Processing apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and method for determining whether to restrict execution of particular process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12190004-B2
Application number	US-202318487300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2023
Priority date	Oct 17, 2022
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A processing apparatus includes a consumer receptacle and a controller to determine whether the processing apparatus is in a contracted status where a delivery contract for consumables is concluded or in an uncontracted status before the delivery contract is concluded. The consumable receptacle is configured to hold any of an exclusive consumable that is unusable when the processing apparatus is in the uncontracted status and a non-exclusive consumable different from the exclusive consumable. When the processing apparatus is in the contracted status, and the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle, the controller determines whether a specific condition for execution of a first particular process in which the non-exclusive consumable is consumed is satisfied. The controller allows the execution of the first particular process when the specific condition is satisfied, whereas restricting the execution of the first particular process when the specific condition is not satisfied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing apparatus comprising:
a consumable receptacle configured to hold any of a first consumable and a second consumable, the first consumable being an exclusive consumable usable when the processing apparatus is in a contracted status where a delivery contract for consumables is in effect but unusable when the processing apparatus is in an uncontracted status where the delivery contract is not in effect, the second consumable being a non-exclusive consumable different from the exclusive consumable; and
a controller configured to:
determine whether the processing apparatus is in the contracted status or in a second status different from the first status;
in response to determining that the processing apparatus is in the first status, determine whether a specific condition for execution of a first particular process using the non-exclusive consumable is satisfied, when the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle; and
determine whether to allow or restrict the execution of the first particular process using the non-exclusive consumable depending on whether the specific condition is satisfied, thereby allowing the execution of the first particular process in response to determining that the specific condition is satisfied, whereas imposing a restriction on the execution of the first particular process in response to determining that the specific condition is not satisfied.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
when the exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle in the contracted status, perform a second particular process using the exclusive consumable, with a charge for the second particular process;
when the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle in the contracted status, perform the first particular process using the non-exclusive consumable with a charge, imposed as the restriction, for the first particular process, in response to determining that the specific condition is not satisfied; and
when the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle in the contracted status, perform the first particular process using the non-exclusive consumable with no charge, in response to determining that the specific condition is satisfied.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the specific condition is satisfied in a case where, in response to a remaining use life of the exclusive consumable held in the consumable receptacle becoming equal to or less than a particular value, the non-exclusive consumable has been held in the consumable receptacle in place of the exclusive consumable or a new exclusive consumable is being delivered based on the delivery contract.

4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
count a number of consumable-held times the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle;
determine that the specific condition is not satisfied when the number of consumable-held times counted within a particular period of time is equal to or more than a predetermined value; and
determine that the specific condition is satisfied when the number of consumable-held times counted within the particular period of time is less than the predetermined value.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising another consumable receptacle,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the specific condition is satisfied when the exclusive consumable is not used in a state where the exclusive consumable and the non-exclusive consumable are held in the consumable receptacles when the processing apparatus is in the contracted status.

6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the specific condition is not satisfied when an amount of the non-exclusive consumable used in the first particular process within a predetermined period of time is equal to or more than a specified value; and
determine that the specific condition is satisfied when the amount of the non-exclusive consumable used in the first particular process within the predetermined period of time is less than the specified value.

7. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a print engine configured to perform printing including a first printing process as the first particular process,
wherein the consumable receptacle is configured to hold any of an exclusive printing consumable as the exclusive consumable and a non-exclusive printing consumable as the non-exclusive consumable, and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to determining that the processing apparatus is in the contracted status, determine whether the specific condition for execution of the first printing process is satisfied, when the non-exclusive printing consumable is held in the consumable receptacle;
allow the execution of the first printing process using the non-exclusive printing consumable, in response to determining that the specific condition is satisfied; and
impose a restriction on the execution of the first printing process using the non-exclusive printing consumable, in response to determining that the specific condition is not satisfied.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that are executable by a controller of a processing apparatus comprising a consumable receptacle, the instructions being configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the processing apparatus to:
determine whether the processing apparatus is in a contracted status where a delivery contract for consumables is in effect or in an uncontracted status where the delivery contract is not in effect, the uncontracted status being different from the contracted status, wherein the consumable receptacle is configured to hold any of a first consumable and a second consumable, the first consumable being an exclusive consumable usable when the processing apparatus is in the contracted status but unusable when the processing apparatus is in the uncontracted status, and the second consumable being a non-exclusive consumable that is different from the exclusive consumable;
in response to determining that the processing apparatus is in the contracted status, determine whether a specific condition for execution of a first particular process using the non-exclusive consumable is satisfied, when the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle; and
determine whether to allow or restrict the execution of the first particular process using the non-exclusive consumable depending on whether the specific condition is satisfied, thereby allowing the execution of the first particular process in response to determining that the specific condition is satisfied, whereas imposing a restriction on the execution of the first particular process in response to determining that the specific condition is not satisfied.

9. A method implementable on a controller of a processing apparatus comprising a consumable receptacle, the method comprising:
determining whether the processing apparatus is in a contracted status where a delivery contract for consumables is in effect or in an uncontracted status where the delivery contract is not in effect, the uncontracted status being different from the contracted status, wherein the consumable receptacle is configured to hold any of a first consumable and a second consumable, the first consumable being an exclusive consumable usable when the processing apparatus is in the contr

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kimoto Taichiro
• Minamikawa Shunsuke
• Tsugimura Koichi
• Deura Yushi
• Kitahashi Yuki

Classifications

• B41J29/38 Primary

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title

• G06F3/1222

  Increasing security of the print job · CPC title

• G06F3/1219

  with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper · CPC title

• G06F3/1239 Primary

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