System and program

Abstract

To provide technology that makes it possible to effectively use a consumable after cancellation, expenses of which are borne by a service provider under contract.SOLUTION: A printing system 1 includes a printer 20 provided with a tank 23 for accommodating ink, and a server CPU 32A. The server CPU 32A executes reception processing (S18) for receiving a cancellation request for canceling printing services to the printer 20, and transmission processing (S30) for transmitting an indication to the printer 20 for causing the printer 20 to execute a remaining ink utilization processing for consuming ink, on condition that a cancellation request has been received in the reception processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a technology for effectively utilizing delivered consumables when delivering consumables that need to be replaced or replenished. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding consumables that need to be replaced or replenished, there are known services that deliver the consumables according to various contracts for the consumer device that consumes the consumables. For example, in some of these services, the user pays a service fee and receives the consumables without paying any costs associated with the consumables at the time of ordering.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention in which, when the above-mentioned contract is cancelled, if the identification information stored in the memory (33) of the consumable (toner cartridge 30) indicates that the consumable is a contracted item, a rewriting process is executed to rewrite the identification information to information indicating that the consumable is a regular item, thereby enabling the consumable to continue to be used even after the contract is cancelled. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-160229 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, in the above-mentioned service, it is conceivable that the user pays for consumables while not under contract, and the service provider bears the cost of the consumables while under contract. In such a case, if the consumables for which the service provider paid during the contract can continue to be used after the contract is cancelled, as in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the financial burden on the service provider would be large. On the other hand, if the consumables for which the service provider paid during the contract cannot be used after the contract is cancelled, the consumables cannot be used effectively after the contract is cancelled.

[0006] The present application aims to provide a technology that enables effective use of consumables for which a service provider has paid during a contract, even after the contract has been cancelled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the system of the present application is a system including a consumption device having a storage section for storing consumables, and a control device, wherein the control device executes a receiving process for receiving a cancellation request to cancel a specified usage contract for the consumption device, and a transmitting process for transmitting to the consumption device an instruction to cause the consumption device to execute a consumption process to consume the consumables, on the condition that the cancellation request has been received in the receiving process.

[0008] In the system of the present application, on the condition that a cancellation request to cancel a specified usage contract is received, an instruction to the consumption device to execute consumption processing to consume the consumables is sent to the consumption device, so that the consumables for which the service provider paid during the contract can be effectively utilized after cancellation.

[0009] Furthermore, the control device further executes a remaining amount determination process to determine whether the remaining amount of the consumable is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, on the condition that the cancellation request has been received in the receiving process, and executes a transmission process if the remaining amount of the consumable is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold in the remaining amount determination process. This prevents the consumption device from running out of the consumable while executing the consumption process.

[0010] In addition, in the transmission process, the control device transmits a first instruction to execute a first consumption process executable for the first amount when the remaining amount of the consumable is a first amount, and transmits a second instruction to execute a second consumption process executable for the second amount when the remaining amount of the consumable is a second amount greater than the first amount, thereby causing the consumption device to execute a consumption process according to the remaining amount of the consumable.

[0011] The consumption device can store multiple consumables by storing multiple consumables in a storage unit or by having multiple storage units, and the control device determines whether the remaining amount of each of the multiple consumables is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold in the remaining amount determination process, and transmits to the consumption device an instruction to execute a consumption process to consume a consumable that is determined to have a remaining amount equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold in the transmission process. This prevents the consumption device from running out of all of the multiple consumables while the consumption device is executing the consumption process.

[0012] The system further includes a storage device, and the control device further executes a first storage process for storing a first value indicating the consumption state of the consumables stored in the storage unit when a specified service contract is concluded for the consumption device, a second storage process for storing a second value indicating the consumption state of the consumables stored in the storage unit when the specified service contract is terminated, and a determination process for determining a difference between the first value and the second value, and executes a transmission process based on the difference determined in the determination process if the service provider who provided the service under the specified service contract is paying more for the consumables than the user who used the consumption device under the specified service contract.This makes it possible to effectively utilize the consumables delivered under the specified service contract, for which the service provider paid the costs during the contract, after the contract is terminated, in cases where the service provider who provided the service under the specified service contract is paying more for the consumables than the user who used the consumption device under the specified service contract.

[0013] The system also includes a storage device, and the control device executes a first storage process for storing a value indicating the consumption state of the consumables stored in the storage unit when a specified service contract is concluded for the consumption device, a second storage process for storing a value indicating the consumption state of the consumables stored in the storage unit when the specified service contract is terminated, a third identification process for identifying, based on the values ​​stored in the first storage process and the second storage process, a third value indicating the consumption state of the consumables for which the cost is borne by the user of the consumption device while a specified service contract is concluded for the consumption device, a fourth identification process for identifying, based on the values ​​stored in the first storage process and the second storage process, a fourth value indicating the consumption state of the consumables for which the cost is borne by the service provider who provided the service under the specified service contract while the specified service contract is not concluded, a determination process for determining the difference between the third value and the fourth value, and a transmission process when, based on the difference determined in the determination process, the service provider who provided the service under the specified service contract is bearing more costs for the consumables than the user who used the consumption device under the specified service contract. In this way, the difference between the third value indicating the consumption state of consumables for which the cost is borne by the user of the consumption device while a specified usage contract has been concluded for the consumption device and the fourth value indicating the consumption state of consumables for which the cost is borne by the service provider who provided the service under the specified usage contract while a specified usage contract has not been concluded is determined, and based on the determined difference, the transmission process is executed if the service provider who provided the service under the specified usage contract is bearing more costs for consumables than the user who used the consumption device under the specified usage contract, thereby making it possible to more accurately suppress imbalances in the economic burden between the service provider and the user.

[0014] The transmission process also transmits an instruction to execute maintenance processing for the consumption device as a consumption process, thereby enabling effective use of consumables for which the service provider paid during the contract after the contract is terminated.

[0015] The consumption device is an image forming device, and the transmission process transmits, as a consumption process, an instruction to cause the image forming device to execute a process of forming a specific image designated by a service provider who provided a service under a predetermined usage contract or a vendor of the image forming device, thereby enabling effective use of consumables for which the service provider paid during the contract after the contract is terminated.

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the program of the present application causes a computer of a system including a consumption device equipped with a storage section for storing consumables to execute a receiving process for receiving a cancellation request to cancel a specified usage contract for the consumption device, and a sending process for sending to the consumption device an instruction to cause the consumption device to execute a consumption process to consume the consumables, on the condition that the cancellation request has been received in the receiving process.

[0017] In the program of the present application, on the condition that a cancellation request to cancel a specified usage contract is received, an instruction to the consumption device to execute consumption processing to consume the consumables is sent to the consumption device, so that the consumables for which the service provider paid during the contract can be effectively utilized after cancellation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a free ink utilization process executed by a server included in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 3] 10A is a diagram showing an example of the change in remaining ink amount over time, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of values ​​stored in the remaining paid and unpaid ink amount storage areas. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of free ink utilization processing executed by a server in a second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] 10A is a diagram showing an example of the transition of the remaining ink amount in a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of the values ​​stored in the remaining paid and unpaid ink amount storage areas. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0020] (First embodiment) (Configuration of Printing System 1) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a printing system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present application. The printing system 1 (an example of a "system" herein) is used for a printing service provided to users who have concluded a service contract (an example of a "predetermined service contract" herein). The printing service allows users to print by paying a fee based on the number of printable sheets, which is the number of sheets of paper that can be printed by a printer (an example of a "consumer device" herein). A user concludes a contract with a service provider by applying to join the printing service (an example of "conclusion" herein). A user can cancel the contract concluded with the service provider by applying to the service provider to withdraw from the printing service (an example of "cancellation" herein). If the contract has a predetermined term or expiration date, the contract may be terminated based on the term or expiration date, regardless of whether or not the user has applied to withdraw. 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 number of printable sheets refers to the number of sheets on one side of a sheet of paper that can be printed. If you print on one side of a sheet of paper, the number of printable sheets decreases by one, and if you print on both sides, the number of printable sheets decreases by two. In the following explanation, setting the number of printable sheets or increasing the number of printable sheets by paying an additional fee may be referred to as "charging." The number of printable sheets may also be referred to as the charged number.

[0021] In this embodiment, the printer 20 is, for example, an inkjet printer, which 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 subscribes to the printing service, the printer 20 functions as a printer for the printing service, and while the user does not subscribe to the printing service, the printer 20 functions as a general-purpose printer.

[0022] Furthermore, if the user wishes to print more than the charged number of pages while subscribing to the printing service, the user pays an additional fee. By purchasing additional printable pages, the user can continue to use the printer 20 for the printing service. If the printer 20 runs low on ink while subscribing to the printing service, the service provider will ship the user an ink bottle or ink cartridge containing ink to refill the printer 20 free of charge. In other words, the user is not responsible for the costs associated with the ink bottle or ink cartridge. The user can continue printing up to the printer's printable number of pages without running out of ink by refilling the printer 20 with ink from the ink bottle or by replacing the ink cartridge. Whether an ink bottle or ink cartridge is shipped depends on whether the printer 20 is being refilled with ink or a cartridge is being replaced when the printer 20 runs out of ink. In this embodiment, the user purchases a printer 20 that is refilled with ink. Therefore, the service provider will ship the user an ink bottle free of charge when the printer 20 runs out of ink.

[0023] 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 one printer 20, or the printer 20 to perform printing may be selected from a plurality of printers 20.

[0024] (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.

[0025] 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 a 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] (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 level 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 (an example of a "storage unit" in this application) 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 containing a different type of ink.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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 above-described configuration of the printer 20 is merely an example. The printer control unit 26 may perform various processes solely through the printer CPU 26A, or may perform various processes using an integrated circuit such as an ASIC, or may perform various processes in cooperation with the printer CPU 26A and the ASIC.

[0033] Printer CPU 26A controls the operation of printer 20 by executing printer program 26B1 in printer storage unit 26B. Printer program 26B1 is a program that comprehensively manages printer 20 and causes printer 20 to execute various processes. Printer CPU 26A may be single-core or multi-core. Printer storage unit 26B is configured by combining, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, HDD, and buffers provided in printer CPU 26A.

[0034] 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 the device ID, printable number of pages, remaining ink amount, device settings, and synchronization date and time in association with each other.

[0035] The device ID is, for example, a serial number set by the vendor of the printer 20, and is unique information that allows the printer 20 to be distinguished from other printers. The device ID is not limited to a serial number, and may be, for example, a wired MAC address or a 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 using 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 of paper used in printing by the printer 20. The printable number may be stored in association with the user ID of the user using the printer 20.

[0036] 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 to be 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 between the server 30 and the printer 20.

[0037] (Server 30 configuration) 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 (an example of a "storage device" in the present application) 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 causes 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.

[0038] 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. 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.

[0039] The server management table ST stores the device ID, the printable number of pages, the remaining ink level, the print service subscription status, 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 of pages 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 login ID, password, and email address used by the user of the mobile terminal device 10 to log in to the server 30, for example, to apply for or cancel membership in the print service. The print service subscription status is information indicating whether the user of the printer 20 has subscribed to the print service for the printer 20; once subscription to the print service is complete, the information indicates that the user is currently subscribed, and once cancellation of the print service is complete, the information indicates that the user is not currently subscribed.

[0040] 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 of each printer 20. 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 in response to the user's charging operation or print instruction, with the printer 20.

[0041] The control process executed by the printing system 1 configured as above will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. However, before that explanation, the printing service provided to the user will be explained in detail.

[0042] As described above, a contract can be concluded by a user applying to join the printing service to the service provider, and can be terminated by applying to withdraw from the printing service or upon expiration of the contract period. Here, the term "user" refers to a user who receives the printing service, but 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.

[0043] If the printer 20 runs low on ink while the user is subscribed to the printing service, the service provider will ship ink bottles to the user free of charge, as described above. Specifically, once the user subscribes to the printing service, the printer 20 reads the remaining ink levels stored in the printer management table PT at predetermined intervals (e.g., every hour) and sends them to the server 30. The server 30 stores the remaining ink levels sent from the printer 20 in the server management table ST and determines whether the remaining ink levels are below a predetermined threshold. If the server 30 determines that the remaining ink levels are below the predetermined threshold, it instructs the sender to ship the ink bottles. Note that the sender and the service provider may or may not be the same, but in this embodiment, they are the same. Also, as described above, in this embodiment, the printer 20 has four tanks 23 that independently store four types of ink. Therefore, the remaining ink levels for each type of ink are sent from the printer 20 to the server 30 and stored in the server management table ST. Therefore, ink bottles are also shipped for each type of ink. The method by which the server 30 obtains the remaining ink amount is not limited to the above method of receiving the remaining ink amount voluntarily transmitted by the printer 20, but other methods may also be used, such as the server 30 transmitting a request to the printer 20 to obtain the remaining ink amount at predetermined time intervals, and then receiving and obtaining the remaining ink amount transmitted by the printer 20 in response. Furthermore, the timing at which the printer 20 transmits the remaining ink amount to the server is not limited to every predetermined time interval, but may also be triggered by a predetermined process, such as after a print process has been executed or after the printer 20 has been turned on.

[0044] As described above, users can freely join and unsubscribe from a printing service, and can rejoin after unsubscribing, or join and unsubscribe repeatedly. In other words, users can repeatedly enter into and terminate contracts with the service provider by joining or unsubscribing from the service. Since the printer 20 was purchased by the user and remains in the user's possession and can print even after unsubscribing from the printing service, the user can continue to use the ink provided free of charge during the printing service subscription (hereinafter referred to as "free ink") even after unsubscribing. On the other hand, if the printer 20 runs out of ink while not subscribing to the printing service, the user must purchase ink bottles and refill them. Therefore, if a user subscribes to a printing service while still having ink purchased for a fee (hereinafter referred to as "paid ink") remaining, the user will continue to use the paid ink even after subscribing.

[0045] Thus, if a user cancels a printing service with free ink remaining in the tank 23, the user can print using the free ink even though they do not purchase a charge after cancellation, resulting in a greater financial burden on the service provider than if the user canceled the printing service with no free ink remaining in the tank 23. On the other hand, if a user subscribes to a printing service with paid ink remaining in the tank 23, the user will be able to print using paid ink even though they will not be able to print unless they purchase a charge after subscription, resulting in a greater financial burden on the user than if the user subscribed to a printing service with no paid ink remaining in the tank 23. Furthermore, repeated subscriptions and cancellations can increase the financial burden on either the service provider or the user. Therefore, in the printing system 1 of this embodiment, in order to reduce the financial burden on the service provider in particular, if a user cancels a printing service with free ink remaining in the tank 23, the free ink is effectively utilized after cancellation.

[0046] 2 shows the procedure for the free ink utilization process executed by the server 30. This free ink utilization process starts when the server 30 is powered on, and ends when the server 30 is powered off. In the following explanation of each procedure, steps will be represented as "S."

[0047] 2, the server 30 first waits until the printer 20 subscribes to the print service (S10: NO). Once the printer 20 subscribes to the print service (S10: YES), the process proceeds to S12. Subscription to the print service can be performed, for example, by a user registering with the server 30 using the mobile terminal device 10 and then logging in from a user page (not shown) after user registration. Similarly, unsubscription from the print service can be performed from the logged-in user page. During user registration, the server 30 associates the user's login ID and password with the server management table ST in the server storage unit 32B and stores them. Furthermore, when the server 30 receives a subscription request from a logged-in user, the server 30 stores the printer 20's device ID in the server management table ST in association with the user's login ID, and sets the subscription status of the print service stored in the server management table ST to "subscribed." When the server 30 sets the service subscription status to "subscribed," the server 30 determines that the printer 20 has subscribed to the print service.

[0048] In S12, the server 30 requests the printer 20 for the current ink levels and stores the current ink levels of the printer 20 received in response to the request. The server 30 then stores the received ink levels as the current ink levels in the server management table ST, in association with the device ID of the printer 20. The server also stores the ink levels in the remaining paid ink storage area, and stores zero ink levels in the remaining free ink storage area. In other words, the server 30 stores the ink levels at the time of subscribing to the printing service as paid ink. The remaining paid ink storage area and remaining free ink storage area may be separate areas within the server storage unit 32B from the server management table ST, or may be separate areas within the server management table ST from the area that stores the ink levels. Because there are four types of ink, a remaining paid ink storage area is provided for each type of ink. However, the following explanation focuses on one specific type of ink. Furthermore, as the user repeatedly subscribes to and unsubscribes from the printing service, the process of S12 is executed the same number of times the user subscribes, and each time the current remaining ink amount in the printer 20 is additionally stored in both the remaining paid ink amount storage area and the remaining free ink amount storage area. As a result, the remaining ink amount in the printer 20 at the time of subscription can be stored in multiple partial areas of the remaining paid ink amount storage area and the remaining free ink amount storage area for each number of times the user subscribes to the printing service.

[0049] Next, the server 30 determines whether the current ink level in the printer 20 stored in the server management table ST is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (S14). If the current ink level in the printer 20 is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold (S14: YES), the server 30 sends free ink to the user (S16) and then proceeds to S18. Here, "sending free ink" refers to the process by which the server 30 sends ink bottles free of charge, but this is a simplified notation. On the other hand, if the current ink level in the printer 20 exceeds the predetermined threshold (S14: NO), the server 30 skips S16 and proceeds to S18.

[0050] In S18, the server 30 determines whether the printer 20 has withdrawn from the print service to which it was subscribed, and if the printer 20 has not withdrawn from the print service and is still subscribed (S18: NO), the server 30 returns the process to S14 and continues the process from S14 onwards. On the other hand, if the printer 20 has withdrawn from the print service (S18: YES), the printer 20 proceeds to S20.

[0051] In S20, the server 30 determines whether free ink was shipped during the subscription to the printing service. If free ink was shipped in S16, the server 30 records the fact that free ink was shipped, for example, by setting a free ink shipping flag (not shown) in the server management table ST to "1." The determination in S20 can be made based on the setting state of the free ink shipping flag. If free ink was shipped (S20: YES), the server 30 determines that the current remaining ink level in the printer 20 is free ink, reads the current remaining ink level in the printer 20, i.e., the remaining ink level stored in the server management table ST, and stores it in the free ink remaining amount storage area (S22), after which the process proceeds to S24. Note that the free ink remaining amount storage area, like the paid ink remaining amount storage area, is an area located outside or inside the server management table ST in the server storage unit 32B, and stores the remaining ink level in the printer 20 when the free ink has been refilled into the tank 23. As with the remaining ink amount of paid ink, the remaining ink amount of free ink may have multiple values ​​stored in the remaining free ink amount storage area. In such a case, the remaining ink amount of printer 20 at the time of cancellation can be stored in multiple partial areas of the remaining free ink amount storage area, just as with the remaining paid ink amount storage area.

[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined in S20 that no free ink has been shipped (S20: NO), the server 30 skips S22 and proceeds to S24.

[0053] In S24, the server 30 calculates the difference between the remaining ink amount in the remaining paid ink storage area and the remaining free ink storage area. If no free ink bottles have been delivered during the period of subscription to the printing service, nothing is stored in the remaining free ink storage area. In this case, the server 30 calculates the difference by treating the remaining ink amount in the remaining free ink storage area as zero. Note that if multiple remaining ink amounts are stored in both the remaining paid ink storage area and the remaining free ink storage area due to repeated subscription and cancellation of the printing service, the difference can be calculated by calculating the difference between the sum of the remaining ink amounts stored in the remaining paid ink storage area and the remaining free ink storage area.

[0054] Next, the server 30 determines whether the financial burden on the service provider is greater than the financial burden on the user based on the calculated difference (S26). If this determination shows that the financial burden on the service provider is less than or equal to the financial burden on the user (S26: NO), the server 30 returns to S10. On the other hand, if this determination shows that the financial burden on the service provider is greater than the financial burden on the user (S26: YES), the server 30 determines whether the remaining ink level, i.e., the remaining ink level of free ink, is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (S28). If this determination shows that the remaining ink level is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (S28: YES), the server 30 executes a remaining ink level utilization process (S30) and then returns to S10. On the other hand, if this determination shows that the remaining ink level is less than the predetermined threshold (S28: NO), the server 30 skips S30 and returns to S10.

[0055] Figure 3(a) shows an example of the change in the remaining ink amount over time. In Figure 3(a), the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the remaining ink amount. The change in the remaining ink amount is indicated by the hypotenuses of three right-angled triangles, and the states shown are, in order of time, when the tank 23 is filled with paid ink, free ink, and free ink. In the illustrated example, the time intervals from when the tank 23 is full to when it is empty are the same, but this is merely for convenience, and in reality, the times are often different.

[0056] In FIG. 3(a), time T1 indicates the time when a user subscribes to the printing service, time T2 indicates the time when the user unsubscribes from the printing service, time T3 indicates the time when the user resubscribes to the printing service, and time T4 indicates the time when the user unsubscribes from the printing service again.

[0057] When a user subscribes to the printing service at time T1, the server 30 stores the remaining ink amount value α1 at time T1 in the paid ink remaining amount storage area in S12 (see FIG. 3(b)). If this remaining ink amount value α1 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (S14: YES), the server 30 dispatches free ink (S16).

[0058] If the user cancels their printing service at time T2 after the free ink has been shipped, the server 30 will determine YES in S18 and YES in S20, and therefore store the remaining ink amount β1 at time T2 in the remaining free ink amount storage area in S22 (see Figure 3(b)). The server 30 then calculates the difference α1-β1 in S24. Since α1-β1<0, the economic burden on the service provider is greater than the economic burden on the user. Therefore, the server 30 determines YES in S26 and determines whether the remaining ink amount β1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the remaining ink amount β1 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the server 30 will determine YES in S28 and execute the remaining ink amount utilization process in S30.

[0059] Specific examples of remaining ink utilization processing include the following: A. Performing a demonstration print B. Cleaning is.

[0060] A. In the demonstration printing process, the server 30 automatically selects and transmits to the mobile terminal device 10 specific print data that is not specified by the user. The server 30 also transmits to the mobile terminal device 10 print settings for printing the print data at the highest print quality. Upon receiving the print data and print settings from the server 30, the mobile terminal device 10 transmits the received print data and print settings to the printer 20. In response, the printer 20 prints the print data received from the mobile terminal device 10 on paper at the highest print quality using genuine free ink. This allows the user to see the maximum performance of the printer 20 and the genuine ink. In step S28, the server 30 determines whether the remaining ink level of each of the multiple types of ink is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and transmits to the printer 20 an instruction to execute a remaining ink utilization process that consumes the free ink determined to have a remaining ink level equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. In other words, the server 30 selects print data based on the remaining amount of each type of free ink, i.e., the print data that uses the ink with the larger remaining ink level. This prevents ink from running out mid-print. Alternatively, the server 30 may select print data appropriate for the season or region (e.g., the user's residential area). This allows print data that is useful to the user to be printed. Furthermore, the server 30 may select data for a test pattern as print data and transmit it to the mobile terminal device 10. If a problem occurs when the printer 20 prints the test pattern, the printer 20 transmits the cause of the problem to the server 30 via the mobile terminal device 10. In response, the server 30 transmits a link to a support page to the mobile terminal device 10. If the user displays the support page on the display 14 of the mobile terminal device 10 in response, the user can conveniently learn the cause of the problem and how to resolve it. Furthermore, the server 30 may transmit a questionnaire, information on other services, information on other models, etc. to the mobile terminal device 10 in addition to the print data.

[0061] In B. Cleaning, the server 30 sends an instruction to the mobile terminal device 10 to have the printer 20 perform cleaning. Cleaning is, for example, a purge process in which ink is ejected from each nozzle in the print head of the printing unit 25 to prevent or clear clogging of the nozzles. The printer 20 periodically performs a purge process, but the cleaning process can be performed in addition to the regular purge process. Furthermore, after this cleaning, the demonstration printing described above in A. above can be performed. This clears clogging from all nozzles and prints on paper with the highest print quality, thereby better demonstrating the maximum performance of the printer 20 and genuine ink to users.

[0062] The server 30 may instruct the mobile terminal device 10 to perform A. demonstration printing when the remaining amount of ink is a first amount, and may instruct the mobile terminal device 10 to perform B. cleaning when the remaining amount of ink is a second amount that is greater than the first amount. The server 30 may also change the content of A. demonstration printing depending on whether the remaining amount of ink is the first amount or the second amount, or may change the time for the purge process when B. cleaning is performed.

[0063] Subsequently, when the user resubscribes to the printing service at time T3, the server 30 stores the remaining ink amount value α2 at time T3 in the remaining paid ink amount storage area in S12 (see FIG. 3(b)). Although the remaining ink amount at this time is actually free ink, the server 30 does not have information to determine whether the remaining ink amount at that time is free or paid ink, so for convenience it determines that the remaining ink amount at the time of subscribing to the printing service is paid ink. Note that, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the remaining paid ink amount storage area already stores the value α1, so the server 30 stores the value α2 in one of the multiple partial areas of the remaining paid ink amount storage area in which the value α1 is not stored. Then, when the remaining ink amount falls below a predetermined threshold (S14: YES), the server 30 ships free ink to the user (S18).

[0064] If the user cancels the printing service at time T4 after the free ink is shipped, the server 30 determines YES in S18 and YES in S20. Therefore, in S22, the remaining ink value β2 at time T4 is stored in the remaining free ink storage area (see FIG. 3B). Then, in S24, the server 30 calculates the difference (α1 + α2) - (β1 + β2). Since (α1 + α2) - (β1 + β2) < 0, the service provider's financial burden is greater than the user's. Therefore, the server 30 determines YES in S26 and determines whether the remaining ink value β2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the remaining ink value β2 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the server 30 determines YES in S28 and executes the remaining ink utilization process in S30. Specific examples of the remaining ink utilization process have been described above, so they will not be repeated here.

[0065] As described above, the printing system 1 of this embodiment includes a printer 20 equipped with a tank 23 that contains ink, and a server CPU 32A. The server CPU 32A executes a receiving process (S18) to receive a withdrawal request to withdraw from the printing service for the printer 20, and a sending process (S30) to send to the printer 20 an instruction to cause the printer 20 to execute an ink remaining amount utilization process that consumes ink, on the condition that the withdrawal request has been received in the receiving process.

[0066] In this way, in the printing system 1 of this embodiment, on the condition that a withdrawal request to withdraw from the printing service is received, an instruction to cause the printer 20 to execute a process to utilize remaining ink, which consumes ink, is sent to the printer 20, so that the ink for which the service provider paid during the contract can be effectively utilized after withdrawal.

[0067] Furthermore, the server CPU 32A further executes a remaining ink amount determination process (S28) to determine whether the remaining ink amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, provided that the server CPU 32A has received a withdrawal request during the receiving process, and if the remaining ink amount determination process determines that the remaining ink amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (S28: YES), it executes a sending process (S30). This prevents the printer 20 from running out of ink while executing the remaining ink utilization process.

[0068] Furthermore, in the transmission process, if the remaining ink amount is a first amount, the server CPU 32A transmits a first instruction to execute a first remaining ink amount utilization process that can be executed with the first amount, and if the remaining ink amount is a second amount that is greater than the first amount, the server CPU 32A transmits a second instruction to execute a second remaining ink amount utilization process that can be executed with the second amount, thereby causing the printer 20 to execute a remaining ink amount utilization process that corresponds to the remaining ink amount.

[0069] Furthermore, the printer 20 can store multiple inks by storing multiple inks in the tanks 23 or by having multiple tanks 23, and in the remaining amount determination process, the server CPU 32A determines whether the remaining ink amount for each of the multiple inks is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and in the transmission process, sends to the printer 20 an instruction to execute a remaining ink amount utilization process that consumes an ink of the multiple inks whose remaining amount is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. This prevents the printer 20 from running out of all of the multiple inks while executing the remaining ink amount utilization process.

[0070] The service contract also includes a contract for delivery of ink, and the server CPU 32A further executes a delivery determination process (S20) to determine whether the ink was delivered based on the printing service, on the condition that a cancellation request has been received in the receiving process, and if it is determined in the delivery determination process that the ink was delivered based on the printing service (S20: YES), it executes a sending process (S30). This allows the free ink, for which the service provider paid during the contract, to be effectively utilized after cancellation.

[0071] The printing system 1 also includes a server storage unit 32B, and the server CPU 32A executes a first storage process (S12) for storing a first value indicating the consumption state of ink contained in the tank 23 in the server storage unit 32B when signing up for a printing service with the printer 20, a second storage process (S22) for storing a second value indicating the consumption state of ink contained in the tank 23 in the server storage unit 32B when canceling the printing service, and a determination process (S24) for determining the difference between the first value and the second value. If, based on the difference determined in the determination process, the service provider who provided the printing service has paid more for ink than the user who used the printer 20 for the printing service (S26: YES), the server CPU 32A executes a transmission process (S30). This allows the service provider who provided the printing service to effectively use the free ink that the service provider paid for during the contract after canceling the service, even if the service provider has paid more for ink than the user who used the printer 20 for the printing service.

[0072] The transmission process also transmits an instruction to execute a maintenance process for the printer 20 as a process for utilizing the remaining ink (S30). This allows the ink, for which the service provider paid during the contract, to be effectively utilized after cancellation of the contract.

[0073] Furthermore, the transmission process transmits, as a process for utilizing remaining ink, an instruction to cause the printer 20 to execute a process for forming a specific image designated by the service provider who provided the printing service or the vendor of the printer 20. This allows the ink for which the service provider paid during the contract to be effectively utilized after cancellation.

[0074] As described above, the server program 32B1 of this embodiment causes the server CPU 32A to execute a receiving process (S18) for receiving a withdrawal request to withdraw from the printing service for the printer 20, and a sending process (S30) for sending to the printer 20 an instruction to cause the printer 20 to execute an ink remaining amount utilization process that consumes ink, on the condition that the withdrawal request has been received in the receiving process.

[0075] In this way, the server program 32B1 of this embodiment is configured to send an instruction to the printer 20 to execute an ink remaining amount utilization process that consumes ink, on the condition that a withdrawal request to withdraw from the printing service is received, so that the ink for which the service provider paid during the contract can be effectively utilized after withdrawal.

[0076] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the control processing executed by the server 30, so the description will focus on the differences and omit the description of other parts as appropriate. The configuration of the printing system of this embodiment will be the same as that of the printing system 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, including the reference numerals.

[0077] In the first embodiment described above, the ink contained in the tank 23 at the time of subscribing to the printing service was considered to be paid ink, and the ink contained in the tank 23 at the time of canceling the printing service was considered to be free ink, and the difference in the remaining ink amount between paid ink and free ink was calculated. However, in this embodiment, it is determined whether the ink contained in the tank 23 is paid ink or free ink at the time of subscribing to the printing service and at the time of canceling the printing service, and the difference between paid ink and free ink is calculated based on the result of this determination.

[0078] The following are examples of methods for determining whether the ink contained in the tank 23 is paid ink or free ink. The server 30 stores the number of ink bottles delivered while the user is subscribed to the printing service in the server management table ST, in association with the device ID. Meanwhile, the printer 20 stores in the printer management table PT the number of times the ink remaining in the tank 23 has reached 100% after the user subscribed to the printing service using the remaining ink level detection unit 24 (i.e., the number of times the tank 23 has been filled with one bottle's worth of ink).

[0079] The server 30 obtains from the printer 20 the number of times the remaining amount in the tank 23 has reached 100% since subscribing to the printing service, and if the number of ink bottles stored in the server management table ST is equal to or greater than the number obtained from the printer 20, the server 30 determines that the ink contained in the tank 23 is free ink. On the other hand, if the number of ink bottles stored in the server management table ST is less than the number of times stored in the printer management table PT, the server 30 determines that the ink contained in the tank 23 is paid ink.

[0080] Another possible method is to use a bottle ID. The server 30 stores the bottle ID of an ink bottle delivered while the user is subscribing to the printing service in the server management table ST, in association with the device ID. When the ink level detection unit 24 detects that the ink level in the tank 23 has reached 100% after the user subscribes to the printing service, the printer 20 prompts the user to enter the bottle ID of the delivered ink bottle via the user I / F 27. When the bottle ID of the ink bottle is entered via the user I / F 27, the printer 20 sends the bottle ID to the server 30. If the bottle ID stored in the server management table ST matches the bottle ID received from the printer 20, the server 30 determines that the ink in the tank 23 is free ink; if they do not match, the server 30 determines that the ink is paid ink.

[0081] Another possible method is to use detection of the remaining ink level. The printer 20 stores the service subscription status in the printer management table PT. The service subscription status in the printer management table PT is the same as the service subscription status in the server management table ST of the server 30. When the service subscription status in the server management table ST is changed to either subscribed or not subscribed, the server 30 sends an instruction to update the service subscription status to the printer 30. Upon receiving the update instruction, the printer updates the service subscription status in the printer management table PT to the same value as the service subscription status in the server management table ST. When the printer 20 detects that the ink level in the tank 23 has reached 100% while the service subscription status is subscribed, the printer 20 stores the remaining ink level and information indicating that the ink in the tank 23 is free ink. On the other hand, when the printer 20 detects that the ink level in the tank 23 has reached 100% while the service subscription status is not subscribed, the printer 20 stores the remaining ink level and information indicating that the ink in the tank 23 is paid ink. The server 30 acquires the above information from the printer 20 along with the remaining ink amount, and determines whether the ink in the tank 23 is paid ink or free ink.

[0082] Fig. 4 shows the procedure for notification processing executed by the server 30 included in the printing system 1 of this embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the method for calculating the difference in remaining ink amount between paid ink and free ink, so the explanation will focus on the processing of S12 and S24 in Fig. 2. As the other processing can be the same as that in Fig. 2, the same reference numerals will be used to denote those processing, and explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0083] In FIG. 4, the server 30 first waits until the user of the printer 20 subscribes to the print service (S10: NO), and when the user of the printer 20 subscribes to the print service (S10: YES), the process proceeds to S12'.

[0084] In S12', which is executed instead of S12 in FIG. 2, the server 30 requests the printer 20 for the current remaining ink amount and stores the current remaining ink amount of the printer 20 received in response to the request. Here, the server 30 determines whether the received remaining ink amount is the remaining amount of paid ink or the remaining amount of free ink using the method described above. The information necessary for this determination can be obtained by requesting it from the printer 20 or by obtaining it from the server management table ST. If the server 30 determines that the received remaining ink amount is the remaining amount of paid ink, it stores the received remaining ink amount in the remaining paid ink amount storage area in association with the device ID, and stores zero in the remaining free ink amount storage area. Since there are four types of ink, a remaining paid ink amount storage area is also provided for each type of ink, but the following explanation will focus on one specific type as a representative. On the other hand, if the server 30 determines that the received remaining ink amount is the remaining amount of free ink, it stores the received remaining ink amount in the remaining free ink amount storage area in association with the device ID, and stores zero in the remaining paid ink amount storage area. Furthermore, when the server 30 receives information indicating that the remaining ink amount is zero, it stores the information indicating that the remaining ink amount is zero in both the remaining paid ink amount storage area and the remaining unpaid ink amount storage area in association with the device ID.

[0085] As the user repeatedly subscribes to and unsubscribes from the printing service, the process of S12' is executed the same number of times as the subscription, and each time the current remaining ink amount of printer 20 is additionally stored in both the remaining paid ink amount storage area and the remaining free ink amount storage area. As a result, the remaining ink amount of printer 20 at the time of subscription can be stored in multiple partial areas of the remaining paid ink amount storage area and the remaining free ink amount storage area for the number of times the user subscribes to the printing service.

[0086] Next, in S24', which is executed instead of S24 in FIG. 2, the server 30 calculates the difference between the amount of paid ink used while subscribing to the printing service and the amount of free ink used while not subscribing to the printing service (S24'). The server 30 calculates the difference (paid) between the remaining amount of paid ink when subscribing to the printing service and the remaining amount of paid ink when canceling the printing service after subscribing, as the amount of paid ink used while subscribing to the printing service. Next, the server 30 calculates the difference (free) between the remaining amount of free ink when canceling the printing service and the remaining amount of free ink when resubscribing to the printing service after canceling the printing service, as the amount of free ink used while not subscribing to the service. The server 30 then calculates the difference between the difference (paid) and the difference (free). Here, when subscribing to the printing service for the first time, the remaining ink amount when resubscribing to the printing service is not stored, so this process only needs to be performed if the user is subscribing to the service for the second time or more.

[0087] When multiple ink levels are stored in each of the remaining paid ink storage area and the remaining free ink storage area, the difference can be calculated by calculating the difference between the cumulative value of the multiple differences (paid) and the cumulative value of the multiple differences (free). However, if a compensation process is performed by either the service provider or the user of printer 20, the values ​​stored in the remaining paid ink storage area and the remaining free ink storage area can be cleared, for example.

[0088] Figure 5(a) shows an example of the transition of the remaining ink amount similar to Figure 3(a). In this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the remaining ink in the tank 23 is paid ink or free ink, so the server 30 stores α1 in the remaining paid ink storage area and 0 in the remaining free ink storage area at time T1. Similarly, the server 30 stores 0 in the remaining paid ink storage area and β1 in the remaining free ink storage area at time T2, stores 0 in the remaining paid ink storage area and α2 in the remaining free ink storage area at time T3, and stores 0 in the remaining paid ink storage area and β2 in the remaining free ink storage area at time T4 (see Figure 5(b)).

[0089] Since the remaining ink amount at the time of resubscribing to the printing service is not stored at the time of the first cancellation of the printing service, the server 30 calculates the difference between the amount of paid ink used while subscribing to the service and the amount of free ink used while not subscribing to the service at time T4 when the cancellation of the printing service is the second time (S24'). Here, the server 30 calculates the difference as (α1 + 0) - (β1 - α2). Since (α1 + 0) - (β1 - α2) < 0, the economic burden on the service provider is greater than the economic burden on the user. Therefore, the answer to S26 is YES. Next, if the remaining ink amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (S28: YES), the server 30 executes the remaining ink amount utilization process (S30).

[0090] As described above, the server program 32B1 of this embodiment performs a first storage process (S12') for storing the remaining ink amount of ink contained in the tank 23 in the server management table ST when a specified usage contract is concluded, a second storage process (S22) for storing the remaining ink amount of ink contained in the tank 23 in the server management table ST when the specified usage contract is cancelled, a third identification process for determining, based on the values ​​stored in the first and second storage processes, a third value indicating the ink usage amount of paid ink for which the cost is borne by the user of the printer 20 while the specified usage contract is concluded, a fourth identification process for determining, based on the values ​​stored in the first and second storage processes, a fourth value indicating the ink usage amount of free ink for which the cost is borne by the service provider while the specified usage contract is not concluded, a determination process (S24') for determining the difference between the third value and the fourth value, and a transmission process (S30) for executing, based on the difference determined in the determination process, if the service provider is paying more for ink usage than the user.

[0091] In this way, the server program 32B1 of this embodiment determines whether the ink contained in the tank 23 is paid ink or free ink, and executes the transmission process based on the difference between the remaining amount of paid ink at the time of joining or leaving the printing service and the difference between the remaining amount of free ink at the time of joining or leaving the printing service, thereby making it possible to more accurately reduce imbalances in the economic burden between the service provider and the user.

[0092] 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.

[0093] (1) In the above embodiments, 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, consumables may include toner cartridges. Furthermore, 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 delivers 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. In this case, consumables may include, for example, sewing machine thread.

[0094] (2) In each of the above embodiments, 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 embodiments.

[0095] (3) In each of the above embodiments, the economic burden on the user of the printer 20 and the economic burden on the service provider may be calculated using either the remaining amount of consumables or the amount of consumables consumed.

[0096] (4) In each of the above embodiments, the instruction for the ink remaining amount utilization process in S30 was sent from the server 30 to the mobile terminal device 10, and then sent to the printer 20 via the mobile terminal device 10. However, this is not limited to this, and the instruction may be sent directly from the server 30 to the printer 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1...printing system (system), 10...portable terminal device, 20...printer (consumption device), 23...tank (storage section), 30...server, 32A...server CPU (control device), 32B...server memory section (memory device), 32B1...server program (program), ST...server management table.

Claims

1. A system including a consumer device having a container for containing a consumable product, and a control device, The control device a receiving process for receiving a cancellation request for canceling a predetermined service contract for the consumption device; a transmission process of transmitting, to the consumption device, an instruction to cause the consumption device to execute a consumption process for consuming the consumable item, on condition that the cancellation request has been received in the reception process; To execute system.

2. The control device further comprises: a remaining amount determination process for determining whether or not the remaining amount of the consumable is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, on condition that the cancellation request has been received in the receiving process; Run When it is determined in the remaining amount determination process that the remaining amount of the consumable is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the transmission process is executed. The system of claim 1 .

3. The control device In the transmission process, when the remaining amount of the consumable is a first amount, a first instruction is transmitted to execute a first consumption process executable with the first amount, and when the remaining amount of the consumable is a second amount greater than the first amount, a second instruction is transmitted to execute a second consumption process executable with the second amount. The system of claim 1 .

4. the consumption device is capable of storing a plurality of consumables by storing a plurality of consumables in the storage unit or by having a plurality of storage units; The control device In the remaining amount determination process, it is determined whether or not the remaining amount of each of the plurality of consumables is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value; In the transmission process, an instruction to execute a consumption process for consuming a consumable item among the plurality of consumable items whose remaining amount is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold is transmitted to the consumption device. The system of claim 2 .

5. The system further comprises a storage device; The control device further comprises: a first storage process for storing a first value indicating a consumption state of the consumables stored in the storage unit in the storage device when the predetermined usage contract is concluded with the consumption device; a second storage process for storing a second value indicating a consumption state of the consumable item stored in the storage unit in the storage device when canceling the predetermined use contract; a determination process for determining a difference between the first value and the second value; Run execute the transmission process if the service provider who provided the service under the specified usage contract bears more costs related to the consumables than the user who used the consumption device under the specified usage contract based on the difference determined in the determination process. The system of claim 1 .

6. The system further comprises a storage device; The control device a first storage process for storing a value indicating a consumption state of the consumables stored in the storage unit in the storage device when the predetermined usage contract is concluded with the consumption device; a second storage process for storing a value indicating a consumption state of the consumable item stored in the storage unit in the storage device when the predetermined use contract is canceled; a third identification process for identifying a third value indicating a consumption state of a consumable item whose cost is borne by the user of the consumption device during the period when the specified usage contract is concluded for the consumption device, based on the values ​​stored in the first storage process and the second storage process; a fourth identification process for identifying a fourth value indicating a consumption state of a consumable item, the cost of which is borne by a service provider who provided a service under the specified service contract during a period in which the specified service contract was not concluded, based on the values ​​stored in the first storage process and the second storage process; a determination process for determining a difference between the third value and the fourth value; execute the transmission process if the service provider who provided the service under the specified usage contract bears more costs related to the consumables than the user who used the consumption device under the specified usage contract based on the difference determined in the determination process. The system of claim 1 .

7. the transmission process transmits an instruction to execute a maintenance process for the consumption device as the consumption process. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the consumer device is an image forming device, the transmission process transmits, as the consumption process, an instruction to cause the image forming device to execute a process of forming a specific image designated by a service provider who has provided a service under the predetermined usage contract or a vendor of the image forming device. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is provided in a management server that manages the consumption devices.

10. A computer of a system including a consumer device having a container for containing a consumable product, a receiving process for receiving a cancellation request for canceling a predetermined service contract for the consumption device; a transmission process of transmitting, to the consumption device, an instruction to cause the consumption device to execute a consumption process for consuming the consumable item, on condition that the cancellation request has been received in the reception process; Execute program.

Images