Print execution unit control device and computer program

Abstract

To appropriately restrict printing by a print execution part.SOLUTION: A control device of a print execution part includes: an acquisition part for acquiring printing information which is information on printing of the print execution part; a determination part for determining whether or not the printing by the print execution part should be restricted on the basis of the printing information; a notification part for executing a notification regarding the restriction of the printing by the print execution part to a user of the print execution part when it is determined that the printing by the print execution part should be restricted; and a restriction part which restricts the printing by the print execution part when the updated printing information is not acquired by the acquisition part after the notification by the notification part and does not restrict the printing by the print execution part when the updated printing information is acquired by the acquisition part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification relates to a control technique for a print execution unit, and in particular to a technique for restricting printing by a print execution unit. [Background technology]

[0002] The printing system disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a printer used by a user and a server that can communicate with the printer. This printing system provides the user with a service that allows the printer to print up to the printable number of sheets that is assigned in accordance with a fee. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-18621 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In some cases, it may be desirable to restrict printing by the printer. For example, if the printing system is not used for a long period of time, it may be necessary to temporarily prohibit printing by the printer from the viewpoint of quality assurance.

[0005] This specification discloses a technique that can appropriately restrict printing by a print execution unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The techniques disclosed in this specification can be implemented in the following application examples.

[0007] [Application Example 1] A control device for a print execution unit, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires print information, which is information related to printing by the print execution unit; a judgment unit that judges whether printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on the print information; a notification unit that, when it is judged that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted, issues a notification to a user of the print execution unit regarding the restriction of printing by the print execution unit; and a restriction unit that restricts printing by the print execution unit when updated print information is not acquired by the acquisition unit after notification by the notification unit, and does not restrict printing by the print execution unit when updated print information is acquired by the acquisition unit after notification by the notification unit.

[0008] According to the above configuration, when it is determined based on the printing information that printing should be restricted, a notification regarding the printing restriction is first issued. Thereafter, if updated printing information is not acquired, printing by the printing execution unit is restricted, and if updated printing information is acquired, printing by the printing execution unit is not restricted. As a result, if it is determined that there is no change in the printing situation after notifying the user, printing by the printing execution unit is restricted, so printing by the printing execution unit can be appropriately restricted. For example, when printing by the printing execution unit should be restricted, printing can be restricted while preventing excessive disadvantage to the user. [Application example 2] The control device according to Application Example 1, A control device including a case where, after notification by the notification unit, the updated printing information is not acquired by the acquisition unit, and after notification by the notification unit, information identical to the printing information acquired before the notification is acquired. [Application example 3] The control device according to Application Example 2, A control device, including a case where the printing information updated by the acquisition unit is not acquired after notification by the notification unit, and a case where the printing information is not acquired after notification by the notification unit. [Application example 4] The control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, the print information includes information indicating the last date and time when printing was performed by the print execution unit; The control device, wherein the condition for the determination unit to determine that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted includes the elapsed time from the last date and time being equal to or greater than a reference value. [Application example 5] The control device according to Application Example 4, the control device is a server capable of communicating with the printer having the print execution unit, The acquisition unit acquires the information indicating the last date and time based on information transmitted from the printer to the control device. [Application Example 6] The control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, the printing information includes information indicating the number of printable sheets, and information that is updated in response to a request from the user; the print execution unit is controlled to execute printing up to the printable number of sheets and not execute printing exceeding the printable number of sheets; The control device, wherein the condition for the determination unit to determine that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted includes that the elapsed time since the last date and time when the printable number of sheets was updated is equal to or greater than a reference value. [Application Example 7] The control device according to Application Example 6, the request from the user is input to a terminal device of the user that is capable of communicating with the control device; The control device, wherein the information indicating the number of printable sheets is updated based on information transmitted from the terminal device to the control device in response to a request from the user. [Application Example 8] The control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 7, The restriction unit restricts printing that is performed using image data designated by the user. [Application Example 9] The control device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 8, the control device is a server capable of communicating with the printer having the print execution unit, the acquisition unit acquires at least a portion of the print information based on information transmitted from the printer; The restriction unit restricts printing by the print execution unit by transmitting specific information to the printer. [Application Example 10] The control device according to Application Example 9, further comprising: a confirmation unit that confirms whether communication with the printer is possible; The control device wherein the notification unit executes a first type of notification when communication with the printer is possible, and executes a second type of notification different from the first type of notification when communication with the printer is impossible. [Application Example 11] The control device according to Application Example 10, The second type of notification includes a message prompting the control device to connect the printer to a network capable of communicating with the server. [Application Example 12] The control device according to any one of Application Examples 9 to 11, further comprising: a condition determination unit that determines whether a specific condition indicating that the printing information updated by the acquisition unit will not be acquired after the notification by the notification unit is satisfied; The restriction unit restricts printing by the print execution unit when the control device is able to communicate with the printer and it is determined that the specific condition is satisfied. [Application Example 13] A printer comprising the control device according to any one of application examples 1 to 4 and 6 to 8, and the print execution unit.

[0009] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various forms, such as a printing system, a printing control method, a computer program for realizing the functions of these devices, systems, and methods, a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 1000. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart of a charging process. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of a status management process. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart of a print management process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a notification. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a print restriction process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of a print management process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a print restriction process according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A. First Example A-1. Configuration of System 1000 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 1000. The system 1000 includes a printer 100 as a print execution unit of this embodiment, a terminal device 200 owned by a user of the printer 100, a management server 300 as a control device of this embodiment, and a payment server 400.

[0012] Printer 100 includes a CPU 110 as a controller for printer 100, a volatile storage device 120 such as DRAM, and a non-volatile storage device 130 such as a hard disk or flash memory. Printer 100 also includes a display unit 140 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying images, an operation unit 150 such as buttons or a touch panel for acquiring user operations, a printing mechanism 170, and a communication interface (IF) 180.

[0013] The communication IF 180 is an interface for connecting to the Internet IT, for example, a wired interface conforming to Ethernet (registered trademark) or a wireless interface conforming to the Wi-Fi standard.

[0014] The CPU 110 is a computing device (processor) that processes data. The volatile storage device 120 provides a buffer area for temporarily storing various intermediate data generated when the CPU 110 performs processing. The non-volatile storage device 130 stores a computer program PG1 for controlling the printer 100 and an information database IB in which various information described below is recorded.

[0015] In this embodiment, the computer program PG1 is provided by being stored in advance in the nonvolatile storage device 130 at the time of manufacturing the printer 100. Alternatively, the computer program PG1 may be provided, for example, in a form that is downloaded from a server connected via the Internet IT, or in a form that is recorded on a CD-ROM or the like.

[0016] By executing the computer program PG1, the CPU 110 cooperates with the management server 300 to provide a printing service to the user. For example, the CPU 110 controls the printing mechanism 170 and executes a printing process that causes the printing mechanism 170 to print an image. Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the CPU 110 cooperates with the management server 300 to execute various processes related to the printing service.

[0017] The printing mechanism 170 performs printing under the control of the CPU 110. The printing mechanism 170 of this embodiment is an inkjet printing mechanism that prints an image on a recording medium using multiple types of ink (for example, four types of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) contained in ink tanks 190 as color materials. Alternatively, the printing mechanism 170 may be an electrophotographic printing mechanism that prints an image on a recording medium using toner contained in a toner cartridge as color material.

[0018] The terminal device 200 is a computer including a CPU, memory, and a display (e.g., a liquid crystal display), not shown, such as a smartphone. In a modified example, the terminal device 200 may be a personal computer or a tablet computer. The terminal device 200 is equipped with a predetermined communication interface (not shown), such as a wireless communication interface conforming to the Wi-Fi standard or a mobile communication standard (e.g., the LTE standard). An application program PGa is installed in the terminal device 200. The application program PGa causes the CPU of the terminal device 200 to perform processes related to the print service, such as an account registration function (described below), a process for sending a charge request to the management server 300, and a process for displaying a notification sent from the management server 300 on the display of the terminal device 200. For example, the application program PGa is a program that provides a social network service such as chat. The processes related to the print service described above are realized by functions (called mini programs, mini apps, etc.) available on the social network service. In a modified example, the application program PGa may be a program that implements a dedicated application for the print service. Hereinafter, the function realized by the CPU 310 by executing the application program PGa will also be referred to as a "terminal application."

[0019] The management server 300 is, for example, a computer, such as a cloud server, operated by a business that provides a printing service (for example, a business that manufactures and sells the printer 100). The management server 300 includes a CPU 310 as a controller for the management server 300, a volatile storage device 320 such as a DRAM, a non-volatile storage device 330 such as a hard disk or flash memory, and a communication interface (IF) 380. The communication IF 380 is, for example, a wired interface that complies with Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0020] The CPU 310 is a computing device (processor) that processes data. The volatile storage device 320 provides a buffer area for temporarily storing various intermediate data generated when the CPU 310 performs processing. The non-volatile storage device 330 stores a computer program PG2 and a management database PD that records various information, which will be described later.

[0021] The computer program PG2 is provided, for example, in the form of being uploaded by a business operator that operates a printing service. The CPU 310 of the management server 300 executes the computer program PG2 to perform processes related to the printing service, which will be described later, such as a charge process, a status management process, a print management process, and a print restriction process.

[0022] The payment server 400 is a computer, such as a cloud server, that provides an online payment service. This online payment service is available via a social network service provided by the application program PGa of the terminal device 200, for example.

[0023] 1 shows only one printer 100 and one terminal device 200, the management server 300 provides a printing service to many users using many printers. Below, various processes for the printing service for one printer 100 and one terminal device 200 are explained, but these processes are executed independently for each printer under management.

[0024] A-2. Printing service overview The printing service in this embodiment is pay-per-use. First, a user who desires to use the printing service purchases the printer 100. The printer 100 comes with ink to be supplied to the ink tank 190. The purchaser of the printer 100 is given the right to print a predetermined initial number of pages (e.g., 100 pages). The user sets up the printer 100 so that it can connect to the Internet IT using the communication IF 180. This puts the printer 100 in a state where it can communicate with the management server 300 via the Internet IT (also referred to as an online state). Communication between the printer 100 and the management server 300 may be in a form in which data is sent and received directly between the printer 100 and the management server 300, or in a form in which data is sent and received via a relay server operated by the operator of the management server 300.

[0025] When the printer 100 goes online, the printer 100 (CPU 110) transmits a printer identification ID, which is a unique identifier assigned to the printer 100 in advance, to the management server 300. Upon receiving the printer identification ID, the management server 300 (CPU 310) registers the printer identification ID in the management database PD.

[0026] Next, the user launches the above-mentioned terminal application on the terminal device 200. Based on the user's instructions, the terminal application transmits the user's account information AI and the printer identification ID of the printer 100 to the management server 300. For example, the user's account information AI is account information for a social network service provided by the terminal application. The printer identification ID is input by the user into the terminal device 200. Upon receiving the account information AI and the printer identification ID, the management server 300 searches for the received printer identification ID from among the multiple printer identification IDs registered in the management database PD, and registers the received account information AI in the management database PD in association with the searched printer identification ID.

[0027] The management server 300 further registers the cumulative charge number CN, the cumulative print number PN, and the last charge date CD in the management database PD. The cumulative charge number CN is the total number of pages permitted to be printed by the printer 100 identified by the printer identification ID. The cumulative print number PN is the number of pages printed using the printer 100 after the printer 100 was purchased. The last charge date CD is the date and time when the cumulative charge number CN was last updated. The cumulative charge number CN registered at this time is an initial value, such as the initial number of pages (described above) of printing authority given to the purchaser of the printer 100. The registered cumulative print number PN is an initial value, such as 0. The last charge date CD is set to the current date and time (i.e., the date and time when the account information AI was registered). The management server 300 transmits information indicating the registered cumulative charge number CN to the printer 100. Upon receiving the information indicating the cumulative charge number CN, the printer 100 registers the cumulative charge number CN in the information database IB. The information database IB of the printer 100 stores the cumulative number of printed sheets PN (initial value is 0) in advance.

[0028] In this way, when the account information AI is registered in the management server 300 and the cumulative charge count CN is subsequently recorded in the printer 100, the printer 100 enters a printable state. The printable state is a state in which printing is possible based on a user's print instruction. For example, the user inputs a print instruction by specifying image data representing an image to be printed. The printer 100 prints the image on a print medium such as paper using the specified image data. The print instruction may be input to a terminal device such as the terminal device 200. In this case, a print job including the specified image data and the print instruction is transmitted from the terminal device 200 to the printer 100. Alternatively, the print instruction may be input via the operation unit 150 of the printer 100 with a USB memory device storing the specified image data attached to the printer 100. The printer 100 updates the cumulative print count PN in the information database IB each time printing is performed. Specifically, the cumulative print count PN is updated to a value incremented by the number of printed sheets.

[0029] The value (CN-PN) obtained by subtracting the cumulative print count PN from the cumulative charge count CN is the number of sheets that the user can have the printer 100 print at that time (hereinafter also referred to as the printable count). When the printable count (CN-PN) reaches 0, the printer 100 transitions from a printable state to a print-prohibited state. In the print-prohibited state, the printer 100 will not execute printing even if it receives a print instruction from the user, and will, for example, display a message on the display unit 140 indicating that printing is not possible because the printable count (CN-PN) is 0.

[0030] Once the printer 100 is in a printable state, printing can be performed until it enters a print-prohibited state, even if the printer 100 is in a state where it cannot communicate with the management server 300 (also called an offline state). The printer 100 may enter an offline state, for example, when the power to the wireless access point to which it is connected is turned off, when the wired communication cable is disconnected, or when some kind of communication failure occurs.

[0031] Whether before or after the printing prohibition state is entered, the user can increase the cumulative number of printed sheets PN by sending a charge request from the terminal device 200 to the management server 300. The user acquires printing authority for a predetermined number of printed sheets by starting a terminal application and inputting a predetermined operation into the terminal device 200 via the UI screen displayed by the terminal application. When the operation is input, the terminal application sends a charge request to the management server 300.

[0032] When the management server 300 receives a charge request, it executes a charge process. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the charge process. In S100, the management server 300 acquires charge information included in the received charge request. The charge information includes, for example, the user's account information and printer ID, information indicating the number of prints to be increased based on the user's newly acquired printing authority (also called the charge number), and information indicating the type of the printing authority. The types of printing authority specifically include free printing authority and paid printing authority. Free printing authority is printing authority acquired using an electronic coupon issued to the user free of charge, for example, as part of a campaign. Paid printing authority is printing authority acquired by, for example, a user selecting one of multiple paid plans and completing a purchase procedure. Paid plans are plans in which the charge number and the fee are associated with each other, such as a plan that costs 100 yen per 100 sheets or a plan that costs 250 yen per 300 sheets.

[0033] In S110, the management server 300 refers to the charge information and determines whether the printing authority that is the basis for the charge request is a paid printing authority or a free printing authority. If the printing authority that is the basis for the charge request is a paid printing authority (S110: YES), in S120, the management server 300 determines whether a settlement completion notice corresponding to the charge request has been received from the payment server 400.

[0034] When obtaining paid printing authority, a payment request associated with the above-mentioned charge request is sent from the terminal device 200 to the payment server 400. In response to the payment request, the payment server 400 executes a known online payment process, and when the payment process is completed successfully, it sends a payment completion notice to the terminal device 200 and the management server 300.

[0035] If a settlement completion notice corresponding to the charge request has been received (S120: YES), the management server 300 can determine that the printing authority that is the basis for the charge request has been officially acquired by the user, and proceeds to S130.If a settlement completion notice corresponding to the charge request has not yet been received (S120: NO), the management server 300 waits until a settlement completion notice is received.

[0036] If the printing authority that is the basis for the charge request is a free printing authority (S110: NO), no payment is required, and the management server 300 immediately proceeds to S130.

[0037] In S130, the management server 300 updates the cumulative charge number CN recorded in the management database PD based on the charge information. Specifically, the charge number indicated by the information included in the charge request is added to the cumulative charge number CN associated with the account information and printer identification ID included in the charge information.

[0038] In S140, the management server 300 updates the last charge date CD recorded in the management database PD. Specifically, the last charge date CD associated with the account information and printer identification ID included in the charge information is updated to the current date and time.

[0039] In S150, the management server 300 notifies the printer 100 of the updated cumulative charge number CN. Specifically, the management server 300 sends information indicating the cumulative charge number CN to the printer 100 identified by the printer identification ID included in the charge information. Upon receiving this information, the printer 100 updates the cumulative charge number CN recorded in the information database IB. As a result, the cumulative charge number CN recorded in the printer 100 increases by the number of charged sheets, and the number of printable sheets (CN-PN) increases by the number of charged sheets.

[0040] When the printer 100 is online, it periodically sends a periodic notification containing various information about the printer 100 to the management server 300. In this embodiment, the periodic notification is sent, for example, every minute. When the management server 300 receives the periodic notification, it executes a status management process. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the status management process.

[0041] In S200, the management server 300 acquires the periodic information contained in the received periodic notification. The periodic information includes, for example, the cumulative number of printed sheets PN, the last printing date FD, and various information indicating the status of the printer 100. The various information indicating the status of the printer 100 includes, for example, information indicating the amount of ink remaining in the printer 100 and information regarding any malfunctions in the printer 100.

[0042] In S210, the management server 300 determines whether the cumulative number of printed sheets PN included in the periodic information has increased compared to the cumulative number of printed sheets PN already recorded in the management database PD. If the cumulative number of printed sheets PN included in the periodic information has increased (S210: YES), this means that printing by the printer 100 was performed after the cumulative number of printed sheets PN already recorded in the management database PD was recorded. In this case, in S230, the management server 300 updates the cumulative number of printed sheets PN already recorded in the management database PD to the cumulative number of printed sheets PN included in the periodic information. In S240, the management server 300 updates the last printing date FD already recorded in the management database PD to the current date and time.

[0043] If the cumulative number of printed sheets PN included in the periodic information has not increased (S210: NO), the cumulative number of printed sheets PN included in the periodic information is the same as the cumulative number of printed sheets PN already recorded in the management database PD. In this case, since it means that no printing has been performed by the printer 100 since the cumulative number of printed sheets PN already recorded in the management database PD was recorded, the management server 300 skips S230 and S240 and ends the status management process.

[0044] In practice, the management server 300 executes various other processes using various other information included in the periodic information. For example, the printing service of this embodiment is a pay-per-use system in which fees are charged according to the number of pages printed, and ink is provided to users free of charge by the service provider. To this end, the management server 300 manages the remaining ink level in the printer 100 based on information indicating the remaining ink level included in the periodic information. When the remaining ink level falls below a threshold, the management server 300 executes a process to mail ink to the user. Furthermore, when the printer 100 breaks down, the service provider also provides repairs or replacements to the printer 100 free of charge to the user. To this end, the management server 300 manages the presence and severity of a malfunction of the printer 100 based on information about the malfunction included in the periodic information. If necessary, the management server 300 executes a process to mail a replacement printer 100 to the user. Because these processes are not particularly relevant to the present invention, they are omitted from the flowchart of FIG. 3.

[0045] A-3. Print management process In the printing service described above, it is preferable for the user to print continuously. If the user does not make a printing or charging request for a long period of time, it becomes difficult to grasp the status of the user and the printer 100, which may result in the printing service not being able to be provided effectively. For this reason, it may be preferable to restrict printing by the printer 100 if the user does not make a printing or charging request for a long period of time. In this embodiment, a print management process is executed to restrict printing by the printer 100 if the user does not make a printing or charging request for a long period of time to impose such printing restrictions.

[0046] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the print management process of Example 1. The management process of Fig. 4 is executed by the management server 300 periodically, for example, once a day, for each printer to be managed.

[0047] In S300, the management server 300 acquires the last printing date FD and the last charge date CD of the printer 100 from the management database PD.

[0048] In S305, the management server 300 determines whether the first notification condition is met based on the last printing date FD and the last charge date CD. The first notification condition is met when the following three conditions are met: 1. The period CTM after charging is equal to or greater than the threshold THn1. 2. The period since printing (PTM) is equal to or greater than the threshold value THn1. 3. The first notification has not been sent between the latest print date (FD) or latest charge date (CD), whichever is later, and the present date. The period since charge CTM is the period from the last charge date CD to the present. The period since printing PTM is the period from the last print date FD to the present. Condition 3 is added to prevent multiple initial notifications from being sent in duplicate. In this embodiment, the threshold THn1 is 10 months.

[0049] If the initial notification condition is not met (S305: NO), the management server 300 proceeds to S325. If the initial notification condition is met (S305: YES), the management server 300 determines in S310 whether the printer 100 is online. For example, if the management server 300 receives the above-mentioned periodic notification from the printer 100 within a predetermined period (e.g., within one minute), it determines that the printer 100 is online, and if the management server 300 does not receive the periodic notification within the predetermined period, it determines that the printer 100 is offline.

[0050] If the printer 100 is online (S310: YES), in S315 the management server 300 transmits an initial notification for when the printer 100 is online to the terminal device 200. If the printer 100 is offline (S310: NO), in S320 the management server 300 transmits an initial notification for when the printer 100 is offline to the terminal device 200. The notification is transmitted using a known push notification service, such as APNs (Apple Push Notification Server) or FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging). For example, the notification is transmitted using a push notification service to an account indicated by account information AI associated with the printer identification ID of the printer 100 in the management database PD. This allows the notification to be appropriately transmitted to the terminal device 200 of the user of the printer 100.

[0051] Fig. 5 shows an example of a notification. Fig. 5(A) shows an example of a notification for when online. Notification NT1 includes messages MS1 and MS2. Message MS1 is a message notifying that neither a charge request nor printing has been executed for a period equivalent to threshold value THn1 (e.g., 10 months). Message MS2 is a message notifying that printing by printer 100 will be prohibited if neither a charge request nor printing has been executed for a period equivalent to threshold value THx (described below) (e.g., 12 months).

[0052] FIG. 5(B) shows an example of a notification for offline use. Notification NT2 includes messages MS3 to MS5. Message MS3 is a message informing the user that the exact number of printed sheets cannot be confirmed because printer 100 is currently offline. Message MS4 is a message urging the user to periodically switch printer 100 online. Message MS5, like message MS2 in FIG. 5(A), is a message informing the user that printing by printer 100 will be prohibited if neither a charge request nor printing is performed for a period equivalent to threshold value THx (described below) (for example, 12 months).

[0053] In S325, the management server 300 determines whether the re-notification conditions are met based on the last printing date FD and the last charge date CD. The re-notification conditions are met when the following conditions 4 to 6 are met. 4. The CTM of the period since charging is equal to or greater than the threshold THn2. 5. The period since printing (PTM) is equal to or greater than the threshold value THn2. 6. No re-notification has been made between the latest print date (FD) or latest charge date (CD) and the present date. The reason for adding the condition 6 is to prevent re-notification from being made multiple times in a duplicated manner. In this embodiment, the threshold value THn2 is a predetermined period (for example, one month) longer than the threshold value THn1, for example, 11 months.

[0054] If the re-notification condition is not met (S325: NO), the management server 300 proceeds to S345. If the re-notification condition is met (S325: YES), in S330, the management server 300 determines whether the printer 100 is online, as in S310 above.

[0055] If the printer 100 is online (S330: YES), in S335 the management server 300 transmits a re-notification for when the printer 100 is online to the terminal device 200. If the printer 100 is offline (S330: NO), in S340 the management server 300 transmits a re-notification for when the printer 100 is offline to the terminal device 200. The transmission of the notification is performed using a known push notification service, as with the initial notification.

[0056] The re-notification for online use is the same as the initial notification for online use (Fig. 5(A)). The re-notification for offline use is the same as the initial notification for offline use (Fig. 5(B)). Note that the content of the re-notification may be different from the initial notification, such as including a message indicating that it is a re-notification.

[0057] In S345, the management server 300 determines whether the print restriction conditions are met based on the last print date FD and the last charge date CD. The print restriction conditions are met when the following conditions 7 to 9 are met. 7. The CTM of the period since charging is equal to or greater than the threshold THx. 8. The period since printing (PTM) is equal to or greater than the threshold value (THx). 9. Printer 100 is not in a print restriction state. Condition 9 is added because if the printing restriction state is already established, there is no need to execute the printing restriction process again. In this embodiment, the threshold value THx is a predetermined period (for example, one month) longer than the threshold value THn2, for example, 12 months.

[0058] If the print restriction conditions are not met (S345: NO), the management server 300 ends the print management process. If the print restriction conditions are met (S345: YES), in S350, the management server 300 determines whether the printer 100 is online, as in S310 above.

[0059] If the printer 100 is online (S350: YES), the management server 300 executes the print restriction process in S355. If the printer 100 is offline (S350: NO), the management server 300 ends the print management process without executing the print restriction process.

[0060] 6 is a flowchart of the print restriction process of the first embodiment. The print restriction process is a process that restricts printing by the printer 100, particularly printing that is performed using image data specified by the user. Note that in this embodiment, test printing that prints a test pattern to test the status of the printer 100 and printing of printer information such as the print history of the printer 100 are not restricted.

[0061] In S400, the management server 300 temporarily transitions the printer 100 to a locked state. The locked state is a state in which all printing by the printer 100 is prohibited. For example, the management server 300 transmits an instruction to the printer 100 to transition to the locked state. Upon receiving the instruction to transition to the locked state, the printer 100 transitions to the locked state. For example, the printer 100 stores a lock flag in the nonvolatile storage device 130 that indicates either the locked state or the normal state, and switches the state indicated by the lock flag from the normal state to the locked state.

[0062] In S410, the management server 300 acquires the latest cumulative number of printed sheets PN from the printer 100. For example, the management server 300 transmits a transmission request for the cumulative number of printed sheets PN to the printer 100. Upon receiving the transmission request, the printer 100 transmits the cumulative number of printed sheets PN to the management server 300. As a result, the management server 300 acquires the latest cumulative number of printed sheets PN.

[0063] In S420, the management server 300 changes the cumulative charge number CN to the latest cumulative print number PN (CN=PN).

[0064] In S430, the management server 300 notifies the printer 100 of the updated cumulative charge number CN. That is, the management server 300 sends information indicating the cumulative charge number CN to the printer 100. Upon receiving this information, the printer 100 updates the cumulative charge number CN recorded in the information database IB. As a result, the cumulative charge number CN and the cumulative print number PN become the same number, and the number of printable sheets (CN-PN) becomes 0. Therefore, the printer 100 transitions from a printable state to a print-prohibited state.

[0065] In S440, the management server 300 releases the printer 100 from its temporary locked state and ends the print restriction process. For example, the management server 300 transmits to the printer 100 an instruction to transition to the normal state. Upon receiving the instruction to transition to the locked state, the printer 100 switches the state indicated by the lock flag from the locked state to the normal state. While the print restriction process is being executed, the printer 100 is in a transitional state, transitioning from a printable state to a print-prohibited state. If, for example, the printer 100 receives a print instruction from a user while in this state, an unintended malfunction may occur. For this reason, in the print restriction process, the printer 100 is temporarily locked while transitioning from the printable state to the print-prohibited state (S400, S440 in FIG. 6).

[0066] Even after the printer 100 has entered a printing prohibited state, if the user uses the terminal device 200 to send a charge request to the management server 300, the charge process described above will be executed by the management server 300 (FIG. 2). As a result, the cumulative charge count CN increases in response to the charge request, and the number of printable sheets (CN-PN) becomes greater than 0. This causes the printer 100 to return from the printing prohibited state to the printable state.

[0067] As can be seen from the embodiment described above, when the post-charge elapsed period CTM is equal to or greater than the thresholds THn1 and THn2 and the post-print elapsed period PTM is equal to or greater than the thresholds THn1 and THn2, the initial notification and re-notification are executed (S305 to S340 in FIG. 4). In other words, when the time elapsed from the later of the last charge date CD and the last print date FD is equal to or greater than the thresholds THn1 and THn2, advance notification of printing restrictions is executed twice.

[0068] Then, after that, if a predetermined period of time passes without the last charge date CD and the last print date FD being updated, and the post-charge elapsed period CTM becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value THx, and the post-print elapsed period PTM becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value THx, the print restriction process is executed (S345 to S355 in FIG. 4). That is, the print restriction process is executed when the time elapsed since the later of the last charge date CD and the last print date FD becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value THx. Then, if either the last charge date CD or the last print date FD is updated after the notification before the predetermined period has elapsed, either the post-charge elapsed period CTM or the post-printing elapsed period PTM is reset, and the print restriction process is not executed.

[0069] In other words, the management server 300 in this embodiment acquires the last charge date CD and the last print date FD, which are information regarding printing by the printer 100 (S300 in FIG. 4), and determines based on this information whether printing by the printer 100 should be restricted (S305, S325 in FIG. 4). If it is determined that printing by the printer 100 should be restricted (YES in S305, S325), it issues a notification (FIGS. 5(A) and (B)) regarding the restriction on printing by the printer 100 to the user of the printer 100 (S315, S320, S335, S340 in FIG. 4). After the notification, if neither the updated last charge date CD nor the last print date FD is obtained (YES in S345 of FIG. 4), the management server 300 restricts printing by the printer 100 (S355 of FIG. 4), and if the updated last charge date CD or the last print date FD is obtained (NO in S345 of FIG. 4), the management server 300 does not restrict printing by the printer 100.

[0070] As a result, when it is determined that printing should be restricted based on the last charge date CD or the last print date FD, a notification regarding the printing restriction is first issued, and after the notification is given to the user, if it is determined that there is no change in the printing situation, printing by the printer 100 is restricted. Therefore, printing by the print execution unit can be appropriately restricted. For example, when printing by the printer 100 should be restricted, printing can be restricted while preventing excessive disadvantage to the user.

[0071] For example, if print restriction processing is performed without notification, the user cannot predict the print restriction processing even if the user intends or plans to print. As a result, the user is caught off guard when they try to print but are unable to do so, only to find out that printing has been restricted. According to this embodiment, since the print restriction processing can be predicted by notification, the user can, for example, advance their plans and actually print before the print restriction processing, or request a charge to prevent the print restriction processing from being executed. As a result, it is believed that the user will not suffer excessive disadvantages even if the print restriction processing is performed.

[0072] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when an updated last print date FD is not obtained after notification, this includes the case where, after notification, information identical to the last print date FD obtained before the notification is obtained by periodic notification (NO at 210 in FIG. 3). When information identical to the last print date FD obtained before the notification is obtained after notification, it can be confirmed that no printing has been performed by printer 100 since the notification. In this case, printing by printer 100 is restricted, so printing restrictions can be carefully implemented after confirming that no printing has been performed.

[0073] This includes cases where the updated last charge date CD or last print date FD is not obtained after notification, regardless of whether the last charge date CD or last print date FD is updated. This configuration allows the notification conditions and printing restriction conditions to be determined even if the printing information used to determine the printing restriction conditions includes information that is not obtained unless updated (for example, the last charge date CD). Furthermore, the notification conditions and printing restriction conditions can be determined even if the printer 100 from which the last print date FD was obtained is maintained offline.

[0074] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the printing information used to determine whether printing is permitted includes information indicating the last printing date FD, which is the date and time when printing was last performed by the printer 100. The printing restriction conditions for determining whether printing should be restricted include whether the period since printing PTM, which is the time elapsed since the last printing date FD, is equal to or greater than a reference value (threshold value THx in this embodiment) (S345 in FIG. 4). If the period since printing PTM is equal to or greater than the reference value, for example, quality problems such as print head clogging or ink degradation may be likely to occur, or it may be difficult to determine whether the user intends to continue using the printing service. For this reason, in such cases, it may be preferable to temporarily restrict the printing service. With the above configuration, printing can be appropriately restricted when the period since printing PTM is equal to or greater than the reference value.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the management server 300, which can communicate with the printer 100, acquires information indicating the last printing date FD based on information sent from the printer 100 (information included in the periodic notification in this embodiment) (S240 in FIG. 3). As a result, for example, in a printing service that uses a large number of printers 100, the management server 300 can be used to appropriately execute printing management processing for the large number of printers.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the printing information used to determine the printing restriction condition includes the cumulative charge number CN. The management server 300 can calculate the printable number (CN-PN) by subtracting the cumulative print number PN from the cumulative charge number CN, so the cumulative charge number CN is information indicating the printable number together with the cumulative print number PN. The cumulative charge number CN is also information that is updated in response to a charge request from a user (S140 in FIG. 2). As described above, in the printing service, the printer 100 is controlled to print the number of printable pages (CN-PN) and not to print more than the printable number (CN-PN). The printing restriction condition in this embodiment includes whether the post-charge period CTM, which is the time elapsed since the last charge date CD, the date and time when the cumulative charge number CN was last updated, is equal to or greater than a reference value (threshold value THx in this embodiment). If the post-charge period CTM is equal to or greater than the reference value, it may be difficult to determine, for example, whether the user intends to continue using the printing service. For this reason, in this case, it may be difficult to provide an appropriate printing service, so it may be preferable to temporarily restrict the provision of the printing service. According to the above configuration, printing can be appropriately restricted when the elapsed time since charge CTM is equal to or greater than the reference period.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a charge request from a user is input to the user's terminal device 200, which is capable of communicating with the management server 300. The cumulative charge number CN, which is information indicating the number of printable sheets, is updated based on charge information sent from the terminal device 200 to the management server 300 in response to the charge request from the user (S100, S130, S150 in FIG. 2). In this way, the management server 300 manages printing information (last charge date CD and last print date FD) based on information sent from the terminal device 200 in addition to information sent from the printer 100. The management server 300 can then appropriately implement printing restrictions based on this printing information.

[0078] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the print restriction process restricts printing performed using image data specified by the user. For example, printing performed using image data specified by the user is more likely to be restricted than printing of test patterns or printing of print history.

[0079] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the management server 300 acquires the last printing date FD, which is part of the printing information, based on the periodic information sent from the printer 100 (FIG. 3), and restricts printing by the printer 100 by sending specific information (specifically, the updated cumulative charge number CN) to the printer 100 (S430 in FIG. 6). As a result, the management server 300 can appropriately restrict printing to printers with which it can communicate. Therefore, for example, the management server 300 can centrally control printing restrictions on multiple printers.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when issuing a notification, the management server 300 checks whether communication with the printer 100 is in an online or offline state (S310, S330 in FIG. 4), and issues different types of notifications depending on the confirmation results (S315, S320, S335, S340 in FIG. 4, FIG. 5). That is, the management server 300 checks whether communication with the printer 100 is possible, and if communication with the printer 100 is possible, issues a first type of notification, and if communication with the terminal device 200 is not possible, issues a second type of notification that is different from the first type of notification. As a result, it is possible to issue an appropriate notification depending on the communication status with the printer 100.

[0081] More specifically, the offline notification NT2 in this embodiment (Figure 5(B)) includes a message MS3 that prompts the printer 100 to go online, i.e., a message that prompts the printer 100 to connect to a network that can communicate with the management server 300.

[0082] When the printer 100 is online, the management server 300 can accurately grasp the status of the printer 100 (e.g., the print history and last print date FD). In contrast, when the printer 100 is offline, the status of the printer 100 cannot be accurately grasped. For this reason, when the printer 100 is offline, even if the printer 100 actually performed printing offline, this may not be reflected in the last print date FD managed by the management server 300. In such cases, the management server 300 may not be able to correctly determine whether the print restriction conditions have been met. Furthermore, in terms of print service operation, when the printer 100's status is offline and the printer 100's status cannot be accurately grasped, it may be difficult to provide a print service suitable for the user. For this reason, by changing the content of notifications when the printer 100 is online and offline, it is possible to provide users with more appropriate notifications. In particular, it is considered preferable for offline notifications to include a message MS3 urging the printer 100 to be online in addition to a message regarding the print restrictions.

[0083] Furthermore, the management server 300 determines whether the printing restriction conditions (FIG. 4) that are satisfied when updated printing information (last charge date CD and last print date FD) is not acquired after the notification are satisfied (S345 in FIG. 4). Then, the management server 300 then checks whether the printer 100 is online, and if it is online, restricts printing by the printer 100 (S350, S355 in FIG. 4). If it is confirmed that the printer 100 is online immediately after determining whether the printing restriction conditions are satisfied, it can be considered that the determination of whether the printing restriction conditions are satisfied was also made while the printer 100 was online. For this reason, it can be said that the management server 300 restricts printing by the printer 100 when it is determined that the printer 100 is online and the printing restriction conditions are satisfied.

[0084] When the printer 100 is offline (i.e., when the management server 300 and the printer 100 cannot communicate), even if the printer 100 is printing and the cumulative number of printed sheets PN is updated, the updated cumulative number of printed sheets PN is not sent to the management server 300. Therefore, when a determination is made as to whether the printing restriction condition is met while the printer 100 is offline, the determination as to whether the printing restriction condition is met may be made with the management server 300 having not updated the last printing date FD, even though the last printing date FD should have been updated. In this case, the management server 300 may erroneously determine that the printing restriction condition is met. In this case, printing by the printer 100 may be restricted even though the user is constantly printing using the printer 100, and this restriction may cause excessive inconvenience to the user. According to the above configuration, printing by the printer 100 is restricted when it is determined that the printing restriction condition is met while the printer 100 is online. This prevents erroneous determination of the printing restriction condition and prevents excessive inconvenience to the user. As a result, printing restrictions can be more appropriately enforced.

[0085] B. Second Example In the first embodiment, the print management process is executed by the management server 300, but in the second embodiment, the print management process is executed by the printer 100 (CPU 110). Figure 7 is a flowchart of the print management process of the second embodiment. The print management process of Figure 7 is executed by the printer 100 periodically, for example, once a day. In the print management process of Figure 7, processes that are the same as the print management process of Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals as in Figure 4, and processes that differ from the print management process of Figure 4 are assigned the suffix "B".

[0086] In S300B, the printer 100 acquires the last printing date FD and the last charge date CD of the printer 100 from the information database IB.

[0087] In S305, the printer 100 determines whether the initial notification condition is met based on the last print date FD and the last charge date CD, similar to S305 in FIG.

[0088] If the initial notification conditions are not met (S305: NO), the printer 100 proceeds to S325. If the initial notification conditions are met (S305: YES), the printer 100 displays an initial notification on the display unit 140 of the printer 100 in S315B. The content of the notification is, for example, the same as the notification for when the printer 100 is online in the first embodiment (FIG. 5(A)).

[0089] In S325, similar to S325 in FIG. 4, the printer 100 determines whether the re-notification condition is met based on the last print date FD and the last charge date CD.

[0090] If the re-notification condition is not met (S325: NO), the printer 100 proceeds to S345. If the re-notification condition is met (S325: YES), the printer 100 displays the re-notification on the display unit 140 of the printer 100 in S335B.

[0091] In S345, the printer 100 determines whether the print restriction conditions are met based on the last print date FD and the last charge date CD.

[0092] If the print restriction conditions are not met (S345: NO), the printer 100 ends the print management process. If the print restriction conditions are met (S345: YES), the printer 100 executes the print restriction process in S355B. When the print restriction process ends, the print management process ends.

[0093] Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the print restriction process of the second embodiment. In the print restriction process of Fig. 8, the same processes as those in Fig. 6 are assigned the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 6, and processes different from those in Fig. 6 are assigned the suffix "B".

[0094] The print restriction process is a process that restricts printing by the printer 100, particularly printing that is performed using image data specified by the user. Note that in this embodiment, test printing that prints a test pattern to test the status of the printer 100 and printing of printer information such as the print history of the printer 100 are not restricted.

[0095] In S400, the printer 100 temporarily transitions to a locked state. The locked state is a state in which all printing by the printer 100 is prohibited. For example, the printer 100 switches the state indicated by the lock flag from the normal state to the locked state.

[0096] In S40, the printer 100 changes the cumulative charge number CN to the latest cumulative print number PN (CN=PN). As a result, the cumulative charge number CN and the cumulative print number PN become the same number, and the number of printable sheets (CN-PN) becomes 0. Therefore, the printer 100 transitions from a printable state to a print-prohibited state.

[0097] In S430, the printer 100 notifies the management server 300 of the updated cumulative charge number CN. That is, the printer 100 sends information indicating the cumulative charge number CN to the management server 300. Upon receiving this information, the management server 300 updates the cumulative charge number CN recorded in the management database PD. This synchronizes the cumulative charge number CN in the printer 100 with the cumulative charge number CN in the management server 300.

[0098] In S400, the printer 100 ends the print restriction process by releasing the temporary lock state of the printer 100. For example, the printer 100 switches the state indicated by the lock flag from the lock state to the normal state.

[0099] According to the present embodiment described above, the printer 100 executes the print management process, so the load on the management server 300 can be reduced.

[0100] As can be seen from the above explanation, in the first embodiment, the printer 100 is an example of a print execution unit, and the management server 300 is an example of a control device for the print execution unit. In the second embodiment, the print mechanism 170 of the printer 100 is an example of a print execution unit, and the CPU 110 of the printer 100 is an example of a control device for the print execution unit.

[0101] C. Variations (1) In the above embodiment, the printing information used to determine the printing restriction conditions is the last print date FD and the last charge date CD. This is not a limitation, and other information related to printing by the printer 100 can also be used as the printing information. For example, the printing information can be the last date on which ink was refilled into the ink tank (last ink refill date). For example, if the time elapsed since the last ink refill date is equal to or greater than a certain standard, there is a possibility that image quality will deteriorate due to ink degradation. For this reason, it may be preferable to restrict printing if the time elapsed since the last ink refill date is equal to or greater than a certain standard.

[0102] (2) In the above embodiment, the print restriction process (FIGS. 6 and 8) is a process that prohibits printing performed using image data specified by the user. The print restriction mode is not limited to this, and other modes are also possible. For example, the print restriction process may be a process that reduces the number of printable sheets for printing performed using image data specified by the user. For example, the print restriction process may be a process that reduces the number of printable sheets by a predetermined number, or a process that sets the number of printable sheets to an extremely small predetermined number.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the printer 100 transitions from the printable state to the print-prohibited state by changing (reducing) the cumulative charge number CN. Alternatively, the printer 100 may transition from the printable state to the print-prohibited state by changing the lock flag of the printer 100 and changing the printer 100 from the normal state to the locked state. In this case, when a charge request is received, the printer 100 changes the lock flag of the printer 100 and changes the printer 100 from the locked state to the normal state, thereby restoring the printer 100 from the print-prohibited state to the printable state. In the embodiment, the cumulative charge number CN is reduced, so even if the printer 100 returns to the printable state, the reduced amount of charge remains lost. In contrast, in this modified example, the cumulative charge number CN is not changed, so no part of the cumulative charge number CN is lost when the printer 100 returns to the printable state. Furthermore, the print restriction process may both change (reduc) the cumulative charge number CN and change the lock flag to lock the printer.

[0104] (3) Each process in the first embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, in the print management process, if the initial notification condition or the re-notification condition is satisfied, the same notification may be sent to the terminal device 200 regardless of whether the printer 100 is online or offline.

[0105] Furthermore, in the printing management process (FIG. 4), after it is determined in S345 that the printing restriction conditions are met, it is determined in S350 whether the printer 100 is online, and if the printer 100 is online, the printing restriction process is executed. Alternatively, it may be determined whether the printer 100 is online, and if the printer 100 is online, it may be determined whether the printing restriction conditions are met. In this case, the printing restriction process is executed if it is determined that the printing restriction conditions are met. Furthermore, since the printing restriction process can only be executed when the printer 100 is online, for example, the management server 300 may execute the printing restriction process immediately after it is determined that the printing restriction conditions are met, without checking whether the printer 100 is online. In this case, if the printer 100 is offline, the printing restriction process fails. Therefore, for example, after a certain period of time, the management server 300 determines whether the printing restriction conditions are met and executes the printing restriction process again. In this way, if the determination of whether the printing restriction conditions are satisfied and the printing restriction process are performed at approximately the same time, and if the printing restriction process is successful, it can be considered that the determination of whether the printing restriction conditions are satisfied was also performed while the printer 100 was online. Generally speaking, regardless of whether a process to confirm whether the printer 100 is online is performed, the management server 300 objectively determines whether the printing restriction conditions are satisfied while the printer 100 is online, and if it determines that the printing restriction conditions are satisfied as a result, it can restrict printing by the printer 100.

[0106] In addition, in the printing management process, two notifications are sent, an initial notification and a second notification, before the printing restriction process is executed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the number of notifications sent before the printing restriction process is executed may be one, or three or more.

[0107] Furthermore, when a periodic notification including an updated cumulative number of printed sheets PN is received during the status management process, the date and time of receipt of the periodic notification is recorded as the new last printed date FD. Alternatively, a periodic notification including the updated cumulative number of printed sheets PN and information indicating the last date and time that printing was actually performed may be received. In this case, the date and time indicated by the information included in the periodic notification may be recorded as the new last printed date FD.

[0108] Furthermore, in the charge process, a charge request is transmitted from the terminal device 200 to the management server 300. Alternatively, the charge request may be transmitted to the payment server 400 together with the payment request, and a payment completion notice and the charge request may be transmitted from the payment server 400 to the management server 300. In this case, based on the charge request and the payment completion notice transmitted from the payment server 400, the management server 300 updates the last charge date CD and the cumulative charge number CN.

[0109] (4) Each process in the second embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, in the charge process, a charge request may be sent from the terminal device 200 to the printer 100. For example, the terminal device 200 may send the charge request to the printer 100 when the terminal device 200 communicates with the payment server 400 and payment is completed. In this case, the printer 100 executes the charge process instead of the management server 300 and updates the cumulative charge count CN recorded therein. In this case, the system 1000 does not need to include the management server 300. Therefore, in this case, the status management process is omitted.

[0110] (5) The devices managed by the management server 300 may include, instead of the printer 100, or in addition to the printer 100, a multifunction peripheral that includes a printing mechanism and a scanner.

[0111] The present invention has been described above based on examples and modifications, but the above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents thereof are also included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 100...printer, 110...CPU, 120...volatile storage device, 130...nonvolatile storage device, 140...display unit, 150...operation unit, 170...print execution unit, 200...terminal device, 300...management server, 310...CPU, 320...volatile storage device, 330...nonvolatile storage device, 380...communication IF, 400...payment server, 1000...system, IB...information database, PD...management database, IT...Internet, PG1, PG2...computer program

Claims

1. A control device for a print execution unit, an acquisition unit that acquires print information that is information related to printing by the print execution unit, the print information including information indicating the last date and time when printing was executed by the print execution unit; a determination unit that determines whether printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on the print information, the determination unit being configured to determine that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on a condition that the elapsed time from the last date and time is equal to or greater than a reference value; a notification unit that, when it is determined that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted, issues a notification regarding the restriction on printing by the print execution unit to a user of the print execution unit; a restriction unit that restricts printing by the print execution unit when the updated print information is not acquired by the acquisition unit after the notification by the notification unit, and does not restrict printing by the print execution unit when the updated print information is acquired by the acquisition unit after the notification by the notification unit; A control device comprising:

2. The control device according to claim 1, the control device is a server capable of communicating with the printer having the print execution unit, The acquisition unit acquires the information indicating the last date and time based on information transmitted from the printer to the control device.

3. A control device for a print execution unit that executes printing for the number of printable sheets and is controlled not to execute printing exceeding the number of printable sheets, an acquisition unit that acquires print information that is information related to printing by the print execution unit, the print information including information indicating the number of printable sheets and information that is updated in response to a request from a user; a determination unit that determines whether printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on the print information, the determination unit being configured to determine that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on a condition that the elapsed time since the last update of the printable number of sheets is equal to or greater than a reference value; a notification unit that, when it is determined that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted, issues a notification regarding the restriction on printing by the print execution unit to the user of the print execution unit; a restriction unit that restricts printing by the print execution unit when the updated print information is not acquired by the acquisition unit after the notification by the notification unit, and does not restrict printing by the print execution unit when the updated print information is acquired by the acquisition unit after the notification by the notification unit; A control device comprising:

4. The control device according to claim 3, the request from the user is input to a terminal device of the user that is capable of communicating with the control device; The control device, wherein the information indicating the number of printable sheets is updated based on information transmitted from the terminal device to the control device in response to a request from the user.

5. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A control device including a case where, after notification by the notification unit, the updated printing information is not acquired by the acquisition unit, and after notification by the notification unit, information identical to the printing information acquired before the notification is acquired.

6. The control device according to claim 5, A control device, including a case where the printing information updated by the acquisition unit is not acquired after notification by the notification unit, and a case where the printing information is not acquired after notification by the notification unit.

7. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The restriction unit restricts printing that is performed using image data designated by the user.

8. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the control device is a server capable of communicating with the printer having the print execution unit, the acquisition unit acquires at least a portion of the print information based on information transmitted from the printer; The restriction unit restricts printing by the print execution unit by transmitting specific information to the printer.

9. The control device according to claim 8, further comprising: a confirmation unit that confirms whether communication with the printer is possible; The control device wherein the notification unit executes a first type of notification when communication with the printer is possible, and executes a second type of notification different from the first type of notification when communication with the printer is impossible.

10. The control device according to claim 9, The second type of notification includes a message prompting the control device to connect the printer to a network capable of communicating with the server.

11. The control device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising: a condition determination unit that determines whether a specific condition indicating that the printing information updated by the acquisition unit will not be acquired after the notification by the notification unit is satisfied; The restriction unit restricts printing by the print execution unit when the control device is able to communicate with the printer and it is determined that the specific condition is satisfied.

12. A printer comprising the control device according to claim 1 or 3 and the print execution unit.

13. A computer program for controlling a print execution unit, an acquisition function for acquiring print information that is information related to printing by the print execution unit, the print information including information indicating the last date and time when printing was performed by the print execution unit; a determination function that determines whether printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on the print information, the determination function including a condition that determines that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted being equal to or longer than a reference time from the last date and time; a notification function for notifying a user of the print execution unit of the restriction on printing by the print execution unit when it is determined that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted; a restriction function that restricts printing by the print execution unit when updated print information is not acquired by the acquisition function after notification by the notification function, and does not restrict printing by the print execution unit when updated print information is acquired by the acquisition function after notification by the notification function; A computer program that makes the computer realize the above.

14. A computer program for controlling a print execution unit that executes printing up to the printable number of sheets and is controlled not to execute printing exceeding the printable number of sheets, an acquisition function for acquiring print information that is information related to printing of the print execution unit, the print information including information indicating the number of printable sheets and information that is updated in response to a request from a user; a determination function that determines whether printing by the print execution unit should be restricted based on the print information, the determination function including a condition that determines that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted being equal to or longer than a reference time since the last time the printable number of sheets was updated; a notification function for, when it is determined that printing by the print execution unit should be restricted, issuing a notification regarding the restriction on printing by the print execution unit to the user of the print execution unit; a restriction function that restricts printing by the print execution unit when updated print information is not acquired by the acquisition function after notification by the notification function, and does not restrict printing by the print execution unit when updated print information is acquired by the acquisition function after notification by the notification function; A computer program that makes the computer realize the above.

Images