Computer program for a server, method for displaying a screen on an external device, computer program for a first external device, and communication system

Abstract

This technology provides a way to display notification information in an appropriate format. [Solution] When the server receives account information from the first external device under specific conditions, it sends first notification-related information, including first notification information, to the first external device. The first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed on the first external device, the server receives execution information from the first external device. After receiving execution information from the first external device, when the server receives account information from the second external device, it sends second notification-related information, including first notification information, to the second external device. The second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has already been performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses a technique for causing an external device to display notification information.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a communication system including a plurality of MFPs, a terminal device, a notification server, a service providing server, and a service management server. The terminal device transmits a pull notification information request to the notification server and receives pull notification information from the notification server. The terminal device stores the pull notification information received from the notification server in the memory of the terminal device. When the terminal device receives an operation on a button for displaying a notification list screen, the terminal device displays a notification list screen including a list of notification information stored in the memory of the terminal device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] This specification provides a technique capable of displaying notification information in an appropriate display mode.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This specification discloses a computer program for a server. The computer program may cause the server's computer to function as a first account information receiving unit that receives the account information from a first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory associated with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. The first notification information may be information for notifying a user of a communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device. The computer program may cause the computer to function as a first notification-related information transmitting unit that transmits first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the first external device when the account information is received from the first external device. The first notification-related information may indicate that a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. When the first external device receives the first notification-related information from the server, it may display the first notification information included in the first notification-related information in a first display mode. The computer program may configure the server's computer to function as an execution information receiving unit that receives execution information from the first external device indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed when the selection operation for the first notification information is performed on the first external device. The computer program may configure the server's computer to function as a second account information receiving unit that receives the account information from a second external device different from the first external device after the execution information has been received from the first external device. When the account information is received from the second external device, the computer program may configure the server's computer to function as a second notification-related information transmitting unit that transmits second notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the second external device. The second notification-related information may indicate that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed.When the second external device receives the second notification-related information from the server, it may display the first notification information included in the second notification-related information in a second display mode different from the first display mode.

[0006] According to the above configuration, when the server receives account information from the first external device under specific conditions, it transmits first notification-related information to the first external device. The first external device then displays the first notification information in a first display format when it receives the first notification-related information from the server. Furthermore, when the server receives execution information from the first external device and then receives account information from the second external device, it transmits second notification-related information to the second external device. The second external device then displays the first notification information in a second display format when it receives second notification-related information from the server. Therefore, notification information can be displayed in an appropriate display format.

[0007] This specification also discloses a computer program for a first external device. The computer program may cause the computer of the first external device to function as an account information transmission unit that transmits account information to a server. When the server receives the account information from the first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory associated with the account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed, the server may transmit first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the first external device. The first notification information may be information for notifying a user of a communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device. The first notification-related information may indicate that a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. The computer program may cause the computer to function as a notification-related information receiving unit that receives the first notification-related information from the server after the account information has been transmitted to the server. The computer program may also cause the computer to function as a first display control unit that, when the first notification-related information is received from the server, causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the display unit of the first external device in a first display manner. The computer program may also cause the computer to function as an execution information transmission unit that, when a selection operation for the first notification information is accepted, transmits execution information to the server indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed.

[0008] According to the above configuration, when the first external device receives first notification-related information from the server, it displays the first notification information in the first notification format. Therefore, the notification information can be displayed in an appropriate format.

[0009] Furthermore, this specification discloses a communication system. The communication system may include a first account information receiving unit that receives the account information from a first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory associated with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. The first notification information may be information for notifying a user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device. The communication system may include a first notification-related information transmitting unit that, when the account information is received from the first external device, transmits first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the first external device. The first notification-related information may indicate that a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. The communication system may include a first display control unit that, when the first notification-related information is received, causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the first external device in a first display mode. The communication system may include an execution information receiving unit that receives execution information from the first external device indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed when the first external device performs a selection operation for the first notification information. The communication system may also include a second account information receiving unit that receives the account information from a second external device different from the first external device after the execution information has been received from the first external device. The communication system may also include a second notification-related information transmitting unit that transmits second notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the second external device when the account information is received from the second external device. The second notification-related information may indicate that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. The communication system may also include a second display control unit that, when the second notification-related information is received, causes the second external device to display the first notification information included in the second notification-related information in a second display mode different from the first display mode.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when account information is received from the first external device under specific conditions, the first notification-related information is transmitted to the first external device. When the first notification-related information is received, the first notification information is displayed on the first external device in a first display format. Furthermore, when account information is received from the second external device after execution information has been received from the first external device, the second notification-related information is transmitted to the second external device. When the second notification-related information is received, the first notification information is displayed on the second external device in a second display format. Therefore, notification information can be displayed in an appropriate display format.

[0011] A computer-readable recording medium for storing a computer program for the above-mentioned server, a server implemented by the above-mentioned computer program, and a method for controlling the server are novel and useful. A method for displaying a screen on an external device is also novel and useful. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium for storing a computer program for the above-mentioned first external device, a first external device implemented by the above-mentioned computer program, and a method for controlling the first external device are also novel and useful. A communication system comprising a server, a first external device, and a second external device is also novel and useful. Here, the above-mentioned recording medium may be a single medium or multiple mediums. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the communication system. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configuration of each device. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the contents of the notification table. [Figure 4] This is a sequence diagram of the notification-related information registration process. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram for Case A. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the screen displayed on the mobile device in Case A. [Figure 7]This is the sequence diagram for Case B. [Figure 8] This is the sequence diagram for Case C. [Figure 9] This is the sequence diagram for Case D. [Figure 10] This figure shows the screen displayed on the PC in Case D. [Figure 11] This is the sequence diagram for Case E. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] (Examples) (Configuration of communication system 2; Figure 1) As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 2 includes multiple printers 10, 20, multiple mobile terminals 100, 200, a Personal Computer (PC) 300, a notification server 400, a sales company server 500, a content server 600, and a web server 700.

[0014] Printers 10 and 20, mobile terminals 100 and 200, and PC 300 are connected to access point 4. Hereafter, access point will be referred to as "AP". Printers 10 and 20, mobile terminals 100 and 200, and PC 300 can communicate with each other via AP4. Notification server 400, sales company server 500, content server 600, and web server 700 are connected to the Internet 6. Therefore, printers 10 and 20, mobile terminals 100 and 200, PC 300, notification server 400, sales company server 500, content server 600, and web server 700 can communicate with each other via the Internet 6.

[0015] (Configuration of printers 10 and 20) Printers 10 and 20 are peripheral devices capable of executing a printing function. Printers 10 and 20 are peripheral devices such as a PC 300. Printers 10 and 20 include a printing mechanism capable of executing a printing function. The printing mechanism includes an inkjet, electrophotographic, or thermal printing engine. The inkjet printing engine includes a print head that discharges ink droplets. The electrophotographic printing engine includes a photoreceptor and an exposure device that emits light to expose the photoreceptor. The thermal printing engine includes a print head that generates heat by a heater.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, printer 10 has a serial number "SN1" and a model name "MN1". The serial number is an identification number assigned at the time of manufacturing the printer. The model name is a name indicating the model of the printer. Printer 20 has a serial number "SN2" and a model name "MN2".

[0017] (Configuration of mobile terminals 100 and 200; FIG. 2) Mobile terminals 100 and 200 are portable terminals such as mobile phones, PDAs, and tablet PCs. As an example, the mobile phone is a smartphone. Mobile terminals 100 and 200 include an operation unit 112, a display unit 114, a communication interface 120, and a control unit 130. Hereinafter, an interface will be described as an "I / F".

[0018] Operation unit 112 is a user interface that enables a user to input various information to mobile terminals 100 and 200. Operation unit 112 includes, for example, a touch panel for displaying software keys, hardware keys, or both. Software keys are operation objects. Hardware keys include, for example, buttons or switches. Display unit 114 is a display or panel for displaying various information. The panel may be a touch panel or may not be a touch panel. Also, the panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. Communication I / F 120 is connected to AP4.

[0019] The control unit 130 comprises a CPU 132 and a memory 134. The memory 134 comprises a main memory and an auxiliary memory. For example, the main memory includes RAM and cache memory. For example, the auxiliary memory may be ROM, flash memory, Solid State Drive (SSD), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or a combination thereof. The auxiliary memory of the memory 134 stores an Operating System (OS) program 140 and a mobile application 142. "Application" is an abbreviation for application program. Hereafter, the OS program will be simply referred to as "OS". The OS 140 controls the basic operation of the mobile terminals 100 and 200. The mobile application 142 is a program that causes the printer to execute printing functions. The mobile application 142 is assigned an application ID "AP1" to identify the application. The CPU 132 performs various processes according to the program loaded from the auxiliary memory to the main memory.

[0020] (PC300 configuration; Figure 2) PC300 is a stationary terminal device such as a desktop PC. In a modified example, PC300 may be a portable terminal device such as a tablet or laptop PC. PC300 comprises an operation unit 312, a display unit 314, a communication interface 320, and a control unit 330.

[0021] The operation unit 312 is a user interface that allows the user to input various information to the PC 300. The display unit 314 is a display or panel for displaying various information. The details of the operation unit 312 and the display unit 314 are the same as those of the operation unit 112 and the display unit 114 of the mobile terminals 100 and 200. The communication interface 320 is connected to AP4.

[0022] The control unit 330 comprises a CPU 332 and a memory 334. The details of the memory 334 are the same as those of the memory 134 in the mobile terminals 100 and 200. The auxiliary storage device of the memory 334 stores the OS 340 and the PC application 342. The OS 340 controls the basic operation of the PC 300. The PC application 342 is a program that causes the printer to execute printing functions. The PC application 342 is assigned an application ID "AP2" to identify the application. The CPU 332 performs various processes according to the program loaded from the auxiliary storage device to the main memory.

[0023] In this embodiment, the users of mobile terminals 100, 200, and PC 300 are the same. In a modified example, the users of mobile terminals 100, 200, and PC 300 may be different.

[0024] (Configuration of notification server 400; Figure 2) The notification server 400 is a server installed on the Internet 6 by a vendor different from the vendors of printers 10 and 20. Hereafter, this vendor will be simply referred to as "the vendor." The notification server 400 may be a single server or a collection of multiple servers.

[0025] The notification server 400 manages notification information corresponding to services related to the printer. These services include automatic shipping services, subscription services, and remote printing services. Hereafter, subscription services will be referred to as "subscription services." The automatic shipping service is a service that automatically ships a new cartridge when the amount of ink in the cartridge installed in the printer falls below a predetermined amount. The subscription service is a service that allows printing up to a contracted number of pages within a predetermined period for a basic fee. Subscription services include the automatic shipping service. The remote printing service is a service that allows printing to be performed remotely on the printer via the Internet 6.

[0026] The notification server 400 comprises a communication interface 420 and a control unit 430. The communication interface 420 is connected to the Internet 6. The control unit 430 comprises a CPU 432 and a memory 434. The details of the memory 434 are the same as those of the memory 134 of the mobile terminals 100 and 200. The auxiliary storage device of the memory 434 stores a program 440 and a notification table 442. The CPU 432 performs various processes according to the program loaded from the auxiliary storage device to the main memory.

[0027] (Configuration of sales company server 500; Figure 2) The sales company server 500 is installed on the Internet 6 by the vendor. The sales company server 500 is a server managed by a provider of printer-related services. The sales company server 500 may be a single server or a collection of multiple servers.

[0028] (Content server 600 configuration; Figure 2) The content server 600 is installed on the Internet 6 by the vendor. The content server 600 stores image data representing images of information and transmits said image data to external devices according to instructions from those external devices. The content server 600 may be a single server or a collection of multiple servers.

[0029] (Web server 700 configuration; Figure 2) The web server 700 is installed on the internet 6 by the vendor. The web server 700 may be a single server or a collection of multiple servers.

[0030] The web server 700 provides web services using the web application 742. The web server 700 includes a communication interface 720 and a control unit 730. The communication interface 720 is connected to the Internet 6. The control unit 730 includes a CPU 732 and a memory 734. The details of the memory 734 are the same as those of the memory 134 of the mobile terminals 100 and 200. The auxiliary storage device of the memory 734 stores the program 740 and the web application 742. The web application 742 is an application for managing printers. The web application 742 is assigned the application ID "AP3" to identify the application. The CPU 732 performs various processes according to the program loaded from the auxiliary storage device to the main memory.

[0031] (Contents of notification table 442; Figure 3) Referring to Figure 3, the contents of the notification table 442 of the notification server 400 will be explained.

[0032] Notification table 442 is a table for managing notification-related information. Notification table 442 stores the following information in association: account information, notification ID, content information, title information, message information, serial number, display information, selection information, and application ID. Account information is used to authenticate the user. Account information includes the username and password. Title information indicates the title. Message information indicates the message. Hereafter, title information and message information may be collectively referred to as "notification information." Notification information is used to notify the printer user of the existence of services related to the printer. The notification ID is used to identify the notification information. Content information indicates the URL to be accessed when a selection operation for the notification information is received. Display information indicates either "ON," which indicates that the notification screen corresponding to the information has already been displayed, or "OFF," which indicates that the notification screen has not already been displayed. The notification screen is displayed in a pop-up format. The selection information indicates either "ON," which means that the selection operation for the notification information has been accepted, or "OFF," which means that the selection operation has not been accepted. Hereafter, the notification ID, content information, title information, message information, serial number, display information, and selection information may be collectively referred to as "notification-related information."

[0033] (Notification-related information registration process; Figure 4) Referring to Figure 4, the notification-related information registration process will be explained. In this process, notification-related information is registered in the notification table 442 of the notification server 400. For the sake of ease of understanding, the processing performed by the CPU of each device will be described as being performed by each device, rather than by each CPU. Furthermore, communication between devices is performed via a communication interface. Therefore, in the following explanation, the phrase "via a communication interface" will be omitted when describing communication.

[0034] The administrator of the sales company server 500 performs a registration operation at T10. The registration operation involves entering account information AC1, notification ID "ID1", content information CT1, title information TL1, message information MS1, serial number "SN1", and application IDs "AP1, AP2, AP3". As a result, the sales company server 500 sends a registration instruction to the notification server 400 at T12.

[0035] When the notification server 400 receives a registration instruction from the sales company server 500 at T12, it updates the notification table 442 at T14 using the registration instruction. Specifically, the notification server 400 registers each piece of information in the registration instruction in the notification table 442 and stores the display information "OFF" and selection information "OFF" in association with each piece of information. As a result, account information AC1, notification ID "ID1", content information CT1, title information TL1, message information MS1, serial number "SN1", display information "OFF", selection information "OFF", and application IDs "AP1, AP2, AP3" are registered in association with each other in the notification table 442. The notification server 400 updates the notification table 442 each time it receives a registration instruction from the sales company server 500. In this way, the notification server 400 stores the notification information received from the sales company server 500 in the notification table 442. This configuration allows for greater flexibility in notification information.

[0036] (Specific cases; Figures 5-11) Referring to Figures 5 to 11, a specific case realized by the communication system 2 of this embodiment will be described.

[0037] (Case A; Figures 5 and 6) Case A will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In Case A, the first list screen SC8 (see Figure 6) is displayed on the display unit 114 of the mobile terminal 100. In the initial state of Case A, the printer 10 is registered in the mobile application 142 of the mobile terminal 100. Therefore, the serial number "SN1" and model name "MN1" are stored in the memory 134 of the mobile terminal 100. Also, the contents of the notification table 442 in the initial state of Case A are the same as the contents of the notification table 442 in Figure 3. Hereafter, notification-related information including notification IDs "ID1", "ID2", and "ID3" will be referred to as notification-related information NR1, NR2, and NR3, respectively. Furthermore, account information AC1 is stored in the memory 434 of the notification server 400.

[0038] The user of the mobile terminal 100 performs a first application launch operation on the mobile terminal 100 at T110, which is an operation to launch the mobile application 142. As a result, the mobile terminal 100 launches the mobile application 142, and the first home screen SC2 is displayed on the display unit 114 at T112. As shown in Figure 6, the first home screen SC2 includes a device object 800, a "Print" button 802, a "List" button 806, and a login icon 808. The device object 800 displays information about the device to which instruction information such as print instructions is sent. In this case, the serial number "SN1" and model name "MN1" are displayed on the device object 800. If no devices are registered with the mobile application 142, the string "Not Selected" is displayed on the device object 800. The "List" button 806 is a button to display the list screen on the mobile terminal 100. The login icon 808 is an icon for performing login using account information. When the mobile terminal 100 accepts an operation for the login icon 808, it displays an input screen for entering account information on the display unit 114.

[0039] At T114 in Figure 5, the user performs an account information input operation. The account information input operation includes an operation on the login icon 808 and an operation to input account information AC1. As a result, at T116, the mobile terminal 100 sends the account information AC1 to the notification server 400 and receives a login success notification from the notification server 400. As a result, the state of the mobile terminal 100 changes from a logout state to a logged-in state in which the mobile terminal 100 has logged into the notification server 400 using the account information AC1. At T120, the mobile terminal 100 displays the second home screen SC4 on the display unit 114. As shown in Figure 6, the second home screen SC4 is the same as the first home screen SC2. When the mobile terminal 100 accepts an operation on the login icon 808 in the logged-in state, it displays a selection screen on the display unit 114 to prompt the user to select logout. In the modified example, the second home screen SC4 may include the username of the logged-in user.

[0040] Next, at T122 in Figure 5, the mobile terminal 100 sends the application ID "AP1" of the mobile application 142 to the notification server 400, and at T124, it sends a notification-related information request to the notification server 400. The notification-related information request is a signal to request the notification server 400 to send notification-related information.

[0041] When the notification server 400 receives the application ID "AP1" from the mobile terminal 100 at T122 and a notification-related information request from the mobile terminal 100 at T124, it identifies the notification-related information to be sent to the mobile terminal 100 at T130. Specifically, the notification server 400 identifies the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 associated with the received account information AC1 and application ID "AP1" in the notification table 442. The notification server 400 temporarily stores the identified notification-related information NR1 and NR2 in memory 134. Next, at T132, the notification server 400 changes the display information contained in the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 in the notification table 442 to "ON". Next, at T134, the notification server 400 sends the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 temporarily stored in memory 134 to the mobile terminal 100. That is, the display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 sent to the mobile terminal 100 indicate "OFF". In this modified example, the notification server 400 may execute T132 after executing T134. In this modified example, the notification server 400 does not temporarily store the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 in memory 134.

[0042] When the mobile terminal 100 receives notification-related information NR1 and NR2 from the notification server 400 at T134, it identifies the information to be displayed. In this case, the information to be displayed is the notification-related information corresponding to the printer registered in the mobile application 142. At T140, the mobile terminal 100 identifies notification-related information NR1, which includes the serial number "SN1" stored in memory 134, as the information to be displayed. At T142, the mobile terminal 100 sends the non-display information, including the notification ID "ID2" within notification-related information NR2, which was not identified as the information to be displayed, to the notification server 400.

[0043] When the notification server 400 receives hidden information from the mobile terminal 100 at T142, it identifies notification-related information NR2 in the notification table 442, which includes the notification ID "ID2" within the received hidden information. At T144, the notification server 400 changes the display information included in notification-related information NR2 to "OFF".

[0044] Furthermore, at T150, the mobile terminal 100 determines that the display information included in the notification-related information NR1, which has been identified as the information to be displayed, is "OFF". In this case, the mobile terminal 100 determines that the notification screen corresponding to the notification-related information NR1 has not already been displayed. At T152, the mobile terminal 100 uses the title information TL1 and message information MS1 ​​within the notification-related information NR1 to display the notification screen SC6 on the display unit 114. As shown in Figure 6, the notification screen SC6 is displayed as a pop-up on the second home screen SC4. The notification screen SC6 includes the title "Service, serial number "SN1"" corresponding to the title information TL1 and the message "Would you like to subscribe to the automatic delivery service?" corresponding to the message information MS1. If a predetermined time elapses without the mobile terminal 100 accepting a selection operation for the notification screen SC6, at T154 in Figure 5, the display of the notification screen SC6 is terminated. For example, the predetermined time is "7 seconds".

[0045] At T160, the user performs an operation on the "List" button 806 on the second home screen SC4. As a result, at T162, the mobile terminal 100 uses the information to be displayed to display the first list screen SC8 on the display unit 114. As shown in Figure 6, the first list screen SC8 includes a first notification area 810 and a "Home" button 816. The first notification area 810 is the area corresponding to the notification-related information NR1. The first notification area 810 includes an unoperated object 812 and a message area 814. The unoperated object 812 is an object that indicates that a selection operation for the notification information has not yet been performed. In this embodiment, the unoperated object is a white circle. "A selection operation for the notification information has not yet been performed" may indicate that the user has not read the notification information. The message area 814 displays the notification information, namely the title information TL1 and the message information MS1.

[0046] In Figure 5, at T164, the user performs a selection operation for the first notification area 810. As a result, at T166, the mobile terminal 100 sends execution information, including the notification ID "ID1" corresponding to the first notification area 810, to the notification server 400.

[0047] When the notification server 400 receives execution information from the mobile terminal 100 at T166, it identifies notification-related information NR1 containing the notification ID "ID1" from the received execution information in the notification table 442. At T168, the notification server 400 changes the selection information in notification-related information NR1 to "ON". As a result, the display information and selection information included in notification-related information NR1 in the notification table 442 become "ON".

[0048] Furthermore, at T170, the mobile terminal 100 accesses the content server 600 using the URL 1001 indicated by the content information CT1 in the notification-related information NR1. At T172, the mobile terminal 100 receives first service screen data representing the first service screen SC10 from the content server 600. At T174, the mobile terminal 100 displays the first service screen SC10 on the display unit 114. As shown in Figure 6, the first service screen SC10 includes a message 820 guiding the user to the automatic shipping service and a "Subscribe" button 822. When the user clicks the "Subscribe" button 822, a subscription process to subscribe to the automatic shipping service is executed. The subscription process is performed between the printer 10, the mobile terminal 100, and the sales company server 500.

[0049] (Case B; Figure 7) Refer to Figure 7 to explain Case B. In Case B, the second list screen SC12 is displayed on the display unit 114 of the mobile terminal 100. Case B is the state after Case A. Therefore, the display information and selection information included in the notification-related information NR1 in the notification table 442 are "ON".

[0050] T210~T224 and T230 are the same as T110~T124 and T130 in Figure 5, respectively. The notification server 400 temporarily stores the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 identified in T230 in memory 134. In T232, the notification server 400 changes the display information contained in the notification-related information NR2 in the notification table 442 to "ON". In T234, the notification server 400 sends the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 temporarily stored in memory 134 to the mobile terminal 100. In this case, the display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR1 sent to the mobile terminal 100 are "ON". Also, the display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR2 sent to the mobile terminal 100 are "OFF".

[0051] T240, T242, and T244 are the same as T140, T142, and T144 in Figure 5, respectively. At T250, the mobile terminal 100 determines that the display information included in notification-related information NR1 is "ON". In this case, the mobile terminal 100 determines that the notification screen corresponding to notification-related information NR1 has already been displayed and does not display the notification screen.

[0052] In T260, the user performs an operation on the "List" button 806 on the second home screen SC4. As a result, in T262, the mobile terminal 100 uses the information to be displayed to display the second list screen SC12 on the display unit 114. The second list screen SC12 includes a second notification area 830 and a "Home" button 836. The second notification area 830 is the area corresponding to the notification-related information NR1. The second notification area 830 includes an operated object 832 and a message area 834. The operated object 832 is an object that indicates that a selection operation on the notification information has been performed. In this embodiment, the operated object is a black circle. "A selection operation on the notification information has been performed" may indicate that the user has read the notification information. The information displayed in the message area 834 is the same as the information displayed in the message area 814 of the first list screen SC8.

[0053] As shown in the first list screen SC8 in Figure 6, if a selection operation has not been performed on the notification information, the notification information is displayed in a display mode associated with the unoperated object. Also, as shown in the second list screen SC12 in Figure 7, if a selection operation has been performed on the notification information, the notification information is displayed in a display mode associated with the operated object. In this way, when a selection operation is performed on the notification information, the unoperated object corresponding to that notification information is changed to an operated object. Therefore, the user can know whether or not a selection operation has been performed on the notification information by looking at the display mode of the notification information. In the modified version, if a selection operation has not been performed on the notification information, the notification area may be displayed in a display mode that includes only the message area, and if a selection operation has been performed, the notification area may be displayed in a display mode that includes both the message area and the operated object. In this modified version, when a selection operation has not been performed, the area where the operated object would be displayed if a selection operation had been performed is displayed is either the screen background or the message area. In another modification, if a selection operation has been performed on the notification information, the notification area may be displayed in a way that includes only the message area, and if a selection operation has not been performed, the notification area may be displayed in a way that includes both the message area and the unoperated object. In this modification, when a selection operation has been performed, the area where the unoperated object would be displayed if a selection operation had not been performed is displayed either the screen background or the message area. Furthermore, in yet another modification, the display manner of the message area may differ depending on whether a selection operation has been performed on the notification information or not. In other words, the notification information should be displayed in a way that distinguishes between when a selection operation on the notification information has been performed and when it has not.

[0054] (Case C; Figure 8) Case C will be explained with reference to Figure 8. In Case C, the third list screen SC20 is displayed on the display unit 114 of the mobile terminal 200. The initial state of Case C is the state after Case A. Therefore, in the notification table 442, the display information and selection information included in the notification-related information NR1 are "ON". Also, the printer 10 is registered in the mobile application 142 of the mobile terminal 200.

[0055] T310 to T324 are the same as T110 to T124 in Figure 5, except that they are operations on the mobile terminal 200, processes executed by the mobile terminal 200, or the communication target is the mobile terminal 200. T330 and T332 are the same as T230 and T232 in Figure 7, respectively.

[0056] When the mobile terminal 200 receives notification-related information NR1 and NR2 from the notification server 400 at T334, T340 identifies notification-related information NR1 as the information to be displayed. T342 is the same as T242 in Figure 7, except that the communication target is the mobile terminal 200. T344 is the same as T244 in Figure 7. At T350, the mobile terminal 200 determines that the display information included in notification-related information NR1 is "ON". In this case, the mobile terminal 200 determines that the notification screen has already been displayed and does not display the notification screen corresponding to notification-related information NR1.

[0057] The user of the mobile terminal 200 performs an operation on the "List" button 806 on the second home screen SC4 in T360. As a result, the mobile terminal 200 displays the third list screen SC20 on the display unit 114 in T362 using the information to be displayed. The third list screen SC20 includes the second notification area 830 and the "Home" button 836. That is, the information displayed on the third list screen SC20 is the same as the information displayed on the second list screen SC12 (see Figure 7). In this way, when the same account information and the same application are used, the same list screen showing the same information is displayed.

[0058] (Case D; Figures 9 and 10) Case D will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10. In Case D, the fourth list screen SC38 is displayed on the display unit 314 of the PC300. In the initial state of Case D, the printer 10 is registered in the PC application 342 of the PC300. Therefore, the serial number "SN1" and model name "MN1" are stored in the memory 334 of the PC300. Case D is the state after Case A. Therefore, in the notification table 442, the display information and selection information included in the notification-related information NR1 are "ON".

[0059] The user of PC300 performs a second application launch operation on T410, which is an operation to launch the PC application 342. As a result, PC300 launches the PC application 342, and T412 displays the third home screen SC32 on the display unit 314. As shown in Figure 10, the third home screen SC32 includes a "Print" button 850, a "List" button 854, a device object 856, and a login icon 858. The device object 856 displays information about the device to which instruction information such as print commands is sent. In this case, the serial number "SN1" and model name "MN1" are displayed in the device object 856. If no devices are registered in the PC application 342, the string "Not Selected" is displayed in the device object 856. The "List" button 854 is a button to display the list screen on PC300. The login icon 858 is an icon for performing login using account information. When PC300 accepts an operation for the login icon 858, it displays an input screen for entering account information on the display unit 314.

[0060] At T414 in Figure 9, the user performs an account information input operation. The account information input operation includes an operation on the login icon 858 and an operation to input account information AC1. As a result, at T416, PC300 sends account information AC1 to the notification server 400 and receives a login success notification from the notification server 400. In this case, the state of PC300 changes from a logout state to a logged-in state in which PC300 is logged into the notification server 400 using the account information. At T420, PC300 displays the fourth home screen SC34 on the display unit 314. As shown in Figure 10, the fourth home screen SC34 is the same as the third home screen SC32. When PC300 accepts an operation on the login icon 858 in the logged-in state, it displays a selection screen on the display unit 314 to prompt the user to select logout. In the modified example, the fourth home screen SC34 may include the username of the logged-in user.

[0061] Next, at T422 in Figure 9, PC300 sends the application ID "AP2" of the PC application 342 to the notification server 400, and at T424, sends a notification-related information request to the notification server 400.

[0062] When the notification server 400 receives the application ID "AP2" from the PC 300 at T422 and a notification-related information request from the PC 300 at T424, it identifies the notification-related information to be sent to the PC 300 at T430. Specifically, the notification server 400 identifies the notification-related information NR1 and NR3 associated with the account information AC1 and the application ID "AP2". The notification server 400 temporarily stores the identified notification-related information NR1 and NR3 in memory 134. At T432, the notification server 400 changes the display information contained in the notification-related information NR3 in the notification table 442 to "ON". At T434, the notification server 400 sends the notification-related information NR1 and NR3, which were temporarily stored in memory 134, to the PC 300. The display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR1 sent to the PC 300 are "ON". The display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR3 sent to the PC 300 are "OFF".

[0063] When PC300 receives notification-related information NR1 and NR3 from notification server 400 at T434, it identifies the information to be displayed. In this case, the information to be displayed is the notification-related information corresponding to the printer registered in PC application 342. At T440, PC300 identifies notification-related information NR1 and NR3, which include the serial number "SN1" stored in memory 334, as the information to be displayed. At T450, PC300 determines that the display information contained in notification-related information NR1 is "ON". In this case, PC300 determines that the notification screen corresponding to notification-related information NR1 has already been displayed and does not display the notification screen. Next, at T452, PC300 determines that the display information contained in notification-related information NR3 is "OFF". In this case, PC300 determines that the notification screen corresponding to notification-related information NR3 has not already been displayed. At T454, PC300 uses the title information TL3 and message information MS3 in notification-related information NR3 to display the notification screen SC36 on the display unit 314. As shown in Figure 10, the notification screen SC36 is displayed as a pop-up on the fourth home screen SC34. The notification screen SC36 includes the title "Service, Serial Number "SN1"" corresponding to the title information TL3, and the message "Would you like to subscribe to our subscription service?" corresponding to the message information MS3. If a predetermined time elapses without the PC300 accepting a selection operation for the notification screen SC36, the PC300 terminates the display of the notification screen SC36 at T456 in Figure 9.

[0064] The user performs an operation on the "List" button 854 on the fourth home screen SC34 in T460. As a result, the PC300 uses the information to be displayed in T462 to display the fourth list screen SC38 on the display unit 314. As shown in Figure 10, the fourth list screen SC38 includes a third notification area 860, a fourth notification area 870, and a "Home" button 880. The third notification area 860 and the fourth notification area 870 are areas corresponding to notification-related information NR1 and NR3, respectively. The third notification area 860 includes an operated object 862 and a message area 864. Notification information, namely title information TL1 and message information MS1, is displayed in the message area 864. The fourth notification area 870 includes an unoperated object 872 and a message area 874. Notification information, namely title information TL3 and message information MS3, is displayed in the message area 874.

[0065] In T464 of Figure 9, the user performs a selection operation for the fourth notification area 870. As a result, in T466, the PC300 sends execution information, including the notification ID "ID3" corresponding to the fourth notification area 870, to the notification server 400.

[0066] When the notification server 400 receives execution information from PC300 at T466, it identifies the notification ID "ID3" contained in the execution information and identifies notification-related information NR3 containing the identified notification ID "ID3" in the notification table 442. At T468, the notification server 400 changes the selection information in notification-related information NR3 to "ON".

[0067] Furthermore, at T470, PC300 accesses the content server 600 using URL1003 indicated by content information CT3 in notification-related information NR3. At T472, PC300 receives second service screen data representing the second service screen SC40 from the content server 600. At T474, PC300 displays the second service screen SC40 on the display unit 314. As shown in Figure 10, the second service screen SC40 includes a message 890 guiding users to the subscription service and a "Subscribe" button 892. When a user clicks the "Subscribe" button 892, a subscription process is executed to subscribe to the subscription service. This subscription process is performed between the printer 10, PC300, and the sales company server 500.

[0068] (Case E; Figure 11) Case E will be explained with reference to Figure 11. In Case E, the fifth list screen SC50 is displayed on the display unit 314 of the PC 300 using the web application 742 of the web server 700. The initial state of Case E is the same as after Case A in Figure 5. Note that, unlike the mobile application 142 and the PC application 342, the printer is not registered in the web application 742.

[0069] The user of PC300 performs a third application launch operation on T610, which is the operation to start the web application 742. As a result, PC300 sends an application launch command to the web server 700 on T612.

[0070] When the web server 700 receives an application launch command from the PC 300 at T612, it launches the web application 742 at T614 and sends home screen data representing the fifth home screen to the PC 300 at T616.

[0071] When PC300 receives home screen data from the web server 700 at T616, T618 displays the fifth home screen on the display unit 314. The fifth home screen includes a login icon and the like for performing login using account information.

[0072] The user performs an account information input operation on T620. The login operation includes an operation on the login icon and an operation to input account information AC1. As a result, PC300 sends account information AC1 to web server 700 on T622.

[0073] When web server 700 receives account information AC1 from PC300 at T622, it sends account information AC1 to notification server 400 at T624 and receives a login success notification from notification server 400. Web server 700 also sends a login success notification to PC300. As a result, PC300's state changes from logged out to PC300 logged into notification server 400 using account information AC1. In addition, web server 700 sends the application ID "AP3" of web application 742 to notification server 400 at T628, and sends a notification-related information request to notification server 400 at T630.

[0074] At T628, the notification server 400 receives the application ID "AP3" from the web server 700, and at T630, it receives a notification-related information request from the web server 700. Upon receiving this request, the notification server 400 identifies the notification-related information to be sent to the web server 700. Specifically, the notification server 400 identifies the notification-related information NR1 and NR2 associated with the account information AC1 and the application ID "AP3". The notification server 400 temporarily stores the identified notification-related information NR1 and NR2 in memory 134. The notification server 400 changes the display information contained in the notification-related information NR2 in the notification table 442 from "OFF" to "ON". At T632, the notification server 400 sends the notification-related information NR1 and NR2, which were temporarily stored in memory 134, to the web server 700. The display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR1 sent to the web server 700 are "ON". The display information and selection information contained in the notification-related information NR2 sent to the web server 700 are "OFF".

[0075] At T632, the web server 700 receives notification-related information NR1 and NR2 from the notification server 400. The web application 742 does not display a notification screen in the form of a pop-up. Therefore, the web server 700 identifies notification-related information NR2, which contains the display information "OFF". Next, at T634, the web server 700 sends the hidden information, which includes the notification ID "ID2" in the notification-related information NR2, to the notification server 400. Upon receiving the hidden information from the web server 700, the notification server 400 changes the selection information included in notification-related information NR2 in the notification table 442 to "OFF". At T640, the web server 700 sends home screen data representing the sixth home screen to the PC 300.

[0076] When PC300 receives home screen data from the web server 700 at T640, T642 displays the sixth home screen on the display unit 314. The sixth home screen includes list buttons and the like for displaying a list screen using the web application 742.

[0077] The user performs an operation on the "List" button on the sixth home screen in T650. As a result, PC300 sends a list screen data request to the web server 700 in T652.

[0078] When the web server 700 receives a list screen data request from the PC 300 at T652, it uses notification-related information NR1 and NR2 at T654 to generate list screen data representing the fifth list screen SC50. At T656, the web server 700 sends the list screen data to the PC 300.

[0079] When PC300 receives list screen data from the web server 700 at T656, it displays the fifth list screen SC50 on the display unit 314 at T658. The fifth list screen SC50 includes a fifth notification area 900, a sixth notification area 910, and a "Home" button 920. The fifth notification area 900 and the sixth notification area 910 are areas corresponding to notification-related information NR1 and NR2, respectively. The fifth notification area 900 includes an operated object 902 and a message area 904. Notification information, namely title information TL1 and message information MS1, is displayed in the message area 904. The sixth notification area 910 includes an unoperated object 912 and a message area 914. Notification information, namely title information TL2 and message information MS2, is displayed in the message area 914. In this way, the web application 742 can display a list screen on the PC 300 containing all notification information corresponding to all notification-related information received from the notification server 400. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

[0080] As described above, when an external device is logged into the notification server 400 using specific account information, the notification server 400 sends notification-related information associated with that account information to the external device. The notification server 400 then changes the display information in the notification table 442 corresponding to the sent notification-related information to "ON". Furthermore, when the notification server 400 receives execution information from an external device while the external device is logged into the notification server 400 using specific account information, it changes the selection information in the notification table 442 corresponding to the notification-related information, including the notification ID within the execution information, to "ON". With this configuration, even if the external devices communicating are different, if the account information used for login is the same, the notification server 400 updates the display information and selection information associated with that account information. Therefore, the notification server 400 can synchronize the display information and selection information for multiple external devices that use the same account information.

[0081] (Effects of Cases A to E) As shown in Case A of Figure 5, when the notification server 400 receives account information AC1 from the mobile terminal 100 in a specific state in which notification information including title information TL1 and message information MS1 ​​is stored in memory 334 in association with account information AC1, it sends notification-related information NR1 to the mobile terminal 100 indicating that the selection operation for the notification information has not been performed (T134). Then, when the mobile terminal 100 receives notification-related information NR1 from the notification server 400, it displays the title information TL1 and message information MS1 ​​in a display manner that includes the unoperated object 812 (T162, the first list screen SC8 in Figure 6). Furthermore, as shown in Case C of Figure 8, when the notification server 400 receives account information AC1 from the mobile terminal 200 after receiving execution information from the mobile terminal 100, it sends notification-related information NR1 to the second external device indicating that the selection operation for the notification information has been performed (T334). When the mobile terminal 200 receives notification-related information NR1 from the notification server 400, it displays the title information TL1 and message information MS1 ​​in a display format that includes the operated object 832 (T362, third list screen SC20). Therefore, notification information can be displayed in an appropriate display format.

[0082] As described above, notification-related information includes display information. As shown in Case A of Figure 5, the mobile terminal 100 displays the notification screen SC6 on the display unit 114 (T152) when the display information included in the notification-related information NR1 is "OFF". Also, as shown in Case B of Figure 7, the mobile terminal 100 does not display the notification screen SC6 when the display information included in the notification-related information NR1 is "ON". Furthermore, as shown in Case C of Figure 8, the mobile terminal 200 does not display the notification screen SC6 when the display information included in the notification-related information NR1 is "ON". If the same notification screen is displayed multiple times on a device used by the same user, the user may find it annoying. The above configuration can reduce user annoyance.

[0083] Furthermore, when the notification server 400 sends notification-related information NR1 to the mobile terminal 100, it changes the display information included in notification-related information NR1 in the notification table 442 to "ON" (T132 in Figure 4). With the above configuration, the possibility of the same notification screen being displayed multiple times on a device used by the same user can be reduced.

[0084] Furthermore, as shown in Case A of Figure 5, when the notification server 400 receives application ID "AP1" from the mobile terminal 100, it sends notification-related information NR1 and NR2 associated with application ID "AP1" to the mobile terminal 100 (T134). On the other hand, as shown in Case D of Figure 9, when the notification server 400 receives application ID "AP2" from the PC 300, it sends notification-related information NR1 and NR3 associated with application ID "AP2" to the PC 300 (T434). With the above configuration, the content of the notification information can be switched depending on the type of application.

[0085] As described above, the mobile terminal 100 identifies notification-related information, including the serial number, stored in memory 134 as information to be displayed. With this configuration, notification information corresponding to notification-related information, including the serial number, that is not stored in memory 134 is not displayed on the list screen. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

[0086] (Correspondence) Notification server 400 is an example of a "server". Program 440 of notification server 400 is an example of a "computer program for a server". Notification information including title information TL1 and message information MS1 ​​is an example of "first notification information". Memory 434 of notification server 400 is an example of "memory". Mobile terminal 100 is an example of a "first external device". Automatic shipping service is an example of a "first service". Printer is an example of a "communication device". Notification-related information NR1 including selection information "OFF" is an example of "first notification-related information". Display mode including non-operated objects is an example of "first display mode". Mobile terminal 200 and PC 300 are examples of "second external devices". Notification-related information NR1 including selection information "ON" is an example of "second notification-related information". Display mode including operated objects is an example of "second display mode". Selection information "OFF" is an example of "first selection information". The selection information "ON" is an example of "second selection information". The notification screen SC6 in Figure 6 is an example of a "notification object". The display information "OFF" is an example of "first information". The display information "ON" is an example of "second information". The operation on the "List" button 806 on the second home screen SC4 is an example of a "predetermined operation". The mobile app 142 is an example of "first application program". The app ID "AP1" is an example of "first app identification information". The PC app 342 is an example of "second application program". The app ID "AP2" is an example of "second app identification information". The notification information including title information TL3 and message information MS3 is an example of "second notification information". The subscription service is an example of "second service". The PC 300 is an example of "third external device". The notification-related information NR3 including the selection information "OFF" is an example of "third notification-related information". A display mode including non-operational objects is an example of a "third display mode." Sales company server 500 is an example of a "different server." Printers 10 and 20 are examples of "printing devices." A serial number is an example of "device identification information."

[0087] T116 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "first account information receiving unit". T134 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "first notification-related information transmitting unit". T166 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "execution information receiving unit". T316 in Figure 8 is an example of processing performed by the "second account information receiving unit". T334 in Figure 8 is an example of processing performed by the "second notification-related information transmitting unit".

[0088] Mobile terminal 100 is an example of the "first external device." Mobile application 142 is an example of the "computer program for the first external device."

[0089] T116 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "first account information transmission unit". T134 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "first notification-related information receiving unit". T162 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "first display control unit". T166 in Figure 5 is an example of processing performed by the "execution information transmission unit".

[0090] T362 in Figure 8 is an example of a process executed by the "second display control unit".

[0091] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. Modifications of the above embodiments are listed below.

[0092] (First Modification) In the above embodiment, servers 400, 500, 600, and 700 were described as separate servers, but some or all of them may be configured as a single server.

[0093] (Second Modification) In the above embodiment, each server 400, 500, 600, and 700 are physical servers, but each server 400, 500, 600, and 700 are not limited to physical servers, but may be virtual servers or virtual machines on the cloud. That is, the vendor may not prepare the hardware for servers 400, 500, 600, and 700 in-house, but may use an environment provided by an external cloud computing service. In this case, the vendor may prepare the programs (i.e., software) for each server 400, 500, 600, and 700 and implement them in the above environment to realize each server 400, 500, 600, and 700. In another modification, each server 400, 500, 600, and 700 may be installed on the Internet 6 by a different operator than the vendor.

[0094] (Third modified example) "Memory" is not limited to the memory 434 of the notification server 400, but may be the memory of a device other than the notification server 400.

[0095] (Fourth variation) The "first external device" is not limited to the mobile terminal 100, but may be a mobile terminal 200, a PC 300, a web server 700, etc. Also, the "second external device" is not limited to the mobile terminal 200, but may be a mobile terminal 100, a PC 300, a web server 700, etc.

[0096] (Fifth variation) The "communication device" is not limited to a printer, but may also be a multifunction printer, copier, sewing machine, etc.

[0097] (Sixth variation) The "first service" is not limited to an automated shipping service, but may also be a subscription service, a remote printing service, etc.

[0098] (Seventh Modification) In the above embodiment, the notification-related information includes the selection information "OFF" or the selection information "ON". In the modification, the notification-related information may include information related to the selection operation if the selection operation has not been performed, and may not include information related to the selection operation if the selection operation has been performed. In another modification, the notification-related information may not include information related to the selection operation if the selection operation has not been performed, and may include information related to the selection operation if the selection operation has been performed.

[0099] (Variation 8) Notification-related information does not need to include display information. In this variation, the notification screen corresponding to the notification-related information is not displayed.

[0100] (9th Modification) T132 in Figure 5, T232 in Figure 7, T332 in Figure 8, and T432 in Figure 9 can be omitted. In this modification, after the mobile terminal 100 displays the notification screen SC6 (after T132 in Figure 5), it sends notification screen display information including the notification ID "ID1" to the notification server 400. When the notification server 400 receives the notification screen display information from the mobile terminal 100, it changes the display information included in the notification-related information NR1 in the notification table 442 to "ON". In this modification, the "second memory control unit" can be omitted.

[0101] (Tenth Modification) Notification table 442 does not need to include the app ID. In this modification, the content of the notification information is not switched depending on the type of app.

[0102] (Variation 11) The "second service" is not limited to subscription services, but may also include automated shipping services, remote printing services, etc.

[0103] (12th Modification) Multiple applications may be stored in the mobile terminal 100. For example, multiple applications may include a mobile application 142, a label printing application, and an embroidery application for a sewing machine. Assume that the mobile application 142 and the label printing application are stored in the memory 134 of the mobile terminal 100. In this case, when the mobile application 142 is running, the mobile terminal 100 sends the application ID "AP1" of the mobile application 142 to the notification server 400 and receives notification-related information corresponding to the application ID "AP1" from the notification server 400. Also, when the label printing application is running, the mobile terminal 100 sends the application ID of the label printing application to the notification server 400 and receives notification-related information corresponding to the application ID from the notification server 400. In this modification, the mobile terminal 100 is an example of the "first external device" and the "third external device".

[0104] (13th variation) Mobile terminals 100 and 200 may display a list screen containing notification information for printers not registered in the mobile application 142. PC 300 may also display a list screen containing notification information for printers not registered in the PC application 342.

[0105] (14th Modification) In each of the above embodiments, the processes shown in Figures 4 to 11 are implemented by software (for example, programs 140, 142, 340, 342, 440, 740, and 742), but at least one of these processes may be implemented by hardware such as a logic circuit.

[0106] Furthermore, the technical elements described herein or in the drawings demonstrate technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technologies illustrated herein or in the drawings achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives constitutes technical usefulness in itself.

[0107] Even if, in the claims of this patent application, each claim depends on only some of the claims, it is not limited to the claim being dependent only on those specific claims. To the extent that it is not technically contradictory, each claim may be dependent on other claims that were not dependent at the time of application. That is, the technologies of each claim can be combined in various ways as follows: (Item 1) A computer program for a server, The computer of the aforementioned server, A first account information receiving unit receives the first notification information from a first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, wherein the first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, and the first account information receiving unit A first notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the first external device, when the account information is received from the first external device, the first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information, wherein the first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, and when the first external device receives the first notification-related information from the server, the first notification-related information included in the first notification-related information is displayed in a first display manner, When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed on the first external device, an execution information receiving unit receives execution information from the first external device indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, After the execution information is received from the first external device, a second account information receiving unit receives the account information from a second external device different from the first external device, A second notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the second external device a second notification-related information, which includes the first notification information associated with the account information, when the account information is received from the second external device, wherein the second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, and when the second external device receives the second notification-related information from the server, it displays the first notification information included in the second notification-related information in a second display mode different from the first display mode, A computer program that functions as such. (Item 2) In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and the first selection information are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The first selection information indicates that a selection operation has not yet been performed on the first notification information. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information and the first selection information associated with the account information. The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, A first memory control unit, when the execution information is received from the first external device, stores a second selection information in the memory in association with the first notification information, in place of the first selection information, wherein the second selection information functions as the first memory control unit, indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. The second account information receiving unit receives the execution information from the second external device after the second selection information has been stored in the memory. The computer program described in item 1, wherein the second notification-related information includes the first notification information and the second selection information associated with the account information. (Item 3) In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and display information are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The display information is either first information indicating that the notification object corresponding to the first notification information has not been displayed, or second information indicating that the notification object has been displayed. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information and the display information associated with the account information, The first external device is, When the first notification information and the display information are received from the server and a predetermined operation is accepted, the first notification information is displayed in the first display mode. The first notification information and the display information are received from the server, and if the display information is the first information, the notification object is displayed without accepting the predetermined operation. A computer program according to item 1 or 2, which receives the first notification information and the display information from the server, and does not display the notification object when the display information is the second information. (Item 4) In the aforementioned specific state, the display information associated with the account information is the first information, The first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the display information which is the first information, The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, When the first notification-related information is transmitted to the first external device, the second memory control unit is configured to store the second information in the memory as display information instead of the first information. The computer program described in item 3, wherein the second notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the display information which is the second information. (Item 5) In the aforementioned specific state, The first notification information and the first application identification information that identifies the first application program are stored in the memory in association with the account information, and The second notification information and the second application identification information that identifies a second application program different from the first application program are stored in the memory in association with the account information, and If the selection operation for the second notification information has not been performed, The second notification information is information for notifying the user of the existence of a second service related to the communication device, The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, In the aforementioned specific state, it functions as a first application identification information receiving unit that receives the first application identification information from the first external device. When the first notification-related information transmission unit receives the account information and the first application identification information from the first external device, it transmits the first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information and the first application identification information, to the first external device. The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, In the aforementioned specific state, a third account information receiving unit receives the account information from a third external device, In the aforementioned specific state, a second application identification information receiving unit receives the second application identification information from the third external device, A third notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the third external device a third notification-related information, which includes the second notification information associated with the account information and the second application identification information, when the account information and the second application identification information are received from the third external device, wherein the third notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the second notification information has not been performed, and when the third external device receives the third notification-related information from the server, it displays the second notification information included in the third notification-related information in a third display mode, A computer program described in any one of items 1 through 4 that functions as such. (Item 6) The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, A notification information receiving unit that receives the account information and the first notification information from a server different from the aforementioned server, A third storage control unit that, when the account information and the first notification information are received from the different servers, associates the account information and the first notification information and stores them in the memory, A computer program described in any one of items 1 through 5 that functions as such. (Item 7) In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and device identification information identifying the printing device are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the device identification information, The first external device is, When the first notification-related information is received from the server and the device identification information included in the first notification-related information is stored in the first external device, the first notification information is displayed in the first display mode. A computer program according to any one of items 1 to 6, which receives the first notification-related information from the server and does not display the first notification information if the device identification information included in the first notification-related information is not stored in the first external device. (Item 8) In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and device identification information identifying the printing device are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the device identification information, The computer program described in any one of items 1 to 7, which, when the first external device receives the first notification-related information from the server, displays the first notification information in the first display manner, regardless of whether the device identification information included in the first notification-related information is stored in the first external device. (Item 9) A method for displaying a screen on an external device, A first account information receiving step, in which the first notification information is stored in memory associated with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, the first account information receiving step is to receive the account information from a first external device, wherein the first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, A first notification-related information transmission step, in which, when the account information is received from the first external device, the first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, is transmitted to the first external device, wherein the first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed. A first display control step, when the first notification-related information is received, causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the first external device in a first display manner, When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed on the first external device, the first external device receives execution information indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed; After the execution information is received from the first external device, a second account information receiving step is performed, in which the account information is received from a second external device different from the first external device. A second notification-related information transmission step, in which, when the account information is received from the second external device, the second notification-related information transmission step transmits to the second external device second notification-related information, which includes the first notification information associated with the account information, wherein the second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. A second display control step, in which, when the second notification-related information is received, the first notification information included in the second notification-related information is displayed on the second external device in a second display mode different from the first display mode, A method that includes [a certain feature]. (Item 10) A computer program for a first external device, The computer of the first external device described above, An account information transmission unit that sends account information to a server, When the server receives the account information from the first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with the account information and no selection operation has been performed on the first notification information, it transmits the first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the first external device. The first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, The first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation has not yet been performed on the first notification information. The account information transmission unit, A notification-related information receiving unit receives the first notification-related information from the server after the account information has been transmitted to the server. When the first notification-related information is received from the server, a first display control unit causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the display unit of the first external device in a first display manner, An execution information transmission unit that, when a selection operation for the first notification information is accepted, sends execution information to the server indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, A computer program that functions as such. (Item 11) It is a communication system, A first account information receiving unit receives the first notification information from a first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, wherein the first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, and the first account information receiving unit A first notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the first external device, when the account information is received from the first external device, the first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information, wherein the first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed. A first display control unit that, when the first notification-related information is received, causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the first external device in a first display manner, When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed on the first external device, an execution information receiving unit receives execution information from the first external device indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, After the execution information is received from the first external device, a second account information receiving unit receives the account information from a second external device different from the first external device, A second notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the second external device, when the account information is received from the second external device, the second notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information, wherein the second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. When the second notification-related information is received, a second display control unit causes the second external device to display the first notification information included in the second notification-related information in a second display mode different from the first display mode, A communication system equipped with these features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 2: Communication system, 4: Access point, 6: Internet, 10: Printer, 20: Printer, 100: Mobile terminal, 112: Control panel, 114: Display panel, 120: Communication I / F, 130: Control unit, 132: CPU, 134: Memory, 140: OS program, 142: Mobile app, 200: Mobile terminal, 300: PC, 312: Control panel, 314: Display panel, 320: Communication I / F, 330: Control unit, 3 32: CPU, 334: Memory, 340: Program, 342: PC application, 400: Notification server, 420: Communication interface, 430: Control unit, 432: CPU, 434: Memory, 440: Program, 442: Notification table, 500: Sales company server, 600: Content server, 700: Web server, 720: Communication interface, 730: Control unit, 732: CPU, 734: Memory, 742: Web application

Claims

1. A computer program for a server, The computer of the aforementioned server, A first account information receiving unit receives the first notification information from a first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, wherein the first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, A first notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the first external device first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, when the account information is received from the first external device, wherein the first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, and when the first external device receives the first notification-related information from the server, the first notification-related information transmission unit displays the first notification information included in the first notification-related information in a first display mode, When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed in the first external device, an execution information receiving unit receives execution information from the first external device indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, After the execution information is received from the first external device, a second account information receiving unit receives the account information from a second external device different from the first external device, A second notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the second external device a second notification-related information, which includes the first notification information associated with the account information, when the account information is received from the second external device, wherein the second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, and when the second external device receives the second notification-related information from the server, it displays the first notification information included in the second notification-related information in a second display mode different from the first display mode, A computer program that functions as such.

2. In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and the first selection information are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The first selection information indicates that a selection operation has not yet been performed on the first notification information. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information and the first selection information associated with the account information. The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, A first storage control unit, when the execution information is received from the first external device, stores second selection information in the memory in association with the first notification information, wherein the second selection information functions as the first storage control unit, indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. The second account information receiving unit receives the execution information from the second external device after the second selection information has been stored in the memory. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the second notification-related information includes the first notification information and the second selection information associated with the account information.

3. In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and display information are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The display information is either first information indicating that the notification object corresponding to the first notification information has not been displayed, or second information indicating that the notification object has been displayed. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information and the display information associated with the account information, The first external device is When the first notification information and the display information are received from the server and a predetermined operation is accepted, the first notification information is displayed in the first display mode. The first notification information and the display information are received from the server, and if the display information is the first information, the notification object is displayed without accepting the predetermined operation. The computer program according to claim 1, which receives the first notification information and the display information from the server, and does not display the notification object when the display information is the second information.

4. In the aforementioned specific state, the display information associated with the account information is the first information, The first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the display information which is the first information, The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, When the first notification-related information is transmitted to the first external device, the second memory control unit is configured to store the second information in the memory as display information instead of the first information. The computer program according to claim 3, wherein the second notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the display information which is the second information.

5. In the aforementioned specific state, The first notification information and the first application identification information identifying the first application program are stored in the memory in association with the account information, and The second notification information and the second application identification information that identifies a second application program different from the first application program are stored in the memory in association with the account information, and If the selection operation for the second notification information has not been performed, The second notification information is information for notifying the user of the existence of a second service related to the communication device, The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, In the aforementioned specific state, the unit functions as a first application identification information receiving unit that receives the first application identification information from the first external device. When the first notification-related information transmission unit receives the account information and the first application identification information from the first external device, it transmits the first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information and the first application identification information, to the first external device. The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, In the aforementioned specific state, a third account information receiving unit receives the account information from a third external device, In the aforementioned specific state, a second application identification information receiving unit receives the second application identification information from the third external device, A third notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the third external device a third notification-related information, which includes the second notification information associated with the account information and the second application identification information, when the account information and the second application identification information are received from the third external device, wherein the third notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the second notification information has not been performed, and when the third external device receives the third notification-related information from the server, it displays the second notification information included in the third notification-related information in a third display mode, A computer program according to claim 1, which functions as such.

6. The aforementioned computer program further uses the computer, A notification information receiving unit that receives the account information and the first notification information from a server different from the aforementioned server, A third storage control unit that, when the account information and the first notification information are received from the different servers, associates the account information and the first notification information and stores them in the memory, A computer program according to claim 1, which functions as such.

7. In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and device identification information identifying the printing device are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the device identification information, The first external device is When the first notification-related information is received from the server and the device identification information included in the first notification-related information is stored in the first external device, the first notification information is displayed in the first display mode. The computer program according to claim 1, which receives the first notification-related information from the server and does not display the first notification information if the device identification information included in the first notification-related information is not stored in the first external device.

8. In the aforementioned specific state, the first notification information and device identification information identifying the printing device are stored in the memory in association with the account information. The first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information and the device identification information, The computer program according to claim 1, wherein when the first external device receives the first notification-related information from the server, it displays the first notification information in the first display manner, regardless of whether the device identification information included in the first notification-related information is stored in the first external device.

9. A method for displaying a screen on an external device, A first account information receiving step, in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, the first account information receiving step is to receive the account information from a first external device, wherein the first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, A first notification-related information transmission step in which, when the account information is received from the first external device, the first notification-related information including the first notification information associated with the account information is transmitted to the first external device, wherein the first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, A first display control step, when the first notification-related information is received, causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the first external device in a first display mode, When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed on the first external device, the first external device receives execution information indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed; After the execution information is received from the first external device, a second account information receiving step is performed, in which the account information is received from a second external device different from the first external device. A second notification-related information transmission step, in which, when the account information is received from the second external device, the second notification-related information transmission step transmits to the second external device second notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, wherein the second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. A second display control step, in which, when the second notification-related information is received, the first notification information included in the second notification-related information is displayed on the second external device in a second display mode different from the first display mode, A method that includes [a certain feature].

10. A computer program for a first external device, The computer of the first external device is An account information transmission unit that sends account information to a server, When the server receives the account information from the first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with the account information and no selection operation has been performed for the first notification information, it transmits the first notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, to the first external device. The first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, The first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not yet been performed. The account information transmission unit, A notification-related information receiving unit receives the first notification-related information from the server after the account information has been transmitted to the server. When the first notification-related information is received from the server, a first display control unit causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the display unit of the first external device in a first display manner, An execution information transmission unit that, when a selection operation for the first notification information is accepted, transmits execution information to the server indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, A computer program that functions as such.

11. It is a communication system, A first account information receiving unit receives the first notification information from a first external device in a specific state in which the first notification information is stored in memory in association with account information and a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed, wherein the first notification information is information for notifying the user of the communication device of the existence of a first service related to the communication device, A first notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the first external device, when the account information is received from the first external device, the first notification-related information includes the first notification information associated with the account information, wherein the first notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has not been performed. A first display control unit that, when the first notification-related information is received, causes the first notification information included in the first notification-related information to be displayed on the first external device in a first display manner, When a selection operation for the first notification information is performed in the first external device, an execution information receiving unit receives execution information from the first external device indicating that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed, After the execution information is received from the first external device, a second account information receiving unit receives the account information from a second external device different from the first external device, A second notification-related information transmission unit transmits to the second external device a second notification-related information, including the first notification information associated with the account information, when the account information is received from the second external device, wherein the second notification-related information indicates that a selection operation for the first notification information has been performed. A second display control unit, which, when the second notification-related information is received, causes the first notification information included in the second notification-related information to be displayed on the second external device in a second display mode different from the first display mode, A communication system equipped with these features.

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