Systems, management systems, management methods, and computer programs

Abstract

We provide a management system, management method, and program that provides information when the information may be updated. [Solution] In the management system, the management server stores first data representing device information for new printer registration in the device area DBA. The device information includes multiple values ​​for multiple items. Change information representing the latest value of the changed value or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change is received from outside the management system. The device information represented by the first data stored in the device area DBA and the change information received from outside the management system are used to update the device information represented by the first data stored in the device area DBA.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification relates to a technology for managing information. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Literature 1 proposes a system in which a device management apparatus monitors the state of a managed device via a network. The managed device switches an information source from which information is obtained based on an information acquisition request, and acquires the requested latest information. The managed device transmits the acquired latest information to the device management apparatus that is the source of the acquisition request. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-175589 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] When information can be updated, it is preferable to provide updated information instead of information before update. However, there has been room for improvement in how information is provided when information can be updated.

[0005] The present specification discloses a technology for providing information when information can be updated. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] The technology disclosed in the present specification can be implemented as the following aspects.

[0007] [Item 1] A system comprising a first management system, a second management system, and a terminal device, wherein the first management system comprises a first storage area, a first storage control unit that stores first data representing first device information relating to a processing device in the first storage area, the first device information including a plurality of values ​​of a plurality of items, a first receiving unit that receives change information from outside the first management system that represents the latest value of a changed value, or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change, among the plurality of values ​​of the plurality of items, and the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area, and the change information received from outside the first management system, using A system comprising: an update unit that updates the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area; the second management system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires reference data from the first management system that represents the values ​​of one or more reference items among the plurality of items included in the updated first device information; and a specific data transmission unit that transmits specific data to the terminal device which is data for displaying a screen using the values ​​of the one or more reference items on the terminal device; and the terminal device comprising: a display unit; and a display control unit that uses the specific data transmitted from the second management system to cause the display unit to display a screen using the values ​​of the one or more reference items.

[0008] In this configuration, the first device information is updated using the first device information and change information representing the latest value or difference. Reference data representing the values ​​of one or more reference items among the multiple items included in the updated first device information is obtained from the first management system, thus reducing the possibility that the information represented by the reference data is the information before the update.

[0009] [Item 2] A management system comprising: a first storage area; a reference storage area; a first storage control unit that stores first data representing first device information relating to a processing device in the first storage area, wherein the first device information includes a plurality of values ​​of a plurality of items; a first receiving unit that receives change information from outside the management system that represents the latest value of a changed value, or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change, from among the plurality of values ​​of the plurality of items; an update unit that updates the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area using the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area and the change information received from outside the management system; and a reference storage control unit that stores reference data for provision to the outside of the management system in the reference storage area, wherein the reference data represents the values ​​of one or more reference items among the plurality of items included in the updated first device information.

[0010] In this configuration, the first device information is updated using the first device information and change information representing the latest value or difference. Reference data representing the values ​​of one or more reference items among the multiple items included in the updated first device information is stored in the reference storage area, thus reducing the possibility that the information represented by the reference data is the information before the update.

[0011] Furthermore, the technologies disclosed herein can be implemented in various forms, for example, as information management methods, information management devices, information management systems, systems including management systems and terminal devices, computer programs for implementing the functions of such methods or devices, recording media (e.g., non-temporary recording media) on which such computer programs are recorded, and so on. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a network system. [Figure 2](A) and (B) are diagrams illustrating examples of device information provided by the service server 500. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an example configuration of storage areas 3A, 4A1-4A4, DBA, and 5A for servers 300, 400, and 500. [Figure 4] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the device registration process. [Figure 5] (A) is a diagram showing an example of device information added to device set 80C. (B) is a diagram showing an example of updated device information added to device set 80C. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a copy process. [Figure 7] This flowchart illustrates an example of a process for outputting device information. [Figure 8] This sequence diagram illustrates an example of the process for registering usage information. [Figure 9] (A) is a diagram showing an example of using set 90CB. (B) is a diagram showing an example of using set 90CL. [Figure 10] This sequence diagram illustrates an example of the process of copying usage information. [Figure 11] (A) is a flowchart illustrating an example of a storage process. (B) is a flowchart illustrating an example of a conversion process. [Figure 12] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the process for providing combined information. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates an example of combining usage information and device information. [Figure 14] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of screen display processing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] A. First Example: A1. Equipment configuration: FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a network system. This network system 1000N includes a printer 100, a terminal device 200, an IoT server 300, a management server 400, and a service server 500. These devices 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 are connected to a network NT. The network NT may include the so-called Internet. In addition, the network NT may include a so-called local area network.

[0014] The service server 500 provides an information distribution service that provides information of devices such as the printer 100 to a user's terminal device such as the terminal device 200. The IoT server 300 collects device information from devices such as the printer 100. The management server 400 acquires device information from the IoT server 300, and provides information for the information distribution service among the acquired information to the service server 500. As described above, collection of device information, provision of information for the information distribution service from the collected information, and provision of information to the terminal device are executed by mutually different servers 300, 400, 500. Since a plurality of processes for the information distribution service are shared by the plurality of servers, management of the servers 300, 400, 500 such as software maintenance is easier than in a case where the plurality of processes are executed by a single server. Software maintenance includes resolution of software defects such as security holes and bugs, and addition of new functions.

[0015] The printer 100 includes a processor 110, a storage device 115, a display unit 140, an operation unit 150, a print execution unit 160, a scan execution unit 170, and a communication interface 180. These elements are connected to each other via a bus not shown. The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a non-volatile storage device 130.

[0016] The display unit 140 is a device configured to display images, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The operation unit 150 is a device configured to receive user input, such as buttons, levers, or a touch panel superimposed on the display unit 140. The display unit 140 and the operation unit 150 may form a so-called touchscreen. The user can input various requests and instructions to the printer 100 by operating the operation unit 150. The display unit 140 may display, for example, operational elements such as buttons and sliders, and these displayed elements may be operated through the operation unit 150.

[0017] The printing execution unit 160 is a device that prints an image onto a sheet of paper or the like. The printing execution unit 160 may be, for example, an electrophotographic printing execution unit or an inkjet printing execution unit. The electrophotographic printing execution unit may be, for example, a so-called laser printing execution unit.

[0018] The reading unit 170 is a device that optically reads objects such as documents. The reading unit 170 is equipped with an optical sensor (not shown). By optically reading the object, the reading unit 170 generates scan data of a scanned image representing the read object. A printer equipped with a reading unit is also called a multifunction printer.

[0019] The communication interface 180 is an interface for communicating with other devices. The communication interface 180 includes, for example, one or more of the following: a USB interface, a wired LAN interface, and an IEEE 802.11 wireless interface. In this embodiment, the communication interface 180 is connected to the network NT.

[0020] The processor 110 is a device configured to perform data processing, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a System on a Chip (SoC). The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), and the non-volatile storage device 130 is, for example, flash memory. The non-volatile storage device 130 stores the data for the program PG1, the serial identifier SID1, the model information MD1, and the device identifier DID1.

[0021] Program PG1 is a program for controlling the printer 100. Serial identifier SID1 is an identifier for identifying the printer 100. Model information MD1 indicates the model of the printer 100. The data for program PG1, serial identifier SID1, and model information MD1 are stored in the non-volatile storage device 130 by the printer 100 manufacturer during the printer 100's manufacture. Program PG1 may be downloaded from a server (not shown).

[0022] The device identifier DID1 is assigned to the printer 100 through the registration process for the printer 100 for the information distribution service, as described later.

[0023] Terminal device 200 is a device capable of communicating with other devices such as servers 300, 400, and 500 via network NT. Terminal device 200 may be, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet computer.

[0024] The terminal device 200 includes a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, and a communication interface 280. These elements are connected to each other via a bus (not shown). The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a non-volatile storage device 230.

[0025] The display unit 240 is a device configured to display images. The operation unit 250 is a device configured to receive user input. The communication interface 280 is an interface for communicating with other devices. The configurations of the display unit 240, the operation unit 250, and the communication interface 280 can vary, similar to the above-described configuration of the display unit 140, the operation unit 150, and the communication interface 180 of the printer 100.

[0026] The processor 210 is a device configured to perform data processing, such as a CPU or SoC. The volatile memory device 120 is, for example, DRAM, and the non-volatile memory device 130 is, for example, flash memory. The non-volatile memory device 230 stores the data of program PG2. Program PG2 is an application program that displays information provided by the information distribution service on the display unit 240. This application may be a so-called web browser. Alternatively, this application may be a dedicated application for the information distribution service.

[0027] In this embodiment, servers 300, 400, and 500 are cloud servers using cloud services. That is, servers 300, 400, and 500 are virtual servers provided by a cloud service provider that manages physical servers. The information distribution service provider starts operating servers 300, 400, and 500 by uploading programs PG3, PG4, and PG5, described later, to the cloud.

[0028] In this embodiment, servers 300, 400, and 500 have similar hardware configurations. The hardware configurations of servers 300, 400, and 500 will be described below in a summary. Note that one or more of the multiple hardware elements of servers 300, 400, and 500 may be virtual hardware forming a virtual server. Alternatively, one or more of the multiple hardware elements of servers 300, 400, and 500 may be physical hardware elements.

[0029] Servers 300, 400, and 500 include processors 310, 410, and 510, storage devices 315, 415, and 515, and communication interfaces 380, 480, and 580. In each server 300, 400, and 500, these elements are connected to each other via a bus (not shown). Storage devices 315, 415, and 515 each include volatile storage devices 320, 420, and 520, and non-volatile storage devices 330, 430, and 530, respectively.

[0030] Processors 310, 410, and 510 are devices configured to perform data processing, such as CPUs or SoCs. Volatile storage devices 320, 420, and 520 are, for example, DRAMs, and non-volatile storage devices 330, 430, and 530 are, for example, flash memory or hard disk drives. Communication interfaces 380, 480, and 580 are interfaces for communicating with other devices. Communication interfaces 380, 480, and 580 include, for example, one or more of the following: wired LAN interfaces, IEEE 802.11 wireless interfaces, etc. In this embodiment, communication interfaces 380, 480, and 580 are connected to the network NT.

[0031] The non-volatile storage device 330 of the IoT server 300 stores the data of program PG3. The processor 310 collects information about devices such as the printer 100 according to program PG3. The non-volatile storage device 330 includes a storage area 3A. The processor 310 stores the collected information data in the storage area 3A. Details of the processing by the IoT server 300 will be described later.

[0032] The non-volatile storage device 430 of the management server 400 stores the data of program PG4. The processor 410 retrieves information collected by the IoT server 300 from the IoT server 300 according to program PG4 and provides the information for the information distribution service to the service server 500. The non-volatile storage device 430 includes storage areas 4A1-4A4 and DBA. The data stored in these storage areas 4A1-4A4 and DBA will be described later.

[0033] The non-volatile storage device 530 of the service server 500 stores data for program PG5. The processor 510 retrieves information for the information distribution service from the management server 400 according to program PG5 and provides information about devices such as the printer 100 to user terminal devices such as terminal devices 200. The non-volatile storage device 530 includes a storage area 5A. The storage area 5A stores data for the database DB5. The database DB5 registers information for the information distribution service.

[0034] Figures 2(A) and 2(B) illustrate examples of device information provided by the service server 500. In this embodiment, the service server 500 displays a screen showing printer information on the display unit of the terminal device. Such a display screen is also called a dashboard.

[0035] Figure 2(A) shows an example of a screen displaying information from an electrophotographic printer. Screen DS1 shows the total number of double-sided printed pages, the estimated number of days until the toner runs out, the remaining amounts of each toner (cyan C, magenta M, yellow Y, and black K), and the lifespan of the photosensitive drum. The units for the remaining toner and the lifespan of the photosensitive drum are percentages.

[0036] Figure 2(B) shows an example of a screen displaying information for an inkjet printer. Screen DS2 shows the total number of double-sided printed pages, the estimated number of days until the ink runs out, and the remaining amounts of each ink: cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). The ink remaining amounts are expressed in percentages.

[0037] The total number of double-sided printed pages indicates the degree of paper or sheet saving. Users can understand the printer's status by observing dashboards such as screens DS1 and DS2.

[0038] A2. Information distribution: A2-1. Storage area: Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of storage areas 3A, 4A1-4A4, DBA, and 5A for servers 300, 400, and 500.

[0039] The storage area 3A of the IoT server 300 includes the usage area 3AU and the device area 3AD. The storage area 4A1 of the management server 400 includes the usage area 4A1U and the device area 4A1D. The storage area 4A2 includes the usage area 4A2U. The storage area 4A3 includes the usage area 4A3U and the device area 4A3D.

[0040] The device areas 3AD, 4A1D, DBA, and 4A3D shown at the bottom of the diagram store device information, which is information about devices such as printers registered with the information distribution service. As will be described later, the device information indicates information about the device, such as the model of the device. The device information acquired from the printer by the IoT server 300 is propagated in the order of storage areas 3AD, 4A1D, DBA, and 4A3D. The format of the data representing the device information may differ among storage areas 3AD, 4A1D, DBA, and 4A3D.

[0041] The usage areas 3AU, 4A1U, 4A2U, and 4A3U shown at the top of the diagram store usage information, which is information related to the use of devices such as printers. As will be described later, the usage information indicates information related to the use of the device, such as the remaining ink level. The usage information acquired from the printer by the IoT server 300 is propagated in the order of storage areas 3AU, 4A1U, 4A2U, and 4A3U. The format of the data representing the usage information may differ among the storage areas 3AU, 4A1U, 4A2U, and 4A3U.

[0042] The storage area 4A4 stores the combined information FC1, which includes combined device information and usage information. The combined information FC1 is provided to the service server 500. The service server 500 uses the combined information FC1 to prepare screens such as screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B).

[0043] A2-2.Device information: First, we will explain the processing of device information. The processing of usage information and combination information will be described later. Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the device registration process. The processor 110 of the printer 100 and the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 in Figure 1 execute the processes in Figure 4 according to programs PG1 and PG3, respectively.

[0044] In S210, a registration instruction is input to the printer 100. The printer 100's processor 110 sends a request for new device registration to the IoT server 300 in response to the registration instruction. In this embodiment, the user of the printer 100 inputs the registration instruction to the printer 100 by operating the printer 100's control panel 150. Alternatively, the registration instruction may be input to the printer 100 by another device capable of communicating with the printer 100, such as a terminal device 200.

[0045] In S215, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 issues a new device identifier. For example, the processor 310 may generate a device identifier different from any previously used device identifiers using random numbers.

[0046] In S220, the processor 310 stores the device identifier data in the device area 3AD. The device area 3AD stores the data for the device set 80C. The processor 310 adds device information indicating the device identifier to the device set 80C. Details regarding the device set 80C and the device information will be described later.

[0047] In S225, the processor 310 sends the device identifier data to the printer 100. In S230, the printer 100's processor 110 stores the device identifier data in the non-volatile storage device 130. The device identifier DID1 in Figure 1 shows the device identifier stored in S230.

[0048] In S235, the processor 110 sends the serial identifier SID1 and the model information MD1 to the IoT server 300. In S240, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 associates the serial identifier SID1 and the model information MD1 with the device identifier registered in S220 and adds them to the device set 80C.

[0049] In step S245, the processor 310 sends a registration completion notification to the printer 100. This completes the new registration process.

[0050] Figure 5(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of device information added to the device set 80C of the IoT server 300 in Figure 3 through new registration. Device information 801 indicates device information associated with the printer 100 in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the device information is associated with one printer. Device set 80C contains multiple device information corresponding to multiple printers.

[0051] Device information 801 represents the device identifier, serial identifier, method, date and time, model, IP address, subscribed service, and always-on connection status. The device identifier is the identifier registered in S220 in Figure 4. Information other than the device identifier in device information 801 is registered in S240 in Figure 4. The serial identifier and model refer to the information obtained in S235. The method indicates the method of information registration. The information registration method is set to "insert" if the device information is newly registered information. The date and time is the date and time of registration of the device information. In this embodiment, the date and time is set to the date and time when S240 is executed. The IP address is the IP address for communication with the target device, which is the device associated with device information 801. In this embodiment, the target device associated with device information 801 is the printer 100 in Figure 1.

[0052] The target device may be connected to a local area network formed using a router. In this case, the IP address used to communicate with the target device may be the IP address of a router accessible from outside the local area network. The processor 310 of the IoT server 300 may use the source IP address of the request S210 in Figure 4 as the IP address for communicating with the target device.

[0053] The subscribed services refer to services that have been subscribed to and use the target device. These services include services different from information distribution services, such as remote printing services and advertising printing services. The remote printing service is a service that prints images to a printer via a remote printing server (not shown). The advertising printing service is a service that prints advertisements to a printer via an advertising distribution server (not shown). The value RP shown by the subscribed services in Figure 5(A) represents the remote printing service.

[0054] The "Always-on" status indicates whether an always-on connection has been established for the subscribed service. The "Always-on" status is set to either "true" (indicating an always-on connection is established) or "false" (indicating an always-on connection is not established). For example, if a user subscribes to a remote printing service, an always-on connection is established between the user's printer and the remote printing server. If a user subscribes to an advertising printing service, an always-on connection is established between the user's printer and the advertising delivery server.

[0055] In this embodiment, at S235 in Figure 4, the processor 110 of the printer 100 further transmits data representing the subscription service status and the always-on connection status to the IoT server 300. At S240, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 adds the device information 801 to the device set 80C using the information acquired in S235. The processor 310 of the IoT server 300 may also query servers providing services such as remote printing servers and advertising distribution servers for the subscription status and always-on connection status of services using devices associated with serial identifiers.

[0056] The IoT server 300 receives new registration requests from multiple printers. Each time the processor 310 performs a new registration process, it stores device information data, such as the device information 801 in Figure 5(A), in the device area 3AD in Figure 3. The device set 80C represents multiple device information for multiple printers.

[0057] The data format of device set 80C may be various. In this embodiment, device set 80C is represented in a data format called JSON Lines. Unlike databases processed by database management systems, JSON Lines data is in a simple text file format. Each line represents information in a text format called JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). Each line of device set 80C may represent one piece of device information. The device information may represent multiple combinations of parameter names and values, as shown in Figure 5(A).

[0058] The IoT server 300 receives new registration requests from numerous printers (not shown) connected to the network NT shown in Figure 1. The total number of printers may exceed 10,000. If the data format of the device set 80C is a text file format such as JSON Lines, the IoT server 300 can easily add the device information of numerous printers to the device set 80C.

[0059] Note that after initial registration, the information of devices associated with the same device identifier (DID) may change. For example, the model may change due to device repair or replacement. The IP address used to communicate with the device may change due to changes in the network environment. Furthermore, the status of always-on connection may change. The subscribed service may change due to the contract between the user and the service provider. In such cases, the device sends a request to the IoT server 300 to update its device information. S260-S270 in Figure 4 shows an example of the process for updating the information.

[0060] The IP address for communicating with the printer 100 will be changed. The printer 100's processor 110 may use information from a router (not shown) to detect the change in IP address and obtain the changed IP address.

[0061] In S260, the printer 100's processor 110 sends a device information update request to the IoT server 300 in response to changes in the information. The update request includes data representing the device identifier, the name of the parameter to be updated, and the updated value of the parameter. If the IP address changes, the update request includes data representing the changed IP address.

[0062] In S265, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 registers the update device information in the device area 3AD in accordance with the update request. In this embodiment, the processor 310 adds the update device information to the device set 80C.

[0063] Figure 5(B) is a diagram showing an example of updated device information added to device set 80C. The updated device information 801U represents the device identifier, the method of information registration, the date and time, and the parameter to be updated. The device identifier is the device identifier included in the update request S260 in Figure 4. The method of information registration for the updated device information is set to "Update". The date and time is the date and time of registration of the updated device information. In this embodiment, the date and time is set to the date and time when S265 in Figure 4 was executed. The parameter to be updated is represented by a combination of the parameter name and the changed value. In the example in Figure 5(B), the updated device information 801U represents a combination of the parameter name "IP address" and the changed IP address. The latest device information can be obtained by applying the changes represented by the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B) to the device information 801 in Figure 5(A).

[0064] In step S270 of Figure 4, the processor 310 sends a notification of registration completion to the printer 100. With this, the process of registering the updated device information is completed.

[0065] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the process of copying device information from the IoT server 300 to the management server 400. The processor 310 of the IoT server 300 and the processor 410 of the management server 400 in Figure 1 execute the process shown in Figure 6 according to programs PG3 and PG4, respectively.

[0066] In S310, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 determines whether processing condition C1 is met. As will be described later, if processing condition C1 is met, device information is copied from the IoT server 300 to the management server 400.

[0067] Processing condition C1 may be predetermined so as to allow for a delay in the date and time of the device information copied to the management server 400 compared to the device information stored in the IoT server 300. For example, processing condition C1 may be that the elapsed time since the last copy operation is 1 time T1 or more. That is, the processor 310 may perform a copy operation every 1 time T1. It is preferable that the 1 time T1 be set to a short time so that the management server 400 can use the latest device information. The 1 time T1 may be, for example, 30 seconds or more and 5 minutes or less. Also, if the size of the device information that has not been copied to the management server 400 is 1 size or more, processing condition C1 may be satisfied even if the elapsed time since the last copy operation is less than 1 time T1. The 1 size may be, for example, 10 megabytes or more and 100 megabytes or less.

[0068] If processing condition C1 is not met (S310: No), the processor 310 waits for processing condition C1 to be met. If processing condition C1 is met (S310: Yes), in S315, the processor 310 sends the incremental device information data, which is the device information that has not been copied from the device set 80C of the IoT server 300 in Figure 3, to the management server 400.

[0069] In S320, the processor 410 of the management server 400 stores the incremental device information data in the device area 4A1D of the management server 400 as shown in Figure 3. As a result, the device area 4A1D of the management server 400 stores the same device set 80C data as the device set 80C stored in the device area 3AD of the IoT server 300.

[0070] In S325 of Figure 6, the processor 410 updates the database DB4 stored in the device area DBA using incremental device information. Database DB4 is a database processed by a database management system. Various systems such as DynamoDB (DYNAMODB is a registered trademark), MySQL (registered trademark), and PostgreSQL (trademark) can be used as the database management system. Although not shown in the figure, the database management system may be formed by a predetermined program.

[0071] Figures 5(A) and 5(B) show a portion of the database DB4. Database DB4 represents the correspondence between the device identifier DID, the serial identifier SID, the model, the IP address, the always-on connection status, the subscribed service, the creation date and time, and the update date and time.

[0072] Record FD1 in Figure 5(A) shows the information registered according to the device information 801. The method of registering the device information 801 is insertion. Therefore, the processor 410 newly registers a record of the information represented by the device information 801 in the database DB4. The device identifier DID, serial identifier SID, model, IP address, always-on connection status, and subscribed services are set to the values ​​represented by the device information 801. The creation date and update date and time are set to the date and time of the device information 801.

[0073] Record FD1U in Figure 5(B) shows updated information according to the update device information 801U. The method of registering information in the update device information 801U is updating. Therefore, the processor 410 searches the database DB4 for a record that corresponds to the device identifier of the update device information 801U. In this case, record FD1 in Figure 5(A) is found. The processor 410 updates the information to be updated, represented by the update device information 801U, from the found record FD1 to the value represented by the update device information 801U. In the example in Figure 5(B), the value of the IP address to be updated is updated to the value represented by the update device information 801U. The processor 410 also sets the update date and time to the date and time of the update device information 801U.

[0074] Note that the incremental device information acquired in S315 of Figure 6 may include multiple device information entries. The multiple device information entries included in the incremental device information may include device information for new registration, such as device information 801 in Figure 5(A). In addition, the multiple device information entries included in the incremental device information may include device information for updates, such as updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B). In S325, the processor 410 updates the database DB4 based on the device information in the order of the device information update dates and times.

[0075] With the above steps completed, the copy process in Figure 6 is finished. After S315, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 transitions to S310. Then, the processor 310 repeats the copy process. Note that the copying of data between multiple storage areas 3AD, 4A1D of multiple servers 300, 400 is also called replication.

[0076] The incremental device information acquired in S315 of Figure 6 may contain information on a large number of devices. To generate data representing the latest information based on a large number of device information, it is preferable to use a database management system. Let's assume that data in text file format is used instead of database DB4. In this case, searching for device identifiers, searching for parameters to be updated that are associated with the found device identifiers, and updating the values ​​of the found parameters to be updated are all performed on the text file. If such processing is repeated on a text file, the burden on the management server 400 that executes the processing is large. Furthermore, the burden of preparing program PG4 to reduce the possibility of malfunctions such as inconsistencies in information is also large. A database management system provides appropriate management of the database, including registration, searching, updating, and deletion of information. In this embodiment, the processor 410 can appropriately generate database DB4 representing the latest information by updating database DB4 according to the database management system. Furthermore, the burden of preparing appropriate program PG4 can be reduced.

[0077] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of outputting device information from the database DB4 of the management server 400 to the device area 4A3D, as shown in Figure 3. As will be described later, the information stored in the device area 4A3D is used to prepare the information to be provided to the service server 500. This preparation can also be done by referring to the database DB4. However, this preparation does not use advanced database operations provided by the database management system. Directly using the database DB4 for such preparation may increase the burden on the management server 400. In this embodiment, the processor 410 of the management server 400 outputs the latest device information stored in the database DB4 to the device area 4A3D in text file format. The processor 410 executes the process shown in Figure 7 according to the program PG4.

[0078] In S350, the processor 410 of the management server 400 determines whether processing condition C2 is met. As described later, if processing condition C2 is met, the processor 410 outputs device information data from the database DB4 to the device area 4A3D.

[0079] The processing condition C2 may be predetermined so as to allow for a delay in the date and time of the device information stored in the device area 4A3D relative to the database DB4. For example, the processing condition C2 may be that the elapsed time since the previous output processing is 2 hours T2 or more. That is, the processor 410 may execute output processing every 2 hours T2. As will be described later, the device information of the management server 400 is used to display screens that represent printer information, such as screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B). Such screens are displayed according to user instructions. In order for the screen to display the latest information, it is preferable that the 2 hours T2 is shorter than the time interval corresponding to the typical frequency of screen display. The 2 hours T2 may be, for example, 30 minutes or more and 5 hours or less.

[0080] If processing condition C2 is not met (S350: No), the processor 410 waits for processing condition C2 to be met. If processing condition C2 is met (S350: Yes), in S355, the processor 410 stores the data of device set 80CL, which is a text file representing the device information stored in the database DB4, in the device area 4A3D. Device set 80CL contains multiple device information corresponding to multiple printers.

[0081] The data format of device set 80CL may be various data formats. In this embodiment, the data of device set 80CL is text data called Amazon Ion. Amazon Ion is a data format proposed by Amazon Inc. and is a superset of JSON. Note that the data format of device set 80CL may be other formats such as JSON instead of Amazon Ion.

[0082] A database management system that processes database DB4 may have the functionality to export the data from database DB4 in Amazon Ion format. In S355, processor 410 may store the data of device set 80CL in device area 4A3D by export.

[0083] In S355, the processor 410 may delete the data of device set 80CL already stored in device area 4A3D, generate new data for device set 80CL representing the entire database DB4, and store the generated data in device area 4A3D. Alternatively, the processor 410 may generate differential data representing the difference between database DB4 and device set 80CL already stored in device area 4A3D, and update device set 80CL by applying the differential data to device set 80CL already stored in device area 4A3D.

[0084] With the above steps completed, the output processing shown in Figure 7 is finished. After S355, the processor 410 proceeds to S350. Then, the processor 410 repeats the output processing.

[0085] Furthermore, the configuration of the device areas 3AD, 4A1D, DBA, and 4A3D in Figure 3, which are used to store device information, may be various configurations capable of storing corresponding data such as device sets 80C and 80CL, and database DB4. For example, the device areas 3AD, 4A1D, DBA, and 4A3D may be formed using cloud storage capable of storing various types of data.

[0086] A2-3. Usage information: Next, we will explain the processing of usage information. Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the registration process for usage information. The processor 110 of the printer 100 and the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 in Figure 1 execute the process shown in Figure 8 according to programs PG1 and PG3, respectively.

[0087] In S410, the printer 100's processor 110 sends a request to the IoT server 300 to register usage information. As will be described later, the usage information indicates the values ​​of parameters that change depending on the printer's usage, such as the amount of colorants used (ink, toner, etc.) and the remaining amount of colorants.

[0088] In S415, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 stores data representing the usage information acquired in S410 in the usage area 3AU. The usage set 90CB is stored in the usage area 3AU. The processor 310 adds the usage information acquired in S410 to the usage set 90CB.

[0089] Figure 9(A) shows an example of usage set 90CB. Usage set 90CB represents multiple combinations of device identifier DID and usage information UIF. The usage information UIF represents the type of parameter, the date and time, and the value of the parameter. The type of parameter can represent various parameters that change depending on the printer's usage, such as coverage, number of printed pages, maintenance, toner replacement count, toner usage, and ink level. The usage information UIF is not limited to the type of parameter shown; it can also represent other types of parameters, such as the total number of double-sided printed pages and the lifespan of the photosensitive drum. Note that the parameter values ​​are not shown in Figure 9(A).

[0090] Coverage is the amount of colorant used per page for each colorant available to the printer. For example, coverage shows the values ​​for cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). Maintenance indicates parameters that change with printer maintenance. Maintenance may indicate, for example, the updated lifespan of the photosensitive drum due to drum replacement.

[0091] Multiple printers, including printer 100 in Figure 1, perform the registration process shown in Figure 8. At S410 in Figure 8, the printer sends a registration request to the IoT server 300, which includes its device identifier DID and usage information UIF. The printer sets the date and time of the usage information UIF to the date and time of transmission of the usage information UIF. In this embodiment, the parameter values ​​included in the usage information UIF sent by the printer to the IoT server 300 are represented by binary data. The binary data may be various types of data that represent values ​​according to predetermined rules. At S415, the device identifier DID and the usage information UIF containing the binary data are added to the usage set 90CB. The registration process shown in Figure 8 then ends.

[0092] The transmission of the usage information UIF registration request (Figure 8: S410) may be performed at various timings appropriate to the type of parameter. For example, the printer may send the usage information UIF registration request to the IoT server 300 in response to printing. Alternatively, the printer may send the usage information UIF registration request, which represents the updated lifespan of the photosensitive drum, to the IoT server 300 in response to the replacement of the photosensitive drum.

[0093] The data format of the usage set 90CB may be various data formats. In this embodiment, the usage set 90CB is represented in a data format called JSON Lines. Each line of the usage set 90CB may represent a single combination of a device identifier DID and usage information UIF. The IoT server 300 receives numerous registration requests for usage information UIF from numerous printers (not shown) connected to the network NT shown in Figure 1. If the data format of the usage set 90CB is a text file format such as JSON Lines, the IoT server 300 can easily add numerous usage information UIF to the usage set 90CB.

[0094] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the process of copying usage information from the IoT server 300 to the management server 400. The processor 310 of the IoT server 300 and the processor 410 of the management server 400 in Figure 1 execute the process shown in Figure 10 according to programs PG3 and PG4, respectively.

[0095] In S430, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 determines whether processing condition C3 is met. As described later, if processing condition C3 is met, usage information is copied from the IoT server 300 to the management server 400.

[0096] Processing condition C3 may be predetermined so as to allow for a delay in the date and time of usage information copied to the management server 400 compared to the usage information stored in the IoT server 300. For example, processing condition C3 may be that the elapsed time since the last copy process is 3 hours T3 or more. That is, the processor 310 may perform a copy process every 3 hours T3. It is preferable that the 3 hours T3 be set to a short time so that the management server 400 can use the latest usage information. The 3 hours T3 may be, for example, 1 minute or more and 10 minutes or less. Also, if the size of the usage information not copied to the management server 400 is 3 hours T3 or more, processing condition C3 may be satisfied even if the elapsed time since the last copy process is less than 3 hours T3. The 3 hours T3 may be, for example, 10 megabytes or more and 100 megabytes or less.

[0097] If processing condition C3 is not met (S430: No), the processor 310 waits for processing condition C3 to be met. If processing condition C3 is met (S430: Yes), in S435, the processor 310 sends the incremental usage information data, which is the usage information that has not been copied from the usage set 90CB in Figure 9(A), to the management server 400.

[0098] In S440, the processor 410 of the management server 400 stores the incremental usage information data in the usage area 4A1U of the management server 400 as shown in Figure 3. As a result, the usage area 4A1U of the management server 400 stores the same usage set 90CB data as the usage set 90CB stored in the usage area 3AU of the IoT server 300.

[0099] With the above steps completed, the copy process in Figure 10 is finished. After S435, the processor 310 of the IoT server 300 moves to S430. Then, the processor 310 repeats the copy process. Note that the copying of data between multiple storage areas 3AU, 4A1U of multiple servers 300, 400 is also called replication.

[0100] Figure 11(A) is a flowchart illustrating an example of a storage process in which the usage information of the management server 400 in Figure 3 is used to store usage information in usage area 4A2U. As described above, the parameter values ​​of the usage information UIF of usage set 90CB in Figure 9(A) are represented by binary data. When referencing the parameter values ​​of the usage information UIF, the values ​​are obtained by analyzing the binary data. Such data analysis is also called parsing. When many values ​​of many parameters are repeatedly referenced, the time required for parsing a large amount of binary data can become long. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processor 410 of the management server 400 in Figure 1 parses the usage information UIF of usage set 90CB and stores the parsed usage information in usage area 4A2U. The processor 410 executes the process in Figure 11(A) according to program PG4.

[0101] In S510, the processor 410 determines whether processing condition C4 is met. As will be described later, if processing condition C4 is met, the processor 410 parses the usage information UIF and stores the parsed usage information in the usage area 4A2U.

[0102] The processing condition C4 may be predetermined so as to allow for a delay in the date and time of the usage information stored in the usage area 4A2U relative to the usage information stored in the usage area 4A1U. For example, the processing condition C4 may be that the elapsed time since the previous parsing and storage process is 4th time T4 or more. That is, the processor 410 may perform the parsing and storage process every 4th time T4. The 4th time T4 may be determined in the same way as the 2nd time T2 in Figure 7. The 4th time T4 may be, for example, 30 minutes or more and 5 hours or less.

[0103] If processing condition C4 is not met (S510: No), the processor 410 waits for processing condition C4 to be met. If processing condition C4 is met (S510: Yes), in S515, the processor 410 extracts usage information UIF not stored in usage area 4A2U from usage set 90CB. The processor 410 generates parsed usage information data by parsing the extracted usage information UIF data. The format of the parsed data may be various formats usable in the data conversion shown in Figure 11(B) later. In this embodiment, the parsed data is assumed to be text data representing usage information including parameter values.

[0104] In S520, processor 410 stores data representing the parsed usage information in usage area 4A2U. Usage area 4A2U stores usage set 90C. Processor 410 adds the parsed usage information data generated in S515 to the data in usage set 90C.

[0105] The data format of usage set 90C may be various data formats. In this embodiment, usage set 90C is represented in a data format called JSON Lines. Each line of usage set 90C may represent a single combination of a device identifier and usage information. Thus, the data of usage set 90C may be the same as the data obtained by parsing the data of usage set 90CB in Figure 9(A).

[0106] With the above steps completed, the storage process in Figure 11(A) is finished. After S520, the processor 410 returns to S510. Then, the processor 410 repeats the storage process.

[0107] Figure 11(B) is a flowchart illustrating an example of a conversion process that converts the usage set 90C in the usage area 4A2U of the management server 400 in Figure 3 to the usage set 90CL in the usage area 4A3U. The usage set 90C in the usage area 4A2U contains multiple usage information representing multiple combinations of printers, parameters, and dates and times, similar to the usage set 90CB in Figure 9(A). On the other hand, in preparing screens such as screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), usage information is used that is associated with a specific device identifier DID, a specific parameter such as the remaining amount of colorant, and a specific date and time such as the latest date and time. If such usage information is to be retrieved from the usage set 90C which contains a large amount of usage information, the burden on the management server 400 that performs the search is large. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processor 410 of the management server 400 in Figure 1 divides the multiple usage information contained in the usage set 90C according to the combination of parameter type and date and time, and stores the data of the usage set 90CL, which contains multiple subsets, in the usage area 4A3U. In this embodiment, the date and time are divided into one-hour intervals. The processor 410 executes the process shown in Figure 11(B) according to the program PG4.

[0108] Figure 9(B) shows an example of the 90CL usage set. The figure shows some of the subsets FL1, FL2, and FL3 that are included in the 90CL usage set.

[0109] Subset FL1 shows multiple usage information associated with combinations of the time of day (i.e., between 01:00 and 01:59) on January 1, 2025, and coverage. Subset FL1 represents the correspondence between the device identifier DID, the date, and the respective YMCK coverages CVY, CVM, CVC, and CVK. Coverage may be expressed as a value between 0% and 100%, for example. 0% indicates that no colorants were used. 100% indicates that the maximum amount of colorant was used across the entire print area.

[0110] Subset FL2 is associated with the combination of coverage and the time period between 2:00 and 2:59 on January 1, 2025. The date and time range differs between subset FL1 and subset FL2.

[0111] Subset FL3 is associated with the combination of the time of 1:00 AM on January 1, 2025, and the number of pages printed. Subset FL3 represents the correspondence between the device identifier DID, the date, and the number of pages printed. Although not shown in the diagram, the set 90CL used includes multiple subsets associated with other times and multiple subsets associated with other types of parameters.

[0112] The value of a specific parameter associated with a particular device identifier DID can be obtained as follows. For example, suppose the latest ink level is to be obtained. In this case, the specific device identifier DID is searched from multiple subsets associated with ink levels. Here, the multiple subsets are referenced in order of newest date and time. This retrieves the latest ink level. Compared to searching for the latest ink level associated with a specific device identifier DID from usage set 90C, which contains all usage information, the burden on the management server 400 performing the search is reduced. The values ​​of other types of parameters can also be obtained in a similar manner by referencing subsets associated with the parameter type.

[0113] The data format for usage set 90CL, which includes multiple subsets, may be various data formats. For example, the data representing usage set 90CL may be table data representing multiple usage information according to a specific table specification. The table specification may be, for example, a table specification called Apache Iceberg. Multiple subsets may be formed by partitioning the table. Here, multiple subsets may be represented by different data files. Note that the data format for usage set 90CL may be other data formats. For example, subsets may be represented in a data format called JSON Lines. One line of a subset may represent one combination of a device identifier DID and usage information.

[0114] In S540 of Figure 11(B), the processor 410 of the management server 400 determines whether processing condition C5 is met. As will be described later, if processing condition C5 is met, the processor 410 converts the use set 90C to use set 90CL.

[0115] The processing condition C5 may be predetermined such that a delay in the date and time of the usage set 90CL stored in the usage area 4A3U is acceptable compared to the usage set 90C stored in the usage area 4A2U. For example, the processing condition C5 may be that the elapsed time since the previous conversion process is 5th time T5 or more. That is, the processor 410 may execute the conversion process every 5th time T5. The 5th time T5 may be the same as the 4th time T4 in Figure 11(A), for example.

[0116] If processing condition C5 is not met (S540: No), the processor 410 waits for processing condition C5 to be met. If processing condition C5 is met (S540: Yes), in S545, the processor 410 extracts usage information UIF not stored in usage area 4A3U from usage set 90C in usage area 4A2U. The processor 410 converts the extracted usage information UIF data into data suitable for addition to usage set 90CL. For example, the processor 410 classifies the extracted usage information UIF according to the combination of parameter type and date / time. The processor 410 generates usage information data for each combination of parameter type and date / time.

[0117] In S550, the processor 410 uses the data generated in S545 to store the usage information data in the usage area 4A3U. The usage area 4A3U stores the usage set 90CL, as described in Figure 9(B). The processor 410 adds the usage information extracted in S545 to the corresponding subset.

[0118] With the above steps completed, the conversion process shown in Figure 11(B) is finished. After S550, the processor 410 moves on to S540. Then, the processor 410 repeats the conversion process.

[0119] The addition of usage information to usage set 90CL may be performed using a table management system configured to automatically add the information to be registered to the corresponding subset. In this case, the process in S545 may be omitted. Although not shown in the diagram, the table management system may be formed by a predetermined program.

[0120] The configuration of the usage areas 3AU, 4A1U, 4A2U, and 4A3U in Figure 3, which are used to store usage information, may be various configurations capable of storing corresponding data such as usage sets 90CB, 90C, and 90CL. For example, the usage areas 3AU, 4A1U, 4A2U, and 4A3U may be formed using cloud storage capable of storing various types of data.

[0121] A2-4.Binding information: Figure 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the process for providing combined information. The processor 410 of the management server 400 and the processor 510 of the service server 500 in Figure 1 execute the process shown in Figure 12 according to programs PG4 and PG5, respectively.

[0122] In S610, the processor 410 of the management server 400 determines whether processing condition C6 is met. As described later, if processing condition C6 is met, the processor 410 generates coupling information and provides the generated coupling information to the service server 500.

[0123] Processing condition C6 may be predetermined so as to allow for a delay in the date and time between the device information and usage information stored in the management server 400 and the device information and usage information stored in the service server 500. For example, processing condition C6 may be that the device set 80CL in the device area 4A3D of the management server 400, or the usage set 90CL in the usage area 4A3U, is updated. That is, the processor 410 may execute the provisioning process in response to the update of the device set 80CL or the usage set 90CL.

[0124] If processing condition C6 is not met (S610: No), the processor 410 waits for processing condition C6 to be met. If processing condition C6 is met (S610: Yes), in S615, the processor 410 generates combined information by combining usage information and device information for each device identifier DID.

[0125] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the combination of usage information and device information. The diagram shows a portion of the usage set 90CL stored in the usage area 4A3U and a portion of the device set 80CL stored in the device area 4A3D. The usage information FU1 of usage set 90CL and the device information FD1U of device set 80CL are assumed to be information associated with the device identifier DID1 of printer 100 in Figure 1. Usage information FU1 shows a portion of the usage information FU1 of subset FL1 in Figure 9(B). Device information FD1U corresponds to the device information FD1U in Figure 5(B).

[0126] In this embodiment, the processor 410 generates combined information FC1 data by combining the model included in the device information FD1U with the usage information FU1. Combined information FC1 includes the device identifier DID, the model, and the coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, CVK.

[0127] As will be described later, the combined information FC1 is referenced for preparing screens such as screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B). For screen preparation, various usage information may be referenced in addition to coverage. For example, for the preparation of screens DS1 and DS2, usage information indicating the total number of double-sided printed pages and usage information indicating the remaining amount of colorant, which is toner or ink, are referenced. For the preparation of screen DS1, usage information indicating the lifespan of the photosensitive drum is referenced. In this embodiment, the estimated number of days until the colorant runs out is calculated using the remaining amount of colorant, the coverage within the most recent predetermined period, and the number of printed pages within the most recent predetermined period. The most recent predetermined period may be, for example, a period of one week or more and six months or less.

[0128] The processor 410 generates combined information FC1 which includes multiple usage information referenced for screen preparation. Although not shown in the figures, in this embodiment, combined information FC1 includes coverage associated with a date and time within the most recent predetermined period, the latest usage information indicating the total number of double-sided printed pages, the latest usage information indicating the remaining amount of colorant, which is toner or ink, and usage information indicating the number of printed pages associated with a date and time within the most recent predetermined period. If the model indicates an electrophotographic printer, combined information FC1 further includes the latest usage information indicating the lifespan of the photosensitive drum.

[0129] The information included in the combined information FC1 of the usage information may be only some of the information referenced for screen preparation. For example, the date and time included in the usage information UIF explained in Figure 9(A) may be omitted from the combined information FC1. Similarly, the information included in the combined information FC1 of the device information may be only some of the information referenced for screen preparation. For example, the serial identifier SID1, IP address, always-on connection status, subscribed service, creation date and time, and update date and time shown in Figure 13 may be omitted from the combined information FC1.

[0130] Hereinafter, data representing device information such as model type within the combined information FC1 will be referred to as reference data DCA. Data representing usage information such as coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, and CVK within the combined information FC1 will be referred to as additional data DCB. The combined information FC1 data includes both reference data DCA and additional data DCB. Note that the data format of combined information FC1 may be various data formats. For example, the data format of combined information FC1 may be JSON format.

[0131] In S620 of Figure 12, the processor 410 stores the data of multiple combined information of multiple device identifiers DIDs in the storage area 4A4 of the management server 400 in Figure 3.

[0132] In S625, the processor 410 sends a readiness notification to the service server 500. In S630, the processor 510 of the service server 500 requests coupling information from the management server 400 in response to the readiness notification. In S635, the processor 410 of the management server 400 sends data of multiple coupling information for multiple device identifiers DIDs to the service server 500 in response to the request. In S640, the processor 510 of the service server 500 registers the data of the multiple coupling information into the database DB5 stored in the storage area 5A of the service server 500 in Figure 3. Database DB5 is a database processed by a database management system. Note that instead of database DB5, data in a text file format such as JSON Lines may be used.

[0133] With that, the processing shown in Figure 12 is complete.

[0134] A2-5. Screen display: Figure 14 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of screen display processing. The processor 210 of the terminal device 200 and the processor 510 of the service server 500 in Figure 1 execute the processing shown in Figure 14 according to programs PG2 and PG5, respectively.

[0135] The user launches an application associated with program PG2 by operating the control panel 250 of the terminal device 200 shown in Figure 1. The application is assumed to have the device identifier DID of the device to be processed registered in advance. For example, during the initial setup process of the application, the processor 210 that executes the application's functions may obtain the device identifier DID by communicating with the service server 500.

[0136] In S710, the processor 210 of the terminal device 200 requests screen data from the service server 500. This request includes data for the device identifier DID.

[0137] In S715, the processor 510 of the service server 500 refers to the database DB5 of the service server 500 shown in Figure 3 and obtains binding information associated with the device identifier DID included in the request for S710. The processor 510 uses the binding information to generate screen data representing the screen. If the model included in the binding information indicates an electrophotographic printer, the processor 510 generates data representing a screen similar to screen DS1 in Figure 2(A). If the model included in the binding information indicates an inkjet printer, the processor 510 generates data representing a screen similar to screen DS2 in Figure 2(B).

[0138] As described above, the combined information contains various pieces of information used to prepare the screen. The total number of double-sided printed pages in screens DS1 and DS2, the remaining amount of colorant, and the lifespan of the photosensitive drum in screen DS1 are represented by the usage information included in the combined information.

[0139] The estimated number of days until the colorants shown on screens DS1 and DS2 are depleted is calculated using combined information. In this embodiment, the processor 510 calculates the estimated amount of colorant used within a predetermined period by multiplying the number of printed sheets within the most recent predetermined period by the average coverage within the most recent predetermined period. The processor 510 calculates the estimated amount of colorant used per day by dividing this estimated amount by the number of days in the predetermined period. The processor 510 calculates the estimated number of days until the colorants are depleted by dividing the remaining amount of colorants by the estimated amount of colorant used per day. Here, the processor 510 may multiply parameters by coefficients to match the units of parameters such as coverage to the units of other parameters such as remaining amount. The processor 510 performs these calculations for each colorant. The processor 510 adopts the smallest estimated number of days among multiple estimated number of days for multiple colorants as the estimated number of days displayed on screens DS1 and DS2.

[0140] The data format of the screen data may be various. In this embodiment, the processor 510 generates image data representing the screen. The image data format may be various formats that can be displayed by the terminal device 200, such as PNG (Portable Network Graphics) or JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). Alternatively, the processor 510 may generate screen data written using a markup language such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language).

[0141] In step S720 of Figure 14, the processor 510 transmits screen data to the terminal device 200. In step S725, the processor 210 of the terminal device 200 uses the screen data to display screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B) on the display unit 240. The user can recognize the printer status by observing the displayed screen. The display process in Figure 14 then ends.

[0142] As described above, in this embodiment, the network system 1000N in Figure 1 includes a system 1000 which includes a management server 400, a service server 500, and terminal devices 200. The management server 400 is an example of a first management system, and the service server 500 is an example of a second management system.

[0143] As shown in Figure 3, the management server 400 has a device area DBA. The device area DBA stores the database DB4. As shown in Figure 5(A), the database DB4 stores the correspondence between multiple values ​​of multiple items, such as the device identifier DID and the serial identifier SID. In S325 of Figure 6, the processor 410 of the management server 400 updates the database DB4 using incremental device information. As shown in Figure 5(A), the incremental device information may include device information for new registration, such as device information 801. The processor 410 registers the device information for new registration in the database DB4. That is, the processor 410 stores data representing the device information for new registration in the device area DBA. The device information 801 for new registration is an example of first device information relating to a processing device such as a printer 100. The device information FD1 in the database DB4 in Figure 5(A) is an example of newly registered first device information. The first device information, like the device information FD1, includes multiple values ​​for multiple items. The data representing the device information FD1 in Figure 5(A) is an example of the first data, which represents the first device information. The device area DBA is an example of the first storage area that stores the first data. The processor 410 that stores the data representing the device information for new registration in the device area DBA is an example of the first storage control unit.

[0144] In S315 of Figure 6, the processor 410 of the management server 400 receives incremental device information from the IoT server 300. The incremental device information may include update device information that represents the parameter to be updated, such as the update device information 801U in Figure 5(B). The update device information 801U represents the parameter to be updated by a combination of the parameter name and the changed value. Such update device information 801U is an example of change information that represents the latest value of a changed value among multiple values ​​of multiple items in the database DB4. The processor 410 receives such change information from outside the management server 400. The processor 410 that receives the change information is an example of a first receiving unit.

[0145] In step S325 of Figure 6, the processor 410 updates the database DB4 using the updated device information. In this embodiment, the processor 410 uses the device information FD1 in the device area DBA shown in Figure 5(A) and the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B) to update the device information FD1 stored in the device area DBA to the device information FD1U shown in Figure 5(B). The processor 410 that performs this update is an example of an update unit.

[0146] The processor 510 of the service server 500 acquires the data of the combined information FC1 from the management server 400 at S635 in Figure 12. As shown in Figure 13, the combined information FC1 represents the values ​​of the device identifier DID and the model, which are among several items included in the device information FD1U of the device set 80CL. As mentioned above, the device information FD1U of the device set 80CL represents the updated device information FD1U in Figure 5(B). The model is an example of a reference item referenced for generating the screen data in Figure 14. The data of the combined information FC1 includes reference data DCA, which represents the values ​​of one or more reference items among several items included in the updated device information FD1U. The processor 510 that acquires the data of the combined information FC1, which includes the reference data DCA, from the management server 400 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0147] In S720 of Figure 14, the processor 510 of the service server 500 transmits screen data to the terminal device 200. The screen data is an example of specific data that is used to display screens such as screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B) on the terminal device 200. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), the content of the screen differs depending on the model. Thus, the screen is represented using the values ​​of one or more reference items. The processor 510 that transmits the screen data to the terminal device 200 is an example of a specific data transmission unit.

[0148] The terminal device 200 in Figure 1 includes a display unit 240. In step S725 of Figure 14, the processor 210 of the terminal device 200 uses screen data transmitted from the service server 500 to display a screen on the display unit 240 that uses the values ​​of one or more reference items. The processor 210 that displays the screen on the display unit 240 is an example of a display control unit.

[0149] In this way, using the device information FD1 in Figure 5(A) and the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B), which represents the latest value, the device information FD1 is updated as shown in the device information FD1U in Figure 5(B). As shown in S635 in Figure 12, the reference data DCA included in the data of the combined information FC1 is obtained from the management server 400. As shown in Figure 13, the reference data DCA represents the value of one or more reference items, such as the model, among the multiple items included in the updated device information FD1U. The system 1000 can reduce the possibility that the information represented by the reference data DCA is the information before the update. Also, since the screen is displayed on the display unit 240 of the terminal device 200 using the reference data DCA, the possibility of a screen displaying the information before the update is reduced.

[0150] In this embodiment, information collected from multiple printers by the IoT server 300 is provided to the service server 500 via the management server 400. Here, not only the service server 500 that provides the dashboard, but also multiple service servers that provide different services may obtain information from the service server 500. Let's assume that multiple service servers obtain information directly from the IoT server 300 without going through the management server 400. In this case, the processing load on the IoT server 300 will increase. Also, since each service server associates usage information with device information, such as generating the combined information FC1, the processing load on the entire system will increase. In this embodiment, since the management server 400 can provide information to multiple service servers, the load on the IoT server 300 is reduced. Also, since the management server 400 associates usage information with device information, the processing load on the entire system is reduced compared to when each service server performs the association. Also, since the management server 400 can provide updated information to multiple service servers, the processing load on the entire system is reduced compared to when each service server updates the information.

[0151] In this embodiment, in S325 of Figure 6, the processor 410 registers device information in the database DB4. The first data representing the newly registered first device information, as shown in the device information FD1 of Figure 5(A), is data in the data format of the database management system that forms the database DB4. This data format is an example of the first format. In S325, the processor 410 stores the first data in the first format representing the first device information in the device area DBA. Also in S325, the processor 410 may update the database DB4 using the updated device information 801U shown in Figure 5(B). The processor 410 updates the first device information represented by the first data in the first format using change information such as the updated device information 801U.

[0152] The management server 400 shown in Figure 3 further includes a device area 4A3D and a storage area 4A4. In S355 of Figure 7, the processor 410 uses the updated device information FD1U described in Figure 5(B) to store data representing the device information FD1U in Figure 13 in the device area 4A3D. The device information FD1U in Figure 5(B) is an example of the updated first device information. The device information FD1U in Figure 13, like the device information FD1U in Figure 5(B), represents the values ​​of one or more reference items. The model in Figure 13 is an example of a reference item. As described above, the data of the device set 80CL, including the device information FD1U, is in text file format. This data format is an example of a second format, which differs from the first format of the data in the database DB4 in Figure 5(B). In S355 of Figure 7, the processor 410 stores the second data in the second format representing the device information FD1U in the device area 4A3D. Device area 4A3D is an example of a second memory area for storing second data. The processor 410 that stores the second data in device area 4A3D is an example of a second memory control unit.

[0153] In S620 of Figure 12, the processor 410 uses the second data of the device information FD1U included in the device set 80CL of Figure 13 to store the data of the coupling information FC1 in the storage area 4A4. As described above, the data of the coupling information FC1 includes the reference data DCA. The storage area 4A4 is an example of a reference storage area for storing the reference data DCA. The processor 410 that stores the data of the coupling information FC1, including the reference data DCA, in the storage area 4A4 is an example of a reference storage control unit.

[0154] According to this configuration, the first format of the first data representing the device information FD1 in Figure 5(A) can be a format different from the second format, and can be a format suitable for updates that use change information, such as the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B). The first format may be, for example, a format based on a database management system. The second format of the second data representing the device information FD1U in Figure 13 can be a format different from the first format, and can be a format suitable for referencing to prepare the data for the combined information FC1, which includes the reference data DCA. The second format may be, for example, a text file format. In this way, appropriate updates of device information using change information and appropriate referencing of device information to prepare the data for the combined information FC1, which includes the reference data DCA, are possible.

[0155] In this embodiment, the processor 410 of the management server 400 executes S325 in accordance with S315 in Figure 6. For example, in S315, change information such as the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B) is received by the management server 400. In response to this reception, in S325, the processor 410 updates the first device information, such as the device information FD1 in Figure 5(A), using the change information. Therefore, the processor 410 can reduce the possibility that the first device information stored in the device area DBA represents the information before the update.

[0156] In the process shown in Figure 7, the processor 410 executes S355 if processing condition C2 is met. In S355, the processor 410 uses updated first device information, such as device information FD1U stored in the database DB4 in Figure 5(B), to store second data representing the device information FD1U in Figure 13 in the device area 4A3D. Processing condition C2 in Figure 7 is independent of the process in Figure 6. That is, S355 is performed according to a schedule independent of the update of the first device information by S325 in Figure 6.

[0157] With this configuration, the load on the management server 400 that executes S355 in Figure 7 can be adjusted independently of the update of the first device information by S325 in Figure 6. For example, the processing condition C2 may be configured so that S355 in Figure 7 is executed at a lower frequency than the update of the first device information by S325 in Figure 6. This reduces the load on the management server 400 that executes S355 in Figure 7.

[0158] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the data of the combined information FC1 is stored in the storage area 4A4 at S620 in Figure 12, at S625, the processor 410 of the management server 400 sends a notification to the service server 500. At S630-S635, the processor 510 of the service server 500 retrieves the data of the combined information FC1 from the management server 400 in response to the notification at S625. As described above, the data of the combined information FC1 includes reference data DCA, which represents the values ​​of one or more reference items. With this configuration, the processor 410 of the management server 400 can cause the service server 500 to retrieve the data of the combined information FC1 including the reference data DCA when the data of the combined information FC1 including the reference data DCA is available.

[0159] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the first device information, such as device information FD1, includes an IP address, a permanent connection status, and subscribed services. The IP address is an IP address associated with a processing device such as a printer 100. The subscribed services are examples of subscribed information for services that use the processing device. The permanent connection status is the permanent connection status of the processing device for the service. With this configuration, the management server 400 can provide the service server 500 with the IP address, the permanent connection status, and the subscribed services. The service server 500 may, for example, display a screen on the terminal device 200 that shows the IP address, the permanent connection status, and the subscribed services, in addition to the information shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B). In this case, it is preferable that the information represented by the reference data DCA in Figure 13 further includes the IP address, the permanent connection status, and the subscribed services.

[0160] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the management server 400 in Figure 3 also includes a usage area 4A3U. In S435 of Figure 10, the processor 410 of the management server 400 acquires incremental usage information from the IoT server 300. The incremental usage information is the usage information UIF from the usage set 90CB in Figure 9(A) that has not been copied to the management server 400. The usage information UIF is an example of second device information relating to the use of a processing device such as a printer 100. The processor 410 receives such second device information from outside the management server 400. The processor 410 that receives the second device information is an example of a second receiving unit.

[0161] In S550 of Figure 11(B), the processor 410 stores data representing the same usage information as the usage information UIF in Figure 9(A) in the usage area 4A3U. The usage area 4A3U is an example of a third storage area that stores usage information, which is an example of second device information. The usage area 4A3U stores a usage set 90CL, which is a set of multiple usage information. As shown in Figure 9(B), the usage information UIF included in the usage set 90CL includes the device identifier DID. As shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the device information FD1 and FD1U include the device identifier DID. In this way, second device information such as usage information UIF and first device information such as device information FD1 and FD1U are associated by the device identifier DID. Thus, in S550 of Figure 11(B), the processor 410 associates the second device information with the first device information and stores it in the usage area 4A3U. The processor 410 that performs this storage is an example of a third storage control unit.

[0162] In step S635 of Figure 12, the processor 510 of the service server 500 acquires the data of the combined information FC1 in Figure 13. The combined information FC1 represents the values ​​of one or more reference items, such as the model, among the multiple items included in the device information FD1U in Figure 13. That is, the data of the combined information FC1 includes reference data DCA, which represents the values ​​of one or more reference items. Furthermore, the combined information FC1 represents the information included in the usage information FU1 included in the usage set 90CL, such as the coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, CVK in Figure 13. The usage information FU1 represents the same information as the usage information UIF in Figure 9(A) and is an example of second device information. The usage information FU1 is associated with the device information FD1U by the device identifier DID. The usage information included in the combined information FC1 is an example of additional information. The data of the combined information FC1 includes additional data DCB, which represents the additional information. Thus, in step S635 of Figure 12, the processor 510 of the service server 500 obtains the reference data DCA and the additional data DCB from the management server 400.

[0163] In S720 of Figure 14, the processor 510 of the service server 500 sends screen data, which is an example of specific data, to the terminal device 200. The screen data causes the terminal device 200 to display screens like screens DS1 and DS2 in Figures 2(A) and 2(B). As with screens DS1 and DS2, the processor 510 changes the content of the screen depending on the model. Screens DS1 and DS2 also represent information that is identified using additional information, such as the estimated number of days until the colorant runs out and the remaining amount of colorant. In this way, the screen data causes the terminal device 200 to display screens that use the values ​​of one or more reference items, such as the model, and additional information such as coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, and CVK.

[0164] With this configuration, the screen data can be used to display various information on the terminal device 200, including the values ​​of one or more reference items, additional information, and other relevant information.

[0165] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the management server 400 in Figure 3 is equipped with a storage area 4A4. In S620 of Figure 12, the processor 410 of the management server 400 stores the data of the combined information FC1 in Figure 13 in the storage area 4A4. As described above, the combined information FC1 includes the values ​​of one or more reference items, such as the model, and additional information such as coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, and CVK. The data of the combined information FC1 includes reference data DCA representing the values ​​of one or more reference items, and additional data DCB representing the additional information. The data of the combined information FC1 is an example of combined data including reference data DCA and additional data DCB. The storage area 4A4 is an example of a reference storage area for storing combined data. The processor 410 that stores the data of the combined information FC1 in the storage area 4A4 is an example of a reference storage control unit. In S635 of Figure 12, the processor 510 of the service server 500 obtains the data of the combined information FC1, which is an example of combined data, from the management server 400. With this configuration, the processor 510 of the service server 500 can obtain the data of the combined information FC1 without searching for information in the storage area of ​​the management server 400. Therefore, the configuration for communication between the management server 400 and the service server 500 is simplified compared to when the service server 500 searches for information in the storage area of ​​the management server 400.

[0166] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as explained in S615 of Figure 12, the usage information associated with the device information includes coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, CVK and usage information indicating the remaining amount of colorant, which is toner or ink. Coverage CVY, CVM, CVC, CVK are examples of the amount of colorant used by the printer. With this configuration, the management server 400 can provide the service server 500 with the amount of colorant used and the remaining amount of colorant. As shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), the service server 500 may display a screen on the terminal device 200 showing information related to the amount of colorant used, such as the estimated number of days until the colorant runs out, and the remaining amount of colorant.

[0167] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the management server 400 in Figure 3 includes, as described above, a device area DBA which is an example of a first storage area, and a storage area 4A4 which is an example of a reference storage area. In S325 of Figure 6, the processor 410 of the management server 400 stores data representing device information FD1, which is an example of first data representing first device information, in the device area DBA. In S315 of Figure 6, the processor 410 receives updated device information 801U from outside the management server 400, which is an example of change information representing the latest value of a changed value among multiple values ​​of multiple items in the database DB4. In S325 of Figure 6, the processor 410 uses the device information FD1 in Figure 5(A) and the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B) stored in the device area DBA to update the device information FD1 stored in the device area DBA to the device information FD1U in Figure 5(B). In S620 of Figure 12, the processor 410 stores the data for the combined information FC1, which is to be provided to the management server 400, in the storage area 4A4. The data for the combined information FC1 includes reference data DCA, which represents the values ​​of one or more reference items among the multiple items contained in the updated device information FD1U. With this configuration, the management server 400 can reduce the possibility that the information represented by the reference data DCA contained in the data for the combined information FC1 is the information from before the update.

[0168] The management server 400 may further include a transmission unit that transmits reference data DCA to an external device. The processor 410 executing S635 in Figure 12 is an example of this transmission unit. Note that the external device of the management server 400 may include various devices different from the management server 400. The processor 410 may transmit the reference data DCA to various external devices different from the management server 400. For example, the processor 410 may transmit the reference data DCA to a server such as the service server 500. Alternatively, the processor 410 may transmit the reference data DCA to a terminal device such as the terminal device 200. The destination external device of the reference data DCA may be a different external device from the source external devices of the first device information, change information, and second device information, respectively.

[0169] B. Variations: (1) The specific data for displaying a screen on a terminal device is not limited to image data or data written using a markup language, but may be various types of data. For example, the terminal device 200 may generate screen data by modifying the part of a template image representing a screen such as screen DS1 or DS2 that represents the values ​​of parameters such as remaining amount. In this case, the specific data may be data that represents the values ​​of parameters.

[0170] (2) The amount of consumables used, as represented by the usage information, is not limited to the coverage values ​​CVY, CVM, CVC, and CVK in Figure 9(B), but may be any other value. For example, the usage information may represent the amount used within a predetermined period, such as one day or one week. In addition, either or both of the usage information representing the amount of consumables used and the usage information representing the remaining amount of consumables may be referenced for screen preparation. In addition, usage information representing the values ​​of other types of parameters, such as the number of times the toner has been replaced, may be referenced for screen preparation. The screen displayed in S725 in Figure 14 may represent the referenced usage information, such as the number of times the toner has been replaced.

[0171] (3) The IP address represented by the device information may be the IP address assigned to the communication interface 180 of the printer 100. In this case, the processor 110 of the printer 100 may refer to the settings of the communication interface 180 to detect a change in the IP address and to obtain the changed IP address.

[0172] Furthermore, the items represented by the device information may include one or more of the following: the IP address associated with the processing unit, subscription information for the service using the processing unit, and the continuous connection status of the processing unit for the service. The items represented by the device information may also include other items such as a user identifier and firmware version. Regardless of the model, one or more different items may be referenced for screen preparation. The screen displayed in S725 of Figure 14 may represent the values ​​of various items.

[0173] (4) The processing performed by the management server 400 is not limited to the processing described above and may be various other processing. For example, in S325 of Figure 6, when the device information FD1 in the database DB4 is updated using the updated device information 801U, the processor 410 may delete the device information FD1 before the update and register the updated device information FD1U in the database DB4. The processor 410 may perform S355 of Figure 7 in response to the database DB4 being updated. The processing in Figure 7, the device area 4A3D, and the device set 80CL may be omitted. In S615 of Figure 12, the processor 410 may refer to the database DB4 to obtain device information.

[0174] The sending of the notification in S625 in Figure 12 may be omitted. The processor 510 of the service server 500 may, for example, periodically request coupling information from the management server 400. The processor 410 of the management server 400 may send coupling information data to the service server 500 in response to the request for coupling information from the service server 500. The prior preparation of coupling information in S615-S620 may be omitted. The processor 410 may generate coupling information in response to the request for coupling information from the service server 500.

[0175] Furthermore, the generation of the combined information and the memory area 4A4 in Figure 3 may be omitted. For example, the processor 510 of the service server 500 may notify the management server 400 of the device identifier DID to be processed. The processor 410 of the management server 400 may refer to the usage set 90CL of the usage area 4A3U and obtain the additional data DCB associated with the device identifier DID. The processor 410 may refer to the device set 80CL of the device area 4A3D and obtain the reference data DCA associated with the DID to be processed. Then, the processor 410 may send the reference data DCA and the additional data DCB associated with the device identifier DID to the service server 500. Also, the processor 410 may send the set of reference data DCA and additional data DCB for all device identifier DIDs to the service server 500 in response to a request from the service server 500.

[0176] (5) In S315 of Figure 6, the processor 410 of the management server 400 receives change information such as the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B) from outside the management server 400. The area outside the management server 400 may include various devices different from the management server 400. The processor 410 may receive change information from external devices different from the management server 400. For example, the processor 410 may receive change information from a server such as the IoT server 300. Alternatively, the processor 410 may receive change information directly from a processing device such as the printer 100. Also, in S315 of Figure 6, the processor 410 of the management server 400 receives first device information such as the device information 801 in Figure 5(A) from outside the management server 400. The processor 410 may receive first device information from a server such as the IoT server 300. Alternatively, the processor 410 may receive first device information directly from a processing device such as the printer 100. The processor 410 may receive the first device information from the same external device as the source of the change information, or from an external device different from the source of the change information.

[0177] (6) In S435 of Figure 10, the processor 410 of the management server 400 receives second device information, such as the usage information UIF in Figure 9(A), from outside the management server 400. The processor 410 may receive the second device information from an external device different from the management server 400. For example, the processor 410 may receive the second device information from a server such as the IoT server 300. Alternatively, the processor 410 may directly receive the second device information from a processing device such as the printer 100. The processor 410 may receive the second device information from the same external device as the source of the change information, or from an external device different from the source of the change information.

[0178] (7) The configuration of the management server 400 is not limited to the configuration in Figure 3, and may be of various types. For example, the data format of the usage sets 90CB, 90C, and 90CL is not limited to the above format, and may be of various types. The usage area 4A1U may be omitted. The processor 410 may parse the usage information obtained from the IoT server 300 and store the parsed usage information in the usage area 4A2U. Also, the usage areas 4A1U and 4A2U may be omitted. The processor 410 may parse the usage information obtained from the IoT server 300, convert the parsed usage information in the same way as S545 in Figure 11(B), and use the converted data to store the usage information data in the usage area 4A3U. The data format of the usage set 90CL stored in the usage area 4A3U may be of various types. For example, the usage set 90CL may be a database processed by a database management system. Also, the usage area 4A3U and the usage set 90CL may be omitted. The processor 410 may generate the coupling information FC1 by referring to the usage set 90C of the usage area 4A2U. Furthermore, the parameter values ​​of the usage information UIF of the usage set 90CB provided to the management server 400 by the IoT server 300 may be represented by text data instead of binary data. In this case, the processing and usage area 4A1U shown in Figure 11(A) may be omitted.

[0179] Furthermore, the data format of device sets 80C and 80CL is not limited to the above format, but may be in various formats. Device area 4A1D may be omitted. The processor 410 may update the database DB4 using the device information obtained from the IoT server 300. Also, device area 4A1D and device area DBA may be omitted. The processor 410 may store the device information obtained from the IoT server 300 in device area 4A3D. Also, device area 4A3D may be omitted. The processor 410 may generate the combined information FC1 by referring to the database DB4.

[0180] Furthermore, instead of using database DB4 to store device information, a database that stores both device information and usage information may be used. However, the amount of data in such a database would be very large. Therefore, it is preferable that device information and usage information be represented by different device information data and usage information data, respectively, such as database DB4 and usage set 90C.

[0181] In either case, it is preferable that information transfer from IoT server 300 to management server 400 be performed by file transfer. This configuration simplifies the configuration for information transfer between servers 300 and 400 (e.g., program configuration and storage area configuration). Device information and usage information can change in various ways. For example, usage information representing new parameters may be added later. Also, new parameters may be added to device information later. File transfer avoids the need for significant modifications to servers 300 and 400 to accommodate such changes. The same applies to transfers between servers 400 and 500.

[0182] (8) Change information representing a change in the value of an item in the device information may represent the difference between the latest value and the value before the change, instead of the latest value of the changed value as shown in the updated device information 801U in Figure 5(B). For example, change information may represent the value before the change of the changed part of the item's value and the latest value of the changed part. If a numerical value such as an IP address changes, change information may represent the difference in the numerical value.

[0183] (9) The IoT server 300 may be a system including multiple computers that can communicate with each other via a network. The management server 400 may be a system including multiple computers that can communicate with each other via a network. The service server 500 may be a system including multiple computers that can communicate with each other via a network.

[0184] (10) The processing device associated with the device information is not limited to a printer, but may be any device such as a multifunction printer, scanner, machine tool, sewing machine, or cutting machine. The consumables used by the processing device are not limited to colorants such as ink or toner, but may be various consumables. For example, a sewing machine uses thread, which is a consumable. A machine tool may use drill bits, which are consumables. The usage information may include either or both usage information indicating the amount of consumable used and usage information indicating the remaining amount of consumable. In addition, the usage information may include usage information indicating the type of consumable. The types of consumables may be selected from a plurality of types, including, for example, consumables provided by the manufacturer of the processing device and consumables provided by a third party other than the manufacturer of the processing device.

[0185] In each of the above embodiments, some of the configurations implemented by hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, some or all of the configurations implemented by software may be replaced with hardware. For example, the process of S515 in Figure 11(A) may be executed by a dedicated hardware circuit such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

[0186] Furthermore, if some or all of the functions of this disclosure are implemented by a computer program, that program may be provided in the form of a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium. The program may be used while stored on the same or a different computer-readable recording medium as at the time of provision. "Computer-readable recording medium" is not limited to portable recording media such as memory cards and CD-ROMs, but may also include internal storage devices within a computer, such as various ROMs, and external storage devices connected to a computer, such as hard disk drives.

[0187] The above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the above embodiments and modifications are provided to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and equivalents thereof are included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0188] 80C, 80CL…Device Set, 90C, 90CB, 90CL…Usage Set, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510…Processor, 115, 215, 315, 415, 515…Storage Device, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520…Volatile Storage Device, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530…Non-Volatile Storage Device, 180, 280, 380, 480, 580…Communication Interface, 140, 240…Display Unit, 150, 250…Operation Unit, 160…Print Execution Unit, 170…Read Execution Unit, 100…Printer, 200…Terminal Device, 300…IoT Server, 400…Management Server, 500…Service Server, 1000…System, 1000N…Network System

Claims

1. A system comprising a first management system, a second management system, and a terminal device, The first management system is, The first memory area and, A first storage control unit that stores first data representing first device information relating to a processing device in a first storage area, wherein the first device information includes multiple values ​​of multiple items, A first receiving unit receives change information from outside the first management system, which represents the latest value of the changed value among the multiple values ​​of the multiple items, or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change. An update unit updates the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area, using the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area and the change information received from the outside of the first management system. Equipped with, The second management system is, An acquisition unit that acquires reference data from the first management system that represents the values ​​of one or more reference items among the multiple items included in the updated first device information, A specific data transmission unit transmits specific data to the terminal device, which is data for displaying a screen on the terminal device using the respective values ​​of the one or more reference items. Equipped with, The aforementioned terminal device is Display unit and A display control unit that causes the display unit to display the screen using the values ​​of the one or more reference items, using the specific data transmitted from the second management system, A system equipped with these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, The first memory control unit stores the first data in a first format representing the first device information in the first memory area. The update unit updates the first device information, which is represented by the first data in the first format, using the change information. The first management system further, Second memory area and Reference memory area and, A second storage control unit that stores second data in the second storage area using the updated first device information, wherein the second data represents the respective values ​​of the one or more reference items, and the second data is data in a second format different from the first format, A reference storage control unit that uses the second data to store the reference data in the reference storage area, A system equipped with these features.

3. The system according to claim 2, The update unit updates the first device information using the change information in response to the change information being received by the first management system. The second memory control unit stores the second data in the second memory area using the updated first device information, according to a schedule independent of the update of the first device information. system.

4. The system according to claim 2 or 3, The first management system further, The system includes a notification transmission unit that transmits a notification to the second management system after the reference data has been stored in the reference storage area. The acquisition unit of the second management system acquires the reference data representing the respective values ​​of the one or more reference items from the first management system in response to the notification. system.

5. A system according to claim 1 or 2, The first device information is, The IP address associated with the aforementioned processing device, Subscription information for the service using the aforementioned processing device, The constant connection state of the processing device for the service, It includes one or more of the three types of information, system.

6. A system according to claim 1 or 2, The first management system further, The third memory area and A second receiving unit receives second device information relating to the use of the processing device from the outside of the first management system, A third storage control unit stores the second device information in association with the first device information in the third storage area, Equipped with, The acquisition unit of the second management system acquires from the first management system the reference data representing the values ​​of each of the one or more reference items included in the updated first device information, and additional data representing additional information which is information included in the second device information associated with the updated first device information. The specific data transmission unit of the second management system transmits the specific data to the terminal device for displaying the screen on the terminal device using the respective values ​​of the one or more reference items and the additional information. system.

7. The system according to claim 6, The first management system is, Reference memory area and, A reference storage control unit that stores the combined data, which includes the values ​​of each of the one or more reference items and the additional information, in the reference storage area, and which stores the combined data, which includes the reference data and the additional information, Equipped with, The acquisition unit of the second management system acquires the combined data representing the combined information from the first management system. system.

8. The system according to claim 6, The second device information is, The amount of consumables used by the aforementioned processing device, The remaining amount of the aforementioned consumables, Includes one or more of the two types of information, system.

9. It is a management system, The first memory area and, Reference memory area and, A first storage control unit that stores first data representing first device information relating to a processing device in a first storage area, wherein the first device information includes multiple values ​​of multiple items, A first receiving unit receives change information from outside the management system, which represents the latest value of the changed value among the multiple values ​​of the multiple items, or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change. An update unit updates the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area using the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area and the change information received from the outside of the management system, A reference storage control unit that stores reference data for provision to the external side of the management system in the reference storage area, wherein the reference data represents the values ​​of one or more reference items from among the plurality of items included in the updated first device information, A management system equipped with the following features.

10. A method of managing information, A first storage control step, which stores first data representing first device information relating to a processing device in a first storage area, wherein the first device information includes multiple values ​​of multiple items, A first receiving step of receiving change information from outside the management system, which represents the latest value of the changed value among the multiple values ​​of the multiple items, or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change. An update step of updating the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area using the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area and the change information received from the outside of the management system, A reference storage control step for storing reference data to be provided to the outside of the management system in a reference storage area, wherein the reference data represents the values ​​of one or more reference items from among the plurality of items included in the updated first device information, A management method that includes the following features.

11. A computer program for a management system, A first storage control function that stores first data representing first device information relating to a processing device in a first storage area, wherein the first device information includes multiple values ​​of multiple items, and the first storage control function A first receiving function receives change information from outside the management system, which represents the latest value of the changed value among the multiple values ​​of the multiple items, or the difference between the latest value of the changed value and the value before the change. An update function that updates the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area, using the first device information represented by the first data stored in the first storage area and the change information received from the outside of the management system, A reference storage control function that stores reference data for provision to the external side of the management system in a reference storage area, wherein the reference data represents the values ​​of one or more reference items among the plurality of items included in the updated first device information, A computer program that enables a computer to realize something.

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