JP4271664B2 - Printing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system that displays advice for saving consumables.

An image forming apparatus used in a company stores usage records such as the number of sheets used for each department, and manages a budget for necessary expenses based on the usage records. However, there is a problem that the stored use record is not utilized for the purpose of saving resources.
In order to solve such a problem, a target threshold value for resources such as paper and power is set, and if the cumulative count value of the resource consumption consumed in the image forming process is larger than the target threshold value, 2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses that display a saving request message calling for resource saving on a touch panel are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP 2002-123140 A JP 2003-260857 A JP 2004-004296 A

  By the way, in recent image forming apparatuses, users to be used can be specified, and therefore, users in a large number of departments are used by arbitrarily selecting a plurality of image forming apparatuses. However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, since the use record is managed for each image forming apparatus, when the user of each department uses a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the total use value for each department is calculated. Since it is not possible to manage directly, the total value of actual usage exceeds the predetermined threshold value, but for image forming apparatuses with low usage, appropriate advice for resource saving is given. There is a problem that it cannot be displayed.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a print system capable of displaying appropriate advice for saving consumables.

  The present invention includes (a) a usage record storage unit that stores usage record information of each image forming apparatus for each user who uses the image forming apparatus, and a scheduled use value for printing using the image forming apparatus for each user. Pre-stored use value storage means, print usage record information for each user from each of the image forming apparatuses, use record storage means in the use record storage means, and image formation for executing a print job A usage record inquiry including the number of prints to be printed and the user identification name is received from the apparatus, the use record of the user identification name included in the use record inquiry is read from the use record storage means, and the read use record value is obtained. A determination result as to whether or not a value obtained by adding the number of prints to be printed exceeds a scheduled use value stored in the scheduled use value storage means is used as the print result. A server provided with a use result notifying means for transmitting to the image forming apparatus that executes the job, (b) an advice database in which advice information capable of saving consumables is stored in advance, and the print job is executed. A print number acquisition means for acquiring the number of prints to be printed by the print job before, an identification name of a user who intends to execute the print job is specified, and the user identification name and the number of prints to be printed are determined. The usage record inquiry means for transmitting the usage record inquiry to the server, and when the determination result transmitted from the server exceeds the planned use value for the use record inquiry, Advice display means for reading and displaying advice information stored in the advice database, and executing a print job In, and having a plurality of image forming apparatus and a use record transmitting means for transmitting print actual-use information to the server for each user who executed the print job.

  The present invention includes (a) a usage record storage unit that stores usage record information of each image forming apparatus for each user who uses the image forming apparatus, and a scheduled use value for printing using the image forming apparatus for each user. Pre-stored use value storage means, print usage record information for each user from each of the image forming apparatuses, use record storage means in the use record storage means, and image formation for executing a print job A usage record inquiry including the number of prints to be printed and the user identification name is received from the apparatus, the use record of the user identification name included in the use record inquiry is read from the use record storage means, and the read use record value is obtained. A determination result as to whether or not a value obtained by adding the number of prints to be printed exceeds a scheduled use value stored in the scheduled use value storage means is used as the print result. A server provided with a use result notifying means for transmitting to the image forming apparatus that executes the job, (b) an advice database in which advice information capable of saving consumables is stored in advance, and the print job is executed. A print number acquisition means for acquiring the number of prints to be printed by the print job before, an identification name of a user who intends to execute the print job is specified, and the user identification name and the number of prints to be printed are determined. The usage record inquiry means for transmitting the usage record inquiry to the server, and when the determination result transmitted from the server exceeds the planned use value for the use record inquiry, A host computer having advice display means for reading and displaying advice information stored in the advice database. And (c) a plurality of image forming apparatuses provided with usage record transmission means for transmitting print usage record information to the server for each user who has executed the print job each time the print job is executed. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, when the usage record information by the print job executed in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is collected and a new print job is to be executed, a new value is added to the collected usage record value. When the value obtained by adding the number of pages to be printed exceeds the planned use value, advice to save consumables is displayed, so appropriate advice to save consumables may be displayed. The effect that it can be obtained. In particular, since the usage records of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses are centrally managed in the server, appropriate advice can be displayed regardless of variations in the usage records among the image forming apparatuses.

  Hereinafter, a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a server that manages printing usage record data. Reference numeral 2 denotes a personal computer that creates document data using a document creation application and prints the document using a printer. Reference numerals 3, 4, and 5 denote image forming apparatuses having a copying function, a printing function, a FAX transmission / reception function, and the like. Reference numeral 11 denotes a communication unit that performs information communication with other apparatuses via the network N. Reference numeral 12 denotes a use record collecting unit that collects print use record data from each image forming apparatus. Reference numeral 13 denotes a use record storage unit that stores print use record data collected from each image forming apparatus for each user identification name. Reference numeral 14 denotes a use record notifying unit that reads use record data stored in the use record storage unit 13 in response to a use record inquiry from each device and notifies the inquiry destination device. Reference numeral 15 denotes a scheduled use value storage unit in which a scheduled use value for printing is stored in advance for each user identification name. Reference numeral 16 denotes a timer that outputs the current date and time.

  Reference numeral 21 denotes a printer driver provided (installed) in the personal computer 2. Reference numeral 22 denotes a communication unit that performs information communication with other devices via the network N. Reference numeral 23 denotes a print processing unit that inputs print data based on document data from a document creation application and converts the print data into intermediate data for controlling the printing operation of the image forming apparatus. Reference numeral 24 denotes a data input unit for inputting print data from a document creation application. Reference numeral 25 denotes a display processing unit that displays a message for advising a measure for reducing the amount of printing used on the display device of the personal computer 2 based on the printing results in the image forming apparatus. Reference numeral 26 denotes an advice database in which advice data for advising a measure for reducing the print usage is stored in advance.

  Reference numeral 31 denotes a control unit that performs overall control of processing operations of the image forming apparatus 3. Reference numeral 32 denotes an input unit including a numeric keypad, function keys, a touch panel, and the like. Reference numeral 33 denotes a display unit composed of a liquid crystal display or the like. Reference numeral 34 denotes an image reading unit that reads an image of a document placed on a document table. Reference numeral 35 denotes an image memory for storing image data for printing. Reference numeral 36 denotes a printing unit that performs printing by transferring an image to printing paper based on image data stored in the image memory 35. Reference numeral 37 denotes a communication unit that performs information communication with other devices via the network N. Reference numeral 38 denotes a FAX transmission / reception unit that performs FAX transmission / reception via a public line. Since the detailed configuration of the image forming apparatuses 4 and 5 is the same as that of the image forming apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 1, description of the detailed configuration is omitted here. However, the image forming apparatus 4 includes a printing unit 36 that can perform only monochrome printing, and the image forming apparatuses 3 and 5 include a printing unit 36 that can perform both monochrome printing and color printing. explain.

  Next, the table structure of the usage record storage unit 13 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The usage record storage unit 13 stores the usage record (number of printed sheets) collected from each image forming apparatus for each user identification name separately for monochrome printing and color printing, and the total usage record for each user identification name. Total value summed up is stored separately for monochrome printing and color printing

  Next, the table structure of the scheduled use value storage unit 15 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The scheduled use value storage unit 15 stores the scheduled use number values for color printing and monochrome printing for each user identification name. As for the number of sheets scheduled to be used, the transition of the cumulative number of used sheets for one year (until December 31) from the use start date (for example, January 1) is predefined and stored for each day. The value stored in the scheduled use value storage unit 15 is set in advance by the administrator of the printing system based on the expense of each user (department) and stored in the planned use value storage unit 15.

  Next, the operation of the print system shown in FIG. 1 will be described. First, the operation in which the server 1 collects usage record data will be described. First, the control unit 31 counts the number of printed sheets for color printing and monochrome printing when a job involving printing is executed. The job with printing referred to here is a print job instructed to be executed from the personal computer 2, a copy job for copying a document, a FAX reception job for printing received FAX, and the like, a job that consumes printing paper and toner. That is. The control unit 31 specifies the user who executed the job when counting the number of printed sheets.

  For a print job, the user is specified by specifying the user's department name based on the login user name to the network N. If the job is a copy job, the user's department name is specified based on the authenticated user name before using the image forming apparatus 3. In FAX reception, the image data received at the time of FAX reception is temporarily stored in the image memory 35, and the user is notified of the reception. Then, before the user prints the image data at the time of FAX reception in the image forming apparatus 3, the user's department name is specified based on the authenticated user name.

  Next, the control unit 31 uses the identified user identification name, the number of printed sheets in color or monochrome at the time of execution of a job involving printing, and the identification name for identifying the image forming apparatus 3 as print usage record information, as a communication unit 37 to server 1. This print usage record information is received by the use record collection unit 12 via the communication unit 11 of the server 1. The use record collecting unit 12 adds the number of printed sheets for each image forming apparatus included in the received print use record information to the value stored in the use record storage unit 13 to obtain a new use record value. Remember. Then, the usage record collection unit 12 updates the value of the total use record based on the new use record value. With this operation, the use record value stored in the use record storage unit 13 is updated each time a job involving printing is executed.

  Next, an operation for displaying advice for saving printing paper and toner immediately before execution of a job involving printing will be described with reference to FIG. First, the user of the personal computer 2 creates document data using a document creation application, sets print conditions, and then performs a print instruction operation. In response to this, the document creation application outputs print data (step S1). This print data is input to the data input unit 24. The print processing unit 23 identifies the contents of the print conditions by analyzing the print data input from the data input unit 24 (step S2). The printing condition to be specified here is either color printing or monochrome printing, or the number of printed sheets (the number of necessary printing sheets, not the number of pages of document data).

  Next, the print processing unit 23 transmits a usage record inquiry including information on the specified printing conditions and a user identification name to the server 1 (step S3). This usage record inquiry is received by the usage record notification unit 14. The usage record notifying unit 14 extracts the user identification name included in the received usage record inquiry, refers to the output of the timer 16 and identifies the date when the use record inquiry is received. Then, the usage record notifying unit 14 reads the scheduled use values for color printing and monochrome printing from the scheduled use value storage unit 15 based on the user identification name and date. Further, the usage record notifying unit 14 reads the usage record total of the user identification name extracted from the use record inquiry from the use record storing unit 13 (step S4). The use record notifying unit 14 adds the number of printed sheets included in the use record inquiry to the read use record total value, and determines whether or not this value exceeds the read use schedule value. As a result, if the value obtained by adding the number of sheets to be printed does not exceed the scheduled use value, the usage record notifying unit 14 transmits to the personal computer 2 that it is within the scheduled use value range as an answer to the use record inquiry. . On the other hand, if the value obtained by adding the number of sheets to be printed exceeds the scheduled use value, the usage record notifying unit 14 transmits to the personal computer 2 that the scheduled use value is exceeded as an answer to the use record query (step S5). .

  In response to this, the print processing unit 23 interprets the print data input in the data input unit 24 when the answer to the usage record is within the planned use value range, converts the print data into intermediate data, and designates the specified image. Sent to the forming device. Thereby, a normal printing operation is performed. On the other hand, if the answer to the usage record exceeds the scheduled use value, the print processing unit 23 reads advice for saving printing paper and toner from the advice database 26 (step S6) and outputs the advice to the display processing unit 25. (Step S7). Thereby, the content of the advice is displayed on the display device of the personal computer 2 (step S8). If the content of the advice displayed here is to specify color printing, it is advised to use monochrome printing. In addition, 2in1 (reduced printing for 2 sheets and printing together as one sheet), setting to toner save mode, duplex printing, switching to another image forming apparatus with lower cost, etc. are displayed as necessary. . The user changes the printing conditions with reference to the advice display and outputs the print data again (step S9), thereby executing printing (step S10).

  Next, a case where a copy job or a FAX reception job is executed in the image forming apparatus 3 will be described. First, the user inputs printing conditions from the input unit 32. The printing condition here is either color printing or monochrome printing, or the number of printed sheets. However, the number of printed sheets is a value obtained by multiplying the number of originals by the number of copies. Therefore, in the case of a copy job, the number of documents is specified by reading the document placed on the automatic document feeder by the image reading unit 34. In the case of a FAX reception job, since image data to be printed has already been stored in the image memory 35, the number of documents (number of documents received by FAX) is specified based on this image data.

  Next, the control unit 31 transmits to the server 1 a usage record inquiry including information about the specified printing conditions (whether color printing or monochrome printing, the number of printed sheets) and a user identification name. This usage record inquiry is received by the usage record notification unit 14. The usage record notifying unit 14 extracts the user identification name included in the received usage record inquiry, refers to the output of the timer 16 and identifies the date when the use record inquiry is received. Then, the usage record notifying unit 14 reads the scheduled use values for color printing and monochrome printing from the scheduled use value storage unit 15 based on the user identification name and date. Further, the usage record notifying unit 14 reads the usage record total of the user identification name extracted from the use record inquiry from the use record storage unit 13. The use record notifying unit 14 adds the number of printed sheets included in the use record inquiry to the read use record total value, and determines whether or not this value exceeds the read use schedule value. As a result, if the value obtained by adding the number of sheets to be printed does not exceed the scheduled use value, the usage record notifying unit 14 informs the image forming apparatus 3 that it is within the scheduled use value range as an answer to the use record query. Send. On the other hand, if the value obtained by adding the number of sheets to be printed exceeds the scheduled use value, the usage record notifying unit 14 transmits to the image forming apparatus 3 that the scheduled use value is exceeded as an answer to the use record query.

  In response to this, the control unit 31 performs a normal printing operation when the answer to the usage record is within the scheduled use value range. On the other hand, when the answer to the usage record exceeds the scheduled use value, the control unit 31 reads out advice for saving printing paper and toner from the advice database 39 and displays the advice on the display unit 33. As a result, the content of the advice is displayed on the display unit 3 of the image forming apparatus 3. If the content of the advice displayed here is to specify color printing, it is advised to use monochrome printing. In addition, 2in1 (reduced printing for 2 sheets and printing together as one sheet), setting to toner save mode, duplex printing, switching to another image forming apparatus with lower cost, etc. are displayed as necessary. . In addition, in the case of a FAX reception job, in addition to these advices, it is advised to send the image data already stored in the image memory 35 to the personal computer 2 by e-mail and confirm the content of the received FAX on the personal computer screen. To do. The user performs printing by changing the printing conditions with reference to the advice display and operating printing again.

  As described above, when the usage record information by the print job executed in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is collected and a new print job is to be executed, a new printing is performed with respect to the collected usage record value. Since the advice for saving consumables is displayed when the value obtained by adding the number of printed sheets exceeds the planned use value, appropriate advice for saving the consumables can be displayed. In particular, since the usage records of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses are centrally managed in the server, appropriate advice can be displayed regardless of variations in the usage records among the image forming apparatuses.

  Note that the print processing unit 23 and the control unit 31 may not only display advice stored in the advice database, but may not permit any print conditions other than the advised contents. At this time, only the advice may be used depending on the degree of exceeding the threshold. For example, advice is displayed when the usage record value is 80% to 100% of the threshold value, and when it exceeds 100%, only printing conditions with the advised contents are not permitted. This makes it possible to save consumables (printing paper and toner) with certainty.

  1 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read into the computer system and executed, thereby executing the usage record management process. In addition, advice display processing may be performed. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a storage device such as a flexible medium, a magneto-optical disk, a portable medium such as a ROM and a CD-ROM, and a hard disk incorporated in a computer system. Further, the “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In addition, those holding programs for a certain period of time are also included.

  The program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the “transmission medium” for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the apparatus shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the table structure of the use performance memory | storage part 13 shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the table structure of the use scheduled value memory | storage part 15 shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Server, 11 ... Communication part, 12 ... Usage result collection part, 13 ... Usage result storage part, 14 ... Usage result notification part, 15 ... Use planned value storage part, 16 ... Timer, 2 ... PC, 21 ... Printer driver, 22 ... Communication unit, 23 ... Print processing unit, 24 ... Data input unit, 25 ... Display processing unit, 26 ... advice database, 3 ... image forming apparatus, 31 ... control unit, 32 ... input unit, 33 ... display unit, 34 ... image reading unit, 35 ... image memory , 36 ... printing unit, 37 ... communication unit, 38 ... FAX transmission / reception unit, 39 ... advice database, 4, 5 ... image forming apparatus

Claims (2)

(A) use record storage means for storing use record information of each image forming apparatus separately for monochrome printing and color printing for each user who uses the image forming apparatus;
A scheduled use value storage unit that stores in advance , for each user, a cumulative use estimated value of printing using the image forming apparatus for each day within a predetermined period , divided into monochrome printing and color printing ;
Collecting the usage record information for each user from each of the image forming apparatuses separately for monochrome printing and color printing and collecting the usage record storage means in the use record storage means;
When a usage record inquiry including the number of prints to be printed in monochrome or color and a user identification name is received from an image forming apparatus that executes a print job, the date of reception of the use record inquiry is specified and the use A use record of the user identification name included in the record inquiry is read from the use record storage unit, and a value obtained by adding the number of prints to be printed to the read use record value is stored in the planned use value storage unit. A usage record notifying means for transmitting a result of determination as to whether or not the usage cumulative value at the specified date is exceeded among the scheduled usage cumulative values to be used to the image forming apparatus that executes the print job; ,
(B) an advice database in which advice information capable of saving consumables is stored in advance;
Print number acquisition means for acquiring the number of monochrome or color prints to be printed by the print job before executing the print job;
An identification name of a user who intends to execute the print job is specified, and a usage record inquiry including the user identification name, the number of prints to be printed, and identification information for identifying monochrome printing or color printing is sent to the server. Use result inquiry means to send,
Advice information for switching from color printing to monochrome printing from the advice database when the judgment result transmitted from the server in response to the usage record inquiry is a judgment that the cumulative cumulative use value of color printing exceeds Advice display means for reading out and displaying,
An execution control unit that does not allow execution of the print job except for printing conditions based on the advice information displayed by the advice display unit;
A plurality of image forming apparatuses, each having a use record transmitting unit that transmits print use record information to the server for each user who has executed the print job each time a print job is executed. Printing system. (A) use record storage means for storing use record information of each image forming apparatus for each user who uses the image forming apparatus;
For each user, a scheduled use value storage unit that stores in advance a cumulative use scheduled value of printing using the image forming apparatus for each day within a predetermined period ;
Collecting the print use record information for each user from each of the image forming apparatuses, and using the use record storage unit in the use record storage unit;
When a usage record inquiry including the number of copies to be printed and a user identification name is received from the host computer that executes the print job, the date of reception of the use record inquiry is specified and included in the use record inquiry It reads the record of use user identification name from said use record storage means, a value obtained by adding the number of prints to be the printing on the read actual use value is used cumulative plan stored in the use schedule value storing means A server comprising: a use result notifying means for transmitting a determination result as to whether or not the accumulated cumulative value at the specified date among the values is exceeded to a host computer that executes the print job;
(B) an advice database in which advice information capable of saving consumables is stored in advance;
Print number acquisition means for acquiring the number of prints to be printed by the print job before executing the print job;
A usage record inquiry means for specifying an identification name of a user who intends to execute the print job and transmitting a usage record inquiry including the user identification name and the number of prints to be printed to the server;
With respect to the actual use inquiry, the case has been the determination result transmitted from the server, Ri judgment der of the more than use the cumulative predetermined value, the print job is Tsu Der print job of the FAX reception, the advice The FAX reception image data already stored in the image memory of the image forming apparatus is received from the database by e-mail, and advice information for confirming the content of the received image data is read and displayed on the screen of the host computer. Advice display means ;
A host computer provided with execution control means that does not allow execution of the FAX-received print job when advice information is displayed by the advice display means ;
(C) image data transmitting means for transmitting image data received by FAX to the host computer by e-mail;
Every time to perform the print job, and having a plurality of image forming apparatus and a use record transmitting means for transmitting print actual-use information to the server for each user who executed the print job Printing system.

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