Management device and printing management system

Abstract

The present invention prevents an excessive number of charged pages from being set when a user purchases printing rights.　A printing service providing system 1 is configured to be capable of executing a prepaid printing service that enables an allowable printing quantity, which is an upper limit of the quantity of images to be printed on a sheet, to be increased according to the number of charged pages guaranteed by printing rights purchased at a user's cost. A mobile terminal 300 is configured to execute: a step S15 of acquiring a limit condition that is related to the number of charged pages or a purchase amount and applied at the time of purchasing printing rights; a step S35 and step S60 of determining, if the user has given a request to purchase printing rights, whether or not the corresponding number of charged pages or purchase amount matches the limit condition acquired in step S15; and a step S40 and step S65 of imposing a prescribed purchase restriction on the purchase request if the corresponding number of charged pages or purchase amount is determined to match the limit condition.

Description

Management device and printing management system

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device that manages a printing system and a print management system.

[0002] In some printing services, where users of printing devices pay a fee to a service provider according to the print content, a prepaid fee system is introduced. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a technology is known in which a user purchases printing authority for a fee and is allowed to print up to a predetermined print volume guaranteed by the purchased printing authority.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-110475

[0004] In the above-described conventional technology, when a printing process based on the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by the printing authority is completed and the allowable print volume, which is the upper limit of printable capacity, reaches zero, the user purchases new printing authority, or so-called charging. This increases the allowable print volume by adding the guaranteed print volume guaranteed by the purchased printing authority, allowing printing to continue. For example, when purchasing printing authority, the guaranteed print volume may be mistakenly set to an excessive value that the user does not intend, or may be set to an excessive value that the user intends but is undesirable from a technical or service-promoting perspective. The above-described conventional technology does not particularly consider measures to address such excessive guaranteed print volumes.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a management device and a print management system that can prevent an excessive guaranteed print volume from being set when purchasing printing authority for a user.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a management device that manages a printing system that includes a server and a printing device, wherein the printing system is configured to be able to execute an authority purchase service that can increase the allowable printing volume, which is the upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to the guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense, and the management device is configured to execute a restriction acquisition process that acquires restriction conditions related to the guaranteed printing volume or purchase price that are applied when purchasing the printing authority, a judgment process that, when a user requests to purchase the printing authority, determines whether the corresponding guaranteed printing volume or purchase price falls under the restriction conditions acquired in the restriction acquisition process, and a purchase suppression process that, when it is determined in the judgment process that the restriction conditions are met, performs a predetermined purchase suppression on the purchase request.

[0007] In the present invention, when a user purchases printing authority, a limiting condition related to a guaranteed print volume or a purchase price is set in advance. The management device of the present invention acquires the limiting condition by executing a limit acquisition process.

[0008] When a user makes a purchase request, the management device executes a determination process to determine whether the guaranteed print volume or purchase price corresponding to the purchase request satisfies the acquired limiting conditions. If it is determined that the limiting conditions are met, a purchase restriction process is executed to restrict purchases of the purchase request.

[0009] According to the present invention, by setting a limiting condition that prevents an excessive guaranteed printing volume from being set, it is possible to prevent the setting of an excessive guaranteed printing volume as described above when a user purchases printing rights.

[0010] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a printing management system that can execute an authority purchase service that can increase the allowable printing volume, which is the upper limit when a printing device prints an image on a sheet, according to the guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense, and has: a restriction acquisition unit that acquires restriction conditions related to the guaranteed printing volume or purchase price that are applied when purchasing the printing authority; a judgment unit that, when a user requests to purchase the printing authority, determines whether the corresponding guaranteed printing volume or purchase price falls under the restriction conditions acquired by the restriction acquisition unit; and a purchase suppression unit that, when the judgment unit determines that the restriction conditions are met, performs a specified purchase suppression on the purchase request.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an excessive guaranteed print volume from being set when purchasing printing rights for a user.

[0012] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a print service providing system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of information transmission and reception in the print service providing system; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a model-specific parameter set and an operation parameter set; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display of screen transitions between a selection operation screen and a confirmation screen displayed on the touch panel of a mobile terminal during a charging process according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing in detail the procedure executed by the CPU of the mobile terminal during a charging process according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an error screen when an excessive charging number is set; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a setting screen for setting a monthly upper limit number of sheets and an upper limit amount according to the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing in detail the procedure executed by the CPU of the mobile terminal during a charging process according to the second embodiment; 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition between an input operation screen and a confirmation screen displayed on a touch panel of a mobile terminal during a charge charge process according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing in detail the procedure executed by a CPU of a mobile terminal during a charge charge process according to a fourth embodiment.

[0013] First Embodiment: Setting Charge Upper Limit for the Purpose of Ensuring Print Quality A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Outline of Print Service Providing System> FIG. 1 shows an example of the system configuration of a print service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The print service providing system 1 provides a prepaid printing service in which a customer user pays a fee in advance to use the printing function of a printer 200. In FIG. 1, the print service providing system 1 includes a service server 100, a printer 200, a mobile terminal 300, and a transaction server 400. The service server 100, the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, and the transaction server 400 are connected to a network NT including a mobile phone communication line and are capable of communicating with each other. The print service providing system 1 is an example of a printing system and a print management system, the service server 100 is an example of a server, and the printer 200 is an example of a printing device. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 300 operates as an example of a management device.

[0015] <Service Server> The service server 100 is a server installed and operated by, for example, the manufacturer of the printer 200. As shown in Fig. 1, the service server 100 has a processor 110, a storage device 115, and a communication interface 190. The processor 110, the storage device 115, and the communication interface 190 are connected via a bus 105 so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other.

[0016] 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 includes a program storage area 131 and a data storage area 132.

[0017] Various programs, including those related to the prepaid printing service, are stored in the program storage area 131. Various information related to users who have subscribed to the prepaid printing service and the printers 200 they use is stored in the data storage area 132.

[0018] The processor 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs, including programs related to the prepaid printing service, stored in the program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes, including data communication with the mobile terminal 300, printer 200, and transaction server 400, which are connected to the network NT. The processor 110 executes the purchase of printing authority by the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment.

[0019] The communication interface 190 is a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0020] The storage device 115 is not limited to the configuration of the device elements described above, and may be configured, for example, by RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, portable recording medium such as a USB memory that is detachably attached to the service server 100, a buffer provided in the processor 110, or a combination thereof. The storage device 115 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. The same applies to the storage device 215 of the printer 200, which will be described later.

[0021] <Printer> The printer 200 is owned, for example, by a user who receives the prepaid printing service. As shown in Figure 1, the printer 200 has a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication interface 270, and a printing unit 290. The processor 210, storage device 215, display unit 240, operation unit 250, communication interface 270, and printing unit 290 are connected to each other via a bus 205 so that they can send and receive data.

[0022] The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a nonvolatile storage device 230. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, a DRAM and includes an image data storage area 221 that stores image data to be printed. The nonvolatile storage device 230 is, for example, a flash memory and includes a program storage area 232 and a data storage area 233. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 232 as, for example, firmware. The data storage area 233 stores various information, such as an operation parameter set 234, which is a collection of various parameter data related to the printer 200 in the operation of the prepaid printing service. The information in the operation parameter set 234 related to the prepaid printing service will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 4.

[0023] The processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs stored in the program storage area 232.

[0024] The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various types of information. The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts operations by the user. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT.

[0025] The printing unit 290 prints an image on the transported paper using a predetermined method while removing and transporting paper from a paper feed tray using a transport mechanism (not shown). The printing method is not particularly limited, but printing is performed using an inkjet method or a laser method, for example. The printing unit 290 forms an image on the paper using ink from an ink cartridge or toner from a toner cartridge (not shown) in accordance with a print job sent from the mobile terminal 300 or a print job generated by the printing unit 290 itself based on operations on the operation unit 250. The above-mentioned paper is an example of a sheet.

[0026] <Mobile Terminal> Figure 2 shows an example of the system configuration of a mobile terminal 300. The mobile terminal 300 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user, and is connected to a network NT via wireless communication. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal 300 has a CPU 310, a memory 320, a communication control unit 330 for connecting to the network NT via wireless communication, a touch panel 340, and a large-capacity storage device 350.

[0027] The mass storage device 350 is, for example, a flash memory and includes a program storage area 351 and a data storage area 352. The program storage area 351 stores various programs related to the prepaid printing service, such as those shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6, 10, 12, and 14, as applications. The CPU 310 executes the various programs stored in the program storage area 351. The CPU 310 executes various processes, including data communication with the service server 100 connected to the network NT. In this embodiment, the data storage area 352 stores various information, such as a model-specific parameter set 353, which is a collection of specification parameter data specific to each model of all printers 200 applicable to the prepaid printing service. The information in the model-specific parameter set 353 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[0028] The mobile terminal 300 also displays various information and accepts various operations by the user on a touch panel 340 that integrally combines a liquid crystal display and a touch pad. The user can input various instructions to the mobile terminal 300 by operating the touch panel 340.

[0029] Instead of a portable terminal, the mobile terminal 300 may be another information terminal such as a tablet computer or a desktop PC.

[0030] 1, the transaction server 400 is a server for performing online settlement via the network NT. The transaction server 400 has a processor, a storage device, and a communication interface for connecting to the network NT (not shown).

[0031] <Prepaid Printing Service> FIG. 3 shows a specific example of a prepaid printing service provided by the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment.

[0032] In this embodiment, the printing service provided by the printing service providing system 1 is a prepaid printing service. The prepaid printing service is a service in which the number of pages charged for printing rights purchased in advance by a user through a purchase request by charging is added to the number of pages allowed to be printed by each target printer 200, and printing processing can be performed on the printer 200 up to the number of pages allowed to be printed.

[0033] The addition of the charge number to the allowable number of prints is performed, for example, by the processor 110 of the service server 100 by updating the allowable number of prints stored in the data storage area 132 for each individual printer 200. Furthermore, this addition information is also sent to the printer 200 via the network NT, and the allowable number of prints stored separately in the data storage area 233 is synchronously updated.

[0034] Then, each time printing is performed on the printer 200 side, the processor 210 reduces the value of the allowable number of prints by the number of prints, and this is transmitted to the service server 100 via the network NT at regular intervals, for example, and the allowable number of prints in the data storage area 233 is updated synchronously.

[0035] In the prepaid printing service described above, when the printer 200 completes printing based on the allowable number of pages and the allowable number of pages, which is the upper limit of the number of pages that can be printed, reaches zero or falls below this limit, the user can recharge by completing a new purchase procedure. This adds up the purchased recharge amount, increasing the allowable number of pages, and allows printing to continue.

[0036] In the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment, the printing authority can be purchased based on a user's purchase request. The purchase of printing authority based on the user's purchase request is executed when a purchase request for the printing authority is sent from the mobile terminal 300 to the service server 100 in response to a user operation and accepted by the service server 100. The purchase of printing authority is executed at any timing desired by the user. At this time, the user selects one of several charge plans with different purchase quantities and purchase amounts, such as a charge of 50 sheets for 500 yen, 100 sheets for 900 yen, or 250 sheets for 2000 yen, and purchases the corresponding printing authority. The specific electronic payment process at the time of purchase is performed by the transaction server 400 in cooperation with the service server 100.

[0037] Although not specifically shown, a single print service providing system 1 may be configured to use multiple printers 200, in which case the service server 100 individually manages the allowable print numbers for the multiple printers 200, and the mobile terminal 300 switches between the printers 200 for processing. Note that the above-mentioned prepaid print service is an example of an authorization purchasing service, the allowable print number is an example of an allowable print amount, and the charge number is an example of a guaranteed print amount.

[0038] In the above-described prepaid printing service, there are various reasons why it may be desirable to limit the increase in the charge amount (increase in the number of permitted prints) resulting from the purchase of printing authorization. One reason is that, for example, in the printer 200, mechanical deterioration accumulates due to continuous repeated printing operations, in addition to deterioration over time, and when a predetermined number of prints is exceeded, the specified print quality may no longer be ensured. The predetermined print quality may, for example, be the quality of the printed image or quality related to paper transport, such as the rate of jamming or paper wrinkling. From this technical perspective, a fixed cumulative print limit is set for the printer 200 at which a predetermined print quality can be ensured, and it may be desirable to limit the cumulative charge amount purchased for the printer 200 so that it does not exceed this cumulative print limit.

[0039] Therefore, in this embodiment, a charging process is executed that can suppress purchase requests so that the cumulative charge number does not exceed the cumulative print limit number during the printing authorization purchasing procedure. Note that the setting value for this cumulative print limit number is set in advance by the manufacturer for each model as parameter data related to the model-specific specifications of the printer 200. Furthermore, after a specific overhaul of the printer 200, the cumulative print limit number may be increased, or the cumulative charge number may be reduced or reset.

[0040] 4 shows the model-specific parameter set 353 and the operational parameter set 234 that are referenced when the above-mentioned charging process is executed. The model-specific parameter set 353 shown in Figure 4(a) is, in this example, a data set that is stored in advance in the data storage area 352 of the mobile terminal 300 as described above (see Figure 3 above), and is fixed value data related to the model-specific specifications of the printer 200 being used. The model-specific parameter set 353 in the example shown stores the above-mentioned cumulative print limit number, the number of printable Y ink CTG pages, the number of printable M ink CTG pages, the number of printable C ink CTG pages, and the number of printable BK ink CTG pages.

[0041] The Y ink CTG printable page count is the number of pages that can be printed in average color printing when one yellow (Y) ink cartridge is fully filled and installed in the printer 200. The M ink CTG printable page count, C ink CTG printable page count, and BK ink CTG printable page count are the printable page counts corresponding to the magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) ink cartridges, respectively.

[0042] Although the figure shows only the model-specific parameter set 353 corresponding to the model of one printer 200 that is the target of charging in the print service providing system 1, the data storage area 352 may previously store model-specific parameter sets 353 corresponding to all models that are applicable to the system. In this case, when the mobile terminal 300 is registered in the print service providing system 1, the model-specific parameter sets 353 corresponding to one or more printers 200 used in the print service providing system 1 are extracted so that they can be referenced based on the model information of those printers. Then, when executing the charge processing, the model-specific parameter sets 353 can be switched to refer to the model of the printer 200 that is the target of charging at that time.

[0043] 4B is a data set stored in the data storage area 233 of the printer 200, and is variable value data that is referenced and processed by the printer 200 when operating the prepaid printing service as described above. The illustrated example of the operational parameter set 234 stores the total number of printed pages, the total number of printable pages, the allowable number of printed pages, the monthly upper limit charge number, the cumulative charge number for this month, the monthly upper limit charge amount, the cumulative charge amount for this month, the remaining number of pages converted into Y ink, the remaining number of pages converted into C ink, the remaining number of pages converted into M ink, and the remaining number of pages converted into BK ink.

[0044] The total number of prints is a parameter that represents the cumulative total number of pages that have actually been printed since the user began using the printer 200, and is an important parameter for management purposes as the absolute usage amount of the printer 200 by the user. The total number of printable pages is set to the same value as the total number of prints when the user of the printer 200 signs up for the prepaid printing service and begins use, and is a parameter that represents the cumulative total number of pages that have been actually purchased and added to the charge since then. The allowable number of prints is the difference between the total number of prints and the total number of printable pages, and the user can continue printing as long as the value of the allowable number of prints does not reach zero.

[0045] The monthly upper limit charge number and monthly upper limit charge amount are the upper limit number and upper limit amount of monthly charge, respectively, set arbitrarily by the user, while the current month's cumulative charge number and current month's cumulative charge amount are the cumulative number and amount actually charged in that month. The remaining number of pages converted into Y ink equivalent, the remaining number of pages converted into C ink equivalent, the remaining number of pages converted into M ink equivalent, and the remaining number of pages converted into BK ink equivalent are values ​​obtained by converting the remaining ink amount in each ink cartridge at that time into the number of pages that can be printed in average color printing. The parameter data for the monthly upper limit charge number, the current month's cumulative charge number, the monthly upper limit charge amount, the current month's cumulative charge amount, the remaining number of pages converted into Y ink equivalent, the remaining number of pages converted into C ink equivalent, the remaining number of pages converted into M ink equivalent, and the remaining number of pages converted into BK ink equivalent will be described in detail in the modified example below.

[0046] When a user operates the mobile terminal 300 to perform a charge process, the mobile terminal 300 acquires the operation parameter set 234 stored in the printer 200 at that time via the network NT or wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) (see FIG. 3). The maximum cumulative print count is an example of a maximum cumulative print value.

[0047] <Operation screen display during charge processing> Figure 5 shows an example of screen transitions displayed on the touch panel 340 of the mobile terminal 300 during charge processing in this embodiment. When the user performs a predetermined operation on the mobile terminal 300 to start charge processing for the printer 200, a selection screen 340A shown in Figure 5(a) is displayed.

[0048] Selection screen 340A displays a display 341 of the model number and serial number of the printer 200 currently being charged, a display 342 of the number of prints allowed for that printer 200 at that time, and charge buttons 343 corresponding to each of the four charge plans shown in the example. To switch the printer 200 to be charged, an icon button in display 341 is pressed to display a list of other printers 200 in a pull-down menu for selection, and illustration and description of this will be omitted here.

[0049] Each charge button 343 is assigned a warning icon C according to the contents of the model-specific parameter set 353 and the current operation parameter set 234. In the illustrated example, the following charge buttons 343 are displayed in an operable manner: a charge button 343a corresponding to a charge plan for charging 50 sheets for 500 yen; a charge button 343b corresponding to a charge plan for charging 100 sheets for 950 yen; a charge button 343c corresponding to a charge plan for charging 200 sheets for 1800 yen; and a charge button 343d corresponding to a charge plan for charging 400 sheets for 3400 yen. The model-specific parameter set 353 and operation parameter set 234 of the printer 200 to be charged are assumed to be as shown in FIG. 4 . Specifically, the cumulative print limit is 60,000 sheets, the total number of printed sheets is 58,900 sheets, the total number of printable sheets is 59,900 sheets, and the allowable number of printed sheets is 1,000 sheets.

[0050] The upper limit of the number of sheets that can be charged in the current charging process is the difference between the total number of prints actually printed up to that point and the already-charged allowable number of prints, and the cumulative print limit, which is the upper limit for ensuring print quality. In other words, in the above example, 60,000 - (58,900 + 1,000) = 100 sheets is calculated as the current charge limit. Therefore, a warning icon C is displayed on the charge buttons 343c and 343d for the charge plans corresponding to charge numbers (200 sheets, 400 sheets) that exceed the current charge limit of 100 sheets. This is equivalent to a warning that the sum of the total number of prints, the allowable number of prints, and the current charge limit X (58,900 + 1,000 + X) will not exceed the cumulative print limit (60,000).

[0051] When the user selects and presses one of the charge buttons 343 marked with the warning icon C (charge button 343c in the illustrated example, see the filled-in display in the figure), the screen transitions to a charge content confirmation screen 340B as shown in FIG. 5B. This confirmation screen 340B displays a message 344 again urging the user to pay attention to the charge quantity and the billing amount, as well as a confirm button 345 for confirming the charge and a back button 346 for returning to the previous screen (selection screen 340A in this case). As described above, in this embodiment, if the number of additional charges the user attempts to make during the charge process exceeds the current charge limit, an icon or message to that effect is displayed on the screen to notify the user to reduce the charge.

[0052] The charge button 343 is an example of a printing authority purchasing mode, the warning mark icon C is an example of a warning display, and the number of sheets charged exceeding the current upper limit number of sheets charged is an example of a limiting condition.

[0053] <Control Procedure> An example of the control procedure executed by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 to realize the charge processing in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 6. When the user performs an operation on the mobile terminal 300 to start the charge processing, the flow in Fig. 6 starts.

[0054] First, in step S5, the model-specific parameter set 353 corresponding to the model of the printer 200 to be charged is obtained from the data storage area 352, and in step S10, the operation parameter set 234 is obtained from the printer 200. Note that the mobile terminal 300 may also receive its own model-specific parameter set 353 together with the operation parameter set 234 from the printer 200 in step S10.

[0055] The process proceeds to step S15, where the current charge limit is calculated based on the cumulative print limit in the model-specific parameter set 353 and the total number of prints and allowable number of prints in the operation parameter set 234. Specifically, the current charge limit is calculated using the formula: cumulative print limit - (total number of prints + allowable number of prints).

[0056] The process proceeds to step S20, where the background screen of the selection screen 340A for selecting a charge plan shown in FIG. 5(a) is displayed on the touch panel 340, excluding the charge button 343.

[0057] In step S25, one of the multiple prepared charge plans is acquired as a candidate for application, and in step S30, the charge button 343 corresponding to the acquired charge plan is displayed.

[0058] In the next step S35, it is determined whether the charge number of the acquired charge plan (abbreviated as "plan number" in the figure) exceeds the current charge upper limit number, and if it does not exceed it, the determination is not satisfied (S35: NO), and the process proceeds to step S45. On the other hand, if it does exceed it, the determination is satisfied (S35: YES), and in step S40, a warning mark icon C is additionally displayed on the charge button 343, and the process proceeds to step S45.

[0059] In step S45, it is determined whether or not the charge buttons corresponding to all the charge plans have been displayed, and if not all have been displayed, the determination is negative (S45: NO) and the process returns to step S25. On the other hand, if all have been displayed, the determination is positive (S45: YES) and the process proceeds to step S50.

[0060] In step S50, the process loops to wait until any of the charge buttons 343 is pressed, and when pressed, the process proceeds to step S55.

[0061] In step S55, the screen transitions to the confirmation screen 340B of FIG. 5(b) above, and only the number of sheets to be charged, the amount to be charged, the confirm button 345 and the return button 346 are displayed.

[0062] Next, the process proceeds to step S60, where it is determined whether the charge number (abbreviated as "selected number" in the figure) for the charge plan corresponding to the pressed charge button 343 exceeds the current charge upper limit number, and if it does not exceed it, the condition is not satisfied (S60: NO), and the process proceeds to step S70. On the other hand, if it does exceed it, the condition is satisfied (S60: YES), and in step S65, a message 344 is additionally displayed on confirmation screen 340B to warn the user that the charge number exceeds the quality-guaranteed number, and the process proceeds to step S70.

[0063] In step S70, it is determined whether or not the Confirm button 345 on the confirmation screen 340B has been pressed, and if the Confirm button 345 has been pressed, the condition is satisfied (S70: YES), and the flow ends and proceeds to a payment process (not shown).On the other hand, if the Confirm button 345 has not been pressed, the condition is not satisfied (S70: NO), and the flow proceeds to step S75.

[0064] In step S75, it is determined whether or not back button 346 on confirmation screen 340B has been pressed, and if back button 346 has been pressed, the determination is satisfied (S75: YES), and the process returns to step S20. On the other hand, if back button 346 has not been pressed, the determination is not satisfied (S75: NO), and the process returns to step S70.

[0065] In the above, step S15 is an example of a restriction acquisition process and a restriction acquisition unit, step S35 and step S60 are an example of a judgment process and a judgment unit, step S40 and step S65 are an example of a purchase suppression process and a purchase suppression unit, step S30 and step S40 are an example of a mode display process, and step S70 is an example of a mode designation acceptance process.

[0066] As described above, in the mobile terminal 300 included in the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment, the calculation content of the current charge limit number as a limiting condition related to the charge number when a user purchases printing authority is determined in advance. The mobile terminal 300 of this embodiment executes step S15 to calculate the current charge limit number as the upper limit of the charge number in the charge processing.

[0067] When a purchase request is made by a user, the mobile terminal 300 determines whether the charge number corresponding to the purchase request satisfies the limiting condition that the charge number is less than the current charge upper limit in steps S35 and S60. If it is determined that the limiting condition is met, a predetermined purchase restriction is imposed on the purchase request in steps S40 and S65.

[0068] According to this embodiment, by setting a limiting condition that prevents an excessive charge number from being set, it is possible to prevent an excessive charge number as described above from being set when a user purchases printing rights.

[0069] In this embodiment, in order to ensure a predetermined print quality in the printer 200, a maximum cumulative number of prints allowed in the printer 200 is determined, and a condition corresponding to the maximum cumulative number of prints is set as a limiting condition. In steps S35 and S60, a determination is made based on the print volume allowed in the printer 200 at the time of the purchase request and the maximum cumulative number of prints corresponding to the printer 200.

[0070] Specifically, the total of the total number of prints already made on the printer 200 at the time of the purchase request, the total number of prints already charged to the printer 200, and the charge number corresponding to the current purchase request is determined to be greater than the cumulative print limit. If the total exceeds the cumulative print limit, purchases are restricted, and excessive charge numbers are prevented. This avoids concerns that safe printing on the printer 200 may become impossible.

[0071] In particular, in this embodiment, the maximum cumulative print count is set for each model of printer 200. This makes it possible to appropriately prevent excessive charge count settings in accordance with the specifications, durability, and other factors of each model of printer 200, thereby avoiding concerns that safe printing may not be ensured.

[0072] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, when the limiting condition that the charge number corresponding to any of the displayed charge buttons 343 exceeds the current charge upper limit is met, a warning mark icon C is also displayed on the charge button 343. This notifies the user that an excessive charge number will be set if the setting is left as is, making the user aware of this.

[0073] In this embodiment, the user can request a purchase by selecting the charge button 343c, 343d, which is also displayed with a warning mark icon C. This ensures the user's freedom to make a purchase while being aware that an excessive charge number may be set.

[0074] It should be noted that the user may not be able to select and request purchase for charge plans corresponding to charge buttons 343c and 343d that are also displayed with a warning mark icon C. Specifically, for example, even if the confirm button 345 in Fig. 5(b) is pressed, the settlement process may not proceed, and instead the screen may transition to an error screen 340C as shown in Fig. 7, where an error message 347 is displayed and only a back button 346 that returns to the selection screen 340A may be displayed so that it can be pressed. This makes it possible to reliably prevent an excessive charge amount from being set, even if the user accidentally misses the warning display.

[0075] Alternatively, although not shown, the charge buttons 343c and 343d on the selection screen 340A may be displayed in an inoperable, so-called grayed-out state, or the charge buttons 343c and 343d themselves may not be displayed at all. Alternatively, the confirmation button 345 on the confirmation screen 340B may also be displayed in a grayed-out state or may not be displayed at all. This prevents the user from selecting the charge button 343c or 343d to make a purchase, thereby reliably preventing an excessive charge number from being set.

[0076] Although not shown, the current charge upper limit number may be displayed as reference information on at least one of the selection screen 340A and the confirmation screen 340B.

[0077] Second Embodiment: Setting of Charge Limit Based on Business Model Reasons, such as Budgetary Constraints Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that descriptions of configurations and processes equivalent to those of the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0078] In the first embodiment, the upper limit on the number of pages that can be charged in the charging process was set based on the technical reason of ensuring print quality. Alternatively, the upper limit may be set based on business model reasons, such as the user's budget or work plan. For example, separate from the charging process, the mobile terminal 300 displays a setting screen 340D as shown in FIG. 8 through an operation that can only be performed by a designated user with administrative authority. The setting screen 340D shown in the figure displays a display 341 of the printer 200 to be charged, a monthly upper limit number of pages window 361, a monthly upper limit amount window 362, and a setting button 363.

[0079] The monthly charge limit window 361 allows the user to set whether or not the monthly charge limit setting in the operational parameter set 234 is applicable (set using a checkbox in the figure) and to arbitrarily set the value of that setting. The monthly charge limit window 362 allows the user to set whether or not the monthly charge limit setting in the operational parameter set 234 is applicable (set using a checkbox in the figure) and to arbitrarily set the value of that setting. The user can perform the setting operations in the windows 361 and 362 on the setting screen 340D and press the setting button 363 in advance. This allows the user to individually set the upper limit of the charge number and the upper limit of the charge amount according to monthly budgets and work plans, and store these semi-permanently as operational parameters in the target printer 200. In response, the printer 200 accumulates the charge number and purchase amount obtained through the actual charging procedure each month and records them in the operational parameter set 234 as the accumulated charge number and accumulated charge amount for that month.

[0080] As described above, in the charging process of the mobile terminal 300, the current charging limit can be calculated from the difference between the monthly upper limit charging number and the cumulative charging number for this month. In other words, purchase requests for excessive charging numbers can be suppressed so that the charging number in the charging process does not exceed this current charging limit. Also, in the charging process of the mobile terminal 300, the current charging limit amount can be calculated from the difference between the monthly upper limit charging amount and the cumulative charging amount for this month. In other words, purchase requests for excessive charging numbers can be suppressed so that the purchase amount in the charging process does not exceed this current charging limit amount.

[0081] In the example shown in Figure 4 above, the monthly upper limit for the number of charges is set to 2,000, the cumulative number of charges this month is set to 1,900, the monthly upper limit for the amount of charges this month is set to 20,000 yen, and the cumulative amount of charges this month is set to 16,500 yen. Following these examples, the current upper limit for the number of charges this time is 100, and the current upper limit for the amount of charges this time is 3,500 yen. Therefore, in the selection screen 340E of Figure 9(a) displayed on the touch panel 340 of the mobile terminal 300 during the charge processing in this embodiment, a warning mark icon C is displayed alongside the charge buttons 343c and 343d for the charge plans with charge amounts of 200 and 400, respectively.

[0082] When the user presses the charge button 343c (see the filled-in display in the figure), a message 364 is displayed to warn the user that the charge limit for this month will be exceeded, as shown in the example confirmation screen 340F in Figure 9(b).

[0083] The flowchart shown in Figure 10 represents the control procedure for the charge processing executed by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 in this embodiment, and only the procedures that differ from the flow in Figure 6 shown in the first embodiment will be explained below.

[0084] First, in step S15A, which is executed instead of step S15, the current charge limit and current charge limit amount are calculated based on the monthly charge limit, the current month's cumulative charge limit, the monthly charge limit amount, and the current month's cumulative charge amount in the operational parameter set 234.

[0085] In addition, in step S35A, which is executed in place of step S35, and in step S60A, which is executed in place of step S60, it is determined whether the number of charges for the selected charge plan exceeds the current charge upper limit number, or whether the purchase amount exceeds the current charge upper limit amount.

[0086] In step S65A, which is executed instead of step S65, a message 364 is additionally displayed on the confirmation screen 340F to warn the user that the monthly chargeable number will be exceeded.

[0087] The calculation, determination, and notification of the upper limit number and upper limit amount described above are performed according to the applicability settings of the monthly upper limit number of recharges and the monthly upper limit amount on the setting screen 340D. In other words, if only one of them is applied, only the application setting is reflected, and if both are applied, both settings are reflected. Note that the other control procedures are the same as those in the first embodiment, so explanations will be omitted.

[0088] In the above, the monthly charge limit number is an example of a first upper limit value and an upper limit set value, the monthly charge limit amount is an example of a second upper limit value and an upper limit set value, the number of charges in the charge charge process exceeding the current charge limit number is an example of a first limit condition, and the purchase amount in the charge charge process exceeding the current charge limit amount is an example of a second limit condition.

[0089] As described above, in the mobile terminal 300 included in the printing service providing system 1 of this embodiment, the limiting conditions include a monthly charge limit of the number of sheets or a monthly charge limit of the amount set by a predetermined setter, and in steps S35A and S60A, it is determined whether the charge limit in the charge processing exceeds the current charge limit of the number of sheets or whether the purchase amount exceeds the current charge limit of the amount. This allows the setter on the user side to set any charge limit.

[0090] In this embodiment, a predetermined person pre-sets the upper limit of the number of recharges allowed for each user (monthly recharge upper limit) or the upper limit of the purchase amount (monthly recharge upper limit) according to the attributes, capabilities, etc. of each user. The limit condition is that the upper limit of the number of recharges or the upper limit of the purchase amount must not be exceeded.

[0091] In steps S35A and S60A, it is determined whether the number of charges corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the current charge upper limit, or whether the purchase amount corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the current charge upper limit. As a result, if the number of charges exceeds the current charge upper limit, or if the purchase amount exceeds the current charge upper limit, purchases are restricted, and excessive charge numbers can be prevented from being set.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, by setting the monthly charge limit number or monthly charge limit amount as an upper limit value for a specified period, such as one month in this example, it is possible to manage the setting of the charge number for each specified period, and it is possible to reliably prevent the setting of excessive reserve charge numbers.

[0093] In particular, in this embodiment, when a user purchases printing authorization, both a monthly charge limit limit condition related to the charge number and a monthly charge limit limit condition related to the purchase amount are set in advance. When a user makes a purchase request, in steps S35A and S60A, it is determined whether the charge number corresponding to the purchase request satisfies the monthly charge limit limit condition and whether the purchase amount corresponding to the purchase request satisfies the monthly charge limit limit condition. If it is determined that either limit condition is met, purchases are restricted in steps S40 and S65A.

[0094] According to this embodiment, purchases are restricted when either the charge number or the purchase amount restriction conditions are met, thereby more reliably preventing excessive charge numbers from being set.

[0095] Third Embodiment: Setting a Charge Upper Limit Based on Operational Reasons for Maintaining Continuous Printing Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that descriptions of configurations and processes equivalent to those of the first embodiment will be omitted where appropriate.

[0096] In the third embodiment, the charge limit may be set for operational reasons, such as maintaining continuous printing according to the remaining amount of consumables. For example, a typical printer 200 detects and manages the amount of printing used for each of the yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) ink cartridges since they were fully loaded, and records the remaining ink amounts accordingly. In this case, the ink-equivalent remaining number of pages for each color in the operational parameter set 234 can be calculated and recorded based on the ink CTG printable page count for each color in the model-specific parameter set 353 shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, based on this parameter data, it is possible to roughly predict how many pages each color of ink will need to print in the future and printing will no longer be possible.

[0097] In contrast, in this embodiment, if it is predicted that one of the inks will run out and printing will be impossible before the additional charge amount added in the charging process is used up, the user is notified of this fact, the charging amount is reduced, and a request for the shipment of the ink predicted to be depleted is made. Specifically, the difference between the ink-equivalent remaining number of pages and the allowable number of prints for each color is calculated as the current charge upper limit for each color. This corresponds to a determination of whether the sum of the allowable number of prints already charged for the printer 200 and the charge amount corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the ink-equivalent remaining number of pages for the printer 200 corresponding to the remaining amount of ink at the time of the purchase request.

[0098] In the case of the ink CTG printable page count, the allowable print page count, and the ink-equivalent remaining page count for each color as shown in the example of Fig. 4 above, a warning icon C is displayed along with the charge buttons 343c and 343d, as shown in selection screen 340G of Fig. 11(a). When the user presses charge button 343c (see the solid display in the figure), a warning message 365 is displayed, as shown in confirmation screen 340H of the example shown in Fig. 11(b). In other words, message 365 once again informs the user of the possibility that an ink may run low while the charge number is being used, and urges the user to request the shipment of that ink.

[0099] The flowchart shown in Figure 12 shows the control procedure for the charge processing executed by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 in this embodiment, and only the procedures that differ from the flow in Figure 6 shown in the first embodiment will be explained below.

[0100] First, in step S15B, which is executed instead of step S15, the upper limit number of sheets to be charged this time for each color is calculated as the difference between the allowable number of sheets to be printed in the operational parameter set 234 and the remaining number of sheets converted into ink for each color.

[0101] In addition, in step S35B, which is executed in place of step S35, and step S60B, which is executed in place of step S60, it is determined whether the charge number of the selected charge plan exceeds the current charge upper limit number of any color.

[0102] In step S65B, which is executed instead of step S65, a confirmation screen 340H is additionally displayed to the user, informing the user of the possibility of which ink may run out while the charged number is being used, and a message 365 urging the user to request the shipment of that ink. Note that the other control procedures are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

[0103] In addition, the consumables may be other consumables other than ink, such as toner, etc. In the above, the remaining number of pages converted into ink for each color is an example of remaining amount information and the amount of printable ink, and step S10 is an example of remaining amount acquisition processing.

[0104] Effect of Third Embodiment As described above, in the mobile terminal 300 included in the print service providing system 1 of this embodiment, in order to prevent the printer 200 from becoming unable to print due to running out of consumables, the remaining amount or consumed amount of consumables in the printer 200 is associated in advance with the new print volume (the remaining number of pages converted into ink in this example) that can be newly printed with that remaining amount or consumed amount. A condition corresponding to the remaining number of pages converted into ink is set as a limiting condition. In steps S35B and S60B, a determination is made based on the allowable print volume of the printer 200 at the time of the purchase request and the remaining number of pages converted into ink that corresponds to the printer 200.

[0105] Specifically, for example, a determination is made as to whether the sum of the allowable print count already charged for the printer 200 and the charge count corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the ink-equivalent remaining count of the printer 200, which corresponds to the ink remaining amount at the time of the purchase request. If the sum exceeds the ink-equivalent remaining count, purchases are restricted, and excessive charge count settings can be prevented. This prevents the printer 200 from becoming unable to print due to running out of consumables.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, a correlation between the remaining amount of ink and the remaining ink-equivalent number of pages is set for each model of printer 200, and in steps S35B and S60B, a determination is made based on the remaining ink-equivalent number of pages determined by applying the correlation to the remaining ink-equivalent number of pages acquired in step S10. This makes it possible to appropriately prevent excessive charge number settings according to the specifications, durability, etc. of each model of printer 200, and to avoid a printing failure due to running out of consumables.

[0107] Fourth Embodiment: Overcharge Determination in Response to User Operation Error Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the description of the same configurations and processes as those in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0108] In the fourth embodiment, a charge upper limit may be set to accommodate excessive charge counts due to erroneous operation, such as a user's mistake in setting the charge count. For example, instead of selecting one of multiple charge plans, each with a predetermined charge count, as in the above embodiments, the user may enter and set an arbitrary charge count in a charge count input window 366, such as the charge count input screen 340I shown in FIG. 13(a). In this case, there is a high possibility that the user may erroneously set a charge count that is significantly greater than the originally intended charge count (e.g., 200 sheets) (e.g., 20,000 sheets in the illustrated example).

[0109] In contrast, in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 300 acquires information (not shown) about the user's past purchase history and print execution history stored by the service server 100 and the transaction server 400, and determines whether the charge amount is excessive based on that information. Specifically, the limiting condition is whether the current charge amount is within a range that is larger than the purchase amount (such as the average monthly purchase amount) of past printing authorizations or the amount of printing performed in the past, as indicated by the purchase history and print execution history, by a ratio equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, such as 10 times. If the current charge amount is determined to be within the above-mentioned range, a message 368 is displayed, as shown on the confirmation screen 340J in FIG. 13(b), informing the user that the charge amount may have been excessively set due to an erroneous operation.

[0110] The flowchart shown in Figure 14 represents the control procedure for the charge processing executed by the CPU 310 of the mobile terminal 300 in this embodiment, and only the procedures that differ from the flow in Figure 6 shown in the first embodiment will be explained below.

[0111] First, in step S5C, which is executed in place of step S5, the user's purchase history and print execution history are obtained from the service server 100 and the transaction server 400. Then, step S10 is omitted, and in step S15C, which is executed in place of step S15, the deviation range is calculated based on the purchase history and print execution history.

[0112] In step S20C, which is executed instead of step S20, a charge number input screen 340I including a charge number input window 366 is displayed on the touch panel 340. Thereafter, input operation of the charge number in the charge number input window 366 is accepted.

[0113] Steps S25 to S45 are omitted, and step S50C, which is executed instead of step S50, loops and waits until the charge execution button 367 on the charge number input screen 340I is pressed, and when it is pressed, the process proceeds to step S51. In step S51, it is determined whether the charge number has been input and set in the charge number input window 366, and if it has not been input and set, the determination is not satisfied (S51: NO), and the process returns to step S50C. On the other hand, if it has been input and set, the determination is satisfied (S51: YES), and the process proceeds to step S55.

[0114] In step S60C, which is executed instead of step S60, it is determined whether the inputted charge number exceeds the deviation range, and if it does not exceed the deviation range, the determination is not satisfied (S60: NO), and the process proceeds to step S70. On the other hand, if the inputted charge number exceeds the deviation range, the determination is satisfied (S60: YES), and the process proceeds to step S65C.

[0115] In addition, in step S65C, which is executed instead of step S65, a message 368 is additionally displayed on the confirmation screen 340J to notify the user that an excessive charge number may have been set due to an erroneous operation. Note that other control procedures are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. Note that in the above, step S5C is an example of a history acquisition process.

[0116] Effect of Fourth Embodiment As described above, in the mobile terminal 300 included in the print service providing system 1 of this embodiment, in step S5C executed by the mobile terminal 300, the past purchase history or print execution history of the user who made the purchase request for printing authority is acquired. As a limiting condition, a condition corresponding to the past purchase price for printing authority or the amount of printing performed in the past, represented by the purchase history or print execution history, is set. In addition, a predetermined deviation range is set according to the past purchase price for printing authority or the amount of printing performed in the past. In step S60C, it is determined whether the number of sheets charged to the printer 200 at the time of the purchase request falls within the corresponding deviation range.

[0117] Specifically, for example, it is determined whether the ratio between the charge number corresponding to the purchase request and the charge number corresponding to the amount of past purchases is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or whether it is 10 or 100 times (so-called digit input error), etc. As a result, if the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or is 10 or 100 times, purchases are restricted, and it is possible to prevent the setting of an obviously excessive charge number.

[0118] In this embodiment, the deviation range is a range in which the ratio of the charge number corresponding to the purchase request to the charge number corresponding to the amount of past purchases is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, such as 10. This appropriately prevents the setting of a charge number that is clearly excessive compared to the user's purchasing tendency estimated from the amount of past purchases, and prevents the setting of a charge number that is likely not intended by the user.

[0119] In the above embodiments, the mobile terminal 300 determines whether the charge quantity corresponding to each limiting condition is excessive and restricts purchases of purchase requests according to the determination result. Alternatively, the service server 100 or the printer 200 may perform similar determination and purchase restriction processes. In this case, the device executing the process acquires the information necessary for the process (model-specific parameter set 353, operational parameter set 234, past print authorization purchase history or print execution history) and calculates and compares the current charge limit quantity, etc. In this case, the service server 100 and the printer 200 are each an example of a management device.

[0120] When service server 100 is operated as an example of a management device, for example, page data is transmitted from service server 100 to mobile terminal 300 for each processing step. Mobile terminal 300 displays the page data on touch panel 340 via a browser. The contents of user operations on touch panel 340 are then transmitted to service server 100 via the browser.

[0121] When the printer 200 is operated as an example of a management device, for example, an embedded web server (EWS) is installed in the printer 200 and controlled in the same way as when the service server 100 is operated as an example of a management device.

[0122] Furthermore, a single device does not necessarily have to operate as the management device, and the management system may be configured by a plurality of devices selected from the service server 100, the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, and other devices.

[0123] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the operational parameter set 234 is stored in the data storage area 233 of the printer 200, and the model-specific parameter set 353 is stored in the data storage area 352 of the mobile terminal 300, but this is not limiting. The parameter set may be stored in any device as long as it can be acquired by a device that operates as a management device or a device that constitutes a management system.

[0124] Furthermore, in the above, the flowcharts shown in Figures 6, 10, 12, and 14 do not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the flowcharts, and procedures may be added or deleted, or the order may be changed, etc., within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit and technical concept of the invention.

[0125] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0126] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention.

[0127] 1 Print service providing system 100 Service server (an example of a server or management device) 200 Printer (an example of a printing device or management device) 234 Operation parameter set 300 Mobile terminal (an example of a management device) 353 Model-specific parameter set 400 Transaction server C Warning mark icon (an example of a warning display) NT Network

Claims

1. A management device that manages a printing system having a server and a printing device, wherein the printing system is configured to be able to execute an authority purchasing service that can increase the allowable printing volume, which is the upper limit when printing an image on a sheet, according to a guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased at a user's financial expense, and the management device is configured to execute a restriction acquisition process that acquires limiting conditions related to the guaranteed printing volume or purchase amount that are applied when purchasing the printing authority, a judgment process that, when a user makes a request to purchase the printing authority, determines whether the corresponding guaranteed printing volume or purchase amount falls under the limiting conditions acquired in the restriction acquisition process, and a purchase suppression process that, when it is determined in the judgment process that the limiting conditions are met, performs a predetermined purchase suppression on the purchase request.

2. The management device of claim 1, wherein the limiting condition corresponds to a cumulative printing upper limit value that can ensure a specified printing quality in the printing device, and the management device is configured to make the judgment in the judgment process based on the cumulative printing upper limit value and the allowable printing volume in the printing device at the time the purchase request is made.

3. The management device according to claim 2, wherein the cumulative print upper limit is set for each model of the printing device.

4. The management device of claim 1, further configured to execute a remaining amount acquisition process to acquire remaining amount information of consumables in the printing device, the restriction condition being a condition corresponding to a sustainable printing amount in which printing can be performed by continuing to use the consumables in the printing device based on the remaining amount information acquired in the remaining amount acquisition process, and the management device is configured to make the judgment in the judgment process based on the sustainable printing amount and the allowable printing amount in the printing device at the time the purchase request is made.

5. A management device as described in claim 4, wherein a correlation between the remaining amount information and the sustainable printing volume is set for each model of the printing device, and the management device is configured to make the judgment in the judgment process based on the sustainable printing volume determined by applying the correlation to the remaining amount information acquired in the remaining amount acquisition process.

6. The management device of claim 1, wherein the limiting conditions include an upper limit setting value set by a designated setter, and the management device is configured to determine in the determination process whether the guaranteed printing volume corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the upper limit setting value.

7. The management device of claim 1, wherein the limiting conditions include a first upper limit value of the guaranteed printing volume or a second upper limit value of the purchase amount set by a specified setter, and the management device is configured to determine in the determination process whether the guaranteed printing volume corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the first upper limit value, or whether the purchase amount corresponding to the purchase request exceeds the second upper limit value.

8. The management device according to claim 7, wherein the first upper limit value or the second upper limit value is set as an upper limit value of the guaranteed print volume or the purchase amount per predetermined period.

9. The management device is further configured to execute a history acquisition process to acquire the past purchase history or print execution history of the printing authority of the user who made the purchase request, and the restriction condition is a condition corresponding to the past purchase amount of the printing authority or the amount of printing performed in the past, represented by the purchase history or the print execution history acquired in the history acquisition process, and the management device is configured to determine in the determination process whether the guaranteed printing amount corresponding to the purchase request falls within a predetermined deviation range based on the past purchase amount of the printing authority or the amount of printing performed in the past.

10. The management device according to claim 9, wherein the deviation range is a range in which the ratio of the guaranteed printing volume corresponding to the purchase request to the guaranteed printing volume corresponding to the past purchase amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

11. The management device of claim 1, wherein the management device is configured to: acquire, in the restriction acquisition process, a first restriction condition related to the guaranteed printing volume and a second restriction condition related to the purchase amount that are applied when purchasing the printing rights; determine, in the judgment process, whether the guaranteed printing volume meets the first restriction condition and whether the purchase amount meets the second restriction condition; and perform the specified purchase restriction by the purchase restriction process if the guaranteed printing volume meets the first restriction condition or the purchase amount meets the second restriction condition.

12. The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further configured to execute a mode display process that outputs a display signal for displaying at least one printing authority purchasing mode, and if the printing authority purchasing mode displayed based on the display signal of the mode display process is a printing authority purchasing mode for which the corresponding guaranteed printing volume or the purchase amount is determined in the determination process to satisfy the restriction condition, the management device is configured to attach a predetermined warning display for the purchase restriction to the display of the printing authority purchasing mode in the purchase restriction process.

13. The management device of claim 12, further configured to be capable of executing a mode designation acceptance process that accepts designation of the printing authority purchase mode based on the display in the mode display process as the purchase request, and configured to execute the mode designation acceptance process regardless of whether the guaranteed printing volume or the purchase amount corresponding to the displayed printing authority purchase mode is determined to satisfy the restriction condition or not satisfy the restriction condition in the determination process.

14. The management device of claim 12, further configured to execute a mode designation acceptance process that accepts designation of the printing authority purchase mode based on the display in the mode display process as the purchase request, and is configured not to execute the mode designation acceptance process by the purchase suppression process when it is determined in the determination process that the guaranteed printing volume or the purchase amount corresponding to the displayed printing authority purchase mode satisfies the restriction condition.

15. The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further configured to execute a mode display process that outputs a display signal for displaying at least one printing authority purchasing mode, and if the printing authority purchasing mode displayed based on the display signal of the mode display process is a printing authority purchasing mode for which the corresponding guaranteed printing volume or the purchase amount is determined by the determination process to satisfy the restriction condition, the printing authority purchasing mode is not displayed by the purchase suppression process.

16. A print management system capable of executing an authority purchasing service that can increase the allowable printing volume, which is the upper limit when a printing device prints an image on a sheet, according to the guaranteed printing volume guaranteed by a printing authority purchased at the user's financial expense, the print management system having: a restriction acquisition unit that acquires restriction conditions related to the guaranteed printing volume or purchase price that are applied when purchasing the printing authority; a judgment unit that, when a user makes a request to purchase the printing authority, determines whether the corresponding guaranteed printing volume or purchase price falls under the restriction conditions acquired by the restriction acquisition unit; and a purchase suppression unit that, when the judgment unit determines that the restriction conditions are met, performs a predetermined purchase suppression on the purchase request.

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