Method for switching image forming apparatus, information processing apparatus, and switching system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022171585-A1
Application number	US-202117533778-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2021
Priority date	Nov 27, 2020
Publication date	Jun 2, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes an accepting step of causing an information processing apparatus to accept a request for switching a contracted device from a first image forming apparatus to a second image forming apparatus, the contracted device being an image forming apparatus allowed to use contracted consumables accommodating printing materials based on a contract, an enablement-establishing step of causing the information processing apparatus to establish a first enabled state in which the second image forming apparatus is allowed to use a contracted consumables, in response to acceptance of the request, and an enablement-continuing step of causing the information processing apparatus to establish a second enabled state in which the first image forming apparatus is allowed to continuously use the contracted consumables that has been previously used in the first image forming apparatus for a predetermined period, in response to acceptance of the request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
an accepting step of causing an information processing apparatus to accept a request for switching a contracted device from a first image forming apparatus to a second image forming apparatus, the contracted device being an image forming apparatus allowed to use contracted consumables accommodating printing materials based on a contract, the first image forming apparatus being an image forming apparatus with which the contract was concluded, the second image forming apparatus being an image forming apparatus with which the contact is newly concluded, an enablement-establishing step of causing the information processing apparatus to establish a first enabled state in which the second image forming apparatus is allowed to use a contracted consumables, in response to acceptance of the request by the information processing apparatus; and an enablement-continuing step of causing the information processing apparatus to establish a second enabled state in which the first image forming apparatus is allowed to continuously use the contracted consumables that has been previously used in the first image forming apparatus for a predetermined period, in response to acceptance of the request by the information processing apparatus.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second image forming apparatus includes a second main memory storing mode information indicating whether the second image forming apparatus is in a contracted mode in which the second image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus with which the contract was concluded or not, and wherein, in the enablement-establishing step, the information processing apparatus is configured to renew the mode information such that the mode of the second image forming apparatus indicates the contracted mode to use the contracted consumables.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprises:
a receiving step of causing the information processing apparatus to receive a switch-completion notification indicating that the second image forming apparatus is switched to the contracted mode; and an ordering step of causing the information processing apparatus to order contracted consumables to be used in the second image forming apparatus, in response to receipt of the switch-completion notification by the information processing apparatus.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a proposing step of causing the information processing apparatus to propose continuous use in which the first image forming apparatus is proposed to continuously use the contracted consumables that has been previously used in the first image forming apparatus for the predetermined period, in response to acceptance of the request in the accepting step by the information processing apparatus, wherein the enablement-continuing step is executed by the information processing apparatus, in response to receipt of an agreement with the proposal of the continuous use.

5 . The method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first image forming apparatus includes a first main memory storing mode information indicating whether the first image forming apparatus is in a contracted mode in which the first image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus with which the contract was concluded, and wherein the method further includes a dis-enablement-establishing step of causing the information processing apparatus to establish, when a remaining amount of the printing materials which has been used in the first image forming apparatus becomes less than a predetermined amount, a disenabled state in which the first image forming apparatus is not allowed to use the contracted consumables by renewing the mode information such that the first image forming apparatus is not in the contracted mode.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a remaining-amount-determination step of causing the information processing apparatus to determine whether the remaining amount of the printing materials of the contracted consumables which has been used in the first image forming apparatus is equal to or less than the predetermined amount; a detecting step of causing the information processing apparatus to detect mounting of a contracted consumables on the second image forming apparatus; and a prohibiting step of causing the information processing apparatus to prohibit the second image forming apparatus from using the contracted printing executed by using the contracted consumables when it is determined that the remaining amount of the contracted consumables is greater than the predetermined amount and it is detected that the mounting of the contracted consumables on the second image forming apparatus.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a re-proposing step of causing the information processing apparatus to re-propose the continuing use when it is determined that the remaining amount of the contracted consumables is greater than the predetermined amount and it is detected that the mounting of the contracted consumables on the second image forming apparatus, wherein the prohibiting step is executed by the information processing apparatus, in response to receipt of an agreement with the re-proposal for the continuing use by the information processing apparatus.

8 . The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the dis-enablement-establishing step is executed by the information processing apparatus, in response to receipt of a cancellation of the re-proposal for the continuing use by the information processing apparatus, and wherein the method further comprises a permitting step of causing the information processing apparatus to permit the second image forming apparatus to execute the contracted printing

9 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the information processing apparatus is constituted by at least one of the first image forming apparatus, the second image forming apparatus, a server communicating with the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus via a communication network, and a user terminal of a user of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus, the user terminal communicating with the server via the communication network.

10 . An information processing apparatus, comprising a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to execute:
an accepting process of accepting a request for switching a contracted device from a first image forming apparatus to a second image forming apparatus, the contracted device being an image forming apparatus allowed to use contracted consumables accommodating printing materials based on a contract, the first image forming apparatus being an image forming apparatus with which the contract was concluded, the second image forming apparatus being an image forming apparatus with which the contact is newly concluded;
an enablement-establishing process of establishing a first enabled state in which the second image forming apparatus is allowed to use a contracted consumables, in response to acceptance of the request; and
an enablement-continuing process of establishing a second enabled state in which the first image forming apparatus is allowed to continuously use the contracted consumables that has been previously used in the first image forming apparatus for a predetermined period, in response to acceptance of the request.

11 . A system, comprising;
a first image forming apparatus allowed as a contracted device to use contracted consumables accommodating printing materials based on a concluded contract; a second image forming apparatus with which the contact is newly conc

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Hattori Yuka

Classifications

• G06Q30/04

  Billing or invoicing · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q30/0645

  Rental transactions; Leasing transactions · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06Q10/20

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title