Print management system, server, printing device, and print management method

Abstract

To give an incentive to positively print content transmitted from a device of a third person to a user.SOLUTION: In a print management system 1 including an advertisement server 400, a management server 100, and a printer 200 for forming an image on printing sheets within the range of the number of printable sheets, the management server 100 executes a step S4 for adding the value of the number of charged sheets newly purchased by a user of the printer 200 to the value of the number of printable sheets to the printer 200, a step S20 for acquiring an advertisement print job for printing an advertisement from the advertisement server 400, a step S22 for transmitting the advertisement print job acquired in the step S20 to the printer 200, and a step S32 for newly giving points for purchasing the number of charged sheets on the basis of the execution of advertisement printing by the advertisement print job transmitted in the step S22 by the printer 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a print management system, a server, a printing device, and a print management method for forming an image on a printing medium within a range of allowable print amounts.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1 for example, in a system including a print job distribution server, a printing device, and a terminal device, a print job including content such as an advertisement specified from the terminal device is printed without charging the user of the printing device. When the terminal device transmits a print job to the server, the server transmits a print job in a counter non-operation mode that does not operate the charging counter of the printing device to the printing device. When the printing device receives a print job in the counter non-operation mode, it executes the print job in the counter non-operation mode. When the server obtains a job history in the counter non-operation mode from the printing device, it performs a charging process on the terminal device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the printing system described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to avoid imposing a financial burden on the user of the printing device when a print job including content transmitted from a third-party device that is not the user of the printing device is printed. However, further, giving an incentive to the user to actively print the content has not been particularly considered.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a print management system, server, printing device, and print management method that can give users an incentive to actively print content transmitted from a third-party device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the print management system of the present invention is a print management system comprising an information processing device, a server, and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an permitted allowable print amount, wherein the server performs a print amount addition process that adds the value of a newly purchased new allowable print amount by the user of the printing device to the value of the allowable print amount for the printing device, a job acquisition process that acquires a print job for printing content from the information processing device, a job transmission process that transmits the print job acquired in the job acquisition process to the printing device, and a granting process that, based on the fact that printing by the print job transmitted in the job transmission process has been performed by the printing device, grants points for granting the new allowable print amount or newly grants the new allowable print amount.

[0007] In the present invention, the printing device is capable of forming an image within the range of the allowable print volume. Users can purchase additional allowable print volumes by paying a fee. Upon purchasing additional allowable print volumes, the corresponding amount is added to the allowable print volume value in the print volume addition process performed by the server. Users can increase their allowable print volume by paying a fee.

[0008] In the job acquisition process, the server acquires print jobs that print content such as advertisements. The acquired print jobs are sent to the printing device. Based on the execution of the sent print jobs, the server newly assigns points or guaranteed print quantities in the awarding process. By printing content, the user can increase their allowable print quantity or acquire points that can be used to increase their allowable print quantity later. According to the present invention, since printing with content-containing print jobs is beneficial to the user, it is possible to provide users with an incentive to actively print content and thereby expand the use of content-containing printing.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the print management system of the present invention is a print management system comprising an information processing device, a server, and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an permitted allowable print amount, wherein the server performs a print amount addition process that adds the value of a newly purchased new allowable print amount by the user of the printing device to the value of the allowable print amount for the printing device, a job acquisition process that acquires a print job for printing content from the information processing device, and a job transmission process that transmits the print job acquired in the job acquisition process to the printing device, and the printing device newly assigns the new allowable print amount to the printing device based on the fact that printing by the print job transmitted in the job transmission process has been performed.

[0010] In the present invention, the printing device grants itself a new allowable print volume. As described above, the server acquires print jobs for printing content such as advertisements during the job acquisition process. The acquired print jobs are sent to the printing device. When the printing device receives a print job from the server, it prints the print job. Based on the execution of the print job, the printing device grants itself a new allowable print volume. Users can increase their allowable print volume by printing content. According to the present invention, since printing content-inclusive print jobs is beneficial to the user, it is possible to provide users with an incentive to actively print content and expand the use of content-inclusive printing.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the server of the present invention is a server that is communicably connected to an information processing device and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an permitted allowable print amount, and performs a print amount addition process that adds the value of a newly purchased new allowable print amount by the user of the printing device to the value of the allowable print amount for the printing device, a job acquisition process that acquires a print job for printing content from the information processing device, a job transmission process that sends the print job acquired in the job acquisition process to the printing device, and a granting process that, based on the fact that printing by the print job transmitted in the job transmission process has been executed by the printing device, grants points for granting the new allowable print amount or newly grants the new allowable print amount.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the printing apparatus of the present invention has a communication unit that can communicate with a server that is communicably connected to an information processing device, a printing unit, and a control unit, and is a printing apparatus that forms an image on a printing medium by the printing unit within the range of an allowable allowable printing amount, and performs a job acquisition process for acquiring a print job for printing content acquired by the server from the information processing device, a printing process for the printing unit to execute printing by the printing unit based on the print job acquired by the job acquisition process, and a new allowable printing amount assignment process for assigning a new allowable printing amount to the printing apparatus based on the fact that printing by the print job has been executed by the printing process.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the print management method of the present invention is a print management method performed by a print management system including an information processing device, a server, and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an allowed allowable print amount, comprising: a job acquisition step of acquiring a print job for printing content; a job transmission step of transmitting the print job acquired in the job acquisition step to the printing device; and a granting step of newly granting the printing device a new allowable print amount based on the fact that printing by the print job transmitted in the job transmission step has been performed by the printing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide users with an incentive to actively print content transmitted from a third-party device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a print management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a printing method performed by a print management system. [Figure 3]It is a sequence chart showing an example of the flow of control processing executed by each device of the printing management system. [Figure 4] In a modified example where the printing device calculates the corrected cumulative number of printed sheets, it is a sequence chart showing an example of the flow of control processing executed by each device of the printing management system. [Figure 5] In a modified example where the number of charged sheets is given without going through points, it is a sequence chart showing an example of the flow of control processing executed by each device of the printing management system. [Figure 6] In a modified example where the printing device executes the giving of the number of charged sheets to itself, it is a sequence chart showing an example of the flow of control processing executed by each device of the printing management system. [Figure 7] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 8] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 9] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 10] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 11] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 12] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 13] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 14] In a modified example where the printing result is notified in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the notification of the printing result. [Figure 15]In a modification for notifying the printing result in advertisement printing, it is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the notification of the printing result.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] <Overall Configuration of the Printing Management System> FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a printing management system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing management system 1 includes a management server 100, a printing device 200, a terminal device 300, and an advertisement server 400. The management server 100, the printing device 200, the terminal device 300, and the advertisement server 400 can communicate with each other via a network NT. The management server 100 is an example of a server, and the advertisement server 400 is an example of an information processing device.

[0017] <Management Server> The management server 100 is, for example, a server installed and managed by the manufacturer of the printing device 200. The management server 100 may be composed of a single "server" or may be composed of a "server body" by a plurality of servers. The management server 100 manages a plurality of printing devices 200 to be managed. The management server 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 115, a communication unit 140, etc. The control unit 110, the storage unit 115, and the communication unit 140, etc. are connected via a bus 105 so that information can be transmitted and received.

[0018] The storage unit 115 is composed of, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, etc. Various programs 120 and various data 130 are stored in the storage unit 115. The various programs 120 include, for example, programs for executing the control content of the management server 100 according to the sequence charts shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 described later. The various data 130 include, for example, the cumulative charge number of charge sheets purchased by the user, and the cumulative advertisement print number that is incremented when printing a print job including contents such as advertisements transmitted from a device of a third party who is not a user of the printing device 200 is successful.

[0019] The control unit 110 is a data processing device, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 110 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 115. The control unit 110 performs various processes, including data communication with the printing device 200, terminal device 300, and advertising server 400, which are connected to the network NT. The communication unit 140 is composed of, for example, a wireless chip or network card, is connected to the network NT, and communicates with the printing device 200, terminal device 300, and advertising server 400.

[0020] <Printing device> The printing device 200 is owned, for example, by a user. The printing device 200 forms an image on the printing paper within the range of the allowable number of printable sheets. The printing device 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 260, a printing unit 270, etc. The control unit 210, storage unit 215, display unit 240, operation unit 250, communication unit 260, and printing unit 270 are connected via a bus 205 to enable information transmission and reception.

[0021] The storage unit 215 is composed of RAM, NVRAM, etc., and stores various programs 220 and various data 230. The various programs 220 include, for example, a program that executes the control contents of the printing device 200 according to the sequence chart shown in Figures 3 to 6 below. The various data 230 include, for example, the cumulative number of charged pages mentioned above, the total cumulative number of printed pages which is counted up when a print job is successfully printed, the cumulative number of non-charged printed pages which is counted up when a print job that is not subject to user billing is successfully printed, and the image data to be printed.

[0022] The control unit 210 is a data processing device, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 210 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 215. The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, capable of displaying various information. The operation unit 250 is, for example, a keyboard or buttons, and accepts user input. The user can input various instructions to the printing device 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication unit 260 is, for example, composed of a wireless chip or network card, connected to the network NT, and communicates with the management server 100, terminal device 300, and advertising server 400. The printing unit 270 transports printing paper by a transport mechanism (not shown) and prints an image on the printing paper, for example, using an inkjet method. Printing paper is an example of the printing medium.

[0023] <Terminal device> The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by the user, and is connected to the network NT via wireless communication. Although not shown in the figures, the terminal device 300 includes a control unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit for connecting to the network NT.

[0024] The memory unit stores various programs. These programs include, for example, programs that execute the control contents of the terminal device 300 according to the sequence charts shown in Figures 3 to 6 below. The control unit executes the various programs stored in the memory unit.

[0025] The terminal device 300 displays various information and accepts various input operations from the user via a touch panel that integrates an LCD display and a touchpad. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 300 by operating the touch panel. The terminal device 300 may be a smartphone, or for example, a tablet computer, a notebook PC, or a desktop PC.

[0026] <Ad Server> The advertising server 400 is a server installed and managed by, for example, a client or an agent acting on behalf of a client requesting printing that includes content such as advertisements. The advertising server 400 may consist of a single "server" or it may be configured as a "server body" consisting of multiple servers. The advertising server 400 sends a print job to the management server 100 for printing content such as advertisements to the printing device 200. Although not shown in the diagram, the advertising server 400 has a control unit, a storage unit, a communication unit for connecting to the network NT, etc.

[0027] The memory unit stores various programs. These programs include, for example, programs that execute the control contents of the advertising server 400 according to the sequence charts shown in Figures 3 to 6 below. The control unit executes the various programs stored in the memory unit.

[0028] <Printing modes in the print management system> Figure 2 shows an example of a printing method performed by the print management system 1. Below, we will explain the case of printing an advertisement as an example of content. As shown in Figure 2, the print management system 1 performs both private printing, where a user prints on the printer 200 for personal use, and advertising printing, where an advertiser prints an advertisement on the printer 200. In order to perform private printing, the user of the printer 200 purchases a number of charge sheets by incurring charges or consuming points. The control unit 110 of the management server 100 adds the value of the newly purchased number of charge sheets by the user to the cumulative number of charge sheets for the printer 200. The cumulative number of charge sheets is the cumulative value of the number of charge sheets purchased by the user and is stored in the database DB1 of the storage unit 115 of the management server 100 for each printer 200 or user. The updated cumulative number of charge sheets or the value of newly purchased charge sheets is also transmitted to the printer 200, and the cumulative number of charge sheets stored in the database DB2 of the storage unit 215 of the printer 200 is also updated. The number of printable pages for the printer 200 is calculated by subtracting the corrected cumulative number of prints (which is calculated by subtracting the cumulative number of non-chargeable prints from the total cumulative number of prints, as described later) from the cumulative number of charged pages. Therefore, it can also be said that the management server 100 adds the value of the newly purchased number of charged pages by the user to the number of printable pages for the printer 200. The number of charged pages is an example of the newly allowed print volume, and the number of printable pages is an example of the allowed print volume.

[0029] When the control unit 210 of the printing device 200 receives a private print job from the user's terminal device 300 for the printing device 200 to perform private printing, it queries the management server 100 for the number of printable pages. If the number of printable pages is greater than 0, it performs private printing until the number of printable pages becomes 0. A private print job is an example of a print job that is different from a non-chargeable print job, and is a chargeable print job for which the user is charged. The control unit 210 of the printing device 200 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages by the number of pages printed using private printing. The total cumulative number of printed pages is the number of printed pages accumulated when printing is performed by the printing device 200, regardless of the type of print, and is stored in the database DB3 of the storage unit 215 of the printing device 200. When the printing device 200 receives a private print job, it consumes the number of printable pages and performs printing.

[0030] The advertising server 400 sends an advertising print job to the management server 100 to instruct the printing device 200 to print an advertisement. An advertising print job is an example of a print job for printing content. The management server 100 sends the advertising print job received from the advertising server 400 to the target printing device 200 at a predetermined transmission timing. The transmission timing is, for example, a predetermined time, and is sent periodically once or multiple times a day. The target printing device 200 may be all printing devices 200, or may be selected based on, for example, matching the advertisement content with user attribute information. When the control unit 210 of the printing device 200 receives an advertising print job from the management server 100, it executes the advertisement print regardless of the number of printable pages. An advertising print job is a non-chargeable print job for which the user is not charged. The control unit 210 of the printing device 200 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages by the number of pages printed by the advertisement print job, and also increments the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by the same number of pages printed. The cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages is the number of pages printed when advertising prints, which are non-chargeable prints, are performed by the printing device 200, and is stored in the database DB4 of the storage unit 215 of the printing device 200. When the printing device 200 receives an advertising print job, it executes the print without consuming the number of printable pages. Each time an advertising print is executed, the control unit 210 of the printing device 200 sends the print results, including the number of advertising prints or the number of advertisements, to the management server 100. The control unit 210 of the printing device 200 also periodically sends the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages to the management server 100 at predetermined transmission timings.

[0031] The control unit 110 of the management server 100 grants new points to the user to purchase additional charge sheets based on the fact that the advertisement printing by the transmitted advertisement printing job has been executed by the printing device 200. The control unit 110 of the management server 100 may grant points each time, for example, an advertisement printing by an advertisement printing job is executed, or it may grant points periodically at predetermined timings. The points may be granted to the user by associating them with the user's ID, for example, or to the printing device 200 by associating them with the printing device 200's ID. The user can use these points to purchase additional charge sheets.

[0032] The control unit 110 of the management server 100 may variably increase or decrease the points awarded according to the amount charged to the advertising server 400 by the execution of the advertising print job, i.e., the transaction amount of the advertisement. For example, if four advertisements are printed on one sheet of paper, the points awarded may vary according to the sum of the charges for each of the four advertisements. Specifically, for example, if the charges for the four advertisements are 10 yen, 20 yen, 30 yen, and 40 yen respectively, the total amount will be 100 yen, and if, for example, 20% of this total amount becomes the income of the administrator of the management server 100, then 20 yen will be received. In this case, the administrator of the management server 100 may award 30 points to the user for every 1000 yen earned, and so on.

[0033] Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the management server 100 may variably increase or decrease the points awarded depending on the amount of printing done by the advertisement printing job. "Amount of printing done" refers to the number of sheets of paper if the printing paper is cut to size, such as A4 or B5, or to the length of the paper if it is a continuous long sheet, such as a roll of paper. For example, regardless of the number of advertisements contained in one sheet of paper, each time an advertisement is printed on the paper it is counted, and 30 points may be awarded to the user for every 30 sheets printed.

[0034] Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the management server 100 may variably increase or decrease the points awarded depending on the number of advertisements printed by the advertisement printing job. For example, if four advertisements are printed on one sheet of paper, one printed sheet may be counted as four advertisements, and 30 points may be awarded to the user for every 100 advertisements printed. The number of advertisements is just one example of the quantity of content.

[0035] The control unit 110 of the management server 100 increments the cumulative number of printed advertisements by the number of advertisements included in the print results received from the printing device 200. The cumulative number of printed advertisements is the number of advertisements accumulated when advertisement printing is performed by the printing device 200, and is stored in the database DB5 of the storage unit 115 of the management server 100 for each printing device 200 or user. The control unit 110 of the management server 100 periodically executes a billing process based on the value of the cumulative number of printed advertisements to the advertisement server 400, and bills for the advertising printing costs. The predetermined timing is, for example, the end of the month or a predetermined date at the end of the month. The advertisement client is an example of a content client. Based on instructions from the management server 100, a transaction server other than the management server 100 may execute the billing process.

[0036] The control unit 110 of the management server 100 calculates the corrected cumulative number of printed pages by subtracting the cumulative number of non-billed printed pages from the total cumulative number of printed pages, based on the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-billed printed pages received from the printing device 200. The control unit 110 of the management server 100 determines the number of printable pages for the printing device 200 as the value obtained by subtracting the corrected cumulative number of printed pages from the cumulative charge amount. The total cumulative number of printed pages is an example of the cumulative value of the total amount of printed pages, the cumulative number of non-billed printed pages is an example of the cumulative value of the amount of printed pages from all non-billed print jobs, and the corrected cumulative number of printed pages is an example of the corrected cumulative print amount. The cumulative charge amount is an example of the cumulative value of all charge amounts related to the printing device 200.

[0037] <Flow of control processing in the print management system> Figure 3 shows an example of the flow of control processes performed by each device in the print management system 1. For the sake of explanation, in Figure 3, each control process performed by the control unit of each device is described as being performed by each device.

[0038] In step S2, the terminal device 300 sends a charge purchase instruction to the management server 100 based on the user's charge purchase operation. The charge purchase instruction includes the number of charges to be purchased and the ID of the printing device 200.

[0039] In step S4, the management server 100 charges the user of the terminal device 300 and processes the purchase of the number of charge sheets based on the charge purchase instruction received from the terminal device 300. The management server 100 also adds the value of the newly purchased charge sheets by the user to the value of the cumulative charge sheet recorded in the database DB1, which is associated with the same ID as the ID of the printer device 200 included in the purchase instruction. The process of adding the value of the charge sheet to the value of the cumulative charge sheet can also be called the process of adding the value of the charge sheet to the value of the printable pages. Step S4 is an example of the print volume addition process.

[0040] In step S6, the management server 100 sends the updated cumulative charge count to the printer 200. The management server 100 may also send the newly purchased charge count instead of the updated cumulative charge count.

[0041] In step S8, the printing device 200 updates the cumulative number of charges recorded in the database DB2 with the value of the cumulative number of charges received from the management server 100.

[0042] In step S10, the terminal device 300 sends a private print job to the printer 200 based on the user's print operation. Here, the terminal device 300 sends the private print job to the printer 200 without adding information that it is a non-chargeable print job that does not consume the number of printable pages. Note that if the terminal device 300 sends the private print job via the management server 100, the management server 100 sends the print job without adding the information that it is a non-chargeable print job.

[0043] In step S12, the printing device 200 acquires a private print job received from the terminal device 300.

[0044] In step S14, the printing device 200 performs private printing using the printing unit 270 based on the private print job.

[0045] In step S16, if the acquired private print job does not have information indicating that it is a non-chargeable print job, the printer 200 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages recorded in the database DB3 by the number of pages printed.

[0046] In step S18, the advertising server 400 sends the advertising print job to the management server 100.

[0047] In step S20, the management server 100 retrieves an advertisement print job from the advertisement server 400. Step S20 is an example of the job retrieval process executed by the management server 100.

[0048] In step S22, the management server 100 sends the advertisement print job to the printing device 200. Here, the management server 100 adds information to the advertisement print job indicating that it is a non-chargeable print job that does not consume the number of printable pages, and then sends it to the printing device 200. Step S22 is an example of the job transmission process.

[0049] In step S24, the printing device 200 obtains an advertisement printing job from the management server 100. Step S24 is an example of the job acquisition process performed by the printing device 200.

[0050] In step S26, the printing device 200 performs the printing of an advertisement according to the advertisement printing job using the printing unit 270. Step S26 is an example of the printing process.

[0051] In step S28, if the acquired print job has information indicating that it is a non-chargeable print job, the printer 200 counts up the total cumulative number of printed pages recorded in database DB3, the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages recorded in database DB4, and the number of advertisements by the number of printed pages for which advertising prints were performed.

[0052] In step S30, the printer 200 sends the updated total cumulative number of printed pages, the cumulative number of non-charged printed pages, and the number of advertisements to the management server 100.

[0053] In step S32, the management server 100 increments the cumulative number of advertisement prints recorded in the database DB5 by the number of advertisement prints executed, based on the cumulative number of non-chargeable prints received from the printing device 200.

[0054] In step S34, the management server 100 calculates the corrected cumulative number of printed pages by subtracting the value of the cumulative number of printed pages not subject to billing from the value of the total cumulative number of printed pages, based on the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of printed pages not subject to billing received from the printing device 200. Step S34 is an example of the correction value acquisition process.

[0055] In step S36, the management server 100 determines the number of printable pages for the printer 200 by subtracting the corrected cumulative number of printed pages calculated in step S44 from the cumulative number of charged pages related to the printer 200. Step S36 is an example of the determination process.

[0056] In step S38, the management server 100 executes a billing process on the advertising server 400 to charge the advertiser for printing advertisements, based on the cumulative number of advertisements printed stored in the database DB5. Step S38 may be executed periodically on a predetermined date, such as the end of the month. Step S38 is an example of a billing process.

[0057] In step S40, the management server 100 grants new points to the user to purchase additional charges based on the cumulative number of printed advertisements or the number of advertisements received from the printing device 200. Specifically, the management server 100 stores the points in the storage unit 115 in association with the user's ID or the printing device 200's ID. Step S40 is an example of the point granting process.

[0058] In step S42, the management server 100 sends notification information to the terminal device 300 to inform the user that points have been awarded. Step S42 is an example of a notification process.

[0059] In step S44, the terminal device 300 displays the notification content based on the notification information received from the management server 100 on its display unit. If the terminal device 300 receives a point usage instruction from the user corresponding to the notification content, it sends the point usage instruction to the management server 100 along with the user's ID or the ID of the printing device 200.

[0060] In step S46, the management server 100, based on the usage instruction received from the terminal device 300, consumes points stored in association with the user's ID or the ID of the printer 200 to purchase the number of charge sheets, and adds the value of the purchased number of charge sheets to the cumulative number of charge sheets for the printer 200. Step S46 is also an example of the print volume addition process.

[0061] For example, after performing personal printing in step S14 above, the total cumulative number of printed pages, which has been counted up according to the personal printing, and the cumulative number of non-billed printed pages stored in DB4 may be sent to the management server 100, and the management server 100 may perform steps S34 and S36 above based on the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-billed printed pages that it has received.

[0062] <Effects of the Embodiment> In the print management system 1 of this embodiment, the printing device 200 can perform printing within the range of the number of printable pages. Users can purchase additional pages by paying a fee or spending points. Upon purchasing additional pages, the corresponding number of pages is added to the number of printable pages in step S4, which is performed by the management server 100. Users can increase the number of printable pages of the printing device 200 by paying a fee or spending points.

[0063] In step S20, the management server 100 acquires an advertisement print job for printing an advertisement. The acquired advertisement print job is sent to the printing device 200. Based on the execution of the sent advertisement print job, the management server 100 awards new points in step S32. By printing advertisements, users can acquire points that can later be used to increase the number of printable pages. According to this embodiment, printing advertisements through advertisement print jobs is beneficial to the user, thus providing an incentive for users to actively print advertisements and thereby expanding the use of printing that includes advertisements.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an advertising print job is a print job that does not consume or reduce the number of printable pages when executed. When the printing device 200 receives an advertising print job from the management server 100, it prints the advertisement using that advertisement print job without consuming the number of printable pages. This avoids imposing any financial burden on the user when an advertisement is printed.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the larger the amount charged by the advertiser for the advertising print job, the more points can be awarded. According to this embodiment, the management server 100 can incentivize users to actively print advertisements by awarding more points to users who print advertisements with high advertising costs, thereby encouraging users of the printing device 200 to expand their use of printing by advertising print jobs.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the larger the amount of printing done by an advertising print job, the more points can be awarded. According to this embodiment, it is possible to give users an incentive to actively increase the amount of advertising printed, thereby encouraging users of the printing device 200 to expand their use of printing by advertising print jobs.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the more advertisements printed by an advertisement printing job, the more points can be awarded. According to this embodiment, an incentive can be given to the user to actively increase the number of advertisements, thereby encouraging users of the printing device 200 to expand their use of printing by advertisement printing jobs.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, advertising print jobs are print jobs that can be executed without consuming the available printable pages. However, the total cumulative number of printed pages includes the number of pages printed by these advertising print jobs. A correction is made to remove the number of pages printed by these advertising print jobs. A correction is made by subtracting the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages from the total cumulative number of printed pages, and a corrected cumulative number of printed pages is generated. Furthermore, the corrected cumulative number of printed pages is subtracted from the cumulative charge of the printing device 200 to determine the number of printable pages. The user is charged an amount corresponding to the above corrected cumulative number of printed pages. In this embodiment, the more pages printed by advertising print jobs, the lower the amount charged to the user can be. According to this embodiment, it is possible to encourage users of the printing device 200 to increase their use of printing by advertising print jobs.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when points are awarded, the management server 100 notifies the terminal device 300 and provides guidance to the user. According to this embodiment, the user can decide to convert the points into the number of charged sheets based on the guidance provided in the notification, thereby increasing the number of printable sheets.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when points are awarded in conjunction with the execution of an advertisement print job, points are awarded each time such printing is performed. According to this embodiment, the user can recognize the benefits they have received each time they print an advertisement or the like.

[0071] <Variation> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical concept. Such modifications will be described in order below.

[0072] (1) When the corrected cumulative number of printed pages is calculated by the printing device In the above embodiment, the management server 100 calculates the corrected cumulative number of printed pages based on the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of printed pages not subject to billing received from the printing device 200. However, for example, the printing device 200 may calculate the corrected cumulative number of printed pages and send it to the management server 100.

[0073] Figure 4 shows an example of the flow of control processing performed by each device in the print management system 1 of this modified example. In Figure 4, the same reference numerals are used for control processing as in Figure 3, and their explanations are omitted.

[0074] Steps S2 to S28 are the same as in Figure 3 above. In step S29, following step S28, the printing device 200 calculates the corrected cumulative number of printed pages by subtracting the value of the cumulative number of printed pages not subject to billing from the value of the total cumulative number of printed pages.

[0075] In step S31, the printing device 200 sends the calculated corrected cumulative number of printed pages, the cumulative number of non-charged printed pages, and the number of advertisements to the management server 100.

[0076] Step S32 is the same as in Figure 3 described above. In step S36, the management server 100 determines the number of printable pages for the printer 200 by subtracting the corrected cumulative number of prints received from the printer 200 from the cumulative number of charge pages related to the printer 200.

[0077] The subsequent steps S38 to S46 are the same as those shown in Figure 3 above. This modified example also produces the same effects as the embodiment described above.

[0078] (2) When granting the number of charge without going through points In the above embodiment, points that can be used to purchase charge units are awarded when an advertisement is printed, but for example, charge units may be awarded directly without going through points.

[0079] Figure 5 shows an example of the flow of control processing performed by each device in the print management system 1 of this modified example. In Figure 5, the same reference numerals are used for control processing as in Figure 3, and their explanations are omitted.

[0080] Steps S2 to S38 are the same as in Figure 3 described above. In step S39, following step S38, the management server 100 adds a value corresponding to the number of printed pages or advertisements printed for advertising purposes, etc., based on the print results received from the printing device 200, to the cumulative charge value for the printing device 200. In this modified example, the cumulative charge value and the number of printable pages are associated with, for example, the ID of the printing device 200. Step S39 is an example of the assignment process.

[0081] In this modified example, steps S40 to S46 in Figure 3 are unnecessary.

[0082] In this modified version, each time an advertisement print job is executed, the number of charged sheets is added to the printing device 200 without the need for point generation. According to this modified version, the number of charged sheets is automatically added when an advertisement print job is executed, thereby increasing the number of printable sheets.

[0083] (3) When points are awarded at a predetermined time. In the above embodiment, points are awarded each time an advertisement is printed by an advertisement printing job, but points may also be awarded at a predetermined timing, for example. In this modified example, the management server 100 accumulates the increase from the previous predetermined timing, for example, based on the cumulative number of advertisements printed and the number of advertisements sent from the printing device 200 in step S30 in Figure 3 above, and periodically awards points at a predetermined timing, for example, the beginning of the month, based on the accumulated increase in the cumulative number of advertisements printed and the printing results such as the number of advertisements. In this case, conditions may be set for awarding points, for example, if the number of advertisements printed in the previous month exceeds 30, points will be awarded in the following month, but if it is less than 30, no points will be awarded.

[0084] In this modified version, when points are awarded in conjunction with the execution of an advertising print job, the points are awarded periodically at predetermined intervals. According to this modified version, the user can periodically recognize the benefits they have earned.

[0085] (4) When the printing device adds the number of sheets to its own charge. In the above modified example (2), the management server 100 assigns a charge to the printing device 200 when an advertisement print is performed, but for example, the printing device 200 may assign a charge to itself.

[0086] Figure 6 shows an example of the flow of control processing performed by each device in the print management system 1 of this modified example. In Figure 6, the same reference numerals are used for control processing as in Figure 3, and their explanations are omitted.

[0087] Steps S2 to S38 are the same as in Figure 3 described above. In step S41, based on the fact that advertising printing by the advertising printing job was executed in step S26, the printing device 200 adds a value corresponding to the number of printed pages or the number of advertisements printed in the advertising printing to the cumulative charge count value based on the printing result. In this way, the printing device 200 assigns the charge count to itself. In this modified example, the cumulative charge count and the number of printable pages are associated with, for example, the ID of the printing device 200. Step S41 is an example of the process of assigning a new allowable print amount.

[0088] In step S43, the printing device 200 sends the updated cumulative charge count value to the management server 100.

[0089] In step S45, the management server 100 updates the cumulative number of charges recorded in the database DB1 with the value of the cumulative number of charges received from the printing device 200.

[0090] In this modified example, steps S40 to S46 in Figure 3 are unnecessary.

[0091] In this modified version, the printing device 200 adds a charge to itself based on the execution of an advertising print job. Users can increase the number of printable pages by printing advertisements. According to this modified version, printing advertisements through advertising print jobs is beneficial to the user, thus providing an incentive for users to actively print advertisements and thereby expanding the use of printing advertisements.

[0092] (5) When providing notification of printing results in advertising printing In the above embodiment, the printing device 200 notified the management server 100 of the print result when the advertisement printing was completed. However, to enable the management server 100 to accurately know the number of printed pages, the print result may also be notified during the execution of the advertisement printing. For example, the printing device 200 may notify the print result each time it ejects a sheet of paper. However, if the printing device 200 notifies the print result each time it ejects a sheet of paper, the communication frequency will increase, increasing the load on the communication processing performed by the printing device 200 and the management server 100. Therefore, in order to limit the load on the communication processing, it is desirable that the option of whether or not to perform the above print result notification can be specified by, for example, the user of the printing device 200 or the administrator of the management server 100.Specific examples of print result notification will be explained below using Figures 7 to 15. Figures 7 to 15 show examples of printing three pages of advertisements in one advertisement printing job. Figures 7 to 12 show examples of single-sided printing, and Figures 13 to 15 show examples of double-sided printing. In this modified example, the management server 100 stores the total cumulative number of pages printed by the printing device 200 and the cumulative number of pages printed that are not subject to billing.

[0093] Figure 7 shows an example of a notification of the printing result under normal conditions for single-sided printing. As shown in Figure 7, the printer 200 sends a print performance notification corresponding to one page to the management server 100 each time it ejects the first, second, and third sheets. The management server 100 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by one each time it receives a print performance notification. When the printer 200 has completed printing the three-page advertisement, it sends a print completion notification to the management server 100 to notify it that the advertisement printing is complete.

[0094] Figure 8 shows an example of notification of printing results in the event of an abnormality during single-sided printing. Figure 8 shows an example where a jam occurs during the printing of the second page. As shown in Figure 8, when a jam occurs during the printing of the second page, the printer 200 sends a print stop notification to the management server 100 instead of a print performance notification. When the user clears the jam and resumes printing and ejects the second page, the printer does not send a print performance notification, but sends one when it ejects the third page. The management server 100 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by two pages, but does not increment the count for the second page that jammed. This makes it possible to avoid charging the administrator of the management server 100 and the user of the printer 200 for the page that jammed.

[0095] Figure 9 shows another example of notification of printing results in the event of an abnormality in single-sided printing. Figure 9 shows an example where, for example, the user presses the stop button on the printer 200 to cancel printing while the second page is being printed. As shown in Figure 9, when the stop button is pressed while the second page is being printed, the printer 200 sends a print cancellation notification along with a print record notification to the management server 100. The management server 100 counts up the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by one page, but does not count up the canceled second and third pages. This makes it possible to avoid charging the administrator of the management server 100 and the user of the printer 200 if printing is canceled by the user midway through printing.

[0096] Figure 10 shows an example of single-sided printing where, for example, the second page of a three-page print job is blank. As shown in Figure 10, when the second page is ejected, the printer 200 sends a print record notification corresponding to 0 pages to the management server 100, and when the first and third pages are ejected, it sends a print record notification corresponding to 1 page to the management server 100. The management server 100 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by 2 pages, but does not increment the count for blank pages. This ensures that users are not charged for blank pages.

[0097] Figure 11 shows yet another example of notification of printing results in the event of an abnormality in single-sided printing. Figure 11 shows an example where, for example, the user unplugs the printer 200 from the power outlet while the second page is being printed. As shown in Figure 11, the printer 200 sends a print record notification to the management server 100 when it ejects the first page, but after the power is cut off while the second page is being printed, it is unable to send a print record notification to the management server 100. Subsequently, even after the user turns the power back on, the printer 200 does not send a print record notification to the management server 100. In this case, the management server 100 counts up only one page from the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-billed printed pages.

[0098] Figure 12 shows yet another example of notification of printing results in the event of an anomaly during single-sided printing. Figure 12 shows an example where the network is disconnected, for example, during the printing of the second page. In this modified example, the printer 200 sends a print completion notification to the management server 100, and then, after receiving a response signal from the management server 100 corresponding to the receipt of the print completion notification, it executes printing of the next page. As shown in Figure 12, the printer 200 sends a print completion notification to the management server 100 when it ejects the second page, but the management server 100 cannot receive the print completion notification due to a network disconnection. As a result, the printer 200 cannot receive a response signal from the management server 100, so it either cancels the third job or suspends until it receives a response signal. This prevents fraud that would cause the next page to be printed without counting up by disconnecting the network.

[0099] Figure 13 shows an example of a notification of the printing result under normal circumstances for double-sided printing. As shown in Figure 13, the printer 200 prints the first page on the front side of the first sheet of paper and the second page on the back side, and when the first sheet of paper is ejected, it sends a print record notification corresponding to the second page to the management server 100. The printer 200 prints the third page on the front side of the second sheet of paper, and when the second sheet of paper is ejected, it sends a print record notification corresponding to the first page to the management server 100. The management server 100 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by three pages.

[0100] Figure 14 shows an example of notification of printing results in the event of an abnormality during double-sided printing. Figure 14 shows an example where a jam occurs during printing of the second page (the back side of the first sheet of paper). As shown in Figure 14, if a jam occurs during printing of the second page, the printer 200 does not send a print result notification when the user clears the jam and ejects the first sheet of paper. The printer 200 sends a print result notification corresponding to one page to the management server 100 when it prints on the front side of the second sheet of paper and ejects it. The management server 100 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by one page, and does not increment the count for the first sheet of paper where the jam occurred, even if the front side was printed. This makes it possible to avoid charging the administrator of the management server 100 and the user of the printer 200 for printing the two pages of the jammed paper.

[0101] Figure 15 shows another example of notification of printing results in the event of an abnormality during double-sided printing. Figure 15 shows an example where, for example, the user presses the stop button on the printer 200 to cancel printing during the printing of the second page (the back side of the first sheet of paper). As shown in Figure 15, when the stop button is pressed during the printing of the second page, the printer 200 sends a print cancellation notification along with a print record notification corresponding to one page to the management server 100. The management server 100 increments the total cumulative number of printed pages and the cumulative number of non-chargeable printed pages by one page. This makes it possible to avoid charging the administrator of the management server 100 and the user of the printer 200 if printing is canceled by the user during the printing process.

[0102] (6) Others In the above embodiment, information indicating whether a print job is a billable or non-billing print job is added to the print job, but the implementation of billing or non-billing for print jobs is not limited to this. For example, the management server 100 that sends print jobs may have separate APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for billing and non-billing, and billing or non-billing for print jobs may be implemented depending on whether the same print job is sent using the billing API or the non-billing API.

[0103] Furthermore, while the above describes how users can purchase additional charges using points they have been awarded, points may be made usable for purposes other than purchasing additional charges. For example, points may be allowed to be exchanged for prizes or converted into cash vouchers.

[0104] In summary, the sequence charts shown in Figures 3 to 6 do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the sequence charts, and procedures may be added, deleted, or their order changed without departing from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0105] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0106] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 1. Print Management System 100 Management Server (Example of a server) 200 Printing device 210 Control Unit 260 Communications Department 270 Printing Department 300 terminal devices 400 Advertising Server (An example of an information processing device)

Claims

1. A print management system comprising an information processing device, a server, and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an allowable print volume, The aforementioned server, A print volume addition process that adds the value of a newly purchased allowable print volume by the user of the printing device to the allowable print volume value for the printing device, The information processing device performs a job acquisition process to acquire a print job for printing content, A job transmission process that transmits the print job acquired in the job acquisition process to the printing device, Based on the fact that the printing by the print job sent in the job transmission process has been executed by the printing device, a point or granting process is performed to grant the new allowable print quantity. Execute, In the aforementioned job submission process, A print job for printing the aforementioned content is sent as a non-chargeable print job that does not consume the allowable print volume. The aforementioned printing apparatus, A print management system that, when it receives a print job different from the aforementioned non-chargeable print job, consumes the allowable print volume to perform printing, and when it receives the aforementioned non-chargeable print job, performs printing without consuming the allowable print volume.

2. The aforementioned server further, In order to execute printing using the aforementioned non-chargeable print job, a billing process is performed to impose charges that should be borne by the content requester. In the granting process, the server, The print management system according to claim 1, wherein the system variably increases or decreases the points to be granted or the newly allowed print quantity depending on the amount of charges incurred from the execution of the non-chargeable print job.

3. In the granting process, the server, The print management system according to claim 1, wherein the points to be awarded or the newly allowed print volume are variably increased or decreased according to the amount of prints made by the non-chargeable print jobs.

4. In the granting process, the server, The print management system according to claim 1, wherein the system variably increases or decreases the points to be awarded or the new allowable print quantity depending on the quantity of content to be printed by the non-chargeable print job.

5. The aforementioned server further, A correction value acquisition process that obtains a corrected cumulative print volume by subtracting the cumulative print volume from the cumulative value of the total print volume recorded by the printing device from the cumulative print volume from all non-charged print jobs, A determination process that determines the allowable print amount as the value obtained by subtracting the corrected cumulative print amount from the cumulative value of all the new allowable print amounts related to the printing device, A print management system according to claim 1, which performs the following actions.

6. The aforementioned server further, Notification process to notify the terminal device that the aforementioned points have been awarded. Execute, In the aforementioned print volume addition process, When the terminal device receives an instruction to use points corresponding to the notification, the value of the new allowable print volume corresponding to the points is added to the value of the allowable print volume for the printing device. A print management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The aforementioned permissible print volume is It is associated with the identification information of the printing device. In the granting process, the server, A print management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each time printing is performed by the non-chargeable print job, the new allowable print quantity is added to the allowable print quantity for the identification information of the printing device.

8. In the granting process, the server, A print management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which periodically awards the aforementioned points at predetermined intervals.

9. In the granting process, the server, A print management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which awards the points each time a print job is executed using the non-chargeable print job.

10. A print management system comprising an information processing device, a server, and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an allowable print volume, The aforementioned server, A print volume addition process that adds the value of a newly purchased allowable print volume by the user of the printing device to the allowable print volume value for the printing device, The information processing device performs a job acquisition process to acquire a print job for printing content, A job transmission process that transmits the print job acquired in the job acquisition process to the printing device, Execute, The aforementioned printing apparatus, Based on the fact that printing has been performed by the print job transmitted in the job transmission process, the new allowable print quantity is newly assigned to the printing device. The aforementioned server, In the aforementioned job submission process, A print job for printing the aforementioned content is sent as a non-chargeable print job that does not consume the allowable print volume. The aforementioned printing apparatus, A print management system that, when it receives a print job different from the aforementioned non-chargeable print job, consumes the allowable print volume to perform printing, and when it receives the aforementioned non-chargeable print job, performs printing without consuming the allowable print volume.

11. A server that is communicatively connected to an information processing device and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an allowable allowable print amount, A print volume addition process that adds the value of a newly purchased allowable print volume by the user of the printing device to the allowable print volume value for the printing device, The information processing device performs a job acquisition process to acquire a print job for printing content, A job transmission process that transmits the print job acquired in the job acquisition process to the printing device, Based on the fact that printing by the print job transmitted in the job transmission process has been performed by the printing device, a point or granting process is performed to grant the new allowable print quantity, Execute, In the aforementioned job submission process, A server that sends a print job for printing the aforementioned content as a non-chargeable print job that can be performed by the printing device without consuming the allowable print volume.

12. A communication unit capable of communicating with a server that is connected to the information processing device in a communication manner, The printing department, Control unit and It has, A printing apparatus that forms an image on a printing medium using the printing unit within the range of an allowable allowable printing amount, A job acquisition process that acquires a print job for printing content acquired by the server from the information processing device, A printing process, in which the printing unit executes printing based on the print job acquired through the job acquisition process, Based on the fact that printing by the print job has been performed by the aforementioned printing process, a new allowable print quantity is newly assigned to the printing device, a new allowable print quantity assignment process, Execute, In the job acquisition process described above, if a print job is received that is different from a non-chargeable print job that does not consume the allowable print volume, the print job will consume the allowable print volume and be executed. A printing device that, in the job acquisition process described above, receives the non-chargeable print job as a print job for printing the content described above, and then performs printing without consuming the allowable print volume.

13. A print management method performed by a print management system including an information processing device, a server, and a printing device that forms an image on a printing medium within the range of an allowable allowable print volume, A job acquisition step to obtain a print job for printing content, A job transmission step includes sending the print job acquired in the job acquisition step to the printing device as a non-chargeable print job that does not consume the allowable print volume, A printing step in which, when a print job different from the aforementioned non-chargeable print job is received, the printer consumes the allowable print volume and performs printing, and when a non-chargeable print job is received, the printer performs printing without consuming the allowable print volume; A granting step is performed on the printing device based on the fact that the print job sent in the job transmission step has been executed on the printing device, thereby granting a new allowable print quantity to the printing device. A print management method having the following characteristics.

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