Printer system, computer program for server, server, and method performed by the server - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of appropriately sending a dedicated colorant cartridge.SOLUTION: A printer may comprise: a memory for storing remaining amount related information concerning a remaining amount of colorant in a dedicated colorant cartridge installed in the printer; a first transmission unit for transmitting, to a server, first printer information including dedicated information and the remaining amount related information when the dedicated colorant cartridge is installed in the printer; and a second transmission unit for transmitting, to the server, second printer information including general information and the remaining amount related information when a general purpose colorant cartridge is installed in the printer. Regardless of whether the first printer information or the second printer information is received from the printer, the server may comprise: a determination unit for determining whether or not a remaining amount obtained by using the remaining amount related information satisfies a predetermined condition; and a shipping processing execution unit for executing shipping processing for shipping a new dedicated colorant cartridge when the predetermined condition is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This specification discloses a technique related to a printer system including a printer and a server. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fixed-price printing process that allows printing of a preset number of sheets for a fixed amount of money at a specified interval. In the fixed-price printing process, a dedicated cartridge is used. When printing is performed using the dedicated cartridge, the printer transmits information regarding the remaining ink level in the dedicated cartridge to an information management server. When the remaining ink level in the dedicated cartridge falls below a threshold, a new dedicated cartridge is shipped to the user of the printer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-193592 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present specification provides a technique for properly shipping specialized colorant cartridges. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This specification discloses a printer system including a printer and a server. The printer can print using either a dedicated color cartridge for receiving a service related to printing or a generic color cartridge different from the dedicated color cartridge, and the printer may include a memory for storing remaining amount related information related to the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated color cartridge mounted on the printer, a first transmission unit for transmitting, to the server, first printer information including dedicated information indicating that the color cartridge mounted on the printer is the dedicated color cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory when the dedicated color cartridge is mounted on the printer, and a second transmission unit for transmitting, to the server, second printer information including generic information indicating that the color cartridge mounted on the printer is the generic color cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory when the generic color cartridge is mounted on the printer. The server may include a judgment unit that judges whether the remaining amount related information contained in the received first printer information or the second printer information satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether the first printer information including the dedicated information or the second printer information including the general information is received from the printer, and a shipping process execution unit that executes a shipping process to ship a new dedicated color material cartridge when the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the server executes a shipping process for shipping a new dedicated color material cartridge when the remaining amount related information satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether the first printer information or the second printer information is received from the printer. In this way, the server can appropriately ship a new dedicated color material cartridge when the remaining amount related information satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether a dedicated color material cartridge or a general-purpose color material cartridge is installed in the printer.

[0007] The printer itself, a computer program for the printer, a computer-readable recording medium storing the computer program, and a method executed by the printer are also novel and useful. The server itself, a computer program for the server, a computer-readable recording medium storing the computer program, and a method executed by the server are also novel and useful. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows the configuration of a communication system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a sequence diagram of a process executed in the communication system. [Diagram 3] The sequence diagram continues from Figure 2. [Figure 4] The sequence diagram continues from Figure 3. [Diagram 5] The sequence diagram continues from Figure 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (Configuration of communication system 2; Figure 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 2 includes a service providing server 10 (hereinafter, referred to as "SP (abbreviation of Service Providing) server 10"), a delivery server 50, a printer 100, and a terminal 200. The printer 100 and the terminal 200 are connected to a LAN (abbreviation of Local Area Network) 4, and can communicate with each other via the LAN 4. The LAN 4 may be a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. The SP server 10 and the LAN 4 are connected to the Internet 6. The SP server 10 can communicate with each of the devices 100, 200 via the Internet 6 and the LAN 4. The SP server 10 can also communicate with the delivery server 50 via the Internet 6. The terminal 200 is a terminal such as a desktop PC, a tablet PC, or a smartphone.

[0010] (SP Server 10 Configuration) The SP server 10 is a server that provides services related to printing. The services include a flat-rate printing service and a shipping service that ships color material cartridges that can be installed in a printer (for example, the printer 100). In the following, the "cartridge" is referred to as "CTG."

[0011] A flat-rate printing service is a service that allows printing on a pre-set contracted number of sheets (e.g., 2,000 sheets) of print media for a fixed fee per specified period (e.g., one month). The user does not have to pay additional fees until the number of sheets of print media printed in the specified period (hereinafter referred to as the "number of sheets in the specified period") reaches the contracted number. If the number of sheets in the specified period exceeds the contracted number, the user pays an additional fee (e.g., a fee equal to the number of sheets exceeding the contracted number multiplied by a specified unit price). The contracted number is set by the user, for example, when entering into a contract for the printing service.

[0012] The shipping service is a service that ships a new dedicated CTG to a user when the remaining amount in a dedicated CTG (described later) installed in a printer becomes low. When providing the shipping service, the SP server 10 transmits a shipping request to the shipping server 50 to request the shipping of a dedicated CTG. In response, the shipping server 50 executes the shipping of the dedicated CTG (e.g., notifying an operator).

[0013] The SP server 10 is installed on the Internet 6 by the vendor of the printer 100. In a modified example, the SP server 10 may be installed on the Internet 6 by a business entity other than the vendor. In another modified example, the vendor of the printer 100 may not prepare the hardware for the SP server 10 by itself, but may use an environment provided by an external cloud computing service. In this case, the vendor of the printer 100 may prepare a program (i.e., software) for the SP server 10 and implement the program in the above-mentioned environment to realize the SP server 10.

[0014] The SP server 10 includes a communication interface 12 and a control unit 20. The units 12 and 20 are connected to a bus (reference numerals omitted). In the following, the interface will be simply referred to as "I / F." The communication I / F 12 is connected to the Internet 6.

[0015] The control unit 20 includes a CPU 22 and a memory 24. The CPU 22 executes various processes in accordance with a program 30 stored in the memory 24. The memory 24 is composed of a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, etc. The memory 24 further stores a user table 32 and a device table 34.

[0016] The user table 32 stores one or more pieces of user information corresponding to one or more users who receive the printing service. The user information includes the user's account information (e.g., UA) and user-related information (e.g., UI) related to the user. The account information includes, for example, a user name and a password. The user-related information includes, for example, shipping address information indicating the address to which the dedicated CTG is to be shipped, the user's email address, and the user's credit card number. The user table 32 also stores a PIN (short for Personal Identification Number) code (e.g., "1234") and a contracted number (e.g., "2000") in association with the account information. The PIN code is information used for authentication to register the printer's serial number in the device table 34.

[0017] The device table 34 stores one or more pieces of device information. The device table 34 stores account information (e.g., UA), a printer serial number (e.g., SN), an access token (e.g., AT), a number of sheets in a specified period (e.g., "100"), and a cumulative number (e.g., "100") in association with each other. The access token is authentication information used in communication between the printer and the SP server 10. The number of sheets in a specified period indicates the number of sheets of print media printed by the printer in a specified period (e.g., one month). The cumulative number indicates the number of sheets of print media previously printed by the printer.

[0018] (Configuration of Printer 100) The printer 100 is a peripheral device (for example, a peripheral device of the terminal 200) capable of executing a printing function. In a modified example, the printer 100 may be a multi-function device capable of executing a scanning function, a FAX function, etc. in addition to the printing function. The printer 100 is assigned a serial number SN for identifying the printer 100.

[0019] The printer 100 comprises a print execution unit 120 and a memory 154. The print execution unit 120 comprises an inkjet or laser printing mechanism. A color material CTG that contains color materials such as ink and toner is attached to the print execution unit 120. An IC chip (not shown) is provided in the color material CTG, and the print execution unit 120 comprises a reading unit (not shown) that reads the IC chip.

[0020] Any of a number of types of CTGs, including a general-purpose CTG and a dedicated CTG, can be attached to the print execution unit 120. The general-purpose CTG is a commonly available CTG that can be purchased by users at home appliance stores, mail order sales, etc. The dedicated CTG is a CTG for receiving the above-mentioned printing service, and is shipped from the shipping server 50 to the user on the condition that the user enters into a contract for the above-mentioned printing service.

[0021] The printer 100 can also print using a packaged CTG (not shown) that is different from the general-purpose CTG and the dedicated CTG. The packaged CTG is a CTG that is packaged with the printer 100 (i.e., attached to the printer 100) when the printer 100 is purchased.

[0022] Here, the IC chip of the general-purpose CTG 130 actually used by the user of the printer 100 stores the CTG model number "nc01" for identifying the general-purpose CTG 130. The IC chip of the dedicated CTG 140 actually used by the user of the printer 100 stores the CTG model number "sc01" for identifying the dedicated CTG 140.

[0023] In this embodiment, the printer 100 is capable of printing using any of the generic CTG, the dedicated CTG, and the packaged CTG. When the printer 100 is in a service-enabled state in which the printer 100 can receive services (i.e., printing service and shipping service), the printer 100 is capable of printing using the color materials in the generic CTG and is also capable of printing using the color materials in the dedicated CTG. On the other hand, when the printer 100 is in a service-disabled state in which the printer 100 cannot receive services, the printer 100 is capable of printing using the color materials in the generic CTG and is not capable of printing using the color materials in the dedicated CTG.

[0024] Furthermore, the above-mentioned enclosed CTG is treated as follows. That is, when the printer 100 is in a service-enabled state, the enclosed CTG is regarded as a dedicated CTG. On the other hand, when the printer 100 is in a service-disabled state, the enclosed CTG is regarded as a general-purpose CTG. In this way, the enclosed CTG is regarded as either a general-purpose CTG or a dedicated CTG, depending on the service status of the printer 100. In the following explanation, a detailed explanation of the case where an enclosed CTG is attached to the printer 100 will be omitted.

[0025] The memory 154 stores a service table 162 and a status table 164. The memory 154 is configured by a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, or the like.

[0026] The service table 162 stores information related to services. The service table 162 stores the serial number SN of the printer 100, an access token (e.g., AT), a service status (e.g., "enabled"), a CTG type (e.g., "dedicated"), and a CTG model number (e.g., "sc01") in association with each other. The service status indicates either "enabled" indicating that the service is enabled or "disabled" indicating that the service is disabled. The CTG type is information indicating the type of the CTG currently installed in the printer 100. That is, in this embodiment, the CTG type is information indicating any of a dedicated CTG, a general-purpose CTG, and a bundled CTG. The CTG model number is a model number read from the IC chip of the color material CTG currently installed in the printer 100. The CTG type is identified based on the CTG model number read from the IC chip. For example, the CTG type is identified to be "general-purpose" based on the character string "nc" in the CTG model number "nc01" in the IC chip of the general-purpose CTG 130. Also, for example, based on the character string "sc" in the CTG model number "sc01" in the IC chip of the dedicated CTG 140, the CTG type is identified as "dedicated".

[0027] The status table 164 stores the remaining amount and the number of sheets. The remaining amount indicates the latest remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG installed in the printer 100. The remaining amount is stored for each of the dedicated CTG and the general-purpose CTG. Note that the remaining amount is not information that indicates only the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG currently installed in the printer 100. For example, assume that after the dedicated CTG 140 is installed in the printer 100, the general-purpose CTG 130 is installed in place of the dedicated CTG 140. In this case, the area indicating the remaining amount of the dedicated CTG stores the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 that was installed until just before (90% in the example of FIG. 1). Also, the area indicating the remaining amount of the general-purpose CTG stores the remaining amount of color material in the general-purpose CTG 130 currently installed in the printer 100 (80% in the example of FIG. 1). In the following, the area showing the remaining amount of the generic CTG and the area showing the remaining amount of the dedicated CTG are referred to as the "general remaining amount area" and the "dedicated remaining amount area", respectively. The number of sheets indicates the cumulative number of sheets of print media on which the printer 100 has printed using the color materials in the dedicated CTG. The cumulative number of sheets of print media on which the printer 100 has printed using the color materials in the generic CTG is not stored.

[0028] (Specific cases: Figures 2 to 5) Next, the process executed by the communication system 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. First, the registration process for registering information in the device table 34 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that, in the following, the process executed by the CPU of each device (e.g., the CPU 22 of the SP server 10) will be described with reference to each device (e.g., the SP server 10) rather than each CPU as the subject, from the viewpoint of ease of understanding. Also, in the following, the communication between the SP server 10 and the delivery server 50 is performed via the communication I / F 12 and the Internet 6, and the communication between the SP server 10 and the printer 100 and the terminal 200 is further performed via the LAN 4. Therefore, in the following description of the communication between each device, the terms "via the communication I / F 12", "via the Internet 6", and "via the LAN 4" will be omitted.

[0029] In the initial state of FIG. 2, account information UA ​​and user relationship information UI are registered in the user table 32 (see FIG. 1). The account information UA ​​and user relationship information UI are registered in the SP server 10, for example, by the user operating the terminal 200. Also, in the initial state of FIG. 2, a color material CTG has never been attached to the printer 100, and the service status of the printer 100 is a service disabled state. Therefore, at this time, the access token, CTG type, and CTG model number in the service table 162 are blank, and the service status in the service table 162 indicates "disabled." Similarly, each item in the status table 164 is blank.

[0030] When the terminal 200 receives an operation from the user to specify the URL (short for Uniform Resource Locator) of the SP server 10 and an operation to input the account information UA, in T10, the terminal 200 transmits a PIN request to the SP server 10. The PIN request includes the input account information UA.

[0031] When the SP server 10 receives a PIN request from the terminal 200 in T10, the SP server 10 generates a PIN code "1234" in T12, associates the generated PIN code "1234" with the account information UA ​​included in the PIN request, and stores the generated PIN code "1234" in the user table 32 (see FIG. 1). Then, the SP server 10 transmits the generated PIN code "1234" to the terminal 200 in T14.

[0032] When the terminal 200 receives the PIN code "1234" from the SP server 10 at T14, it displays the PIN code "1234" at T16, thereby allowing the user to know the PIN code "1234".

[0033] When the printer 100 accepts input of the PIN code "1234" from the user in T20, the printer 100 transmits a start request to the SP server 10 in T22. The start request includes the input PIN code "1234" and the serial number SN of the printer 100. The start request is a signal requesting the SP server 10 to start the above-mentioned print service.

[0034] When the SP server 10 receives a start request from the printer 100 in T22, it authenticates the PIN code "1234" included in the start request in T24. In this case, the PIN code "1234" included in the start request matches the PIN code "1234" already stored in the user table 32, so the SP server 10 determines that the authentication of the PIN code was successful in T24. In this case, the SP server 10 determines that the account information UA ​​stored in the user table 32 in association with the PIN code "1234" is the account information to be registered. Next, the SP server 10 generates an access token AT in T26, and registers the account information UA ​​to be registered, the serial number SN included in the start request, and the generated access token AT in the device table 34 in association with each other in T28. At this point in time, specific values ​​are not stored in the device table 34 as the number of sheets in a predetermined period and the cumulative number of sheets in association with the account information UA ​​to be registered.

[0035] At T30, the SP server 10 transmits the generated access token AT to the printer 100. As a result, the printer 100 stores the received access token AT in the service table 162. At this time, the service status in the service table 162 indicates “invalid”, and the CTG type and CTG model number indicate blanks.

[0036] At T32, the printer 100 establishes an XMPP (short for Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) connection with the SP server 10 by using the access token AT already stored in the service table 162. The XMPP connection is a so-called constant connection. By using the XMPP connection, the SP server 10 can transmit a request to the printer 100 beyond the firewall of the LAN 4 to which the printer 100 belongs, even if the SP server 10 does not receive a request from the printer 100. In other words, the XMPP connection is a connection that can execute server push type communication. Note that the mechanism for transmitting a request from the SP server 10 to the printer 100 may be another method other than the XMPP connection. For example, an HTTPS (short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) connection may be established between the printer 100 and the SP server 10.

[0037] In T40, the SP server 10 identifies the shipping destination information in the user relationship information UI associated with the account information UA ​​(see T24) to be registered from the user table 32. Then, the SP server 10 transmits a shipping request including the identified shipping destination information to the shipping server 50.

[0038] When the delivery server 50 receives a delivery request from the SP server 10 in T40, it notifies the worker in T42 that the dedicated CTG will be delivered to the delivery destination indicated by the delivery destination information included in the received delivery request. This causes the dedicated CTG to be delivered to the user of the printer 100.

[0039] Furthermore, when the SP server 10 establishes an XMPP connection with the printer 100 in T32, in T50, the SP server 10 uses the established XMPP connection to send a service state change request to the printer 100. The service state change request is a signal requesting that the service state of the printer 100 be changed from a service disabled state to a service enabled state.

[0040] When the printer 100 receives a state change request from the SP server 10 in T50, it changes the state from the service disabled state to the service enabled state in T52. As a result, the service state of the printer 100 is changed to a state in which it is possible to receive the service, that is, a state in which it is possible to perform printing using the color materials in the dedicated CTG 140. In this case, the printer 100 changes the service state in the service table 162 from "disabled" to "enabled."

[0041] Furthermore, when the SP server 10 establishes an XMPP connection with the printer 100 in T32, in T54 it uses the established XMPP connection to send a Subscribe request to the printer 100. The Subscribe request is a signal requesting that the printer 100 periodically send printer information indicating the current status of the printer 100 to the SP server 10. The Subscribe request includes period information indicating the period (e.g., 12 hours) at which the printer 100 should send the printer information.

[0042] When the printer 100 receives a Subscribe request from the SP server 10 in T54, the printer 10 starts to transmit printer information to the SP server 10 in the period indicated by the period information included in the Subscribe request in T56. The printer information includes the serial number SN of the printer 100, type information indicating the CTG type stored in the service table 162, remaining amount information stored in the dedicated remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164, and accumulated number information indicating the number stored in the status table 164 (i.e., the accumulated number of print media printed using the color material in the dedicated CTG 140). At this time, since no color material CTG is attached to the printer 100, the CTG type is not stored in the service table 162. Therefore, the printer information transmitted in T56 includes type information indicating blank. Also, at this time, no information is described in the status table 164. Therefore, the printer information transmitted in T56 includes remaining amount information indicating blank and accumulated number information indicating blank.

[0043] (Continuation of Figure 2; Figure 3) Next, a situation in which printing is performed in the printer 100 after the process of FIG. 2 will be described. A user of the printer 100 attaches a generic CTG 130 to the print execution unit 120 at T70 in FIG. 3. In this case, the printer 100 reads the CTG model number "nc01" from the IC chip of the generic CTG 130. The printer 100 then stores the CTG type "generic" and the CTG model number "nc01" in the service table 162. The printer 100 further detects the remaining amount of color material in the generic CTG 130. Specifically, the printer 100 detects the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG attached to the printer 100 using an optical sensor or the like. In a modified example, instead of detecting the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG using an optical sensor or the like, the printer 100 may calculate the consumption amount of color material by dot counting each time the printer 100 executes printing, and calculate the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG using the calculated consumption amount of color material. In another modified example, the printer 100 may detect the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG by combining a method of detecting the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG using an optical sensor or the like and a method of calculating the remaining amount of color material using dot counting. The printer 100 stores the detected remaining amount (in this case, "100%") in either the general-purpose remaining amount area or the dedicated remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164 depending on the type of color material CTG. In this case, since the printer 100 is equipped with a general-purpose CTG 130, the printer 100 stores the detected remaining amount "100%" in the general-purpose remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164. In a modified example, the IC chip of the generic CTG 130 may include information indicating whether the generic CTG 130 is new or not. When information indicating new is read from the IC chip of the generic CTG 130, the printer 100 may store the remaining amount "100%" in the generic remaining amount area without detecting the remaining amount of color material in the generic CTG 130.

[0044] At T72, the printer 100 executes printing using the color materials in the generic CTG 130. At T72, printing is executed on 200 sheets of printing media, and as a result, 20% of the color materials in the generic CTG 130 are consumed (i.e., the remaining amount of color materials in the generic CTG 130 becomes 80%). In this case, the printer 100 detects the remaining amount of color materials in the generic CTG 130 (i.e., "80%" in this case), and overwrites (i.e., stores) the detected remaining amount "80%" in the generic remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164.

[0045] Thereafter, the period indicated by the period information included in the Subscribe request received at T54 in Fig. 2 arrives. In this case, the printer 100 transmits printer information to the SP server 10 at T74. The printer information transmitted at T74 is the same as the printer information transmitted at T56 in Fig. 2, except that it includes type information "general purpose". In other words, the printer information transmitted at T74 does not include the remaining amount information indicating "80%" that was stored in the general remaining amount area at T72, but includes remaining amount information indicating blank.

[0046] When the SP server 10 receives the printer information from the printer 100 in T74, it executes the following process. First, the SP server 10 identifies the type information included in the printer information. In this case, the type information indicates "general purpose", so the SP server 10 determines that the printer 100 identified by the serial number SN included in the printer information is equipped with a general-purpose CTG 130. In this case, the SP server 10 transmits an email EM in T76. Specifically, the SP server 10 first identifies the account information UA ​​associated with the serial number SN included in the printer information from the device table 34, and identifies the user relationship information UI associated with the identified account information UA ​​from the user table 32. Next, the SP server 10 identifies an email address included in the identified user relationship information UI. Then, the SP server 10 transmits an email EM to the identified email address as the destination.

[0047] When the terminal 200 receives the email EM from the SP server 10 in T76, the terminal 200 displays the email EM in T78. The email EM includes the serial number SN of the printer 100 and two messages. One message indicates that the printer 100 is installed with the generic CTG 130 even though the printer 100 is operating in a service-enabled state. The other message urges the user to install the dedicated CTG 140 in the printer 100 instead of the generic CTG 130. By looking at the email EM, the user can recognize that the generic CTG 130 is installed in the printer 100 even though the printer 100 is in a service-enabled state, that is, that the printing service cannot be provided. By looking at the email EM, the user can also recognize that the dedicated CTG 140 should be installed in the printer 100 instead of the generic CTG 130 in order to receive the printing service.

[0048] Next, the SP server 10 identifies the cumulative number information included in the printer information received at T74. In this case, the cumulative number information indicates a blank, so the SP server 10 does not update the device table 34. Next, the SP server 10 identifies the remaining amount information included in the printer information. In this case, the remaining amount information indicates a blank, so the SP server 10 does not execute the process of determining whether or not to send a new dedicated CTG.

[0049] (Continuation of Figure 3; Figure 4) Thereafter, the dedicated CTG 140 (see T40 and T42 in FIG. 2) shipped from the shipping server 50 arrives at the user's place. At T80 in FIG. 4, the user mounts the dedicated CTG 140 in place of the general-purpose CTG 130 in the print execution unit 120. In this case, the printer 100 reads the CTG model number "sc01" from the IC chip of the dedicated CTG 140. Then, the printer 100 overwrites (i.e., stores) the CTG type "dedicated" and the CTG model number "sc01" in the service table 162. Furthermore, the printer 100 detects the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140, and stores the detected remaining amount ("100%" in this case) in the dedicated remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164. In a modified example, the IC chip of the dedicated CTG 140 may include information indicating whether the dedicated CTG 140 is new or not. When the printer 100 reads information indicating a new product from the IC chip of the dedicated CTG 140, the printer 100 may store the remaining amount "100%" in the dedicated remaining amount area without detecting the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140. The printer 100 also stores the number of sheets "0" in the area indicating the number of sheets in the status table 164.

[0050] At T82, the printer 100 executes printing using the color materials in the dedicated CTG 140. At T82, printing is executed on 100 sheets of printing media, and as a result, 10% of the color materials in the dedicated CTG 140 are consumed (i.e., the remaining amount of color materials in the dedicated CTG 140 becomes 90%). In this case, the printer 100 detects the remaining amount of color materials in the dedicated CTG 140 (i.e., "90%" in this case), and overwrites (i.e., stores) the detected remaining amount "90%" in the dedicated remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164. The printer 100 also changes the number of sheets in the status table 164 from "0" to "100".

[0051] Then, after the latest printer information is sent to the SP server 10 (see T74), the period indicated by the period information arrives. In this case, the printer 100 sends the printer information to the SP server 10 in T84. The printer information sent in T84 includes the serial number "SN", type information "dedicated", remaining amount information "90%", and accumulated number information "100".

[0052] When the SP server 10 receives the printer information from the printer 100 in T84, it executes the following process. First, the SP server 10 identifies the type information included in the printer information. In this case, the type information indicates "dedicated," so in T86, the SP server 10 determines that the dedicated CTG 140 is installed in the printer 100 identified by the serial number SN included in the printer information.

[0053] Particularly, in this case, the SP server 10 determines that the dedicated CTG 140 has been attached to the printer 100 for the first time after sending a Subscribe request to the printer 100 at T54 in FIG. 2. In this case, the SP server 10 starts counting the number of sheets for a predetermined period at T88. Specifically, the SP server 10 stores the cumulative number information "100" included in the printer information already received at T84 as the number of sheets for a predetermined period in the device table 34 at T88. Also, the SP server 10 stores the cumulative number information "100" included in the printer information already received at T84 as the cumulative number in the device table 34 at T88. The SP server 10 updates the number of sheets for a predetermined period and the cumulative number in the device table 34 every time printer information is received from the printer 100. Specifically, the SP server 10 calculates the difference between the cumulative number information included in the current printer information and the cumulative number information included in the previous printer information (i.e., the stored cumulative number), and adds this difference to the stored number of sheets for the specified period. The SP server 10 also overwrites (i.e., stores) the cumulative number information included in the current printer information as the cumulative number. The number of sheets for the specified period is reset to "0" on the last day of each month. In a modified example, the number of sheets for the specified period may be reset to "0" when a specified period (e.g., one month) has passed since the date and time when counting the number of sheets for the specified period started (see T88).

[0054] Next, in T90, the SP server 10 identifies the remaining amount information included in the printer information. In this case, the remaining amount information indicates a remaining amount of "90%, and the SP server 10 determines that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than a threshold value (e.g., 20%). In this case, the SP server 10 does not transmit a shipping request to the shipping server 50 to ship a new dedicated CTG to the user of the printer 100.

[0055] (Continuation of Figure 4; Figure 5) The process of T110 in FIG. 5 is similar to the process of T82 in FIG. 4, except that the number of sheets of printing medium to be printed is 900, and the values ​​stored in the status table 164 are different.

[0056] At T110, the color material in the dedicated CTG 140 installed in the printer 100 runs out, so at T120, the user of the printer 100 installs a general-purpose CTG 130 in the printer 100 in place of the dedicated CTG 140. The general-purpose CTG 130 installed here is the general-purpose CTG 130 that was installed in the printer 100 at T70 in Fig. 3 (i.e., the general-purpose CTG 130 that was removed at T80 in Fig. 4). The processing of T122 is similar to the processing of T72 in Fig. 3, except that the number of sheets of printing media to be printed is 100, and the values ​​stored in the status table 164 are different.

[0057] Then, after the latest printer information is sent to the SP server 10 (see T84 in FIG. 4), the period indicated by the period information arrives. In this case, the printer 100 sends the printer information to the SP server 10 at T124. The printer information sent at T124 includes the serial number SN, type information "general purpose", remaining amount information "0%", and accumulated number information "1000".

[0058] The processes of T126 and T128 are the same as those of T76 and T78 in FIG. 3. Next, the SP server 10 updates the number of sheets in the predetermined period and the cumulative number of sheets in T130. Specifically, the SP server 10 first calculates the difference "900" between the cumulative number information "1000" included in the current printer information (see T124) and the cumulative number information (i.e., the stored cumulative number) "100" included in the previous printer information (see T84 in FIG. 3). Then, the SP server 10 adds the difference "900" to the stored number of sheets in the predetermined period "100" (see T88 in FIG. 3), and stores the number of sheets in the predetermined period "1000" in the device table 34. The SP server 10 also stores the cumulative number information "1000" included in the current printer information in the device table 34 as the cumulative number of sheets.

[0059] Next, in T132, the SP server 10 identifies the remaining amount information included in the printer information. In this case, the remaining amount information indicates a remaining amount of "0%," and the SP server 10 determines that the remaining amount is less than a threshold value (e.g., 20%). In this case, the SP server 10 transmits a shipping request to the shipping server 50 in T140. The processes of T140 and T142 are similar to the processes of T40 and T42 in FIG. 2. For this reason, the shipping server 50 can appropriately ship a new dedicated CTG to the user of the printer 100 when the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 becomes relatively low.

[0060] Although not shown, the SP server 10 may manage the cumulative value of the number of times the dedicated CTG has been replaced in the printer 100 based on the printer information received from the printer 100. For example, if the remaining amount information included in the printer information is greater than the remaining amount information included in the previous printer information, the SP server 10 may determine that the dedicated CTG has been replaced in the printer 100 and count up the value of the number of times the dedicated CTG has been replaced. When the SP server 10 receives new printer information after sending a new dedicated CTG, even if the remaining amount indicated by the remaining amount information included in the printer information is less than a threshold, if the stored number of times the dedicated CTG has been replaced is the same as the number of times the dedicated CTG was replaced when the previous dedicated CTG was sent, the SP server 10 may not need to send a new dedicated CTG. This is because, in such a situation, it is highly likely that the remaining amount information included in the newly received printer information indicates the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG that was used when it was already determined that a new dedicated CTG should be sent. This prevents the occurrence of an event in which two or more new dedicated CTGs are sent based on the remaining amount of color material in the same dedicated CTG.

[0061] After that, on the last day of each month, the SP server 10 executes the billing process based on the number of sheets for the predetermined period in the device table 34 in T150, using the credit card number in the user relationship information UI. In this case, since the number of sheets for the predetermined period "1000" does not exceed the contract number "2000" (see FIG. 1), the SP server 10 bills the user for the fixed fee. If the number of sheets for the predetermined period exceeds the contract number, the SP server 10 bills the user for the fixed fee and an additional fee according to the number of sheets for the predetermined period that exceeds the contract number. In a modified example, the SP server 10 may execute the process of T150 when a predetermined period (for example, one month) has passed since the count of the number of sheets for the predetermined period started (i.e., since the process of T88 in FIG. 3 was executed). Although not shown in the figure, when the billing process of T150 is executed, the number of sheets for the predetermined period in the device table 34 is reset to "0".

[0062] When the printer 100 receives a service disable instruction from the user in T160, the printer 100 changes the service status from enabled to disabled in T162. In this case, the printer 100 changes the service status in the service table 162 from "enabled" to "disabled." When the printer 100 is changed to the service disabled status, it does not transmit printer information to the SP server 10 even if the period indicated by the period information arrives.

[0063] (Effects of this embodiment) According to the above configuration, when the dedicated CTG 140 is attached, the printer 100 transmits printer information including type information "dedicated" and remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 of "90%" to the SP server 10 (T84 in FIG. 4). When the generic CTG 130 is attached, the printer 100 transmits printer information including type information "general" and remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 of "0%" to the SP server 10 (T124 in FIG. 5). Regardless of whether the printer information including type information "dedicated" or "general" is received from the printer 100, when the remaining amount included in the printer information, i.e., the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140, is less than a threshold value (T132 in FIG. 5), the SP server 10 executes a shipping process to ship a new dedicated CTG (T140 and T142 in FIG. 5). In this way, the SP server 10 can appropriately dispatch a new dedicated CTG when the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 is less than a threshold value, regardless of whether a dedicated CTG 140 or a general-purpose CTG 130 is installed in the printer 100.

[0064] Here, consider a first comparative example in which the printer 100 transmits printer information including remaining amount information indicating that the remaining amount in the general-purpose CTG 130 currently installed in the printer 100 is "70%" to the SP server 10 at T124 in Fig. 5. In the first comparative example, the SP server 10 determines that the remaining amount "70%" is equal to or greater than the threshold, and does not transmit a shipping request to the shipping server 50. As a result, a situation occurs in which a new dedicated CTG is not shipped even though the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 held by the user is 0%.

[0065] Also, consider a second comparative example in which, when the printer information includes the type information "general purpose", the SP server 10 does not execute the process (see T90 in FIG. 4 and T132 in FIG. 5) of determining whether or not to send a new dedicated CTG 140. In the second comparative example, as in the first comparative example, a situation may arise in which a new dedicated CTG is not sent even if the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 held by the user is 0% (or less than the threshold).

[0066] On the other hand, in this embodiment, printer 100 transmits remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of color material in dedicated CTG 140 to SP server 10, regardless of whether dedicated CTG 140 or general-purpose CTG 130 is attached to printer 100. Then, SP server 10 can appropriately send a new dedicated CTG when the remaining amount of color material in dedicated CTG 140 is less than a threshold value, regardless of whether dedicated CTG 140 or general-purpose CTG 130 is attached to printer 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, a new dedicated CTG can be appropriately sent.

[0067] (Correspondence) The printer 100 is an example of a "printer". The combination of the SP server 10 and the delivery server 50 is an example of a "server". The printing service is an example of a "service". The generic CTG 130 and the dedicated CTG 140 are examples of a "general-purpose color material cartridge" and a "dedicated color material cartridge", respectively. The remaining amount information stored in the dedicated remaining amount area of ​​the status table 164 is an example of "remaining amount related information". The type information "dedicated" and the type information "general-purpose" are examples of "dedicated information" and "general-purpose information", respectively. The printer information transmitted at T84 in FIG. 4 and the printer information transmitted at T124 in FIG. 5 are examples of "first printer information" and "second printer information", respectively. The email EM is an example of "first notification information (and second notification information)". The remaining amount included in the printer information being less than a threshold (e.g., less than 20%) is an example of the "predetermined condition" being satisfied. "20%" is an example of a "threshold". The processes of T140 and T142 in FIG. 5 are an example of a "delivery process".

[0068] The process of T84 in FIG. 4 and the process of T124 in FIG. 5 are examples of processes executed by the "first transmission unit" and the "second transmission unit" of the "printer", respectively. The process of T90 in FIG. 4 and the process of T132 in FIG. 5 are examples of processes executed by the "judgment unit" of the "server". The processes of T140 and T142 in FIG. 5 are examples of processes executed by the "shipping process execution unit" of the "server". The processes of T76 in FIG. 3 and T126 in FIG. 5 are examples of processes executed by the "first notification unit (and second notification unit)" of the "server". The process of T90 in FIG. 4 and the process of T132 in FIG. 5 are examples of a "judgment step". The processes of T140 and T142 in FIG. 5 are examples of a "shipping process execution step".

[0069] Although specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. Modifications of the above embodiments are listed below.

[0070] (Variation 1) The status table 164 may store a usage amount indicating the total amount of color material that has been used in the color material CTG instead of the remaining amount. In this case, the remaining amount of color material in the color material CTG is a value obtained by subtracting the usage amount from 100. In this variation, the usage amount is an example of "remaining amount related information."

[0071] (Variation 2) The service table 162 may not store the CTG type. In this case, the printer 100 may send printer information including a CTG model number to the SP server 10 instead of type information. The SP server 10 may determine that the color material CTG currently installed in the printer 100 is a dedicated CTG 140 if the CTG model number includes the character string "sc", and may determine that the color material CTG currently installed in the printer 100 is a general-purpose CTG 130 if the CTG model number includes the character string "nc". In this variation, a CTG model number including the character string "sc" and a CTG model number including the character string "nc" are examples of "dedicated information" and "general-purpose information", respectively.

[0072] (Modification 3) When the printer information is received from the printer 100, the SP server 10 may determine whether the difference between the remaining amount information included in the printer information previously received and the remaining amount information included in the printer information currently received is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 50%). Then, when the difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the SP server 10 may transmit a shipping request to the shipping server 50 (see T140 in FIG. 5). In this modification, the difference being equal to or greater than the predetermined value is an example of the "predetermined condition" being satisfied. In this modification, when the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated CTG 140 becomes relatively rapidly low due to printing being performed on a large amount of printing media using the color material in the dedicated CTG 140 in a short period of time, the shipping server 50 can appropriately ship a new dedicated CTG to the user of the printer 100. In another modification, the SP server 10 may predict the period until the remaining amount in the dedicated CTG becomes 0% based on the remaining amount information included in the printer information previously received from the printer 100 and the remaining amount information included in the printer information currently received from the printer 100. Here, the "printer information received in the past" is, for example, printer information received from the printer 100 for the first time since a new dedicated CTG was attached to the printer 100. The SP server 10 may transmit a shipping request to the shipping server 50 when the predicted period is less than a predetermined threshold (for example, 20 days). In this modified example, the predicted period being less than the predetermined threshold is an example of the "predetermined condition" being satisfied. In another modified example, the SP server 10 may transmit a shipping request to the shipping server 50 when at least one of the following is satisfied: the remaining amount information included in the printer information is less than a threshold, the difference is a predetermined value or more, and the period is less than a predetermined threshold. In this modified example, the "predetermined condition" is satisfied: the remaining amount information is less than a threshold, the difference is a predetermined value or more, and the period is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0073] (Variation 4) The SP server 10 may transmit notification screen data to the printer 100 instead of the process of T76 in FIG. 3. In response to receiving the notification screen data from the SP server 10, the printer 100 may display a notification screen represented by the notification screen data. The notification screen may include two messages (i.e., the two messages displayed in the email EM displayed in T78 in FIG. 3). In this variation, the notification screen is an example of "first notification information (and second notification information)." The process of transmitting the notification screen data to the printer 100 is an example of a process executed by the "first notification unit (and second notification unit)" of the "server."

[0074] (Variation 5) The email EM sent in T76 of FIG. 3 may include only one of the two messages (i.e., the two messages displayed in the email EM displayed in T78 of FIG. 3). In this variation, either the "first notification unit" or the "second notification unit" of the "server" may be omitted. In another variation, the SP server 10 may not send the email EM even if it receives printer information whose type information includes "general purpose". That is, in this variation, the processes of T76 and T78 of FIG. 3 and the processes of T126 and T128 of FIG. 5 may be omitted. In this variation, both the "first notification unit" and the "second notification unit" of the "server" may be omitted.

[0075] (Variation 6) In the above embodiment, the SP server 10 and the delivery server 50 cooperate to execute the process for delivering the dedicated CTG to the user of the printer 100. In a variation, the SP server 10 may execute the process for delivering the dedicated CTG to the user of the printer 100 by itself. In this variation, the SP server 10 is an example of a "server". In another variation, the SP server 10 may have a plurality of servers. For example, the SP server 10 may have a first server and a second server. In this variation, the first server may receive printer information from the printer 100 (T56 in FIG. 2, T74 in FIG. 3, T84 in FIG. 4, and T124 in FIG. 5). In addition, the second server may execute various processes using the printer information received by the first server (T76 in FIG. 3, T86 to T90 in FIG. 4, and T126 and T130 to T140 in FIG. 5).

[0076] (Variation 7) In the above embodiment, the number in the status table 164 represents the cumulative number of print media on which printing has been performed using the color materials in the dedicated CTG. In a variation, the number in the status table 164 may represent the number of print media on which printing has been performed using the color materials in the dedicated CTG during a specified period. In this case, the printer 100 may transmit printer information including information indicating the number of sheets during the above-mentioned specified period to the SP server 10 instead of the cumulative number information. The SP server 10 may store the information included in the printer information in the device table 34 as the number of sheets during the specified period. Note that in this variation, the device table 34 does not need to store the cumulative number.

[0077] (Variation 8) In the above embodiment, when the SP server 10 receives printer information including type information "dedicated" from the printer 100 for the first time, the SP server 10 determines that the dedicated CTG 140 has been attached to the printer 100 for the first time and starts counting the number of sheets for a predetermined period (see T86 and T88 in FIG. 4). In a variation, the SP server 10 may determine that the dedicated CTG 140 has been attached to the printer 100 for the first time when the SP server 10 receives printer information including non-blank remaining amount information and accumulated number information from the printer 100 for the first time.

[0078] (Modification 9) In the above embodiment, each process in FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 is realized by software (for example, program 30), but at least one of these processes may be realized by hardware such as a logic circuit.

[0079] The technical elements described in this specification or drawings have technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of these objectives is itself technically useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 2: communication system, 4: LAN, 6: Internet, 10: service providing server, 12: communication I / F, 20: control unit, 22: CPU, 24, 154: memory, 30: program, 32: user table, 34: device table, 50: delivery server, 100: printer, 120: print execution unit, 130: generic cartridge, 140: dedicated cartridge, 162: service table, 164: status table, 200: terminal

Claims

1. A printer system including a printer and a server, the printer is capable of printing using either a dedicated color material cartridge for receiving a service related to printing or a general-purpose color material cartridge different from the dedicated color material cartridge; The printer includes: a memory for storing remaining amount related information relating to the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated color material cartridge installed in the printer; a first transmission unit that, when the dedicated color material cartridge is attached to the printer, transmits to the server first printer information including dedicated information indicating that the color material cartridge attached to the printer is the dedicated color material cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory; a second transmission unit that, when the generic color material cartridge is attached to the printer, transmits to the server second printer information including generic information indicating that the color material cartridge attached to the printer is the generic color material cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory; Equipped with The server, a determination unit that determines whether the remaining amount related information included in the received first printer information or the second printer information satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether the first printer information including the dedicated information has been received from the printer, or the second printer information including the general-purpose information has been received; a shipping process execution unit that executes a shipping process for shipping a new dedicated color material cartridge when the predetermined condition is satisfied; A printer system comprising:

2. The printer system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the remaining amount obtained using the remaining amount related information is less than a threshold value.

3. the printer is capable of selectively operating in one of a plurality of states including a service-enabled state in which the printer is capable of receiving the provision of the service, and a service-disabled state in which the printer is unable to receive the provision of the service; the first transmission unit transmits the first printer information to the server when the printer is operating in the service-enabled state and the dedicated color material cartridge is installed in the printer; the second transmission unit transmits the second printer information to the server when the printer is operating in the service enabled state and the generic color material cartridge is installed in the printer; When the printer is operating in the service disabled state, the first printer information and the second printer information are not transmitted to the server; The server further comprises:

3. The printer system according to claim 1, further comprising: a first notification unit that notifies a user of the printer of first notification information when the second printer information is received from the printer, the first notification information being information notifying a user that the generic color material cartridge is installed in the printer even though the printer is operating in the service-enabled state.

4. The server further comprises:

4. A printer system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second notification unit that notifies a user of the printer of second notification information when the second printer information is received from the printer, the second notification information being information notifying the user that the dedicated color material cartridge should be installed in the printer instead of the generic color material cartridge.

5. A computer program for a server capable of communicating with a printer, comprising: The printer includes: The printer is capable of printing using either a dedicated color material cartridge for receiving a service related to printing or a general-purpose color material cartridge different from the dedicated color material cartridge; storing remaining amount related information relating to the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated color material cartridge installed in the printer in a memory; When the dedicated color material cartridge is mounted on the printer, first printer information including dedicated information indicating that the color material cartridge mounted on the printer is the dedicated color material cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory is transmitted to the server; When the generic color material cartridge is mounted on the printer, second printer information including generic information indicating that the color material cartridge mounted on the printer is the generic color material cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory is transmitted to the server; The computer program controls the server computer to include the following units: a determination unit that determines whether the remaining amount related information included in the received first printer information or the second printer information satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether the first printer information including the dedicated information has been received from the printer, or the second printer information including the general-purpose information has been received; a shipping process execution unit that executes a shipping process for shipping a new dedicated color material cartridge when the predetermined condition is satisfied; A computer program that functions as a

6. The computer program product according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the remaining amount obtained using the remaining amount relationship information is less than a threshold value.

7. the printer is capable of selectively operating in one of a plurality of states including a service-enabled state in which the printer is capable of receiving the provision of the service, and a service-disabled state in which the printer is unable to receive the provision of the service; when the printer is operating in the service-enabled state and the dedicated color material cartridge is installed in the printer, the first printer information is transmitted to the server; when the printer is operating in the service-enabled state and the generic color material cartridge is installed in the printer, the second printer information is transmitted to the server; When the printer is operating in the service disabled state, the first printer information and the second printer information are not transmitted to the server; The computer program further causes the computer to 7. The computer program product according to claim 5, further comprising a first notification unit that notifies a user of the printer of first notification information when the second printer information is received from the printer, the first notification information being information notifying a user that the generic color material cartridge is installed in the printer even though the printer is operating in the service-enabled state.

8. The computer program further causes the computer to 8. A computer program product according to claim 5, further comprising a second notification unit that notifies a user of the printer of second notification information when the second printer information is received from the printer, the second notification information being information notifying the user that the dedicated color material cartridge should be installed in the printer instead of the generic color material cartridge.

9. A server comprising a computer-readable recording medium storing the computer program according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

10. 1. A method performed by a server capable of communicating with a printer, comprising: The printer includes: The printer is capable of printing using either a dedicated color material cartridge for receiving a service related to printing or a general-purpose color material cartridge different from the dedicated color material cartridge; storing remaining amount related information relating to the remaining amount of color material in the dedicated color material cartridge installed in the printer in a memory; When the dedicated color material cartridge is mounted on the printer, first printer information including dedicated information indicating that the color material cartridge mounted on the printer is the dedicated color material cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory is transmitted to the server; When the generic color material cartridge is mounted on the printer, second printer information including generic information indicating that the color material cartridge mounted on the printer is the generic color material cartridge and the remaining amount related information already stored in the memory is transmitted to the server; The method comprises: a determination step of determining whether the remaining amount related information included in the received first printer information or the second printer information satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether the first printer information including the dedicated information has been received from the printer, or the second printer information including the general information has been received; a shipping process execution step of executing a shipping process for shipping a new dedicated color material cartridge when the predetermined condition is satisfied; A method comprising:

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