JP2002133239A - Privileged information issuance system and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a privileged information issuance system which is suitable for promoting to users to consume consumption articles. SOLUTION: This system is equipped with a users information registration DB 44 which registers users information including information specifying coupons and a print history registration DB 46 which registers print history information, and generates a print history information and stores it in the print history registration DB 46 based on the utilization of a printer 41 by the users, and determines whether the condition to issue coupons is satisfied or not based on the print history information on the print history registration DB 46. As the result, if the condition to issue the coupons is satisfied, coupons information is searched from a coupon information registration DB 48 based on the information specifying coupons of the users information registration DB 44 and the coupons information extracted by the search is issued to the users.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system and a storage medium for issuing coupon information, and more particularly to a privilege information issuing system and a privilege information issuing program suitable for prompting a user to consume consumables. Related to a storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer is sometimes used as a device for printing coupons and advertisements acquired on the Internet or the like. For example, as a device for issuing a coupon, there is a device that prints out a coupon through a POS terminal when the cumulative number of merchandise purchase points of a customer exceeds a certain level. Here, when printing out, a printer is used.

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned conventional technology, when a product or service provider provides a service or sells a product, a coupon is issued to a customer using a printer. In this case, the printer is merely a printing means for issuing coupons.

[0004] On the other hand, a printer is a device that consumes various consumables such as paper, toner, or ink as it operates. Therefore, as a sales maker of consumables, the sales of consumables increase as the user uses the printer, and it is important in sales strategy to encourage the user to use the printer. Therefore, in order to encourage the user to use the printer, a service that issues a coupon or prints an advertisement useful to the user may be provided to the user who has used the printer a lot. .

[0005] These problems are not limited to printers, and other similar problems are assumed for devices that consume consumables during operation, such as copiers, lighting fixtures, and vehicles with motors. You.

The present invention has been made in view of such unresolved problems of the prior art, and has a privilege information issuing system and privilege suitable for prompting a user to consume consumables. It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage medium storing an information issuing program.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a privilege information issuing system according to the first aspect of the present invention is applied to an apparatus that consumes consumables during operation to obtain a privilege. And a privilege information issuing means for issuing the privilege information based on the consumption status of the consumables.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the consumption state of the consumables.

Here, the privilege information refers to information for obtaining the privilege or the privilege itself, and includes, for example, a coupon, an advertisement useful for a person receiving the issuance,
A website where you can receive image data such as idols, applications such as trial software, rights information regarding the right to obtain discounts at specified or arbitrary stores, or specific services such as information providing services and information search services. (Uniform Resource Locator). Hereinafter, the same applies to the privilege information issuing system according to claims 2 and 13 and the storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program according to claims 23 and 24.

The issuance of the privilege information may be performed, for example, by outputting the above-mentioned device that consumes consumables with the operation if the device is an output device, or to the issuer such as a user. It may be performed by distribution, or by storing in a storage means of a terminal with which the client terminal can communicate so that the issuer can access and obtain from the client terminal. Hereinafter, the same applies to a storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program according to claim 23.

Further, the present system may be realized as a single device, or may be realized as a network system in which a plurality of terminals are communicably connected. Hereinafter, the same applies to the privilege information issuing system according to claims 2 and 13.

The privilege information issuing means may have any configuration as long as the privilege information is issued based on the consumption status of the consumables. Specifically, the following configuration is provided. Can be suggested. First, the privilege information issuing means issues privilege information based on the type of consumables. Second, the privilege information issuing means issues privilege information based on the amount of consumables consumed. Thirdly, the privilege information issuing means is configured to issue the privilege information based on the time required until the consumable is consumed by a predetermined amount or the time when the consumable is consumed by a predetermined amount. 4th
The privilege information issuing means issues privilege information based on the frequency of use of the consumables. Hereinafter, Claim 2
The same applies to the storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program described in No. 3.

Further, a privilege information issuing system according to claim 2 of the present invention is applied to a printing apparatus, and is a system for issuing privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself. There is provided privilege information issuing means for issuing the privilege information based on a use situation.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the use status of the printing apparatus.

Here, the privilege information may be issued, for example, by printing with a printing device, by distributing the privilege information to an issuer such as a user, or by issuing the issuer to a client terminal. It may be performed by storing in a storage unit of a terminal with which the client terminal can communicate so that the client terminal can access and acquire the information. Hereinafter, the same applies to a storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program according to claim 24.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to the second aspect, the privilege information issuing unit is configured to execute the privilege information based on a print content printed by the printing device. Special information is issued.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the print content printed by the printing apparatus.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of the second and third aspects, the privilege information issuing means is provided for the printing apparatus. The privilege information is issued based on the specified print specification.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the print specification instructed to the printing apparatus.

Here, the print specifications include, for example, print quality, the number of copies, or the number of prints.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a privilege information issuing system according to any one of the second to fourth aspects. The privilege information is issued based on the print processing time required for the privilege information.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the print processing time required for the printing process in the printing apparatus.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, the privilege information issuing means uses the printing device. The privilege information is issued according to the user.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means according to the user who uses the printing apparatus.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a privilege information issuing system according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the privilege information issuing means includes a printing frequency of the printing device. The privilege information is issued based on the.

With this configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the printing frequency of the printing apparatus.

[0027] Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to claim 8 of the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 2 to 7, the privilege information issuing means is printed by the printing device. The privilege information is issued based on the printing time.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means on the basis of the printing timing of printing by the printing apparatus.

Further, the privilege information issuing system according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is the privilege information issuing system according to any one of the second to eighth aspects, wherein the privilege information issuing means is used in the printing apparatus. The privilege information is issued based on the type of consumables.

With such a structure, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the type of the consumable used in the printing apparatus.

Further, according to a privilege information issuing system according to claim 10 of the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 2 to 9, the privilege information issuing means is used in the printing apparatus. The privilege information is issued based on the amount of consumables consumed.

With such a configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the amount of consumables used in the printing apparatus.

Further, the privilege information issuing system according to claim 11 of the present invention is the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the privilege information issuing means is used in the printing apparatus. The privilege information is issued based on the time required for the consumable to be consumed by a predetermined amount or the time when the predetermined amount is consumed.

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuing means determines whether the consumables used in the printing apparatus have been consumed by a predetermined amount or based on the time when the consumables have been consumed by a predetermined amount. Privilege information is issued.

Further, the privilege information issuing system according to claim 12 of the present invention is the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the privilege information issuing means is used in the printing device. The privilege information is issued based on the usage frequency of consumables.

With this configuration, the privilege information is issued by the privilege information issuing means based on the frequency of use of the consumables used in the printing apparatus.

Further, the privilege information issuing system according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention is applied to a printing apparatus which consumes consumables during operation, and issues privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself. A print history information generating unit configured to generate print history information indicating a print history of the printing device based on a usage status of the printing device by a user; and print history information generated by the print history information generating unit. Print history information storage means for storing user information including information specified by the user, print history information in the print history information storage means, and specification information in the user information storage means. Privilege information issuing means for issuing the privilege information to the user based on the privilege information.

With such a configuration, the print history information generating means generates print history information based on the usage of the printing apparatus by the user, and the generated print history information is stored in the print history information storage means. You. Then, the privilege information is issued to the user based on the print history information in the print history information storage means and the designation information in the user information storage means.

Here, the user information storage means stores the user information by any means and at any time, and may store the user information in advance, or may store the user information in advance. Alternatively, the user information may be stored by an external input or the like during the operation of the present system. This is the same for the print history information storage unit.

The privilege information issuing means may be configured to issue privilege information to the user based on the print history information in the print history information storage means and the designation information in the user information storage means. More specifically, a configuration equivalent to the privilege information issuing system according to claims 3 to 12 can be proposed.

Further, a privilege information issuing system according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the privilege information issuing system according to the thirteenth aspect, further comprising a privilege information storage unit for storing the privilege information, Means for determining, based on the print history information of the print history information storage means, that the condition for issuing the privilege information is satisfied, the privilege information storage means based on the designation information of the user information storage means. The privilege information is searched from among them, and the privilege information retrieved by the search is issued.

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuing means determines whether or not the condition for issuing privilege information is satisfied based on the print history information in the print history information storage means, and satisfies the issue condition. When it is determined that the privilege information has been retrieved from the privilege information storage means based on the designated information in the user information storage means, the privilege information found by the search is issued to the user.

Here, the privilege information storage means stores the privilege information by any means and at any time, and may store the privilege information in advance, or may store the privilege information in advance. Alternatively, the privilege information may be stored by an external input or the like when the system operates.

Further, the privilege information issuance system according to claim 15 of the present invention is the privilege information issuance system according to any one of claims 13 and 14, wherein the user information is used to cancel the issuance of the privilege information or Issuance instruction information for instructing execution is included as the designation information, and the privilege information issuing means stops or executes the issue of the privilege information based on the issue instruction information of the user information storage means. .

With such a configuration, the issuance of the privilege information is stopped or executed by the privilege information issuing means based on the issuance instruction information in the user information storage means.
That is, if the issuance of the privilege information is instructed as the issuance instruction information, the issuance of the privilege information is stopped based on the issuance instruction information. On the other hand, if the execution of the issue of the privilege information is instructed as the issue instruction information, the issue of the privilege information is executed based on the issue instruction information.

Further, the privilege information issuing system according to claim 16 of the present invention is the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the user information is an interest relating to the user's interest or preference. Information as the designated information, and the privilege information issuing means includes:
Based on the interest information in the user information storage means, privilege information suitable for the interest or preference of the user is issued.

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuance means is based on the interest information in the user information storage means.
Privilege information suitable for the user's interest or preference is issued.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to claim 17 according to the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 13 to 16, the user information is regional information relating to a desired area of the user. And the privilege information issuing means issues privilege information for obtaining a privilege in a desired area of the user based on the area information in the user information storage means.

[0049] With such a configuration, the privilege information issuing means uses the privilege information issuing means based on the regional information in the user information storage means.
Privilege information for obtaining a privilege in the user's desired area is issued.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to claim 18 according to the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 13 to 17, the user information is time information relating to a desired time of the user. As the designation information, and the privilege information issuing means issues privilege information for obtaining a privilege within a predetermined period from the present based on the timing information in the user information storage means.

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuance means is based on the time information in the user information storage means.
Privilege information for obtaining a privilege within a predetermined period from now is issued.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of the thirteenth to eighteenth aspects, the user information includes schedule information relating to the schedule of the user. Included as the designation information, the privilege information issuing means issues privilege information considered to be optimal with respect to the user's schedule based on the schedule information in the user information storage means.

[0053] With such a configuration, the privilege information issuance means is configured to execute the processing based on the schedule information in the user information storage means.
Privilege information deemed optimal for the user's schedule is issued.

Further, in the privilege information issuing system according to claim 20 according to the present invention, in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 13 to 19, the print history information and the user information are individually stored. Is to be managed.

With such a configuration, the print history information and the user information are individually managed.

Further, the privilege information issuing system according to claim 21 of the present invention is a printer driver as software for controlling the printing apparatus in the privilege information issuing system according to any one of claims 2 to 20. .

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuing system according to the present invention is installed in a computer as a printer driver, and operates, for example, in accordance with printing by a printing apparatus using an application.

Furthermore, in the privilege information issuing system according to the present invention, even if the printer driver is updated, the privilege information is held before the printer driver is updated. The usage status of the printing device, which has been used, is inherited.

With such a configuration, even if the printer driver is updated, the use status of the printing apparatus held before the printer driver is updated is inherited.

On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, a storage medium storing a privilege information issuing program according to claim 23 of the present invention is applied to an apparatus that consumes consumables as the apparatus operates, thereby obtaining a privilege. A storage medium storing a privilege information issuing program for issuing privilege information for the purpose or the privilege itself, the processing being realized by privilege information issuing means for issuing the privilege information based on the consumption status of the consumables. It is a computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by a computer.

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the privilege information issuing program stored in the storage medium is read by the computer, and the computer executes the processing in accordance with the read program. The same operation as that described above can be obtained.

Further, a storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program according to claim 24 of the present invention is applied to a printing apparatus, and a privilege information issuing program for issuing privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself. And a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process realized by a privilege information issuing unit that issues the privilege information based on a use state of the printing apparatus. It is.

With such a configuration, the privilege information issuing program according to claim 2 is read by the computer when the privilege information issuing program stored in the storage medium is executed by the computer in accordance with the read program. The same operation as that described above can be obtained.

[0064]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a privilege information issuing system and a storage medium according to the present invention.

According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the privilege information issuing system and the storage medium according to the present invention issue coupon information or advertisement information in the computer 100 in accordance with the status of use of the printer 41 by the user. This applies to cases where

First, the configuration of the computer 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the computer 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the computer 100 has a CPU 30 for controlling the operation and the entire system based on the control program, and a CPU 30 in a predetermined area in advance.
A ROM 32 storing a control program and the like for 30;
A RAM 34 for storing data read from the ROM 32 and the like and calculation results required in the calculation process of the CPU 30;
I / F 38 for mediating data input / output to / from external devices
These are mutually connected by a bus 39, which is a signal line for transferring data, so that data can be exchanged.

The I / F 38 includes, as external devices, an input device 40 such as a keyboard or a mouse capable of inputting data as a human interface, a printer 41 for printing image data on paper or the like, and an image signal. A display device 42 for displaying a screen, a user information registration database (hereinafter simply abbreviated as DB) 44 for registering user information, and a print history registration for registering print history information indicating a print history of the printer 41. DB4
6, a coupon information registration DB 48 in which coupon information on coupons issued to the user is registered, and an advertisement information registration DB in which advertisement information on advertisements issued to the user is registered
50 are connected.

The user information registration DB 44 stores a user profile table 300 for registering user information, as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data structure of the user profile table 300.

As shown in FIG. 2, one or more records can be registered in the user profile table 300 for each user. Each record has a field 302 for registering a user ID for identifying a user.
And a field 304 for registering a password, a field 306 for registering coupon designation information that is a user-specifiable item regarding issuance of a coupon, and an advertisement designation information as an item that can be designated by a user for issuance of an advertisement. And a field 308.

In field 306, coupon designation information, which is an item that can be designated by the user with respect to issuance of a coupon, is registered. As the coupon designation information, for example, category information indicating the category of the product or service related to the coupon information, which is information on the interests and preferences of the user,
Area information indicating an area where the use of the coupon information is desired, time information indicating a time when the use of the coupon information is desired, or schedule information regarding the schedule of the user is designated.

Here, the category information specifies, for example, a field in which the user is interested or a field in which the user prefers. If the user specifies this item, coupon information on goods or services relating to a field in which the user is interested or in which field is preferred is issued to the user.

The area information designates, for example, a place where the user lives or an area where coupon information is desired to be used. If the user specifies this item, coupon information that can be used in the place where the user lives or in the area where coupon information is desired to be used is issued to the user.

The time information designates the time or period for which the user desires to use the coupon information, for example, to receive a service available at the end of July. If the user specifies this item, coupon information that can be used within the time or period when the user desires to use the coupon information is issued to the user.

The schedule information designates the schedule of the user such that, for example, since a business trip to Tokyo is scheduled next week, coupon information that can be used at that time is desired. If the user specifies this item, coupon information that can be used in the Tokyo region next week will be issued to the user in the previous example.

The field 308 registers advertisement designation information, which is an item that can be designated by the user with respect to issuance of advertisements. The advertisement designation information is, for example, information on the interests and preferences of the user, which is category information indicating a category of a product or service related to the advertisement information, area information indicating an advertisement area of the advertisement information, and a time indicating an advertisement time of the advertisement information. Specify information or schedule information about the user's schedule.

Here, the category information specifies, for example, a field in which the user is interested or a field in which the user prefers. If the user specifies this item, advertisement information on goods or services relating to a field in which the user is interested or in a field in which the user is interested is issued to the user. Note that the category information of the advertisement designation information and the category information of the coupon designation information may be the same information, but the coupon information that the user wants to receive and the advertisement information may be different, so that they are independent of each other. The information is preferably settable. Less than,
The same applies to regional information and time information.

The area information specifies, for example, the place where the user lives or the area where the user wants to use the advertisement information. If the user specifies this item, advertisement information on the place where the user lives or the area where the advertisement information is desired to be used is issued to the user.

The time information is for the user to specify the advertisement time or period of the advertisement information, for example, to want to know the service provided at the end of July. If the user specifies this item, useful advertisement information is issued to the user during the advertisement time or period of the advertisement information.

The schedule information designates the schedule of the user such that, for example, since a business trip to Tokyo is scheduled for next week, useful advertisement information is desired at that time. If the user specifies this item, in the example above, useful advertising information will be issued to the user in the Tokyo region next week.

As shown in FIG. 3, a print history registration table 3 for registering print history information is stored in the print history registration DB 46.
20 are stored. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of the print history registration table 320.

As shown in FIG. 3, one record is sequentially registered in the print history registration table 320 every time printing is performed. Each record includes a field 322 for registering a print date and time printed by the printer 41 and a field 324 for registering a job number for specifying a print job.
A field 326 for registering the print content printed by the printer 41, a field 328 for registering the print quality when printing is performed by the printer 41, and a field 33 for registering the print processing time required for the print processing by the printer 41.
0, a field 332 for registering the type of ink used when printing was performed by the printer 41,
And a field 334 for registering the type of paper used when printing was performed.

In the example of FIG. 3, the first row record includes
"00.09.07" as the print date and "25.
“4678”, “coupon” as print content, “normal” as print quality, “34 seconds” as print processing time, “black” as ink used, and “normal” as used paper are registered. This is because, when coupon information is printed with normal quality using plain paper, the type of ink used is black, the print processing time is 34 seconds, and the job number at that time is “254678”. It shows that there was.

As shown in FIG. 4, the coupon information registration DB 48 stores an attribute data registration table 350 in which attribute data relating to attributes of the coupon information is registered, and image image data indicating a coupon image in the coupon information. Have been. FIG. 4 is a coupon information registration DB
48 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of 48. FIG.

FIG. 4 shows the attribute data registration table 350.
As shown in FIG. 7, one record is registered for each piece of coupon information. Each record includes a field 352 for registering an ID number for specifying coupon information, a field 354 for registering a coupon name, a field 356 for registering a provider company providing coupon information and an identification code thereof, and coupon information. A field 358 for registering a coupon issue condition (for example, the number of times of printing on plain paper has become 30 or more), a field 360 for registering a category of a product or service related to coupon information, It is configured to include a field 362 for registering an available area and a field 364 for registering a time when coupon information can be used. Each record is associated with the image data 366 of the coupon information.

In field 358, coupon issue conditions for issuing coupon information are registered. For example, if the target product of the coupon is high-quality paper, the coupon issuance condition may be that the print content is an image and the number of times of printing is a predetermined number or more. This is to issue coupon information on high-quality paper to a user who often prints images. In addition, the coupon issuance conditions include that the print content is a document and the number of prints is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the print quality is high quality and the number of prints is equal to or more than a predetermined value, That the number of printings (that is, the printing frequency) within a predetermined period is equal to or more than a predetermined value;
Is a specific person (for example, a registered user). Further, by setting the coupon issuance condition that the printing frequency is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, it is possible to encourage a user who has a low printing frequency, that is, a user who does not use the printer 41 much, to use the printer 41.

Note that the advertisement information registration DB 50 is
Although not shown, advertisement information is registered in the same data structure as the coupon information registration DB 48.

Next, the configuration of the CPU 30 and the CPU 30
Will be described with reference to FIGS.

The CPU 30 comprises a microprocessing unit MPU and the like, activates a predetermined program stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 32, and executes a user registration process and a print management process shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. Are executed in a time-division manner.

First, the user registration process will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the user registration process.

The user registration process is a process that is installed in the computer 100 as a printer driver as software for controlling the printer 41, and is executed at the time of installation or when a user registration request is received. First, as shown in FIG. 5, the process proceeds to step S100. Hereinafter, the input in each step is performed by the user inputting from the input device 40.

In step S100, a user ID is entered, the process proceeds to step S102, a password is entered, the process proceeds to step S104, coupon designation information is entered, and the process proceeds to step S106, where advertisement designation information is entered. Input, and the process proceeds to step S108 to execute step S10.
The user information input in steps S0 to S106 is registered in the user profile table 300, and a series of processing is completed to return to the original processing.

Next, the print management process will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the print management process.

The print management process is a process that is installed in the computer 100 as a printer driver as software for controlling the printer 41 and is executed after printing is performed by the printer 41. As shown in FIG.
The transition is made to 200.

In step S200, print history information including the print date and time, the job number, the print content, the print quality, the print processing time, the ink used, and the paper used is generated based on the immediately preceding print status, and the process proceeds to step S202. Then, the generated print history information is registered in the print history registration table 320, the process proceeds to step S204, the coupon information or coupon information issuance process for issuing advertisement information is executed, and a series of processes is terminated to return to the original. Return to processing.

Next, the coupon information issuance processing in step S204 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a coupon information etc. issuance process.

The coupon information issuance process is executed by the printer 41.
This is a process of issuing coupon information or advertisement information based on the usage status of the server. When executed in step S204, first, as shown in FIG.
It shifts to 0.

In step S300, print history information is read from print history registration table 330, and step S3 is executed.
02, it is determined whether or not the coupon issuing condition is satisfied based on the read print history information. If it is determined that the coupon issuing condition is satisfied (Yes), the process proceeds to step S304. In step S302, specifically, the coupon issue condition of each coupon information is read from the attribute data registration table 350, and based on the read print history information, whether or not the read coupon issue condition is satisfied is determined for each coupon information. When it is determined that the coupon issue condition is satisfied, the coupon information corresponding to the coupon issue condition is selected as an issue target.

In step S304, a coupon issue inquiry screen for inquiring the user whether or not to issue the coupon information immediately is displayed on the display device 42.
The process shifts to step S306 to determine whether or not to issue coupon information based on a user input on the coupon issuance inquiry screen. If it is determined that coupon information is to be issued (Yes), the process shifts to step S308.

In step S308, the coupon designation information is read from the user profile table 300, and the process proceeds to step S310, where the coupon information in the coupon information registration DB 48 is searched based on the read coupon designation information. Search for coupon information that matches. In step S310, specifically, the attribute data registration table 350 based on the category information, the regional information, the time information, and the schedule information in the coupon designation information.
To find coupon information that matches the category information, area information, time information, and schedule information.

In the search based on the category information, coupon information suitable for the user's interests and preferences is searched based on the category information. In the search using the local information, coupon information that can be used in the user's desired area is searched for based on the local information. In the search based on the timing information, coupon information that can be used within a predetermined period from the present is searched based on the timing information. In the search using the schedule information, coupon information that is considered to be optimal with respect to the schedule of the user is searched for based on the schedule information. When searching for coupon information, it is not limited to searching for coupon information that matches all of category information, regional information, time information, and schedule information. Then, the coupon information having the highest matching rate with them may be searched for.

Next, the flow shifts to step S312, where the coupon information retrieved by the search is output to the printer 41, and the flow shifts to step S314. As a result, if the coupon issuance condition is satisfied as a result of the printing, coupon information relatively issued according to the user's request is issued.

In step S314, it is determined whether the advertisement issuing condition is satisfied based on the read print history information, and when it is determined that the advertisement issuing condition is satisfied (Y
es) moves to step S316. Step S31
4, the advertisement issuing condition of each advertisement information is read from an attribute data registration table (not shown), and based on the read print history information, it is determined whether the read advertisement issuing condition is satisfied or not. When it is determined that the advertisement issuance condition is satisfied, advertisement information corresponding to the advertisement issuance condition is selected as an issuance target.

In step S316, an advertisement issuance inquiry screen for inquiring the user whether to immediately issue the advertisement information is displayed on the display device 42, and the flow shifts to step S318, where the user inputs the advertisement issuance inquiry screen. It is determined whether or not to issue the advertisement information, and when it is determined to issue the advertisement information (Yes), the process proceeds to step S320.

In step S320, the advertisement designation information is read from the user profile table 300, and the flow shifts to step S322 to search the advertisement information in the advertisement information registration DB 50 based on the read advertisement designation information. Find advertising information that matches Step S
In 322, specifically, attribute data of an attribute data registration table (not shown) is searched based on the category information, the area information, the time information, and the schedule information in the advertisement designation information,
The advertisement information matching the category information, the area information, the time information, and the schedule information is searched for.

In the search using the category information, advertisement information suitable for the interests and preferences of the user is found based on the category information. In the search based on the regional information, advertisement information on a desired area of the user is searched based on the regional information. In the search using the time information, useful advertisement information is searched for within a predetermined period from the present based on the time information. In the search based on the schedule information, advertisement information considered to be optimal with respect to the schedule of the user is searched for based on the schedule information. Here, when searching for advertising information, category information,
It is not limited to searching for advertisement information that matches all of the regional information, time information, and schedule information, and searches for category information, area information, time information, and schedule information to find the advertisement information with the highest matching rate. You may search for it.

Then, the flow shifts to step S324, where the advertisement information retrieved by the search is output to the printer 41, and a series of processing is ended to return to the original processing. As a result, if the advertisement issuance conditions are satisfied as a result of the printing, the advertisement information relatively issued according to the user's wish is issued.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S318 that the advertisement information is not to be issued (No), and in step S314
When it is determined that the advertisement issuing condition is not satisfied (No)
In each case, a series of processing is terminated and the processing returns to the original processing.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S306 that coupon information is not to be issued (No), and in step S3
02, when it is determined that the coupon issuing condition is not satisfied (No), the process proceeds to step S314.

Even if the printer driver including the user registration process and the print management process is updated by version upgrade or the like, the contents of the user information registration DB 44 and the print history registration DB 46 are inherited by the updated printer driver. You. The data is inherited by, for example, a new printer driver installer (installation process).

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

First, a case where user information is registered will be described.

When the user installs the printer driver or inputs a user registration request after the installation, the computer 100 displays a user ID etc. input screen for inputting a user ID etc.

Here, the user performs steps S100 to S100.
After 106, the user ID, password, coupon designation information, and advertisement designation information are input. User I
The input of D and the password is performed by, for example, inputting a numerical value, a character string, or the like into a corresponding text box. For coupon designation information and advertisement designation information, category information, regional information, time information, and schedule information are input, respectively. The category information is input, for example, by selecting a desired category from a combo box or a pull-down menu in which a plurality of categories are registered as a list. The input of the area information and the time information is performed, for example, in the same manner as the input of the category information, or by inputting a character string or the like into a text box. The input of the schedule information is, for example, “period: 1
This is performed by inputting a character string or the like in a text box in a manner such as “2/2 to 12/4 location: Izu”. When the input of the user ID and the like is completed, for example,
By clicking the button of the item "OK", the completion of the input is notified to the computer 100.

In the computer 100, when the input of the user ID and the like is completed, the input user ID, password, coupon designation information and advertisement designation information are registered in the user profile table 300 as user information via step S108.

Next, a case where coupon information or advertisement information is issued will be described.

When the user prints with the printer 41, the computer 100 goes through steps S200 and S204 and prints the date and time, job number, print content, print quality, print processing time, ink And print history information including the used paper and the generated print history information are registered in the print history registration table 320.

Next, through steps S300 to S304, the print history information is read from the print history registration table 330, and it is determined whether or not the coupon issuing condition is satisfied based on the read print history information. As a result, if it is determined that the coupon issuing condition is satisfied,
The coupon issue inquiry screen is displayed.

Here, when the user inputs that coupon information is to be issued on the coupon issuance inquiry screen, the coupon designation information is read out from the user profile table 300 via steps S306 to S310 and is read out. The coupon information in the coupon information registration DB 48 is searched based on the coupon designation information. As a result, when coupon information that matches the coupon designation information is found, the found coupon information is output to the printer 41 via step S312, and the coupon information is issued to the user.

If the user inputs that coupon information is not to be issued when the coupon issuance inquiry screen is displayed, coupon information is not issued and is carried over at the next printing. For example, if the number of printings is 20 times, a 5% discount can be obtained, but if the number of printings is 50, a 20% discount can be obtained. It is more advantageous to issue the coupon information when the number of prints is 50 or more than to issue the coupon information occasionally, so the user may select the latter.

On the other hand, steps S300, S314, S3
After 16, the print history information is read from the print history registration table 330, and it is determined whether or not the advertisement issuing condition is satisfied based on the read print history information. As a result, if it is determined that the ad issuing conditions are satisfied,
The advertisement issuance inquiry screen is displayed.

Here, when the user inputs that advertisement information is to be issued on the advertisement issuance inquiry screen, the advertisement designation information is read from the user profile table 300 through steps S318 to S322, and is read. The advertisement information in the advertisement information registration DB 50 is searched based on the advertisement designation information. As a result, when the advertisement information matching the advertisement designation information is found, the found advertisement information is output to the printer 41 through step S324, and the advertisement information is issued to the user.

If the user inputs that advertisement information is not to be issued when the advertisement issuance inquiry screen is displayed, the advertisement information is not issued and is carried over at the next printing.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the print history registration DB 46 for registering the print history information is provided, and the print history information is generated based on the usage status of the printer 41 by the user and stored in the print history registration DB 46. Then, based on the print history information in the print history registration DB 46, coupon information or advertisement information is issued to the user.

As a result, if the printer 41 is used, coupon information or advertisement information is issued, and the user is motivated to use the printer 41. Therefore, it can be expected that the user uses the printer 41 relatively frequently. Consumables attached to the printer 41, such as paper, toner, and ink, are consumed with the use of the printer 41, so that consumption of the consumables can be promoted as compared with the related art.

Further, in the present embodiment, a user information registration DB 44 for registering user information including coupon designation information and advertisement designation information is provided, and a coupon issue condition or an advertisement issue condition Is determined, and if it is determined that the coupon issue condition or the advertisement issue condition is satisfied, the coupon information registration DB 48 or the advertisement is determined based on the coupon designation information or the advertisement designation information of the user information registration DB 44. The coupon information or the advertisement information is searched from the information registration DB 50, and the coupon information or the advertisement information found by the search is issued.

As a result, coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the designation of the user, so that the user can obtain coupon information or advertisement information relatively in accordance with the request. Therefore, the coupon information or the advertisement information can be expected to be effectively used by the user, so that the coupon information or the advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user can be issued. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printer 41
The coupon information or the advertisement information is issued based on the print content printed in the above.

As a result, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the content of printing, so that it is possible to issue coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user. Therefore, for the user,
Since the motivation to use the printer 41 is further increased, the consumption of consumables can be further promoted.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the printer 41
Is issued coupon information or advertisement information based on the print quality specified.

As a result, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the print quality, so that it is possible to issue coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user. Therefore, for the user,
Since the motivation to use the printer 41 is further increased, the consumption of consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printer 41
The coupon information or the advertisement information is issued according to the user who has used the information.

As a result, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the user, so that coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for each user can be issued. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printer 41
The coupon information or the advertisement information is issued based on the print frequency.

Thus, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the printing frequency, so that it is possible to issue coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user. For example, coupon information with a normal discount rate is issued to a user whose printing frequency is not so high, while coupon information with a high discount rate is issued to a user whose printing frequency is high. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printer 41
The coupon information or the advertisement information is issued based on the type of the consumable used for the service.

Thus, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the type of consumables.
It is possible to issue coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the coupon designation information is information relating to the user's interests and preferences, and includes category information indicating a category of a product or service related to the coupon information, and the advertisement designation information includes the user's interest. And category information indicating the category of the product or service related to the advertisement information, and based on the category information of the coupon designation information, coupon information suitable for the interests and preferences of the user is searched. Yes,
Based on the category information of the advertisement designation information, advertisement information suitable for the user's interests and preferences is searched.

As a result, the user can obtain coupon information or advertisement information suitable for his / her interests and preferences, and can issue coupon information and advertisement information that are highly necessary for the user. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the coupon designation information includes region information indicating the region where the coupon information is desired to be used, the advertisement designation information includes region information indicating the advertisement region of the advertisement information, and the coupon designation The coupon information that can be used in the user's desired area is searched based on the information's area information, and the advertisement information about the user's desired area is searched based on the advertisement specified information's area information. I have.

Thus, the user can obtain coupon information available in the user's desired area or advertisement information on the user's desired area, and thus issues coupon information and advertisement information which are highly necessary for the user. be able to. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the coupon designation information includes time information indicating a time when the use of the coupon information is desired, the advertisement designation information includes time information indicating the advertisement time of the advertisement information, and the coupon designation The coupon information which can be used within a predetermined period from the present is searched based on the timing information of the information, and the useful advertisement information is searched within the predetermined period from the present based on the timing information of the advertisement designation information. It has become.

Thus, the user can obtain coupon information that can be used within the desired period of the user or useful advertisement information within the desired period of the user.
It is possible to issue coupon information and advertisement information that are highly necessary for the user. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the coupon designation information includes schedule information relating to the schedule of the user, and the advertisement designation information includes schedule information relating to the schedule of the user. Searches for coupon information that seems to be optimal for the schedule of the user, and searches for the advertisement information that seems to be optimal for the schedule of the user based on the schedule information of the advertisement designation information .

Thus, the user can obtain the coupon information or the advertisement information which is considered to be optimal with respect to the user's schedule, and can issue the coupon information and the advertisement information which are highly necessary for the user. Therefore, since the user is more motivated to use the printer 41, the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted.

Further, in the present embodiment, the print history information and the user information are individually managed.

Thus, the security of the user information can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the user registration process and the print management process are performed by a printer driver as software for controlling the printer 41.

Thus, if the latest printer driver is used, the user can obtain the latest coupons and advertisements, so that it is expected that the user will always have the habit of installing the latest printer driver. . Therefore, the problem due to a bug or the like can be easily avoided, and therefore, there is a great advantage for the manufacturer of the printer 41.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the printer driver is updated, the contents of the user information registration DB 44,
The content of the print history registration DB 46 is inherited by the updated printer driver.

Thus, it is possible to avoid a problem that when the printer driver is updated to the latest one, the previous print history is initialized accordingly. Therefore, since the user can update the printer driver with confidence, it can be further expected that the user will become accustomed to always installing the latest printer driver.

In the above embodiment, the coupon information and the advertisement information are described in claims 1 to 7, 9, 13, 14,
16 to 19, 23, or 24, the category information corresponds to the interest information described in claim 16, and the printer 41 corresponds to claims 2 to 7, 9, 13, and 2.
It corresponds to the printing device described in 1, 22, or 24. Further, the user information registration DB 44 stores the information in the claims 13, 14, 1.
The print history registration DB 46 corresponds to the user information storage unit described in any one of claims 6 to 19, and the coupon information registration DB 48 corresponds to the print history information storage unit according to claim 13 or 14.
The advertisement information registration DB 50 corresponds to a privilege information storage unit described in claim 14. Step S300
To S324 are defined in claims 1 to 7, 9, 13, 14, 1
Step S200 corresponds to the print history information generating unit according to the thirteenth aspect.

In the above embodiment, coupon information or advertisement information is issued based on print content, print quality, print processing time, user, print frequency, and type of consumables. Not limited, printer 4
Coupon information or advertisement information may be issued based on the printing date and time printed in step 1.

As a result, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the printing date and time, so that it is possible to issue coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user. Therefore, for the user,
Since the motivation to use the printer 41 is further increased, the consumption of consumables can be further promoted.

In the above embodiment, coupon information or advertisement information is issued based on print content, print quality, print processing time, user, print frequency, and type of consumables. The present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured to issue coupon information or advertisement information based on the amount of consumables consumed, the time required until the consumables are consumed by a predetermined amount, or the date and time when the consumables are consumed by a predetermined amount. Good.

In the above embodiment, coupon information or advertisement information is issued based on print content, print quality, print processing time, user, printing frequency, and type of consumables. The present invention is not limited to this, and coupon information or advertisement information may be issued based on the usage frequency of consumables.

As a result, relatively appropriate coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the frequency of use of consumables, so that it is possible to issue coupon information or advertisement information that is highly necessary for the user. For example, coupon information with a normal discount rate is issued to a user who does not use frequently, but coupon information with a high discount rate is issued to a user who uses frequently. Therefore, for the user,
Since the motivation to use the printer 41 is further increased, the consumption of consumables can be further promoted.

In the above embodiment, coupon information or advertisement information is issued based on category information, area information, time information, and schedule information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be configured to include issuance instruction information for instructing cancellation or execution of issuance of coupon information or advertisement information, and to issue coupon information or advertisement information based on the issuance instruction information.

Thus, a user who does not want to issue the coupon information or the advertisement information can stop issuing the coupon information or the advertisement information by instructing the issuance of the issuance as the issuing instruction information. Therefore, usability is improved for the user. For example, a user who desires only issuance of coupon information may instruct the issuance of advertisement information to be issued as issuance instruction information.

Further, in the above embodiment, the coupon designation information and the advertisement designation information are composed of the category information, the region information, the time information and the schedule information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Information indicating the provider and information indicating the degree of the privilege of the coupon information may be included. In the former case, for example, if a user specifies a company that the user likes as a provider, coupon information and advertisement information of such a company can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, some coupon issuing conditions have been exemplified. More specifically, the following examples are given.

First, a user who frequently prints product information and product advertisements of a specific company can be informed that the user is very interested in the products of the specific company. Issue the coupon information to obtain the special benefit, or issue the advertisement information about the product of the specific company.

Secondly, a user who lives in a specific region can receive a privilege such as a discount on a collection of clip art for a hot visit related to the specific region, for example, if the season is a hot summer. Issuing coupon information or issuing advertising information that introduces a homepage with a collection of clip art.

Third, in the case where both the high quality mode and the normal mode are used frequently as print quality, the paper used is various, the printing frequency is high, and coupon information has been issued several times so far. Since such a user can be informed that he / she wants to receive the coupon information and is printing, the user continues to issue the coupon information.

In the above embodiment, coupon information or advertisement information is issued. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other information may be provided. Specifically, the following example is given.

First, when the number of printings by the printer 41 exceeds a predetermined number, "How about hot pot udon?"
And notification from the convenience store. In this case, the print history information is transmitted to, for example, an external network server. When the network server determines that the number of times of printing by the printer 41 is equal to or more than a predetermined number based on the print history information, the network server introduces the user to a convenience store. Send the referral information to the convenience store terminal.

Second, coupon information is issued in order to prompt a user who has low printing frequency to use it occasionally. In this way, even those who do not use the printer 41 very much are attracted to the coupon information and use it.
Consumables can be encouraged to be consumed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the control programs stored in advance in the ROM 32 are executed in executing the processes shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 to 7 has been described. Instead, the program may be read from the storage medium storing the program indicating these procedures into the RAM 34 and executed.

Here, the storage medium includes a semiconductor storage medium such as a RAM and a ROM, a magnetic storage type storage medium such as an FD and an HD, an optical read type storage medium such as a CD, CDV, LD, and DVD, and a storage medium such as an MO. A magnetic storage type / optical readout type storage medium includes any storage medium that can be read by a computer regardless of an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other read method.

Further, in the above embodiment, the privilege information issuing system and the storage medium according to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
Although the present invention is applied to the case where coupon information or advertisement information is issued according to the usage status of one user, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to other cases without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0171]

As described above, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the user is motivated to use a device that consumes consumables during operation. In addition, the effect of promoting consumption of consumables can be obtained as compared with the related art.

Further, claims 2 to 22 according to the present invention.
According to the privilege information issuing system described above, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, so that it is possible to promote the consumption of consumables as compared with the related art.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the third aspect of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued in accordance with the contents of printing, so that privilege information which is highly necessary for the user is issued. be able to. Therefore,
For the user, the motivation to use the printing apparatus is further increased, so that the effect of further promoting the consumption of the consumables can be obtained.

Furthermore, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued in accordance with the print specifications, so that privilege information that is highly necessary for the user is issued. be able to. Therefore,
For the user, the motivation to use the printing apparatus is further increased, so that the effect of further promoting the consumption of the consumables can be obtained.

Furthermore, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued for each user, so that privilege information which is highly necessary for each user is issued. can do. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued according to the printing frequency, so that privilege information which is highly necessary for the user is issued. be able to. Therefore,
For the user, the motivation to use the printing apparatus is further increased, so that the effect of further promoting the consumption of the consumables can be obtained.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued in accordance with the printing timing, so that privilege information which is highly necessary for the user is issued. be able to. Therefore,
For the user, the motivation to use the printing apparatus is further increased, so that the effect of further promoting the consumption of the consumables can be obtained.

Furthermore, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued according to the type of consumables, so that privilege information that is highly necessary for the user can be provided. Can be issued. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, relatively appropriate privilege information is issued in accordance with the frequency of use of consumables, so that privilege information which is highly necessary for the user is provided. Can be issued. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Further, claim 13 or 1 according to the present invention.
According to the privilege information issuing system described in 4, the privilege information is issued in accordance with the designation of the user, so that the user can obtain the privilege information that is relatively desired. Therefore, it can be expected that the privilege information is effectively used by the user, and it is possible to issue privilege information that is highly necessary for the user. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect that the usability is improved for the user.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the user can obtain privilege information suitable for his / her interests and preferences. Can be issued. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the user can obtain privilege information that can be used in the user's desired area, so that there is a high need for the user. Privilege information can be issued. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the user can obtain the privilege information that can be used within the desired period of the user, so that there is a high need for the user. Privilege information can be issued. Therefore, the user is more motivated to use the printing apparatus, and the user can be further encouraged to consume consumables.

Furthermore, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the user can obtain privilege information which is considered to be optimal with respect to the user's schedule, so High privilege information can be issued. Therefore, for the user,
Since the motivation to use the printing apparatus is further increased, the effect that the consumption of the consumables can be further promoted can be obtained.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that the security of user information can be improved.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, by using the latest printer driver, the user can obtain the latest privilege information. It is also possible to expect that installing a printer driver of this type can be expected to become a habit.

Further, according to the privilege information issuing system according to the present invention, since the user can update the printer driver with ease, it is customary for the user to always install the latest printer driver. There is also obtained an effect that further conversion can be expected.

On the other hand, according to the storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program according to claim 23 of the present invention, the same effect as the privilege information issuing system according to claim 1 can be obtained.

Further, according to the storage medium storing the privilege information issuing program according to claim 24 of the present invention, the same effect as the privilege information issuing system according to claim 2 can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer 100.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data structure of a user profile table 300.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of a print history registration table 320.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure of a coupon information registration DB 48;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a user registration process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating print management processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a coupon information etc. issuing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 computer 30 CPU 32 ROM 34 RAM 38 I / F 40 input device 41 printer 42 display device 44 user information registration DB 46 print history registration DB 48 coupon information registration DB 50 advertisement information registration DB 300 user profile table 320 print history registration table 350 Attribute data registration table

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A system that is applied to an apparatus that consumes consumables during operation and issues privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself, wherein the privilege is based on a consumption status of the consumables. A privilege information issuing system comprising a privilege information issuing means for issuing information. 2. A system which is applied to a printing apparatus and issues privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself, wherein the privilege information issuance means for issuing the privilege information based on a use status of the printing apparatus. A privilege information issuing system comprising: 3. The privilege information issuing system according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing means issues the privilege information based on a print content printed by the printing device. 4. The privilege information issuing unit according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a print specification instructed to the printing apparatus. A bonus information issuing system. 5. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a print processing time required for a print process in the printing apparatus. A special feature information issuing system. 6. The privilege information according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information according to a user who uses the printing apparatus. Publishing system. 7. The privilege information issuing unit according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a printing frequency of the printing apparatus. system. 8. The privilege according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a print time of printing by the printing apparatus. Information publishing system. 9. The privilege information issuing unit according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a type of a consumable used in the printing apparatus. Privilege information issuing system. 10. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a consumption amount of a consumable used in the printing apparatus. A special feature information issuing system. 11. The privilege information issuing unit according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit is configured to determine a time required for a consumable used in the printing apparatus to be consumed by a predetermined amount or a time when the predetermined amount is consumed. The privilege information is issued based on the privilege information. 12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on a frequency of use of a consumable used in the printing apparatus. A special feature information issuing system. 13. A system that is applied to a printing apparatus that consumes consumables during operation and issues privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself, based on a usage status of the printing apparatus by a user. Print history information generating means for generating print history information indicating a print history in the printing apparatus, print history information storage means for storing the print history information generated by the print history information generating means,
A user information storage unit for storing user information including designation information by the user; and the privilege information to the user based on print history information of the print history information storage unit and designation information of the user information storage unit. And a privilege information issuing means for issuing the privilege information. 14. The privilege information storage unit according to claim 13, further comprising a privilege information storage unit for storing the privilege information, wherein the privilege information issuing unit issues the privilege information based on print history information in the print history information storage unit. When it is determined that the condition is satisfied, the privilege information is searched from the privilege information storage means based on the designated information of the user information storage means, and the privilege information retrieved by the search is issued. A privilege information issuing system characterized in that: 15. The user information according to claim 13, wherein the user information includes, as the designation information, issuance instruction information for instructing cancellation or execution of the issuance of the privilege information. A privilege information issuing system, wherein issuance of the privilege information is stopped or executed based on issuance instruction information of a user information storage unit. 16. The user information according to claim 13, wherein the user information includes interest information relating to an interest or preference of the user as the designation information. A privilege information issuance system, which is configured to issue privilege information suitable for a user's interest or preference based on the information. 17. The user information according to claim 13, wherein the user information includes area information relating to a desired area of the user as the designation information, and the privilege information issuance means includes an area information of the user information storage means. The privilege information issuance system for issuing privilege information for obtaining a privilege in an area desired by the user based on the privilege information. 18. The user information according to claim 13, wherein the user information includes time information on a desired time of the user as the designation information, and the privilege information issuing means includes a time information stored in the user information storage means. A bonus information issuing system for issuing privilege information for obtaining a privilege within a predetermined period from the present. 19. The user information according to claim 13, wherein the user information includes schedule information on the schedule of the user as the designation information, and the privilege information issuing unit includes a schedule information in the user information storage unit. A privilege information issuing system that issues privilege information that is considered to be optimal with respect to the schedule of the user. 20. The privilege information issuing system according to claim 13, wherein the print history information and the user information are individually managed. 21. The privilege information issuing system according to claim 2, wherein the privilege information issuing system is a printer driver as software for controlling the printing apparatus. 22. The printing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein even if the printer driver is updated, the use status of the printing apparatus held before the printer driver is updated is inherited. A bonus information issuing system. 23. A storage medium which stores a privilege information issuance program which is applied to an apparatus which consumes consumables during operation and which issues privilege information which is a privilege itself or a privilege itself. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process realized by a privilege information issuing unit that issues the privilege information based on a wear condition of the computer. 24. A storage medium which is applied to a printing apparatus and stores a privilege information issuing program for issuing privilege information for obtaining a privilege or a privilege itself, wherein the privilege is based on a use status of the printing apparatus. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute processing realized by privilege information issuing means for issuing information.