JP2015041071A - Image recorder and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image recorder which notifies a user of an appropriate number of cartridges to be purchased.SOLUTION: The device comprises: detection means (S15) for detecting a used state of a cartridge loaded on a cartridge mounting part; replacement record management means (S12) for storing replacement record information including the replacement time of a cartridge in a storage part, provided that the cartridge whose used state is detected is replaced (S11:Yes); calculation means (S16) which is means for calculating the number of cartridges recommended for a user to purchase, provided that the used state is detected (S15:Yes), and which increases the recommended number as the frequency of replacement of the cartridge calculated on the basis of the replacement record information stored in the storage part is higher; and output means (S17) for outputting notification information including the recommended number calculated by the calculation means.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus to which a cartridge is detachably mounted.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an image recording apparatus that includes a cartridge mounting portion in which a cartridge is detachably mounted and performs image recording using a colorant accommodated in the cartridge. This image recording apparatus can continue image recording by removing a cartridge that has used up the colorant from the cartridge mounting section and attaching a new cartridge to the cartridge mounting section.

  Further, in Patent Document 1, when the remaining amount of ink in a cartridge mounted on a carriage that is an example of a cartridge mounting unit falls below a threshold value, the next purchase is made based on the ink capacity of the cartridge and the period of use. There has been disclosed a printing apparatus that proposes to a user candidate cartridges of an optimal size to be used.

JP 2008-204132 A

  However, the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 determines cartridge candidates based only on the ink capacity and usage period of the cartridges mounted on the carriage at that time. Therefore, for example, when the usage frequency of the printing apparatus largely fluctuates in a short period, there is a possibility that an optimal cartridge candidate cannot be proposed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of appropriately calculating and notifying the number of cartridges to be purchased by a user.

  An image recording apparatus described in the present specification uses a cartridge mounting unit in which a cartridge containing a colorant is detachably mounted, and a recording medium using the colorant stored in the cartridge mounted in the cartridge mounting unit. Are provided with a recording unit for recording an image and a control unit. And the said control part detects the used state which is the state in which the quantity of the coloring agent accommodated in the cartridge with which the said cartridge mounting part was mounted | worn was less than the predetermined threshold amount, The said detection means The replacement status management means for storing replacement result information including the replacement time of the cartridge in the storage unit on the condition that the cartridge in which the used status has been detected is replaced, and the used status is determined by the detection means. A cartridge that calculates a recommended number that is the number of cartridges recommended to be purchased by the user on the condition that it is detected, and that is calculated based on the replacement record information stored in the storage unit The calculation means for increasing the recommended number as the replacement frequency of the cartridge increases and the user is notified that the cartridge should be purchased. A broadcast information, and an output means for outputting said broadcast information including the recommended number calculated by the calculation means.

  According to the above configuration, the replacement frequency of the cartridge is calculated based on the replacement result information accumulated every time the cartridge is replaced, and the recommended number is increased as the replacement frequency is higher. Thereby, it can suppress that a recommended number becomes an inappropriate value by the fluctuation | variation of the usage frequency in a short period.

  Note that the “used state” is not limited to a state in which the colorant in the cartridge is completely removed, but also includes a state in which less colorant than the threshold amount remains in the cartridge. Moreover, the specific detection method of a used state is not specifically limited, For example, the to-be-detected part which shows the quantity of a coloring agent may be provided in a cartridge, and the consumption of a coloring agent may be counted by software. These may be combined. In addition, the storage unit may be mounted on the image recording apparatus or may be connected to the image recording apparatus via a communication network.

  According to the present invention, the replacement frequency of the cartridge is calculated based on the replacement result information accumulated every time the cartridge is replaced, and the recommended number is increased as the replacement frequency is higher. Thereby, an image recording apparatus capable of calculating and notifying the recommended number of appropriate values can be obtained.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a purchasing system 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of replacement result management processing (A) and notification information output processing (B). FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the recommended number calculation process (A) according to the present embodiment and the recommended number calculation process (B) according to the first modification. FIG. 4 is an example of an exchange performance management table. FIG. 5 is an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 41, where (A) is a notification screen and (B) is an example of a purchase screen. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a recommended number calculation process according to the second modification. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the replacement number calculation process. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a recommended number calculation process according to the third modification. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the notification information output process. FIG. 10 is an example of a replacement performance notification screen displayed on the display unit 41.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a purchasing system 100 in the present embodiment. A purchasing system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a multifunction machine 10, a terminal 40, and a service providing apparatus 101. The multi-function device 10 and the terminal 40 are connected via a LAN (abbreviation of Local Area Network) 103 and connected to the Internet 102 via the LAN 103. The service providing apparatus 101 is connected to the Internet 102. That is, the multifunction machine 10, the terminal 40, and the service providing apparatus 101 can communicate with each other via the Internet 102 and the LAN 103. The multifunction machine 10 is an example of an image recording apparatus, and the Internet 102 and the LAN 103 are examples of a communication network.

[Multifunction machine 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 mainly includes a printer unit 11, a display unit 13, an operation unit 14, a communication unit 16, a CPU 17, and a storage unit 18. In addition, each component constituting the multifunction machine 10 is connected to each other via the communication bus 19. The printer unit 11 executes print processing for recording an image indicated by the image data on a recording medium. In this embodiment, an example of the ink jet printer unit 11 will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a known method such as an electrophotographic method can be adopted. The multifunction machine 10 also has a scanner function for reading an image recorded on a document and generating image data, a print function for recording an image indicated by the image data generated by the scanner function on a recording medium by the printer unit 11, Or you may have further the FAX function etc. which perform transmission / reception of FAX.

[Printer 11]
The printer unit 11 includes a recording unit 30 and a cartridge mounting unit 31. The recording unit 30 records an image on a recording medium using ink stored in an ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 31. An ink cartridge containing ink is detachably mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 31. Ink is an example of a colorant, and toner and the like are also included in the colorant. That is, the ink cartridge is an example of a cartridge containing a colorant.

  In the cartridge mounting portion 31 in the present embodiment, four ink cartridges corresponding to each color of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black can be mounted. That is, the cartridge mounting portion 31 in this embodiment includes a C mounting portion in which a cyan cartridge containing cyan ink (hereinafter referred to as “C cartridge”) is mounted and an ink cartridge in which magenta ink is stored (hereinafter referred to as “C cartridge”). M mounting portion to which “M cartridge” is mounted, a Y mounting portion to which an ink cartridge containing yellow ink (hereinafter referred to as “Y cartridge”) is mounted, and black ink is stored. And a B mounting portion on which the ink cartridge (hereinafter referred to as “B cartridge”) is mounted.

  The cartridge mounting unit 31 includes an attachment / detachment sensor 32 and a remaining amount sensor 33. The attachment / detachment sensor 32 outputs a detection signal according to whether or not an ink cartridge is attached to the cartridge attachment portion 31 to the CPU 17. The remaining amount sensor 33 outputs a detection signal to the CPU 17 according to whether or not the amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 31 exceeds the threshold ink amount. The detachable sensor 32 and the remaining amount sensor 33 are provided in each of the four mounting portions.

  For example, the detachable sensor 32 outputs a low level signal to the CPU 17 on the condition that no ink cartridge is installed in the cartridge mounting unit 31, and the high level on the condition that the ink cartridge is installed in the cartridge mounting unit 31. The signal is output to the CPU 17. The remaining amount sensor 33 outputs a low level signal to the CPU 17 on condition that the amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge exceeds the threshold ink amount, for example, and the amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge is A high level signal is output to the CPU 17 on condition that the amount is equal to or less than the threshold ink amount. The low level signal is a detection signal whose signal level is lower than the threshold value, and the high level signal is a detection signal whose signal level is equal to or higher than the threshold value.

[Display unit 13]
The display unit 13 includes a display screen that displays various types of information. Although the specific configuration of the display unit 13 is not particularly limited, for example, a liquid crystal display (abbreviation of Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (abbreviation of Organic Electro-Luminescence Display), or the like can be employed.

[Operation unit 14]
The operation unit 14 detects a user operation for selecting an object displayed on the display screen of the display unit 13. Specifically, the operation unit 14 has a plurality of push buttons, for example. The operation unit 14 outputs various operation signals associated with the pressed button to the CPU 17. Further, the operation unit 14 may include a film-like touch sensor superimposed on the display screen of the display unit 13. That is, the display unit 13 may be configured as a touch panel display. For the touch sensor, a known method such as a capacitance method or a resistance film method can be adopted. In that case, the push button is not necessarily an essential configuration, and the function of the push button may be replaced by a touch sensor.

  The “object” refers to an image that can be selected by the user operating the operation unit 14. As an example, the object is a character string displayed on the display unit 13. One of the objects is highlighted when the direction key of the operation unit 14 is pressed, and the object is highlighted by pressing the enter button of the operation unit 14. A light-displayed object may be selected. As another example, an object when the operation unit 14 is a touch panel is an icon, a button, a link, or the like displayed on the display unit 13, and the object displayed at the touch position may be selected.

[Communication unit 16]
The communication unit 16 is an interface for communicating with an external device through the LAN 103. For example, the multifunction machine 10 receives various instructions from the terminal 40 through the communication unit 16 or transmits various information to the terminal 40 through the communication unit 16. Note that the communication method for connecting the communication unit 16 to the LAN 103 may be wired or wireless.

[CPU17]
A CPU (abbreviation of Central Processing Unit) 17 controls the overall operation of the multifunction machine 10. The CPU 17 acquires and executes various programs, which will be described later, from the storage unit 18 based on detection signals output from the various sensors 32 and 33 provided in the cartridge mounting unit 31 or operation signals output from the operation unit 14. That is, the CPU 17 and the storage unit 18 constitute an example of a control unit.

[Storage unit 18]
The storage unit 18 includes a program storage area 18A and a data storage area 18B. In the program storage area 18A, an OS (abbreviation for Operating System) 20 and a control program 21 are stored. Note that the control program 21 may be a single program or an aggregate of a plurality of programs. Data necessary for execution of the control program 21 is stored in the data storage area 18B. For example, the exchange record table shown in FIG. 4 is stored in the data storage area 18B.

  Note that “data” and “information” in this specification are common in that they are bits or bit strings that can be handled by a computer. “Data” refers to data that can be handled by the computer without taking into account the meaning of each bit. On the other hand, “information” refers to information that the operation of the computer branches depending on the semantic content indicated by each bit. Furthermore, an “instruction” to be described later is a control signal for urging the destination device to perform the next operation, and may contain information, or itself has information properties. Sometimes.

  In addition, even if the format (for example, text format, binary format, flag format, etc.) is changed for each computer, “data” and “information” have the same data and information as long as they are recognized as the same meaning content. Are treated as For example, information indicating “two” is stored as text information of “0x32” in ASCII code in one computer, and as binary information of “10” in binary notation in another computer. It may be held.

  However, the distinction between the above “data” and “information” is not strict, and exceptional handling is allowed. For example, data may be temporarily treated as information, or information may be temporarily treated as data. Also, what is handled as data in a certain device may be handled as information in another device. Furthermore, information may be extracted from the data, or data may be extracted from the information.

  The storage unit 18 includes, for example, a RAM (abbreviation of Random Access Memory), a ROM (abbreviation of Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (abbreviation of Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), and an HDD (abbreviation of HardDr) 17 (HDD). It is configured by a buffer or the like or a combination thereof. The storage unit 18 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. Non-transitory media include recording media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM in addition to the above examples. On the other hand, electrical signals that carry programs downloaded from servers on the Internet are not included in non-transitory media.

  The program stored in the program storage area 18A is executed by the CPU 17. However, in this specification, the operation of each program may be described with the CPU 17 omitted. That is, in the following description, the description that “the program A executes the process A” may indicate that “the CPU 17 executes the process A described in the program A”. The same applies to the terminal 40 described later.

  The OS 20 is a basic program that provides an API (abbreviation for Application Programming Interface) for controlling the printer unit 11, the display unit 13, the operation unit 14, the communication unit 16, and the like that are hardware constituting the multi-function peripheral 10. . That is, each program described above controls each hardware by calling an API provided by the OS 20. However, in this specification, the operation of each program will be described with the OS 20 omitted. That is, in the following description, the description “the program B controls the hardware C” may refer to “the program B controls the hardware C through the API of the OS 20”. The same applies to the terminal 40 described later.

[Terminal 40]
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the terminal 40 includes a display unit 41 and an operation unit 42. Specifically, the terminal 40 may be a PC (abbreviation of personal computer) or a portable device such as a mobile phone or a tablet terminal. The display unit 41 displays an image indicated by image data acquired from the multifunction machine 10 or the service providing apparatus 101. The operation unit 42 detects a user operation for selecting an object displayed on the display unit 41. The display unit 41 is an example of a display device connected to the multifunction machine 10.

[Service Providing Device 101]
The service providing apparatus 101 is a Web server that publishes a Web site where online purchase of ink cartridges is possible. In other words, the user of the multifunction machine 10 can purchase a desired ink cartridge by accessing a Web server published by the service providing apparatus 101 through the terminal 40 and performing a predetermined operation. Since the flow of online purchase of ink cartridges is well-known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[Exchange result management processing]
With reference to FIG. 2 (A) and FIG. 4, the exchange performance management process in this embodiment is demonstrated. The replacement record management process is a process of detecting that the ink cartridge of the cartridge mounting unit 31 has been replaced and storing replacement record information including replacement date, ink color, model number, etc. in the replacement record table shown in FIG. . The CPU 17 of the multifunction machine 10 that executes the replacement record management process is an example of a replacement record management unit.

  First, the control program 21 of the multifunction machine 10 waits until it detects that the ink cartridge has been replaced (S11). Specifically, the control program 21 extracts the used ink cartridge from the cartridge mounting portion 31 based on the detection signals output from the attachment / detachment sensor 32 and the remaining amount sensor 33, and the ink cartridge is not in the used state. Is determined to be replaced on the cartridge mounting unit 31 (S11: Yes).

  Note that the “used state” refers to a “near empty state” in which the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge is equal to or less than a threshold ink amount, and an “empty state” in which the amount of ink is smaller than the near empty state. It is a state including. Then, the control program 21 detects the near empty state on the condition that the detection signal output from the remaining amount sensor 33 has changed from the low level signal to the high level signal. The control program 21 counts the amount of ink supplied to the recording unit 30 from the time when the near empty state is reached, and detects the empty state on condition that the count value has reached the threshold count value.

  Further, the control program 21 detects that the ink cartridge has been pulled out from the cartridge mounting unit 31 on condition that the detection signal output from the attachment / detachment sensor 32 has changed from a high level signal to a low level signal. The control program 21 detects that the ink cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 31 on condition that the detection signal output from the attachment / detachment sensor 32 has changed from the low level signal to the high level signal.

  That is, the control program 21 is in a used state when the detection signal output from the attachment / detachment sensor 32 changes from the high level signal to the low level signal while the high level signal is output from the remaining amount sensor 33. It is detected that the ink cartridge has been pulled out from the cartridge mounting portion 31. Further, the control program 21 changes the detection signal output from the remaining amount sensor 33 from the high level signal to the low level signal as the detection signal output from the attachment / detachment sensor 32 changes from the low level signal to the high level signal. By detecting that the ink cartridge is not used, it is detected that an ink cartridge that is not in a used state is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. The control program 21 detects the replacement of the ink cartridge by detecting the above signals in the above order (S11: Yes).

  Then, the control program 21 adds replacement result information to the replacement result table shown in FIG. 4 on condition that the replacement of the ink cartridge is detected (S11: Yes) (S12). That is, the control program 21 stores replacement result information in the data storage area 18B. The replacement record information corresponds to each row of the replacement record table shown in FIG. 4. For example, the replacement date and time of the ink cartridge, the color of the ink stored in the ink cartridge, and the model number of the newly installed ink cartridge Information. However, the information included in the replacement record information is not limited to this.

  The replacement date is, for example, the value of the internal clock of the multifunction machine 10 at the time when the replacement of the ink cartridge is detected. In the example of FIG. 4, only date information is illustrated, but time information may be further included. The exchange date and time in FIG. 4 is an example of exchange time. The color of the ink can be specified by detecting the replacement of the ink cartridge by the attachment / detachment sensor 32 and the remaining amount sensor 33 provided in any of the cyan attachment portion, the magenta attachment portion, the yellow attachment portion, and the black attachment portion. . The model number of the ink cartridge can be acquired from, for example, an IC chip mounted on the ink cartridge. Also, the registration ID in FIG. 4 is an identifier for uniquely identifying the replacement record information stored in the replacement record table, and is assigned when the replacement record information is added to the replacement record table. The forgetting rate is a value that increases as the replacement date and time is older in the range of 0% to 100%, and will be described in detail later.

[Broadcast information output processing]
Next, with reference to FIG. 2B and FIGS. 3 to 5, the notification information output process in the present embodiment will be described. In the notification information output process, the control program 21 of the multifunction machine 10 sets the ink cartridge based on the detection signal output from the remaining amount sensor 33 and the replacement record information stored in the replacement record table shown in FIG. This is a process of outputting notification information for notifying the user that purchase should be made. The CPU 17 of the multifunction machine 10 that executes the notification information output process is an example of an output unit.

  First, the control program 21 waits until it detects that the ink cartridge has been used (S15). Since the used state detection method has already been described, the description thereof will be omitted. Then, the control program 21 executes a recommended number calculation process (S16) on condition that the used state of the ink cartridge is detected (S15: Yes). The recommended number calculation process is a process of calculating a recommended number that is the number of ink cartridges recommended for purchase by the user. An example of the recommended number calculation process will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, it is assumed that the used state of the B cartridge is detected in step S15, and the detection date is July 12, 2013. The CPU 17 of the multifunction machine 10 that executes the recommended number calculation process is an example of a calculation unit.

  First, the control program 21 calculates the number of replacements indicating how many times the B cartridge has been replaced in the past month from the present (S21). The replacement number is an example of the replacement frequency of the ink cartridge calculated based on replacement result information. The control program 21 according to the present embodiment replaces the B cartridge whose replacement date and time is from June 13, 2013 to July 12, 2013 among the replacement record information stored in the replacement record table shown in FIG. Count the number of achievement information. In the example of FIG. 4, the exchange result information of registration ID = 13, 14, 18 is targeted. That is, the number of exchanges is three.

  Next, the control program 21 determines whether or not the replacement number is less than 3 (S22). When the exchange number is less than 3 (S22: Yes), the control program 21 determines the recommended number to be 1 (S23). On the other hand, when the replacement number is 3 or more (S22: No), the control program 21 determines whether the replacement number is less than 5 (S24). If the replacement number is less than 5 (S24: Yes), the control program 21 determines the recommended number to be 2 (S25). On the other hand, when the replacement number is 5 or more (S24: No), the control program 21 determines the recommended number to be 3 (S26). That is, in the example of FIG. 4, the recommended number is two.

  As described above, in the recommended number calculation process shown in FIG. 3A, the recommended number increases as the number of cartridges replaced within a predetermined threshold period from the time when the used state is detected to the past increases. To increase. However, the thresholds to be compared with the replacement number in steps S22 and S24 are not limited to three and five. Similarly, the recommended number in steps S23 and S25 is not limited to one, two, and three. One month in step S21 is an example of a threshold period, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  Next, the control program 21 outputs notification information to the terminal 40 (S17). The notification information includes, for example, the model number of the ink cartridge in which the used state is detected, the color of the ink stored in the ink cartridge, the number of replacements calculated in step S21, and the recommendation determined in steps S23 to S26. Number etc. are included. In addition, the terminal 40 that has acquired the notification information from the multifunction machine 10 causes the display unit 41 to display the notification screen illustrated in FIG. On the notification screen shown in FIG. 5A, based on the ink color, the number of replacements, and the recommended number included in the notification information, “the number of replacements for the B cartridge in the most recent month is three. A message “Why are you buying two?” And a push button with a character string “To Cartridge Purchase Site” added.

  The terminal 40 transmits a purchase screen data transmission instruction to the service providing apparatus 101 on condition that an operation for selecting the push button is detected by the operation unit 42. This purchase screen data transmission instruction is an instruction for causing the service providing apparatus 101 to transmit purchase screen data indicating the purchase screen of the ink cartridge specified by the notification information, and includes the model number and recommendation of the ink cartridge included in the notification information. Including number etc. Then, the terminal 40 displays the purchase screen indicated by the purchase screen data on the display unit 41 on the condition that the purchase screen data is acquired from the service providing apparatus 101. FIG. 5B is an example of a purchase screen displayed on the display unit 41.

  The purchase screen shown in FIG. 5B is a purchase screen of the ink cartridge of the model number included in the purchase screen data transmission instruction, and the recommended number “2” is selected in the pull-down menu indicating the order number. It has become. However, the number of orders may be correctable. Then, the terminal 40 purchases the number of ink cartridges of the model number displayed on the purchase screen as many as indicated by the number of orders, on condition that the operation unit 42 has detected an operation of selecting the “put into shopping cart” button. Proceed to the procedure. Since the subsequent procedures are already publicly known, a description thereof will be omitted.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, the replacement number of the ink cartridge, that is, the replacement frequency is calculated based on the replacement result information accumulated every time the ink cartridge is replaced, and the recommended number is increased as the replacement frequency is higher. Thereby, it can suppress that a recommended number becomes an inappropriate value by the fluctuation | variation of the usage frequency in a short period.

  In addition, the method of alerting | reporting to the user the various information contained in alerting | reporting information is not limited to said example. For example, a notification screen may be displayed on the display unit 13 of the multifunction machine 10. Or you may make the printer part 11 perform the process which records the image corresponded to an alerting | reporting screen on a recording medium. The same applies to an exchange performance notification screen described later. Further, the method for purchasing the ink cartridge is not limited to online purchase. For example, the purchase may be made by telephone, or may be made by faxing or mailing a purchase application form. Furthermore, a purchase application form in which the model number and recommended number of ink cartridges included in the notification information are described may be formed in the printer unit 11.

  In the present embodiment, the example of the cartridge mounting unit including the four mounting units on which the four color ink cartridges are mounted has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, it may be a monochrome multifunction device in which only a B cartridge containing black ink can be mounted, or a cartridge mounting unit including a mounting unit in which two, three, or five or more ink cartridges are mounted. There may be.

  Further, the recommended number only needs to be larger as the replacement frequency of the ink cartridge is higher, and the specific calculation method is not limited to the example of FIG. Hereinafter, another example of the recommended number calculation process will be described in Modifications 1 to 3. The recommended number calculated according to the first to third modifications is common in that it increases as the replacement frequency of the ink cartridge increases, and the specific calculation method differs.

[Modification 1]
With reference to FIGS. 3B and 4, the recommended number calculation processing according to the first modification will be described. Similar to the above embodiment, in the following description, it is assumed that the used state of the B cartridge is detected in step S15, and the detection date is July 12, 2013.

  First, the control program 21 extracts B cartridge replacement record information registered immediately before from the replacement record table. From the replacement record table shown in FIG. 4, replacement record information with registration ID = 18 is extracted. Next, the control program 21 determines whether or not the extracted replacement record information is registered within one week (S31). If registered within one week (S31: Yes), the control program 21 determines the recommended number to be three (S32). On the other hand, if it is registered before one week (S31: No), the control program determines whether or not the replacement result information is registered within one month (S33). If registered within one month (S33: Yes), the control program 21 determines the recommended number to two (S34). On the other hand, when it is registered before one month (S33: No), the control program 21 determines the recommended number as one (S35).

  As described above, in the recommended number calculation process shown in FIG. 3B, the recommended number is increased as the elapsed time from when the previous replacement record information is registered until the used state is detected is shorter. However, the threshold value to be compared with the previous replacement date in steps S31 and S33 is not limited to one week and one month. Similarly, the recommended number in steps S32, S34, and S35 is not limited to three, two, and one.

[Modification 2]
With reference to FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the recommended number calculation processing according to the second modification will be described. Similar to the above embodiment, in the following description, it is assumed that the used state of the B cartridge is detected in step S15, and the detection date is July 12, 2013.

  First, the control program 21 executes the replacement number calculation process shown in FIG. 7 (S41). The replacement number calculation process is a process of calculating the replacement number for each ink color based on replacement result information stored in the replacement result table. The CPU 17 of the multifunction machine 10 that executes the replacement number calculation process is an example of a calculation unit.

  First, the control program 21 updates the forgetting rate in the replacement result table to the latest value (S61). As shown in FIG. 4, the forgetting rate in the modified example 2 is 0% for exchange performance information less than one month after registration, 50% for replacement performance information for one month or more and less than two months after registration, 100% is set in the replacement result information for two months or more and less than three months. However, the specific example of the forgetting rate is not limited to this, and may be a value that becomes larger as the replacement date and time is older.

  Next, the control program 21 calculates the replacement number of the B cartridge (hereinafter referred to as “B replacement number”) by weighting and adding the replacement result information of the B cartridge stored in the replacement result table. (S62). The weighting factor is represented by the complement of the forgetting rate expressed in the range of 0-1. That is, the weighting factor of 0% forgetting rate is 1, the weighting factor of 50% forgetting rate is 0.5, and the weighting factor of 100% forgetting rate is 0. As described above, the weighting coefficient becomes smaller as the replacement result information has an older replacement date and time. In the example of FIG. 4, the number of B exchanges = 3 × 1 + 2 × 0.5 + 2 × 0 = 4. The handling of the calculated replacement number after the decimal point is not particularly limited, and may be rounded off, rounded up, or rounded down. In Modification 2, it is rounded down. The same applies to the recommended number.

  Similarly, the control program 21 replaces the number of C cartridges (hereinafter referred to as “C replacement number”), the number of M cartridge replacements (hereinafter referred to as “M replacement number”), and the Y cartridge. Exchange numbers (hereinafter referred to as “Y exchange numbers”) are calculated (S63 to S65). In the example of FIG. 4, the number of C exchanges = 1 × 1 + 2 × 0.5 + 2 × 0 = 2, the number of M exchanges = 1 × 1 + 1 × 0.5 + 2 × 0 = 1.5 = 1, and the number of Y exchanges = 1 × 1 + 0 × 0.5 + 2 × 0 = 1.

  Next, the control program 21 determines which cartridge has been used in step S15 of FIG. 2B (S42, S44, S46). If the used state of the B cartridge is detected (S42: Yes), the control program 21 divides the B exchange number by the minimum value of the B exchange number, the C exchange number, the M exchange number, and the Y exchange number. Thus, the recommended number of B cartridges is calculated (S43). In the example of FIG. 4, the number of exchanged B cartridges is 4, and the minimum number of exchanged four cartridges is 1. Therefore, the recommended number of B cartridges = 4 ÷ 1 = 4.

  Similarly, when the used state of the C cartridge is detected (S44: Yes), the control program 21 calculates the recommended number of C cartridges by dividing the C replacement number by the minimum value of the four replacement numbers. (S45). When the used state of the M cartridge is detected (S46: Yes), the control program 21 calculates the recommended number of M cartridges by dividing the M replacement number by the minimum value of the four replacement numbers ( S47). Further, when the used state of the Y cartridge is detected (S46: No), the control program 21 calculates the recommended number of Y cartridges by dividing the Y replacement number by the minimum value of the four replacement numbers ( S48). In the example of FIG. 4, the recommended number of C cartridges = 2 ÷ 1 = 2, the recommended number of M cartridges = 1/1 = 1, and the recommended number of Y cartridges = 1 ÷ 1 = 1.

  Furthermore, when a plurality of types of B cartridges having different capacities can be selectively mounted on the B mounting portion, the control program 21 may execute steps S49 to S51 in FIG. In steps S49 to S51, the recommended number calculated in step S43 is determined based on the recommended number of small-capacity B cartridges having a relatively small black ink capacity (hereinafter referred to as “S-size recommended number”) and the small capacity B. This is a process of distributing to the recommended number of large-capacity B cartridges (hereinafter referred to as “L size recommended number”) having a larger black ink capacity than the cartridge.

  That is, when Steps S49 to S51 are executed, the recommended number calculated in Step S43 is the recommended number of S sizes. That is, in the example of FIG. 4, the recommended number of S sizes at the time of step S43 is 4, and the recommended number of L sizes is 0. In the second modification, when one large-capacity B cartridge and two small-capacity B cartridges are compared, one large-capacity B cartridge is less expensive, and two small-capacity B cartridges have a slightly smaller amount of ink. Suppose there are many. That is, in Modification 2, it is assumed that it is more cost-effective to purchase one large-capacity B cartridge than to purchase two small-capacity B cartridges.

  The control program 21 determines whether or not the recommended number of S sizes is 2 or more (S49). When the recommended number of S sizes is two or more (S49: Yes), the control program 21 subtracts two recommended numbers of S sizes (S50) and adds one recommended number of L sizes (S51). Then, the control program 21 repeatedly executes the processes of S49 to S51 until the recommended number of S sizes becomes less than 2 (S49: No). As a result, the recommended number of S sizes in the example of FIG. 4 is 0, and the recommended number of L sizes is 2.

  The control program 21 that has executed steps S49 to S51 outputs notification information including the recommended S size number and the recommended L size number to the terminal 40 in step S17 of FIG. Then, the terminal 40 that has acquired the notification information displays, for example, on the notification screen shown in FIG. 5A, “How about purchasing 0 small B cartridges and 2 large B cartridges?” Or, omitting the small-capacity B cartridge of which the recommended number is 0, the message “How about purchasing two large-capacity B cartridges?” Is displayed.

  According to the second modification, it is possible to preferentially recommend the purchase of a large-capacity cartridge that is cost-effective. As a result, the cost effective MFP 10 can be realized without forcing the user to determine which ink cartridge to purchase. Further, the usage frequency and usage tendency of the ink vary with time. For this reason, by calculating the number of replacements by reducing the weight of past replacement record information, it is possible to calculate the recommended number of appropriate values according to the current use situation.

  In the second modification, the example in which the replacement ratio between the small-capacity B cartridge and the large-capacity B cartridge is 2: 1 has been described, but the replacement ratio is not limited to the above example. That is, assuming that the exchange ratio between the small-capacity B cartridge and the large-capacity B cartridge is m: n, the control program 21 assumes that the recommended number of S sizes is m or more (S49: Yes), and the recommended number of S sizes. Is subtracted m (S50), and the recommended number of L sizes is added n (S51). The process may be repeated α times. That is, on the condition that the recommended number of S sizes is greater than or equal to m × α, the control program 21 sets a value obtained by subtracting m × α from the recommended number calculated in step 43 as the recommended number of S sizes, and sets n × α to The recommended number of L size. Here, m is an integer of 2 or more, n is an integer of 1 or more and smaller than m, and α is an integer of 1 or more.

  In the second modification, the example in which the replacement number of cartridges for which the recommended number is calculated is divided by the minimum value of the replacement number of four cartridges in steps S43, S45, S47, and S49 has been described. Is not limited to this, and may be divided by an average value of four exchange numbers or may be divided by an intermediate value of four exchange numbers. Furthermore, in the second modification, the example in which only the B cartridge is recommended by replacing the small-capacity cartridge with the large-capacity cartridge has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the same applies to the C cartridge, M cartridge, and Y cartridge In addition, it may be recommended to replace the small-capacity cartridge with a large-capacity cartridge based on a predetermined exchange ratio.

[Modification 3]
With reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8, the recommended number calculation processing according to the modified example 3 will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the used state of the B cartridge and the M cartridge is detected in step S15, and the detection date and time is July 12, 2013.

  First, the control program 21 executes the replacement number calculation process shown in FIG. 7 (S71). Since the replacement number calculation process has already been described, the description thereof will be omitted. Next, the control program divides each of the B replacement number, the C replacement number, the M replacement number, and the Y replacement number by the minimum value of the used cartridge replacement number (S72). In the example of FIG. 4, the B exchange number = 4, the C exchange number = 2, the M exchange number = 1, and the Y exchange number = 1, respectively. Is divided by the number of M exchanges = 1. In the example of FIG. 4, the number of exchanges after execution of step S72 is B exchange number = 4, C exchange number = 2, M exchange number = 1, and Y exchange number = 1.

  The control program 21 may output the notification information to the terminal 40 using the value calculated in step S72 as the recommended number (S76). Note that the recommended number of sets when steps S74 and S75 are not executed is zero. That is, in the example of FIG. 4, broadcast information including the recommended B number = 4, the recommended C number = 2, the recommended M number = 1, and the recommended Y number = 1 is output to the terminal 40. The terminal 40 that has acquired the notification information, for example, purchases four B cartridges, two C cartridges, one M cartridge, and one Y cartridge on the notification screen shown in FIG. Is the message?

  Furthermore, on the Web site disclosed by the service providing apparatus 101, the B cartridge, the C cartridge, the M cartridge, and the Y cartridge are individually sold, and the B cartridge, the C cartridge, the M cartridge, and the Y cartridge are each sold. Assume that a cartridge set containing one each is sold. Also, it is assumed that purchasing one cartridge set is less expensive than purchasing each color ink cartridge individually. The control program 21 in this case may execute steps S73 to S75 shown in FIG. Steps S73 to S75 are processes for replacing a part of the recommended number of each color cartridge calculated in step S72 with a recommended set number that is a recommended number of cartridge sets.

  First, the control program 21 determines whether or not all the replacement numbers calculated in step S72 are 1 or more (S73). When all the replacement numbers are 1 or more (S73: Yes), the control program 21 subtracts 1 from each of the B replacement number, the C replacement number, the M replacement number, and the Y replacement number (S74), and sets the recommended set number to 1. Add (S75). Then, the control program 21 repeatedly executes the processes of S73 to S75 until any of the four exchange numbers becomes less than 1 (S73: No). As a result, the recommended B number in the example of FIG. 4 is 3, the recommended C number is 1, the M recommended number is 0, the Y recommended number is 0, and the set recommended number is 1.

  The control program 21 that has executed steps S73 to S75 outputs notification information including the recommended number and recommended set number of each color ink cartridge to the terminal 40 in step S17 of FIG. Then, the terminal 40 that has acquired the notification information displays, for example, on the notification screen shown in FIG. 5A, “3 B cartridges, 1 C cartridge, 0 M cartridge, 0 Y cartridge, How about purchasing a single cartridge set? "Or omitting the recommended number of 0 ink cartridges and saying," Purchase three B cartridges, one C cartridge, and one cartridge set. Message is displayed.

  According to the third modification, the recommended number of ink cartridges for each color is calculated in accordance with the replacement frequency ratio. That is, according to the third modification, the user is recommended to purchase not only the ink cartridge whose used state is detected but also other ink cartridges. As a result, it is no longer necessary to purchase the ink cartridges each time each color ink cartridge is used, so that a reduction in the operation rate of the multifunction machine 10 due to the absence of a stock of some ink cartridges is suppressed. can do.

  Ink cartridges are often cheaper to purchase as a set than to purchase them individually. Therefore, when the recommended number of all the ink cartridges is one or more, it is possible to realize the cost effective MFP 10 by recommending the purchase of one cartridge set instead.

  In the third modification, the example in which the replacement ratio between each color ink cartridge and the cartridge set is set to i: 1 is described, but the replacement ratio is not limited to the above example. That is, assuming that the replacement ratio of each color ink cartridge and cartridge set is i: 1, the control program 21 sets i replacement numbers for each color on condition that all replacement numbers are i or more (S73: Yes). The process of subtracting (S74) and adding one recommended set number (S75) may be repeated j times. That is, the control program 21 sets a value obtained by subtracting i × j from each replacement number as a recommended number for each color ink cartridge, assuming that the replacement number of each color ink cartridge is equal to or greater than i × j. Recommended number. Here, i and j are integers of 1 or more.

[Other variations]
Information output from the multifunction machine 10 to the terminal 40 is not limited to broadcast information. An example of notification information output from the multifunction device 10 to the terminal 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 9, and 10. The notification information output process shown in FIG. 9 is a process of outputting notification information for notifying the user of the number of ink cartridges replaced in the past. The CPU 17 of the multifunction machine 10 that executes the notification information output process is another example of output means.

  First, the control program 21 waits until a notification information output instruction is acquired from the terminal 40 via the LAN 103 (S81). The notification information output instruction is an instruction for causing the MFP 10 to output notification information. Next, on condition that the notification information output instruction has been acquired (S81: Yes), the control program 21 counts the replacement record information included in the replacement record table shown in FIG. The exchange number, the M exchange number, and the Y exchange number are calculated (S82). In step S82, the forgetting rate is not taken into consideration, and replacement result information for each color ink cartridge may be simply added. In the example of FIG. 4, the number of B exchanges = 7, the number of C exchanges = 5, the number of M exchanges = 4, and the number of Y exchanges = 3.

  Then, the control program 21 outputs notification information including the calculated replacement number of each color ink cartridge to the terminal 40 (S83). The terminal 40 that has acquired the notification information causes the display unit 41 to display the replacement result notification screen illustrated in FIG. 10. In the replacement result notification screen shown in FIG. 10, the number of replacement of each color ink cartridge included in the notification information is represented as a bar graph. However, the method of expressing the number of exchanges is not limited to a bar graph, and may be a circle graph, a line graph, a radar chart, or the like, or may be expressed as a number. Thereby, the user can grasp the past number of replacement of each color ink cartridge.

  In the multifunction machine 10 of each embodiment, an example in which each process executed by the control unit of the present invention is realized by the CPU 17 executing various programs stored in the program storage area 18A of the storage unit 18 is performed. explained. However, the configuration of the control unit is not limited to this, and part or all of the configuration may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit)).

  Further, the present invention may be realized not only as an image recording apparatus but also as a program for causing an image recording apparatus to execute processing. The program may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium, or information or a signal indicating the program may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

10: MFP 11 ... Printer unit 17 ... CPU
18: Storage unit 21 ... Control program 30 ... Recording unit 31 ... Cartridge mounting unit 41 ... Display unit

Claims (14)

A cartridge mounting portion on which a cartridge containing the colorant is detachably mounted;
A recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium using a colorant contained in a cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit;
A control unit, and
The controller is
Detecting means for detecting a used state in which the amount of the colorant contained in the cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion is below a predetermined threshold amount;
A replacement record management unit that stores, in a storage unit, replacement record information including a replacement time of the cartridge, on condition that the cartridge in which the used state is detected by the detection unit is replaced,
The means for calculating a recommended number, which is the number of cartridges recommended for purchase by the user, on condition that the used state is detected by the detecting means, and the replacement record stored in the storage unit Calculating means for increasing the recommended number as the replacement frequency of the cartridge calculated based on the information increases.
An image recording apparatus comprising: output information for notifying the user that a cartridge should be purchased, and outputting the notification information including the recommended number calculated by the calculation means.   The calculation unit increases the recommended number as the number of cartridges replaced within a predetermined threshold period from the time when the used state is detected by the detection unit to the past increases. The image recording apparatus described.   The said calculation means increases the said recommended number, so that the elapsed time from the said exchange time immediately before memorize | stored in the said memory | storage part until the said used state is detected by the said detection means is short. Image recording device. The cartridge mounting portion is
A first mounting portion on which a first cartridge containing a first colorant is mounted;
A second mounting portion on which a second cartridge containing a second colorant is mounted;
A third mounting portion on which a third cartridge containing a third colorant is mounted;
The calculation means includes the replacement result information in which the replacement time is included in the threshold period.
A first replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the first cartridge;
A second replacement number which is the number of the replacement result information of the second cartridge;
Calculating a third replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the third cartridge;
On condition that the used state of the first cartridge is detected by the detecting means, the first replacement number is set to the minimum value of the first replacement number, the second replacement number, and the third replacement number. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a value obtained by dividing the value by the number is used as the recommended number. The cartridge mounting portion is
A first mounting portion on which a first cartridge containing a first colorant is mounted;
A second mounting portion on which a second cartridge containing a second colorant is mounted;
A third mounting portion on which a third cartridge containing a third colorant is mounted;
The calculation means includes the replacement result information in which the replacement time is included in the threshold period.
A first replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the first cartridge;
A second replacement number which is the number of the replacement result information of the second cartridge;
Calculating a third replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the third cartridge;
On condition that the used state of the first cartridge is detected by the detecting means, the first replacement number is an average value of the first replacement number, the second replacement number, and the third replacement number. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a value obtained by dividing the value by the number is used as the recommended number. The cartridge mounting portion is
A first mounting portion on which a first cartridge containing a first colorant is mounted;
A second mounting portion on which a second cartridge containing a second colorant is mounted;
A third mounting portion on which a third cartridge containing a third colorant is mounted;
The calculation means includes the replacement result information in which the replacement time is included in the threshold period.
A first replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the first cartridge;
A second replacement number which is the number of the replacement result information of the second cartridge;
Calculating a third replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the third cartridge;
On the condition that the used state of the first cartridge is detected by the detecting means, the first replacement number is a median of the first replacement number, the second replacement number, and the third replacement number. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a value obtained by dividing the value by the number is used as the recommended number. The cartridge mounting portion is
A first mounting portion on which a first cartridge containing a first colorant is mounted;
A second mounting portion on which a second cartridge containing a second colorant is mounted;
A third mounting portion on which a third cartridge containing a third colorant is mounted;
The calculation means includes the replacement result information in which the replacement time is included in the threshold period.
A first replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the first cartridge;
A second replacement number which is the number of the replacement result information of the second cartridge;
Calculating a third replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the third cartridge;
The first replacement number is divided by the minimum value of the first replacement number and the second replacement number on condition that the used state of the first cartridge and the second cartridge is detected by the detecting means. The first recommended number, the second recommended number obtained by dividing the second replacement number by the minimum value, and the third recommended number obtained by dividing the third replacement number by the minimum value are defined as the recommended number. 2. The image recording apparatus according to 2. The first cartridge, the second cartridge, and the third cartridge are individually sold, and each of the first cartridge, the second cartridge, and the third cartridge is i (where i is 1 or more). (Integer) is also sold as a set of cartridges,
The calculating means is configured to calculate the first replacement number, the second replacement number, and the third replacement number on the condition that all of i × j (j is an integer of 1 or more) or more. 8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each value obtained by subtracting i × j from each of the second replacement number and the third replacement number and j that is the recommended number of the cartridge set are used as the recommended number. .   The calculating means weights and adds the number of the exchange performance information using a weighting coefficient that becomes smaller as the exchange time is older, thereby obtaining the first exchange number, the second exchange number, and the third exchange number. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image recording apparatus calculates the image recording apparatus. The cartridge mounting portion can selectively mount a small-capacity cartridge and a large-capacity cartridge having a larger colorant capacity than the small-capacity cartridge,
When the exchange ratio between the small-capacity cartridge and the large-capacity cartridge is m (m is an integer of 2 or more): n (n is an integer of 1 or more and smaller than m),
The calculation means has a value obtained by subtracting m × α from the recommended number that is the recommended number of the small-capacity cartridges on the condition that the recommended number is not less than m × α (α is an integer of 1 or more); The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein n × α, which is a recommended number of the large-capacity cartridges, is the recommended number. The cartridge mounting portion is
A first mounting portion on which a first cartridge containing a first colorant is mounted;
A second mounting portion on which a second cartridge containing a second colorant is mounted;
A third mounting portion on which a third cartridge containing a third colorant is mounted;
The calculation means includes the replacement performance information stored in the storage unit.
A first replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the first cartridge;
A second replacement number which is the number of the replacement result information of the second cartridge;
Calculating a third replacement number that is the number of the replacement result information of the third cartridge;
The output means is notification information for notifying the user of the number of cartridges replaced in the past, and the notification information including the first replacement number, the second replacement number, and the third replacement number. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further outputting. The image recording apparatus further includes a display unit,
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit displays the notification information on the display unit.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the notification information to a display device connected to the image recording apparatus. An image comprising: a cartridge mounting portion in which a cartridge containing a colorant is detachably mounted; and a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium using the colorant stored in the cartridge mounted in the cartridge mounting portion. A program to be executed by a computer connected to a recording device,
A detecting step of detecting a used state in which the amount of the colorant contained in the cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion is below a predetermined threshold amount;
A replacement record management step of storing in a storage unit replacement record information including a replacement time of the cartridge, on condition that the cartridge in which the used state is detected in the detection step has been replaced,
The step of calculating a recommended number, which is the number of cartridges recommended for purchase by the user, on the condition that the used state is detected in the detection step, and the replacement results stored in the storage unit A calculation step of increasing the recommended number as the replacement frequency of the cartridge calculated based on information increases;
A program that causes the computer to execute notification information for notifying the user that a cartridge should be purchased, and outputting the notification information including the recommended number calculated in the calculation step. .

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