JP2008167108A - Printer managing device and printer managing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress or prevent the use of consumables for special usage in a printer for general usage that is connected via a network. <P>SOLUTION: In the case of having a response from any printer 100 for general usage, a CPU 21 receives printer information from the printer 100 for general usage having the response. The CPU 21 uses a contract ID and a printer ID included in the received printer information to determine whether the usage of consumables is a usage that honors the contract, and transmits a printing limitation command for limiting printing in the printer 100 for general usage, to the printer for general usage to be determine, when the usage is not honoring the contract. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a management apparatus and a management method for a printing apparatus connected to a network.

  Conventionally, various consumables provided in a printing apparatus are appropriately replaced by a user or a service person when the replacement time comes. Here, as consumables used in the printing apparatus, for example, a toner cartridge, an ink cartridge, a photosensitive cartridge, a fixing unit, a transfer unit, and an intermediate transfer unit are known. In the conventional mode, in order to immediately replace the consumable when the consumable is consumed, it is necessary to purchase the consumable, and when the user purchases the consumable or requests a serviceman when the consumable is consumed. May not be able to use the continuous printing device.

  In recent years, a maintenance contract including a consumable cost has been provided as a form of a maintenance contract for a printing apparatus. In order to realize such a maintenance contract, a technique is known in which consumable information in a printing apparatus is managed by a server computer.

JP 2005-251156 A JP 2005-173500 A JP 2004-90517 A

  However, according to the conventional technology, it is possible to determine whether or not an appropriate consumable is attached to a printing apparatus to be contracted, that is, a printing apparatus for a specific application. That is, it has been impossible to suppress or prevent the use of consumables for specific applications in a general-purpose printing apparatus. In addition, in order to suppress or prevent the use of consumables for specific applications in the general-purpose printing apparatus, it is necessary to make some improvements to the general-purpose printing apparatus.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it suppresses or prevents the use of consumables for specific applications in a general-purpose printing apparatus connected via a network.

  In order to solve at least a part of the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a management apparatus that manages a plurality of printing apparatuses connected to a network. The management device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information about each printing device from the plurality of printing devices, and the plurality of printing devices based on the acquired information. A determination unit that determines whether or not there is a general-purpose printing apparatus in which a consumable product for a specific application is mounted and a use of the consumable product for a specific application is not permitted, and using the determination result, A printing control unit that controls a printing process in a general-purpose printing apparatus in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted.

  According to the management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to control printing processing in a general-purpose printing apparatus in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the use of consumables for specific applications in printing apparatuses that are not for specific applications, that is, printing apparatuses for general applications.

  In the management device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the print processing control unit may be configured to use the general-purpose printing device when the general-use printing device is equipped with the consumable for the specific purpose. The printing process may be stopped. In this case, it is possible to prevent the use of consumables for specific applications in the printing apparatus for general applications.

  In the management device according to the first aspect of the present invention, each of the printing devices has a display unit for displaying various types of information, and the print processing control unit is provided in the general-purpose printing device for the specific application. When a consumable item is mounted, a display indicating that the consumable item is incompatible with the general purpose printing device may be displayed on the display unit of the general purpose printing device. In this case, it is possible to suppress or prevent the use of consumables for specific applications in the general-purpose printing apparatus.

  In the management device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the consumable item is information related to the consumable item, and at least identification information indicating whether the consumable item is a consumable item for a specific application and the consumption of the consumable item. A recording device for storing information about the amount, and each printing device stores usage information indicating whether or not the printing device is for a specific usage; and the information acquisition unit is at least in the recording device The stored identification information and usage information may be acquired from each printing apparatus as information relating to the printing apparatus. In this case, it is possible to determine the use of the consumable product for a specific application in the general-purpose printing apparatus using the identification information and the application information stored in the recording apparatus.

  In the management device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the management device may be a special-purpose printing device that is connected to the network together with the printing devices and is allowed to use a special-use consumable. good. In this case, it is possible to manage the use of consumables for specific applications in other printing apparatuses by the printing apparatus.

  In the management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the printing control unit, when it is determined that there is a general-purpose printing apparatus on which a consumable for a specific application is mounted, the general-purpose printing. Instead of the printing process in the apparatus, or together with the printing process in the general-purpose printing apparatus, the printing process in the management apparatus that is the specific-purpose printing apparatus may be controlled. In this case, it is possible to suppress or prevent the use of the consumable for the specific application in the general-purpose printing apparatus by controlling the printing process in the special-purpose printing apparatus.

  In the management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the management apparatus may be a computer connected to the network together with the printing apparatuses. In this case, it is possible to manage the use of consumables for specific applications in each printing apparatus by a computer.

  In the management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the printing control unit, when it is determined that there is a general-purpose printing apparatus on which a consumable for a specific application is mounted, the general-purpose printing. Instead of the printing process in the apparatus, or together with the printing process in the general-purpose printing apparatus, the printing process in the special-purpose printing apparatus that permits the use of the consumable goods for the specific application may be controlled. In this case, it is possible to suppress or prevent the use of the consumable for the specific application in the general-purpose printing apparatus by controlling the printing process in the special-purpose printing apparatus.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a management system that manages printing apparatuses via a network. A management system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of printing apparatuses connected to a network, a management connected to the plurality of printing apparatuses via the network, and managing the plurality of printing apparatuses. With the device,
Each of the plurality of printing devices is
A storage unit that stores information indicating whether or not the printing device is for a specific application; a consumable information acquisition unit that acquires information about a consumable stored in a storage device included in the mounted consumable; A transmission unit for transmitting to the management device information indicating whether or not the printing device is for a specific application and information about the consumables;
The management device
A plurality of printing apparatuses, an information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating whether the printing apparatus is for a specific application, and information on the consumables; and the plurality of printings based on the acquired information A determination unit that determines whether or not there is a general-purpose printing apparatus in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted and a use of the consumable for a specific application is not permitted, and the determination result And a print control unit for controlling a printing process in the general-purpose printing apparatus in which the consumable for the specific application is mounted.

  According to the management system according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to control printing processing in a general-purpose printing apparatus in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the use of consumables for specific applications in the general-purpose printing apparatus, that is, the general-purpose printing apparatus.

  A third aspect of the present invention provides a management program executed by a computer for managing a plurality of printing apparatuses connected via a network. A management program according to a third aspect of the present invention provides a function for acquiring information related to each printing device from the plurality of printing devices via the network, and the plurality of printing devices based on the acquired information. A function for searching for a printing apparatus in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted, a function for searching for a printing apparatus that is not for a specific application from the plurality of printing apparatuses based on the acquired information, Based on the result of each search, the computer is caused to execute a function of controlling a printing process in the printing apparatus not intended for the specific application.

  According to the management program according to the third aspect of the present invention, the same advantages as those of the management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention can be obtained. The management program according to the third aspect of the present invention can be realized in various aspects in the same manner as the management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention.

  Furthermore, the management program according to the third aspect of the present invention can be realized as a computer program recorded on a computer-readable medium such as a CD, a DVD, or an HDD, or a management method.

  Hereinafter, a management device and a management method according to the present invention will be described based on examples with reference to the drawings.

First embodiment:
Schematic Configuration of System Including Management Device In this embodiment, a printer having a printing function will be described as an example of the management device. The management apparatus may be a composite printing apparatus having a copy function and a facsimile communication function. A schematic configuration of a system including a printer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration of a system including a printer according to the first embodiment.

  The printer 10 according to the present embodiment is a printer subject to a maintenance contract including supply and replacement of consumables, that is, a printer 10 for a specific application. A special-use consumable is supplied to the special-purpose printer 10 every time the consumable is consumed based on the maintenance contract. Details of the consumables for specific applications will be described later.

  The application-specific printer 10 is connected to one or more other general-purpose printers 100 via a local network INT. The application-specific printer 10 is also connected to the external network NE via the gateway server computer GW. A server computer SV is connected to the external network NE. That is, the application-specific printer 10 can communicate with the server computer SV via the gateway server computer GW and the external network NE. The special purpose printer 10 collects printer information, which will be described later, from the general purpose printer 100, and restricts the printing process in the corresponding printer when the general purpose printer 100 is used in a breach of contract. be able to. In FIG. 1, only one special purpose printer 10 is connected to the local network INT, but a plurality of special purpose printers 10 may be connected.

  Here, the general purpose printer 100 is a general purpose printer that is not subject to the above maintenance contract, and has a function of communicating with the server computer SV via the external network NE, and collects printer information from other printers. This means a printer that does not have the function to perform.

The local network INT is realized as, for example, a local area network (LAN), and the external network NE is realized as, for example, a wide area network (WAN). A personal computer that transmits a print job to the printers 10 and 100 may be connected to the local network INT.

  The gateway server computer GW is a computer for connecting the local network INT and the external network NE, and executes communication protocol conversion processing that differs between networks.

  In the present embodiment, the server computer SV is a computer for managing the consumption amount of consumables for a specific application and the usage act that violates the contract. The server computer SV includes a storage device that stores a management table in order to individually manage the consumption amount of each consumable item and whether or not the usage state is in accordance with the contract.

Application specific printer configuration:
With reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an internal functional configuration of the application-specific printer 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the application-specific printer 10 according to the first embodiment in function blocks. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing a print processing program and a print management program included in the application-specific printer 10 according to the first embodiment.

  The application-specific printer 10 includes a printing unit 11, a display unit 12, an input operation unit 13, a network communication unit 14, a network terminal connection unit 15, a consumable information reading unit 16, and a control circuit 20. A special purpose consumable 30 is mounted on the special purpose printer 10.

  The printing unit 11 is a printing function unit that executes print processing using print data received from the personal computer PC via the network terminal connection unit 15 and the network communication unit 14. As the printing method, for example, a charging method using toner and an ink jet method using ink are used.

  The display unit 12 may be, for example, a display unit using a liquid crystal display that displays a text message regarding the state of the printer 10 for specific use, paper jam, consumption of each consumable, or the state of the printer 10 for specific use, for example, It is the lighting display part for alerting | reporting an online state and an error state. A message indicating that the contract is violated may be displayed on the display unit 12 when the special-purpose consumable 30 is used in the general-purpose printer 100.

  The input operation unit 13 is a key / switch operation unit for executing input for instructing online / offline operation, paper tray selection, and power on / off.

  The network communication unit 14 generates packet data for transmission using data prepared by the control circuit 20 in accordance with a protocol method required for network communication, or extracts data desired by the control circuit 20 from the received packet data. Software communication interface. The network terminal connection unit 15 is a hardware communication interface for connecting the network cable CV.

  The consumable information reading unit 16 reads information on consumables from the storage element 31 provided in the consumable 30 for specific use. In the example of FIG. 2, the storage element 31 includes a contact terminal 32, and the consumable information reading unit 16 reads information on the consumable from the storage element 31 by a contact method, but information on the consumable by a non-contact method. Is read out, the storage element 31 is not provided with the contact terminal 32. In this embodiment, a toner cartridge that stores toner is used as the consumable 30 for specific applications. In addition to this, an ink cartridge that stores ink, a photosensitive member cartridge that is used to form a toner image, and a toner image are printed. The application unit 30 includes a fixing unit for fixing on a medium, a transfer unit for transferring a toner image on a photoreceptor onto a printing medium, and an intermediate transfer unit for superimposing color toner images. Both are common in that they are members that are sequentially consumed as the application-specific printer 10 is used.

  The control circuit 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 21 that executes various programs and software modules, and a read only memory (ROM) / hard disk drive (non-volatile storage device that stores various programs and software modules executed by the CPU 21). HDD) 22 and a random access memory (RAM) 23 as a volatile memory for temporarily storing the program when executing the program and storing the execution result of the program. Note that the control circuit 20 may include only a ROM, or may include an HDD in addition to the ROM.

  The print processing program P1 and the print management program P11 stored in the read only memory (ROM) / hard disk drive (HDD) 22 will be described with reference to FIG. The print processing program P1 is a program executed by the application-specific printer 10 in order to execute print processing using the application-specific consumables. The print processing program P1 includes a consumable item identification module M1, a consumable amount acquisition module M2, a print processing control module M3, a printer information communication module M4, and a display control module M5.

  The print management program P11 is executed by the application-specific printer 10 in order to limit the status management of other printers 10 and 100 connected to the network and the print processing in other printers when the contract is not observed. It is a program. The print management program P11 includes a printer information collection module M6 and a print restriction module M7. The print processing program P1, the print management program P11, and each module are executed by the CPU 21 to realize their functions.

  The consumable item identification module M <b> 1 is a module for identifying whether or not the consumable item mounted on the special purpose printer 10 is a special purpose consumable item. The consumable amount acquisition module M2 is a module for acquiring the remaining amount or consumption amount of the consumable when a consumable for a specific application is mounted. The print processing control module M3 is a module for executing print processing according to the acquired amount of consumables. For example, the print processing control module M3 is requested when the remaining amount of consumables is not sufficient for executing the print processing. Do not execute the printing process. The printer information communication module M4 is information on the printer 10 for specific use, for example, firmware version, printer IP address, printer type, printer ID, consumable 30 information, for example, contract ID, consumable consumption, consumable solid ID. This is a module for acquiring the model number and the expiration date for use as printer information and storing them in the ROM or HDD 22 or transmitting them to the server computer SV without storing them. The display control module M5 is a module for generating a text message relating to the status of the printer 10 for specific use, an error, and consumption of each consumable item, and displaying the text message on the display unit 12.

  The printer information collection module M6 is a module for periodically requesting each general purpose printer 100 to transmit printer information and collecting the printer information from each general purpose printer 100. The print processing control module M7 restricts or stops the printing process in the general-purpose printer 100 and restricts the printing process in the special-purpose printer 10 when the special-purpose consumable 30 is used in a breach of contract. This is a module for executing a stop.

General purpose printer configuration:
The internal functional configuration of the general-purpose printer 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the general-purpose printer 100 in functional blocks. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing a print processing program provided in the general-purpose printer 100. In addition, about the component equivalent to the component with which the printer 10 for specific uses is provided, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the code | symbol of 3 digits which made the 1st digit the same value.

  The general-purpose printer 100 includes a printing unit 101, a display unit 102, an input operation unit 103, a network communication unit 104, a network terminal connection unit 105, a consumable information reading unit 106, and a control circuit 200. A general-use consumable 35 is mounted on the general-use printer 100. The consumables included in the general-use consumables 35 are the same as the consumables 30 for specific applications. The general-use consumables 35 are provided with a storage element 36 for storing the amount of consumables. In the example of FIG. 4, the storage element 36 is provided with the contact terminal 37, but as described above, the storage element 36 is provided with the contact terminal 37 when information on the consumable is read by the non-contact method. I can't.

  The control circuit 200 includes a CPU 201, a read only memory (ROM) / hard disk drive (HDD) 202 as a nonvolatile storage device, and a random access memory (RAM) 203 as a volatile memory. Note that the control circuit 20 may include only a ROM, or may include an HDD in addition to the ROM.

  The print processing program P2 stored in the read only memory (ROM) / hard disk drive (HDD) 202 will be described with reference to FIG. The print processing program P2 is a program executed by the general-purpose printer 100 in order to execute print processing using the general-use consumables. The print processing program P2 includes a consumable information acquisition module M11, a print processing module M12, and a printer information transmission module M13. Note that the print processing program P2 and each module are executed by the CPU 201 to realize their functions.

  The consumable information acquisition module M11 is a module for acquiring consumable information such as a contract ID, a remaining amount of consumables or a consumption amount from the storage elements 31 and 36 of the consumables 30 and 35. The print processing module M12 is a module for executing print processing according to the acquired amount of consumables. For example, the print processing module M12 is requested when the remaining amount of consumables is not sufficient for executing the print processing. Do not execute the printing process. In addition to this, a module for generating a text message related to the status of the printer 100 for general use, errors, and consumption of each consumable item and displaying it on the display unit 102 may be provided.

  The printer information transmission module M13, for example, when the general-purpose printer 100 is started up or periodically, printer information in the general-purpose printer 100, such as firmware version, IP address, printer type, printer ID, consumable 35 Information, for example, contract ID, consumable consumption, consumable solid ID, model number, and expiration date of use are stored in the ROM / HDD 202, and are sent to the special purpose printer 10 in response to a request from the special purpose printer 10. It is a module for sending.

・ Consumable information:
The consumable information stored in the storage elements 31, 36 of the consumables 30, 35 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of consumable information stored in the consumable storage element.

  For example, a contract ID, a remaining amount of consumables, and a consumable solid ID are stored as consumable information in the storage element 31 of the consumable 30 for a specific application. In the present embodiment, when X1 is recorded in the contract ID, it indicates that a maintenance contract including supply and replacement of consumables is concluded. The remaining amount of consumables may be a weight instead of a percentage, or may be a consumable consumption amount.

・ Printer information:
The printer information stored in the ROM / HDDs 22 and 202 of the printers 10 and 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of printer information stored as an MIB in a printer for specific use. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of printer information stored as a MIB in a general purpose printer.

  In the ROM / HDD 22 of the application-specific printer 10, for example, a contract ID, a remaining amount of consumables, a consumable solid ID, a printer IP address, a printer model number, and a printer ID are stored as printer information. This printer information can be used as MIB information when there are a plurality of special purpose printers 10 and other special purpose printers 10 function as management stations. The printer IP address is an identifier for uniquely specifying a printer at least on the local network INT, and the printer ID is application information indicating whether the printer is a printer for a specific application. The printer ID may be an identifier uniquely assigned to the printer. In this case, the printer ID is used as application information by associating and using information indicating whether the printer is a printer for a specific application. It may be used. The printer model number is information for specifying a printer product group.

  Similarly, for example, a contract ID, a remaining amount of consumables, a consumable solid ID, a printer IP address, a printer model number, and a printer ID are stored as printer information in the ROM / HDD 202 of the application-specific printer 10. This printer information can be used as MIB information as will be described later. In the example of FIG. 8, X2 indicating that a maintenance contract including supply and replacement of consumables is not concluded is recorded in the contract ID. The remaining amount of consumables may be a weight instead of a percentage, or may be a consumable consumption amount.

Operation of each printer:
With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, a print management process in the special purpose printer 10 and a print process in the general purpose printer 100 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing routine of a print management process executed in the special purpose printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing routine of print processing executed in the general purpose printer 100.

  The print management processing program shown in FIG. 9 is started to be executed by the application-specific printer 10 (CPU 21) at various timings such as when the power is turned on, at predetermined time intervals, and when switching between online and offline. The CPU 21 transmits a printer information transmission request to the local network INT (step S100). The CPU 21 determines whether or not there is a response from any of the general-purpose printers 100 (step S102). If there is no response from any of the printers 100 (step S102: No), this processing routine is terminated. . For example, when the general-purpose printer 100 is not turned on or the general-purpose printer 100 is not connected to the local network INT, a response from the general-purpose printer 100 cannot be obtained.

  If there is a response from any of the general purpose printers 100 (step S102: Yes), the CPU 21 receives printer information from the general purpose printer 100 that has responded (step S104). Whether or not there is a response in step S102 may be determined based on whether or not printer information is received from the general-purpose printer 100, or may be determined based on whether or not a printer information transmission request is received.

  Here, the exchange of printer information between the printer for specific use 10 and the printer for general use 100 is, for example, a protocol for monitoring and controlling communication devices connected to the network in the TCP / IP network. This is realized by using a simple network management program (SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)). In this embodiment, the printer 10 for specific use is a management station (manager), and the printer 100 for general use is a management target device (agent). In the simple network management program, the management target device has an information database called a management information base (MIB) in the storage device, and the management station performs various operations on the management target device based on the MIB of the management target device. Settings and processing can be executed. Alternatively, the exchange of printer information between the special-purpose printer 10 and the general-purpose printer 100 may be realized by a unique printer information transmission / reception program.

  Using the contract ID and printer ID included in the received printer information, the CPU 21 determines whether or not the use of the consumable item is a use that complies with the contract (step S106). Specifically, it is determined whether the printer that has transmitted the printer information being determined using the printer ID is the printer 10 for specific use or the printer 100 for general use, and further, the printer is installed using the contract ID. It is determined whether the consumable item used is a consumable item 30 for a specific use or a consumable item 35 for general use. Next, when the special-purpose consumable 30 is mounted on the general-purpose printer 100, it is determined that the contract is not observed.

  When the contract is observed (step S106: Yes), the CPU 21 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, when the contract is not observed (step S106: No), the CPU 21 transmits a print restriction command to the general-purpose printer 100 that is the determination target (step S108).

  The print restriction command transmitted by the CPU 21 is, for example, a command for taking the target general-purpose printer 100 offline, a command for changing the print quality to lower (draft printing), a command for changing the color printing to monochrome printing, or a contract violation A command to print that it is a watermark is included. These commands are realized by changing the MIB in the general-purpose printer 100 by SNMP. That is, when the MIB is used, the general-purpose printer 100 performs various settings with reference to the MIB. Therefore, by sending a command for changing various setting items included in the MIB as a print restriction command, The mode of the printing process in the general purpose printer 100 can be changed. When using a unique program, a specific print restriction command is transmitted as a print restriction command.

  Alternatively, a command for initializing the target general-purpose printer 100 and a command for clearing (erasing) a print job stored in the print buffer memory of the target general-purpose printer 100 are included. These commands are realized by extending the MIB or by a unique printer information transmission / reception program.

  The CPU 21 creates server report information using the printer information collected from the general purpose printer 100 (step 110), transmits the report information to the server computer SV (step S112), and ends this processing routine. The server report information may be information as it is the collected printer information, or may be specific information such as whether there is a contract violation, a consumable item ID, and a printer ID.

  A printing process executed in the general-purpose printer 100 as the management target apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. Although the management target device is not limited to the general-purpose printer 100, the general-purpose printer 100 will be described as an example in order to explain the points of this embodiment.

  The CPU 201 collects the above-described information as printer information when the general-purpose printer 100 is started up or a consumable is mounted, and stores the information in the HDD 202. The collected printer information is stored in the HDD 202 as an MIB in the form shown in FIG. When the CPU 201 receives a printer information transmission request from the special purpose printer 10 that is a management station (step S200), the CPU 201 transmits a reception confirmation notification to the special purpose printer 10 or without transmitting a reception confirmation notification. For example, the printer information shown in FIG. 7 is transmitted to the application-specific printer 10 (step S202).

  When the CPU 201 receives the print restriction command from the special purpose printer 10 after transmitting the printer information to the special purpose printer 10 (step 204: Yes), the CPU 201 executes the printing process according to the received print restriction command. (Step S206), and this processing routine is completed. Specifically, when the MIB is used, a command for changing various setting items included in the MIB is received as a print restriction command. Alternatively, when a unique program is used, a specific print restriction command is received as a print restriction command. The mode of the printing process according to the printing restriction command is as described above.

  On the other hand, if the CPU 201 does not receive a print restriction command from the application-specific printer 10 after transmitting the printer information to the application-specific printer 10 (step 204: No), it prints according to the print request as usual. Processing is executed (step S208), and this processing routine ends.

  According to the application printer 10 for the specific application according to the first embodiment described above, the status of the printer 100 for general use, the printer 100 for general use, as printer information from the printer 100 for general use connected via the network. It is possible to acquire information on consumables attached to the. By using the printer information, the special purpose printer 10 can determine whether or not the special purpose consumable 30 is mounted on the general purpose printer 100.

  Therefore, it is possible to detect the use of the consumable 30 for the specific application in the general-use printer 100 for which the contract is violated and the maintenance contract is not concluded. Further, when a contract violation is detected, the printing process in the general-purpose printer 100 that causes the contract violation from the specific-use printer 10 can be stopped and restricted. As a result, it is possible to suppress or eliminate the violation of the contract that the consumable 30 for specific use is used in the general-use printer 100 that is not subject to the maintenance contract.

  In addition, when a violation of the contract is detected, not only the stop / restriction of the printing process in the general-purpose printer 100 that violates the contract, but additionally, the printing process in the specific-use printer 10 is stopped / restricted. Also good. In this case, a violation of the contract that the consumable 30 for the specific use is used in the general purpose printer 100 that is not subject to the maintenance contract may be suppressed or eliminated by a penalty of a restriction on printing processing in the special purpose printer 10. it can.

  A plurality of special purpose printers 10 may be arranged in the same network. In this case, a general purpose printer 100 to be managed may be assigned to each special purpose printer 10, or Only one specific application printer 10 may function as a management station.

Modification of the first embodiment:
(1) In the above description, is the consumable item used in the general-purpose printer 100 that is a management target device used in the general-purpose printer 100 using the consumable item contract ID and printer ID in the special-purpose printer 10? It is determined whether or not. On the other hand, in each general-purpose printer 100, it may be determined whether or not a consumable product for a specific application is mounted and stored in the HDD 202 as part of the printer information. In this case, the special purpose printer 10 determines whether or not consumables that comply with the contract are used in the general purpose printer 100 based on the printer ID and the presence or absence of the special purpose consumables. Can be determined.

  With reference to FIG. 11, the consumable item determination storage process executed in the general-purpose printer 100 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing routine of consumable item determination storage processing executed in the general-purpose printer 100.

  When the CPU 201 acquires the consumable information from the storage elements 31 and 36 of the mounted consumables 30 and 35, the consumable that is mounted based on the contract ID is a contract consumable, that is, a consumable 30 for a specific application. It is determined whether or not (step S400). If the CPU 201 determines that the special-use consumable 30 is attached (step S400: Yes), the CPU 201 records the attachment of the special-use consumable 30 in the HDD 202 (step S402), and ends this processing routine. To do.

  If the CPU 201 determines that the special-use consumable 30 is not attached (step S400: No), the CPU 201 deletes the record of the attachment of the special-use consumable 30 recorded in the HDD 202 (step S404). This processing routine ends.

Second embodiment:
A management apparatus and management method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, a personal computer connected to a plurality of printers via a network will be described as an example of the management apparatus.

  A schematic configuration of a system including a personal computer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration of a system including a personal computer according to the second embodiment.

  The personal computer PC according to the present embodiment executes a management process performed by the application-specific printer 10 in the first embodiment to determine whether or not the use of consumables is based on a maintenance contract. In addition, about the apparatus same as each apparatus demonstrated in 1st Example, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  The personal computer PC is connected to the printer 10 for specific use and the printer 100 for general use via the local network INT. The personal computer PC is connected to the external network NE via the gateway server computer GW, and the server computer SV is connected via the external network NE.

Personal computer configuration:
The internal functional configuration of the personal computer PC according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the personal computer PC according to the second embodiment in function blocks. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing a printer management program provided in the personal computer PC according to the second embodiment.

  The personal computer PC includes an input operation unit P13, a network communication unit P14, a network terminal connection unit P15, and a control circuit P20.

  The input operation unit P13 is an operation unit for inputting a print condition setting and a print instruction, such as a keyboard and a mouse (not shown).

  The network communication unit P14 generates transmission packet data using data prepared by the control circuit P20 in accordance with a protocol method required for network communication, or extracts data desired by the control circuit P20 from the received packet data. Software communication interface. The network terminal connection unit P15 is a hardware communication interface for connecting the network cable CV.

  The control circuit P20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) P21 that executes various programs and software modules, a hard disk drive (HDD) P22 as a nonvolatile storage device that stores various programs executed by the CPUP21, and a software module. A random access memory (RAM) P23 is provided as a volatile memory for temporarily storing the program and storing the execution result of the program.

  The printer management program P3 stored in the hard disk drive (HDD) P22 will be described with reference to FIG. The printer management program P3 is a program executed by the personal computer PC in order to manage the special purpose printer 10 and the general purpose printer 100 connected via the local network INT. The printer management program P3 includes a consumable item identification module M31, a print processing control module M32, a printer information communication module M33, and a printer information collection module M34. The hard disk drive (HDD) P22 stores one or a plurality of printer drivers P4 corresponding to the special-purpose printer 10 and the general-purpose printer 100 connected via the local network INT. The printer management program P3, each module, and the printer driver P4 are executed by the CPU P21 to realize their functions.

  The consumable item identification module M31 is a module for identifying whether or not the consumable item attached to each of the printers 10 and 100 is a consumable item for a specific application. The consumable item identification module M31 uses, for example, the contract ID included in the printer information, and the consumable item mounting information for specific use recorded in each printer, so that the consumable item mounted on each printer 10, 100 is consumable for the specific purpose. Identify whether it is a product.

  The print processing control module M32 is used when the special-use consumable 30 is used in a form that violates the contract, for example, when the special-use consumable 30 is attached to the general-use printer 100. This is a module for restricting print processing in the printer.

  The printer information communication module M34 includes information on each printer 10, 100, such as firmware version, printer IP address, printer model, printer ID, consumables 30, 35, such as contract ID, consumable consumption, consumable. This is a module for acquiring the solid ID, model number, and expiration date of use as printer information and storing them in the HDDP 22 or transmitting them to the server computer SV without storing them.

  The printer information collection module M6 is a module for periodically requesting the printers 10 and 100 to transmit printer information and collecting printer information from the printers 10 and 100.

  The printer driver P4 is driver software for printer control used by being installed in the HDDP22 of the personal computer PC, and may be used in common for a plurality of types of printers. On the personal computer PC, a printer port monitor is generated every time a printer is installed.

Management process in personal computer:
With reference to FIG. 15, the management process executed in the personal computer according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a processing routine of management processing executed in the personal computer according to the second embodiment.

  The management processing program shown in FIG. 15 is started to be executed by the personal computer PC (CPUP21) at a predetermined timing, for example, when the power is turned on, at a predetermined time interval, or when a print request is input. CPUP21 transmits a printer information transmission request to local network INT (step S300). The CPU P21 determines whether or not there is a response from any of the printers 10 and 100 (step S302), and when there is no response from any of the printers 10 and 100 (step S302: No), this processing routine is terminated. To do. For example, when none of the printers 10 and 100 are turned on, and when neither of the printers 10 and 100 is connected to the local network INT, a response from each printer 10 or 100 cannot be obtained.

  When there is a response from any of the printers 10 and 100 (step S302: Yes), the CPU P21 receives printer information from the printers 10 and 100 that have responded (step S304). Whether or not there is a response in step S302 may be determined based on whether or not printer information is received from the printers 10 and 100, or may be determined based on whether or not a printer information transmission request is received.

  Here, the exchange of printer information between the personal computer PC and the printer for specific use 10 and the printer for general use 100 is performed by, for example, monitoring and communicating communication devices connected to the network in the TCP / IP network. This is realized by using a simple network management program (SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)) which is a protocol for control. In this embodiment, the personal computer PC is a management station, and the printers 10 and 100 are management target devices. Alternatively, the exchange of printer information between the personal computer PC and each of the printers 10 and 100 may be realized by a unique printer information transmission / reception program.

  The CPUP 21 determines whether or not the use of the consumable is a use complying with the contract, using the contract ID and the printer ID included in the received printer information (step S306). Specifically, it is determined whether the printer that has transmitted the printer information being determined using the printer ID is the printer 10 for specific use or the printer 100 for general use, and further, the printer is installed using the contract ID. It is determined whether the consumable item used is a consumable item 30 for a specific use or a consumable item 35 for general use. The CPUP 21 determines that the contract is not observed when the special purpose consumable 30 is attached to the general purpose printer 100.

  When the contract is observed (step S306: Yes), the CPUP21 proceeds to step S314. On the other hand, when the contract is not observed (step S306: No), the CPUP21 searches the HDDP22 for a printer driver of the corresponding printer (step S308). The CPUP 21 can specify and search for the corresponding printer (printer driver) based on the IP address of the printer. When the CPU P21 searches for the printer driver of the printer (step S310: Yes), it deletes the printer port monitor corresponding to the printer driver of the printer (step S312). As a result, a print request cannot be transmitted from the personal computer PC to the printer, and usage patterns that violate the contract can be suppressed or prevented. Alternatively, the printing process in the application-specific printer 10 may also be stopped.

  If the CPU P21 cannot find a printer driver for the printer (step S310: No), the CPU P21 proceeds to step S314. This is because if the printer driver for the printer is not installed in the HDDP 22, printing cannot be executed from the personal computer PC via the printer.

  The CPUP 21 creates server report information using the printer information collected from the corresponding printer (step S314), transmits the report information to the server computer SV (step S316), and ends this processing routine. The server report information may be information as it is the collected printer information, or may be specific information such as whether there is a contract violation, a consumable item ID, and a printer ID.

  For example, the printer information transmission process executed in the special-purpose printer 10 and the general-purpose printer 100 as the management target device is executed as follows. In the following example, the application-specific printer 10 will be described as an example.

  The CPU 21 collects the above-described information as printer information when the application-specific printer 10 is activated or a consumable is mounted, and stores it in the HDD 23. When the CPU 21 receives the printer information transmission request from the personal computer PC which is the management station, the CPU 21 transmits the reception confirmation notification to the personal computer PC, or transmits the printer information to the personal computer PC without transmitting the reception confirmation notification. Send to.

  According to the personal computer PC according to the second embodiment described above, printer information can be collected from the printers 10 and 100 connected via the network INT. Therefore, the personal computer PC can use the contract ID and printer ID of the consumables in the collected printer information to determine whether or not the use of the consumable 30 for the specific application is a use that complies with the contract. it can. Since the personal computer PC deletes the printer port monitor corresponding to the printer when the use of the consumable 30 for the specific application in the printer falls under the contract violation, the consumption for the specific use in a mode that violates the contract. The use of the product 30 can be suppressed or prevented.

  When the use of the special-purpose consumable 30 in the general-purpose printer 100 falls under contract, the personal computer PC is not limited to the printer, or instead of the printer, the special-purpose printer 10 The printer port monitor corresponding to may be deleted. In particular, in the case where the use of the special-purpose printer 10 to be contracted is restricted in addition to the printer, the use of the special-purpose consumable 30 in a mode that violates the contract can be further suppressed or prevented. .

Modification of the second embodiment:
In the second embodiment, when the use of the special-purpose consumable 30 in the printer falls under contract, the printing process in the printer or the printing process in the special-purpose printer 10 is stopped. As described above, various warnings may be displayed on the display monitor DS of the personal computer PC in place of or without the printing process. Examples of warning display on the display monitor DS will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of warning display displayed on the display monitor in a modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of warning display displayed on the display monitor in a modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a third example of the warning display displayed on the display monitor in the modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing a fourth example of the warning display displayed on the display monitor in the modification of the second embodiment.

  In the first example shown in FIG. 16, a display that specifies and displays a printer that uses the application-specific consumable 30 in a contract violation manner on the display monitor DS and requests to cancel the use is illustrated. . In the second example shown in FIG. 17, the display for requesting to stop using the consumable 30 for a specific application is used on the display monitor DS in a manner in violation of the contract. In the third example shown in FIG. 18, a display for canceling the printing process is illustrated on the display monitor DS where the consumable 30 for a specific application is used in a contract violation mode. In the fourth example shown in FIG. 19, a display that identifies and displays a printer that uses the application-specific consumable 30 in a contract violation manner on the display monitor DS, and stops printing processing in the identified printer. Is illustrated.

  In the above example in which the printing process is executed via the personal computer PC, the user looks at the display monitor DS of the personal computer PC. It is possible to visually stop the unauthorized use and to expect the unauthorized use.

Other examples:
(1) In each of the above-described embodiments, the application-specific printer 10 is a printer subject to a maintenance contract including supply of consumables, and collects printer information from other printers and a server computer on an external network. This means a printer that can communicate with the SV. However, the printer subject to the maintenance contract has the same configuration as the general-use printer 100 that does not have the function of collecting printer information from other printers and the function of communicating with the server computer SV on the external network, and is consumed. Printers subject to maintenance contracts including supply of products may be included. In this case, the special-purpose consumable 30 is used in accordance with the maintenance contract and is not contrary to the present embodiment.

  Since the application-specific printer 10 can communicate with the server computer SV via the local network INT and the external network NE, for example, information regarding the amount of consumption of consumables may be acquired from the server computer SV. In this case, information indicating that the remaining amount of the consumable item is 0 may be stored in the storage element 31 provided in the consumable item 30 for the specific application. By adopting such an aspect, the general-purpose printer 100 can acquire only information on the remaining amount = 0 from the consumable 30 for specific use, and effectively cannot execute the printing process.

  When the maintenance contract is applied to the general-purpose printer 100 that cannot communicate with the server computer SV under the above conditions, the amount of consumables may be acquired from the server computer SV via the special-purpose printer 10, for example.

(2) The consumable information acquisition module M11 described in the first embodiment not only acquires the consumable information from the consumables 30 and 31, but the consumables 30 and 31 have a specific use based on the acquired contract ID. A function may be provided for determining whether the product is a consumable 30 for use or a consumable 35 for general use.

(3) In the first embodiment, if an unauthorized use of the consumable 30 for specific use is found, even if the use in the form of breach of contract is displayed on the display unit 102 of the printer 100 for general use good. This aspect is realized by, for example, extending the display MIB included in the general-purpose printer 100 so that bitmap data input from the outside is output as it is. In this case, when the printing process is stopped, the user can be visually informed that the usage mode is in violation of the contract.

(4) The transmission of the server report information to the server computer SV, which is executed by the application-specific printer 10 and the personal computer PC in each of the above embodiments, may be executed together with the print processing restriction process or may be executed alone. May be. In any case, on the server computer SV, information on whether or not the usage mode of consumables is used within the contract range is recorded for each printer.

(5) Further, in the above-described embodiments, the fact that the special-purpose consumable 30 is used in the general-purpose printer 100 is recorded in the HDDP 22 of the special-purpose printer 10, and maintenance such as replacement of consumables is performed. You may enable it to be checked by a service person at the time of work. In this case, whether or not the special-purpose consumable 30 is used illegally can be confirmed even in an environment where the special-purpose printer 10 cannot communicate with the external network.

(6) The management process in each of the above embodiments can also be realized by a computer-readable medium storing a management process program, such as a CDROM, DVDROM, or HDD. In this case, for example, the above-described print restriction processing function may be added to the application-specific printer 10 and the personal computer PC by a subsequent version upgrade or the like.

(7) In each of the above embodiments, the use of the special-use consumables 30 in a mode that violates the contract in the general-use printer 100 is suppressed or eliminated. The use of consumables 30 for specific applications that do not match the above may be excluded. For example, in the case where a plurality of quality grade toners and inks are used, the case where the use of the consumables 30 for specific applications with different grades is suppressed when a maintenance contract corresponding to the grade is concluded is applicable.

(8) Searching for the general-purpose printer 100 to which the consumables for specific applications are mounted, in other words, specifying the printer that is used in a mode that does not comply with the contract, uses the printer information. A printer to which a consumable 30 for a specific application is mounted is searched for, and a printer 100 for general use that is not for a specific application is searched from among a plurality of printers using printer information. Based on each search result. May be executed. In this case, if there is no printer on which the consumable 30 for a specific application is installed or if the printer 100 for general use does not exist, the other search process may not be executed.

(9) In the first embodiment, when the general-purpose printer 100 uses the special-purpose consumable 30 in a contract violation manner, printing in the general-purpose printer 100 is restricted. Instead, a message indicating that the contract is violated may be displayed on at least one of the display units 12 and 112 of the printer 10 for specific use and the printer 100 for general use. As the contents of the message, for example, the contents shown in FIGS. 16 to 19 are used in the second embodiment.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the Example and the modification, Embodiment mentioned above is for making an understanding of this invention easy, and does not limit this invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention.

It is explanatory drawing which shows typically schematic structure of the system containing the printer which concerns on a 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the printer for specific uses which concerns on a 1st Example with a functional block. It is explanatory drawing which shows notionally the print processing program with which the printer for specific uses based on a 1st Example and a print management program are provided. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the printer for general uses with a functional block. It is explanatory drawing which shows notionally the printing processing program with which the printer for general uses is provided. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of consumables information stored in the storage element of consumables. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the printer information stored as MIB of a specific application printer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the printer information stored as MIB of the printer for general uses. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing routine of a print management process executed in the application-specific printer according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing routine of a printing process executed in a general purpose printer. It is a flowchart which shows the processing routine of the consumables determination storage process performed in the printer for general uses. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically schematic structure of the system containing the personal computer which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of personal computer PC which concerns on a 2nd Example with a functional block. It is explanatory drawing which shows notionally the printer management program with which personal computer PC concerning a 2nd Example is provided. It is a flowchart which shows the process routine of the management process performed in the personal computer which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st example of the warning display displayed on the display monitor in the modification of a 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd example of the warning display displayed on a display monitor in the modification of a 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd example of the warning display displayed on a display monitor in the modification of a 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 4th example of the warning display displayed on a display monitor in the modification of a 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Application-specific printer 11 ... Printing part 12 ... Display part 13 ... Input operation part 14 ... Network communication part 15 ... Network terminal connection part 16 ... Consumables information reading part 20 ... Control circuit 21 ... CPU
22 ... ROM / HDD
23 ... RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 ... Consumable for specific applications 31 ... Memory element 32 ... Contact terminal 100 ... Printer for general use 101 ... Printing part 102 ... Display part 103 ... Input operation part 104 ... Network communication part 105 ... Network terminal connection part 106 ... Consumables information Reading unit 200 ... control circuit 201 ... CPU
202 ... ROM / HDD
203 ... RAM
35 ... Consumables for general use 36 ... Storage elements 37 ... Contact terminals P1 ... Print processing program M1 ... Consumables identification module M2 ... Consumables amount acquisition module M3 ... Print processing control module M4 ... Printer information communication module M5 ... Display control module P11 ... Print management program M6 ... Printer information collection module M7 ... Print restriction module P2 ... Print processing program M11 ... Consumables amount acquisition module M12 ... Print processing module M13 ... Printer information transmission module P3 ... Printer management program M31 ... Consumables identification module M32 ... Print processing control module M33 ... Printer information communication module M34 ... Printer information collection module P4 ... Printer driver INT ... Local network PC ... Personal computer P13 ... Force operation unit P14 ... network communication unit P15 ... network terminal connector P16 ... consumable information reading unit P20 ... control circuit P21 ... CPU
P22 ... HDD
P23 ... RAM
GW ... Gateway server computer NE ... External network

Claims (11)

A management device that manages a plurality of printing devices connected to a network,
An information acquisition unit that acquires information about each printing device from the plurality of printing devices;
Based on the acquired information, among the plurality of printing devices, there is a general-purpose printing device in which a special-use consumable is mounted and use of the special-use consumable is not permitted. A determination unit for determining whether or not
A management apparatus comprising: a printing control unit that controls printing processing in the general-purpose printing apparatus in which the specific-use consumable is mounted using the determination result. The management device according to claim 1,
The printing process control unit is a management apparatus that stops printing processing in the general-purpose printing apparatus when the general-purpose printing apparatus is equipped with a consumable for the specific application. The management device according to claim 1,
Each printing apparatus has a display unit for displaying various information,
When the general-purpose printing apparatus is equipped with the consumable for the specific use, the print processing control unit prints the consumable on the display for the general-purpose printing apparatus. A management device that displays a display indicating that the device is incompatible. In the management apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
The consumable item is provided with a recording device that stores information related to the consumable item, at least identification information indicating whether or not the consumable item is a consumable item for a specific application, and information about a consumption amount of the consumable item. ,
Each printing apparatus stores usage information indicating whether or not it is for a specific usage,
The information acquisition unit is a management device that acquires at least the identification information and usage information stored in the recording device from the printing devices as information about the printing device. In the management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The management device is a special-purpose printing device that is connected to the network together with each printing device and is permitted to use a special-use consumable. The management device according to claim 5,
When it is determined that there is a general-purpose printing apparatus on which a consumable for a specific application is mounted, the printing control unit replaces the printing process in the general-purpose printing apparatus or the general-purpose printing apparatus. A management apparatus that controls print processing in the management apparatus that is the application-specific printing apparatus, together with the printing processing in the direct printing apparatus. In the management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The management device is a computer connected to the network together with the printing devices. The management apparatus according to claim 7,
When it is determined that there is a general-purpose printing apparatus on which a consumable for a specific application is mounted, the printing control unit replaces the printing process in the general-purpose printing apparatus or the general-purpose printing apparatus. A management device that controls the printing process in a special-purpose printing apparatus that permits the use of a consumable for a specific application together with the printing process in the commercial printing apparatus. A management system for managing printing devices via a network,
A plurality of printing devices connected to the network;
A management device connected to the plurality of printing devices via the network and managing the plurality of printing devices;
Each of the plurality of printing devices is
A storage unit for storing information indicating whether the printing apparatus is for a specific application;
A consumable information acquisition unit for acquiring information about consumables stored in a storage device included in the mounted consumables;
A transmission unit for transmitting to the management device information indicating whether or not the printing device is for a specific application and information about the consumables;
The management device
An information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating whether the printing device is for a specific application transmitted to the plurality of printing devices and information about the consumable;
Based on the acquired information, among the plurality of printing devices, there is a general-purpose printing device in which a special-use consumable is mounted and use of the special-use consumable is not permitted. A determination unit for determining whether or not
A management system comprising: a printing control unit that controls printing processing in the general-purpose printing apparatus in which the specific-use consumable is mounted using the determination result. A management program executed by a computer to manage a plurality of printing devices connected via a network,
A function of acquiring information about each printing device from the plurality of printing devices via the network;
Based on the acquired information, a function for searching for a printing device in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted from among the plurality of printing devices;
Based on the acquired information, a function of searching for a printing device that is not for a specific application from the plurality of printing devices;
A management program for causing the computer to execute a function of controlling a printing process in the printing apparatus not intended for the specific use based on a result of each search; A management method executed by a computer to manage a plurality of printing apparatuses connected via a network,
Obtaining information about each printing device from the plurality of printing devices via the network;
Based on the acquired information, search for a printing device in which a consumable for a specific application is mounted from among the plurality of printing devices,
Based on the acquired information, search for a printing device that is not for a specific use from the plurality of printing devices,
A management method for controlling a printing process in a printing apparatus not intended for a specific application based on a result of each search.

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