Printing authority purchase management program and printing authority purchase management system

Abstract

To prevent duplicated purchases by users and prevent lack of guaranteed print amounts by displaying a purchase history of print authority of all users to each of the plurality o users using the print apparatus.SOLUTION: A program according to the present invention makes a control part carrying out a step of receiving, through a touch panel 340, a request for purchase of print authority for guaranteeing printing of a predetermined guaranteed print amounts at a multi-function printer 200, a step S5 of acquiring identification information of the multi-function printer 200, a step S10 of identifying the multi-function printer 200 to be processed based on the acquired identification information, a step of S25 of acquiring, from a management server 100, settlement information followed by purchase of print authority for the identified specific multi-function printer 200, a step S30 of displaying, the touch panel 340, only information of a user event management table by the mobile terminal 300, and a step S60 of displaying, among the acquired information, information of all event management table information with respect to mobile terminals 300 of all of the users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing authority purchase management program and a printing authority purchase management system for managing the purchase of printing authority that guarantees a predetermined amount of printing. [Background technology]

[0002] In some printing services, where users of printing devices pay a fee to a service provider according to the print content, a prepaid fee system is introduced. Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, a technology is known in which a user purchases printing authority for a fee and is allowed to print up to a predetermined print volume guaranteed by the printing authority. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-68372 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned prior art, multiple users purchase printing authorizations, and the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by each printing authorization is accumulated, and the accumulated value of the guaranteed print volume is stored in the printing device. Each user can print up to the accumulated value. Let us now consider a new case where a user's purchase history of printing rights is displayed. In this case, if multiple users can display not only their own purchase history but also the purchase histories of other users, it would be convenient to prevent overlapping purchases with other users and to prevent the inability to continue printing by purchasing printing rights themselves when the guaranteed print volume is running low.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a printing rights purchase management program and a printing rights purchase management system that can prevent duplicate purchases by other users and prevent a shortage of guaranteed printing volume by displaying the purchase history of all users' printing rights to each of multiple users who use a printing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a terminal device configured to be able to communicate with an information processing device that can communicate with a printing device, and having an operation unit operable by a user, a display unit, and a calculation unit, which executes the following steps on the calculation unit of the terminal device: an acquisition application acceptance step for accepting, via the operation unit, an application for purchasing printing rights that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume on the printing device; an identification information acquisition step for acquiring identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification step for identifying the printing device to be processed using the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step; a payment information acquisition step for acquiring from the information processing device payment information associated with the purchase of printing rights for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification step; a first payment information display step for displaying only first payment information by the terminal device on the display unit; and a second payment information display step for displaying, on the display unit, second payment information for all terminal devices from the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step.

[0007] In the present invention, a terminal device is configured to be able to communicate with an information processing device that can communicate with a printing device. When a user of the printing device applies for the purchase of printing authority via an operation unit of the terminal device, the application is accepted in an acquisition application acceptance step executed by a calculation unit of the terminal device. The user can print a predetermined guaranteed printing amount guaranteed by the purchased printing authority on the printing device. If there are multiple users of the printing device, the guaranteed printing amounts of the printing authorities purchased by each of the multiple users are accumulated, and each user can print up to the accumulated guaranteed printing amount.

[0008] The calculation unit of the terminal device executes an identification information receiving step, a printing device identifying step, a first payment information display step, and a second payment information display step. When a user who wants to view the purchase history of printing rights for a desired printing device inputs the identification information of the printing device on the operation unit of the terminal device, the input is accepted in the identification information receiving step. In the printing device identifying step, the printing device to be processed is identified and specified based on the input and accepted identification information. When a specific printing device is identified, first payment information related to payments executed on the terminal device among the payment information related to payments executed for the purchase of printing rights for the specific printing device is displayed on the display unit in the first payment information display step. Second payment information related to payments executed on all terminal devices, including the terminal device and other terminal devices, among the payment information related to payments executed for the purchase of printing rights for the specific printing device, is displayed on the display unit in the second payment information display step.

[0009] According to the present invention, in the second payment information display step, the purchase history of printing rights for all users can be displayed to each of multiple users using the printing device, thereby preventing duplicate purchases by other users and preventing a shortage of guaranteed printing volume.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a terminal device configured to be able to communicate with an information processing device that can communicate with a printing device, and having an operation unit operable by a user, a display unit, and a calculation unit, and causes the calculation unit to execute the following steps: an acquisition application acceptance step for accepting, via the operation unit, an application for purchasing printing rights that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume on the printing device; an identification information acquisition step for acquiring identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification step for identifying the printing device to be processed using the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step; a payment information acquisition step for acquiring from the information processing device payment information associated with the purchase of printing rights for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification step; a third payment information display step for displaying on the display unit only third payment information for which the operator of the terminal device is the authorizer, out of the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step; and a fourth payment information display step for displaying on the display unit fourth payment information for all authorizers, out of the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printing authority purchase management system having an information processing device capable of communicating with a printing device, and a terminal device configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device and equipped with an operation unit, a display unit, a storage unit, and a control unit that can be operated by a user, wherein the control unit of the terminal device performs an acquisition application acceptance process that accepts, via the operation unit, an application for purchasing printing authority that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume in the printing device, an identification information acceptance process that accepts, via the operation unit, input of identification information of the printing device, and The system executes a printing device identification process that identifies the printing device to be processed using identification information, a first payment information display process that displays on the display unit only the first payment information by the terminal device that was stored in the memory unit out of the payment information at the time of payment execution associated with the purchase of printing rights for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification process, and a second payment information display process that acquires from the information processing device and displays on the display unit second payment information that is payment information by all terminal devices at the time of payment execution associated with the purchase of printing rights for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification process.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a printing authority purchase management system having an information processing device capable of communicating with a printing device, and a terminal device configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device and equipped with an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit that can be operated by a user, wherein the control unit of the terminal device executes the following operations: an acquisition application acceptance process that accepts, via the operation unit, an application to purchase printing authority that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume on the printing device; an identification information acquisition process that acquires identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification process that identifies the printing device to be processed using the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition process; a payment information acquisition process that acquires from the information processing device payment information associated with the purchase of printing authority for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification process; a third payment information display process that displays, on the display unit, only third payment information for which the operator of the terminal device is the approver, out of the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition process; and a fourth payment information display process that displays, on the display unit, fourth payment information for all approvers, out of the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, by displaying the purchase history of printing rights for all users to each of multiple users who use a printing device, it is possible to prevent overlapping purchases with other users and prevent a shortage of guaranteed printing volume. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an overall schematic configuration of a print service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mobile terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration of an entire print service providing system. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a mode of information transmission and reception when one user uses multiple multifunction peripherals. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how information is sent and received when multiple users share one multifunction peripheral. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how information is sent and received when a user changes the mobile terminal they use due to a model change or other reason. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an all-event management table stored in the management server. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing screen transitions when displaying various event histories on a mobile terminal. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure executed by a CPU of a mobile terminal. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing screen transitions when displaying various event histories on an operation terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] 1 shows the system configuration of a print service providing system relating to a print authority purchase management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is an embodiment of a print service providing system 1 that can provide a prepaid print service in which a customer user pays a fee in advance to use the print function of a multifunction peripheral 200.

[0017] <Outline of the printing service provision system> 1, the print service providing system 1 includes a management server 100, a multifunction peripheral 200, a mobile terminal 300, and a transaction server 400. The management server 100, the multifunction peripheral 200, the mobile terminal 300, and the transaction server 400 are connected to a network NT including a mobile phone communication line, and are capable of communicating with each other. The management server 100 is an example of an information processing device, the multifunction peripheral 200 is an example of a printing device, and the mobile terminal 300 is an example of a terminal device.

[0018] <Administration Server> The management server 100 is a server installed and managed by, for example, the manufacturer of the multifunction peripheral 200, and includes a processor 110, a storage device 115, and an interface 190. The processor 110, the storage device 115, and the interface 190 are connected to one another via a bus 105.

[0019] The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a nonvolatile storage device 130. The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, a DRAM, and stores various programs and data to be processed. The nonvolatile storage device 130 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and includes a program storage area 131 and a data storage area 132. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 131. The data storage area 132 stores, for example, an all-event management table, which stores all information related to various events that all users have previously performed with respect to the prepaid printing service, as a history, as shown in FIG. 7, which will be described later.

[0020] The processor 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs, including programs related to the prepaid printing service of this embodiment, stored in the program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes, including data communication with the mobile terminal 300, the multifunction peripheral 200, and the transaction server 400, which are connected to the network NT. The processor 110 cooperates with the mobile terminal 300 to execute event history processing by the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment.

[0021] The interface 190 is a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0022] The storage device 115 is not limited to being configured with the above-mentioned device elements, but may be configured with, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, a portable recording medium such as a USB memory that can be attached to or detached from the mobile terminal 300, a buffer provided in the processor 110, or a combination thereof. The storage device 115 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. The same applies to the storage device 215 of the multifunction peripheral 200, which will be described later.

[0023] <Multifunction device> The multifunction device 200 is owned, for example, by a printing service provider that provides the above-mentioned prepaid printing service or by a user. The multifunction device 200 has a scanner unit 280, a printing unit 290, a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 285, and a communication interface 270. The scanner unit 280, printing unit 290, processor 210, storage device 215, display unit 240, operation unit 250, communication unit 285, and communication interface 270 are connected to one another via a bus 205.

[0024] The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a non-volatile storage device 230. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, a DRAM, and includes an image data storage area 222 that stores image data to be printed. The non-volatile storage device 230 is, for example, a flash memory, and includes a program storage area 232. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 232 as, for example, firmware.

[0025] The processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs stored in the program storage area 232.

[0026] The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various types of information. The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts operations by the user. The user can input various instructions to the multifunction peripheral 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0027] The scanner unit 280 optically reads an original document, which is an object to be read, using a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD or CMOS, and generates scan data representing the read image.

[0028] The printing unit 290 prints an image on the transported paper using a predetermined method while removing and transporting paper from a paper feed tray using a transport mechanism (not shown). The following describes an example in which printing is performed using an inkjet method. The printing unit 290 forms an image on the paper using ink from an ink cartridge that is removably attached to a cartridge holder (not shown) in accordance with a print job sent from the mobile terminal 300 or a print job that the printing unit 290 itself created based on an operation on the operation unit 250.

[0029] The communication section 285 is, for example, a terminal, and is electrically connected to a cartridge memory (IC chip) of the ink cartridge attached to the cartridge holder.

[0030] <Mobile device> The system configuration of the mobile terminal 300 is shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, the mobile terminal 300 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user, and is connected to a network NT via wireless communication. The mobile terminal 300 has a CPU 310, a memory 320, a communication control unit 330 for connecting to the network NT via wireless communication, a touch panel 340, and a large-capacity storage device 350.

[0031] The mass storage device 350 is, for example, a flash memory and includes a program storage area 351 and a data storage area 352. The program storage area 351 stores various programs, for example, as firmware. These programs include programs related to the execution of history display related to the prepaid printing service of this embodiment based on the flowchart in FIG. 9 (described later). The data storage area 352 stores a user event management table (described later) that stores all information related to various events previously performed with respect to the prepaid printing service by the user who owns the mobile terminal 300. The CPU 310 executes the programs related to the prepaid printing service of this embodiment stored in the program storage area 351. The CPU 310 cooperates with the management server 100 to execute the history display process (described later), including data communication with the management server 100 connected to the network NT.

[0032] Mobile terminal 300 also displays various information and accepts various operations by the user on touch panel 340, which is an integrated combination of a liquid crystal display and a touch pad. By operating touch panel 340, the user can input various instructions to mobile terminal 300. Examples of the display content of touch panel 340 will be described later. It should be noted that other information terminals, such as a tablet computer, may be used instead of mobile terminal 300. Hereinafter, these information terminals will be collectively referred to simply as "mobile terminals" as appropriate. It should be noted that data storage area 352 is an example of a storage unit, the liquid crystal display of touch panel 340 is an example of a display unit, the touchpad of touch panel 340 is an example of an operation unit, and CPU 310 is an example of a calculation unit.

[0033] <Trade Server> The transaction server 400 is installed, for example, in a company that provides various online services for performing online settlements, and has a processor, a storage device, and an interface for connecting to the network NT (not shown).

[0034] <Features of the embodiment> In the above configuration, a feature of this embodiment is that, for the prepaid printing service described above, only the history of events such as purchasing printing authorization and printing performed by the user who owns the mobile terminal 300 is displayed on the mobile terminal 300. Furthermore, the event history of all users is displayed to the system administrator of the printing service providing system 1.

[0035] <About prepaid printing services and event history management> The following describes a prepaid printing service and its event history in an example of this embodiment. As described above, in the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment, the management server 100, multifunction peripherals 200, mobile terminals 300, and transaction server 400 are connected via a network NT so that information can be sent and received. As shown in Figure 3, the information is sent and received in such a manner that multiple mobile terminals 300 owned by multiple users and multiple multifunction peripherals 200 installed in various locations all send and receive information individually only to the management server 100, and the management server 100 centrally manages events that have occurred on all of the mobile terminals 300 and all of the multifunction peripherals 200.

[0036] The prepaid printing service provided by the printing service providing system 1 is a service in which a user purchases in advance the right to print a specified number of pages for a specific multifunction peripheral 200 designated by the user via the mobile terminal 300. In other words, it is a pre-paid system in which the user is allowed to print on the target multifunction peripheral 200 up to the specified guaranteed print volume purchased as printing authority. In this case, the management server 100 directly accepts the purchase application for printing authority from the mobile terminal 300, and the printing authority is applied to the specified individual multifunction peripheral 200. The processing procedure for accepting the purchase application for printing authority on the mobile terminal 300 at this time is an example of an acquisition application acceptance step and acquisition application acceptance process.

[0037] In such a prepaid printing service, the printing authority that a user can purchase for each individual multifunction device 200 is referred to as a charge number, and can be selected from multiple charge services, such as 100 sheets = 100 yen or 300 sheets = 250 yen. The charge number repeatedly purchased by the user for the multifunction device 200 can be accumulated as the number of printable sheets, and each time a print process instructed via a mobile terminal 300 is executed on the multifunction device 200, the number of printable sheets decreases until it reaches 0. For this reason, the management server 100 sequentially records all event information, such as which mobile terminal 300 instructed which multifunction device 200 to purchase and print how many sheets, and manages this history (see Figure 8 described below). Note that the above-mentioned number of printable sheets is an example of the allowable printing amount.

[0038] In this embodiment, the printable page count managed for each multifunction device 200 can be shared by multiple users, i.e., multiple mobile terminals 300. For example, in a multifunction device 200 installed in an environment where only a limited number of users can use it, such as an office, all of those users purchase printing rights for that individual multifunction device 200 via their respective mobile terminals 300 and share the printable page count calculated as a result of the printing event. Note that the user who purchases the printing rights is an example of a paying user.

[0039] In the print service providing system 1 based on the above-described usage pattern, each user may wish to check the history of events that they have performed in the past on the mobile terminal 300. In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, when one user uses multiple multifunction peripherals 200, the event history for each of those multifunction peripherals 200 is displayed separately on the mobile terminal 300. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, when multiple users use one multifunction peripheral 200, only the event history performed by each user is displayed. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, even if a user changes the mobile terminal 300 they use, for example, due to a model change, the event history continues to be displayed without requiring new settings to be registered. Although not specifically shown, the event history of all users is displayed only to the system administrator of the print service providing system 1 and the installation manager of the multifunction peripheral 200.

[0040] In this embodiment, to enable the display of event history in the above manner, the management server 100 stores an all-event management table shown in Fig. 7. In this all-event management table, for events that all mobile terminals 300 have instructed the management server 100 to execute, the following items are recorded in the order in which the events are executed: "event content" of the executed event, "date" of the execution, "user identification information" of the user who instructed the execution of the event, "target multifunction device ID" (an example of identification information) which is the ID of the multifunction device 200 that is the target of the event, "product" and its "price" which indicate the specific content as the number of sheets to be charged if the event is a purchase, "increase / decrease" in the number of printable sheets in the multifunction device 200 for each of the purchase and print events, and "current" which indicates the number of printable sheets in the multifunction device 200 at that time, calculated cumulatively by adding or subtracting the above items. Note that the information for each item for each such event is an example of payment information, and in particular the entire contents of the all-event management table is an example of second payment information, of which information for at least one of the items "product", "price", and "increase / decrease" in the case of a purchase is an example of purchase history information, and information for at least one of the items "event content", "increase / decrease", and "current" in the case of a print is an example of print history information.

[0041] In this embodiment, the user's email address, which has been registered in advance for purposes such as sending receipts, is used as the user's identification information. An email address is information that can uniquely identify an individual user, and since the same email address is often continued to be used even when the mobile terminal 300 is changed, the same user can be identified based on the email address even if the mobile terminal 300 is changed due to a model change as described above. Also, although the illustrated example of the all-event management table collectively records all events executed for all target multifunction device IDs, it is also possible to create an event management table that is differentiated by target multifunction device ID (not shown).

[0042] Each mobile terminal 300 also stores in advance in the data storage area 352 of its mass storage device 350 a user event management table (not shown) that is limited to events previously instructed or executed by the user of the mobile terminal 300, among all events in the above-mentioned event management table. Although not shown, this user event management table can be stored and managed by the mobile terminal 300 alone, as long as it contains only items related to purchase and printing events previously instructed or executed by the user (date, user identification information, target multifunction device ID, product, price). The contents of the user event management table in this case are an example of first payment information. However, since only the management server 100 stores the number of printable sheets of the target multifunction device 200 at that time, if such a printable sheet item is to be included in and stored in the user event management table, it is automatically downloaded from the management server 100 and stored at an appropriate time, such as after each event is executed. The payment information, first payment information, and second payment information may be composed of only information related to purchase events, without including information related to printing events.

[0043] <Specific display format of event history> In this embodiment, the user can display their own event history in a screen transition such as that shown in Figure 8 by performing appropriate instruction operations on the event information managed as described above via a dedicated application on the mobile terminal 300.

[0044] When the dedicated application is first launched, a device list screen such as that shown in Fig. 8(a) in the upper left of the figure appears on the touch panel 340, where a list of multiple MFPs 200 to be instructed by the user is displayed, each displayed as an icon. Note that in the figure, three names, "Device A," "Device B," and "Device C," are displayed as the names of the MFPs 200 to be instructed, but supplemental information such as the manufacturer, model, installation location, and installation number of each MFP 200 may be added to enable the user to more clearly distinguish between them.

[0045] When the user selects a device by pressing the icon of the device to be specified on the touch panel 340, the function selection screen shown in FIG. 8(b) is then displayed. The illustrated example shows the case where device A is selected. On this function selection screen, multiple functions executable by the multifunction peripheral 200 of the selected device A are displayed as icons, respectively. In the illustrated example, three functions, "scan," "print," and "display history," are displayed, and if the user selects the "print" function, the user can receive the prepaid printing service described above. In this case, the user can instruct the execution of events such as printing up to the maximum number of pages that can be printed at that time on device A, or purchasing printing rights via the transaction server 400 as necessary (not illustrated).

[0046] If the user presses the "Display History" icon on the function selection screen, the history screen shown in FIG. 8(c) is then displayed. At this time, the mobile terminal 300 displays on the history screen a list of events that the user has previously instructed the target multifunction peripheral 200 (device A) to execute, based on the user event management table previously stored in the data storage area 352 of the mass storage device 350. In the example shown, the date, event content, and increase / decrease in the number of printable sheets are displayed in the order in which the events were executed. Note that if the display area of ​​the touch panel 340 is large, or by using an appropriate scrolling display, other items such as the number of printable sheets at that time may also be displayed (not shown).

[0047] Additionally, an icon labeled "Show all history" is displayed below this history screen, and pressing this icon displays the PIN code confirmation screen shown in FIG. 8(d). This PIN code confirmation screen is a screen for entering a four-digit PIN code that is known in advance only to the system administrator of the print service providing system 1 or the installation manager of the multifunction peripheral 200 (device A). If an incorrect PIN code is entered on this PIN code confirmation screen, the screen returns to the history screen described above. If a correct PIN code is entered, it is considered to be an instruction from a legitimate administrator, and the full history screen shown in FIG. 8(e) is displayed. Note that the PIN code is an example of verification information. Furthermore, verification information is not limited to a PIN code, and a password known only to the administrator may also be entered. Note that the full history screen is shown enlarged in FIG. 8(e) to make the displayed content easier to see.

[0048] When displaying the full history screen, the mobile terminal 300 accesses the management server 100 and downloads all the contents of the above-mentioned full event management table, and then searches for and displays a list of only the event information executed corresponding to the ID of the multifunction device 200 (device A). Alternatively, the ID of the multifunction device 200 may be transmitted when accessing the management server 100, and only the corresponding event information may be received from the management server 100.

[0049] On this full history screen, all purchase and print event information, including that of not only the user of the mobile terminal 300 but also other users using the multifunction peripheral 200, is displayed in a list in the order of execution. The full history screen also displays email addresses, which are user identification information, so that it is possible to see which events were executed by which users. In the illustrated example, events executed by other users are displayed in a different display format (in the illustrated example, bold and underlined) so that they can be particularly distinguished. This allows only authorized administrators to view all of the event history of other users on the full history screen, even if it is not intended for general users to view it.

[0050] <Control procedure> An example of a control procedure executed by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 to realize the processing method for displaying the history in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9. Note that the CPU 310 starts executing this flow when the dedicated application program described above is started in the mobile terminal 300.

[0051] First, in S5, the device list screen shown in FIG. 8(a) is displayed on the liquid crystal display of the touch panel 340, and identification information of the MFP 200 (device) to be instructed is received via a user's pressing operation on the touch pad (abbreviated as "operation unit" in the figure) of the touch panel 340. Next, in S10, the ID of the corresponding MFP 200 is identified from the received identification information. Note that the correspondence between such identification information and the ID of the MFP 200 is identified based on a correlation stored in advance in a correspondence table (not shown).

[0052] In the next step S15, it is determined whether or not the user has pressed the history display icon on the function selection screen of Fig. 8(b) displayed on the touch panel 340. If an icon other than the history display icon has been pressed, the determination is negative (S15: NO), and the process proceeds to S40 after executing the multifunction device operation process of S20 for operating the multifunction device 200 using other scan or print functions. On the other hand, if the history display icon has been pressed, the determination is positive (S15: YES), and the process proceeds to S25.

[0053] In S25, only the event information corresponding to the ID of the multifunction peripheral 200 selected as the instruction target is obtained from the user event management table stored in advance in the data storage area 352 of the mass storage device 350 of the mobile terminal 300.

[0054] Next, the process proceeds to S30, where the event information acquired from the user event management table is displayed on the history screen of FIG. 8(c). In S35, it is determined whether or not the user has pressed the "Show all history" button on the history screen. If the button has not been pressed, the condition is not satisfied (S35: NO), and the process proceeds to S40. In S40, it is determined whether or not the user has performed a predetermined termination operation for the dedicated application. If the termination operation has been performed, the condition is satisfied (S40: YES), and the process ends. On the other hand, if the termination operation has not been performed, the condition is not satisfied (S40: NO), and the process returns to S30.

[0055] On the other hand, in the determination in S35 above, if the user presses the "Show all history" button on the history screen, the determination is made that the condition is satisfied (S35: NO), and the process proceeds to S45. In S45, a loop is performed to wait until the user inputs a four-digit PIN code on the PIN code confirmation screen of FIG. 8(d) displayed on the touch panel 340, and when input is detected, the process proceeds to S50. In S50, it is determined whether the input PIN code is valid, and if it is not valid, the determination is not satisfied (S50: NO), and the process returns to S30. On the other hand, if the input PIN code is valid, the determination is made that the condition is satisfied (S50: YES), and the process proceeds to S55.

[0056] In S55, the mobile terminal 300 accesses the management server 100 and downloads all the contents of the above-mentioned all event management table, searches for and acquires only the event information corresponding to the ID of the multifunction peripheral 200 selected as the instruction target, and in S60 displays the acquired event information on the all history screen of Fig. 8(e). In the next S65, a loop waits until the "back" button on the all history screen is pressed by the user, and when such a back operation is detected, the process proceeds to S40.

[0057] In the above, the entire processing of the flowchart shown in Figure 9 is an example of a printing authority purchase management program, the procedure of S5 is an example of an identification information acquisition step and identification information acquisition processing, the procedure of S10 is an example of a printing device identification step and printing device identification processing, the procedure of S55 is an example of a payment information acquisition step and payment information acquisition processing, the procedure of S30 is an example of a first payment information display step and first payment information display processing, the procedure of S60 is an example of a second payment information display step and second payment information display processing, and the procedure of S45 is an example of a matching information acceptance step.

[0058] <Effects of this embodiment> As described above, the print service providing system 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the mobile terminal 300 can communicate with the management server 100, which can communicate with the multifunction peripheral 200. When a user of the multifunction peripheral 200 applies for the purchase of printing authority via the touch panel 340 of the mobile terminal 300, the application is accepted by a process executed separately by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300. The user can print the number of printable sheets on the multifunction peripheral 200 as a predetermined guaranteed print volume guaranteed by the purchased printing authority. When there are multiple users of the multifunction peripheral 200, the guaranteed print volumes of the printing authorities each purchased by the multiple users are accumulated, and each user can print up to the accumulated value of the guaranteed print volume.

[0059] The CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 executes the steps S5, S10, S30, and S60. When a user who wants to view the purchase history of printing authority for a desired multifunction device 200 inputs identification information for the multifunction device 200 on the touch panel 340 of the mobile terminal 300, the input is accepted in the step S5. In the step S10, the input and accepted identification information is used to identify and specify the multifunction device 200 to be processed. When a specific multifunction device 200 is identified, information in the user event management table related to the payment executed on the mobile terminal 300, out of the event information related to the payment executed for the purchase of printing authority for the specific multifunction device 200, is acquired in the step S25, and displayed on the touch panel 340 in the step S30. Among the event information related to payments made in relation to the purchase of printing rights for a specific multifunction device 200, information from the entire event management table related to payments made at all mobile terminals 300, including the mobile terminal 300 in question and other mobile terminals 300, is displayed on the touch panel 340 in step S60.

[0060] According to this embodiment, in the step S60, the purchase history of printing rights for all users can be displayed to each of multiple users using the multifunction device 200, thereby preventing duplicate purchases by other users and preventing a shortage of guaranteed printing volume.

[0061] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 300 is a portable information terminal such as a smartphone that is unlikely to be shared by multiple users, and information in the user event management table related to the payment executed on the mobile terminal 300 when purchasing printing rights for a specific multifunction device 200 is stored in the data storage area 352 of the mobile terminal 300. According to this embodiment, by displaying the information in the user event management table stored in the data storage area 352 in the procedure S30, the information in the user event management table can be displayed quickly and easily without communicating with the management server 100.

[0062] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, when the user inputs identification information for a specific multifunction device 200 via the touch panel 340, information in the user event management table related to the payment executed on the mobile terminal 300 when purchasing the printing authority for that multifunction device 200 is displayed on the touch panel 340. If the user wants to view information in the all event management table related to payments at all mobile terminals 300, including mobile terminals 300 other than the specific mobile terminal 300, the user inputs a correct PIN code via the touch panel 340 while the information in the user event management table is displayed on the touch panel 340, and the information in the all event management table stored in the management server 100 is acquired and displayed on the touch panel 340. According to this embodiment, the information in the user event management table is first displayed on the touch panel 340, and then further operations are performed to acquire and display the information in the all event management table, so that the information in the user event management table and the information in the all event management table can be displayed with easy-to-understand and smooth operations.

[0063] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, information on all event management tables by all mobile terminals 300 executed when purchasing printing rights for a specific multifunction device 200 is stored in the management server 100. When a user enters a PIN code via the touch panel 340, it is accepted in step S45. If the correct PIN code is accepted, information on all event management tables stored in the management server 100 is obtained in step S55 and displayed on the touch panel 340 in step S60. According to this embodiment, information on all event management tables is obtained from the management server 100 and displayed only when the user enters the correct PIN code, so that the information on all event management tables can be displayed only to a limited number of predetermined users.

[0064] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, when the information in the user event management table or the information in the all event management table is displayed on the touch panel 340, a user identification indicator, such as the email address used by the user at the time of payment, is also displayed. According to this embodiment, the user identification indicator is displayed together with the information in the user event management table or the all event management table, so the user can reliably confirm who made the payment at the time of each payment. Note that the user identification information may be any identification information other than the email address as long as it can identify the user, and for example, the device ID or IP address of the mobile terminal 300 may also be used.

[0065] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the multifunction device 200 can perform printing up to the printable number of sheets as the allowable print volume. If there are multiple users of the multifunction device 200, the cumulative value of the guaranteed print volumes of the printing authorizations each of the multiple users has purchased becomes the allowable print volume, and each user can print up to that allowable print volume. When printing authorization is purchased, the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by that printing authorization is added, thereby increasing the allowable print volume. According to this embodiment, information on at least one of the items "product," "price," and "increase / decrease" is displayed together with information from the user event management table and information from the total event management table, so the user can reliably confirm the increase in the allowable print volume as the printing authorization is purchased.

[0066] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the multifunction device 200 can execute printing with the allowable print volume as its upper limit. If there are multiple users of the multifunction device 200, the cumulative value of the guaranteed print volumes for the printing authorizations each of the multiple users has purchased becomes the allowable print volume, and each user can execute printing with that allowable print volume as their upper limit. When printing is executed, the allowable print volume decreases by the amount consumed in that execution. According to this embodiment, information on at least one of the items "Event Content," "Increase / Decrease," and "Current" is displayed together with information from the user event management table and the total event management table, so the user can reliably confirm the behavior of the decrease in the allowable print volume as printing is executed after purchasing printing authorization.

[0067] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit and technical concept of the present invention. Such modifications will be described in order. The same reference numerals will be used to designate parts equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment, and descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0068] <Viewing event history on a general-purpose personal computer> In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 300 was used as a terminal device for viewing the event history. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the event history may also be viewed using an operation terminal configured as a general-purpose personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a general-purpose PC), not shown. In this case, since a sufficient display area can be secured on the display unit 540 such as a display, all item information can be displayed on the screen (FIG. 10(c)) when displaying the event history limited to the user himself / herself, as shown in the screen transition in FIG. 10. In this case, the operation terminal is an example of a terminal device.

[0069] Furthermore, since an operation terminal configured as a general-purpose PC may be shared by multiple users, it is not appropriate to store in its storage device a user event management table that manages only event information previously executed by a specific user. Therefore, when viewing only the user's own event history on the operation terminal, user identification information such as an email address is entered when launching a dedicated application, and all event information in the entire event management table is obtained from the management server 100. Only the information in the entire event management table corresponding to the user identification information is then displayed. That is, a separate procedure for entering user identification information is executed before step S5 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 above. All event information in the entire event management table is obtained from the management server 100 in step S25, and only the event information in the user event management table corresponding to the user identification information is displayed in step S30. In this case, step S55 is unnecessary. Alternatively, only the information corresponding to the user event management table corresponding to the user identification information may be obtained from the entire event management table of the management server 100 in step S25, and then displayed in step S30.

[0070] As described above, in the print service providing system 1 of this modified example, the operating terminal is, for example, a terminal such as a general-purpose PC that may be shared by multiple users, and information equivalent to the user event management table relating to the payment executed at that operating terminal when purchasing printing rights for a specific multifunction peripheral 200 is stored in the management server 100. According to this modified example, by obtaining information equivalent to the user event management table from the management server 100 in the procedure S25 and displaying the information equivalent to the user event management table in the procedure S30, it is possible to display information equivalent to the user event management table through smooth processing via communication with the management server 100.

[0071] Furthermore, in this modification, even if one user can use multiple terminal devices such as the mobile terminal 300 and an operation terminal, the user can view only the event history of the event that the user himself / herself has previously performed on the target multifunction peripheral 200 via the user identification information. Furthermore, by entering a valid PIN code, the event history of all users on the target multifunction peripheral 200 can be viewed. Note that in this case, one user is an example of a settler, all users are examples of all settlers, the event history information of one user is an example of third payment information, the procedure of S30 is an example of a third payment information display step and a third payment information display process, the event history information of all users is an example of fourth payment information, and the procedure of S60 is an example of a fourth payment information display step and a fourth payment information display process. Note that the third payment information may be composed of only information about purchase events, excluding information about printing events.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above, the flowcharts shown in Figure 9 etc. do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the flowcharts, and steps may be added or deleted or the order may be changed within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0073] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0074] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Printing service provision system (an example of a printing rights purchase management system) 100 Management server (an example of an information processing device) 200 Multifunction printer (an example of a printing device) 300 Mobile terminal (an example of a terminal device) 310 CPU (an example of a calculation unit) 352 Data storage area (an example of a storage unit) 340 Touch panel (an example of an operation unit or display unit) 400 Trade Server NT Network

Claims

1. A terminal device is configured to be able to communicate with an information processing device that can communicate with a printing device, and has an operation unit that can be operated by a user, a display unit, and a calculation unit, an acquisition application acceptance step of accepting, via the operation unit, an application to purchase printing authority that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume in the printing device; an identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification step of identifying the printing device to be processed by using the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step; a payment information acquisition step of acquiring, from the information processing device, payment information associated with the purchase of a printing right for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification step; a first payment information display step of displaying only the first payment information on the display unit by the terminal device; a second payment information display step of displaying second payment information for all terminal devices on the display unit out of the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step; A print rights purchase management program that allows you to:

2. the terminal device further includes a storage unit; 2. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 1, wherein the first payment information display step displays the first payment information stored in the storage unit.

3. 3. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit is caused to execute the payment information acquisition step while the first payment information is being displayed in the first payment information display step.

4. The calculation unit further 2. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 1, wherein the first payment information display step displays the first payment information among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step.

5. The calculation unit further a verification information receiving step of receiving input of verification information via the operation unit; In the payment information acquisition step, if correct verification information is input in the verification information reception step, the payment information is acquired from the information processing device; 5. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 1, wherein the second payment information display step displays the second payment information among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step.

6. and displaying a user identification mark related to a paying user at the time of executing payment for purchasing a printing right for the specific printing device in at least the second payment information display step of the first payment information display step and the second payment information display step.

6. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 1.

7. the printing device is configured to be able to print up to an allowable print volume; and at least the second payment information display step of the first payment information display step and the second payment information display step further displays purchase history information including an increase in the allowable printing volume associated with the purchase of the printing authority related to the specific printing device.

7. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 1.

8. the printing device is configured to be able to print up to an allowable print volume; and at least the second payment information display step of the first payment information display step and the second payment information display step further displays print history information including a decrease in the allowable print volume resulting from printing execution in the specific printing device.

8. The printing authority purchase management program according to claim 7.

9. A terminal device is configured to be able to communicate with an information processing device that can communicate with a printing device, and has an operation unit that can be operated by a user, a display unit, and a calculation unit, an acquisition application acceptance step of accepting, via the operation unit, an application to purchase printing authority that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume in the printing device; an identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification step of identifying the printing device to be processed by using the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step; a payment information acquisition step of acquiring, from the information processing device, payment information associated with the purchase of a printing right for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification step; a third payment information display step of displaying, on the display unit, only third payment information for which the operator of the terminal device is the settler, among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step; a fourth payment information display step of displaying fourth payment information for all the settlers on the display unit from among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition step; A print rights purchase management program that allows you to:

10. an information processing device capable of communicating with a printing device; a terminal device configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device and including an operation unit operable by a user, a display unit, a storage unit, and a control unit; A printing authority purchase management system having: The control unit of the terminal device an acquisition application acceptance process for accepting, via the operation unit, an application to purchase printing authority that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume in the printing device; an identification information acquisition process for acquiring identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification process for identifying the printing device to be processed based on the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition process; a payment information acquisition process for acquiring, from the information processing device, payment information associated with the purchase of a printing right for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification process; a first payment information display process for displaying only the first payment information by the terminal device on the display unit; a second payment information display process for displaying, on the display unit, second payment information for all terminal devices among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition process; A print rights purchasing management system that runs

11. an information processing device capable of communicating with a printing device; a terminal device configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device and including an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit operable by a user; A printing authority purchase management system having: The control unit of the terminal device an acquisition application acceptance process for accepting, via the operation unit, an application to purchase printing authority that guarantees printing of a predetermined guaranteed print volume in the printing device; an identification information acquisition process for acquiring identification information of the printing device; a printing device identification process for identifying the printing device to be processed based on the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition process; a payment information acquisition process for acquiring, from the information processing device, payment information associated with the purchase of a printing right for the specific printing device identified in the printing device identification process; a third payment information display process for displaying, on the display unit, only third payment information for which the operator of the terminal device is the authorizer, among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition process; a fourth payment information display process for displaying, on the display unit, fourth payment information for all the approvers among the payment information acquired in the payment information acquisition process; A print rights purchasing management system that runs

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