System, image forming apparatus, user terminal, control method thereof, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel mechanism for license input in, for example, an image forming apparatus. [Solution] The image forming apparatus presents relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate the image forming speed, and activates the image forming speed according to the input license key. The user terminal obtains device information of the image forming apparatus according to the presented relevant information, notifies the server of the obtained device information of the image forming apparatus, and obtains selectable image forming speeds. The user terminal is also presented with selectable image forming speeds, selects an image forming speed according to user input, obtains a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server, and inputs it into the image forming apparatus. The server also notifies the user of the selectable image forming speeds according to the device information and issues a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, a control method thereof, and a program capable of changing a printing speed by license.

Background Art

[0002] Some current image forming apparatuses are provided on the market as different models with different speeds by changing the printing speed for the same hardware configuration. A method has also been proposed to switch from a slow printing speed to a fast printing speed by inputting a license (speed license) to the image forming apparatus after it has been shipped from the factory.

[0003] The speed license is issued by inputting the device serial number of the image forming apparatus and the license access number for each printable speed that can be changed by the image forming apparatus to a license management server. Therefore, in order for a user to change the printing speed of the image forming apparatus, the user himself / herself must input the device serial number and the license access number to the license management server and input the issued speed license to the image forming apparatus, which is a complicated procedure and there is a risk of incorrect input. Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for activating a license without manual input by linking an image forming apparatus, a license management server, and a user terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology assumes that the image forming apparatus is already network-configured and can connect to an external license management server. Therefore, depending on the network environment at the installation location, such as a customer's site, there may be situations where the external license management server and the image forming apparatus cannot connect directly. In such cases, the user must manually enter the license information through the image forming apparatus's UI, which is cumbersome and prone to errors.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and provides, for example, a novel mechanism for performing license input in an image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a system including an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, and a server, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a presentation means for presenting relevant information for receiving input of a license key for activating an image forming speed, and an activation means for activating an image forming speed according to the input license key; the user terminal includes a first acquisition means for acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus according to the presented relevant information, a second acquisition means for notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring selectable image forming speeds, a selection means for presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, and an input means for acquiring a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus; and the server includes a notification means for notifying the selectable image forming speed according to the device information, and an issuing means for issuing a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized by comprising, for example, an image forming apparatus, which includes a presentation means for presenting relevant information to a user terminal for receiving input of a license key for activating the image forming speed, a reception means for receiving input of a license key obtained from a server using the relevant information at the user terminal, and an activation means for activating the image forming speed according to the input license key.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized by comprising, for example, a user terminal, which includes: a first acquisition means for acquiring device information of an image forming apparatus according to relevant information for receiving input of a license key for activating an image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus; a second acquisition means for notifying a server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring selectable image forming speeds; a selection means for presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input; and an input means for acquiring a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, for example, a novel mechanism for performing license input in an image forming apparatus can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the overall system configuration of a license management server and user terminal related to an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] Sequence diagram of the entire system according to one embodiment [Figure 4A] A diagram showing the UI screen of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 4B] A diagram showing the UI screen of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 5A] A diagram showing the UI screen of a user terminal according to one embodiment. [Figure 5B] Figure showing the UI screen of the user terminal according to an embodiment [Figure 6] Sequence diagram of the entire system according to an embodiment [Figure 7] Figure showing the speed license registration UI screen for promoting BLE activation in the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment [Figure 8] Figure showing the UI screen indicating the connection result with the image forming apparatus on the user terminal according to an embodiment [Figure 9] Sequence diagram of the entire system according to an embodiment [Figure 10] Figure showing the UI screen of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment [Figure 11] Figure showing the UI screen for promoting the QR code (registered trademark) of the speed license purchased on the user terminal according to an embodiment [Figure 12] Sequence diagram of the entire system according to an embodiment [Figure 13] Figure showing the speed license registration UI screen for promoting USB connection in the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential for the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] <First Embodiment> <Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus> Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 1, a configuration example of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the present embodiment will be described. The image forming apparatus 101 includes a controller unit 102, a display unit 103, a printing unit 105, and a reading unit 106.

[0014] The display unit 103 includes an LED or a liquid crystal display, and displays the user's operation content and the internal information of the device. Note that it is also possible to provide the display information to an external device connected via a network and display it on the display unit of the external device. The display unit 103 receives operations from the user and is controlled by the CPU 107. In addition, the display unit 103 not only includes a plurality of operation buttons, but may also be realized as a touch display that combines display and operation.

[0015] The printing unit 105 receives a printing instruction from the controller unit 102 and performs printing on paper based on the image data transmitted from the controller unit 102. Also, it switches the actual printing speed according to the printing speed instruction notified from the controller unit 102 at startup. The reading unit 106 receives a reading instruction from the controller unit 102, performs a reading operation, and transmits the image data to the controller unit 102. In this embodiment, the printing speed in the printing unit 105 is taken as an example for explanation. However, the printing unit 105 in the image forming apparatus 101 is not limited to only the printing function, but also has a copying function, a facsimile function, etc. Therefore, although the term "printing speed" is used for explanation here, considering the copying function, the facsimile function, etc., it can also be referred to as the image forming speed by the image forming apparatus 101. That is, the printing speed is an example of the image forming speed.

[0016] The controller unit 102 is composed of a CPU 107, a ROM 108, a RAM 109, an HDD 110, an EEPROM 111, a network I / F 112, a wired LAN 113, a wireless LAN 114, a BLE 115, a USB 116, and a camera 117. The CPU 107 is an execution medium for the control program built in the image forming apparatus 101, and controls the operations of the devices connected to the controller unit 102 via each I / F and the memory of the storage medium. The ROM 108 is a read-only memory and stores a boot program necessary for system startup. The RAM 109 is a volatile memory and is a work memory required when executing the control program.

[0017] The HDD110 is a storage medium such as a magnetic disk, and stores control programs, image data, and other data. The EEPROM111 is a non-volatile memory that stores setting values ​​necessary for the execution of the control program. The EEPROM111 also stores a device serial number for identifying the individual unit and information indicating the printing speed to be notified to the printing unit 105. The printing speed of the image forming apparatus 101 is activated by entering a 24-digit license key on the license key input screen described later. Note that the number of digits in the license key is not limited to this invention, and any number of digits can be applied. Here, since the license key determines the printing speed, it is referred to as a speed license.

[0018] The network interface 112 connects to external devices via a wired LAN 113 or a wireless LAN 114. The wired LAN 113 controls communication of the NIC, including the wireless LAN 114. The wireless LAN 114 communicates with the user terminal 211, which will be described later, via the network interface 112.

[0019] BLE115 is a BLE module for performing BLE communication. Here, BLE communication refers to communication compliant with Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark). BLE115 performs BLE communication with the user terminal 211, which will be described later. USB116 is an interface that connects the image forming apparatus 101 to the user terminal 211 and USB devices (not shown), and controls communication between the image forming apparatus 101 and the USB devices connected to it. In this embodiment, only one USB116 is described, but in reality, there are multiple. USB116 is connected to USB devices using a USB cable. Depending on the form of the USB device, it may be connected directly without using a USB cable. Camera 117 is a module that controls the camera device connected to the image forming apparatus 101, and is controlled by the CPU 107. Images captured by camera 117 are stored in RAM 109 or HDD 110.

[0020] <System Configuration> Referring to Figure 2, an example of the overall system configuration of the license management server 201 and user terminal 211 related to the image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment will be described. Details of the user terminal 211 will be described later, but the user terminal 211 can communicate with the license management server 201 via the internet 231.

[0021] The license management server 201 manages the device serial numbers and issued license keys of multiple image forming machines. The device serial number is a unique individual identification number used to identify each image forming machine. The license management server 201 issues a 24-digit license key (speed license) that can be activated on the image forming machine 101, based on the device serial number and the license access number, which indicates the type of license. The license management server 201 manages the device serial number, license access number, and license key in association with each other.

[0022] The configuration of the license management server 201 is described below. The license management server 201 consists of a CPU 212, ROM 203, RAM 204, HDD 205, and network I / F 206. The CPU 212 is the execution medium for the server functions of the license management server 201. The ROM 203 is read-only memory and stores boot programs and other information necessary for system startup. The RAM 204 is volatile memory and is work memory required when executing the server function programs. The HDD 205 is a storage medium such as a magnetic disk and stores the server function programs, device serial numbers, license access numbers, and issued speed licenses. The license management server 201 can communicate with user terminals 211 via the internet 231 and provides issued speed licenses to user terminals 211.

[0023] The configuration of the user terminal 211 is described below. The user terminal 211 consists of a CPU 212, ROM 213, RAM 214, HDD 215, network I / F 216, camera 218, and BLE 219. The CPU 212 is the execution medium for the control program built into the user terminal 211. The ROM 213 is read-only memory and stores boot programs and other data necessary for system startup. The RAM 214 is volatile memory and is work memory required when executing the control program. The HDD 215 is a storage medium such as a magnetic disk and stores the control program and data acquired by the control program.

[0024] The display unit 217 is equipped with LEDs or a liquid crystal display and displays the operation content to the user terminal 211 and internal information of the device, and accepts operations. In addition, the display unit 217 is equipped with multiple operation buttons and may also be implemented as a touch display. The camera 218 is a module that controls the camera device built into the user terminal and is controlled by the CPU 212. Images captured by the camera 218 are stored in the RAM 214 or HDD 215.

[0025] BLE219 is a BLE module for performing BLE communication. Here, BLE communication refers to communication compliant with Bluetooth Low Energy. BLE219 performs BLE communication with the image forming apparatus 101. The image forming apparatus 101 sends a communication packet requesting a connection, the user terminal 211 performs a packet scan, and a one-to-one connection is established with the image forming apparatus 101 as the superior (slave) and the user terminal 211 as the central (master). The user terminal 211 can communicate with the license management server 201 via the internet 231 and provides the user terminal 211 with the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 and the issued speed licenses.

[0026] USB220 is an interface that connects the user terminal 211 to the image forming apparatus 101 and USB devices (not shown), and controls communication between the user terminal 211 and the connected USB devices. In this embodiment, only one USB220 is described, but in reality, there are multiple. USB220 is connected to USB devices using a USB cable. Depending on the form of the USB device, it may be connected directly without using a USB cable. Network I / F216 controls communication of the NIC, including the wireless LAN 221. Wireless LAN 221 communicates with the image forming apparatus 101 via Network I / F216.

[0027] <Sequence> Referring to Figure 3, the process of activating a speed license for the image forming apparatus 101 by the image forming apparatus 101, the user terminal 211, and the license management server 201 will be explained. This process is achieved, for example, by the image forming apparatus 101 having its CPU 107 execute a control program, the user terminal 211 having its CPU 212 execute a control program, and the license management server 201 having its CPU 202 execute a server function execution program.

[0028] In S301, the CPU 107 of the image forming apparatus 101 displays a license input screen on the display unit 103 if the image forming apparatus 101 is powered on and the speed license is not activated. For example, the CPU 107 determines whether the speed license is activated by referring to a predetermined flag held in the HDD 110. Alternatively, the CPU 107 may determine whether the speed license is activated by whether it holds a valid speed license key.

[0029] Here, the license input screen displayed on the display unit 103 will be described using Figure 4A. The display on the display unit 103 is controlled by the CPU 107. Here, the CPU 107 is an example of a display means. The license input screen 400 consists of a QR code (registered trademark) 401, a speed license input unit 402, an execution button 403, and the device serial number 404 of the image forming apparatus 101. The CPU 107 generates and displays a QR code 401 that stores the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101, SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​information and password information, and the URL of the license management server 201. In this embodiment, the QR code 401 corresponds to the relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate the printing speed. The SSID information is the SSID information of the wireless LAN 114 for Wi-Fi connection with the user terminal 211. In this embodiment, the explanation is based on the premise that the user terminal 211 does not know the URL of the license management server 201, so the QR code 401 includes the URL information of the license management server 201. On the other hand, if the user terminal 211 already has the URL of the license management server 201, such as by having a dedicated application installed to access the license management server 201, the CPU 107 does not need to include the URL of the license management server 201 in the QR code 401. Alternatively, the CPU 107 may store the URL of the dedicated application's installation server (not shown) in the QR code 401 instead of the URL of the license management server 201. In this case, the same effect can be obtained by accessing the license management server 201 from the dedicated application installed on the user terminal 211. In this embodiment, a QR code containing various information is used as an example, but this does not limit the present invention, and code images such as barcode images or other images containing each piece of information may also be used.

[0030] The Speed ​​License Input Unit 402 is an input space for accepting manual input of a Speed ​​License that has already been issued. In this embodiment, an example of automatic Speed ​​License input is described, but if the user manually inputs the Speed ​​License, the Speed ​​License is entered into the Speed ​​License Input Unit 402. In this case, when the CPU 107 detects that the Speed ​​License has been entered into the Speed ​​License Input Unit 402 and that the Execute Button 403 has been pressed, it proceeds to the Speed ​​License activation process. The Device Serial Number 404 is the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101. In this embodiment, an example of automatically obtaining the device serial number is described, but the user can also check the device serial number 404.

[0031] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, in S302, the CPU 212 of the user terminal 211 controls the camera 218 of the user terminal 211 to activate the camera and displays the video being captured by the camera on the display unit 217. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the activation of the camera 218 is performed by a program stored in the user terminal 211. However, if the URL of the license management server 201 is held in advance, the license management server 201 may prompt the user terminal 211 to activate the camera when access to the license management server 201 is made, thereby activating the camera 218. Note that although S302 is described after S301 here, S301 and S302 can be performed in parallel or S302 can be performed first without any problem.

[0032] Next, in S303, the CPU 212 reads the QR code 401 displayed on the license input screen 400 shown in S301 using the camera 218, decodes the QR code, and extracts device information. The device information includes the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 mentioned above, the SSID and password information of the wireless LAN 114 for Wi-Fi connection with the user terminal 211, and the URL of the license management server.

[0033] In S304, the CPU 212 controls the wireless LAN 221 and uses the acquired SSID and password to establish a Wi-Fi connection with the image forming apparatus 101. Referring to Figure 5A, the URL connection confirmation screen 500 and the connection confirmation screen 510 with respect to the image forming apparatus 101, which are displayed on the display unit 217, will now be explained. The display of these screens on the display unit 217 is controlled by the CPU 212.

[0034] The URL connection confirmation screen 500 with the license management server is a screen that displays a confirmation message to the display unit 217 after the CPU 212 controls the camera 218 to capture and decode the QR code 401, asking whether to access the acquired URL. The capture button 501 is a confirmation button to be pressed when the CPU 212 detects the QR code using the camera 218. When the capture button 501 is pressed while the QR code 401 is captured, the QR code is read, and as a result of the decoding, a confirmation message 503 for connecting to the URL to the license management server contained in the QR code is displayed. When the CPU 212 detects that the OK button 502 has been pressed, it starts accessing the license management server.

[0035] The image forming apparatus connection confirmation screen 510 displays device information obtained from the QR code 401 and is a screen that confirms whether to connect to the image forming apparatus 101 via Wi-Fi using the obtained SSID and password. If the CPU 212 detects that the OK button 511 has been pressed, it proceeds to S304. If the CPU 212 detects that the Close button 512 has been pressed, it closes the screen without connecting to the image forming apparatus 101.

[0036] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, in S305, the CPU 107 returns a connection success if it was able to establish a Wi-Fi connection using the SSID and password accessed from the user terminal 211, and notifies a connection failure if it was not possible to connect. Now, referring to Figure 4A, the connection result screen displayed on the display unit 103 will be explained regarding the display of the image forming apparatus 101. The display on the display unit 103 is controlled by the CPU 107. The connection success screen 410 is a screen that displays a message indicating that the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211 have been able to connect and prompting the user terminal 211 to issue a speed license. The connection failure screen 420 is a screen that displays a message indicating that the connection between the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211 failed and prompting the user terminal 211 to retry the connection process. The CPU 107 displays one of these screens depending on the connection result in S305. Similarly, referring to Figure 5A, the display of the connection confirmation result on the user terminal 211 will be explained. The CPU 212 displays the connection result notified from the image forming apparatus 101 in S305 on the display unit 217. The connection success screen 520 displays the product name and device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 connected to the user terminal 211, and indicates that the connection was successful. The CPU 212 detects the press of the OK button 521 and closes the screen. On the other hand, the connection failure screen 530 displays the product name and device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 connected to the user terminal 211, and prompts the user to reconfirm the settings because the connection failed. The CPU 212 detects the press of the close button 532 and closes the screen. If the CPU 212 detects the press of the retry button 531, it attempts to connect again.

[0037] In S306, CPU 212 notifies the license management server 201 of the device serial number. Subsequently, in S307, CPU 202 identifies the selectable print speeds for the image forming apparatus 101 from the device serial number notified in S306, and notifies the user terminal 211 of the license access number corresponding to the selectable print speed. Note that the license access number indicating the single print speed selectable for each model is unique. For the user, it is expressed in terms of print speed, which is easy to understand, while internally within the system it is expressed as the license access number required for license key input.

[0038] In S308, the CPU 212 displays a screen on the display unit 217 for selecting the print speed to be applied to the image forming apparatus 101. Here, referring to Figure 5B, the display on the user terminal 211 will be described. In S307, the CPU 212 displays the print speeds selectable for the image forming apparatus 101, as notified by the license management server 201, on the display unit 217. The print speed selection screen 540 displays the desired print speed and price in the print speed selection area 541, allowing selection. Each print speed can be selected by checking a checkbox via user input. The print speed is expressed in units of PPM (Pages Per Minute), which indicates the number of pages that can be processed per minute. A 40 PPM image forming apparatus can print 40 pages per minute. Generally, this PPM is the fastest print speed for an image forming apparatus, and the number of pages printed per minute may be less than 40 depending on the type of paper, basis weight, and print settings such as double-sided printing. The printing speed can be changed by the printing unit 105 by changing the spacing between sheets of paper being printed continuously, as well as the rotation speed of the drum and the paper transport speed.

[0039] When the CPU 212 detects that the user has pressed the OK button 542 on the print speed selection screen 540, it initiates the procedure to purchase a speed license for the print speeds selected by the checkboxes. To confirm that the selection is correct, the CPU 212 displays the speed license confirmation screen 550 on the display unit 217. When the CPU 212 detects that the OK button 551 has been pressed, it executes the speed license purchase process, and when it detects that the back button 552 has been pressed, it returns to the print speed selection screen 540.

[0040] After the OK button 551 is pressed, the CPU 212 displays the Speed ​​License purchase screen 560 on the display unit 217. This screen is an example of paying for a Speed ​​License by credit card. The user is prompted to enter the card number, expiration date, and security code required for payment. When the CPU 212 detects that the OK button 561 has been pressed, the process proceeds to online credit card payment. Pressing the Other Payment Methods button 562 displays a screen showing payment methods other than credit card payment. Details of the payment process are not essential to this embodiment and are therefore omitted from the explanation.

[0041] In steps S306 to S308, this embodiment describes an example in which the license management server 201 determines the print speed selectable by the image forming apparatus 101 from the device serial number. However, there is no intention to limit the present invention, and the image forming apparatus 101 or the user terminal 211 may identify the print speed selectable by the image forming apparatus 101 from the device serial number. When the image forming apparatus 101 identifies the print speed, the device serial number and the selectable license access number information necessary for identification are stored in the HDD 110 of the image forming apparatus 101. When the CPU 107 creates the QR code 401, it stores the device serial number, SSID information and password information, the URL of the license management server 201, and the selectable license access number, and simultaneously notifies the user terminal 211 in S303. Here, the device serial number, SSID information and password correspond to access information for accessing the image forming apparatus 101. The URL of the license management server 201 corresponds to access information for the license management server 201. The selectable license access numbers correspond to the selectable requested image forming speed (printing speed). When user terminal 211 identifies the device, the device serial number and selectable license access number information necessary for identification are stored in the HDD 215 of user terminal 211, and the CPU 212 reads and uses this information.

[0042] In S309, CPU 212 notifies the license management server 201 of the device serial number and the license access number selected in S308. Subsequently, in S310, CPU 202 issues a license key based on the device serial number and license access number. This license key is activated by entering it into the image forming apparatus 101, after which printing at the desired speed becomes possible. The license key is a 24-digit alphanumeric number issued to be unique to the device serial number, and the device serial number can be identified from the license key. Therefore, it is not possible to activate a speed license for a different image forming apparatus on a given image forming apparatus of the same product type.

[0043] In S311, CPU 202 notifies user terminal 211 of the issued speed license. Subsequently, in S312, CPU 212 notifies image forming apparatus 101 of the speed license acquired in S311. CPU 107 of image forming apparatus 101 accepts the notified speed license. Here, CPU 107 functions as a receiving means. Now, referring to Figure 5B, the screen displayed on display unit 217 when notifying of the speed license will be explained. The license transfer screen 570 displays that the speed license selected in S308 has been purchased and that the speed license will be transferred to image forming apparatus 101 via the Wi-Fi connection between image forming apparatus 101 and user terminal 211 performed in S304-S305. Furthermore, the license transfer screen 570 displays the product name, the purchased print speed, and the device serial number.

[0044] In S313, CPU 107 activates the speed license received in S312. CPU 107 analyzes the speed license and checks whether the device serial number included in the speed license matches the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101. CPU 107 further analyzes the speed license and obtains the print speed included in the speed license. CPU 107 rewrites the print speed stored in EEPROM 111 with the obtained print speed. The actual print speed is determined when the written print speed is notified to the printing unit 105 at startup.

[0045] In S314, after the printing speed has been written in S313, the CPU 107 displays on the display unit 103 that the printing speed change using the speed license has been completed. Referring to Figure 4B, the connection result screen displayed on the display unit 103 for the image forming apparatus 101 will now be described. The display on the display unit 103 is controlled by the CPU 107. If the printing speed change of the image forming apparatus 101 is successful, the CPU 107 displays a license registration success screen 430 on the display unit 103, which includes a message indicating that license registration is complete and prompting a restart. On the other hand, if the printing speed change of the image forming apparatus 101 fails, the CPU 107 displays a license registration failure screen 440 on the display unit 103, which includes a message indicating that license registration has failed and prompting a confirmation of the license key.

[0046] As described above, this embodiment is provided as a system including an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, and a server. The image forming apparatus presents relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate the image forming speed and activates the image forming speed according to the input license key. The user terminal acquires device information of the image forming apparatus according to the presented relevant information, notifies the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus, and obtains selectable image forming speeds. The user terminal also presents selectable image forming speeds, selects an image forming speed according to user input, obtains a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server, and inputs it to the image forming apparatus. The server also notifies the user of selectable image forming speeds according to the device information and issues a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed. Thus, according to this embodiment, when registering a speed license, the user terminal 211 reads code information such as a QR code displayed on the license input screen of the image forming apparatus 101 and obtains a speed license based on the selected printing speed. Furthermore, by transferring the acquired speed license to the image forming apparatus 101 via Wi-Fi and performing an activation process, the desired printing speed can be set without complicated processing or manual input.

[0047] <Second Embodiment> The following describes a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the setup of Wi-Fi communication was simplified and connected using code information such as a QR code to connect the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211, but the same effect can be obtained by using BLE communication. Nowadays, image forming apparatuses are sold in various configurations, such as equipped only with wireless LAN 114, equipped only with BLE 115, or equipped with both as options. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the desired printing speed can be set without complicated processing or manual input, even with image forming apparatuses of different configurations. The system of the image forming apparatus 101 in Figures 1 and 2, and the overall system of the image forming apparatus 101, user terminal 211, and license management server 201 are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so their description will be omitted.

[0048] <Sequence> Referring to Figure 6, the process of activating a speed license on the image forming apparatus 101 by the image forming apparatus 101, user terminal 211, and license management server 201 according to this embodiment will be explained. This process is realized by the image forming apparatus 101 having its CPU 107 execute a control program, the user terminal 211 having its CPU 212 execute a control program, and the license management server 201 having its CPU 202 execute a server function execution program. Note that the same steps as in the first embodiment described above are given the same step numbers and their explanations are omitted.

[0049] In S601, the CPU 107 of the image forming apparatus 101 displays a license input screen on the display unit 103 if the image forming apparatus 101 is powered on and the speed license is not activated. Here, the CPU 107 is an example of a presentation means. The determination method is the same as in S301 above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Here, the license input screen displayed on the display unit 103 will be explained using Figure 7. The display on the display unit 103 is controlled by the CPU 107. The license input screen 700 consists of a message 701, a speed license input unit 402, an execution button 403, and the device serial number 404 of the image forming apparatus 101. The message 701 includes content indicating that a speed license will be issued and automatically entered via Bluetooth® connection, instead of the QR code 401 in the first embodiment above. Here, the message 701 in this embodiment corresponds to relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate the printing speed. The explanation of 402 to 404 is the same as the license input screen 400, so it is omitted.

[0050] In S602, the CPU 107 activates the BLE 115 and sends out advertisements to transmit predetermined information so that the image forming apparatus 101 can behave as a preferred device, and waits for the user terminal 211 to connect. The CPU 107 also transmits the product name and device serial number in this advertisement. This makes it easier to find the image forming apparatus 101 when the user terminal 211 connects, as described later.

[0051] In S603, the CPU 212 activates the BLE 219 on the user terminal 211 and performs a scan in order to act as a central device. In S604, the CPU 212 displays a list of advertised BLE devices and sends a connection request to the selected BLE device to establish a Bluetooth connection. The CPU 107 prevents the user from accidentally connecting to a different BLE device by displaying attribute data such as the product name and device serial number attached to the advertisement on the display unit 217. Now, referring to Figure 8, the connection confirmation screen with the image forming apparatus 101 displayed on the display unit 217 will be described. The display on the display unit 217 is controlled by the CPU 212. The connection confirmation screen with the image forming apparatus 800 displays the device information acquired when connecting to the BLE device and is a screen to confirm whether to establish a BLE connection. If the CPU 212 detects that the OK button 801 is pressed, it proceeds to S605 and waits for the connection to be completed. If the CPU 212 detects that the close button 802 is pressed, it closes the screen without connecting to the image forming apparatus 101.

[0052] In S605, the CPU 107 returns a connection success if it can establish a connection in response to the BLE connection request from the user terminal 211, and notifies a connection failure if it cannot. Regarding the display on the image forming apparatus 101, the connection result screen displayed on the display unit 103 is the same as in the first embodiment described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. That is, the CPU 107 displays one of the screens depending on the connection result in S305. Similarly, the display of the connection confirmation result on the user terminal 211 will be explained using Figure 8. The CPU 212 displays the connection result notified from the image forming apparatus 101 by S605 on the display unit 217. The connection success screen 810 displays the product name of the image forming apparatus 101 connected to the user terminal 211, the device serial number, and a message that the BLE connection was successful, and the CPU 212 detects that the OK button 811 is pressed and closes the screen. The connection failure screen 820 displays the product name and device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 connected to the user terminal 211, and a message prompting the user to reconfirm the settings because the connection failed. The CPU 212 detects when the OK button 821 is pressed and closes the screen.

[0053] In S606, the CPU 212 obtains device information from the BLE-connected image forming apparatus 101. The device information includes the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101. Here, it is desirable for the CPU 212 to obtain, in addition to the device information, access information to the license management server 201 and information regarding selectable printing speeds from the image forming apparatus 101. That is, here, the information included in the code information in the first embodiment described above is obtained. The processing from S306 to S314 is the same as what was explained using Figure 3 in the first embodiment described above, so the explanation is omitted.

[0054] As described above, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment displays a message prompting a Bluetooth connection with the image forming apparatus, enables BLE, and transmits predetermined information including the device serial number. The user terminal displays a list of scanned BLE devices and establishes a Bluetooth connection with the BLE device selected by the user. The user terminal also obtains device information and server access information from the image forming apparatus via the Bluetooth connection and inputs the license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the Bluetooth connection. Thus, according to this embodiment, when registering a speed license, the BLE function of the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211 is enabled on the license input screen to establish a connection, and a speed license is obtained based on the selected print speed. Furthermore, by sending the information to the image forming apparatus 101 via BLE and performing the activation process, the desired print speed can be set without complicated processing or manual input.

[0055] <Third Embodiment> The following describes a third embodiment of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments described above, configurations in which the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211 are connected via Wi-Fi communication using code information and via BLE communication were described. In this embodiment, a method is described in which a camera is mounted on the image forming apparatus 101 and a QR code is displayed on the user terminal 211 to achieve the same effect. Nowadays, image forming apparatuses are sold in various configurations, such as those equipped only with wireless LAN 114, those equipped only with BLE 115, and those with both as options. On the other hand, there are also image forming apparatus configurations that do not have wireless LAN or BLE, and this invention describes a configuration in which the desired printing speed can be set without complicated processing or manual input, even in such a configuration. The system of the image forming apparatus 101 and the overall system of the image forming apparatus 101, user terminal 211 and license management server 201 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so their description is omitted.

[0056] <Sequence> Referring to Figure 9, the process of activating a speed license on the image forming apparatus 101 using the image forming apparatus 101, user terminal 211, and license management server 201 according to this embodiment will be explained. This process is realized by the image forming apparatus 101 having its CPU 107 execute a control program, the user terminal 211 having its CPU 212 execute a control program, and the license management server 201 having its CPU 202 execute a server function execution program. Note that the same steps as in the first embodiment described above are given the same step numbers and their explanations are omitted.

[0057] In S901, the CPU 107 displays a license input screen on the display unit 103 if the power to the image forming apparatus 101 is turned on and the speed license is not activated. Here, the CPU 107 is an example of a presentation means. The determination method is the same as in S301 above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Now, referring to Figure 10, the license input screen displayed on the display unit 103 will be described. The display on the display unit 103 is controlled by the CPU 107. The license input screen 1000 consists of a QR code 1001, a speed license input unit 402, an execution button 403, the device serial number 404 of the image forming apparatus 101, and a license key reading button 1002. The CPU 107 generates and displays a QR code 1001 that stores the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 and a URL to the license management server 201. In this embodiment, the QR code 1001 corresponds to relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate the printing speed. In this embodiment, the explanation is based on the premise that the user terminal 211 does not know the URL of the license management server 201. However, if the user terminal 211 already has the URL of the license management server 201, for example, by having a dedicated application installed for accessing the license management server 201, then it is not necessary to include the URL of the license management server 201 in the QR code 1001. Alternatively, the CPU 107 may store the URL of the dedicated application installation server (not shown) in the QR code 401 instead of the URL of the license management server 201. In this case, the same effect can be obtained by accessing the license management server 201 from the dedicated application installed on the user terminal 211. The speed license input section 402 is an input space for accepting manual input when a speed license has already been issued. Sections 402 to 404 are the same as the license input screen 400, so their explanation is omitted.

[0058] After the camera is activated in S302, CPU212 in S902 reads the QR code 401 displayed on the license input screen 1000 shown in S301 using camera 218. Furthermore, CPU212 decodes the QR code and extracts the device information of the image forming apparatus 101 and access information such as the URL of the license management server. The device information includes the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 mentioned above.

[0059] The processing in S306 to S311 is the same as in the first embodiment described above, so the explanation is omitted. In S903, the CPU 212 generates a QR code containing the speed license acquired in S311 and displays it on the display unit 217 of the user terminal 211. Now, referring to Figure 11, the screen displayed on the display unit 217 will be explained. The license QR display screen 1100 displays that the speed license selected in S308 has been purchased, the product name, the purchased print speed, the device serial number, and the QR code 1101 containing the speed license. The QR code 1101 is code information that is read by the camera 117 of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0060] In S904, the CPU 107 waits until it detects that the license key reading button 1002 on the license input screen 1000 has been pressed. Once detected, it proceeds to S905. In S905, the CPU 107 activates the camera 117 and displays the video being captured by the camera 117 on the display unit 103, waiting for the detection of a QR code containing a speed license. Now, referring to Figure 10, the license input screen displayed on the display unit 103 will be described. The license input screen 1010 consists of a camera image area 1011 and a back button 1012. When the CPU 107 detects that the back button 1012 has been pressed, it returns the display on the display unit 103 to the license input screen 1000.

[0061] In S906, the CPU 107 determines whether a license key has been received. Specifically, when the CPU 107 detects the QR code 1101 using the camera 117, it analyzes the QR code and obtains a speed license. If a license key is received, the process proceeds to S313. The processing in S313 and S314 is the same as in the first embodiment described above, so the explanation is omitted.

[0062] As described above, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment generates and displays a code image containing device information of the image forming apparatus and server access information as related information. The user terminal extracts the device information of the image forming apparatus and server access information from the code image captured by the camera. The user terminal generates a code image containing the license key issued by the server and displays it on the user terminal's display unit. The license key is input to the image forming apparatus by having the camera provided on the image forming apparatus read the code image displayed on the display unit. Thus, according to this embodiment, when registering a speed license, a QR code of the speed license for the selected printing speed is displayed on the user terminal and read by the image forming apparatus 101 to activate the speed license. This makes it possible to set the desired printing speed without complicated processing or manual input.

[0063] <Fourth Embodiment> A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which a QR code was used to simplify the setup of Wi-Fi communication and connect the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211. In this embodiment, an example using USB communication will be described. The system of the image forming apparatus 101 and the overall system of the image forming apparatus 101, user terminal 211 and license management server 201 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are the same as in Embodiment 1, so their description will be omitted.

[0064] <Sequence> Referring to Figure 12, the process of activating a speed license on the image forming apparatus 101 using the image forming apparatus 101, user terminal 211, and license management server 201 according to this embodiment will be explained. This process is realized by the image forming apparatus 101 having its CPU 107 execute a control program, the user terminal 211 having its CPU 212 execute a control program, and the license management server 201 having its CPU 202 execute a server function execution program. Processes similar to those in the first embodiment described above are given the same step numbers and their explanations are omitted.

[0065] In S1201, the CPU 107 displays a license input screen on the display unit 103 if the image forming apparatus 101 is powered on and the speed license is not activated. Here, the CPU 107 is an example of a presentation means. The determination method is the same as in S301 above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Now, referring to Figure 13, the license input screen displayed on the display unit 103 will be described. The display on the display unit 103 is controlled by the CPU 107. The license input screen 1300 consists of a message 1301, a speed license input unit 402, an execute button 403, and the device serial number 404 of the image forming apparatus 101. The message 1301 includes content prompting a USB connection between the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211. In this embodiment, the message 1301 corresponds to relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate the printing speed. The explanation of 402 to 404 is omitted as it is the same as the license input screen 400.

[0066] In S1202, the CPU 212 monitors the USB port (not shown) via USB 220 and detects whether the user terminal 211 and the USB device are connected via a USB cable. If a connection is detected, the process proceeds to S1203. In S1203, the CPU 212 performs enumeration via USB 220 to identify the image forming apparatus 101 and establish USB communication. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the user terminal 211 is the host and the image forming apparatus 101 is the target when performing USB communication.

[0067] In S1204, CPU212 obtains device information from the image forming apparatus 101 via USB220. The device information includes the device serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 and the URL of the license management server.

[0068] Steps S306 to S311 are the same as the process shown in Figure 3 in the first embodiment described above, so their explanation is omitted. In S1204, the CPU 212 notifies the image forming apparatus 101 of the speed license acquired in S311. The screen displayed on the display unit 217 when notifying is described above using Figure 5B, so its explanation is omitted. The license transfer screen 570 displays to the user that the speed license selected in S308 has been purchased. Furthermore, the license transfer screen 570 displays to the user that the speed license will be transferred to the image forming apparatus 101 via the USB connection between the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211, as performed in S304 to S305. In addition, the license transfer screen 570 displays the product name, the purchased print speed, and the device serial number. Steps S313 and S314 are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so their explanation is omitted.

[0069] As described above, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment displays a message prompting the user to connect to the image forming apparatus via USB as relevant information. The user terminal connects to the image forming apparatus via a USB cable, obtains device information and server access information from the image forming apparatus via the USB connection, and inputs the license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the USB connection. Thus, according to this embodiment, when registering a speed license, a USB connection is established between the image forming apparatus 101 and the user terminal 211 on the license input screen, and a speed license is obtained according to the selected print speed. Furthermore, by sending the license key to the image forming apparatus 101 via USB and performing the activation process, the desired print speed can be set without complicated processing or manual input.

[0070] The first to fourth embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Each device in these embodiments may have a configuration corresponding to each embodiment, or it may have a configuration corresponding to multiple embodiments. When there is a configuration corresponding to multiple embodiments, it is desirable to switch the control function according to the configuration of other devices and the installation environment when activating the license key.

[0071] The disclosures herein include the following systems, image forming apparatuses, user terminals, methods for controlling them, and programs. (Item 1) A system including an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, and a server, The image forming apparatus is A presentation means for presenting relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate image formation speed, An activation means for activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and Equipped with, The aforementioned user terminal is A first acquisition means for acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the aforementioned related information, A second acquisition means that notifies the server of the device information of the image forming apparatus that has been acquired and acquires a selectable image forming speed, A selection means that presents the selectable image forming speeds and selects an image forming speed according to user input, An input means for obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. Equipped with, The aforementioned server, A notification means for notifying the selectable image forming speed according to the device information, A system characterized by comprising an issuing means for issuing a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed. (Item 2) The system according to item 1, characterized in that the presentation means generates and presents a code image including access information to the image forming apparatus and access information to the server as the related information. (Item 3) The aforementioned user terminal is Camera and, An extraction means for extracting access information to the image forming apparatus and access information to the server from the code image captured by the camera. The system according to item 2, further characterized by comprising the following. (Item 4) The access information for the image forming apparatus includes the device serial number of the image forming apparatus, SSID information, and password. The aforementioned user terminal is The system further includes connection means for establishing a Wi-Fi connection with the image forming apparatus using the access information of the image forming apparatus, The first acquisition means acquires the device information from the image forming apparatus via the Wi-Fi connection, The system according to item 2 or 3, characterized in that the input means inputs a license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the Wi-Fi connection. (Item 5) The system according to item 1, characterized in that the presentation means presents a message prompting a Bluetooth connection with the image forming apparatus as the relevant information. (Item 6) When the image forming apparatus presents the relevant information using the presentation means, it activates BLE and transmits predetermined information including the device serial number. The aforementioned user terminal is The system according to item 5, further comprising a connection means for presenting a list of scanned BLE devices and establishing a Bluetooth connection with a BLE device selected by the user. (Item 7) The first acquisition means acquires the device information and access information to the server from the image forming apparatus via the Bluetooth connection. The system according to item 6, characterized in that the input means inputs a license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the Bluetooth connection. (Item 8) The system according to item 1, characterized in that the presentation means generates and presents a code image including device information of the image forming apparatus and access information to the server as the related information. (Item 9) The aforementioned user terminal is Camera and, Extraction means for extracting device information of the image forming apparatus and access information to the server from the code image captured by the camera. The system according to item 8, further characterized by comprising the following: (Item 10) The system according to item 8 or 9, characterized in that the input means generates a code image including a license key issued by the server and displays it on the display unit of the user terminal, and inputs the license key to the image forming apparatus by having a camera provided in the image forming apparatus read the code image displayed on the display unit. (Item 11) The system according to item 1, characterized in that the presentation means presents a message prompting a USB connection to the image forming apparatus as the relevant information. (Item 12) The aforementioned user terminal is The system according to item 11, further comprising a connection means for making a USB connection to the image forming apparatus via a USB cable. (Item 13) The first acquisition means acquires the device information and access information to the server from the image forming apparatus via the USB connection. The system according to item 12, characterized in that the input means inputs a license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the USB connection. (Item 14) An image forming apparatus, A presentation means for presenting relevant information to the user terminal for accepting input of a license key to enable image formation speed, The user terminal includes a reception means that accepts input of a license key obtained from the server using the aforementioned related information, An activation means for activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising: (Item 15) A user terminal, A first acquisition means for acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus according to relevant information for accepting input of a license key for activating the image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus, A second acquisition means that notifies the server of the device information of the image forming apparatus that has been acquired and acquires selectable image forming speeds, A selection means that presents the selectable image forming speeds and selects an image forming speed according to user input, An input means for obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. A user terminal characterized by being equipped with the following features. (Item 16) A control method for a system including an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, and a server, In the aforementioned image forming apparatus, The presentation means includes a presentation step in which it presents relevant information for accepting the input of a license key that enables the image formation speed, The activation means includes an activation step of activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and Includes, In the aforementioned user terminal, The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step of acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the presented related information, The second acquisition means includes a second acquisition step of notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring a selectable image forming speed, The selection means includes a selection step of presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, The input means includes an input step of obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. Includes, In the aforementioned server, The notification means includes a notification step of notifying the selectable image forming speed according to the device information, A system control method characterized in that the issuing means includes an issuing step of issuing a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed. (Item 17) A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, The presentation means includes a presentation step in which it presents relevant information to the user terminal for accepting input of a license key to activate the image formation speed, The reception means includes a reception step in which the user terminal receives input of a license key obtained from the server using the related information, The activation means includes an activation step of activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and A control method for an image forming apparatus, characterized by including the following: (Item 18) A user terminal, The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step in which it acquires device information of the image forming apparatus according to relevant information for receiving input of a license key for activating the image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus, The second acquisition means includes a second acquisition step of notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring selectable image forming speeds, The selection means includes a selection step of presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, The input means includes an input step of obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. A user terminal characterized by including the following. (Item 19) A program for causing a computer to execute each step in a control method for an image forming apparatus, wherein the control method is: The presentation means includes a presentation step in which it presents relevant information to the user terminal for accepting input of a license key to activate the image formation speed, The reception means includes a reception step in which the user terminal receives input of a license key obtained from the server using the related information, The activation means includes an activation step of activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and A program characterized by including the following. (Item 20) A program for causing a computer to execute each step in a method for controlling a user terminal, wherein the control method is: The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step in which it acquires device information of the image forming apparatus according to relevant information for receiving input of a license key for activating the image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus, The second acquisition means includes a second acquisition step of notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring selectable image forming speeds, The selection means includes a selection step of presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, The input means includes an input step of obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. A program characterized by including the following.

[0072] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0073] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 101: Image forming apparatus, 102: Controller unit, 103: Display unit, 105: Printing unit, 106: Reading unit, 107: CPU, 108: ROM, 109: RAM, 110: HDD, 111: EEPROM, 112: Network I / F, 113: Wired LAN, 114: Wireless LAN, 115: BLE, 116: USB, 117: Camera, 201: License management server, 202: CPU, 203: ROM, 204: RAM, 205: HDD, 206: Network I / F, 211: User terminal, 212: CPU, 213: ROM, 214: RAM, 215: HDD, 216: Network I / F, 217: Display unit, 218: Camera, 219: BLE, 220: USB, 231: Internet

Claims

1. A system including an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, and a server, The image forming apparatus is A presentation means for presenting relevant information for accepting input of a license key to activate image formation speed, An activation means for activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and Equipped with, The aforementioned user terminal is A first acquisition means for acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the relevant information presented above, A second acquisition means that notifies the server of the device information of the image forming apparatus that has been acquired and acquires a selectable image forming speed, A selection means that presents the selectable image forming speeds and selects an image forming speed according to user input, An input means for obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. Equipped with, The aforementioned server, A notification means for notifying the selectable image forming speed according to the device information, A system characterized by comprising an issuing means for issuing a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the presentation means generates and presents a code image including access information to the image forming apparatus and access information to the server as the related information.

3. The aforementioned user terminal is Camera and, An extraction means for extracting access information to the image forming apparatus and access information to the server from the code image captured by the camera. The system according to claim 2, further comprising the following:

4. The access information for the image forming apparatus includes the device serial number of the image forming apparatus, SSID information, and password. The aforementioned user terminal is The system further includes connection means for establishing a Wi-Fi connection with the image forming apparatus using the access information of the image forming apparatus, The first acquisition means acquires the device information from the image forming apparatus via the Wi-Fi connection. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that the input means inputs a license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the Wi-Fi connection.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the presenting means presents a message prompting a Bluetooth connection with the image forming apparatus as the relevant information.

6. When the image forming apparatus presents the relevant information using the presentation means, it activates BLE and transmits predetermined information including the device serial number. The aforementioned user terminal is The system according to claim 5, further comprising connection means for presenting a list of scanned BLE devices and establishing a Bluetooth connection with a BLE device selected by the user.

7. The first acquisition means acquires the device information and access information to the server from the image forming apparatus via the Bluetooth connection. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the input means inputs a license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the Bluetooth connection.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the presentation means generates and presents a code image including device information of the image forming apparatus and access information to the server as the related information.

9. The aforementioned user terminal is Camera and, Extraction means for extracting device information of the image forming apparatus and access information to the server from the code image captured by the camera. The system according to claim 8, further comprising the following:

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the input means generates a code image including a license key issued by the server and displays it on the display unit of the user terminal, and inputs the license key to the image forming apparatus by having a camera provided in the image forming apparatus read the code image displayed on the display unit.

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the presenting means presents a message prompting a USB connection with the image forming apparatus as the relevant information.

12. The aforementioned user terminal is The system according to claim 11, further comprising a connection means for making a USB connection to the image forming apparatus via a USB cable.

13. The first acquisition means acquires the device information and access information to the server from the image forming apparatus via the USB connection. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that the input means inputs a license key issued by the server to the image forming apparatus via the USB connection.

14. An image forming apparatus, A presentation means for presenting relevant information to the user terminal for accepting input of a license key to enable image formation speed, The user terminal includes a reception means that accepts input of a license key obtained from the server using the aforementioned related information, An activation means for activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising:

15. A user terminal, A first acquisition means for acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus according to relevant information for accepting input of a license key for activating the image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus, A second acquisition means that notifies the server of the device information of the image forming apparatus that has been acquired and acquires selectable image forming speeds, A selection means that presents the selectable image forming speeds and selects an image forming speed according to user input, An input means for obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. A user terminal characterized by being equipped with the following features.

16. A control method for a system including an image forming apparatus, a user terminal, and a server, In the aforementioned image forming apparatus, The presentation means includes a presentation step in which it presents relevant information for accepting the input of a license key that enables the image formation speed, The activation means includes an activation step of activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and Includes, In the aforementioned user terminal, The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step of acquiring device information of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the presented related information, The second acquisition means includes a second acquisition step of notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring a selectable image forming speed, The selection means includes a selection step of presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, The input means includes an input step of obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. Includes, In the aforementioned server, The notification means includes a notification step of notifying the selectable image forming speed according to the device information, A system control method characterized in that the issuing means includes an issuing step of issuing a corresponding license key according to the selected image forming speed.

17. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, The presentation means includes a presentation step in which it presents relevant information to the user terminal for accepting input of a license key to activate the image formation speed, The reception means includes a reception step in which the user terminal receives input of a license key obtained from the server using the related information, The activation means includes an activation step of activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and A control method for an image forming apparatus, characterized by including the following:

18. A user terminal, The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step in which it acquires device information of the image forming apparatus according to relevant information for receiving input of a license key for activating the image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus, The second acquisition means includes a second acquisition step of notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring selectable image forming speeds, The selection means includes a selection step of presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, The input means includes an input step of obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. A user terminal characterized by including the following.

19. A program for causing a computer to execute each step in a control method for an image forming apparatus, wherein the control method is: The presentation means includes a presentation step in which it presents relevant information to the user terminal for accepting input of a license key to activate the image formation speed, The reception means includes a reception step in which the user terminal receives input of a license key obtained from the server using the related information, The activation means includes an activation step of activating the image formation speed according to the entered license key, and A program characterized by including the following.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute each step in a method for controlling a user terminal, wherein the control method is: The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step in which it acquires device information of the image forming apparatus according to relevant information for receiving input of a license key for activating the image forming speed presented by the image forming apparatus, The second acquisition means includes a second acquisition step of notifying the server of the acquired device information of the image forming apparatus and acquiring selectable image forming speeds, The selection means includes a selection step of presenting the selectable image forming speeds and selecting an image forming speed according to user input, The input means includes an input step of obtaining a license key corresponding to the selected image forming speed from the server and inputting it to the image forming apparatus. A program characterized by including the following.

Images