Printing apparatus, system, and server system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623449-B2
Application number	US-202017126219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of appropriately ordering an ink bottle. One embodiment of the present disclosure is a printing apparatus that includes: an ink tank that stores ink supplied from an ink bottle; and a head to which ink is supplied from the ink tank, and the printing apparatus includes a transmission unit configured to transmit status information in which at least information relating to an ink remaining amount within the ink tank is included to a server and order processing of a new ink bottle is performed based on an ink consumption amount of the ink bottle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a printing apparatus; and
a server system comprising one or more servers,
wherein the printing apparatus comprises: (1) an ink tank that stores ink supplied from an ink bottle; (2) a head to which ink is supplied from the ink tank; (3) a detection unit configured to detect an ink remaining amount within the ink tank by using a sensor or by dot count; and (4) a transmission unit configured to transmit status information in which at least information relating to the ink remaining amount within the ink tank is included,
wherein the server system comprises: (1) a reception unit configured to receive the status information; and (2) a first calculation unit configured to calculate an ink consumption amount of the ink bottle by using the status information, and
wherein order processing of a new ink bottle is performed based on an ink consumption amount of the ink bottle.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the server system further comprises an order unit configured to perform the order processing of a new ink bottle in a case where an ink consumption amount calculated by the first calculation unit is larger than a predetermined first threshold value.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the order unit performs the order processing of a new ink bottle based on the calculated ink consumption amount and an ink bottle order situation.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first calculation unit comprises:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on an ink remaining amount within the ink tank, which is included in the status information;
a second calculation unit configured to calculate an ink consumption amount of the ink tank based on the information on an ink remaining amount within the ink tank, which is acquired by the acquisition unit; and
a third calculation unit configured to calculate a current ink consumption amount of the ink bottle based on a difference between an ink consumption amount of the ink bottle stored in advance, and an ink consumption amount of the ink tank calculated by the second calculation unit.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the first calculation unit further comprises:
a third determination unit configured to determine whether the ink consumption amount calculated by the third calculation unit exceeds a predetermined second threshold value indicating a size of the ink bottle; and
a fourth calculation unit configured to recalculate an ink consumption amount of the ink bottle by subtracting an amount corresponding to the size of the ink bottle from the ink consumption amount calculated by the third calculation unit in a case where determination results of the third determination unit are affirmative.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the server system further comprises a storage unit configured to store a plurality of tables, and
wherein the plurality of tables includes:
(1) a first table in which various kinds of information on a serial number, a consumable item type, and whether or not an order is possible are associated with one another and stored;
(2) a second table in which various kinds of information on a serial number and an ink bottle model number are associated with each other and stored:
(3) a third table in which various kinds of information on a serial number and an ink bottle consumption amount are associated with each other and stored;
(4) a fourth table in which various kinds of information on a serial number and an ink bottle ink remaining amount are associated with each other and stored; and
(5) a fifth table in which various kinds of information on an ink bottle model number, the first threshold value, and the second threshold value are associated with one another and stored.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is constructed so as to enable a user to set a remaining amount level for adjusting an ink consumption amount of the ink bottle managed in the server system via a Web browser.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the server system further comprises:
a fifth calculation unit configured to calculate a remaining amount value of the ink bobble; and
a sixth calculation unit configured to calculate a remaining amount level of the ink bottle based on the remaining amount value of the ink bottle calculated by the fifth calculation unit.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the remaining amount level of the ink bottle calculated by the sixth calculation unit is presented to a user via a Web browser.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tanaka Yuya

Classifications

• G06F3/1285

  Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server · CPC title

• G06F3/121

  Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted · CPC title

• B41L27/04

  Ducts, containers, or supply devices or ink-level control devices (level control in general G05D9/00) · CPC title

• B41J2/17503 Primary

  Ink cartridges · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title