Notification Management Device

Abstract

To prompt a printing device to return to an online state where automatic purchase is possible when automatic purchase of printing privileges may be performed but the printing device is offline.SOLUTION: A notification management program 131 executes: a procedure of S40 to determine whether or not a printing system is in an auto-charge mode in which the number of printable sheets of paper can be increased by automatic purchase of printing privileges; a procedure of S10 to determine whether a multifunction machine 200 is in an online state in which instructions can be received from a management server 100 via a network NT or in an offline state in which instructions cannot be received from the management server 100 via the network NT; and a procedure of S35 to output an offline notification indicating that auto-charge is not executed in response to determination that the printing system is in the auto-charge mode in the procedure of S40 and determination that the printing system is in the offline state in the procedure of S10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification management device that issues a notification regarding printing performed based on printing authority.

Background Art

[0002] A system in which a user pays a fee by a prepaid method and receives a printing service is already known. In such a system, conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1 for example, a management server connected to a printing device adds a guaranteed printing amount corresponding to the printing authority purchased based on a purchase request by a manual operation of the user to the allowable printing amount of the printing device, and a technique in which the printing device executes printing with the added allowable printing amount as an upper limit is known. In this prior art, in response to the situation where the management server cannot grasp the remaining allowable printing amount when the printing device is in an offline state, it is disclosed to provide an upper limit to the allowable printing amount of the printing device at the time of offline.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, for example, when it is possible to automatically purchase a printing authority without depending on a purchase request of a user when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the allowable printing amount of the printing device is automatically increased by a guaranteed printing amount corresponding to the purchased printing authority, this is not considered.

[0005] Now, let's consider a new scenario where the printer goes offline while the automatic purchase setting described above is enabled. In this case, the automatic purchase fails, and the printer's print capacity does not increase, but the user may not notice and leave it as is, resulting in a situation where the printer becomes unable to print without the user's knowledge.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a notification management device that can prompt the printer to return to an online state where automatic purchase of print rights is possible when the printer goes offline and automatic purchase of print rights is being performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a notification management device for managing predetermined notifications for a printing system comprising a server, a printing device, and a terminal device, wherein the printing system is configured to increase the maximum allowable print quantity, which is the upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to the guaranteed print quantity guaranteed by a first print authority purchased based on a purchase request in response to user operation, or a second print authority that is automatically purchased when predetermined conditions are met, and the notification management device performs a mode determination process to determine whether the printing system is in an automatic mode in which the allowable print quantity can be increased by the automatic purchase of the second print authority; a reception determination process to determine whether the printing device is in a normal state in which it can receive instructions from the server via a first communication, or in a disconnected state in which it cannot receive instructions from the server via a first communication; and a notification output process that outputs a warning notification indicating that the automatic purchase will not be performed, triggered by the determination in the mode determination process that the system is in an automatic mode and the reception determination process that the system is in a disconnected state.

[0008] In the present invention, users can perform printing using a so-called prepaid system, where they acquire printing rights by incurring a financial burden. The printing system is configured to perform printing up to an upper limit of the allowable print volume, and the allowable print volume can be increased in accordance with a predetermined guaranteed print volume guaranteed by the printing rights acquired by the user. There are two types of printing rights: a first printing right purchased based on a purchase request in response to user operation, and a second printing right that is automatically purchased when predetermined conditions are met. When purchasing the first printing right, user operation is involved, so it is possible to address inconveniences caused by the printer being offline (such as the printer's allowable print volume not being increased, or the server not being able to recognize the printer's current allowable print volume). However, when the second printing right is automatically purchased, the user may not be able to address inconveniences due to their absence, etc.

[0009] In the notification management device of the present invention, in order to avoid the inconveniences that may occur when offline as described above when the automatic purchase is set up, mode determination processing, reception determination processing, and notification output processing are performed in advance.

[0010] The mode determination process determines whether the printing system's operating mode is the automatic mode corresponding to the purchase of the second print license.

[0011] The reception determination process determines whether the printing device is in a normal state, i.e., online state, capable of receiving instructions from the server via the first communication, or in a disconnected state, i.e., offline state, where it cannot receive instructions.

[0012] When the mode determination process determines that it is in automatic mode and the reception determination process determines that the above interruption state has occurred, a warning notification is output in the notification output process. The warning notification indicates that the automatic purchase will not be executed.

[0013] According to the present invention, a warning notification is issued when automatic purchase of print rights occurs and the printing device is offline, thereby prompting the device to return to an online state where an increase in print capacity through automatic purchase is possible, that is, a state in which it can receive instructions from the server via the first communication. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, when automatic purchase of print rights is performed and the printing device goes offline, it is possible to prompt the device to return to an online state where automatic purchase is possible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a printing service provision system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram showing the general configuration of a mobile device. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating a prepaid printing service. [Figure 4] This diagram provides a detailed representation of the network connection configuration for the entire printing service provision system. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of screen transitions when configuring communication settings on a mobile device's touch panel. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of how a mobile device's touchscreen displays an offline notification in the form of an email. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates an example of how an offline notification in the form of a push notification is displayed on a mobile device's touch panel. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the control procedure for the notification management program executed by the management server's processor. [Figure 9] This is a functional block diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a printing service provision system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]It is a flowchart showing an example of the control procedure of a notification management program executed by the processor of a multi-function device. [Figure 11] It is a functional block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a mobile terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing an example of the control procedure of a notification management program executed by the CPU of a mobile terminal. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of display when offline notifications are displayed in the form of a status monitor on a general-purpose personal computer. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of display when offline notifications are displayed in the form of an email on a general-purpose personal computer.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] <First Embodiment> First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The system configuration of the printing service providing system according to this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. This embodiment is an embodiment of a printing service providing system 1 that can provide a prepaid printing service in which a user who is a customer pays a fee in advance and uses the printing function of a multi-function device of 200.

[0018] <Overview of the Printing Service Providing System> In FIG. 1, this printing service providing system 1 includes a management server 100, a multi-function device 200, a mobile terminal 300, and a notification server 400. These management server 100, multi-function device 200, mobile terminal 300, and notification server 400 are connected to a network NT including a wireless communication line for mobile phones and the Internet as described later, and can communicate with each other. Note that the printing service providing system 1 is an example of a printing system, the management server 100 and the notification server are examples of servers, the multi-function device 200 is an example of a printing device, and the mobile terminal 300 is an example of a terminal device.

[0019] <Management Server> The management server 100 is a server installed and managed by, for example, the manufacturer of the multifunction printer 200, and includes a processor 110, a storage device 115, and a communication interface 190. These components, the processor 110, the storage device 115, and the communication interface 190, are connected to each other via a bus 105.

[0020] The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a non-volatile storage device 130. The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, a DRAM and stores various programs and data to be processed. The non-volatile storage device 130 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive and has a program storage area 131 and a data storage area 132.

[0021] The program storage area 131 stores various programs. These programs include a notification management program 133 related to offline notifications for the printing service of this embodiment, based on the flowchart in Figure 8 described later. The data storage area 132 stores various information, such as information about the numerous multifunction printers 200 and users managed by the management server 100, and the contract status of the printing service for them.

[0022] The processor 110 is a data processing device, such as a CPU, and executes various programs related to the prepaid printing service of this embodiment, including the notification management program 133 stored in the program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes, including data communication to the mobile terminal 300, the multifunction printer 200, and the notification server 400 connected to the network NT. The processor 110 works in cooperation with the mobile terminal 300 to purchase printing rights by the printing service provision system 1 of this embodiment. In this example, the processor 110 and the notification management program 133 stored in the program storage area 131 are an example of a notification management device.

[0023] The communication interface 190 is a wired LAN interface or wireless interface for communicating with other devices and is connected to the network NT.

[0024] The storage device 115 is not limited to the configuration of the device elements described above, and may be configured, for example, with RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, a portable recording medium such as a USB memory stick that can be attached to or detached from the mobile terminal 300, a buffer provided by the processor 110, or a combination thereof.

[0025] The storage device 115 may also be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the examples above, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Furthermore, non-transitory media are also tangible media. The same applies to the storage device 215 of the multifunction printer 200, which will be described later.

[0026] <Multifunction device> The multifunction printer 200 is owned, for example, by a printing service provider or user that provides the above-mentioned prepaid printing service. The multifunction printer 200 includes a scanner unit 280, a printing unit 290, a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 285, and a communication interface 270. These scanner unit 280, printing unit 290, processor 210, storage device 215, display unit 240, operation unit 250, communication unit 285, and communication interface 270 are connected to each other via a bus 205.

[0027] The storage device 215 comprises a volatile storage device 220 and a non-volatile storage device 230. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, DRAM and includes an image data storage area 222 for storing image data to be printed. The non-volatile storage device 230 is, for example, flash memory and includes a program storage area 232. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 232, for example, as firmware.

[0028] The processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU. The processor 210 executes various programs stored in the program storage area 232.

[0029] The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and is capable of displaying various information. The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts user input. By operating the operation unit 250, the user can input various instructions to the multifunction device 200. The communication interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices and is connected to network NT.

[0030] The scanner unit 280 generates scan data representing the scanned image by optically reading the original document, which is the object to be read, using a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD or CMOS.

[0031] The printing unit 290 uses a transport mechanism (not shown) to remove and transport sheet-like paper from the paper tray, and prints an image on the transported paper in a predetermined manner. The printing unit 290 forms an image on the paper using ink from an ink cartridge detachably mounted in a cartridge holder (not shown), in response to a print job sent from a mobile terminal 300 or a print job generated by the unit itself based on operations on the operation unit 250.

[0032] The communication unit 285 is, for example, a terminal, and is electrically connected to the cartridge memory (IC chip) of the ink cartridge mounted in the cartridge holder.

[0033] <Mobile devices> Figure 2 shows the system configuration of the mobile terminal 300. In Figure 2, the mobile terminal 300 is, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone owned by the user, and is connected to the network NT via wireless communication. The mobile terminal 300 includes a CPU 310, memory 320, a communication control unit 330 for connecting to the network NT via wireless communication, a touch panel 340, and a mass storage device 350.

[0034] The large-capacity storage device 350 is, for example, flash memory and comprises a program storage area 351 and a data storage area 352. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 351, for example, as firmware. The CPU 310 executes the print authority management program of this embodiment stored in the program storage area 351. The CPU 310 works in cooperation with the management server 100 to perform various processes, including data communication to the management server 100 connected to the network NT. The data storage area 352 stores user IDs issued based on the above program or the above print service as identification information that can identify the user corresponding to the mobile terminal 300.

[0035] The mobile terminal 300 also displays various information and accepts various user operations via a touch panel 340 that integrates an LCD display and a touchpad. Users can input various instructions to the mobile terminal 300 by operating the touch panel 340. Examples of the content displayed on the touch panel 340 will be described later. In addition, other information terminals such as tablet computers or general-purpose personal computers may be used instead of the mobile terminal 300. Hereafter, these information terminals will be collectively referred to simply as "mobile terminals."

[0036] <Notification Server> The notification server 400 includes a processor, a storage device, and a communication interface for connecting to the network NT (not shown). This notification server 400 processes offline notifications, as described later, for individual mobile terminals 300 designated by the management server 100, and in this embodiment, it functions to send a notification email to the email address corresponding to the designated mobile terminal 300.

[0037] <Prepaid Printing Service> In this embodiment, the printing service provided by the printing service provision system 1 is a prepaid printing service. As shown in Figure 3, a prepaid printing service is a service in which the number of pages guaranteed by the printing rights purchased in advance by the user is added to the number of printable pages of the target multifunction printer 200, and printing can be performed on the multifunction printer 200 up to the limit of that printable page count. The number of pages guaranteed is an example of the guaranteed printing volume, and the number of printable pages is an example of the allowable printing volume.

[0038] The printable page count is a data value stored in the device's storage 215, which can vary from a minimum of 0 pages to a predetermined maximum number of pages, regardless of the actual number of physical pages loaded in the device 200. The user assigns a print job to the device 200 via direct operation through the control unit 250 or via transmission operation through the mobile terminal 300. The device 200 processes the printing of the paper corresponding to the print job and reduces the printable page count by the number of pages consumed by that printing. This consumption of printable pages is user-determined consumption printing, which is done at the user's discretion and in any amount. The device 200 will not print more pages than the current printable page count.

[0039] In response to the consumption of the above-mentioned number of printable pages, the printing service provision system 1 of this embodiment allows for the purchase of printing rights based on the user's purchase request, as one of the purchase methods for printing rights.

[0040] The purchase of print rights based on a user's purchase request is executed when the user sends a purchase request for the print rights from the mobile terminal 300 to the management server 100 in response to the user's operation, and the management server 100 accepts it. At this time, the purchase of the print rights is executed at any time desired by the user. In this case, the user selects one of several charge services with different prices and purchase units, such as 10 sheets = 100 yen, 30 sheets = 280 yen, 50 sheets = 450 yen, etc., and purchases the corresponding print rights.

[0041] In this example, the print rights corresponding to the charge service purchased by the user are acquired in association with the multifunction printer 200 specified by the user, and the number of pages guaranteed by the charge for said print rights is added to the printable page count for each multifunction printer 200. However, this is not limited to this, and the above print rights may be acquired in association with the user, specifically the user ID, and the above number of pages guaranteed by the charge may be added to the printable page count for each user ID.

[0042] As described above, the method of purchasing print rights based on user purchase requests will be referred to as "user manual charge mode" from now on. In this user manual charge mode, users can basically charge their printable page count at any time and in any number of pages. The above-mentioned print rights based on user purchase requests are an example of the first print rights.

[0043] Furthermore, in the printing service provision system 1 of this embodiment, in addition to the user manual charge mode, which is a method of purchasing printing rights based on the user's purchase request as described above, an auto-charge mode is also available, in which printing rights are automatically purchased without a user purchase request when predetermined conditions are met. In this example, there are two types of auto-charge modes: "regular auto-charge mode" and "additional auto-charge mode". Note that the printing rights that are automatically purchased when predetermined conditions are met as described above are an example of a second printing right, and the auto-charge mode is an example of an automatic mode.

[0044] The regular auto-charge mode automatically recharges the printable pages of the 200 multifunction printer by a predetermined amount, regardless of the current printable page count, when a predetermined timing arrives. This predetermined timing can be set to various options, such as a specific day each month or week, a predetermined time after a certain printing event, or other regular timings set at predetermined intervals.

[0045] The additional auto-charge mode is a mode that automatically charges a predetermined amount of printable pages to the target multifunction printer 200 when the number of printable pages falls below a predetermined threshold.

[0046] In the example of the print service provision system 1 of this embodiment, all three charge modes are performed by remote operation from the management server 100 to the target multifunction printer 200 via network NT. Specifically, in the user manual charge mode, the management server 100 sends a charge command instruction to the target multifunction printer 200 via network NT such as the Internet, to charge the number of printable pages specified in the purchase request received from the user's mobile terminal 300.

[0047] In addition, in the regular auto-charge mode, the management server 100 constantly monitors the status of the target multifunction printer 200, such as the presence or absence of events, via the network NT, and when the execution timing stored in the management server 100 itself arrives, it sends a charge command instruction to the target multifunction printer 200 via the network NT.

[0048] In addition, in the case of the additional auto-charge mode, the management server 100 constantly monitors the relationship between the number of printable pages and the threshold number of pages on the target multifunction printer 200 via the network NT, and when the number of printable pages falls below the threshold number, it sends a charge command instruction to the target multifunction printer 200 via the network NT.

[0049] <Consequences of a multifunction printer going offline> Here, Figure 4 shows the details of the network NT connection configuration in the printing service provision system 1 of this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 4, the management server 100, notification server 400, and multifunction printer 200 are connected to network NT, which is a wide-area communication network such as the Internet, and are all able to send and receive various digital signals from each other. A wireless relay station 500 is also connected to the same network NT, and the management server 100 and notification server 400 can send and receive various digital signals from each other to the user's mobile terminal 300 via a general wireless communication line through network NT and wireless relay station 500. The multifunction printer 200 can also send and receive various digital signals from the user's mobile terminal 300 via a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a local network such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Note that the above network NT is an example of first communication, and the above local network is an example of second communication. Furthermore, network NT that does not go through notification server 400 is an example of first communication, and network NT that goes through notification server 400 is another example of second communication.

[0050] As described above, the management server 100, the multifunction printer 200, and the mobile terminal 300 constantly maintain their information exchange functions with each other, enabling the print service provision system 1 to smoothly execute the prepaid print service that links the user-optional print consumption mode, user manual charge mode, periodic auto-charge mode, and additional auto-charge mode described above.

[0051] However, a malfunction on the multifunction printer 200 may cause it to lose communication with the network NT, i.e., go offline. Possible causes include a failure of the communication interface 270 on the multifunction printer 200 itself, a malfunction in the communication wiring environment around the multifunction printer 200, or an accident occurring at the contracted provider or network operator. An example of a normal state is when the multifunction printer 200 is online and can receive instructions from the management server 100 via the network NT, while the offline state described above is an example of a lost connection state.

[0052] If the multifunction printer 200 goes offline, it will cause significant problems with the execution of the prepaid printing services in the printing service provision system 1, particularly the auto-charge modes. As mentioned above, all auto-charge modes are executed by monitoring the status of the target multifunction printer 200 and remotely controlling it via the management server 100 over the network NT; therefore, if the multifunction printer 200 is offline, no auto-charge will be performed.

[0053] In contrast, if the user has previously set one of the auto-charge modes to be activated and its normal function is ensured, the system assumes that the number of printable pages in the multifunction printer 200 will always be appropriately charged and will never run out to zero, without the user having to be particularly aware of it. Therefore, if the user continues to consume the number of printable pages without realizing that the multifunction printer 200 is offline, they may encounter the inconvenience of running out of printable pages unintentionally, even though auto-charge is set to be activated, resulting in being unable to print.

[0054] In contrast, in the print service provision system 1 of this embodiment, auto-charging is set in advance, and when an offline state of the target multifunction printer 200 is detected, the management server 100 instructs the notification server 400 to send an offline notification to the user's mobile terminal 300 prompting the user to acknowledge the occurrence of the offline state and to rectify it.

[0055] <Examples of notification settings and content for offline status> Figure 5 shows the screen display transitions on the touch panel 340 of the mobile terminal 300 when a user configures notification processing for the offline state of the multifunction printer 200. First, when the pre-installed multifunction printer management app is launched, the top screen shown in Figure 5(a) is displayed, and by pressing the configuration transition button 341 on that screen, the display transitions to the configuration screen shown in Figure 5(b). Then, by pressing the notification settings button 342 listed on the configuration screen, the notification settings screen shown in Figure 5(c) is displayed.

[0056] In the upper part of the notification settings screen shown in the example in Figure 5(c), it is possible to set whether to notify the mobile terminal 300 via email or SMS (Short Message Service) when the multifunction printer 200 is detected to be offline, by selecting from radio buttons. In the lower part of the notification settings screen, it is possible to set the conditions for notifying the user. In the lower part of the notification settings screen shown in the example in Figure 5(c), two conditions can be set by selecting from radio buttons: one condition is when the multifunction printer 200 is detected to be offline, and the other condition is when the additional auto-charge mode is set to be activated. In other words, it is possible to choose whether to be notified when the multifunction printer 200 is detected to be offline, or whether to be notified when the auto-charge mode is also set to be activated.

[0057] In the example of the print service provision system 1 of this embodiment, the contents of the notification settings resulting from the above operation performed by the user on the mobile terminal 300 are sent to the management server 100 and stored in the storage device 115, and are referenced when the notification management program 133, which will be described later, is executed. When the management server 100 detects that the target multifunction printer 200 is offline when the notification management program 133 is executed, it sends a command to the notification server 400 to send an offline notification to the user's mobile terminal 300 corresponding to the target multifunction printer 200, according to the contents of the notification settings.

[0058] Figure 6 shows an example of the display on the touch panel 340 when the mobile terminal 300 receives an offline notification in the form of an email from the notification server 400. The notification content includes a message stating that the multifunction printer 200 (labeled "printer" in the figure) is offline, the problems that arise when this occurs, such as the auto-charge function not working properly, and a request to turn the device back into the offline state. This type of offline notification is an example of a warning notification. If possible according to the specifications of the mobile terminal 300 and its OS (Operating System), the offline notification may also be sent as a so-called push notification, displaying a warning about the offline status of the multifunction printer 200 on the normal standby screen, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, "Notify by push notification" may be added as an option in the display example in Figure 5(c) to enable push notifications for offline notifications.

[0059] <Control Procedure> To realize the above method in this embodiment, an example of the control procedure in the notification management program 133 executed by the processor 110 of the management server 100 is illustrated in the flowchart of Figure 8. The processor 110 calls the following flow at a predetermined time interval measured by, for example, a timer (not shown) and starts execution.

[0060] First, in S5, the processor 110 checks the communication connection status with the target multifunction device 200 via the network NT, for example, by using a method such as Ping.

[0061] In S10, the processor 110 determines, based on the confirmation results in S5, whether the target multifunction printer 200 was offline or not. If the multifunction printer 200 was online, the result is NO, and the process proceeds to S15. Note that the procedure in S10 is an example of a reception determination process. In S15, the parameter for the last connection confirmation date is updated to the current date, and this flow is terminated.

[0062] On the other hand, if the multifunction printer 200 was offline in S10, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S20.

[0063] In S20, the processor 110 determines whether the notification server 400 is functioning correctly. If the notification server 400 itself is malfunctioning, or if an offline state is detected for the notification server 400, the result is NO, and this flow terminates. On the other hand, if the notification server 400 is functioning correctly, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S25.

[0064] In S25, the processor 110 determines whether the current date has elapsed for a predetermined period of time since the last connection confirmation. If the current date has not yet elapsed for a predetermined period of time since the last connection confirmation, the determination is NO, and this flow ends. On the other hand, if the current date has elapsed for a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 days) since the last connection confirmation, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to S30. Alternatively, the last connection confirmation date and time may be managed instead of the last connection confirmation date, and the predetermined period may be a shorter period (for example, 4 hours). Alternatively, the system may periodically receive the current value of predetermined data (for example, the number of printable pages) from the multifunction printer 200, and the determination may be made based on whether the data has not been received for a predetermined period of time.

[0065] In S30, the processor 110 determines whether the notification settings stored in the storage device 115 are configured to notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled. Specifically, it determines whether the settings in the settings screen shown in Figure 5(c) above include both "When offline" and "Notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled". If the settings are configured to include only "When offline" and not "Notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled", the result is NO, and the process proceeds to S35.

[0066] In S35, the processor 110 specifies the target multifunction printer 200 to the notification server 400 and sends a command to the corresponding mobile terminal 300 to send an offline notification. Then, this flow ends. Note that the procedure in S35 is one example of notification output processing.

[0067] On the other hand, if the settings in S30 above include both "Notify only when offline" and "Notify only when in auto-charge mode," the result will be YES, and the process will proceed to S40.

[0068] In S40, the processor 110 determines whether either periodic auto-charge or additional auto-charge is set in the charge mode settings stored in the storage device 115, based on user settings (not shown). If neither auto-charge mode is set, the result is NO, and this flow ends. On the other hand, if at least one auto-charge mode is set, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S35. Note that the procedure in S40 is an example of mode determination processing.

[0069] <Effects of the First Embodiment> As explained above, the print service provision system 1 of this embodiment can handle inconveniences caused by the multifunction printer 200 being offline (such as the inability to increase the number of printable pages of the multifunction printer 200, or the management server 100 being unable to recognize the current number of printable pages of the multifunction printer 200) because user operation is involved when purchasing print rights in user manual charge mode. However, when printing rights are automatically purchased in auto charge mode, the user may not be able to handle inconveniences due to the user's absence, etc.

[0070] In this embodiment, the control procedure in the notification management program 133 executed by the processor 110 of the management server 100 is performed in advance to avoid the inconveniences that may occur when offline in the setting where automatic purchase is made in the auto-charge mode described above. The procedures in S40, S10, and S35 are performed.

[0071] In step S40, it is determined whether the operating mode of the print service provision system 1 is in auto-charge mode. In step S10, it is determined whether the multifunction printer 200 is online, capable of receiving instructions from the management server 100 via the network NT, or offline, capable of not receiving them. If it is determined in step S40 that it is in auto-charge mode and in step S10 that it is offline, an offline notification is output in step S35. The offline notification indicates that automatic purchase will not be performed.

[0072] According to this embodiment, when automatic purchase of print rights is performed in auto-charge mode and the multifunction printer 200 is offline, an offline notification is issued, which prompts the device to return to an online state where the number of printable pages can be increased through automatic purchase, that is, a state in which it can receive instructions from the management server 100 via the network NT.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 goes offline and becomes unable to receive instructions from the management server 100 via, for example, the Internet network (Network NT), the notification management program 133 executed by the processor 110 of the management server 100 outputs an offline notification from the notification server 400 to the mobile terminal 300.

[0074] According to this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 goes offline, the user is notified of the offline state by sending an offline notification to the mobile terminal 300, and is encouraged to return to an online state.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an offline warning can be sent to the mobile terminal 300 via push notification, so that the user can be reliably informed that they are offline and therefore unable to increase the number of printable pages through automatic purchase (auto-charge).

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is determined in step S40 that the device is in auto-charge mode, and a predetermined period has elapsed since it was determined in steps S10 and S25 that the device is offline, an offline notification is output in step S35. This ensures that an offline notification is output when the multifunction printer 200 has been offline for a certain period of time, thus preventing unnecessary warnings from being issued in cases where the device is temporarily offline for only a short time due to radio wave conditions, etc.

[0077] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0078] In the first embodiment described above, the processor 110 of the management server 100 executed a notification management program 133 that detected the offline state of the multifunction printer 200, determined whether or not the auto-charge mode was set to run, and then commanded the output of an offline notification based on these detections. In contrast, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the notification management program 233 is stored in the non-volatile storage device 230 of the multifunction printer 200, and its processor 210 executes the notification management program 233.

[0079] <Control procedure of the second embodiment> In this embodiment, an example of the control procedure in the notification management program 233 executed by the processor 210 of the multifunction printer 200 is illustrated in the flowchart of Figure 10. The processor 210 calls the following flow at a predetermined time interval measured by, for example, a timer (not specifically shown) and starts execution. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user's settings for executing the auto-charge mode and the notification settings made to the mobile terminal 300 in advance have been sent to the multifunction printer 200 and stored in the storage device 215 of the multifunction printer 200.

[0080] First, in S105, the processor 210 checks the communication connection status with the management server 100 via the network NT, for example, by using a method such as Ping.

[0081] In S110, the processor 210 determines whether the self-multifunction printer 200 was offline based on the confirmation results in S105. If the self-multifunction printer 200 was online, the result is NO, and the process proceeds to S115. Note that the procedure in S110 is an example of the reception determination process. In S115, the parameter for the last connection confirmation date is updated to the current date, and this flow is terminated.

[0082] On the other hand, if the self-multifunction printer 200 is offline in S110, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S117.

[0083] In S117, the processor 210 detects the current number of printable pages. This procedure in S117 is an example of the process for detecting the allowable print volume.

[0084] The process then proceeds to S120, where the processor 210 determines whether the number of printable pages detected in S117 is less than or equal to the threshold number. If the number of printable pages is greater than the threshold number, the result is NO, and this flow terminates. On the other hand, if the number of printable pages is less than or equal to the threshold number, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S125.

[0085] In S125, the processor 210 determines whether the current date has elapsed for a predetermined period of time since the last connection confirmation. If the current date has not yet elapsed for a predetermined period of time since the last connection confirmation, the result is NO, and this flow terminates. On the other hand, if the current date has elapsed for a predetermined period of time since the last connection confirmation, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S130.

[0086] In S130, the processor 210 determines whether the notification settings stored in the storage device 215 are configured to notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled. Specifically, it determines whether the notification conditions in the settings screen shown in Figure 5(c) above include both "When offline" and "Notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled". If only "When offline" is selected and "Notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled" is not selected, the result is NO, and the process proceeds to S135.

[0087] In step S135, the processor 210 sends an offline notification to the registered mobile terminal 300 via the local network. Then, this flow ends. Note that the procedure in S135 is one example of notification output processing.

[0088] On the other hand, in S130, if both "Notify only when offline" and "Notify only when in auto-charge mode" are selected, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S140.

[0089] In S140, the processor 210 determines whether either periodic auto-charge or additional auto-charge is set in the charge mode settings stored in the storage device 215, based on user settings (not shown). If neither auto-charge mode is set, the result is NO, and this flow ends. On the other hand, if at least one auto-charge mode is set, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S135. Note that the procedure in S140 is an example of mode determination processing.

[0090] <Effects of the second embodiment> As described above, the print service provision system 1 of this embodiment executes a notification management program 233 stored in the multifunction printer 200 itself and outputs an offline notification when the multifunction printer 200, which is normally connected via Network NT, goes offline from the external management server 100, etc. According to this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 and the management server 100, etc. go offline via Network NT, the user can be notified of this fact.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 goes offline and becomes unable to receive instructions from the management server 100 via the network NT, an offline notification is output from the multifunction printer 200 to the mobile terminal 300 via a local network that is different from the network NT.

[0092] According to this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 goes offline, the user can be notified of the offline state by sending an offline notification to the mobile terminal 300 via the local network, and the user can be encouraged to return to an online state.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment as well, offline notifications may be sent via push notifications to the mobile terminal 300. This ensures that the user is reliably informed that they are offline and therefore unable to increase their printable page count through automatic purchase (auto-charge).

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even in an offline state where communication with the management server 100 via Network NT is impossible, the user can be reliably notified that automatic purchase cannot be performed by outputting an offline notification via a local network of a different nature than Network NT in the procedure of S135.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is determined in step S140 that the device is in auto-charge mode, and it is determined in step S110 that the device is offline, and the number of printable pages detected in step S117 falls below a predetermined value, an offline notification is output in step S135. This ensures that an offline notification is output when the multifunction printer 200 is offline, in auto-charge mode, and the number of printable pages has decreased to a certain extent. According to this embodiment, even when the device is offline, it is possible to suppress unnecessary warnings in cases where the number of printable pages that the multifunction printer 200 itself can detect has not decreased significantly, and there is no inconvenience of being unable to print.

[0096] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Parts equivalent to those in the first and second embodiments described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0097] In the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the notification management program 353 is stored in the mass storage device 350 of the mobile terminal 300, and its CPU 310 executes the notification management program 353 while the multifunction printer management application is running. In this case, the multifunction printer management application is an example of an application program.

[0098] <Control procedure of the third embodiment> In this embodiment, an example of the control procedure in the notification management program 353 executed by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 is illustrated in the flowchart of Figure 12. The CPU 310 calls the following flow at a predetermined time interval measured by, for example, a timer (not specifically shown) and starts execution. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the settings for executing the auto-charge mode and the notification settings that the user has previously made to the mobile terminal 300 are stored as they are in the mass storage device 350 of the mobile terminal 300.

[0099] First, in S205, the CPU 310 instructs the multifunction printer 200 via the local network to check the communication connection status between it and the management server 100 via the network NT, for example, by using Ping.

[0100] In S210, the CPU 310 determines whether the multifunction printer 200 was offline based on the results of the check in S205. If the multifunction printer 200 was online, the result is NO, and the process proceeds to S215. Note that the procedure in S210 is an example of the reception determination process. In S215, the parameter for the last connection confirmation date is updated to the current date, and this flow ends.

[0101] On the other hand, if the multifunction printer 200 is offline in S210, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S217.

[0102] In S217, the CPU 310 instructs the multifunction printer 200 to detect the current number of printable pages. This procedure in S217 is an example of the process for detecting the allowable print volume.

[0103] The process then moves to S220, where the CPU 310 determines whether the number of printable pages detected in S217 is less than or equal to the threshold number. If the number of printable pages is greater than the threshold number, the result is NO, and this flow terminates. On the other hand, if the number of printable pages is less than or equal to the threshold number, the result is YES, and the process moves to S225.

[0104] In S225, CPU310 determines whether the current date has elapsed for a predetermined period since the last connection confirmation. If the current date has not yet elapsed for a predetermined period since the last connection confirmation, the result is NO, and this flow terminates. On the other hand, if the current date has elapsed for a predetermined period since the last connection confirmation, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S230.

[0105] In S230, the CPU 310 determines whether the notification settings stored in the mass storage device 350 are configured to only notify when auto-charge mode is enabled. Specifically, it determines whether the notification conditions in the settings screen shown in Figure 5(c) above include both "When offline" and "Notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled". If only "When offline" is selected and "Notify only when auto-charge mode is enabled" is not selected, the result is NO, and the process proceeds to S235.

[0106] In step S235, the CPU 310 displays the offline notification directly on the touch panel 340. Then, this flow is terminated. Note that the procedure in S235 is one example of notification output processing.

[0107] On the other hand, in S230, if both "Notify only when offline" and "Notify only when in auto-charge mode" are selected, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S240.

[0108] In S240, the CPU 310 determines whether either a periodic auto-charge or an additional auto-charge mode is set in the charge settings stored in the mass storage device 350, based on user settings (not shown). If neither auto-charge mode is set, the result is NO, and this flow ends. On the other hand, if at least one auto-charge mode is set, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S235. Note that the procedure in S240 is an example of a mode determination process.

[0109] <Effects of the Third Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 goes offline and becomes unable to receive instructions from the management server 100 via, for example, the Internet network (Network NT), the mobile terminal 300 itself executes the notification management program 353 to send an offline notification.

[0110] According to this embodiment, when the multifunction printer 200 goes offline, the mobile terminal 300 can notify the user of this offline state and encourage them to return to an online state.

[0111] <Variation> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical idea. Such modifications will be described in order. The same reference numerals are used for parts equivalent to those in the above embodiments, and descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0112] <If the terminal device is a general-purpose personal computer> In the embodiments described above, a case in which a mobile terminal 300 is used as the terminal device for receiving offline notifications by the user has been explained, but the invention is not limited to this. In addition, the user may use a general-purpose personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "general-purpose PC") as the terminal device to receive offline notifications.

[0113] In this case, as shown in Figure 13, the offline notification may be displayed on the status monitor 241, which is displayed as a dedicated pop-up window on the desktop screen. This allows the offline notification to be displayed in real time upon receipt or each time the general-purpose PC is started up, and the display can be maintained until the offline status is resolved. Furthermore, when a general-purpose PC is used as a terminal device, the contents of the offline notification received in the form of an email can be displayed in full screen as shown in Figure 14 to strongly warn the user. In addition, although not specifically shown, the offline notifications of each of the above forms may also be displayed on the display unit 240 of the multifunction printer 200.

[0114] Furthermore, the flowcharts shown in Figures 8, 10, 12, etc., do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in these flowcharts. Procedures may be added, deleted, or their order changed without departing from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0115] 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.

[0116] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0117] 1. Printing Service Provision System (An Example of a Printing System) 100 Management Server (Example of a server) 110 Processor (Example of a notification management device) 133 Notification Management Program (An Example of a Notification Management Device) 200 Multifunction printer (an example of a printing device) 210 Processors (Example of a notification management device) 233 Notification Management Program (An Example of a Notification Management Device) 300 Mobile devices (an example of a terminal device) 310 CPU (Example of a notification management device) 340 Touch Panel 353 Notification Management Program (An Example of a Notification Management Device) 400 Notification Server (Example of a server) Microsoft Network

Claims

1. A notification management device for managing predetermined notifications for a printing system comprising a server, a printing device, and a terminal device, The aforementioned printing system, The maximum allowable print volume when printing an image on a sheet is configured to be increaseable according to the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by either the first print privilege, which is purchased based on a purchase request in response to user operations, or the second print privilege, which is automatically purchased when certain conditions are met. The notification management device is A mode determination process determines whether the printing system is in an automatic mode in which the allowable print volume can be increased by the automatic purchase of the second print authority, The printing device includes a reception determination process that determines whether it is in a normal state where it can receive instructions from the server via the first communication, or in a disconnected state where it cannot receive instructions from the server via the first communication, A notification output process outputs a warning notification indicating that the automatic purchase will not be executed, triggered by the mode determination process determining that the automatic mode is active and the reception determination process determining that the interruption state is active. A notification management device characterized by performing the following.

2. In the notification output process described above, The notification management device according to claim 1, wherein the warning notification is output by a second communication that is different in nature from the first communication.

3. The server is equipped with the notification management device, In the reception determination process, it is determined whether the printing device is in the normal state in which it can receive the instruction via the first communication, or in the interrupted state in which it cannot receive the instruction via the first communication. The notification management device according to claim 1, wherein in the notification output processing, the warning notification is output to the terminal device.

4. The notification management device according to claim 3, wherein in the notification output processing, the warning notification, which is a push notification, is output to the terminal device.

5. The notification management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the notification output process, the warning notification is output when the mode determination process determines that the automatic mode is in operation and the reception determination process determines that the interruption state is in operation, and a predetermined period of time has elapsed since then.

6. The notification management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing device comprises the notification management device.

7. The notification management device according to claim 2, wherein in the notification output processing, the warning notification is output to the terminal device used by the user via the second communication.

8. The notification management device according to claim 7, wherein in the notification output processing, the warning notification, which is a push notification, is output to the terminal device.

9. The aforementioned terminal device is The notification management device according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes an application program that causes the terminal device to operate as the notification management device.

10. The notification management device further, The printable amount detection process is performed to detect the printable amount of the printable system. The notification management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the notification output process, the mode determination process determines that it is in the automatic mode, the reception determination process determines that it is in the interrupted state, and the allowable print amount detected in the allowable print amount detection process falls below a predetermined value, and the warning notification is output.

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