Program and management device

Abstract

To suppress the sense of discomfort felt by a user compared to when display items are displayed in the same manner on a display device whether the state of an information processing device is a first state or a second state.SOLUTION: A program implements in a computer: an acquisition function that acquires information about the state of an information processing device; an image display function that, when the information identifies the state as being a first state, displays on a reception screen display items that can be processed to change the state to a second state different from the first state; and a restriction function that, when the information identifies the state as being a second state, restricts the display of the display items on the reception screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a management device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, processing has been performed according to the status of information processing devices such as image forming devices. Patent Document 1 discloses that when a contract is made for a delivery service of ink cartridges for a specific printer, ink cartridges to be used in the target printer are shipped when the remaining amount of ink in the target printer falls below a threshold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-049767 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The states of the information processing device include, for example, a first state in which the information processing device is not registered with a specific service, and a second state in which the information processing device is registered with a specific service, etc. Depending on such states of the information processing device, it is necessary for the user to be able to appropriately register and use the service. An object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows users to appropriately register and use services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the program of the present invention is a program that enables a computer to realize the following functions: an acquisition function that acquires information regarding the state of an information processing device; a screen display function that displays a reception screen that accepts operations related to the use of the information processing device on a display device other than the information processing device; an image display function that, if the information identifies the state as a first state, displays a display item on the reception screen that can execute processing to change the state to a second state that is different from the first state; and a restriction function that, if the information identifies the state as the second state, restricts the display of the display item on the reception screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, users can appropriately register and use services. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the overall configuration of a state management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a configuration of a management server. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the contents of an account table and a device registration table. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a terminal device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a status management table. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reception screen. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a registration acceptance process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a web page displayed on a display unit as a result of the registration acceptance process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a registration status screen. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an image determination process. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a reception screen for a printer with a device ID of "P02." [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a reception screen for a printer with a device ID of "P03." [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a reception screen for a printer with a device ID of "P04." [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization screen. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization screen. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a selection screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a reception screen for each printer. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of the reception screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a state management system 1. The state management system 1 is a system that manages the state of a printer 200 provided in the state management system 1. An example of a state of the printer 200 is whether or not the user has registered for a service provided to the user for the printer 200. An example of a service provided to the user for the printer 200 is a service that provides ink cartridges to the user based on the amount of ink remaining in the printer 200. The printing management system 1 includes the printer 200, a management server 300, and a terminal device 100. The environments in which the state management system 1 is provided include a user environment E1 and a remote environment E2. The user environment E1 is an environment in which the user can operate devices provided in the state management system 1. The remote environment E2 is an environment in which the user cannot operate devices provided in the state management system 1 because they are located remotely from the user's location.

[0009] Printer 200, as an example of an information processing device, is an image forming device installed in user environment E1 that consumes ink as a consumable material to form an image on a recording medium. When the ink installed in printer 200 runs out, the user removes the ink cartridge, which is a storage device that stores the ink, and replaces it with a new ink cartridge. In this embodiment, printer 200 is described as an inkjet printer that prints using an inkjet method that ejects ink onto paper. However, printer 200 may also be a device that prints using a method other than the inkjet method, such as electrophotography.

[0010] The terminal device 100, which is an example of a management device, is a device used by a user for purposes such as viewing information according to the status of the printer 200 and operating the printer 200. The terminal device 100 is provided in a user environment E1. The terminal device 100 may be, for example, a general-purpose terminal device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PC (Personal Computer), or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The printer 200 and the terminal device 100 are connected via a local network N1, such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN). The printer 200 and the terminal device 100 are connected to the management server 300 via the local network N1 and an external network N2. Examples of the external network N2 include the Internet or a virtual private network (VPN). The local network N1 and the external network N2 may include communication devices such as routers, switches, gateways, wireless access points, and base stations. The local network N1 and the external network N2 may include one or more communication devices.

[0011] The management server 300 is a server device that manages information related to the printers 200 and users. The management server 300 of this embodiment manages information related to the printers 200 and users for each user of the status management system 1. The management server 300 may be configured as a single computer, or may be realized by distributed processing using multiple computers. The management server 300 may also be realized on virtual hardware provided by cloud computing. Some of the information managed by the management server 300 may also be managed by a device other than the management server 300, such as a storage device.

[0012] In the illustrated example, the number of printers 200 and terminal devices 100 provided in the status management system 1 is one, but the number of printers 200 and terminal devices 100 provided in the status management system 1 may be any number. The following describes a case where the service provided to the user for the printer 200 is, as described above, a service in which ink cartridges are provided to the user according to the amount of ink remaining in the printer 200. In this case, the printer 200 is provided with a detection means (not shown) that detects the amount of remaining ink, and upon detecting the amount of remaining ink, the detection means transmits information indicating the detected amount of remaining ink to the management server 300. The management server 300 dispatches a new ink cartridge to the user before the ink runs out, according to the amount of remaining ink in the printer 200 identified from the acquired information. Note that the service in which ink cartridges are provided to the user according to the amount of remaining ink in the printer 200 may be referred to as a cartridge provision service below.

[0013] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 300. The management server 300 includes a communication interface (I / F) 311, a memory 312, a management database (DB) 313, and a processing circuit 314. The communication I / F 311 is an interface through which the management server 300 communicates with other devices such as the printer 200 and the terminal device 100. The communication I / F 311 through which the management server 300 communicates with other devices may be configured as a wired or wireless communication interface. The memory 312 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuitry 314, information to be transmitted to the management server 300, etc. Examples of the memory 312 include semiconductor memory such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and storage media such as optical disks and magnetic disks. The number of storage media provided in the memory 312 may be one or more. The memory 312 may also include a non-temporarily computer-readable storage medium.

[0014] The management DB 313 is a database that manages information about one or more printers 200 that are the targets of management by the state management system 1. Note that, hereinafter, a printer 200 that is the target of management by the state management system 1 may be referred to as a managed printer 200. The management DB 313 includes an account table 320 and a device registration table 330. The account table 320 is a table showing information about users who use the printer 200 to be managed. The device registration table 330 is a table showing information about the managed printers 200. The contents of the information shown in the account table 320 and the device registration table 330 will be described in detail later.

[0015] The processing circuit 314 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and executes computer programs stored in the memory 312 to realize each process of the management server 300. The processing circuit 314 has a data management unit 350, a provision management unit 360, and an authentication unit 370. The data management unit 350 manages the information shown in the management DB 313. When the data management unit 350 acquires information about a user who uses a printer 200 that is a management target from the terminal device 100 via the communication I / F 311, the data management unit 350 writes the acquired information in the account table 320. Furthermore, when the data management unit 350 acquires information indicating the remaining amount of ink from a detection means (not shown) of the printer 200 via the communication I / F 311, the data management unit 350 writes the acquired information in the device registration table 330. Furthermore, when the data management unit 350 acquires information about a user who uses a printer 200 that is a management target or information indicating the remaining amount of ink, the data management unit 350 updates the contents of the account table 320 and the device registration table 330 according to the acquired information.

[0016] The provision management unit 360 manages the provision of ink cartridges through the cartridge provision service. When the remaining ink level shown in the device registration table 330 for a managed printer 200 falls below a predetermined value, the provision management unit 360 sends a notification to the user of that printer 200 to ship an ink cartridge. The recipient of this notification may be the ink cartridge shipping worker or the requester requesting the ink cartridge shipping work. The authentication unit 370 authenticates users who use the printer 200 under management. User authentication includes password authentication for users who attempt to log in to the state management system 1 via the terminal device 100. In this way, the management server 300 manages information about users of the status management system 1, the remaining ink levels of the target printers 200 registered in the cartridge provision service, and the like.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows the contents of the account table 320 and the device registration table 330. As shown in FIG. A specific description will be given of the contents of the account table 320. The account table 320 shows a user ID 321, a password 322, a name 323, and an address 324. The user ID 321 is information for identifying a user who uses the managed printer 200. The password 322 is a password used for user authentication by the authentication unit 370. The name 323 is the name of the user who uses the managed printer 200. The address 324 is an address used to ship ink cartridges in the cartridge provision service.

[0018] A specific description will be given of the contents of the device management table 330. The device registration table 330 shows an owner 331, a device ID 332, and a remaining ink amount 333. Owner 331 is information that identifies the owner of the managed printer 200. In the example shown, owner 331 indicates the same information as user ID 321 in account table 320. Device ID 332 is information that identifies the managed printer 200. Remaining ink amount 333 is a value detected by detection means (not shown) as the remaining amount of ink in the managed printer 200. Remaining ink amount 333 may be shown as a percentage. Furthermore, remaining ink amount 333 may be shown for each ink color.

[0019] The information shown in the account table 320 and the information shown in the device registration table 330 are stored in association with each other. For example, the information "U01", "****", "Name01", and "Address01" in the account table 320 is associated with the information "U01", "P01", and "10" in the device registration table 330. Note that one user ID 321 in the account table 320 may be associated with the owner 331, device ID 332, and remaining ink amount 333 for multiple managed printers 200 in the device registration table 330.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the terminal device 100. The terminal device 100 includes an input interface 110, a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an external storage device 114, an output interface 115, an input / output interface 116, and a network interface (NETIF) 120. Input devices such as a keyboard 118 and a pointing device 117 are connected to the input interface 110, and a display device such as a display unit 119 is connected to the output interface 115. The NETIF 120 controls data transfer between the terminal device 100 and external devices via a network. In the illustrated example, the display unit 119, the pointing device 117, and the keyboard 118 are shown as examples of devices separate from the terminal device 100, but these may be included in the terminal device 100. If the display unit 119 is a device separate from the terminal device 100, the display unit 119 is considered an example of a display device. If the display unit 119 is included in the terminal device 100, the terminal device 100 is considered an example of a display device. The display unit 119 may also be a touch panel display having input / output device functions. An initialization program is stored in the ROM 112. An application program group, an OS (Operating System), print data generation software, and various other data are stored in the external storage device 114. The RAM 113 is used as a work memory or the like when executing the various programs stored in the external storage device 114, thereby enabling the various programs to operate within the terminal device 100. In this embodiment, the CPU 111 executes the functions and processes described below in the terminal device 100 by performing processing in accordance with the procedures of the programs stored in the ROM 112. The input / output interface 116 may be wired or wireless.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the terminal device 100. As shown in FIG. The terminal device 100 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 101 , a storage unit 102 , a request unit 103 , a setting receiving unit 104 , and a display control unit 105 . The transmitting / receiving unit 101, which is an example of an acquisition function (acquisition unit), transmits and receives information to and from devices external to the terminal device 100, such as the management server 300 and the printer 200. The storage unit 102 stores information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 101 and information generated by the terminal device 100. The contents of the information stored in the storage unit 102 will be described in detail later.

[0022] The request unit 103 requests information from the management server 300 and the printer 200. The request unit 103 requests information, etc., for registering with the cartridge provision service from the management server 300. The request unit 103 also requests information, etc., from the printer 200, indicating whether the printer 200 is registered with the cartridge provision service and therefore is a target printer 200 for which the cartridge provision service is applied. Note that a printer 200 that is registered with the cartridge provision service and therefore is a target printer for which the cartridge provision service is applied may be referred to as a target printer 200 hereinafter. The setting reception unit 104, which is an example of a reception function, receives a setting by the user as to whether or not information is to be displayed on the terminal device 100.

[0023] The display control unit 105, which is an example of a screen display function (image display function), controls the display of information on the display unit 119. The display control unit 105 requests information indicating whether the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200 via the request unit 103 from the printer 200, and acquires the requested information from the printer 200 via the transmission / reception unit 101. If the printer 200 is not an applicable printer 200, the display control unit 105 displays a display item (image) accepting registration of the cartridge provision service for this printer 200 on the display unit 119. On the other hand, if the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200, the display control unit 105 does not display the image accepting registration of the cartridge provision service, but instead displays information indicating that the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200. Furthermore, the display control unit 105 displays, for each printer 200 for which information is to be displayed on the display unit 119, information indicating whether the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200. Note that if the printer 200 is not a device that can be registered for the cartridge provision service, the display control unit 105 does not display an image for accepting registration for the cartridge provision service. Also, there are cases where the setting acceptance unit 104 has accepted that an image for accepting registration for the cartridge provision service will not be displayed. In this case, the display control unit 105 does not display an image for accepting registration for the cartridge provision service, regardless of whether the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200.

[0024] Here, the transmitting / receiving unit 101 is realized by the input / output interface 116 shown in Fig. 4. The storage unit 102 is realized by the ROM 112 or RAM 113 shown in Fig. 4. The request unit 103, the setting reception unit 104, and the display control unit 105 are realized by the CPU 111 shown in Fig. 4 loading a program from the ROM 112 into the RAM 113 and executing it.

[0025] 6 is a diagram showing the status management table 1020. The status management table 1020 is a table for managing the status of the printer 200 regarding the cartridge provision service. The status management table 1020 is stored in the storage unit 102 (see FIG. 5) of the status management system 1. The status management table 1020 also shows a device ID 1021, a service target 1022, a registration history 1023, and a display setting 1024. The device ID 1021 is information that identifies the managed printer 200. The information indicated in the device ID 1021 of the status management table 1020 is the same as the information indicated in the device ID 332 of the device management table 330 (see FIG. 3).

[0026] Service target 1022 is information identifying whether or not printer 200 is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible. An "o" shown in service target 1022 means that printer 200 is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible. An "x" shown in service target 1022 means that printer 200 is not a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible. Content corresponding to information transmitted from printer 200 to transmitting / receiving unit 101 as information indicating whether printer 200 is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible is written into service target 1022 by display control unit 105. Registration history 1023 is information indicating the registration history of the cartridge provision service. A "◯" shown in registration history 1023 means that there is a registration history of the cartridge provision service. A "-" shown in registration history 1023 means that there is no registration history of the cartridge provision service. Content corresponding to information transmitted from printer 200 to transmitting / receiving unit 101 as information indicating the registration history of the cartridge provision service is written into registration history 1023 by display control unit 105. In addition, information indicating whether the printer 200 is a device that can be registered for the cartridge provision service and information indicating the registration history of the cartridge provision service may be generated by the management server 300 and transmitted from the management server 300 to the terminal device 100.

[0027] The display setting 1024 is information that identifies a setting for whether or not to display an image that accepts registration for the cartridge provision service. An "o" shown in the display setting 1024 means that the setting is to display an image that accepts registration for the cartridge provision service. An "x" shown in the display setting 1024 means that the setting is to not display an image that accepts registration for the cartridge provision service. The setting receiving unit 104 writes into the display setting 1024 the content that is accepted by the setting accepting unit 104 in response to a user operation regarding whether or not to display information on the terminal device 100. An example of the contents recorded in the status management table 1020 will be described below. In the information management table for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P01", "○" is associated as the service target 1022, "-" is associated as the registration history 1023, and "○" is associated as the display setting 1024. The information shown in the status management table 1020 may be information input to the terminal device 100 by the user.

[0028] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a reception screen 500. The reception screen 500 is a screen that receives user operations for using the printer 200. The reception screen 500 is displayed on the display unit 119. The reception screen 500 displays a target image 510, a previous button 511, a next button 512, a photo print button 501, a document print button 502, a scan button 503, a register button 504, and a customize button 1105. The target image 510 is an image showing the printer 200 for which information is to be displayed on the reception screen 500. The printer 200 for which information is to be displayed on the reception screen 500 may hereinafter be referred to as the printer 200 to be displayed. In the illustrated example, the target image 510 shows the text "Printer 01" indicating the printer 200 to be displayed. The previous button 511 is a button that accepts the selection of a printer 200 whose device ID 1021 in the status management table 1020 (see FIG. 6) is one before the printer 200 to be displayed as a new printer 200 to be displayed. The next button 512 is a button that accepts the selection of a printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is one after the printer 200 to be displayed as a new printer 200 to be displayed.

[0029] The photo print button 501 is a button for accepting printing of a photo by the printer 200. When the user presses the photo print button 501, the user selects a photo to be printed, and the selected photo is printed by the printer 200. The document print button 502 is a button for accepting printing of a document by the printer 200. When the document print button 502 is pressed by the user, the user selects a document to be printed, and the selected document is printed by the printer 200. The scan button 503 is a button for accepting scanning of an image by the printer 200. When the scan button 503 is pressed by the user, the image to be scanned is selected by the user, and then the image is scanned by the printer 200. The registration button 504, which is an example of a display item, is a button for accepting registration of a cartridge providing service for the printer 200 to be displayed. Details will be described later, but when the user presses the registration button 504, the cartridge providing service for the printer 200 to be displayed is registered after the user inputs information into the terminal device 100. Note that the target information indicated in the display setting 1024 for setting whether to display in the status management table 1020 (see FIG. 6) is the registration button 504. The customize button 1105 is a button for accepting settings regarding whether or not information is to be displayed on the reception screen 500.

[0030] 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the registration acceptance process. The registration acceptance process is a process for accepting registration for the cartridge providing service. The registration acceptance process is performed by the terminal device 100. In this embodiment, the registration acceptance process starts when the user presses the registration button 504 (see FIG. 7). The display control unit 105 of the terminal device 100 requests information identifying the printer 200 to be displayed from the printer 200 via the request unit 103, and obtains the device ID 332 (see Figure 3) from the printer 200 via the transmission / reception unit 101 (S101). The display control unit 105 transmits the acquired device ID 332 to the management server 300 via the transmitting / receiving unit 101 (S102). The display control unit 105 acquires information about a web page that accepts input of an account for the printer 200 identified from the transmitted device ID 332 from the data management unit 350 of the management server 300 via the transmission / reception unit 101 (S103). The display control unit 105 also displays the acquired web page on the display unit 119 (S104).

[0031] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a web page 600 displayed on the display unit 119 as a result of the registration acceptance process. The web page 600 is an image that accepts input of the account of the owner of the printer 200. When information is entered into the web page 600, the transceiver unit 101 of the terminal device 100 transmits the entered information to the management server 300. The data management unit 350 of the management server 300 writes the information obtained from the transceiver unit 101 via the communication I / F 311 in the account table 320 (see FIG. 3 ) in association with the target device ID 332. As a result, the account associated with the printer 200 is stored in the account table 320, registration for the cartridge provision service is completed, and delivery of ink cartridges becomes possible. In this way, by registering the cartridge provision service via the management server 300, the burden on the user required for registration for the cartridge provision service is reduced. The image for accepting the account input may be any type of image, not just the web page 600. Furthermore, the account input by the user of the terminal device 100 may be valid only while the user is logged in to the state management system 1 after successful user authentication using the user ID and password stored in the account table 320.

[0032] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a registration status screen 800. The registration status screen 800 is an image showing the registration status of the cartridge provision service for each user. The registration status screen 800 is displayed on the display unit 119 when any printer 200 is registered with the cartridge provision service. The registration status screen 800 also displays a cancel button 801. The cancel button 801 is a button for accepting cancellation of registration with the cartridge provision service. When the cancel button 801 is pressed by the user, the management server 300 is notified via the terminal device 100 that the cancel button 801 has been pressed. In this case, the data management unit 350 deletes the information shown in the device registration table 330 (see FIG. 3) for the printer 200 for which the cancel button 801 was pressed, thereby canceling the registration of the printer 200 with the cartridge provision service. Note that the data management unit 350 may also cancel the registration of the printer 200 with the cartridge provision service by deleting the information shown in the account table 320 for the printer 200 for which the cancel button 801 was pressed. In addition, the data management unit 350 may cancel the registration of the cartridge provision service without deleting the information in the account table 320 or the device registration table 330 by writing information indicating that the cancel button 801 has been pressed to the device registration table 330.

[0033] 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the image determination process. The image determination process is a process in which the display control unit 105 of the terminal device 100 determines which image to display on the reception screen 500 (see FIG. 7) for the printer 200 to be displayed. In this embodiment, the image determination process is started when an instruction to display on the display unit 119 the reception screen 500 for one of the printers 200 to be managed is received, for example, by a user operating the terminal device 100. Also, in this embodiment, the CPU 111 (see FIG. 4) of the terminal device 100 loads a program stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 113 and executes it, thereby realizing each step in the image determination process.

[0034] The display control unit 105 determines whether the printer 200 to be displayed is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible (S201). The display control unit 105 requests information indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible from the management server 300 via the request unit 103. Furthermore, when the display control unit 105 acquires the requested information from the management server 300 via the transmission / reception unit 101, it determines whether the printer 200 to be displayed is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible.

[0035] When the display control unit 105 acquires information indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is a device eligible for registration for the cartridge provision service, the display control unit 105 stores the acquired information in the storage unit 102. Then, in subsequent image selection processes for the same printer 200, the display control unit 105 determines whether the printer 200 is a device eligible for registration for the cartridge provision service by referring to the information stored in the storage unit 102. In this case, in subsequent image selection processes for the same printer 200, the terminal device 100 does not need to request information from the management server 300 in S201, and unnecessary communication between the terminal device 100 and the management server 300 is suppressed. Furthermore, the printer 200 may obtain from the management server 300 information indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is a target device for which the cartridge provision service can be registered, and then transmit this information to the terminal device 100.

[0036] If the printer 200 to be displayed is a device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible (YES in S201), the process proceeds to the next step. The display control unit 105 determines whether or not the setting to display the registration button 504 (see FIG. 7) for the printer 200 to be displayed is set (S202). The display control unit 105 determines whether or not the setting to display the registration button 504 is set by referring to the information indicated in the display setting 1024 of the status management table 1020 for the printer 200 to be displayed.

[0037] If the display control unit 105 is set to display the registration button 504 (YES in S202), the display control unit 105 acquires information from the printer 200 to be displayed indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is an applicable printer 200 (S203). Then, the display control unit 105 determines from the acquired information whether the printer 200 to be displayed is an applicable printer 200 (S204). Note that, hereinafter, information indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is an applicable printer 200 may be referred to as target identification information. Also, the target identification information may be generated by the printer 200, or may be generated by the management server 300 and transmitted from the management server 300 to the printer 200. If the target identification information is generated by the management server 300, the printer 200 may request the target identification information from the management server 300 when the printer 200 is started up, or when the terminal device 100 requests the printer 200 for the target identification information. In addition, in S203, the terminal device 100 may acquire, together with the target identification information, information indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible. In this case, in the image determination process, the process in S201 is performed after the process in S203.

[0038] If the printer 200 to be displayed is not an applicable printer 200 (NO in S204), the display control unit 105 determines whether or not there is a registration history of the cartridge providing service for the printer 200 to be displayed (S205). The display control unit 105 determines whether or not there is a registration history of the cartridge providing service for the printer 200 to be displayed by referring to the information indicated in the registration history 1023 of the status management table 1020 for the printer 200 to be displayed. If there is no history of registration for the cartridge providing service (NO in S205), the display control unit 105 determines to display the registration button 504 in the normal size on the reception screen 500 (S206). Furthermore, if there is a history of registration for the cartridge providing service (YES in S205), the display control unit 105 determines to display the registration button 504 in a small size on the reception screen 500 (S207).

[0039] Furthermore, if the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200 (YES in S204), the display control unit 105 determines to display a login button on the reception screen 500 without displaying the registration button 504 (S208). The login button will be described in detail later. If a negative result is obtained in step 201 or step 202, the display control unit 105 determines not to display either the registration button 504 or the login button on the reception screen 500 (S209).

[0040] It should be noted that while the reception screen 500 (see FIG. 7) is displayed, the previous button 511 or the next button 512 may be pressed. In this case, pressing the previous button 511 or the next button 512 starts an image determination process for the printer 200 to be newly displayed.

[0041] As described above, in the image determination process, the terminal device 100 acquires information about the printer 200 and determines the image to be displayed on the reception screen 500, targeting only the printer 200 to be displayed. Therefore, compared to when one image determination process is performed for all printers 200 that are managed by the status management system 1, the processing of the terminal device 100 is prevented from becoming complicated.

[0042] 12 is a diagram showing the reception screen 500 for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 (see FIG. 6) is "P02." The following describes a case where the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02" is the target printer 200. In this case, in the image determination process (see FIG. 11) for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02," positive results are obtained in S201, S202, and S204. 12, the target image 510 displays the text "PRINTER 02," which indicates the printer 200 to be displayed. Furthermore, the reception screen 500 displays a login button 1004 instead of the registration button 504 (see FIG. 7). The login button 1004, which is an example of an information image, is a button for accepting a user's login to the state management system 1. When the login button 1004 is pressed by the user, the user's login to the state management system 1 is accepted, and the registration status screen 800 (see FIG. 10) is displayed. Therefore, the login button 1004 can also be considered as an image for displaying information for users who have registered with the cartridge provision service. Note that when the login button 1004 is pressed by the user, user authentication is performed using the user ID and password stored in the account table 320, and if the authentication is successful, the registration status screen 800 may be displayed.

[0043] As described above, when the target identification information identifies that the state of the printer 200 is the first state, the display control unit 105 displays the register button 504 on the reception screen 500 (see FIG. 7). Furthermore, when the target identification information identifies that the state of the printer 200 is the second state, the display control unit 105 restricts the display of the register button 504 on the reception screen 500 (see FIG. 12). Note that the first state may be a state in which the printer 200 is not the target printer 200. Furthermore, the second state may be a state in which the printer 200 is the target printer 200. Furthermore, the target identification information may also be regarded as information regarding the state of the information processing device. Furthermore, the register button 504 may also be regarded as a display item that can execute a process to change the state of the printer 200 to the second state. In this case, the user can appropriately register and use the service. In particular, in this embodiment, if the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200, the registration button 504 is not displayed on the reception screen 500. This prevents the user from feeling uncomfortable when the registration button 504 is displayed on the reception screen 500 and the user is prompted to register for the cartridge providing service even though the user has already registered for the cartridge providing service.

[0044] In particular, in this embodiment, the state of the printer 200 is whether or not the printer 200 is registered with a predetermined service. In other words, the first state is a state in which the printer 200 is not registered with a predetermined service, and the second state is a state in which the printer 200 is registered with a predetermined service. In this case, the user can appropriately register with the service. In this embodiment, the predetermined service is a service that provides ink cartridges. In this case, the user can appropriately register for the service that provides ink cartridges.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is determined from the target identification information that the printer 200 is not registered with a predetermined service, the display control unit 105 displays the registration button 504 on the reception screen 500. When it is determined from the target identification information that the printer 200 is registered with a predetermined service, the display control unit 105 restricts the display of the registration button 504 on the reception screen 500. In this case, it is possible to switch between allowing the user to properly register for the service and preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable about being prompted to register for the service, depending on whether the printer 200 is registered for a specified service.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the display control unit 105 does not display the register button 504 on the reception screen 500 when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The display control unit 105 may set a period during which the register button 504 is not displayed on the reception screen 500 when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200. That is, the display control unit 105 may set the period during which the register button 504 is displayed on the reception screen 500 to be shorter when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200 than when the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200. The shortening of the period during which the register button 504 is displayed on the reception screen 500 can be regarded as an example of limiting the display of the register button 504 on the reception screen 500. The display control unit 105 can also be regarded as a limiting function (limiting means) that limits the display of the register button 504 on the reception screen 500.

[0047] Furthermore, when it is determined from the target identification information that the state of the printer 200 is the second state, the display control unit 105 displays a login button 1004 for providing information corresponding to the second state on the reception screen 500. In this case, information corresponding to the state of the printer 200 can be provided to the user.

[0048] 13 is a diagram showing the reception screen 500 for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 (see FIG. 6) is "P03." This printer 200 is not a target device for which the cartridge provision service can be registered, as indicated by the service target 1022 in the status management table 1020. In this case, a negative result is obtained in S201 in the image determination process (see FIG. 11) for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P03." 13, the target image 510 displays the text "Printer 03" indicating the printer 200 to be displayed. Furthermore, neither the registration button 504 nor the login button 1004 is displayed on the reception screen 500. In other words, the reception screen 500 of a printer 200 that is not a target device for which registration for the cartridge provision service is possible does not display information encouraging registration for the cartridge provision service or information indicating that the printer is registered for the cartridge provision service.

[0049] As described above, when the printer 200 is not a target device for becoming a target printer 200, the display control unit 105 restricts the display of both the registration button 504 and the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500. In this case, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable when information about the cartridge provision service is notified about the printer 200, which is not a target device for which the cartridge provision service can be registered.

[0050] 14 is a diagram showing the reception screen 500 for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 (see FIG. 6) is "P04." This printer 200 has a history of registration for the cartridge provision service, as shown in the registration history 1023 of the status management table 1020. In addition, the following describes a case where the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P04" is not an applicable printer 200. In this case, in the image determination process (see FIG. 11) for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P04," positive results are obtained in S201 and S202, a negative result is obtained in S204, and a positive result is obtained in S205. 14, the target image 510 displays the text "Printer 04" indicating the printer 200 to be displayed. Also displayed on the reception screen 500 is a registration button 504. However, the size and display position of this registration button 504 are different from those in the example shown in FIG. 7. More specifically, the registration button 504 is smaller in size than in the example shown in FIG. 7 and is displayed in the lower right corner of the reception screen 500.

[0051] If the printer 200 to be displayed is not an applicable printer 200, but this printer 200 has a history of registration with the cartridge providing service, this means that the registration of this printer 200 with the cartridge providing service has been cancelled. In this case, if the registration button 504 shown in Fig. 7 is displayed again on the reception screen 500, the user may feel aversion to the promotion to register with the cartridge providing service. Therefore, when the registration with the cartridge providing service has been cancelled, the display control unit 105 displays the registration button 504 on the reception screen 500 in a manner that is less noticeable than when registration with the cartridge providing service has never been performed (see Fig. 7).

[0052] As described above, when the state of the printer 200 changes from the first state to the second state and back to the first state, the display control unit 105 relaxes the restriction on displaying the registration button 504 on the reception screen 500. In this case, a user who has canceled registration for the cartridge providing service can be prompted to register for the cartridge providing service again. Furthermore, the display control unit 105 displays the registration button 504 on the reception screen 500 in different modes depending on whether the state of the printer 200 is the first state without changing to the second state, or whether the state passes through the second state and then changes back to the first state. In this case, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling aversion to the promotion of registration with the cartridge provision service, compared to when the registration button 504 is displayed in the same mode regardless of whether the state of the printer 200 has passed through the second state.

[0053] Next, a description will be given of the setting of whether or not to display an image on the reception screen 500. In this embodiment, the setting of whether or not to display an image on the reception screen 500 is accepted when a customize button 1105 (see FIG. 7, etc.) displayed on the reception screen 500 is operated. When the user presses the customize button 1105 on the reception screen 500 shown in Fig. 7, a customization screen 1200 is displayed on the display unit 119 as shown in Fig. 15. The customization screen 1200 is a screen for accepting a setting as to whether or not an image is to be displayed on the reception screen 500. The customization screen 1200 displays a photo print image 1201, a document print image 1202, a scanned image 1203, a registered image 1204, a delete button 1210, an add button 1211, an OK button 1212, and a cancel button 1213.

[0054] Photo print image 1201 is an image targeted at the photo printing function of printer 200. Document print image 1202 is an image targeted at the document printing function of printer 200. Scan image 1203 is an image targeted at the scanning function of printer 200. Registration image 1204 is an image targeted at registration of a cartridge provision service. The hide button 1210 is a button for accepting not to display an image on the reception screen 500. In the illustrated example, the hide button 1210 is displayed in a manner associated with each of the photo print image 1201, the document print image 1202, the scanned image 1203, and the registered image 1204. The add button 1211 is a button for accepting addition of an image to be displayed on the reception screen 500. The OK button 1212 is a button for accepting confirmation of a user operation on the customization screen 1200. The cancel button 1213 is a button for accepting cancellation of a user operation on the customization screen 1200.

[0055] 16, when the user drags and drops the scan button 1203 to the left of the photo print button 1201, the scanned image 1203 is displayed to the left of the photo print image 1201 on the customization screen 1200. When the user presses the OK button 1212 in this state, the scan button 503 is also displayed to the left of the photo print button 501 on the reception screen 500. Unlike the above-described scan button 503 and the like, the register button 504 and the login button 1004 may not be able to change their display positions on the reception screen 500, and their display positions on the reception screen 500 may be fixed. Also, like the above-described scan button 503 and the like, the register button 504 and the login button 1004 may be able to be able to change their display positions on the reception screen 500.

[0056] 15 is displayed, if the user presses the hide button 1210 associated with the scan image 1203, the scan image 1203 will be hidden as shown in FIG. 17. If the user presses the OK button 1212 in this state, the scan button 503 will also be hidden on the reception screen 500. That is, when the user presses the hide button 1210, the setting reception unit 104 receives an instruction that an image related to a function associated with the pressed hide button 1210 will not be displayed on the reception screen 500. Then, the display control unit 105 displays the reception screen 500 so as to reflect the setting received by the setting reception unit 104.

[0057] 15 is displayed, if the user presses add button 1211, selection screen 1500 is displayed on display unit 119 as shown in Fig. 18. Selection screen 1500 is a screen for accepting addition of an image to be displayed on reception screen 500. Selection screen 1500 displays function display section 1504, reception section 1503, OK button 1501, and cancel button 1502. The function display section 1504 is an image showing the name of a function of the printer 200. The functions to be displayed in the function display section 1504 are functions of the printer 200 that are not displayed on the reception screen 500. Note that a function display section 1504 may be provided for functions that are provided to the user when the login button 1004 is pressed. The reception section 1503 is an image for receiving an image to be added to the reception screen 500. The reception sections 1503 are displayed in association with each of the function display sections 1504. The OK button 1501 is a button for receiving confirmation of a user operation on the selection screen 1500. The cancel button 1502 is a button for receiving cancellation of a user operation on the selection screen 1500.

[0058] When the user selects reception section 1503 associated with function display section 1504 displaying the text "Function 1" on selection screen 1500 and presses OK button 1501, function image 1601 is displayed on customization screen 1200, as shown in Fig. 19. Function image 1601 is an image for "Function 1" displayed in function display section 1504 selected on selection screen 1500. Although not shown in the figure, when the user selects OK button 1212 on customization screen 1200 in this state, a button for accepting "Function 1" is displayed on reception screen 500.

[0059] Note that, on the customization screen 1200, when the hide button 1210 associated with the registered image 1204 is pressed and then the OK button 1212 is pressed, the setting reception unit 104 writes "X" in the display setting 1024 of the status management table (see FIG. 6). In this case, regardless of whether the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200, a negative result is obtained in S202 of the image determination process (see FIG. 11). Therefore, regardless of whether the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200, neither the register button 504 nor the login button 1004 is displayed on the reception screen 500.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, there are cases where the setting reception unit 104 receives an instruction not to display the registration button 504. In this case, the display control unit 105 restricts the display of the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500 even when the target identification information identifies that the target state of the printer 200 is the second state. In this case, the user does not need to set the login button 1004 not to be displayed on the reception screen 500.

[0061] 20 is a diagram showing the reception screen 500 for each printer 200. The following describes a case where the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 (see FIG. 6) is "P01" is not the applicable printer 200, but the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02" is the applicable printer 200. In the following description, it is assumed that the printer 200 with the device ID 1021 "P01" and the printer 200 with the device ID 1021 "P02" are owned by the same user.

[0062] When the reception screen 500 for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P01" is displayed, image selection processing (see FIG. 11) for this printer 200 is performed. In the image selection processing for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P01", positive results are obtained in S201 and S202, and negative results are obtained in S204 and S205. In this case, as shown in FIG. 20(A), the reception screen 500 for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P01" does not display the login button 1004 but displays a registration button 504. Note that on this reception screen 500, the target image 510 displays the text "PRINTER 01" indicating the printer 200 to be displayed.

[0063] Here, when the user presses the next button 512, image selection processing is performed for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02", which is the printer 200 next to "P01". In the image selection processing for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02", positive results are obtained in S201, S202, and S204. In this case, as shown in FIG. 20(B), the reception screen 500 for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02" does not display the registration button 504 but displays the login button 1004. Note that on this reception screen 500, the target image 510 displays the text "PRINTER 02", which indicates the printer 200 to be displayed. Furthermore, when the previous button 511 on the reception screen 500 shown in FIG. 20(B) is pressed, the display control unit 105 displays the reception screen 500 shown in FIG. 20(A) again.

[0064] In addition, when the registration button 504 is pressed while the reception screen 500 (see Figure 20(A)) for the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P01" is displayed, the display control unit 105 displays a notification image 520, as shown in Figure 20(C). Notification image 520 is an image for notifying the user of information about a printer 200 that is different from the printer 200 to be displayed among the printers 200 owned by the user. Notification image 520 shows a status notification section 521, a continuation confirmation section 522, an affirmative section 523, and a negative section 524. The status notification section 521 is an image that notifies the status of a printer 200 that is different from the printer 200 being displayed among the printers 200 owned by the user. In the example shown, the status notification section 521 indicates that the status of the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02" is that it is registered with the cartridge provision service. More specifically, the status notification section 521 displays the text "Printer 02 is registered with the cartridge provision service."

[0065] The continuation confirmation section 522 is an image that asks the user whether or not to continue the process of registering the displayed printer 200 with the cartridge provision service. In the example shown, the continuation confirmation section 522 displays the text "Do you want to register printer 01 with the cartridge provision service?" The affirmative section 523 is a button for continuing the process of registration with the cartridge providing service. When the affirmative section 523 is pressed by the user, the registration acceptance process (see FIG. 8) is started. The negation section 524 is a button for canceling the process of registering with the cartridge providing service. When the negation section 524 is pressed by the user, the registration acceptance process is not started, and the acceptance screen 500 shown in Fig. 20(A) is displayed again on the display section 119.

[0066] As described above, when the target identification information identifies that the state of the first information processing device is the first state, the display control unit 105 does not restrict the display of the registration button 504 for the first information processing device on the reception screen 500. Furthermore, when the target identification information identifies that the state of the second information processing device is the second state, the display control unit 105 restricts the display of the registration button 504 for the second information processing device on the reception screen 500. An example of the first information processing device is the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P01". An example of the second information processing device is the printer 200 whose device ID 1021 is "P02". In this case, it is possible to provide the user with information according to the status of the printer 200 to be displayed.

[0067] Furthermore, when the registration button 504 for the first information processing device is selected, the display control unit 105 causes the display unit 119 to display an image indicating that the state for the second information processing device is the second state. Examples of the image indicating that the state for the second information processing device is the second state include a notification image 520 and a state notification unit 521. In this case, it is possible to allow the user to easily distinguish between a state for the first information processing device and a state for the second information processing device.

[0068] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a modified example of the reception screen 500. In FIG. In the above example, it has been explained that the login button 1004 is not displayed on the reception screen 500 when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200. Also, it has been explained that the registration button 504 is not displayed on the reception screen 500 when the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200, but this is not limiting.

[0069] When the printer 200 to be displayed is not the printer 200 to which the application is applied, the reception screen 500 may display a registration button 504 and a login button 1004, as shown in FIG. 21(A). Furthermore, when the printer 200 to be displayed is the printer 200 to which the application is applied, the reception screen 500 may display a login button 1004 as well as a registration button 504, as shown in FIG. 21(B).

[0070] Here, the display mode of the registration button 504 on the reception screen 500 differs depending on whether the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200. More specifically, when the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200, the registration button 504 is displayed in a smaller size and at a less noticeable position on the reception screen 500 than when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200. Furthermore, the display mode of the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500 differs depending on whether the printer 200 to be displayed is the applicable printer 200. More specifically, when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200, the login button 1004 is displayed in a smaller size and at a less noticeable position on the reception screen 500 than when the printer 200 to be displayed is not the applicable printer 200.

[0071] As described above, the display control unit 105 displays the registration button 504 in different modes on the reception screen 500 depending on whether the state specified from the target identification information is the first state or the second state. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable compared to when the registration button 504 is displayed in the same mode on the display unit 119 whether the state of the printer 200 is the first state or the second state. Furthermore, the display control unit 105 displays the login button 1004 in different modes on the reception screen 500 depending on whether the state specified from the target identification information is the first state or the second state. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable compared to when the login button 1004 is displayed in the same mode on the display unit 119 whether the state targeting the printer 200 is the first state or the second state.

[0072] In a modified example, the registration button 504 may be displayed in either position as long as it is displayed in a different position when the state of the printer 200 to be displayed is the first state or the second state. Even in this case, the registration button 504 is displayed in a different position in the second state from the familiar position of the registration button 504 in the first state, and therefore is less noticeable. In a modified example, the login button 1004 may be displayed in either position as long as it is displayed in a different position when the state of the printer 200 to be displayed is the first state or the second state. Even in this case, the login button 1004 can be presented to the user in a different manner depending on whether the state is the first state or the second state.

[0073] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the printer 200 to be displayed is the printer 200 to which the application is applied, the login button 1004 is displayed on the reception screen 500, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the printer 200 to be displayed is an applicable printer 200, the display control unit 105 may display a cancel button image on the reception screen 500 to accept cancellation of the registration of the printer 200 for the cartridge provision service. When the cancel button image is pressed by the user, the registration of the printer 200 to be displayed for the cartridge provision service may be cancelled. Note that when the printer 200 to be displayed is not an applicable printer 200, the display control unit 105 may not display the cancel button image on the reception screen 500. Furthermore, when the printer 200 to be displayed is not an applicable printer 200, the display control unit 105 may display the cancel button image in a smaller size and in a less noticeable position on the reception screen 500 than when the printer 200 to be displayed is not an applicable printer 200. Furthermore, when the cancel button image is displayed, the display control unit 105 may or may not display the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500.

[0074] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the terminal device 100 acquires information indicating whether the printer 200 to be displayed is an applicable printer 200 from the printer 200 to be displayed (see S203 in FIG. 11 ), but this is not limiting. The information indicating whether the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200 may be managed in the management server 300. The terminal device 100 may then acquire the information indicating whether the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200 from the management server 300. In other words, the terminal device 100 may acquire the information indicating whether the printer 200 is an applicable printer 200 from any device.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, the service that is the object of management by the status management system 1 as to whether it is registered or not is described as a cartridge provision service, but this is not limited to this. The service that is the object of management by the status management system 1 may be any service related to the printer 200, such as a service that accumulates points in response to printing by the printer 200 or ink replacement for the printer 200.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, whether or not the registration button 504 and the login button 1004 are displayed is determined depending on whether or not the delete button 1210 for the registered image 1204 (see FIG. 15) is pressed, but the present invention is not limited to this. A login image for a user logging in to the state management system 1 may be displayed on the customization screen 1200, and a delete button 1210 may be displayed in association with this login image. When the delete button 1210 associated with the login image is pressed, the display control unit 105 may not display either the register button 504 or the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500, regardless of whether the printer 200 is registered with the service.

[0077] In addition, in this embodiment, it has been described that the display control unit 105 displays information on the reception screen 500 depending on whether or not the printer 200 is registered with a specific service that targets the printer 200, but this is not limited to this. For example, there may be a plurality of services targeted at the printer 200. In this case, if no services are registered for the printer 200 to be displayed, the display control unit 105 may display the register button 504 on the reception screen 500 without displaying the login button 1004. Furthermore, if some services are registered and some services are not registered for the printer 200 to be displayed, the display control unit 105 may display both the register button 504 and the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500. Furthermore, if all services are registered for the printer 200 to be displayed, the display control unit 105 may display the login button 1004 on the reception screen 500 without displaying the register button 504. Furthermore, a specific service for the printer 200 may be provided in stages. In this case, the display control unit 105 may display information corresponding to the stage at which the specific service is registered on the reception screen 500. In this case, the first state and the second state described above may be states at different stages at which the specific service for the printer 200 is registered.

[0078] Furthermore, the states of the printer 200, such as the first state and the second state, are not limited to the state of service registration for the printer 200. For example, the first state may be a state in which a specific function of the printer 200 has been used, and the second state may be a state in which the specific function has not been used. This specific function may be available without requiring registration. In this case, the display control unit 105 may display a display item on the reception screen 500 that can execute a process for using the specific function, depending on whether the state of the printer 200 is the first state or the second state. In other words, the state used as the criterion for the display control unit 105 to determine which image to display on the reception screen 500 may be any state of the printer 200.

[0079] Furthermore, the reception screen 500 is not limited to the above-described example. The reception screen 500 may be any image that accepts operations related to the use of the information processing device, such as an image that accepts confirmation of the job status of the printer 200. Furthermore, the reception screen 500 may be a screen that displays at least the registration button 504, or may be a screen that displays at least the login button 1004. The registration button 504 is an image that accepts registration for a cartridge provision service, which is a service related to the use of the printer 200. Therefore, the registration button 504 can be regarded as an image that accepts operations related to the use of the information processing device. In other words, at least the screen on which the registration button 504 is displayed can be regarded as a reception screen that accepts operations related to the use of the information processing device. Furthermore, the login button 1004 is an image that accepts the display of a registration status screen 800 (see FIG. 10) that shows the registration status for the cartridge provision service, which is a service related to the use of the printer 200. Therefore, the login button 1004 can also be regarded as an image that accepts operations related to the use of the information processing device. In other words, at least the screen on which the login button 1004 is displayed can be regarded as a reception screen that accepts operations related to the use of the information processing device.

[0080] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the information processing device that is the target of management by the state management system 1 has been described as the printer 200, but this is not limiting. The target of management by the state management system 1 does not have to be the printer 200 as long as it is an information processing device. Note that the printer 200 of this embodiment can also be regarded as an information processing device that operates through the operation of the terminal device 100 by a user. However, the printer 200 may have a display device that displays an image that accepts user operations, and operate in response to the user's operations on the image.

[0081] The present invention also includes a case where a software program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device having a computer that can execute the program directly from a recording medium or via wired / wireless communication, and the program is executed. Therefore, the program code itself, supplied to and installed on a computer to implement the functional processes described above, also embodies the present invention. In other words, the computer program itself for implementing the functional processes of the present invention is also included in the present invention. In this case, the program may take any form, such as object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to an OS, as long as it has the program's functionality. Recording media for providing the program may include, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical storage medium, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Another possible method for providing the program is to store the computer program forming the present invention on a server on a computer network, and then download the computer program to a connected client computer. Furthermore, an operating system or the like running on a computer may perform some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized by this processing. Furthermore, program code read from a storage medium may be written to memory provided on a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Then, a CPU or the like provided on the function expansion board or function expansion unit may perform some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code. Even in this case, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized.

[0082] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration of an imaging device. (Configuration 1) On the computer, an acquisition function for acquiring information regarding the state of the information processing device; a screen display function for displaying a reception screen for receiving operations related to the use of the information processing device on a display device different from the information processing device; an image display function that, when the information identifies the state as a first state, displays on the reception screen a display item that can execute a process to change the state to a second state different from the first state; a limiting function that limits the display of the display item on the reception screen when the state is identified as the second state from the information; A program to make this happen. (Configuration 2) The program described in configuration 1, wherein the image display function, when it is determined from the information that the state is the second state, displays an information image on the reception screen to provide information corresponding to the second state. (Configuration 3) The program described in configuration 2, wherein the restriction function restricts the display of both the display item and the information image on the reception screen if the information processing device is not a device that is subject to entering the second state. (Configuration 4) The computer further implements a receiving function for receiving information on whether or not the display item is to be displayed; The program described in configuration 2 or 3, wherein the restriction function restricts the display of the information image on the reception screen when the reception function has accepted that the display item will not be displayed, even if the information identifies the state as the second state. (Configuration 5) The program described in any one of configurations 2 to 4, wherein the image display function displays the information image on the reception screen in different manners depending on whether the state identified from the information is the first state or the second state. (Configuration 6) The program described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the restriction function relaxes the restriction on the display of the display item on the reception screen when the state changes from the first state to the second state and then back to the first state. (Configuration 7) The program described in configuration 6, wherein the image display function displays the display item on the reception screen in different manners depending on whether the state is the first state without changing to the second state or whether the state changes to the first state again after passing through the second state. (Configuration 8) The information processing devices include a first information processing device and a second information processing device, The program described in any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the restriction function does not restrict the display of the display items targeted at the first information processing device on the reception screen when the information identifies that the state targeted at the first information processing device is the first state, and restricts the display of the display items targeted at the second information processing device on the reception screen when the information identifies that the state targeted at the second information processing device is the second state. (Configuration 9) The program described in configuration 8, wherein the image display function, when the display item targeting the first information processing device is selected, causes the display device to display an image indicating that the state targeting the second information processing device is the second state. (Configuration 10) 10. The program according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the state of the information processing device is whether or not the information processing device is registered with a predetermined service. (Configuration 11) 11. The program according to claim 10, wherein the service is a service in which ink cartridges are provided. (Configuration 12) the image display function, when it is determined from the information that the information processing device is not registered with a predetermined service, displays the display item on the reception screen; The program described in any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the restriction function restricts the display of the display item on the reception screen when the information identifies that the information processing device is registered for a specified service. (Configuration 13) the first state is a state in which the information processing device is not registered with a predetermined service, 13. The program according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein the second state is a state in which the information processing device is registered with a predetermined service.

[0083] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 100: Terminal device 200: Printer 300: Management Server

Claims

1. On the computer, an acquisition function for acquiring information regarding the state of the information processing device; a screen display function for displaying a reception screen for receiving operations related to the use of the information processing device on a display device different from the information processing device; an image display function that, when it is determined from the information that the state is a first state, displays on the reception screen a display item that can execute a process to change the state to a second state different from the first state; a limiting function that limits the display of the display item on the reception screen when the state is identified as the second state from the information; A program to make this happen.

2. The program of claim 1, wherein the image display function, when the information identifies the state as the second state, displays an information image on the reception screen to provide information corresponding to the state being the second state.

3. The program according to claim 2 , wherein the restriction function restricts display of both the display item and the information image on the reception screen when the information processing device is not a device that is subject to being put into the second state.

4. The computer further implements a receiving function for receiving information on whether or not the display item is to be displayed; The program of claim 2, wherein the restriction function restricts the display of the information image on the reception screen when the reception function has accepted that the display item will not be displayed, even if the information identifies the state as the second state.

5. The program according to claim 2 , wherein the image display function displays the information image on the reception screen in different manners depending on whether the state identified from the information is the first state or the second state.

6. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction function relaxes the restriction on the display of the display item on the reception screen when the state changes from the first state to the second state and then back to the first state.

7. The program according to claim 6, wherein the image display function displays the display item on the reception screen in different manners depending on whether the state is the first state without changing to the second state or whether the state changes to the first state again after passing through the second state.

8. The information processing devices include a first information processing device and a second information processing device, The program of claim 1, wherein the restriction function does not restrict the display of the display item targeted at the first information processing device on the reception screen when the information identifies that the state targeted at the first information processing device is the first state, and restricts the display of the display item targeted at the second information processing device on the reception screen when the information identifies that the state targeted at the second information processing device is the second state.

9. The program of claim 8, wherein the image display function, when the display item targeting the first information processing device is selected, causes the display device to display an image indicating that the state targeting the second information processing device is the second state.

10. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the state of the information processing device is whether or not the information processing device is registered with a predetermined service.

11. The program according to claim 10 , wherein the service is a service in which an ink cartridge is provided.

12. the image display function, when it is determined from the information that the information processing device is not registered with a predetermined service, displays the display item on the reception screen; The program according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction function restricts display of the display item on the reception screen when it is determined from the information that the information processing device is registered with a predetermined service.

13. the first state is a state in which the information processing device is not registered with a predetermined service, The program according to claim 1 , wherein the second state is a state in which the information processing device is registered with a predetermined service.

14. On the computer, an acquisition function for acquiring information regarding the state of the information processing device; a screen display function for displaying a reception screen for receiving operations related to the use of the information processing device on a display device different from the information processing device; an image display function that displays, on the reception screen in different modes, display items that can execute a process to change the state specified from the information into a second state different from the first state, depending on whether the state specified from the information is a first state or a second state different from the first state; A program to make this happen.

15. an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a state of an information processing device; a display unit that displays a reception screen for receiving operations related to use of the information processing device; a display control unit that, when it is determined from the information that the state is a first state, displays, on the reception screen, a display item that can execute a process to change the state to a second state different from the first state; a limiting means for limiting the display of the display item on the reception screen when the state is identified as the second state from the information; A management device comprising:

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