JP2002370427A - Coloring agent supply/management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coloring agent supply/management system capable of efficiently supplying a coloring agent by a method wherein a consumption amount of the coloring agent consumed in a printer is counted and the information is received through a network. SOLUTION: This coloring agent supply/management system supplies a coloring agent to be used in a printer 20. The system comprises a coloring agent consumption amount counting means for counting the consumption amount of the coloring agent consumed in the printer 20, an information receiving means that receives information in relation to the consumption amount of the coloring agent counted by the coloring agent consumption amount counting means through the network NW, and a coloring agent supply instructing means that instructs the supply of the coloring agent based on the information received by the information receiving means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coloring material supply management system for supplying a coloring material used in a printing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a coloring material such as ink used in a printing company is supplied in a cartridge, and a fee (coloring material fee) is paid for the supplied cartridge. For example, when a color printing apparatus is used, a plurality of types of cartridges such as M (magenta), C (cyan), Y (yellow), and K (black) are required. , While ordering the required number, and paying for this order.

[0003] However, in such a system, the printing company must always manage the number of cartridges in stock. In particular, when a plurality of types of printing apparatuses are used and the cartridge types used in the respective printing apparatuses are different, inventory management becomes complicated and the trouble of ordering increases. Therefore, there has been a growing demand for a system capable of efficiently supplying a coloring material by performing inventory management on the side supplying the coloring material instead of performing inventory management on the printing company side.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is to efficiently count the amount of a coloring material consumed by a printing apparatus and receive the information via a network to efficiently use the coloring material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a colorant supply management system for supplying a colorant.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A coloring material supply management system according to the present invention is a coloring material supply management system for supplying a coloring material used in a printing apparatus, and counts the amount of the coloring material consumed in the printing apparatus. Coloring material consumption counting means;
Information receiving means for receiving, via a network, information relating to the consumption of the coloring material counted by the coloring material consumption counting means, and a coloring material for instructing the supply of the coloring material based on the information received by the information receiving means Supply instruction means.

According to this configuration, the result of counting the consumption of the coloring material consumed by the printing apparatus can be received via the network, and the supply of the coloring material can be instructed based on the result. That is, since the information regarding the consumption amount of the coloring material is received via the network, the supply of the coloring material can be efficiently instructed even in a place away from the installation location of the printing apparatus.

In the above, when a plurality of coloring materials are used in the printing apparatus, the coloring material consumption counting means includes means for counting the consumption of the coloring material for each color, and the coloring material supply instruction means includes: Preferably, means for instructing the supply of the coloring material for each color is included.

[0010] According to this configuration, the consumption of the coloring material is counted for each color, and supply of the coloring material can be instructed for each color based on the result. That is, it is possible to efficiently instruct the supply of the coloring material even when using a coloring material of a plurality of colors, such as when using a color printing apparatus.

In these cases, the information receiving means transmits the information,
Preferably, it can be received at any time or at all times.

[0010] According to this configuration, information on the consumption of the coloring material can be received at any time or at any time.
The information can be received according to the needs of the side receiving the information. That is, the supply of the coloring material can be instructed more efficiently.

In these cases, based on the information received by the information receiving means, when it is detected that the cumulative consumption of the coloring material has reached a certain amount, a maintenance service instructing means for instructing to perform a maintenance service of the printing apparatus. It is preferable to further include

According to this configuration, based on the information received by the information receiving means, the maintenance service of the printing apparatus is performed when it is detected that the cumulative consumption of the coloring material reaches a certain amount. Can be instructed. That is, by performing the maintenance service according to the consumption amount of the coloring material, the inspection can be performed at an appropriate time, and the work efficiency can be improved by performing the supply of the coloring material and the maintenance service in parallel. .

In these cases, the network is preferably constituted by the Internet or a LAN.

According to this configuration, since the existing network constituted by the Internet or LAN is used,
There is no need to build a new network. Also,
By using a wide area network such as the Internet, it is possible to easily cope with further wide area development.

In these cases, the coloring material preferably contains ink or toner.

According to this configuration, when printing is performed using ink or toner, the present system capable of efficiently instructing the supply of the coloring material can be used.

In these cases, the printer further comprises a maintenance consumption counting means for counting the amount of the coloring material consumed by the maintenance work of the printing apparatus, and the information receiving means has a function relating to the coloring material amount counted by the maintenance consumption counting means. Preferably, means for receiving the information is included.

According to this configuration, it is possible to receive information on the amount of the coloring material consumed by the maintenance work of the printing apparatus and to grasp the information.

In these cases, the printing device preferably includes an electrophotographic printer.

According to this configuration, when a printed matter is created by an electrophotographic printer, the present system capable of efficiently instructing the supply of the coloring material can be used.

In these cases, the printing apparatus preferably includes an ink jet printer.

According to this configuration, when a printed matter is created by an ink jet printer, the present system capable of efficiently instructing the supply of the coloring material can be used.

In this case, it is preferable that the coloring material consumption counting means includes means for counting the consumption of the coloring material based on the number of times of ink ejection from the ink jet head of the printer.

According to this configuration, the consumption of the coloring material is counted based on the number of times of ink ejection from the ink jet head, so that the consumption can be accurately counted. That is, it is possible to more appropriately and accurately instruct the supply of the coloring material.

In the above, when ink can be ejected from the ink jet head in a plurality of unit ejection amounts, the coloring material consumption counting means preferably includes means for counting the number of ink ejections for each unit ejection amount. .

According to this configuration, since the number of times of ink ejection is counted for each unit ejection amount, when the ejection amount per one ejection from the ink jet head is not constant, more accurate consumption of the coloring material can be counted. . That is, it is possible to more appropriately and accurately instruct the supply of the coloring material.

In these cases, the information receiving means is further provided with an automatic cleaning consumption counting means for counting the amount of coloring material consumed for automatic cleaning in order to maintain a good ink ejection state from the ink jet head of the printer. Preferably, a means for receiving information on the colorant amount counted by the automatic cleaning consumption counting means is included.

According to this configuration, information on the amount of the coloring material consumed in the automatic cleaning for keeping the ink ejection state from the ink jet head in a good state (to prevent clogging) is received and grasped. be able to.

In this case, based on the information received by the information receiving means, when it is detected that the accumulated amount of the coloring material consumed for the automatic cleaning has reached a certain amount, a maintenance instruction for performing a maintenance service of the printing apparatus is provided. It is preferable to further include a service instruction unit.

According to this configuration, when it is detected that the cumulative amount of the coloring material consumed in the automatic cleaning has reached a certain amount, an instruction is given to perform a maintenance service of the printing apparatus. Items and members can be replaced at appropriate times.

In these cases, the apparatus further comprises a regular flushing consumption counting means for counting the amount of coloring material consumed in the regular flushing for periodically discharging the ink from the ink jet head of the printer. Preferably, means for receiving information on the amount of the coloring material counted by the amount counting means is included.

According to this configuration, in order to prevent drying of the ink, it is possible to receive information on the amount of the coloring material consumed in the regular flushing for periodically discharging the ink from the ink jet head and to grasp the information.

In this case, when it is detected based on the information received by the information receiving means that the cumulative amount of the coloring material consumed in the regular flushing has reached a certain amount, a maintenance instruction for performing a maintenance service of the printing apparatus is provided. It is preferable to further include a service instruction unit.

According to this configuration, when it is detected that the cumulative amount of the coloring material consumed in the regular flushing reaches a certain amount, an instruction is given to perform a maintenance service of the printing apparatus. Items and members can be replaced at appropriate times.

Another colorant supply management system according to the present invention comprises:
A user terminal capable of transmitting information about the amount of colorant consumed by the printing apparatus, and a host terminal capable of receiving information about the amount of colorant consumed via a network, comprising a colorant supply management system, The host terminal
An order processing for supplying a coloring material to the printing apparatus is performed based on the information regarding the consumption amount of the coloring material received from the user terminal.

According to this configuration, the host terminal receives the information on the consumption of the coloring material transmitted from the user terminal via the network, so that the host terminal can efficiently operate even at a place apart from the installation location of the printing apparatus. Ordering processing of the coloring material supply can be performed. The “colorant supply ordering process” refers to instructing another person (other company) to supply the colorant, or performing an electronic process (document creation) for the colorant supply.

Another colorant supply management system according to the present invention comprises:
A user terminal capable of transmitting information about the amount of colorant consumed by the printing apparatus, and a host terminal capable of receiving information about the amount of colorant consumed via a network, comprising a colorant supply management system, The host terminal
Based on the information on the consumption of the coloring material received from the user terminal, information on the coloring material supply schedule is transmitted to the user terminal, and the user terminal performs coloring based on the information on the coloring material supply schedule from the host terminal. Send information about the supply request of the material to the host terminal, the host terminal, based on the information about the supply request of the coloring material from the user terminal,
It is characterized in that an ordering process for supplying a coloring material to the printing apparatus is performed.

In this coloring material supply management system, the host terminal transmits information on the coloring material supply schedule to the user terminal based on the information on the consumption of the coloring material received from the user terminal. On the other hand, the user terminal transmits information on the supply request of the coloring material to the host terminal. Then, the host terminal performs an ordering process for the supply of the coloring material to the printing apparatus based on the information on the supply request of the coloring material from the user terminal. In other words, since the coloring material is ordered (supplied) after information on the supply schedule and the supply request is transmitted and received between the host terminal and the user terminal, it is possible to prevent troubles such as a mistake in supplying the coloring material. In addition, the information regarding the supply request of the coloring material includes “desiring supply”.
Alternatively, it is preferable that the host terminal performs the ordering process for the supply of the coloring material when the host terminal includes the information indicating that the supply is not desired and receives the information indicating that the supply is desired.

In these cases, when the host terminal detects that the cumulative consumption of the coloring material has reached a certain amount, based on the information on the consumption of the coloring material, the host terminal executes order processing for the maintenance service of the printing apparatus. At the same time, it is preferable to transmit information on the scheduled execution of the maintenance service to the user terminal.

According to this configuration, when the host terminal detects that the accumulated consumption of the coloring material has reached a certain amount, the host terminal performs order processing for the maintenance service of the printing apparatus.
Inspection can be performed at an appropriate time, and the supply of the coloring material and the maintenance service are performed in parallel, so that the working efficiency can be improved. In addition, the host terminal transmits information on the scheduled execution of the maintenance service to the user terminal, so that the user terminal can confirm the date of execution and the like.

In the above, when the printing apparatus is an ink jet printer, it is preferable that the consumption of the coloring material is calculated based on the number of times of ink ejection from the ink jet head.

According to this configuration, when the printing apparatus is an ink jet printer, the color material consumption is calculated based on the number of times of ink ejection from the ink jet head. Supply and maintenance service order processing.

[0043]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a printed matter issuing system to which a coloring material supply management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printed matter issuing system 1 includes a management company 3 that operates and manages the system 1,
It is composed of a network NW and a plurality of (only one shown) printing companies 2 that transmit and receive various information to and from the management company 3 via the network NW and create printed materials (consuming ink). Then, the management company 3 manages the ink consumption by receiving information on the ink (colorant) consumed by the printing apparatus 20 (inkjet printer) from the printing company 2, and manages the ink consumption according to the ink consumption. Print cost). The management company 3 supplies ink to the printing company 2 and provides maintenance services according to the ink consumption.

The printing company 2 has a printing device 20 for producing printed matter, and a personal computer 1 (user terminal: hereinafter “PC1”) connected to the printing device 20 via an interface and communicating via a network NW.
). The printing device 20 is an inkjet printer (inkjet printer)
Is used to discharge ink particles from a plurality of thin nozzles arranged in an inkjet head, and to perform printing on a printing medium placed opposite to the nozzles. On the other hand, the PC 1 stores information on the amount of ink consumed by the inkjet printer 20, and displays the information on the display D1.

The PC 1 also receives information on the amount of ink consumed by the ink jet printer 20, confirmation that ink has been supplied, confirmation that maintenance service has been performed, and the like (hereinafter, “a. Ink consumption information”,
“B. Ink supply confirmation information” and “c. Maintenance completion confirmation information” are transmitted to the management company 3. Further, the PC 1 can display various information transmitted from the management company 3 on the display D1. The displayed contents are “ink consumption list” in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, and FIG.
As described in “Inventory management list”, details will be described later.

The management company 3 includes a personal computer 2 (host terminal: hereinafter, referred to as “PC2”) capable of communicating with the PC 1 of the printing company 2 via the network NW.
The information about the ink consumption transmitted from the printing company 2 is received, and based on the information, various managements such as an instruction for delivery (supply) of ink, an instruction for performing a maintenance service, and a request for an ink fee are performed. Specifically, management company 3 (PC2)
Indicates to the printing company 2 (PC1), the aggregation result calculated based on the “a. Ink consumption information” transmitted from the printing company 2, information on the ink supply schedule, and the maintenance service execution schedule (hereinafter, in order, “A. Ink consumption calculation information”, “b. Ink delivery schedule information”, and “c. Maintenance schedule information”), and further distribute ink (supply to the printing company 2) and perform maintenance service. Implementation, billing for ink, etc. PC2 is a PC
As in the case of 1, various information can be displayed on the display D2. The display contents are as shown in “ink consumption list (by company)” in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, “ink delivery management list” in FIG. 6, and “maintenance management list” in FIG. I do.

The network NW is constructed by the Internet or LAN. As described above, by using the existing network, there is no need to construct a new network. Further, if a wide area network such as the Internet is used, it is possible to easily cope with further wide area development. Note that it is naturally possible to construct a new network for the present system 1.

Here, the printing apparatus 20 used in the printing company 2 will be described. As described above, an ink jet printer is used here as the printing device 20, and is configured to be capable of color printing. Then, printing is performed on the printing medium by ejecting ink from an inkjet head (nozzle) to create a printed matter. Printing inks are M (magenta), C (cyan), Y (yellow), L
Six colors of M (light magenta), LC (light cyan), and K (black) are used, and each is supplied in a state of being filled in an ink cartridge. Therefore, when the ink is insufficient, it is possible to supply only the insufficient ink, not all six colors.

The shortage of the ink is determined based on the ink consumption. Specifically, when one ink cartridge filled with 1 (l (liter)) is used, the remaining ink amount is calculated by subtracting the ink consumption amount from the initial ink amount. , This is endlessly 0
Is judged to be insufficient when approaching. The cartridge that has run out of ink is removed by the user and replaced with a new cartridge. During that time, the inkjet printer 20 stops printing and restarts printing after detecting that the ink cartridge is completely installed. I do.

By the way, when the printing process is restarted,
The ink jet printer 20 performs “automatic cleaning” in order to maintain a good ink discharge state from the ink jet head (nozzle) (to prevent clogging). "Automatic cleaning" is to suction ink by bringing the ink suction cap into contact with the ink jet head from below while the ink jet head is moved from the position facing the print medium to the home position. . The sucked ink is stored in a waste ink storage tank connected to the ink suction cap. Therefore, if a predetermined amount or more of waste ink is stored in the waste ink storage tank,
It is preferable to collect this by a service person.
The “automatic cleaning” is performed immediately after the power is turned on, in addition to when the ink cartridge is replaced (when the printing process is restarted). Also, if print shining is noticeable,
It is also possible to forcibly perform the instruction by the user.

In addition, as a part of preventing the deterioration of print image quality, the ink jet printer 20 periodically discharges a predetermined amount of ink to prevent clogging of the ink jet head (nozzle) (prevention of ink drying). Perform “periodic flushing”. This "periodic flushing"
Is once every 10 to 20 seconds during the printing process,
This is performed by discharging a predetermined amount of ink while the inkjet head is moved to the ink disposal position. At the ink disposal position, a waste ink storage container containing a fibrous waste ink absorber is disposed, and the discharged ink is absorbed by the waste ink absorber. Therefore, when the waste ink absorber becomes saturated, it is preferable that a serviceman collects the waste ink absorber and replaces it with a new waste ink absorber at the time of maintenance service. In order to reduce the time required to move the inkjet head to the disposal position, periodic flushing can be performed by discharging ink to a non-image portion on the print medium.

Next, a method of calculating the ink consumption in the ink jet printer 20 will be described. FIG.
As shown in the “ink consumption table by unit discharge amount (dot size)” of (a), 5 (pl), 10 (pl),
It is possible to discharge 20 (pl) ink, whereby dots (halftone dots) of s (small) size, m (medium) size, and 1 (large) size are drawn. Therefore, the ink consumption is calculated by adding the result of multiplying the number of times of ink ejection (ink consumption per ink ejection amount) for each ink ejection amount (dot size). The calculation of the ink consumption is performed for each of the six ink colors (see FIG. 2A).

The ink unit ejection amount (dot size) per one time is not limited to the above three types, but may be one in which more types of unit ejection amounts can be set. Also, in the type of ink color, the above 6
The color is not limited, and four colors of M (magenta), C (cyan), Y (yellow), and K (black) may be used, or inks of six or more colors may be used. .

The information on the ink consumption calculated as described above (“a. Ink consumption information”) is displayed on the display D1 of the PC 1 and the network NW.
And is displayed on the display D2 of the PC2. That is, the information about the ink consumption is common content (screen) between PC1 and PC2.
Can be checked. The information on the printing cost (see FIG. 2C), the monthly total (see FIG. 3), and the annual total (see FIG. 4) calculated based on “a. Is transmitted to the printing company 2 via the network NW, and is also displayed on the display D1 of the PC 1. That is, these information are also
1 and the PC 2 can confirm common contents (screen).

Next, a method of managing ink delivery (supply) will be described. For the delivery of ink, the management company 3 receives “a. Ink consumption information” from the printing company 2 and performs instructions and management based on the information. As described above, the printing company 2 can determine the ink shortage in the inkjet printer 20 for each ink color by subtracting the ink consumption amount from the initial ink amount and calculating the remaining ink amount for each ink color. When the management company 3 obtains the calculation result indicating that the remaining amount of ink is very small (for example, 0.05 (l) or less), the management company 3 instructs the printing company 2 to supply (instruction to replace the ink cartridge). )I do. The supply instruction is performed by displaying the supply instruction time in red for each color on the display D1 of the PC 1 (see the “supply instruction” column) as shown in the “stock management list” of FIG. Insufficient ink is determined by the user of company 2 confirming.

For example, when a supply instruction for the M (magenta) ink cartridge is issued (the supply instruction time is displayed in red), the user replaces the M cartridge. When the replacement is completed, the inkjet printer 20 detects this, and this information is transmitted to the management company 3 (PC2) via the PC1 and the network NW. And P
"Number used today" on display D1 of C1,
The number of cartridge exchanges is displayed on the display D2 of the PC 2 as the “planned number of deliveries” (P
For the display D2 of C2, see FIG. 6 “ink delivery management list”). Note that the replacement of the cartridge is substantially a request for delivery of the ink cartridge to the management company 3, but the management company 3 does not confirm the replacement (only determines that the ink is insufficient) and delivers (supplies) the ink cartridge. ) May be performed. In this case, a contract between the printing company 2 and the management company 3 (to the effect that the management company 3 supplies ink cartridges without obtaining the consent of the printing company 2) may be made in advance. preferable.

Further, the management company 3 provides information on the delivery schedule of the number of M cartridges corresponding to the number of used cartridges (“b.
Ink delivery schedule information) is transmitted to the printing company 2 and displayed on the display D2 (see the "Today's scheduled use supply date" column in FIG. 5, and the "Today use scheduled delivery date" column in FIG. 6).
The details of the lists (the “stock management list” in FIG. 5 and the “ink delivery management list” in FIG. 6) displayed on the displays D1 and D2 will be described later.

Next, a method of managing the maintenance service will be described. Maintenance service is provided by management company 3
Performs instructions and management based on “a. Ink consumption information” transmitted from the printing company 2. As described above, “a.
The “ink consumption information” includes information on the number of ink ejections for each ink color (see FIG. 2A), but the total number of ink ejections for each ink color (dot sizes s, m, l) The maintenance instruction is issued when the total number of ejections at the time reaches a predetermined number (for example, 1 × 10 ¹⁰ (times)).

The maintenance service sets the scheduled execution date three days after the date when the maintenance instruction is issued, and as shown in the “maintenance management list” in FIG.
The management company 3 (PC2) can confirm the schedule on the display D2. Also, the management company 3
Information about the maintenance service execution schedule (“c.
Maintenance schedule information)) to the printing company 2. Therefore, the printing company 2 (PC1) also uses the display D
This can be confirmed on 1 (see the “Maintenance” column of FIG. 3 “Ink consumption list <monthly total>”). The details of the list displayed on the display D2 ("Maintenance Management List" in FIG. 7) will be described later.

Next, a method of calculating the ink cost (print cost) will be described. The ink cost can be calculated by multiplying the ink consumption amount for each color by the ink unit price for each color based on “a. Ink consumption information”. The ink unit price is as shown in the “ink unit price table for each color” in FIG. 8B, and is set for each date. This is because the type of ink used differs every day. In addition, in addition to the above, various conditions (such as a discount on the ink cost due to excess stock on the management company 3 side and a discount accompanying an increase in the number of supplies to the specific printing company 2 side, etc. The unit price of ink may fluctuate depending on the situation, but it is also possible to fluctuate the unit price each time according to the situation. In addition, it is possible to change the ink unit price for each time zone during the day.

In the present invention, in calculating the ink cost (printing cost), the printing cost is not calculated by simply multiplying the total consumed ink amount by the ink unit price for each color. The printing cost is calculated for the ink consumption amount used to create the printed matter. That is, the printing cost is calculated for the ink consumption amount obtained by subtracting the ink consumption amount used for purposes other than printing from the total ink consumption amount.

Here, the description will be made of the “ink consumption amount used for purposes other than printing (consumption amount outside printing target)”. As shown in FIG. 2B, these include “ink consumption used for performing maintenance service (maintenance)” and “ink consumption drawn during automatic cleaning (automatic cleaning)”. , "And" amount of ink consumed during periodic flushing (periodic flushing) ". Therefore, by adding all the ink consumption amounts used for each, the “ink consumption amount used for purposes other than printing (total non-printing consumption amount)” can be calculated.

If the maintenance service is not performed, the “consumption amount of ink used for performing the maintenance service” on that day is 0 (zero). In addition, the ink consumption in “maintenance” and “periodic flushing” is multiplied by the number of ejections for each ink ejection amount in the same manner as in the case of the above-described calculation of the ink consumption. It can be calculated based on the result of adding the unit discharge amount of the size. “Maintenance”, “Periodic flushing”
In this case, the unit ejection amount is not limited to the above (s, m, l), but may be an ink ejection amount different from that in normal printing. For “automatic cleaning”, the amount of ink sucked by the suction cap is calculated as the amount of ink consumed.

As described above, after calculating the “ink consumption amount used for purposes other than printing (total non-printing consumption amount)”, this is subtracted from the total ink consumption amount to actually produce a printed matter. To calculate the amount of ink consumed (total deduction consumption). Then, by multiplying the “subtracted total consumption amount” by the ink unit price for each color shown in the “ink unit price table for each color” in FIG.
The ink cost (printing cost) can be calculated (FIG. 2).
(C)).

In the above example, the “ink unit price table for each color” is shown in FIG.
(See (b)) and multiplying this by the ink consumption (total subtraction consumption) to calculate the printing cost for each color. However, the ink consumption and the ink price for each color in the consumption are calculated. The printing cost may be calculated by using (refer to) the associated “ink price table (colorant price table)”. According to this configuration, it is possible to calculate the printing cost only by referring to the table without using a calculation program.

Next, each list displayed on the displays D1 and D2 of the PC1 and PC2 will be described.
As described above, in the printing company 2 (PC1), FIG.
The “ink consumption list” shown in FIGS. 3, 3 and 4 and the “stock management list” shown in FIG. 5 can be displayed, and the management company 3 (PC2) displays the “ink consumption list” shown in FIGS. In addition, an “ink delivery management list” shown in FIG. 6 and a “maintenance management list” shown in FIG. 7 can be displayed.

Here, the “ink consumption list” is classified into <current calculation result> in FIG. 2, <monthly total> in FIG. 3, and <annual total> in FIG. The calculation result based on <the calculation result> is shown in FIG.
And <Yearly total> in FIG. In the “ink consumption list”, the management company 3 (PC2) creates a list “by company”, but the list shown here is
This shows a list in “Printing company A”. Therefore, it is preferable that the management company 3 displays "Printing Company A" as a part of these lists (for example, as a title). The printing company 2 (PC
As 1), a display screen of “Printing company A” is shown.

As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, these lists are
All of them show the display at 17:30 on May 1 (Monday) (the contents of the list are updated with the passage of time). First, FIG. 2A shows the number of ink ejections for each ink color and for each unit ejection amount (s, m, l: dot size), and multiplies the unit ejection amount by each unit ejection amount. The total consumption is calculated.
The “total ink consumption amount” refers to all ink consumption amounts consumed on that day (until 17:30) regardless of the purpose.

For the unit ejection amount for each dot size, refer to the “ink consumption table for each unit ejection amount (dot size)” in which the ink unit ejection amount and the ink consumption amount shown in FIG. It is what I asked for. Here, the values in the “s”, “m”, and “l” columns in FIG. 2A are information calculated (counted) by the PC 1, and the values in the “total ink consumption total” column Is information calculated as a result of referring to the “ink consumption table by unit discharge amount (dot size)” (stored in PC2) on PC2 based on such information.

FIG. 2B shows the result of counting "the amount of ink consumed for purposes other than printing (the amount of non-printing consumption)". Specifically, "Maintenance" is performed for each ink color. , “Automatic cleaning”, and “periodic flushing”, and are the sums of these. Also, "Total consumption amount"
Is obtained by subtracting the “total non-printing consumption” from the “total ink consumption”. Here, the values in the “Maintenance” column, “Automatic cleaning” column, and “Periodic flushing” column are information calculated (counted) by the PC 1 and include “Total non-printing consumption” and “Total consumption”. Are values calculated by the PC 2 based on these pieces of information.

FIG. 2C shows the “print cost” obtained as a result of multiplying the “subtracted total amount” by the “ink unit price” for each ink color. “Ink unit price” is shown in FIG.
This is a value obtained by referring to a “color-specific ink unit price table” associating ink colors and ink unit prices shown in FIG. Further, the printing cost calculated for each color with reference to this is added to all six colors to obtain the total printing cost (5,07).
0.5 (yen)) ". This is 1 on May 1
At 7:30, it shows the printing cost consumed for producing a printed material. Here, "ink unit price"
The values in the column are information obtained from the “ink unit price table for each color” stored in the PC 2, and the values in the “print cost” column are information calculated by the PC 2 based on this information.

FIG. 3 shows an “ink consumption list <cumulative total by month>” for one month based on the “current calculation result” of FIG. 2, and the row of today (May 1 (Monday)) Is shaded. The amount of ink consumption displayed here indicates "the amount of ink consumption (total subtraction consumption) used to create the printed matter". Also, "Total printing cost"
Indicates the one shown at the last stage of FIG. 2 (c).

The “ink consumption list <cumulative total by month>” includes the date and time of execution (completion) of the maintenance service,
And the scheduled execution date and time are displayed. This is management company 3
When the service person dispatched from the company gives a maintenance completion instruction (for example, presses a maintenance completion button), the execution time and completion (for example, in the case of Monday, May 1st, 13:00 completion) ) Is displayed on the PC1. This information is also transmitted to the management company 3 (PC2) and is reflected in the “maintenance management list” (see the “maintenance completed” column) shown in FIG. The scheduled execution date and time are displayed based on information transmitted from the management company 3. Further, in the “total” at the last stage of the list, the total month (until 17:30 on Monday, May 1st) is displayed. Note that the values displayed here are all PC2
This is the information calculated in.

FIG. 4 shows an “ink consumption list <cumulative year total>” for one year based on the “monthly total” of FIG. 3, and the row of this month (May) is shaded. . The amount of ink consumption displayed here is that shown in the “total” shown in the last stage of FIG. The printing company 2 is charged by the management company 3 for ink based on the amount shown in the “print cost” column. For example, the ink fee for April is 10
9,871 (yen) (in the case of truncation below the decimal point; it may be configured so that the decimal point is not displayed on the displays D1 and D2). In addition, the year-to-date total is displayed in the “total” at the last stage of the “ink consumption list (year-to-date total)”. Note that the values displayed here are all information calculated by the PC 2.

FIG. 5 shows an “inventory management list” which can be confirmed on the printing company 2 side (PC1).
This corresponds to the “ink delivery management list” that can be confirmed in C2). The upper row of the “inventory management list” shows the “inventory management quantity” (the number of ink cartridges to be stocked as stock) and the “current inventory quantity” (“inventory management quantity”) of the company (printing company A) on that day. (The number of printers used is reduced), “printer model number”, and “cartridge type (type)”.

In the lower left table, the time at which it is determined that ink is insufficient is displayed in red for each color (in the "supply instruction" column). In addition, the number of cartridges is incremented, and the time displayed in red is changed to black. Information on the ink shortage (supply instruction) is transmitted from the management company 3, and information on the cartridge replacement (the number used today) is sent from the printing company 2 to the management company 3 (see “b. The display is updated by transmitting "ink supply confirmation information"). Printing company 2
When information indicating that the cartridge has been exchanged is transmitted from (PC1) to the management company 3 (PC2), the management company 3 responds to the information on the scheduled delivery (supply) date of the ink cartridge ("b. Event information ”).
This information is displayed in the “supply date for today's use” column, and in the figure, two M (magenta) ink cartridges (other one, C (cyan), one Y (yellow), one K (black) 3) will be delivered on Wednesday, May 3rd.

On the other hand, the lower right table shows the supply schedule of the ink cartridges today (as of May 1). In the illustrated example, in the case of M (magenta), for example, one ink cartridge whose supply was instructed on April 29 is scheduled to be supplied today (see the column of “planned number to be supplied today”). At 14:20 (see “Supply Confirmation” column). The “supply confirmation” column is shaded when the printing company 2 confirms the supply and transmits the information to the management company 3 (for example, by pressing a supply confirmation button for each color).

FIG. 6 shows the “(by company) ink delivery management list” which can be confirmed on the management company 3 side (PC2). The upper table is the same information as the upper table of the “inventory management list” in FIG. And that the list is for “Printing Company A”. Further, the “delivery instruction” column, the “scheduled delivery number” column, and the “scheduled delivery date for use today” column of the lower left table are the “supply instruction” column in the lower left table of FIG.
It corresponds to the column “Today's number used” and the column “Scheduled supply date for today”. Also, “Today's scheduled delivery number” in the lower right table
The “delivery confirmation” column corresponds to the “planned supply today” column and the “supply confirmation” column in the lower right table in FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a “maintenance management list” that can be confirmed on the management company 3 side (PC2).
The table showing day / minute is shaded. In addition, the maintenance service schedule is displayed for each day. Since the “maintenance management list” shown here is as of May 1, only the schedule is displayed after May 2. . For example, the person in charge of “Printing company A” on May 1 (Monday) is “Yamada” as shown in the “Maintenance charge” column, and this instruction is given as shown in the “Maintenance instruction” column. It was made at 10:20 on April 28. The maintenance instruction is issued when the number of ink ejections for each color reaches a predetermined number (for example, 1 × 10 ¹⁰ (times)). This information (“c. Maintenance schedule information”) is And the “ink consumption list <monthly total>” (“maintenance”) shown in FIG.
Column).

In the “maintenance completed” column, the time when the maintenance service has been completed is displayed when information (“c. Maintenance completion confirmation information”) is transmitted from the printing company 2. Further, the contents of the maintenance (for example, in the case of the printing company A, cleaning and head replacement) are displayed in the “remarks” column. The information shown in the “remarks” column is displayed based on information transmitted from the inkjet printer 20 to the PC 2 via the PC 1 based on a result of self-detection of a maintenance location (inspection location). The information in the "remarks" column may be the information reported by a service person in charge of the maintenance service by means such as a telephone.

As described above, in the printed matter issuing system 1 of the present invention, the printing company 2 and the management company 3 transmit and receive various information via the network NW, and confirm the information on the displays D1 and D2. can do. Therefore, the management company 3 can quickly grasp the amount of ink consumption in the printing company 2 even in a remote place, and perform various operations such as ink delivery (supply), maintenance service, calculation of ink cost (print cost), and the like. Management can be performed efficiently.

In order for the management company 3 to supply an appropriate (pure) ink suitable for the printing apparatus 20, the printing company 2
Does not erroneously supply inappropriate ink to the printing apparatus 20. In other words, it is possible to prevent deterioration of print quality and mechanical failure due to clogging of an ink jet head (nozzle) or malfunction of an ink circulatory system (from an ink cartridge to an ink jet head), which is likely to occur due to use of an inappropriate ink. be able to.

Further, according to the coloring material supply management system of the present invention, the printing company 2 transmits information on the amount of ink consumption to the management company 3 via the network. 2 (an installation location of the printing apparatus 20), it is possible to efficiently supply (instruct) ink supply. On the other hand, since the management company 3 transmits information on the instruction to supply the ink to the printing company 2 via the network, the printing company 2 efficiently and promptly manages the ink consumption and supply (inventory management). It can be carried out.

When the management company 3 detects that the accumulated ink consumption has reached a certain amount, the management company 3 can instruct the maintenance service of the printing apparatus 20 (which the printing company 2 has) to perform. That is, by performing the maintenance service according to the ink consumption, the inspection can be performed at an appropriate time, and the work efficiency can be improved by performing the ink supply and the maintenance service in parallel.

In the above example, the calculation (aggregation) of the ink consumption is performed on the management company 3 side (PC2). However, the printing company 2 side (PC1) performs the “all” in FIG. Ink consumption total "," non-printing consumption total "and" subtracted consumption total "in FIG. 8B are calculated, and based on these, up to" Cost "(total printing cost) in FIG. You may make it calculate. In this case, only the information on the result (total printing cost) may be transmitted to the management company 3. According to this configuration, the amount of information to be transmitted can be reduced, so that the transmission and reception of information between the printing company 2 and the management company 3 can be performed smoothly.

In this case (when the printing company 2 calculates the total printing cost), the printing unit 2 needs to know the ink unit price. Therefore, it is preferable that the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink jet printer 20 so that the cartridge type (ink type) can be detected, and the unit price of the ink is set to a fixed amount according to the ink type. According to this configuration, the printing company 2
On the side, the ink unit price can be confirmed. Instead of detecting the ink type with the inkjet printer 20, the user may visually confirm the ink type described in the cartridge case or the like.

In this case (when the printing company 2 transmits only the information on the “total printing cost” to the management company 3), the management company 3 cannot manage the maintenance time, so that the maintenance service is not provided. Regarding the implementation, it is preferable that the printing company 2 requests it, or that the implementation is performed periodically irrespective of the ink consumption (discharge amount). Also, in the supply of ink, it is difficult for the management company 3 to perform accurate management (only the information on the total printing cost cannot be used by the management company 3 to calculate an accurate ink consumption amount). It is preferable that the two sides request the supply of ink at an appropriate time.

In the above example, the total number of ink ejections for each ink color is a predetermined number (for example, 1 × 10
¹⁰ (times)), the maintenance service is instructed from the management company 3. However, the number of ink ejections is counted for each nozzle, and when the number of times of one nozzle reaches a predetermined number, the maintenance service is performed. May be performed. Further, the maintenance service may be performed when the total number of ejections from all the nozzles reaches a predetermined number regardless of the ink color.

In the above example, “maintenance”,
The ink consumed in the “automatic cleaning” and the “periodic flushing” is not included in the calculation of the printing cost. However, depending on the contract between the management company 3 and the printing company 2, any one or all of the inks may be removed. The print cost may be calculated. That is, it is also possible to adopt a form in which all the ink consumed by the printing apparatus 20 is borne by the printing company 2.

Further, the management company 3 manages the amount of ink sucked by the “automatic cleaning” and determines that a predetermined amount or more of waste ink is stored in the waste ink storage tank (for storing the sucked waste ink). If detected, a maintenance service may be instructed to collect this. Further, in this case, it is preferable that information on the execution schedule of the maintenance service (preferably including information on the execution contents) be transmitted to the printing company 2. Similarly, the management company 3 manages the amount of ink ejected by “periodic flushing”, and when it detects that the waste ink absorber (absorbing the ejected waste ink) is saturated, A maintenance service for collecting the ink absorber and replacing it with a new waste ink absorber may be instructed. Also in this case, it is preferable that the information regarding the execution schedule of the maintenance service is transmitted to the printing company 2. According to these configurations, the management company 3 manages the storage amount of the waste ink storage tank, the absorption amount of the waste ink absorber, and the like, so that the printing company 2 can save the maintenance management of the printing apparatus 20. .

In the above example, the management company 3 performs the delivery (supply) of the ink. However, the management company 3 provides the company (separate from the management company 3) that performs the ink delivery (supply). An ink delivery instruction may be given. In this case, it is preferable that a company that performs ink delivery (supply) can also refer to the “ink delivery management list” shown in FIG. Similarly, in performing the maintenance service, the management company 3 may instruct the company that performs the maintenance service (apart from the management company 3) to perform the maintenance service. In this case, it is preferable that the company that performs the maintenance service can refer to the “maintenance management list” shown in FIG. According to these configurations, since each company specializes in each job, it is possible to provide a substantial service to the printing company 2.

Further, the present system 1 does not have a configuration in which the management company 3 and the printing company 2 are connected via the network NW as shown in FIG.
PC for counting ink consumption in printing device 20
1 and a PC that calculates the printing cost based on the ink consumption
2 may be simply connected via an interface. According to this configuration, the printing company 2 can use the present system 1 with a simple network configuration, for example, when the printing company 2 simply wants to know the cost of consumables for producing printed matter.

In this case, as an interface, communication conforming to a wired communication standard such as RS-232C, USB, IEEE 1394, Centronics, etc. is possible. (Including those based on the above). According to this configuration, both serial data communication (RS-232C, USB, IEEE1394, etc.) and parallel data communication (Centronics, etc.) can be supported. It goes without saying that wireless communication can be used as the interface.

The algorithm in the method of calculating (counting) the amount of ink consumption according to the present invention is described as follows.
(ROM, MO, etc.) or printer driver software and use this. In addition, these algorithms may be stored in a storage medium (ROM or the like), and may be built in the printing apparatus 20. That is, by incorporating various functions (communication function, display function, and the like) of the PC 1 into the printing apparatus 20, the printing company 2 can use the printing apparatus 20 alone (without requiring a terminal such as a personal computer). The system 1 can be used.

Further, the information transmission / reception may be performed only when the management company 3 or the printing company 2 performs the information transmission / reception operation (at any time at which the information transmission / reception is desired). Transmission and reception may be enabled. According to this configuration, in the former case, the connection fee to the network NW can be reduced (when a network connection fee is required) and the security in terms of security is high.
In the latter case, since the latest information is always obtained for both the management company 3 and the printing company 2, the work (processing) can be speeded up.

The ink is supplied from the cartridge (l
(Liter)), but it may be supplied in accordance with the amount of ink consumed. For example, if the daily consumption of the printing company 2 is 0.2 (l), the management company 3 supplies 0.2 (l) of ink the next day (in this case, the cartridge Instead of supplying the ink itself). According to this configuration, it is possible to supply ink that matches the scale (ink consumption) of the printing company. Further, by supplying the ink according to the consumption amount, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the ink.

Further, in the above example, an ink jet printer is taken as an example of the printing apparatus 20, but a method of discharging ink by deformation of a piezo element (piezo method).
Is preferably used. According to this, since the principle of the piezo element, which deforms when a voltage is applied, is used, the ink droplet can be accurately and straightly pushed out, and the unit discharge amount per ink can be reduced. That is, since each dot can be reduced, high-precision and high-resolution printing can be performed. Further, by reducing the unit ejection amount per ink, the number of ink ejections (ink frequency) within a certain time can be increased. Therefore, by increasing the moving speed of the head, high-speed printing can be performed at the same resolution, and if the frequency is increased and the moving speed of the head is the same as the conventional one, the DP in the head moving direction can be increased.
The I value can be improved. Ink used for the ink jet printer is a dye ink, a pigment ink, a sublimation ink, an oil-based ink, a UV ink, a water-based conductive ink, a stealth ink, an organic EL, or other special coloring material (ejection) that does not directly form an image. Object).

It is also possible to use another type of printing device as the printing device 20. Here, a method of calculating the ink consumption when an electrophotographic printer is used as another type of printing apparatus will be briefly described. The electrophotographic printer converts information of one page of characters and patterns sent from a personal computer or the like into an image as a set of micro dots of a plurality of sizes by a printer controller, and responds to the presence or absence of an image of each dot. An image is formed on transfer paper by turning on / off a minute light source of an optical writing system (laser diode, LED array, etc.). The dot size can be changed depending on the length of the writing time of the optical writing system. Also,
Toner is used as a coloring material, but M (magenta), C
It is possible to create a color print by creating and superimposing images having gradations for each color using color-separated image signals such as (cyan), Y (yellow), and K (black).

Therefore, the ink consumption in the electrophotographic printer is calculated from the result of counting for each (toner) color and dot size as in the case of using the ink jet printer. In addition, the same system configuration as that when an ink jet printer is used as the printing apparatus 20 can be applied to the calculation method of the printing cost, the supply of the (toner) cartridge, and the management of the maintenance service. In this case, the toner used in the electrophotographic printer may be either a powder toner or a liquid toner.

Note that, for example, the system configuration, the operation mode, the printing method, and the like can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention, without depending on the embodiment described above.

[0102]

As described above, according to the coloring material supply management system of the present invention, the amount of the coloring material consumed by the printing apparatus is counted, and the information is received via the network, thereby improving the efficiency. In addition, there is an effect that a stable supply of the coloring material can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a printed matter issuing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an “ink consumption list <current calculation result>” that can be confirmed by a printing company and a management company.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an “ink consumption list <monthly total>” that can be confirmed by a printing company and a management company.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an “ink consumption list <cumulative year>” that can be confirmed by a printing company and a management company.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an “inventory management list” that can be confirmed by a printing company.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an “ink delivery management list” that can be confirmed by a management company.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a “maintenance management list” that can be confirmed by a management company.

8A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a “ink consumption table by unit discharge amount (dot size)”, and FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a “ink unit price table by color”.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 printed matter issuing system 2 printing company 3 management company 20 printing device (inkjet printer) D1 display (printing company) D2 display (management company) NW network PC1 personal computer (printing company: user terminal) PC2 personal computer (management company: host terminal) )

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 106 G06F 17/60 138 138 B41J 3/04 102Z F-term (Reference) 2C056 EA14 EA29 EB49 EB56 EC24 EC26 EC54 EC57 EC72 2C061 AP01 AQ05 AQ06 AR01 HJ08 HJ10 HK11 HK18 HV14 HV26 HV33 2H027 DB01 DD02 EJ15 GB10 HB02 HB13 5B021 AA01 NN00 NN19

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A coloring material supply management system for supplying a coloring material used in a printing apparatus, comprising: a coloring material consumption counting means for counting a consumption of the coloring material consumed by the printing apparatus; Information receiving means for receiving, via a network, information on the amount of the coloring material consumed by the counting means, and coloring material supply instructing means for instructing the supply of the coloring material based on the information received by the information receiving means And a coloring material supply management system comprising: 2. When a plurality of coloring materials are used in the printing apparatus, the coloring material consumption counting means includes:
2. The coloring method according to claim 1, further comprising means for counting the amount of consumption of the coloring material for each color, and wherein the coloring material supply instruction means includes means for instructing the supply of the coloring material for each color. Material supply management system. 3. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 1, wherein the information receiving unit can receive the information at an arbitrary time or at any time. 4. A maintenance service instruction for instructing that a maintenance service of the printing apparatus be performed when it is detected based on the information received by the information receiving means that the cumulative consumption of the coloring material has reached a certain amount. 4. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 1, further comprising means. 5. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 1, wherein the network is configured by the Internet or a LAN. 6. The colorant supply management system according to claim 1, wherein the colorant includes ink or toner. 7. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: a maintenance consumption amount counting means for counting an amount of the coloring material consumed by the maintenance work of the printing apparatus, wherein the information receiving means includes a coloring material amount counted by the maintenance consumption counting means. 7. The colorant supply management system according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving information about the colorant supply. 8. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 1, wherein the printing device includes an electrophotographic printer. 9. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 1, wherein said printing apparatus includes an ink jet printer. 10. The coloring material consumption counting means includes:
10. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 9, further comprising means for counting the amount of consumption of the coloring material based on the number of ink ejections from the ink jet head of the printer. 11. In a case where ink can be ejected from the inkjet head in a plurality of unit ejection amounts, the coloring material consumption counting unit includes a unit for counting the number of ink ejections for each unit ejection amount. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 10, wherein 12. An automatic cleaning consumption counting means for counting an amount of coloring material consumed for automatic cleaning for maintaining a good ink ejection state from an ink jet head of the printer, wherein the information receiving means includes: And means for receiving information on the amount of coloring material counted by the automatic cleaning consumption counting means.
The coloring material supply management system according to 10 or 11. 13. An instruction to perform a maintenance service of the printing apparatus when detecting that a cumulative amount of the coloring material consumed in the automatic cleaning has reached a certain amount based on information received by the information receiving means. 13. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 12, further comprising a maintenance service instruction unit that performs the maintenance service instruction. 14. A periodic flushing consumption count means for counting an amount of a coloring material consumed in a regular flushing for periodically discharging ink from an ink jet head of the printer, wherein the information receiving means includes the regular flushing. 14. The coloring material supply management system according to claim 9, further comprising means for receiving information on the amount of coloring material counted by the consumption counting means. 15. An instruction to perform a maintenance service of the printing apparatus when detecting that a cumulative amount of the coloring material consumed in the regular flushing has reached a certain amount based on information received by the information receiving means. The colorant supply management system according to claim 14, further comprising a maintenance service instruction unit that performs the maintenance service instruction. 16. A coloring material supply comprising: a user terminal capable of transmitting information relating to the amount of coloring material consumed by the printing apparatus; and a host terminal capable of receiving information relating to the amount of coloring material consumed via a network. In the management system, the host terminal performs an ordering process of a coloring material supply to the printing apparatus based on information on a consumption amount of the coloring material received from the user terminal. system. 17. A colorant supply comprising: a user terminal capable of transmitting information relating to the amount of colorant consumed by the printing apparatus; and a host terminal capable of receiving information relating to the amount of colorant consumed via a network. In the management system, the host terminal transmits information on a supply schedule of a coloring material to the user terminal based on information on a consumption amount of the coloring material received from the user terminal, and the user terminal includes the host Based on the information about the supply schedule of the coloring material from the terminal, transmits information about the coloring material supply request to the host terminal, The host terminal, based on the information about the coloring material supply request from the user terminal, A colorant supply management system, wherein an ordering process for supplying a colorant to the printing apparatus is performed. 18. The order processing of a maintenance service of the printing apparatus, when the host terminal detects that the cumulative consumption of the coloring material has reached a certain amount based on information on the consumption of the coloring material. And transmitting information on an execution schedule of the maintenance service to the user terminal.
The coloring material supply management system according to 1. 19. The printing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when the printing apparatus is an ink jet printer, the consumption of the coloring material is calculated based on the number of times ink is ejected from an ink jet head. Or the coloring material supply management system according to 18.