JP7388036B2 - Display control device, display control method, and display control program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program.

Patent Document 1 describes that the change in the remaining amount of colorant over time is shown in a line graph, and the cartridge replacement time is predicted using an approximate straight line obtained from the change in the remaining amount of colorant shown by the line. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-123311

However, there is a problem in that the user of the image forming apparatus cannot understand how the colorant is used and the amount of colorant remaining decreases only by looking at changes over time in the remaining amount of colorant. Ta.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, it is desirable to provide a technique that allows easy acquisition of information for understanding the cause of the decrease in the remaining amount of colorant.

A display control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a display section, an input section, a storage section, and a control section. The control unit is configured to execute storage control processing, first display processing, selection processing, and second display processing. In the storage control process, printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus is acquired every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied, and is stored in the storage unit. The first display process includes a plurality of periods included from a past time to a current time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on printing status information stored in the storage unit by a storage control process. A graph displaying area containing the graph is displayed on the display unit. The selection process is performed when an input operation on the input section specifies a location corresponding to at least one of a plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display section. Select at least one period corresponding to the specified location. The second display process displays printing status information on the display unit for at least one period selected by the selection process.

According to the display control device configured in this way, when an operation for specifying a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods is performed through an input operation on the input unit, the display control device specifies the location corresponding to at least one period among the plurality of periods. Printing status information is displayed on the display section. Therefore, the user can know the usage status information corresponding to the desired period by simply performing the simple operation of specifying a location in the graph display area that corresponds to the period for which the user wants to know the printing status information.

In addition, a display control method executed by a control unit in the display control device, a display control program that causes the control unit to execute each of the above-mentioned processes in the display control device, a computer-readable recording medium storing the control program, and an image. An information processing device that is capable of communicating with a forming device and includes the display control device; an image forming system including the information processing device and an image forming device including the display control device; and an image forming system including the display control device. Image forming devices and the like are also new and useful.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing system. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing information acquisition processing. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing information accumulation processing. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the first display process. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the second display process. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a graph display window. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a graph display window and a pop-up window. FIG. 7(B) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the pop-up window in FIG. 7(A). FIG. 8(A) is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a graph display window and a pop-up window. FIG. 8(B) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the pop-up window in FIG. 8(A). FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example of a graph display window and a pop-up window. FIG. 9(B) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the pop-up window in FIG. 9(A). FIG. 10(A) is an explanatory diagram showing a display example when the pop-up window shown in FIG. 8(A) is clicked. FIG. 10(B) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the pop-up window in FIG. 10(A). FIG. 11(A) is an explanatory diagram showing a display example when the graph display window is further clicked in a state where the graph display window and pop-up window shown in FIG. 10(A) are displayed. FIG. 11(B) is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the pop-up window in FIG. 11(A).

Next, the above-described display control device, display control method, and display control program will be described by citing exemplary embodiments.
[Image processing system configuration]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing system 1 includes an information processing device 10 (eg, a personal computer) and an image forming device 20 (eg, a multifunction device). The information processing device 10 and the image forming device 20 are each connected to a LAN 30 and configured to be able to communicate with each other via the LAN 30.

The information processing device 10 includes a control section 11 , a storage section 12 , a display section 13 , an input section 14 , and a communication section 15 . The control unit 11 includes a CPU. The control unit 11 executes processing and control according to a program stored in the storage unit 12, which is a non-transitional physical recording medium, and realizes various functions included in the information processing device 10. However, the various functions realized by the control unit 11 are not limited to being realized by executing programs, and some or all of them may be realized using one or more pieces of hardware.

The storage unit 12 includes a semiconductor memory represented by, for example, ROM, RAM, NVRAM, and flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores various software and data. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 stores a display control program 12A as software. The display control program 12A is a program for executing display control processing (more specifically, information acquisition processing, information accumulation processing, first display processing, and second display processing) to be described later. The display unit 13 includes a display device (for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display) and is configured to display various images.

The input unit 14 includes an input device (for example, a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard) and an input controller that processes input from the input device. The user can input various commands to the information processing device 10 by performing input operations on the input unit 14 . The communication unit 15 includes a network interface controller that complies with LAN standards. Note that the communication unit 15 may be configured to be able to communicate via either a wireless LAN or a wired LAN. Further, the communication unit 15 may be configured with a communication interface compliant with communication standards other than the LAN standard (for example, the USB standard).

The image forming apparatus 20 includes a control section 21 , a storage section 22 , a display section 23 , an input section 24 , a communication section 25 , a printing section 26 , and a cartridge detection section 27 . The control unit 21 includes a CPU. The control unit 21 executes processing and control according to a program stored in the storage unit 22, which is a non-transitional physical recording medium, and realizes various functions provided in the image forming apparatus 20. However, the various functions realized by the control unit 21 are not limited to being realized by executing programs, and some or all of them may be realized using one or more pieces of hardware.

The storage unit 22 includes a semiconductor memory represented by, for example, ROM, RAM, NVRAM, and flash memory. The storage unit 22 stores software and data for controlling each part of the image forming apparatus 20. The display unit 23 includes a display device (for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display) and is configured to display various images. The input unit 24 includes an input device for receiving various input operations. The input unit 24 of this embodiment includes a transparent touch panel as an input device. This transparent touch panel is arranged to overlap the display device of the display section 23.

The printing unit 26 is configured to be able to print an image on a sheet-like recording medium. In the case of this embodiment, the printing unit 26 includes an inkjet printing mechanism. The communication unit 25 includes a network interface controller that complies with LAN standards. Note that the communication unit 25 may be configured to be able to communicate via either a wireless LAN or a wired LAN. Further, the communication unit 25 may be configured with a communication interface compliant with communication standards other than the LAN standard (for example, the USB standard).

The cartridge detection unit 27 is configured to be able to detect attachment and detachment of the cartridge 28. The cartridge 28 contains a colorant (ink in this embodiment) used during printing. In the case of this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 20 has a color printing function and a monochrome printing function, and can be equipped with four cartridges 28 that contain colorants of four colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow). It is composed of The cartridge detection section 27 is configured to output a mounting signal indicating this to the control section 21 when a cartridge 28 corresponding to each of the four colorants is mounted.

Further, the image forming apparatus 20 includes four sub-tanks 29 corresponding to the four cartridges 28, respectively. When the cartridge 28 is installed in the image forming apparatus 20 , the colorant contained in the cartridge 28 is supplied to the sub-tank 29 . During printing in the printing section 26, the colorant stored in the sub-tank 29 is supplied to the recording head 26A provided in the printing section 26. By providing such a sub-tank 29, even if the remaining amount of colorant stored in the cartridge 28 runs out, printing can be continued until the remaining amount of colorant stored in the sub-tank 29 runs out. . Furthermore, since the cartridge 28 can be replaced while printing continues using the colorant in the sub-tank 29, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a period during which printing is not possible when the cartridge 28 is replaced. be able to.

[Information acquisition processing]
Next, information acquisition processing executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 will be described based on FIG. 2. The information acquisition process shown in FIG. 2 is a process executed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 detects that an event to be processed has occurred. When the information acquisition process is started, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an event indicating that the cartridge 28 has been replaced has been acquired, as shown in FIG. 2 (S110). If it is determined in S110 that an event indicating that the cartridge 28 has been replaced has been obtained (S110: YES), the control unit 11 stores the replacement date and time of the cartridge 28 in the storage unit 12 (S120), and performs the information acquisition process. finish.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S110 that an event indicating that the cartridge 28 has been replaced has not been acquired (S110: NO), the control unit 11 determines whether an event indicating that printing has been performed in the image forming apparatus 20 has been acquired. (S130). Specifically, the control unit 11 determines that printing has been performed by the image forming apparatus 20 when a print completion notification indicating that printing has been completed is obtained from the image forming apparatus 20. In S130, if it is determined that an event indicating that printing has been performed on the image forming apparatus 20 has been acquired (S130: YES), the control unit 11 adds the current number of printed pages to the cumulative number of printed pages for each color and performs cumulative printing. The number of pages is updated, and the current printing ink usage is added to the cumulative printing ink usage of each color to update the cumulative printing ink usage of each color (S140).

Subsequently, the control unit 11 sets a print execution flag (S141) and determines whether color printing is to be performed (S142). If it is determined in S142 that it is color printing (S142: YES), the current number of color prints is added to the cumulative number of color prints up to that point (S143). Regarding the current color printing, the number of printed sheets by function, the number of printed sheets by size, and the number of printed sheets by image quality are added to the respective cumulative number of printed sheets (S144). In S144, the number of printed sheets by function is divided into four types: FAX function, copy function, print function, and other functions. After completing S144, the information acquisition process ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S142 that it is not color printing (S142: NO), the current number of monochrome prints is added to the cumulative number of monochrome prints up to that point (S145). Regarding the current monochrome printing, the number of printed sheets by function, the number of printed sheets by size, and the number of printed sheets by image quality are added to the respective cumulative number of printed sheets (S146). In S144, the number of printed sheets by function is divided into four types: FAX function, copy function, print function, and other functions. After completing S146, the information acquisition process ends. The number of printed sheets by size is counted based on A4 size and divided into three types: A4 size, larger than A4, and smaller than A4. The number of printed sheets by image quality is divided into two types: high image quality and other types.

If it is determined in S130 that an event indicating that printing has been performed by the image forming apparatus 20 has not been acquired (S130: NO), the control unit 11 cleans the printing mechanism (more specifically, the recording head 26A). It is determined whether or not an event indicating that has been executed has been acquired (S150). Specifically, when the control unit 11 obtains a cleaning completion notification from the image forming apparatus 20, the control unit 11 determines that cleaning has been performed in the image forming apparatus 20. In S150, if it is determined that an event indicating that cleaning has been performed is obtained, the control unit 11 adds the current number of cleanings to the cumulative number of monochrome and color cleanings if the cleaning targets both black and color. However, if cleaning is for black, the current number of cleanings is added to the cumulative number of monochrome cleanings, and if cleaning is for color, the current number of cleanings is added to the cumulative number of cleanings for color (S160). . After completing S160, the information acquisition process ends.

Note that if it is determined in S150 that an event indicating that cleaning has been performed has not been acquired (S150: NO), the control unit 11 executes other processing (S170). The process executed in S170 is a process corresponding to the occurrence of an event other than cartridge replacement, printing, and cleaning. However, since this process has little relevance to the main part of the present disclosure, further explanation will be omitted.

[Information accumulation processing]
Next, the information accumulation process executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 will be described based on FIG. 3. The information accumulation process shown in FIG. 3 is a process for accumulating the information acquired by the above-described information acquisition process on a daily basis. The information accumulation process is a process executed by the control unit 11 when the control unit 11 detects that a predetermined time has arrived. When starting the information accumulation process, the control unit 11 determines whether or not it is the regular acquisition date and time, as shown in FIG. 3 (S210). The periodic acquisition date and time is a time that can be set arbitrarily by the user, and may be set to, for example, 0:00 every day.

If it is determined in S210 that it is the regular acquisition date and time (S210: YES), the control unit 11 sets the date and time, the remaining amount of ink of each color, the "number of printed sheets (Total)" in monochrome printing, and the number of pages by function ( Fax, Copy, Print, Other), number of pages by size (large size, A4, small size), image quality (high image quality, other) and number of cleanings, number of pages printed (Total) for color printing, number of pages by function ( Fax, Copy, Print, Other), number of pages by size (large size, A4, small size), image quality (high image quality, other), number of cleaning times'', and print execution flag are stored in the storage unit 12 (S220) . Subsequently, the control unit 11 lowers the print execution flag (S225). After completing S225, the information accumulation process ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S210 that it is not the regular acquisition date and time (S210: NO), the control unit 11 executes other processing (S230). The process executed in S230 is a process corresponding to the arrival of a time other than the regular acquisition date and time. However, since this process has little relevance to the main part of the present disclosure, further explanation will be omitted. After completing S230, the information accumulation process ends.

[First display process]
Next, the first display process executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 will be described based on FIG. 4. The first display process is a process executed when the user instructs display of information regarding the image forming apparatus 20 through an input operation on the input unit 14. When the first display process is started, the control unit 11 sets the graph display start date to M month D day (S310). In S310, for example, based on the current time, the month six months before this month is set as month M, and the first day of that month, the 1st, is set as day D. However, setting month M as "six months before this month" is just an example, and it may be other than "six months ago" (for example, nine months ago or 12 months ago), or any number of months ago. The user may be able to arbitrarily set whether the Also, setting day D to be "the 1st" is just an example, and the user may be able to arbitrarily set what day it falls on each month.

Subsequently, the control unit 11 sets M2/D2 to be a predetermined period after M/D (S310). In S310, for example, based on M month D day, M2 month is set as the next month of M month, and D2 day is set as the 1st day. In other words, the certain period in S310 does not have to be a certain period of time in the strict sense, but can also include a period of one month on the calendar (for example, a period that can be any one from the 28th to the 31st). It is a concept that includes However, setting M2/D2 as one month later as mentioned above is just an example, and it may be set other than one month later (for example, two months later in monthly units or 30 days later in daily units). The user may be able to arbitrarily set how many days later.

Subsequently, the control unit 11 determines whether M2/D2 is before the present day (S330). In S330, if it is determined that M2/D2 is before the current time (S330: YES), the control unit 11 controls the "ink of each color" at the start and end of the period from M/D/M2/D2. "remaining amount" is recorded (S340). Next, the control unit 11 calculates the "number of print execution days", "number of printed pages (total)", "number of pages by function", and "number of pages by size" during the period from M/D to M/2/D2. , "number of pages by image quality", and "number of times of cleaning" are calculated (S350).

Subsequently, the control unit 11 sets the M2 month D2 set in S320 as a new M month D day (S370), and returns to S320. As a result, in S320, a new M2/D2 day is set based on the new M/D day set in S370. In S330, it is determined whether the new M2/D2 set in S320 is earlier than the current date. Therefore, while it is determined in S330 that M2/D2 is earlier than the current date, S320 to S370 are repeatedly executed.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S330 that M2/D2 is after the present (S330: NO), the control unit 11 controls the "ink remaining of each color" at the start and end of the period from M/D to the present. amount' is recorded (S440). Subsequently, the control unit 11 displays the "number of print execution days", "number of printed pages (total)", "number of pages by function", "number of pages by size", and "image quality" within the period from M/D to the present. ``number of separate pages'' and ``number of times of cleaning'' are calculated (S450).

Subsequently, the control unit 11 calculates a prediction of the "number of printed pages (total)" from M month D day to M February D2 (S470). The predicted value calculated in S470 is "(cumulative count value of the number of printed pages (total) from M month D day to the present) x (number of days from M month D day to M February D2) / (M month D (number of days from date to date).

Next, in S480, the control unit 11 calculates a plurality of periods included from the past time to the current time and four colors that have changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information organized in S310 to S470. The relationship between the remaining amount of each colorant is expressed as a line graph for each of the four colorants, and a graph display area including the four line graphs is displayed on the display unit 13 (S480). After completing S480, the first display process ends.

When S480 is executed, a graph display window 51 including a graph display area as illustrated in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display unit 13. In FIG. 6, in order to express the graph as a black-and-white binary image, four line graphs are drawn separately using line lines with different line thicknesses and line types (solid lines and broken lines). However, the actual line graph is composed of a color image, and the four line graphs are represented by line lines of the same color as the ink color. This allows users viewing the graph to intuitively understand which color ink each line corresponds to. The four polygonal lines shown in Figure 6 are a thick solid line, a thick broken line, a thin solid line, and a thin broken line, which correspond to the colors black, magenta, cyan, and yellow in order from the top. are doing.

The vertical axis of the graph indicates the remaining amount of ink when the total value of the capacity of the cartridge 28 and the capacity of the sub-tank 29 is taken as 100%. In this embodiment, the cartridge 28 and sub-tank 29 corresponding to black ink have a larger capacity than the cartridge 28 and sub-tank 29 corresponding to other colors. Therefore, even if the remaining amount of ink on the graph is the same, when comparing the absolute amounts of the remaining amount of black ink and the remaining amount of other colors in that case, the remaining amount of black ink will be larger. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates the period from the graph display start date set in S310 to the present time.

[Second display processing]
Next, the second display process executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 will be described based on FIG. 5. In the second display process, when the user performs an input operation on the input unit 14, an operation of pointing to a location included in the target area is detected, with the above-mentioned graph display area or a pop-up window described later as a target area. This is the process that is executed when An example of the pointing operation is an operation of pointing a mouse cursor to a location included in the target area. For example, if a location included in the target area is pointed to by the tip of the mouse cursor and the mouse is clicked in this state, it may be determined that the location pointed to by the tip of the mouse cursor has been pointed. In addition, it is optional whether or not to use a click as a trigger for determination. For example, if a point included in the target area is pointed at with the tip of the mouse cursor, and a predetermined determination time has elapsed in that state, the mouse cursor It may be determined that the location indicated by the tip of is pointed to.

When the second display process is started, the control unit 11 determines whether the input operation on the input unit 14 is an operation of pointing to the background of the graph included in the graph display area (S510). In S510, it is determined whether an operation for specifying a location other than a polygonal line (ie, a pointing operation) has been performed in the graph display area as illustrated in FIG.

In S510, if it is determined that the operation was to point at the background of the graph (S510: YES), the control unit 11 selects a period corresponding to the point location based on the point location (S520). For example, if the point location is included in the range corresponding to the period 2019/1/1-1/31, the period 2019/1/1-1/31 is selected in S520.

Subsequently, the control unit 11 determines whether the period selected in S520 is the latest period (S530). The latest period is a period that includes the current time point, and in the case of the example shown in FIG. 6, the period after 3/1 is the latest period. If it is determined in S530 that the period is not the latest (S530: NO), the control unit 11 displays printing status information for the one period selected in S520 on the display unit 13 (S540).

When S540 is executed, a pop-up window 53 is displayed on the display unit 13 in addition to the graph display window 51 displayed in S480, as shown in FIG. 7(A). As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 7(B), this pop-up window 53 includes the display target period, the number of printing operation days during that period, the number of black cleanings, the number of color cleanings, the number of monochrome prints by function, and the number of prints by size. The number of printed sheets, the number of printed sheets by image quality, the number of printed sheets by color function, the number of printed sheets by size, the number of printed sheets by image quality, etc. are displayed.

The display target period, the number of print operation days in the period, the number of black cleaning times, and the number of color cleaning times are displayed by text objects. The number of monochrome prints by function, the number of prints by size, the number of prints by image quality, the number of color prints by function, the number of prints by size, and the number of prints by image quality are displayed by image objects configured in a band graph shape.

In the example shown in FIG. 7A, the location pointed by the mouse cursor 55 is within the range corresponding to the period 1/1-1/31. Therefore, in S540, a group of information to be displayed in the pop-up window 53 is extracted from the printing status information organized in the first display process, and based on the extracted information, the text object and Generate an image object. The generated object is placed in the pop-up window 53 and displayed on the display section 13 as a separate window from the graph display window 51.

Among the text objects and image objects arranged in the pop-up window 53, some objects are displayed in a different manner from objects other than the some objects. In the case of the pop-up window 53 illustrated in FIG. 7B, a text object indicating the number of times of color cleaning is displayed in a different manner from other text objects.

In FIG. 7(B), in order to express the image using a black and white binary image, a thicker frame line is added around the text object indicating the number of times of color cleaning than other text objects, and the display format is different from other text objects. are expressed in different ways. However, since the actual pop-up window 53 is a color image, a red frame is added around the text object indicating the number of times the color has been cleaned, and black frames are added to other text objects. , with different display modes.

That is, the different display modes referred to herein may be any display mode that allows the user to distinguish between two or more display modes. In addition to the above-mentioned presence or absence of shading and differences in color, such different display modes include, for example, constant lighting and flashing, differences in background color, differences in brightness, normal display and reversed display, etc. It is also possible to use a combination of two or more of these.

Furthermore, in the case of the pop-up window 53 illustrated in FIG. 7(B), the image object indicating the "number of high-quality prints" in the number of prints by color image quality is also displayed in a different manner from other image objects. . This image object also has a thick line added for convenience of illustration, but in reality, a red line is added, making the display mode different from other objects drawn with black lines.

In the case of this embodiment, when the ink usage status of the period being displayed is different from other periods, an object indicating information that is presumed to be the cause (hereinafter also referred to as cause information) , displayed in a manner different from other objects. In the example shown in FIG. 7B, the remaining amount of ink during the period to be displayed decreases more rapidly than in other periods. Therefore, by comparing the data for the same items in the display period and other periods, if there are any items whose values in the display period are higher or lower than in other periods, Change the display mode of text objects for items.

In the example shown in FIG. 7B, the number of color cleanings during the display target period is greater than other periods, and the number of high-quality prints during the display target period is greater than other periods. Therefore, by setting the display mode of objects related to the number of times of cleaning and high-quality printing in a display mode different from that of other objects, the display mode is set so that the user can easily pay attention to the objects. As a result, when users feel that the amount of ink consumed during the display period is higher than usual, they can easily realize that one reason for this is the number of cleanings or the number of high-quality prints. I can do it.

In the example shown in FIG. 8A, the location pointed by the mouse cursor 55 is within the range corresponding to the period 11/1 to 11/30. Therefore, in S540, a group of information to be displayed in the pop-up window 63A shown in FIG. 8(B) is extracted from the printing status information organized in the first display process, and based on the extracted information. Then, the text object and image object are generated. The generated object is placed in the pop-up window 63A and displayed on the display section 13 as a window separate from the graph display window 51.

In the example shown in FIG. 8B, the number of high-quality prints in the display target period is smaller than in other periods. Therefore, by setting the display mode of objects related to high-quality printing to be different from other objects, the display mode is designed to make it easier for the user to pay attention to the object. As a result, when the user feels that the amount of ink consumed during the display target period is less than usual, the user can easily realize that one reason for this is the small number of high-quality prints.

For convenience of illustration, in both FIGS. 7(B) and 8(B), a similar thick frame line is added to the object indicating high-quality printing, but in reality, in FIG. The thick frame line added is red, and the thick frame line added in FIG. 8(B) is blue. Therefore, the user can intuitively understand whether the number of high-quality prints is excessive or insufficient by looking at the color of the frame line.

Since various criteria can be considered for determining whether or not to change the display mode, a desired criterion may be adopted for each item. To give a specific example, for example, if you compare multiple periods relatively and change the display format of the top 2 for the period with the most excessive or undervalued values, for example, the most recent 6 It is possible to know when the period, such as a month, is the most over or under. Alternatively, if you want to set a target upper limit value or target lower limit value, by changing the display format for the period in which the target value was exceeded, you can easily see the period in which the target was achieved and the period in which it was not achieved. You will be able to grasp it.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S530 that it is the latest period (S530: YES), the control unit 11 displays the printing status information in the one period selected in S520 and the printing status prediction information after the current time on the display screen. 13 (S550). When S550 is executed, a pop-up window 61 is displayed on the display unit 13 in addition to the graph display window 51 displayed in S480, as shown in FIG. 9(A).

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 9(B), this pop-up window 61 includes information equivalent to the pop-up window 53 illustrated in FIG. Image objects are displayed that indicate predicted values of the number of printed sheets for each type, the number of printed sheets for each size, the number of printed sheets for each image quality, the number of printed sheets for each color function, the number of printed sheets for each size, and the number of printed sheets for each image quality. Therefore, the user who sees the display regarding these predictions can know the approximate printing status for this month.

After completing S540 or S550, the process proceeds to S551, and the control unit 11 determines whether two or more pop-up windows are being displayed (S551). A state in which two or more pop-up windows are displayed will be described later. Here, the explanation will be continued assuming that one pop-up window is displayed in S540 or S550. If one pop-up window is being displayed in S540 or S550, NO is determined in S551, and the second information display process shown in FIG. 5 is ended.

Now, in S510 described above, if it is determined that the operation is not pointing to the background of the graph (S510: NO), the control unit 11 determines whether the operation is pointing to an area within the pop-up window (S553). . In S553, if S540 or S550 has already been executed and a pop-up window is displayed, it is determined whether an operation to point to a location on the pop-up window has been performed.

If it is determined that the operation is to point to an area within the pop-up window (S553: YES), the control unit 11 determines whether the operation is to click on the "x" button within the pop-up window (S554). Details of the "X" button will be described later. Here, the explanation will be continued on the assumption that the operation is not clicking the "x" button. If it is determined that the operation is not to click the "x" button (S554: NO), the control unit 11 fixes the pop-up window and displays the "x" button at the upper right of the pop-up window (S555).

To explain with a specific example, for example, in the case of the pop-up window 63A illustrated in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), by executing S555, the pop-up window 63A shown in FIGS. A transition is made to the illustrated pop-up window 63B. An "x" button 71 is displayed at the upper right of the pop-up window 63B. When S555 is executed, the pop-up window 63B is fixed and kept in the displayed state. In other words, if S555 is not executed, the pop-up window 63A illustrated in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) is not fixed and is not maintained in the displayed state. For example, the pop-up window 63A is deleted at the timing when a click operation other than the one that triggered the display of the pop-up window 63A is performed.

While the "x" button 71 is displayed at the upper right corner of the pop-up window 63B, the "x" button 71 can be clicked. In this case, in S554, it is determined that the operation is to click the "x" button (S554: YES), and the control unit 11 unfixes the pop-up window (S556). In other words, the pop-up window returns to a state where it is no longer kept in the displayed state.

Here, after S555 is executed and the pop-up window 63B is fixed, the second display process shown in FIG. 5 may be further executed. In this case, by executing S540 or S550, the second and subsequent pop-up windows are displayed in addition to the pop-up window 63B fixed in S555. When the second and subsequent pop-up windows are displayed, if S551 is executed, it is determined that two or more pop-up windows are being displayed (S551: YES), and the control unit 11 determines the display contents of the pop-up windows. The scale is adjusted and redisplay is executed (S558).

To explain with a specific example, for example, when a pop-up window 63B as shown in FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) is displayed and fixed, 1/1-1 is displayed on the graph display window 51. Click the area corresponding to /31. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), a second pop-up window 53 is displayed in addition to the fixed pop-up window 63C. The pop-up window 53 includes exactly the same contents as the pop-up window 53 shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B).

On the other hand, the fixed pop-up window 63C includes content that has been redisplayed with the scale adjusted by executing S558. Specifically, in the pop-up window 63B (see FIG. 10(B)) before redisplay, the upper limit of the vertical axis of the band graph is 400 because the number of printed sheets was rather small. On the other hand, in the pop-up window 53 shown in FIG. 7(B), the upper limit of the vertical axis of the bar graph is 800 sheets. Therefore, in order to make it easier to compare these two, the upper limit of the vertical axis of the bar graph is unified to the maximum value among two or more popup windows, and the display contents of popup windows whose display contents change as a result of unification. , redisplay is performed in S558. As a result, in the pop-up window 63C shown in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), the upper limit of the vertical axis of the band graph is changed to 800 sheets. Therefore, compared to cases where two or more pop-up windows have different vertical axes limits for the bar graphs, it is easier to compare the bar graphs, and the user can intuitively determine whether the number of prints for each is large or small. Be able to understand.

Note that if it is determined in S553 that the operation does not point to an area within the pop-up window (S553: NO), the control unit 11 executes other processing (S560) and displays the second information shown in FIG. Finish the process. The process executed in S560 has little relevance to the main part of the present disclosure, so further explanation will be omitted.

[effect]
According to the information processing device 10 configured in this way, an operation for specifying at least one location on any one of the plurality of graphs can be performed by an input operation on the input unit 14. 7(B), FIG. 8(B), FIG. 9(B), FIG. 10(B), and FIG. 11(B), pop-up windows 53, 61, 63A, 63B and 63C are displayed on the display section 13. Therefore, the user can know the printing status information corresponding to the desired period by simply performing the simple operation of specifying the location corresponding to the period for which the user wants to know the printing status information.

Furthermore, in the case of the information processing apparatus 10, printing status information is displayed for each of color printing and monochrome printing. Therefore, the user can understand how the colorant was used in both color printing and monochrome printing.

In addition, in the case of the information processing device 10, when printing is performed with specific setting items (for example, function type, paper size, print quality, etc.) set, other than the specific setting content may be Printing status information is displayed for each setting when printing is performed. Therefore, the user can understand the usage status of the colorant when specific settings are set and when settings other than the specific settings are set. be able to.

Further, in the case of the information processing device 10, if the contents of a display item include a period different from other periods, the contents of the corresponding display item are displayed in a manner different from that of the other periods. Therefore, the user becomes more likely to notice that there is a period in which the contents of display items are different from other periods.

Furthermore, in the case of the information processing device 10, if a period includes a period in which the number of cleaning executions is different from other periods, the number of cleaning executions is displayed in a manner different from the other periods. Therefore, the user can easily notice that there is a period in which cleaning is performed frequently, and can easily understand the cause of the difference in the usage status of the colorant during that period.

Further, in the case of the information processing apparatus 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, printing situation prediction information is displayed in addition to printing situation information. Therefore, the user can look at the printing status prediction information and consider when to replenish consumables.

Note that in the embodiment described above, the information processing device 10 corresponds to an example of a display control device in the present disclosure. The information acquisition process and the information storage process executed by the control unit 11 correspond to an example of the storage control process in the present disclosure. S520 executed by the control unit 11 corresponds to an example of selection processing in the present disclosure.

[Other embodiments]
Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications.

Although the information processing device 10 is illustrated as an example of the display control device in the present disclosure, the technology of the present disclosure is also applicable to devices different from the information processing device 10. For example, the above-described image forming apparatus 20 may incorporate a configuration corresponding to the display control device in the present disclosure.

Further, in the above embodiment, the printing unit 26 is provided with an inkjet printing mechanism, but the printing method is not limited to the inkjet printing system, and may be, for example, a printing unit including an electrophotographic printing mechanism. When the printing section includes an electrophotographic printing mechanism, toner may be used as the colorant instead of the ink exemplified in the above embodiment.

Note that a plurality of functions possessed by one component in the above embodiment may be realized by a plurality of components. One function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Further, a plurality of functions possessed by a plurality of components may be realized by a single component. One function realized by a plurality of components may be realized by one component. Further, a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted.

[supplement]
A display control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure may further include the following configuration.
(A) The first display process may include a process of displaying a graph display area including a plurality of line graphs on the display unit. The selection process may include, when an operation for specifying at least one place is performed in an area other than on the line of the line graph, selecting at least one period corresponding to the specified place.

According to the display control device configured in this manner, a period for displaying print status information can be selected by simply performing the simple operation of specifying at least one location in an area other than the line of the line graph. be able to.

(B) The colorant may be a colorant of multiple colors used for at least one of color printing and monochrome printing. The second display process may include a process of displaying printing status information for color printing and printing status information for monochrome printing on the display section.

According to the display control device configured in this way, printing status information is displayed for each of color printing and monochrome printing. Therefore, the user can understand how the colorant was used in both color printing and monochrome printing.

(C) The image forming apparatus is configured to be able to set one setting selected from a plurality of settings for at least one setting item, and when printing, prints according to the settings set in the setting item. may be configured to execute. The second display process includes printing status information regarding specific setting items when printing is performed with specific settings set, and when printing is performed with settings other than the specific settings set. The printing status information may also include a process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit.

According to the display control device configured in this way, when printing is performed with specific setting contents set for a specific setting item, printing is performed with setting contents other than the specific setting contents set. Print status information is displayed for each case. Therefore, the user can understand the usage status of the colorant when specific settings are set and when settings other than the specific settings are set. be able to.

Examples of setting items include paper size, paper type, print image quality, and the like. In the case of paper size, for example, if A4 size is the most frequently used paper size, if a size larger than A4 is set, the amount of colorant used will likely be larger than usual. Furthermore, if a size smaller than A4 is set, the amount of colorant used may be smaller than usual. Therefore, if printing status information is displayed separately for each case when A4 size is set, when a size larger than A4 is set, and when a size smaller than A4 is set, for example, if A3 size is printed more often. This makes it easier to understand matters such as an increase in the amount of colorant used. In the case of print image quality, for example, when high image quality is set, the amount of colorant used tends to be larger than when a print image quality other than high image quality is set. Therefore, if printing status information is displayed for both cases when printing is performed with high image quality set and when printing is performed with settings other than high image quality, it is possible to check whether high image quality printing is being used frequently. can be made easier to understand. Note that examples of setting items are not limited to the above-mentioned examples.

(D) The selection process is an operation in which an input operation on the input unit specifies a location corresponding to two or more of the multiple periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit. In some cases, the process may include a process of selecting two or more periods corresponding to the specified location. The second display process is configured to display print status information on the display unit for two or more periods selected by the selection process, and at this time, the second display process , if at least one period in which the contents of the display item are different from other periods is included, the contents of the display item in the at least one period are displayed in a manner different from the contents of the display item in the other periods. It may also include processing.

According to the display control device configured in this way, if the two or more selected periods include at least one period in which the content of the display item is different from the other periods, For at least one period, the contents of the corresponding display item are displayed in a manner different from that for other periods. Therefore, the user becomes more likely to notice that there is a period in which the contents of display items are different from other periods.

(E) Storage control processing sets printing status information including the number of times cleaning is performed each time the acquisition condition is satisfied as one of the acquisition conditions is that cleaning of the printing mechanism provided in the image forming apparatus be executed. It may also include a process of acquiring and storing it in the storage unit. The selection process is performed when an input operation on the input section specifies a location corresponding to two or more of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display section. It may also include a process of selecting two or more periods corresponding to the designated location. The second display process is configured to display printing status information including the number of cleaning executions on the display unit for two or more periods selected by the selection process, and at this time, the second display process If one or more of the periods includes a period in which the number of cleaning executions is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the period in which the number of cleaning executions is less than the threshold is different from the period in which the number of cleaning executions is less than the threshold. , may include processing for displaying the number of times cleaning has been performed.

According to the display control device configured in this way, if the two selected periods include at least one period in which the number of times cleaning is performed is different from other periods, cleaning is not performed. The number of times is displayed in a different manner from other periods. Therefore, the user can easily notice that there is a period in which cleaning is performed frequently, and can easily understand the cause of the difference in the usage status of the colorant during that period.

(F) In the second display process, when at least one period selected by the selection process includes the latest period up to the current time, the print status corresponding to the latest period is displayed. In addition to the information, the process may include a process of displaying, on the display unit, printing situation prediction information that predicts the printing situation after the current time point.

According to the display control device configured in this way, in addition to the above-mentioned printing situation information, the above-mentioned printing situation prediction information is displayed on the display section. Therefore, the user can look at the printing status prediction information and consider when to replenish consumables.

(G) The image forming apparatus may include a cartridge that stores colorants of a plurality of colors and is replaced when the remaining amount of the colorant is used up. The storage control process includes replacing the cartridge, printing by the image forming device, cleaning the printing mechanism installed in the image forming device, and a predetermined information acquisition date and time. The method may include a process of setting at least one of the acquisition conditions as an acquisition condition, and acquiring the printing status information and storing it in the storage unit each time the acquisition condition is satisfied.

(H) Storage control processing includes the number of times cleaning is performed for the printing mechanism installed in the image forming apparatus, the number of sheets printed by each of the multiple functions provided in the image forming apparatus, the number of days the image forming apparatus is in operation, and the number of cleaning operations used in the image forming apparatus. The method may include a process of storing in the storage unit printing status information including at least one of the number of prints for each paper size set and the number of prints for each image quality set when printing with the image forming apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Image processing system, 10... Information processing device, 20... Image forming device, 11, 21... Control part, 12, 22... Storage part, 12A... Display control program, 13, 23... Display part, 14, 24... Input Section, 15, 25...Communication section, 26...Printing section, 26A...Recording head, 27...Cartridge detection section, 28...Cartridge, 29...Sub tank, 30...LAN, 51...Graph display window, 53, 61, 63A, 63B , 63C...Popup window, 55...Mouse cursor.

Claims (13)

A display section;
an input section;
storage section and
a control unit;
A display control device comprising:
The control unit includes:
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
is configured to run
The colorant is a colorant of multiple colors used for at least one of color printing and monochrome printing,
The second display process includes a process of displaying the printing status information for the color printing and the printing status information for the monochrome printing on the display section, respectively.
Display control device. A display section;
an input section;
storage section and
a control unit;
A display control device comprising:
The control unit includes:
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
is configured to run
The image forming apparatus is configured to be able to set one setting content selected from a plurality of setting contents for at least one setting item, and when printing, prints according to the setting content set in the setting item. configured to run,
The second display process includes, regarding a specific setting item, the printing status information when printing is performed with specific setting contents set, and the printing status information when printing is performed with setting contents other than the specific setting contents. and displaying the printing status information on the display unit when the printing status information is displayed.
Display control device. A display section;
an input section;
storage section and
a control unit;
A display control device comprising:
The control unit includes:
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
is configured to run
The selection process includes performing an operation of specifying locations corresponding to two or more of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display section by an input operation on the input section. includes a process of selecting two or more periods corresponding to the specified location when
The second display process is configured to display the printing status information on the display unit for the two or more periods selected by the selection process, and at this time, the second display process is configured to display the print status information on the display unit for the two or more periods selected by the selection process. If at least one period in which the contents of the display item are different from other periods is included in the two or more periods, the contents of the display item in the at least one period are changed to the contents of the display item in the other period. Including processing to display in a manner different from the content of the display item,
Display control device. A display section;
an input section;
storage section and
a control unit;
A display control device comprising:
The control unit includes:
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
is configured to run
In the storage control process, one of the acquisition conditions is that cleaning of a printing mechanism provided in the image forming apparatus is executed, and each time the acquisition condition is satisfied, the storage control process executes the printing process including the number of times the cleaning is executed. including a process of acquiring situation information and storing it in the storage unit,
The selection process includes performing an operation of specifying locations corresponding to two or more of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display section by an input operation on the input section. includes a process of selecting two or more periods corresponding to the specified location when
The second display process is configured to display, on the display section, the printing status information including the number of times the cleaning has been performed for the two or more periods selected by the selection process; If the two or more periods selected by the selection process include a period in which the number of times the cleaning is performed is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the number of times the cleaning is performed is equal to or greater than the number of times the cleaning is performed. including a process of displaying the number of times the cleaning is performed in a manner different from the period during which the cleaning is performed less than a threshold;
Display control device. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The first display process includes a process of displaying the graph display area in which a line graph is included as the graph on the display unit,
The selection process includes, when an operation for specifying at least one place is performed in an area other than on the line of the line graph, selecting at least one period corresponding to the specified place.
Display control device. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The second display process corresponds to the latest period when the at least one period selected by the selection process includes the latest period up to the current point in time. In addition to the printing situation information, the method includes a process of displaying, on the display unit, printing situation prediction information that predicts the printing situation after the current time point.
Display control device. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The image forming apparatus includes:
A cartridge that accommodates a plurality of colorants, and is replaced when the remaining amount of the colorant is exhausted;
Equipped with
The storage control process includes replacing the cartridge, executing printing by the image forming apparatus, cleaning a printing mechanism provided in the image forming apparatus, and acquiring predetermined information. including a process of acquiring the printing status information and storing it in the storage unit each time the acquisition condition is satisfied, with at least one of the following: date and time as the acquisition condition;
Display control device. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The storage control process includes the number of times cleaning is performed for a printing mechanism provided in the image forming apparatus, the number of sheets printed by each of a plurality of functions provided in the image forming apparatus, the number of operating days of the image forming apparatus, and the number of days the image forming apparatus is in operation. comprising a process of storing in the storage unit printing status information including at least one of the number of printed sheets for each used paper size and the number of printed sheets for each image quality set when printing with the image forming apparatus;
Display control device. A display control method performed by the control unit in a display control device including a display unit, an input unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:
acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied, and storing the information in the storage unit;
Based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit, graphing the relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past time to a current time and the remaining amount of colorant that changed in each of the plurality of periods, Displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display section;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, selecting at least one period corresponding to the location where the
Displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the selected at least one period;
including;
The colorant is a colorant of multiple colors used for at least one of color printing and monochrome printing,
When displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the selected at least one period, the printing status information for the color printing and the printing status information for the monochrome printing are displayed on the display unit, respectively. to be displayed,
Display control method. A display control device including a display section, an input section, a storage section, and a control section,
In the control section,
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
It is a program that executes
The colorant is a colorant of multiple colors used for at least one of color printing and monochrome printing,
The second display process includes a process of displaying the printing status information for the color printing and the printing status information for the monochrome printing on the display section, respectively.
Display control program. A display section;
an input section;
storage section and
a control unit;
A display control device comprising:
The control unit includes:
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
A display controller configured to perform . A display control method performed by the control unit in a display control device including a display unit, an input unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:
acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied, and storing the information in the storage unit;
Based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit, graphing the relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past time to a current time and the remaining amount of colorant that changed in each of the plurality of periods, Displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display section;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, selecting at least one period corresponding to the location where the
Displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the selected at least one period;
Display control method including. A display control device including a display section, an input section, a storage section, and a control section,
In the control section,
storage control processing for acquiring printing status information regarding the printing status of the image forming apparatus every time a predetermined acquisition condition is satisfied and storing it in the storage unit;
A relationship between a plurality of periods included from a past point in time to a current point in time and the amount of remaining colorant that has changed in each of the plurality of periods, based on the printing status information stored in the storage unit by the storage control process. a first display process of converting the graph into a graph and displaying a graph display area including the graph on the display unit;
When an input operation on the input unit causes an operation to specify a location corresponding to at least one of the plurality of periods in the graph display area displayed on the display unit, a selection process that selects at least one period corresponding to the selected location;
a second display process of displaying the printing status information on the display unit for the at least one period selected by the selection process;
A display control program that executes.

Images