Computer program for a terminal device, terminal device, and method executed by a terminal device

Abstract

To provide a technique which can improve convenience to a user.SOLUTION: A terminal device receives first device identification information from a first communication device and transmits the first device identification information to a management server and receives display related information from the management server. The terminal device receives notification information from a notification server. The terminal device displays an object for displaying the notification information in the case of the first display related information showing prescribed contents but does not display any object in the case of the first display related information not showing the prescribed contents.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses a technique related to a terminal device that displays an object for displaying notification information received from a server. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a communication system including a mobile phone, a printer, and a push notification server. The mobile phone transmits a request for obtaining a push notification ID to a server, receives the push notification ID from the push notification server, and transmits the push notification ID to the printer. The printer transmits the push notification ID to the push notification server. Upon receiving the push notification ID from the printer, the push notification server transmits push notification information to the mobile phone. Upon receiving the push notification information from the push notification server, the mobile phone displays a notification image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-68574 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] This specification provides a technology that can improve user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This specification discloses a computer program for a terminal device. The computer program may cause a computer of the terminal device to function as: a first identification information receiving unit that receives, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmitting unit that transmits the first device identification information to a management server, where the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information related to display of notification information; a first-related information receiving unit that receives first display-related information that is associated with the first device identification information and that is transmitted from the management server in response to the transmission of the first device identification information to the management server; a notification information receiving unit that receives the notification information from a notification server; and a display control unit that displays an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and does not display the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the terminal device receives first device identification information from the first communication device, transmits the first device identification information to the management server, and receives first display-related information from the management server. The terminal device receives the notification information from the notification server. If the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, the terminal device displays an object for displaying the notification information, and if the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content, the terminal device does not display the object for displaying the notification information. In this way, whether or not to display the object for displaying the notification information can be switched depending on whether or not the first display content indicates the predetermined content. Therefore, user convenience can be improved.

[0007] The present invention also provides a novel and useful computer-readable recording medium for storing the computer program, a terminal device implemented by the computer program, and a method executed by the terminal device. The present invention also provides a novel and useful communication system including a terminal device, a management server, and a notification server. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows the configuration of a communication system. [Figure 2] An example of each table is shown below. [Figure 3] 1 shows a sequence diagram of a first registration process. [Figure 4] 10 shows an example of a screen displayed on the terminal device during the first registration process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a home screen display process. [Figure 6] 10 shows an example of a home screen including a delete message. [Figure 7] 10 shows an example of a home screen on which a notification button is displayed in a highlighted manner. [Figure 8] 10 shows a flowchart of an application setting screen display process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a pull notification process. [Figure 10] 10 shows a flowchart of a pull notification display process. [Figure 11] 1 shows the pull notification display process. [Figure 12] 1 shows a sequence diagram of a second registration process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (Example) (Configuration of communication system 2; Figure 1) 1, the communication system 2 includes a plurality of MFPs 10A and 10B, a terminal device 100, a notification server 200, a service providing server 300, and a service management server 400. The MFPs 10A and 10B and the terminal device 100 are connected to a LAN (abbreviation of Local Area Network) 4. The MFPs 10A and 10B and the terminal device 100 are capable of communicating with each other via the LAN 4. The LAN 4 is connected to the Internet 6. The MFPs 10A and 10B, the terminal device 100, the notification server 200, the service providing server 300, and the service management server 400 are connected to the Internet 6. The MFPs 10A and 10B, the terminal device 100, the notification server 200, the service providing server 300, and the service management server 400 are capable of communicating with each other via the Internet 6.

[0010] (Configuration of MFP10A and 10B) MFPs 10A and 10B are peripheral devices (i.e., peripheral devices such as PCs) capable of executing printing and scanning functions. MFP 10A has a device name "DV1" and a model name "MN1." MFP 10B has a device name "DV2" and a model name "MN2." The device name is a name given to each of MFPs 10A and 10B by an MFP administrator. The model name is a name indicating the model of the MFP. Each of MFPs 10A and 10B is manufactured by the same vendor. Below, MFP 10A and MFP 10B may be collectively referred to as "MFP 10."

[0011] (Configuration of terminal device 100) The terminal device 100 is a portable terminal device such as a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone), a PDA, or a tablet PC. The terminal device 100 includes an operation unit 112, a display unit 114, a communication interface 116, and a control unit 130. Note that the interface will be referred to as "I / F" below.

[0012] The operation unit 112 is, for example, a touch panel. The operation unit 112 is capable of receiving various instructions. The display unit 114 is a display for displaying various information. The communication I / F 116 is connected to the LAN 4.

[0013] The control unit 130 includes a CPU 132 and a memory 134. The CPU 132 executes various processes in accordance with an OS (abbreviation for Operating System) program 136 (hereinafter simply referred to as "OS 136") stored in the memory 134. The memory 134 further stores an MFP application 138 (hereinafter simply referred to as "application 138"), a received information table 140, a device table 142, a notification list 144, a consumables notification flag 148, and a service notification flag 150. The application 138 is a program for causing the MFPs 10A and 10B to execute a printing function and a scanning function. The notification list 144 is a list of pull notification information to be displayed. The consumables notification flag 148 indicates either "ON," which indicates that pop-up display of a pull notification screen related to a consumable is permitted, or "OFF," which indicates that pop-up display of a pull notification screen related to a consumable is prohibited. The service notification flag 150 indicates either "ON" which indicates that the pop-up display of a pull notification screen related to a service provided by the service providing server 300 is permitted, or "OFF" which indicates that the pop-up display of a pull notification screen related to the service is prohibited. The consumable notification flag 148 and the service notification flag 150 can be set by the user.

[0014] (Configuration of notification server 200) Notification server 200 is installed on the Internet 6 by a business operator different from the vendor of MFP 10. In a modified example, notification server 200 may be installed on the Internet 6 by the vendor. In another modified example, the vendor of MFP 10 may not prepare the hardware for notification server 200 on its own, but may use an environment provided by an external cloud computing service. In this case, the vendor of MFP 10 may prepare a program (i.e., software) for notification server 200 and implement it in the above-mentioned environment to realize notification server 200. Notification server 200 is a server that provides push notification information including push notification screen data and pull notification information including pull notification screen data. Pull notification information is data transmitted from notification server 200 to terminal device 100 in response to a pull notification information request transmitted from terminal device 100 to notification server 200, which requests notification server 200 to transmit the pull notification information. The push notification information is data that is automatically transmitted from the notification server 200 to the terminal device 100, even if the terminal device 100 does not transmit a push notification information request to the notification server 200 to request the notification server 200 to transmit the push notification information. The push notification information and pull notification information are registered in the notification server 200 in response to a request from a vendor of the MFP 10 or the like to a vendor that installs the notification server 200. The notification server 200 includes a memory 230. A notification information table 238 is stored in the memory 230.

[0015] (Configuration of the service providing server 300 and the service management server 400) The service providing server 300 and the service management server 400 are installed on the Internet 6 by the vendor of the MFP 10. In a modified example, the service providing server 300 and the service management server 400 may be installed on the Internet 6 by a business operator different from the vendor. In another modified example, the vendor of the MFP 10 may use an environment provided by an external cloud computing service instead of preparing the hardware of the service providing server 300 and the service management server 400 by itself. In this case, the vendor of the MFP 10 may prepare programs (i.e., software) for the service providing server 300 and the service management server 400 and introduce the programs into the above-mentioned environment to realize the service providing server 300 and the service management server 400.

[0016] The service providing server 300 is a server for providing services related to the MFP 10. The service providing server 300 provides a remote printing service and a flat-rate service. In a modified example, the service providing server 300 may also provide a push scan service, etc. The remote printing service is a service for sending print instructions to the MFP 10 from a remote location via the service providing server 300. The flat-rate service is a service (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "flat-rate service") in which a user pays a predetermined amount if the number of printed pages in a predetermined period (e.g., one month) is equal to or less than a contracted number of printed pages (e.g., 1,000 pages), and if the number of printed pages in the predetermined period exceeds the contracted number of printed pages, the user pays a billed amount that is the sum of a flat rate and an amount corresponding to the number of printed pages exceeding the contracted number of printed pages (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "flat-rate service"). The flat-rate service includes an automatic ordering service that automatically orders a new cartridge when the remaining ink level in a cartridge installed in the MFP 10 falls below a predetermined level. The service providing server 300 includes memory 330. The memory 330 stores a user table 338 .

[0017] The service management server 400 is a server for managing support information for the remote printing service and the flat-rate service. The service management server 400 includes a memory 430. The memory 430 stores a service table 438. The service table 438 stores a model name, country information (e.g., "JP" or "US"), first support information, and second support information in association with each other. The first support information indicates either "ON" indicating that the remote printing service is supported, or "OFF" indicating that the remote printing service is not supported. The second support information indicates either "ON" indicating that the flat-rate service is supported, or "OFF" indicating that the flat-rate service is not supported.

[0018] (Table configuration; Figure 2) Next, the contents of the reception information table 140 and device table 142 in the terminal device 100, the notification information table 238 in the notification server 200, and the user table 338 in the service providing server 300 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0019] The notification information table 238 in the notification server 200 is a table for managing pull notification information (e.g., PL1 to PL3). The pull notification information includes a notification ID for identifying the pull notification information, a type, a timing condition, and pull notification screen data corresponding to the pull notification screen. The type indicates either "Consumables," which indicates that the pull notification screen is a screen related to consumables, or "Services," which indicates that the pull notification screen is a screen related to services. The timing condition is information indicating the timing for displaying the pull notification screen as a pop-up. In this embodiment, date and time information (e.g., "2022 / 1 / 1 10:00") is registered as the timing condition. In a modified example, period information (e.g., "2022 / 1 / 1 10:00 to 2022 / 1 / 10 10:00") indicating the period during which the pull notification screen can be displayed as a pop-up may be registered as the timing condition. The pull notification information may further include a first registration condition, a first support condition, a second support condition, and a consumables condition. Each condition is information for limiting the target for which the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up. The first registration condition is information indicating a condition for switching whether or not the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up depending on whether or not the MFP 10 is registered with the remote printing service. The first registration condition includes either "registered," which indicates that the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up when the MFP 10 is registered with the remote printing service, or "unregistered," which indicates that the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up when the MFP 10 is not registered with the remote printing service. The first support condition is information indicating a condition for switching whether or not the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up depending on whether or not the MFP 10 registered with the app 138 supports the remote printing service. The first support condition includes "ON," which indicates that the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up when the remote printing service is supported. The second support condition is information indicating a condition for switching whether or not the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up depending on whether or not the MFP 10 registered with the app 138 supports a flat-rate service. The second support condition includes "ON," which indicates that the pull notification screen is to be displayed as a pop-up when the flat-rate service is supported.The consumables condition is information indicating the condition for switching whether or not to pop up the pull notification screen depending on the status of the consumables (cartridges in this embodiment) attached to the MFP 10 registered in the application 138. The consumables condition includes "remaining amount≦threshold value" which indicates that the pull notification screen is to be popped up when the remaining amount of the cartridge is equal to or less than a threshold value (for example, "30").

[0020] The reception information table 140 in the terminal device 100 is a table for managing the pop-up display of pull notification information received from the notification server 200. In the reception information table 140, pull notification information (e.g., PL1 to PL3) and display information are stored in association with each other. The display information indicates either "Done," which indicates that the pull notification screen corresponding to the display information has already been displayed, or "Not yet," which indicates that the notification screen has not yet been displayed.

[0021] The device table 142 in the terminal device 100 is a table for managing information about the MFP 10 registered in the application 138. The device table 142 stores a device ID, a model name, first registration information, second registration information, first support information, and second support information in association with each other. The first registration information indicates either "registered," which indicates that registration for using the remote printing service has been completed, or "unregistered," which indicates that registration for using the remote printing service has not been completed. The second registration information indicates either "registered," which indicates that registration for using the flat-rate service has been completed, or "unregistered," which indicates that registration for using the flat-rate service has not been completed.

[0022] The user table 338 in the service providing server 300 is a table for managing information about users. The user table 338 stores a user name for identifying a user, a device ID, first registration information, and second registration information in association with each other. The user ID is registered when subscribing to the remote printing service or flat-rate service.

[0023] (First registration process; Figures 3 to 5) The first registration process will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. The first registration process is a process for registering MFP 10A in application 138. In the following, all communications executed between terminal device 100 and other devices (MFP 10, notification server 200, service providing server 300, and service management server 400) are executed via communication I / F 116 of terminal device 100. Therefore, the phrase "via communication I / F 116" will be omitted in the following. In addition, in the following, when describing processing executed by CPU 132 of terminal device 100 in accordance with OS 136 or application 138, the OS 136 or application 138 will be mainly described.

[0024] When the OS 136 of the terminal device 100 receives an operation to start the app 138 at T10, the OS 136 supplies a start instruction to the app 138 at T12. The app 138 starts up in response to receiving the start instruction from the OS 136. Next, the app 138 displays a home screen 600 on the display unit 114. Specifically, the app 138 supplies a display instruction to the OS 136 to display the home screen 600, and the OS 136 displays the home screen 600 on the display unit 114. That is, the app 138 displays the home screen 600 on the display unit 114 via the OS 136. In the following, the phrase "via the OS 136" will be omitted when the app 138 mainly displays a screen on the display unit 114. As shown in FIG. 4, the home screen 600 includes a device button 500, a print button 502, a scan button 504, and a settings button 506. The settings button 506 is a button for displaying an application settings screen (see FIG. 11), which will be described later. The device button 500 displays the device name (for example, "DV1" or "DV2") of the MFP registered as the MFP that will execute the print function or scan function, or information "not selected" indicating that the MFP that will execute the print function or scan function has not been registered. In this process, the device button 500 displays information "not selected" indicating that the MFP that will execute the print function or scan function has not been selected.

[0025] When the application 138 accepts selection of the device button 500 at T22 in FIG. 3, it broadcasts a search signal at T24. Specifically, the application 138 provides a transmission instruction to the OS 136 to transmit the search signal, and the OS 136 broadcasts the search signal. That is, the application 138 broadcasts the search signal via the OS 136. In the following, the expression "via the OS 136" will be omitted when the application 138 primarily transmits a signal to an external device (such as MFP 10A). The search signal is a signal for requesting each of one or more peripheral devices (such as MFPs 10A and 10B) connected to LAN 4 to transmit a response signal including the device ID of the peripheral device. At T26A, the application 138 receives a response including the device ID "DV1" from MFP 10A, and at T26B, it receives a response including the device ID "DV2" from MFP 10B. Specifically, the OS 136 receives a response including the device ID "DV1" from the MFP 10A, and the application 138 acquires the response including the device ID "DV1" from the OS 136. That is, the application 138 receives the response from the MFP 10A via the OS 136. In the following, the expression "via the OS 136" will be omitted when the application 138 receives a signal from an external device (such as the MFP 10A). Next, at T30, the application 138 displays a device selection screen 602 on the display unit 114. As shown in FIG. 4, the device selection screen 602 includes a first device selection button 510 including the device ID "DV1," a second device selection button including the device ID "DV2," and a cancel button 514.

[0026] 3, when application 138 accepts selection of first device selection button 510 (i.e., device ID "DV1"), application 138 transmits a device information request to MFP 10A having device ID "DV1" at T34. The device information request is a signal for requesting transmission of device information including the model name of MFP 10, functions executable by MFP 10, remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of cartridges attached to MFP 10, first registration information, and second registration information. At T36, application 138 receives device information from MFP 10A including the model name "MN1", the print function, the scan function, remaining amount information "90", the first registration information "unregistered", and the second registration information "unregistered".

[0027] At T40, application 138 transmits a support information request including country information “JP” indicating that the country in which MFP 10A is installed is Japan and model name “MN1” to service management server 400. The support information request is a signal for requesting transmission of first support information and second support information associated with the country information and model name in the request.

[0028] When service management server 400 receives a support information request from terminal device 100 in T40, it identifies in service table 438 the first support information "ON" and the second support information "ON" that are associated with the model name "MN1" and country information "JP" in the request. Next, service management server 400 transmits support information including the first support information "ON" and the second support information "ON" to terminal device 100 in T42. Note that if MFP 10A is installed in the United States, application 138 transmits a support information request to service management server 400 in T40 that includes country information "US" indicating that MFP 10A is installed in the United States, and the model name "MN1." Then, the service management server 400 identifies in the service table 438 the first support information "ON" and the second support information "OFF" that are associated with the model name "MN1" and the country information "US" in the request, and at T42 transmits support information including the first support information "ON" and the second support information "OFF" to the terminal device 100.

[0029] When the application 138 receives the support information from the service management server 400 in T42, in T44, the application 138 associates the received device ID “DV1” (see T26A), the received model name “MN1” (see T36), the received first registration information “unregistered” (see T36), the received second registration information “unregistered” (see T36), the received first support information “ON” (see T42), and the received second support information “ON” (see T42) with each other and stores them in the device table 142. Specifically, the application 138 supplies a storage instruction for each piece of information (the device ID “DV1”, the model name “MN1”, the first registration information “unregistered”, the second registration information “unregistered”, the first support information “ON”, and the second support information “ON”) to the OS 136, and the OS 136 stores each piece of information in the device table 142. That is, application 138 stores each piece of information in device table 142 via OS 136. In the following, the expression "via OS 136" will be omitted when application 138 mainly stores information in memory 134. Thereafter, application 138 periodically (e.g., every 24 hours) transmits a support information request to service management server 400. That is, application 138 repeatedly transmits the support information request to service management server 400. In a modified example, application 138 may not repeatedly transmit the support information request. For example, application 138 may transmit the support information request to service management server 400 only immediately after MFP 10A is registered in application 138.

[0030] In T50, the application 138 transmits a pull notification information request to the notification server 200. The pull notification information request is a signal for requesting transmission of the pull notification information stored in the notification server 200. In T52, the application 138 receives the pull notification information from the notification server 200 and stores the pull notification information in T54. Specifically, the application 138 associates the received pull notification information with the display information "not yet" and stores the association in the received information table 140. This allows the user to use the terminal device 100 to cause the MFP 10A to execute the print function and the scan function. Thereafter, the application 138 periodically (for example, every 12 hours) receives device information from the MFP 10A. Next, in T60, the application 138 executes a home screen display process (see FIG. 5).

[0031] (Home screen display process; Figure 5) Next, a home screen display process executed by the application 138 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The home screen display process is a process for determining whether or not to display a notification button 508 (see Fig. 6) on the home screen. The notification button 508 is a button for displaying a notification list screen (not shown) including a list of pull notification information in the received information table 140. When one or more MFPs are registered in the application 138, the application 138 starts the process of Fig. 5 when displaying the home screen.

[0032] In S10, the application 138 identifies one device ID from one or more device IDs in the device table 142 as a target device ID.

[0033] In S12, the application 138 determines whether the first support information associated with the target device ID is "ON" in the device table 142. If the first support information associated with the target device ID is "ON" (YES in S12), the application 138 proceeds to S30, and if the first support information is "OFF" (NO in S12), the application 138 proceeds to S14.

[0034] In S14, the application 138 determines whether the second support information associated with the target device ID in the device table 142 is “ON.” If the second support information associated with the target device ID is “ON” (YES in S14), the application 138 proceeds to S30. If the second support information is “OFF” (NO in S14), the application 138 proceeds to S16. As described above, the application 138 periodically (e.g., every 24 hours) transmits a support information request to the service management server 400. This allows the application 138 to receive the latest information in the service table 438 of the service management server 400. With this configuration, even if the support information for the remote printing service and the flat-rate service of the MFP 10 having the target device ID is changed, the application 138 can correctly determine whether the MFP 10 supports the remote printing service and the flat-rate service. Furthermore, even if the model name is the same, whether the remote printing service and the flat-rate service are supported may differ depending on the country in which the MFP 10 is installed (see FIG. 1). 3, the application 138 transmits a support information request including country information to the service management server 400. This allows the application 138 to receive support information corresponding to the country in which the MFP 10 is installed from the service management server 400. This allows the application 138 to correctly determine whether the MFP 10 having the target device ID supports the remote printing service and the flat-rate service.

[0035] In S16, the application 138 determines whether the processes of S10 to S14 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "support check processes") have been executed for all device IDs in the device table 142. If the application 138 determines that the support check processes have been executed for all pull notification information (YES in S16), it proceeds to S20, and if the application 138 determines that the support check processes have not been executed for one or more device IDs (NO in S16), it returns to S10. That is, the application 138 repeatedly executes the support check processes until the support check processes for all device IDs are completed.

[0036] In S20, the application 138 determines whether the previously displayed information in the memory 134 is "OFF." The previously displayed information is information indicating whether the notification button 508 was displayed the last time the home screen was displayed. The previously displayed information indicates either "ON," which indicates that the notification button 508 was displayed the last time the home screen was displayed, or "OFF," which indicates that the notification button 508 was not displayed the last time the home screen was displayed. If the previously displayed information is "OFF" (YES in S20), the application 138 proceeds to S22, and if the previously displayed information is "ON" (NO in S20), the application 138 proceeds to S24.

[0037] In S22, the app 138 causes the display unit 114 to display a home screen that does not include the notification button 508 (see FIG. 7). In a modified example, the app 138 may cause the display unit 114 to display a home screen that includes the disabled notification button 508. When S22 ends, the app 138 ends the processing in FIG. 5.

[0038] In S24, the app 138 displays a home screen including a deletion message but not the notification button 508 on the display unit 114. As shown in FIG. 6, the deletion message displayed on the home screen 610 indicates that the notification button is no longer displayed. In a modified example, the app 138 may display a home screen including the disabled notification button 508 on the display unit 114. In S24, the app 138 further changes the previously displayed information from “ON” to “OFF.” When S24 ends, the app 138 ends the processing of FIG. 5. Note that a case in which NO is determined in S20 is, for example, when the first support information and the second support information previously received from the service management server 400 are “ON” and the first support information and the second support information currently received from the service management server 400 are “OFF.” When the first support information and the second support information are “OFF,” the pull notification information is likely to be information that is not useful to the user. With the above configuration, the notification button 508 is not displayed, thereby preventing information that is not useful to the user from being displayed. This improves user convenience. Furthermore, a deletion message is displayed, so that the user can know that the remote printing service or the flat-rate service has been changed to an unsupported state.

[0039] Furthermore, if the determination is YES in S12 or YES in S14, the application 138 determines in S30 whether the previously displayed information in the memory 134 is "OFF." If the previously displayed information is "OFF" (YES in S30), the application 138 proceeds to S32, and if the previously displayed information is "ON" (NO in S30), the application 138 proceeds to S34.

[0040] In S32, the app 138 displays a home screen on the display unit 114, the home screen including the enabled notification button 508, which is displayed in an emphasized manner. As shown in a home screen 612 in FIG. 7, the notification button 508 is emphasized by being displayed with a thicker line than the other buttons. In a modified example, the notification button 508 may be displayed with a blinking display, or the line of the notification button 508 may be displayed in a different color than the lines of the other buttons. In S32, the app 138 further changes the previously displayed information from “OFF” to “ON.” When S32 ends, the app 138 ends the processing of FIG. 5. Note that a case in which a determination of YES is made in S30 occurs, for example, immediately after the first registration process, or when the first support information and second support information previously received from the service management server 400 were “OFF” and the first support information and second support information currently received from the service management server 400 are “ON.” Displaying the notification button 508 allows the user to display a notification list screen. Therefore, useful information can be provided to the user, improving user convenience. In addition, since the notification button 508 is displayed in a highlighted state, the user can be notified that the remote printing service or the flat-rate service has been changed to a supported state.

[0041] In S34, the application 138 displays a home screen that is displayed in an unhighlighted manner and includes the enabled notification button 508 on the display unit 114. When S34 ends, the application 138 ends the processing of FIG. 5.

[0042] (App settings screen display process; Figure 8) Next, an application setting screen display process executed by the application 138 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The application setting screen display process is a process for determining whether or not a notification setting button 522 (see Fig. 11), which will be described later, is to be displayed on the application setting screen. The notification setting button 522 is a button for displaying a notification setting screen 624 (see Fig. 11) on which the settings of the consumable notification flag 148 and the service notification flag 150 can be changed. The application 138 starts the process of Fig. 8 when the setting button 506 (see Fig. 7) on the home screen is selected.

[0043] S110 to S116 are the same as S10 to S16 in Fig. 5. The application 138 proceeds to S130 if it determines YES in S112, and proceeds to S114 if it determines NO in S112. Furthermore, the application 138 proceeds to S130 if it determines YES in S114, and proceeds to S116 if it determines NO in S114. Furthermore, the application 138 proceeds to S120 if it determines YES in S116, and returns to S110 if it determines NO in S116.

[0044] In S120, the application 138 displays an application setting screen that does not include a notification setting button 522 (see FIG. 11), which will be described later, on the display unit 114. When S120 ends, the application 138 ends the processing in FIG.

[0045] In S130, the application 138 displays an application setting screen 622 (see FIG. 11) including a notification setting button 522 (see FIG. 11), which will be described later, on the display unit 114. When S130 ends, the application 138 ends the processing in FIG. 8.

[0046] (Pull notification display process; Figure 9, Figure 10) Next, a pull notification process executed by the application 138 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. The application 138 starts the process of Figure 9 when the application 138 is started after the first registration process (see Figure 3) is completed.

[0047] In S210, the application 138 monitors whether a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours) has passed since the application 138 last received pull notification information from the notification server 200. If the predetermined time has passed since the application 138 last received pull notification information from the notification server 200, the application 138 determines YES in S210 and proceeds to S212.

[0048] In S212, the application 138 sends a pull notification information request to the notification server 200, and in S214 receives the pull notification information from the notification server 200. Next, in S216, the application 138 associates the received pull notification information with the display information "not yet" and stores the association in the received information table 140. After S216 ends, the application 138 proceeds to S240.

[0049] Simultaneously with the monitoring in S210, the application 138 determines in S220 whether or not the screen displayed on the display unit 114 has changed. If the application 138 determines that the screen displayed on the display unit 114 has changed, it determines YES in S220 and proceeds to S240.

[0050] Simultaneously with monitoring S210 and S220, the application 138 determines in S230 whether or not it has received an operation (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "notification flag change operation") to change either the consumable notification flag 148 or the service notification flag 150. If it has received a notification flag change operation, the application 138 determines YES in S230 and proceeds to S240.

[0051] In S240, the application 138 executes a pull notification display process (see FIG. 10). The pull notification display process is a process for determining whether or not to pop up a pull notification screen on the display unit 114. When the process of S240 ends, the application 138 returns to S210.

[0052] (Pull notification display process; Figure 10) Next, the pull notification display process executed in S240 of Fig. 9 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In S310, the application 138 identifies one piece of pull notification information associated with the display information "not yet" in the received information table 140 as the target pull notification information.

[0053] In S312, the application 138 determines whether the filter condition is met by using the target pull notification information. If the filter condition is met (YES in S312), the application 138 proceeds to S314. If the filter condition is not met (NO in S312), the application 138 proceeds to S320. The process of determining whether the filter condition is met (hereinafter, may be referred to as "filter condition process") will be described below. First, the application 138 identifies the type ("consumable" or "service") in the target pull notification information. Then, the application 138 determines whether the notification flag corresponding to the identified type (consumable notification flag 148 or service notification flag 150) is "ON". If the notification flag corresponding to the identified type is "OFF", the application 138 determines that the filter condition is not met (NO in S312). On the other hand, if the notification flag corresponding to the identified type is "ON", the application 138 continues the filter condition process. Next, the application 138 determines whether the target pull notification information includes the first registration condition. If the target pull notification information includes the first registration condition, the application 138 determines whether the first registration condition matches the first registration information of the selected MFP 10 in the device table 142. If the first registration condition does not match the first registration information, the application 138 determines that the filter condition is not met (NO in S312). On the other hand, if the first registration condition matches the first registration information, the application 138 continues the filter condition processing. Next, the application 138 determines whether the target pull notification information includes the first support condition. If the target pull notification information includes the first support condition, the application 138 determines whether the first support information of the selected MFP 10 in the device table 142 is "ON". If the first support information is "OFF", the application 138 determines that the first support condition is not met and therefore the filter condition is not met (NO in S312). On the other hand, when the first support information is "ON", the application 138 determines that the first support condition is met and continues the filter condition processing. The application 138 also continues the filter condition processing when the target pull notification information does not include the first support condition.Next, the application 138 determines whether the target pull notification information includes the second support condition. If the target pull notification information includes the second support condition, the application 138 determines whether the second support information of the selected MFP 10 in the device table 142 is “ON.” If the second support information is “OFF,” the application 138 determines that the second support condition is not met and therefore the filter condition is not met (NO in S312). On the other hand, if the second support information is “ON,” the application 138 determines that the second support condition is met and continues the filter condition processing. The application 138 also continues the filter condition processing if the target pull notification information does not include the second support condition. Next, the application 138 determines whether the target pull notification information includes a consumable condition. If the target pull notification information includes a consumable condition, the application 138 determines whether the remaining amount indicated by the remaining amount information of the selected MFP 10 stored in the memory 134 is equal to or less than the threshold value in the consumable condition. When the remaining amount is greater than the threshold, the application 138 determines that the filter condition is not met because the consumable supply condition is not met (NO in S312). On the other hand, when the remaining amount is equal to or less than the threshold, the application 138 determines that the consumable supply support condition is met and therefore determines that the filter condition is met. The application 138 also determines that the filter condition is met when the target pull notification information does not include the consumable supply condition. In this way, the application 138 determines that the filter condition is met when the notification flag corresponding to the type included in the target pull notification information is "ON" and all conditions included in the target pull notification information (excluding the timing condition) are met (YES in S312).

[0054] In S314, the application 138 uses the target pull notification information to determine whether the timing condition is met. The application 138 acquires date and time information included in the timing condition, and determines whether the current date and time is later than the date and time indicated by the acquired date and time information (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "notification date and time"). If the current date and time is later than the notification date and time, the application 138 determines that the timing condition is met (YES in S314) and proceeds to S316. If the current date and time is earlier than the notification date and time, the application 138 determines that the timing condition is not met (NO in S314) and proceeds to S320.

[0055] In S316, the application 138 adds the target pull notification information to the notification list 144.

[0056] In S320, the application 138 determines whether the processes of S310 to S316 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "notification check process") have been executed for all pull notification information associated with the display information "not yet" in the received information table 140. If the application 138 determines that the notification check process has been executed for all pull notification information (YES in S320), it proceeds to S322, and if the application 138 determines that the notification check process has not been executed for one or more pieces of pull notification information (NO in S320), it returns to S310. That is, the application 138 repeatedly executes the notification check process until it has completed the notification check for all pull notification information associated with the display information "not yet" in the received information table 140.

[0057] In S322, the application 138 determines whether the notification list 144 is empty. If the notification list 144 is empty (YES in S322), the application 138 ends the processing in Fig. 10. On the other hand, if the notification list 144 is not empty (NO in S322), the application 138 proceeds to S330.

[0058] In S330, the application 138 acquires one piece of pull notification information from the notification list 144.

[0059] In S332, the application 138 pops up a pull notification screen corresponding to the pull notification screen data included in the acquired pull notification information on the display unit 114. The pull notification screen displays a message about a cartridge (for example, "Would you like to purchase a cartridge?"), a message about a remote printing service (for example, "Would you like to subscribe to a remote printing service?"), and a message about a flat-rate service (for example, " Flat rate system Would you like to subscribe to the service?")

[0060] In S334, the application 138 deletes the pull notification information corresponding to the acquired pull notification information from the notification list 144. In addition, the application 138 changes the display information associated with the acquired pull notification information in the received information table 140 from "Not yet" to "Completed."

[0061] In S336, the application 138 determines whether the elapsed time since the pop-up display of the pull notification screen exceeds the notification time (for example, 10 seconds). If the elapsed time exceeds the notification time, the application 138 determines YES in S336 and proceeds to S338.

[0062] In S338, the application 138 erases the pull notification screen from the display unit 114.

[0063] S340 is the same as S322. If the application 138 determines YES in S340, it ends the processing in FIG. 10. On the other hand, if the application 138 determines NO in S340, it returns to S330. That is, the application 138 repeatedly executes the processing of S330 to S338 until the notification list 144 is empty. That is, the pull notification screen can be continuously popped up and displayed on the display unit 114.

[0064] (Pull Notification screen Display process (Fig. 11) Next, with reference to FIG. 11, a pull notification screen display process in which a pull notification screen 626 is displayed as a pop-up on display unit 114 will be described. The initial state of this process is the state after the first registration process (see FIG. 3), in which device ID "DV1," model name "MN1," first registration information "unregistered," second registration information "unregistered," first support information "ON," and second support information "ON" are associated and stored in device table 142. Also, second pull notification information PL2 (see FIG. 2) including notification ID "ID2," type "service," first registration condition "unregistered," first support condition "ON," and timing condition "2022 / 1 / 2 10:00," and display information "unregistered" are associated and stored in reception information table 140. Also, remaining capacity information "20" of MFP 10A is stored in memory 134 of terminal device 100. Also, the current date and time is "2022 / 1 / 2 9:58".

[0065] 11, in the initial state of this process, a home screen 620 is displayed on the display unit 114 of the terminal device 100. The home screen 620 is similar to the home screen 612 of FIG. 7, except that the notification button 508 is displayed in an unhighlighted state.

[0066] When the application 138 accepts the selection of the settings button 506 in T110, the application 138 executes an application setting screen display process (see FIG. 8 ). The application 138 identifies the device ID “DV1” in the device table 142 as the target device ID (S110), and determines that the first support information associated with the device ID “DV1” in the device table 142 is “ON” (YES in S112). In this case, the application 138 displays an application setting screen 622 including a notification setting button 522 on the display unit 114. The application setting screen 622 further includes a home button 520 for displaying a home screen, an update button 524 for updating the application 138, and a license button 526 for checking license information for the application 138.

[0067] Furthermore, when the application setting screen 622 is displayed on the display unit 114, the application 138 determines that the screen displayed on the display unit 114 has changed from the home screen 620 to the application setting screen 622 (YES in S220 of FIG. 9), and executes the pull notification display process (see FIG. 10). The application 138 identifies the second pull notification information PL2 associated with the display information "Not Yet" in the received information table 140 as the target pull notification information (S310). Next, the application 138 determines whether the filter condition is met (S312). First, the application 138 identifies that the type in the second pull notification information PL2 is "Service," and determines that the service notification flag 150 is "ON." Next, the application 138 determines that the first registration condition "Not registered" in the second pull notification information PL2 matches the first registration information "Not registered" of the MFP 10A in the device table 142, and also determines that the first support condition "ON" in the second pull notification information PL2 matches the first support information "ON" of the MFP 10A in the device table 142. In this case, the application 138 determines that the filter condition is met (YES in S312). Next, the application 138 determines that the current date and time "2022 / 1 / 2 9:58" is earlier than the notification date and time "2022 / 1 / 2 10:00" and determines that the timing condition is not met (NO in S314). In this case, the second pull notification information PL2 is not added to the notification list 144. Next, the application 138 determines that the notification check for all pull notification information associated with the display information "Not Yet" in the received information table 140 has been completed (YES in S320), and determines that the notification list 144 is empty (YES in S322). In this case, the pull notification screen is not displayed as a pop-up.

[0068] When the application 138 accepts selection of the notification setting button 522 at T112, it displays a notification setting screen 624 on the display unit 114. The notification setting screen 624 includes a home button 530, a consumables notification setting field 532 for changing the setting of the consumables notification flag 148, and a service notification setting field 534 for changing the setting of the service notification flag 150. The application 138 also determines that the screen displayed on the display unit 114 has changed from the application setting screen 622 to the notification setting screen 624 (YES in S220 of FIG. 9), and executes a pull notification display process (see FIG. 10). The application 138 identifies, in the received information table 140, the second pull notification information PL2 associated with the display information "not yet" as the target pull notification information (S310). As in the case where the application setting screen 622 is displayed, the application 138 determines that the filter condition is met (YES in S312), determines that the timing condition is not met (YES in S314), and does not add the second pull notification information PL2 to the notification list 144 (S316). Next, the application 138 determines that the notification check for all pull notification information has been completed (YES in S320), and determines that the notification list 144 is empty (YES in S322). In this case, the pull notification screen is not displayed as a pop-up.

[0069] When the application 138 receives the selection of the home button 530 at T114, the application 138 executes a home screen display process (see FIG. 5). The application 138 identifies the device ID "DV1" in the device table 142 as the target device ID (S10), determines that the first support information associated with the device ID "DV1" in the device table 142 is "ON" (YES in S12), and determines that the previously displayed information in the memory 134 is "ON" (NO in S30). In this case, the application 138 displays the home screen 620 on the display unit 114 (S34). The application 138 also determines that the screen displayed on the display unit 114 has been changed from the notification setting screen 624 to the home screen 610 (YES in S220 of FIG. 9), and executes a pull notification display process (see FIG. 10). The application 138 identifies the second pull notification information PL2 associated with the display information "Not Yet" in the received information table 140 as the target pull notification information (S310). The current date and time at T114 is "2022 / 1 / 2 10:01." Therefore, the application 138 determines that the filter condition is met (YES in S312 of FIG. 8), determines that the timing condition is met (YES in S314), and adds the second pull notification information PL2 to the notification list 144 (YES in S316). Next, the application 138 determines that the notification check for all pull notification information has been completed (YES in S320), and determines that the notification list 144 is not empty (NO in S322). Next, the application 138 acquires the second pull notification information PL2 from the notification list 144 (S330) and displays a pop-up pull notification screen 626 corresponding to the pull notification screen data MD2 included in the second pull notification information PL2 on the home screen 610 (S332). The pull notification screen 626 displays a message encouraging the user to subscribe to the remote printing service.

[0070] When the application 138 receives an operation to select the pull notification screen 626 in T120, it displays a remote printing service introduction screen 628 on the display unit 114. The remote printing service introduction screen 628 includes a message indicating the details of the remote printing service and a button 540 for advancing the page. This allows the user to learn about the details of the remote printing service and encourages the user to subscribe to the remote printing service.

[0071] (Second registration process) Next, the second registration process will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The second registration process is a process for registering MFP 10B in application 138. The second registration process is executed after the first registration process.

[0072] T210 is the same as T10 in Fig. 3. The application 138 executes the home screen display process (see Fig. 5) and displays the home screen 620 (see Fig. 11) on the display unit 114 in T220. T222 to T230 are the same as T22 to T30 in Fig. 3. When the application 138 accepts the selection of the second device selection button 512 (i.e., the device ID "DV2") in T232, it transmits a device information request to the MFP 10B having the device ID "DV2" in T234, In the T236, MFP10 B receives device information including the model name "MN2", the print function, the scan function, the remaining amount information "90", the first registration information "unregistered", and the second registration information "unregistered" from

[0073] In T240, the application 138 transmits a support information request including the country information “JP” and the model name “MN2” of the MFP 10B to the service management server 400. In T242, the application 138 receives support information including the first support information “OFF” and the second support information “OFF” from the service management server 400. In T244, the application 138 transmits the support information request including the first support information “OFF” and the second support information “OFF” to the service management server 400. 2 (See T226B) and the received model name "MN 2" (see T236), the first registration information "Not registered" (see T236), the second registration information "Not registered" (see T236), and the received first support information " OFF " (see T242) and the second support information you have received " OFF " (see T242) are stored in the device table 142 in association with each other.

[0074] Next, in T250, the application 138 executes a home screen display process (see FIG. 5). The application 138 identifies the device ID "DV1" in the device table 142 as the target device ID (S10), determines that the first support information associated with the device ID "DV1" in the device table 142 is "ON" (YES in S12), and determines that the previously displayed information in the memory 134 is "ON" (YES in S30). In this case, the application 138 displays a home screen 630 on the display unit 114, on which the notification button 508 is displayed in a hidden mode. The home screen 630 is similar to the home screen 620 in FIG. 11, except that the device ID "DV2" is displayed on the device button 500.

[0075] (Effects of the second registration process) The information indicated by the pull notification data is useful to users who can use the service. As shown in Fig. 12, application 138 displays notification button 508 on display 114 when at least one of MFP 10A and MFP 10B (MFP 10A in Fig. 12) supports the remote printing service and the flat-rate service. Therefore, useful information can be provided to the user, compared to a configuration in which notification button 508 is displayed only when both MFP 10A and MFP 10B support the services.

[0076] (Effects of this embodiment) As described above, the terminal device 100 receives device information including the model name “MN1” from the MFP 10A (see FIG. 3). T36 ), including the model name "MN1" Service Information RequestThe terminal device 100 transmits the first support information to the service management server 400 (T40), and receives the first support information from the service management server 400 (T42). The terminal device 100 also receives pull notification information from the notification server 200 (T52). If the first support information is "ON" (YES in S12 of FIG. 5, YES in S112 of FIG. 8), the terminal device 100 displays the notification button 508 for displaying the pull notification information or the notification setting button 522 (S32 and S34 of FIG. 5, S130 of FIG. 8), and if the first support information is "OFF" (NO in S12 of FIG. 5, NO in S112 of FIG. 8), the terminal device 100 does not display the notification button 508 or the notification setting button 522 (S22 and S24 of FIG. 5, S120 of FIG. 8). Therefore, depending on whether the first support information is "ON", it is possible to switch whether the notification button 508 for displaying the pull notification information or the notification setting button 522 is displayed or not. Therefore, it is possible to improve user convenience.

[0077] (Correspondence) MFP 10A is an example of a "first communications device." The model name "MN1" of MFP 10A is an example of "first device identification information." Service management server 400 is an example of a "management server." The first support information is an example of "display-related information." The first support information associated with the model name "MN1" of MFP 10A is an example of "first display-related information." Pull notification information and push notification information are examples of "notification information." The first support information being "ON" is an example of "predetermined content." Notification button 508 and notification setting button 522 are examples of "objects for displaying notification information." MFP 10B is an example of a "second communications device." The model name "MN2" of MFP 10B is an example of "second device identification information." Service management server 400 is an example of a "management server." The first support information associated with the model name "MN2" of MFP 10B is an example of "second display-related information." A case where YES is determined in S30 of FIG. 5 is an example of a "first case." The highlighting mode and the non-highlighting mode are examples of a "first display mode" and a "second display mode," respectively. A case where NO is determined in S20 of FIG. 5 is an example of a "second case." Country information "JP" is an example of "first regional information." First support information associated with the model name "MN1" and the regional information "JP" is an example of "first display-related information." Country information "US" is an example of "second regional information." First support information associated with the model name "MN1" and the regional information "US" is an example of "third display-related information." The notification setting screen 624 of FIG. 11 is an example of a "selection screen."

[0078] T36 in FIG. 3 is an example of processing executed by the "first identification information receiving unit." T40 in FIG. 3 is an example of processing executed by the "first identification information transmitting unit." T42 in FIG. 3 is an example of processing executed by the "first related information receiving unit." T52 in FIG. 3 is an example of processing executed by the "notification information receiving unit." S32 and S34 in FIG. 5 and S130 in FIG. 8 are examples of processing executed by the "display control unit."

[0079] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described above in detail, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. Modifications of the above-mentioned embodiments are listed below.

[0080] (First Modification) The "first communication device" and the "second communication device" are not limited to MFPs, but may be printers, scanners, copiers, facsimiles, etc.

[0081] (Second Modification) The "device identification information" is not limited to the model name of the MFP 10, but may be the serial number or device name of the MFP 10.

[0082] (Third Modification) The "object for displaying notification information" is not limited to a button, but may be a tab or the like.

[0083] (Fourth Modification) One of the processes shown in FIG. 5 (home screen display process) and FIG. 8 (application setting screen display process) can be omitted.

[0084] (Fifth Modification) Only one MFP may be registered in the application 138. In this modification, the processes of S16 in FIG. 5 and S116 in FIG. 8 may be omitted. In this modification, the "second device identification information transmitting unit" and the "second related information receiving unit" may be omitted.

[0085] (Sixth Modification) The application 138 may determine whether all the first support information in the device table 142 is "ON" in S12 of Fig. 5, and may determine whether all the second support information in the device table 142 is "ON" in S14. In this modification, S10 and S16 can be omitted. The same applies to S112 and S114 of Fig. 8.

[0086] (Seventh Modification) The application 138 may be configured to send a support information request to the service management server 400 only immediately after the MFP 10 is registered in the application 138. That is, the application 138 does not need to repeatedly send the support information request. In this modification, S20, S24, S30, and S32 in FIG. 5 can be omitted.

[0087] 5 can be omitted. In this modification, the application 138 proceeds to S34 if the answer to S12 is YES or the answer to S14 is YES. In another modification, S30 and S34 may be omitted.

[0088] (Ninth Variant) In S32 of FIG. 5, the app 138 may surround the notification button 508 with a line of the same thickness as the lines surrounding the other buttons, and may display a predetermined message (e.g., "new") near the notification button 508.

[0089] (Tenth Modification) It is possible to omit S20 and S24 in Fig. 5. In this modification, if the answer to S16 is YES, the application 138 proceeds to S22.

[0090] (Eleventh Modification) The application 138 may be configured to execute the process of S24 when the determination in S20 of FIG. 5 is YES and a predetermined time (for example, 24 hours) has elapsed.

[0091] (Twelfth Modification) The service table 438 of the service management server 400 does not need to include country information. In this modification, the application 138 transmits a support information request including only the model name “MN1” of the MFP 10A to the service management server 400 at T40 in FIG.

[0092] (Thirteenth Modification) The "region information" is not limited to country information, and may be information indicating a wider range than country information, or information indicating a narrower range than country information (such as a city).

[0093] (14th Variation) In each of the above embodiments, the processes in Figures 3 to 12 are realized by software (e.g., programs 136, 138, etc.), but at least one of these processes may be realized by hardware such as a logic circuit.

[0094] Furthermore, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings may exhibit technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieve multiple objectives, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful. The items described below are those that were included in the claims of the original application. (Item 1) A computer program for a terminal device, comprising: The computer of the terminal device, a first identification information receiving unit that receives, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmission unit that transmits the first device identification information to a management server, wherein the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information that is related to display of notification information; a first related information receiving unit that receives first display-related information transmitted from the management server in response to the first device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the first display-related information being associated with the first device identification information; a notification information receiving unit that receives the notification information from a notification server; a display control unit that displays an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and does not display the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content; A computer program that functions as a (Item 2) The computer program further causes the computer to: a second identification information receiving unit that receives, from a second communication device different from the first communication device, second device identification information that identifies the second communication device; a second device identification information transmission unit that transmits the second device identification information to the management server; a second related information receiving unit that receives second display-related information that is transmitted from the management server in response to the second device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the second display-related information being associated with the second device identification information; The display control unit When at least one of the first display-related information and the second display-related information indicates the predetermined content, displaying the object on the display unit; Item 1. The computer program according to item 1, wherein the object is not displayed on the display unit when neither the first display-related information nor the second display-related information indicates the predetermined content. (Item 3) 3. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the first identification information transmission unit repeatedly transmits the first device identification information to the management server. (Item 4) Item 3. The computer program of claim 3, wherein the display control unit causes the object to be displayed on the display unit in a first case where the first display-related information previously received from the management server does not indicate the specified content and the first display-related information currently received from the management server indicates the specified content. (Item 5) The display control unit In the first case, displaying the object having a first display mode on the display unit; After the first case, when the first display-related information received from the management server indicates the predetermined content, the object having a second display manner different from the first display manner is displayed on the display unit; 5. The computer program according to item 4, wherein the first display manner is more emphasized than the second display manner. (Item 6) The computer program according to any one of items 3 to 5, wherein the display control unit does not display the object on the display unit in a second case where the first display-related information previously received from the management server indicates the specified content, and the first display-related information currently received from the management server does not indicate the specified content. (Item 7) 7. The computer program according to claim 6, wherein the display control unit, in the second case, causes the display unit to display a message indicating that the object is no longer displayed. (Item 8) the management server stores the first device identification information, the first area information, and the first display-related information in association with each other, and also stores the first device identification information, the second area information, and the third display-related information in association with each other; the first identification information transmission unit transmits the first device identification information and installation area information indicating an area where the first communication device is installed to the management server; The first related information receiving unit receiving, from the management server, the first display-related information associated with the first device identification information and the first area information in response to the first device identification information and the installation area information being the first area information being transmitted to the management server; 8. The computer program of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the management server, the third display-related information associated with the first device identification information and the second region information, the third display-related information being associated with the first device identification information and the second region information, in response to the first device identification information and the installation region information being sent to the management server. (Item 9) A computer program according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the object is an object for displaying a list of one or more pieces of notification information and an object for displaying a selection screen for selecting whether or not to display the notification information. (Item 10) A terminal device, a first identification information receiving unit that receives, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmission unit that transmits the first device identification information to a management server, wherein the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information that is related to display of notification information; a first related information receiving unit that receives first display-related information transmitted from the management server in response to the first device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the first display-related information being associated with the first device identification information; a notification information receiving unit that receives the notification information from a notification server; a display control unit that displays an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and does not display the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content; A terminal device comprising: (Item 11) A method performed by a terminal device, comprising: a first identification information receiving step of receiving, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmitting step of transmitting the first device identification information to a management server, wherein the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information related to display of notification information; a first related information receiving step of receiving first display-related information transmitted from the management server in response to the first device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the first display-related information being associated with the first device identification information; a notification information receiving step of receiving the notification information from a notification server; a display control step of displaying an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and not displaying the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content; A method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1: Complaint, 2: Communication system, 4: LAN, 6: Internet, 10A: MFP, 10B: MFP, 100: Terminal device, 112: Operation unit, 114: Display unit, 116: Communication I / F, 130: Control unit, 132: CPU, 134: Memory, 136: OS program, 138: MFP application, 140: Received information table, 142: Device table, 144: Notification list, 148: Consumables notification flag, 150: Service notification flag, 200: Notification server, 230: Memory, 238: Notification information table, 300: Service providing server, 330: Memory, 338: User table, 400: Service management server, 430: Memory, 438: Service table

Claims

1. A computer program for a terminal device, comprising: The computer of the terminal device, a first identification information receiving unit that receives, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmission unit that transmits the first device identification information to a management server, wherein the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information that is related to display of notification information; a first related information receiving unit that receives first display-related information transmitted from the management server in response to the first device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the first display-related information being associated with the first device identification information; a notification information receiving unit that receives the notification information from a notification server; a display control unit that displays an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and does not display the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content; A computer program that functions as a

2. The computer program further causes the computer to: a second identification information receiving unit that receives, from a second communication device different from the first communication device, second device identification information that identifies the second communication device; a second device identification information transmission unit that transmits the second device identification information to the management server; a second related information receiving unit that receives second display-related information that is transmitted from the management server in response to the second device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the second display-related information being associated with the second device identification information; The display control unit When at least one of the first display-related information and the second display-related information indicates the predetermined content, displaying the object on the display unit; The computer program according to claim 1 , wherein the object is not displayed on the display unit when neither the first display-related information nor the second display-related information indicates the predetermined content.

3. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the first identification information transmission unit repeatedly transmits the first device identification information to the management server.

4. 4. The computer program of claim 3, wherein the display control unit causes the object to be displayed on the display unit in a first case where the first display-related information previously received from the management server does not indicate the specified content and the first display-related information currently received from the management server indicates the specified content.

5. The display control unit In the first case, displaying the object having a first display mode on the display unit; after the first case, when the first display-related information received from the management server indicates the predetermined content, displaying the object having a second display mode different from the first display mode on the display unit; The computer program product according to claim 4 , wherein the first display manner is emphasized more than the second display manner.

6. A computer program according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the display control unit does not display the object on the display unit in a second case in which the first display-related information previously received from the management server indicates the specified content, and the first display-related information currently received from the management server does not indicate the specified content.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein the display control unit, in the second case, causes the display unit to display a message indicating that the object is no longer displayed.

8. the management server stores the first device identification information, the first region information, and the first display-related information in association with each other, and also stores the first device identification information, the second region information, and the third display-related information in association with each other; the first identification information transmission unit transmits the first device identification information and installation area information indicating an area where the first communication device is installed to the management server; The first related information receiving unit receiving, from the management server, the first display-related information associated with the first device identification information and the installation area information, which is the first area information, in response to the first device identification information and the installation area information being transmitted to the management server; 8. The computer program according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the management server, the third display-related information associated with the first device identification information and the second region information, in response to the first device identification information and the installation region information being the second region information, being transmitted to the management server.

9. 9. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the object is an object for displaying a list of one or more pieces of notification information and an object for displaying a selection screen for selecting whether or not to display the notification information.

10. A terminal device, a first identification information receiving unit that receives, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmission unit that transmits the first device identification information to a management server, wherein the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information that is related to display of notification information; a first related information receiving unit that receives first display-related information transmitted from the management server in response to the first device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the first display-related information being associated with the first device identification information; a notification information receiving unit that receives the notification information from a notification server; a display control unit that displays an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and does not display the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content; A terminal device comprising:

11. A method performed by a terminal device, comprising: a first identification information receiving step of receiving, from a first communication device, first device identification information that identifies the first communication device; a first identification information transmitting step of transmitting the first device identification information to a management server, wherein the management server stores, for each of one or more pieces of device identification information, the device identification information and display-related information related to display of notification information; a first related information receiving step of receiving first display-related information transmitted from the management server in response to the first device identification information being transmitted to the management server, the first display-related information being associated with the first device identification information; a notification information receiving step of receiving the notification information from a notification server; a display control step of displaying an object for displaying the notification information on a display unit of the terminal device when the first display-related information indicates predetermined content, and not displaying the object on the display unit when the first display-related information does not indicate the predetermined content; A method comprising:

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