Inkjet printer, software update system, and software update method

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer, a software update system, and a software update method capable of efficiently executing necessary software update while maintaining an operation rate of the inkjet printer.SOLUTION: The maintenance management unit 114 and the software update management unit 115 are provided, the maintenance management unit 114 collects the usage status of the inkjet printer 10 and transmits the usage status to the server 20, and the server 20 determines the maintenance plan date and time based on the predicted maintenance plan, and the software update management unit 115 collects the software configuration of the inkjet printer 10 and transmits the software configuration to the server 20, compares the software update notified from the server 20 and the information on the priority with the maintenance plan date and time created by the maintenance management unit 114 and the required time, and determines the execution timing of the software update.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer, a software update system, and a software update method. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a technology that can reduce the labor required for updating robot software and prevent defects in the update software, Patent Document 1 describes an automatic update system that includes an offline management server, an inline management server, a production management server that calculates non-operating times for each time period, and a data analysis server, and the offline management server installs update software on the corresponding offline robot based on the update software sent from the manufacturer server, evaluates the update software, and determines whether or not the update using the update software is possible based on the evaluation, the data analysis server plans the timing of the software update so that update software that is determined to be possible is performed during the non-operating times of the inline robot, and the inline management server updates the software of the inline robot at the timing planned by the data analysis server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-149345 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Software updates for industrial inkjet printers must be performed by a specialized service technician, which poses a problem of requiring a significant amount of work.

[0005] Patent Document 1 proposes a system for updating software on industrial robots, which are used in factories in the same way as industrial inkjet printers, by creating a list of available times for industrial robots based on the production plan of the factory in operation and automatically updating the software during those available times.

[0006] However, many industrial inkjet printers are machines that operate continuously 24 hours a day, and simply applying the technology described in Patent Document 1, which assumes that there are periods when the printers are not in operation, poses the problem of not being able to determine the appropriate timing for software updates, and different countermeasures are therefore required.

[0007] The present invention provides an inkjet printer, a software update system, and a software update method that can efficiently perform required software updates while maintaining the availability rate of the inkjet printer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example is an inkjet printer that prints on a print target, and is equipped with a maintenance management unit and a software update management unit, wherein the maintenance management unit collects information on the usage status of the inkjet printer and sends it to a server, and determines a maintenance plan date and time based on a maintenance plan predicted by the server, and the software update management unit collects information on the software configuration of the inkjet printer and sends it to the server, and compares information on software updates and their priority notified by the server with the maintenance plan date and time created by the maintenance management unit and its required time, and determines the timing to implement the software update.

[0009] Also, a software update system that communicates with an inkjet printer and provides the inkjet printer with maintenance predictions and software updates includes an apparatus maintenance management unit and an apparatus software update management unit, wherein the apparatus maintenance management unit predicts the time for maintenance of the inkjet printer based on information regarding the usage status of the inkjet printer obtained from the inkjet printer, and the apparatus software update management unit notifies the inkjet printer that is the target of the software update of information regarding the software update and its priority entered by the user, causing the inkjet printer to determine the timing for performing the software update based on the information regarding the priority and the maintenance time, distributes the software package requested by the inkjet printer, and manages the progress of the update of the inkjet printer that is the target of the software update.

[0010] Furthermore, a method for updating software in an inkjet printer includes the steps of: collecting information regarding the software configuration of the inkjet printer; updating software configuration information managed based on the software configuration received from the inkjet printer; comparing software update information registered by a user with the software configuration information of the inkjet printer to identify the inkjet printer that is the target of the software update; notifying the inkjet printer of information regarding the software update and its priority; comparing the information regarding the software update and its priority with the planned maintenance date and time and its required time, and creating an implementation plan for the software update; requesting an update package from a server by the date and time specified in the implementation plan and sending the corresponding software package to the inkjet printer; and having the inkjet printer perform the software update at the same time as performing maintenance at the planned date and time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently perform necessary software updates while maintaining the availability of the inkjet printer. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an entire system including an inkjet printer and a server according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an entire system including an inkjet printer and a server according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing sequence for maintenance of the inkjet printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a list table of maintenance plan information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a list table of maintenance plan information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing sequence for updating software in the inkjet printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a list table of software update information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a list table of software update information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing a process for creating a software update plan in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a list table of software update plans managed by a server in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for creating a software update plan in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The following describes embodiments of the inkjet printer, software update system, and software update method of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in this specification, identical or similar reference numerals are used to designate identical or corresponding components, and repeated description of these components may be omitted.

[0014] First Embodiment An inkjet printer, a software update system, and a software update method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0015] (Hardware configuration) First, the hardware configuration of the entire system will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware of the entire system in this embodiment.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the entire system including the inkjet printers and software update system is made up of a plurality of inkjet printers 10 for printing on print targets, and a server 20 that communicates with each of the inkjet printers 10.

[0017] Each inkjet printer 10 has a common configuration as described below. However, the configuration of each inkjet printer 10 may differ. Note that, in the following description, each of the inkjet printer 10 and the server 20 may be made up of multiple devices.

[0018] The inkjet printer 10 comprises a CPU 11 which is a central processing unit, a ROM 12 which is a read-only recording device, a RAM 13 which is a read / write memory device, a display device 14 which displays printing settings and status, a digital signal processor 15, an ink ejection mechanism 16 which ejects ink, a print head 17 which prints on the printing target, and a printer communication device 18 which communicates with external devices and systems such as servers.

[0019] In the inkjet printer 10, the CPU 11 loads a program stored in the ROM 12 into the RAM 3 and executes it to realize a number of functions, which will be described later.

[0020] The server 20 includes a CPU 21, which is a central processing unit, a ROM 22, which is a read-only memory device, a RAM 23, which is a read / write memory device, a server communication device 24, and a server display device 25, which displays information about multiple inkjet printers 10.

[0021] The CPU 21 loads a program stored in the ROM 22 into the RAM 23 and executes it to realize multiple functions described below. However, instead of the combination of the CPU 21, the ROM 22, and the RAM 23, they may be realized by an FPGA or an ASIC. Furthermore, instead of the combination of the CPU 21, the ROM 22, and the RAM 23, the server 20 may have a different combination of configurations, for example, a combination of the CPU 21, the ROM 22, and the RAM 23 with an FPGA.

[0022] The server communication device 24 communicates with the printer communication device 18. The server communication device 24 may communicate directly with the printer communication device 18 or may communicate through another device, such as a carrier's base station or other communication device.

[0023] (Functional configuration) FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the entire system including the inkjet printer 10 and the server 20 as functional blocks.

[0024] The inkjet printer 10 includes, as its functions, a printer communication unit 111, a display unit 112, a print control unit 113, a maintenance management unit 114, a software update management unit 115, a data transmission / reception unit 116, and a printer storage unit 117.

[0025] The printer communication unit 111 communicates with the server and external devices and systems using a communication protocol.

[0026] The display unit 112 is responsible for controlling the display device 14 to display information about the inkjet printer 10, such as settings and printing status for the inkjet printer 10, to the user, and the user can operate the screen displayed on the display device 14.

[0027] The print control unit 113 controls the shape and speed of printing on the print target in accordance with the settings input by the user.

[0028] The maintenance management unit 114 collects information from sensors and usage conditions of the inkjet printer 10 and transmits it to the server 20. The server 20 also notifies the user of the predicted maintenance plan and confirms it.

[0029] The maintenance management unit 114 of this embodiment collects the usage status of the inkjet printer 10 and transmits it to the server 20, and the server 20 determines the maintenance plan date and time based on the predicted maintenance plan, as will be described in detail later.

[0030] The software update management unit 115 refers to the maintenance plan managed by the maintenance management unit 114 for the software update registered in the server 20, appropriately allocates the timing of the software update, makes the preparations necessary for the software update by that timing, and executes the software update at that timing.

[0031] The software update management unit 115 of this embodiment collects the software configuration of the inkjet printer 10 and sends it to the server 20. It compares the information about the software update and its priority notified by the server 20 with the maintenance plan date and time and its required time created by the maintenance management unit 114 to determine the timing of the software update. In this case, in addition to the priority of the information about the software update, it can also use information about the required time for the software update and the deadline for the software update. It can also display the software update implementation schedule on the display device 14. These details will be described later.

[0032] The data transmission / reception unit 116 manages data to be sent to and received from external systems and devices, and transfers the data to other functions.

[0033] The printer storage unit 117 provides a file system that stores data used by each function of the inkjet printer 10 .

[0034] The server 20 has, as its functions, a server communication unit 211, a device maintenance management unit 212, a device software update management unit 213, and a server storage unit 215. The software update system of the present invention, which communicates with inkjet printer 10 and provides maintenance predictions and software updates to inkjet printer 10, is mainly composed of server 20 and inkjet printer 10.

[0035] The server communication unit 211 provides a means for communicating with the inkjet printer 10 and other external devices and systems using a communication protocol.

[0036] The device maintenance management unit 212 analyzes the usage status data collected from the inkjet printer 10, and based on the analysis results, predicts when the inkjet printer 10 will require maintenance, and creates a maintenance plan.

[0037] In this embodiment, the device maintenance management unit 212 predicts the timing of maintenance for the inkjet printer 10 based on information relating to the usage status of the inkjet printer 10 acquired from the inkjet printer 10. Details of this will be described later.

[0038] The device software update management unit 213 manages the software configuration of the inkjet printer 10, notifies the inkjet printer 10 of the contents of software updates registered by the user, and transmits the software update package at the timing requested by the inkjet printer 10.

[0039] In this embodiment, the device software update management unit 213 notifies the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update of information entered by the user regarding the software update and its priority, causes the inkjet printer 10 to determine the timing of the software update based on the information regarding the priority and the maintenance schedule, distributes the software package requested by the inkjet printer 10, and manages the progress of the update of the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update. At this time, in addition to the priority of the information regarding the software update, the device software update management unit 213 can also notify the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update of the time required for the software update and information regarding the deadline for the software update. Also, information regarding the implementation status of the software update of the inkjet printer 10 can be displayed on the server display device 25. These details will be described later.

[0040] The server display unit 214 is responsible for controlling the display on the server display device 25 of information about the inkjet printer 10, such as settings related to the inkjet printer 10 operating at various locations, for the operator on the server 20 side, and the user can then operate the screen displayed on the server display device 25.

[0041] The server storage unit 215 provides a file system that stores data used by each function of the server 20 .

[0042] (Sequence diagram) FIG. 3 shows a sequence of processes performed by the inkjet printer 10 and the server 20 when maintenance is performed on the inkjet printer 10. As shown in FIG.

[0043] 3, first, in step S101, the maintenance management unit 114 of the inkjet printer 10 collects information about the usage status at a predetermined interval and stores it in the printer storage unit 117. The information about the usage status is information about the state of the inkjet printer 10 that changes as the printer is used, such as the amount of time it has been running since it was turned on, the amount of ink remaining, the degree of ink deterioration, and dirt on the print head. The interval is not particularly limited; for example, if the printer operates 24 hours a day, information is collected four times a day, in six-hour intervals.

[0044] Next, in step S102, the maintenance management unit 114 of the inkjet printer 10 transmits the collected information on usage status to the server 20 via the data transmission / reception unit 116. The period for transmitting the information to the server 20 may be the same as the period in step S101. For example, in the case of 24-hour operation, information is collected and transmitted four times a day, in six-hour cycles. The transmission period is not limited here.

[0045] Next, in step S103, the device maintenance management unit 212 of the server 20 receives information regarding usage status from the inkjet printer 10 and stores it in the server memory unit 215, and also retrieves the usage status of the inkjet printer 10 accumulated in the server memory unit 215, analyzes the usage status, and predicts when maintenance will be required depending on each usage status.

[0046] For example, if the print head is dirty and not cleaned after one day, incorrect printing will occur, or if the ink level is low, the ink will run out after five days.

[0047] Next, in step S104, the device maintenance management unit 212 of the server 20 creates a maintenance plan for the inkjet printer 10 based on the results of step S103.

[0048] An example of a list of a maintenance plan table created by the equipment maintenance management unit 212 is shown in FIG. 4A.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4A, the maintenance plan consists of the device ID, installation location, maintenance content, type, date and time, required time, status, and person in charge ID. The device ID is a field that identifies the inkjet printer 10. The installation location is a field that indicates the location where the inkjet printer 10 is installed. The maintenance content is a field that indicates the maintenance required to maintain the print quality of the inkjet printer 10. The type is a field that indicates the frequency at which each maintenance is repeated. For example, a maintenance that is repeated multiple times within a week can be classified as "daily," a maintenance that is repeated multiple times within a month can be classified as "weekly," and a maintenance that is repeated multiple times within a year can be classified as "monthly." The date and time are the date and time when maintenance needs to be performed, as predicted by the device maintenance management unit 212. The status is a field that indicates the implementation status of the maintenance. For example, a date and time proposed by the device maintenance management unit 212 is classified as "planned," and a date and time confirmed by the user at the inkjet printer 10 is classified as "confirmed." The person in charge ID is a field that identifies the user in charge of the inkjet printer 10. Although an example of a maintenance plan table list with 8 columns and 4 rows has been described, the number of columns and rows is not limited to this.

[0050] Next, in step S105, the device maintenance management unit 212 of the server 20 transmits the maintenance plan created in step S104 to each inkjet printer 10.

[0051] Next, in step S106, the maintenance management unit 114 of the inkjet printer 10 determines the date and time period for performing maintenance based on the maintenance plan received from the server 20.

[0052] As a method for determining the date and time of maintenance, for example, the maintenance plan can be displayed on the display unit 112 and the user can confirm it. Also, for pre-specified maintenance, the inkjet printer 10 may automatically determine the date and time.

[0053] If the maintenance plan predicted by the server 20 differs from the actual usage situation, the user may be allowed to input the date and time on the display unit 112.

[0054] An example of a table listing maintenance plans managed by the inkjet printer 10 is shown in Figure 4B. A maintenance plan consists of the maintenance content, type, date and time, required time, status, and person in charge ID. The maintenance plan managed by the inkjet printer 10 is a maintenance plan for a single device, so it does not include the device ID and installation location as in the maintenance plan managed by the server 20.

[0055] Next, in step S107, the maintenance management unit 114 notifies the server 20 of the maintenance plan determined in step S106.

[0056] Next, in step S108, the maintenance management unit 114 displays the details of the maintenance on the display unit 112 when the determined maintenance date and time arrives, and instructs the user to perform the maintenance.

[0057] (Sequence diagram) 5 shows a sequence of processes performed by the inkjet printer 10 and the server 20 when updating software in the inkjet printer 10. The flow of a method for updating software in the inkjet printer 10 of this embodiment will be described using this FIG.

[0058] 5, first, in step S201, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 collects information about the software configuration from each component of the inkjet printer 10. If the inkjet printer 10 is configured with multiple CPUs 11, the software configuration of the programs running on each CPU 11 is collected. This step S201 corresponds to the step of collecting information about the software configuration of the inkjet printer 10.

[0059] Next, in step S202, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 transmits to the server 20 the information about the software configuration of the inkjet printer 10 collected in step S201.

[0060] Next, in step S203, device software update management unit 213 of server 20 manages the information relating to the software configuration received from each inkjet printer 10 and stores it in server storage unit 215. This step S203 corresponds to the step of updating the managed software configuration information based on the software configuration received from inkjet printer 10.

[0061] Next, in step S204, the user registers information about the software update through a user interface provided by the server. Note that registration can also be performed automatically by device software update management unit 213 of server 20. Step S204 corresponds to the step of comparing the software update information registered by the user with the software configuration information of inkjet printer 10 and identifying the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update.

[0062] An example of a table listing information about software updates managed by the server 20 is shown in FIG. 6A.

[0063] As shown in Figure 6A, information about software updates consists of an ID, update content, priority, type, required time, software package, and deadline. The ID is a field that identifies the software update. The update content is a field that describes the content to be updated by the software update. The priority indicates the importance of the software update. For example, a software update related to security measures may be assigned a "high" priority because it poses a security risk, a minor change to a certain function may be assigned a "medium" priority, and other updates may be assigned a "low" priority. The type indicates the target of the software update. For example, if an individual inkjet printer 10 is the target, the type would be "individual," and if multiple inkjet printers in the same installation location require a group update, the type would be "group." The required time indicates the time from when the software update is performed to when it is completed. The software package indicates the package that needs to be distributed for the software update. The deadline indicates the deadline for the software update. Although an example of a table listing information about software updates with seven columns and four rows has been described, the number of columns and rows is not limited to this.

[0064] Next, in step S205, the device software update management unit 213 of the server 20 notifies each inkjet printer 10 of the information about the software update registered by the user in step S204. This step S205 corresponds to the step of notifying the inkjet printer 10 of the information about the software update and its priority.

[0065] Next, in step S206, the data transceiver 116 of the inkjet printer 10 transfers the information about the software update received from the server 20 to the software update management unit 115. The software update management unit 115 creates a software update plan. This step S206 corresponds to the step of comparing the information about the software update and priority with the planned maintenance date and time and the required time, and creating a software update implementation plan.

[0066] The process of creating a software update plan will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 7, first, in step S301, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 acquires information about a new software update received from the server 20.

[0068] Next, in step S302, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 acquires information about the maintenance plan from the maintenance management unit 114. Specifically, this is the maintenance plan created by the maintenance management unit 114 in step S106.

[0069] Next, in step S303, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 selects one software update from the information about the software updates acquired in step S301, checks the importance of that software update, and proceeds to step S304 if the priority is high, or proceeds to step S305 if the priority is not high.

[0070] In step S304, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 checks the maintenance plan acquired in step S302, selects the date and time of the next maintenance that has been confirmed to be performed, and sets this as the schedule for the target software update. An example of a table listing the software update plans managed by the software update management unit 115 is shown in FIG. 6B.

[0071] The software update plan consists of an ID, update content, priority, type, required time, software package, implementation schedule, and deadline. The software update plan managed by the software update management unit 115 is information about software updates managed by the server 20, with the addition of a scheduled implementation item. The date and time of the scheduled maintenance selected in this step is entered in the scheduled implementation item. Since high-priority software updates must be implemented early, the most recent maintenance is selected. In addition, the required time of the maintenance plan is compared with the required time of the software update plan, and if the required time of the software update plan is longer, the required time of the maintenance plan is rewritten to the required time of the software update plan. Once step S304 is completed, the creation of the software update plan is complete.

[0072] The software update plan created in this step can be displayed on the display device 14.

[0073] Next, in step S305, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 sorts the maintenance plans acquired in S302 in descending order of maintenance date and time, and selects information on one maintenance plan from the top.

[0074] Next, in step S306, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 compares one of the maintenance plans selected in step S305 with one of the target software updates. First, the required time for the maintenance plan is compared with the required time for the software update, and if the required time for the software update is shorter and the maintenance will be performed earlier than the deadline, the process proceeds to step S307, but if the required time for the software is longer, the process returns to step S305.

[0075] Next, in step S307, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 inputs the date and time of the maintenance plan that satisfied the conditions of step S306 into the scheduled implementation items of the target software update plan. When step S307 is completed, the creation of the software update plan is completed. If two or more pieces of information related to software updates have been newly registered from the server 20, steps S303 to S307 are repeated as many times as necessary.

[0076] In this way, when the software update management unit 115 determines that the priority is set to high, it obtains the earliest maintenance schedule from the information on the maintenance plan date and time and sets it as the software update implementation schedule; if the priority is other, it obtains information on the required time and deadline, compares the required time with the date and time, and if the required time is shorter than the required time in the maintenance plan and the maintenance plan date and time is earlier than the deadline, it can set the relevant maintenance date and time as the software update implementation schedule.

[0077] If the deadline is later than the date and time of the maintenance plan, it is possible to take measures such as considering updating at a later maintenance plan.

[0078] 5, next, in step S207, software update management unit 115 of inkjet printer 10 requests the server 20 for the software package required for the software update while transmitting information about the software update plan created in step S206 to server 20. An example of a list of tables of software update plans for inkjet printer 10 managed by server 20 is shown in FIG.

[0079] The software update plan managed by the server 20 is composed of a device ID, a software update ID, an implementation schedule, and a status. The device ID is an item that identifies the inkjet printer 10. The software update ID is an item that identifies the software update. The implementation schedule is the implementation schedule for the software update confirmed in step S206. The status indicates the progress of each software update. For example, if the delivery of the software package from the server 20 is complete, it is marked as "Delivered," and if the schedule is confirmed but the package delivery has not yet been completed, it is marked as "Confirmed."

[0080] The software update plan created in this step can be displayed on the server display device 25.

[0081] Next, in step S208, device software update management unit 213 of server 20 obtains the software package requested by inkjet printer 10 in step S207 from server storage unit 215 and transmits it to inkjet printer 10. This step S208 corresponds to the step of requesting an update package from the server by the date and time specified in the implementation plan and transmitting the corresponding software package to inkjet printer 10.

[0082] Next, in step S209, data transmitter / receiver 116 of inkjet printer 10 receives the software package from server 20 and stores it in printer storage 117. When the scheduled time described in the software update plan arrives, software update management unit 115 causes display unit 112 to display information about the software update on display device 14 and requests the user's consent to perform the update. If the user approves the update, the software update is automatically performed. Step S209 corresponds to the step of causing inkjet printer 10 to perform the software update at the same time as performing maintenance at the planned date and time.

[0083] Next, in step S210, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 notifies the server 20 of the update result once the software update is complete.

[0084] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0085] The inkjet printer 10 that prints on a print target according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above includes a maintenance management unit 114 and a software update management unit 115. The maintenance management unit 114 collects information about the usage status of the inkjet printer 10 and sends it to the server 20. The server 20 determines the planned maintenance date and time based on the predicted maintenance plan. The software update management unit 115 collects information about the software configuration of the inkjet printer 10 and sends it to the server 20. The software update management unit 115 compares information about software updates and their priorities notified by the server 20 with the planned maintenance date and time created by the maintenance management unit 114 and the required time to perform the software update, thereby determining the timing to perform the software update.

[0086] Furthermore, the software update system that communicates with the inkjet printer 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention and provides the inkjet printer 10 with maintenance predictions and software updates comprises an apparatus maintenance management unit 212 and an apparatus software update management unit 213, the apparatus maintenance management unit 212 predicts the timing of maintenance for the inkjet printer 10 based on information regarding the usage status of the inkjet printer 10 obtained from the inkjet printer 10, the apparatus software update management unit 213 notifies the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update of information regarding the software update and its priority entered by the user, and causes the inkjet printer 10 to determine the timing of the software update based on the information regarding the priority and the maintenance timing, delivers the software package requested by the inkjet printer 10, and manages the progress of the update for the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update.

[0087] Furthermore, the method for updating software in inkjet printer 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of collecting information about the software configuration of inkjet printer 10, updating the software configuration information managed based on the software configuration received from inkjet printer 10, comparing software update information registered by the user with the software configuration information of inkjet printer 10 to identify the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update, notifying inkjet printer 10 of information about the software update and its priority, comparing the information about the software update and priority with the planned maintenance date and time and the required time, and creating an implementation plan for the software update, requesting an update package from server 20 by the date and time specified in the implementation plan and sending the corresponding software package to inkjet printer 10, and having inkjet printer 10 perform the software update at the same time as performing maintenance at the planned date and time.

[0088] This allows the timing of periodic maintenance to maintain high print quality to be determined from the usage data of the inkjet printer 10, even when the inkjet printer 10 is operating at a high utilization rate, and software updates can be performed at the same time as the maintenance. This allows efficient software updates to be performed without stopping the inkjet printer 10 except for maintenance, i.e., while maintaining the utilization rate of the inkjet printer 10.

[0089] Furthermore, the software update management unit 115 uses information on the time required for the software update and the deadline for the software update in addition to the priority of the information related to the software update, and the device software update management unit 213 notifies the inkjet printer 10 that is the target of the software update of information on the time required for the software update and the deadline for the software update in addition to the priority of the information related to the software update, thereby making it possible to perform updates at more appropriate times according to the characteristics of each piece of software to be updated.

[0090] Furthermore, when the software update management unit 115 determines that the priority is set to high, it obtains the earliest maintenance schedule from the information on the maintenance plan date and time and sets it as the software update implementation schedule; if the priority is other, it obtains information on the required time and deadline and compares the required time with the date and time.If the required time is shorter than the required time in the maintenance plan and the maintenance plan date and time is earlier than the deadline, it sets the corresponding maintenance date and time as the software update implementation schedule, thereby enabling updates to be performed at a timing that is more appropriate for the nature of the update.

[0091] The inkjet printer 10 is further provided with a display device 14 that displays information about the inkjet printer 10, and the software update management unit 115 can display the software update schedule on the display device 14, thereby enabling the user to grasp the scheduled status of the software update, etc.

[0092] Furthermore, the system is further provided with a server display device 25 that displays information about the inkjet printer 10, and the device software update management unit 213 displays information about the implementation status of software updates for the inkjet printer 10 on the server display device 25, allowing the management side to grasp whether the software updates for each inkjet printer 10 are being carried out appropriately, making it possible to further prevent updates from being missed.

[0093] Second Embodiment An inkjet printer, a software update system, and a software update method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0094] In this embodiment, when the type of software update in the first embodiment is group, the software update schedule is determined by coordinating the update timing for multiple inkjet printers 10. Specifically, when the type item of the software update information is set to group, the software update management unit 115 requests the server 20 for the status of other inkjet printers 10 belonging to the same group, and when the software update status of the other inkjet printers 10 is confirmed, the same timing can be set as the scheduled software update implementation.

[0095] The process of creating a software update plan performed in the inkjet printer 10 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 9, first, in step S401, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 acquires information about a new software update received from the server 20.

[0097] Next, in step S402, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 acquires information about the maintenance plan from the maintenance management unit 114. Specifically, this is the maintenance plan created by the maintenance management unit 114 in step S106.

[0098] Next, in step S403, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 checks the type of the target software update, and if the type is group, proceeds to step S404, and if not, proceeds to step S408.

[0099] Next, in step S404, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 requests the status of the software update of the target device installed in the same location from the server 20. In response to the request, the server 20 references the information about the device maintenance plan and the information about the software update plan, extracts the software update status of the device installed in the same location, and returns the result to the software update management unit 115.

[0100] Next, in step S405, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 checks the result of step S404, and if the status is determined, the process proceeds to step S406, and if not, the process proceeds to step S408.

[0101] Next, in step S406, since the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 has already determined the update schedule for a device installed in the same location, the software update management unit 115 requests the server 20 to provide the implementation schedule for that device. The server 20 then references information related to the software update plan, extracts the implementation schedule, and returns it to the software update management unit 115.

[0102] Next, in step S407, the software update management unit 115 of the inkjet printer 10 assigns a scheduled implementation date and time based on the result of step S406 so that the software update can be performed at the same time as other devices installed in the same location.

[0103] Steps S408 to S412 are for cases where the software update schedule for other devices installed in the same location has not yet been determined, and the processing is the same as steps S303 to S307 in Figure 7, so explanation is omitted.

[0104] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the inkjet printer, software update system, and software update method of the first embodiment described above, and details thereof will be omitted.

[0105] The inkjet printer, software update system, and software update method according to the second embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the inkjet printer, software update system, and software update method according to the first embodiment described above.

[0106] Furthermore, if the type item of the software update information is set to group, the software update management unit 115 requests the server 20 for the status of other inkjet printers 10 belonging to the same group, and if the software update status of the other inkjet printers 10 is confirmed, the same timing is set as the scheduled software update implementation time. In order to handle cases where software updates need to be implemented simultaneously on inkjet printers 10 installed in the same location, the server 20 manages software update plans for multiple printers, and each inkjet printer 10 can coordinate the update timing and appropriately decide on software updates for a group of multiple printers by referring to the information managed by the server 20, thereby enabling efficient software updates to be implemented.

[0107] <Other> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. The above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the described configurations.

[0108] It is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment, or to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 10...Inkjet printer 11,21...CPU 12,22…ROM 13,23…RAM 14...Display device 15...Digital signal processor 16...Ink ejection mechanism 17...Print head 18...Printer communication device 20...Server 24...Server communication device 25...Server display device 111...Printer communication unit 112...Display section 113...Printing control unit 114...Maintenance Management Department 115...Software Update Management Department 116...Data transmission / reception unit 117...Printer memory section 211...Server communication section 212...Equipment Maintenance Management Department 213...Device software update management unit 214...Server display section 215...Server memory unit

Claims

1. An inkjet printer that prints on a printing object, A maintenance management unit and a software update management unit are provided, The maintenance management unit Collecting usage information of the inkjet printer and transmitting it to a server, and determining a maintenance plan date and time based on the predicted maintenance plan by the server; The software update management unit The software configuration of the inkjet printer is collected and sent to the server, and information regarding the software update and its priority notified from the server is compared with the maintenance plan date and time created by the maintenance management unit and its required time, thereby determining the timing of the software update. Inkjet printer.

2. 2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, The software update management unit uses information on the time required for the software update and the deadline for the software update in addition to the priority of the information on the software update. Inkjet printer.

3. 3. The inkjet printer according to claim 2, The software update management unit When it is determined that the priority is set high, the earliest maintenance schedule is obtained from the information on the maintenance plan date and time, and is set as the software update implementation schedule. If the priority is "other," information on the required time and the deadline is acquired, and the required time and date are compared. If the required time is shorter than the required time in the maintenance plan and the date and time in the maintenance plan is earlier than the deadline, the corresponding maintenance date and time is set as the scheduled date and time for the software update. Inkjet printer.

4. 2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, When the type item of the software update information is set to group, the software update management unit requests the server for the status of the other inkjet printers belonging to the same group, and when the software update status of the other inkjet printers is confirmed, sets the same timing as the software update schedule. Inkjet printer.

5. 2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, a display unit that displays information about the inkjet printer; The software update management unit causes the display unit to display the software update implementation schedule. Inkjet printer.

6. 1. A software update system in communication with an inkjet printer to provide maintenance forecasts and software updates for the inkjet printer, comprising: An equipment maintenance management unit and an equipment software update management unit are provided, The equipment maintenance management unit predicting a maintenance time for the inkjet printer based on information regarding the usage status of the inkjet printer acquired from the inkjet printer; The device software update management unit notifying the inkjet printer that is the target of the software update of the inkjet printer and information regarding the software update and its priority input by the user, and having the inkjet printer determine the timing of the software update based on the information regarding the priority and the maintenance time; Delivering a software package requested by the inkjet printer; Manage the progress of updates to the inkjet printers that are the target of the software updates Software update system.

7. 7. The software update system according to claim 6, a display unit that displays information about the inkjet printer; The device software update management unit causes the display unit to display information regarding the implementation status of the software update of the inkjet printer. Software update system.

8. 7. The software update system according to claim 6, The device software update management unit notifies the inkjet printer that is the target of the software update of the time required for the software update and the deadline for the software update in addition to the priority of the information about the software update. Software update system.

9. 1. A method for updating software in an inkjet printer, comprising: collecting information regarding the software configuration of the inkjet printer; updating the software configuration information managed based on the software configuration received from the inkjet printer; comparing software update information registered by a user with software configuration information of the inkjet printer to identify the inkjet printer that is the target of the software update; notifying the inkjet printer of information regarding a software update and its priority; a step of comparing information about the software update and the priority with a maintenance plan date and time and a required time, and creating an implementation plan for the software update; requesting an update package from a server by a date and time specified in the implementation plan and transmitting the corresponding software package to the inkjet printer; and causing the inkjet printer to perform the scheduled maintenance and simultaneously perform a software update. How to update software.

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