Control program, printing system, and information acquisition method

Abstract

To improve convenience for a user of a printing apparatus.SOLUTION: An application program 14 of a terminal 10 acquires a first number of sheets corresponding to a remaining amount of ink, and when receiving an instruction to add the number of sheets to be charged, a second number of sheets corresponding to the number of sheets to be charged for which additional instructions are received. The application program 14 causes a user interface to notify when it is determined that the second number is greater than the first number.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for printing a recording agent onto a medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a printing device that stores an allowable printing amount in the memory of a toner cartridge, and when the number of pages printed by the device reaches a number corresponding to the allowable printing amount, does not allow printing even if recording agent remains in the toner cartridge. The allowable printing amount is, for example, information related to the recording agent or sheets used by the printing device when printing is performed. In the printing device described in Patent Document 1, the user can continue printing by adding a new allowable printing amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-278392 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, even if the permitted printing amount is increased, for example, if the life of consumables of the printing device is short, it may not be possible to continue printing for the additional amount. In such a case, for example, the user needs to replace the consumables, which may reduce user convenience.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to improve convenience for users of printing devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention relates to a program executable by a computer of an information processing device having a user interface and capable of communicating with a printing device. The printing device performs printing until a printable amount different from consumable information indicating the usage state of consumables reaches a predetermined threshold, and the printable amount is information regarding the amount of recording agent or sheets used in the printing device during printing. The computer of the information processing device executes a first number acquisition process for acquiring a first number indicating the remaining number of printable sheets of the printing device according to the consumable information of the printing device, a second number acquisition process for acquiring a second number indicating the number of printable sheets of the printing device according to the additional amount for which the additional instruction was received when an instruction to add an additional amount of the printable amount is received via the user interface, a number determination process for determining whether the second number is greater than the first number, and a notification process for causing the user interface to perform a notification when the number determination process determines that the second number is greater than the first number.

[0007] In the above configuration, when an instruction to add an additional amount to the print allowance amount is received, the computer compares a second number corresponding to the instructed additional amount with a first number corresponding to the consumables information showing the usage status of the consumables. If the second number is greater than the first number, a notification is given through the user interface. This allows the user to recognize that the instructed additional amount is currently an amount that will cause a shortage of consumables in the printing device, by the notification through the user interface. As a result, user convenience can be improved.

[0008] The present invention can be realized in various forms, and can be realized not only as a control program executed by a computer, but also as a printing system or an information acquisition method. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve user convenience when the user performs an operation to add the print allowance amount. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a printing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a management table. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a timing chart illustrating a procedure for purchasing a charge amount. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the process executed in S16 of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a quantity selection screen. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a selection change screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a screen displayed when the purchase of the charge number is completed. [Figure 12] 13 is a timing chart illustrating a procedure for purchasing a charge amount according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (First embodiment) A printing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The printing system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a terminal 10, a printer 30, and a server 50. The terminal 10, the printer 30, and the server 50 are connected to a network 200. In this embodiment, the network 200 may be the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a combination of a LAN and the Internet. The network 200 may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. In this embodiment, the terminal 10 is an example of an information processing device.

[0013] The configuration of the terminal 10 will be described. The terminal 10 is a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The terminal 10 includes a bus 11, a terminal-side CPU 12, a memory 13, a user IF 17, and a communication IF 20. These components are connected to each other via the bus 11 so as to be able to communicate with each other. IF is an abbreviation for Interface.

[0014] The user IF 17 includes operation keys 18 and a touch panel 19. The touch panel 19 has a touch sensor and outputs a signal according to the detection result by the touch sensor. In this embodiment, "touch" includes the general operation of bringing an input medium into contact with the display screen of the touch panel 19. In addition, the above-mentioned concept of "touch" may include bringing the input medium close to a position where the distance between the input medium and the touch panel 19 is very small. Furthermore, the input medium may be a user's finger, a touch pen, or the like.

[0015] The communication IF 20 connects the terminal 10 to the network 200 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication IF 20 is capable of performing wireless communication of the Wi-Fi® (registered trademark) system based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and standards equivalent thereto. The communication IF 20 may also perform short-distance wireless communication with the printer 30 using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like. The communication IF 20 may also perform wireless communication using a mobile communication system via a base station.

[0016] The memory 13 stores a user ID, a device ID, an OS (abbreviation for Operating System) (not shown), and an application program 14. The user ID and the device ID are information for identifying a user and a device when receiving a print service provided by the server 50, and will be described in detail later. The terminal side CPU 12 can receive a print service provided by the server 50 by executing the application program 14 under the execution of the OS. The print service will be described later. Below, the application program is also simply referred to as an "application." The CPU that executes a program may also be simply referred to as the program name. For example, the description "application 14" may mean "terminal side CPU 12 that executes application 14."

[0017] In this embodiment, the processing of the CPU according to the instructions written in the program is mainly shown. That is, the processing of "judgment", "extraction", "selection", "calculation", "decision", "identification", "acquisition", "acceptance", "control" and the like in the following description represents the processing of the CPU and the controller. The processing by the CPU also includes hardware control via the OS 20. Note that "acquisition" is used as a concept that does not require a request. That is, the processing of receiving data without a request from each program is also included in the concept of "CPU acquiring data". In addition, "data" in this specification is expressed in a computer-readable format. And data with the same substantial meaning but different formats are treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this specification.

[0018] Next, a description will be given of the printer 30. The printer 30 includes a bus 31, a communication IF 32, a printing unit 33, a user IF 34, a controller 35, a memory 36, an ink tank 38, a remaining amount detection unit 39, a waste liquid box 41, and a waste liquid detection unit 42. The components constituting the printer 30 are connected via the bus 31 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0019] The communication IF 32 is similar to the communication IF 20 in the terminal 10. The user IF 34 is similar to the user IF 17 in the terminal 10, and includes a touch panel and operation keys as physical keys.

[0020] The printing unit 33 executes a printing operation to print an image on a recording medium such as a sheet or a disk. The printing unit 33 is an inkjet type unit including a recording head that ejects ink as a recording medium onto the recording medium. An ink tank 38 that stores ink is connected to the printing unit 33. In this embodiment, there are four types of ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), and a plurality of ink tanks 38 are provided for each type of ink. In this embodiment, the ink tank 38 is configured not to be refilled with ink. In addition, the ink tank 38 is fixed to the printer 30 and cannot be detached. When the ink in the ink tank 38 runs short, a replacement application to be described later is made to replace the printer 30. In this embodiment, the printer 30 is an example of a consumable, and the ink is an example of a recording agent.

[0021] The remaining amount detection unit 39 detects the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink tank 38. In this embodiment, the remaining amount detection unit 39 is an optical sensor that is disposed in the ink tank 38 and detects the remaining amount of ink by detecting the height of the ink liquid surface in the ink tank 38. The remaining amount detection unit 39 is disposed in each ink tank 38 of each color and detects the remaining amount of ink in each ink tank 38 of each color.

[0022] The waste liquid box 41 stores ink sucked from the recording head by a pump (not shown). The waste liquid detection unit 42 detects the amount of ink stored in the waste liquid box 41. In this embodiment, the waste liquid detection unit 42 is disposed in the waste liquid box 41 and is an optical sensor that detects the level of the ink in the waste liquid box 41 to detect the amount of waste liquid.

[0023] The controller 35 is configured with a CPU, an ASIC (abbreviation of Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc., and controls the operations of the print unit 33 and the user IF 34. The memory 36 stores various programs and data. The memory 36 may be configured, for example, by combining RAM, ROM, and flash memory. The memory 36 may also include a storage medium readable by the controller 35, which is a computer. The storage medium also includes recording media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM.

[0024] The memory 36 stores firmware 40. The controller 35 can execute print processing by executing the firmware 40, which is a control program. The memory 36 stores information used in the print service. Specifically, the memory 36 stores a "device ID" and a "printed number". The device ID is information that identifies the printer 30 when the server 50 provides the print service described below. The printed number is the total number of sheets of paper actually printed by the printing unit 33 when the printer 30 and the server 50 cannot communicate with each other. The state in which the printer 30 and the server 50 cannot communicate with each other occurs when the network 200 is disconnected or a failure occurs in the communication IF 32. The printed number is zero when the printer 30 and the server 50 are connected to each other.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the server 50 will be described. The server 50 includes a bus 51, a communication IF 52, a server-side CPU 53, and a memory 54. The server 50 is capable of providing various services to the terminal 10. In this embodiment, the server 50 can provide a printing service to a user who operates the terminal 10.

[0026] A user applies for a printing service to a vendor by operating the terminal 10. When the vendor receives the application from the user, the vendor sends the printer 30 to the user. The printer 30 sent from the vendor to the user is filled with an amount of ink necessary to print more than the predetermined printable number of sheets granted to the user (for example, 2000 sheets + α sheets). The printable number indicates the number of sheets of paper that can be printed by the printer 30. Therefore, in this printing service, the user does not need to take the trouble of filling the printer 30 with ink or replacing ink cartridges after obtaining the printer 30 and before printing the printable number of sheets granted by paying the initial fee. In addition, if the user wants to print more than the predetermined printable number granted by paying the initial fee, the user can purchase a new additional number of sheets by charging the server 50 and increase the printable number. Hereinafter, the newly purchased additional number of sheets is referred to as the charge number. After that, if the remaining ink in the printer 30 becomes low, the user applies to the server 50 for a replacement of the printer 30. This allows the user to continue the printing service by using the new printer 30 sent from the vendor. In this embodiment, the printable number is an example of the permitted print amount.

[0027] A management table KT is stored in the memory 54 of the server 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the management table KT is a table that stores information necessary for using the print service. The management table KT includes a user management table KT1 and a device management table KT2. The user management table KT1 is a table that stores information about users who use the print service. The user management table KT1 stores a user ID, a password, and the number of printable sheets in association with each other. The user ID and password are used when the user uses the application 14, and are registered in the server 50 when the printer 30 is initially set up.

[0028] The printer 30 can print with the printable number stored in the user management table KT1 as the upper limit. That is, the printable number is subtracted according to the number of sheets printed by the printer 30. In addition, the user can increase the printable number by purchasing a charge number from the server.

[0029] The device management table KT2 is a table in which information about devices is stored. The device management table KT2 stores a device ID, remaining ink amount, exchange application information, activation information, device exchange information, and device settings in association with each other. The device ID, remaining ink amount, exchange application information, and activation information are registered in the server 50 when the printer 30 is initially set up.

[0030] The remaining ink level indicates the amount of remaining ink detected by the remaining ink level detection unit 39, and is transmitted from the printer 30 at a predetermined timing. The exchange application information is information indicating whether or not an application for exchanging the printer 30 has been made to the server 50. When the exchange application information is set to the on state "◯", it indicates that an application for exchanging the printer 30 has already been made, and when it is set to the off state "×", it indicates that an application for exchanging the printer 30 has not yet been made.

[0031] The activation information is information indicating whether or not the initial settings of the printer 30 have been completed for the server 50. When the activation information is set to an on state "◯", printing by the printer 30 is permitted, and when the activation information is set to an off state "×", printing by the printer 30 is restricted.

[0032] The device replacement information is information indicating whether the printer 30 has already been replaced in response to a replacement application. When the device replacement information is set to an on state "◯", it indicates that the printer has already been replaced, and when the device replacement information is set to an off state "×", it indicates that the printer has not yet been replaced. The device settings indicate the functions of the printer 30 (copy, scan, etc.) and the settings of each function (paper size, color, magnification, etc.).

[0033] Next, a printing service using the printing system 100 will be described. When the printer 30 is first delivered from the vendor, the user performs initial settings in order to start using the print service. The initial setting process is executed by the application 14 of the terminal 10, for example, when the printer 30 is turned on and the printer 30 and the terminal 10 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. In the initial setting process, first, the items (user ID, password, and printable number of sheets) of the user management table KT1 are registered in the server 50 in response to a registration operation by the user on the terminal 10. The printable number of sheets registered in the initial setting described above is a predetermined printable number of sheets given to the user by the vendor.

[0034] Next, the application 14 registers each item of the device management table KT2 in the server 50 in association with the previously registered user management table KT1. For example, the application 14 displays a screen for accepting a selection operation of a printer to be used in the print service on the user IF 17. For example, the application 14 displays the name of a printer that has responded to the terminal 10 among the printers connected to the network 200. When the application 14 accepts the selection operation of a printer on the screen, it transmits a device selection signal to the selected printer in order to set the selected printer as a device to be used in the print service. The printer that receives the device selection signal from the terminal 10 transmits the device ID, remaining ink amount, and device settings of the printer to the terminal 10. When the application 14 receives the device ID, remaining ink amount, and device settings from the printer, it causes the server 50 to register each piece of received information in the device management table KT2. When the above-mentioned initial setting is completed, the server 50 may transmit a token to the terminal 10 for identifying the terminal 10.

[0035] When a user executes printing using the print service, the user starts the application 14 to display a top screen 70 shown in FIG. 3 on the touch panel 19 of the terminal 10. The top screen 70 includes a print icon 71, a charge icon 72, and a main body setting icon 73. The print icon 71 is an icon that accepts a user operation when causing the printer 30 to execute printing in the print service. The charge icon 72 is an icon that accepts a user operation when purchasing a charge amount from the server 50. The main body setting icon 73 is an icon that accepts a user operation when changing various setting information for the printer 30.

[0036] When the application 14 detects that the print icon 71 has been operated on the top screen 70, it displays a print execution screen (not shown) on the touch panel 19. The application 14 can accept input operations of the number of copies to be printed and print settings on the print execution screen. When the application 14 detects that a print execution operation has been performed on the print execution screen, it sends a print file to the printer 30 and starts printing.

[0037] Next, the process executed by each device when purchasing charge numbers from the server 50 will be described. When the charge icon 72 is operated on the top screen 70, the application 14 displays the confirmation screen 80 shown in FIG. 4. The confirmation screen 80 is a screen that accepts an instruction to execute detection of the remaining ink level in the printer 30. When the application 14 detects that the execution icon 81 is operated by the user on the confirmation screen 80, it starts the process shown in FIG. 5. Note that, when the execution icon 81 is not operated on the confirmation screen 80, a process for purchasing charge numbers from the server 50 is executed by a method different from the process shown in FIG. 5.

[0038] When the application 14 detects an operation of the execution icon 81 on the confirmation screen 80, in step 10 (hereinafter, referred to as S10), the application 14 requests activation information together with the device ID stored in the memory 14 from the server 50. At this time, the application 14 may transmit a token for identifying the terminal 10 that is the transmission source together with the request for activation information to the server 50. The token is information capable of identifying a user ID that identifies the user operating the terminal 10.

[0039] When the server-side CPU 53 of the server 50 receives a request for activation information from the terminal 10, it returns the activation information associated with the device ID transmitted from the terminal 10 on the management table KT in S11.

[0040] When the application 14 receives the activation information sent from the server 50, it determines in S12 whether activation has been completed for the printer 30 (i.e., whether printing is permitted for the printer 30). As described above, when the activation information indicates an on state "◯", printing is permitted for the printer 30 specified by the device ID. On the other hand, when the activation information indicates an off state "×", printing is not permitted for the printer 30. When the application 14 determines a negative result in S12, it ends the processing of FIG. 5.

[0041] On the other hand, if the application 14 judges in S12 positively, then in S13 it determines whether the detection time of the remaining ink level is recent. In this embodiment, the application 14 requests the remaining ink level from the printer 30 in S14, as described below. If the detection time when the request for the remaining ink level was made to the printer 30 was several seconds ago, it is determined that the detection time was recent. If the application 14 judges in S13 positively, then it proceeds to S16. On the other hand, if the application 14 judges in S13 negatively, then it proceeds to S14 and requests the remaining ink level from the printer 30.

[0042] When the firmware 40 of the printer 30 receives a request for the remaining ink amount from the application 14, in S15 it returns the current remaining ink amount to the terminal 10. Specifically, the firmware 40 causes the remaining ink amount detection unit 39 to detect the remaining ink amount, and transmits the detection result by the remaining ink amount detection unit 39 to the terminal 10.

[0043] In S16, the application 14 executes a recharge process. In this recharge process, the recharge quantity Nc to be purchased from the server 50 is set in response to an operation by the user. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the process executed in S16, and is mainly executed by the application 14.

[0044] In S30, the estimated number of sheets N1 is calculated using the remaining ink amount. The estimated number of sheets N1 is information that the printer 30 estimates the number of sheets that can be printed based on the current remaining ink amount. Specifically, if a negative determination is made in S13, the estimated number of sheets N1 is calculated using the remaining ink amount returned from the printer 30 in S15. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in S13, the estimated number of sheets N1 is calculated using the remaining ink amount that has already been acquired. In this embodiment, the estimated number of sheets N1 is calculated for each color (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) filled in the ink tank 38. In this embodiment, the process executed by the application 14 in S30 is an example of a first number acquisition process and a first number acquisition step. The estimated number of sheets N1 is an example of a first number.

[0045] In this embodiment, the printer 30 stores history information in the memory 36 for each execution of the printing process. The application 14 of the terminal 10 acquires this history information from the printer 30 and calculates the estimated number of sheets N1. The process of acquiring the history information from the printer 30 is an example of history processing. Specifically, the print quality and paper size set in the printing process are stored in the history information. "Print quality" is information indicating the quality of the image formed on the sheet, and for example, the quality increases in the order of "high speed", "normal", "high quality", and "highest quality". On the other hand, the amount of ink applied also increases in the order of "high speed", "normal", "high quality", and "highest quality", so the estimated number of sheets N1 decreases. "Paper size" is information setting the size of the sheet used for printing. The larger the paper size, the more ink is used per sheet, so the estimated number of sheets N1 decreases. Note that there are combinations of "print quality" and "paper size", and the selectable "print quality" is limited according to the selected "paper size". Specifically, the print quality and paper size that are most frequently set among the print quality and paper size stored in the history are used to calculate the estimated number of sheets N1. For example, the memory 13 may store table information showing the relationship between the remaining ink amount, print quality, and paper size and the estimated number of sheets N1, and the estimated number of sheets N1 may be calculated using this table information.

[0046] In S31, a display screen including the estimated number of sheets N1 calculated in S30 is displayed on the touch panel 19. Fig. 7 shows a display screen 85 displayed in S31. The display screen 85 includes text 86 indicating "1000 sheets" as the estimated number of sheets N1 calculated in S30. The estimated number of sheets N1 displayed on the display screen 85 is the smallest estimated number of sheets N1 for each color (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) filled in the ink tank 38.

[0047] In S32, it is determined whether or not an exchange application for the printer 30 has been made to the server 50. If the result of S32 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S36, where an application notification process is executed. In the application notification process, since an exchange application for the printer 30 has been made to the server 50, text indicating that the recharge number Nc cannot be purchased is displayed on the touch panel 19. When the process of S36 ends, the process proceeds to S42, where the top screen (FIG. 3) is displayed on the touch panel 19. That is, the recharge number Nc is not purchased from the server 50. This is because it is highly likely that the user has made the exchange application while recognizing that the ink level of the current printer 30 is low, and therefore even if the recharge number Nc is purchased, there is a high possibility that the ink level will be insufficient. When the process of S42 ends, the processes of FIGS. 5 and 6 end.

[0048] When S32 is judged as negative, the process proceeds to S33, and a selection instruction for the charge number Nc is accepted. Specifically, a number selection screen 90 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the touch panel 19, and a selection instruction according to the user's selection operation of the charge number Nc is accepted. The number selection screen 90 shown in FIG. 8 includes selection icons 91, 92, 93, a confirmation icon 94, and a text 95 displaying the estimated number N1. The selection icons 91, 92, 93 are icons that accept a selection operation by the user for each predetermined charge number Nc (50, 500, 2000). The user operates any one of the icons 91, 92, 93, and then operates the confirmation icon 94 to complete the selection of the charge number Nc. In addition, the user can select the selection icons 91, 92, 93 while checking the estimated number N1 displayed in the text 95 on the number selection screen 90.

[0049] In this embodiment, each of the icons 91, 92, and 93 displays the recharge number Nc, as well as the charge fee for purchasing the recharge number Nc and the amount per sheet. For example, the application 14 may change the charge fee and the amount per sheet according to the input result by accepting an input operation by the user in S33, such as print settings and the paper size to be used. In this embodiment, the process executed by the application 14 in S33 is an example of a second number acquisition process and a second number acquisition step. The recharge number Nc is an example of the second number.

[0050] In S34, the estimated number of sheets N1 calculated in S30 is compared with the number of sheets to be charged Nc selected in S33. In this embodiment, the smallest estimated number of sheets N1 among the estimated numbers of sheets N1 for each color calculated in S30 is compared with the number of sheets to be charged Nc. This is because the usage amount differs for each ink.

[0051] In S35, it is determined whether or not the amount of ink remaining in the printer 30 is insufficient, depending on the comparison result in S34. Specifically, if the estimated number of sheets N1 is equal to or greater than the number of sheets charged Nc, it is determined that the amount of ink remaining is not insufficient. On the other hand, if the estimated number of sheets N1 is less than the number of sheets charged Nc (Nc>N1), it is determined that the amount of ink remaining is insufficient. In this embodiment, the processes executed by the application 14 in S34 and S35 are an example of a number of sheets determination process and a number of sheets determination step.

[0052] If the result of S35 is negative, the process proceeds to S37. In this case, the currently selected charge number Nc is used to calculate the charge fee. This is because there is little possibility that the printer 30 will run out of ink even if the user purchases the charge number Nc selected by the user.

[0053] On the other hand, if S35 is judged to be positive, the process proceeds to S38, where a notification screen 96 shown in Fig. 9 is displayed on the touch panel 19. The notification screen 96 is a screen for notifying the user that the remaining ink is insufficient for the selected number of sheets to be charged Nc. The notification screen 96 includes text 97 indicating the currently calculated estimated number of sheets N1, text 98 indicating the currently selected number of sheets to be charged Nc, and text 99 for calling the user's attention.

[0054] In S39, it is determined whether or not a cancel operation of the charge number Nc has been performed. In this embodiment, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the display of the notification screen 96, a selection change screen 110 shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the touch panel 19. The selection change screen 110 includes an icon 111 for accepting an operation to confirm the purchase of the currently selected charge number Nc, an icon 112 for accepting an operation to change the purchase number, and an icon 113 for accepting an operation to cancel the purchase. If the user operates the icon 113, an affirmative judgment is made in S39, the process proceeds to S42, and the top screen 70 is displayed on the touch panel 19. Then, the processes of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are terminated. That is, the charge number Nc is not purchased from the server 50.

[0055] On the other hand, if the user operates the icon 112 on the selection change screen 110, a negative judgment is made in S39, and the process proceeds to S40. In S40, the number selection screen 90 (FIG. 8) is displayed on the touch panel 19, and an operation to change the recharge number Nc is accepted. If an affirmative judgment is made in S40, the process proceeds to S41, and the recharge number Nc is changed in response to the selection operation. Then, the process proceeds to S37. In this case, in S37, the charged fee is calculated using the changed recharge number Nc.

[0056] When the user operates the icon 111 on the selection change screen 110, a negative judgment is made in S39, and then a negative judgment is made in S40, and the process proceeds to S37. In this case, in S37, the currently selected charge number Nc is used to calculate the charge. When S37 ends, the process proceeds to S17 in Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the processes executed by the application 14 in S38 to S41 are an example of a notification process and a notification step.

[0057] In S17, a billing invoice including the billing fee calculated in S16 is sent to the server 50. The billing invoice is information requesting the server 50 to purchase the charge number Nc. In S18, upon receiving the billing invoice from the terminal 10, the server 50 sends a charge instruction to the terminal 10 indicating the charge number Nc according to the billing fee included in the billing. The charge instruction is an instruction to add the purchased charge number Nc to the number of printable sheets.

[0058] In S19, the application 14 of the terminal 10 transfers the charge instruction sent from the server 50 to the printer 30. When the firmware 40 of the printer 30 receives the charge instruction, in S20, the firmware 40 adds the charge number Nc to the printable number, thereby updating the printable number.

[0059] In S21, the firmware 40 transmits a completion notification to the terminal 10. In S22, the application 14 of the terminal 10 transfers the completion notification from the printer 30 to the server 50. Upon receiving the completion notification, the server 50 updates the printable number by increasing the printable number stored in the management table KT by the purchased charge number Nc in S23. In S24, the server-side CPU 53 transmits an update completion notification to the terminal 10. FIG. 11 shows a screen 120 displayed on the touch panel 19 after the application 14 receives the completion notification. The screen 120 shown in FIG. 11 includes a number display image 121 indicating the printable number updated by purchasing the charge number Nc.

[0060] When the application 14 of the terminal 10 receives the update completion notification from the server 50, it determines in S25 whether or not it is necessary to apply for a replacement of the printer 30. Specifically, if the application 14 determines in the recharge process in S16 that the remaining ink level is insufficient (i.e., YES in S35) and the recharge quantity Nc is purchased, it makes a positive determination in S25. If the application 14 makes a positive determination in S25, it proceeds to S26 and causes the user IF 17 to notify that it is necessary to apply for a replacement of the printer 30. The process executed in S26 is an example of a notification process and a notification step.

[0061] The application 14 executes an exchange application process in S27. Specifically, in the exchange application process, in response to the notification in S26, the user operates the terminal 10 to input application information for requesting delivery of a new printer to the application screen. The application information input by the user to the application screen is transmitted to the server 50 together with the token. When the server 50 identifies the device ID of the printer 30 that is the subject of the application from the user ID included in the token, it changes the exchange application information associated with the identified device ID in the management table KT from the off state "x" to the on state "o" and performs the procedure for sending the new printer to the user.

[0062] The present embodiment described above can provide the following advantages. The application 14 of the terminal 10 obtains the estimated number N1 according to the remaining amount of ink. When a purchase instruction for the recharge number Nc is received via the user IF 17, it is determined whether the recharge number Nc is greater than the estimated number N1. When it is determined that the recharge number Nc is greater than the estimated number N1, it causes the user IF 17 to issue a notification. This allows the user to recognize that the recharge number Nc to be purchased is an amount that will cause a shortage of ink currently held by the printer. As a result, the user can, for example, change the recharge number Nc or ​​cancel the recharge number Nc, thereby improving user convenience.

[0063] When it is determined that the charge number Nc is greater than the estimated number N1, the application 14 allows the user to change the charge number Nc via the user IF 17. This allows the user to change the charge number Nc that has already been selected after the notification, and for example allows the printer 30 to print without running out of ink as much as possible.

[0064] When it is determined that the charge number Nc is greater than the estimated number N1, the application 14 displays the estimated number N1 on the user IF 17. As a result, the estimated number N1 according to the current remaining amount of ink is displayed on the user IF 17, so that, for example, a criterion for a user to change the charge number Nc after being notified can be shown.

[0065] When it is determined that the charge number Nc is greater than the estimated number N1, the application 14 notifies the user IF 17 to replace the ink or the printer 30. In this way, when there is a high possibility that ink will run short due to the charge number Nc to be purchased, the application 14 notifies the user to replace the ink or the printer 30, and thus it is possible to urge the user to replace the ink or the printer.

[0066] If the printer 30 replacement request has not been sent to the server 50, the application 14 notifies the user IF 17 of the replacement of the printer 30. On the other hand, if the printer 30 replacement request has already been sent to the server 50, the application 14 notifies the user IF 17 that the replacement request has been sent to the server, instead of notifying the user IF 17 of the replacement of the ink or printing device. In this way, if the printer 30 replacement request has already been sent to the server 50, it is notified that the replacement request has been made, and therefore it is possible to prevent unnecessary replacement requests from being made.

[0067] The application 14 accepts the purchase of the charge amount Nc when it is determined that the printer 30 has been activated and is in a state where printing can be performed, and does not accept the purchase of the charge amount Nc when activation has not been performed. This makes it possible to not accept the purchase of the charge amount Nc when the printer 30 is in a state where printing cannot be performed.

[0068] The application 14 obtains the remaining ink amount from the printer 30, and calculates the estimated number of sheets N1 based on the obtained remaining ink amount and the print settings stored in the history. This improves the accuracy of determining whether the selected charge number Nc is an amount that will cause an ink shortage.

[0069] The application 14 judges whether the charge number Nc is greater than the estimated number N1 for a given color of ink. This makes it possible to appropriately notify whether the selected charge number Nc is an amount that will cause an ink shortage, even if the ink usage amount differs for each user.

[0070] (Modification of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment, the application 14 compares the estimated number of sheets N1 with the charged number of sheets Nc to determine whether or not there is a shortage of ink remaining. Alternatively, the application 14 may compare the estimated number of sheets N1 with a value obtained by adding the charged number of sheets Nc to the current number of sheets that can be printed. In this case, in S33 of FIG. 6, the application 14 calculates the second number of sheets by adding the selected charged number of sheets Nc to the current number of sheets that can be printed. In S35, if the estimated number of sheets N1 is less than the second number, an affirmative judgment is made in S35, and the process proceeds to S38.

[0071] The printing system 100 uses the printable number of sheets as the permitted printing amount. Alternatively, the print service may use the available ink amount, the number of ink ejections, or even the available sheet length as the permitted printing amount. In this case, in S33 of Fig. 6, the second number of sheets is calculated according to, for example, the available ink amount or the ink ejection amount. Then, in S35, if the estimated number of sheets N1 is less than the second number of sheets, an affirmative judgment is made in S35, and the process proceeds to S38.

[0072] Second embodiment In the second embodiment, the configuration different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0073] In this embodiment, the application 14 obtains the estimated number N1 calculated by the printer 30. Fig. 12 is a timing chart for explaining the process executed by each device when purchasing the charge number Nc from the server 50 in this embodiment. In this embodiment as well, the application 14 starts the process shown in Fig. 12 when it detects that the execution icon 81 is operated by the user on the confirmation screen 80 shown in Fig. 4.

[0074] In S13, the application 14 requests the detection time of the remaining ink level from the printer 30. When the firmware 40 of the printer 30 receives the request for detection time of the remaining ink level from the terminal 10, in S14 it replies to the terminal 10 with the most recent detection time when the remaining ink level was detected by the remaining ink level detection unit 39.

[0075] If the application 14 determines in S15 that the remaining ink level was not detected immediately, the process proceeds to S60, where it requests the printer 30 for the estimated number of sheets N1. When the firmware 40 of the printer 30 receives the request for the estimated number of sheets N1 from the application 14, in S61 it calculates the estimated number of sheets N1 corresponding to the remaining ink level for each color by a process similar to S30 in Fig. 6. In S62, the firmware 40 returns the estimated number of sheets N1 to the terminal 10. S62 is an example of a first number acquisition process or a first number acquisition step.

[0076] When the application 14 receives the estimated number N1 from the printer 30, the application 14 executes a charging process in S63. In this embodiment, the application 14 has already acquired the estimated number N1 from the printer 30, and therefore executes the processes in the flowchart shown in Fig. 6 in the first embodiment, except for S30. Thereafter, as in the first embodiment, when the charging number Nc is determined by the process in S63, the application 14 requests the server 50 for a charge in S19.

[0077] The above-described embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. In addition, since the estimated number N1 is calculated by the firmware 40 of the printer 30, it is possible to suppress an increase in the processing load of the application 14 when purchasing the charge number Nc.

[0078] (Other embodiments) The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible. 5 and 12, if the printer 30 is unable to print due to a malfunction, the application 14 may make a negative judgment in S12 and end the process. Malfunctions of the printer 30 include ejection defects due to clogged nozzles and mechanical malfunctions of the printing unit 33. The process executed here is an example of a state determination process.

[0079] 5 and 12, if the application 14 stores information about whether the printer 30 has been activated, the application 14 may request activation information from the printer 30 in S10. In this case, the firmware 40 returns the activation information to the application 14 in S11.

[0080] 2, the printable number of sheets is associated with each user ID, but instead, the printable number of sheets may be associated with each printer 30. In this case, each item associated with the user management table KT1 is associated with a device ID in the device management table KT2.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the ink tank 38 is configured to be non-refillable and non-removable, and when ink runs short, a request to replace the printer 30 is made. However, instead of this, the ink tank 38 may be refillable with ink, or may be a removable cartridge. In this case, instead of a request to replace the printer 30, a request to order an ink bottle or cartridge of the color that is running low on ink may be made.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the consumable information used to calculate the estimated number of sheets N1 was the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink tank 38. Instead of this, the amount of waste liquid stored in the waste liquid box 41 or the discharge amount of the print head may be used as the consumable information indicating the usage state of the consumable. In this case, the maximum amount of waste liquid that can be stored in the waste liquid box 41 is predetermined. The firmware 40 of the printer 30 calculates the estimated number of sheets N1 based on the remaining amount obtained by subtracting the amount of waste liquid detected by the waste liquid detection unit 42 from the maximum amount of waste liquid. Then, when the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 41 reaches the maximum amount of waste liquid, the firmware 40 of the printer 30 may apply for an order for a detachable waste liquid box 41 (or the printer 30 if the waste liquid box 41 is not detachable). In addition, the upper limit total amount of dischargeable dischargeable amount of the print head is predetermined as the life of the print head. The firmware 40 of the printer 30 stores the ejection amount of the print head each time printing is performed, and calculates the estimated number of sheets N1 based on the remaining amount obtained by subtracting the stored ejection amount from the upper limit total amount of the ejection amount. When the ejection amount of the print head reaches the upper limit total amount of the ejection amount, the firmware 40 of the printer 30 may request an order for a removable print head (or the printer 30 if the print head is not removable). In addition, the firmware 40 of the printer 30 may calculate the estimated number of sheets N1 based on the smallest remaining amount among the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink tank 38, the remaining amount obtained by subtracting the amount of waste liquid detected by the waste liquid detection unit 42 from the maximum waste liquid amount, and the remaining amount obtained by subtracting the stored ejection amount from the upper limit total amount. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10... terminal, 12... terminal side CPU, 14... application program, 17... user IF, 30... printer, 50... server

Claims

1. A control program executable by a computer of an information processing device having a user interface and capable of communicating with a printing device, the printing device executes printing until a print allowance amount different from consumable information indicating a usage state of consumables reaches a predetermined threshold, the print allowance amount being information on an amount of recording agent or a sheet used by the printing device during printing; The computer includes: a first number acquisition process for acquiring a first number indicating a remaining number of printable sheets of the printing device according to the consumable product information; a second number acquisition process for acquiring a second number indicating a printable number of sheets of the printing device according to the additional amount of the printable amount when an instruction to increase the printable amount is received via the user interface; a number determination process for determining whether the second number is greater than the first number; a notification process for causing the user interface to perform a notification when it is determined that the second number is greater than the first number by the number determination process; A control program that executes the above.

2. The control program according to claim 1 , wherein the notification process makes it possible to accept a change in the amount of addition for which the instruction to add is received via the user interface.

3. The control program according to claim 1 , wherein the notification process includes displaying the first number on the user interface.

4. 4. The control program according to claim 1, wherein the notification process causes the user interface to notify the user to replace the consumable item.

5. The computer may be caused to transmit a request for replacement of the consumable to a server; 5. The control program according to claim 4, wherein the control program causes the computer to notify that the print allowance amount cannot be added in response to the addition instruction when the exchange request has already been sent to the server.

6. causing the computer to execute a state determination process for determining whether the printing device is in a state in which printing can be performed; The computer includes: when it is determined by the state determination process that the printing device is in a state in which printing can be performed, the instruction to increase the print allowance amount is accepted; 6. The control program according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of: not accepting the instruction to increase the permitted print amount when it is determined that the printing device is in a state in which printing cannot be performed.

7. causing the computer to execute a history process for storing print settings at the time of printing in history information; A control program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first number acquisition process acquires the consumable information from the printing device, and calculates the first number based on the acquired consumable information and the print settings stored in the history information.

8. the consumable information is a remaining amount of the recording agent, the recording material is present for each of a plurality of colors, A control program according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the number determination process obtains the first number for a specified recording material and determines whether the second number is greater than the obtained first number.

9. A printing system including a printing device and an information processing device, the information processing device has a user interface and is capable of communicating with the printing device; the printing device executes printing until a print allowance amount different from consumable information indicating a usage state of consumables reaches a predetermined threshold, the print allowance amount being information regarding an amount of recording agent or a sheet used during printing; The information processing device includes: a first number acquisition process for acquiring a first number indicating the number of sheets that the printing device can print according to the consumable product information; a second number acquisition process for acquiring a second number indicating a printable number of sheets of the printing device according to the additional amount of the printable amount when an instruction to increase the printable amount is received via the user interface; a number determination process for determining whether the second number is greater than the first number; a notification process for causing the user interface to perform a notification when it is determined that the second number is greater than the first number by the number determination process; A printing system that runs

10. An information acquisition method for acquiring a print permission amount in a printing system including a printing device and an information processing device, the print permission amount being information different from consumable information indicating a usage state of consumables, the print permission amount being information regarding an amount of recording agent or sheets used during printing, and allowing the printing device to execute printing until the print permission amount reaches a predetermined threshold value; The information processing device includes: a first number acquisition step of acquiring a first number indicating the number of sheets that can be printed by the printing device according to the consumable product information; a second number acquisition step of acquiring a second number indicating a printable number of sheets corresponding to the additional amount of the printable amount when an instruction to increase the printable amount is received; and a number determination step of determining whether the second number is greater than the first number. a notification step of issuing a notification when it is determined in the number determination step that the second number is greater than the first number; A method of obtaining information to execute the above.

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