Server, server control method, and program

Abstract

And a service in which consumables are automatically delivered at a fixed price if the number of printed sheets per month is within the number of printed sheets defined by the service.SOLUTION: A server that manages a service for delivering consumables including a recording agent used for printing to a user of a printing apparatus, the server managing a first service for charging the user for an amount of money corresponding to the number of consumables delivered to the user and a second service for charging the user for a predetermined amount of money regardless of the number of consumables delivered to the user when the number of sheets printed in the printing apparatus does not exceed a predetermined number of sheets, the server comprising: And a notification unit configured to notify, as a recommended service, a service corresponding to a lower amount of money of an amount of money estimated to be charged for the first service and an amount of money estimated to be charged for the second service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a service that automatically delivers consumables for printing devices. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development and spread of the "Internet of Things" (hereafter referred to as IoT) and cloud services, it has become easier than ever for all kinds of "things" to send data to cloud servers via the Internet. Image forming devices are also becoming more multifunctional, and multifunction devices called multifunction printers (hereafter referred to as printers) are now acting as client devices and sending various data to cloud servers. Cloud servers use the data received from printers for a variety of services.

[0003] Among the services operated by cloud servers using data sent from printers, services related to the automatic delivery of consumables are widely known. A service related to the automatic delivery of consumables is a service that delivers used ink tanks to the user's home when the printer's ink level falls below a certain level. Some services related to the automatic delivery of consumables charge a fee based on the number of ink tanks actually delivered. Other services automatically deliver consumables for a fixed price as long as the number of pages printed per month is within a specified number of pages. Patent Document 1 (JP-A-2005-102666) describes a service that automatically delivers consumables for a fixed price as long as the number of pages printed is within a specified number of pages. Then, one plan recommended for the user is selected from the multiple price plans and displayed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-82178 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration a service that charges for the number of ink tanks actually delivered, and therefore does not consider whether this service or a service that automatically delivers consumables at a fixed price if the number of prints per month is within a specified number of pages in the service would be more recommended to users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the server of the present invention is a server that manages a service for delivering consumables including a recording agent used in printing to a user of a printing device, and the server manages a first service for charging the user an amount corresponding to the number of consumables delivered to the user, and a second service for charging the user a predetermined amount regardless of the number of consumables delivered to the user if the number of pages printed by the printing device does not exceed a predetermined number, and identifies the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within a predetermined period based on the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within the predetermined period, and determines the identified amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the first service. a first determination means for determining the predetermined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period does not exceed the predetermined number, and a second determination means for determining the predetermined amount plus the amount of recording agent corresponding to the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device in excess of the predetermined number as the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period exceeds the predetermined number; and a notification means for notifying the service corresponding to the lower of the amount determined by the first determination means and the second determination means as a recommended service. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mechanism for determining which of the following services is recommended to a user: a service that automatically delivers consumables at a fixed price as long as the number of prints per month is within the number specified by the service; [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a client-server network system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 100. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printer management server 200 and a service recommendation server 300. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printer 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printer management server 200. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the service recommendation server 300. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing elements of a printing information table, a service information table, and an ink information table. [Figure 8] 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating how print information is transmitted to the service recommendation server 300. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a sequence diagram in which ink information is transmitted to the service recommendation server 300 and recommendation result information is transmitted to the printer 100. FIG. [Figure 10] This is a flow diagram that describes the evaluation value calculation formula for a subscription-based automatic delivery service. [Figure 11] This is a flow diagram that describes the evaluation value calculation formula for a one-time purchase automatic delivery service. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow for determining recommendation result information based on the calculated evaluation value. [Figure 13] This is a flow diagram that describes the evaluation value calculation formula for a subscription-based automatic delivery service with multiple plans. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention.

[0010] Example 1 In this embodiment, the following two different services are targeted as services related to the automatic delivery of consumables. The first is a subscription-based consumable automatic delivery service (hereinafter referred to as a subscription-based automatic delivery service) in which a user pays a fixed amount (predetermined amount) for a predetermined period, for example, per month, to print a specified number of pages (predetermined number of pages). The second is a pay-per-use consumable automatic delivery service (hereinafter referred to as a pay-per-use automatic delivery service) in which a user is charged each time a consumable is delivered. This embodiment presents an example in which a determination is made as to which of these two services is optimal for a user using the monthly ink fee as an evaluation value. Note that in this embodiment, ink is used as an example of a recording agent included in consumables used in printing with a printing device, but this is not limiting. For example, toner may also be used.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system according to this embodiment. A network 1000 connects a printer 100, a printer management server 200, and a service recommendation server 300. The network 1000 is a communication network realized, for example, by a local area network (hereinafter abbreviated as LAN) such as the Internet, or a wide area network (hereinafter abbreviated as WAN). The network 1000 may also be realized by a telephone line, a dedicated digital line, an ATM or frame relay line, a cable television line, or a wireless line for data broadcasting. The network 1000 may be of any type as long as data can be transmitted and received between the components. In this embodiment, the network 1000 is described as the Internet. The printer 100 is a client device with a printing function. A control application 110 for the printer 100 has a communication function via the network 1000 and a control function for the printer 100. The control application 110 has two types of communication functions via the network 1000. When the printer 100 transmits printing information or the like to the printer management server 200, an HTTPS communication function is used. When receiving the recommendation result information sent by the printer management server 200, the MQTT communication function is usually used.

[0012] The printer management server 200 is connected to the printer 100 and the service recommendation server 300 via the network 1000. The Web application 220 receives printing information and the like sent from the printer 100 and sends it to the service recommendation server 300, and sends recommendation result information received from the service recommendation server 300 to the printer 100. The DB 210 stores identification information of the printer 100 and authentication information required for communication with the printer 100.

[0013] The service recommendation server 300 is connected to the printer 100 and the printer management server 200 via the network 1000. The DB 310 stores printing information, information about ink, and information about each service to be recommended received from the printer management server 200. The web application 320 uses the information stored in the DB 310 to generate recommendation result information and transmit it to the printer management server 200.

[0014] 1, in order to simplify the explanation of this embodiment, each component is illustrated as being made up of one unit, but there is no intention to limit or restrict the number of units in the configuration. Each component may be made up of one or more multiple elements.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 100. The CPU 101 calculates, determines, and controls data and commands according to programs stored in the RAM 102 and ROM 103. The RAM 102 is used as a temporary storage area when the CPU 101 performs various processes. The ROM 103 stores an operating system (OS) and other application software. The ROM 103 may also be a rewritable nonvolatile memory, such as a flash memory. The communication device 104 is an interface to which a LAN cable is connected, and data communication with the printer management server 200 is performed via a router (not shown) or the network 1000. This data communication may also be performed wirelessly, for example, via a wireless interface. The display unit 108 is composed of, for example, an LCD, and displays various information. The operation unit 109 includes buttons, a touch panel, and the like for users to perform various input operations. The printing device 106 processes job data received by the communication device 104 and prints it on manuscript paper. The storage device 130 stores the job data received by the communication device 104. The system bus 107 exchanges data between the CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, communication device 104, printing device 106, display unit 108, operation unit 109, etc. The processing of the communication module 110 and print module 120 of the printer 100 is realized by the CPU 101 reading and executing the programs required for the processing.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer management server 200. The CPU 201 is a central processing unit that controls the following components. The disk device 202 stores various files, including an application program 212, a database 213, and an OS that are read by the CPU 201. The external storage medium reader 203 is a device for reading information such as files stored in an external storage medium such as an SD card. The memory 204 is composed of RAM or the like, and performs temporary storage and buffering of data as needed by the CPU 201. The display unit 205 is composed of, for example, an LCD, and displays various information. The operation unit 206 includes a keyboard, mouse, and the like for a user to perform various input operations. The network communication unit 207 is connected to a network such as the Internet and performs various communications. The communication unit 207 supports wired LAN and wireless LAN. The above components are interconnected via a bus 209. The service recommendation server 300 has the same hardware configuration as the printer management server 200, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the service recommendation server 400 may have a different hardware configuration from that of the printer management server 200 .

[0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printer 100. The printer management server communication module 111 is a module for communicating with the printer management server 200 via the network 1000. The printer management server communication module 111 transmits print information and ink volume information generated by a print module 112 (described later) to the printer management server 200. The printer management server communication module 111 also receives recommendation result information from the printer management server 200. The print module 112 is a module related to printing operations of the printer 100. When a user executes printing, the print module 112 generates print information and transmits the print information to the printer management server communication module 111. The print information includes the number of prints, which is the number of sheets printed by the printer 100, and ink consumption information, which is obtained from an ink consumption acquisition module 113 and indicates the amount of ink consumed during printing. When the print module 112 receives an ink volume flag from the ink consumption acquisition module 113 (described later), it generates ink volume information and transmits the ink volume information to the printer management server communication module 111. In response to a request from the print module 112, the ink consumption acquisition module 113 replies with the amount of ink consumed used for printing. Furthermore, at the time of a request from the print module 112, the ink consumption acquisition module 113 determines whether the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge attached to the printer is below a certain amount, i.e., whether it is below a threshold. If it is below this amount, the ink consumption acquisition module 113 sets an ink flag and replies to the print module 112 together with the printing information. The UI module 114 displays the recommendation result information received from the printer management server communication module 111 on the display unit 205.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printer management server 200. The printer communication module 221 is a module for communicating with the printer 200. The printer table 211 is a database table for storing authentication information and the like for mutual communication with the printer 200 in the printer communication module 221. When the printer communication module 221 receives ink-flow information from the printer 200, it verifies the received information based on the authentication information stored in the printer table 211 and transmits the ink-flow information to the ink-flow event module 223. When the printer communication module 221 receives print information from the printer 200, it verifies the received information based on the authentication information stored in the printer table 211 and transmits the print information to the print event module 224. The printer communication module 221 also transmits recommendation result information received from the recommendation result notification module 225 to the printer 200 together with the authentication information stored in the printer table 211. The ink-flow event module 223 transmits the ink-flow information received from the printer communication module 221 to the service recommendation server communication module 222. The print event module 224 transmits the print information received from the printer communication module 221 to the service recommendation server communication module 222. The service recommendation server communication module 222 transmits the ink-out information received from the ink-out event module 223 to the service recommendation server 300. The service recommendation server communication module 222 transmits the print information received from the print event module 224 to the service recommendation server 300. The service recommendation server communication module 222 transmits the recommendation result information received from the service recommendation server 300 to the recommendation result notification module 225 via the network 1000. The recommendation result notification module 225 transmits the recommendation result to the printer communication module 221.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the service recommendation server 300. The printer management server communication module 321 is a module that communicates with the printer management server 200 via the network 1000. The printer management server communication module 321 transmits print information received from the printer management server 200 to the print information storage module 322. The printer management server communication module 321 also transmits ink information received from the printer management server 200 to the evaluation value calculation module 323. The printer management server communication module 321 also transmits recommendation result information received from the recommendation result determination module 324 to the printer management server 200 via the network 1000. The print information storage module 322 stores the print information received from the printer management server communication module 321 in the print information table 311. The service information table 312 stores information about services related to automatic delivery of consumables, along with a method for calculating an evaluation value, that have been registered and stored in advance by the service operator. The ink information table 313 stores information about ink that has been registered and stored in advance by the service operator. The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the evaluation value of each service. The calculation uses the printing information stored in the printing information table 311, the service information stored in the service information table 312, and the ink information stored in the ink information table 313. The printing information is stored in the printing information table 311 when ink information is received from the printer management server communication module 321. The recommendation result determination module 324 compares the evaluation values ​​calculated by the evaluation value calculation module 323, determines the service with the smallest evaluation value as the optimal service for the user, and transmits this to the printer management server communication module 321 as recommendation result information.

[0020] FIG. 7 shows the elements of the print information table 311, service information table 312, and ink information table 313 stored in the DB 310. The print information table 311 stores print information generated by the print module 112 along with the identifier of the printer 100. The stored print information includes the print date and time, the ink consumption amount for each ink color used during printing, and the number of pages printed. The service information table 312 stores information about services to be recommended. Specifically, the service information table 312 stores service introduction information, including the service name and URL information for a service introduction page required to recommend the service to the user, as well as an evaluation value calculation formula for calculating the service's evaluation value. The evaluation value calculation formula is a string consisting of operators, variables, and constants that can be evaluated programmatically. The evaluation value calculation module 323 obtains an evaluation value by substituting the number of pages printed and ink consumption information obtained from the print information table 311 and the ink information table 313 into the variables of the evaluation value calculation formula. The following constants are embedded in the evaluation value calculation formula for subscription-based automatic delivery services. For example, it is a subscription fee, which is the monthly fee for using the subscription-based automatic delivery service. It is also the monthly print count, which is the maximum number of pages a user can print in a month by subscribing to the subscription-based automatic delivery service. It is also 30 days, which represents the number of days in a month. The ink information table 313 contains information about ink. It includes information about the model name of each ink, its tank capacity, and price, and is used to calculate the evaluation value in the evaluation value calculation module 323. The prices in the ink information table 313 may be fixed prices or variable prices. For example, they may become progressively cheaper with each purchase. For example, ink purchase history may be saved, and ink information may be registered so that the price decreases in proportion to the number of inks purchased to date.

[0021] 1 (operation of this embodiment), the flow in which the printer 100 generates print information to be used in the estimated service determination process when the user prints and the service recommendation server 300 saves it will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Also, Fig. 9 will describe the flow in which the ink consumption amount acquisition module 113 determines that the ink is true and saves the print information in the service recommendation server while performing the recommended service determination process to recommend the most suitable service to the user.

[0022] 8 and 9 may be executed by the CPUs of the printer 100, the printer management server 200, and the service recommendation server 300. That is, the CPUs may execute the process by loading program code stored in a storage device onto RAM and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be implemented by hardware or electronic circuits such as ASICs.

[0023] In FIG. 8, a user executes printing using the print execution module 112 of the printer 100 (S8001). After executing printing, the print module 112 acquires the amount of ink consumed from the ink consumption acquisition module 113. The ink consumption acquisition module 113 acquires the amount of ink consumed by printing and checks whether the remaining ink has decreased to a certain amount or less due to ink consumption, and confirms that it has not decreased to that amount or less. The ink amount acquisition module 113 then returns the amount of ink consumed to the print module 112 (S8002). The print module 112 checks that the reply from the ink amount acquisition module 113 does not include an ink low flag and performs an ink low false determination (S8003). The print module 112 generates print information consisting of the acquired amount of ink consumed and the number of pages to be printed (S8004). The print module 112 sends the generated print information to the printer management server communication module 111. The printer management server communication module 111 transmits the print information to the printer communication module 221 of the printer management server 200. The printer communication module 221 of the printer management server 200 transmits the print information to the print event module 224 (S8005). The print event module 224, which has received the print information, transmits the print information to the service recommendation server communication module 222. The service recommendation server communication module 222 asynchronously transmits the print information to the printer management server communication module 321 of the service recommendation server 300. The printer management server communication module 321 of the service recommendation server 300 transmits the print information to the print information storage module 322 (S8006). The service recommendation server communication module 222, which transmitted the print information to the service recommendation server 300 asynchronously in S8006, returns an OK to the print event module 224. The print event module 224 returns an OK to the printer communication module 221. The printer communication module 221 returns an OK to the printer management server communication module 111 of the printer 100. The printer management server communication module 111 of the printer 100 returns an OK to the print module 112 (S8007).The print information storage module 322 that has received the print information stores the received print information in the print information table 311 (S8008). Note that after S8008, the service recommendation server 300 may return OK to the printer management server 200.

[0024] In FIG. 9, a user executes printing using the print execution module 112 of the printer 100 (S9001). The print module 112 that executed the printing acquires the amount of ink consumed from the ink consumption acquisition module 113. The ink consumption acquisition module 113 acquires the amount of ink consumed by the printing and confirms whether the remaining ink has decreased to a certain amount or less due to ink consumption, and confirms that it has decreased to a certain amount or less. Thereafter, the ink amount acquisition module 113 returns the amount of ink consumed and the ink low flag to the print module 112 (S9002). The print module 112 confirms that the ink low flag is included in the response from the ink amount acquisition module 113 and performs an ink low true determination (S9003). The sequence of (S9004 to S9008) is the same as (S8004 to S8008), so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that after S9008, the service recommendation server 300 may return an OK to the printer management server 200.

[0025] The printing module 112 generates ink-row information in accordance with the determination process of (S9003) (S9009). The printing module 112 transmits the ink-row information to the printer management server communication module 111. The printer management server communication module 111 transmits the ink-row information to the printer communication module 221 of the printer management server 200. The printer communication module 221 of the printer management server 200 transmits the ink-row information to the ink-row module event 223 (S9010). The ink-row event module 224, which has received the ink-row information, transmits the ink-row information to the service recommendation server communication module 222. The service recommendation server communication module 222 asynchronously transmits the ink-row information to the printer management server communication module 321 of the service recommendation server 300. The printer management server communication module 321 of the service recommendation server 300 transmits the ink-row information to the evaluation value calculation module 323 (S9011). The service recommendation server communication module 222 replies OK to the ink draw event module 223. The ink draw event module 223 replies OK to the printer communication module 221. The printer communication module 221 replies OK to the printer management server communication module 111 of the printer 100. The printer management server communication module 111 of the printer 100 replies OK to the print module 112. (S9012) The evaluation value calculation module 323, which has received the ink draw information, calculates an evaluation value using the evaluation value calculation process for each service shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and transmits the calculated evaluation value to the recommendation result determination module 324 (S9013). The recommendation result determination module 324 generates recommendation result information from the received evaluation values ​​(S9014). The recommendation result determination module 324 transmits the recommendation result information to the printer management server communication module 321. The printer management server communication module 321 transmits the recommendation result information to the service recommendation server communication module 222 of the printer management server 200. The service recommendation server communication module 222 of the printer management server 200 transmits the recommendation result information to the recommendation result notification module 225 (S9015). The recommendation result determination module transmits the recommendation result information to the printer communication module 221.The printer communication module 221 transmits the recommendation result information to the printer management server communication module 111 of the printer 100. The printer management server communication module 111 transmits the recommendation result information to the UI module (S9016). The UI module 114 receives the recommendation result and displays it to the user (S9017). That is, the name of the service determined as the recommendation result is displayed. This presentation can be done, for example, by displaying an introductory text about the recommended service on a panel on the printer itself, or by displaying a URL or two-dimensional barcode to a web page introducing the recommended service, but other methods are also possible.

[0026] The flow from generating the recommendation result to displaying the recommendation result (S9013 to S9017) in the first embodiment is triggered by the receipt of the in-loop information generated in S9009 to the service recommendation server 300. Note that this may also be triggered by the receipt of something other than in-loop information to the service recommendation server 300.

[0027] In Example 1, evaluation values ​​for two services, a subscription-based automatic delivery service and a pay-per-use automatic delivery service, are calculated and compared by the evaluation value calculation module 323 and the recommendation result determination module 324. Figures 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the evaluation value calculation formulas for the subscription-based automatic delivery service and the pay-per-use automatic delivery service executed by the evaluation value calculation module 323. The flows shown in each figure will be explained below.

[0028] 10 and 11 may be executed by the CPU of the service recommendation server 300. That is, the CPU may execute the series of processes by expanding program code stored in a storage device onto RAM and executing the program code. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 may be realized by an electronic circuit such as an ASIC or hardware.

[0029] The evaluation value calculation formula for a subscription-based automatic delivery service will be explained using Figure 10. First, as a preliminary step to calculating the evaluation value, the evaluation value calculation module 323 obtains subscription-based automatic delivery service information including the evaluation value calculation formula and values ​​to be substituted for variables in the evaluation value calculation formula from each table. The evaluation value calculation module 323 obtains print information linked to the identifier of the printer 100 to be recommended from the print information table 311. It also obtains service information for the subscription-based automatic delivery service from the service information table 312. It also obtains ink information linked to the ink included in the print information obtained from the print information table 311 from the ink information table 313. The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the evaluation value using the obtained values.

[0030] The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the number of elapsed days since the printer 100 performed printing, based on the difference between the oldest and latest print dates and times in the print information (S10001). The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the total ink consumption, which is the amount of ink consumed by the printer 100 during the elapsed days, by adding up the ink consumption amounts for all colors included in the print information (S10002). In this embodiment, the fee is calculated using the total consumption amount for all colors, but the ink consumption amount may be calculated separately for each color. Then, the fee may be calculated for each color, and recommended services may be identified and notified for each color. The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the total number of printed sheets, which is the number of sheets printed by the printer 100 during the elapsed days since the printer 100 performed printing, by adding up the number of printed sheets included in the print information (S10003). The evaluation value calculation module 323 divides the number of elapsed days since the printer 100 performed printing by 30 days, which is the number of days per month incorporated into the evaluation value calculation formula as a constant, and multiplies the result by the total number of printed sheets. This calculates the monthly print count, which is the average number of prints per month by the printer 100 (S10004). In this embodiment, the printing period is calculated from the difference between the oldest and latest print dates and times, and the amount of ink consumed and the number of prints during this period are calculated, but this is not limited to this. For example, the amount of ink consumed and the number of prints within a month may also be calculated. In this way, it is sufficient to calculate the amount of ink consumed and the number of prints within a predetermined period. The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the ink consumption per page, which is the average ink consumption consumed by the printer 100 when printing one page, by dividing the total ink consumption by the total number of prints (S10005). The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the price per capacity from the capacity and price obtained from the ink information table 313, and calculates the ink consumption fee per page by multiplying the price per capacity by the ink consumption per page (S10006). The evaluation value calculation module 323 compares the monthly printable number of sheets incorporated as a constant in the evaluation value calculation formula with the monthly print number (S10007). If the result of S10007 is that the monthly printable number of sheets is greater, the evaluation value calculation module 323 sets this as the value of the evaluation value calculation formula for the subscription-based automatic delivery service.The usage fee for the subscription-based automatic delivery service incorporated into the evaluation value calculation formula is then returned as a constant (S10008). If the result of S10007 is that the monthly print count is larger, the evaluation value calculation module 323 uses the value of the evaluation value calculation formula for the subscription-based automatic delivery service as the constant. The usage fee for the subscription-based automatic delivery service incorporated into the evaluation value calculation formula is then returned as a constant, plus the fee for printing in excess of the monthly printable count. The fee for printing in excess of the monthly printable count is calculated by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the monthly printable count from the monthly printable count by the ink consumption fee per sheet (S10009).

[0031] The evaluation value calculation formula for a pay-per-use automatic delivery service will be explained using Figure 11. First, as a preliminary step to calculating the evaluation value, evaluation value calculation module 323 obtains, from each table, the evaluation value calculation formula for the pay-per-use automatic delivery service, including the evaluation value calculation formula, and values ​​to be substituted for variables in the evaluation value calculation formula. Evaluation value calculation module 323 obtains print information linked to the identifier of the printer 100 to be recommended from print information table 311. It also obtains service information for the pay-per-use automatic delivery service from service information table 312. It also obtains ink information linked to the ink included in the print information obtained from print information table 311 from ink information table 313. Using the obtained values, evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the evaluation value.

[0032] In (S11001-S11002), similar to (S10001-S10002), the evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the number of days since consumption and the total amount of ink consumed. The evaluation value calculation module 323 uses the number of days since consumption as a constant, divides it by 30, which is the number of days per month incorporated into the evaluation value calculation formula, and multiplies the result by the total amount of ink consumed. In this way, the monthly ink consumption, which is the average ink consumption per month of the printer 100, is calculated (S11003). The evaluation value calculation module 323 calculates the price per capacity from the capacity and price obtained from the ink information table 313, and calculates the monthly ink consumption fee by multiplying the price per capacity by the monthly ink consumption (S11004). The evaluation value calculation module 324 returns the monthly ink consumption fee as the value of the evaluation value calculation formula for the pay-per-use automatic delivery service (S11005).

[0033] Figure 12 is a diagram showing a flow in which the recommendation result determination module 324 determines either a pay-per-use automatic delivery service or a subscription-based automatic delivery service as a recommendation result. The series of processes in Figure 12 can be executed by the CPU of the service recommendation server 300. That is, the series of processes can be performed by each CPU expanding program code stored in a storage device onto RAM and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps shown in Figure 12 can be realized by an electronic circuit such as an ASIC or hardware.

[0034] The recommended service is determined by comparing the evaluation values ​​of the subscription-based automatic delivery service calculated in Figures 10 and 11 with the evaluation values ​​of the pay-per-use automatic delivery service.

[0035] The recommendation result determination module 324 compares the evaluation value of the subscription-based automatic delivery service with the evaluation value of the pay-per-use automatic delivery service (S12001). If the evaluation value of the subscription-based automatic delivery service is smaller, the recommendation result determination module 324 determines the subscription-based automatic delivery service as the recommendation result (S12002). If the evaluation value of the pay-per-use automatic delivery service is smaller, the recommendation result determination module 324 determines the pay-per-use automatic delivery service as the recommendation result (S12003).

[0036] <Example 2> In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the one-time purchase automatic delivery service and the subscription-based automatic delivery service each have only one plan. In the second embodiment, an example is shown in which a service has multiple plans, particularly in this case where there are two plans for each monthly printable number of pages in the subscription-based automatic delivery service. Note that a subscription-based automatic delivery service may have three or more plans, and a one-time purchase automatic delivery service may have multiple plans. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the evaluation value calculation module 323 for the subscription-based automatic delivery service in the second embodiment. The evaluation value calculation module 323 acquires information stored in each table, as in the first embodiment, but acquires from the service information table 312 multiple records with differences in the service introduction information and evaluation value calculation formula, the number of which corresponds to the number of plans. (S13001 to S13006) are the same processes as (S11001 to S11006), and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Thereafter, the recommendation result determination module 324 executes, for each plan, the same processes (S13007 to S13010) as those (S10007 to S10009) in the first embodiment, and then determines the smallest evaluation value among the calculated evaluation values ​​for each plan as the evaluation value for the subscription-based automatic delivery service (S13011).

[0037] Then, similar to the first embodiment, the recommendation result is determined according to the flowchart of Fig. 12. Then, similar to S9015 to S9017 of the first embodiment, the recommendation result is notified and displayed. Note that when the recommendation result is displayed in S9017, not only the name of the service determined as the recommendation result but also the name of the plan corresponding to the evaluation value determined in S13011 is displayed.

[0038] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of each of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC or FPGA) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 112 Printing Module 114 UI Modules 323 Evaluation Value Calculation Module 324 Recommendation result determination module 311 Print Information Table 312 Service Information Table

Claims

1. A server that manages a service for delivering consumables, including a recording agent, used in printing to a user of a printing device, the server manages a first service for charging a user an amount corresponding to the number of consumables delivered to the user, and a second service for charging a user a predetermined amount regardless of the number of consumables delivered to the user if the number of printed pages printed by the printing device does not exceed a predetermined number; a first determination means for determining the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within a predetermined period of time based on the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within the predetermined period of time, and determining the determined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the first service; a second determination means for determining the predetermined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period does not exceed the predetermined number, and for determining the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period exceeds the predetermined number by adding the amount of recording agent corresponding to the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device in excess of the predetermined number to the predetermined amount; a notification means for notifying a service corresponding to the lower of the amount determined by the first determination means and the amount determined by the second determination means as a recommended service; A server having:

2. the server manages a first plan and a second plan related to the second service; the first plan is a plan for charging the user a first amount if the number of sheets printed by the printing device does not exceed a first number; the second plan is a plan for charging the user a second amount higher than the first amount if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device does not exceed a second number that is greater than the first number; The second determination means If the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period does not exceed the first number of sheets, the first amount is determined as the amount estimated to be charged under the first plan for the second service; If the number of prints made by the printing device within the specified period exceeds the first number, the amount obtained by adding the amount of recording agent corresponding to the number of prints made by the printing device exceeding the first number to the first amount is determined as the amount estimated to be charged under the first plan of the second service; If the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period does not exceed the second number of sheets, the second amount is determined as the amount estimated to be charged under the second plan for the second service; If the number of prints made by the printing device within the specified period exceeds the second number, the amount obtained by adding the amount of recording agent corresponding to the number of prints made by the printing device exceeding the second number to the second amount is determined as the amount estimated to be charged under the second plan for the second service; The notification means notifying the service corresponding to the lowest price between the price determined by the first determination means and the price determined by the second determination means as a recommended service; If the recommended service is the second service, the plan corresponding to the lowest price is also notified. The server according to claim 1 .

3. a receiving means for receiving information transmitted from the printing device when the remaining amount of the recording agent in the consumables attached to the printing device falls below a threshold value; and The processing by the first determining means and the second determining means is performed based on the reception of the information. The server according to claim 1 .

4. the notification means notifies the printing device; The name of the service corresponding to the lower of the amount determined by the first determination means and the amount determined by the second determination means is displayed on a panel of the printing device. The server according to claim 1 .

5. The first determination means and the second determination means determine the amount of money based on the amounts of recording materials of all colors used in the printing device. The server according to claim 1 .

6. The first determination means and the second determination means determine the amount of printing material based on the amount of printing material of one color used in the printing device. The server according to claim 1 .

7. A method for controlling a server that manages a service for delivering consumables, including a recording agent, used in printing to a user of a printing device, comprising: the server manages a first service for charging a user an amount corresponding to the number of consumables delivered to the user, and a second service for charging a user a predetermined amount regardless of the number of consumables delivered to the user if the number of printed pages printed by the printing device does not exceed a predetermined number; a first determination step of determining the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within a predetermined period based on the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within the predetermined period, and determining the determined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the first service; a second determination step of determining the predetermined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period does not exceed the predetermined number, and determining the amount estimated to be charged for the second service as the predetermined amount plus the amount of recording agent corresponding to the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device in excess of the predetermined number if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period exceeds the predetermined number; a notification step of notifying, as a recommended service, a service corresponding to the lower amount of the amount determined in the first determination step and the amount determined in the second determination step; A control method comprising:

8. A server that manages a service for delivering consumables including a recording agent used in printing to a user of a printing device, the server managing a first service for charging the user an amount corresponding to the number of consumables delivered to the user, and a second service for charging the user a predetermined amount regardless of the number of consumables delivered to the user when the number of printed sheets printed on the printing device does not exceed a predetermined number of sheets. a first determination means for determining the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within a predetermined period of time based on the amount of recording agent used in printing by the printing device within the predetermined period of time, and determining the determined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the first service; a second determination means for determining the predetermined amount as the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period does not exceed the predetermined number, and for determining the amount estimated to be charged for the second service if the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device within the predetermined period exceeds the predetermined number by adding the amount of recording agent corresponding to the number of printed sheets printed by the printing device in excess of the predetermined number to the predetermined amount; a notification means for notifying a service corresponding to the lower of the amount determined by the first determination means and the amount determined by the second determination means as a recommended service; A program to function as a

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