of the printing unit 24, conveying unit 25, and post-processing unit 46 via the print control unit 34, and to control the sending and receiving of communication data via the communication line I / F unit 36. Furthermore, the printing device 12 uses the control unit 20 to grasp the operation content of the user interface 22 based on the operation information detected by the operation input detection unit 30, and executes various controls based on this operation content.

[0038] In this embodiment, an example of an application stored in the HDD 26 includes an application that executes a function such as printing.

[0039] Next, the configuration of the main electrical parts of the management device 11 and the client computer 14 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main electrical parts of the management device 11 and the client computer 14 in the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment. Note that the management device 11 and the client computer 14 have general computer configurations, and therefore, the following description will be given using the management device 11 as a representative.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3 , the management device 11 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 11A as an example of a processor, a ROM 11B, a RAM 11C, a storage 11D, an operation unit 11E, a display unit 11F, and a communication line I / F (interface) unit 11G. The CPU 11A controls the overall operation of the management device 11. The ROM 11B stores various control programs and parameters in advance. The RAM 11C is used as a work area when the CPU 11A executes various programs. The storage 11D stores various data and application programs. The operation unit 11E is used to input various information. The display unit 11F is used to display various information. The communication line I / F unit 11G is connected to a communication line 18 and transmits and receives various data to and from other devices connected to the communication line 18. The communication line I / F unit 11G may also be configured to be capable of directly communicating with each device using various well-known wireless communications. The above-described components of the management device 11 are electrically connected to one another via a system bus 111. In the management device 11 according to this embodiment, the storage 11D is used as a storage unit, and examples of storage include non-volatile storage units such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and flash memories.

[0041] With the above configuration, the management device 11 according to this embodiment uses the CPU 11A to access the ROM 11B, RAM 11C, and storage 11D, to obtain various data via the operation unit 11E, and to display various information on the display unit 11F. In addition, the management device 11 uses the CPU 11A to control the transmission and reception of communication data via the communication line I / F unit 11G.

[0042] In the information processing system 10 configured as above, the management device 11 manages a series of manufacturing processes. The series of manufacturing processes includes, for example, a production process, a prepress process, a plate making process, a printing process, a processing process, and a delivery process.

[0043] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the client computer 14. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the client computer 14.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the client computer 14 is functionally configured to include a collection unit 101, a learning data storage unit 102, a learning unit 103, a model storage unit 104, a reception unit 105, and an estimation unit 106.

[0045] The collection unit 101 collects learning data including pairs of past order information related to printing and cost information corresponding to the order information.

[0046] The order information may include print job information and the type of printed material. Specifically, print job information includes print data (PDL such as PDF, BMP, etc.) and the number of copies. Print job information may also include information indicating the delivery date, paper type, and whether or not special color materials (toner or ink) are used. Examples of types of printed material include photo books, posters, magazines, flyers, envelopes, business cards, catalogs, newspapers, etc. Printing methods (e.g., offset printing, used for large quantities of the same print run, and digital printing, suitable for small quantities) are categorized based on the type and number of copies of the printed material. The management device 11 manages printing methods based on these categorized printing methods and stores printing schedule information. The collection unit 101 collects print job information and the type of printed material for past orders from the schedule information stored in the management device 11.

[0047] The order information may also include information about the customer's response to past orders for printing. Specifically, the customer's response information may include information indicating, for example, whether the customer is demanding, whether there was a request for reprinting of past orders, etc.

[0048] The collection unit 101 acquires response information of the orderer from the history information of order placement and receipt held by the management device 11.

[0049] The order information may also include the amount of consumables used in printing, the operating status of the printing device 12 used in printing, worker information related to printing, outsourcing information related to printing, imposition information at the time of printing, and the defect rate in printing.

[0050] Specifically, consumables include paper, ink, waste toner bottles, bookbinding materials (e.g., stapler cartridges, laminators), etc., and the amount of consumables used includes not only the amount of paper, ink, bookbinding materials, etc. used, but also the amount of consumables used for parts that do not become products, such as the amount of paper passed through offset printers, paper and ink used for color matching and position adjustment. In addition, the amount of consumables used may also include the amount of replacement parts such as transfer drum units, fixing units, cutters, hole cutters, etc.

[0051] When printing, for example, continuous feed machines generate waste paper (paper to be discarded) as they feed paper through the machine. Color matching (color adjustment) is also performed according to the product desired by the customer. Color adjustment is also performed during printing, and paper may be purged after a jam. This information can be acquired via the management device 11, or the operator operating the printing device 12 can manually input the results of this information into the management device 11. Therefore, the collection unit 101 acquires the amount of consumables used from the information held by the management device 11.

[0052] Furthermore, the operational status of the printing device 12 used in printing includes, for example, a maintenance schedule or the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of each part of the printing device 12.

[0053] Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is an index calculated from load time A (power-on time), operating time B, net operating time C, and non-defective product rate, and is calculated, for example, according to the following formula:

[0054] Overall equipment effectiveness = Time availability rate x Performance rate x Good product rate Time utilization rate = B / A Performance rate = C / B Good yield rate = Number of OK pages / Total number of printed pages

[0055] Load time A includes the time when the printing device 12 is powered on. Operating time B includes load time A minus downtime loss. Downtime loss includes, for example, breakdown loss, switching adjustment loss, jig replacement loss, and start-up loss. Other downtime losses may include cleaning and inspection, waiting for instructions, waiting for materials, waiting for personnel, waiting for quality checks, and measurement and adjustment. Net operating time C includes operating time B minus performance loss. Performance loss includes, for example, idle loss and speed reduction loss due to frequent minor problems lasting a few seconds or a few minutes. The total number of printed pages includes the sum of the number of OK pages and the number of NG pages.

[0056] The overall equipment effectiveness calculated as described above is calculated for each of the printing unit 24 and the post-processing unit 46 by the management device 11, which manages the time of the printing device 12. The management device 11 also has a maintenance schedule. Therefore, the collection unit 101 acquires the operating status of the printing device 12 from the management device 11.

[0057] Furthermore, the worker information related to printing includes the worker's shift information, the worker's cost, or the time required for the worker to manufacture products in the past.

[0058] The management device 11 manages the planned and actual shift information for workers, and based on this information, the management device 11 assigns workers to each process. Since workers are assigned grades according to the work content, the cost of the worker varies depending on the grade. This cost information is managed by the management device 11. Therefore, the collection unit 101 acquires worker information related to printing from the management device 11.

[0059] In addition, the outsourcing information related to printing includes information about the outsourcing company and costs when placing an order with an outsourcing company. For example, if a printing company does not have the equipment to process paper larger than A3, such as special A3 (457 x 328 mm), or if it does not have special processing equipment such as glossy lamination, it may outsource to another company. The management device 11 manages the costs involved and information about the outsourcing company in such cases. Therefore, the collection unit 101 obtains the outsourcing information from the management device 11.

[0060] Furthermore, the imposition information at the time of printing includes, for example, the folding length, printing surface layout, media size, bleed size, etc. FIG. 5 shows an example of imposed paper. As shown in FIG. 5, when the paper is cut, the blank area that is discarded as margins is generated as wasted paper. This imposition is performed in the prepress process, and the imposition information is managed by the management device 11. Therefore, the collection unit 101 acquires the imposition information from the management device 11.

[0061] The defective rate in printing includes, for example, the defective rate based on the viewpoint of each product type, each processing type, each device, and the like.

[0062] Methods for inspecting print quality include visual inspection by an inspector or inspection by an inspection device installed within the printing device 12. The inspection results are input to the management device 11. Therefore, the collection unit 101 obtains the defective rate in printing from the management device 11.

[0063] The order information may also include information about the atmosphere at the time of printing, such as the season, temperature, and humidity.

[0064] In order to print smoothly without paper sticking due to static electricity, some printing companies have printing factories that control the temperature and humidity, while others only have humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners.

[0065] The temperature and humidity information is acquired by a temperature and humidity sensor that measures the atmosphere, and is input to the management device 11. Therefore, the collection unit 101 collects from the management device 11 information relating to the atmosphere at the time of printing.

[0066] Cost information corresponding to past orders is managed as history information in the management device 11, and the collection unit 101 acquires the cost information from the management device 11.

[0067] The cost information includes information on the actual amount of money spent when accepting orders in the past, or data such as the number of reprints, the amount of consumables used, and labor costs of workers. The actual amount information may be calculated from the difference between the amount estimated when accepting orders in the past and the actual amount.

[0068] The management device 11 has history information for managing information about print orders and production information. The production information includes information about the actual cost of production and the number of reprints.

[0069] The collection unit 101 collects, from the history information held by the management device 11, information on the amount of money spent on printing in response to past orders and the number of copies to be reprinted.

[0070] The learning data storage unit 102 stores a plurality of pieces of learning data collected by the collection unit 101.

[0071] The learning unit 103 receives order information as an input and constructs a neural network model for estimating cost information corresponding to the order information, based on a plurality of learning data.

[0072] Specifically, the trained neural network model accepts input of order information including at least one of print job information, type of printed material, orderer response information, consumable usage amount, operating status of printing device 12, worker information, subcontractor information, imposition information, defect rate, and atmosphere, and outputs cost information indicating at least one of the amount of printing corresponding to the order information and the number of reprints (see FIG. 6). Deep learning can be used as an example of a learning algorithm, and the neural network model may be constructed so that when order information of learning data is input, cost information of the learning data is output. More specifically, the order information of the learning data is used as input, cost information is estimated as the model output, the estimated cost information is compared with the cost information of the learning data, the error in the cost information is calculated, and the model parameters may be updated to minimize the value of the error.

[0073] Here, the correlation between various information included in the order information and the cost information will be described.

[0074] First, the type of printed matter included in the order information has different cost trends and reprinting frequencies depending on the type of printed matter. For example, if the type of printed matter is a photo book, there is a high possibility that black spots, scratches, bleeding, etc. will require reprinting, but if the type of printed matter is a flyer, there is a high possibility that even minor defects will not require reprinting. In this way, there is a correlation between the type of printed matter and the possibility of reprinting, and therefore there is also a correlation between the type of printed matter and cost information.

[0075] The number of copies included in the order information tends to vary depending on whether it is a large-volume or small-lot print, resulting in differences in costs. In this way, there is a correlation between the number of copies and cost information.

[0076] Regarding the information on customer response to printing in past orders included in the order information, if the characteristics and tendencies of each customer are known in advance, such as customer who tends to request reprinting without inspecting the printed matter after delivery, or customer who tends to basically inspect the delivered matter as is and not request reprinting, it is preferable to reflect this in the cost information by multiplying it by a certain coefficient when estimating cost information. In this way, there is a correlation between customer response information to printing in past orders and cost information.

[0077] Regarding the amount of consumables used included in the order information, not only do the consumables used in the product increase proportionally depending on the type and number of copies of the printed material, but there are also consumables that do not end up in the final product, such as paper and ink for color matching, and these may not be simply proportional to the number of copies. Therefore, it is preferable to consider not only the correlation between the type and number of copies of the printed material and the cost information, but also the correlation between the amount of consumables used and the cost information.

[0078] The operating status of the printing device 12, included in the order information, can vary in processing efficiency and resource usage depending on the printing unit 24 and post-processing unit 46. Therefore, the actual location of processing can be predicted based on the operating status and maintenance schedule information, and costs can be estimated based on this prediction. In printing, the running characteristics of different printing models, or even the same model, can vary depending on the type and size of paper. At printing companies, equipment selectors select equipment with good running characteristics based on their experience with jam rates. In this way, the running characteristics of past orders for similar printed materials can be studied and used as the basis for cost calculations. In this way, there is a correlation between the operating status of the printing device 12 and cost information.

[0079] Regarding the worker information included in the order information, it is possible to predict who will be in charge of the work, and when they will be working, whether during the day, at night, or on a holiday, based on the worker's shift information and delivery date information, and it is also possible to predict cost information taking into account the labor costs of that person. In this way, there is a correlation between worker information and cost information.

[0080] It is preferable to incorporate into the cost information the outsourcing information contained in the order information such as whether partial outsourcing is likely to be necessary for the production of the printed matter, and if so, to whom the outsourcing is likely to be sent, and how much the outsourcing company is likely to quote if a quote is requested. In this way, there is a correlation between outsourcing information and cost information.

[0081] Regarding the imposition information at the time of printing included in the order information, depending on the paper used and imposition layout, etc., paper that is not used in the product will be wasted, and this wasted paper will affect costs. In this way, there is a correlation between the imposition information at the time of printing and cost information.

[0082] Regarding the defect rate included in the order information, if the defect rate differs for each product type, processing type, or equipment, it is preferable to estimate the cost information by predicting the defect rate taking into account the product type, processing type, and equipment. In this way, there is a correlation between the defect rate and cost information.

[0083] Regarding the information about the atmosphere during printing included in the order information, when estimating cost information that takes into account printing defects and the cost of reprinting, information about the time of printing, season, temperature, and humidity can potentially improve accuracy. This is because high humidity can cause problems with paper feeding and subtle changes in the color development and fixation of toner. In this way, there is a correlation between information about the atmosphere during printing and cost information.

[0084] The model storage unit 104 stores a trained neural network model.

[0085] The receiving unit 105 receives order information relating to printing of the estimation target.

[0086] The order information includes information about the print job and the type of print. For example, the type of print is "poster" and the number of copies is "1000".

[0087] The order information may also include information about the expected response of the customer. Specifically, the information is obtained from the order history information held by the management device 11, and includes information indicating whether the customer is demanding, whether there have been any reprint requests for past orders, etc.

[0088] The order information may also include predicted usage amounts of consumables, predicted operating status of the printing device 12, predicted worker information, predicted outsourcing information, predicted imposition information during printing, and predicted defect rate.

[0089] For example, the predicted usage amounts of paper, ink, bookbinding materials, etc., and the predicted usage amounts of consumables that do not become products, such as paper feed amount for offset printing, color matching, and paper and ink for position adjustment, are accepted.

[0090] Furthermore, as the predicted operating status of the printing device 12, the maintenance schedule for each of the printing unit 24 and the post-processing unit 46, or the predicted overall equipment efficiency for each of the printing unit 24 and the post-processing unit 46 is accepted.

[0091] In addition, the predicted worker information includes the worker in charge predicted from the worker's shift information, the time period during which the work will be performed (daytime, nighttime, or holiday), and the worker's cost according to the time required for the work.

[0092] Further, as predicted outsourcing information, it is predicted whether partial outsourcing is likely to be necessary when producing printed materials, and if so, to which company it is likely to be outsourced, and how much the outsourcing company is likely to quote if an estimate is requested, and information on the outsourcing company and costs when an order is placed with the outsourcing company are received.

[0093] Also, as imposition information to be predicted at the time of printing, for example, folding length, page layout, media size, bleed size, etc. are accepted.

[0094] As the predicted defect rate, for example, a defect rate predicted based on a viewpoint such as each product type, each processing type, each device, etc. is accepted.

[0095] The order information may also include information about the predicted atmosphere during printing, such as information about the season, temperature, and humidity.

[0096] The estimation unit 106 uses the trained neural network model stored in the model storage unit 104 to estimate cost information corresponding to the received order information.

[0097] Specifically, the various information contained in the received order information is converted into a data structure (e.g., scalar values, vectors, etc.) that can be input into a trained neural network model, and then input into the trained neural network model, and cost information is estimated from the output of the trained model.

[0098] Next, specific processing performed in the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[0099] First, in the client computer 14, the CPU 14A reads out the learning program from the ROM 14B or the storage 14D, loads it into the RAM 14C, and executes it, thereby performing the learning process shown in FIG.

[0100] In step S100, the CPU 14A functions as the collection unit 101 to collect learning data including pairs of order information related to printing and cost information corresponding to the order information, and stores the learning data in the learning data storage unit 102.

[0101] In step S102, the CPU 14A, as the learning unit 103, inputs the order information based on a plurality of learning data, learns a neural network model for estimating cost information corresponding to the order information, stores the model in the model storage unit 104, and terminates the learning process.

[0102] Next, in the client computer 14, the CPU 14A reads out the estimation program from the ROM 14B or the storage 14D, expands it into the RAM 14C, and executes it, thereby performing the estimation process shown in Fig. 8. At this time, it is assumed that various information included in the order information related to the printing to be estimated has been input.

[0103] In step S110, CPU 14A functions as reception unit 105 and receives order information relating to printing of the estimation target input by the user.

[0104] In step S112, the CPU 14A, functioning as the estimation unit 106, estimates cost information corresponding to the received order information using the trained neural network model stored in the model storage unit 104, and ends the estimation process. The user can present the estimated cost information to the client as an estimated amount.

[0105] By processing in this way, cost information can be predicted without relying on intuition when an order is received, compared to when a trained model that uses order information as input is not used.

[0106] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0107] For example, the example has been described in which various pieces of order information are accepted and cost information is estimated, but it is also possible to accept only a portion of the various pieces of order information rather than accepting all of the various pieces of order information and estimate cost information.

[0108] Furthermore, although the client computer 14 has been described as learning a model and estimating cost information, it may be configured as a learning device that learns a model and an estimation device that estimates cost information.

[0109] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0110] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0111] Furthermore, although the "system" in this embodiment is described as being composed of multiple devices as an example, it may also be composed of a single device that has some of the functions of the multiple devices.

[0112] The processing performed by the printing device 12 according to the above embodiment may be software-based, hardware-based, or a combination of both. The processing performed by the printing device 12 may also be stored as a program on a storage medium and distributed.

[0113] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0114] Furthermore, the printing cost information may include information about post-processing costs.

[0115] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiments. (((1))) a processor, the processor comprising: When order information relating to printing, which includes information on a print job and information on the type of printed matter, is input, a trained model is pre-trained to output cost information indicating the cost of the printing. By inputting new order information relating to new printing into the trained model, new cost information relating to the printing corresponding to the new order information is output. Information processing system.

[0116] (((2))) The information processing system according to ((1)), wherein the order information and the new order information further include the amount of consumables used in the printing.

[0117] (((3))) The information processing system according to ((1)) or ((2)), wherein the order information and the new order information further include information on the response of the orderer to printing in past orders.

[0118] (((4))) The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((3))), wherein the order information and the new order information further include information relating to the atmosphere at the time of printing.

[0119] (((5))) The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((4))), wherein the order information and the new order information further include an operational status of a printing device used for the printing.

[0120] (((6))) The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((5))), wherein the order information and the new order information further include worker information related to the printing.

[0121] (((7))) The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((6))), wherein the order information and the new order information further include outsourced information related to the printing.

[0122] (((8))) The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((7))), wherein the order information and the new order information further include imposition information for printing.

[0123] (((9))) The information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to ((8))), wherein the order information and the new order information further include a defect rate in the printing.

[0124] (((10))) When order information relating to printing, which includes information on a print job and information on the type of printed matter, is input, a trained model is pre-trained to output cost information indicating the cost of the printing. By inputting new order information relating to new printing into the trained model, new cost information relating to the printing corresponding to the new order information is output. An information processing program that causes a computer to perform certain tasks.

[0125] According to (((1))), it is possible to predict the cost information to be estimated when an order is received without relying on intuition.

[0126] According to (((2))), cost information can be predicted based on the amount of consumables used.

[0127] According to (((3))), cost information can be predicted based on information on the customer's response to printing orders received in the past.

[0128] According to (((4))), cost information can be predicted based on information about the atmosphere during printing.

[0129] According to (((5))), cost information can be predicted based on the operating status of the printing device.

[0130] According to (((6))), cost information can be predicted based on worker information related to printing.

[0131] According to (((7))), cost information can be predicted based on outsourcing information related to printing.

[0132] According to (((8))), cost information can be predicted based on imposition information at the time of printing.

[0133] According to (((9))), cost information can be predicted based on the defective rate in printing.

[0134] According to (((10))), it is possible to predict the cost information to be estimated when an order is received without relying on intuition. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10 Information Processing Systems 11 Management device 12 Printing device 14 client computers 24 Printing Department 46 Post-processing section 101 Collection Department 102 Learning data storage unit 103 Learning Department 104 Model Memory Unit 105 Reception 106 Estimation part

Claims

1. a processor, the processor comprising: When order information related to printing, which includes information on a print job and information on the type of printed matter, is input, a trained model is pre-trained to output cost information indicating the cost of the printing. By inputting new order information related to new printing into the trained model, new cost information related to the new printing is output. Information processing system.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes the amount of consumables used in the new printing.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes information on the customer's response to printing in past orders.

4. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the new order information further includes information about the atmosphere at the time of printing.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes an operational status of a printing device used for the printing.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes information about a worker involved in the printing.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes outsourcing information related to the printing.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes imposition information for printing.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the new order information further includes a defect rate in the printing.

10. When order information related to printing, which includes information on a print job and information on the type of printed matter, is input, a trained model is pre-trained to output cost information indicating the cost of the printing. By inputting new order information related to new printing into the trained model, new cost information related to the new printing is output. An information processing program that causes a computer to perform certain tasks.

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