Consumables management system and program

Abstract

To reduce waste of consumable item usage compared to exchanging consumable items based solely on a use state of provided device, by controlling supply of the consumable item according to collection period of the device.SOLUTION: A consumable item management server executes the steps of: obtaining use information of a consumable item from a target device for which a collection period is set; and determining a replacement timing of the consumable item on the basis of the use information. The consumable item management server directs replacement or replenishment of the consumable item if the replacement timing meets a predetermined condition according to the collection period, and does not direct replacement or replenishment of the consumable item if the replacement timing does not meet such condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a consumable management system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding the management of consumables such as office equipment, information on the usage amount of consumables is obtained from the equipment to calculate the replacement time, and consumables whose replacement time is approaching are replaced or replenished. Also, in order to reduce waste in the use of consumables, proposals have been made for the use of recycled products and the reuse of used consumables.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a customer-side device that uses consumables notifies a management device of a management source that manages the consumables of the usage degree or consumption degree of the consumables, and when it is detected by the management device that the consumables have been used up to a predetermined usage degree or consumption degree, according to the contract information registered in advance, a consumable management method is disclosed for determining whether to provide a new consumable to the customer or a recycled consumable to the customer.

[0004] In Patent Document 2, when the management server 101 determines that a consumable part that has been used is still usable, it is sent to the inspection terminal 104. The inspection terminal 104 inspects whether the consumable part is usable. If the result of the inspection is that it is usable, it is registered as inventory. When the remaining life of the consumable part of the image forming apparatus 106 becomes less than a certain period, the image forming apparatus 106 transmits a replacement request information of the consumable to the management server 101. The management server 101 searches for necessary consumable parts based on the replacement request information, and the management server 101 transmits information regarding appropriate shipping processing to the inventory management terminal 105. A management system is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] When equipment is provided to customers under a lease agreement or similar arrangement, replacing consumables close to the time when the equipment is to be collected due to the expiration of the lease agreement or similar circumstances can result in wasteful use of consumables, as the equipment will be collected soon after the consumables are replaced.

[0007] The present invention aims to reduce waste in the use of consumables by controlling the provision of consumables according to the equipment's recovery period, compared to replacing consumables solely based on the usage status of the provided equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention according to claim 1 is Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, We obtain information on the use of consumables from managed equipment for which a collection period has been set. Based on the usage information mentioned above, the replacement time for the consumables is determined. The aforementioned replacement time is the aforementioned recovery time. Previously This consumables management system is characterized by instructing the replacement or replenishment of the consumables when predetermined conditions are met, and not instructing the replacement or replenishment of the consumables when the replacement time does not meet those conditions. The present invention according to claim 2 is The aforementioned processor is such that the replacement time is the same as the recovery time. Previously The consumables management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, when predetermined conditions are met, the instruction limits the amount of the consumables that need to be replenished according to the period between the replacement time and the collection time. The present invention according to claim 3 is The consumables management system according to claim 2, characterized in that when the equipment is installed at another installation location of the customer after being recovered from the customer's installation location, the processor does not limit the amount of consumables to be replenished even if the period between the replacement time and the recovery time satisfies the conditions for limiting the amount of consumables to be replenished. The present invention according to claim 4 is The aforementioned processor is the one that will be replaced before the aforementioned replacement time. Prediction The consumables management system according to claim 1, characterized in that if the specified conditions are not met and the equipment is retrieved from the customer's installation site and installed at another installation site of the customer, the system instructs the replacement or replenishment of the consumables in accordance with the installation of the equipment at the other installation site. The present invention according to claim 5 is The consumables management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the processor does not instruct the replacement or replenishment of the consumables even if the equipment is recovered from the customer's installation site and installed at another installation site of the customer, provided that predetermined conditions regarding the use of the consumables are met. The present invention according to claim 6 is On the computer, A function to acquire consumable usage information from managed equipment for which a collection period has been set, A function to determine the replacement time for the consumables based on the usage information, The aforementioned replacement time is the aforementioned recovery time. Previously A function that, when predetermined conditions are met, instructs the replacement or replenishment of the consumables, and does not instruct the replacement or replenishment of the consumables when the replacement time does not meet those conditions, This program is characterized by its ability to achieve the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, waste in the use of consumables can be reduced compared to the case where consumables are replaced only according to the usage status of the provided equipment. According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to reduce waste of consumables to be replenished as compared with a configuration that only determines whether to replenish the consumables. According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to suppress the labor in transporting the consumables as compared with a configuration that restricts the replenishment amount of the consumables based only on the relationship between the replacement time of the consumables and the collection time of the device. According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to enhance the convenience for the user of the device recipient as compared with a configuration that determines the replacement or replenishment of the consumables based only on the relationship between the replacement time of the consumables and the collection time of the device. According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to reduce the labor of the operator who performs the replacement or replenishment of the consumables as compared with a configuration that always performs the replacement or replenishment of the consumables when the device is moved. According to the invention of claim 6, in a computer installed with the program of the present invention, it is possible to reduce waste in the use of the consumables as compared with a case where the consumables are replaced according only to the usage status of the provided device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a consumable management system to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a consumable management server and a delivery management server. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a consumable management server. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a delivery management server. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing the operation of a consumable management server. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing the operation of a consumable management server when determining the restriction of the replenishment amount in replenishing the consumables. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing the operation of a consumable management server at the time of collecting an image forming apparatus.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a consumable management system to which the present embodiment is applied. The consumable management system shown in FIG. 1 includes a consumable management server 100, a target device 200, and a delivery management server 300. The consumable management server 100, the target device 200, and the delivery management server 300 are connected via a network. The target device 200 may be any device that includes consumables to be managed according to the present embodiment, and is not particularly limited.

[0013] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the target device 200 is provided to a recipient (company, etc.) under a contract or the like. Therefore, this target device is recovered from the recipient when a contract expires or a recovery instruction is issued. Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the target device 200 may be moved from one installation location of the recipient to another installation location during the contract period. For example, when the target device 200 provided to a company is lent out to an employee's home of that company. In this case, it is assumed that the target device 200 lent out to an employee's home is recovered once and then lent out to another employee's home. In the present embodiment, a case where an image forming apparatus is used as an example of the target device 200 will be described. Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus as the target device 200 in the present embodiment will be referred to as the image forming apparatus 200.

[0014] The network connecting the consumables management server 100, the image forming apparatus 200, and the delivery management server 300 is not particularly limited as long as it can be used for data communication between the devices. For example, a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet may be used. The communication lines used for data communication may be wired or wireless, or both may be used in combination. Relay devices such as gateway devices, routers, and access points may be used to configure the devices to be connected via multiple networks and communication lines.

[0015] <Server Hardware Configuration> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the consumables management server 100 and the delivery management server 300. The consumables management server 100 and the delivery management server 300 are implemented by computers on a network. Here, the consumables management server 100 and the delivery management server 300 are described as computer devices connected to a network, but the consumables management server 100 and the delivery management server 300 may also be implemented as virtual servers built by one or more computers connected to a network, or as cloud servers, etc.

[0016] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the computer that makes up the consumables management server 100. The computer that makes up the consumables management server 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, RAM 102 (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, and a storage device 104.

[0017] The CPU 101 is an arithmetic unit that executes programs to perform various processes and controls. The RAM 102 is the main memory and is used as working memory when the CPU 101 performs arithmetic processing. The ROM 103 stores data such as programs and pre-configured settings, and the CPU 101 can directly read programs and data from the ROM 103 and execute processing. The functions of various data processing and control in the consumables management server 100, which will be described later, are realized, for example, by the CPU 101 executing programs.

[0018] The storage device 104 is a means of storing programs and data. Programs are stored in the storage device 104, and the CPU 101 reads the programs stored in the storage device 104 into the RAM 102 and executes them. The storage device 104 also stores and saves the results of processing by the CPU 101. Specifically, the storage device 104 stores report data created in the consumables management server 100. The storage device 104 also stores information about the users of the consumables management server 100. This user information is used to create the report data. For example, a magnetic disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used as the storage device 104.

[0019] In the consumables management server 100 and the delivery management server 300, the CPU 101 loads and executes programs, thereby realizing the various functions described below. The consumables management server 100 implements functions such as acquiring information on the use of consumables, estimating the replacement time for consumables, and deciding whether or not to replace or replenish consumables. The delivery management server 300 implements functions such as managing the inventory of consumables and notifying delivery instructions. Note that the time when consumables that require replacement depending on their condition (e.g., photoconductor drum) need to be replaced, and the time when consumables that require replenishment depending on their condition (e.g., toner and paper) need to be replenished, are collectively referred to as the "replacement time."

[0020] <Hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 200> Figure 3 shows the configuration of an image forming apparatus to which this embodiment is applied. The image forming apparatus 200 comprises a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, an operation unit 230, a display unit 240, an image reading unit 250, an image forming unit 260, a communication unit 270, and an image processing unit 280. Each of these functional units is connected to a bus 201, and data is exchanged via this bus 201.

[0021] The control unit 210 controls the above-mentioned functional units in the image forming apparatus 200. The control unit 210 is also a functional unit that performs various data processing. The control unit 210 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, which is a calculation means, and RAM (Random Access Memory) 212 and ROM (Read Only Memory) 213, which are storage means. RAM 212 is the main memory and is used as working memory when the CPU 211 performs calculation processing. ROM 213 holds data such as programs and pre-prepared setting values, and the CPU 211 reads programs and data directly from ROM 213 and executes processing. Programs and data are also stored in the storage unit 220. The CPU 211 reads the programs stored in the storage unit 220 into RAM 212 and executes them.

[0022] In this embodiment, the control unit 210 acquires consumable usage information by having the CPU 211 read and execute a program. The image forming apparatus 200 is equipped with various sensors (not shown) for obtaining information about the operation and status of consumables. The control unit 210 acquires data from the sensors and stores it, for example, in the storage unit 220. Then, according to predetermined transmission conditions (for example, periodically), the control unit 210 reads the consumable data stored in the storage unit 220 and transmits it to the consumable management server 100 as consumable usage information.

[0023] The memory unit 220 is a functional unit that stores programs and data for the CPU 211 to execute, as well as various data generated by various operations, such as image data read by the image reading unit 250. The memory unit 220 is implemented by a storage device such as a magnetic disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive). In this embodiment, as described above, data on consumables acquired by the control unit 210 from the sensor is temporarily stored in the memory unit 220.

[0024] The operation unit 230 is a functional unit that receives user input. The operation unit 230 is composed of, for example, hardware keys or touch sensors that output control signals corresponding to the position pressed or touched by a finger or the like. It may also be configured as a touch panel, combining a touch sensor and a liquid crystal display that constitutes the display unit 240.

[0025] The display unit 240 is a functional unit that displays information images that present various types of information to the user, preview images of images to be processed such as reading or outputting, and operation images for the user to perform operations. The display unit 240 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 230 and the display unit 240 can be combined and used as a user interface means for the user to input and output information to and from the image forming apparatus 200.

[0026] The image reading unit 250 is a functional unit that optically reads an image on the document. Examples of image reading methods include the CCD method, which reduces the reflected light from light emitted from a light source onto the document using a lens and receives it with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and the CIS method, which receives the reflected light from light emitted sequentially from an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source onto the document with a CIS (Contact Image Sensor).

[0027] The image forming unit 260 is a functional unit that forms an image based on image data on a medium such as paper using an image forming material. As a method for forming an image on a medium, for example, an electrophotographic method is used, in which toner is used as the image forming material, and the toner attached to the photoreceptor is transferred to the medium to form an image.

[0028] The communication unit 270 is a functional unit that sends and receives commands and data to and from external devices. The communication unit 270 uses an interface appropriate to the communication method with the external device. Connection to the external device may be via a network or by direct connection. The communication line may be either a wired or wireless line.

[0029] The image processing unit 280 is a functional unit that includes a processor and working memory, and performs image processing such as color correction and gradation correction on the image data. The CPU 211 of the control unit 210 may be used as the processor, and the RAM 212 of the control unit 210 may be used as the working memory.

[0030] <Functional configuration of the consumables management server 100> Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the consumables management server 100. The consumables management server 100 includes a usage information acquisition unit 110, a replacement timing estimation unit 120, a management information holding unit 130, and a determination unit 140.

[0031] The usage information acquisition unit 110 acquires usage information of consumables from the image forming apparatus 200 under management. The usage information acquisition unit 110 is a functional unit that is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 shown in Figure 2 executing a program. The usage information of consumables is sent from the image forming apparatus 200 periodically, for example. In addition, if a collection period is specified by the supplier for a particular image forming apparatus 200, the usage information of consumables may be acquired at a specific time based on that collection period. The usage information acquisition unit 110 may acquire usage information of the image forming apparatus 200 itself, in addition to usage information of individual consumables. Examples of usage information of the image forming apparatus 200 include the operation log of the image forming apparatus 200.

[0032] The replacement timing estimation unit 120 estimates the replacement timing of consumables based on usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 110, according to the usage status, usage period, frequency of use, etc. The replacement timing estimation unit 120 is a functional unit that is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 shown in Figure 2 executing a program. The replacement timing estimation unit 120 may also have a function to estimate how much of a consumable will be used by a specific time, according to the usage status, usage period, frequency of use, etc.

[0033] The management information storage unit 130 stores management information for the image forming apparatus 200 being managed. The management information storage unit 130 is implemented, for example, by the storage device 104 shown in Figure 2. The management information includes information such as the timing of the retrieval of the image forming apparatus 200 and whether or not it will be moved to another location of the recipient after retrieval. If the image forming apparatus 200 is provided under contract, information on the contract details, including the contract expiration date, may also be stored. This information is entered into the consumables management server 100 and stored in the management information storage unit 130 after each piece of information has been set, for example, when the image forming apparatus 200 is provided or when the contract is set up.

[0034] The determination unit 140 determines whether or not to issue an instruction to replace consumables that need to be replaced and an instruction to replenish consumables that need to be replenished (hereinafter referred to as "replacement / replenishment instruction"). The determination unit 140 is a functional unit that is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 shown in Figure 2 executing a program. The determination unit 140 issues a replacement / replenishment instruction for consumables if the replacement time of the consumables estimated by the replacement time estimation unit 120 meets predetermined conditions.

[0035] The conditions for issuing a replacement / replenishment order include, firstly, that the estimated time until replacement has become shorter than a predetermined threshold period (hereinafter referred to as the "threshold period"). The threshold period is set considering factors such as the accuracy of the replacement timing estimation, the time required for delivery of consumables, replacement and replenishment work, and inventory management. The threshold period may be set individually for each type of consumable, and for some consumables, a replacement / replenishment order may be issued when the estimated replacement time is reached (threshold period = 0).

[0036] Furthermore, there are conditions for issuing replacement / replenishment instructions based on the relationship between the replacement time and the recovery time of the image forming apparatus 200. For example, if the recovery time is earlier than the estimated replacement time, the image forming apparatus 200 will be recovered before the replacement time, so there is no need to replace or replenish consumables. Therefore, conditions based on the recovery time (for example, the condition that "the replacement time is earlier than the recovery time") are set in advance, and the determination unit 140 issues a replacement / replenishment instruction for consumables if this condition is met, and does not issue a replacement / replenishment instruction for consumables if this condition is not met.

[0037] Here, the determination unit 140 may, when the replacement time satisfies the conditions based on the collection time, issue an instruction to limit the amount of replenishment when instructing the replenishment of consumables that require replenishment. Based on the consumable usage information obtained from the image forming apparatus 200 and the estimated replacement time, the determination unit 140 estimates the amount of consumables used from the time of replenishment until the collection time. Then, the determination unit 140 decides whether to replenish the full amount or a limited amount according to the estimation result. The conditions for limiting the amount of replenishment may be set based on the amount of consumables that are estimated to be used during the period from the time of replenishment until the collection time. For example, if it is estimated that about 10% of the full amount of consumables will be used from the time of replenishment until the collection time, the replenishment amount may be set to about 30% to 50% of the full amount.

[0038] Consumables that require replenishment include toner and paper. In the case of toner, it is conceivable to prepare toner cartridges that are fully filled and toner cartridges that are filled with less than the full amount, and to deliver the toner cartridge with the less amount according to the judgment of the judgment unit 140. For example, used toner cartridges taken from recovered image forming apparatus 200 may be used as toner cartridges filled with less than the full amount. When used items are used, the amount of toner can be estimated from the usage information of these used toner cartridges. If the consumable that is limited is paper, the amount to be replenished can be limited by the number of bundles delivered.

[0039] Furthermore, if the image forming apparatus 200 is retrieved from the customer's current installation location and then reinstalled at another location of the same customer, the determination unit 140 may not limit the amount of replenishment and may replenish to full capacity, even if the conditions for limiting the replenishment amount described above are met. This is because the image forming apparatus 200 will continue to be supplied to the same customer even after being retrieved and moved.

[0040] Furthermore, even if the replacement timing does not meet the conditions based on the retrieval timing, if the image forming apparatus 200 is retrieved from the customer's current installation location and then installed at another location of the same customer, the judgment unit 140 may issue instructions for replacement and replenishment of consumables when the image forming apparatus 200 is installed at the new location. This is to avoid the need to replace or replenish consumables in a short period of time after moving to a new installation location.

[0041] Furthermore, the determination unit 140 may, in certain cases, refrain from issuing instructions for replacement or replenishment of consumables, even if the replacement timing does not meet the conditions based on the retrieval timing, and the image forming apparatus 200 is to be retrieved from the customer's current installation location and then installed at another location of the same customer. For example, a threshold may be set for the remaining amount of consumables, and if the remaining amount of consumables at the time of retrieval of the image forming apparatus 200 exceeds the threshold, no instructions for replacement or replenishment may be issued. The threshold may be set, for example, based on the relationship between the frequency of use of consumables in the operation of the image forming apparatus 200, the number of uses after replenishment, and the period from replenishment to retrieval.

[0042] <Functional Configuration of Delivery Management Server 300> Figure 5 shows the functional configuration of the delivery management server 300. The delivery management server 300 comprises a consumables information management unit 310, an information acquisition unit 320, and a delivery instruction unit 330.

[0043] The consumables information management unit 310 manages information such as the status of consumables to be delivered. The consumables information management unit 310 is realized by a functional unit which is implemented by the CPU 101 shown in Figure 2 executing a program, and a storage device 104. Information such as the status of consumables includes, for example, whether they are new or used, the amount they contain, and in the case of used items, information such as usage history and remaining amount.

[0044] The information acquisition unit 320 acquires delivery instructions and information on consumables to be delivered from the consumables management server 100. Information on consumables to be delivered includes, for example, information specifying the amount to be stored when limiting the amount to be replenished, and information on whether or not used items will be used.

[0045] The delivery instruction unit 330 notifies the consumables delivery person of the delivery instructions. The delivery instructions also include information specifying the condition of the consumables to be delivered. For example, it includes information on whether new or used items can be used and the amount to be replenished. Upon receiving this notification, the delivery person retrieves the consumables corresponding to the delivery instructions from the consumables inventory storage location and delivers them.

[0046] <Operation of the consumables management server 100> Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the consumables management server 100. When the conditions for estimating the replacement timing of consumables (hereinafter referred to as "estimation execution conditions") are met (S601), the replacement timing estimation unit 120 estimates the replacement timing of the target consumable (S602). Examples of estimation execution conditions include the number of jobs executed or the operating time of the image forming apparatus 200 reaching a predetermined threshold, a certain period of time having passed since the previous estimation or a certain number of jobs having been executed, the period until the recovery time of the image forming apparatus 200 becoming shorter than a predetermined threshold period, or receiving a recovery request for the image forming apparatus 200. If the estimated replacement timing does not meet the conditions for issuing a replacement / replenishment instruction (NO in S603), there is no need to replace or replenish the consumables, and the operation ends.

[0047] If the estimated replacement time satisfies the conditions for issuing a replacement / replenishment instruction (YES in S603), the decision unit 140 of the consumables management server compares the recovery time set for the image forming apparatus 200 with the estimated replacement time (S604). If the replacement time is earlier (YES in S605), the decision unit 140 of the consumables management server 100 issues a replacement / replenishment instruction (S606). If no recovery time is set for the image forming apparatus 200, the decision unit 140 determines YES in S605, and the decision unit 140 of the consumables management server 100 issues a replacement / replenishment instruction (S606). On the other hand, if the recovery time is earlier (NO in S605), the decision unit 140 of the consumables management server 100 does not issue a replacement / replenishment instruction (S607).

[0048] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the consumables management server 100 when determining the limit on the amount of consumables to be replenished. Figure 7 shows the operation after determining to issue a replacement / replenishment instruction (YES) in S605 of Figure 6. In this operation, the consumables to be judged are those that require replenishment according to their condition.

[0049] The judgment unit 140 of the consumables management server 100 determines whether the period until the recovery time of the image forming apparatus 200 is shorter than a predetermined threshold period when issuing a replacement / replenishment instruction. If the period until the recovery time is longer than the threshold period (NO in S701), the judgment unit 140 instructs that the replacement / replenishment instruction be delivered without limiting the amount of replenishment (S705).

[0050] If the period until the retrieval time is shorter than the threshold (YES in S701), the determination unit 140 considers, for example, the management information of the image forming apparatus 200 held in the management information holding unit 130, and determines whether the image forming apparatus 200 will be installed at another location of the same customer after retrieval. If it will be installed at another location (YES in S702), the determination unit 140 instructs that the replacement / replenishment instruction be delivered without limiting the replenishment amount (S705).

[0051] On the other hand, if the image forming apparatus 200 is not installed at another location of the same customer after being collected (NO in S702), the determination unit 140 estimates the amount of consumables to be used after replenishment until the time of collection of the image forming apparatus 200 (S703). This estimation of usage may also be done using the function of the replacement time estimation unit 120 to estimate the amount of consumables used up to a specific time. Based on the estimation result of the amount of consumables used up to the collection time, the determination unit 140 instructs that the amount of replenishment be limited when delivering replacement / replenishment instructions (S704).

[0052] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the consumables management server 100 when the image forming apparatus 200 is retrieved. This operation can be performed if it is determined in S605 of Figure 6 that no replacement or replenishment instruction should be given (NO). In this operation, the consumables subject to determination are those that require replenishment depending on their condition.

[0053] When it is time to retrieve the image forming apparatus 200 (S801), the determination unit 140 of the consumables management server 100 determines whether the image forming apparatus 200 is scheduled to be installed at another location of the same customer after retrieval. This determination is made by taking into account the management information of the image forming apparatus 200 held in the management information holding unit 130. If it is not scheduled to be installed at another location (NO in S802), there is no need to replace or replenish consumables, and the process is terminated.

[0054] In contrast, if the image forming apparatus 200 is scheduled to be installed at another location after retrieval (YES in S802), the determination unit 140 estimates the remaining amount of consumables at the time of retrieval (S803). This estimation is performed, for example, by taking into account the usage information of the image forming apparatus 200 periodically acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 110. Alternatively, the remaining amount of consumables identified by the last usage information acquired before retrieval may be used as the remaining amount at the time of retrieval.

[0055] The determination unit 140, if the estimated remaining amount of consumables satisfies the replenishment condition (YES in S804), instructs the delivery management server 300 to replenish the consumables during collection (S805). This replenishment condition may be that the estimated remaining amount of consumables is less than a predetermined threshold. On the other hand, if the estimated remaining amount of consumables does not satisfy the replenishment condition (NO in S804), there is no need to replace or replenish the consumables, so the determination unit 140 terminates processing.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, an example using an image forming apparatus as the target device 200 was described, but the application of this embodiment is not limited to the above example. This embodiment can be applied to the management of consumables for various devices that have consumables that need to be replaced or replenished periodically or depending on the condition. In addition, various modifications and substitutions of configurations that do not depart from the technical concept of the present invention are included in the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 100...Consumables management server, 110...Usage information acquisition unit, 120...Replacement timing estimation unit, 130...Management information storage unit, 140...Decision unit, 200...Target equipment (image forming apparatus), 300...Delivery management server

Claims

1. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, We obtain information on the use of consumables from managed equipment for which a collection period has been set. Based on the usage information mentioned above, the replacement time for the consumables is determined. A consumables management system characterized by instructing the replacement or replenishment of the consumables if the replacement time is before the collection time and predetermined conditions are met, and not instructing the replacement or replenishment of the consumables if the replacement time does not meet the conditions.

2. The consumables management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the replacement time is before the recovery time and predetermined conditions are met, the processor limits the amount of the consumables to be replenished in the instruction according to the period between the replacement time and the recovery time.

3. The consumables management system according to claim 2, characterized in that when the equipment is installed at another installation location of the customer after being recovered from the customer's installation location, the processor does not limit the amount of consumables to be replenished even if the period between the replacement time and the recovery time satisfies the conditions for limiting the amount of consumables to be replenished.

4. The consumables management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the replacement time does not meet the predetermined conditions, and the equipment is recovered from the customer's installation site and installed at another installation site of the customer, the processor instructs the replacement or replenishment of the consumables in accordance with the installation of the equipment at the other installation site.

5. The consumables management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the processor does not instruct the replacement or replenishment of the consumables even if the equipment is recovered from the customer's installation site and installed at another installation site of the customer, provided that predetermined conditions regarding the use of the consumables are met.

6. On the computer, A function to acquire consumable usage information from managed equipment for which a collection period has been set, A function to determine the replacement time for the consumables based on the usage information, The system has a function that, if the replacement time is before the recovery time and the predetermined conditions are met, instructs the replacement or replenishment of the consumables, and does not instruct the replacement or replenishment of the consumables if the replacement time does not meet the conditions. A program characterized by its ability to achieve this.

Images