Distribution system and distribution program
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2026/006351
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-03-27
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-01
Smart Images
Figure JP2026006351_01102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Distribution System and Distribution Program
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a distribution system and a distribution program for distributing content from a distribution device to a distribution destination device.
[0002] Conventionally, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, the operating state of a document processing device is acquired, and content is acquired. A technique is known that displays predetermined media content when the document processing device is in an idle state, and displays user-specific media content when the document processing device is in an operating state.
[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-268075
[0004] The system described in Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration that acquires the operating state of a device and content, and displays or prints content according to the state of the device. However, depending on the current status of the device or other factors, some restrictions may be imposed on the distribution or output of content, for example, making it difficult to display or print a certain type of content. The above-mentioned conventional technology does not particularly consider the possibility that such restrictions may occur.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a distribution system and a distribution program that can efficiently acquire and appropriately process content that conforms to the restrictions even when any restrictions are imposed on the distribution or output of content in a distribution destination device.
[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure relates to the following technology. A distribution system including a distribution device that distributes content, and a distribution destination device that is a distribution destination of the content by the distribution device, wherein the distribution device executes: information acquisition processing for acquiring device information of the distribution destination device; output condition specification processing for specifying an output condition of distribution data based on the device information acquired in the information acquisition processing; content acquisition processing for acquiring target content that can be a distribution target; and distribution processing of determining the target content to be used for the distribution data from the acquired target content, and outputting the distribution data corresponding to the output condition to the distribution destination device based on the determined target content.
[0007] The distribution system disclosed herein involves a distribution device performing information acquisition processing to acquire device information of the destination device. Based on the acquired device information, the distribution device performs output condition identification processing to identify potential output conditions that may arise during content distribution. Subsequently, the distribution device performs content acquisition processing to acquire target content that can be distributed even under the identified output conditions, and outputs the distribution data selected for use from the acquired target content to the destination device during the distribution process. This enables efficient content acquisition and distribution according to the current or recent state of the destination device without reducing distribution errors or degrading the output quality of the distribution data. According to the disclosed invention, even if there are any constraints on content distribution or output at the destination device, content that conforms to those constraints can be acquired efficiently and processed appropriately.
[0008] According to this disclosure, even if there are any restrictions on the distribution or output of content at the receiving device, it is possible to efficiently acquire and appropriately process content that conforms to those restrictions.
[0009] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a distribution system according to the embodiment of this disclosure. This is a sequence flow showing the control contents performed by the distribution server, printer, and content server. This is an explanatory diagram showing the behavior when placing content such as 1 / 8 size on A4 size paper. This is an explanatory diagram for explaining countermeasures against white space due to content rotation. This is an explanatory diagram for explaining countermeasures against white space due to content scaling. This is an explanatory diagram for explaining countermeasures against white space due to changes in the number of content items. This is an explanatory diagram for explaining a modified example in which white space countermeasures are performed by transport control.
[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment relates to a distribution system that distributes content, such as advertisements, from a distribution server to a printer for printing. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the content is solicited through bidding.
[0011] <Overall Configuration of Content Processing System> Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the distribution system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the distribution system 1 includes a distribution server 100 that distributes content, a printer 200 that serves as the destination for content distribution by the distribution server 100, a content server 300, a data generation device 400, and an IoT communication device 500. These distribution server 100, printer 200, content server 300, data generation device 400, and IoT communication device 500 are connected via a network so that information can be sent and received as appropriate. For this purpose, each of these distribution server 100, printer 200, content server 300, data generation device 400, and IoT communication device 500 has a network interface that includes a communication circuit for connecting to the above network and communicating. The distribution server 100 is an example of a distribution device, and the printer 200 is an example of a destination device.
[0012] The following explanation uses a printer 200, which prints content as output, as an example of a content distribution destination, but the disclosure may also be applied to any suitable display device that displays content as output. The display screen of the display device is an example of an output medium.
[0013] In this example, an IoT communication device 500 is provided between the distribution server 100 and the printer 200 to relay the transmission and reception of information, but this is not limited to this configuration. The IoT communication device 500 may be omitted, and the distribution server 100 and the printer 200 may directly transmit and receive information via the network described above. Hereafter, the explanation will include both configurations in which the IoT communication device 500 relays the transmission and reception of information and configurations in which it does not, without mentioning the IoT communication device 500.
[0014] <Outline of Processing by Content Server> The content server 300 receives a bid request from the distribution server 100. The content server 300 obtains in advance information such as the content image, the bid price indicating the desired purchase price for the content slot, and the target users to whom the content image should be distributed, from the terminal devices of multiple content providers. A content provider is, for example, an advertiser when the content is an advertisement. In response to the bid request from the distribution server 100, the content server 300 conducts a content auction, solicits bids, and obtains bids from content providers who have responded to the solicitation. As the result of the bidding in response to the bid request, the content server 300 transmits the obtained bids to the distribution server 100.
[0015] <Outline of processing by the distribution server> The distribution server 100 receives the bidding results sent from the content server 300 and determines the winning content based on the bidding results. The distribution server 100 retrieves the content from the content provider who is the winning bidder from among the multiple content managed by the content server 300. The distribution server 100 generates a distribution image corresponding to the retrieved content. Specifically, the distribution server 100 creates a distribution image in which, for example, the content of the winning bidder received from the content server 300 is placed in each of the multiple content frames included in a pre-configured layout pattern. The distribution server 100 sends the generated distribution image to the printer 200.
[0016] <Overview of Printer Processing> The printer 200 receives the distributed image from the distribution server 100, forms an image on the printing paper based on the received distributed image, and prints it. Printing paper is an example of the output medium.
[0017] <Background of the Embodiment> In the above distribution system 1, the distribution server 100 sends a distribution image to the printer 200 based on the content acquired from the content server 300, and the printer 200 prints an image based on the distribution image. However, depending on the current status of the printer 200, it may be difficult to print certain types of content, and some kind of constraint may be placed on the distribution of content from the distribution server 100 or printing by the printer 200.
[0018] <Features of the Embodiment> The feature of this embodiment is that even when there are any constraints on the distribution or output of content in the printer 200, it efficiently acquires content that conforms to those constraints and processes it appropriately. The details will be explained below in order.
[0019] <Sequence Flow> Figure 2 is a sequence flow showing the control actions performed by the distribution server 100, printer 200, and content server 300 to achieve the above processing. In this example, the printer 200 is a device that prints the content provided by the successful bidder. The computer installed in the distribution server 100 starts a distribution program to execute each step shown in the sequence flow below, causing the distribution server 100 to perform the processing shown in each of the following steps.
[0020] In Figure 2, at S5, the distribution server 100 checks whether to start distribution to the printer 200. For example, the distribution server 100 determines whether the timing predetermined for content distribution at the time of successful bid has arrived. The distribution server 100 may also acquire the status, settings, and condition of the printer 200 as necessary and use this information for its determination.
[0021] In S10, the distribution server 100 determines whether or not to start distribution to the printer 200 based on the confirmation result in S5. If distribution is not to start, the distribution server 100 determines S10 as No and terminates the processing according to the sequence shown in Figure 2. If distribution is to start, the distribution server 100 determines S10 as Yes and the process proceeds to S15.
[0022] In S15, the distribution server 100 notifies the printer 200 in advance that it will start the distribution process, prior to the information acquisition and distribution described later. The process executed by the distribution server 100 in S15 is an example of a distribution notification process. If a distribution notification is not necessary, the distribution server 100 may omit this process in S15.
[0023] In S20, the printer 200 receives the distribution notification sent by the distribution server 100 in S15. The printer 200 may, if necessary, notify those around it that it has received the distribution notification by display or sound.
[0024] In S25, prior to acquiring and distributing information as described later, the distribution server 100 requests the printer 200 to perform the necessary preliminary preparations. Specifically, the distribution server 100 requests the printer 200 to confirm the availability of resources such as paper, ink, or toner, or information regarding the remaining amount of resources used by the printer 200. The process executed by the distribution server 100 in S25 is an example of resource confirmation request processing. Note that if confirmation is not necessary, the distribution server 100 may omit this process in S25.
[0025] In S30, the printer 200 sends information to the distribution server 100 regarding the presence or remaining amount of the resource requested by the distribution server 100 in S25. The information sent regarding the presence or remaining amount of the resource is an example of device information. The distribution server 100 receives the information sent by the printer 200. This process performed by the distribution server 100 in S30 is an example of resource confirmation and reception processing.
[0026] In S35, the distribution server 100 sends a request to the printer 200 to acquire various information related to the printer 200's status, settings, and condition. In response to the acquisition request sent by the distribution server 100 in S35, the printer 200 provides the above information to the distribution server 100 in S40, and the distribution server 100 receives the provided information. The processes executed by the distribution server 100 in S35, S40, and the aforementioned S25 and S30 are examples of information acquisition processes. The information that the printer 200 sends to the distribution server 100 in S40 in response to the request in S35 is also an example of device information.
[0027] Specifically, the above-mentioned device information transmitted by the printer 200 in S40 includes at least one of the following pieces of information: (A) Standby status information indicating whether the printer 200 is in standby or sleep mode; (B) Operating status information indicating that the printer 200 is performing a function other than printing, such as a document scanning function or a document copying function; (C) Connection status information indicating whether the printer 200 is online or offline; (D) Fault status information indicating whether or not there is a malfunction in the printer 200; This fault status information includes, for example, information on abnormal paper transport, nozzle status information such as ejection abnormalities in inkjet printers, etc.; (E) Maintenance status information indicating, for example, the timing for performing automatic purging in the printer 200; (F) Various setting information related to the distribution function in the printer 200; This various setting information includes, for example, the size setting of the paper to be printed, the image quality setting, the print speed setting, etc. (G) Specifications of the printer 200, such as whether it is a model capable of color printing or monochrome printing only, and what its fastest printing speed is;
[0028] In S45, the distribution server 100 determines whether printing is possible and the conditions for printing based on the information acquisition results in S30 and S40. For example, if the information acquisition results indicate that there is no paper or no colorants in the printer 200, the distribution server 100 determines that no content can be printed.
[0029] The distribution server 100, for example, if it finds in the information acquisition results that there are requirements that would hinder the printer 200 from printing the content, such as the absence of ink of a specific color, it determines these requirements as print restriction conditions. These print restriction conditions are an example of output conditions for the distributed data, and the processing performed by the distribution server 100 in S45, along with the processing performed in S70 and S80 described later, is an example of determining output conditions. Specifically, the print restriction conditions as output conditions include, for example, at least one of the following: (a) Constraints on the timing of distribution from the distribution server 100 to the printer 200; these constraints on the timing of distribution include, for example, constraints based on the timing of periodic maintenance such as the automatic purging mentioned above. (b) Constraints on the color attributes of the content that the printer 200 can print; these constraints on color attributes include constraints based on the specification information of the printer 200, constraints based on the nozzle status information, and constraints based on the presence or remaining amount of colorants. Note that the color attributes include at least one of hue, saturation, and lightness. (c) Resolution constraints on printer 200; For example, if printer 200 can only print images with a resolution below a certain value, the distribution server 100 specifies a resolution constraint that printing must be at or below that specific resolution. (d) Layout constraints on the print paper; The layout includes at least one of the following: size, placement position, number of items, placement direction, and scaling of the content on the print paper. For example, if printer 200 can only print at a certain reduction in size, the distribution server 100 specifies a size constraint that the content must be reduced to or below a specific size. Also, if printer 200 can only print on paper sizes other than the usual size, the distribution server 100 specifies a constraint that the layout must be on a specific paper size.
[0030] Specific examples of printing limitations include conditions such as the amount of ink remaining or the paper size loaded in the printer 200's cassette, which may limit the print area to a smaller area than that required to print on an entire A4 sheet of paper.
[0031] In S50, the distribution server 100 determines whether at least one content item is printable based on the results of the determination of printability and printable conditions in S45. If printing is not possible, the distribution server 100 determines S50 as No and terminates the processing according to the sequence shown in Figure 2. If one or more content items are printable, the distribution server 100 determines S50 as Yes and proceeds to S55.
[0032] In S55, the distribution server 100 identifies the conditions for content that can be output by the printer 200, based on the decision result in S45, for example, content acquisition conditions corresponding to any of the print restriction conditions (a) to (c) above. The process executed by the distribution server 100 in S55 is an example of the condition identification process.
[0033] In S60, the distribution server 100 sends a content request to the content server 300, specifying the acquisition conditions identified in S55. In S65, the content server 300 provides the distribution server 100 with at least one piece of content that conforms to the acquisition conditions expressed in the content request sent by the distribution server 100 in S60. That is, the content server 300 conducts the aforementioned bidding process with the acquisition conditions as bidding conditions, and sends at least one piece of content that is selected as the winning bid from among the multiple pieces of content related to each bid to the distribution server 100. Alternatively, the content server 300 conducts a bidding process regardless of the acquisition conditions, selects at least one piece of content that conforms to the acquisition conditions from among the multiple pieces of content related to each bid, and sends that winning piece of content to the distribution server 100.
[0034] The distribution server 100 acquires the content provided by the content server. In other words, in S65, the distribution server 100 acquires content that can be distributed even with the constraints imposed by the printing restriction conditions described above. The processes executed by the distribution server 100 in S60 and S65 are an example of content acquisition processes that acquire target content that may be distributed. Note that "target content" that may be distributed includes content that the distribution server 100 acquires in S65 but determines in S70 below not to be distributed. In other words, target content is the population of content that can be used for distribution data to be distributed in S90 below. In principle, the distribution server 100 acquires this population in S65 so that it will be used up in the generation of distribution data in S85 below. However, depending on the acquisition results in S65, the distribution server 100 may decide in S70 not to use some of the content included in the above population.
[0035] Furthermore, when the distribution server 100 performs the above content acquisition process, it specifically includes, for example, the following processes: (p) The distribution server 100 knows in advance how much ink is used on average per the smallest size of content. The distribution server 100 may know this systematically or regularly in advance, or it may calculate and know it after acquiring the content. (q) For example, when it is possible to print four or fewer 1 / 8 size contents that can fit eight on an A4 sheet (Figure 3(a)), or two or fewer 1 / 4 size contents (Figure 3(b)), or one 1 / 2 size content (Figure 3(c)), the distribution server 100 requests the content as shown in the figure. (r) For example, when it is possible to print only half of an A4 sheet due to the remaining ink, the distribution server 100 requests the content that is expected to be printable with that amount of ink. (s) For example, if the paper set in the printer 200 is A5 size paper, the distribution server 100 requests content that can be printed on A5 paper, gives the layout condition that A5 paper should be used, and has the data generation device 400 lay it out. (t) For example, if content that can be printed in black only is printable, the distribution server 100 requests such content. (u) For example, if content can only be printed when reduced in size, the distribution server 100 requests content that is permitted to be reduced in size. Specifically, if a submission is requested to be 1 / 2 size but is also permitted to be 1 / 8 size, the distribution server 100 reduces the content and delivers it to the printer 200.
[0036] In S70, the distribution server 100 calculates the amount of colorants needed to print the content acquired in S65. Based on this calculation, the distribution server 100 determines whether the target content acquired in S65 is actually printable. Specifically, the distribution server 100 determines whether printing is possible or difficult for each piece of content acquired in S65 on the printer 200. The process executed by the distribution server 100 in S70 is an example of a conditional judgment process. For content that is clearly difficult to print, the distribution server 100 sends a cancellation notification to the content server 300 indicating that printing will not be performed. If the distribution server 100 cannot calculate the amount of colorants needed, the distribution server 100 may omit this process in S70.
[0037] In S75, the content server 300 receives the cancellation notification sent by the distribution server 100 in S70.
[0038] In S80, the distribution server 100 determines the layout conditions for the content acquired in S65. Specifically, based on the information acquisition results in S25 or S35, the content acquisition condition determination results in S55, and the judgment results in S70, if, for example, only A5 size printing is possible for a certain piece of content, then A5 size is set as the layout condition.
[0039] In S85, the distribution server 100 acquires distribution data based on the target content acquired in S60, based on the result of determining the layout conditions in S80. Specifically, in this example, it requests the data generation device 400 to generate distribution data based on the content acquired in S60 and the conditions specified in S45 and S80. The distribution server 100 then acquires the distribution data generated by the data generation device 400 based on the above request. The process in which the distribution server 100 makes a request to the data generation device 400 in S85 is an example of data request processing, and the process in which the distribution server 100 acquires the distribution data from the data generation device 400 is an example of data acquisition processing. Note that the distribution server 100 may generate the distribution data itself without using the data generation device 400.
[0040] In S90, the distribution server 100 sends the distribution data acquired in S85 to the printer 200. That is, when the distribution server 100 determines in S70 that printing is possible, in S90 the distribution server 100 outputs the distribution data corresponding to the conditions in S45, S70, S80, etc., to the printer 200.
[0041] The processes executed by the distribution server 100 in S80, S85, and S90 are an example of a distribution process in which the distribution server 100 determines the target content to be used for distribution data from the target content acquired in S60, and outputs distribution data corresponding to the output conditions to the printer 200 based on the determined target content.
[0042] In S95, the printer 200 prints the distribution data sent from the distribution server 100 in S90. In S100, the printer 200 sends a print result report to the distribution server 100 for notification. This report includes, for example, which of the at least one content items included in the distribution data from S90 could be printed and which could not be printed. The part relating to the content that could be printed is an example of a data output completion report, and the part relating to the content that could not be printed is an example of a data output incomplete report.
[0043] In S105, the distribution server 100 checks the print results sent by the printer 200. Based on the information reported by the printer 200, the distribution server 100 determines which content has been printed and which has not. The processes executed by the distribution server 100 in S100 and S105 are an example of completion notification processing.
[0044] In S110, the distribution server 100 transmits and reports the distribution result to the content server 300 based on the print result received from the printer 200 in S105. In S115, the content server 300 receives the distribution result report transmitted by the distribution server 100 in S110. Furthermore, the distribution server 100 may cancel the billing claim related to the target content for which an incompletion report was made in S100 when reporting to the content server 300 in S105. This processing performed by the distribution server 100 is an example of billing cancellation processing.
[0045] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in the present embodiment, in S40, the distribution server 100 acquires device information of the printer 200. Based on the acquired device information, the distribution server 100 specifies output conditions that may occur during content distribution in S45 and S80. In S65, the distribution server 100 acquires target content that can be a distribution target even under the specified output conditions, and outputs distribution data determined to be used from among the acquired target content to the printer 200 in S90. This enables efficient content acquisition and distribution according to the current or recent state of the printer 200 without reducing distribution errors or lowering the output quality of distribution data. According to the present embodiment, even when some restrictions are imposed on content distribution or output in the printer 200, content conforming to the restrictions can be acquired efficiently and processed appropriately.
[0046] Furthermore, particularly in the present embodiment, based on the processing in S45, the distribution server 100 specifies conditions for content that can be output by the printer 200 in S55, and acquires target content that meets the conditions specified in S55 in S65. The distribution server 100 acquires distribution data generated based on the target content acquired in S65 in S85, and distributes the acquired distribution data to the printer 200 in S90. According to the present embodiment, the distribution server 100 can acquire distribution data generated based on the target content acquired in S65, and distribute the same to the printer 200.
[0047] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in particular, the distribution server 100 requests the data generation apparatus 400 to generate distribution data in S85, and acquires the distribution data generated by the data generation apparatus 400 in S85. Dividing responsibilities between the distribution server 100 and the data generation apparatus 400 facilitates management and enables division of labor and outsourcing. Furthermore, it is also possible to reduce the memory capacity of the distribution server 100 and improve the processing speed. Note that the distribution server 100 and the data generation apparatus 400 may be configured as a single server.
[0048] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in particular, the print restriction condition serving as the output condition includes a restriction on the distribution timing of distribution data. According to the present embodiment, even if some restriction on the distribution timing of distribution data may occur due to circumstances on the side of the printer 200, such as the arrival of a periodic maintenance period as described in (a) above, appropriate content that can meet the restriction can be acquired. If distribution is performed before periodic maintenance is activated by utilizing the above distribution timing, the coloring material that would have been used for maintenance will be used for printing, enabling saving of coloring material. Note that periodic maintenance includes, for example, purging performed at a predetermined cycle in an inkjet printer 200, or purging that is automatically activated under conditions such as no printing performed for a predetermined number of days after execution of flushing, and the like.
[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the print restriction conditions as output conditions include constraints on the color attributes of the content. According to this embodiment, even if there are constraints on the color attributes of the distributed data due to circumstances on the printer 200 side, such as the remaining amount of colorant or the ejection status, appropriate content that can conform to those constraints can be obtained without waste. As a further application of specifying the color attributes as described above, the following methods are also possible: (i) When a nozzle ejection failure is detected, the distribution server 100 specifies content that uses many of the colors of the ejection failure in S60 and obtains it in S65, and attempts to improve the ejection failure by printing the corresponding distributed data as a substitute for purging. (ii) When a nozzle ejection failure is detected, the distribution server 100 specifies content that suppresses the colors of the ejection failure in S60 and obtains it in S65, and performs printing that is less affected by the nozzle failure.
[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the print restriction conditions as output conditions include constraints on the layout of content on the printing paper of the printer 200. According to this embodiment, even if there are constraints on the layout of the distribution data on the printing paper, such as the placement position, number of items, placement direction, and scaling, due to circumstances on the printer 200 side, such as the remaining amount of colorant or the ejection status, appropriate content that can conform to those constraints can be obtained without waste in S65.
[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the aforementioned device information includes at least one of the information items shown in (A) to (G) above. In this embodiment, the distribution server 100 acquires various device information such as standby status information, operating status information, connection status information, failure status information, and maintenance status information in S30 and S40. This allows for accurate understanding of the content restrictions that may arise in the distribution or output of content due to circumstances on the printer 200 side, and enables confirmation of printability and printing based on the content of print restriction conditions.
[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the aforementioned device information includes various setting information related to the distribution function of the printer 200 as shown in (F) above. In this embodiment, if any constraints may arise on the distribution or output of content due to the current or recent settings of the printer 200, it becomes possible to accurately understand the nature of the constraints, and it is also possible to check whether printing is possible and to perform printing based on the content of the printing restriction conditions.
[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the aforementioned device information includes the print size setting of the printer 200 as shown in (F) above. In this embodiment, if any constraints may arise on content distribution or output due to the print size setting of the printer 200, the nature of the constraints can be accurately grasped, and it is possible to check whether printing is possible and to perform printing based on the content of the printing restriction conditions.
[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distribution server 100 acquires, in S30, the presence or absence of resources for the printer 200, or the remaining amount of resources, as device information. In this embodiment, if there are any constraints on content distribution or output due to, for example, the presence or absence of printing paper or ink / toner pigments in the printer 200, or their remaining amount, the nature of the constraints can be accurately grasped, and printing can be performed based on confirmation of whether printing is possible or not, and based on the content of the printing restriction conditions.
[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distribution server 100 further requests the printer 200 to check resources in S25, receives the resource information transmitted in response to S25 in S30, and acquires the presence or absence of resources, or the remaining amount of resources, as device information transmitted from the printer 200. According to this embodiment, the possibility of printing failure due to insufficient resources can be reduced in advance. In addition, the distribution server 100 can prompt the printer to prepare for printing by requesting confirmation and supply of paper and ink.
[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the distribution server 100 determines in S45 and S50 that it is impossible to output the distribution data to the printer 200, it will not acquire content from the content server 300 in S60 and S65. According to this embodiment, in situations where the distribution data cannot be printed, such as when the printer 200 is offline, the acquisition of content for which distribution data cannot be delivered can be avoided, thereby preventing the unnecessary acquisition of meaningless content.
[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distribution server 100 further determines in S70 whether the target content acquired in S60 is actually printable, and if it is determined to be printable, in S90 outputs distribution data corresponding to the print restriction conditions to the printer 200. Even if the content is acquired after identifying the print restriction conditions based on the constraints that may arise as described above, there may be cases where it is not actually printable, for example, if there is insufficient colorant for printing the acquired target content. In this embodiment, the distribution server 100 accurately determines whether it is actually printable by executing S70 based on the target content, and cancels the print if it is not printable. The distribution server 100 may also notify the content server 300 that it has canceled printing the content and request new content.
[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the distribution server 100 determines in S70 that it is impossible to output the distribution data to the printer 200, it will not send the distribution data in S90. According to this embodiment, by preventing the distribution server 100 from distributing distribution data for content that cannot be printed by the printer 200, it is possible to avoid performing meaningless distributions unnecessarily. Alternatively, if it is known in advance that the content cannot be output, the billing of the content owner for the distributed content may be canceled. This can reduce the receipt of unnecessary fees.
[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printer 200 notifies the distribution server 100 in S100 of the completion or incompleteness of printing based on the distribution data, and the distribution server 100 can execute a billing cancellation process in S110 to cancel the billing for the content for which an incompleteness report has been made. According to this embodiment, for example, if one sheet of paper contains eight pieces of content, but only half of it is printed due to insufficient ink or a malfunction of the printer 200, it is possible to cancel the billing to the content owner for the unprinted content. This reduces the possibility of receiving unnecessary charges.
[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by sending a distribution notification to the user of the printer 200 in advance in S15, it is possible to prompt the user to confirm whether output is possible and whether preparation is required, thereby avoiding output failures. The response from the printer 200 to this distribution notification may include, for example, the result of the printer 200's confirmation of paper availability being sent to the distribution server 100 in S30, or the result of the user of the printer 200 checking resources being input and the input content being sent to the server 100 in distribution S30. Alternatively, the distribution server 100 may send the distribution notification, and the printer 200 may not send a response to that distribution notification.
[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the layout constraints of the print restriction conditions as output conditions include the orientation of the content. For example, due to circumstances on the printer 200 side, such as the remaining amount of colorant or the ejection status, some constraints may arise on the layout of the orientation of the distributed data on the printing paper, and it may be possible to print or display only in a specific orientation. According to this embodiment, appropriate content that can conform to such constraints on orientation can be acquired efficiently in S65.
[0062] The details of this effect will be explained in more detail below using Figures 4 to 6. In an inkjet printer 200, when some ink nozzles fail to eject ink, a so-called "blank space" occurs where printing does not occur in the area where those nozzles are located.
[0063] <Measures to prevent white areas due to rotation> For example, consider the case where you want to print advertising image A, which includes a colorless area a, and advertising image B, which includes a colorless area b, as shown in Figure 4(a). If you arrange and print these two contents in the orientation shown in Figure 4(a), multiple white areas will occur in the direction of the head scan due to nozzle defects, resulting in noticeable white areas perpendicular to the colorless areas a and b that extend vertically as shown in the illustration. In contrast, if you rotate the above contents by 90° and print in the orientation shown in Figure 4(b), even if multiple white areas occur in the direction of the head scan, some of these white areas will overlap with the colorless areas a and b that extend in the same direction and become invisible. By adjusting the orientation of the content in this way, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the print quality of the delivered data. Note that the rotation angle is not limited to 90°, but may be any other appropriate angle including 180°. Furthermore, the above layout adjustment is not limited to advertising images that include colorless areas as described above, but may also be applied to arrangement patterns in which the area outside the advertising image and the area where white areas occur overlap depending on the arrangement method.
[0064] <Measures to address white areas caused by scaling> For example, consider the case where you want to print advertising image A, which includes a colorless area a, and advertising image B, which includes a colorless area b, as shown in Figure 5(a). If you arrange these two contents in the orientation shown in Figure 5(a) and print them, multiple white areas will occur in the direction of the head scan due to nozzle defects, resulting in noticeable white areas along the colorless areas a and b that extend in the left-right direction as shown in the figure. Figure 5(b) shows the case when advertising images A and B are scaled to make the above white areas less noticeable. In this example, advertising image B is reduced in size. If you reduce advertising image B as shown in Figure 5(b) and print it, even if multiple white areas occur in the direction of the head scan, the white areas will be less noticeable because the size of advertising image B is smaller. By adjusting the scaling of the content in this way, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the print quality of the delivered data.
[0065] <Measures to address white areas due to changes in the number of content items> For example, consider the case where you want to print the following: advertising image A which includes a colorless area a, advertising image B which does not include a colorless area, advertising image C which includes a colorless area c, and advertising image D which includes a colorless area d, as shown in Figure 6(a). When these four content items are arranged and printed in the layout shown in Figure 6(a), multiple white areas occur in the direction of the head scan due to nozzle defects, resulting in noticeable white areas that extend in the left-right direction, especially in advertising image B which does not have a colorless area. Figure 6(b) shows the case where advertising image B is deleted to avoid the occurrence of the noticeable white areas mentioned above, and advertising image A is enlarged and rotated by 90°. As shown in Figure 6(b), by reducing the number of advertising images and enlarging advertising image A for printing, even if multiple white areas occur in the direction of the head scan, the white areas will be less noticeable because advertising image B is gone. By adjusting the number and scaling of content items in this way, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the print quality of the distributed data.
[0066] <Other Modifications> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical concept. Such modifications will be described in order below. Parts equivalent to those in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.
[0067] (1) Countermeasures against white areas by transport control Specifically, as shown in Figure 7(a), when the printing paper is transported in one direction along the sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the normal head scanning direction, a situation is assumed in which white areas occur in the scanning direction due to a nozzle malfunction of the head. As a countermeasure against this situation, in this modified example, as shown in Figure 7(b), the transport of the printing paper in the sub-scanning direction is performed in small increments, back and forth to repeatedly print a certain area, resulting in overlap printing. This makes it possible to eliminate the occurrence of white areas that cannot be covered by the aforementioned changes in the orientation of the content, the number of content items, and other layout changes. In addition, the head can continue to be used even when some of the nozzles of the head are malfunctioning, thus extending the lifespan of the parts. Note that by keeping the transport of the printing paper in the one direction as described above and reducing the feed of the head in the sub-scanning direction, the same behavior as the overlap printing described above can be achieved, and the same effect of eliminating white areas can be obtained.
[0068] Furthermore, while attempting to eliminate white areas solely through the above-mentioned control methods has the disadvantage of increasing the total printing time, it is possible to shorten the printing time by combining this with the content placement orientation, number of content items, and other layout changes described in the above embodiment.
[0069] (2) In addition, the sequence flow shown in Figure 2 is not limited to the procedures shown in the above flow, and procedures may be added, deleted, or changed in order, etc., as long as it does not deviate from the spirit and technical concept of the disclosure.
[0070] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.
[0071] Furthermore, although not to list them individually, this disclosure will be implemented with various modifications, within the scope that does not deviate from its intent.
[0072] 1 Distribution System 100 Distribution Server (Example of distribution device) 200 Printer (Example of destination device) 300 Content Server 400 Data Generation Device
Claims
1. A distribution system comprising: a distribution device for distributing content; a destination device to which the content is distributed by the distribution device, wherein the distribution device performs: an information acquisition process for acquiring device information at the destination device; an output condition identification process for identifying output conditions for distribution data based on the device information acquired in the information acquisition process; a content acquisition process for acquiring target content that may be distributed; a distribution process for determining the target content to be used for the distribution data from the acquired target content; and outputting the distribution data corresponding to the output conditions to the destination device based on the determined target content.
2. The distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising: a distribution device, which further performs a condition identification process to identify the conditions of the content that can be output by the distribution destination device based on the output condition identification process; a content acquisition process to acquire the target content that matches the conditions identified in the condition identification process; and a data acquisition process to acquire the distribution data generated based on the target content acquired in the content acquisition process; and in the distribution process, distributes the distribution data acquired by the data acquisition process to the distribution destination device.
3. The distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the distribution device further executes a data request process to request a data generation device to generate distribution data based on the target content acquired in the content acquisition process and the output conditions identified in the output condition identification process, and in the data acquisition process, the distribution data generated by the data generation device is acquired.
4. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the output conditions include constraints on the timing of distribution of the distribution data.
5. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the output conditions include constraints on the color attributes of the content.
6. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the output conditions include constraints on the layout of the content on the output medium of the distribution destination device.
7. The distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the constraints on the layout include the orientation of the content.
8. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution destination device is a printer that prints on the output medium of the distribution destination device, and the device information includes at least one of the following: standby status information, operating status information, connection status information, failure status information, and maintenance status information of the printer.
9. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the device information includes various setting information related to the distribution function of the distribution destination device.
10. The distribution system according to claim 9, wherein the distribution destination device is a printer that prints on the output medium of the distribution destination device, and the device information includes the print size setting of the printer.
11. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution destination device is a printer that prints on the output medium of the distribution destination device, and the device information includes whether or not the printer has resources, or the remaining amount of resources.
12. The distribution system according to claim 11, wherein the distribution device further performs, in the information acquisition process, a resource confirmation request process that requests the printer to confirm the resource, and a resource confirmation reception process that receives information about the resource transmitted in response to the resource confirmation request process, and acquires the presence or absence of the resource, or the remaining amount of the resource, transmitted from the printer as the device information.
13. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution device does not perform the content acquisition process if it is determined in the output condition identification process that it is impossible to output the distribution data to the distribution destination device.
14. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution device further performs a condition determination process to determine whether the target content acquired in the content acquisition process can actually be output, and if it is determined that output is possible, the distribution process outputs the distribution data corresponding to the output condition to the destination device.
15. The distribution system according to claim 14, wherein the distribution device does not perform the distribution process if it is determined in the condition determination process that it is impossible to output the distribution data to the destination device.
16. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device performs a completion notification process to notify the distribution device of the completion or incompleteness of data output based on the distribution data, and the distribution device performs a billing cancellation process to cancel the billing for the target content for which the incompleteness report was made in the completion notification process.
17. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution device performs a distribution notification process that notifies in advance of the output of the distribution data to the destination device.
18. A distribution program for causing a computer of a distribution device connected to a destination device to which content is distributed to perform the following: an information acquisition process to acquire device information on the destination device; an output condition identification process to identify output conditions for distribution data based on the device information acquired in the information acquisition process; a content acquisition process to acquire target content that may be distributed; and a distribution process to determine the target content to be used for the distribution data from the acquired target content, and to output the distribution data corresponding to the output conditions to the destination device based on the determined target content.