JP7494571B2 - Information processing system, program, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

This application relates to technology that allows services provided by a web server to be provided in response to printing on a printer.

Patent document 1 describes an image forming device that calculates points according to the image forming mode and provides services according to the points.

JP 2009-188741 A

However, the image forming device described in Patent Document 1 does not mention providing services provided by a web server in response to printing on a printer.

The present application aims to provide technology that enables services provided by a web server to be provided in response to printing on a printer.

To achieve the above object, the information processing system of the present application is an information processing system including a Web server that provides a specific service, an information processing terminal, and a printer, the Web server having a communication interface and a control device, the control device of the Web server executes a reception process for receiving a user operation on a Web page for providing the specific service via the communication interface of the Web server, and a provision process for providing the specific service according to an instruction corresponding to the user operation received by the reception process, the information processing terminal having a user interface, a communication interface, and a control device, the control device of the information processing terminal executes a reception process for receiving an instruction operation for instructing print settings for the printer from the user interface, a setting process for setting the print settings corresponding to the instruction operation received by the reception process, and a transmission process for sending a print instruction to the printer via the communication interface of the information processing terminal for causing the printer to execute a print process according to the print settings set by the setting process, the information processing system executes a determination process for determining an instruction corresponding to the user operation based on the print settings set by the setting process, and the provision process executed by the control device of the Web server provides the specific service according to the instruction determined by the determination process.

According to this application, it is possible to provide services provided by a web server in response to printing on a printer.

2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an SNS-related process executed by the PC of FIG. 1, particularly the CPU. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the present application. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of a control process executed by the information processing system of FIG. 3 .

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 shows a control configuration of an information processing system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a personal computer and a printer 200 communicably connected to the personal computer. Hereinafter, the personal computer will be referred to as a PC 100. Note that the PC 100 may be replaced with an information processing terminal having a similar configuration to the PC 100, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

The PC 100 includes a user IF 110, a display 120, a CPU 140, a memory 150, and a communication IF 160. Note that IF is an abbreviation for interface.

The user IF 110 is typically composed of a keyboard and a mouse. The display 120 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, a drive circuit for driving the display device, and the like. When a touch panel type display is used as the display 120, the user can perform input operations by clicking input buttons on the screen. Therefore, in this case, the display 120 also serves as the user IF 110.

The CPU 140 executes various application programs (hereinafter abbreviated as "apps"), including the information processing program of this embodiment, firmware, etc.

The memory 150 includes a ROM, a RAM, a HDD, an SSD, and an optical disk drive. The data storage area 150a of the memory 150 is an area for storing data and the like required when the CPU 140 executes an information processing program and the like. The control program area 150b of the memory 150 is an area for storing the OS, the information processing program, and various other applications and firmware.

The memory 150 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Non-transitory media are also tangible media. On the other hand, an electrical signal carrying a program downloaded from a server on the Internet is a computer-readable signal medium, which is a type of computer-readable medium, but is not included in non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

In this specification, the term basically refers to the processing of the CPU 140 according to the instructions written in the program. In other words, the processes of "judgment," "extraction," "selection," "calculation," "decision," "identification," "acquisition," "acceptance," "control," and "setting" in the following description represent the processing of the CPU 140. The processing by the CPU 140 also includes hardware control via the OS. Note that "acquisition" is used as a concept that does not require a request. In other words, the process of the CPU 140 receiving data without a request is also included in the concept of "the CPU 140 acquiring data." In addition, "data" in this specification is represented by a bit string that can be read by a computer. Data with the same substantial meaning but different formats are treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this specification. In addition, the processing of "command," "response," "request," etc. is performed by communicating information indicating the "command," "response," "request," etc. In addition, the words "command," "response," "request," etc. may be written to mean the information itself indicating the "command," "response," "request," etc.

The communication IF 160 connects the PC 100 to the Internet 350 via the router 250, and connects external devices to the PC 100. In this embodiment, the router 250 is a wired LAN router, so the communication IF 160 is a LAN IF. Of course, a wireless LAN router may be used as the router, in which case the communication IF is a WLAN IF. There are also cases where a wired LAN and a wireless LAN exist simultaneously, in which case the communication IF 160 includes both a LAN IF and a WLAN IF. Examples of IFs that directly connect external devices to the PC 100 include the above-mentioned USB IF and Bluetooth (registered trademark) IF.

In this embodiment, in addition to the PC 100, one printer 200 is connected to the router 250. Therefore, the printer 200 can also be connected to the Internet 350 via the router 250, but in this embodiment, it is not considered that the printer 200 alone will send and receive data to and from the web server 270 on the Internet 350.

A web server 270 is connected to the Internet 350. The configuration of the web server 270 is almost the same as that of the PC 100, and includes a user IF, a display, a CPU, a memory, and a communication IF. The web server 270 is, for example, an SNS server that provides an SNS. A user opens an account, which is a combination of a user ID and a password, in advance on the web server 270. When the user logs into the account using the PC 100, the web server 270 displays a web page for inputting a message with a hashtag on the logged-in PC 100. The web server 270 then accepts a message with a hashtag input by the user on the web page, and makes the message available to other information processing terminals (not shown). Note that this SNS is conducting a hashtag campaign that receives messages with hashtags and displays the received messages with hashtags. Note that SNS is an abbreviation for social networking service.

Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the SNS-related processing executed by the PC 100, particularly the CPU 140. The SNS-related processing is included in the information processing program of this embodiment, and is started, for example, in response to a start instruction from a user. Hereinafter, in the explanation of the procedure of each process included in the SNS-related processing, steps are represented as "S".

In FIG. 2, first, the CPU 140 selects, for example, a print file selected by the user (S10).

Next, the CPU 140 performs print settings (S12). If the user does not change the current setting state, the current print settings are set as is, and if the user changes the current setting state, the print settings are changed to the changed print settings.

Then, the CPU 140 transmits a print command to the printer 200 from the communication IF 160 to print the selected print file using the printer settings that have been set (S14). The transmitted print command is sent to the printer 200 via the router 250.

When the printer 200 receives a print execution instruction, it executes printing according to the contents of the print execution instruction. When printing is completed, the printer 200 transmits a print completion notification. The print completion notification follows the reverse path of the print execution instruction and reaches the communication IF 160. The CPU 140 waits until it receives a print completion notification from the printer 200 (S16: NO), and when it receives a print completion notification from the printer 200 (S16: YES), the CPU 140 determines whether the print setting was the ECO mode setting (S18). Here, "ECO mode" is a mode in which printing is performed with reduced ink usage. In other words, in S18, it is determined whether the user is printing while contributing to environmental conservation activities.

If it is determined in S18 that the print setting is not the ECO mode setting (S18: NO), the CPU 140 ends the SNS-related processing.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S18 that the print setting was ECO mode (S18: YES), the CPU 140 advances the process to S20.

In S20, the CPU 140 determines whether or not the user has been SNS-authenticated in the SNS provided by the web server 270. If it is determined that the user has been SNS-authenticated (S20: YES), the CPU 140 posts to the SNS with a hashtag (S22) and then ends the SNS-related processing. In this case, the hashtag is preferably a specific character string such as the campaign name, for example, when participating in a hashtag campaign. The message may also be specific, but may be editable by the user.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S20 that SNS authentication has not been completed (S20: NO), the CPU 140 displays an SNS authentication screen on the display 120 (S24). When the user, for example, inputs account information on this SNS authentication screen and instructs SNS authentication, the CPU 140 transmits an SNS authentication instruction to the web server 270 (S26). In response, when SNS authentication is completed on the SNS side, the CPU 140 advances the process to S22 above.

The web server 270 displays the received message with the hashtag. For example, if the hashtag campaign is a campaign to widely promote environmental conservation activities, printing in ECO mode is a contribution to environmental conservation activities, and this can increase the user's awareness of environmental conservation.

Furthermore, the web server 270 may tally up messages tagged with the same hashtag based on some kind of information and notify the senders of the messages with the hashtag, i.e., campaign applicants, of the tally results. This can further increase users' awareness of environmental conservation.

In this embodiment, when the print setting is set to ECO mode, the process of posting to the SNS with a hashtag is performed on the PC 100 side. However, this is not limited to the above. The PC 100 may transmit information that the print setting is set to ECO mode to the Web server 270, and the process of posting to the SNS with a hashtag may be performed on the Web server 270 side.

In addition, in this embodiment, the ECO mode is given as an example of a print setting that contributes to environmental conservation activities, but it is not limited to this, and Duplex, 2in1, and 4in1, which are exemplified in the second embodiment described later, may be added. In this case, the contents of the hashtag and/or the message may be changed according to the contents of the print setting that contributes to environmental conservation activities. Furthermore, whether or not to contribute to environmental conservation activities may be determined indirectly from the model name of the printer 200, rather than directly from the contents of the print setting. In this case, in addition to the determination in S18, the CPU 140 determines whether the model name of the printer 200 is a specific model name that contributes to environmental conservation activities, such as having low power consumption or being equipped with a large-capacity ink cartridge, and if it is a specific model name, the process proceeds to S20. Also, the contents of the hashtag and/or the message may be changed according to the contents of the print file. The contents of the print file may be determined from the file name or size of the print file.

As described above, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment includes a web server 270 that provides an SNS, a PC 100, and a printer 200.

The web server 270 includes a communication IF and a CPU, and the CPU of the web server 270 executes a reception process for receiving user operations on a web page for providing an SNS via the communication IF of the web server 270, and a provision process for providing the SNS according to instructions corresponding to the user operations received by the reception process.

The PC 100 includes a user IF 110, a communication IF 160, and a CPU 140. The CPU 140 of the PC 100 executes a reception process (S10) for receiving an instruction operation from the user IF 110 to instruct the printer 200 to set print settings, a setting process (S12) for setting print settings according to the instruction operation received by the reception process, and a transmission process (S14) for transmitting a print instruction to the printer 200 via the communication IF 160 of the PC 100 to cause the printer 200 to execute a print process according to the print settings set by the setting process.

The information processing system 1 then executes a determination process to determine instructions according to user operations based on the print settings set by the setting process, and in the provision process executed by the CPU of the web server 270, the SNS is provided according to the instructions determined by the determination process.

In this way, in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to provide the services provided by the web server 270 in response to printing on a printer.

In this embodiment, the SNS is an example of a "predetermined service." The PC 100 is an example of an "information processing terminal." The CPU 140 is an example of a "control device."

The web server 270 is also an SNS server that provides a communication service that transmits messages instructed in response to user operations, and in the determination process, it determines an instruction to transmit a specific message in response to print settings as an instruction in response to user operations, and in the provision process, it transmits the specific message indicated by the instruction determined by the determination process.

This is convenient because sending specific messages is done automatically, without the user having to do it themselves.

In addition, the information processing system 1 stores different instructions associated with each print setting, and in the determination process, the instruction corresponding to the print setting is determined as the instruction according to the user operation.

The determination process is also executed when a print instruction is sent by the transmission process and the print process of the printer 200 corresponding to the print instruction is completed (S16).

In addition, the determination process determines instructions according to user operations based on the print settings as well as the model name of the printer 200.

Second Embodiment
3 shows a control configuration of an information processing system 1' according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1' according to this embodiment differs from the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment in that a smartphone 220 and a Web server 280 are added instead of the Web server 270. Therefore, in FIG. 3, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the smartphone 220 is almost the same as that of the PC 100, and includes a user IF, a display, a CPU, memory, and a communication IF. However, since the display is a touch panel type, the display also serves as the user IF.

Similar to the PC 100, the smartphone 220 is also connected to the Internet 350 via the router 250. However, unlike the PC 100, the smartphone 220 is connected to the router 250 by wireless communication, and therefore the communication IF of the smartphone 220 is a WLAN IF. Therefore, in this embodiment, the router 250 is a device capable of simultaneously constructing a wired LAN and a wireless LAN. Of course, a device capable of only constructing a wireless LAN may be used as the router 250, and both the PC 100 and the printer 200 may be connected to the router 250 by wireless communication.

The Web server 280 is a server that provides services to the printer 200, for example. In this embodiment, as an example of a service, various contents such as image templates that can be printed by the printer 200 are provided. The user opens an account, which is a combination of a user ID and a password, in advance on the Web server 280. When the user logs into the account using the PC 100 or the smartphone 220, the Web server 280 displays a Web page for the logged-in user. The user can accumulate points by participating in a campaign displayed on the Web page. For example, the Web server 280 sells environmentally friendly ink cartridges and paper on a Web page, and provides a service of accumulating points according to the purchase amount when an operation to purchase them is received from the user. The accumulated points are used, for example, when downloading various contents that can be printed by the printer 200.

Figure 4 shows the procedure of the control process executed by the information processing system 1'. Hereinafter, in the explanation of the procedure of each process included in the control process, the process will be denoted as "P".

In FIG. 4, the user first logs in to the web server 280 using the same account on the PC 100 and the smartphone 220 (P10, P12).

Next, by executing the same processes as S10 to S14 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2), the PC 100 sends a print execution instruction to the printer 200 to print in ECO mode or Duplex (P14). Here, "Duplex" refers to double-sided printing.

When the printer 200 finishes printing in response to the received print execution instruction, it sends a print completion notification to the PC 100 (P16). The PC 100, which has received the print completion notification, sends print parameters to the Web server 280 (P18). The print parameters include some of the print settings included in the print execution instruction, i.e., either or both of ECO mode and Duplex, which were included in the print execution instruction.

The Web server 280 calculates internal points according to the received printing parameters (P20). Specifically, if the printing parameters include ECO mode: 2 points, if Duplex: 1 point, if 2in1: 1 point, if 4in1: 2 points, etc. Here, "2in1" means printing two pages of print data on one sheet of paper, and "4in1" means printing four pages of print data on one sheet of paper. In either case, the number of sheets of paper to be printed is reduced, so the user is evaluated as contributing to environmental conservation activities by selecting this print setting.

Next, the smartphone 220 checks the points with the web server 280 in response to, for example, a user's instruction (P22), and the web server 280 notifies the smartphone 220 of the user's accumulated points (P24). The web server 280 releases various contents according to the accumulated points. Specific examples of various contents include new New Year's card templates and new stamps.

When the smartphone 220 uses points to send a content request to the web server 280 (P28) in response to, for example, a user instruction, the web server 280 sends the requested content to the smartphone 220 (P30). If the received content is, for example, a new New Year's card template, the user can create print data for the New Year's card using this New Year's card template on the smartphone 220 and print the New Year's card by sending the created print data to the printer 200. Also, if the received content is, for example, a new stamp, the user can attach this stamp to an SNS message created on the smartphone 220 and send it.

In this embodiment, the unlocking of content is given as an example of a service according to the number of points, but the service is not limited to this. It may also be a lottery for products or services, a discount on consumables if the printer 200 is subject to a subscription, or a donation.

In addition, in this embodiment, the service according to the number of points is exemplified as being targeted at the smartphone 220, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be targeted at the PC 100. In this case, the type of service according to the number of points may be varied between the PC 100 and the smartphone 220.

In addition, in this embodiment, the print execution instruction is issued by the PC 100, but this is not limited to the present embodiment, and the smartphone 220 may also issue the instruction. In this case, when the print setting is set to, for example, the same ECO mode, the number of points added may be different when the PC 100 issues a print execution instruction and when the smartphone 220 issues a print execution instruction.

As described above, in the information processing system 1' of this embodiment, the Web server 280 is a server that adds points in response to user operations, and in the determination process, an instruction to add the number of points according to the print settings is determined as an instruction in response to the user operation, and in the provision process, the number of points indicated by the instruction determined by the determination process is added.

In this way, in the information processing system 1' of this embodiment, the points provided by the web server 280 can be added in response to printing on the printer 200.

The web server 280 further includes a memory that stores a user account, and the CPU of the web server 280 executes a provision process after user authentication based on the user account stored in the memory, and in the determination process, determines an instruction to add a number of points according to the print settings for each of a plurality of different information processing terminals after user authentication, and in the provision process, adds the number of points indicated by the instruction determined by the determination process for each of the PC 100 and the smartphone 220. Incidentally, the PC 100 and the smartphone 220 are examples of "information processing terminals".

Note that this application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the application.

(1) In each of the above embodiments, the printer 200 is used as the target for receiving the print instruction, but this is not limited to this, and a multifunction device with a print function may also be used.

(2) In each of the above embodiments, the printer 200 is connected to the router 250, but this is not limited thereto, and the printer 200 may be directly connected to the PC 100 via the communication IF 160.

1, 1' Information processing system 100 PC
110 User IF
120 Display 140 CPU
150 Memory 160 Communication IF
200 Printer 220 Smartphone 270, 280 Web server

Claims (6)

An information processing system including a web server that provides a predetermined service, an information processing terminal, and a printer,
The web server is an SNS server that provides a communication service that transmits a message instructed in response to a user operation, and includes a communication interface and a control device;
The control device of the web server
a reception process of receiving a user operation on a Web page for providing the predetermined service via the communication interface of the Web server;
a providing process for providing the predetermined service in accordance with an instruction corresponding to a user operation accepted by the accepting process;
Run
the information processing terminal includes a user interface, a communication interface, and a control device;
The control device of the information processing terminal,
a receiving process for receiving, from the user interface, an instruction operation for instructing print settings for the printer;
a setting process for setting print settings according to the instruction operation received by the reception process;
a transmission process of transmitting, to the printer via the communication interface of the information processing terminal, a print instruction for causing the printer to execute a print process in accordance with the print settings set by the setting process;
Run
The information processing system includes:
execute a determination process for determining an instruction to transmit a specific message corresponding to the print setting as an instruction corresponding to the user operation based on the print setting set by the setting process;
the provision process executed by the control device of the Web server includes transmitting, as the predetermined service, the specific message indicated by the instruction determined by the determination process;
Information processing system. The information processing system includes:
Different instructions are stored in correspondence with each print setting,
In the determination process, an instruction corresponding to the print setting is determined as the instruction according to the user operation.
The information processing system according to claim 1 . the determination process is executed when the print instruction is transmitted by the transmission process and the print process of the printer in response to the print instruction is completed.
3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2 . In the determination process, an instruction corresponding to the user operation is determined based on the model name of the printer in addition to the print settings.
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . An information processing system including a Web server having a communication interface and a computer, which provides a predetermined service, an information processing terminal having a user interface, the communication interface , and the computer , and a printer, wherein the computer of the Web server executes a reception process for receiving a user operation on a Web page for providing the predetermined service via the communication interface of the Web server, and a provision process for providing the predetermined service in accordance with an instruction corresponding to the user operation received by the reception process, and the Web server is an SNS server that provides a communication service that transmits a message instructed in response to the user operation, the program being executable by the computer of the information processing terminal of the information processing system,
The computer of the information processing terminal,
a receiving process for receiving, from the user interface, an instruction operation for instructing print settings for the printer;
a setting process for setting print settings according to the instruction operation accepted by the accepting process;
a transmission process of transmitting, to the printer via the communication interface of the information processing terminal, a print instruction for causing the printer to execute a print process in accordance with the print settings set by the setting process ;
a determination process for determining, based on the print settings set by the setting process, an instruction to transmit a specific message corresponding to the print settings as an instruction corresponding to the user operation ;
Run the command,
the providing process executed by the computer of the web server transmits, as the predetermined service, the specific message indicated by the instruction determined by the determination process;
program. An information processing method using an information processing system including a Web server having a communication interface for providing a predetermined service, an information processing terminal having a user interface and a communication interface, and a printer, comprising:
The web server is an SNS server that provides a communication service for sending messages instructed in response to user operations.
a reception process of receiving a user operation on a Web page for providing the predetermined service via the communication interface of the Web server;
a providing process for providing the predetermined service in accordance with an instruction corresponding to a user operation accepted by the accepting process;
Run the command,
For the information processing terminal,
a receiving process for receiving, from the user interface, an instruction operation for instructing print settings for the printer;
a setting process for setting print settings according to the instruction operation accepted by the accepting process;
a transmission process of transmitting, to the printer via the communication interface of the information processing terminal, a print instruction for causing the printer to execute a print process in accordance with the print settings set by the setting process;
Run the command,
The information processing system includes:
executes a determination process for determining, based on the print settings set by the setting process, an instruction to transmit a specific message corresponding to the print settings as an instruction corresponding to the user operation;
In the providing process for the Web server, the specific message indicated by the instruction determined in the determining process is transmitted as the predetermined service .
Information processing methods.

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