JP2001228762A - Consumables management system and consumables management method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage cartridge for every cartridge. SOLUTION: A toner low signal 1 and the print number data 8 are transmitted from a user 102 to a service center 101 with a cartridge identifier read out from a memory incorporated in the cartridge. In the service sensor 101, calculation of charge and estimation of the exhaustion period of toner are performed with reference to the identifier of the cartridge. Data are read from the cartridge collected in a collection base 104 and accumulated and they are used for the estimation of the exhausting period of toner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a consumables billing method and a consumables management system for a device such as a printer using consumables such as a cartridge filled with toner or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a recording material such as a printer or a facsimile, particularly in an electrophotographic apparatus which consumes toner as a recording material, the toner is sealed in a cartridge and the cartridge is replaced when the remaining amount of toner is exhausted. There was a cartridge type device. This method has the advantage that the cartridge can be easily replaced, and if another consumable part such as a transfer member is provided in the cartridge, that part can be replaced together with the replacement of the cartridge, making maintenance very easy. is there. In addition, by giving a part of the configuration of the device to the cartridge, the manufacturing cost of the device main body can be reduced.

[0003] This cartridge (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as CRG) is usually sold to a device user through a sales channel from a manufacturer of the device using the cartridge, and used cartridges are also sold by the device manufacturer. Collected by FIG. 31A is a diagram showing a sales form of the cartridge. The cartridge is sold to the user from the store in exchange for the price, and the user manages the purchased cartridge by himself. Here, the sold-out form means that the user needs the cartridge (C
RG) is completely purchased.

FIG. 31B is a diagram showing how a used cartridge is conventionally collected. As shown in this figure, a user generally collects used cartridges by bringing them into a store or by putting them in a collection box and sending them to a collection base.

FIG. 31 (C) shows a conventional form of maintenance of a device main body. In this way, both the device itself and consumables such as cartridges were sold in a sold-out form, so unless a maintenance contract was signed with the dealer,
You can maintain the equipment yourself, or
It was necessary to request repair (spot repair) as needed.

On the other hand, this method counts the number of output sheets,
The user is charged for each such number. In addition to such a sold-out form, there is also a billing method called click charge. This is a method used in copiers, etc., which is equipped with a counter for counting the number of copies made in the copier, and a technician goes to the user's site periodically or at the request of the user, Performs maintenance on the copier, reads the value of the counter, records the difference between the value and the previously checked counter value as the number of copies, and calculates the total value of the amount corresponding to the number of copies and the maintenance cost as the number of copies. Had been charged.

[0007]

However, the click charge method has not been applied to equipment using a cartridge. This is due to the fact that the cartridge system was originally intended to facilitate maintenance and replacement, so that the user can easily replace the cartridge system. In the case of adopting the click charge method, cost management is very important in order to charge according to the unit price per print and the number of prints. For that purpose, it is necessary to accurately grasp the toner consumption amount charged by the click charge method. The fact that the user can easily replace the cartridge means that it becomes difficult to accurately grasp the toner consumption amount charged by the click charge method.

Further, the cycle including the collection of the used cartridge cannot be managed because the user can exchange it.

Further, the use period of a cartridge varies depending on how it is used. However, since the use-out time is predicted based on average data, accurate predictions cannot always be made.

Further, in a copying machine which does not employ the cartridge system, as the number of copies increases, the deterioration of the parts increases, and the maintenance cost such as replacement of the parts increases accordingly. Fee maintenance contracts are common. However, in a printer using a process cartridge (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “cartridge”) that stores toner and a developing device, many of the consumables and parts that are likely to fail due to deterioration are stored in the cartridge. It is rare to ask a man or the like for repair, and regular maintenance and inspection are not usually performed. Moreover, even if the number of prints is large, the cost required for maintenance is not necessarily increased. Therefore, when a maintenance contract is concluded for a cartridge-type printer, the maintenance service fee is generally constant regardless of the number of output sheets.

On the other hand, the cartridge system in the printer is excellent in terms of maintenance and inspection because replenishment of consumables and replacement of parts can be performed easily at once, but it is excellent in terms of environmental problems. Cartridge is a problem. Manufacturers endeavor to collect, disassemble and reuse used cartridges, and it is essential to improve the collection rate of used cartridges in order to solve environmental problems.

Although many printers issue a warning about running out of toner before printing becomes impossible, even if such a warning is issued, it is possible to print several tens to several hundreds of sheets. There are few users to replace.
Therefore, there is a problem in that when the remaining amount of toner is low, the user is forced to perform reprinting due to fading of the print, or to remove the cartridge, shake it right and left, and re-attach it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example. By individually managing consumables, the consumption and movement of the consumables, or a consumable which realizes an accurate prediction of the time when consumables run out are realized. It is an object to provide an article management system and method.

A further object of the present invention is to improve the convenience when the remaining amount of toner is reduced and to improve the collection rate of the cartridge, while maintaining the convenience in the printer by using the cartridge. To provide a management system and method capable of performing the above.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following means. That is, a consumable supply management system for managing a consumable having at least a storage unit for storing identification information as a constituent element, wherein the remaining amount of the consumable reaches a predetermined amount together with the identification information. Means for acquiring information; data accumulating means for accumulating at least data indicating one or both of a periodic change in the consumption of the consumable and a fluctuation in the consumption of the consumable; and the remaining amount warning A prediction unit configured to predict a date on which the consumable item is exhausted based on the information and the identification information; and an output unit configured to output a warning prompting replacement of the consumable item by the date predicted by the prediction unit. .

[0016] Preferably, the prediction means is configured to determine whether or not the consumable item is consumable based on the type of the consumable item indicated by the identification information, the information indicating the consumption rate of the consumable item, and the time when the remaining amount warning information is obtained. Predict when it will be exhausted from the remaining amount.

[0017] Preferably, the storage means further stores production amount information indicating an amount of a product produced using the consumable having each storage means, and is obtained periodically from the storage means. The production amount information is further stored in the data storage unit as data indicating a tendency of the fluctuation of the consumables and the fluctuation of the consumption of the consumables.

Preferably, the storage unit further stores period information indicating a period during which the consumable having each storage unit has been used, and the period information periodically acquired from the storage unit stores the period information. The data is further stored in the data storage unit as data indicating a tendency of the fluctuation of the consumables and the fluctuation of the consumption of the consumables.

Preferably, an average value of a consumption rate of consumables required to produce a unit amount of product is obtained from the production amount information and the consumption amount of the consumables, and the obtained average value is used as the data. The accumulation unit is further accumulated, and the prediction unit uses the average value as the consumption rate of the consumable.

Preferably, a consumable supply management system for managing consumable supplies having storage means for storing production amount information indicating the amount of products produced using the consumable supplies and identification information as constituent elements. Calculating means for acquiring the production amount information from the storage means and calculating an amount charged for the consumable based on the production amount information; and information indicating the amount calculated by the calculation means. Output means for outputting.

Preferably, the calculation means acquires the identification information together with the production amount information, and calculates the amount for each of the identification information.

Preferably, the apparatus has an electrophotographic printing unit that uses toner as a consumable.

[0023] Also preferably, said equipment includes at least one of a printer or a copier and a facsimile.

Preferably, the consumable is a replaceable cartridge in which toner is sealed.

Alternatively, a consumable which has a memory for storing at least a number of prints, a use period, a type ID and a unique identifier and is used as a consumable for printing, and which manages a cartridge in which a coloring material is sealed. An article management system, comprising: a reading unit that reads a type ID and a unique identifier, a use period, and the number of prints from the storage unit; a type ID and a unique identifier read by the read unit; a use period; Calculating means for calculating a printing rate for each cartridge based on each information of the number of sheets; and a type ID read by the reading means.
A storage unit that stores the unique identifier, the usage period, the number of prints, and the printing rate of each cartridge calculated by the calculation unit; information stored in the storage unit; and a predetermined color material emitted from the cartridge. Prediction means for predicting a printable period based on the remaining amount of the coloring material of the cartridge based on a warning indicating that the remaining amount has reached a predetermined value;
Means for outputting a message urging replacement of the cartridge based on the time period predicted by the prediction means.

Alternatively, at least toner is stored.
In a management system for a cartridge that is detachable from a printer and has a memory that stores identification information of the cartridge, data relating to the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge, which is output from a printer in which the cartridge is mounted, Along with the identification information stored in the memory, the information is supplied to a service center via remote communication means, and the service center supplies the identification information and the toner stored in the memory supplied via the remote communication means. The remaining amount of toner is managed for each cartridge based on data on the remaining amount.

Preferably, the printer has a memory for storing identification information of the printer, and the data relating to the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge is stored in the identification information stored in the memory of the cartridge and the memory of the printer. Along with the stored identification information, it is supplied to the service center via remote communication means.

Preferably, the service center includes a delivery company of the cartridge, and provides the user with a new cartridge to be replaced with a cartridge in the printer based on the data on the remaining amount of toner. The cartridge is supplied, and the used cartridge is collected when the new cartridge is supplied.

Alternatively, at least toner is stored.
A cartridge which is detachably mountable to a printer, wherein the memory stores identification information of the cartridge, and is provided at a position on the housing of the cartridge so as to be visible, and visually displays the identification information stored in the memory. Display means.

[0030]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before describing the details of a cartridge management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, its features will be described.

(1) A charging system corresponding to the number of prints (print number charging system) has been realized for a cartridge type printer. As a result, the following effects can be obtained. -It is possible to disperse the payment of the printing cost as compared with the sold-out form in which the user pays for the price at a time. -It is possible to know the number of sheets used and the amount of money for each printer. For this reason, if the printers are grouped by department, it is easy to ascertain the amount of money for each department.・ Batch management including all printers and multiple devices built into the cartridge management system is possible. As a result, a service for each user can be provided, such as performing a volume discount for a user who consumes a large amount.・ The system was automated using a network. This saves labor costs. In the conventional click charge system, going to check the counter itself is a factor of cost increase because it requires human labor. -The status of the printer can be grasped on the network, and the number of visits by service personnel to the user can be minimized. Since the user can use the printer as long as the user uses the printer, the seller can stabilize the profit. This also has the effect of improving serviceability for the user.

(2) The delivery and collection of the cartridge is systematized using a network. As a result, the following effects can be obtained.・ By arranging delivery and collection on the network, labor for arrangements can be reduced, which contributes to cost reduction. -A high value-added system can be achieved by combining with maintenance. -Since all management is performed at the service center, the user only needs to print.・ Used cartridges can be more reliably collected. Since the status of the printer is known at the service center, it is possible to quickly respond to out-of-consumables and repair requests, thereby reducing downtime.

(3) A non-volatile storage medium is provided in the cartridge so that arbitrary data can be stored. As a result, the following effects can be obtained. -More accurate data can be collected for each cartridge. -For this reason, delivery and collection schedules can be created more accurately. Since the running out of toner can be predicted more accurately, the toner can be used as much as possible without running out of toner. This contributes to resource savings and cost savings.

Hereinafter, a cartridge management system having the above characteristics will be described.

[First Embodiment] <System Configuration> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a cartridge management system. This system has a service center and a user site of a device maker connected via a telephone line such as a public line or a dedicated line or a remote communication network 205 such as the Internet. Usually, a plurality of user sites are connected to one service center, and there may be a plurality of service centers. However, only one service center and one user site will be described here. Note that the user site of the present embodiment is a user who has made a contract with a device maker or a dealer to perform service and charging by the print number charging method of the present system. In addition, the service center
It is provided by a device maker or a store that has contracted with the user, and performs maintenance, provision of cartridge delivery and collection services, and charging for the user. The remote communication network 205 is the same as the remote mutual communication means in the figure.

In the service center 101, a gateway 202 is connected to a remote communication network 205. A database server 201 for managing a database, which will be described later, a personal computer (PC) 203, and a network server 204 for managing a LAN are connected to the gateway 202 via a LAN. A database 1999 described later is built in the database server 201. Also, PC2 is used as a contact terminal for performing processing in the service center 101.
03 is used. In the PC 203, which is a window terminal, a service module 210 for performing processing on the service center side in FIGS. 10 to 12 described later and an analysis system 220 for predicting running out of toner are implemented. The counter terminal 203 also displays a user interface screen and the like. Note that the configuration of this service center is an example, and data from the remote communication network 205 is
It suffices if there is a mechanism for taking in the C203 and a mechanism for accessing the database 1999 from the PC 203.

At the user site 102, a gateway 207 is connected to the remote communication network 205. The PC 208 and the printer 100b are connected to the gateway 207 via a LAN. The PC 208 has a local printer 100a. Printer 100
b and the PC 208 are connected to the remote communication network 205 via the LAN.
Can be accessed. Further, the user site is connected to the remote communication network 20 via a line different from the gateway 207.
5 is connected to the facsimile 206. The contact terminal that performs processing at the user site is P
C208 is used. In the PC 208 as the window terminal, a user module 250 for performing processing on the user site side in FIGS. 11 and 12 described below is executed. Devices such as the facsimile 206 and the printer 100b that can directly access the remote communication network 205 include a device module 240 for transmitting device-originated data such as a toner low signal and the number of prints in FIGS. Is included. In a device such as the printer 100a connected to the remote communication network 205 via the host, FIG.
2, a device module 230 for transmitting data from the device such as a toner low signal and the number of prints to the host. In this case, a transfer module for transmitting a signal received from the device to the service site 100 is included in the host.

As described above, the devices at the user site 102 and the service center 101 are always or as needed connected, and can communicate with each other.

In the following, when simply referred to as a user site or a service center, it indicates each window terminal. In this example, the window terminals are computers connected to the LAN of each site, but a network in which the window terminals are directly connected to each other by the remote communication network 205 may be formed. Further, it is assumed that all printers and facsimile machines at the user site 102 are charged by the print number charging method.

(Computer) FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a personal computer. PC is ROM307
Or the OS or application program written to the RAM 302
By executing the processing in step 301, various controls and procedures to be described later (for example, a service module and a user module)
To achieve. An HD 303 and an FD / CD (floppy disk drive or CD drive) 308 are file storage media for storing program files and data files. In particular, the FD / CD 308 has a replaceable storage medium, and can supply data and programs to the PC from the medium. The keyboard and the pointing device 309 are input devices for the user to make an input, and together with the display 304, realize a user interface described later. The LAN interface 306 is an interface circuit for connecting to a LAN. The printer interface 305 is a PC
This is an interface for locally connecting a printer to the printer. In the example of FIG. 2, only the PC 208 is used. The remote interface 310 is, for example, a modem or a router.
This is a device for connecting to the remote communication network 205, and is used by the gateway 202 and the gateway 207 in FIG. Since the telecommunications network is not limited to telephone lines,
If it is not a telephone line, an interface suitable for the communication network is used. With such a configuration, the service center and the computer at the user site are connected to each other.

(Facsimile) FIG. 4 shows a facsimile 2
It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of 06. In FIG. 2, the document feeder 4101 of the reader unit 1
The original is fed onto the platen glass 4102 one by one, and after the original reading operation is completed, the original on the platen glass 4102 is discharged. When the document is conveyed onto the platen glass 4102, the lamp 4103 is turned on, the movement of the scanner unit 4104 is started, and the document is exposed and scanned. The reflected light from the original at this time is reflected by mirrors 4105 and 410
The light is guided to a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as a CCD) 4109 by a lens 6108 and a lens 4108.
The image of the scanned document is read by the CCD 4109, and the image data output from the CCD 4109 is transferred to the image input / output control unit 4110, encoded, and connected to the image input / output control unit 4110. Is transmitted to the destination on the telecommunication network via the line.

On the other hand, when a facsimile signal is received from the remote communication network, the facsimile signal is decoded, and the laser driver 4221 of the printer unit 2 is decoded in accordance with the decoded image data.
The laser light emitting unit 4201 is driven by this. And then
The laser light emitting unit 4201 emits laser light corresponding to the image data. This laser light is irradiated on the photosensitive drum 4202, and a latent image corresponding to the laser light is formed on the photosensitive drum 4202. A developer is attached to the latent image portion of the photosensitive drum 4202 by a developing device included in the toner cartridge 4203. Then, at a timing synchronized with the start of laser beam irradiation, a recording sheet is fed from one of the cassettes 4204 and 4205 and the transfer unit 42
, And transfers the developer attached to the photosensitive drum 4202 to recording paper. The recording paper loaded with the developer is
The developer is conveyed to the recording paper 207 and fixed on the recording paper by the heat and pressure of the fixing unit 4207. The recording paper that has passed through the fixing unit 4207 is discharged by discharge rollers 4208, and the sorter 4220 sorts the recording paper by storing the discharged recording paper in each pin. Note that the sorter 4220 stores the recording paper in the uppermost pin when the sorting is not set. If double-sided printing is set, the recording sheet is conveyed to the discharge roller 208, the rotation direction of the discharge roller 4208 is reversed, and the recording sheet is guided to the re-feed conveyance path by the flapper 4209. When the multiple recording is set, the recording paper is guided to the re-feeding conveyance path by the flapper 4209 so as not to be conveyed to the discharge roller 4208. The recording sheet guided to the re-feeding conveyance path is fed to the transfer unit 4206 at the timing described above.

Thus, the facsimile 4206 is
Image transmission and reception are realized.

FIG. 7 shows a control configuration of the facsimile 206. Referring to FIG. 7, a ROM 706 stores a control program, font data, and the like for driving the printer. The CPU 701 executes the program including the device module to implement facsimile reception and printing operation. The external memory 705 stores data supplied from the outside. Operation unit 707
Is a panel integrated with the display unit, which displays a state and allows a user to perform an operation input. The remote interface 703 is one of interfaces for connecting to the remote communication network 205 such as a modem.

The scanner unit 704 corresponds to the scanner unit 1 shown in FIG. 4, and the printing unit 708 corresponds to the printer unit 2 shown in FIG. A cartridge 4203 is mounted on the printing unit 708. The cartridge 4203 includes a nonvolatile writable memory 4203a.
With the attachment of the memory 203, the memory 4203a is electrically connected to the control unit of the facsimile 206,
1 or a CPU (not shown) locally provided in the printing unit 708 enables writing and reading. The data read from the memory 4203a is stored in the LAN interface 704 or the host interface 70.
3 to the LAN or the host. Note that the memory and the control unit are not always connected by electrical contacts, and may be connected in a non-contact form such as a radio wave or an optical signal. Is simply called electrical connection.

(Printer) FIG. 5 shows the printers 100a and 100a.
00b shows a sectional view. In FIG. 5, the paper to be printed is supplied from one of the paper cassettes 802 or 805 to the paper feed rollers 803 and 806 and the transport roller 80
4,807. Which paper feeding cassette to use is specified at the time of printing from a host computer or the like using this printer. The sheet is a registration roller 80
The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 811 through the lower portion of the toner cartridge 810 through the transfer roller 1
5 is transferred to a sheet. The toner image on the photosensitive drum is emitted from the laser scanner unit 809,
The electrostatic latent image formed by the laser beam modulated by the image signal reflected by the reflecting mirror 817 is developed by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image.

The sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is
The toner heated and melted by the fixing unit 12 is fixed on the paper. The paper that has passed through the fixing roller is
3 directs entry or exit to duplex unit 820. When the sheet is discharged upward, the discharge path is further switched by the face-up / face-down selector 814.
In the case of face-down discharge, the sheet is turned to the right in the drawing, and is discharged by the face-down discharge roller 815 onto the face-down discharge tray 816 with the surface printed immediately before facing down. When the face-up discharge is selected, the paper is discharged from the face-up discharge port 819 onto a tray (not shown) with the printed surface facing up. The position of the face-up / face-down selector is detected by a sensor and output as a signal.

On the other hand, when the double-sided printing is selected, the sheet entering the double-sided unit 820 is conveyed by the conveying roller 821 and is temporarily placed on the double-sided tray 826.
The printed paper on one side is fed from the double-sided tray to the feed roller 8
22. The conveyed sheet is once sent to a two-sided path 824, and when the rear end of the sheet reaches almost the two-sided conveying roller 823, the center of rotation is substantially the two-sided conveying roller 82
The inverting deflector 825 corresponding to 3 is rotated until the left end reaches the path 828. When the sheet is conveyed in the opposite direction (left side in the figure) in this state, the left end of the sheet is lifted by the deflector and is conveyed as it is by the two-sided path pickup roller 828, and the registration roller 80
Reach 8. Thereafter, an image is formed in the same path and procedure as in normal printing.

At the time of double-sided printing, the printing is controlled by an instruction from the host computer. For example, in order to print efficiently, instead of printing and discharging one sheet at a time on both sides, sheets are alternately supplied to a developing unit from a paper feed tray and a double-sided tray and printed alternately. There is a control method. That is, the order of printing is “first sheet table”.
→ "Second page" → "First page" → "Third page" → "Second page" → "Fourth page" → "Third page" → ... → "Third last page" The back of the book → “the last one sheet” → “the back of the last 2 sheets”
→ Printing on the front and back sides is performed alternately, except that printing on the front and back sides is continuous at the beginning and end, respectively, as in “Last one sheet back”. The sheet on which the front side is printed is sent to the duplex unit, and the sheet on which the back side is printed is directly discharged onto a discharge tray. That is, the paper on which the image is formed on the paper supplied from the paper feed tray is sent to the double-sided tray, and when the image is formed on the paper sent from the double-sided tray,
The sheet is discharged to a discharge tray.

The control at the time of double-sided printing is not limited to this, and printing can be advanced such that both sides are printed one by one and both sides are similarly printed on the next sheet.
Such control can be switched by an instruction from the host computer.

If a plurality of sheets can be placed on the double-sided tray, printing is performed on one side only for the number of sheets that can be placed on the double-sided tray, and then the sheets are sequentially taken out from the double-sided tray and printed on the other side. You can also. In this case, if the host computer can know the capacity on the double-sided tray, the control method can be switched from the host computer.

According to a command from the host computer,
The control unit 801 controls the entire printer. Further, the duplex unit 810 is detachable, and information indicating whether the duplex unit 810 is attached or detached is detected by a sensor and passed to the host computer.

Here, the housing is a cover that can be opened and closed on the cartridge 810, and the opening and closing of the cover can be detected by a sensor. When a memory is provided in the cartridge, means for reading and writing data from and to the memory is provided.

A sensor indicating that the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge has decreased to a predetermined amount is built in the cartridge. A printer or a device such as a facsimile, which will be described later, receives a detection signal from the sensor. , And outputs a toner low signal. That is, the toner low signal is a signal indicating that the remaining amount of toner has reached a predetermined amount. This toner low signal is generated in response to a detection signal from the cartridge when the cartridge has a remaining amount sensor. However, a device using a cartridge without a remaining amount sensor estimates the approximate remaining amount by updating the number of prints and the printing rate each time printing is performed with the cartridge replacement as an initial state,
A toner low signal can be generated.

FIG. 6 shows a control configuration of the printers 100a and 100b. In FIG. 6, a control program and font data for driving a printer are stored in a ROM 606, and a printing operation is realized by executing the program by the CPU 601. The external memory 605 stores data supplied from the outside. The operation unit 607 is a panel integrated with the display unit. The operation unit 607 displays a state and allows the user to perform a simple operation input. A host interface 603 is an interface for connecting a printer as a local printer such as a personal computer. In FIG. 2, the printer 100a uses this. A LAN interface 604 is an interface for connecting to a LAN. In FIG. 2, the printer 100b is connected to the LAN via this.

The printing unit 608 is the mechanism itself shown in FIG. 5, and has a cartridge 810 mounted thereon. The cartridge 810 includes a nonvolatile rewritable memory 810a. With the mounting of the cartridge 810,
The memory 810a is electrically connected to the control unit of the printer 100a or 100b, so that writing and reading can be performed by the CPU 601 or a CPU (not shown) that the printing unit 608 has locally. Memory 810a
Is read from the LAN interface 6
04 or L via the host interface 603
It can be sent to the AN or the host.

(Structure of Cartridge) FIG. 8 shows a cartridge 810 or 4203 (hereinafter simply referred to as a cartridge 81).
0) is shown. The cartridge 810 is connected to the printer 100a, b or the facsimile 206 as shown in FIG.
Attached to. The cartridge 810 includes the semiconductor memory 8
10a (4203a for cartridge 4203)
Is mounted, and is electrically connected to the printer main body by mounting the cartridge, thereby enabling reading and writing. Although not shown in FIG. 8, a display panel for displaying the data shown in FIG. 9, particularly the cartridge type ID / serial number, the total number of printed sheets, the remaining amount of toner, and the like may be provided. Since the cartridge type ID / serial number is determined at the time of manufacture and is not changed, the cartridge type ID / serial number may be recorded by printing on the housing of the cartridge. Since the total number of printed sheets and the remaining amount of toner are values that change according to the use of the cartridge, a display panel is required to display these values. As the display panel, a small liquid crystal display panel including the control circuit and a backup power supply can be used. Further, if a display device such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal, which can maintain a display state even when the power is shut off, is used, the power can be supplied from the main body of the apparatus, and the display panel can be simply attached to the cartridge. In the case where the display panel is provided, the display is updated by a device using the cartridge in accordance with the transmission timing of the remaining amount of toner described later or periodically.

As described above, the cartridge type ID
By displaying on the cartridge itself an identifier such as a serial number and information on the state of the cartridge such as the remaining amount of toner and the number of prints, an unused cartridge and a used cartridge can be distinguished from the appearance of the cartridge. Therefore, for example, when replacing a cartridge, it is possible to prevent an operator (user or serviceman) from erroneously recognizing a used cartridge as a new cartridge and mounting the used cartridge.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the memory 810a. The memory 810a stores the total number of sheets printed using the cartridge and the total count / total jam count indicating the total number of jams, the number of prints for each size, and the number of jams 902 and 903. These counters are incremented each time one page is printed by the device in which the cassette is mounted. In the toner remaining amount 904, a value indicating the remaining amount of toner itself may be stored, but the output of a sensor (not shown) for detecting that the toner has decreased to a predetermined amount (ie, toner low output) is stored as a flag. May be.

Further, the memory 810a stores a cartridge ID / serial number 907 for identifying each cartridge. The cartridge ID / serial number 907 is pre-written at the time of manufacture or shipping. Further, the memory 810a may store data such as a service center destination, which is a destination for an out-of-toner notification or the like. Written.

The use start date / end date 905 stores the start date and end date of use, respectively. For this purpose, for example, when it is detected that the cover is opened or closed by an open / close sensor of the cover of the cartridge, the cartridge ID / serial number in use stored in advance and the cartridge ID read from the cartridge are used.
The serial number is compared with the serial number, and if they do not match, it is considered that the cartridge has been replaced, and the date at that time may be written as the use start date. If the date is always written as a use end date every 24 hours, the use end date can be recorded. In the use period 906, the period from the use start date to the use end date may be written at the same time as the use end date.

In the system of this embodiment, the above data is held in the cartridge. In the following, when simply referring to the number of prints, all data relating to the number of prints, such as the number of prints for each size and the total number of prints, are included.

<Cartridge management and charging procedure>
A procedure for managing replacement of cartridges in the system will be described. The user site particularly refers to a user who has made a contract with a device maker or a dealer to execute service and billing in the cartridge management system. FIG. 1 shows an outline of the management procedure.

Printer 10 at User Site 102
When the toner is reduced to a predetermined amount or less in 0a or 100b or the facsimile 206, that is, when toner low (Toner Low) occurs, it is detected by a sensor built in the toner cartridge.
This state is reported from the user site 102 to the service center 101 as a toner low signal. Although this is simply called a service center, this notification is passed to the PC 203 in which the service module functions.

The service center 101 receiving the request sends a request for delivery of a new toner cartridge to the user site 102 and collection of the used cartridge to the delivery company 103, and the delivery company 103 answers the delivery schedule. Get. The data transmitted from the service center 101 is also passed to the PC 208 on which the user module functions, for the user site.

The service center 102 transmits a notification of cartridge delivery and collection to the user site 102 based on the answer obtained from the delivery company. However, as will be described later, this notification is not simply transmitted, but includes a sequence of schedule adjustment with the user.

On the other hand, the delivery company 103 receives the schedule determined by the notification of the delivery and collection of the cartridge from the service center 101, and according to the schedule, the user site 10
2. Delivery of a new cartridge and collection of the used cartridge are performed. The delivery company 103 further carries the collected cartridge to the collection base 104.

At the collection base 104, necessary data is read from the memory of the collected used cartridge, and the read data is stored in a database managed by the service center 101.

Asynchronously with the delivery of such a cartridge, the print number data based on the print number count read from the memory 820a of the cartridge is transmitted from the user site 102 to the service center 101.

The service center 101 calculates a fee according to the received number-of-prints data, and transmits a fee to the user site 102. The user is paid the charged amount to the service center by a separately agreed payment method. In addition, the payee at this time may be a separately-determined payee other than the service center.

As described above, the service center 101 collects necessary data from the user site, arranges the delivery and collection of the cartridge, generates the billing information, User site 102 for the arranged schedule and billing information
Are realized via the telecommunications network 205.

Next, the details of the procedure of FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

<Sequence of Notification and Adjustment of Cartridge Replacement Schedule> FIGS. 10 and 11 show a procedure for adjusting a cartridge replacement schedule between the service center 101 and the user site 102. I have. In FIG. 10, the portion described as the user site is performed by the user site 102. Further, in the processing of the user site 102, steps described as a device are executed by the device modules 230 and 240 of each device to which the toner cartridge is mounted, and steps described as a host are performed on a PC or the like to which the device is connected. Executed by the host computer.
The portion described as a service center is a process performed by the service module 210 of the service center 101.

FIG. 10 shows the procedure from the transmission of the toner low notification from the user site 102 to the reception by the service center 101. First, step 100
In 1, toner low is detected in a device owned by the user, for example, the printer 100 a or 100 b or the facsimile 206 in FIG. 2, and the information is output as a toner low signal by the device modules 230 and 240. Here, if the device is the facsimile 206 or the printer 100b, the toner low signal is transmitted to the service center 101 as the toner low signal in FIG. The cartridge ID / serial number read from the cartridge is attached to the toner low signal together with information indicating that the toner is low. Further, information such as the remaining amount of toner and the number of prints may be attached to the toner low signal as needed. If the cartridge has a memory for storing information as shown in FIG. 9, these pieces of information are obtained from the memory and transmitted to the service center via the remote communication network 205. If the memory is not provided, as described above, the accumulated number of printed sheets since the cartridge was started to be used and the remaining amount of toner estimated from the printing rate are used as information to be attached.

If the device is a printer locally connected to the host such as the printer 100a, a toner low signal is issued to the host. In this case, the host receives a toner low signal in step 1002. After that, the remote communication network of the host (remote mutual communication means)
If the host can access the remote communication network according to the connection type to the service center 101, the host notifies the service center 101 of the toner low signal in step 1004. on the other hand,
If the host cannot access the remote communication network or is prohibited from accessing the remote communication network, the administrator manually inputs data indicating toner low from the personal computer 208 of FIG. (Step 1003).

The service center 101 receives the toner low signal transmitted by any of the methods in step 1005. Thereafter, the process proceeds to the steps in FIG.

The process shown in FIG.
Service module and analysis module 2 on C203
20. In FIG. 11, when data is transmitted from the service center 101 to the user site 102, the transmission destination is the contact terminal 208, and the processing such as the display of the user interface screen is performed by the user module 250.
Performed by

In FIG. 11, first, at step 1101
The processing is divided depending on whether the data input method to the analysis system in the service center 101 is automatic or manual. Step 1101 need not necessarily be performed at the service center. This is a pseudo step for expressing the processing procedure according to the configuration of the service center, and the actual processing in the service center starts from step 1102 or 1103 according to the configuration.

In the case of manual input, step 11
At 02, a screen for notifying the operator of the reception of the toner low signal is displayed, and the operator inputs information to the analysis system for managing the delivery schedule.

On the other hand, in the case of automatic input, the received toner low signal and the data read from the cartridge are directly input to the analysis system 220 (step 11).
03). Here, if the input toner low information is accompanied by the remaining toner information and the number of printed sheets, the information is also received by the service center together with the cartridge ID / serial number, and is input to the analysis system.

When the data is input to the analysis system 220, the analysis system predicts the date when the toner has run out, and determines a delivery date candidate based on the date (step 1104). This prediction procedure will be described later. The subsequent steps may be performed manually, but are assumed to be fully automated here.

When the delivery date candidate is determined, the date is notified to the delivery company 103 (step 1105). When an appropriate delivery vehicle or a candidate for a delivery vehicle is determined in steps 1106 and 1107, the service center notifies the user of the expected replacement time (step 110).
8).

At the user site 102 receiving this, P
The user interface (UI) screen of FIG. 13 is displayed by the user module 250 of C208. When the operator inputs (OK) to perform cartridge replacement on this screen, the screen switches to the screen in FIG. On this screen, the operator inputs a desired date and time from the expected exchange period.

The designated date entered is the service center 101
Sent to. The service center 101 notifies the user of the scheduled delivery / collection date and time determined based on the specified date, and requests final confirmation (step 1109).
FIG. 16 shows a screen displayed on the user side at this time.

The date and time determined by the above procedure are also notified to the delivery company, and the delivery company carries out delivery and collection of the cartridge at the designated date and time.

<Estimation of Out of Toner> FIG.
Performed by the analysis system 220 at 104;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a procedure for predicting a time when toner runs out, which is a reference for determining a delivery / collection date schedule.

A database 1999 is constructed in the database server 201. This database 199
9 stores the number of printed sheets transition 1915, the average printing rate per cartridge 1916, the cartridge delivery date 1917, the toner low signal occurrence date 1918, the cumulative number of days of use 1906, and the cumulative number of printed sheets 1907 for each user.
Also, by transmitting data recorded in the memory of the cartridge to a service center at a collection base, etc.,
Date of occurrence of out-of-toner signal 1908 for each cartridge, Date of occurrence of toner low signal for each cartridge 1909, Usage period 1910 for each cartridge, Number of used sheets 1911, Number of printed sheets data for each cartridge 1912
Is also accumulated.

Average printing rate per cartridge 1916
Indicates the number of used cartridges 1903 and the collection date 1904
And the average print rate 1913 for each cartridge calculated from the print number data 1905 for each cartridge. The print number transition 1915 is obtained by accumulating the print number data 1905 for each month, and accumulating the change for each month.

Further, from the collected cartridges, the average printing rate 1919 of the cartridge, which is more accurate than the average printing rate 1913 (this is obtained for each type of cartridge, etc.), and the average period 1920 from the toner low to the actual running out of the toner are set. Required, this is also a database 1999
Is accumulated in

In the prediction, first, the remaining printable number 1921 is predicted from the average printing rate 1919 of the cartridge, and the period 1922 until the toner runs out therefrom is predicted. At this time, the prediction value can be corrected using data such as the number of prints transition 1915. The obtained period 1922 until the expiration and the toner low signal generation date 190
1 and an appropriate delivery date 1923 is obtained to output the expected replacement time. For the user site, the date from the date when delivery becomes possible with reference to the stock, the delivery schedule, and the like to the predicted date when the toner runs out is output as a replacement date candidate.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the contents of correction for more accurately predicting the toner out timing. For example, 8
Assume that the service center receives a toner low signal on the 31st of the month. Since the toner low signal includes the cartridge ID / serial number, the average print ratio of the same type of cartridge indicates that the remaining printable number is 1,000. If the immediately preceding number of prints is 1000 per month, the remaining toner runs out after one month, and it is understood that the cartridge needs to be replaced by that time.

Here, the correction value is referred to. From the transition of the number of prints by month 1915, the number of prints per month from September to December is 2,000, and this year,
If it is found that the print amount is doubled, it is understood from these values that there is a possibility that 4000 sheets will be printed per month in September.

100, which is the number of sheets that can be printed with the remaining toner
If zero sheets are converted into a period using this estimated print amount, it is understood that the remaining toner may be kept for only one quarter, almost one week. Therefore, the expected exchange time is September 7 one week after August 31. For users,
The period from the date when the cartridge can be delivered to September 7 is presented as a delivery and collection date candidate.

As described above, based on the data stored in the database, the expected replacement time is first determined from the average value, and this is also obtained from the periodic fluctuations and recent trends that can be obtained from the database. The required expected replacement time has been corrected. In this way, it is possible to more accurately predict the toner expiration date and indicate the predicted date to the user so that the cartridge can be replaced by that time. In addition,
In the case where it is expected that the period in which printing can be performed with the remaining toner is extremely long, in order to use the toner as much as possible, the delivery and collection date of the cartridge is set to a predetermined number of days including the expected toner depletion date, For example, it may be limited to one week. In this case, for example, if the remaining toner can be printed in one month, the last one week is presented to the user as a delivery and collection date candidate.

Further, the service center 1 stores the cartridge ID / serial number and the remaining amount of toner together with the toner low signal.
When 01 is received, the date when the toner runs out can be more accurately predicted from the cartridge ID / serial number and the remaining amount of toner. For example, if the cartridge ID / serial number is known, the model of the device in which the cartridge is used can be limited. Therefore, based on the cartridge ID / serial number and the information on the remaining amount of toner obtained from the cartridge, the average print rate and the number of prints can be obtained only for the device using the cartridge. By correcting this with information such as periodic fluctuations and trends managed by the database 1999, it is possible to more accurately predict that the toner has run out.

Further, if the service center manages the cartridges delivered for each user, it is possible to determine which user uses which device and which cartridge is used. If the database 1999 manages the toner consumption, the printing rate, the number of prints, and the like for each user, and for each model of each user, the average printing rate and the periodic fluctuation for each device installed in the user. Information such as trends can be stored. By using the information accumulated for each user and each device in the same manner as in the database described above, it is possible to predict running out of toner.

As described above, the delivery and collection schedule of the cartridge can be determined by predicting the timing of running out of toner with high accuracy. Therefore, by adjusting the cartridge replacement time to the time when toner runs out, the toner in the cartridge can be reduced as much as possible. Can be used up. This contributes to resource savings. Further, in the print number billing method, billing is performed according to the number of prints. Therefore, if the amount of toner discarded without being used can be reduced, the cost can be reduced accordingly, which contributes to a reduction in fee and an increase in margin.

<Charging Sequence> FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a procedure for charging according to the number of prints at the user site. Here, it is assumed that the charging sequence is triggered by the print number data periodically transmitted from the user site. However, it may be started in response to a request from the service center,
It may be started by a toner low signal. Further, the billing operation such as the issuance of a bill by the service center may be performed asynchronously with the transmission of the print number data from the user site to the service center.

In FIG. 12, the portion described as a user site is performed by the user site 102, and the portion described as a service center is a process performed at the service center. In the processing at the user site, the step described as a device is executed by a device to which a toner cartridge is attached, and the step described as a host is executed by a P connected to the device.
It is executed by a host computer such as C. Also, once the print number data is transmitted to the service center 101, the communication between the service center and the user site is
Communication is performed between the counter terminals.

First, in FIG. 12, the user site 10
2, the data on the number of prints generated since the previous charging sequence is transmitted to the service center 101 by the device module from the device for which the print number charging method is contracted (steps 1201 and 12).
02). Since the exchange of the cartridge and the billing are performed asynchronously, the data of the number of prints to be transmitted is obtained by a procedure described later.

The device is connected to the remote communication network 205 via the host.
Is connected to the host computer, the host computer once receives the data of the number of prints (step 1203). If the print data is manually entered, the host computer inputs the data. If it is automatic, the host computer automatically receives the data. The data is transmitted (steps 1204 and 1205).

The service center 101 receives the number of prints data (step 1206), and the data is transmitted to the PC.
The service module 210 is passed to the service module 203. Then, the user module totals the number of prints of each device for each user, calculates a billing amount based on the total value (step 1208), and calculates the amount together with detailed information such as the number of contracts and the number of prints. The data is transmitted to the module 250 (step 1209). The screen displayed at this time is the screen of FIG. The statement is displayed on the screen together with the billed amount. The user presses the YES button when accepting this request, and presses the No button when in doubt, to separately inquire and negotiate. Finally, settlement is performed by a predetermined method (step 1210).

FIG. 17 shows the device modules 230 and 2
Steps 1201, 12 of FIG. 12 for transmitting the number of prints from the user's device, performed by 40
It is a figure which shows an example of the detail of 02. FIG. 17A shows an area for storing the number of prints that the device has in its RAM. The storage area includes the number of uncharged prints 1711 indicating the number of prints for which the charge has not been settled for the toner cartridges used up to now, and the number of prints already charged for the currently installed toner cartridge. The number of billed prints 1712 and the number of prints 1713 read from the used cartridge immediately before replacement of the cartridge are included.

When the number of prints data is transmitted from the device, first, the number of prints is read from the memory of the cartridge, the value of the already-printed number of prints 1712 is subtracted from the read number of prints, and the value is used as the uncharged number of prints 1711. It is stored (step 1701). The number of uncharged prints is transmitted to the service center or the host (step 1702). Finally, if it is confirmed that the unbilled print number has been transmitted, 0 is set to the unbilled print number 1711 and the printed number read from the cartridge is set to the billed print number.

On the other hand, when the cartridge is replaced, the device performs the procedure shown in FIG. The procedure of FIG. 18 is performed assuming that the cartridge may have been replaced when the cover of the cartridge storage unit provided on the device body is opened and closed again, or when the power is turned on. . Whether or not the cover of the cartridge storage unit is open is detected by a sensor. The device reads the print number data from the memory of the currently mounted cartridge immediately after the cartridge cover is opened or in the processing sequence after the power is turned off, and reads the print number 1713 of the cartridge.
Save as

Thereafter, when the cover of the cartridge is closed or the power is turned on, the cartridge ID / serial number is read from the currently mounted cartridge, and the cartridge ID / serial number read and stored after replacement of the cartridge is read. (Step 1801). The result is determined in step 1802,
If they are the same, the process ends because the cartridge has not been replaced.

On the other hand, if they are not the same, the cartridge has been replaced, and the read cartridge ID / serial number is stored as the current cartridge ID / serial number (step 1803).

Then, the stored number of prints is read from the number of prints 1713 of the cartridge (step 1804), and the value obtained by subtracting the value of the already-printed number of prints 1712 from the read number of prints is added to the number of uncharged prints. (Step 1805).

Then, 0 is added to the already-printed print number 1712.
Is set (step 1806).

In this way, it is possible to distinguish between the number of prints recorded on the cartridge, for which the charge has already been charged and for which the charge has not been charged. For this reason, in the charging process, the user can be charged an accurate fee based on the number of unprinted prints.

A new cartridge delivered to the user is supplied substantially without a charge.

As described above, a device such as a printer that supplies toner with a toner cartridge is also used.
A print number charging method for charging according to the number of prints can be applied. By applying the print number billing method, it is possible to realize a fee system that is asynchronous with operations such as cartridge replacement and collection and that is in accordance with the amount of printing. As a result, if the service is provided by the manufacturer or the seller, continuous and stable profits can be expected, so that the services can be expanded. In addition, since data collection for the print number billing method is performed via a network, the number of manual steps can be reduced, and highly accurate data can be obtained quickly.

By linking with a management system that more accurately predicts when the toner in the cartridge will run out, it is possible to prevent a rise in cost due to disposal of unused toner. It is possible to put on.

On the other hand, on the user side, the fluctuation of the printing cost is reduced, and the fee can be simply confirmed or estimated from the number of prints, so that it is easy to confirm the payment amount and budget the printing cost. And contribute to improving the productivity of these operations.

When the device transmits the number of prints, the cartridge ID / serial number may be transmitted at the same time. In this case, the service center receives this and stores the data in the database of FIG.

<Maintenance of Device> FIG. 21 shows a procedure when a problem occurs in a device held by the user. In the present embodiment, since the user site and the service center are connected via a network, a report of the occurrence of a failure and a request for repair can be made via the network.

When the user's device generates trouble information by detecting a failure or the like, if the device is connected to the remote communication network 205, the device is directly connected to the service center via the remote communication network 205 or via the host. Telecommunications network 2
If the connection is made to the host computer 05, the failure information is transmitted to the host (step 2101).

If the device does not maintain the sensor of the fault, cannot detect the fault that has occurred, or if the device is not connected to the remote communication network, the operator manually inputs the fault information. Telecommunications network 2
05 or directly to the host connected to the remote communication network 205 (step 2102).

When the defect information is transmitted to the host, the host receives the defect information (step 21).
03), the defect information is transmitted to the service center via the operator's hand (step 2104) or automatically (step 2105).

When the service center receives the defect information (step 2106), the service center or repair company of the equipment maker is notified of necessary information automatically or manually, and the schedule is exchanged with the service unit or company. Is adjusted (step 2107). The adjusted schedule is transmitted to the contact terminal 208 of the user site, and when the schedule is further adjusted and confirmed (step 2108), repair is performed according to the determined schedule.

FIG. 22A shows a screen displayed when the schedule is notified from the service center to the user site in step 2108. The user selects a schedule on this screen and returns it to the service center.

FIG. 22B is a screen for confirming the contents of the defect in advance. The user selects the corresponding failure content from the displayed candidates and sends it to the service center. FIG. 22B may be displayed when the schedule is adjusted, or may be displayed before the schedule is adjusted. If the user is notified of the content of the defect before the schedule adjustment, the degree of the failure can be reflected in the schedule.

As described above, it is also possible to notify a malfunction and adjust a repair schedule via the network. In the schedule adjusted in this way, a service person to check and repair the printer is dispatched from the service center to the user,
At this time, fees other than the fees corresponding to the data on the number of prints are not substantially collected.

As described above, in the print number accounting system according to the present embodiment for use of the printer in which the cartridge accommodating the toner and the developing device is detachably attached, the output from the printer in which the cartridge is mounted is output in the printer. The data on the number of printed sheets and the data on the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge are supplied to the service center via the remote communication unit, and the service center transmits the data on the number of prints supplied via the remote communication unit to the service center. The corresponding fee is collected from the user of the printer, and based on the data on the remaining amount of toner, the user is able to replace the cartridge in the printer with a new cartridge to be installed without substantially collecting the fee. To supply.

Further, the fee corresponding to the data relating to the number of prints is included in the maintenance service fee for the printer, and the data relating to the fault of the printer, which is output from the printer in which the cartridge is mounted, is transmitted to the remote communication means. And the service center collects a fee other than the fee substantially corresponding to the data on the number of prints, based on the data on the printer failure supplied via the remote communication means. We dispatch servicemen to check and repair printers without having to do it.

Further, the function of the service center includes, for example, a delivery function such as a delivery company for cartridges, and collects used cartridges when supplying new cartridges.

<Effects of First Embodiment> The following effects can be obtained according to the cartridge management system of the present embodiment described above.

(1) When the toner low signal is issued, the toner exhaustion time is predicted, and the cartridge is replaced at that time, so that the toner in the cartridge can be used up, thereby saving resources and reducing costs. To contribute.

(2) Since the cartridge can be replaced immediately before the cartridge runs out of toner, downtime of a device such as a printer due to running out of toner is eliminated.

(3) Since the cartridge is delivered to the user immediately before the toner in the cartridge runs out, it is not necessary to stock up or store a replacement cartridge and store the used cartridge.

(4) Since the delivery and collection of the cartridge are combined, the user does not need to bring the used cartridge to a maker or a store, and can immediately replace the used cartridge with the used one immediately after delivery of the new cartridge. The used cartridge can be reliably collected.

(5) It is possible to collectively charge a plurality of devices held in the user site. Therefore, billing and maintenance can be performed for each user.

(6) The cartridge itself has a memory,
Since the data of the print record such as the number of prints is recorded therein, the data can be stored in a database and stored, and it can be used to accurately predict the out of toner.

(7) Since the cartridge itself has identification data such as an ID indicating the type of the cartridge and a serial number for uniquely identifying the cartridge, the exchange of the cartridge can be confirmed. Also, by using these identification data, it is possible to confirm whether the cartridge has been delivered in accordance with the contract for charging the number of prints, and to prevent unauthorized use of the cartridge. In addition, the cycle of reuse and recycling can be managed.

(8) Since data is given to the cartridge itself, the number of prints and the like can be grasped from the data of the cartridge even when the cartridge is removed from the device.

(9) Since the data is centrally managed in the service center, it is possible to calculate a more accurate printing ratio and replacement time.

[Second Embodiment] As a second embodiment, a system using a cartridge having no memory will be described. This system will be described based on the first embodiment, focusing only on differences. Therefore, the overall configuration is as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the configuration of the device is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the cartridge has no memory.

<Charging Sequence> FIG. 23 shows an example of the data area prepared in the memory of the device charged by the print number charging method of this embodiment. Basically, it is the same as the data held in the memory of the cartridge, except for data unique to the cartridge. The total number of printed sheets / the number of jams 2300 indicates the number of printed sheets and the total number of failed prints. A3 print count / jam count 2301, A4 print count / jam count 2302
Indicates the number of sheets for each size. These values are incremented by one each time the device prints one page of paper of a corresponding size.

The service center destination 2303 is a destination for transmitting the number of prints and the toner low signal. This field is used when the device is directly connected to the telecommunications network 205. The cartridge type ID is
Used to notify the cartridge type from the device to the service center. These fields 2303, 23
Since the contents of 04 are rarely changed, they may be recorded in the ROM.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a charging procedure executed in this embodiment instead of FIG. 12 of the first embodiment.

The device module reads out the print number data 2300 to 2302 of FIG. 23 periodically or in response to a request from the service site, and transmits it to the remote communication network 205 or the host to which the device is connected, depending on the connection destination. (Step 2401). If the transmission is confirmed, the read print number data 2300-2
0 is set in 302.

Steps 2403 to 2410 are the same as steps 1203 to 1210 in FIG. 12, and a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, even when the cartridge is not provided with a memory, the service center can perform the charging according to the number of prints for each device. Since this sequence is also effective for a device using a cartridge having a memory, the procedure of FIG. 24 of the present embodiment can be used instead of the procedure of FIG. 12 of the first embodiment. . Further, the only difference between FIG. 12 and FIG. 24 is the processing on the device side. Therefore, the procedure of FIG. 12 is applied to a device using a cartridge having a memory, By applying the procedure shown in FIG. 24 to a device that performs such processing, it is possible to cope with a user site in which those devices are mixed.

<Estimation of Running Out of Toner> In this embodiment, the sequence of notifying and adjusting the cartridge replacement schedule, which is triggered by the transmission of the toner low signal of the device, is the same as that of FIGS. 10 and 11 in the first embodiment. It is almost the same. However, since there is no data for each cartridge, the serial number of the cartridge is not transmitted together with the toner low signal. The data reflected in the database is different from that of the first embodiment, and the prediction method is also different.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing a procedure executed by the analysis system in step 1104 of FIG. 11 for estimating the time at which the toner will run out, which serves as a reference for determining the delivery and collection date schedule.

A database 2599 is built in the analysis system. The database 1999 includes, for each user, a print number transition 1915, an average printing rate per cartridge 1916, a cartridge delivery date 1917, a toner low signal generation date 1918, and a cumulative number of usage days 19190.
6, the accumulated number of printed sheets 1907 is stored.

The average printing rate per cartridge is 191
6 indicates the number of used cartridges 1903 and the date of collection 190
4 and the average print rate 1913 calculated from the number of prints per cartridge data 1905. Also,
In the print number transition 1915, the print number data 1905 is accumulated for each month and stored as a monthly transition.

In making the prediction, first, the average printing rate 19
13, the remaining printable sheet number 2501 is predicted, and a period 2502 from that to the time when the toner runs out is predicted. At this time,
The prediction value can also be corrected using data such as the past average print ratio 1916 and the number of printed sheets transition 1915. An appropriate delivery date 2503 is obtained from the obtained period 2502 until the toner runs out and the generation date 1901 of the toner low signal, and the expected replacement time is output. For user sites,
The date from the date when delivery becomes possible with reference to the stock and the delivery schedule to the predicted toner out date is output as a replacement date candidate.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the contents of correction for more accurately predicting the toner out timing. For example, 8
Assume that the service center receives a toner low signal on the 31st of the month. From the number of printable sheets determined from the average print rate of the cartridge immediately before, the remaining toner runs out after one month,
It turns out that the cartridge needs to be replaced by that time.

Here, the correction value is referred to. From the past average print rate 1916 per cartridge and the change in the number of prints per month 1915, the print rate is 1 from September to November.
If you find that it goes up to 0%,
The average print rate in January is almost three times the previous average print rate.
In other words, it can be seen that there are only ten days from the toner low signal to the toner exhaustion. Therefore, September 10 which is 10 days after August 31, which is the day when the toner low signal is generated, is set as the deadline for the delivery date of the refill cartridge. Then, a period from the date when the cartridge can be delivered to September 10 is presented to the user as a delivery and collection date candidate.

As described above, it is possible to accurately predict the toner expiration date and indicate the predicted date to the user so that the cartridge can be replaced by that time. If it is expected that the period during which printing can be performed with the remaining toner is expected to be extremely long, in order to use the toner as much as possible, the period of the delivery and collection of the cartridge is set to a predetermined period including the expected day when the toner runs out. The number of days, for example, one week may be limited. In this case, for example, if the printable period is one month, the last one week is presented to the user as a delivery and collection date candidate.

As described above, the delivery / collection schedule of the cartridge can be determined by predicting the toner exhaustion time with high accuracy, so that the toner in the cartridge can be used up as much as possible. In the print number billing method, billing is performed in accordance with the number of prints. Therefore, if the amount of toner discarded without being used can be reduced, the cost can be reduced accordingly, contributing to a reduction in fee and an increase in margin.

It is also possible to construct an analysis system in which FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 coexist. In this case, the cartridge without memory is predicted to run out of toner by the method of FIGS. 25 and 26, and the cartridge with memory is predicted to run out of toner by the method of FIGS. 19 and 20.

<Effects of Second Embodiment> The following effects can be obtained by the cartridge management system of the present embodiment described above.

(1) When the toner low signal is issued, the toner out timing is predicted, and the cartridge in the cartridge is replaced at that time, so that the toner in the cartridge can be used up, thereby saving resources and reducing costs. To contribute.

(2) Since the cartridge can be replaced immediately before the cartridge runs out of toner, downtime of a device such as a printer due to running out of toner is eliminated.

(3) Since the cartridge is delivered to the user immediately before the toner in the cartridge runs out, it is not necessary to stock up or store a replacement cartridge and store the used cartridge.

(4) Since the delivery and collection of the cartridge are combined, the user does not need to bring the used cartridge to the maker or the store, and can immediately replace the used cartridge with the used one immediately after the delivery of the new cartridge. Used cartridges can be more reliably collected.

(5) It is possible to collectively charge a plurality of devices held at the user site. Therefore, billing and maintenance can be performed for each user.

(6) Compared with the first embodiment, a billing system and a delivery / collection system of a print number billing system can be constructed using a conventional device using a cartridge having no memory.

(7) Since data is centrally managed at the service center, more accurate printing ratios and replacement times can be calculated.

[Third Embodiment] As a third embodiment, a system will be described in which the delivery company outsourcing the delivery business on the network is excluded from the system of the first embodiment. The configuration of this system and the configuration of each device are the same as those in FIGS. 2 to 9 of the first embodiment.

FIG. 27 schematically shows a management procedure according to the third embodiment. The same messages as those in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers.

Printer 10 at User Site 102
When the toner is reduced to a predetermined amount or less in 0a or 100b or the facsimile 206, that is, when toner low (Toner Low) occurs, it is detected by a sensor built in the cartridge. This state is reported from the user site 102 to the service center 101 as a toner low signal. Although the service center is simply called here, the PC 203 or the like included in the service center is the report destination.

The service center 101 receiving this transmits a notification of the delivery and collection of the cartridge to the user site 102. However, as will be described later, this notification is not simply transmitted, but includes a sequence of schedule adjustment with the user.

The service center 101 delivers a new cartridge (10) to the user site 102 according to the schedule determined by the notification of the delivery and collection of the cartridge, and at the same time, collects the used cartridge (11).
Is carried to the collection base 104.

At the collection base 104, necessary data is read from the memory of the collected used cartridge, and the read data is stored in a database managed by the service center 101.

Asynchronously with the delivery of these cartridges,
The print number data based on the print number count read from the memory 820a of the cartridge is transmitted from the user site 102 to the service center 101.

The service center 101 calculates a fee according to the received number-of-prints data, and transmits a fee request to the user site 102. The user is paid the charged amount to the service center by a separately agreed payment method. Further, the payee at this time may be a payee other than the service center, which is separately arranged.

As described above, the service center 101 collects necessary data from the user site, arranges the delivery and collection of the cartridge, generates the billing information, User site 102 for the arranged schedule and billing information
Are realized via the telecommunications network 205.

<Sequence of Notification and Adjustment of Cartridge Replacement Schedule> In the configuration of FIG.
02 transmits a toner low signal to the service center 101, and the service center 101 receives the toner low signal.
This is as shown in FIG. 10 of the first embodiment. However, the processing in the service center that has received the toner low signal is as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 28, first, at step 1101
The processing is divided depending on whether the data input method to the analysis system in the service center 101 is automatic or manual. Step 1101 need not necessarily be performed at the service center. This is a pseudo step for expressing the processing procedure according to the configuration of the service center, and the actual processing in the service center starts from step 1102 or 1103 according to the configuration. In this embodiment, the analysis system is realized on the PC 203 by executing an analysis program of a procedure described later with reference to a database constructed in the database server 201.

In the case of manual input, step 11
At 02, a screen for notifying the operator of the reception of the toner low signal is displayed, and the operator inputs information to the analysis system for managing the delivery schedule.

On the other hand, in the case of automatic input, the received toner low signal and the data read from the cartridge are directly input to the analysis system (step 110).
3).

When the data is input to the analysis system, the analysis system predicts the date of running out of toner, and determines a delivery date candidate based on the date (step 11).
04). This prediction procedure will be described later. The subsequent steps may be performed manually, but are assumed to be fully automated here.

When the delivery date candidate is determined, the date is notified to the user as the expected replacement time (step 110).
8).

At the user site 102 receiving this, the user interface (UI) screen of FIG. 13 is displayed by the PC 208 as the window terminal. When the operator inputs (OK) to perform cartridge replacement on this screen, the screen switches to the screen in FIG. On this screen, the operator inputs a desired date and time from the expected exchange period.

The specified date entered is the service center 101
Sent to. The service center 101 notifies the user of the scheduled delivery and collection date and time determined based on the specified date, and requests final confirmation (step 110).
9). FIG. 16 shows a screen displayed on the user side at this time.

According to the date and time determined by the above procedure, a serviceman or IT staff for maintenance or the like, or a delivery for simply performing delivery, etc., is dispatched from the service center 101 to the user site. If necessary, maintain the equipment. The dispatched personnel and the contents of work depend on a contract or the like concluded between the user and the dealer or maker operating the service center.

Further, the charging system based on the charging method depending on the number of prints (printing number charging method) is asynchronous with the delivery and collection of the cartridge, and therefore functions exactly the same as in the first or second embodiment. I do.

As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to construct a system that does not outsource delivery business on a network. The effect in this case is the same as the effect of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment] The system of the fourth embodiment has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, except that the user site includes an inventory management system. It is different from the form system. As shown in FIG.
The inventory management system 260 is realized by executing a predetermined program on the PC 4 or the like in the user site 102. This inventory management system 260 also manages the in-house inventory of toner cartridges and works in conjunction with the cartridge management system. Also, the computer on which the inventory management system operates needs to be able to access the remote communication network 205 either directly or indirectly.

FIG. 30 shows a procedure from the transmission of the toner low notification from the user site 102 to the reception by the service center 101 in the fourth embodiment. First, in step 2901, a toner low is detected in a device owned by the user, for example, the printer 100a or 100b or the facsimile 206 in FIG.
The information is output as a toner low signal by the device module. Here, the device is a facsimile 20
6 or the printer 100b, the toner low signal is transmitted to the PC 208 on which the in-house inventory management system operates, and becomes an input signal to the inventory management system 260.

If the device is a printer locally connected to the host such as the printer 100a, a toner low signal is issued to the host. In this case, the host receives a toner low signal in step 1002. Then, the host of the device in-house inventory management system 26
A toner low signal is transmitted to 0.

Upon receiving the toner low signal, the inventory management system 260 determines the type of the cartridge used by the device from the information of the source of the toner low signal or the cartridge type ID / serial number information transmitted together with the toner low signal. It is determined whether or not the stock is available (step 2903). If there is stock, the fact is displayed on the display or the like of the PC 203 to alert the user (step 2904).

If it is determined that there is no stock, a toner low signal is transmitted from the inventory management system 260 to the service center 101 in accordance with the connection between the device that has transmitted the toner low signal and the remote communication network 205. If the device can directly access the remote communication network 205, a toner low signal is transmitted directly to the service center (step 2907). If the host computer is connected, a toner low signal is transmitted from the host to the service center 101 (step 290).
6). If the remote communication network cannot be accessed online, a toner low signal is transmitted to the service center 101 by manual input by the operator (step 290).
5).

The toner low signal thus generated is received by the service center 101 (step 2908), and the processing is advanced by the service module 210 and the user module 250 in the same procedure as in FIG.

As described above, in addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments, when the user performs inventory management, a cartridge management system utilizing the user's inventory is constructed. be able to.

[0189]

[Other Embodiments] Even if the present invention is applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus (for example, a copying machine) Machine, facsimile machine, etc.).

Further, an object of the present invention is to realize the functions of the above-described embodiment by using FIGS. 10 to 12 and FIGS.
8, a storage medium (or a recording medium) in which the program code of the software of the procedure of FIG. 21, FIG. 24, FIG. 28, and FIG.
It is also achieved by supplying the program to a device or a personal computer, which is the execution subject, and reading (or executing) the program code stored in the storage medium by the (or CPU or MPU).

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) Performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. This also includes the case where the CPU provided in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

The present invention can be applied not only to toner but also to all consumables such as a photosensitive drum, a fixing member, and a cleaning member.

[0195]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Since the expendable supplies themselves have a storage means in which data used for estimating exhaustion time and charging is stored, the data can be stored and used. Accurate prediction of exhaustion time becomes possible. (2) The replacement of the consumable can be confirmed by providing the consumable itself with identification data for uniquely identifying the consumable. Also, by using these identification data, it is possible to confirm that the consumable is charged by the click charge system, and it is possible to prevent illegal use of the consumable. It is also possible to manage the cycle of reuse and recycling of the remaining parts of the consumables. (3) Since data is given to the consumables themselves, even if the consumables are used alone, it is possible to predict the expiration time and charge data from the data held by the consumables.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cartridge management system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a user site and a service center according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a personal computer.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the facsimile.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the printer.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a printer.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a facsimile.

FIG. 8 is an external view of a toner cartridge including a memory.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a memory included in a cartridge.

FIG. 10 is a system flowchart illustrating a procedure for transmitting and receiving a toner low signal according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in a service center that has received a toner low signal in the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a system flowchart showing transmission and processing of charging information in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI screen for urging cartridge replacement.

FIG. 14 is a UI for adjusting the cartridge replacement date and time.
It is a figure showing an example of a screen.

FIG. 15: Cartridge delivery. It is a figure showing an example of the UI screen which urges confirmation of a collection schedule.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI screen for notifying a charged amount.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for transmitting the number of prints in the device.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for replacing a cartridge in the device.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an analysis system for predicting a toner out of a cartridge according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an analysis system for predicting a toner out of a cartridge according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a system flowchart from transmission of defect information from a user to repair.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI screen for adjusting a repair date and time and a UI screen for notifying the details of a defect.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an example of data held by each device in the second embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a system flowchart showing transmission and processing of billing information in the second embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an analysis system for predicting a toner out of a cartridge according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an analysis system for predicting a cartridge running out of toner according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cartridge management system according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in a service center that has received a toner low signal according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a user site and a service center according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 30 is a system flowchart illustrating a procedure for transmitting and receiving a toner low signal according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 31 shows sales and collection of a conventional toner cartridge;
It is a figure for explaining a maintenance method.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/00 106 G06F 15/21 Z 5C062 9A001 (72) Inventor Toru Futaki 3-chome Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo 30-2 Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Yuji Sakabe 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) 2H027 DA46 DE07 EE08 EJ08 EJ09 EJ13 GA30 HB01 HB13 ZA07 2H071 BA32. JJ35 JJ61 LL09

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. A consumable supply management system for managing a consumable having at least storage means for storing identification information, wherein a remaining amount of the consumable reaches a predetermined amount together with the identification information. Means for acquiring remaining amount warning information; data accumulating means for accumulating at least data indicating one or both of a periodic change in the amount of consumption of the consumable and a fluctuation in the amount of consumption of the consumable; Prediction means for predicting the expiration date of the consumable based on remaining amount warning information and the identification information; and output means for outputting a warning urging replacement of the consumable by the date predicted by the prediction means. And a consumable goods management system comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicting unit calculates a remaining amount of the consumable based on a type of the consumable indicated by the identification information, information indicating a consumption rate of the consumable, and a time when the remaining amount warning information is acquired. 2. The consumable goods management system according to claim 1, wherein the expiration date of the consumable goods is estimated from the estimated date. 3. The storage unit further stores production amount information indicating an amount of a product produced using a consumable having each storage unit, and the production unit periodically acquires the production amount information from the storage unit. 3. The data storage unit according to claim 2, wherein the quantity information is further stored in the data storage unit as data indicating a tendency of the fluctuation of the consumable supplies and the fluctuation of the consumption of the consumable supplies.
The consumables management system described in 1. 4. The storage unit further stores period information indicating a period during which the consumable having each storage unit has been used, and the period information periodically acquired from the storage unit stores the period information. 3. The consumable goods management system according to claim 2, wherein the data storage means further stores the data indicating the tendency of the fluctuation of the consumption of the consumable goods and the periodic fluctuation of the data. 5. An average value of consumption rates of consumables required to produce a unit amount of product from the production amount information and the consumption amount of the consumables, and the obtained average value is used as the data storage means. , And the predicting means:
The consumables management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the average value is used as the consumption rate of the consumables. 6. A consumable supply management system for managing consumable supplies having storage means for storing, as constituent elements, production amount information indicating an amount of a product produced using the consumable supplies and identification information. Calculating means for obtaining the production amount information from the storage means and calculating the amount charged for the consumable based on the production amount information; and outputting information indicating the amount calculated by the calculation unit. A consumables management system comprising an output unit. 7. The consumable goods management system according to claim 6, wherein said calculation means acquires said identification information together with said production amount information, and calculates said amount for each said identification information. 8. The consumables management system according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an electrophotographic printing unit that uses toner as a consumable. 9. The consumable goods management system according to claim 8, wherein the equipment includes at least one of a printer, a copier, and a facsimile. 10. The consumable supply management system according to claim 8, wherein the consumable supply is a replaceable cartridge in which toner is sealed. 11. A consumable device which has a memory for storing at least a number of prints, a use period, a type ID and a unique identifier and is used as a consumable product for printing, and which manages a cartridge in which a color material is sealed. An article management system, comprising: a reading unit that reads a type ID and a unique identifier, a use period, and the number of prints from the storage unit; a type ID and a unique identifier read by the read unit; a use period; Calculating means for calculating a printing rate for each cartridge based on each information of the number of sheets; type ID and unique identifier read by the reading means, use period, number of prints, and printing rate for each cartridge calculated by the calculating means Storage means for storing the information, information stored in the storage means, A prediction unit that predicts a printable period based on the remaining amount of the color material of the cartridge based on a warning indicating that the predetermined remaining amount of the color material has reached a predetermined value; Means for outputting a message urging replacement of the cartridge based on the information. 12. A consumable supply management system for managing consumable supplies having at least storage means for storing identification information as a component, wherein the remaining amount of the consumable supplies reaches a predetermined amount together with the identification information. Acquiring remaining amount warning information; data accumulating means for accumulating at least data indicating one or both of a periodic change in the amount of consumption of the consumable and a change in the amount of consumption of the consumable; The remaining amount warning information and the identification information, and the data stored in the data storage unit, which indicate one or both of a periodic change in the usage of the consumable and a fluctuation in the consumption of the consumable. A prediction step of predicting a date on which the consumables are exhausted, and an output step of outputting a warning prompting replacement of the consumables by the date predicted by the prediction step. Consumables management method according to claim. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicting step includes: determining a remaining amount of the consumable based on a type of the consumable indicated by the identification information, information indicating a consumption rate of the consumable, and a time when the remaining amount warning information is acquired. 13. The consumables management method according to claim 12, wherein the expiration date of the consumables is predicted from the date. 14. The storage unit further stores production amount information indicating an amount of a product produced using the consumable having each storage unit, and the production unit periodically acquires the production amount information from the storage unit. 14. The consumable supply management method according to claim 13, wherein the amount information is further stored in the data storage unit as data indicating a tendency of the fluctuation of the consumable supply and the fluctuation of the consumption amount of the consumable supply. 15. The storage unit further stores period information indicating a period during which a consumable having each storage unit is used, and the period information periodically acquired from the storage unit stores the period information. The consumables management method according to claim 14, wherein the data storage unit further stores the data indicating the tendency of the periodic fluctuation of the consumption amount and the consumption amount of the consumable supply. 16. An average value of consumption rates of consumables required to produce a unit amount of product from the production amount information and the consumption amount of the consumables, and the obtained average value is used as the data storage means. 16. The consumables management method according to claim 12, wherein the average value is used as the consumption rate of the consumables in the prediction step. 17. A consumable goods management method for managing a consumable goods having storage means for storing production amount information indicating an amount of a product produced using the consumable goods and identification information as constituent elements. Calculating the amount of production information from the storage unit and calculating the amount charged for the consumable based on the amount of production information; and outputting information indicating the amount calculated in the calculation step. A consumables management method comprising an output step. 18. The consumables management method according to claim 17, wherein said calculating step obtains said identification information together with said production amount information and calculates said amount for each said identification information. 19. The consumable supply management method according to claim 12, wherein the device has an electrophotographic printing unit that uses toner as a consumable supply. 20. The consumables management method according to claim 19, wherein the equipment includes at least one of a printer, a copier, and a facsimile. 21. The consumable supply management method according to claim 19, wherein the consumable supply is a replaceable cartridge in which toner is sealed. 22. A consumable which has a memory for storing at least a number of prints, a use period, a type ID and a unique identifier, and which is used as a consumable for printing, and which manages a cartridge in which a coloring material is sealed. An article management method, comprising: a reading step of reading a type ID and a unique identifier, a use period, and the number of prints from the storage unit; a type ID and a unique identifier read in the read step; a use period; A calculating step of calculating a printing rate for each cartridge based on each piece of information of the number of sheets, a type ID and a unique identifier read by the reading step, a use period, and the number of printed sheets by the storage means;
An accumulation step of accumulating a printing rate for each cartridge calculated in the calculation step; information accumulated in the accumulation means; and indicating that a predetermined remaining amount of color material emitted from the cartridge has reached a predetermined value. A prediction step of predicting a printable period based on the remaining amount of the coloring material of the cartridge based on the warning; and a step of outputting a message prompting replacement of the cartridge based on the period predicted by the prediction step. A consumables management method, comprising: 23. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for executing the consumable supplies management method according to claim 12 by a computer. 24. A management system for a cartridge containing at least toner and detachable from a printer and having a memory storing identification information of the cartridge, wherein the cartridge is output from the printer in which the cartridge is mounted. Supplying the data on the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge together with the identification information stored in the memory to a service center via remote communication means, and the service center is supplied via the remote communication means. A management system for managing a remaining amount of toner for each cartridge based on identification information stored in the memory and data on the remaining amount of toner. 25. The printer has a memory for storing identification information of the printer, and data relating to the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge is stored in the identification information stored in the memory of the cartridge and the memory of the printer. 25. The service center is supplied to the service center via remote communication means together with the identification information.
The management system described. 26. The service center includes a delivery company of the cartridge, and supplies the user with a new cartridge to be replaced with a cartridge in the printer based on the data on the remaining amount of toner. And a step of collecting used cartridges when supplying the new cartridges.
5. The management system according to 4. 27. A management method for a cartridge containing at least toner and detachable from a printer, the cartridge having a memory storing identification information of the cartridge, wherein the cartridge is output from the printer in which the cartridge is mounted. Supplying the data on the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge together with the identification information stored in the memory to a service center via remote communication means, and the service center is supplied via the remote communication means. A management method comprising: managing a remaining amount of toner for each cartridge based on identification information stored in the memory and data on the remaining amount of toner. 28. The printer has a memory for storing identification information of the printer, and data relating to the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge is stored in the identification information stored in the memory of the cartridge and the memory of the printer. 28. The service center is supplied to the service center via remote communication means together with the identification information.
The management method described. 29. The service center includes a delivery company of the cartridge, and supplies the user with a new cartridge to be replaced with a cartridge in the printer based on the data on the remaining amount of toner. And a step of collecting used cartridges when supplying the new cartridges.
7. The management method according to 7. 30. A cartridge containing at least toner and detachable from a printer, comprising: a memory storing identification information of the cartridge; and Display means for visually displaying the stored identification information.