Computer program, management method for plurality of printers, and printer management device

Abstract

Provided are a computer program, a management method, and a management device that are capable of easily performing maintenance management of a plurality of inkjet printers. A computer 30 included in a printer management device 20 executes: a first extraction step of extracting a first maintenance item related to ink discharge of a first printer P1; a second extraction step of extracting a second maintenance item related to ink discharge of a second printer P2; and a display step of causing a display device 51 to display the first maintenance item in association with the first printer P1 and causing the display device 51 to display the second maintenance item in association with the second printer P2.

Description

Computer program, method for managing a plurality of printers, and printer management apparatus

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer program, a management method, and a management apparatus for managing a plurality of inkjet printers.

[0002] Conventionally, inkjet printers that eject ink from ejection heads to form an image on a recording medium are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like. When the printer of Patent Document 1 ejects color ink onto a recording medium such as cloth to form an image, it ejects white ink as an underlayer onto the recording medium before the color ink in order to improve the color development of the color ink on the recording medium.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-145448

[0004] As described above, when ejecting color ink onto white ink as an underlayer, the white ink and the color ink need to be accurately ejected to predetermined positions on the recording medium. To achieve accurate ejection, printers are required to satisfy conditions such as that the mounting position of the ejection head relative to the carriage is appropriate, that nozzles of the ejection head are not in a non-ejection state, and that the ink ejection direction from the nozzles is appropriate. Therefore, printers require appropriate maintenance as needed to maintain a state that satisfies such conditions.

[0005] By the way, when a user has printers of different models, the required maintenance may differ for each model. Furthermore, even when the user has a plurality of printers of the same model, the required maintenance may differ depending on the latest status of each printer. As described above, when the user has a plurality of printers, since the required maintenance may differ for each printer, it takes time and effort for the user to grasp the required maintenance for each printer.

[0006] Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a computer program, a management method, and a management apparatus that can easily perform maintenance management of a plurality of inkjet printers.

[0007] The computer program relating to this disclosure causes a computer in a printer management device, which is communicably connected to a plurality of inkjet printers including a first printer and a second printer, to execute: a first extraction step of extracting first maintenance items relating to ink ejection of the first printer; a second extraction step of extracting second maintenance items relating to ink ejection of the second printer; and a display step of displaying the first maintenance items in association with the first printer on a display device, and displaying the second maintenance items in association with the second printer on the display device.

[0008] According to this disclosure, the display device displays a first maintenance item related to ink ejection of the first printer in association with the first printer, and a second maintenance item related to ink ejection of the second printer in association with the second printer. Therefore, the user can easily understand the maintenance required for each printer.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the printer management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure manages a printer. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the first printer. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the printer management device. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer management device. Figures 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating screen images displayed on a display device while the printer management device is managing a printer. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing other operations of the printer management device. Figure 7 is a subroutine showing the specific details of the processing in step S22. Figure 8 is another subroutine showing the specific details of the processing in step S22. Figure 9 is another subroutine showing the specific details of the processing in step S22. Figure 10 is another subroutine showing the specific details of the processing in step S22. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing other operations of the printer management device. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating screen images displayed and transitioning on a display device when the processing in steps S10 and S11 is executed. Figures 13A to 13D are schematic diagrams illustrating first adjustment-related data stored in the storage unit of the first printer. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing other operations of the printer management device.

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same reference numerals will be used for the same or corresponding elements throughout all drawings, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing how a printer management device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure manages printers. In the example of Figure 1, two printers, a first printer P1 and a second printer P2, are shown to be connected to the printer management device 20 in a communicative manner. Communication between the printer management device 20 and each printer P1 and P2 may be wireless or wired. In addition, one or more printers may be connected to the printer management device 20 in a communicative manner.

[0012] [Printer Configuration] The first printer P1 shown in Figure 1 is a serial head type inkjet printer. Therefore, the first printer P1 prints an image on the recording medium A by alternately repeating the process of forming an image by ejecting ink while moving the ejection head 3 back and forth in the left-right direction, and the process of transporting the recording medium A in the front-back direction. Note that the first printer P1 is not limited to a serial head type; for example, it may be a line head type inkjet printer.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the first printer P1 is equipped with a box-shaped housing 1. Inside this housing 1 are a carriage 2 equipped with multiple ejection heads 3, a liquid tank 4, a platen 5, a control device 6, and the like. The carriage 2 is, for example, a rectangular box that is long in the front-to-back direction, and the multiple ejection heads 3 mounted inside the carriage 2 are arranged in a staggered pattern. The ejection heads 3 may include a head that ejects color ink, a head that ejects white ink which is the base ink, a head that ejects the top liquid which forms the protective layer, and so on.

[0014] The liquid tank 4 consists of separate containers for each type of liquid, and the liquid tank 4 and the discharge head 3 are connected by a flexible tube. A pump is installed in the middle of the tube, and when this pump is driven, the liquid in the liquid tank 4 is supplied to the corresponding discharge head 3. The liquid supplied to the discharge head 3 is discharged as droplets from multiple nozzles 3n on the discharge head 3 by the drive of a drive element 3a (see Figure 2), which will be described later. A platen 5 is also positioned opposite the nozzle surface, which is the lower surface of the discharge head 3. The platen 5 has a flat upper surface, on which the recording medium A is placed.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first printer P1. As shown in Figure 2, the ejection head 3 mounted on the carriage 2 of the first printer P1 has a drive element 3a for each nozzle 3n. The drive element 3a is a piezoelectric element, a heating element, or an electrostatic actuator, and by being driven, it applies pressure to the ink in the ejection head 3 to eject liquid from the corresponding nozzle 3n.

[0016] The carriage 2 is equipped with a head drive circuit 10C. The head drive circuit 10C is electrically connected to the control device 6 and also electrically connected to each drive element 3a of the discharge head 3. Therefore, when the control device 6 outputs a control signal to the head drive circuit 10C to drive the drive elements 3a, the head drive circuit 10C generates a drive signal based on the input control signal and outputs this drive signal to each drive element 3a. As a result, each drive element 3a is driven based on the corresponding drive signal and operates to apply a predetermined discharge pressure to the liquid in the discharge head 3 at a predetermined timing. The head drive device 10 is composed of the head drive circuit 10C mounted on the carriage 2 and the discharge head 3.

[0017] The carriage 2 is further equipped with a sensor 10S. This sensor 10S is, for example, a distance measuring sensor that detects the position and orientation of the ejection head 3 mounted on the carriage 2, as well as the position of the components of the first printer P1. The position information of the components detected by the sensor 10S is sent to the control device 6.

[0018] The first printer P1 is equipped with a moving device 11 that moves (scans) the carriage 2 in the left-right direction. The moving device 11 has a moving drive circuit 11C and a moving motor 11M. The moving drive circuit 11C is electrically connected to the control device 6 and also to the moving motor 11M. Therefore, when the control device 6 outputs a control signal to the moving drive circuit 11C to drive the moving motor 11M, the moving drive circuit 11C generates a drive signal based on the input control signal and outputs this drive signal to the moving motor 11M. As a result, the moving motor 11M is driven and moves the carriage 2 to the left or to the right.

[0019] The first printer P1 is equipped with a transport device 12 for transporting the platen 5 in the forward or backward direction. The transport device 12 has a transport drive circuit 12C and a transport motor 12M. The transport drive circuit 12C is electrically connected to the control device 6 and also to the transport motor 12M. Therefore, when the control device 6 outputs a control signal to the transport drive circuit 12C to drive the transport motor 12M, the transport drive circuit 12C generates a drive signal based on the input control signal and outputs this drive signal to the transport motor 12M. As a result, the transport motor 12M is driven to transport the platen 5 in the forward or backward direction.

[0020] The first printer P1 is equipped with a lifting device 13 for raising and lowering the platen 5 in the vertical direction. The lifting device 13 has a lifting drive circuit 13C and a lifting motor 13M. The lifting drive circuit 13C is electrically connected to the control device 6 and also electrically connected to the lifting motor 13M. Therefore, when the control device 6 outputs a control signal to the lifting drive circuit 13C to drive the lifting motor 13M, the lifting drive circuit 13C generates a drive signal based on the input control signal and outputs this drive signal to the lifting motor 13M. As a result, the lifting motor 13M is driven to raise or lower the platen 5.

[0021] The control device 6 is a computer, composed of arithmetic circuits such as an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and also has a storage unit 7. The storage unit 7 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). This storage unit 7 stores the computer program 7p for operating the first printer P1, as well as data necessary for executing this computer program.

[0022] The computer program 7p stored in the memory unit 7 includes, as an example, a computer program 7a for operating the first printer P1 in maintenance mode, a computer program 7b for operating it in first printing mode, and a computer program 7c for operating it in second printing mode. Furthermore, the memory unit 7 stores first adjustment-related data 7d, which will be described later.

[0023] The first printer P1 is equipped with a communication interface 8. The communication interface 8 is electrically connected to the control device 6 and enables communication, such as sending and receiving data, with external devices, including the printer management device 20, via wireless or wired connection. The first printer P1 may also be equipped with an input device for receiving user input and an output device for outputting information to the user.

[0024] The second printer P2 shown in Figure 1 has the same configuration as the first printer P1 described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted here. In other words, the configuration of the second printer P2 can be understood by replacing "first printer P1" and "first adjustment-related data" mentioned in the description of the first printer P1 above with "second printer P2" and "second adjustment-related data". Note that the first printer P1 and the second printer P2 do not need to have the same configuration; they may have different configurations.

[0025] [Configuration of Printer Management Device] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the printer management device 20. The printer management device 20 comprises a control device 30, a storage device 40, a user interface (user I / F) 50, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 60. Of these, the control device 30 is a computer according to the present disclosure and is composed of arithmetic circuits such as an MPU. The storage device 40 is a memory according to the present disclosure and includes ROM 41, RAM 42, etc.

[0026] The user interface 50 includes a display device 51 that outputs information to the user and an input device 52 that receives input from the user. The display device 51 is configured as, for example, a liquid crystal display, and the input device 52 is configured as, for example, a keyboard, mouse, or microphone for voice input. The display device 51 and the input device 52 may also be configured as touch panel displays. The operation information entered through this user interface 50 is input to the control device 30. The display device 51 and the input device 52 may be provided as external devices separate from the printer management device 20 and connected to the printer management device 20 via a communication interface 60 or the like.

[0027] The communication interface 60 is an interface that can communicate wirelessly or via wired connection with external devices, including the first printer P1 and the second printer P2. The control device 30 can receive information from external devices via this communication interface 60 and can also transmit information to external devices via the communication interface 60.

[0028] Furthermore, the ROM 41 contains the computer program 41a according to this disclosure, and the control device 30 can read and execute the computer program 41a stored in the ROM 41 as appropriate. That is, the computer program 41a causes the control device 30 to execute the first extraction step, the second extraction step, the display step, the first acquisition step, the second acquisition step, the reception step, the instruction transmission step, the third acquisition step, and the fourth acquisition step, etc. As a result, the control device 30 functions as the first extraction unit 31, the second extraction unit 32, the display unit 33, the first acquisition unit 34, the second acquisition unit 35, the reception unit 36, the instruction transmission unit 37, the third acquisition unit 38, and the fourth acquisition unit 39.

[0029] Furthermore, the RAM 42 mentioned above stores data 42a related to maintenance items. This data 42a includes first maintenance items related to ink ejection of the first printer P1 and second maintenance items related to ink ejection of the second printer P2. The first maintenance items are stored in association with the first printer P1, and the second maintenance items are stored in association with the second printer P2.

[0030] Next, the functions of the control device 30 will be described. The control device 30, which functions as the first extraction unit 31, performs a first extraction step which involves extracting the first maintenance items related to ink ejection of the first printer P1. The first maintenance items are associated with the first printer P1 and stored in the storage device 40. Therefore, the control device 30 extracts them by reading the first maintenance items corresponding to the first printer P1 from the storage device 40. Note that maintenance items are items related to maintenance processes, including cleaning and various adjustments, that should be performed on the printer in order for the printer to be able to eject ink and print images properly.

[0031] The control device 30, which functions as the second extraction unit 32, performs a second extraction step which involves extracting the second maintenance items related to ink ejection of the second printer P2. The second maintenance items are associated with the second printer P2 and stored in the storage device 40. Therefore, the control device 30 extracts them by reading the second maintenance items corresponding to the second printer P2 from the storage device 40.

[0032] The control device 30, which functions as a display unit 33, executes a display step that involves displaying the corresponding maintenance items on the display device 51 in association with each printer. Specifically, the control device 30 displays the first maintenance items on the display device 51 in association with the first printer P1, and displays the second maintenance items on the display device 51 in association with the second printer P2. "Displaying in association" means a display method that allows the user to determine which printer corresponds to the maintenance item when they view the maintenance items displayed on the display device 51.

[0033] The control device 30, functioning as a first acquisition unit 34, executes a first acquisition step of acquiring first adjustment-related data related to the adjustment of the first printer P1 from the first printer P1. The control device 30, functioning as a second acquisition unit 35, executes a second acquisition step of acquiring second adjustment-related data related to the adjustment of the second printer P2 from the second printer P2. The adjustment-related data is, for example, information related to printer maintenance processes, and includes information about maintenance processes that have been performed on the printer in the past. More specifically, such information may include information indicating which maintenance processes have been performed, and information indicating maintenance results, such as whether or not a problem was resolved by performing the maintenance process. The acquired first adjustment-related data and second adjustment-related data are stored in a storage device 40 (for example, RAM 42) associated with the corresponding printer.

[0034] The control device 30, which functions as a reception unit 36, executes a reception step in which it receives execution operations from the user for the first maintenance item or the second maintenance item displayed on the display device 51. Such execution operations by the user can be performed using the input device 52, and the input execution operations are input to and received by the control device 30.

[0035] The control device 30, which functions as an instruction transmission unit 37, transmits a first maintenance instruction to the first printer P1 according to the ejection state of the first printer P1 when it receives a user operation for a first maintenance item from the reception unit 36. The control device 30, which functions as an instruction transmission unit 37, also transmits a second maintenance instruction to the second printer P2 according to the ejection state of the second printer P2 when it receives a user operation for a second maintenance item from the reception unit 36. Here, the ejection state refers to, for example, the state of liquid ejection from the nozzle 3n, and may include a normal ejection state in which the droplet amount and ejection direction are within an acceptable range, a defective ejection state in which the droplet amount or ejection direction is outside an acceptable range, and a non-ejection state in which no droplets are ejected.

[0036] The control device 30, functioning as a third acquisition unit 38, performs a third acquisition step in which it acquires first environmental data from the first printer P1 indicating the environment in which the first printer P1 is installed. The control device 30, functioning as a fourth acquisition unit 39, performs a fourth acquisition step in which it acquires second environmental data from the second printer P2 indicating the environment in which the second printer P2 is installed. Here, the environmental data may include, for example, the temperature and humidity of the environment in which each printer is installed. Therefore, the first printer P1 and the second printer P2 may be equipped with a temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the environment in which they are installed and a humidity sensor to detect the humidity.

[0037] Furthermore, when the control device 30 acquires environmental data, the control device 30, which functions as an instruction transmission unit 37, can transmit maintenance instructions corresponding to the environmental data. That is, when the control device 30 receives an execution instruction from the user for a first maintenance item via the reception unit 36, it can transmit a first maintenance instruction corresponding to the first environmental data to the first printer P1. Also, when the control device 30 receives an execution instruction from the user for a second maintenance item via the reception unit 36, it can transmit a second maintenance instruction corresponding to the second environmental data to the second printer P2.

[0038] [Printer Management Method] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer management device 20. Figures 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the screen images displayed on the display device 51 during printer management by the printer management device 20. The printer management method will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5A to 5C.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the printer management device 20 determines whether a predetermined maintenance application has been launched (step S1). The user can launch this application by performing a predetermined operation (such as double-clicking an icon to run the maintenance program) using the input device 52 of the printer management device 20. If it is determined that the application has not been launched (S1: NO), the determination process in step S1 is repeated, and if it is determined that the application has been launched (S1: YES), the process proceeds to step S2.

[0040] When the application is launched (S1: YES), the printer management device 20 displays a screen image W1, as shown in Figure 5A, on the display device 51. Therefore, the user can select the printer to be maintained by manipulating the screen image W1 using the input device 52. The screen image W1 allows the user to select one printer from the first printer P1 and the second printer P2 using the pull-down menu PM1.

[0041] Therefore, after the application is started, the printer management device 20 determines whether the first printer P1 has been selected by the user (step S2). If the first printer P1 has not been selected (S2: NO), it determines whether the second printer P2 has been selected (step S4). If the second printer P2 has also not been selected (S4: NO), it returns to the process in step S2 to determine which printer has been selected.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the first printer P1 has been selected (S2: YES), the first maintenance items are extracted and displayed on the display device 51 (step S3). For example, the printer management device 20 uses the first extraction unit 31 to extract the first maintenance items associated with the first printer P1 from the data 42a stored in the storage device 40, and the display unit 33 displays a screen image W2 on the display device 52 as shown in Figure 5B. In the example in Figure 5B, the screen image W2 includes a list L1 having six first maintenance items.

[0043] Further, if it is determined in step S4 that the second printer P2 has been selected (S4: YES), the second maintenance items are extracted and displayed on the display device 51 (step S5). For example, in the printer management device 20, the second extraction unit 32 extracts second maintenance items associated with the second printer P2 from data 42a stored in the storage device 40, and the display unit 33 causes the display device 52 to display a screen image W3 as shown in FIG. 5C. In the example of FIG. 5C, the screen image W3 includes a list L2 having four second maintenance items.

[0044] As described above, according to the printer management method according to the present embodiment, when performing maintenance on a plurality of printers, maintenance items corresponding to the selected printer can be displayed. Therefore, a user can easily grasp the maintenance required for the selected printer.

[0045] Although FIGS. 5B and 5C illustrate the case where only maintenance items corresponding to each printer are displayed, the display mode is not limited thereto. For example, in addition to maintenance items corresponding to the selected printer, maintenance items not corresponding to the selected printer may also be displayed, as long as the user can distinguish which maintenance items correspond to the currently selected printer. For example, for the listed maintenance items, different marks may be added to items corresponding to the selected printer and items not corresponding thereto, the display brightness or color may be differentiated, or items not corresponding may be made unselectable by the user.

[0046] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another operation of the printer management apparatus 20. The printer management apparatus 20 according to Embodiment 2 can acquire predetermined information from a selected printer and extract maintenance items based on the acquired information. Therefore, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 has steps S21 and S22 added after a YES determination in step S2, and steps S41 and S42 added after a YES determination in step S4, compared to the flowchart of FIG. 4. In addition, "extraction and display" in steps S3 and S5 of FIG. 4 is changed to "display" as steps S3A and S5A in FIG. 6. The operation of such a printer management apparatus 20 will be described below, with particular focus on the added content.

[0047] When the printer management apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment determines that the user has selected the first printer P1 (S2: YES), the first acquisition unit 34 acquires first adjustment-related data from the first printer P1 (step S21), and the first extraction unit 31 extracts a first maintenance item based on the acquired first adjustment-related data (step S22). Then, the display unit 33 causes the display device 51 to display the first maintenance item extracted in step S22 (step S3A).

[0048] More specifically, as already described, the adjustment-related data is, for example, information related to maintenance processing of a printer, and includes information on maintenance processing performed in the past in the printer. More specifically, the adjustment-related data may include information indicating which maintenance processes have been executed, information indicating maintenance results such as whether a problem has been resolved by execution of the maintenance process, and the like. Then, in step S21, the printer management apparatus 20 transmits a signal requesting such first adjustment-related data to the first printer P1, and the first printer P1 that has received the signal reads the corresponding first adjustment-related data from the storage unit 7 and transmits the same to the printer management apparatus 20.

[0049] When the printer management device 20 receives first adjustment-related data from the first printer P1, in step S22, it extracts first maintenance items that meet predetermined conditions from among all first maintenance items stored in the storage device 40 in association with the first printer P1, based on this first adjustment-related data. For example, maintenance items for which maintenance processing has already been performed in the past as first adjustment-related data are determined not to meet the predetermined conditions and are excluded from the first maintenance items to be extracted. In step 3A, the printer management device 20 displays the first maintenance items extracted in this way on the display device 51.

[0050] Similarly, if the printer management device 20 determines that the user has selected the second printer P2 (S4: YES), the second acquisition unit 35 acquires the second adjustment-related data from the second printer P2 (step S41), and the second extraction unit 32 extracts the second maintenance items based on the acquired second adjustment-related data (step S42). Then, the display unit 33 displays the second maintenance items extracted in step S42 on the display device 51 (step S5A). Note that the specific contents of the second adjustment-related data and the communication between the printer management device 20 and the second printer P2 may be the same as those described for the first adjustment-related data and the first printer P1, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0051] As described above, the printer management method according to this embodiment allows for the hiding of maintenance items that have been performed in the past, for example, by acquiring adjustment-related data for the selected printer. Therefore, users can more easily identify the necessary maintenance items. In the above description of "hiding," the method describes hiding maintenance items that were not extracted from the maintenance items corresponding to the selected printer, but it is not limited to this. For example, maintenance items corresponding to the selected printer may be extracted, and items that have been excluded based on the adjustment-related data from the extracted items may be hidden. Also, similar to Embodiment 1, items excluded from the display target may be displayed if the user can distinguish them from the displayed items. For example, different marks may be added to the displayed items and other excluded items, the display intensity or color may be different, or the user may be prevented from selecting excluded items.

[0052] By the way, the process of extracting maintenance items based on adjustment-related data, which is performed in steps S22 and S42, can include various variations depending on the content of the adjustment-related data referenced. Therefore, examples of such variations, Modifications 1 to 4, will be described below. Modifications 1 to 4 may be applied individually to steps S22 and S42 in Figure 6, or any two may be applied in combination, any three may be applied in combination, or all four may be applied. Furthermore, they can be arbitrarily combined with other modifications.

[0053] (Modification 1) Figure 7 shows a subroutine related to Modification 1, which illustrates the specific details of the processing in step S22. In this Modification 1, the first adjustment-related data that the first printer P1 sends to the printer management device 20 includes data on past adjustment dates of the first printer P1, and the printer management device 20 uses the data on past adjustment dates to extract maintenance items.

[0054] To explain in more detail, the printer management device 20 selects one item from the first maintenance items corresponding to the first printer P1 selected by the user (step S-A1). The method of selecting one item is not particularly limited. However, such a selection does not need to be made from all of the first maintenance items. For example, it is sufficient to select from items (candidate items) where the elapsed time since the last adjustment affects the determination of whether the next adjustment (maintenance) is necessary.

[0055] The printer management device 20 obtains information regarding the most recent past adjustment date for the selected item from the acquired first adjustment-related data (step S-A2). Then, based on the acquired most recent past adjustment date and the current date and time, it calculates the elapsed time since the most recent adjustment for the selected item (step S-A3).

[0056] The printer management device 20 determines whether the calculated elapsed time exceeds a predetermined period for the selected item (step S-A4). This predetermined period information is associated with each of the items in the first maintenance items that are subject to judgment in the modified example 1 and stored in the storage device 40. If the printer management device 20 determines, as a result of the determination in step S-A4, that the predetermined period has been exceeded (S-A4: YES), it sets the display flag for the selected item to ON (step S-A5). If it determines that the predetermined period has not been exceeded (S-A4: NO), it sets the display flag for the selected item to OFF (step S-A7).

[0057] Subsequently, the printer management device 20 determines whether the display flag setting has been completed for all candidate items (step S-A6). If it has not been completed (S-A6: NO), it returns to the process in step S-A1. If it has been completed (S-A6: YES), it terminates this subroutine. Here, for candidate items, the process of setting the display flag to ON corresponds to the process of extracting the first maintenance item to be displayed. Therefore, if the printer management device 20 executes the subroutine according to the above modified example 1 in step S22 of Figure 6, in the next step S3A, it displays the candidate items for which the display flag has been set to ON on the display device 51.

[0058] The subroutine relating to the above-described modified example 1 can also be applied to step S42 in Figure 6, so the explanation of its application to step S42 will be omitted.

[0059] Some maintenance items have little need to be performed if the time elapsed since the last adjustment is short. Therefore, according to Modification 1, the maintenance items to be displayed are extracted according to the elapsed time, making it easier for the user to identify the necessary maintenance items.

[0060] (Modification 2) Figure 8 shows a subroutine related to Modification 2, which illustrates the specific details of the processing in step S22. In this Modification 2, the first adjustment-related data transmitted by the first printer P1 to the printer management device 20 includes data on the number of copies of the recording medium A printed by the first printer P1, and the printer management device 20 uses the data on the number of copies printed to extract maintenance items.

[0061] Specifically, the printer management device 20 obtains data regarding the number of printed pages on the recording medium A from the first adjustment-related data acquired in step S21 (step S-B1). The printer management device 20 then determines whether the acquired number exceeds a predetermined number (step S-B2). This predetermined number information is stored in the storage device 40. If the printer management device 20 determines, as a result of the determination in step S-B2, that the number of printed pages has been exceeded (S-B2: YES), it sets the display flag to ON for the relevant item among the first maintenance items (step S-B3). If it determines that the number of printed pages has not been exceeded (S-B2: NO), it sets the display flag to OFF for the relevant item (step S-B4).

[0062] In Modification 2, the relevant items for which the display flag is set are those items among the first maintenance items where the number of past prints affects the determination of whether the next adjustment (maintenance) is necessary. When the printer management device 20 executes the subroutine related to Modification 2 in step S22 of Figure 6, in the next step S3A, if the display flag for the relevant items is set to ON, it will be displayed on the display device 51.

[0063] The subroutine relating to the above-described modified example 2 can also be applied to step S42 in Figure 6, so the explanation of its application to step S42 will be omitted.

[0064] Some maintenance items may not need to be performed when the number of printed pages is low. Therefore, according to Modification 2, the maintenance items to be displayed are extracted according to the number of printed pages, making it easier for the user to understand the necessary maintenance items. The number of printed pages may be the total cumulative number since the initial installation, such as when the printer was shipped from the factory, or the cumulative number since the last prescribed maintenance was performed, and can be determined as appropriate depending on the maintenance item.

[0065] (Modification 3) Figure 9 shows a subroutine related to Modification 3, which illustrates the specific details of the processing in step S22. In this Modification 3, the first adjustment-related data transmitted by the first printer P1 to the printer management device 20 includes data on the position information of parts detected by a sensor 10S (see Figure 2) provided on the first printer P1, and the printer management device 20 uses the data on the position information to extract maintenance items.

[0066] Specifically, the printer management device 20 obtains data regarding the position information of a component of the first printer P1 detected by the sensor 10S from the first adjustment-related data acquired in step S21 (step S-C1). The printer management device 20 also calculates an error from a predetermined value regarding the position of the component, which is pre-stored in the storage device 40, and the position information data acquired in step S-C1 (step S-C2). The printer management device 20 then determines whether this error exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S-C3).

[0067] If the printer management device 20 determines, based on the results of the determination in step S-C3, that a predetermined threshold has been exceeded (S-C3: YES), it sets the display flag to ON for the relevant item among the first maintenance items (step S-C4). If it determines that the predetermined threshold has not been exceeded (S-C3: NO), it sets the display flag to OFF for the relevant item (step S-C5).

[0068] In Modification 3, the relevant items for which the display flag is set are those items among the first maintenance items where the position information of the parts affects the determination of whether or not the next adjustment (maintenance) is necessary. When the printer management device 20 executes the subroutine related to Modification 3 in step S22 of Figure 6, in the next step S3A, the relevant items are displayed on the display device 51 if the display flag is set to ON.

[0069] The subroutine relating to the above-described modified example 3 can also be applied to step S42 in Figure 6, so the explanation of its application to step S42 will be omitted.

[0070] If a printer is equipped with a sensor that detects the position of a part, the position information detected by this sensor is useful for determining whether maintenance is necessary. For example, if the sensor 10S of the first printer P1 detects the position of the ejection head 3, the user can be notified by display on the display device 51 that various maintenance is necessary, such as adjusting the position of the ejection head 3 or adjusting the ejection timing from each nozzle 3n of the ejection head 3, based on the detection information (part position information) from the sensor 10S. Therefore, according to the modified example 3, the maintenance items to be displayed are extracted according to the position information of the part, so the user can more easily understand the necessary maintenance items. Note that the part whose position and orientation are detected by the sensor 10S is not limited to the ejection head 3, but any other part may be used, such as a cap that covers the nozzle surface of the ejection head 3 or a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface.

[0071] (Modification 4) Figure 10 shows a subroutine related to Modification 4, which illustrates the specific details of the processing in step S22. In this Modification 4, the first adjustment-related data that the first printer P1 sends to the printer management device 20 includes information about the ejection state when the first printer P1 ejects ink, and the printer management device 20 uses the ejection state information to extract maintenance items.

[0072] Specifically, the printer management device 20 obtains information regarding the ejection state when the first printer P1 ejects ink from the first adjustment-related data acquired in step S21 (step S-D1). As already explained, this ejection state refers to the state of liquid ejection from the nozzle 3n and may include a normal ejection state, a faulty ejection state, and a non-ejection state. Based on this ejection state information, the printer management device 20 determines whether or not there are any faulty nozzles (step S-D2). These faulty nozzles include nozzles in a faulty ejection state and nozzles in a non-ejection state.

[0073] If the printer management device 20 determines, based on the results of step S-D2, that there is a faulty nozzle (S-D2: YES), it sets the display flag to ON for the relevant item in the first maintenance item (step S-D3). If it determines that there is no faulty nozzle (S-D2: NO), it sets the display flag to OFF for the relevant item (step S-D4).

[0074] In Modification 4, the relevant items for which the display flag is set are those items from the first maintenance items where the presence or absence of a defective nozzle affects the determination of whether or not the next adjustment (maintenance) is necessary. When the printer management device 20 executes the subroutine related to Modification 4 in step S22 of Figure 6, in the next step S3A, the relevant items are displayed on the display device 51 if the display flag is set to ON.

[0075] The subroutine relating to the above-described modified example 4 can also be applied to step S42 in Figure 6, so the explanation of its application to step S42 will be omitted.

[0076] According to this modified example 4, based on information such as the presence or absence of misaligned or non-discharged ink from the ejection head 3, the maintenance items necessary to resolve these defective nozzles can be displayed. Therefore, the user can easily understand the necessary maintenance items.

[0077] In this modified example 4, the "printer ejection status" may be determined by the printers (first printer P1 and second printer P2) or by the printer management device 20. For example, if the first printer P1 makes the determination, it prints a test pattern on the recording medium A or the like, reads the print result with the scanner provided by the first printer P1, and determines the ejection status, such as a defective nozzle, based on the reading result. The first printer P1 then transmits the information regarding the determined ejection status to the printer management device 20, which receives this information (step S-D1). Based on the received information, the printer management device 20 determines whether or not there is a defective nozzle in the first printer P1 (step S-D2).

[0078] The ejection state of the first printer P1 may be determined by a method other than that described above. For example, ink may be ejected testly into an ink receiving part such as a cap or flushing box provided by the first printer P1. Alternatively, light may be shone so as to intersect the flight area of ​​the ejected ink, and the amount of light that has passed through the flight area may be detected by a light receiving sensor. Since the detection result (amount of light received, or change in the amount of light received over time) correlates with the ink ejection state, the first printer P1 can determine the ejection state, such as a faulty nozzle, based on this detection result.

[0079] On the other hand, when the printer management device 20 determines the ejection status, the first printer P1 reads the test pattern printed on the recording medium A or the like using the scanner provided by the first printer P1 and transmits the data from the first printer P1 to the printer management device 20. When the printer management device 20 receives this scanned data as ejection status information (step S-D1), it determines the ejection status of the first printer P1 based on the scanned data and then determines whether there are any defective nozzles based on the determination result (step S-D2).

[0080] Furthermore, similar to the example shown in Figure 12, which will be referenced in Embodiment 3 described below, the user may determine whether or not there are defective nozzles based on the print results of the test pattern and input this information to the first printer P1, and the first printer P1 may transmit the input information to the printer management device 20. The printer management device 20 receives the information transmitted from the first printer P1 as ejection status information (step S-D1) and determines whether or not there are defective nozzles based on the received information (step S-D2). Note that the information regarding the presence or absence of defective nozzles determined by the user may be input to the printer management device 20 instead of the first printer P1.

[0081] (Embodiment 3) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing other operations of the printer management device 20. The printer management device 20 according to Embodiment 3 can receive execution operations from the user for maintenance items displayed on the display device 51, and can send instructions to the corresponding printer regarding the content of maintenance to be performed. Therefore, the flowchart shown in Figure 11 has steps S10, S11 and steps S12, S13 added to the flowchart in Figure 6. The operations of this printer management device 20 will be described below, with particular emphasis on the added content.

[0082] In this embodiment, when a user selects the first printer P1 (S2: YES) and the first maintenance items extracted based on the first adjustment-related data are displayed on the display device 51 (S22, S3A), the receiving unit 36 ​​determines whether or not an execution operation by the user has been accepted (step S10). If the execution operation has not been accepted (S10: NO), the process in step S10 is repeated. On the other hand, if the execution operation has been accepted (S10: YES), the instruction transmission unit 37 sends a first maintenance instruction to the first printer P1 (step S11). As a result, the first printer P1, having received the first maintenance instruction, performs maintenance based on the contents of the first maintenance instruction.

[0083] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the screen images displayed and transitioned on the display device 51 when the processes of steps S10 and S11 are executed. Screen image W10 in Figure 12 is substantially the same as screen image W2 shown in Figure 5B, and shows the content when the first printer P1 is selected and the first maintenance item is displayed. When accepting the execution operation of step S10, the user selects the maintenance item to be executed from list L10 (the same as list L1 in Figure 5B), as shown in screen image W10. The example of screen image W10 shows the case when the item "Adjust ejection timing" is selected.

[0084] After selecting a maintenance item in screen image W10, clicking the "Next" icon SW1 switches the display on the display device 51 from screen image 10 to the next screen image W11. In screen image W11, the user can select the ejection head 3 to be maintained. Screen image W11 displays a list L11 of the multiple ejection heads 3 equipped in the first printer P1. In this list L11, the multiple ejection heads 3 are displayed in a way that allows them to be identified from each other, and supplementary information such as whether or not adjustment has been completed in the past is also displayed for each ejection head 3. Referring to this supplementary information, the user selects the ejection head 3 to be maintained. The example in screen image W11 shows the case where "Color Head A" is selected.

[0085] After selecting the ejection head 3 in screen image W11, clicking the "Next" icon SW2 switches the display on the display device 51 from screen image W11 to the next screen image W12. Screen image W12 displays prior precautions and requests the user's confirmation before sending the print data related to the check pattern to the first printer P1. After the user confirms the precautions and takes the necessary actions, clicking the "Next" icon SW3 switches the display on the display device 51 from screen image W12 to screen image W13. Also, upon clicking icon SW3, the print data of the check pattern is sent from the printer management device 20 to the first printer P1.

[0086] Screen image W13 displays instructions regarding printing a check pattern on the first printer P1, and instructions to click "Next" after printing is complete. When the user operates the first printer P1 according to these instructions, the first printer P1 prints a predetermined check pattern based on the print data sent from the printer management device 20. When the printing of the check pattern is complete and the user clicks the "Next" icon SW4, the display on the display device 51 switches from screen image W13 to screen image W14.

[0087] Screen image W14 displays an operation screen for sending an instruction to adjust the ejection timing (i.e., a first maintenance instruction) to the first printer P1 based on the print result of the check pattern from the first printer P1. In the example of screen image W14, the user can select and input the number corresponding to the most uniform image from the pull-down menu PM2, based on multiple check pattern images on the recording surface A printed by the first printer P1. If necessary, the user can also click the "View example of print result" icon SW5 to display screen image W15, which shows an example of a sample print result.

[0088] In screen image W15, when the user selects a number from the pull-down menu PM2 and clicks the "Execute" icon SW6, the printer management device 20 sends an instruction to the first printer P1 regarding the adjustment of the ejection timing corresponding to the selected number. In this way, the printer management device 20 sends a first maintenance instruction to the first printer P1 according to the ejection status of the first printer P1 (see step S11 in Figure 11). Upon receiving this first maintenance instruction, the first printer P1 performs maintenance based on the content of the first maintenance instruction.

[0089] Furthermore, the above explanation is also applicable to the processing in steps S12 and S13 when the user selects the second printer P2 in step S4 of Figure 11. Therefore, the explanation of the processing in steps S12 and S13 will be omitted.

[0090] According to this embodiment 3, when a user views the maintenance items displayed on the display device 51 and selects a maintenance item to be performed and performs a predetermined operation, the corresponding printer can be made to perform the maintenance related to the selected item. Therefore, the user can easily understand the necessary maintenance and easily have the printer perform the necessary maintenance.

[0091] (Modification 5) The first printer P1 and the second printer P2 each have a computer program 7p which includes a computer program 7b for operating in the first printing mode and a computer program 7c for operating in the second printing mode (see Figure 2). The first printing mode is the printer's operating mode when printing an image by directly ejecting ink onto a recording medium A made of fabric such as a shirt. The second printing mode is the printer's operating mode when printing an image for thermal transfer onto a recording medium A made of a transfer sheet by ejecting ink onto the recording medium A. Therefore, the printer's operation differs between the first printing mode and the second printing mode, for example, the direction in which the recording medium A is transported and the height of the platen 5 when the recording medium A is transported are different.

[0092] In this case, where a single printer has multiple operating modes, the printer management device 20 according to Modification 5 can acquire adjustment-related data from the printer, including information about the ink ejection state when the printer ejects ink in the first print mode, and information about the ink ejection state when the same printer ejects ink in the second print mode. As a result, the printer management device 20 can extract maintenance items based on the information about the ink ejection state corresponding to each mode included in the adjustment-related data. Therefore, the user can maintain the printer for multiple print modes simultaneously, reducing the effort required for maintenance.

[0093] Figures 13A to 13D are schematic diagrams illustrating the first result data stored in the storage unit 7 of the first printer P1, and show four examples. Except for Figure 13A, Figures 13B to 13D show examples in which the first adjustment-related data includes information on the ejection state corresponding to two printing modes. The second adjustment-related data stored in the storage unit 7 of the second printer P2 is similar.

[0094] The first adjustment-related data 7d1 shown in Figure 13A stores information about the "ejection state" that is independent of the print mode. Such first adjustment-related data 7d1 can be applied when the first printer P1 has only one print mode. Alternatively, even if the first printer P1 has multiple print modes, this first adjustment-related data 7d1 can be used if any one of the print modes is set as the target of the ejection state to be stored.

[0095] The first adjustment-related data 7d2 shown in Figure 13B contains information regarding the ejection state, distinguishing between information when ink is ejected in the first print mode and information when ink is ejected in the second print mode. Therefore, the printer management device 20 that acquires such first adjustment-related data 7d2 can extract the necessary first maintenance items for each print mode.

[0096] Figure 13C shows a more specific example of Figure 13B. Specifically, the first adjustment-related data 7d3 shown in Figure 13C includes information regarding the ejection state, specifically information for a first printing mode in which ink is ejected while the platen 5 is transported in a predetermined first transport direction (for example, forward). Furthermore, the first adjustment-related data 7d3 also includes information regarding the ejection state, specifically information for a second printing mode in which ink is ejected while the platen 5 is transported in a second transport direction different from the first transport direction (for example, backward).

[0097] Figure 13D shows another, more specific example of Figure 13B. Specifically, the first adjustment-related data 7d4 shown in Figure 13D includes information regarding the ejection state, specifically information for the first printing mode in which ink is ejected while the platen 5 is transported at a predetermined first height. Furthermore, the first adjustment-related data 7d4 also includes information regarding the ejection state, specifically information for the second printing mode in which ink is ejected while the platen 5 is transported at a second height different from the first height.

[0098] As described above, the printer management device 20 according to Modification 5 can acquire information regarding ink ejection when ink is ejected in each mode when the printer under management has multiple operating modes, and can extract and display necessary maintenance items based on the acquired information. The information regarding the ejection state in the first adjustment-related data may include both the content shown in Figure 13C and the content shown in Figure 13D. That is, the ejection information contained in the first adjustment-related data may include information regarding the case where ink is ejected while the platen 5 is transported at a first height in a first transport direction as a first printing mode, and information regarding the case where ink is ejected while the platen 5 is transported at a second height in a second transport direction as a second printing mode, in a manner that allows them to be distinguished from each other.

[0099] (Embodiment 4) Figure 14 is a flowchart showing other operations of the printer management device 20. In Embodiment 4, when the printer management device 20 sends a maintenance instruction to a printer to perform maintenance, the maintenance instruction sent can be tailored to the printer's installation environment. Therefore, the flowchart shown in Figure 14 is the same as the flowchart in Figure 11 with steps S10A and S12A added. The operations of this printer management device 20 will be described below, with particular emphasis on the added features.

[0100] In this embodiment, the printer management device 20 acquires first environmental data from the first printer P1 using the third acquisition unit 38 when the user selects the first printer P1 (S2: YES) and a maintenance operation is performed (S10: YES) (step S10A). Here, the first environmental data is data indicating the environment in which the first printer P1 is installed, such as temperature and humidity. This data can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor or humidity sensor on the first printer P1.

[0101] The printer management device 20 adjusts the content of the first maintenance instruction as appropriate based on the acquired first environmental data. For example, since the viscosity of the liquid ejected from the ejection head 3 differs depending on the temperature, the amount of liquid droplets ejected will differ even if the ejection pressure is the same. Therefore, the first maintenance instruction may include content to adjust the voltage that drives the drive element 3a based on the temperature. Also, the rate at which the liquid meniscus formed on the nozzle 3n dries differs depending on the humidity. Therefore, the first maintenance instruction may include content to eliminate drying, such as ejection flushing or non-ejection flushing, based on the humidity.

[0102] In step S11, the printer management device 20 sends the first maintenance instruction, whose contents have been adjusted in this manner, to the first printer P1. As a result, the first printer P1, upon receiving the first maintenance instruction, performs maintenance based on the contents of the first maintenance instruction.

[0103] The same applies if the user selects the second printer P2 (S4: YES) and the maintenance operation is performed (S12: YES). In this case, the printer management device 20 acquires second environmental data from the second printer P2 using the fourth acquisition unit 39 (step S12A). The second environmental data is data indicating the environment in which the second printer P2 is installed, and includes, for example, the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature sensor and humidity sensor of the first printer P1. The printer management device 20 adjusts the content of the second maintenance instruction based on the second environmental data, similar to the adjustment of the first maintenance instruction described above.

[0104] According to this embodiment 4, when performing printer maintenance, adjustments can be automatically made to the printer to reflect the environment in which it is installed. Therefore, the effort required of the user when performing printer maintenance can be reduced.

[0105] For example, the ejection timing of a printer needs to be adjusted according to factors such as the viscosity of the liquid, which is correlated with temperature. Therefore, when adjusting the ejection timing of a printer, it is generally necessary to print a check pattern with the current settings, adjust the ejection timing based on the print result, and then print the check pattern again to confirm the adjustment result. In contrast, the printer management device 20 according to this embodiment sends a maintenance instruction to the printer that includes the adjustment of the ejection timing in advance, based on the temperature of the printer's installation environment. Therefore, the printer that receives this instruction can print a check pattern after adjusting the ejection timing based on the ambient temperature from the beginning, eliminating the need to print a check pattern before the temperature adjustment.

[0106] The printer management device 20, printer management method, and computer program related to this disclosure have been described above, but their specific configurations and contents are not limited to those shown in the embodiments described above. For example, in each embodiment, when a user starts a predetermined application (S1) and selects one printer (S2, S4), the maintenance items corresponding to the selected printer are displayed, but this is not limited to this. In the case shown in Figure 1, for example, the first maintenance items are displayed in association with the first printer P1 and the second maintenance items are displayed in association with the second printer P2, so other configurations are also possible.

[0107] For example, when the conditions for maintenance are met in the first printer P1 or the second printer P2, a signal indicating that the conditions have been met is sent from that printer to the printer management device 20. The printer management device 20 may then, upon receiving this signal, display the maintenance item associated with the printer that sent the signal as a pop-up on the display device 51.

[0108] Furthermore, it is not essential that the printer management device 20 includes all of the parts 31 to 39 as shown in Figure 3; one or more of these can be omitted. In addition, the printer management device 20 according to Embodiment 4 may extract and adjust maintenance items to be displayed on the display device 51 based on environmental data acquired from the printer. In this case, the printer management device 20 should be configured to acquire adjustment-related data and environmental data from the printer selected by the user, and to extract maintenance items based on these two sets of data.

[0109] This disclosure can be applied to a computer program, a management method, and a management device that can facilitate the maintenance management of multiple inkjet printers.

[0110] 20 Printer management device 31 First extraction unit 32 Second extraction unit 33 Display unit 34 First acquisition unit 35 Second acquisition unit 36 ​​Reception unit 37 Instruction transmission unit 38 Third acquisition unit 39 Fourth acquisition unit 41a Computer program 51 Display device P1 First printer P2 Second printer

Claims

1. A computer program for causing a computer in a printer management device, which is communicably connected to a plurality of inkjet printers including a first printer and a second printer, to execute: a first extraction step for extracting first maintenance items related to ink ejection of the first printer; a second extraction step for extracting second maintenance items related to ink ejection of the second printer; and a display step for displaying the first maintenance items on a display device in association with the first printer, and displaying the second maintenance items on the display device in association with the second printer.

2. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the computer is made to perform a first acquisition step of acquiring first adjustment-related data relating to the adjustment of the first printer from the first printer, and a second acquisition step of acquiring second adjustment-related data relating to the adjustment of the second printer from the second printer, the first extraction step of extracting the first maintenance items based on the first adjustment-related data, and the second extraction step of extracting the second maintenance items based on the second adjustment-related data.

3. The computer program according to claim 2, wherein the first adjustment-related data includes data relating to past adjustment times of the first printer, the second adjustment-related data includes data relating to past adjustment times of the second printer, the first extraction step extracts the first maintenance items based on the adjustment times of the first printer, and the second extraction step extracts the second maintenance items based on the adjustment times of the second printer.

4. The computer program according to claim 2, wherein the first adjustment-related data includes data relating to the number of copies of a recording medium printed by the first printer, the second adjustment-related data includes data relating to the number of copies of a recording medium printed by the second printer, the first extraction step extracts the first maintenance items based on the number of copies of a recording medium printed by the first printer, and the second extraction step extracts the second maintenance items based on the number of copies of a recording medium printed by the second printer.

5. The computer program according to claim 2, wherein the first adjustment-related data includes position information of a component of the first printer detected by a sensor provided in the first printer, the second adjustment-related data includes position information of a component of the second printer detected by a sensor provided in the second printer, the first extraction step extracts the first maintenance item based on the position information of the component of the first printer, and the second extraction step extracts the second maintenance item based on the position information of the component of the second printer.

6. The computer program according to claim 2, wherein the first adjustment-related data includes information about the ejection state when the first printer ejects ink, the second adjustment-related data includes information about the ejection state when the second printer ejects ink, the first extraction step extracts the first maintenance item based on the ejection state of the first printer, and the second extraction step extracts the second maintenance item based on the ejection state of the second printer.

7. The computer program according to claim 6, wherein the computer is made to perform the following steps: a reception step of receiving an execution operation from a user for the first maintenance item or the second maintenance item displayed by the display step; and an instruction transmission step of sending a first maintenance instruction to the first printer according to the ejection status of the first printer when an execution operation for the first maintenance item is received, and sending a second maintenance instruction to the second printer according to the ejection status of the second printer when an execution operation for the second maintenance item is received.

8. The computer program according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first printer and the second printer is capable of executing a first print mode and a second print mode, which are different printing methods, and at least one of the first adjustment-related data and the second adjustment-related data includes information regarding the ejection state when ink is ejected in the first print mode and information regarding the ejection state when ink is ejected in the second print mode.

9. The computer program according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first adjustment-related data and the second adjustment-related data includes information regarding the ejection state when ink is ejected in a first printing mode in which the recording medium is transported in a first transport direction, and information regarding the ejection state when ink is ejected in a second printing mode in which the recording medium is transported in a second transport direction different from the first transport direction.

10. The computer program according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first adjustment-related data and the second adjustment-related data includes information regarding the ejection state when ink is ejected in a first printing mode in which a platen on which a recording medium is placed is transported at a first height, and information regarding the ejection state when ink is ejected in a second printing mode in which the platen is transported at a second height different from the first height.

11. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the computer is made to execute: a third acquisition step of acquiring first environment data from the first printer indicating the environment in which the first printer is installed; a fourth acquisition step of acquiring second environment data from the second printer indicating the environment in which the second printer is installed; a reception step of receiving an execution operation from a user for the first maintenance item or the second maintenance item displayed by the display step; and an instruction transmission step of sending a first maintenance instruction to the first printer corresponding to the first environment data of the first printer when an execution operation for the first maintenance item is received, and sending a second maintenance instruction to the second printer corresponding to the second environment data of the second printer when an execution operation for the second maintenance item is received.

12. A method for managing a plurality of inkjet printers, including a first printer and a second printer, in a printer management device that is communicably connected to the plurality of inkjet printers, comprising: a first extraction step of extracting a first maintenance measure relating to ink ejection of the first printer; a second extraction step of extracting a second maintenance measure relating to ink ejection of the second printer; and a display step of displaying the first maintenance measure in association with the first printer on a display device and the second maintenance measure in association with the second printer on the display device.

13. A printer management device comprising a memory for storing a program and a control device for executing the program, and being communicatively connected to a plurality of inkjet printers, including a first printer and a second printer, wherein the control device executes the program, and the control device performs: a first extraction step of extracting a first maintenance measure relating to ink ejection of the first printer; a second extraction step of extracting a second maintenance measure relating to ink ejection of the second printer; and a display step of displaying the first maintenance measure in association with the first printer on a display device and displaying the second maintenance measure in association with the second printer on the display device.

Images