Print system, program, information processing method, and printer

Abstract

The present invention checks whether a sheet has been removed. In a first aspect, a print execution unit is caused to print a content image. By using information output from a sensor after print processing has been performed, it is determined whether a content sheet has been removed from a tray. In a case where it is determined that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, removal information is stored in a storage device. In a second aspect, the print execution unit is caused to print a content image. Upon print processing being completed, information indicating the completion of print processing is transmitted to a server. By using information output from the sensor after print processing has been performed, it is determined whether a content sheet has been removed from the tray. In a case where it is determined that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray is transmitted to the server.

Description

Printing System, Program, Information Processing Method, and Printer

[0001] This specification relates to a technique for printing content images.

[0002] Content images representing various contents such as photos, documents, and advertisements are printed. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for sending advertisement data, which is an example of content, to a printing device. Specifically, an advertisement transmission server extracts personal information about a user from a customer information database in response to a printing start request from the printing device. The advertisement transmission server extracts advertisement data associated with target audience information indicating that the user is included in a consumer layer based on the extracted personal information from an advertisement database, and sends it to the printing device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-092486

[0004] When a printed sheet is supported by a tray, there is room for improvement in checking the extraction of the sheet from the tray.

[0005] This specification discloses a technique for checking the extraction of a sheet.

[0006] The technique disclosed in this specification can be realized as the following items.

[0007] [Item 1] A printing system including a printing execution unit that prints an image on a sheet, a tray for supporting the printed sheet, a sensor that detects the sheet supported by the tray, and a controller system including one or more controllers. The controller system executes a printing process for causing the printing execution unit to print a content image representing content, a determination process for determining whether a content sheet, which is the sheet on which the content image is printed, has been removed from the tray using information output from the sensor after the printing process, and a removal storage process for storing, in a storage device, removal information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, when it is determined by the determination process that the content sheet has been removed from the tray.

[0008] With this configuration, when the system determines that a content sheet has been removed from the tray, the removal information is stored in the storage device. Therefore, it is possible to check whether a content sheet has been removed by referring to the storage device.

[0009] [Item 2] A printer comprising: a print execution unit for printing an image onto a sheet; a tray for supporting a printed sheet; a sensor for detecting a sheet supported on the tray; and a controller system including one or more controllers, wherein the controller system performs: a print process for causing the print execution unit to print a content image representing content; a first transmission process for sending information to a server indicating the completion of the print process upon completion of the print process; a determination process for determining whether a content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image has been printed, has been removed from the tray, using information output from the sensor after the print process; and a second transmission process for sending information to a server indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, if the determination process determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray.

[0010] In this configuration, when the printing process is completed, information indicating the completion of the printing process is sent to the server, and when the determination process determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray is sent to the server, so that the printer can perform a check for content sheet removal, which uses the server.

[0011] Furthermore, the technologies disclosed herein can be implemented in various forms, for example, in the form of information processing methods, information processing systems, servers for information processing, printing methods, printing systems, printers, printer controller systems, computer programs for realizing the functions of such methods or devices, recording media (e.g., non-temporary recording media) on which such computer programs are recorded, and so on.

[0012] This is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the printing system. (A) and (B) are perspective views of the printer 100. This is a diagram showing an example of print setting STp. (A)-(C) are diagrams showing examples of templates. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the distribution print process. This is a diagram showing an example of the record database 420. This is a diagram showing an example of the change in information represented by the record database 420. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the status management process. This is a graph showing an example of the index correspondence relationship 430. This is a diagram showing examples of multiple correspondence relationships showing multiple content images. (A)-(C) are diagrams showing another embodiment of the index correspondence relationship. (D) is a diagram showing examples of two content images CI11 and CI12 for comparison. (A)-(C) are diagrams showing another embodiment of the index correspondence relationship. (D) is a diagram showing examples of multiple content images CI21-CI26 for comparison. This is a diagram showing another example of a sensor.

[0013] A. First Embodiment: A1. System Configuration: Figure 1 is a block diagram representing an embodiment of a printing system. This printing system 1000 includes a printer 100 and a service server 300. These devices 100 and 300 are connected to a network IT. The network IT may include the so-called Internet. The network IT may also include a so-called local area network.

[0014] The printer 100 includes a processor 110, a storage device 115, a display unit 140, an operation unit 150, a print execution unit 160, a communication interface 180, and a sensor 100s. These elements are connected to each other via a bus. The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a non-volatile storage device 130. The printer 100 further includes a tray 100t.

[0015] The display unit 140 is a device configured to display images, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The operation unit 150 is a device configured to receive user input, such as buttons, levers, or a touch panel superimposed on the display unit 140. The display unit 140 and the operation unit 150 may form a so-called touchscreen. The user can input various requests and instructions to the printer 100 by operating the operation unit 150. The display unit 140 may display operational elements such as buttons and sliders, and these displayed elements may be operated through the operation unit 150.

[0016] The printing execution unit 160 is a device that prints an image onto a sheet (for example, paper). In this embodiment, the printer 100 is a so-called inkjet printer. The printing execution unit 160 includes a head with multiple nozzles, a drive circuit for driving the head, multiple transport rollers for transporting the sheet, and a motor for driving the multiple transport rollers. The printing execution unit 160 is configured to print an image onto the sheet by ejecting one or more types of colorants from multiple nozzles. In this embodiment, the printing execution unit 160 prints an image using four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Note that the printer 100 may be a device that prints images using other methods, such as a laser printer.

[0017] The communication interface 180 is an interface for communicating with other devices and includes, for example, one or more of the following: a USB interface, a wired LAN interface, and an IEEE 802.11 wireless interface. In this embodiment, the communication interface 180 is connected to the network IT.

[0018] The processor 110 is a device configured to perform data processing, and is, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a System on a Chip (SoC). The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), and the non-volatile storage device 130 is, for example, flash memory. The non-volatile storage device 130 stores the data for program PG1, device identifier IDd1, and user information IDus.

[0019] Program PG1 is a program for controlling the printer 100. The data for Program PG1 is stored in the non-volatile storage device 130 by the printer 100 manufacturer at the time of printer 100's manufacture. Alternatively, Program PG1 may be downloaded from a server (not shown).

[0020] Device identifier IDd1 is an identifier that identifies printer 100. User information IDus represents a user identifier that identifies a user. In the example in Figure 1, user information IDus represents multiple user identifiers IDu1 and Idu2. Device identifier IDd1 and user identifiers IDu1 and Idu2 are assigned to printer 100 and user, respectively, through the contract processing of the print distribution service.

[0021] Figures 2(A) and 2(B) are perspective views of the printer 100. As shown in Figure 2(A), the printer 100 has a case 100c and a printing execution unit 160 housed inside the case 100c. The case 100c has an outlet 100o. The printing execution unit 160 is configured to discharge printed sheets from the outlet 100o toward the discharge direction 100D. As shown in Figure 2(A), a tray 100t extending toward the discharge direction 100D is connected to the part of the case 100c below the outlet 100o. As shown in Figure 2(B), the sheets SH discharged from the outlet 100o are supported by the tray 100t.

[0022] A sensor 100s is positioned near the discharge port 100o in Figure 2(A). The sensor 100s detects the sheet SH supported by the tray 100t. The configuration of the sensor 100s can vary. For example, the sensor 100s may have a light-emitting unit that irradiates light toward a specific portion 100tp of the tray 100t, and a light-receiving unit that measures the intensity of the reflected light from the specific portion 100tp. The specific portion 100tp is the part hidden beneath the sheet SH when the tray 100t supports the sheet SH, as shown in Figure 2(B). The color of the specific portion 100tp may be set to a color different from the color of various sheets such as paper, for example, black. The light intensity measured by the light-receiving unit changes depending on the presence or absence of a sheet supported by the tray 100t. For example, a light intensity greater than a predetermined threshold indicates the presence of a sheet supported by the tray 100t (i.e., detection of a sheet). Light intensity below the threshold indicates the absence of a sheet supported on tray 100t (i.e., no sheet detected). In this way, the processor 110 can use the signal from sensor 100s to determine whether or not a sheet is present on tray 100t.

[0023] In this embodiment, the service server 300 (Figure 1) is a cloud server using a cloud service. That is, the service server 300 is a virtual server provided by a cloud service provider that manages physical servers. The service provider starts operating the service server 300 by uploading the program PG3, which will be described later, to the cloud.

[0024] The service server 300 includes a processor 310, a storage device 315, and a communication interface 380. These elements are connected to each other via a bus (not shown). The storage device 315 includes a volatile storage device 320 and a non-volatile storage device 330.

[0025] The processor 310 is a device configured to perform data processing, such as a CPU or SoC. The volatile storage device 320 is such as a DRAM, and the non-volatile storage device 330 is such as a flash memory or a hard disk drive. The communication interface 380 is an interface for communicating with other devices, such as one or more of a USB interface, a wired LAN interface, or an IEEE 802.11 wireless interface. The communication interface 380 is connected to the network IT.

[0026] The services provided by the service server 300 may be various services. In this embodiment, the service server 300 provides a distribution and printing service. Specifically, the service server 300 causes a device such as a printer 100 to print a content image representing the content via the network IT. The content may be various types of content. For example, the content may be a landscape photograph, an animal photograph, a painting, or an advertisement. In this embodiment, the content is assumed to be advertising content. The printer 100 is an example of a device used for the service. Users can receive the service by registering their device with the service server 300. Although not shown in the figures, the service server 300 provides the distribution and printing service to multiple printers.

[0027] The non-volatile storage device 330 stores data for program PG3, service database 410, record database 420, and metric correspondence 430. Program PG3 is configured to execute processing for the service. The service database 410 stores information used for the service. The service database 410 stores information for each delivery print service contract. The record database 420 stores changes in the status of printed sheets. The metric correspondence 430 is used to calculate advertising metrics. Program PG3 and the metric correspondence 430 are uploaded to the service server 300 by the service provider providing the service. The service database 410 is updated by the contract processing for the delivery print service. The record database 420 is updated by the status management processing after printing. Details of the service database 410 will be described below. Details of the record database 420 and the metric correspondence 430 will be described later.

[0028] In this embodiment, the service database 410 stores the correspondence between a user identifier IDu that identifies a user, a device identifier IDd that identifies a printer, a delivery date and time DT, and a print setting STp. The delivery date and time DT is set to, for example, a date and time that repeats periodically. A date and time that repeats periodically includes, for example, the same time every day, or the same time on the same day of the week every week.

[0029] Print setting STp is the print setting for the content image. Figure 3 shows an example of print setting STp. In this embodiment, print setting STp represents color setting CS and template TP. Color setting CS is the color setting for the content image and indicates either color or monochrome. Template TP indicates the template used for printing. Template TP is selected from several templates prepared by the service provider.

[0030] Figures 4(A) to 4(C) are diagrams illustrating examples of templates. Each of Figures 4(A) to 4(C) represents one of the templates TP1 to TP3. In each figure, the discharge direction 100D and the opposite direction DR are shown. The upward direction of templates TP1 to TP3 corresponds to the discharge direction 100D. The downward direction of templates TP1 to TP3 corresponds to the opposite direction DR. The opposite direction DR is the opposite direction of the discharge direction 100D. In each figure, the discharge direction 100D is upward. In this embodiment, the shape of the sheet used for printing is rectangular, having two sides parallel to the discharge direction 100D and two sides perpendicular to the discharge direction 100D. The shape of the template is rectangular, having two sides parallel to the discharge direction 100D and two sides perpendicular to the discharge direction 100D, similar to the shape of the sheet. The template represents one or more frames on the sheet. The frame is an area to which a content image can be assigned.

[0031] The template TP1 in Figure 4(A) represents a first column C11 containing four frames AF11-AF14 arranged in the opposite direction DR, and a second column C12 containing four frames AF15-AF18 arranged in the opposite direction DR. Each frame AF11-AF18 has the same rectangular shape. Each frame AF11-AF18 has the same area FS1. Frames AF11-AF18 are placed within the printable area on the sheet.

[0032] The figure shows positions PS1-PS4 aligned in the opposite direction DR. Positions PS1-PS4 indicate the positions of frames on the template. The position of a frame is the position indicating the downstream end of the frame in the discharge direction 100D. The position of the frame is indicated by coordinates, with the downstream end of the template in the discharge direction 100D as the origin and the distance from there. Position PS1 indicates the positions of frames AF11 and AF15, position PS2 indicates the positions of frames AF12 and AF16, position PS3 indicates the positions of frames AF13 and AF17, and position PS4 indicates the positions of frames AF14 and AF18.

[0033] As explained in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), the printed sheets are discharged from the discharge port 100o toward the discharge direction 100D. Therefore, the discharge order is from position PS1 to PS4. The user can observe the content images of the portion of the sheet that is discharged first before the content images of the portion that is discharged later. The content images that can be observed first are more noticeable than the content images that can be observed later.

[0034] The template TP2 in Figure 4(B) represents a first column C21 containing four frames AF21-AF24 arranged in the opposite direction DR, and a second column C22 containing two frames AF25 and AF26 arranged in the opposite direction DR. The configuration of frames AF21-AF24 in the first column C21 is the same as the configuration of frames AF11-AF14 in the first column C11 in Figure 4(A). The shape, size, and arrangement of frame AF25 in the second column C22 are the same as the shape, size, and arrangement of the smallest rectangle containing two frames AF15 and AF16 in the second column C12 in Figure 4(A). The shape, size, and arrangement of frame AF26 are the same as the shape, size, and arrangement of the smallest rectangle containing two frames AF17 and AF18 in the second column C12 in Figure 4(A). The area FS2 of frames AF25 and AF26 in the second row C22 is approximately twice the area FS1 of frames AF21-AF24 in the first row C21. Position PS1 indicates the position of frames AF21 and AF25, position PS2 indicates the position of frame AF22, position PS3 indicates the position of frames AF23 and AF26, and position PS4 indicates the position of frame AF24.

[0035] The template TP3 in Figure 4(C) represents one frame AF31. The shape, size, and arrangement of frame AF31 are the same as those of the smallest rectangle containing the eight frames AF11-AF18 in Figure 4(A). The area FS3 of frame AF31 is approximately eight times the area FS1 of each of the frames AF11-AF18 (Figure 4(A)). The position of frame AF31 is position PS1.

[0036] To use the distribution and printing service, a user accesses the service server 300 (Figure 1) using, for example, a terminal device (not shown) and applies to use the distribution and printing service. The terminal device includes, for example, a smartphone or a personal computer. In response to the application, the terminal device and the service server 300 execute the contract processing for the distribution and printing service. In the contract processing, the processor 310 of the service server 300 records the correspondence between the user identifier IDu, the device identifier IDd, the distribution date and time DT, and the print setting STp in the service database 410 shown in Figure 1. The user identifier IDu and the device identifier IDd are assigned to the user and the printer, respectively, by the processor 310 of the service server 300. The distribution date and time DT and the print setting STp are determined by the user. The print setting STp includes the color setting CS and the template TP. Hereinafter, the user of printer 100 will contract for the distribution and printing service of advertising images using printer 100. The method of acquiring advertising images will be by auction. As the template TP, template TP3 shown in Figure 4(C) will be selected.

[0037] A terminal device (not shown) used for contract processing supplies data of a device identifier and user identifier assigned by the service server 300 to the printer 100. For example, the terminal device supplies data of device identifier IDd1 and user identifier IDu1 to the printer. The printer 100's processor 110 stores the received data in the non-volatile storage device 130. In the example in Figure 1, multiple users use the printer 100. Therefore, multiple user identifiers IDu1 and IDu2 are associated with the same device identifier IDd1.

[0038] The data for the device identifier IDd1 may be stored in the non-volatile storage device 130 by the printer manufacturer during the manufacturing of the printer 100. This device identifier IDd1 may then be used for the print distribution service.

[0039] Furthermore, the printer 100's processor 110 may manage the use of the printer 100 for each user. For example, a user may control the printer 100 by operating a terminal device capable of communicating with the printer 100. Here, the terminal device is, for example, a smartphone or a personal computer. A user identifier may also be associated with the terminal device. The printer 100's processor 110 may manage the use of the printer 100 for each user using the user identifier associated with the terminal device. For example, the processor 110 may count the number of pages printed for each user. As the user identifier associated with the terminal device, the user identifiers IDu1 and IDu2 used in the distribution printing service may be used. Alternatively, the printer 100's processor 110 may assign a user identifier to each user. Such user identifiers may then be used in the distribution printing service.

[0040] A2. Distribution Printing Process: Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of distribution printing processing by a distribution printing service. In this embodiment, the processor 110 of the printer 100 (Figure 1) and the processor 310 of the service server 300 carry out the distribution printing process. Hereinafter, the processor 110 of the printer 100 will also be referred to as the printer processor 110, and the processor 310 of the service server 300 will also be referred to as the server processor 310. The printer processor 110 carries out the distribution printing process according to program PG1. The server processor 310 carries out the distribution printing process according to program PG3.

[0041] In S110, the user of printer 100 logs in to printer 100. In this embodiment, the user logs in to printer 100 by connecting a terminal device (not shown) to printer 100. This allows the user to use printer 100. The connection between the terminal device and printer 100 may be made via a network IT. Printer 100 may also be equipped with a wireless interface for short-range communication, such as a Bluetooth® interface or a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface. The terminal device and printer 100 may be connected via short-range communication. Alternatively, the user may log in to printer 100 by operating the operation unit 150 of printer 100 without using a terminal device. Note that printing via the distribution printing service may be performed when the user is not logged in to printer 100. In other words, S110 may be omitted.

[0042] The server processor 310 starts the distribution printing process by the distribution printing service according to the distribution date and time DT in the service database 410 in Figure 1. In S120, the server processor 310 acquires data for content images and content identifiers that identify the content images. The server processor 310 acquires the same number of content images as the total number of frames included in the template TP.

[0043] There may be various methods for acquiring content images. In this embodiment, the server processor 310 acquires content images by auction. For example, the server processor 310 performs auction processing as a seller of a frame represented by a template TP and determines the successful bidder for the frame. The successful bidder's advertisement image is used as the content image to be printed. A content identifier is pre-associated with the advertisement image. For example, the successful bidder may pre-associate a content identifier with the advertisement image. Alternatively, the server processor 310 may assign a content identifier to the content image. There may be various methods for conducting the auction. For example, the server processor 310 performs auction processing by communicating with a bidding server (not shown). Communication between the service server 300 and the bidding server may be performed according to a protocol called OpenRTB. RTB stands for "Real Time Bidding".

[0044] In S125, the server processor 310 generates data of the printed image PI according to the content settings. FIG. 3 shows an example of the content settings STc. In this embodiment, the content settings STc represent the print settings STp and the frame correspondence FR. The print settings STp include the color settings CS and the template TP. The frame correspondence FR represents the correspondence between the frames included in the template TP and the content images. The server processor 310 assigns the content images acquired in S120 to the frames of the template TP. Thereby, the server processor 310 generates data of the frame correspondence FR. The template TP may show, for example, the template TP3 in FIG. 4(C), and the frame correspondence FR may show, for example, that the content image CI1 is assigned to the frame AF31. The method of assigning the content images may be various methods. For example, the server processor 310 may randomly determine the correspondence between the content images and the frames. Instead of this, the server processor 310 may determine the correspondence between the content images and the frames according to a predetermined rule. For example, the server processor 310 may assign a content image having a high winning bid price to a frame having an early discharge order. The server processor 310 generates data of the printed image PI representing the content images assigned to each frame.

[0045] The format of the data of the printed image PI is a data format independent of the printer, such as the JPEG format or the PNG format. Instead of this, the format of the data of the printed image PI may be a data format associated with the printer. In either case, the color space of the data of the printed image PI may be various color spaces. The color space may be, for example, the RGB color space, the YCbCr color space, or the CMYK color space of the color materials available for use by the printer.

[0046] In S130, the server processor 310 transmits a print instruction to the printer 100. The destination printer is the printer indicated by the device identifier IDd associated with the printing of the current content image by the service database 410 (FIG. 1). The print instruction includes the data of the print image PI and the data of the print settings including the color setting CS. Such a print instruction is also called a print job. Note that the transmission of the print instruction to the printer 100 may be performed via a remote print server not shown in the figure.

[0047] In S135, the server processor 310 records information regarding the print instruction in the recording database 420 of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the recording database 420. In the present embodiment, the recording database 420 represents the correspondence relationship between the device identifier IDd, the content identifier IDc, the content setting STc, the sheet status SS, the first time Ta, the second time Tb, the user identifier IDu, and the advertisement index Ad.

[0048] The device identifier IDd is the identifier of the destination printer of the print instruction. The content identifier IDc is the identifier of the content image included in the print image PI acquired in S120 of FIG. 5. The content setting STc represents the color setting CS, the template TP, and the frame correspondence relationship FR as described in FIG. 3. The sheet status SS indicates whether a printed sheet has been taken out from the printer. Hereinafter, a sheet on which a content image is printed is referred to as a content sheet. In the present embodiment, the sheet status SS is set to the un-extracted SSa or the extracted SSb. The first time Ta is the time indicating the completion of printing. The second time Tb is the time indicating the extraction of the content sheet. The user identifier IDu is the identifier of the user associated with the extraction of the content sheet. The advertisement index Ad indicates an index of the advertisement effect of the advertisement image which is the content image.

[0049] In S135, the server processor 310 associates the device identifier IDd, the content identifier IDc, and the content setting STc and records them in the recording database 420. The information IDd1, IDc1, and STc1 in the first row of Figure 6 are examples of information recorded in S135 of the distribution printing process using the printer 100. Other information SS, Ta, Tb, IDu, and Ad are not set. Although not shown in the figure, if the print image PI contains multiple content images, information IDd, IDc, and STc are recorded in the recording database 420 for each content image. Details of the other information SS, Ta, Tb, IDu, and Ad will be described later.

[0050] In S150, the printer 100 receives a print command. In S155, the printer processor 110 prints the print image PI according to the print command. The print image PI can represent various colors. If the color setting CS is color, the printer processor 110 prints a color print image PI. If the color setting CS is monochrome, the printer processor 110 generates a monochrome print image by performing a color conversion on the print image PI and prints the monochrome print image. Various relational expressions that associate the color space with the monochrome color space may be used in the color conversion. For example, if the color space of the print image PI is the RGB color space, the RGB color values ​​may be converted to luminance values ​​Y according to the relational expression between the RGB color space and the YCbCr color space. This generates a monochrome print image represented in grayscale.

[0051] In S160, the printer processor 110 determines whether printing is complete or not. If printing is not complete (S160: No), the printer processor 110 waits for printing to complete.

[0052] If printing is complete (S160: Yes), in S165, the printer processor 110 sends a print completion notification to the service server 300. This notification includes the device identifier IDd1 of the printer 100. Note that the print completion notification to the service server 300 may be sent via a remote print server (not shown).

[0053] In S180, the service server 300 receives a notification that printing is complete. In S185, the server processor 310 obtains the current time from a clock (not shown) installed in the service server 300. The clock is a device that measures the current time. The time may represent, for example, year, month, day, hour, and minute. The time is obtained in response to the receipt of the notification that printing is complete. Such a time is an example of a first time indicating the completion of printing.

[0054] In S190, the server processor 310 records the sheet status SS and the first time Ta in the recording database 420, associating them with the device identifier IDd and the content identifier IDc.

[0055] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes in information represented by the record database 420. The diagram shows examples of information updated in steps S135, S190, S270, and S280 when the printer 100 is used. In S135 (Figure 5), as described above, the information IDd, IDc, and STc are recorded in the record database 420.

[0056] In S190 (Figure 5), the server processor 310 searches the recording database 420 for the device identifier IDd1 included in the notification received in S180. Among the correspondences associated with the device identifier IDd1, those with an unset sheet status SS indicate content images being printed. The server processor 310 extracts such correspondences. In the extracted correspondences, the server processor 310 sets the sheet status SS to "Unextracted SSa" and the first time Ta to the time obtained in S185. In the example in Figure 7, the sheet status SS is set to "Unextracted SSa", and the first time Ta is set to time Ta1. Thus, in S190, the server processor 310 associates the device identifier IDd, the sheet status SS of "Unextracted SSa", the first time Ta, and the content identifier IDc and records them in the recording database 420.

[0057] Upon completion of S190, the distribution and printing process shown in Figure 5 is terminated.

[0058] A3. Status Management Process: Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the status management process performed by the distribution printing service. In this embodiment, the sheet status SS in Figure 6, which indicates whether or not the content sheet has been removed from the printer, is updated. In addition, the advertising metric Ad is calculated based on the removal of the content sheet. The printer processor 110 proceeds with the status management process according to program PG1. The server processor 310 proceeds with the status management process according to program PG3. The status management process is repeated after the completion of the distribution printing process (Figure 5) until the content sheet is removed from the printer 100. For example, the printer processor 110 periodically starts the status management process after the completion of the distribution printing process (Figure 5).

[0059] In S210, the user of printer 100 logs in to printer 100. S210 is performed in the same way as S110 (Figure 5). Note that the status management process may be performed when the user is not logged in to printer 100. In other words, S210 may be omitted.

[0060] In S215, the printer processor 110 uses sensor information from sensor 100s to determine whether the content sheet has been removed from the printer 100's tray 100t. If the sensor information indicates that the sheet has been detected, the printer processor 110 determines that the content sheet remains on the tray 100t. If the sensor information indicates that the sheet has not been detected, the printer processor 110 determines that the content sheet has been removed.

[0061] In S220, the printer processor 110 decides whether to proceed with processing according to the result of S215. If it is determined that the content sheet has not been removed from tray 100t (S220: No), the printer processor 110 proceeds to S215. If it is determined that the content sheet has been removed from tray 100t (S220: Yes), the printer processor 110 proceeds to S225.

[0062] In S225, the printer processor 110 determines whether it can identify the user who removed the content sheet. In this embodiment, the printer processor 110 determines that it can identify the user if the determination that the content sheet was removed from the printer 100 is made while the user is logged into the printer 100.

[0063] If the result of the S225 decision is Yes, in S230 the printer processor 110 identifies the user who retrieved the content sheet and obtains the identifier of the identified user. In this embodiment, the printer processor 110 refers to the user information IDus in Figure 1 and obtains the user identifier of the logged-in user. Then the printer processor 110 proceeds to S235.

[0064] If the result of the judgment in S225 is No, the printer processor 110 skips S230 and proceeds to S235.

[0065] In S235, the printer processor 110 sends an retrieval notification to the service server 300 indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray 100t of the printer 100. The retrieval notification includes the data of the device identifier IDd1 of the printer 100. If the result of the determination in S225 is Yes, the retrieval notification further includes the data of the user identifier obtained in S230, for example, the user identifier IDu1. Note that the transmission of the retrieval notification to the service server 300 may be performed via a remote printing server (not shown).

[0066] In S250, the service server 300 receives a retrieval notification. In S255, the server processor 310 obtains the current time from a clock (not shown) installed in the service server 300. The time is obtained in response to the receipt of the retrieval notification. Such a time is an example of a second time indicating the retrieval of a content sheet.

[0067] In S260, the server processor 310 determines whether the user who retrieved the content sheet has been identified. In this embodiment, if the retrieval notification received in S250 includes a user identifier, the server processor 310 determines that the user has been identified.

[0068] If the user has not been identified (S260: No), in S265, the server processor 310 identifies the user and obtains the identifier of the identified user. There may be various methods for identifying the user. In this embodiment, the server processor 310 searches the service database 410 in Figure 1 and obtains the user identifier associated with the device identifier IDd1 included in the retrieval notification received in S250. If multiple user identifiers are associated with the device identifier IDd1, the server processor 310 may obtain the user identifier IDu associated with the last distribution print process associated with the device identifier IDd1. Such a user identifier IDu can be identified by referring to the distribution date and time DT. After S265, the server processor 310 proceeds to S270.

[0069] If the user has been identified (S260: Yes), the server processor 310 skips S265 and proceeds to S270.

[0070] In S270, the server processor 310 records the sheet status SS, the second time Tb, and the user identifier IDu in the record database 420, associating them with the content identifier IDc. The server processor 310 performs this recording for each of the correspondences between the device identifier IDd1 included in the notification received in S250 and the sheet status SS of the unretrieved SSaa.

[0071] Figure 7 shows an example of information updated in S270. The server processor 310 searches the record database 420 for the device identifier IDd1 included in the notification received in S250. The server processor 310 extracts the correspondence relationships associated with the device identifier IDd1 that have a sheet status SS of "Not Extracted SSa". In the extracted correspondence relationships, the server processor 310 sets the sheet status SS to "Extracted SSb", the second time Tb to the time obtained in S255, and the user identifier IDu to the user identifier included in the extraction notification received in S250, or the user identifier obtained in S265. In the example in Figure 7, the sheet status SS is set to "Extracted SSb", the second time Tb is set to time Tb1, and the user identifier IDu is set to user identifier IDu1. Thus, in S270, the server processor 310 associates the device identifier IDd, the content identifier IDc, the sheet status SS of the retrieved SSb, the second time Tb, and the user identifier IDu and records them in the record database 420.

[0072] In S275 of Figure 8, the server processor 310 calculates the advertising metric Ad, which is an indicator of advertising effectiveness, for each correspondence in which the sheet status SS is set to retrieved SSb in S270. In this embodiment, the server processor 310 calculates the advertising metric Ad using the first time Ta, the second time Tb, and the metric correspondence 430 in Figure 1. Figure 9 is a graph showing an example of the metric correspondence 430. The horizontal axis shows the time difference dT, and the vertical axis shows the advertising metric Ad. The metric correspondence 430 defines the correspondence between the time difference dT and the advertising metric Ad in the form of a function or a lookup table.

[0073] The time difference dT is the difference obtained by subtracting the first time point Ta from the second time point Tb. Such a time difference dT represents the time from when the printing of the content image is completed until the content sheet is removed from tray 100t.

[0074] The metric correspondence relationship 430 shows that the advertising metric Ad is larger the shorter the time lag dT. The reason for this is as follows: The more interest a user has in the printed image, the sooner they will take out the content sheet. Therefore, a short time lag dT indicates a high level of user interest in the content image, while a long time lag dT indicates a low level of user interest in the content image. If the content image is an advertising image, the higher the user's interest in the printed content image, the greater the advertising effect of the advertising image. For these reasons, the metric correspondence relationship 430 shows that the advertising metric Ad is larger the shorter the time lag dT.

[0075] The correspondence relationship represented by the metric correspondence relationship 430 may be various correspondence relationships that show that the advertising metric Ad is larger as the time difference dT is shorter, at least within a range of the time difference dT. Figure 9 shows three graphs GR1-GR3. All three graphs GR1-GR3 show that the advertising metric Ad is larger as the time difference dT is shorter. The first graph GR1 shows a graph in which the advertising metric Ad changes in a curve that is convex upwards as the time difference dT increases. The second graph GR2 shows a graph in which the advertising metric Ad changes linearly as the time difference dT changes. The third graph GR3 shows a graph in which the advertising metric Ad changes in a curve that is convex downwards as the time difference dT increases. In these graphs GR1-GR3, if the time difference dT exceeds the first threshold dTm, the advertising metric Ad is set to a constant value. For example, if the first threshold dTm exceeds 24 hours, the advertising metric Ad is set to zero. The metric correspondence relationship 430 may represent a correspondence relationship represented by a graph arbitrarily selected in advance from graphs GR1-GR3. Advertisers desire that users retrieve the content sheet quickly after the content image has been printed. Therefore, it is preferable that the metric correspondence relationship 430 shows a large advertising metric Ad when the time difference dT is short. For example, it is preferable that the first graph GR1 is used.

[0076] In S280 of Figure 8, the server processor 310 associates the advertising metric Ad, content identifier IDc, and content setting STc with each correspondence in which the sheet status SS was set to retrieve SSb in S270, and records this in the record database 420. Figure 7 shows an example of the information updated in S280. The server processor 310 sets the advertising metric Ad for the correspondence in which the sheet status SS was set to retrieve SSb in S270 to the advertising metric Ad calculated in S275. In the example in Figure 7, the advertising metric Ad is set to advertising metric Ad1. Upon completion of S280, the status management process in Figure 8 is terminated.

[0077] As shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the template TP may contain multiple frames. That is, the print image PI may contain multiple content images. In this case, the printer processor 110 and the server processor 310 perform the processing shown in Figure 5, so that multiple correspondences indicating multiple content images are recorded in the record database 420 in Figure 6. The server processor 310 then performs the processing shown in S270-S280 of Figure 8 for each of the multiple correspondences.

[0078] Furthermore, before the content sheet is removed from tray 100t, a new distribution printing process shown in Figure 5 may be executed. In this case, multiple content sheets printed by multiple distribution printing processes will be stacked on tray 100t. In this case, in steps S270-S280 of Figure 8, the server processor 310 refers to the record database 420 and updates each of the multiple correspondences associated with the device identifier IDd1 included in the removal notification received in S250 and the sheet status SS of the unremoved SSa. These multiple correspondences represent multiple content images represented by the multiple content sheets remaining on tray 100t.

[0079] Figure 10 is a diagram showing examples of multiple correspondences in the record database 420 that indicate multiple content images. The top of Figure 10 shows three correspondences R1-R3 that are associated with device identifier IDd1 and sheet status SS of unretrieved SSa. The first times Ta1-Ta3 of correspondences R1-R3 are different from each other. That is, correspondences R1-R3 indicate three content images printed by three distribution printing processes performed at different times. If the device identifier IDd included in the retrieval notification received in S250 of Figure 8 is device identifier IDd1, the server processor 310 updates these three correspondences R1-R3 in S270-S280. The bottom of Figure 10 shows an example of the correspondences updated in S270. In the three correspondence relationships R1-R3, the sheet status SS is set to retrieve SSb, the second time Tb is set to the same time Tb4, and the user identifier IDu is set to the same user identifier IDu1.

[0080] As described above, in this embodiment, the printing system 1000 in Figure 1 includes a printing execution unit 160 for printing an image onto a sheet, a tray 100t for supporting the printed sheet, a sensor 100s for detecting the sheet supported on the tray 100t, and a controller system 1000c including a printer processor 110 and a server processor 310. Processors 110 and 310 are examples of controllers.

[0081] The controller system 1000c performs the following processes. In the printing process S125-S155 in Figure 5, the controller system 1000c performs a printing process that causes the print execution unit 160 to print a content image representing the content. In S215-S220 in Figure 8, the controller system 1000c uses the information output from the sensor 100s after the printing process S125-S155 to perform a determination process to determine whether or not the content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image has been printed, has been removed from the tray 100t. If the determination process in S215-S220 determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray 100t (S220: Yes), the controller system 1000c performs S270. In S270, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c sets the sheet status SS represented by the record database 420 to removed SSb. The retrieved SSb is an example of retrieved information, which indicates that the content sheet has been retrieved from tray 100t. As shown in Figure 1, the record database 420 is stored in the non-volatile storage device 330 of the storage device 315. Thus, in S270, the controller system 1000c stores information representing retrieved SSb, which is an example of retrieved information, in the storage device 315. This process in S270 is an example of a retrieved storage process in which retrieved information is stored in a storage device.

[0082] Thus, when the determination process determines that a content sheet has been removed from tray 100t (S220: Yes), removal information, in this case, removal SSb, is stored in the storage device 315 (S270). Therefore, the removal of the content sheet can be checked by referring to the record database 420 in the storage device 315. The removal of the content sheet can be checked by various processes. For example, a person involved with the printing system 1000, such as a user of printer 100, an employee of a distribution printing service provider, or an advertiser, may perform a process to check the progress of the distribution printing service. The process to check the progress may include a process to check the removal of the content sheet by referring to the record database 420.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the determination process determines that a content sheet has been removed from tray 100t (Figure 8: S220: Yes), the controller system 1000c identifies the user associated with the removal of the content sheet in S230 or S265. In S270, the controller system 1000c associates the user identifier IDu, which is identification information associated with the identified user, with the removal information, in this case, removal SSb, and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. Therefore, by referring to the record database 420 of the storage device 315, it is possible to check the user identifier IDu associated with the removal of the content sheet. The user identifier IDu associated with the removal of the content sheet can be used by various processes. For example, personnel involved with the printing system 1000 can identify the user associated with the removal of the content sheet by referring to the record database 420.

[0084] In this embodiment, the controller system 1000c executes S190 in Figure 5 in response to the completion of the printing process in S125-S155 in Figure 5. In S190, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c sets the sheet status SS represented by the record database 420 to Unretrieved SSa. Unretrieved SSa is an example of unretrieved information, which indicates that the content sheet has not been removed from the tray 100t. The record database 420 also associates the sheet status SS with the content identifier IDc. In this way, the controller system 1000c associates the information representing Unretrieved SSa, which is an example of unretrieved information, with the content identifier IDc and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. The content identifier IDc is an example of content identification information, which is identification information associated with content. The process at S270 in Figure 8, which is an example of the retrieval and storage process, includes updating the sheet status SS stored in the storage device 315 from an example of unretrieved information, namely Unretrieved SSaa, to an example of retrieved information, namely retrieved SSb, as shown in Figure 7. In this way, the record database 420 of the storage device 315 stores information representing either Unretrieved SSaa or retrieved SSb, associated with the content identifier IDc. Therefore, by referring to the record database 420 of the storage device 315, it is possible to check the retrieval status of content sheets for each content. For example, personnel involved with the printing system 1000 can check the retrieval status of content sheets on which content of interest has been printed by referring to the record database 420.

[0085] In this embodiment, the controller system 1000c executes S190 (Figure 5) and S270 (Figure 8). In S190, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c associates the first time Ta with unretrieved information, in this case unretrieved SSa, and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. The first time Ta is an example of a first time, which is the time indicating the completion of the printing process from S125 to S155 in Figure 5. In S270, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c associates the second time Tb with retrieved information, in this case retrieved SSb, and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. The second time Tb is an example of a second time, which is the time indicating the retrieval of the content sheet. With this configuration, by referring to the record database 420 of the storage device 315, it is possible to check the first time Ta indicating the completion of the printing process and the second time Tb indicating the retrieval of the content sheet. For example, personnel involved with the printing system 1000 can obtain the first time Ta and the second time Tb by referring to the record database 420. Personnel involved with the printing system 1000 can also obtain the length of time from the first time Ta to the second time Tb.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in S190 (Figure 5), as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c associates information representing an unextracted SSa, which is an example of unextracted information, with a device identifier IDd and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. The device identifier IDd identifies a printer having a print execution unit. Such a device identifier IDd can identify the print execution unit included in the printer. The device identifier IDd is an example of device identification information, which is identification information associated with the print execution unit 160. As shown in Figure 10, multiple unextracted information items, in this case unextracted SSa, associated with the same device identifier IDd can be stored in the storage device 315. In this case, the process in S270 of Figure 8, which is an example of an extraction and storage process, includes a process to update all of these multiple unextracted information items, in this case unextracted SSa, to extracted information, in this case extracted SSb. Therefore, the controller system 1000c can appropriately manage the sheet status SS of multiple content sheets.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as explained in S120 of Figure 5, the content is advertising content. When the judgment process determines that a content sheet has been removed from tray 100t (Figure 8: S220: Yes), the controller system executes S280. In S280, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c associates the advertising metric Ad with the content identifier IDc and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. As explained in S275, the advertising metric Ad indicates an indicator of the advertising effectiveness of the advertising image and is calculated based on the removal of the content sheet. Thus, the advertising metric Ad is an example of an indicator of the advertising effectiveness of advertising content based on the removal of the content sheet. The content identifier IDc is an example of content identification information, which is identification information associated with advertising content. With this configuration, the advertising metric Ad can be checked by referring to the record database 420 of the storage device 315. For example, personnel involved with the printing system 1000 can obtain the advertising metric Ad by referring to the record database 420. The advertising metric "Ad" may be provided to advertisers who have prepared advertising images. By referring to the advertising metric "Ad," advertisers can analyze what kinds of advertising images attract user interest.

[0088] In this embodiment, the controller system 1000c executes S190 (Figure 5), S270, and S275 (Figure 8). In S190, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c stores the first time Ta in the record database 420 of the storage device 315, associating it with the unretrieved SSa. The first time Ta is an example of the first time, which indicates the completion of the printing process (Figure 5: S125-S155). The unretrieved SSa is an example of unretrieved information, which indicates that the content sheet has not been retrieved from the tray 100t. In S270, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c stores the second time Tb in the record database 420 of the storage device 315, associating it with the retrieval information, in this case, retrieved SSb. The second time Tb is an example of the second time, which indicates the retrieval of the content sheet. In step S275, as shown in Figure 9, the controller system 1000c determines an advertising metric Ad that indicates a greater advertising effect as the time difference dT decreases, within a range less than a first threshold dTm, which is at least a portion of the time difference dT. The time difference dT is the time difference between the first time Ta and the second time Tb. With this configuration, the controller system 1000c can determine an appropriate advertising metric Ad based on the retrieval of the content sheet.

[0089] In this embodiment, the printing process (Figure 5: S125-S155) includes S125. In S125, the controller system 1000c generates data for a print image PI including a content image according to the content setting STc in Figure 3. That is, the printing process includes causing the print execution unit 160 to print the content image according to the content setting STc. As shown in Figure 3, the content setting STc includes a color setting CS, a template TP, and a frame correspondence relationship FR. As described above, the color setting CS and template TP are determined by the user in the contract processing for the distribution printing service. The frame correspondence relationship FR is determined by the server processor 310 in S125 of Figure 5. Thus, these settings CS, TP, and FR are variable settings. Furthermore, the frame associated with the content image is determined by the template TP and frame correspondence relationship FR as a whole. That is, the position PS and area FS of the content image on the content sheet are determined by the template TP and frame correspondence relationship FR as a whole. Thus, the content setting STc includes the settings for color setting CS, area FS, and position PS. In this embodiment, as explained in Figures 4(A) to 4(C), the position PS of the content image indicates the position in the discharge direction 100D. The color setting CS indicates the color setting of the content image, whether it is color or monochrome.

[0090] In step S280 of Figure 8, as shown in Figure 7, the controller system 1000c associates the advertising metric Ad with the content setting STc and stores it in the record database 420 of the storage device 315. Therefore, by referring to the record database 420 of the storage device 315, it is possible to check the relationship between the content setting STc and the advertising metric Ad. For example, personnel involved with the printing system 1000 can analyze the content setting STc that increases the advertising metric Ad by referring to the record database 420.

[0091] In this embodiment, the printer 100 includes a print execution unit 160 for printing an image onto a sheet, a tray 100t for supporting the printed sheet, a sensor 100s for detecting the sheet supported on the tray 100t, and a processor 110. The processor 110 is an example of a controller system including one or more controllers.

[0092] The processor 110 performs the following processes. In steps S150-S155 of Figure 5, the processor 110 performs a printing process that causes the print execution unit 160 to print a content image representing the content. In step S165, the processor 110 performs a first transmission process that sends a notification of print completion to the service server 300 in response to the completion of the printing process including steps S150-S155. This notification is an example of information indicating the completion of the printing process including steps S150-S155. In steps S215-S220 of Figure 8, the processor 110 performs a determination process that uses the information output from the sensor 100s after the printing process including steps S150-S155 to determine whether the content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image has been printed, has been removed from the tray 100t. If the determination process including steps S215-S220 determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray 100t (S220: Yes), the processor 110 performs step S235. In S235, the processor 110 performs a second transmission process to send an retrieval notification to the service server 300. The retrieval notification is an example of information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from tray 100t. With this configuration, the printer 100 enables a check for content sheet retrieval, which uses the server.

[0093] B. Second Embodiment: Figures 11(A) to 11(C) are diagrams representing another embodiment of the metric correspondence relationship. Unlike the metric correspondence relationship 430 in Figure 9, the metric correspondence relationship 430b in this embodiment represents the advertising metric Ad, which changes according to the color setting CS, area FS, and position PS included in the content setting STc in Figure 3, in addition to the time difference dT. The metric correspondence relationship 430b defines the correspondence between the parameter dT and the advertising metric Ad for each combination of setting CS, FS, and PS, for example, in the form of a function or a lookup table. The metric correspondence relationship 430b is used in place of the metric correspondence relationship 430 in Figure 9, in S275 of Figure 8.

[0094] Figures 11(A) to 11(C) represent one of the graphs Gcol, Gmon, Gfs1-Gfs3, or Gps1-Gps4, showing the correspondence between the time difference dT and the advertising metric Ad. In all graphs, when the time difference dT is less than the first threshold dTm, the shorter the time difference dT, the larger the advertising metric Ad. When the time difference dT exceeds the first threshold dTm, the advertising metric Ad is a constant value.

[0095] Figure 11(A) shows the advertising metric Ad when only the color setting CS differs from the area FS and position PS. Graph Gcol shows the advertising metric Ad when the color setting CS is color, and graph Gmon shows the advertising metric Ad when the color setting CS is monochrome. As shown, when the time difference dT is the same, the advertising metric Ad for the color graph Gcol is smaller than the advertising metric Ad for the monochrome graph Gmon. Normally, color content images are more eye-catching than monochrome content images. That is, when a content image is more eye-catching, the advertising metric Ad is determined to be a smaller value compared to when the content image is less eye-catching. The reason for this will be explained later.

[0096] Figure 11(B) shows the advertising metric Ad when only the area FS differs from the color setting CS, area FS, and position PS. Graphs Gfs1-Gfs3 correspond to the area FS1-FS3 in the corresponding Figures 4(A)-4(C). As shown, when the time difference dT is the same, the larger the area FS, the smaller the advertising metric Ad. Generally, the larger the area FS, the more prominent the content image is. That is, when the content image is prominent, the advertising metric Ad is determined to be a smaller value compared to when the content image is less prominent.

[0097] Figure 11(C) shows the advertising metric Ad when only the position PS differs from the color setting CS and area FS. Graphs Gps1-Gps4 correspond to the positions PS1-PS4 in the corresponding Figures 4(A)-4(C). As shown, when the time difference dT is the same, the earlier the output order associated with position PS, the smaller the advertising metric Ad. Normally, content images output earlier are more noticeable than content images output later. That is, when content images are more noticeable, the advertising metric Ad is determined to be a smaller value compared to when content images are less noticeable.

[0098] Although not shown in the diagram, the index correspondence relationship 430b is configured such that when two or more of the parameters among the color setting CS, area FS, and position PS change, the advertising index Ad changes in a manner consistent with the correspondence relationship in Figures 11(A) to 11(C).

[0099] The reason why the metric correspondence relationship 430b represents the correspondence relationship shown in Figures 11(A) and 11(C) is to mitigate the influence of color setting CS, area FS, and position PS when comparing advertising metrics Ad among multiple content images. Here, the user can select one or more frames from among the multiple frames included in the template as the frames to which content images should be assigned. For example, the contract processing for the delivery and printing service may include the user's frame selection process. Although not shown in the illustration, the result of the frame selection may be included in the print setting STp in Figure 3.

[0100] Figure 11(D) shows an example of two content images CI11 and CI12 for comparison. The first content image CI11, printed on sheet SH11, is the content image assigned to frame AF18 of template TP1 in Figure 4(A). The color setting CS is monochrome. The second content image CI12, printed on another sheet SH12, is the content image assigned to frame AF25 of template TP2 in Figure 4(B). The color setting CS is color. The area FS2 of the second content image CI12 is larger than the area FS1 of the first content image CI11. The ejection order of position PS1 for the second content image CI12 is earlier than the ejection order of position PS4 for the first content image CI11. Thus, the second content image CI12 is more conspicuous than the first content image CI11.

[0101] Let's assume that the advertising metrics Ad11 and Ad12 for content images CI11 and CI12 are determined according to the metric correspondence relationship 430 in Figure 9. Let's also assume that the second advertising metric Ad12 for the second content image CI12 is greater than the first advertising metric Ad11 for the first content image CI11. In this case, there are two possible reasons why the second advertising metric Ad12 is greater than the first advertising metric Ad11: (Reason 1) Users are more interested in the second content image CI12 than in the first content image CI11. (Reason 2) The second content image CI12 stands out more than the first content image CI11. It is not easy to identify the main reason from these reasons 1 and 2. If the degree of user interest is the same between content images CI11 and CI12, it may be mistakenly analyzed that the second content image CI12 is attracting more user interest than the first content image CI11.

[0102] In this embodiment, when the content image is easily noticeable, the advertising metric Ad is determined to a smaller value compared to when the content image is less noticeable. Therefore, the possibility of the above-mentioned misanalysis is reduced.

[0103] As described above, in this embodiment, the controller system 1000c performs the following processing in the same manner as in the above embodiment. In S125 of Figure 5, the controller system 1000c generates data for a print image PI including a content image according to the content setting STc in Figure 3. The content setting STc includes a color setting CS, a position PS, and an area FS. The controller system 1000c also performs S190 of Figure 5 and S270 of Figure 8. In S190, the controller system 1000c stores the first time point Ta in the record database 420 of the storage device 315, associating it with unextracted information, in this case, unextracted SSa. In S270, the controller system 1000c stores the second time point Tb in the record database 420 of the storage device 315, associating it with extracted information, in this case, extracted SSb.

[0104] In S275 of Figure 8, unlike the embodiment in Figure 9, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad using the content setting STc in addition to the time difference dT between the first time Ta and the second time Tb. As shown in Figures 11(A) to 11(C), when only the time difference dT is different, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad that indicates a greater advertising effect as the time difference dT is shorter, within a range less than the first threshold dTm, which is at least a portion of the time difference dT.

[0105] If only one of the specific settings included in the content setting STc, for example, setting CS, FS, or PS, is different, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad as follows: The controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad associated with the specific setting representing the first setting to be an advertising metric Ad that shows a smaller advertising effect compared to the advertising metric Ad associated with the specific setting representing the second setting, in which the content image is less conspicuous than in the first setting. For example, if the color setting CS is color as the specific setting representing the first setting and the color setting CS is monochrome as the specific setting representing the second setting, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad for the color advertising image using graph Gcol, which shows an advertising metric Ad smaller than graph Gmon. As a result, the advertising metric Ad for the color advertising image is determined to be a smaller value than the advertising metric Ad associated with the monochrome advertising image. Furthermore, if the specific setting indicating the first setting is area FS3 and the specific setting indicating the second setting is area FS1, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with area FS3 using graph Gfs3, which shows an advertising metric Ad smaller than graph Gfs1. As a result, the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with a larger area is determined to be smaller than the advertising metric Ad associated with the advertising image with a smaller area. Also, if the specific setting indicating the first setting is ejection order PS1 and the specific setting indicating the second setting is ejection order PS4, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with ejection order PS1 using graph Gps4, which shows an advertising metric Ad smaller than graph Gps1. As a result, the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with an earlier ejection order is determined to be smaller than the advertising metric Ad associated with the advertising image with a later ejection order.

[0106] With this configuration, the controller system 1000c can determine an advertising metric Ad that takes into account the influence of the content setting STc. Such an advertising metric Ad enables an appropriate comparison of the advertising effectiveness between multiple content images. The metric correspondence relationship 430b may also be applied when multiple content images are printed on a single sheet.

[0107] C. Third Embodiment: Figures 12(A) to 12(C) are diagrams representing another embodiment of the metric correspondence relationship. Similar to Figures 11(A) to 11(C), Figures 12(A) to 12(C) show the correspondence relationship between the time difference dT and the advertising metric Ad when only one of the specific settings CS, FS, or PS is different. The difference between the metric correspondence relationship 430b in Figures 11(A) to 11(C) and the metric correspondence relationship 430c in this embodiment is that in this embodiment, when the content image is easily noticeable, the advertising metric Ad is determined to be a larger value compared to when the content image is not easily noticeable. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12(A), when the time difference dT is the same, the advertising metric Ad for the color graph Gcol is larger than the advertising metric Ad for the monochrome graph Gmon. As shown in Figure 12(B), when the time difference dT is the same, the larger the area FS, the larger the advertising metric Ad. As shown in Figure 12(C), when the time difference dT is the same, the earlier the discharge order associated with position PS, the larger the advertising metric Ad. Although not shown in the illustration, the metric correspondence relationship 430c is configured such that when two or more of the parameters among color setting CS, area FS, and position PS change, the advertising metric Ad changes in a manner consistent with the correspondence relationship in Figures 12(A)-12(C). The metric correspondence relationship 430c is used in S275 of Figure 8 instead of the metric correspondence relationship 430 in Figure 9, or the metric correspondence relationship 430b in Figures 11(A)-11(C).

[0108] The reason why the metric correspondence relationship 430c represents the correspondence shown in Figures 12(A) and 12(C) is to take into account the differences in content settings STc between multiple content images when determining the respective advertising metric Ad for multiple content images printed on the same sheet. Figure 12(D) shows an example of multiple content images CI21-CI26 being compared. These content images CI21-CI26 are printed on a single sheet SH20 according to the template TP2 in Figure 4(B). The content images CI21-CI26 are assigned to frames AF21-AF26.

[0109] The area FS2 of content images CI25 and CI26 is larger than the area FS1 of content images CI21-CI24. The ejection order of position PS1 for content images CI21 and CI25 is earlier than the ejection order of positions PS2-PS4 for the other content images CI22-CI24 and CI26. Also, the color setting CS may be set for each frame, that is, for each content image. In this way, if the content setting STc differs among multiple content images CI21-CI26, the visibility may differ among the multiple content images CI21-CI26.

[0110] Let's assume that the advertising metrics Ad21-Ad26 for content images CI21-CI26 are determined according to the metric correspondence relationship 430 in Figure 9. In this case, the advertising metrics Ad21-Ad26 are determined to be the same value corresponding to the same time difference dT. A user may be attracted to the larger content images CI25, CI26 rather than the smaller content images CI21-CI24 and retrieve sheet SH20. Similarly, a user may be attracted to the earlier-displayed content images CI21, CI25 rather than the later-displayed content images CI22-CI24, CI26 and retrieve sheet SH20. Furthermore, a user may be attracted to the color content images rather than the monochrome content images and retrieve sheet SH20. In such cases, the differences in visibility among the multiple content images CI21-CI26 are not reflected in the advertising metrics Ad21-Ad26. The advertising metrics Ad21-Ad26 cannot identify content images that attracted user interest.

[0111] In this embodiment, when a content image is easily noticeable, the advertising metric Ad is set to a larger value compared to when the content image is less noticeable. Therefore, using advertising metrics Ad21-Ad26, it is possible to identify content images that are likely to have attracted the user's attention.

[0112] As described above, in this embodiment, the controller system 1000c performs the following processing, similar to the embodiments described above. In S125 of Figure 5, the controller system 1000c generates data for a print image PI including a content image according to the content setting STc in Figure 3. The content setting STc includes the settings for color setting CS, position PS, and area FS. In addition, a template TP having multiple frames may be used, as shown in template TP2 in Figure 12(D). In this case, in S125-S155 of Figure 5, the controller system 1000c causes the print execution unit 160 to print each of the multiple content images on a single content sheet according to the content setting STc for each content image.

[0113] In step S275 of Figure 8, the controller system 1000c uses the content setting STc for each content image to perform a metric determination process to determine the advertising metric Ad for each of the multiple content images.

[0114] If only one of the specific settings included in the content setting STc, for example, settings CS, FS, or PS, differs among multiple content images, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad as follows: The controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad of the content image associated with the specific setting indicating the first setting to be greater than the advertising metric Ad of the content image associated with the specific setting indicating the second setting, which makes the content image less conspicuous than the first setting, and determines the advertising metric Ad to be greater than the advertising metric Ad of the content image associated with the specific setting indicating the second setting. For example, if the color setting CS is color as the specific setting indicating the first setting and the color setting CS is monochrome as the specific setting indicating the second setting, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad of the color advertising image using graph Gcol, which shows an advertising metric Ad greater than graph Gmon. As a result, the advertising metric Ad of the color advertising image is determined to be a larger value than the advertising metric Ad associated with the monochrome advertising image. Furthermore, if the specific setting indicating the first setting is area FS3 and the specific setting indicating the second setting is area FS1, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with area FS3 using graph Gfs3, which shows an advertising metric Ad greater than graph Gfs1. As a result, the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with a larger area is determined to be a larger value than the advertising metric Ad associated with the advertising image with a smaller area. Also, if the specific setting indicating the first setting is ejection order PS1 and the specific setting indicating the second setting is ejection order PS4, the controller system 1000c determines the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with ejection order PS1 using graph Gps1, which shows an advertising metric Ad greater than graph Gps4. As a result, the advertising metric Ad of the advertising image with an earlier ejection order is determined to be a larger value than the advertising metric Ad associated with the advertising image with a later ejection order.

[0115] With this configuration, the controller system 1000c can determine an advertising metric Ad that reflects the influence of the content setting STc. Such an advertising metric Ad enables the identification of content images that have attracted the user's interest. Note that the metric correspondence relationship 430c may also be applied when one content image is printed on a single sheet.

[0116] D. Modifications: (1) The information of the retrieved SSb stored in the record database 420 in Figure 6 may be referenced by various processes. For example, the information of the retrieved SSb may be referenced by a process that evaluates the content image. If the content sheet has been retrieved, the content image may be evaluated more highly than if the content sheet remains on the tray 100t without being retrieved. Also, for example, the information of the retrieved SSb may be referenced by a process that prints images, such as distribution printing. If the content sheet remains on the tray 100t without being retrieved, the printing of the image may not proceed and a warning may be notified to the printer user.

[0117] (2) The content settings used for printing content images are not limited to the settings CS, TP, and FR in Figure 3, but may include a variety of settings. For example, one or more of the color setting CS, area FS, and position PS may be selected by the advertiser. One or more of the color setting CS, area FS, and position PS may be fixed settings that cannot be changed. The content settings may include one or more variable settings among the color setting CS, area FS, and position PS. Note that position PS is not limited to the position in the output direction 100D, but may be any position. For example, position PS may be the position at the top of the sheet when a user reads the text printed on the sheet. Normally, users observe images from the top of the sheet downwards. Therefore, the closer the position of the content image is to the top edge of the sheet, the more noticeable the content image will be.

[0118] (3) The information recorded in the record database 420 in Figure 6 may be various types of information. For example, the user identifier IDu may be omitted. In this case as well, it is possible to check whether the content sheet has been ejected from the printer by referring to the record database 420. Also, the recording of un-ejected SSa may be omitted. In this case as well, if the ejected SSb is not recorded after the print command has been sent, it is possible to determine that the content sheet is not ejected. Furthermore, the record database 420 may be provided for each printer. In this case, the device identifier IDd in the record database 420 may be omitted.

[0119] (4) The content identification information, which is the identification information associated with the content, is not limited to the content identifier IDc that indicates the content image itself, but may be various types of identification information associated with the content. For example, instead of the content identifier IDc, information that identifies the print instruction for the content image may be used.

[0120] (5) The printer 100 may be equipped with a clock for measuring the current time. The printer processor 110 may obtain the current time from the clock if the result of the decision in S160 in Figure 5 is Yes. This time is an example of a first time indicating the completion of the printing process. The print completion notification (S165) may include the data of the obtained time. In S190, the server processor 310 may use the time included in the print completion notification as the first time Ta. The printer processor 110 may also obtain the current time from the clock if the result of the decision in S220 in Figure 8 is Yes. This time is an example of a second time indicating the retrieval of the content sheet. The retrieval notification (S235) may include the data of the obtained time. In S270, the server processor 310 may use the time included in the retrieval notification as the second time Tb. With this configuration, even if there is a communication problem between the printer 100 and the service server 300, causing a delay in the transmission of notifications from the printer 100 to the service server 300, the service server 300 can still record the appropriate times Ta and Tb in the recording database 420.

[0121] (6) The correspondence between the time difference dT and the advertising metric Ad may be various correspondences that show an advertising effect in which the advertising metric Ad is larger as the time difference dT is shorter, at least within a range of the time difference dT. For example, in the correspondences in Figure 9, Figure 11(A)-Figure 1(C), and Figure 12(A)-Figure 12(C), the advertising metric Ad may be constant in the range of time difference dT from zero to a second threshold. When the time difference dT exceeds the second threshold, the advertising metric Ad may be determined to be a smaller value as the time difference dT is larger. The second threshold may be a smaller value than the first threshold dTm. In addition, the advertising metric Ad may change in a stepwise manner in response to changes in the time difference dT. In addition, the advertising metric Ad may be determined to show an advertising effect in which the advertising effect is larger as the time difference dT is shorter, over the entire range of the time difference dT. In any case, it is preferable that the correspondence is configured so that the advertising metric Ad does not increase as the time difference dT increases.

[0122] The method for calculating the advertising metric Ad is not limited to using the time difference dT; various methods are acceptable. For example, the advertising metric Ad may be determined using the total number of content sheets remaining on the tray when the content sheets are removed from the tray. In this case, the smaller the total number of remaining content sheets, the larger the advertising metric Ad should be. In this way, if the time difference dT, i.e., times Ta and Tb, are not used to determine the advertising metric Ad, times Ta and Tb may be omitted from the record database 420 in Figure 6. Also, the advertising metric Ad may be omitted from the record database 420.

[0123] (7) The method for acquiring advertising images is not limited to auctions and may be various other methods. For example, in S120 of Figure 5, the server processor 310 may acquire the advertising image to be printed from a plurality of pre-prepared advertising images.

[0124] (8) The timing for starting the distribution print is not limited to the timing represented by the distribution date and time DT in Figure 1, but may be at various other times. For example, when the printer processor 110 prints an image specified by the user, it may notify the service server 300 of a blank area on the sheet. The server processor 310 may send data representing the content image assigned to the frame contained in the blank area to the printer 100. The printer processor 110 may print the image specified by the user and the content image assigned to the blank area on the sheet. In this way, distribution print may be performed when printing an image specified by the user.

[0125] (9) In a narrow sense, advertising may mean informing people for the purpose of promoting goods or services, but in this specification, advertising means in general any form of informing people (in this embodiment, printer users) by paying advertising fees, not limited to promotional purposes. Advertising image means an image that shows the information to be advertised. Accordingly, in this specification, advertising image is not limited to an image that shows information intended to promote goods or services provided by the advertiser, but includes images that show various kinds of information provided by the advertiser (e.g., weather information, traffic information, the advertiser's own works). Furthermore, advertising image may be any image that a third party other than the printer user (e.g., the advertiser) wants to print on the user's printer.

[0126] The content is not limited to advertising content; it can be any content. For example, the server processor 310 may obtain content images from an image collection provided by someone related to the printer user (e.g., family, relatives, or friends). The image collection may include various images such as photographs and paintings. The person related to the printer user may check the retrieval of the content sheet by referring to the record database 420 in Figure 6.

[0127] (10) The configuration of the sensor for detecting a sheet supported on a tray is not limited to the configuration of the sensor 100s described in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), but may be any configuration capable of detecting a sheet supported on a tray. For example, the tray 100t may have a lever that is moved by a sheet supported on the tray. The sensor may detect the sheet by detecting the movement of the lever. The sensor may also be an imaging sensor that takes a picture of the tray. If at least a part of the tray is hidden by the sheet in the captured image, it can be determined that the sheet has been detected. The printer may also have an openable and closable tray. For example, the tray may be opened for printing and closed after printing is finished. The sensor may detect the state of the tray. If the information from the sensor indicates that the tray is open, it can be determined that the sheet has been detected.

[0128] The sensor may also be provided in the print execution unit 160. Figure 13 shows another example of the sensor. Figure 13 shows a plan view of the print execution unit 160 as seen from above. The print execution unit 160 includes a head 160A, a carriage 160B on which the head 160A is mounted, a guide member 160C that guides the movement of the carriage 160B, a transport roller 160D, and a platen 160E that supports the sheet SH from below while it is being transported. The head 160A has nozzles (not shown) for ejecting ink. The transport roller 160D transports the sheet SH for printing content images such as advertising images in the discharge direction 100D. The head 160A ejects ink toward the sheet SH while the carriage 160B is moving in the scanning direction 100E perpendicular to the discharge direction 100D or in the opposite direction to the scanning direction 100E.

[0129] The sensor 100sz is located on the underside of the carriage 160B. After printing the advertisement image with the head 160A, the printer processor 110 holds down the upstream end of the sheet SH in the discharge direction 100D with a sheet holding member (not shown) and moves the carriage 160B in the scanning direction 100E or the opposite direction of the scanning direction 100E at regular intervals. The sensor 100sz, which moves with the carriage 160B, detects the position of both ends of the sheet SH in the scanning direction 100E. The sensor 100sz is a non-contact sensor capable of detecting the edges of the printing paper, and is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or an optical sensor. Based on the detection result of the sensor 100sz, the printer processor 110 determines whether the state of both ends of the sheet SH has changed from being detected to being undetected. If the state of both ends of the sheet SH has changed from being detected to being undetected, the printer processor 110 may determine that the sheet SH has been removed.

[0130] The tray configuration may be any configuration capable of supporting the printed sheets (e.g., a board, a box, etc.). Furthermore, the sheets used for printing may be various sheet-like media such as film, instead of paper.

[0131] (11) The method for identifying the user associated with the retrieval of a content sheet is not limited to referring to the user identifier of a user logged into the printer obtained in S230 of Figure 8, or the user identifier associated with the printer obtained in S265 of Figure 8, but may be any of the various methods. For example, the printer may have a camera that takes a picture of the face of the user operating the printer. Each of the multiple user identifiers IDu may be associated with an image of the face. The printer processor 110 may take a picture of the face when the sheet is ejected. The printer processor 110 may use a user identifier IDu associated with the face represented by the captured image.

[0132] (12) The storage device for storing the record database 420 in Figure 6 may be an external storage device connected to the printing system 1000 instead of the internal storage device 315 of the service server 300. For example, the record database 420 may be stored in a storage server (not shown) connected to the network IT.

[0133] (13) The configuration of the service server may be any other configuration other than the configuration of the service server 300 in Figure 1. For example, if the system includes multiple devices that can communicate with each other via a network, such as computers, these devices may each share a portion of the data processing function of the service server, and together they may provide the functions of the service server. A system equipped with these devices corresponds to a service server.

[0134] (14) The server may be omitted from the printing system 1000. That is, the printer may perform all the processing. For example, the printer processor 110 of the printer 100 may perform the processing in Figure 5 and the processing in Figure 8 according to the program PG1.

[0135] (15) The printer configuration may be any configuration other than that of printer 100 in Figure 1, having a controller system including one or more controllers (e.g., a CPU or SoC), a print execution unit, a sensor and a tray. For example, the printer may further include a reading device that optically reads objects such as documents. Such a printer is also called a multifunction printer.

[0136] In each of the above embodiments, some of the configurations implemented by hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, some or all of the configurations implemented by software may be replaced with hardware. For example, the processing performed by the printer may be performed by a dedicated hardware circuit such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

[0137] Furthermore, if some or all of the functions of this disclosure are implemented by a computer program, that program may be provided in a form stored on a computer-readable, non-temporary recording medium. The program may be used while stored on the same or a different computer-readable recording medium as it was provided. "Computer-readable recording medium" is not limited to portable recording media such as memory cards and CD-ROMs, but may also include internal storage devices within a computer, such as various ROMs, and external storage devices connected to a computer, such as hard disk drives.

[0138] The above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the above embodiments and modifications are provided to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and equivalents thereof are included.

[0139] 100...Printer, 100c...Case, 100D...Discharge direction, 100o...Discharge port, 100s, 100sz...Sensor, 100t...Tray, 100tp...Specific part, 110...Printer processor, 115, 315...Storage device, 120, 320...Volatile storage device, 130, 330...Non-volatile storage device, 140...Display unit, 150...Operation unit, 160...Print execution unit, 180, 380...Communication interface, 300...Service server, 310...Server processor, 410...Service database, 420...Record database, 430, 430, 430b, 430b, 430c...Index correspondence relationship, 1000...Printing system, 1000c...Controller system, IT...Network, PG1, PG3...Program

Claims

1. A printing system comprising: a printing execution unit for printing an image onto a sheet; a tray for supporting a printed sheet; a sensor for detecting a sheet supported on the tray; and a controller system including one or more controllers, wherein the controller system performs: a printing process for causing the printing execution unit to print a content image representing content; a determination process for determining whether a content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image has been printed, has been removed from the tray, using information output from the sensor after the printing process; and a removal and storage process for storing removal information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, in a storage device when the determination process determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray.

2. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein the controller system, when the determination process determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, identifies a user associated with the removal of the content sheet, and stores user identification information, which is identification information associated with the identified user, in the storage device in association with the removal information.

3. A printing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller system stores unretrieved information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has not been removed from the tray, in the storage device in association with content identification information, which is identification information associated with the content, in response to the completion of the printing process, and the retrieval and storage process includes a process of updating the information stored in the storage device from the unretrieved information to the retrieved information.

4. A printing system according to claim 3, wherein the controller system stores a first time, which is the time indicating the completion of the printing process, in association with the unretrieved information in the storage device, and stores a second time, which is the time indicating the retrieval of the content sheet, in association with the retrieval information in the storage device.

5. A printing system according to claim 4, wherein the controller system stores the unretrieved information in the storage device in association with device identification information which is identification information associated with the printing execution unit, and the retrieval and storage process includes a process of updating all of the plurality of unretrieved information associated with the device identification information to the retrieved information when the storage device is stored with the plurality of unretrieved information associated with the device identification information.

6. A printing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content is advertising content, and when the controller system determines by the determination process that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, it stores an index of the advertising effectiveness of the advertising content based on the removal of the content sheet in the storage device, associated with content identification information which is identification information associated with the advertising content.

7. A printing system according to claim 6, wherein the controller system stores a first time, which is the time indicating the completion of the printing process, in association with unremoved information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has not been removed from the tray, in the storage device; stores a second time, which is the time indicating the removal of the content sheet, in association with the removal information, in the storage device; and determines the index indicating that the shorter the time difference, the greater the advertising effect, within at least a portion of the time difference between the first time and the second time.

8. A printing system according to claim 7, wherein the printing process includes a process of causing the printing execution unit to print the content image according to a content setting which includes one or more variable settings among the position of the content image on the content sheet, the area of ​​the content image on the content sheet, and the color setting of the content image which indicates color or monochrome, and the controller system stores the index in the storage device in association with information representing the content setting.

9. A printing system according to claim 6, wherein the printing process includes a process to cause the printing execution unit to print the content image according to a content setting which includes one or more variable settings among the position of the content image on the content sheet, the area of ​​the content image on the content sheet, and the color setting of the content image indicating color or monochrome, the controller system stores a first time, which is the time indicating the completion of the printing process, in association with unremoved information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has not been removed from the tray, in association with the removal information, in the storage device, a second time, which is the time indicating the removal of the content sheet, in association with the removal information, and executes an index determination process which determines the index using the time difference between the first time and the second time and the content setting, and the index determination process which, if only the time difference is different, determines the index which indicates that the shorter the time difference, the greater the advertising effect, within at least a portion of the range of the time difference. A printing system comprising: a process of determining, when only specific settings included in the content settings differ, the index associated with the specific setting representing the first setting compared to the index associated with the specific setting representing the second setting in which the content image is less conspicuous than in the first setting, to be an index that indicates a smaller advertising effect.

10. A printing system according to claim 6, wherein the printing process includes a process of causing the printing execution unit to print the content image according to a content setting that includes one or more variable settings among the position of the content image on the content sheet, the area of ​​the content image on the content sheet, and the color setting of the content image indicating color or monochrome; the printing process includes a process of causing the printing execution unit to print each of a plurality of content images on a single content sheet according to the content setting for each content image; the controller system executes an index determination process that determines an index for each of the plurality of content images using the content setting for each content image; and the index determination process includes a process of determining an index for a content image associated with a specific setting that indicates a first setting to be an index that indicates a greater advertising effect when only a specific setting included in the content setting differs among the plurality of content images.

11. A program that causes a computer to implement: a determination function that determines whether a content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image is printed, has been removed from the tray, using information output after a printing process in which a sensor detects a sheet supported in a tray for supporting a printed sheet and causes a printing execution unit to print a content image representing the content; and a removal and storage function that stores removal information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, in a storage device when the determination function determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray.

12. An information processing method comprising: performing a printing process to cause a print execution unit to print a content image representing content; using information output after the printing process from a sensor that detects a sheet supported in a tray for supporting a printed sheet, determining whether or not the content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image has been printed, has been removed from the tray; and, if it is determined that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, storing removal information, which is information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray, in a storage device.

13. A printer comprising: a print execution unit for printing an image onto a sheet; a tray for supporting a printed sheet; a sensor for detecting a sheet supported on the tray; and a controller system including one or more controllers, wherein the controller system performs: a print process for causing the print execution unit to print a content image representing content; a first transmission process for sending information indicating the completion of the print process to a server upon completion of the print process; a determination process for determining whether a content sheet, which is a sheet on which the content image has been printed, has been removed from the tray, using information output from the sensor after the print process; and a second transmission process for sending information indicating that the content sheet has been removed from the tray to a server when the determination process determines that the content sheet has been removed from the tray.

Images