Information distribution server and information distribution printing system

Abstract

This prevents or reduces situations where a winning bid for an advertisement cannot be printed for an extended period of time when a single sheet contains multiple advertising slots. [Solution] The control unit 210 of the advertising server 100 acquires layout information having multiple frames for which multiple advertising images are placed, sends a bidding request for the first and second advertising images to be placed in the first frame A31 and the second frames A32, A34 to the advertising management server 500, determines the first and second specific advertising images that will be awarded the bid from among the multiple first and second advertising image candidates received, acquires the first and second specific advertising images when the first and second specific advertising images are determined, and even if the acquisition of the second specific advertising image has not been performed, delivers first print data based on the acquired first specific advertising image to the printer 200, and the first print data is configured so that after the printer 200 performs printing based on the first print data on the paper, subsequent printing can be performed on the same paper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a distribution information providing server that distributes distribution information to a printing device of a distribution destination and performs printing, and an information distribution printing system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1 for example, a bid for an advertisement attached to an image of a printed matter printed by a printing device is solicited, a target advertisement is determined based on bid results from a plurality of advertisers, and charging corresponding to the bid amount of the advertisement is executed. A technique is known.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique disclosed in the above-cited Document 1, for example, after the bid, it takes a certain amount of time until the advertisement that has won the bid is actually printed by the printing device.

[0005] Here, newly consider a case where a plurality of advertisement frames are provided on a sheet on which an advertisement is printed by a printing device. In this case, since winning bids are made in any order for each of the plurality of advertisement frames, a long time difference may further occur between the winning bid timing of the first advertisement frame and the winning bid timing of the last advertisement frame. In that case, the advertiser of the advertisement that won the bid first may have the advertisement delivery delayed until the winning bid timing of the last advertisement, resulting in a weakened effect of the advertisement or a missed opportunity to obtain the effect of the advertisement.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a distribution information server and an information distribution printing system that can prevent or reduce situations in which a winning bid advertisement cannot be printed for a long time when a single sheet contains multiple advertising slots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a distribution information provision server comprising a control unit that receives distribution information managed by a distribution information management server and distributes it to a printing device, wherein the control unit includes: a layout information acquisition process that acquires layout information having a plurality of frames, each including at least one first frame and at least one second frame, for arranging a plurality of distribution information; a first request transmission process that transmits a bid request for first distribution information to be placed in the first frame to the distribution information management server based on the layout information acquired in the layout information acquisition process; and a second request transmission process that transmits a bid request for second distribution information to be placed in the second frame to the distribution information management server based on the layout information acquired in the layout information acquisition process. The system is configured to perform: a first distribution information determination process for determining which first specific distribution information will be awarded from among a plurality of first distribution information candidates received from the distribution information management server in response to a bidding request for the first distribution information transmitted in the first request transmission process; a second distribution information determination process for determining which second specific distribution information will be awarded from among a plurality of second distribution information candidates received from the distribution information management server in response to a bidding request for the second distribution information transmitted in the second request transmission process; a first specific distribution information acquisition process for acquiring the first specific distribution information when the first specific distribution information is determined in the first distribution information determination process; a second specific distribution information acquisition process for acquiring the second specific distribution information when the second specific distribution information is determined in the second distribution information determination process; and a first partial distribution process for delivering first print data based on the first specific distribution information acquired in the first specific distribution information acquisition process to the printing device, even if the second specific distribution information acquisition process has not been executed, wherein the first print data is configured so that the printing device can perform subsequent printing on the same paper after performing printing based on the first print data on the paper.

[0008] In the present invention, a distribution information provision server receives distribution information managed by a distribution information management server and distributes it to a printing device, and the printing device prints an image based on the distribution information to generate a printed document. The printed material is configured to accommodate multiple advertising images, and accordingly, multiple frames are pre-prepared for the placement of multiple pieces of distribution information. The control unit obtains layout information having multiple frames for placing multiple pieces of distribution information by executing a layout information acquisition process. The layout information includes at least one first frame and at least one second frame. The control unit further executes first and second request transmission processes and first and second distribution information determination processes. In the first request transmission process, a bid request for the first distribution information to be placed in the first frame is sent to the distribution information management server based on the acquired layout information. In the second request transmission process, a bid request for the second distribution information to be placed in the second frame is sent to the distribution information management server based on the acquired layout information. The second request transmission process may be performed before or after the first request transmission process. Also, the second request transmission process may be performed separately from or together with the first request transmission process.

[0009] In the first distribution information determination process, the first specific distribution information that will be awarded the bid is determined from among multiple first distribution information candidates received from the distribution information management server. In the second distribution information determination process, the second specific distribution information that will be awarded the bid is determined from among multiple second distribution information candidates received from the distribution information management server. Note that the second distribution information determination process may be performed before or after the first distribution information determination process. Also, the second distribution information determination process may be performed separately from or together with the first distribution information determination process.

[0010] The control unit also performs a first specific distribution information acquisition process, a second specific distribution information acquisition process, and a first partial distribution process. If the first specific distribution information is determined in the first distribution information determination process, the first specific distribution information is acquired in the first specific distribution information acquisition process. If the second specific distribution information is determined in the second distribution information determination process, the first specific distribution information is acquired in the second specific distribution information acquisition process. In the first partial distribution process, even if the second specific distribution information acquisition process has not been executed, the first print data based on the first specific distribution information acquired in the first specific distribution information acquisition process is delivered to the printing device. The first print data is configured so that after the printing device prints on the paper based on the first print data, subsequent printing can be performed on the same paper. When subsequent printing is performed, the first print data of the advertisement image to be printed first contains information instructing the printing device to wait for subsequent print data without completing printing on that paper, or it does not contain information indicating that the print data has been completed.

[0011] As described above, according to the present invention, when a bid is made for the first of multiple slots, regardless of the bid status for the second slot, the first print data corresponding to the first specific distribution information that was successfully bid for in the first slot is distributed to the printing device and printing is performed. As a result, when a single sheet contains multiple advertisements, it is possible to prevent or reduce the situation in which the successful bid for an advertisement cannot be printed for a long time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, when a single sheet contains multiple advertising slots, it is possible to prevent or reduce situations where a winning bid for an advertisement cannot be printed for an extended period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information distribution and printing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This sequence flow illustrates an example of a processing flow executed through the collaboration of an advertising server, an advertising management server, terminal devices, and a printer. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the layout information that a printer uses when printing on paper, and the behavior of sequential printing on the paper according to that layout information. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of a printer when a laser printer is used. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the behavior of a laser printer where multiple printing processes are performed on a single sheet of paper. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of a printer when an inkjet printer is used. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the behavior of a laser printer where multiple printing processes are performed on a single sheet of paper. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the layout information when a printer performs double-sided printing on paper, and the behavior of sequential printing on the paper according to that layout information. [Figure 9] This sequence flow illustrates an example of the processing flow performed collaboratively by the ad delivery server, ad management server, terminal device, and printer in a modified version where prioritization is not assigned. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an information distribution and printing system that distributes advertising information from a server to a printer for printing.

[0015] <Overall Configuration of the Information Distribution and Printing System> FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an information distribution printing system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information distribution printing system 1 includes an advertising supply server (SSP: Supply Side Platform) 100, a printer 200, a terminal device 300, a user management server (DMP: Data Management Platform) 400, and an advertising management server (DSP: Demand Side Platform) 500. The servers 100, 400, 500, the printer 200, and the terminal device 300 each include a communication unit and can communicate with each other via a network NT. The network NT includes at least one of the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), and a WAN (Wide Area Network). The communication unit may be configured to include a plurality of types of communication circuits for connecting to the network NT. In this case, the devices connected to the network NT may communicate with a plurality of other devices using different communication circuits. In the present embodiment, the general term for a plurality of types of communication circuits is referred to as a communication unit.

[0016] <Terminal device> The terminal device 300 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user, and in this example, is connected to the network NT via wireless communication. The terminal device 300 may be any appropriate predetermined terminal other than the printer 200, and in addition to a smartphone, may be, for example, a tablet PC, a notebook PC, a desktop PC, etc. Alternatively, the terminal device 300 may be a portable terminal or a stationary terminal provided for song selection, menu selection, product browsing, etc. in a karaoke box or various stores. The terminal device 300 includes a display unit, a control unit, an operation unit, a storage unit, a communication unit, etc. not shown in the figure. Various programs are stored in the storage unit. The control unit executes various programs stored in the storage unit. The various programs include a program for executing the processing shown in the flow of FIG. 2 described later. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 300 by operating the operation unit.

[0017] <User management server> The user management server 400 manages user information via the terminal device 300. The user management server 400 includes a control unit (not shown), a storage unit, a communication unit, etc.

[0018] <Advertising server> The advertising server 100 is, for example, a server installed and managed by the manufacturer of the printer 200. The advertising server 100 receives an advertising image from the advertising management server 500 at a predetermined timing. The advertising server 100 distributes the acquired advertising image to the printer 200 to cause printing to be performed. The advertising server 100 is an example of a distribution information providing server, and the advertising image is an example of distribution information.

[0019] Specifically, the advertising server 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 115, a communication unit 140, etc. The control unit 110, the storage unit 115, and the communication unit 140, etc. are connected via a bus 105 so as to be able to transmit and receive information. The storage unit 115 is constituted by, for example, a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, a HDD, etc. Various programs 120 and various data 130 are stored in the storage unit 115. The various programs 120 include an information distribution program that executes the control content of the advertising server 100 shown by the flow of FIG. (2) described later, and the various data 130 include the printer ID of the printer 200, the user ID, the advertising image, etc.

[0020] The control unit 110 is a device that performs data processing, and is, for example, a processor such as a CPU. The control unit 110 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 115. The control unit 110 performs various processes including data communication with the printer 200, the terminal device 300, the user management server 400, and the advertising management server 500 connected to the network NT. The communication unit 140 includes hardware such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to Ethernet, is connected to the network NT, and communicates with the printer 200, the terminal device 300, the user management server 400, and the advertising management server 500.

[0021] <Ad management server> The advertising management server 500 transmits advertising images for printing on the printer 200 to the advertising provision server 100. The advertising management server 500 has a control unit (not shown), a storage unit, a communication unit, etc., and in this example, it receives bid requests from the advertising provision server 100 via the communication unit. Multiple advertiser terminal devices or servers (not shown) are connected to the network NT, and the control unit of the advertising management server 500 executes an auction corresponding to the bid request for advertising images submitted by these advertisers and acquires a suitable advertising image by bidding on the auction. When a successful bid that meets the predetermined conditions of the auction is made, the control unit of the advertising management server 500 acquires the corresponding advertising image from the terminal device, etc., of the successful bidder advertiser. The acquired advertising image is transmitted from the advertising management server 500 to the advertising provision server 100 via the communication unit, and the receiving advertising provision server 100 further transmits it to the printer 200 for printing. Alternatively, the ad provider server 100 may obtain the ad images from the ad management server 500, or the ad management server 500 may obtain ad images from another external server and send them to the ad provider server 100. The ad management server 500 is an example of a distribution information management server.

[0022] The servers 100, 400, and 500 described above may each consist of a single standalone "server," or each may be composed of multiple servers. Alternatively, at least two of the functions of servers 100, 400, and 500 may be provided by a single standalone "server."

[0023] <Printer> The printer 200 is assigned the aforementioned printer ID. The printer 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 260, a printing unit 270, and the like. The control unit 210, storage unit 215, display unit 240, operation unit 250, communication unit 260, and printing unit 270 are connected via a bus 205 to enable information transmission and reception. The printer 200 is an example of a printing device.

[0024] The storage unit 215 is composed of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, etc. The storage unit 215 stores various programs 220 and various data 230. The various programs 220 include, for example, a program that executes the control contents of the printer 200 according to the flow shown in Figure 2, which will be described later. The various data 230 include the aforementioned printer ID and advertising images received from the advertising server 100, which are acquired from the terminal device of the successful bidder among the advertisers and transmitted from the advertising server 100. In this embodiment, the various data 230 also include priority information, which will be described later. At least a portion of the above various data may be stored in the storage unit 115 of the advertising server 100. Alternatively, at least a portion of the original data may be stored in either the storage unit 215 of the printer 200 or the storage unit 115 of the advertising server 100, and a copy of the original data may be stored in the other of the two.

[0025] The control unit 210 is a data processing device, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 210 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 215. The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, capable of displaying various information. The operation unit 250 is, for example, a keyboard or buttons, and accepts user input. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication unit 260 is connected to the network NT and can communicate with the advertising server 100, advertising management server 500, user management server 400, and terminal device 300. The printing unit 270 includes a printing engine and, while transporting the printing paper from the paper tray using a transport mechanism, forms and prints an image on the printing paper using a laser method in this example (see Figures 4 and 5 below). The printing paper is an example of a sheet. Note that an inkjet printing engine may also be used (see Figures 6 and 7 below).

[0026] <Features of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, an auction is held for the advertisement to solicit bids, and when a successful bid is made by an advertiser who meets the conditions, the successful bid image of the advertisement is delivered to the printer 200 and the advertisement is printed. Here, as shown in Figure 3(a) below, for example, there may be multiple advertisement slots on the printing paper on which the advertisement is printed by the printer 200. In this case, since successful bids are made for each of the multiple advertisement slots in no particular order, there may be a long time lag between the successful bid timing of the first successful bid for the advertisement slot and the successful bid timing of the last successful bid for the advertisement slot. In that case, the advertiser of the first successful bid may find that the delivery of their advertisement is delayed until the successful bid timing of the last advertisement, resulting in a diminished advertising effect or a missed opportunity to gain advertising benefits.

[0027] The feature of this embodiment is to avoid the inconveniences that can occur when multiple advertising slots are included on a single sheet of paper, and to prevent or reduce situations where the winning bidder's advertisement cannot be printed for a long time, thereby avoiding disadvantages for the winning bidder. The details of this process will be explained below with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a sequence flow representing the control performed by the cooperation of the advertising provision server 100, the advertising management server 500, the printer 200, and the terminal device 300.

[0028] In Figure 2, first, in S2, the layout information that has been pre-set for printing on the paper by the printer 200 is acquired. The process executed by the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100 in S2 is an example of the layout information acquisition process. This layout information may be acquired from the storage unit 215 of the printer 200, or it may be acquired from the terminal device 300, advertising management server 500, user management server 400, etc.

[0029] <Layout Information> An example of the above layout information is shown in Figure 3(a). In the example shown in Figure 3(a), multiple frames are provided for placing advertisements within a single advertisement printing area that corresponds to almost the entire area of ​​an A4 size printing paper P. In this example, one first frame A31 is set in the left half of the advertisement printing area of ​​the printing paper P, two second frames A32 and A34 are set above and below it on the right side of the illustration, and two third frames A33 and A35 are set above and below it on the right side, i.e., the right edge. Note that it is sufficient to have at least one of each of the first, second, and third frames, and there may be multiple first frames including the first frame A31, and there may be only one second and one third frame. Furthermore, the number, arrangement, shape, and size of the first, second, and third frames are arbitrary and are not limited to those shown in Figure 3(a). In other words, the "first," "second," and "third" of the frames in this case are merely names for the frames, except for the differences in processing content described later, and do not represent any order or anything like that.

[0030] Returning to Figure 2, in S3, priority information predetermined for the multiple frames mentioned above is acquired. This priority information indicates the priority order for which frame's printable distribution image will be sent to the printer 200 and printed, in the event that the multiple frames are sequentially awarded as described later. Examples of methods for setting priority information include assigning higher priority to frames with high sales amounts, large areas, frames estimated to be of high user interest, frames close to the print start position (i.e., frames located at the downstream end in the transport direction), and frames at the beginning or middle of the print area.

[0031] An example of priority information acquisition processing is performed by the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100 in S3. This priority information may be acquired from the storage unit 215 of the printer 200, or it may be acquired from the terminal device 300, advertising management server 500, user management server 400, etc.

[0032] In S5, based on the layout information obtained in S2 and the priority information obtained in S3, the ad provider server 100 sends a bid request to the printer 200 for the slot to be processed this time from among the multiple slots mentioned above, and this bid request is sent to the ad management server 500. In other words, as long as S62 (described later) is determined to be No, the processes from S5 to S140 (described later) are executed repeatedly, and in each repetition, a bid request for the slot corresponding to the processing order of the current time is sent in S5. Each of the bid requests sent repeatedly in this manner includes the bid requests for the first slot A31, the bid requests for the second slots A32 and A34, and the bid requests for the third slots A33 and A35. In this example, we will explain using the case where, among the multiple slots, the first slot A31 is the highest priority slot, and the second slots A32 and A34 are the second highest priority slots. In other words, in this example, in the first execution of S5, the bid request for the highest priority slot, the first slot A31, is sent.

[0033] Furthermore, the bidding request includes a minimum bid price for each of the ad slots. The minimum bid price is uniquely determined in advance, for example, when soliciting bids for the advertising image, and is stored in the memory unit 115. In S5, the minimum bid price is determined based on the contents of the memory unit 115, and the bidding request including it is sent to the advertising management server 500. The process performed in this S5, which is executed for the first time, is an example of the first request transmission process, and the process in S5 that is performed in the subsequent repetition of the process up to S140 described below is also an example of the second request transmission process.

[0034] In response to the submitted bidding request, the ad management server 500 conducts an auction for suitable ads and solicits bids. At that time, the bidding request requires ad images that meet predetermined conditions, including having a bid price equal to or higher than the minimum bid price.

[0035] In S7, the bidding results from the auction conducted in response to the bidding request sent in S5 are received from the ad management server 500. The received content includes the ad image submitted by the bidder if there was a bid that met the specified conditions requested in the bidding request. In the first execution of S8, if the ad images submitted by each of these bidders include one for the bidding request for the first slot A31, that ad image is an example of a candidate for the first distribution information. In subsequent S8 executions in the repetition of the processing from S5 to S140 described below, if the ad images include ones for the bidding requests for the second slots A32 and A34, that ad image becomes an example of a candidate for the second distribution information. If there were no bids that met the specified conditions requested in the bidding request, that fact is included in the received content.

[0036] In S8, based on the information received in S7, it is determined whether there are any bids that meet the winning bid conditions. If there are bids that meet the winning bid conditions, the advertisement is determined to be won. Winning bid conditions include, for example, having the highest bid price. In addition, meeting the specified conditions requested in the bid request may also be considered winning bid conditions. In the first execution of S8, if the winning advertisement image includes one for the first frame A31, that advertisement is an example of the first specific distribution information, and in that case, the process executed in S8 becomes an example of the first distribution information determination process. In the repetition of the processes from S5 to S140 described below, if the winning advertisement image includes one for the second frames A32 and A34, those advertisement images become an example of the second specific distribution information, and in that case, the process executed in S8 becomes an example of the second distribution information determination process.

[0037] In S10, a "hold notification" is sent to the ad management server 500 to inform advertisers who have submitted bids that meet the bidding conditions, i.e., the successful bidders, that their bids have been accepted and will be stored without being deleted. This hold notification is then forwarded by the ad management server 500 to the successful bidder's terminal device, etc. If there are multiple bids that meet the bidding conditions, multiple hold notifications may be sent.

[0038] In S15, a "defeat notification" is sent to the advertising management server 500 to inform advertisers who have submitted bids that do not meet the bidding conditions, i.e., non-winning bidders, that their bids will not be accepted because there is another winning bidder. The advertising management server 500 then forwards this defeat notification to the terminal device of the non-winning bidder. If there are multiple bids that do not meet the bidding conditions, multiple defeat notifications may be sent.

[0039] In S17, an advertising image request is sent to the advertising management server 500 requesting advertising images from the successful bidder who sent a hold notification in S10. If there are multiple successful bidders, multiple advertising images may be requested. In response to the above advertising image request, in S20A, the advertising management server 500 starts sending advertising images from the successful bidder. In response to this, in S20B, the advertising provider server 100 starts receiving and acquiring the above advertising images sent from the advertising management server 500. The acquired advertising images are stored, for example, in the storage unit 115. If the acquired advertising images in the first execution of S17 include those for the first frame A31, the process executed in S20B becomes an example of the first specific distribution information acquisition process. If, in the repetition of the processes from S5 to S140 described below, the acquired advertising images include those for the second frames A32 and A34, the process executed in S20B becomes an example of the second specific distribution information acquisition process.

[0040] In S26, it is determined whether there are any subsequent frames to be processed for the frame currently being processed, based on the priority information from S3 above. In the example above, the first execution of S26 processes the first frame A31, which has the highest priority among the multiple frames. Therefore, in the repetition of the processes from S5 to S140 described below, the processing of the frame with the second highest priority will be carried out next, so S26 is judged as Yes and processing moves on to S27. In S27, information indicating that "print instructions for subsequent frames will be added and sent in subsequent processing" (hereinafter referred to as "additional instruction information") is added to the print instruction that will be sent in S30 described below, and processing moves on to S30. In the repetition of the processes from S5 to S140 described below, if the process for the frame with the lowest priority among the multiple frames is performed, there are no subsequent frames to be processed, so S26 is judged as No and processing moves to S28. In S28, information to the effect that "there are no subsequent print instructions for frames to be printed, therefore no further print instructions will be sent in subsequent processing" (hereinafter referred to as "no additional instructions information") is added to the print instruction that will be sent in S30 described below, and processing moves to S30.

[0041] In S30, in this example, if it is executed for the first time, a distribution image is created that contains the winning bidder's advertisement image for the first frame A31, which has the highest priority. In other words, a printable distribution image is created that contains the information including the advertisement image for the first frame A31 received from the advertisement management server 500 in S20B. The print-ready distribution image may be the same advertisement image obtained through bidding, or it may have appropriate information added to it. Alternatively, instead of the advertisement provider server 100 creating the print-ready distribution image, the advertisement management server 500 may create the print-ready distribution image, the advertisement provider server 100 may obtain that print-ready distribution image, and send it to the printer 200 along with the print instruction. Alternatively, instead of creating the print-ready distribution image in S30, print data for printing the print-ready distribution image may be created using various page description languages. The same applies to the print-ready distribution images etc. in S50 and S70 described later. Furthermore, the print-ready distribution image etc. mentioned above in S30, which is executed for the first time, is an example of the first print data. The print instruction including the created print-ready distribution image etc. is distributed to printer 200 in S30. The transmission of the print instruction in S30, which is executed for the first time, is an example of the first partial distribution process.

[0042] In S32, the print instruction sent in S30 is received by the printer 200 and stored in the storage unit 215. Subsequently, in S35, the print distribution image included in the print instruction, and in the first execution of S35, the print distribution image related to the first frame A31 is printed by the printing unit 270. In S30, the advertising server 100 may distribute the print-ready distribution image to the printer 200 via another relay device. Alternatively, instead of distributing the print-ready distribution image to the printer 200, the server may send the printer 200 a page description language for printing the print-ready distribution image or a link to the distribution image. If a link to the print-ready distribution image is sent, the printer 200 accesses the link to obtain the print-ready distribution image, and the printing unit 270 performs printing on the paper P. The process performed by the printer 200 in S35 is an example of the first printing process. In the first execution of S35, as shown in Figure 3(b) following Figure 3(a) above, the printing unit 270 prints only the first frame image I31 corresponding to the first frame A31 on the printing paper P, and does not print the second frame images I32 and I34 corresponding to the second frames A32 and A34 described later.

[0043] When printing is complete in S35, a corresponding print completion notification is sent from the printer 200 in S90 and received by the advertising server 100. Subsequently, in S92, printer 200 determines whether the print instruction received in S32 contained the aforementioned "additional instruction information". If additional instruction information is included, S92 is determined to be Yes, and processing moves to the next S32, waiting for print instructions related to the subsequent frames. If additional instruction information is not included but no additional instruction information is included, S92 is determined to be No, and processing in printer 200 ends.

[0044] In S140, the ad delivery server 100 sends a billing notification to the ad management server 500 to the advertiser, who is the successful bidder and provided the ad images included in the print-ready distribution images sent in S30, in order to bill them for the compensation corresponding to the printing of the ad.

[0045] In S145, the advertising management server 500, which receives the transmitted billing notice, sends the billing notice to the terminal device of the successful bidder.

[0046] In S62, the ad provider server 100 determines whether processing has been completed for all of the aforementioned multiple ad slots based on the processing in S5 to S140. If processing for all frames has not yet been completed, that is, if there are still unprocessed frames remaining, S62 will be judged as No, and the process will return to S5 as described above, and the same processing from S5 to S140 will be repeated.

[0047] In the second execution of processes S5 to S140, based on the priority information from S3, the winning advertisement images for the second-highest priority slots A32 and A34 are acquired in S20B. Then, in S30, a distribution image is created containing the winning bidder's advertisement images for the second-highest slots A32 and A34, that is, a printable distribution image containing the information including the advertisement images for the second-highest slots A32 and A34 received from the advertisement management server 500 in S20B. As mentioned above, print data in a page description language or the like may also be used. The printable distribution image etc. in S50, which is executed in the second execution, is an example of the second print data. A print instruction including the created printable distribution image etc. is distributed to the printer 200. The process executed in S50, which is executed in the second execution, is an example of the second partial distribution process.

[0048] In the second execution of S32, the print instruction sent in the second execution of S30 is received by the printer 200 and stored in the storage unit 215. Subsequently, in S35, the print distribution image included in the print instruction, in this example the print distribution image related to the second frame A32 and A34, is printed by the print unit 270, and a corresponding print completion notification is sent in S90. The process performed by the printer 200 in the second execution of S35 is an example of the second print process.

[0049] At this time, as shown in Figure 3(c) following Figure 3(b) above, the printing unit 270 prints the second frame images I32 and I34, which correspond to the second frames A32 and A34, on the printing paper P on which the first frame image I31 has already been printed, so as not to overlap with the first frame image I31.

[0050] <Printing with a laser printer> The method for printing the first frame image I31 and the subsequent second frame images I32 and I34, as described above, will be explained using the case where printer 200 is a laser printer (hereinafter referred to as "printer 200L" as appropriate) as an example.

[0051] <Overall printer configuration> Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the overall structure of the printer 200L. In Figure 4, the printer 200L comprises a main body 202 having a paper feeding section 203, an image forming section 205 which constitutes the printing section 270, and an output tray 223.

[0052] The paper feeding unit 203 includes a sheet cassette (not shown), a transport roller 234, and a registration roller 235. The printing paper P (see Figure 5, described later) stored in the sheet cassette is fed out one sheet at a time by the paper feeding roller (not shown) and transported toward the image forming unit 205 by the transport roller 234 and the registration roller 235.

[0053] The image forming unit 205 includes a plurality of photosensitive drums 251 and developing rollers (not shown) arranged in the front-to-back direction. In this example, there are a total of four photosensitive drums 251, one for each of the black, yellow, magenta, and cyan colors. The image forming unit 205 also includes a scanner unit 252 and a fixing unit 206. Laser light based on the print data is output from the scanner unit 252, passing through polygon mirrors, lenses, reflectors, etc., and is irradiated onto the surface of each color-corresponding photosensitive drum 251 at high speed. The fixing unit 206 is located further downstream than the photosensitive drum 251, which is the furthest downstream in the transport direction of the printing paper P.

[0054] A transfer belt 241 is positioned below the image forming unit 205. The transfer belt 241 is stretched between the drive roller 241a and the driven roller 241b. Transfer rollers (not shown) are positioned opposite each photosensitive drum 251, with the transfer belt 241 in between.

[0055] <Basic printer operation> In the printer 200L with the above configuration, in the image forming unit 205, the photosensitive drums 251, uniformly charged by a charger (not shown), are selectively exposed by the scanner unit 252. This exposure selectively removes charge from the surface of the photosensitive drums 251, forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drums 251. At this time, a development bias is applied to the developing roller, and when the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drums 251 faces the developing roller, toner is supplied from the developing roller to the electrostatic latent image due to the potential difference between the electrostatic latent image and the developing roller. As a result, a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drums 251.

[0056] When the printing paper P, which has been transported toward the image forming unit 205, is transported onto the transfer belt 241, it sequentially passes between the transfer belt 241 and each photosensitive drum 251. Then, when the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 251 faces the printing paper P, it is transferred to the printing paper P by the transfer bias applied to the transfer roller. The printing paper P on which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser unit 206. The fuser unit 206 includes a heating roller (not shown) for heating the printing paper P and a pressure roller (not shown) positioned opposite the heating roller. The toner image on the printing paper P transported to the fuser unit 206 is heat-fixed as it passes between the heating roller and the pressure roller, which are pressed against each other.

[0057] The printing paper P on which the toner image has been heat-fixed is transported downstream of the image forming unit 205 by the transport unit 207. The transport unit 207 has a transport path V1, an discharge path V2, and a re-transport path V3. Transport path V1 is the path through which the printing paper P transported from the image forming unit 205 is transported. Discharge path V2 is a path that branches off from transport path V1 and transports the printing paper P to the discharge tray 223. Re-transport path V3 has a first path V31 that branches off from transport path V1 and temporarily transports the printing paper P, and a second path V33 that branches off from discharge path V2 and the first path V31 and transports the printing paper P to the image forming unit 205.

[0058] <Multiple prints on a single sheet of paper> The process of printing multiple times on a single sheet of paper P in the printer 200L with the above configuration will be explained with reference to Figures 5(a) to (d).

[0059] The printing paper P (see Figure 5(a)) is first transported from the paper feed unit 203 along the transport path V1 to the image forming unit 205 for printing. Subsequently, it is guided to the first path V31 of the re-transport path V3 (see Figure 5(b)). After the introduction of the printing paper P into the first path V31 is completed, the transport is temporarily stopped, then the paper is switched back and transported in the reverse direction along the first path V31. The path is then switched using a known method and the paper is introduced into the second path V33 (Figure 5(c)).

[0060] Then, after being transported along the second path V33, the printing paper P is guided back to the image forming unit 205 (Figure 5(d)). At this point, the orientation of the printing paper P is reversed compared to when it was first printed in the image forming unit 205 (Figure 5(a)), with the front and back sides reversed. Therefore, by printing in this state, the image forming unit 205 can perform so-called double-sided printing, that is, printing a total of two times: once on the front side and once on the back side.

[0061] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 5(d), the printing paper P can be passed through the image forming unit 205 without printing, and then guided back to the first path V31. The transport can then be performed in the same manner as above, following the flow from Figure 5(b) → Figure 5(c) → Figure 5(d), to introduce the paper to the image forming unit 205 for the third time. In this case, the orientation of the printing paper P is such that the same side facing the image forming unit 205 is still facing the image forming unit 205 as it was when printing was first performed there (Figure 5(a)). Therefore, by printing again in this state by the image forming unit 205, two prints can be performed on one side.

[0062] Returning to Figure 2, when the printer 200L performs both the printing of the printable distribution image related to the first frame A31 in the first execution of S35 and the printing of the printable distribution images related to the second frame A32 and A34 on the same side of the printing paper P in the second execution of S35, this can be done by two printings on one side. In this case, the control unit 210 provided in the printer 200L corresponds to an example of the first print control unit. Then, under the control of the control unit 210, as described above, the printing paper P after the image forming unit 205 has printed the first frame image I31 in S35 is transported back to the image forming unit 205 via the second path V33, and the image forming unit 205 prints the second frame images I32 and I34 in S35. In this case, as shown in the example in Figure 3, the left side of Figure 3(b) represents the transport direction DL of the printing paper P, the left edge of the first frame image I31 represents the print start position LS1 during the first execution of S35, and the left edges of the second frame images I32 and I34 in Figure 3(c) represent the print start position LS2 during the second execution of S35. After printing by the image forming unit 205 in S35, whether to transport the printing paper P to the output tray 223 or to the image forming unit 205 again depends on whether the print instruction received in S32 includes "additional instruction information".

[0063] <Printing with an inkjet printer> On the other hand, the method for printing the first frame image I31 and the subsequent second frame images I32 and I34, as described above, will be explained using the case where the printer 200 is an inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as "printer 200I" as appropriate) as an example.

[0064] <Overall printer configuration> Figure 6 shows a schematic plan view illustrating the overall structure of printer 200I. In Figure 6, printer 200I includes a carriage 302, an inkjet head 303, a platen 304, transport rollers 305 and 306, a flushing foam 307, a purging unit 308, and the like. The carriage 302 and the inkjet head 303 constitute the printing unit 270. Note that the inkjet head 303 is an example of an ejection head.

[0065] The carriage 302 is connected to the carriage motor via a belt (not shown), and moves in the scanning direction when the carriage motor is driven. The inkjet head 303 is mounted on the carriage 302. The inkjet head 303 includes a flow path unit 313 and an actuator 314.

[0066] The flow path unit 313 has an ink flow path formed therein, which includes multiple nozzles 310. For example, black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks are ejected from the multiple nozzles 310.

[0067] The actuator 314, for example, has multiple electrodes, and by supplying a drive pulse signal to each electrode from the control unit 210, it has the function of individually supplying ejection energy to the ink in each nozzle 310.

[0068] The inkjet head 303 is connected to four tubes 331. Black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks stored in four ink cartridges 332 (an example of a housing) are supplied to the inkjet head 303 via the tubes 331.

[0069] The flushing foam 307 is made of a material that can absorb ink, such as a sponge. Accordingly, the printer 200I can move the carriage 302 to a flushing position where the nozzle surface faces the flushing foam 307, under the control of the control unit 210 described later. At the flushing position, the control unit 210 drives the actuator 314 to eject ink from multiple nozzles 310, thereby performing flushing to discharge the thickened ink inside the nozzles 310.

[0070] The purging unit 308 includes a cap 321, a switching unit 322, a suction pump 323, and a waste liquid tank 324. In the printer 200I, the carriage 302 can be moved to a maintenance position where the nozzle surface faces the cap 321. When the carriage 302 is in the maintenance position, multiple nozzles 310 face the cap 321. The cap 321 can also be raised and lowered by a cap lifting device (not shown). When the cap 321 is raised while the carriage 302 is in the maintenance position, the cap 321 comes into close contact with the nozzle surface, resulting in a so-called "capping state" where multiple nozzles 310 are covered by the cap 321. In printer 200I, in the capping state described above, the control unit 210 controls the switching unit 322 to connect the cap 321 and the suction pump 323, and drives the suction pump 323. This enables suction purging, which discharges ink from the flow path unit 313 through multiple nozzles 310 to the waste liquid tank 324.

[0071] <Basic printer operation> With the above configuration, the printer 200I prints on the printing paper P by transporting the paper P a predetermined distance using the transport rollers 305 and 306, while moving the carriage 302 in the scanning direction and ejecting ink from multiple nozzles 310 of the inkjet head 303.

[0072] <Multiple prints on a single sheet of paper> The process of printing multiple times on a single sheet of paper P, controlled by the control unit 210 in the printer 200I with the above configuration, will be explained with reference to Figures 7(a) to (d). Note that the control unit 210 provided in the printer 200I corresponds to an example of a second print control unit.

[0073] First, when printing the printable distribution image related to the first frame A31 in S35, which is executed for the first time, as shown in Figure 7(a), the transport rollers 305 and 306 transport the printing paper P from a predetermined printing start position in the transport direction DI while the carriage 302 is moved in the scanning direction, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 310 to form the first frame image I31 on the printing paper P. The transport direction DI is an example of the first direction. After that, the transport of the printing paper P by the transport rollers 305 and 306 is stopped (Figure 7(b)).

[0074] Subsequently, when printing the printable distribution images related to the second frame A32 and A34 in S35, which is executed for the second time, the transport rollers 305 and 306 transport the printing paper P back in the opposite transport direction DI' from the state shown in Figure 7(b). Note that the transport direction DI' is an example of the second direction. Then, as shown in Figure 7(c), the carriage 302 is moved in the scanning direction while the printing paper P is transported again in the transport direction DI, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 310 to form the second frame images I32 and I34 on the printing paper P (Figure 7(d)). In the above case, the leading edge of the paper P in the transport direction in Figure 7(a) becomes the printing start position LI1 during the first printing execution in S35, and the leading edge of the paper P in the transport direction in Figure 7(c) becomes the printing start position LI2 during the second printing execution in S35. Furthermore, after printing is executed in S35, whether the printing paper P is transported in the reverse direction or ejected as is depends on whether the print instruction received in S32 contains "additional instruction information".

[0075] Returning to Figure 2, the printing of the first frame image I31 corresponding to the first frame A31 in the first execution of S35, and the printing of the second frame images I32 and I34 in the second execution of S35 are completed as described above. After their completion, if there are still unprocessed frames remaining, the process returns from S62 to S5 as described above, and the same process from S5 to S140 is repeated, and then the same process is sequentially repeated for frames with lower priority. In the example above, the third processing from S5 to S140 results in the printing of the third frame image (not shown) corresponding to the third frame A33 and A35.

[0076] Once the processing in S5 to S140 above is completed for all of the aforementioned multiple frames, S62 is determined to be Yes, and the processing by this sequence flow ends.

[0077] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 receives advertising images managed by the advertising management server 500 and distributes them to the printer 200, and the printer 200 prints images based on the advertising images to generate printed materials.

[0078] The printed material is configured to accommodate multiple advertising images, and accordingly, the printing paper P has multiple pre-set frames for each of the multiple advertising images. The control unit 210 executes S2 to obtain layout information having multiple frames for each of the multiple images I31, I32, I34, etc. The above layout information includes at least one first frame A31 and at least one second frame A32, A34.

[0079] The control unit 210 further executes S5 and S8 within the repetition of S5 to S140. In S5, based on the layout information acquired above, a bidding request for the image to be placed in the first frame A31 and a bidding request for the images to be placed in the second frames A32 and A34 are sent to the advertising management server 500. In S8, the winning image I31 is determined from the advertising image candidates received from the advertising management server 500 to be placed in the first frame A31, and the winning images I32 and I34 are determined from the advertising image candidates received from the advertising management server 500 to be placed in the second frames A32 and A34. In the control unit 210, if the winning advertisement image for the first frame A31 is determined in S8, the image I31 is acquired in S20B. If the winning advertisement images for the second frames A32 and A34 are determined in S8, the images I32 and I34 are acquired in S20B.

[0080] At this time, in S30, which is executed for the first time, images I32 and I34, which will be acquired in the second frame A32 and A34 in S20B, have not yet been acquired. In this case, print data corresponding to image I31, which was acquired in the first frame A31 in S20B, is delivered to the printer 200.

[0081] As described above, according to this embodiment, when a bid is made for the first frame A31 among multiple frames, regardless of the bid status for the second frames A32 and A34, the print data corresponding to the image I31 that was won in the first frame A31 is delivered to the printer 200 and printing is performed. As a result, when a single sheet of paper P contains multiple advertisements, it is possible to prevent or reduce the situation in which printing cannot be performed for a long time for any of the winning advertisements.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, a bid request for the highest priority first slot A31 is sent in S5, which is executed for the first time, in accordance with the predetermined priority information obtained in S3. As a result, when a bid is made for the first slot A31, the print data corresponding to the corresponding image I31 is delivered to the printer 200 in S30, which is executed for the first time, and printing is performed. According to this embodiment, advertisements corresponding to high-priority slots can be printed as quickly as possible.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, after the image I31 corresponding to the first frame A31 is printed as soon as possible in the first execution of S30, images I32 and I34 corresponding to the second frames A32 and A34 can be printed thereafter in the second execution of S30.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, even after the printing based on image I31 related to the first frame A31 by S30 and S35 performed in the first instance, and the printing based on images I32 and I34 related to the second frames A32 and A34 by S30 and S35 performed in the second instance, subsequent printing can be performed in S30 and S50 from the third instance onward. By setting an appropriate order for each of these prints, it becomes possible to provide an even more detailed advertising distribution service.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above with reference to Figures 4 and 5, if the printer 200L is a so-called laser printer, the device body 202 has a re-transport path V3, which allows both printing processes performed in the first S35 and the second S35 to be executed on the same printing paper P. Specifically, the control unit 210 first executes the first S35 process using the image forming unit 205 to form the corresponding image I31 on the printing paper P. The control unit 210 then transports the printing paper P back to the image forming unit 205 via the second path V32, and the image forming unit 205 executes the second S35 process to form images I32 and I34 corresponding to the same printing paper P. According to this embodiment, among multiple frames, image I31, which was successfully bid on in the first frame A31, can be quickly formed on the printing paper P using a laser method, and then images I32 and I34, which were successfully bid on in the second frames A32 and A34, can be formed on the same printing paper P.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, if the printer 200I is a so-called inkjet printer as described above using Figures 6 and 7, it is equipped with a function to transport the printing paper P in the reverse direction, opposite to the forward direction. In other words, the print control unit 210 first executes the first S35, transporting the print paper P from the print start position LI1 to the transport direction DI using the transport rollers 305 and 306, while moving the carriage 302 in the scanning direction to eject ink from the nozzle 310, thereby forming the image I31 related to the first frame A31 on the print paper P. The print control unit 210 then stops the transport of the print paper P by the transport rollers 305 and 306 and transports it in the transport direction DI', returning the print paper P to the transport start position LI2, which is equivalent to the print start position LI1. Then, the print control unit 210 executes the second S35, transporting the print paper P again from the print start position LI2 to the transport direction DI while moving the carriage 302 in the scanning direction, thereby forming the images I32 and I34 related to the second frames A32 and A34 on the print paper P. According to this embodiment, among multiple frames, image I31, which was successfully bid on in the first frame A31, can be quickly formed on printing paper P using an inkjet method, and then images I32 and I34, which were successfully bid on in the second frames A32 and A34, can be formed on the same printing paper P.

[0087] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical idea. Such modifications will be described in order below. Parts equivalent to those in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0088] (1) When performing double-sided printing In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 3(a) to (c), the example described was the case in which the image I31 related to the first frame A31 and the images I32 and I34 related to the second frames A32 and A34 are printed on one side, i.e., the same side, of a single sheet of printing paper P, but the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0089] In other words, for example, as shown in Figure 8(a) corresponding to Figure 3(a), in the layout information of this modified example, one first frame A31 is set for the entire printing area on the surface of the printing paper P, two second frames A32 and A34 are set for the upper and lower left half of the printing area on the back of the printing paper P, and two third frames A33 and A35 are set for the upper and lower right half.

[0090] In this case, based on the print instruction in the first S30 in Figure 2, the first frame image I31 relating to the first frame A31 is formed on the surface of the printing paper P in the first S35 (Figure 8(b)), and then, in the second S35, the second frame images I32 and I34 relating to the second frames A32 and A34 are formed on the back of the printing paper P (Figure 8(c)).

[0091] In the case of the laser printer 200L, this processing method allows the printing paper P transported via the second path V33 to be guided back to the image forming unit 205, resulting in a reversed state where the front and back sides are reversed. In the case of the inkjet printer 200I, this processing method can be performed by first setting the front side of the printing paper P facing the carriage 302 and printing the first frame image I31, and then manually flipping the printing paper P over so that the back side of the printing paper P faces the carriage 302 and printing the second frame images I32 and I34.

[0092] In this modified example, as in the above embodiment, when multiple advertisements are included on a single sheet of printing paper P, it is possible to prevent or reduce the situation in which any of the winning bids for an advertisement cannot be printed for an extended period of time.

[0093] (2) If no priority is set for each slot In the above embodiment, based on the priority information obtained in S3, a print command was sent in the first S30 to print the winning advertisement image for the highest priority slot, but it is not limited to this. That is, it is also possible to simply send a print command to the printer 200 in the first S30 to print the winning advertisement image for the slot that was the first to be successfully bid on among multiple slots.

[0094] In this modified example, the sequence flow representing the control performed through the cooperation of the advertising server 100, advertising management server 500, printer 200, and terminal device 300 is shown in Figure 9, which corresponds to Figure 2 above.

[0095] In the flow shown in Figure 9, the process of obtaining priority information for S3, as in the flow shown in Figure 2, is omitted.

[0096] In other words, in S5, a request for bids is sent for one of the aforementioned multiple slots. The slot to be selected may be predetermined, or it may be set using an appropriate method.

[0097] For the frame specified in S5, the first round of processing S5-S140 is executed as described above, and printing based on the image related to that frame is performed in S35. Subsequently, if there are still unprocessed frames remaining, the process returns from S62 to S5 as described above, and the same processing S5-S140 is repeated. The same processing is then sequentially repeated for frames set one after another using an appropriate method, and the corresponding printing is performed in S35 each time it is repeated.

[0098] In this modified version, when a bid is made for any of the multiple frames, the print data corresponding to the image in that frame is delivered to the printer 200 and printing is performed. According to this modified version, when the first bid is made for any one of the slots, the corresponding advertisement can be printed immediately.

[0099] (3) Others In the above example, for instance, based on the layout information in Figures 3 and 8, the first image printed was one image related to one first frame A31. However, this is not limited to this; there may be two or more images related to two or more frames, each corresponding to a different frame. In that case, a print instruction containing the print data related to each of those multiple frames is sent to the printer 200 in S30. Furthermore, in the above example based on the layout information in Figures 3 and 8, the images were printed in the order of multiple second frames A32 and A34, but this is not limited to this; it may be just one frame. In that case, a print instruction including the print data related to that one frame is sent to the printer 200 in S30.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above scenario, the advertising server 100, terminal device 300, and printer 200 perform their respective processes to deliver the advertising images. However, the specific processes performed by each of these devices—that is, how their roles are divided—can be freely changed as needed. For example, it is possible for the printer 200 to perform all of these processes.

[0101] Furthermore, the sequence flow shown in Figure 2 does not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the above flow, and procedures may be added, deleted, or their order changed without departing from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0102] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0103] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0104] 1. Information distribution and printing system 100 Ad serving servers (an example of a delivery server) 110 Control Unit 115 Storage section 200 Printers (an example of a printing device) 200I Printer (Example of a printing device) 200L printer (an example of a printing device) 202 Main unit of the device 205 Image forming unit 210 Control Unit (Example of a first and second printing control unit) 223 Discharge Tray 302 Carriage 303 Inkjet head (an example of an ejection head) 305 Conveyor Roller 306 Conveyor Roller 500 Ad management server (an example of a delivery management server) P printing paper V1 transport route V2 Emissions Route V31 Route 1 V32 Second Route V3 Retransport Route

Claims

1. A distribution information provider server equipped with a control unit, which receives distribution information managed by a distribution information management server and distributes it to a printing device, The control unit, A layout information acquisition process that acquires layout information having multiple frames, including at least one first frame and at least one second frame, in which multiple pieces of the aforementioned distribution information are arranged, Based on the layout information acquired in the layout information acquisition process, a first request transmission process transmits a request to the distribution information management server to bid on the first distribution information to be placed in the first frame. A second request transmission process that transmits a request to the distribution information management server to bid on the second distribution information to be placed in the second frame, based on the layout information obtained in the layout information acquisition process, A first distribution information determination process determines which of the multiple candidates for the first distribution information received from the distribution information management server in response to the bidding request for the first distribution information transmitted in the first request transmission process will be the first specific distribution information to be successfully bid on, A second distribution information determination process determines which second specific distribution information will be awarded the bid from among a plurality of second distribution information candidates received from the distribution information management server in response to the bidding request for the second distribution information transmitted in the second request transmission process, When the first specific distribution information is determined in the first distribution information determination process, a first specific distribution information acquisition process is performed to acquire the first specific distribution information, When the second specific distribution information is determined in the second distribution information determination process, a second specific distribution information acquisition process is performed to acquire the second specific distribution information, Even if the second specific distribution information acquisition process is not executed, the first partial distribution process delivers first print data based on the first specific distribution information acquired in the first specific distribution information acquisition process to the printing device, wherein the first print data is configured so that the printing device can perform subsequent printing on the same paper after performing printing based on the first print data on the paper, A distribution information server configured to perform the following actions.

2. The control unit further, Priority information acquisition process for acquiring priority information for the aforementioned multiple frames, It is configured to perform the following actions: The distribution information providing server according to claim 1, wherein in the first request transmission process, the distribution information providing server transmits a request for bidding on the first distribution information, with the highest priority frame selected from the plurality of frames based on the priority information obtained in the priority information acquisition process.

3. In the first partial distribution process described above, If the first specific distribution information is determined in the first distribution information determination process before the second specific distribution information is determined in the second distribution information determination process, the first print data based on the first specific distribution information acquired in the first specific distribution information acquisition process will be delivered to the printing device even if the second specific distribution information acquisition process has not been executed. The distribution information providing server according to claim 1, wherein if the second specific distribution information is determined in the second distribution information determination process before the first specific distribution information is determined in the first distribution information determination process, the second print data based on the second specific distribution information acquired in the second specific distribution information acquisition process is distributed to the printing device even if the first specific distribution information acquisition process has not been executed.

4. The control unit further, A second partial distribution process for distributing second print data based on the second specific distribution information acquired in the second specific distribution information acquisition process to the printing device, wherein the second print data is configured to print on the same sheet of paper on which the printing device has performed printing based on the first print data by the first partial distribution process, A distribution information provider server according to claim 1, configured to perform the following:

5. If the aforementioned multiple frames have multiple first frames, the first partial distribution process will The first print data based on the plurality of first specific distribution information corresponding to the plurality of first frames is distributed to the printing device. Or, If the aforementioned multiple frames have multiple second frames, the second partial distribution process will The distribution information providing server according to claim 4, wherein the second print data based on a plurality of second specific distribution information corresponding to the plurality of second frames is distributed to the printing device.

6. The second print data mentioned above is The distribution information providing server according to claim 4, wherein the printing device is configured to perform subsequent printing on the same paper after performing printing based on the second print data on the same paper.

7. A printing device capable of printing images onto a sheet, A distribution information provision server receives distribution information managed by a distribution information management server and distributes it to the printing device, An information distribution and printing system having, The aforementioned distribution information providing server is A layout information acquisition process that acquires layout information having multiple frames, including one first frame and at least one second frame, in which multiple pieces of the aforementioned distribution information are arranged, Based on the layout information acquired in the layout information acquisition process, a first request transmission process transmits a request to the distribution information management server to bid on the first distribution information to be placed in the first frame. A second request transmission process that transmits a request to the distribution information management server to bid on the second distribution information to be placed in the second frame, based on the layout information obtained in the layout information acquisition process, A first distribution information determination process determines which of the multiple candidates for the first distribution information received from the distribution information management server in response to the bidding request for the first distribution information transmitted in the first request transmission process will be the first specific distribution information to be successfully bid on, A second distribution information determination process determines which second specific distribution information will be awarded the bid from among a plurality of second distribution information candidates received from the distribution information management server in response to the bidding request for the second distribution information transmitted in the second request transmission process, When the first specific distribution information is determined in the first distribution information determination process, a first specific distribution information acquisition process is performed to acquire the first specific distribution information, When the second specific distribution information is determined in the second distribution information determination process, a second specific distribution information acquisition process is performed to acquire the second specific distribution information, A first partial distribution process that distributes first print data based on the first specific distribution information obtained in the first specific distribution information acquisition process to the printing device even if the second specific distribution information acquisition process is not executed, wherein the first print data is configured such that the printing device performs printing on the paper based on the first print data and then performs subsequent printing on the same paper, and It is configured to perform, The aforementioned printing apparatus, A first printing process that prints an image based on the first print data distributed in the first partial distribution process onto the sheet, An information distribution and printing system configured to perform the following actions.

8. The aforementioned distribution information server further, A second partial distribution process for distributing second print data based on the second specific distribution information acquired in the second specific distribution information acquisition process to the printing device, wherein the second print data is configured to print on the same sheet of paper on which the printing device has performed printing based on the first print data by the first partial distribution process, It is configured to perform, The aforementioned printing apparatus, A second printing process that prints an image based on the second print data distributed in the second partial distribution process onto the sheet, The information distribution and printing system according to claim 7, configured to perform the following:

9. The aforementioned printing apparatus, The apparatus further comprises a main body having an image forming unit and an output tray, and a first print control unit, The main body of the aforementioned device is A transport path through which the sheet transported from the image forming unit is transported, A discharge path branches off from the aforementioned transport path and the sheets are transported to the discharge tray, A re-transport path having a first path branching off from the transport path and through which the sheet is temporarily transported, and a second path branching off from the discharge path and the first path and through which the sheet is transported to the image forming unit, Equipped with, The first printing control unit is The sheet, after the first printing process based on the first printing data has been performed by the image forming unit, is transported back to the image forming unit via the second path, and the image forming unit performs the second printing process based on the second printing data. The information distribution and printing system according to claim 8, configured as described above.

10. The aforementioned printing apparatus, The system further comprises an ejection head for ejecting ink introduced from a container, a movable carriage on which the ejection head is mounted, a transport roller for transporting a sheet, and a second printing control unit. The second printing control unit is, In the first printing process, the transport rollers transport the sheet from a predetermined printing start position in a first direction while the carriage is moved in the scanning direction, and ink is ejected from the ejection head to form an image on the sheet corresponding to the first printing data. After that, the transport of the sheet by the transport rollers is stopped. In the second printing process, the sheet is transported by the transport roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction and returned, and then the sheet is transported again in the first direction while the carriage is moved in the scanning direction, and ink is ejected from the ejection head to form an image on the sheet corresponding to the second printing data. The information distribution and printing system according to claim 8, configured as described above.

Images