Display method, electronic equipment, program, and management system

Abstract

To manage the state of printers more properly.SOLUTION: A display method for displaying information on electronic equipment in a printing system including printers 114, a management server 12, and the electronic equipment (PC 112 and electronic device 116) comprises: an information transmission step of transmitting printer information from the management server 12 to the electronic equipment; and a display step of displaying information based on the printer information on the electronic equipment. The management server 12 manages operation information, ink usage information, and printing area information, as printer information. In the display step, the summary of operation state, the summary of ink usage, and the summary of printing area are displayed in one screen, on the basis of the operation information, the ink usage information, and the printing area information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display method, an electronic device, a program, and a management system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printers such as inkjet printers have been widely used. Furthermore, as a method for controlling the operation of a printer, for example, a method using a PC that performs RIP processing has been widely used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-138583 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When controlling the operation of a printer using a PC or the like that performs RIP processing, the printer status can be managed by, for example, running a program (application software) that manages the printer status on the PC. However, depending on the printer's intended use, it may be desirable to manage the printer status in a more appropriate manner. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a display method, electronic device, program, and management system that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors of the present application have conducted extensive research into how to manage printers. Instead of simply managing the printer status using a PC for RIP processing, they came up with the idea of ​​collecting printer status information on a server and obtaining the information from the server to check the printer status. This configuration allows the printer status to be checked in various locations, not just the location where the printer is installed. This also allows, for example, someone other than the user (operator) who operates the printer to check the printer status as needed.

[0006] In this case, in order to easily and appropriately check the printer status, it may be desirable for an electronic device or the like that displays all necessary information on a single screen. Furthermore, in this regard, the inventors of the present application have found through extensive research that it is particularly preferable to display a summary of the printer's operating status, ink usage, and print area on a single screen. By displaying this information on a single screen, it is possible to easily and appropriately check, for example, whether the printer is operating stably. It also makes it possible to collectively grasp information that is useful when, for example, considering the printer's running costs. Furthermore, if a problem occurs with the printer's status, it becomes possible to collectively grasp information that is useful for identifying the problem.

[0007] Furthermore, the inventor of the present application has further intensively researched and found the features necessary to obtain such effects, and has arrived at the present invention. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a display method for displaying information on an electronic device in a printing system including a printer, a management server that manages printer information that indicates the status of the printer, and an electronic device that performs a display based on the printer information obtained from the management server, the method comprising: an information sending step of sending the printer information associated with the printer from the management server to the electronic device; and a display step of displaying information on the electronic device based on the printer information transmitted from the management server to the electronic device in the information sending step, wherein the management server associates the printer with the printer as the printer information and In the information transmission step, at least the management server controls the operation information indicating the operation status of the printer, ink usage information indicating the amount of ink used by the printer, and print area information indicating the print area, which is the area on which printing has been performed by the printer, and in the display step, based on the operation information, ink usage information, and print area information, a summary of the operation status of the printer, a summary of the amount of ink used by the printer, and a summary of the print area on which printing has been performed by the printer are displayed on a single screen.

[0008] With this configuration, for example, by displaying on the electronic device based on printer information acquired from the management server, the status of the printer can be properly understood. Also, in this case, by displaying a summary of the printer's operating status, ink usage, and print area on a single screen on the electronic device, the status of the printer can be easily and properly understood, for example. Therefore, with this configuration, the status of the printer can be managed more appropriately, for example.

[0009] In this case, a user operating the electronic device may specify a collection period (display period) for the printer's operational status, ink usage, and print area. The user interface (UI) of the electronic device may allow the user to select whether to set the periods collectively or individually, and then display the collected data for the specified period on the electronic device. More specifically, the display method may further include a collection period setting step for setting a collection period corresponding to the information to be displayed on the electronic device in the display step. In the collection period setting step, the period for collecting the operational status, the period for collecting the ink usage, and the period for collecting the print area are set collectively or individually according to the user's selection. In the display step, the electronic device displays the operational status, ink usage, and print area data according to the period set in the collection period setting step. This configuration allows the collection period to be appropriately changed according to the user's wishes, for example. Displaying the information collectively or individually may make it possible to more appropriately check the printer's status and perform various other evaluations, for example.

[0010] In addition, in this configuration, in the display stage, the electronic device displays a summary of the operating status, for example, a standby period indicating the period during which the printer was on standby, a printing period indicating the period during which the printer was printing, an error stop period indicating the period during which the printer was stopped due to an error, and an offline period indicating the period during which printer information could not be obtained. With this configuration, for example, the operating status of the printer can be appropriately grasped.

[0011] In the display stage, the electronic device displays, as a summary of the operating status, for example, a bar graph or pie chart showing the time spent in each state for multiple types of printer status. This configuration allows the electronic device to display, for example, an operating status that is easy to understand. This also allows, for example, the operating status of the printer to be more appropriately understood. In this case, displaying a summary of the operating status corresponding to the printer on the electronic device in the display stage can be considered, for example, to visualize the operating status of the printer. Furthermore, visualizing the operating status of the printer can, for example, enable improvements to increase printer productivity, leading to more efficient production.

[0012] Furthermore, in the display stage, the electronic device displays, for example, a bar graph or a line graph as a summary of ink usage. This configuration allows, for example, the total ink usage to be properly understood. In this configuration, the printer may print using multiple colors of ink. In this case, in the display stage, the electronic device displays, for example, a summary of ink usage for each ink color and / or a total of the total usage of all colors of ink, depending on the user's selection. This configuration allows, for example, when multiple colors of ink are used, the total ink usage can be properly understood. Furthermore, by displaying the total usage of all colors, the total cost of all colors can be more easily calculated, for example, when estimating printing costs.

[0013] Furthermore, in the display stage, the electronic device displays, for example, a bar graph or line graph as a print area tally. This configuration allows, for example, the print area tally to be properly understood. Furthermore, in the display stage, the print area tally may be displayed, for example, by a plurality of pre-set categories. This configuration allows, for example, more diverse information to be displayed regarding the print area tally. In this case, the display by category may be, for example, by medium used for printing (by media) or by print data.

[0014] In addition, in the display stage, for example, a single graph may be displayed for a number of items, including the printer's operational status, ink usage, and print area. This configuration allows the user to easily and appropriately grasp the correlation between multiple items. In this case, for example, the operational status and ink usage may be displayed on a single graph, allowing the user to confirm the correlation between the two.

[0015] In addition, with this configuration, it is also possible to display various numerical values, etc., in response to user operations on the electronic device. More specifically, for example, when a user places a cursor on a graph, the electronic device may display a numerical value corresponding to the cursor's position. In this case, in the display stage, for example, a cursor that moves in response to user operations and a graph showing at least one of a printer's operational status summary, ink usage summary, and print area summary are displayed. Then, when the user places the cursor on the graph, for example, a numerical value corresponding to the cursor's position on the graph is displayed. With this configuration, for example, the electronic device can display more detailed information to the user. In this case, it is also possible to display numerical values, such as hourly values, daily values, cumulative values, vertical axis values, or horizontal axis values, on the electronic device.

[0016] In this configuration, it is also possible to display the maximum and minimum values ​​of the graph in a prominent manner. In this case, in the display stage, for example, a graph showing at least one of a total of the printer's operating status, a total of ink usage, and a total of the print area is displayed, and the maximum and minimum values ​​are displayed in a different way from other values ​​in the graph. With this configuration, it is possible to make it easier to grasp the position of the maximum or minimum value in the graph. In this case, it is also possible to change the color or shape, etc., of the maximum or minimum value during a period.

[0017] The present invention can also be configured, for example, as an electronic device, a program, and a management system having the same characteristics as those described above. In this case, the program can be considered, for example, as a program executed on at least one of a management server and an electronic device to display information on the electronic device. The management system can be considered, for example, as a system that manages printers in a printing system. Even with these configurations, the same effects as those described above can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, for example, the state of a printer can be more appropriately managed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a printing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating specific configurations of a user base 14 and an external management unit 16. FIG. 2A shows an example of the configuration of a user base 14. FIG. 2B shows an example of the configuration of an external management unit 16. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating how printer information is managed by the management server 12. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when a list of printers 114 is displayed on a PC 112 or the like. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a PC 112 or the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a printing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the printing system 10 is a system that performs printing using a printer, and includes a management server 12, a user base 14, and an external management unit 16. Except as described below, the printing system 10 may have the same or similar features as known printing systems.

[0021] The management server 12 is a server that manages printer information, which is information indicating the status of printers used in the printing system 10. In this example, the management server 12 is a cloud server that communicates with other components via a wide area network such as the Internet, and manages the printer information according to a program executed on the cloud. The management server 12 also acquires printer information about printers installed at the user site 14, for example, by communicating with electronic devices installed at the user site 14 via the wide area network. The management server 12 also provides printer information to the electronic devices by communicating with electronic devices installed at the user site 14 and the external management unit 16 via the wide area network. The management server 12 then causes the electronic devices to display information based on the printer information. The operation of causing the electronic devices to display information based on the printer information will be described in more detail below.

[0022] It is possible to use, for example, a server provided by a cloud server provider as the management server 12. In this case, the computer functioning as the management server 12 may be managed by a person different from the administrator of the user site 14 and the external management unit 16. In this case, it is also possible to control a server provided by the cloud server provider from the external management unit 16 to function as the management server 12. In a modified configuration of the printing system 10, it is also possible to use, for example, a computer managed by the same administrator as the administrator of the user site 14 or the external management unit 16 as the management server 12. In this case, the management server 12 may be installed, for example, within the user site 14 or the external management unit 16.

[0023] The user base 14 is a base where printing operations are performed in the printing system 10. The user base 14 can also be considered, for example, as a base where a printer to be managed by the management server 12 is installed. The user base 14 can also be considered, for example, as a base managed by an administrator of the printers used in the printing system 10. The external management unit 16 is configured to manage at least a portion of the printing system 10 outside the user base 14. In this example, the external management unit 16 is a base of a business that provides services such as maintenance for the printers at the user base 14, and provides services such as maintenance for the printers at the user base 14 based on printer information obtained from the management server 12. The external management unit 16 can also be considered, for example, as a base managed by an administrator different from the administrator of the user base 14. The user base 14 and the external management unit 16 can use, for example, the configuration shown in FIG. 2.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the specific configuration of the user base 14 and the external management unit 16. FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the configuration of the user base 14. FIG. 2(b) shows an example of the configuration of the external management unit 16. In this example, the user base 14 is a base that produces products (printed materials) printed using a printer, and has multiple production bases 102 and a management department 104. The production base 102 is a base where printers are installed. In this example, the production base 102 also has a PC 112, multiple printers 114, and electronic devices 116. The PC 112 is a computer that controls the printing operation of the printer 114. In this example, the PC 112 is a computer for RIP processing (RIP-PC) that supplies data generated by RIP processing to the printer 114, thereby controlling the operation of the printer 114. In this case, for example, as shown in the figure, the operation of multiple printers 114 may be controlled by a single PC 112.

[0025] In this example, the PC 112 is an example of an electronic device that displays information based on printer information acquired from the management server 12, and includes a communication interface, a monitor, and the like. In this case, the communication interface can be considered, for example, as an example of a communication unit that receives printer information associated with the printer 114 managed by the PC 112 from the management server 12. The monitor can be considered, for example, as an example of a display unit that displays information based on the printer information transmitted from the management server 12. In this case, the display unit can also include a configuration for controlling the content displayed on the monitor. In this example, the PC 112 further communicates with the printer 114 to acquire information about the printer 114 and transmits it to the management server 12, thereby updating the printer information in the management server 12. In this case, the PC 112 can also be considered, for example, as a device that detects the status of the printer 114 and notifies the management server 12. More specifically, the PC 112 periodically detects the status of the printer 114 at predetermined intervals and updates the printer information in the management server 12 based on the detected status. In this case, the PC 112 may automatically detect the printer 114 and update the printer information, for example, without relying on user operations.

[0026] Printer 114 is a printer for producing products at production site 102, and performs printing operations under the control of PC 112. In this example, printer 114 is a color printer that prints using ink of multiple colors. As printer 114, for example, an inkjet printer having the same or similar configuration as a known inkjet printer can be suitably used.

[0027] The electronic device 116 is an information display device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. In this example, the electronic device 116 is also an example of an electronic device, and performs display based on printer information acquired from the management server 12. In this case, the communication interface of the electronic device 116 can be considered, for example, as an example of a communication unit. In addition, the screen of the electronic device 116 can be considered, for example, as an example of a display unit. In this case, a configuration for controlling the content displayed on the screen can also be considered, for example, as an example of a display unit. In this example, the electronic device 116 can be considered, for example, as an electronic device that performs display based on printer information without updating the printer information in the management server 12.

[0028] By using a production base 102 configured as described above, it is possible to appropriately display information based on printer information on the PC 112 and the electronic device 116, for example. Furthermore, the PC 112 can appropriately update printer information in the management server 12, for example. The specific configuration of the production base 102 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure and may be variously different. For example, the number of printers 114 managed by the PC 112 may be one or three or more. Furthermore, the number of PCs 112 and electronic devices 116 in one production base 102 may be plural. Furthermore, the number of PCs 112, printers 114, and electronic devices 116, and the number of printers 114 managed by one PC 112, etc., may vary from one production base 102 to another. Furthermore, the number of production bases 102 is not limited to the number shown in the figure and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a configuration in which the number of printers 114 in the printing system 10 is only one, for example, as the production base 102.

[0029] As described above, in this example, the user base 14 further includes a management department 104 in addition to the multiple production bases 102. The management department 104 is configured to manage the multiple production bases 102 and includes a PC 112. In this example, the PC 112 in the management department 104 is also an example of an electronic device that displays information based on printer information acquired from the management server 12. More specifically, for example, the PC 112 is a computer for the administrator of the entire user base 14, and similar to the PC 112 in the production base 102, displays information based on printer information acquired from the management server 12. The PC 112 in the management department 104 can also be considered, for example, as an electronic device that displays information based on printer information without updating the printer information in the management server 12.

[0030] In this example, the external management unit 16 also includes a marketing department 106 and a support department 108. The marketing department 106 is a department that provides products and information related to the printer 114 to users of the printer 114 at the user site 14. In this case, the marketing department 106 may provide products related to the printer 114, such as ink and media. In addition, the support department 108 may cooperate with the marketing department 106 to sell consumables that are replaced during maintenance of the printer 114. The support department 108 is a department that provides maintenance services to users of the printer 114. In this example, the marketing department 106 and the support department 108 also include PCs 112. The PCs 112 in the marketing department 106 and the support department 108 are also examples of electronic devices that display information based on printer information acquired from the management server 12. In this case, by displaying information based on the printer information on the PC 112 in the marketing department 106, it becomes possible to carry out marketing activities tailored to the status of the printer 114, for example. Furthermore, by displaying printer information on the PC 112 in the support department 108, the status of the printer 114 can be easily and appropriately grasped without, for example, visiting the production site 102 where the printer 114 is installed. This also makes it possible, for example, to reduce the number of visits to the production site 102 and provide higher quality maintenance services at lower cost.

[0031] As described above, in the printing system 10 of this example, information is displayed on the PC 112 and the electronic device 116, which are examples of electronic devices, based on the printer information managed by the management server 12. This operation can be considered, for example, as an example of the operation of a display method for displaying information on an electronic device. In this case, the operation of transmitting printer information from the management server 12 to the PC 112 or the electronic device 116 (hereinafter referred to as the PC 112, etc.) can be considered, for example, as an example of the operation of an information transmission stage. The information transmission stage can be considered, for example, as a stage in which the management server 12 transmits printer information associated with the printer 114 to the PC 112, etc. Furthermore, the operation of causing the PC 112, etc. to perform a display based on the printer information transmitted from the management server 12 can be considered, for example, as an example of the operation of a display stage. The display stage can be considered, for example, as a stage in which the PC 112, etc. displays information based on the printer information transmitted from the management server 12 to the electronic device in the information transmission stage.

[0032] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the PC 112 or the like performs display based on the printer information using, for example, a web browser (internet browser). In this case, the management server 12 communicates with the PC 112 or the like using a predetermined protocol such as the HTTP protocol, and transmits data for displaying a web page to the PC 112 or the like in response to a request from the PC 112 or the like. In this case, sending this data from the management server 12 to the PC 112 or the like can be considered, for example, as sending printer information. In this case, the PC 112 or the like performs display based on the printer information by displaying, in the web browser, a display based on the data sent from the management server 12. Depending on the configuration of the PC 112 or the like, it is also possible to perform display based on the printer information using, for example, a dedicated application program without using a web browser.

[0033] In addition, in the printing system 10 of this example, the operation of displaying information on the PC 112 or the like can be considered to be executed by, for example, a program executed on at least one of the management server 12 and the PC 112. In this case, the process of transmitting information from the management server 12 to the PC 112 or the like in accordance with this program can be considered, for example, an example of an information transmission process. In addition, the process of displaying information on the PC 112 or the like can be considered, for example, an example of a display process. In addition, in this example, the management server 12 can be considered to display information on the PC 112 or the like by sending data from the management server 12 to the PC 112 or the like in accordance with a program executed on the management server 12. It can also be considered, for example, that display based on printer information is performed on the PC 112 or the like in accordance with a program executed on the PC 112 or the like. Depending on how the configuration of the printing system 10 and the relationship between the operations and the programs are considered, it can also be considered that information is displayed on the PC 112 or the like by the functions of both the program executed on the management server 12 and the program executed on the PC 112 or the like.

[0034] Furthermore, as can be understood from the above explanation, in this example, the printer 114 can be considered to be managed by at least a portion of the configuration of the printing system 10. Therefore, for example, at least a portion of the printing system 10 can be considered to be a management system that manages the printer 114 in the printing system 10. In this case, the management system can be considered to be, for example, a configuration that includes the management server 12 in the printing system 10. The management system may also be considered to include further configurations other than the management server 12. In this case, for example, the management system can be considered to further include the PC 112, etc.

[0035] Next, the printer information and the like managed by the management server 12 will be explained in more detail. Fig. 3 is a diagram explaining how the management server 12 manages printer information, and shows a simplified example of items managed in association with printer information. In this example, the management server 12 is a server accessed from the user base 14 and the external management unit 16 (see Fig. 1), and manages printer information while identifying the user of the printer 114 (see Fig. 2) through user authentication.

[0036] More specifically, in this example, the management server 12 manages the correspondence between users and printers 114 by associating user information for identifying pre-registered users with printer IDs for identifying printers 114. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 3, multiple printers 114 with printer IDs bbb1 to bbb5 are associated with one user or one organization as a user whose user information is aaa1. In this case, the association between user information and printers 114 can be considered as an example of the association between users and printers 114. Furthermore, when the user information indicates an organization, the organization can be considered as a user identified by the user information. Furthermore, a printer 114 with a printer ID of bbb6 is associated with a user whose user information is aaa2. In an actual management server 12, it is conceivable that the association between users and printers 114 for even more users will be managed.

[0037] Furthermore, when multiple printers 114 are associated with one user or one user organization, as in this example, it is possible to manage the multiple printers 114 by dividing them into groups. More specifically, for example, if the user base 14 has multiple production bases 102 (see FIG. 2), it is possible to group the printers 114 by the printers 114 installed at the same production base 102. Furthermore, if the production base 102 has multiple operators who perform work according to instructions from users to whom the multiple printers 114 are associated, it is also possible to group the printers by operator. Therefore, in this example, the management server 12 associates groups with printer IDs, thereby enabling the multiple printers 114 to be managed by dividing them into groups. For example, in the example shown in the figure, the multiple printers 114 with printer IDs bbb1 to 3 belong to group X. The multiple printers 114 with printer IDs bbb4 to 5 belong to group Y. Furthermore, the printer 114 with the printer ID bbb6 belongs to group Z.

[0038] In this example, the management server 12 associates printer information with each printer 114 identified by a printer ID. As the printer information, various information related to the status and past history of the printer 114 can be used. According to this example, for example, the printer information corresponding to the printer 114 can be appropriately managed. This also makes it possible to appropriately manage the printer 114 using the printer information. In this case, the PC 112 or the like can conceivably display a list of printers 114 associated with the user and the status of the printer 114, for example, based on the printer information. In this case, the PC 112 or the like can conceivably display a list of printers 114 in relation to the status display, as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

[0039] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when a list of printers 114 is displayed on the PC 112 or the like, and shows two examples of display screens that can be selected depending on the electronic device displaying the screen. More specifically, in the diagram, the diagram on the left shows an example of a display screen when displaying on a large screen when, for example, a personal computer is used as the PC 112 or electronic device 116. The diagram on the right shows an example of a display screen when displaying on a narrow screen when, for example, a smartphone is used as the electronic device 116. In this case, it can be considered that the examples of screen displays on both the left and right sides display substantially the same content depending on the purpose of the screen display.

[0040] In this example, when a screen is displayed on the PC 112 or the like, the user operating the PC 112 or the like performs user authentication with the management server 12 (see FIG. 1 ) to sign in to the management server 12. The PC 112 or the like then displays information about the printers 114 associated with the user who has been authenticated by the user authentication on the screen. In this case, the PC 112 or the like displays information indicating the printers 114 associated with the user in a list on a display screen that displays a list of printers 114, as shown in the figure, for example. More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the PC 112 or the like displays the names, models, operating statuses, etc. of all printers 114 associated with the user. In this case, the names of the printers 114 can be considered, for example, to be printer names determined by the user to identify the printers 114. The operating status can be considered, for example, to be information indicating the status of the printers 114 in relation to the printing operation. More specifically, in this example, the operating state is information indicating whether the printer 114 is printing, waiting, stopped due to an error, or offline. In this case, "printing" can be considered, for example, to be a state in which printing is being performed by the printer 114. "Waiting" can be considered, for example, to be a state in which the printer 114 is waiting and ready to start printing. "Stopped due to an error" can be considered, for example, to be a state in which the printer 114 is stopped due to some kind of error. "Offline" can be considered, for example, to be a state in which the status of the printer 114 cannot be obtained. "Offline" can also be considered, for example, to be a state in which the management server 12 is unable to grasp the latest status of the printer 114. In this case, "offline" can be considered, for example, to be a state in which the printer 114 is not turned on, or a state in which the status of the printer 114 cannot be grasped due to a problem with the communication path or the management server 12. In this example, "offline" can also be considered, for example, to be a state in which the latest status of the printer 114 cannot be obtained from the management server 12.

[0041] Furthermore, in this example, the PC 112 or the like can also display a list of printers 114 for each printer 114 status by displaying using tabs 202. In this case, the PC 112 or the like displays a list of printers 114 in the status associated with the tab 202 in response to a user's operation of selecting the tab 202. More specifically, in the example shown in the figure, the PC 112 or the like displays tabs 202 for switching the display among all, waiting, printing, stopped with error, and offline. In this case, when the tab 202 corresponding to all is selected, all printers 114 associated with the user are displayed. Furthermore, when any other tab 202 is selected, printers 114 associated with the user that are in the status corresponding to the selected tab 202 are displayed. With this configuration, for example, the status, etc. of printers 114 managed by the user can be easily and appropriately confirmed.

[0042] In this example, the PC 112 or the like can also display more detailed information about the printer 114 based on the printer information received from the management server 12. In this case, for example, it is conceivable to cause the PC 112 or the like to display information based on the printer information about the printer 114 selected by the user from a list of printers 114. More specifically, in this case, it is conceivable to cause the PC 112 or the like to display, for example, information such as that shown in FIG.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the PC 112 or the like, and shows an example of information displayed based on printer information for the printer 114 selected by the user. As with FIG. 4, FIG. 5 also shows, as an example of a display screen, two types of display screens selected according to the electronic device displaying the screen. As explained above, in this example, the management server 12 manages printer information in association with the printer 114. Furthermore, when causing the PC 112 or the like to display the screen shown in FIG. 5, the management server 12 manages, as printer information, at least operation information indicating the operating status of the printer 114, ink usage information indicating the amount of ink used by the printer 114, and print area information indicating the print area, which is the area printed by the printer 114, in association with the printer 114. Furthermore, in this case, the management server 12 transmits at least printer information including these pieces of information to the PC 112 or the like in response to a request from the PC 112 or the like. Based on this information sent from the management server 12, the PC 112 etc. displays the total of the operating status, the total of the ink usage amount, and the total of the print area on one screen.

[0044] In this case, displaying these summaries on a single screen can be considered to mean, for example, displaying them in a state that can be handled as a single screen on the PC 112 or the like. For example, when displaying a screen on a web browser on the PC 112 or the like, it can be considered to mean displaying a screen that corresponds to one screen on the web browser. Furthermore, one screen on the web browser can be considered, for example, as the range that can be displayed without moving pages. The range that can be displayed without moving pages can be considered, for example, as the range that can be displayed without changing the URL. Furthermore, when displaying the above summaries on the PC 112 or the like, the management server 12 can directly transmit the operating status summaries, ink usage summaries, print area summaries, etc. to the PC 112 or the like. In this case, transmitting these summaries can be considered, for example, as transmitting printer information including operating information, ink usage information, and print area information.

[0045] Also, in this example, the PC 112 or the like displays, as shown in the figure, a screen showing tabs 202, an operation information display section 212, an ink usage amount display section 214, a print area display section 216, and a period setting section 218 as one screen. In this case, the tab 202 is a selection section for accepting selection of items to be displayed related to the printer 114. Also, in this example, the PC 112 or the like displays tabs 202 for switching the display among printer status, operation history, print history, maintenance history, and settings / manual. Also, FIG. 5 shows an example of the screen when the operation history tab 202 is selected from these.

[0046] The operation information display unit 212 displays a summary of the operation status. As described above, in this example, the operation status is information indicating whether the operation status is printing, standby, stopped due to an error, or offline. Therefore, the PC 112 or the like displays, on the operation information display unit 212, a summary of the operation status, including printing periods during which the printer 114 was printing, standby periods indicating periods during which the printer 114 was standby, error stop periods during which the printer 114 was stopped due to an error, and offline periods during which the printer 114 was offline. The summary of these periods can be considered, for example, as a summary of the time during which the printer 114 was in that operation status. More specifically, the summary of printing periods can be considered, for example, as a summary of periods during which the printer 114 was executing printing. The summary of standby periods can be considered, for example, as a summary of periods during which the printer was in standby. The summary of error stop periods can be considered, for example, as a summary of periods during which the printer 114 was stopped due to an error. The summary of offline periods can be considered, for example, as a summary of periods during which information about the printer 114 could not be obtained. With this configuration, for example, the operating state of the printer 114 can be properly grasped.

[0047] In this example, the PC 112 or the like displays, as a summary of the operating status, a bar graph and a pie chart showing the time spent in each state for multiple states (operating states) of the printer 114, as shown in the figure. This configuration allows the PC 112 or the like to appropriately display an operating state that is easy to understand, for example. This also allows the summary of the operating status of the printer 114 to be appropriately understood, for example. In this case, the PC 112 or the like directly shows, for example, the time for each operating state using a bar graph, and shows, for example, the ratio of time for each operating state using a pie chart. By using two types of graphs, the bar graph and the pie chart, for example, the operating status of the printer 114 can be appropriately understood by the user. In this example, displaying a summary of the operating status corresponding to the printer 114 on the PC 112 or the like can be considered to visualize the operating status of the printer 114, for example. In this case, visualizing the operating status of the printer 114 can, for example, enable improvements to increase the productivity of the printer 114, leading to more efficient production. Furthermore, the display method on the motion information display unit 212 is not limited to the illustrated method and can be changed in various ways. For example, the bar graph is not limited to the illustrated vertical bar graph, but a horizontal bar graph may also be used. Furthermore, depending on the purpose of displaying information, it is also possible to display only one of a bar graph or a pie chart on the motion information display unit 212.

[0048] The ink usage display unit 214 displays a summary of ink usage. In this example, the PC 112 or the like displays, for example, a line graph and a bar graph as shown in the figure on the ink usage display unit 214 as a summary of ink usage. In this case, the PC 112 or the like uses a line graph to display, for example, the usage amount of each ink color over time. Also, a bar graph displays, for example, the total usage amount of each ink color over a period. This configuration allows, for example, the summary of ink usage to be properly understood. Furthermore, the display method on the ink usage display unit 214 is not limited to the display method shown in the figure, and can be changed in various ways. For example, the bar graph is not limited to the vertical bar graph shown in the figure, but a horizontal bar graph may also be used. It is also possible to display only one of the line graph and the bar graph on the ink usage display unit 214 depending on the purpose of displaying information, etc. It is also possible to display, for example, the total usage amount of all ink colors combined, rather than by color, as a summary of ink usage. In this case, the PC 112 or the like may, for example, display either or both of the ink usage tally for each ink color and the total usage tally for all ink colors, depending on the user's selection. This configuration allows the user to more accurately grasp the ink usage when using multiple ink colors. Furthermore, by displaying the total usage tally for all colors, the cost of all colors can be more easily calculated, for example, when estimating printing costs.

[0049] The print area display unit 216 displays the print area total. In this example, the PC 112 or the like displays the print length, print area, and cost in relation to the print area total on the print area display unit 216. In this case, the print area total can be considered, for example, as a parameter that increases depending on the amount of media consumed. This configuration allows, for example, the print area total to be properly understood. Furthermore, the display method on the print area display unit 216 is not limited to the display method shown in the figure and can be changed in various ways. For example, the print area total may be displayed as a bar graph or a line graph. As a bar graph, for example, a vertical bar graph or a horizontal bar graph may be used. This configuration allows, for example, the print area total to be intuitively understood. Furthermore, the PC 112 or the like may display the print area total by dividing it into multiple pre-set categories. This configuration allows, for example, more diverse information to be displayed regarding the print area total. In this case, the display by category may be, for example, a display by medium used for printing (by media) or a display by print data.

[0050] The period setting unit 218 is a unit for accepting a tallying period specification from the user. In this example, the PC 112 or the like accepts, via the period setting unit 218, a specification of a tallying period (display period) for tallying the operation status, ink usage, and print area from a user operating the operation information display unit 212 or the like. The period setting unit 218 can be considered, for example, as a configuration for accepting a period specification on a user interface (UI) of the PC 112 or the like. The operation of accepting a period specification by the period setting unit 218 can be considered, for example, as an example of an operation in a tallying period setting stage. The tallying period setting stage can be considered, for example, as a stage for setting a tallying period corresponding to information to be displayed on the PC 112 or the like. In this example, when the period setting unit 218 accepts a period specification from the user, the PC 112 or the like performs display on the operation information display unit 212, ink usage display unit 214, and print area display unit 216 according to the specified period. In addition, if the specified period is changed by operating the period setting unit 218, the PC 112 etc. updates the display on the operation information display unit 212, ink usage display unit 214, and print area display unit 216 to match the newly specified period.

[0051] In this example, the period setting unit 218 accepts the same aggregation period for the operation information display unit 212, the ink usage display unit 214, and the print area display unit 216 all at once. However, the method of accepting the period designation in the period setting unit 218 is not limited to a collective setting, but may be an individual setting method. In this case, the PC 112, for example, allows the user to select whether to set the period all at once or individually, and then accepts the period designation from the user. This allows the PC 112, for example, to display the aggregation for the specified period. With this configuration, for example, even if it is desired to change only the aggregation period for some items when reviewing the aggregation results, the aggregation period can be appropriately changed. More specifically, in this case, when setting the period using the period setting unit 218, the PC 112, for example, accepts the user's selection of the period for tallying the operation status, the period for tallying the ink usage, and the period for tallying the print area, either collectively or individually. Furthermore, when displaying information on the operation information display unit 212, ink usage display unit 214, and print area display unit 216, the PC 112 or the like displays the operation status summary, ink usage summary, and print area summary in accordance with the period set when the period was set. This configuration allows the summary period to be appropriately changed, for example, in response to the user's wishes. Furthermore, by displaying the information all at once or individually, it becomes possible to more appropriately check the status of the printer 114 and perform various other examinations, for example.

[0052] As described above, according to this example, for example, by displaying on the PC 112 or the like based on printer information acquired from the management server 12, the status of the PC 112 and the like can be appropriately grasped. In this case, by displaying a summary of the operating status, a summary of the amount of ink used, and a summary of the print area on a single screen on the PC 112 or the like, the status of the printer 114, for example, can be easily and appropriately grasped. This also makes it possible to easily and appropriately check, for example, whether the printer 114 is operating stably. Furthermore, for example, if a problem occurs with the status of the printer 114, it is also possible to grasp information useful for grasping the problem all at once.

[0053] Furthermore, in this case, by displaying related information together on a single screen, it can be considered that the information the user wants to see can be displayed efficiently and appropriately, for example, for the user's management of the printer 114 or various decisions related to the printer 114. More specifically, for example, by displaying a summary of the operating status, ink usage, and print area together, the overall status of the printer 114 can be easily and appropriately grasped, making it easier to make a comprehensive judgment as to whether or not a problem has occurred with the printer 114. In this case, even a user who is not near the printer 114, such as a user who checks information at the management department 104 or external management unit 16 at the user site 14, can easily and appropriately check the status of the printer 114. Furthermore, a user (operator) who directly uses the printer 114 at the production site 102 can appropriately check the status of the printer 114 from a location away from the printer 114, for example, by using the electronic device 116. This also makes it possible to perform other tasks from a location away from the printer 114, for example, when the printer 114 is operated continuously for a long period of time. Therefore, according to this example, it is possible to appropriately improve the work efficiency at the production base 102, for example.

[0054] Furthermore, in this example, by displaying the ink usage total and the print area total on a single screen, it is possible to easily and appropriately determine, for example, whether the ink usage is appropriate for the print area. Furthermore, if the ink usage changes due to an abnormality in the printer 114, the relationship (balance) between the print area and the ink usage displayed on a single screen will change, making it possible to detect the abnormality. As explained above, the print area total can be considered, for example, as a parameter that increases in accordance with the amount of media consumed. Therefore, by displaying the ink usage total and the print area total on a single screen, it is possible to display, for example, the amounts of ink and media consumed in a printing operation together. This also makes it possible to grasp useful information together, for example, when considering the running costs of the printer 114.

[0055] Furthermore, by displaying the time spent printing, waiting, stopped due to an error, and offline in the operational status summary, it is possible to check, for example, whether work performed using the printer 114 is progressing as planned. Furthermore, based on these ratios, it is also possible to perform labor management related to work performed using the printer 114 at the production site 102, for example. Furthermore, by displaying the operational status summary together with the ink usage and print area summary on a single screen, it is possible to determine, for example, the efficiency of work depending on the work method. More specifically, in this case, for example, if there is a difference in the amount of ink consumption required to achieve the same print area depending on the printer 114, it is possible to consider the impact of the work method by checking the relationship with the operational status summary.

[0056] Furthermore, the PC 112 or the like may display the operational status tally, ink usage tally, and print area tally in a manner different from that described above. For example, the PC 112 or the like may display multiple of the operational status tally, ink usage tally, and print area tally in a single graph. This configuration makes it possible to easily and appropriately grasp, for example, the correlation between multiple tally targets. In this case, it is also conceivable to display, for example, the operational status tally and the ink usage tally in a single graph to confirm the correlation between the two.

[0057] The PC 112 or the like may also display various numerical values, for example, in response to user operation. In this case, for example, when the user places a cursor on a graph, the PC 112 or the like may display a numerical value corresponding to the cursor's position. More specifically, in this case, the PC 112 or the like may display, for example, a cursor that moves in response to user operation and a graph showing at least one of an operational status summary, an ink usage summary, and a print area summary. Then, when the user places the cursor on the graph, the PC 112 or the like may display, for example, a numerical value corresponding to the cursor's position on the graph. This configuration may allow, for example, more detailed information to be displayed to the user. In this case, for example, the PC 112 or the like may display, for example, hourly values, daily values, cumulative values, vertical axis values, or horizontal axis values ​​as numerical values. In addition, the PC 112 or the like may, for example, highlight maximum and minimum values ​​on the graph. In this case, the PC 112 or the like displays a graph showing at least one of the following: a summary of the operating status, a summary of the amount of ink used, and a summary of the print area; and the maximum and minimum values ​​are displayed in a different way from other values ​​in the graph. In this case, it is possible to change the display color or shape of the maximum or minimum value during the aggregation period. This configuration makes it easier to grasp the position of the maximum or minimum value in the graph.

[0058] 5, the PC 112 or the like displays the operating status, ink usage, and print area totals for one printer 114. Alternatively, the PC 112 or the like may display these totals, for example, a total that compiles information about multiple printers 114. In this case, these totals can be considered, for example, as totals compiled for multiple printers 114 over a specified period. Furthermore, in this case, the multiple printers 114 may be grouped in correspondence with the printers 114 in the management server 12. In this case, the PC 112 or the like receives, for example, a user's specification of a group as the unit of totalization. Furthermore, the multiple printers 114 as the unit of totalization may be multiple printers 114 designated independently of their group. Furthermore, the PC 112 or the like may display, for example, a total that compiles information about all printers 114 associated with the same user.

[0059] In the above, an inkjet printer, for example, has been described as the printer 114 used in the printing system 10. However, a printer other than an inkjet printer may also be used as the printer 114 used in the printing system 10. It is also possible to use, for example, a 3D printer as the printer 114 used in the printing system 10. In this case, the printing area may be determined by, for example, the total area of ​​the ink layers formed by the ink used as the modeling material. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] The present invention can be suitably used, for example, in a display method for displaying information on an electronic device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10 Printing system, 102 Production base, 104 Management department, 106 Marketing department, 108 Support department, 112 PC, 114 Printer, 116 Electronic device, 12 Management server, 14 User base, 16 External management section, 202 Tab, 212 Operation information display section, 214 Ink usage display section, 216 Print area display section, 218 Period setting section

Claims

1. A display method for displaying information on an electronic device in a printing system including a printer, a management server that manages printer information indicating the status of the printer, and an electronic device that displays information based on the printer information acquired from the management server, comprising: an information transmission step of transmitting the printer information associated with the printer from the management server to the electronic device; a display step of displaying, on the electronic device, information based on the printer information transmitted from the management server to the electronic device in the information transmission step; Equipped with The management server associates the printer with the printer as the printer information and stores at least Operation information indicating the operation status of the printer; ink usage information indicating the amount of ink used by the printer, the amount of ink consumed by a printing operation; Print area information indicating a print area, which is an area printed by the printer; We manage In the information transmission step, at least the operation information, the ink usage information, and the print area information are transmitted from the management server to the electronic device; A display method characterized in that, in the display step, a summary of the printer's operating status, a summary of the ink usage amount in the printer, and a summary of the printing area printed by the printer are displayed on a single screen based on the operation information, the ink usage information, and the printing area information.

2. The printer prints using ink of multiple colors, The display method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the display step, the electronic device displays, depending on the user's selection, either or both of a total ink usage amount for each ink color and a total ink usage amount for all of the multiple ink colors.

3. a collection period setting step for setting a collection period corresponding to the information to be displayed on the electronic device in the display step, In the aggregation period setting step, the period for tallying the operating status, the period for tallying the ink usage amount, and the period for tallying the print area are set collectively or individually according to a user's selection; The display method according to claim 1, wherein in the display step, the electronic device displays the operational status tally, the ink usage tally, and the printing area tally in accordance with the period set in the tally period setting step.

4. In the display step, the operational status is summarized as follows: a standby period indicating the period during which the printer was in standby; a printing period indicating a period during which printing was performed by the printer; an error stop period indicating a period during which the printer was stopped due to an error; an offline period indicating a period during which the printer information could not be obtained; 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device displays a summary of the number of users.

5. 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein in the display step, the electronic device displays a bar graph or a pie chart showing the time the printer was in each of a plurality of states as a summary of the operating status.

6. 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein in the display step, the electronic device displays a summary of the operational status corresponding to the printer, thereby visualizing the operating status of the printer.

7. 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein the display step displays a bar graph or a line graph as the total of the ink usage amount on the electronic device.

8. 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein the display step displays a bar graph or a line graph as the total print area on the electronic device.

9. 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein in the display step, the total print area is divided into a plurality of preset categories and displayed for each category.

10. 2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein in the display step, a plurality of the total of the printer's operating status, the total of the ink usage amount, and the total of the print area are displayed in a single graph.

11. In the display step, A cursor that moves in response to user operations; a graph showing at least one of a summary of the printer's operating status, a summary of the ink usage amount, and a summary of the printing area; Display 2. The display method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a numerical value corresponding to the position of the cursor on the graph when the cursor is placed on the graph by the user's operation.

12. In the display step, a graph showing at least one of a summary of the operating status of the printer, a summary of the ink usage amount, and a summary of the printing area is displayed; 2. The display method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying maximum and minimum values ​​in said graph in a manner different from that of other values.

13. a communication unit that receives printer information from a management server that manages printer information associated with the printer; a display unit that displays information based on the printer information received from the management server; Equipped with The printer information includes at least Operation information indicating the operation status of the printer; ink usage information indicating the amount of ink used by the printer, the amount of ink consumed by a printing operation; Print area information indicating a print area, which is an area printed by the printer; The information includes The display unit displays, on a single screen, a summary of the printer's operating status, a summary of the ink usage amount in the printer, and a summary of the printing area printed by the printer based on the operation information, the ink usage information, and the printing area information.

14. an information transmission process for transmitting the printer information from a management server that manages printer information associated with the printer to an electronic device that performs a display based on the printer information; a display process for displaying information based on the printer information transmitted from the management server to the electronic device on the electronic device; causing at least one of the management server and the electronic device to execute the above; The printer information includes at least Operation information indicating the operation status of the printer; ink usage information indicating the amount of ink used by the printer, the amount of ink consumed by a printing operation; Print area information indicating a print area, which is an area printed by the printer; The information includes A program characterized in that, in the display processing, a summary of the printer's operating status, a summary of the ink usage amount in the printer, and a summary of the printing area printed by the printer are displayed on a single screen based on the operation information, the ink usage information, and the printing area information.

15. A management system for managing a printer in a printing system including the printer, a management server that manages printer information that indicates the status of the printer; the printing system is a system including the printer, the management server, and an electronic device that performs display based on the printer information acquired from the management server, and the management system is a system that constitutes at least a part of the printing system; The management server associates the printer with the printer as the printer information and stores at least Operation information indicating the operation status of the printer; ink usage information indicating the amount of ink used by the printer, the amount of ink consumed by a printing operation; Print area information indicating a print area, which is an area printed by the printer; Manage the The printer information associated with the printer is transmitted from the management server to the electronic device, and information based on the printer information is displayed on the electronic device; The management system is characterized in that by transmitting at least the operation information, the ink usage information, and the printing area information as the printer information from the management server to the electronic device, the electronic device is caused to display on a single screen a summary of the printer's operating status, a summary of the ink usage by the printer, and a summary of the printing area printed by the printer based on the operation information, the ink usage information, and the printing area information.

Images