System and management device

Abstract

To provide technology that makes possible to appropriately notify a user when a contract condition changes.SOLUTION: A printing system 1 includes a printer 20 that consumes ink, a server CPU 32A, and a server storage unit 32B. The server CPU 32A receives a request for changing a first printing service to a second printing service different from the first printing service (S14), and executes notification processing for notifying the user of the printer 20 due to the fact that there is a difference between prescribed information in contract information pertaining to the first printing service and prescribed information in contract information pertaining to the second printing service (S52).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a system for enabling changes to various contracts for consumer devices that consume consumable items that require replacement or replenishment. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding consumables that need to be replaced or replenished, there are known services that deliver consumables in accordance with various contracts with the consuming device that consumes the consumables.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for acquiring the degree of consumption of a consumable and information about the consumable, and for consumables whose degree of consumption exceeds a predetermined level, transmitting an order request to an ordering device to request the ordering of the consumable when predetermined conditions are met based on information about the contract and information about the consumable, thereby delivering the consumable. At this time, it is described that when the remaining contract period from the contract expiration date corresponding to information about the current contract is less than a predetermined number of days, an order request based on information about the next contract is transmitted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-121482 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, if the terms of delivery of consumables differ between the current contract and the next contract, changes in the contract may result in changes in the service. In such cases, it is desirable to appropriately notify the user of this.

[0006] The present application aims to provide a technology that enables appropriate notification to a user when the terms of a contract change. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the system of the present application is a system including a consumption device that consumes consumables and a control device, wherein the control device accepts a request to change a first contract for delivering the consumables to which the consumption device subscribes to a second contract that is different from the first contract, and executes a notification process to notify the user of the consumption device in response to a difference between specified information in first contract information relating to the first contract and specified information in second contract information relating to the second contract.

[0008] The system of the present application accepts a request to change a first contract to a second contract that is different from the first contract, and notifies the user of the consumption device when there is a difference between the specified information in the first contract information related to the first contract and the specified information in the second contract information related to the second contract, making it possible to properly notify the user when the terms of the contract change.

[0009] The predetermined information also includes a threshold value for the remaining amount of the consumable item in the consumption device. This allows for problems that may arise from a change in the threshold value for the remaining amount of the consumable item in the consumption device to be dealt with by appropriately notifying the user in advance.

[0010] The first contract information includes a first threshold as a threshold, the second contract information includes a second threshold as a threshold, and the control device executes a notification process in response to a difference between the first threshold and the second threshold. This makes it possible to deal with problems that arise when the threshold for the remaining amount of consumables of the consumption device changes from the first threshold to the second threshold, by appropriately notifying the user in advance.

[0011] Furthermore, the control device executes a notification process when the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, thereby making it possible to deal with problems that arise when the threshold for the remaining amount of consumables of the consumption device changes to the second threshold, which is greater than the first threshold, by appropriately notifying the user in advance.

[0012] Furthermore, the control device executes a notification process when the second threshold is greater than the first threshold and the remaining amount of the consumables in the consumption device is equal to or less than the second threshold, thereby making it possible to deal with problems that arise when the remaining amount of the consumables in the consumption device after the contract change is equal to or less than the second threshold that is greater than the first threshold by appropriately notifying the user in advance.

[0013] Furthermore, the control device does not issue a notification when the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold, which allows the control device to avoid issuing unnecessary notifications.

[0014] Furthermore, if the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold and the consumable has been delivered based on the first threshold, the control device notifies the user that the consumable will arrive, thereby letting the user know that the consumable will arrive. Furthermore, in the notification process, the control device notifies the user of information for confirming the delivery destination of the consumables, thereby enabling the consumables to be delivered to the correct delivery destination.

[0015] The control device further executes an acquisition process to acquire information on at least one of the installation location of the consumption device and the delivery destination of the consumables, and notifies the user of the information acquired in the acquisition process in a notification process, thereby allowing the user to obtain the acquired information on the installation location of the consumption device and the delivery destination of the consumables.

[0016] The first contract information includes location information indicating the location of the consumption device, and the control device further executes a location information acquisition process to acquire location information indicating the current location of the consumption device from the consumption device, and issues a notification when the predetermined information in the first contract information does not differ from the predetermined information in the second contract information and the location information included in the first contract information differs from the location information acquired in the location information acquisition process. This makes it possible to appropriately notify the user if the location information changes, even if the terms of the contract do not change.

[0017] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the management device of the present application is a management device that manages a consumption device that consumes consumables, and the management device includes a control device, which accepts a request to change a first contract for delivering consumables to which the consumption device subscribes to a second contract that is different from the first contract, and executes a notification process that notifies the user of the consumption device in response to a difference between specified information in first contract information related to the first contract and specified information in second contract information related to the second contract.

[0018] The management device of the present application accepts a request to change a first contract to a second contract that is different from the first contract, and notifies the user of the consumption device when there is a difference between the specified information in the first contract information related to the first contract and the specified information in the second contract information related to the second contract, making it possible to appropriately notify the user when the terms of the contract change. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an ink delivery process executed by a server included in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing detailed procedures of a first ink delivery process ((a)) and a second ink delivery process ((b)) included in the ink delivery process of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of a process at the time of changing a contract from a first printing service to a second printing service, which is included in the ink delivery process of FIG. 2; [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of a process at the time of changing a contract from the second printing service to the first printing service, which is included in the ink delivery process of FIG. 2; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0021] (Configuration of Printing System 1) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a printing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. The printing system 1 (an example of a "system" in the present application) is used for a printing service provided to users who have signed a contract. The printing service includes a service for delivering consumables for a printer 20, and in this embodiment, two types of printing services are provided: a first printing service and a second printing service. The first printing service is a service that a user can sign up for by signing a contract with a service provider, and allows the user to print by paying a fee based on the number of printable sheets, which is the number of sheets that can be printed by a printer (an example of a "consumer device" in the present application). This is a so-called on-demand service. On the other hand, the second printing service is a service that a user can sign up for by signing a contract with a service provider, and allows the user to print a predetermined number of sheets by paying a predetermined amount for a predetermined period (e.g., one month). This is a so-called subscription service. Here, the term "number of sheets" is used to refer to a unit of counting the number of sheets on one side of a sheet of paper. Therefore, the printable number or predetermined number refers to the number of sheets on one side of a sheet that can be printed. Printing one side of a sheet of paper reduces the printable number or specified number by one, while printing both sides reduces the printable number or specified number by two. In the following description, setting the printable number or increasing the printable number by paying an additional fee may be referred to as "charging." The printable number may also be referred to as the "charged number." A user selects either a first or second print service and applies to the print service provider for subscription to the print service, thereby entering into a contract for either print service with the service provider. The user can cancel the contract by applying to the print service provider for withdrawal from the print service. If the contract period or expiration date is predetermined, the contract may be terminated based on the end date or expiration date, regardless of whether the user has requested withdrawal. Furthermore, a user can switch from the first print service to the second print service while subscribed to the first print service, or vice versa.In this case, the contract between the user and the service provider is also changed in accordance with the change in service. The first contract in this application corresponds to the contract for the printing service before the change, and the second contract in this application corresponds to the contract for the printing service after the change.

[0022] In this embodiment, the printer 20 is, for example, an inkjet printer, and is a commercially available product. In other words, the printer 20 is not a dedicated product for receiving a printing service, but a general-purpose product. Therefore, while the user is subscribed to the printing service, the printer 20 functions as a printer for the printing service, and while the user is not subscribed to the printing service, the printer 20 functions as a general-purpose printer. Note that when there is no need to distinguish between the first printing service and the second printing service, they will simply be referred to as "printing services."

[0023] Furthermore, if the user wishes to print more than the charged number of pages while subscribing to the first printing service, or if the user wishes to print more than the specified number of pages while subscribing to the second printing service, the user must pay an additional fee. The user can continue to use the printer 20 for the printing service by purchasing additional printable pages or paying a fee for the number of pages exceeding the specified number. If the remaining ink level in the printer 20 falls below a specified threshold (an example of "specified information" herein) while subscribing to the printing service, the service provider will deliver to the user, free of charge, an ink bottle or ink cartridge containing ink to be refilled into the printer 20. The user can continue printing within the printable number of pages or the specified number of pages without running out of ink by refilling the printer 20 with ink from the received ink bottle or by replacing the ink cartridge. Whether the ink bottle or ink cartridge is delivered depends on whether the printer 20 is being refilled with ink or replaced with a new cartridge when it runs out of ink. In this embodiment, the user purchases a printer 20 that requires ink to be refilled. Therefore, when the printer 20 runs low on ink, the service provider delivers a free ink bottle to the user.

[0024] The ink level threshold used as the basis for delivering ink bottles differs between the first and second printing services. Specifically, if the ink level threshold for the first printing service is α and the ink level threshold for the second printing service is β, a magnitude relationship of α<β is established. This is because, when the printer 20 runs out of ink, the first printing service does not reduce the number of printable pages purchased by the user even if the printer 20 is unable to print due to ink shortage, thereby minimizing the financial burden on the user. However, the second printing service imposes a greater financial burden on the user because a predetermined amount is charged per predetermined period, even if the printer 20 is unable to print due to ink shortage. The first threshold in this application corresponds to the ink level threshold for the printing service before the change, and the second threshold in this application corresponds to the ink level threshold for the printing service after the change.

[0025] The printing system 1 includes a mobile terminal device 10, a printer 20, and a server 30. The mobile terminal device 10 and the printer 20 are connected to each other via a router 2, either wired or wirelessly (for example, via a LAN), so as to be able to communicate with each other. The mobile terminal device 10 and the server 30 are also connected to each other via the router 2 and the Internet 3, so as to be able to communicate with each other. The printer 20 and the server 30 are also connected to each other via the router 2 and the Internet 3, so as to be able to communicate with each other. The above-described network configuration is an example. For example, the server 30 may be located within the LAN. A plurality of mobile terminal devices 10 and printers 20 may be connected to the server 30, and a plurality of mobile terminal devices 10 may be connected to a single printer 20, or a single mobile terminal device 10 may select a printer 20 to perform printing from a plurality of printers 20.

[0026] (Configuration of mobile terminal device 10) The mobile terminal device 10 causes a printer 20 to print an image on paper. The mobile terminal device 10 is, for example, a smartphone. The mobile terminal device 10 includes a terminal CPU 11, a terminal storage unit 12, a short-range communication unit 13, a display 14, an input I / F (abbreviation of interface) 15, an image acquisition unit 16, and an external communication unit 17. These components are capable of communicating with each other via a bus 18.

[0027] The terminal storage unit 12 is configured by combining, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, HDD, and buffers provided in the terminal CPU 11. The terminal storage unit 12 stores a terminal program 12A, an application program (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an application) 12B, and print data 12C. The terminal program 12A is a program that comprehensively controls the mobile terminal device 10 and provides basic functions and services to the application 12B. The terminal program 12A is, for example, the Android (registered trademark) OS or iOS (registered trademark). If the mobile terminal device 10 is, for example, a PC, the terminal program 12A is, for example, the Windows (registered trademark) OS. The application 12B is, for example, a web application program provided by a print service provider or a vendor of the printer 20. When a user performs an operation, the application 12B sends a request to the server 30, receives a web page generated by the server 30 in response to the request, and displays it on the display 14. Note that the print service provider and the vendor of the printer 20 may be the same or different, but in this embodiment, they are assumed to be the same. Furthermore, the application 12B is a program that uses the functions of the terminal program 12A to execute various processes such as setting processes and print commands for the printer 20, and charge commands for the server 30. The terminal CPU 11 executes the terminal program 12A and application 12B to control the mobile terminal device 10 and execute commands for the server 30. The terminal CPU 11 may be single-core or multi-core. The print data 12C is an image to be printed that has been converted into a data format that can be interpreted by the printer 20. The terminal storage unit 12 is also used to store the number of pages that can be printed by the printer 20 or a predetermined number of pages.

[0028] In the following description, the mobile terminal device 10 that executes the terminal program 12A and the application 12B on the terminal CPU 11 may be referred to simply by the device name. For example, the description "the mobile terminal device 10" may mean "the mobile terminal device 10 that executes the terminal program 12A and the application 12B on the terminal CPU 11." The same applies to the printer 20 that executes the printer program 26B1 on the printer CPU 26A and the server 30 that executes the server program 32B1 on the server CPU 32A, which will be described later.

[0029] The short-range communication unit 13 wirelessly communicates with the printer 20 over a short distance. The short-range communication unit 13 includes a communication circuit that wirelessly communicates with a short-range communication unit 21 of the printer 20, which will be described later, using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC (short for Near Field Communication). The display 14 displays various information and may employ an LCD, an organic EL display, or the like, but is not limited to these. The input I / F 15 may employ a touch panel that is integrally configured with the display 14 and accepts user operations on icons and the like displayed on the display 14. The input I / F 15 may also be a keyboard, a mouse, or the like.

[0030] The image acquisition unit 16 includes, for example, a camera (not shown) provided in the mobile terminal device 10, and acquires images captured by the camera. The image acquisition unit 16 may also be connected to an external device such as an HDD to acquire images. The images acquired by the image acquisition unit 16 may be converted into print data 12C and stored in the terminal storage unit 12.

[0031] The external communication unit 17 includes a communication circuit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the router 2 by wireless communication conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication standard, for example. The external communication unit 17 is connected to the printer 20 via the router 2. The external communication unit 17 is also connected to the server 30 via the router 2 and the Internet 3. The external communication unit 17 may also be configured to be connected to the router 2 by wired communication such as a LAN cable.

[0032] (Configuration of printer 20) The printer 20 is, for example, an inkjet color printing machine. The printer 20 includes a short-range communication unit 21, an external communication unit 22, a tank 23, an ink remaining amount detection unit 24, a printing unit 25, a user I / F 27, and a printer control unit 26. The external communication unit 22 includes a communication circuit for transmitting and receiving signals to and from external devices (the mobile terminal device 10 and the server 30 in this embodiment) connected via a network. The tank 23 is a container for storing ink. In this embodiment, there are four types of ink (magenta M, cyan C, yellow Y, and black BK), and multiple tanks 23 are provided for each type of ink. In other words, the printer 20 uses multiple tanks 23 to independently store each of the four types of ink. Note that the printer 20 does not necessarily include multiple tanks; instead, the tank 23 may be a single tank divided into multiple chambers, each chamber storing a different type of ink.

[0033] Furthermore, the tank 23 is provided with, for example, an inlet (not shown), and is configured so that the user can fill the tank with ink through the inlet. The remaining ink amount detection unit 24 detects the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 23, for example, as a percentage, with 100% being full. The remaining ink amount detection unit 24 is disposed in the tank 23 and has an optical sensor that detects the height of the ink liquid surface, and detects the remaining ink amount based on the output from the optical sensor. The remaining ink amount detection unit 24 is disposed in each of the multiple tanks 23, and detects the remaining ink amount in each of the multiple tanks 23.

[0034] The printing unit 25 includes a print head, a carriage on which the print head is mounted, and a transport mechanism for transporting paper. It performs printing by ejecting ink stored in a tank 23 from the print head toward the paper. The printing unit 25 executes processing to print images, such as print data 12C received from the mobile terminal device 10, onto paper using a known inkjet method. The user I / F 27 is, for example, a touch panel integrated with a display, a push button switch, or the like, and receives operation inputs from the user and displays various information. The printer control unit 26 performs overall control of the printer 20. The printer control unit 26 includes a printer CPU 26A and a printer storage unit 26B. Note that the configuration of the printer 20 described above is merely an example. The printer control unit 26 may perform various processes solely through the printer CPU 26A, or may perform various processes through an integrated circuit such as an ASIC, or may perform various processes in cooperation with the printer CPU 26A and the ASIC.

[0035] Printer CPU 26A controls the operation of printer 20 by executing printer program 26B1 in printer storage unit 26B. Printer CPU 26A may be single-core or multi-core. Printer program 26B1 is a program that comprehensively manages printer 20 and causes printer 20 to execute various processes. Printer storage unit 26B is configured by combining, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, HDD, and buffers provided in printer CPU 26A.

[0036] The printer storage unit 26B also stores a printer management table PT. The printer management table PT is a table that stores information about the printer 20 regarding the use of print services. The information stored in the printer management table PT is used as appropriate when various processes are executed. The printer management table PT stores, in association with each other, the device ID, the number of printable pages, the remaining amount of ink, the device settings, and the synchronization date and time. Note that while subscribed to the second print service, the remaining number of printable pages obtained by subtracting the number of prints from the specified number is stored; however, taking into consideration that the service may be changed from the first print service to the second print service, the remaining number of printable pages is also stored even while subscribed to the second print service.

[0037] The device ID is, for example, a serial number assigned by the printer 20 vendor and is unique information that distinguishes the printer 20 from other printers. The device ID is not limited to a serial number and may be, for example, the wired or wireless MAC address of the short-range communication unit 21 or the external communication unit 22. The printable number indicates the number of sheets of paper that can be printed by the printer 20. A user of the printer 20 can print up to the printable number stored in the printer management table PT. The printable number is increased (charged) by the number of sheets corresponding to the amount charged by the user. On the other hand, the printable number is decreased by the number of sheets used by the printer 20. Similarly to the printable number, the predetermined number indicates the number of sheets of paper that can be printed by the printer 20. However, unlike the printable number, printing beyond the predetermined number is possible depending on the contract plan. The fee for the excess is paid later. The printable number or the predetermined number may be stored in association with the user ID of the user using the printer 20.

[0038] The remaining ink amount indicates the amount of ink remaining detected by the remaining ink amount detection unit 24. After the printer 20 performs an operation that uses ink, such as refilling ink, checking the nozzles, or printing, the printer 20 stores the remaining ink amount detected by the remaining ink amount detection unit 24 in the printer management table PT. The device settings are setting information such as the functions of the printer 20 (printing, etc.), settings for each function (paper size, color, magnification, etc.), and the language displayed on the user I / F 27. The synchronization date and time is the date and time when the previous (most recent) synchronization process was performed with the server 30. The synchronization process here refers to, for example, a process of matching the number of printable pages or the number of remaining pages after a predetermined number of pages between the server 30 and the printer 20.

[0039] (Configuration of Server 30) As shown in FIG. 1, the server 30 includes an external communication unit 31 and a server control unit 32. The external communication unit 31 includes a communication circuit for communicating with the mobile terminal device 10 and the printer 20 connected via a network. The server control unit 32 controls the server 30. The server control unit 32 includes a server CPU (an example of a "control device" in the present application) 32A and a server storage unit 32B. The server CPU 32A controls the operation of the server 30 by executing a server program 32B1 stored in the server storage unit 32B. The server CPU 32A may be single-core or multi-core. The server program 32B1 is a program for overall management of the server 30 and for causing the server 30 to execute various processes. A program for a free ink utilization process, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, is included in the server program 32B1.

[0040] The server storage unit 32B is configured by combining, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, HDD, and a buffer provided in the server CPU 32A. The server storage unit 32B also stores a server management table ST and contract information CI. The server management table ST is a table that stores information necessary for using the print service. The server management table ST stores information about each printer 20 that uses the print service in association with the device ID of the printer 20, and is managed by the service provider. The information stored in the server management table ST is used as appropriate when various processes are executed.

[0041] The server management table ST stores the device ID, the printable number of pages (and a predetermined number of pages), the remaining ink level, the subscription status of the printing service, and other information in association with the device ID. The device ID, printable number of pages, and remaining ink level are the same data as those in the printer management table PT described above, and data from the printer management table PT corresponding to the same device ID is stored. The printable number may be stored in association with the user ID of the user who uses the printer 20 instead of the device ID. The server management table ST also stores the delivery address of the ink bottles and ink cartridges, as well as the login ID, password, and email address used by the user of the mobile terminal device 10 when logging in to the server 30 to, for example, apply for or cancel membership in a printing service. The subscription status of a printing service is information indicating whether the user of the printer 20 has subscribed to a printing service for the printer 20 and the printing service to which the user is currently subscribed. For example, when the user has subscribed to a first printing service, the information indicates that the user is currently subscribed to the first printing service. When the user has subscribed to a second printing service, the information indicates that the user is currently subscribed to the second printing service. When the user has canceled membership in a printing service, the information indicates that the user is not currently subscribed to the service. The contract information CI stores contract information related to services provided by the service provider. The contract information CI includes contract information related to the first print service and contract information related to the second print service. The contract information related to the first print service and the contract information related to the second print service each include multiple pieces of contract information. The contract information may include, for example, a contract ID, a threshold for the remaining ink amount that serves as the basis for delivering consumables, a billing method for the contract fee, and a contract period.

[0042] In this embodiment, the server 30 manages the printable number of each printer 20 using the printing service using a server management table ST that associates the device ID with the printable number. The server 30 manages the latest printable number in the server management table ST by executing a synchronization process that synchronizes the printable number of each printer 20, which increases or decreases depending on the user's charging operation or print instructions, with the printer 20. The same applies to the remaining number of printable numbers.

[0043] The control processing executed by the printing system 1 configured as above will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. However, before that explanation, the printing services provided to users will be explained in detail.

[0044] As described above, the printing service includes a first printing service and a second printing service. A user can subscribe to the printing service by selecting either the first or second printing service and submitting a subscription request to the service provider, and can unsubscribe from the printing service by submitting a cancellation request. A user can also switch between the first printing service and the second printing service. Here, the term "user" refers to a user who receives the printing service, but is also a user of the printer 20. Note that the user who receives the printing service and the user of the printer 20 may be different, but in this embodiment, they are considered to be the same.

[0045] If the printer 20 runs low on ink while the user is subscribed to a printing service, the service provider will deliver ink bottles to the user free of charge, as described above. Specifically, when the user subscribes to the printing service, the printer 20 reads the remaining ink level stored in the printer management table PT at predetermined time intervals (for example, every hour) and sends it to the server 30. The server 30 stores the remaining ink level sent from the printer 20 in the server management table ST and determines whether the remaining ink level is below a predetermined threshold. If the server 30 determines that the remaining ink level is below the predetermined threshold, it instructs the deliverer to deliver the ink bottles. Here, the predetermined threshold is set to a threshold α if the user is subscribed to the first printing service, and to a threshold β, which is greater than threshold α, if the user is subscribed to the second printing service.

[0046] Note that the delivery and the service provider may or may not be the same entity, but in this embodiment, they are assumed to be the same. As described above, in this embodiment, the printer 20 is equipped with four tanks 23 that independently store four types of ink. Therefore, the remaining ink levels are transmitted from the printer 20 to the server 30 for each type of ink and stored in the server management table ST. Therefore, ink bottles are also delivered for each type of ink. Note that the method by which the server 30 acquires the remaining ink levels is not limited to the above-described method of receiving the remaining ink levels transmitted voluntarily by the printer 20. Other methods may also be employed, such as the server 30 transmitting a request to the printer 20 to acquire the remaining ink levels at predetermined time intervals and receiving and acquiring the remaining ink levels transmitted by the printer 20 in response. The timing at which the printer 20 transmits the remaining ink levels to the server is not limited to the predetermined time intervals. The printer 20 may also transmit the remaining ink levels to the server at a predetermined time, such as after a print job is executed or after the printer 20 is turned on.

[0047] As described above, users can subscribe to the first and second print services interchangeably, and because there is a magnitude relationship between the threshold value α for the first print service and the threshold value β for the second print service, if a user changes their contract from the first print service to the second print service, the remaining ink level in the printer 20 may be greater than the threshold value α while they were subscribed to the first print service, but may become less than the threshold value β once they subscribe to the second print service. In this case, the service provider must immediately deliver ink bottles to the user.

[0048] Conversely, if a user changes their contract from the first printing service to the second printing service, the remaining ink amount may be less than the threshold value β while they are subscribed to the second printing service, but may become greater than the threshold value α after subscribing to the first printing service. In this case, the service provider must notify the user if the ink bottle has already been delivered to them, or stop delivery if it has not been delivered.

[0049] In this way, allowing users to subscribe to both the first and second print services creates a particular problem, which the printing system 1 of this embodiment is designed to address.

[0050] 2 shows the steps of the ink delivery process executed by the server 30. This ink delivery process starts when the server 30 is powered on, and ends when the server 30 is powered off. In the following explanation of each step, steps will be abbreviated as "S."

[0051] 2, the server 30 first waits until the printer 20 subscribes to either the first print service or the second print service (NO in both S10 and S20). If the printer 20 subscribes to the first print service (YES in S10), the process proceeds to S12. If the printer 20 subscribes to the second print service (YES in S20), the process proceeds to S22. To subscribe to a print service, for example, a user may register with the server 30 using the mobile terminal device 10 and then submit the subscription application described above from a user page (not shown) logged in after user registration. During user registration, the server 30 stores the user's login ID, password, and email address in the server management table ST in the server storage unit 32B in association with each other. Furthermore, when the server 30 receives a subscription application from a logged-in user, the server 30 stores the device ID of the printer 20 in the server management table ST in association with the user's login ID, and updates the subscription status of the print service stored in the server management table ST according to the print service to which the user has applied. When the server 30 updates the service subscription status, it determines that the printer 20 has subscribed to the print service.

[0052] In S12, the server 30 executes the first ink delivery process. FIG. 3A shows the detailed procedure of the first ink delivery process. In FIG. 3A, the server 30 acquires the remaining ink amount from the printer 20 as described above and stores the remaining ink amount in the server management table ST. The server 30 determines whether the remaining ink amount of the printer 20 stored in the server management table ST is equal to or less than the threshold value α (S30). If the remaining ink amount is equal to or less than the threshold value α (S30: YES), the server 30 executes a process to deliver one ink bottle to the user (S32). The process to deliver the ink bottle includes, for example, a process to send an ink bottle delivery instruction to an ink bottle delivery center. After S32, the server 30 stores information indicating that the ink bottle has been delivered in the server management table ST in association with the device ID of the printer 20. The server 30 then terminates the first ink delivery process. On the other hand, if the determination in S30 is that the remaining ink amount is greater than the threshold value α (S30: NO), the server 30 skips S32 and terminates the first ink delivery process.

[0053] Returning to FIG. 2, the server 30 determines whether a request has been made to change the contract from the currently subscribed first print service to the second print service (S14). When the user requests a change of print service from the user page described above, the server determines that a request has been made to change the contract from the first print service to the second print service. If this determination shows that the contract has not been changed to the second print service and the subscription to the first print service remains active (S14: NO), the server 30 returns to S12 and continues the first ink delivery process of S12. On the other hand, if this determination shows that the contract has been changed to the second print service (S14: YES), the server 30 executes a process for changing the contract from the first print service to the second print service (S16), and then proceeds to S22.

[0054] Figure 4 shows the detailed steps of the process when changing the contract from the first printing service to the second printing service. In Figure 4, the server 30 determines whether the remaining ink level is equal to or less than the threshold value β for the second printing service (S50). This determination is made based on whether threshold value α < remaining ink level ≦ threshold value β when the contract is changed from the first printing service to the second printing service. This is because, while subscribing to the first printing service, even if the remaining ink level exceeds threshold value α for the first printing service, it may be equal to or less than threshold value β for the second printing service.

[0055] If the determination in S50 is that the remaining ink level is less than or equal to the threshold value β (S50: YES), the server 30 notifies the mobile terminal device 10 that an ink bottle will be delivered (S52). While the user was subscribed to the first printing service, an ink bottle was delivered when the remaining ink level fell below the threshold value α, so the user may mistakenly believe that subscribing to the second printing service is the same. In this case, if the ink bottle is suddenly delivered, the user will feel uneasy, so the notification is sent to alleviate this feeling. Possible notification methods include, for example, displaying a pop-up message on the display 14 of the mobile terminal device 10 informing the user that an ink bottle will be delivered, or notifying the user by email.

[0056] Following the notification in S52, the server 30 confirms the delivery address with the user (S54). This confirmation includes information inquiring whether there have been any changes to the delivery address registered with the first print service and, if there have been any changes, prompting the user to register a new delivery address. This confirmation may be performed together with the notification in S52 or separately. Possible confirmation methods include, similar to the notification method, a pop-up display or email notification. When the user then sends a reply to the server 30, the server 30 determines whether the delivery address registered with the first print service is the same as the registered delivery address, i.e., whether the delivery address to which the ink bottle is being delivered is correct (S56). If the reply contains information about a delivery address that differs from the registered delivery address, i.e., the delivery address is incorrect (S56: NO), the server 30 updates the registered delivery address with the correct delivery address (S58) and then executes processing to deliver the ink bottle to that delivery address (S60). On the other hand, if the determination in S56 is that the delivery destination is correct (S56: YES), the process for delivering the ink bottle to the registered delivery destination is executed (S60). Then, the server 30 stores information indicating that the ink bottle has been delivered in the server management table ST in association with the device ID of the printer 20.

[0057] The delivery destination may be notified to the user before the process for delivering the consumables is executed in S60. In this case, the delivery destination may also be notified in the notification in S52. In this case, the process of S52 may be moved before the process of S60. Furthermore, if the printer 20 is equipped with, for example, a GPS function and the server 30 can acquire the installation location of the printer 20, the server 30 may notify the user of the delivery destination together with the delivery destination or separately. In this case, the server 30 may make the determination in S56 based on the acquired installation location of the printer 20. Specifically, the installation location of the printer 20 is stored in the server management table ST in association with the type of printing service (in this embodiment, either the first or second printing service), and if the stored installation location differs from the acquired installation location, the server 30 determines NO in S56. In this case, the confirmation in S54 may not be performed.

[0058] In the next step S62, the server 30 changes the contract to the second print service. The contract change can be performed by rewriting the area in the server management table ST that stores the subscription status of the print service to "second print service subscription." The server 30 then ends the contract change process from the first print service to the second print service.

[0059] On the other hand, if the determination in S50 above is that the remaining ink amount is greater than the threshold value β (S50: NO), the server 30 skips S52 to S60 and proceeds to S62, changes the contract to the second printing service, and then terminates the process when the contract is changed from the first printing service to the second printing service.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 2, in S22, the server 30 executes the second ink delivery process. FIG. 3(b) shows the detailed procedure of the second ink delivery process. In FIG. 3(b), the server 30 determines whether the remaining ink level of the printer 20 stored in the server management table ST is equal to or less than a threshold value β (S40). If the remaining ink level is equal to or less than the threshold value β (S40: YES), the server 30 executes a process to deliver one ink bottle to the user (S42), and then stores information indicating that the ink bottle has been delivered in the server management table ST in association with the device ID of the printer 20. The server 30 then ends the second ink delivery process. On the other hand, if the determination in S40 is that the remaining ink level is greater than the threshold value β (S40: NO), the server 30 skips S42 and ends the second ink delivery process.

[0061] 2, the server 30 determines whether an application has been made to change the contract from the currently subscribed second print service to the first print service (S24). If this determination shows that an application to change the contract to the first print service has not been made and the subscription to the second print service remains active (S24: NO), the server 30 returns to S22 and continues the second ink delivery process of S22. On the other hand, if this determination shows that an application to change the contract to the first print service has been made (S24: YES), the server 30 executes a process for changing the contract from the second print service to the first print service (S26), and then proceeds to S12.

[0062] FIG. 5 shows detailed steps of the process for changing the contract from the second printing service to the first printing service. In FIG. 5, the server 30 determines whether the remaining ink level is equal to or less than the threshold value β for the second printing service (S70), similar to S50 (FIG. 4) above. If the remaining ink level is equal to or less than the threshold value β (S70: YES), the server 30 references the server management table ST and determines whether the ink bottle has been delivered for the second printing service (S72). If the ink bottle has been delivered (S72: YES), the server 30 determines whether the ink in the ink bottle has been refilled into the tank 23 (S74). This determination can be made by determining whether the remaining ink level has increased. If the ink in the ink bottle has not been refilled into the tank 23 (S74: NO), the server 30 notifies the mobile terminal device 10 that the ink bottle will arrive (S76). The notification method can be the same as the notification method described in S52 (FIG. 4) above. In the next step S78, the server 30 sets the first ink bottle delivery after the contract change to the first printing service as delivered.

[0063] On the other hand, if the judgment in S74 is that the ink from the ink bottle has already been filled into the tank 23 (S74: YES), the server 30 skips S76 and proceeds to S78, where it sets the first delivery of the ink bottle to the first printing service after the contract change as already delivered.

[0064] While the decision as to whether to issue the notification in S76 is made by determining whether the ink in the ink bottle has already been filled into the tank 23, it is not limited to this and may also be made by determining the amount of time that has passed since the ink bottle was delivered. In other words, if a large amount of time has passed (for example, if about one month has passed since delivery), the ink bottle should have already arrived at the user's hands, and in that case, there is no need to notify the user that the ink bottle will arrive.

[0065] In the next step S80, the server 30 changes the contract to the first print service, and then ends the process for changing the contract from the second print service to the first print service.

[0066] On the other hand, if the judgment in S72 is that the ink bottle has not already been delivered by the second printing service (S72: NO), the server 30 cancels the delivery of the ink bottle (S90), then proceeds to S80, changes the contract to the first printing service, and then terminates the process when the contract is changed from the second printing service to the first printing service.

[0067] On the other hand, if the determination in S70 is that the remaining ink amount is greater than the threshold value β (S70: NO), the server 30 skips S72 to S78 and S90 and proceeds to S80, changes the contract to the first printing service, and then terminates the process when the contract is changed from the second printing service to the first printing service.

[0068] In this embodiment, the server 30 issues the notifications in S52 and S54 when the remaining ink level is less than or equal to the threshold value β. However, this is not limited to this. The notifications may be issued immediately after the contract change process from the first printing service to the second printing service is initiated, that is, when the threshold value α, which is the predetermined information in the contract information for the first printing service, differs from the threshold value β, which is the predetermined information in the contract information for the second printing service. In this case, the notifications in S52 and S54 may be issued before S50 in FIG. 4. Even if the remaining ink level is greater than the threshold value β at the time the contract is changed from the first printing service to the second printing service, as long as the delivery destination is confirmed, if the remaining ink level becomes less than or equal to the threshold value β due to repeated printing, the ink bottles can be delivered without confirming the delivery destination.

[0069] In this embodiment, the notification in S52 or S76 is issued when a contract change occurs between a first printing service and a second printing service that have different thresholds. However, this is not limited to this. Even when a contract change occurs between a first printing service and a second printing service that have the same threshold, as described above, the user may be notified when the installation location of the printer 20 stored in the server management table ST differs from the installation location of the printer 20 acquired from the printer 20's GPS function. In this case, the notification does not inform the user of the delivery of ink bottles, as in the notification in S52 or S76, but rather of a change in the installation location of the printer 20. For example, a notification may be issued to confirm whether the delivery address of the ink bottles should be updated to the new installation location of the printer 20. This notification may also be issued when the IP address of the printer 20 changes.

[0070] As described above, the printing system 1 of this embodiment is a printing system 1 that includes a printer 20 that consumes ink and a server CPU 32A, and the server CPU 32A receives a request to change a first printing service to a second printing service different from the first printing service (S14), and, in response to a difference between the specified information in the contract information related to the first printing service and the specified information in the contract information related to the second printing service (S14: YES), executes a notification process (S52, S54) to notify the user of the printer 20.

[0071] In this way, the printing system 1 of this embodiment accepts a request to change the first printing service to a second printing service different from the first printing service, and if the specified information in the contract information for the first printing service differs from the specified information in the contract information for the second printing service (S14: YES), it notifies the user of the printer 20 (S52, S54), making it possible to properly notify the user when the terms of the contract change.

[0072] The predetermined information also includes the remaining ink thresholds α and β of the printer 20. This makes it possible to deal with problems that arise when the remaining ink thresholds α and β change by notifying the user appropriately in advance.

[0073] Furthermore, the contract information for the first print service includes a threshold value α as a threshold value, and the contract information for the second print service includes a threshold value β as a threshold value, and the server CPU 32A executes notification processing (S52, S54) in response to a difference between threshold values ​​α and β (S14: YES). This makes it possible to deal with problems that arise when the remaining ink threshold value of the printer 20 changes from threshold value α to threshold value β, by notifying the user appropriately in advance.

[0074] Furthermore, the server CPU 32A executes notification processing (S52, S54) when the first print service is changed to the second print service, i.e., when the threshold value (threshold value β) of the second print service after the change is greater than the threshold value (threshold value α) of the first print service before the change (S14: YES). This allows problems that arise when the remaining ink threshold value of the printer 20 is changed to threshold value β, which is greater than threshold value α, to be dealt with by notifying the user appropriately in advance.

[0075] Furthermore, the server CPU 32A executes notification processing (S52, S54) when the first print service has been changed to the second print service, i.e., when the threshold value (threshold value β) of the second print service after the change is greater than the threshold value (threshold value α) of the first print service before the change (S14: YES) and the remaining amount of consumables in the printer 20 is equal to or less than the threshold value β (S50: YES). This makes it possible to deal with problems that may arise when the remaining ink level in the printer 20 after the contract change is equal to or less than the threshold value β, which is greater than the threshold value α, by notifying the user appropriately in advance.

[0076] Furthermore, the server CPU 32A does not issue notifications (S52, S54) when the second print service has been changed to the first print service, i.e., when the threshold value (threshold value α) of the first print service after the change is smaller than the threshold value (threshold value β) of the second print service before the change (S20: YES). This allows the server CPU 32A to avoid issuing unnecessary notifications.

[0077] Furthermore, if the server CPU 32A detects that the second print service has been changed to the first print service, that is, if the new first print service threshold (threshold α) is smaller than the old second print service threshold (threshold β) (S20: YES) and if ink has already been delivered based on the old second print service threshold (threshold β) (S72: YES), the server CPU 32A notifies the user that ink will arrive (S76). This allows the user to know that ink will arrive.

[0078] Furthermore, in the notification process, the server CPU 32A notifies information for confirming the delivery destination of the ink (S54), thereby enabling the ink to be delivered to the correct delivery destination.

[0079] The server CPU 32A further executes an acquisition process to acquire information on at least one of the installation location of the printer 20 and the delivery destination of the ink, and notifies the user of the information acquired in the acquisition process in a notification process (S52). This allows the user to obtain the acquired information on the installation location of the printer 20 and the delivery destination of the ink.

[0080] The contract information also includes location information indicating the location of the printer 20, and the server CPU 32A further executes a location information acquisition process to acquire location information indicating the current location of the printer 20 from the printer 20, and issues a notification when the predetermined information in the contract information for the first print service and the predetermined information in the contract information for the second print service do not differ and the location information included in the first contract information differs from the location information acquired in the location information acquisition process. This makes it possible to appropriately notify the user if the location information changes, even if the terms of the contract do not change.

[0081] As described above, the server 30 of this embodiment is a server 30 that manages a printer 20 that consumes ink, and includes a server CPU 32A, which accepts a request to change a first printing service to a second printing service different from the first printing service (S14), and, in response to a difference between the remaining ink amount in the first contract information and the remaining ink amount in the contract information related to the second printing service (S14: YES), executes a notification process (S52, S54) to notify the user of the printer 20.

[0082] In this way, the server 30 of this embodiment accepts a request to change the first printing service to a second printing service different from the first printing service, and notifies the user of the printer 20 in response to a difference between the specified information in the contract information for the first printing service and the specified information in the contract information for the second printing service, thereby making it possible to properly notify the user when the terms of the contract change.

[0083] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0084] (1) In the above embodiment, the printer 20, which is an inkjet color printer, is used as an example of a consumer device. However, a monochrome printer, or an electrophotographic color printer or monochrome printer may also be used. If an electrophotographic printer is used, the consumables may include toner cartridges. Furthermore, the consumables are not limited to ink and toner, but may also include various transport rollers, print heads, photoconductors, fusers, etc. In this case, the printing service will ship these consumables based on the contract. Furthermore, the consumer device may also be a device that does not fall under the category of an image forming device, such as a sewing machine or a kerosene stove. In this case, the consumables may include, for example, sewing machine thread and kerosene.

[0085] (2) In the above embodiment, the server 30 is described as a single device. However, a plurality of servers may cooperate to execute the processes of the server 30 in the above embodiment.

[0086] (3) In the above embodiment, the threshold value of the remaining ink amount was given as an example of the specified information of the contract, but even if the consuming device is an image forming device, it is not limited to the remaining ink amount or toner amount, but may also be the lifespan of the print head, photosensitive element, fuser unit, etc., or in the case of a device that does not fall under the category of an image forming device, for example, in the case of a sewing machine or kerosene stove, the remaining amount of sewing machine thread or kerosene, or the lifespan of various parts, etc.

[0087] (4) In the above embodiment, the notification process (S52, S54) is executed when a change from the first print service to the second print service is received (S14: YES), and the notification process (S52, S54) is not executed when a change from the second print service to the first print service is received (S20: YES). However, this is not limiting, and the notification process may be executed when a change from the second print service to the first print service is received. In this case, the notification process similar to S52 and S54 may be executed before S70, before S80, or after S80. In other words, the notification process may be executed when the specified information in the contract information for the print service before the change differs from the specified information in the contract information for the print service after the change. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1...printing system (system), 10...mobile terminal device, 20...printer (consumption device), 23...tank, 30...server (management device), 32A...server CPU (control device), 32B...server memory unit, 32B1...server program, ST...server management table.

Claims

1. A system including a consumption device that consumes a consumable product and a control device, The control device a notification process for receiving a request to change a first contract for delivery of the consumables to which the consumption device subscribes to a second contract different from the first contract, and notifying a user of the consumption device in response to a difference between predetermined information in first contract information related to the first contract and predetermined information in second contract information related to the second contract; To execute system.

2. the predetermined information includes a threshold value of a remaining amount of a consumable item of the consumption device; The system of claim 1 .

3. the first contract information includes a first threshold as the threshold, the second contract information includes a second threshold as the threshold, The control device executing the notification process in response to a difference between the first threshold value and the second threshold value; The system of claim 2 .

4. The control device Execute the notification process in response to the second threshold being greater than the first threshold. The system of claim 3.

5. The control device executing the notification process when the second threshold is greater than the first threshold and the remaining amount of the consumable of the consumption device is equal to or less than the second threshold; The system of claim 3.

6. The control device When the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold, the notification is not performed. The system of claim 3.

7. The control device If the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold and the consumable has been delivered based on the first threshold, notify the user that the consumable will arrive. The system of claim 3.

8. The control device In the notification process, information for confirming a delivery destination of the consumables is notified. The system of claim 1 .

9. The control device further comprises: an acquisition process for acquiring information on at least one of an installation location of the consumption device and a delivery destination of the consumables; Run In the notification process, the information acquired in the acquisition process is notified. The system of claim 1 .

10. the first contract information includes location information indicating a location of the consumption device; The control device further comprises: a location information acquisition process for acquiring location information indicating a current location of the consumption device from the consumption device; Run the notification is given in response to the fact that the predetermined information in the first contract information and the predetermined information in the second contract information do not differ and the location information included in the first contract information and the location information acquired in the location information acquisition process differ. The system of claim 1 .

11. A management device that manages a consumption device that consumes a consumable item, the management device includes a control device; The control device a notification process for receiving a request to change a first contract for delivery of the consumables to which the consumption device subscribes to a second contract different from the first contract, and for notifying a user of the consumption device in response to a difference between predetermined information in first contract information related to the first contract and predetermined information in second contract information related to the second contract; To execute Management device.

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