JP2003326775A - Recorder, information providing system and information providing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel information distribution medium for an information provider and to provide a recording material inexpensively by reducing the production cost thereof. <P>SOLUTION: The memory in an ink tank 3 being set removably in a recorder 1 is prestored with information (additional information) provided from the information provider before being sol. When a user purchased only the ink tank storing the provided information records data edited and made by oneself, a printer driver makes an information appending format including the provided information and then makes mixture data by adding the user's data to the information appending format. The recorder records the mixture data of the user's data and the provided information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device, an information providing system and an information providing method, and more specifically, a recording device and an information providing system for distributing the provided information by storing the provided information in a recording material of the recording device. And the method of providing information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a recording device converts measurement data sent from a measuring instrument or the like into a necessary format such as numbers or graphs and outputs it, or is connected to various information processing devices such as a personal computer, It is used to output the data created by this information processing device to a recording medium such as paper. Further, there is also provided one that is directly connected to an image capturing means such as a digital camera and outputs the image data sent from the image capturing means. Particularly, along with the widespread use of personal computers, recording devices such as printers, which are means for outputting to a recording medium, are rapidly becoming widespread.

Generally, a personal computer has a conversion means such as a printer driver in order to convert data created in various forms into print data in a form unique to a printing apparatus.

In addition, the recording apparatus of recent years cannot be used unless recording materials such as ink in ink jet printers and toner in laser printers are used up, but by replenishing these recording materials, durability can be used many times. It is expensive. For example, an ink jet printer sells only an ink tank, and when a user runs out of ink, a user can purchase a new ink tank and replace it with a new one, and then the ink tank can be used again. That is, since the ink tank and the toner are consumable items, the user has a mechanism to purchase new ones when the consumable items are used up. Furthermore, when purchasing these ink tanks and toners, the user pays not only the manufacturing cost of this product but also the manufacturer's profit and the like.

As the information that can be processed by a personal computer is diversified, the frequency of use of the recording apparatus is increased and the recording material is consumed more. Under such circumstances, there is an increasing demand from users for inexpensive recording materials, which are consumables. Further, when the recording material is consumed in a large amount, the consumption cycle of the recording material tends to be shortened, so that the recording material will be widely distributed in the market.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a business relationship between a user who uses the recording apparatus and a manufacturer of the recording apparatus.

Although the manufacturer sells the recording device and the recording material manufactured by itself to unspecified users, the transaction relationship as shown in the figure is established for each recording device. That is, when the user purchases the recording device and the recording material, the transaction relationship is established by paying the consideration A to the manufacturer. Only the user and the manufacturer intervene in the buying and selling of the recording device and the recording material, and there is no intervention of others. That is, the manufacturer and the user have a one-to-one relationship with the recording device or the like as an axis.

[0008]

However, since there is a limit to the reduction of the manufacturing cost in manufacturing the recording material, there is a limit to the decrease of the product price, and the manufacturer sufficiently responds to the user's request. I can't.

[0009] On the other hand, in recent years, there have been companies that benefit from providing information such as advertisements to an unspecified number of people, that is, providing information. Further, such an information provider is in the state of searching for a further medium as the information distribution means, not only the conventional newspapers, information magazines, and banner advertisements on the Internet are sufficient.

Further, although the recording material such as the ink tank and the toner is a consumable product having a relatively short consumption cycle that many users regularly consume with the spread of the recording apparatus, the recording material has been conventionally used. Information such as advertisement other than the information necessary for using the ink tank was not added to the package or the recording material body.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and provides a new information distribution medium to an information provider, reduces the manufacturing cost of the recording material, and provides the recording material at a low cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording device, an information providing system, and an information providing method capable of performing the above.

[0012]

A recording device of the present invention is a recording device for forming an image on a recording medium based on data created by a user, and a memory for storing provided information provided by an information provider, Provided information synthesizing means for producing provided information added data by adding the provided information stored in the memory to data created by a user, and a record for recording the provided information added data produced by the provided information synthesizing means The recording result recorded by the recording means has a form in which the provided information is mixed with the data created by the user.

The information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system using a recording device for forming an image on a recording medium based on data created by a user, wherein the recording device is provided information provided by the information provider. And a recording material that is detachably attached to the recording device, and that when the recording material is attached to the recording device, the provided information is added to the data created by the user. Provided information synthesizing means for creating the provided information additional data, and recording means for recording the provided information additional data created by the provided information synthesizing means, wherein the recording result recorded by the recording means is the user. The provision information provided by the information provider is a recording material having a memory storing the provision information. It sold to a particular user by being mixed in the recording results recorded by said recording means, characterized in that it is distributed to unspecified people.

The information providing method of the present invention uses a host device that creates data that the user wants to record and a recording device that forms an image on a recording medium based on the data created by the host device. In the information providing method using the system, the information provided by the information provider is stored in the memory of the recording material detachably attached to the recording device, and the information provided by the information provider is stored in the memory. A step of transmitting the provided information to the host device, a step of synthesizing the provided information by the host device to create additional information added data in which the provided information is added to the data created by the user, and the provided information. The recording command step of transmitting the additional information additional data created in the synthesizing step to the recording device, and the recording device receiving the additional information additional data record the data. The recording result recorded by the information provider has a form in which the provided information is mixed with the data created by the user, and the provided information provided by the information provider is the provided information. It is characterized in that a recording material having a memory storing therein is sold to an unspecified user and is mixed with the recording result recorded by the recording means to be distributed to an unspecified person.

According to the above structure, the user can purchase the recording material or the recording apparatus at a low price in return for allowing the recording result in which the provided information is mixed in addition to the data created by the user. it can. On the other hand, the information provider can use a recording material or a recording device as a medium for distributing the provided information, and further, the user distributes the recording result in which the provided information is mixed to a third party to use it. It is possible to obtain not only the distribution effect to the users but also a secondary distribution effect.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an information providing system of this embodiment. Reference numeral 1 is a recording device, 2 is a host device such as a personal computer, and the recording device 1 and the host device 2 are connected by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to transmit data. The recording device 1 outputs the data created by the host device 2 to a recording medium. Specifically, the host device 2 includes a printer driver that converts various data created by the user into a format suitable for transmission to the recording device 1. The print data created by the user using various application software is converted into a common format readable by the printing apparatus 1 by the printer driver and sent to the printing apparatus 1. The recording device 1 further converts the recording data sent via the printer driver of the host device 2 into a drive signal for each drive unit, and drives each drive unit to perform recording.

The recording apparatus 1 is an ink jet recording apparatus in this embodiment. This inkjet recording apparatus uses ink as a recording material. In this embodiment, recording is performed by causing a recording head having a plurality of nozzles arranged to face a recording medium and ejecting ink from each nozzle of the recording head during recording. In the present embodiment, a heat-generating heater, which is an electrothermal converter, is provided corresponding to each nozzle, and thermal energy from the heat-generating heater causes film boiling in the ink to generate bubbles, and the pressure generated by the bubbles. Causes a predetermined amount of ink to be ejected. As described above, in this embodiment, the bubble through method is used as the ink ejection method,
The present invention is not limited to this. Further, in the present embodiment, the recording device is an inkjet recording device, but it may be another form such as a laser printer.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an ink tank containing this ink, which is detachably mounted on the recording apparatus 1. The ink in the ink tank 3 is supplied to the recording head side of the recording apparatus 1 and ejected.

The ink tank 3 is provided with a memory in addition to the tank filled with ink. This memory stores information necessary for using the ink tank (hereinafter referred to as “driving essential information”) such as identification information for identifying the type of ink tank. The drive essential information is read into the recording device when the ink tank 3 is installed at a predetermined position of the recording device 1. The recording device confirms the type of the ink tank mounted from the read drive essential information, and performs drive control by a control method according to the type. In addition, in addition to the drive essential information, "additional information" that is not directly involved in the drive of the recording apparatus, such as an advertisement, is stored in the memory of the ink tank. The additional information will be described below.

The additional information is information such as advertisements provided by information providers other than the ink tank manufacturer. For example,
The company logo mark of the information provider and information on the product to be advertised are assumed. The additional information stored in the memory of the ink tank is read by the recording device. Then, the additional information is distributed by being directly output from the recording device and viewed by the user. That is, the information provider can obtain the distribution effect of this additional information. In addition,
The additional information is provided with a recording command to automatically output the additional information when the ink tank is installed in the recording device, and the additional information is output even if the user does not perform any operation. May be.

Further, the additional information is read by the host device via this recording device. Upon reading the additional information from the recording device 1, the printer driver of the host device 2 displays the additional information on a display unit such as a display of the host device 2. When the user sees the additional information displayed on the display, the additional information is distributed.

Further, the printer driver that has read the additional information synthesizes the additional data with the recording data created by the user using various application software. For example, if the additional information is a company logo mark and new product information, the printer driver has a format in which the company logo mark is laid out in the header portion of the recording medium and new product information is laid out in the footer portion (hereinafter referred to as "information attachment format"). Say)
, Multiple types are displayed on the display. When the user selects one of the displayed multiple types of information attachment formats, the printer driver sends a composite of the selected information attachment format and user-created data to the recording device as recording data. The recording device outputs a combination of the information attachment format and the user created data. If the data created by the user is text data such as a document, the company logo, which is additional information, and new product information are printed in the header and footer of the recording medium, and the document created by the user is displayed in the center. Printed. When the output recorded matter is further distributed to a third party through the user, the additional information printed on the header portion and the footer portion of the recording medium is not only visible to the user but also to the third party. Becomes
The information provider can obtain a further distribution effect.

The additional information includes various control commands in addition to text data and image data such as the company logo mark and new product information. That is, an output command that causes the recording device to output the text data and image data,
An output command for causing the printer driver to display the text data and image data on the display unit of the host device, a command for creating and displaying an information attachment format, and data for combining the data created by the user with the information attachment format. Includes synthesis instructions, etc. Obviously, if these instructions are forcibly issued regardless of the user's intention, the effect of distributing the additional information will be higher. However, if the information attachment format and the data created by the user are always combined and output, it may cause inconvenience to the user's use. Therefore, the user can select whether or not to output according to need. It may be.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the distribution mode of the recording apparatus and recording material of this embodiment. Conventionally, regarding the transaction of the recording apparatus and the recording material, there was only a one-to-one relationship between the user who purchased the recording apparatus and the manufacturer who manufactured the recording apparatus, but the present invention further adds the following relationship. .

In other words, an information provider who wants to distribute additional information such as advertisements to an unspecified number of people, instead of having the additional information added to a recording material such as an ink tank, which is a consumable item, asks the manufacturer as a compensation. Pay consideration B. The manufacturer manufactures the recording material to which the additional information from the information provider is added and sells it. In this sale, since additional information unnecessary for using this recording material is added, the manufacturer sets a discounted price as compared with the one without additional information and sells it. A user who purchases a recording material to which this additional information is added obtains additional information that is not originally needed together with the recording material, and the additional information is recorded in addition to the content that is desired to be recorded. By allowing the output, the recording material can be obtained at a lower cost. That is, the consideration C paid by the user to the manufacturer is smaller than the conventional consideration paid in the one-to-one transaction relationship between the manufacturer and the user.

In this business relationship, there is an advantage that the user can obtain the recording material at a lower cost than the conventional business relationship. Further, the manufacturer has an advantage that the recording material can be sold at a lower price than ever before. Further, the information provider has an advantage that a large number of users who want to use inexpensive recording materials can be acquired as distribution destinations of the additional information.

In the above description, a recording material such as an ink tank, that is, a consumable item having a short consumption cycle is used as a destination to which the additional information is added, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be the recording apparatus main body. . Further, the additional information may not be always recorded, but may not be recorded after a fixed period of time has elapsed since the mounting. In many cases, the additional information has a short effective period such as a new product advertisement, and by limiting such an output-enabled period, it is possible to prevent information distribution that would mislead the user.

(Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the manufacturer sells the recording material, which is a consumable item such as an ink tank, but in the present embodiment, the information provider sells the recording material. A mode in which the information provider receives the price of the recording material from the user will be described.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram showing the information providing system of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the distribution mode of the recording apparatus and recording material of this embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the information provider passes the additional information to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer stores the additional information in the ink tank. However, in the present embodiment, the manufacturer 4 does not store the additional information. The ink tank in the state is sold to the information provider 5, and the information provider 5 pays the price D to the manufacturer. Then, the information provider 5 stores the additional information in the memory of the purchased ink tank and sells the ink tank with the additional information. The user purchases an ink tank with additional information and pays a consideration E to the information provider. When the ink tank with the additional information is installed in the recording device, the recording device outputs the additional information as in the first embodiment.

Further, when the host device 2 of the user sends a recording command of the data created by the user to the printer driver,
The printer driver is connected to the recording device 1 and reads the additional information stored in the ink tank. Then, according to the read additional information, the printer driver synthesizes the predetermined information attachment format and the data created by the user, and sends the recording data in which both are mixed to the recording device 1. The recording data is output from the recording device 1. It

As can be seen from FIG. 4, in this embodiment, a direct sales relationship between the manufacturer and the user is not established. In other words, in order to acquire a large number of users who want to purchase ink tanks at low cost, information providers sell ink tanks with additional information attached to ink tanks without additional information by the manufacturer. Sell at a lower price than. The user can obtain the ink tank at a lower cost than the information provider by allowing the information provider's information to be mixed and recorded in addition to the desired content.

In this embodiment, since the information provider stores the additional information directly in the memory of the ink tank, it is possible to flexibly deal with the change in the additional information. For example, the additional information, such as new product information, has a limited distribution period, and it is possible to easily store the new additional information in the unsold ink tank again and store it again.

In the first and second embodiments, the medium for storing the additional information is the ink tank, but this ink tank may be integrated with the recording head.

Although the ink tanks of the first and second embodiments are assumed to be of the disposable type, the present invention is not limited to this and may be of a type capable of refilling the ink. That is, when the user brings in an empty ink tank to the manufacturer or the information provider for the purpose of replenishing ink, the manufacturer or the information provider needs to rewrite additional information in addition to filling the ink. By doing so, new additional information can be distributed to the user. By allowing the addition of this additional information, the user can purchase ink at low cost.

Although the first and second embodiments have been described on the assumption of the ink jet recording apparatus, as described above, the present invention is not limited to the ink jet recording apparatus, and another recording apparatus such as a laser printer may be used. . For example, if a laser printer is used, the new toner may be provided with new additional information if a routine has been established between the manufacturer or informant and the user to periodically collect the toner and replace it with new toner. By adding the information, the information provider can certainly distribute the additional information to a fixed number of users on a regular basis.

[0039]

By using the present invention, the user can
A recording material or a recording device can be purchased at a low price in return for allowing the recording result in which the provided information is mixed in addition to the data created by itself. On the other hand, the information provider can use the recording material or the recording device as a medium for distributing the provided information, and further, the user distributes the recording result in which the provided information is mixed to the third party,
Not only the distribution effect to users, but also a secondary distribution effect can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to bring a new information distribution medium to the information provider, reduce the manufacturing cost of the recording material, and provide the recording material at a low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an information providing system of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a recording apparatus according to an embodiment and a distribution form of a recording material.

FIG. 3 is another example of a system configuration diagram showing an information providing system.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a distribution mode of a recording apparatus and a recording material.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional recording apparatus and a distribution form of a recording material.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 recording device 2 Host device 3 ink tank 4 Manufacturer 5 information providers

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tetsuhiro Maeda             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Hideo Fukasawa             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Noboru Haneda             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Yuuji Nakano             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Kenzo Kawazoe             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation F-term (reference) 2C061 AP01 AQ05 JJ04                 2C187 AC08 AE07 BF60 BG39 CC11                       DB22                 5B021 AA01 DD19                 5C076 AA14 AA16

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A recording device for forming an image on a recording medium based on data created by a user, comprising: a memory for storing information provided by an information provider; and the information provided stored in the memory. Provided information combining means for creating additional information additional data added to the data created by a person, and recording means for recording the additional information additional data created by the additional information combining means, which are recorded by the recording means. The recording result is a recording apparatus in which the provided information is mixed with the data created by the user. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording material detachably attached to the recording apparatus, wherein the memory is provided in the recording material. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is an inkjet recording apparatus, and the recording material is a disposable type ink tank. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording material is an ink tank integrated recording head. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording apparatus generates bubbles in the ink by the electrothermal converter, and ejects the ink as droplets by the generated pressure of the bubbles. . 6. An information providing system using a recording device for forming an image on a recording medium based on data created by a user, wherein the recording device has a memory storing provision information provided by the information provider. However, when the recording material is detachably attached to the recording device, and when the recording material is attached to the recording device, the additional information added data in which the additional information is added to the data created by the user is added. And a recording unit configured to record the additional information addition data created by the additional information combining unit, wherein the recording result recorded by the recording unit is other than the data created by the user. The provision information provided by the information provider is the recording material having a memory storing the provision information sold to an unspecified user. An information providing system characterized by being distributed to an unspecified person by being mixed with a recording result recorded by the recording means. 7. The recording medium in which the information provider stores the provision information in a memory of the recording medium, pays a fee to the recording medium manufacturer, and stores the provision information of the information provider. The information providing system according to claim 6, wherein is sold at a low price corresponding to the fee paid by the information provider. 8. The information provider purchases the recording material in a state in which the provided information has not been input to the memory from a recording material manufacturer, and inputs the provided information to the memory for sale. The information providing system according to claim 6. 9. The recording material is a refillable ink tank, the user carries the ink tank into the information provider or the recording material manufacturer, and the information provider or the recording material manufacturer 9. The information providing system according to claim 7, wherein the provided information in the memory is updated at the time of increfilling. 10. The information providing system according to claim 6, wherein the provided information is advertisement information. 11. An information providing system using a host device for creating data that a user wants to record, and a recording device for forming an image on a recording medium based on the data created by the host device. A recording material that has a memory storing provision information provided by an information provider, and is detachably attached to the recording device; and a transmission unit that transmits the provision information stored in the memory to a host device. The host device, when the provision information is transmitted by the transmission means, provision information synthesizing means for generating provision information addition data in which the provision information is added to data created by the user, and The recording device that receives the provided information addition data, comprising recording command means for transmitting the provided information addition data created by the provided information synthesizing means to the recording device. The data is recorded, and the recorded result is a form in which the provided information is mixed with the data created by the user, and the provided information provided by the information provider is the provided information. An information providing system characterized in that a recording material having a stored memory is sold to an unspecified user and is mixed with a recording result recorded by the recording means to be distributed to an unspecified person. 12. An information providing system using a host device for creating data that a user wants to record and an information providing system using a recording device for forming an image on a recording medium based on the data created by the host device. In the method, provided information of an information provider is stored in a memory of a recording material that is detachably attached to the recording device, and the provided information stored in the memory is stored in the host device by the recording device. And a providing information combining step of creating, in the host device, providing information addition data in which the providing information is added to the data created by the user, and the providing information combining step. And a recording command step of transmitting the additional information additional data to the recording device, and a recording step of recording the data in the recording device that has received the additional information additional data. The recorded result has a form in which the provided information is mixed with the data created by the user, and the provided information provided by the information provider is stored in the memory storing the provided information. A method for providing information, characterized in that the recording material is sold to an unspecified user, and is mixed with the recording result recorded by the recording means to be distributed to an unspecified person.