Information processing apparatus, consumables stock management system, consumables stock managing method, consumables stock managing program, and memory medium

• US 9,589,248 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Niki, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): ADE, OGER GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US13/774,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A frequency of a residual amount signal which includes the absence of consumables and is issued by a printing apparatus is analyzed, whether new consumables have been attached or not is properly discriminated, and proper stock management is made.

Claims

1. A system including:

a printing apparatus; and

an information processing apparatus for managing a stock number of a consumable detachably placed in the printing apparatus,

wherein the printing apparatus is configured to process input image data and comprises;

(1) a first sensor that counts a number of print sheets as information indicative of an operation of the printing apparatus or a consumable placed in the printing apparatus;

(2) a second sensor that detects a residual amount of contents in the consumable; and

(3) a transmitter that transmits a notification to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a receiver that receives the notification via communication from the transmitter of the printing apparatus and is configured, for enabling management of the stock number of the consumable detachably placed in the printing apparatus by referring to operation information of the printing apparatus, to compute, with respect to a plurality of notifications of the residual amount related to the consumable placed in the printing apparatus received by the receiver at a plurality of timings, a change of information indicative of the operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in a period corresponding to the plurality of notifications,

wherein the printing apparatus comprises a processor functioning as a network communicator that controls so that the transmitter transmits, to the information processing apparatus, a notification of the residual amount related to the consumable, the notification including the number of print sheets counted by the first sensor and the residual amount detected by the second sensor,

wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a processor functioning as;

(1) a controller that performs a control of the stock number of the consumable based on a first notification received by the receiver, in accordance with a computed change of information indicative of an operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in a period between a previous notification of the residual amount related to the consumable and the first notification exceeding a predetermined value, without controlling the stock number of the consumable according to reception of a second notification by the receiver, in accordance with the computed change of information indicative of the operation in a period between the previous notification and the second notification not exceeding the predetermined value; and

(2) a comparison unit that compares the stock number of the consumable with a threshold based on which it is determined whether or not a notification related to the stock number of the consumable is to be transmitted, when the controller performs the control of the stock number of the consumable, and

wherein the previous notification is a notification which the controller had used for controlling the stock number of the consumable, and

wherein the number of print sheets included in the previous notification is stored, in a storage device of the information processing apparatus, for computing the change of information indicative of the operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in the period corresponding to the plurality of notifications.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the consumable is a toner cartridge.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the notification indicates entering into a low residual amount or exiting out of a low residual amount.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to function as a discriminator that computes the change of information for each of a plurality of printing apparatuses.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the notification of the residual amount related to the consumable is a response to an event or to a request for information.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises:

an input device that inputs a stock threshold value; and

a storage device that stores the stock threshold value input by the input device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a management device that manages the information indicative of the operation corresponding to the notification of the residual amount.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein, in the printing apparatus, the transmitter is able to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, a plurality of notifications each indicating exiting out of a no-residual-amount state in response to a plurality of detections of the no-residual-amount state with respect to one consumable.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein, in the printing apparatus, the transmitter is able to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, a plurality of notifications each indicating a low-residual-amount state in response to a plurality of detections of the low-residual-amount state with respect to one consumable.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs, based on the first notification received by the receiver, the control of the stock number such that the stock number is decreased by one.

8. A method carried out in a system including (a) a printing apparatus and (b) an information processing apparatus for managing a stock number of a consumable detachably placed in the printing apparatus,

wherein the printing apparatus is configured to process input image data and comprises:

(1) a first sensor that counts a number of print sheets as information indicative of an operation of the printing apparatus or a consumable placed in the printing apparatus;

(2) a second sensor that detects a residual amount of contents in the consumable; and

(3) a transmitter that transmits a notification to the information processing apparatus,

wherein, the information processing apparatus is configured, for enabling management of the stock number of the consumable detachably placed in the printing apparatus by referring to operation information of the printing apparatus, to compute, with respect to a plurality of notifications of the residual amount related to the consumable placed in the printing apparatus received by the receiver at a plurality of timings, a change of information indicative of the operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in a period corresponding to the plurality of notifications,

wherein the printing apparatus comprises a processor functioning as a network communicator that controls so that the transmitter transmits, to the information processing apparatus, a notification of the residual amount related to the consumable, the notification including the number of print sheets counted by the first sensor and the residual amount detected by the second sensor,

wherein the method comprises;

(1) transmitting, from the printing apparatus to the information processing apparatus, the notification to the information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a processor functioning as a receiver, a controller, and a comparison unit;

(2) receiving, by the receiver in the information processing apparatus via communication from the transmitter of the printing apparatus, the notification;

(3) by the controller in the information processing apparatus, controlling the stock number of the consumable based on a first notification, received by the receiver, in accordance with a computed change of information indicative of an operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in a period between a previous notification of the residual amount related to the consumable and the first notification exceeding a predetermined value, without controlling the stock number of the consumable according to reception of a second notification by the receiver, in accordance with the computed change of information indicative of the operation in a period between the previous notification and the second notification not exceeding the predetermined value; and

(4) comparing, by the comparison unit in the information processing apparatus, the stock number of the consumable with a threshold based on which it is determined whether or not a notification related to the stock number of the consumable is to be transmitted, when the controller performs the control of the stock number of the consumable,

wherein the previous notification is a notification which the controller had used for controlling the stock number of the consumable, and

wherein the number of print sheets included in the previous notification is stored, in a storage device of the information processing apparatus, for computing the change of information indicative of the operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in the period corresponding to the plurality of notifications.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information indicative of the operation indicates time information, a number of print sheets on the printing apparatus, or pixel count number on the printing apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the consumable is a toner cartridge.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in the printing apparatus, the transmitting is able to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, a plurality of notifications each indicating exiting out of a no-residual-amount state in response to a plurality of detections of the no-residual-amount state with respect to one consumable.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in the printing apparatus, the transmitting is able to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, a plurality of notifications each indicating a low-residual-amount state in response to a plurality of detections of the low-residual-amount state with respect to one consumable.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the controlling performs, based on the received first notification, the control of the stock number such that the stock number is decreased by one.