JP2023176804A - Information management device and information management system - Google Patents

Abstract

To motivate users to send consumables in as good conditions as possible so as to promote recycling of the consumables after collection.SOLUTION: An information management server 100 includes: a communication interface 190 capable of communicating, via a network, with a printer 200 that prints using an ink cartridge 50; and a processor 110. The processor 110 is configured to: obtain, in S70, collection information including a cartridge ID that can identify a user of the ink cartridge 50, or the printer 200, and status information on the ink cartridge 50 at a collection destination; variably generate, in S80, privilege information related to printing using the printer 200 according to the status information obtained in S70; and transmit, in S85, the privilege information generated in S80 to a mobile terminal 300 corresponding to the cartridge ID obtained in S70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to an information management device and an information management system that manage information related to consumables.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, a configuration is known in which when a cartridge, which is a consumable item, is collected at a collection site after being used in a printer, points are given to the user as bonus information.
In this conventional technology, printer information is stored in the cartridge memory when the cartridge is installed in the printer, and the printer information read from the cartridge memory is sent to the server at the collection point, and the server identifies the user corresponding to the printer information. , points are awarded to the identified user.

JP2009-211644A

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, for example, the condition in which the consumables are collected at the collection destination is not taken into consideration.
Here, consumables sent by users for recycling and collected at collection sites may be in poor external condition due to dirt, etc., or some of the consumables may be damaged, etc., resulting in functional problems. Consider the case where the condition is bad. In this case, in order to regenerate the consumables and make them reusable, a considerable amount of effort, cost, and time is required in the reprocessing process. On the other hand, if consumables are sent to a collection site in good external and functional condition, they can be easily recycled at the collection site, improving processing efficiency. can promote the regeneration of

An object of the present invention is to provide an information management device and an information management system that can motivate users to send consumables in as good a condition as possible and promote recycling of consumables after collection. There is a particular thing.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a communication I/F capable of communicating via a network with a printing device that prints using consumables, and a control unit, and the control unit includes: Collection information of the consumable at a collection point after it has been used in the printing device, including specific information that can identify the user of the consumable or the printing device; a collection information acquisition process that acquires the collection information including status information of consumables; and a collection information acquisition process that acquires the collection information including status information of the consumables, and the status information included in the collection information acquired in the collection information acquisition process, which includes bonus information related to printing using the printing device. a benefit information generation process that variably generates the benefit information according to the benefit information generation process; a benefit information transmission process that transmits the benefit information generated in the benefit information generation process to a destination corresponding to the specific information;
It is characterized by being an information management device that executes.

In the information management device of the present invention, the control unit executes collection information acquisition processing, privilege information generation processing, and privilege information transmission processing.
When consumables after being used in a printing device are collected at a predetermined collection location, collection information from the collection location is acquired in a collection information acquisition process. The collection information includes, in addition to specific information that can identify the user or the printing device, state information that indicates the state of the consumable at the time of collection at the collection destination.
In accordance with the acquired collection information, benefit information such as so-called points is generated in the benefit information generation process. In the benefit information generation process, benefit information is variably generated according to status information. The generated benefit information is transmitted to the destination corresponding to the specific information in the benefit information transmission process. For example, if a collected consumable item is in good cosmetic or functional condition, high-level bonus information is given, and if the consumable item is in poor cosmetic or functional condition due to dirt or damage, etc. In some cases, low-level benefit information can be provided.
In the present invention, by motivating users to send consumables in as good a condition as possible, it is possible to reduce the effort required in the recycling process after collection. According to the present invention, recycling of consumables after collection can be promoted.

According to the present invention, there is provided an information management device and an information management system that can motivate users to send consumables in as good a condition as possible and promote recycling of consumables after collection. be able to.

1 is a functional block diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a print service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of ink cartridge regeneration processing and reuse. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing details of an ink cartridge recycling process in a recycling factory. FIG. 2 is a software block configuration diagram related to various processes in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a registration notification display screen and a collection notification display screen displayed on a display unit of a mobile terminal. It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of point grant standard information. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an advice message displayed on a display unit of a mobile terminal. 3 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of a control procedure performed by cooperation of a mobile terminal, an information management server, a playback server, and a printer. 12 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of a control procedure performed by cooperation of a mobile terminal, an information management server, a playback server, and a printer in a modified example in which verification before point generation is performed using printer information. FIG. 7 is a software block configuration diagram related to various processes in a modified example in which verification before point generation is performed using a user ID. 3 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of a control procedure performed by cooperation of a mobile terminal, an information management server, a playback server, and a printer.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a print service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As an example, the present embodiment describes a printing service providing system that can provide a prepaid printing service (hereinafter referred to as "prepaid printing service") in which a user who is a customer pays a fee in advance and uses the printing function of a printer. This is an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to 1. A printing service providing system is an example of an information management system.

<Overview of printing service provision system>
In FIG. 1, this print service providing system 1 includes an information management server 100, a printer 200, a mobile terminal 300, and a reproduction server 400. These information management server 100, printer 200, mobile terminal 300, and playback server 400 are connected to network NT and can communicate with each other.

<Management server>
The information management server 100 is, for example, a server installed and managed by the manufacturer of the printer 200, and includes a processor 110, a storage device 115, and an interface 190. These processor 110, storage device 115, and interface 190 are connected to each other via bus 105. The information management server 100 is an example of an information management device. Note that the information management server 100 may be configured by a collection of multiple servers.

The storage device 115 includes a volatile storage device 120 and a nonvolatile storage device 130.
The volatile storage device 120 is, for example, a DRAM, and includes a user ID storage area 121, a device number storage area 122, a service information storage area 123, a cartridge ID storage area 124, a collection/reproduction flag storage area 125, It has a cartridge empty information storage area 126, a point information storage area 127, a COB information storage area 128, and a status information storage area 129. Details of these storage areas 121 to 129 will be described later.

The non-volatile storage device 130 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive, and has a program storage area 131, a fee table storage area 132, and a point assignment criteria table storage area 133.
Various programs are stored in the program storage area 131. The various programs include various programs related to providing the print service of this embodiment based on the software block diagrams in FIGS. 4 and 10, sequence diagrams in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, etc., which will be described later.
The fee table storage area 132 stores, for example, a predetermined correlation for calculating the fee to be charged to the user corresponding to the number of sheets that can be printed when a contract for the above-mentioned prepaid printing service is concluded. ing.
The point assignment criteria table storage area 133 stores point assignment criteria information for variably setting points, which will be described later. Details of the point provision criteria information will be described later. Point assignment criteria information is an example of setting criteria information.

The processor 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a CPU, and executes various programs including a program related to the print service of this embodiment stored in the program storage area 131. The processor 110 performs various processes shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 11, etc., which will be described later, including data communication with the mobile terminal 300, printer 200, playback server 400, etc. connected to the network NT. The processor 110 cooperates with the printer 200, the mobile terminal 300, the playback server 400, and the like to execute processing methods related to the generation and assignment of points and various types of identification information, which will be described later, by the print service providing system 1 of this embodiment. Note that the program stored in the program storage area 131 and the processor 110 that uses the program are examples of the control unit.

The interface 190 is a wired LAN interface or a wireless interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to the network NT. Interface 190 is an example of a communication I/F.

Note that the storage device 115 is not limited to the configuration of the device elements described above, and may include, for example, a RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, a portable recording medium such as a USB memory that can be attached to and detached from the mobile terminal 300, a buffer provided in the processor 110, etc. , or a combination thereof.
Note that the nonvolatile storage device 130 is a computer-readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above-mentioned examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Furthermore, non-transitory media are also tangible media.
The same applies to the storage device 215 of the printer 200, which will be described later.

<Printer>
The printer 200 is owned by, for example, a print service provider that provides the above print service or a user. The printer 200 includes a printing section 290, a transport section 295, a processor 210, a storage device 215, a display section 240, an operation section 250, and an interface 270. These printing section 290, processor 210, storage device 215, display section 240, operation section 250, and interface 270 are connected to each other via bus 205. Printer 200 is an example of a printing device.

The storage device 215 includes a volatile storage device 220 and a nonvolatile storage device 230. The volatile storage device 220 is, for example, a DRAM, and includes a service information storage area 221 that stores management service information, which will be described later.
The nonvolatile storage device 230 is, for example, a flash memory, and includes a device number storage area 231, a program storage area 232, and a contract information storage area 233 that stores the details of the contract entered into by the user with the contract source. There is.
In the device number storage area 231, a device number is stored as an example of identification information of the printer 200. A MAC address may be used as another example of the device number. Note that the identification information of the printer 200 will hereinafter be referred to as "printer information" as appropriate. Various programs are stored in the program storage area 232. The various programs include various programs related to providing the print service of this embodiment based on the software block diagrams in FIGS. 4 and 10, sequence diagrams in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, etc., which will be described later. These programs are stored in advance in the program storage area 232 as firmware, for example.

Processor 210 is a device that performs data processing, and is, for example, a CPU. The processor 210 executes various programs stored in the program storage area 232, and executes processing methods related to the generation and assignment of points and various types of identification information, which will be described later, by the print service providing system 1 of the present embodiment, to the processor 110 and the mobile terminal. 300, playback server 400, etc.

The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and can display various information. The display unit 240 does not need to be a liquid crystal display, and may be, for example, a dedicated LED lamp or the like.
The operation unit 250 is a device that accepts operations by a user. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. Interface 270 is a wired or wireless network interface for communicating with other devices, and is connected to network NT.

The conveyance unit 295 takes out the paper in the paper feed tray and conveys it along a predetermined conveyance path.

The printing unit 290 forms an image on the paper conveyed by the conveyance unit 295 using a predetermined method. In the following, a case where an image is formed by an inkjet method will be explained as an example. The printing unit 290 responds to a print job transmitted from the mobile terminal 300 along with a print job execution instruction (hereinafter referred to simply as a “print instruction”) or a print job generated by itself based on an operation on the operation unit 250. Then, an image is formed on the paper using ink from the ink cartridge 50 that is removably attached to the cartridge holder 51. The ink cartridge 50 is an example of a consumable item.

<Mobile device>
The mobile terminal 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user, and is an example of a terminal device. Mobile terminal 300 is connected to network NT via wireless communication. The mobile terminal 300 includes an operation unit 350 through which the user can input operations as appropriate, a processor 310, a storage device 315, and an interface 390 for connecting to the network NT.

Various programs are stored in a program storage area (not shown) provided in the storage device 315. The various programs include various programs related to providing the print service of this embodiment based on the software block diagrams in FIGS. 4 and 10, sequence diagrams in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, etc., which will be described later. A user ID storage area (not shown) provided in the storage device 315 stores identification information of the user of the mobile terminal 300, such as a user ID or a user account (hereinafter referred to simply as a "user ID" as appropriate). ing.
The processor 310 executes a program related to the print service of this embodiment stored in the program storage area. The processor 310 performs various processes shown in FIGS. 6, 5, 7, etc., which will be described later, including data communication with the information management server 100, printer 200, playback server 400, etc. connected to the network NT. The processor 310 cooperates with the information management server 100, the printer 200, the playback server 400, and the like to execute processing methods related to the generation and assignment of points and various types of identification information, which will be described later, by the print service providing system 1 of the present embodiment. .

The mobile terminal 300 also includes a display unit 301 (see FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), 7, etc. described later). Examples of display contents on the display unit 301 will be described later.
The mobile terminal 300 also includes a reading unit (not shown) that can perform optical reading using a known method. Details of the processing of the mobile terminal 300 using the reading unit will be described later.
Note that in place of the mobile terminal 300, other terminal devices such as a personal computer or a tablet computer may be used.

<Playback server>
The regeneration server 400 is provided, for example, at a recycler who recycles and collects the ink cartridges 50 for reuse, or at an intermediary who mediates to the recycler (hereinafter referred to simply as a "recycler"). Details of recycling, reusing, etc. of the ink cartridge 50 will be described later.

Playback server 400 is connected to network NT via wireless communication. The playback server 400 includes an operation unit 450 that allows a person in charge of operations at the playback server 400 to input operations as appropriate, a processor 410, a storage device 415, and an interface 490 for connecting to the network NT.

Various programs are stored in a program storage area (not shown) provided in the storage device 415. The various programs include various programs related to providing the print service of this embodiment based on the software block diagrams in FIGS. 4 and 10, sequence diagrams in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, etc., which will be described later.
The processor 410 executes a program related to the print service of this embodiment stored in the program storage area. The processor 410 performs various processes shown in FIG. 8, etc., which will be described later, including data communication with the information management server 100 and the like connected to the network NT. The processor 410 executes various processing techniques described below by the print service providing system 1 of this embodiment in cooperation with the information management server 100 and the like.
The playback server 400 also constitutes a playback system that includes a reading device (not shown) that can perform optical reading using a known method. Details of the processing of the reproduction server 400 as a reproduction system using a reading device will be described later.

<Prepaid printing service>
As described above, in this embodiment, a prepaid printing service is provided in which the user pays a fee based on the usage contract in advance to use the printing function of the printer 200. A service processing unit 530 (described later) of the information management server 100 applies the prepaid printing service to the printer 200 by accepting an application for a prepaid printing service from the mobile terminal 300. In other words, it is a pay-as-you-go service in which a user can purchase printing authority for the printer 200 in advance via the mobile terminal 300 for a fee, and then be able to print as many copies as the printable number guaranteed by the printing authority.
Note that the number of printable sheets may be guaranteed by the printing authority that can be obtained free of charge at the time of purchasing the printer 200, for example. Further, both paid printing authority and unpaid printing authority may exist.

<Charge amount and number of cards charged>
In the case of a prepaid billing system, the user is responsible for the number of printable pages (hereinafter referred to simply as the "charged number of sheets" as appropriate) guaranteed by the printing authority obtained by the amount paid as a billing fee (hereinafter referred to simply as the "charged amount" as appropriate). ) can be printed. In this case, for example, the user is provided with a plurality of billing plans that each determine how many printable pages the user can obtain by paying how much, based on the price table stored in the price table storage area 132 of the information management server 100. are presented, and the user selects a desired billing plan from among them.

<Recycling the ink cartridge>
On the other hand, in recent years, from the viewpoint of environmental protection and ecology, attempts have been made to reuse consumables such as the ink cartridge 50 that have been used once. When reusing the ink cartridge 50, the ink cartridge 50 is usually recycled at a dedicated recycling factory owned by a recycling company.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a new ink cartridge 50 (FIG. 2(a)) is installed and used in a printer P including the printer 200, etc. (FIG. 2(b)), and the ink is empty. When it becomes used, it is collected by a recycling company and recovered at a recycling factory. At the recycling factory, the ink is re-dispensed into each ink cartridge 50 (FIG. 2(c)), and the ink is shipped as a recycled product, that is, a reused product that can be used by the user again (FIG. 2(d)). . The above-described reproduction server 400 is provided, for example, at a reproduction factory that performs such processing.

In this embodiment, in order to promote the above-mentioned reuse, points are given as a benefit to users who provide used ink cartridges 50 for collection by recycling companies.
At this time, points are variably awarded depending on the status information of the ink cartridge 50 acquired at the recycling factory. Specifically, the more points are given to the collected ink cartridge 50 as it is free of dirt or scratches, or has only minor scratches, and requires less time and effort to recycle. If the collected ink cartridge 50 is heavily soiled or scratched, or if it cannot be recycled, fewer points will be given. Further, for example, if the collected ink cartridge 50 is not a genuine product from the manufacturer, or if it is confirmed that the ink has been redispensed by the user, it is assumed that there is a possibility of unauthorized use, and no points will be awarded.
The points awarded are returned to the user as a benefit in some form at an appropriate timing thereafter. Specifically, it can be used, for example, as an additional amount to the above-mentioned number of charged sheets.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed example of the recycling process at the recycling factory shown in FIGS. 2(c) and 2(d). In this example, the recycling process includes the following 15 work steps. Each work process will be explained below. Note that "CTG" written in FIG. 3 is an abbreviation for an ink cartridge.

<1. Appearance check>
In this step, first, an external photograph of the collected ink cartridge 50 is taken. In addition, the appearance of the ink cartridges 50 is checked, and those whose stains are determined to be at a level that cannot be recycled are discarded without being recycled. Products that are determined to be non-genuine products will also be discarded.
Further, in this first step, a management number is assigned to each ink cartridge 50, and a management sheet is created. Thereafter, in each work step of the recycling process, a worker manually inputs the status of the ink cartridge 50 into the management sheet, thereby creating process history information.

<2. Ink cartridge specification classification>
In this step, the ink cartridges 50 are sorted according to their specifications.

<3. COB information confirmation>
In this step, an appropriate communication device (not shown) provided in the recycling factory reads and acquires information stored in a storage unit (not shown) such as an IC chip provided in the ink cartridge 50 through communication. The information acquired in this way will be abbreviated as "COB information" hereinafter, including in each figure, as appropriate. The COB information includes a cartridge ID that identifies the ink cartridge 50. In this step, it is checked whether the COB information can be read or not, and if it can be read, the contents of the COB information are checked. For example, if it is confirmed that the COB information has been altered, it is determined that there is a possibility of unauthorized use, and the ink cartridge 50 is discarded. If the COB information cannot be read, the COB information may be reproduced based on the contents of a bar code or the like attached to the label of the ink cartridge 50 or the packaging bag of the ink cartridge 50.

<4. Exterior cleaning>
In this step, for ink cartridges 50 whose stains and scratches are determined to be at a reproducible level, the external appearance is cleaned and the scratches are repaired. If the degree of dirt or scratches is small, the number of steps or process time will be short, and if the degree of dirt or scratches is large, the number of steps or process time will be longer. Note that this step is skipped if it is determined that there is no dirt or scratches in the above-mentioned "appearance check" step.

<5. Exterior cover removal>
In this step, the outer cover of the ink cartridge 50 is removed.

<6. Check inside the cartridge>
In this step, the film welding part, flow path, etc. inside the ink cartridge 50 are checked, and if functional damage to a level that cannot be recycled is confirmed, the ink cartridge 50 is discarded.

<7. Removing residual ink inside the cartridge>
In this step, ink remaining inside the ink cartridge 50 is removed. Here, if it is confirmed that the user has redispensed ink independently, the ink cartridge 50 is discarded.

<8. Leak inspection>
In this step, the ink cartridge 50 is inspected for ink leakage and other leakage.

<9. Paste the label>
In this step, an appropriate label is attached to the outer circumference of the ink cartridge 50. For example, the cartridge ID may be displayed in a barcode on this label.

<10. Ink dispensing>
In this step, ink is dispensed into the ink cartridge 50.

<11. Exterior cover assembly>
In this step, the outer cover of the ink cartridge 50 is assembled and attached.

<12. COB information writing/updating>
In this step, new COB information corresponding to the completion of the above steps is written in the storage section in the ink cartridge 50, thereby updating the contents of the COB information in the storage section.

<13. Packaging＞
In this step, the ink cartridge 50 is packed.

<14. Final inspection for ink leakage>
In this step, a final inspection for ink leakage from the ink cartridge 50 is performed.

<15. Shipping>
In this step, the ink cartridge 50 that has been regenerated through the above-described steps of "external appearance check" to "final ink leakage inspection" is shipped. In this example, the recycled ink cartridge 50 is returned, for example, to the user who sent the ink cartridge 50 to a recycling factory. Also, at this time, the created process history information is acquired by the reproduction server 400 by manual input or OCR reading.

Note that, as described above, the process history is not limited to the method of manual input into the management sheet by the person in charge of the work, but other methods may be used to manage the process history. For example, by reading the cartridge ID from the label attached to the ink cartridge 50 with a reading device for each work process in FIG. may be collected and obtained. As process history information, for example, information such as the number of processes each ink cartridge 50 has undergone, process time, where it was discarded if it was discarded, and which process was skipped is collected.

By going through the recycling process including a plurality of work steps as described above, the above-mentioned status information based on the process history information for each ink cartridge 50 is collected by the above-mentioned manual input or automatically.

<Software block configuration>
In this embodiment, a software block configuration related to various processes such as the above-mentioned point assignment and authentication is shown in FIG.

<Service processing section of management server>
In FIG. 4, the information management server 100 includes a service processing section 530. As an example, the service processing unit 530 includes the processor 110 described above and a corresponding portion of the program stored in the program storage area 131.

The service processing unit 530 of the information management server 100 accepts applications for the above-mentioned printing services etc. from users via the mobile terminal 300, and executes appropriate processing necessary for providing each service while referring to the latest service information. do.
The service information is information stored in the service information storage area 123 in the volatile storage device 120 of the information management server 100 shown in FIG. 1 above. In this example, the service information includes the cumulative number of charged sheets, the cumulative number of printed sheets, and purchase information indicating which billing plan was purchased by which user and when.

The cumulative number of charged coins is the cumulative value from the past to the present of the number of charged coins guaranteed by charging by purchasing one billing plan as described above.
The cumulative number of printed sheets indicates how many sheets have actually been printed out of the cumulative number of charged sheets that the user has charged in the past, or in other words, how many sheets have actually been printed out of the number of printable sheets guaranteed by the above print authority. This is information that manages whether or not there are any.
The service processing unit 530 of the information management server 100 registers the corresponding purchase information when a user purchases a billing plan. The service processing unit 530 stores the user ID corresponding to the purchase information in the user ID storage area 121 in association with the purchase information.

<Printer print control section>
The printer 200 includes a print control section 540. As an example, the print control unit 540 includes the processor 210 described above and a corresponding portion of the program stored in the program storage area 232. The print control section 540 of the printer 200 controls the printing operation of the printing section 290 according to instructions from the mobile terminal 300 or other terminal device based on the management service information.
The management service information is information stored in the service information storage area 221 of the volatile storage device 220 of the printer 200 shown in FIG. 1, and includes the cumulative number of charged sheets and the cumulative number of printed sheets described above. Note that the service information is appropriately backed up in a rewritable nonvolatile storage device (not shown) so that it will not be lost when the printer 200 is powered off.
The print control unit 540 also has a function of transmitting the service status including the contents of the management service information at that time to the mobile terminal 300 and presenting it to the user.

<Update of service information by printer and management server>
Data for the cumulative number of printed sheets is generated and corrected by the printer 200 that actually performs printing control. Data for the cumulative number of charged coins is generated and corrected by the information management server 100 that receives and processes charges.

Since the information management server 100 performs print service reception processing, it is necessary to manage the cumulative number of sheets printed by the printer 200 in real time as much as possible. On the other hand, on the printer 200 side, it is necessary to limit the number of printable sheets within the actually instructed number of charged sheets. Therefore, the information management server 100 and the printer 200 synchronously update their respective information contents by, for example, periodically transmitting and receiving their respective data to each other at an appropriate cycle. Specifically, from the information management server 100, information including the cumulative number of charged sheets is transmitted to the printer 200 by the charge processing unit 600, which will be described later, and from the printer 200, information including the cumulative number of printed sheets is transmitted to the information management server 100. The content of the received information is updated in each.

The print control unit 540 of the printer 200 performs management so that printing is performed only within the printable number of sheets obtained by subtracting the cumulative number of printed sheets from the cumulative number of charged sheets according to the management service information stored at that time. When printing is actually performed, the print control unit 540 updates the cumulative number of printed sheets in the management service information to count up by the number of printed sheets. For example, when the print control unit 540 completes the charged number of sheets that can be printed with the charged amount, that is, when the cumulative number of printed sheets that has been counted up reaches the cumulative charged number of sheets, the print control unit 540 controls the above-mentioned case in which the number of sheets that can be printed thereafter becomes zero. It is possible to output a display signal for warning the zero charge state.

<Other functional parts of the information management server>
The information management server 100 further includes a charge processing section 600, an information acquisition section 605, a provision application reception section 610, a first verification section 615, a collection information acquisition section 630, a second verification section 635, and a point generation section. 640, a point notification section 645, and a validation processing section 650. As an example, these functional units 600 to 650 are each configured by the aforementioned processor 110 and a corresponding portion of a program stored in the program storage area 131.

<Charge processing section>
In response to receiving the purchase application for the billing plan on the mobile terminal 300, the charge processing unit 600 converts the value of the number of charged sheets corresponding to the billing plan into the value of the cumulative number of charged sheets in the management service information of the printer 200. Add against.
The charge processing unit 600 also changes the value of the charge number corresponding to the billing plan to the value of the cumulative charge number in the service information of the information management server 100 in accordance with the addition of the cumulative charge number in the management service information. By adding, the content of the cumulative charge number is updated. Note that the charge processing unit 600 stores the device number of the printer 200 corresponding to the cumulative number of charged sheets in the device number storage area 122 in association with the cumulative number of charged sheets.

<Information acquisition department>
The information acquisition unit 605 acquires a cartridge ID, which is identification information of the ink cartridge 50 installed in the printer 200, from the printer 200. The cartridge ID is information unique to each cartridge, and one ink cartridge 50 is specified by the cartridge ID.
The cartridge ID is a value unique to each ink cartridge 50 and does not change even before and after the ink cartridge 50 is regenerated.
The information acquisition unit 605 also acquires ink empty information indicating that the remaining amount of ink has fallen below a predetermined threshold, corresponding to the degree of consumption of the ink cartridge 50, that is, the degree of ink depletion. This information can be acquired by, for example, being read by a communication unit (not shown) provided in the printer 200 from a storage unit (not shown) such as an IC chip provided in the ink cartridge 50 through communication.
<Provision application reception department>
The provision application reception unit 610 receives a registration application for provision of the ink cartridge 50 to a collection destination from the mobile terminal 300. The provision application receiving unit 610 also receives identification information of the ink cartridge 50 based on the reading result of the barcode attached to the ink cartridge 50 by the reading unit of the mobile terminal 300 or inputted by the user using the mobile terminal 300. Get the cartridge ID.
The provision application receiving unit 610 also acquires the user ID of the mobile terminal 300 from the mobile terminal 300, and stores it in association with the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50.

<First verification section>
The first verification unit 615 verifies whether the cartridge ID acquired by the information acquisition unit 605 as described above matches the cartridge ID included in the registration application received by the provision application reception unit 610.
If the cartridge IDs match, the first matching unit 615 also acquires a notification indicating that the registration application has been accepted by the provision application reception unit 610 and the cartridge ID related to the registration application. The information is sent to the mobile terminal 300 corresponding to the user ID.

In the mobile terminal 300 that has received the above notification, a corresponding display is performed on the display unit 301. An example of the display performed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 at this time will be described with reference to FIG. 5(a).

As shown in FIG. 5A, in this example, a registration notification display screen 301A is displayed on the display unit 301. On the display screen 301A, the date of the notification, the user ID, and the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50 are displayed. Also displayed on the display screen 301A is the message "Registration for collection of the following cartridges has been completed. Thank you."

Although not shown, the destination of the collected ink cartridge 50, ie, the address of the remanufacturer, etc. may also be displayed on the display screen 301A at this time.
Further, an invoice displaying the destination of the ink cartridge 50, etc. may be printed from the printer 200 via the above-mentioned application program or the like.

<Recovery information acquisition department>
Returning to FIG. 4, the collection information acquisition unit 630 transmits the collection information related to the ink cartridge 50, which is acquired when the ink cartridge 50 for which registration has been applied is collected or remanufactured at the remanufacturer, to the regeneration server. Obtained from 400. Note that a recycling company is an example of a collection destination.

The collection information includes COB information, which will be described later, that is read from a storage unit (not shown) such as an IC chip provided in the ink cartridge 50 and acquired by the reproduction server 400, for example. Alternatively, the recovery information is information including COB information that is acquired by the regeneration server 400 based on the reading result of a barcode or the like attached to the label of the ink cartridge 50 or the packaging bag of the ink cartridge 50 using a reading device. Good too. As described later, the acquired COB information includes the cartridge ID of the collected ink cartridge 50.
As described above, the cartridge ID is associated with the user ID of the mobile terminal 300 in the provision application reception unit 610 before collection. In this example, the mobile terminal 300 is the recipient of benefit information, which will be described later. That is, the information management server 100 can specify the recipient of the benefit information, which will be described later, based on the cartridge ID.

The collection information includes the status information of the ink cartridge 50 collected as described above. As already mentioned, the status information is information based on process history information created by manual input to the management sheet explained in FIG. 3 or automatically collected. The status information is appropriately organized at the recycling factory, and in this example, it is replaced with indicators such as numbers and symbols representing the level and rank, such as "a" to "h" in FIG. 6, which will be described later. ing. Further, the status information may include the external appearance photograph of the ink cartridge 50 described in the external appearance checking step of FIG. 3.

<Second verification section>
The second collation unit 635 uses the cartridge ID acquired as described above by the information acquisition unit 605, the cartridge ID included in the registration application received by the provision application reception unit 610, and the cartridge ID acquired as described above by the collection information acquisition unit 630. The cartridge ID included in the acquired collection information is checked to see if it matches.

<Point generation section>
When the cartridge IDs match, the point generation unit 640 variably provides points as a user benefit related to printing using the printer 200 according to the status information included in the collection information acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630. , generate. Points are an example of benefit information, and point generation section 640 is an example of a benefit information generation section.

At this time, the point generation unit 640 variably generates points by referring to the above state information and the point assignment criteria information stored in the point assignment criteria table storage area 133 described above. An example of point provision criteria information will be explained with reference to FIG. 6.

In the point allocation criteria information shown in FIG. 6, the number of points ranges from the lowest level of 0 to the highest level of 3 based on criteria such as whether or not the collected ink cartridge 50 can be recycled, the extent of dirt and scratches, and whether or not it has been used illegally. The number of points is set for each of eight levels. Further, in this example, the status information acquired from the playback server 400 includes eight types of indicators from "a" to "h" corresponding to each of the eight levels described above.
The point generation unit 640 generates the number of points according to the status information acquired from the playback server 400 with reference to the point allocation standard information.

In this example, the status information of index "a" indicates that the ink cartridge 50 was non-genuine or could not be recycled because the user had redispensed the ink without permission. . In this case, no points are given, that is, they are set to 0 points.

The status information of index "b" indicates that the ink cartridge 50 was severely soiled and scratched and could not be recycled. In this case, although the item cannot be recycled, the user has returned it to the recycling factory, so 0.25 points are awarded.

The status information of index "c" indicates that the ink cartridge 50 was heavily soiled and had scratches that exceeded normal repair limits.
The status information of index "d" indicates that the ink cartridge 50 was severely contaminated and had scratches within normal repair limits.
In these cases, the recycling process takes longer than usual and puts a greater burden on the recycling factory, but as above, the user is still returning the item to the recycling factory, so 0.5 points will be awarded. It is set.

The status information of index "e" indicates that the ink cartridge 50 had moderate dirt and scratches within normal repair limits.
In this case, although the recycling process takes more tact than usual and puts a greater burden on the recycling factory, the user is still returning the item to the recycling factory as described above, so the settings are set so that 0.75 points will be awarded. has been done.

The status information of index "f" indicates that the ink cartridge 50 has slight dirt and scratches within normal repair limits.
It is expected that the majority of ink cartridges 50 returned from users to recycling factories will be at this level, and 1.0 points will be given to them.

The status information of index "g" indicates that there was no dirt in the ink cartridge 50, and there were scratches within normal repair limits.
This case corresponds to the case where some of the work processes described above using Figure 3 can be reduced, and the number of points is 2.0 points, which is more than the case of the above index "f". It is set to be granted.

The status information of index "h" indicates that there is no dirt or scratch in the ink cartridge 50.
In this case, the number of points is even higher than in the case of index "g" above, as it corresponds to the case where the product is returned in good condition, like new, and the work process described above can be significantly reduced using Figure 3. , 3.0 points are given.

The point generation unit 640 also assigns the points variably generated as described above in association with the user ID acquired by the provision application reception unit 610.

Note that, as in the above example, the method is not limited to the method of variably generating bonus information based on numerical magnitude such that the number of points is large for a high level and the number of points is small for a low level, but other methods may be used.
For example, high-level benefit information may include the ability to receive remote support via a call from a manned operator, while low-level benefit information may include the ability to receive remote support via AI chat. Benefit information may be generated in which the degree of service, quality, stage, procedure, etc. of the service are variable.

<Point notification section>
Returning to FIG. 4, the point notification unit 645 notifies the user that the ink cartridge 50 has been collected by the remanufacturer as described above, that points have been generated by the point generation unit 640, and the cartridge ID associated with registration. A notification representing this is sent to the mobile terminal 300.
At this time, as described above, the point notification unit 645 specifies the user ID associated with the cartridge ID acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630 in the provision application reception unit 610, and thereby identifies the cartridge ID to the cartridge ID acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630. The associated mobile terminal 300 is identified in advance, and the above notification is transmitted. The mobile terminal 300 is an example of a destination, and the point notification section 645 is an example of a benefit information transmission section.

In the mobile terminal 300 that has received the above notification, a corresponding display is performed on the display unit 301. An example of the display performed on the display unit 301 of the mobile terminal 300 at this time will be described with reference to FIG. 5(b).

As shown in FIG. 5(b), in this example, a collection notification display screen 301B is displayed on the display unit 301. On the display screen 301B, the date of the notification, the user ID, and the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50 are displayed, similar to the display screen 301A described above. The display screen 301B also displays a message that includes the details of the points awarded, ``Collection of the following cartridges that you previously registered has been completed, and an additional 1.0pt points have been awarded. Thank you.'' is displayed.

Further, on the collection notification display screen 301B, the user can confirm the details of the point contents. That is, the display screen 301B is provided with a "confirm point details" button 311a and a "don't confirm now" button 311b.
When the user operates the "Check point details" button 311a, an advice message as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display screen 301C together with a simplified display of the point award criteria information shown in FIG. 6 above. Ru.

In FIG. 7, the display screen 301C displays the advice message M that reads, "The more clean the item is returned, the more points you will earn. Next time, we recommend that you return it in an even more pristine condition." A simple display PS of point provision standard information is displayed.
On the display screen 301C, the level of the point allocation criteria information to which the currently collected ink cartridge 50 corresponds is clearly indicated by the cursor C along with the guidance message "Cartridge returned this time by Mr.●●". has been done.
Although not shown in the drawings, a photograph of the appearance of the collected ink cartridge 50 taken during the above-mentioned appearance check may also be displayed on the display screen 301C.

On the other hand, in the display screen 301B of FIG. 5(b), if the user operates the "Don't check now" button 311b, the advice message is not displayed and the display returns to the predetermined initial screen.

<Validation processing section>
Returning to FIG. 4, the validation processing unit 650 validates the points so that the user to whom the points are given can utilize them at a predetermined timing after the point generation unit 640 generates the points. In this example, for example, points are generated by the point generation section 640 as described above, but the user cannot utilize the points as benefits until this processing is performed by the validation processing section 650.

<Control procedure>
Hereinafter, an example of a control procedure performed by cooperation of the mobile terminal 300, the information management server 100, the playback server 400, and the printer 200 in order to realize the above method will be explained with reference to the sequence chart of FIG. 8.

In FIG. 8, first in S4, when the printer 200 is powered on with the ink cartridge 50 installed, for example, the communication unit (not shown) provided in the printer 200 communicates with the ink cartridge 50. The COB information stored in the storage unit is read and acquired through communication. As described above, the COB information includes the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50. The acquired COB information is sent to the management server 100 together with a device number unique to the printer 200 and acquired by the information acquisition unit 605, and the acquired cartridge ID is stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124 and the device number is stored in the device number storage area. 122 and are stored in association with each other.
When a known mechanism provided in the printer 200 detects that the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 50 installed in the printer 200 has become equal to or less than the threshold value, the printer 200 transmits corresponding ink empty information. In the information management server 100, the information acquisition unit 605 acquires the ink empty information in S5, and stores it in the cartridge empty information storage area 126 in association with the cartridge ID acquired in S4. In S5, a device number unique to the printer 200, that is, printer information, is also transmitted from the printer 200, and is acquired by the information acquisition unit 605 and stored in the device number storage area 122.
At this time, at least one of the printer information of the printer 200 and the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50 is associated with the corresponding user ID in the information management server 100 at the time of concluding the contract for the prepaid printing service described above (not shown). , S5, the user ID is acquired according to them and stored in the user ID storage area 121.
Note that the information stored in each of the storage areas 126, 124, 122, and 121 in S4 and S5 is stored in each area in a mutually linked manner.

In S10, an OK notification indicating that the process in S5 has been completed is transmitted from the information acquisition unit 605 of the information management server 100 to the printer 200.

When the user recognizes that the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 50 installed in the printer 200 has decreased to a certain extent and performs an appropriate operation on the mobile terminal 300, the pre-installed ink cartridge collection application is displayed in S15. The program is started.

In S20, the user uses the reading section to read the barcode etc. attached to the ink cartridge 50 installed in the printer 200, and in S25 the corresponding cartridge ID is sent to the information management from the mobile terminal 300. It is sent to the server 100. Note that the cartridge ID may be input manually by the user via the operation unit 350 of the mobile terminal 300, as described above.
The transmission of the cartridge ID in S25 serves both as an indication of the user's intention to provide the ink cartridge 50 for collection by a remanufacturer and an accompanying application for registration of the cartridge ID in the information management server 100. There is. The transmitted cartridge ID is acquired by the provision application reception unit 610 of the information management server 100 and stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124.
Further, in S25, the user ID of the mobile terminal 300 is transmitted from the mobile terminal 300 and acquired by the provision application reception unit 610 of the information management server 100. The user ID acquired by the provision application receiving unit 610 is stored in the user ID storage area 121 in association with the cartridge ID.

In S30, the information management server 100 determines whether or not the cartridge ID acquired in S4 and stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124 matches the cartridge ID stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124 in S25. Verification is performed by the verification unit 615.
In S35, the ink empty information acquired in S5 and stored in the cartridge empty information storage area 126 is read out, and the first checking unit 615 checks whether it satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is set such that the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 50 is close to empty to some extent or is below a predetermined value. The purpose of this is to use up as much ink as possible if there is still ink left in the ink cartridge 50, and increasing the number of times it is collected or recycled even though the ink cartridge 50 is still usable is an environmental burden. This is because it is not preferable in terms of reduction.

If the two cartridge IDs match in the verification in S30 and the ink empty information satisfies the predetermined conditions in the verification in S35, the first verification unit 615 executes S45. .

In S45, the first verification unit 615 sends a notification to the user stored in the user ID storage area 121 that the registration was made in response to the registration application in S25 as described above, and a notification indicating the cartridge ID related to the registration. It is transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 corresponding to the ID.

In S50, the mobile terminal 300 that has received the notification displays the registration result and the contents of the cartridge ID as illustrated using FIG. 5(a).
After confirming this display, the user ships the ink cartridge 50 related to the registration to a remanufacturer by mail, for example (illustrated as S55 for convenience). When the shipped ink cartridge 50 arrives at a recycling company, the ink cartridge 50 is recovered.

The recovered ink cartridge 50 is subjected to the above-described predetermined recycling process at a recycling factory of a recycling company. In the regeneration process, as described using FIG. 3, one or more predetermined work steps are sequentially performed depending on the state of the ink cartridge 50 to be processed. In FIG. 8, only a part of each work process shown in FIG. 3 is shown. For example, in S60, the reproduction server 400 reads COB information corresponding to the "COB information confirmation" step in FIG. As described above, the COB information is information read and acquired from the storage section within the ink cartridge 50. Alternatively, the COB information may be information obtained based on the result of reading a barcode or the like attached to the ink cartridge 50 or the packaging bag of the ink cartridge 50. The COB information includes the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50, as described above.
In S65, input of status information for the ink cartridge 50 described above with reference to FIG. 3 is accepted, for example, via the operation unit 450 of the reproduction server 400. In the above example, the process history information and the above-mentioned exterior photo are input at the recycling factory as the original information for generating the condition information. From this process history information, the playback server specifies which index is "a" to "h" and stores it as status information. Of course, it is also possible to directly input which index from "a" to "h" it is.
The COB information and status information acquired by the reproduction server 400 in S60 and S65 are transmitted to the information management server 100 in S70.

In the information management server 100, the collection information acquisition unit 630 receives and acquires the COB information and status information transmitted from the reproduction server 400 in S70. The acquired COB information is stored in the COB information storage area 128, and the acquired status information is stored in the status information storage area 129, respectively, in association with, for example, a cartridge ID or a user ID. Note that the cartridge ID included in the acquired COB information is stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124. At this time, a collection/recycle flag F corresponding to the ink cartridge 50 is generated with F=1, and is stored in the collection/recycle flag storage area 125 in association with the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50. The process executed by the collection information acquisition unit 630 in S70 is an example of the collection information acquisition process, and the collection information acquisition unit 630 that executes this process is an example of the collection information acquisition unit. The cartridge ID included in the COB information transmitted from the playback server 400 in S70 is an example of specific information that can identify a user, and is also an example of consumables specific information.

In S75, the second collation unit 635 obtains the cartridge ID stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124 in S4, the cartridge ID stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124 in S25, and the cartridge ID in the form included in the COB information in S70. The cartridge ID stored in the cartridge ID storage area 124 is checked to see if they match each other.

If the three cartridge IDs match in the verification in S75, the point generation unit 640 changes the points in S80 according to the status information acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630 in S70. is generated. The magnitude of the numerical value of points can be determined by referring to the above-mentioned point granting standard information stored in the point giving standard table storage area 133, and determining the numerical value corresponding to the indicators "a" to "h" of the above-mentioned status information. generated.
The generated points are awarded to the user in this example. The generated points are stored in the point information storage area 127 in association with the user ID. The process executed by the point generation unit 640 in S80 is an example of a benefit information generation process, and the point generation unit 640 that executes this process is an example of a benefit information generation unit.
Although not shown, if the three cartridge IDs described above do not match in S75, a predetermined error process is performed and no points are generated.

It should be noted that the cartridge ID acquired and stored in S4 as described above, the cartridge ID acquired and stored in S25, and the cartridge ID acquired and stored in S70 as described above are not necessarily checked in S75. There's no need. That is, in S75, the second collation unit 635 may collate only the cartridge ID acquired and stored in S25 and the cartridge ID acquired and stored in S70. In this case, if the two cartridge IDs match in the comparison in S75, the point generation unit 640 generates the points in S80.

In S85, a notification indicating that the ink cartridge 50 was collected in S55 as described above, that points were generated in S80, and the cartridge ID related to registration is sent from the point notification unit 645 to the mobile terminal 300. sent to. At this time, the point notification unit 645 identifies the mobile terminal 300 whose user ID was associated and stored in S25 with the cartridge ID acquired and stored in S70, and sends the notification.
The process executed by the point notification unit 645 in S85 is an example of a benefit information transmission process, and the point notification unit 645 is an example of a benefit information transmission unit.

In S90, the mobile terminal 300 that has received the notification displays a collection result, point contents, and cartridge ID as illustrated using FIG. 5(b).
Further, by the user's appropriate operation, an advice message and a simple display of point assignment criteria information, etc., as illustrated using FIG. 7, are displayed.

In the information management server 100, in S95, the validation processing unit 650 determines whether the timing to validate the points awarded as described above has arrived. The timing of this activation is, for example, once a month, if it is set in advance that the total value of points that have been granted up to that point will be activated, for example, on the last day of each month, or on the 10th, or It is a fixed date, such as the 15th.
If the timing has not arrived, the determination is No, the process returns to S5, and the same procedure is repeated. If the timing has arrived, the determination is Yes, and the process moves to S100.

In S100, the validation processing unit 650 validates the points in a manner that allows the user to utilize them. As a result of activation, the user can utilize the points as his own benefit in some way. In other words, the user is prohibited from using all or part of the total points. The fact that the points have been validated and the usage has been lifted in this way is stored in the service information storage area 123 in association with, for example, the corresponding user ID or cartridge ID. At this time, the value of points stored in the point information storage area 127 is reduced by the number of points that have been validated in a manner that can be used by the user, for example, by the validation processing unit 650.
As a method for the user to use the card after the ban has been lifted, for example, as described above, the information management server 100 may allow the card to be used as an additional charge amount. Alternatively, in addition to the number of cards to be charged, the user may be able to use money, various services, various products, etc. as some kind of offering to the user.

<Effects of embodiment>
As described above, in the information management server 100 of this embodiment, collection information of the collected or regenerated ink cartridge 50 is acquired from the regeneration server 400 in S70. The collection information includes the cartridge ID of the ink cartridge 50 acquired at the recycling factory and state information representing the state of the ink cartridge 50 at the time of collection.
In S80, the information management server 100 variably generates bonus information such as points and services according to the status information acquired in S70. The information management server 100 identifies the user ID associated with the cartridge ID in S25, and the generated benefit information is assigned to the user ID. In S85, the generated benefit information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 of the user associated in S25 with the cartridge ID acquired in S70.
According to the present embodiment, based on the above-mentioned condition information, if the recovered ink cartridge 50 is in good appearance or functional condition, high-level bonus information is given, and if the recovered ink cartridge 50 is worn out due to dirt, damage, etc. If the product is in poor cosmetic or functional condition, low-level benefit information can be given.
In this embodiment, by motivating the user to send the ink cartridge 50 in as good a condition as possible, the effort required for the recycling process, for example, in the recycling process described above with reference to FIG. 3, is reduced. be able to. Furthermore, the number of ink cartridges 50 to be disposed of can be reduced. According to this embodiment, recycling of the ink cartridge 50 after collection can be promoted.

Further, in this embodiment, particularly when the status information is manually input by the person in charge of the work, the information content can be fine-grained based on the visual observation of the person in charge, for example. If the status information is automatically acquired during the regeneration process, it is possible to efficiently generate status information without requiring human intervention.

Further, particularly in this embodiment, in S85, the benefit information generated in S80 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 of the user ID corresponding to the cartridge ID acquired in S75. According to the present embodiment, the user of the mobile terminal 300 can check the content of the benefit information generated by sending his or her own ink cartridge 50 on the mobile terminal 300.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the bonus information, an external photo of the ink cartridge 50 can also be sent to the mobile terminal 300, particularly in S85. In this case, the user can use the mobile terminal 300 to check how the ink cartridge 50 that he sent himself looked like when it arrived at the remanufacturer and how the benefit information was generated as a result.

Further, in this embodiment, in particular, in S85, point granting standard information, which is the basis for variably setting the benefit information, is transmitted and displayed on the display screen 301C of the mobile terminal 300 (see FIG. 7).
According to the present embodiment, the user can use the mobile terminal 300 to check on what criteria the ink cartridge 50 that he/she sent was evaluated and the benefit information was generated.

Further, in this embodiment, particularly in S85, an advice message M for increasing the privilege information to a high level is transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 and displayed on the display screen 301C of the mobile terminal 300. Specifically, as shown in the advice message M shown in FIG. 7, for example, a message stating that the less dirt there is at the time of collection by a recycling company and the fewer damaged parts, the higher the level of benefit information can be obtained. Sent.
According to the present embodiment, since it is possible to give the user a hint for obtaining high-level benefit information, it is possible to reliably give the user the motivation to send the consumables in good condition.

Further, in this embodiment, in particular, since the cartridge ID is used as specific information for identifying the user of the ink cartridge 50, the collected ink cartridges 50 can be individually identified and processed.

<Modified example>
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes, for example, the following modifications within its technical scope. In the following description of each modification, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as in the above embodiment, and the description is omitted or simplified as appropriate.

(1) When comparing before point generation is performed using printer information In order to realize the method in this modification, a control procedure is performed by the cooperation of the mobile terminal 300, the information management server 100, the playback server 400, and the printer 200. An example of this will be explained with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 9, which corresponds to FIG. 8 of the above embodiment.

In FIG. 9, in this modification, first, S4 to S50 similar to those in FIG. 8 are executed. At this time, the printer information acquired from the printer 200 together with the ink empty information by the information acquisition unit 605 in S5 is an example of the first identification information in this modification, and the process executed by the information acquisition unit 605 in S5 is the first identification information. This is an example of information acquisition processing.

After S50 is executed, in S55' corresponding to S55 in FIG. 8, in this modification, when the ink cartridge 50 is shipped to a remanufacturer, the user operates the printer 200 as appropriate. A COB code corresponding to the above COB information is printed using a known method. For example, this COB code may be printed along with the invoice or address label used when shipping the ink cartridge 50, or it may be printed on a bag etc. in which the ink cartridge 50 is packed at the time of shipping. good.
Further, in this modification, printer information of the printer 200 is also printed on the invoice, address label, packaging bag, etc. together with the COB code. The printer information may be automatically printed in the printer 200 by an appropriate operation or instruction to the printer 200, or may be printed by some manual input by the user. In any case, it is sufficient that printer information is attached to the collected ink cartridge 50 in some form.

At S60' corresponding to S60 in FIG. 8, in the recycler server 400 of the recycler that has collected the shipped ink cartridge 50, the COB code and printer are printed as described above by the reading unit of the recycle server 400. Information is read. By this reading, the above-mentioned COB information corresponding to the COB code and the printer information of the printer 200 are acquired.

After passing through S65 similar to that in FIG. 8, in S70' corresponding to S70 in FIG. It is acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630 of. The acquired printer information is stored in the device number storage area 122. The printer information acquired at this time is an example of the second identification information, and the process executed by the collection information acquisition unit 630 is an example of the collection information acquisition process in this modification.

In S75', which corresponds to S75 in FIG. are compared to see if they match each other. The process executed by the second matching unit 635 in S75' is an example of the printing device matching process.

If the two pieces of printer information match in the comparison in S75', the points are acquired by the point generation unit 640 in S80' corresponding to S80 in FIG. 8, and acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630 in S70'. Points are variably generated depending on the status information.
In this modification, points are awarded to printer 200. The generated points are stored in the point information storage area 127 in association with the printer information acquired in S70'. The process executed by the point generation unit 640 in S80' is an example of the benefit information generation process in this modification.

The subsequent processing is similar to that shown in FIG. 8, and the explanation will be omitted.

Note that in S85 of this modification, points are sent to the user's mobile terminal 300 associated in S25 with the cartridge ID acquired in S70′, as in FIG. 8, but this method is not limited to this method. do not have. That is, points may be transmitted in S85 to the mobile terminal 300 corresponding to the user ID appropriately associated in S5 or S25 or the like with respect to the printer information acquired in S70'. In this case, the printer information acquired in S70' is an example of specific information that can identify the user.

Further, in S55', the shipping number printed on the invoice is included in the collection information acquired in S70', and the user of the mobile terminal 300 is identified using this shipping number and points are sent in S85. You may also do so. In this case, the shipping number acquired in S70' is an example of specific information that can identify the user.

<Effects of modified examples>
In this modification, printer information of the printer 200 is transmitted from the printer 200 in S5, and is acquired by the information acquisition unit 605. Further, when the ink cartridge 50 is collected by a remanufacturer, the printer information of the printer 200 attached to the ink cartridge 50 is acquired at the remanufacturer's remanufacturing factory. In S70', the printer information included in the collection information sent from the playback server 400 is acquired, and in S75', a check is performed to see if the two pieces of printer information match. Benefit information is generated.
According to this modification, by confirming that the printer information of the printer 200 obtained in two different processes matches, the ink cartridge 50 to be processed can be indirectly and accurately identified. Benefit information can be variably generated.

(2) When verification before point generation is performed using user ID In this modification, the software block configuration related to various processes such as the above-mentioned point assignment and authentication is shown in FIG. 10, which corresponds to FIG. 4 of the above embodiment. Shown below.
In order to realize the method in this modification, an example of the control procedure performed by the cooperation of the mobile terminal 300, the information management server 100, the playback server 400, and the printer 200 is shown in FIG. 11, which corresponds to FIG. 8 of the above embodiment. This will be explained using a sequence diagram.

11 and 10, in this modification, first, in S3, which is executed at an appropriate timing before S4 similar to FIG. 6, the user ID stored in advance in the storage device 315 of the mobile terminal 300 is The information is transmitted to the management server 100, acquired by the information acquisition unit 605, and stored in the user ID storage area 121. The user ID acquired at this time is an example of the third identification information, and the process executed by the information acquisition unit 605 is an example of the second information acquisition process.

After S4 to S50 similar to those in FIG. In this modification, along with the above COB code, a user ID is also printed on the invoice, address label, packaging bag, etc. The information may be printed by manual input via the operation unit 350 of the operation unit 250, or the printer 200 may obtain the information from the mobile terminal 300 and print it by performing an appropriate operation on the mobile terminal 300. In any case, it is sufficient that the user ID is attached to the collected ink cartridge 50 in some form.

At the recycling server 400 of the recycling company that has collected the shipped ink cartridge 50, in S60'' corresponding to the above-mentioned S60 and S60', the COB code is printed as described above by the reading unit of the recycling server 400. and the user ID are read. Through this reading, the above-mentioned COB information corresponding to the COB code and the user ID are acquired.

After passing through S65 similar to that in FIG. 8, in S70'' corresponding to S70 and S70' described above, the COB information, status information, and user ID acquired in S60'' and S65 are transmitted from the playback server 400, and the information It is acquired by the collection information acquisition unit 630 of the management server 100. The acquired user ID is stored in the user ID storage area 121. The user ID acquired at this time is an example of the fourth identification information, and the process executed by the collection information acquisition unit 630 is an example of the collection information acquisition process.

In S75″, which corresponds to S75 in FIG. are compared to see if they match each other. The process executed by the second matching unit 635 in S75'' is an example of the user matching process.

If the two user IDs match in the comparison in S75'', the point generation section 640 proceeds to S80 similar to FIG. 8, and the status information acquired by the collection information acquisition section 630 in S70'' Points are variably generated depending on.

The subsequent processing is similar to that shown in FIG. 8, and the explanation will be omitted.

Note that in S85 of this modification, points are sent to the user's mobile terminal 300 associated in S25 with the cartridge ID acquired in S70'', as in FIG. 8, but this method is not limited to this method. In other words, points may be transmitted in S85 to the mobile terminal 300 corresponding to the user ID acquired in S70''. In this case, the user ID acquired in S70'' is an example of specific information that can identify the user.

<Effects of modified examples>
In this modification, the user ID is transmitted from the mobile terminal 300 in S3 and is acquired by the information acquisition unit 605. Furthermore, when the ink cartridge 50 is collected by a remanufacturer, the user ID associated with the ink cartridge 50 is acquired at the remanufacturer's recycling factory. In S70'', the user ID included in the collection information sent from the playback server 400 is acquired, and in S75'', a check is performed to see if the two user IDs match, and if they match, Benefit information is generated.
According to this modification, by confirming that the user IDs acquired in two different processes match, the ink cartridge 50 to be processed can be indirectly and accurately identified. Privilege information can be variably generated depending on the state of the device 50.

(3) Others Note that although the above description has been made using a case where a prepaid printing service is provided as an example of a printing service, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be a fixed-rate printing service (so-called subscription printing service) provided that the number of prints does not exceed the upper limit for a certain period of time. In this case, points may be used for printing more than the upper limit number of sheets. Alternatively, the fixed amount may be discounted according to points. Further, it is not necessary to receive printing services based on a printing service contract. Even in such a case, various benefits such as discount coupons for consumables and content for printing applications can be provided.

Further, although the above description has been made using an example in which printing is performed using an inkjet method, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a laser printer may be used instead of an inkjet printer. In this case, a toner cartridge, drum, etc. in which toner is stored are examples of consumables.
In addition to the above, inkjet heads to be replaced, waste liquid boxes, etc. are also included in consumables, and points may be given by collecting them.

Further, in the above description, the arrows shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 indicate an example of a signal flow, and do not limit the direction of signal flow.

Furthermore, in the above, the sequence charts shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11 do not limit the present invention to the steps shown in the sequence charts, and steps may be added within the scope of the gist and technical idea of the invention. - You may delete or change the order.

Further, in addition to the methods described above, the methods according to the above embodiments and each modification may be used in combination as appropriate.

Although not illustrated in detail, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention.

1 Printing service provision system (an example of an information management system)
50 Ink cartridge (an example of consumables)
100 Information management server (an example of an information management device)
110 Processor 131 Program storage area 190 Interface (an example of communication I/F)
200 Printer (an example of a printing device)
300 Mobile terminal (an example of a terminal device)
400 Playback Server NT Network

Claims (10)

a communication I/F capable of communicating via a network with a printing device that prints using consumables;
a control unit;
has
The control unit includes:
Collection information of the consumable at a collection point after it has been used in the printing device, including specific information that can identify the user of the consumable or the printing device; Collection information acquisition processing that acquires the collection information including status information of consumables;
a benefit information generation process that variably generates benefit information related to printing using the printing device according to the status information included in the collection information acquired in the collection information acquisition process;
a benefit information transmission process of transmitting the benefit information generated in the benefit information generation process to a destination corresponding to the specific information;
An information management device that executes The status information included in the collection information is:
The information management device according to claim 1, wherein the information is manually input at the collection destination or automatically acquired in a recycling process for the consumables at the collection destination. The control unit includes:
The information management device according to claim 1, wherein in the privilege information transmission process, the privilege information generated in the privilege information generation process is transmitted to a terminal device corresponding to the specific information. In the collection information acquisition process, the control unit includes:
Obtaining the condition information including an external photo of the collected consumables,
In the benefit information transmission process,
4. The information management device according to claim 3, further comprising transmitting the exterior photo of the consumable item to the terminal device in addition to the bonus information. In the benefit information transmission process, the control unit includes:
4. The information management device according to claim 3, wherein, in addition to the privilege information, setting standard information for variably setting the privilege information is transmitted to the terminal device. In the benefit information transmission process, the control unit includes:
4. The information management device according to claim 3, wherein, in addition to the privilege information, an advice message for setting the privilege information to a high level is transmitted to the terminal device. The specific information is
The information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information is consumable specifying information that specifies the consumable. The control unit further includes:
executing a first information acquisition process of acquiring first identification information of the printing device in which the consumable is installed from the printing device;
In the collection information acquisition process,
acquiring the collection information including second identification information of the printing device attached to the collected consumables from the collection destination;
moreover,
Printing device verification for checking whether the first identification information acquired in the first information acquisition process and the second identification information included in the collection information acquired in the collection information acquisition process match. execute the process,
If the first identification information and the second identification information match in the printing device matching process, the bonus information is generated in the bonus information generation process, and the generated bonus information is associated with the printing device. to give,
An information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The control unit further includes:
executing a second information acquisition process of acquiring third identification information of a user of the printing device from a terminal device;
In the collection information acquisition process,
acquiring the collection information including fourth identification information of the user of the printing device attached to the collected consumables from the collection destination;
moreover,
a user verification process of comparing whether or not the third identification information acquired in the second information acquisition process matches the fourth identification information included in the collection information acquired in the collection information acquisition process; Run
If the third identification information and the fourth identification information match in the user verification process, the benefit information is generated in the benefit information generation process, and the generated benefit information is associated with and assigned to the user. do,
The information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Collection information of the consumable at a collection destination after the consumable is used in a printing device that prints using the consumable, and specific information that can identify the user of the consumable or the printing device; , a collection information acquisition unit that acquires the collection information including status information of the consumable at the collection destination;
a benefit information generation unit that variably generates benefit information related to printing using the printing device according to the status information included in the collection information acquired by the collection information acquisition unit;
a benefit information transmitter that transmits the benefit information generated by the benefit information generator to a destination corresponding to the specific information;
An information management system with