Print material subscription plans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11323588-B2
Application number	US-201816500381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

Examples techniques to determine print material subscription plans for image rendering devices are described. In an example, data indicative of print material consumption by an image rendering device for a period of time is received at a server. Based on the received data, a print material subscription plan is determined for the image rendering device. Signals to enable provision of a notification corresponding to first print material subscription plan are transmitted to the image rendering device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server, data indicative of print material consumption by an image rendering device for a period of time and an average time between two consecutive low-on-print material messages generated by the image rendering device;
determining, based on the received data and the average time between two consecutive low-on-print material messages generated by the image rendering device, a first print material subscription plan, from amongst a plurality of print material subscription plans, for the image rendering device; and
generating signals to enable provision of a notification corresponding to the first print material subscription plan.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of print material consumption by the image rendering device comprises one of: a number of media printed by the image rendering device; a mode of printing of the image rendering device; and a type of content printed by the image rendering device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:
accessing, by the server, a subscription database, to determine, if the image rendering device is registered for a second print material subscription plan from amongst the plurality of print material subscription plans.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein when the image rendering device is registered for the second print material subscription plan, the method further comprising:
retrieving, from the subscription database, a cost associated with the first print material subscription plan and the second print material subscription plan; and
comparing the cost associated with the second print material subscription plan with a cost associated with the first print material subscription plan,
wherein the signals are to enable the notification to indicate a difference between the cost associated with the second print material subscription plan and the cost associated with the first print material subscription plan when the cost associated with the second print material subscription plan is more than the cost associated with the first print material subscription plan.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein when the image rendering device is registered for the second print material subscription plan, the method further comprising:
retrieving subscription information pertaining to the second print material subscription plan, wherein the subscription information comprises a contact information of a user of the image rendering device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein receiving the data indicative of print material consumption by the image rendering device comprises receiving a low-on-print material message.

7. An image rendering device comprising:
a print engine to:
determine a number of media printed by the image rendering device for the period of time and an average time between two consecutive low-on-print material messages generated by the image rendering device;

a communication engine to:
transmit data relating to the number of media printed by the image rendering device and the average time between two consecutive low-on-print material messages generated by the image rendering device to a subscription management (SM) server; and
receive, from the SM server, a notification indicative of a print material subscription plan for the image rendering device, the print material subscription plan being based on the transmitted data.

8. The image rendering device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the communication engine is to display the notification on a display of the image rendering device.

9. The image rendering device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the communication engine is to further transmit the notification on a contact identity of a user associated with the image rendering device.

10. The image rendering device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein to determine the volume of print material consumed by the image rendering device, the print engine is to estimate an amount of each of colored inks used by the image rendering device for the period of time.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processing resource to:
determine, based on data received from an image rendering device, a number of media printed by the image rendering device for a period of time and an average time between two consecutive low-on-print material messages generated by the image rendering device;
ascertain a first print material subscription plan for the image rendering device based on the number of media printed and the average time between two consecutive low-on-print material messages generated by the image rendering device; and
generate signals to enable provision of a notification corresponding to the first print material subscription plan.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to:
retrieve a contact information associated with a user of the image rendering device; and
transmit the notification to the user using the contact information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to:
access a subscription database to retrieve subscription information relating to the image rendering device; and
determine, based on the subscription information, if the image rendering device is registered for a second print material subscription plan.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processing resource to:
retrieve, from the subscription database, a cost associated with the first print material subscription plan and the second print material subscription plan;
compare a cost associated with the first print material subscription plan to a cost associated with the second print material subscription plan, when the image rendering device is registered for the second print material subscription plan; and
generate the signals to enable provision of notification to indicate a difference between the cost associated with the second print material subscription plan and the cost associated with the first print material subscription plan when the cost of the second print material subscription plan is greater than the cost of the first print material subscription plan.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Wong Simon
• Peh Bee Ling
• Novak David B

Classifications

• G06F3/1203

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• G06F3/12

  Digital output to print unit {, e.g. line printer, chain printer} · CPC title

• G06F3/1239

  Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts · CPC title

• G06Q10/063

  Operations research, analysis or management · CPC title

• G03G15/5079

  for maintenance · CPC title