Image forming apparatus, its control method, program and system

Abstract

The objective is to improve the usability of ordering consumables. [Solution] An image forming apparatus connected via a network to a communication tool server and a terminal device, comprising: detection means for detecting when the lifespan of a consumable of the image forming apparatus is nearing its end; first transmission means for transmitting order request information based on the information of the consumable detected as nearing its end by the detection means to the communication tool server; second transmission means for transmitting to the communication tool server that an order has been placed when an order instruction for the consumable is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server; and third transmission means for sending an order email for the consumable when it is determined that the ordered consumable has not yet been ordered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method thereof, a program, and a system.

Background Art

[0002] In consumables such as toner and drums used in image forming apparatuses, it is necessary to replace them when their lifespan is reached, and there is a function to display the replacement procedure on an operation unit or the like of the image forming apparatus. However, in order to actually obtain the consumables to be replaced, it may be necessary to contact a maintenance person such as a serviceman to order the consumables. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a method is disclosed in which a remote maintenance server is used to transmit, via a network, to a communication terminal located remotely when an event requiring maintenance occurs in a device to be monitored. As a result, since a notification can be received on the communication terminal when an event occurs, it is possible to immediately contact a maintenance person and order consumables.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of communication terminals receive a maintenance notification, there is a possibility that a request for ordering consumables is made to a maintenance person from each communication terminal, resulting in duplicate ordering. The present disclosure aims to improve the usability regarding ordering of consumables.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An image forming apparatus connected via a network to a communication tool server and a terminal device, comprising: detection means for detecting when the lifespan of a consumable of the image forming apparatus is nearing its end; first transmission means for transmitting order request information based on the information of the consumable detected as nearing its end by the detection means to the communication tool server; second transmission means for transmitting to the communication tool server that an order has been placed when an order instruction for the consumable is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server; and third transmission means for sending an order email for the consumable when it is determined that the ordered consumable has not yet been ordered. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, usability regarding ordering consumables can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the system configuration of the embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the chat server in the embodiment. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the terminal device of the embodiment. [Figure 5] Processing flow when the image forming apparatus of Embodiment 1 detects the end of life of a consumable. [Figure 6] A processing flow in which the chat server of Embodiment 1 performs information notification. [Figure 7] Settings screen of the chat application in Embodiment 1. [Figure 8A] Chat application screen when consumable lifespan is detected in Embodiment 1. [Figure 8B] Chat application screen when consumable lifespan is detected in Embodiment 1. [Figure 9]Sequence for detecting the lifespan of consumables in the image forming apparatus of Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] Flowchart for reorder confirmation processing in the image forming apparatus of Embodiment 2. [Figure 11] Sequence for reorder confirmation in the image forming apparatus of Embodiment 2. [Figure 12] The chat application screen when a reorder confirmation notification is sent in Embodiment 2. [Figure 13] A list of ordered flags stored by the image forming apparatus in the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] [Embodiment 1] Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described based on Figures 1 to 9 and Figure 13. Embodiment 1 describes a process in which, when the image forming apparatus 10 detects the end of life of a consumable, it sends a consumable end-of-life detection notification to the chat application, which is a communication tool on the terminal device 30, and executes an order process according to the instructions of the chat application. • Overall system configuration Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of a system in an embodiment of the present invention. The system comprises an image forming apparatus 10, a chat server 20 which is a communication tool server, and a terminal device 30. The image forming apparatus 10, the chat server 20, and the terminal device 30 are connected via the Internet 40. There are multiple terminal devices 30, and multiple terminal devices may be connected to the image forming apparatus 10.

[0009] Hardware configuration (Image forming apparatus) Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 100, including the CPU 101, controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus 10. The CPU 101 reads the control program stored in the ROM 102 and performs various controls such as read control and transmission control. ROM 102 is a boot ROM that stores the system boot program. RAM 103 is used as a main memory of CPU 101 and a temporary storage area such as a work area. HDD 104 stores image data, various programs, or various information tables.

[0010] The operation unit control unit 105 is an interface for connecting the operation unit 109 and the control unit 100. The operation unit 109 is equipped with a liquid crystal display unit having a touch panel function, a keyboard, and the like. The printer control unit 106 is an interface for connecting the printer 110 and the control unit 100. The image data to be printed by the printer 110 is transferred from the control unit 100 via the printer control unit 106 and printed on a recording medium (paper) by the printer 110. The scanner control unit 107 is an interface for connecting the scanner 111 and the control unit 100. The scanner 111 reads an image on a document to generate image data and inputs it to the control unit 100 via the scanner control unit 107. The device state detection unit 112 detects the states of consumables such as toner and drums using various sensors provided in the image forming apparatus 10.

[0011] The information notification control unit 113 creates notification information to be transmitted to the terminal device 30 and notifies the terminal device 30 via the chat server 20 which is a communication tool server. The information reception control unit 114 receives a processing instruction from the chat server 20 and executes corresponding processing. The network control unit 108 is an interface for connecting the control unit 100 to the LAN 120. The network control unit 108 transmits information to and receives information from external devices connected to the Internet 40 via the LAN 120.

[0012] 〔Function〕 The following are some of the typical functions (applications) of the image forming apparatus 10. • A "copy" function that reads an image from a document using the scanner 111 and prints the generated image data using the printer 110. • A "print" function that prints image data on the printer 110 based on print jobs submitted from external devices such as client PCs. • A "scan and send" function that reads an image from a document using the scanner 111 and sends the generated image data to an external source from the network control unit 108. • The "Scan and Save" function reads an image from the document using scanner 111 and saves the generated image data to HDD 104. • A "use saved files" function that prints image data stored on HDD104 using printer 110 or sends it externally via network control unit 108. • A "browser" function that allows you to view, print, and save data on a web server via a web browser.

[0013] (Chat server) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the chat server 20, which is a communication tool server in an embodiment of the present invention. The chat server 20 comprises a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, and a network communication unit 220. The chat server 20 provides chat services to the terminal device 30. The chat processing unit 201 analyzes the chat text received from the terminal device 30, retrieves the appropriate chat text from the dialogue data 211, and responds. Dialogue data 211 is dialogue data used for chat processing, and it stores the chat text necessary for dialogue processing, including chat text learned by the AI. The received notification information 212 stores the notification information received from the image forming apparatus 10. The registered user information 213 is the registration information for the terminal used for chatting. The user performs a configuration process from the terminal device 30 to register the image forming device 10 that will be used as the chat partner, and the notification destination information for the terminal used for chatting is stored as the registered user information 213.

[0014] (Terminal device) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. Specific examples of terminal devices 30 include smartphones, PCs, tablets, and the like. The control unit 300 performs various processes by reading and executing the control program 311 stored in the storage unit 310. The chat processing unit 301 receives various messages sent from the chat server 20. The control program 311 also incorporates an interactive application for communicating with the chat server 20. The display unit 320 can display the status of the terminal device 30 and allow operation input. It displays chat text from the interactive application and accepts chat text input from the user. The network communication unit 330 is connected to the image forming apparatus 10 via the internet 40 and receives notification information from the image forming apparatus 10.

[0015] • Ordering consumables Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process by which the image forming apparatus 10 detects that a consumable is nearing the end of its lifespan, sends a consumable lifespan notification to the chat application on the terminal device 30, and executes an order based on instructions from the chat application. This process is realized when the CPU 101 of the image forming apparatus loads a program stored in the ROM 102 onto the RAM 103 and executes it. This flowchart is initiated based on the user instructing the image forming apparatus 10 to perform a printing process. In S501, the device status detection unit 112 detects consumables of the image forming apparatus 10 that are nearing the end of their lifespan. Specifically, the device status detection unit 112 uses various sensors provided in the image forming apparatus 10 to check the condition of consumables such as toner and drums, and detects those that are nearing the end of their lifespan or that need to be replaced.

[0016] In S502, CPU101 determines whether the consumable lifespan detection information notification setting 700 (Figure 7(a)) for chat is set to notify the chat application. <Chat app notification settings screen> Figure 7(a) shows an example of a chat application notification settings screen for sending information to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when the image forming apparatus 10 detects the end of the lifespan of a consumable. The consumable lifespan detection information notification setting 700 determines whether the image forming apparatus 10 sends a "consumable lifespan detection information notification" to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of a consumable's lifespan. If "Notify" 701 is set, the image forming apparatus 10 sends a consumable lifespan detection information notification to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of a consumable's lifespan. If "Do not notify" 702 is set, the image forming apparatus 10 does not send a consumable lifespan detection information notification to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of a consumable's lifespan.

[0017] In S502, if CPU101 is notifying consumable lifespan detection information (Yes in S502), CPU101 proceeds to S503. On the other hand, if consumable lifespan detection information is not being notified (No in S502), the process in this flowchart ends. In S503, the information notification control unit 113 creates consumable lifespan detection notification information to notify the chat server 20 based on the information of the consumables that were detected to be nearing the end of their lifespan in S501. Here, information regarding the model number of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected may be obtained from the HDD 104 and included in the consumable lifespan detection notification information. In S504, the information notification control unit 113 sends the consumable life detection notification information created in S503 from the network control unit 108 to the chat server 20 via the LAN 120.

[0018] In S505, CPU101 determines whether the setting 703 for displaying consumable order requests in the chat is set to be displayed in the chat application. <Chat app notification settings screen> The consumables order request display setting 703 in Figure 7(a) sets whether or not the image forming apparatus 10 displays a consumables order request to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of the consumables' lifespan. If "Display" 704 is set, the image forming apparatus 10 displays a consumables order request to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of the consumables' lifespan. If "Do not display" 705 is set, the image forming apparatus 10 does not display a consumables order request to the chat application on the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of the consumables' lifespan. Note that if "Do not notify" 702 is set in the consumables lifespan detection information notification setting 700, the consumables order request will not be displayed either, so "Display" 704 and "Do not display" 705 may be shaded to prevent selection.

[0019] If it is determined in S505 that the setting to display the consumables order request is enabled (Yes in S505), CPU 101 proceeds to S506. On the other hand, if it is determined that the setting to not display the consumables order request is disabled (No in S502), the processing of this flowchart is terminated. In S506, the information notification control unit 113 creates consumable order request notification information to notify the chat server 20 based on the information of the consumables that were detected in S501 to be nearing the end of their lifespan. In S507, the information notification control unit 113 sends the consumable order request notification information created in S506 from the network control unit 108 to the chat server 20 via the LAN 120. In S508, the information reception control unit 114 determines whether or not it has received the consumables order request sent by the chat server 20. If it determines that it has received the consumables order request (Yes in S508), the CPU 101 proceeds to S509. On the other hand, if it determines that it has not received the consumables order request (No in S508), the CPU 101 returns to S508 and waits until it receives the request.

[0020] In S509, the information notification control unit 113 creates consumables order request acceptance notification information to notify the chat server 20 based on the consumables order request information received in S508. In S510, the information notification control unit 113 sends the consumable order request acceptance notification information created in S506 from the network control unit 108 to the chat server 20 via LAN 120. In S511, the CPU 101 determines whether the consumables targeted by the consumable order request received in S508 are consumables that have already been ordered. Specifically, the CPU 101 obtains from RAM 103 or HDD 104 whether the "order request completed" flag (described later) for the target consumables is ON or OFF, and makes a determination.

[0021] <Ordered Flag Management List> Figure 13 shows the ordered flag management list stored in RAM 103 or HDD 104. The ordered flag management list is a list that manages the ordered flag 1302 which indicates whether or not an order has been placed for a consumable 1301. If the consumable has been ordered, the ordered flag is stored as "ON", and if it has not been ordered, the ordered flag is stored as "OFF". This ordered flag management list allows other terminal devices 300 to determine whether or not an order has already been placed, and if it has already been placed, it can be processed to prevent duplicate orders. In S511, CPU101 determines whether the consumable has been ordered. If it is determined that the consumable has been ordered (Yes in S511), CPU101 proceeds to S514. On the other hand, if it is determined that the consumable has not been ordered (No in S511), CPU101 proceeds to S512.

[0022] (If the order has not yet been placed) In S512, the information notification control unit 113 sends an order email via LAN 120 from the network control unit 108 to the order recipients stored in the HDD 104 for the consumables to be ordered. <Screen for setting destination for consumables orders> Figure 7(b) shows an example of the consumables order destination setting screen for setting the destination of consumables orders in the image forming apparatus 10. The order destination is specified by entering a string in the order destination field 706. In this example, an email is sent to the order destination by specifying an email address in the order destination field 706, but other communication methods such as fax transmission may also be used.

[0023] In S513, the CPU101 sets the ordered flag to "ON" for the consumables ordered in S512, updates the ordered flag management list stored in RAM103 or HDD104, and proceeds to S514. In S514, the information notification control unit 113 creates order completion notification information to be sent to the chat server 20 based on the information of the consumables ordered in S512. In S515, the information notification control unit 113 sends the order completion notification information created in S514 from the network control unit 108 to the chat server 20 via LAN 120, and the processing of this flowchart ends. According to this flowchart, even if consumables have already been ordered based on instructions from other terminal devices 30, a notification that the order has been completed will be displayed in the chat.

[0024] • Processing information notifications to users (chat server) Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process by which the chat server 20 notifies registered users of information. This flowchart is initiated based on the user instructing the image forming apparatus 10 to perform a printing process. In S601, the chat processing unit 201 of the control unit 200 of the chat server 20 determines whether there is any notification information to be sent from the image forming apparatus 10. If there is notification information (Yes in S601), the chat processing unit 201 proceeds to S602. On the other hand, if there is no notification information (No in S601), this process is terminated. In S602, the chat processing unit 201 of the chat server 20 searches for the information of the registered user to whom the message is forwarded from the registered user information 213 in the storage unit 210. In S603, the chat processing unit 201 of the chat server 20 sends the notification information received in S601 to the registered user using the chat application, and then terminates this process.

[0025] • Notification information transmission and reception sequence (when consumable end-of-life is detected) Figure 9 shows the sequence in which the image forming apparatus 10 sends notification information to the terminal device 30 when it detects the end of a consumable's lifespan. This sequence is initiated based on the user instructing the image forming apparatus 10 to perform a print operation. In S901, the image forming apparatus 10 detects consumables that have reached the end of their lifespan. In S902, the image forming apparatus 10 creates consumable lifespan detection notification information based on the information of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected.

[0026] In step S903, the image forming apparatus 10 sends the created consumable life detection notification information to the chat server 20. In S904, the chat server 20 stores the consumable lifespan detection notification information received from the image forming apparatus 10 in the received notification information 212 of the storage unit 210. The chat processing unit of the control unit 200 analyzes the consumable lifespan detection notification information stored in the received notification information 212 and creates a chat message related to consumable lifespan detection from the dialogue data 211. In S905, the chat server 20 sends the chat message created in S904 regarding consumable life detection to the terminal device 30.

[0027] In S906, the terminal device 30 receives a message from the chat server 20 indicating the expiration of consumables via the chat processing unit 301 of the control unit 300. The control program 311 of the storage unit 310 also launches the chat application and displays the chat message received from the chat server 20 on the display unit 320. Figure 8(a) (hereinafter, Figures 8A and 8B are collectively referred to as "Figure 8") is an example of the chat application screen when the terminal device 30 receives a message indicating that the consumable lifespan has been detected. Message 801 includes consumable lifespan detection information such as the name of the consumable, model number, and date and time of lifespan detection.

[0028] In S907, the image forming apparatus 10 creates consumable order request notification information based on the information of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected. In S908, the image forming apparatus 10 sends the created consumable order request notification information to the chat server 20. In S909, the chat server 20 stores the consumable order request notification information received from the image forming apparatus 10 in the received notification information 212 of the storage unit 210. The chat processing unit of the control unit 200 analyzes the consumable order request notification information stored in the received notification information 212 and creates a chat message related to the consumable order request information from the dialogue data 211. Furthermore, the chat processing unit 201 of the control unit 200 creates an order request button to allow the user to indicate whether or not to place an order.

[0029] In S910, the chat server 20 sends a chat message regarding the consumables order request created in S909 to the terminal device 30. In step S911, the terminal device 30 receives a message and an order request button for consumables from the chat server 20 via the chat processing unit 301 of the control unit 300. Furthermore, the control program 311 of the storage unit 310 launches the chat application and displays the chat message received from the chat server 20 on the display unit 320.

[0030] Figure 8(b) shows the chat message 802 received from the chat server 20, along with the [Yes] button 803 and the [No] button 804 for requesting an order, displayed on the chat application of the terminal device 30. In step S912, the terminal device 30 detects when a user presses an order request button, creates a chat message corresponding to that button, displays it on the display unit 320, and sends it to the chat server 20. Figure 8(c) shows an example of the display unit 320 when the [Yes] button 803 of the order request button is pressed, and displays message 805. Figure 8(d) shows an example of the display unit 320 when the [No] button 804 of the order request button is pressed, and displays message 806.

[0031] In S913, the chat server 20 functions as a chatbot, and the chat processing unit 201 interacts with the terminal device 30 via chat based on the dialogue data 211 in the storage unit 220. In S914, the chat server 20 identifies the processing instructions received from the terminal device 30. In S915, the chat server 20 sends the order instruction identified in S914 to the image forming apparatus 10.

[0032] In S916, the information receiving control unit 114 of the image forming apparatus 10 receives an order instruction from the chat server 20 and creates consumable order request acceptance notification information. In S917, the image forming apparatus 10 sends the created consumable order request acceptance notification information to the chat server 20. In S918, the chat server 20 stores the consumable order request acceptance notification information received from the image forming apparatus 10 in the received notification information 212 of the storage unit 210. The chat processing unit of the control unit 200 also analyzes the consumable order request acceptance notification information stored in the received notification information 212 and creates a chat message related to the consumable order request acceptance information from the dialogue data 211.

[0033] In S919, the chat server 20 sends a chat message regarding the acceptance of the consumables order request, created in S918, to the terminal device 30. In S920, the terminal device 30 receives a message from the chat server 20 confirming receipt of a consumables order request via the chat processing unit 301 of the control unit 300. Furthermore, the control program 311 of the storage unit 310 launches the chat application and displays the chat message received from the chat server 20 on the display unit 320.

[0034] Figure 8(e) shows an example of the chat application screen when the terminal device 30 receives a message confirming receipt of a consumables order request. Message 807 displays a message indicating that the consumables order request has been received. In S921, the image forming apparatus 10 determines whether the order instruction received in S916 has been placed. In S922, if the image forming apparatus 10 determines that an order has not been placed in S921, the network control unit 108 sends an order email via LAN 120 to the order recipients stored in the HDD 104.

[0035] In S923, the image forming apparatus 10 creates order completion notification information based on the consumables ordered in S922. In S924, the image forming apparatus 10 sends the created order completion notification information to the chat server 20. In step S925, the chat server 20 stores the order completion notification information received from the image forming apparatus 10 in the received notification information 212 of the storage unit 210. The chat processing unit of the control unit 200 analyzes the order completion notification information stored in the received notification information 212 and creates a chat message regarding order completion from the dialogue data 211. In S926, the chat server 20 sends the chat message regarding the completion of the order, which was created in S925, to the terminal device 30.

[0036] In S927, the terminal device 30 receives an order completion message from the chat server 20 via the chat processing unit 301 of the control unit 300. The control program 311 of the storage unit 310 then launches the chat application, displays the chat message received from the chat server 20 on the display unit 320, and terminates the processing of this sequence. Figure 8(f) shows an example of the chat application screen when the terminal device 30 receives a message indicating that the order has been completed. Message 808 displays a message indicating that the order for consumables has been completed.

[0037] As described above, in Embodiment 1, when the image forming apparatus 10 detects the end of the lifespan of a consumable, it notifies the chat application on the terminal device 30 of the end of the lifespan of the consumable and provides a means for the chat application to issue an order. Furthermore, upon receiving the order order, the image forming apparatus 10 determines whether the order has already been placed or not, and only processes the order if it has not already been placed. This makes it possible to process orders for consumables that have reached the end of their lifespan without duplicate ordering.

[0038] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 1 describes a process in which the image forming apparatus 10, after receiving an order request, displays an order completion message and places orders only for consumables that have not yet been ordered. Embodiment 2 further describes a process that allows the image forming apparatus 10 to respond to requests for additional orders by confirming whether to reorder consumables that have already been ordered. Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 12.

[0039] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the process by which the image forming apparatus 10 sends notification information to a terminal device to confirm whether to place another order. Steps S1001-S1011 and S1015-S1018 are the same as steps S501-S511 and S512-S515 in Figure 5, so they are omitted. In S1012, the information notification control unit 113 creates a reorder confirmation notification to ask the user whether they want to reorder the consumables that were determined to have been ordered in S1011. In S1013, the information notification control unit 113 sends the reorder confirmation notification information created in S1012 from the network control unit 108 to the chat server 20 via the LAN 120. In S1014, the information reception control unit 114 determines whether or not it has received a reorder request from the chat server 20. If it determines that it has received a reorder request, it proceeds to S1016. On the other hand, if it determines that it has not received a reorder request, it proceeds to S1017.

[0040] Figure 11 shows the sequence in which the image forming apparatus 10 sends a reorder confirmation notice to the terminal device 30 and receives the reorder instruction. Steps S1101 to S1121 and S1131 to S1136 are the same as steps S901 to S921 and S922 to S927 in Figure 9, so they are omitted. In S1122, the image forming apparatus 10 creates a reorder confirmation notification to ask the user whether to reorder the consumables that were determined to have been ordered in S1121. In S1123, the image forming apparatus 10 sends the created reorder confirmation notification information to the chat server 20. In S1124, the chat server 20 stores the reorder confirmation notification information received from the image forming apparatus 10 in the received notification information 212 of the storage unit 210. The chat processing unit of the control unit 200 analyzes the reorder confirmation notification information stored in the received notification information 212 and creates a chat message regarding the reorder confirmation from the dialogue data 211. Furthermore, the chat processing unit 201 of the control unit 200 creates a reorder confirmation button to prompt the user to indicate whether or not to reorder.

[0041] In S1125, the chat server 20 sends the chat message regarding the reorder confirmation, which was created in S1124, to the terminal device 30. In S1126, the terminal device 30 receives a reorder confirmation message and a reorder confirmation button from the chat server 20 via the chat processing unit 301 of the control unit 300. The control program 311 of the storage unit 310 also launches the chat application and displays the chat message received from the chat server 20 on the display unit 320. Figure 12(a) shows the chat message 1201 received from the chat server 20, along with the [Yes] button 1202 and [No] button 1203 for reorder confirmation, displayed on the chat application of the terminal device 30.

[0042] In S1127, the terminal device 30 detects when the user presses the reorder confirmation button, creates a chat message corresponding to that button, displays it on the display unit 320, and sends it to the chat server 20. Figure 12(b) shows an example of the display unit 320 when the [Yes] button 1202 for reorder confirmation is pressed, and displays message 1204. Figure 12(c) shows an example of the display unit 320 when the [No] button 1203 for reorder confirmation is pressed, and displays message 1205. In S1128, the chat server 20 functions as a chatbot, and the chat processing unit 201 interacts with the terminal device 30 via chat based on the dialogue data 211 in the storage unit 220. In S1129, the chat server 20 identifies the processing instructions received from the terminal device 30. In S1130, the chat server 20 sends the reorder instruction identified in S1129 to the image forming apparatus 10.

[0043] As described above, in Embodiment 2, the image forming apparatus 10 can check whether to reorder consumables that have already been ordered, and can reorder them based on instructions from the terminal device 30. This allows for proper ordering even when the user wishes to order multiple consumables.

[0044] (Other examples) The embodiments described above can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying software (programs) that realize the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (CPU, MPU, etc.) of that system or device read and execute the program. The program may be executed on a single computer or executed in conjunction with multiple computers. Furthermore, it is not necessary to realize all of the above processes in software; some or all of the processes may be realized in hardware such as ASICs. Also, the CPU is not limited to one CPU that performs all the processing; multiple CPUs may perform the processing in coordination as appropriate. Furthermore, the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment is not only realized by the execution of program code read by the computer. It also includes cases where the operating system running on the computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of that program code, and the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment is realized through that processing. This embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Composition 1) An image forming apparatus connected via a network to a communication tool server and terminal device, A detection means for detecting when the consumables of the image forming apparatus are nearing the end of their lifespan, A first transmission means transmits information for an order request based on the information of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected as nearing its end by the detection means to the communication tool server. When an order instruction for the consumables is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server, a second transmission means transmits to the communication tool server that the consumables have been ordered. If it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have not yet been ordered, the system has a third sending means for sending an email to order the consumables. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following features. (Configuration 2) Orders for the aforementioned consumables are managed using a list, and it is determined whether or not the consumables have been ordered based on this list. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized in that it is a picture forming apparatus. (Composition 3) A fourth transmission means that, when it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have already been ordered, sends a notification to the communication tool server to confirm whether to instruct a reorder, When a request for reordering is received, the third sending means sends an email for ordering consumables. An image forming apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (Method 1) A method for controlling an image forming apparatus connected to a communication tool server and terminal device via a network, A detection step for detecting when the consumables of the image forming apparatus are nearing the end of their lifespan, A first transmission step involves transmitting information for an order request based on the information of the consumables that have been detected to be nearing the end of their lifespan in the detection step to the communication tool server. When an order instruction for the consumables is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server, a second transmission step is performed to send a notification to the communication tool server that the consumables have been ordered. If it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have not yet been ordered, the system has a third sending step of sending an email to request the order for the consumables. A control method for an image forming apparatus, characterized by the following: (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to execute the control method of the image forming apparatus described in Method 1. (Composition 4) A system in which a communication tool server, terminal device, and image forming apparatus are connected to each other via a network, The image forming apparatus is A detection means for detecting when the consumables of the image forming apparatus are nearing the end of their lifespan, A first transmission means transmits information for an order request based on the information of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected as nearing its end by the detection means to the communication tool server. When an order instruction for the consumables is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server, a second transmission means transmits to the communication tool server that the consumables have been ordered. If it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have not yet been ordered, the system has a third sending means for sending an email to order the consumables. The aforementioned communication tool server has a fourth transmission means that creates a message based on the received information and sends it to the communication tool. The aforementioned terminal device is A display means for displaying the information received from the communication tool server, It has a fifth transmission means for transmitting the user's response to the aforementioned information to the communication tool server. A system characterized by [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 10 Image forming apparatus 20 Chat Servers 30 Terminal devices 40 Internet

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus connected via a network to a communication tool server and terminal device, A detection means for detecting when the consumables of the image forming apparatus are nearing the end of their lifespan, A first transmission means transmits information for an order request based on the information of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected as nearing its end by the detection means to the communication tool server. When an order instruction for the consumables is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server, a second transmission means transmits to the communication tool server that the consumables have been ordered. If it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have not yet been ordered, the system has a third sending means for sending an email to order the consumables. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following:

2. Orders for the aforementioned consumables are managed using a list, and it is determined whether or not the consumables have been ordered based on this list. The image forming apparatus according to feature 1.

3. A fourth transmission means that, when it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have already been ordered, sends a notification to the communication tool server to confirm whether to instruct a reorder, When a request for reordering is received, the third transmission means sends an email for ordering consumables. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus connected to a communication tool server and terminal device via a network, A detection step for detecting when the consumables of the image forming apparatus are nearing the end of their lifespan, A first transmission step involves transmitting information for an order request based on the information of the consumables that have been detected to be nearing the end of their lifespan in the detection step to the communication tool server. When an order instruction for the consumables is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server, a second transmission step is performed to send a notification to the communication tool server that the consumables have been ordered. If it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have not yet been ordered, the system has a third sending step of sending an email to order the consumables. A control method for an image forming apparatus, characterized by the following:

5. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method of the image forming apparatus described in claim 4.

6. A system in which a communication tool server, terminal device, and image forming apparatus are connected to each other via a network, The image forming apparatus is A detection means for detecting when the consumables of the image forming apparatus are nearing the end of their lifespan, A first transmission means transmits information for an order request based on the information of the consumables whose lifespan has been detected as nearing its end by the detection means to the communication tool server. When an order instruction for the consumables is received from the terminal device via the communication tool server, a second transmission means transmits to the communication tool server that the consumables have been ordered. If it is determined that the consumables for which an order has been instructed have not yet been ordered, the system has a third sending means for sending an email to order the consumables. The aforementioned communication tool server has a fourth transmission means that creates a message based on the received information and sends it to the communication tool. The aforementioned terminal device is A display means for displaying the information received from the communication tool server, It has a fifth transmission means for transmitting the user's response to the aforementioned information to the communication tool server. A system characterized by the following features.

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