JP2020095562A - Information collection device, method for controlling information collection device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To collect information at an appropriate collection interval according to the frequency of variations in the information.SOLUTION: A PC 2 collects information indicating the state of a printer 1, sets an expectation value for variations in the information based on the frequency of variations in the information, after the setting of the expectation value, integrates the expectation values for every information collection timing, and provided that the a value obtained by integrating the expectation values exceeds a threshold, collects the information. After setting an initial expectation value that is an initial value of the expectation value, when the collected information varies, the PC 2 updates a current expectation value that is the currently-set expectation value, based on the number of information collection timings from when the current expectation value is set until when the information varies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an information collecting device that collects information indicating the status of a printer, a control method of the information collecting device, and a program.

Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a history of executing each function is acquired from a multi-function peripheral having a print function and a scan function, and according to the acquired history, a collection interval of information previously associated with each function. There is known an information collecting device for setting.

JP, 2014-149645, A

In the conventional information collecting apparatus, for example, when the first information is associated with the print function, the collection interval of the first information is set according to the execution history of the print function. Therefore, when there is a difference between the function execution frequency and the information change frequency, such as when the print function is executed frequently, but the first information change frequency is low, information should be collected at an appropriate collection interval. I can't.

The information collecting apparatus of the present invention is an information collecting apparatus that collects information indicating the state of a printer, sets an expected value at which the information fluctuates based on the frequency of change of the information, and after setting the expected value, the information And a control unit that collects information on condition that the expected value is integrated at each collection timing and the value obtained by integrating the expected value exceeds a threshold value.

The control method of the information collecting apparatus of the present invention is a control method of the information collecting apparatus that collects information indicating the status of the printer, and sets an expected value at which the information fluctuates based on the fluctuation frequency of the information. After setting, the expected value is integrated at each information collection timing, and information is collected on condition that the value obtained by integrating the expected values exceeds the threshold value.

The program of the present invention sets, in the control unit of the information collecting apparatus that collects information indicating the status of the printer, an expected value at which the information fluctuates, based on the frequency of the information fluctuation. The expected value is integrated at each collection timing, and the step of collecting information is executed on condition that the value obtained by integrating the expected value exceeds a threshold value.

It is a system configuration diagram of an information collecting system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a printer. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of PC. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a server. It is a flow chart which shows a flow of information collection processing concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart following FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the collection condition table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows a flow of information collection processing concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a block diagram of the information collection system concerning the modification 3-1. It is a block diagram of the information gathering system concerning modification 3-2.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an information collecting device, a method of controlling the information collecting device, and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an information collecting system SY1 according to the first embodiment. The information collecting system SY1 includes one or more printers 1, a PC (Personal Computer) 2, and a server 3. The printer 1 is an example of a “printer”, and the PC 2 is an example of an “information collection device”.

As an introduction example of the information collection system SY1, an information management company that provides an information management service for the printer 1 operates and manages the server 3, and the PC 2 is installed at a customer who receives the information management service. Conceivable. The PC 2 collects information on the printer 1 used by the customer, and transmits the collected information to the server 3.

The printer 1 and the PC 2 are connected via the first network NW1. The first network NW1 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). Further, the PC 2 and the server 3 are connected via the second network NW2. The second network NW2 is, for example, an internet communication network. The first network NW1 and the second network NW2 may be a common network.

The PC 2 gives a print instruction to the printer 1 and collects information indicating the state of the printer 1 from the printer 1. The information indicating the state of the printer 1 may be, for example, device information, consumable information, and operation information. The device information includes, for example, information about the hardware and software configurations of the printer 1, operation logs, status information such as errors and warnings, various set values, and the like. The consumable item information includes colorant information about the colorant used by the printer 1, print medium information about the print medium used by the printer 1, and billing information of the printer 1 according to the usage record of the consumable item such as the colorant and the print medium. Etc. are included. Further, the colorant information includes information about the ink cartridge when the printer 1 is an inkjet printer. Further, the print medium information includes information about a paper cassette when the print medium is copy paper. On the other hand, the operation information includes an operation log that is a history of user operations.

The PC 2 transmits the information collected from each printer 1 to the server 3. The server 3 stores the information transmitted from the PC 2 in a database and manages the information. The server 3 uses the information stored in the database to give instructions regarding maintenance and inspection of the printer 1, prepare a delivery plan for consumables, and charge for the consumption of consumables.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 1. The printer 1 includes a printer control unit 11, a printer operation unit 12, a printer display unit 13, a printer engine 14, a printer communication unit 15, and a printer storage unit 16. The printing method of the printer 1 is not particularly limited, but, for example, an inkjet method, an electrophotographic method, a thermal transfer method, a heat-sensitive method and the like can be considered.

The printer control unit 11 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and controls each unit in the printer 1. The printer operation unit 12 is used by the user to perform various operations on the printer 1. The printer display unit 13 displays various information such as the device configuration of the printer 1, consumable information, and operation information.

The printer engine 14 is a printing mechanism that prints on a print medium such as copy paper. For example, when the printer 1 is an inkjet printer, the printer engine 14 includes an inkjet head, a head drive mechanism, a print medium transport mechanism, and the like. The printer communication unit 15 communicates with the PC 2 via the first network NW1.

The printer storage unit 16 is, for example, a flash memory and stores firmware and the like. The firmware is a control program for controlling the printer 1. The printer control unit 11 controls communication with the PC 2 and print control of the printer engine 14 based on this firmware. Further, the printer control unit 11 detects information indicating the state of the printer 1 based on this firmware.

The printer control unit 11 may detect the information based on the information request from the PC 2, or may detect the information periodically and temporarily store the detected information in a RAM or the like. You may set it up. In the latter case, the printer control unit 11 reads the information from the RAM or the like in response to the information request from the PC 2 and provides the read information to the PC 2.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the PC 2. The PC 2 includes a PC control unit 21, a PC clock unit 22, a PC operation unit 23, a PC display unit 24, a PC first communication unit 25, a PC second communication unit 26, and a PC storage unit 27. Prepare The PC control unit 21 is an example of a “control unit”.

The PC control unit 21 includes a processor such as a CPU, a ROM and a RAM, and controls each unit in the PC 2. The PC clock unit 22 measures a time interval for collecting information in order to determine a collection timing for collecting information from the printer 1. The collection timing refers to the start timing of a communication session that collects information. In this embodiment, the PC control unit 21 starts a communication session at regular time intervals. Further, the PC clock unit 22 records the information collection time as an information collection log, and therefore measures the current time.

The PC operation unit 23 is, for example, a keyboard or a mouse, and is used by the user to perform various operations such as print instructions for the printer 1 and various settings related to information collection. The PC display unit 24 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information such as print data and information collected from the printer 1. The PC first communication unit 25 communicates with the printer 1 via the first network NW1. The second PC communication unit 26 communicates with the server 3 via the second network NW2.

The PC storage unit 27 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and stores an OS (Operating System), a print driver, an information collection program, an information collection setting file, an information collection log, and the like. The information collection program is an example of a “program”. The OS is basic software for operating an application program such as an information collecting program. The print driver is a control program for performing print control of the printer 1, such as generating print data of a command system that the printer 1 can read. The information collection program is an agent program that collects information from the printer 1 and sends the collected information to the server 3. Based on this information collection program, the PC control unit 21 controls such as changing the information collection frequency and narrowing down the information to be collected. Details will be described later.

On the other hand, the information collection setting file is a file in which items of information to be collected are set. In this embodiment, an information threshold table in which items of information to be collected and threshold values are set is stored as the information collection setting file. Here, "item" refers to "cartridge serial number", "ink remaining amount", and the like. Further, the "information" means, for example, "CA1234" or the like for the item "cartridge serial number", and "more" or "100 ml" or the like for the item "ink remaining amount". The PC control unit 21 collects, from the printer 1, information on items set in the information collection setting file. On the other hand, the "threshold value" is a value serving as a criterion for determining whether or not to collect information on the corresponding item. The information collection setting file can be displayed on the PC display unit 24 and edited by operating the PC operation unit 23. Further, the information collection setting file does not necessarily have to be stored in the PC 2, and may be stored in an external device that can communicate with the PC 2.

The information collection log is information in which information collected from the printer 1 and information collection time are recorded in association with each other. When the PC 2 collects the information of the plurality of printers 1, the information collection setting file and the information collection log are set or recorded for each printer 1.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 3. The server 3 includes a server control unit 31, a server operation unit 32, a server display unit 33, a server communication unit 34, and a server storage unit 35.

The server control unit 31 includes a processor such as a CPU, ROM and RAM, and controls each unit in the server 3. The server operation unit 32 is used by a user who operates the server 3 to perform various operations. The server display unit 33 displays various information such as the information transmitted from the PC 2. The server communication unit 34 communicates with the PC 2 via the second network NW2.

The server storage unit 35 stores an OS, an information management program, a database, and the like. The OS is basic software for operating an application program such as an information management program. The information management program is a server program for managing the information transmitted from the PC 2. Information transmitted from the PC 2 is stored in the database. Based on the information management program, the server control unit 31 uses information stored in the database to create information about maintenance and inspection of the printer 1, give instructions to external devices regarding maintenance and inspection, and replenish/deliver consumables. Various processes are performed such as planning, instructing replenishment/delivery of consumables, calculation of a charging fee according to the consumption amount of the consumable, and charging of the calculated charging fee.

With the above configuration, the PC control unit 21 collects the information of the items to be collected from each printer 1 connected to the PC 2 based on the information collection setting file stored in the PC storage unit 27. At this time, the PC control unit 21 does not collect the information for all the items defined in the information collection setting file every collection timing, but collects the information for each item based on the variation frequency of the information. Change the frequency.

More specifically, the PC control unit 21 measures the variation frequency of information during the measurement time, sets an expected value at which the information varies based on the measurement result, and uses the set expected value, The necessity of information collection is determined for each collection timing. The measurement time for measuring the variation frequency of information may be different for each information, or may be a time common to all information. The measurement time may be a set time or may be a different time for each measurement.

First, the PC control unit 21 measures the variation frequency of information during the measurement time and sets the initial expected value, which is the initial value of the expected value. The initial expected value is calculated as the quotient of the number of times the information collected this time has changed from the information collected last time divided by the number of collections during the measurement time during the measurement time. For example, when the number of times of collection during the measurement time is 30 and the number of times the information collected this time has changed from the information collected last time is 6, the initial expected value is set to 20%. At this time, the PC control unit 21 sets the initial expected value so as not to be less than or equal to the preset minimum expected value. The lowest expected value is a value greater than zero. That is, the PC control unit 21 sets the initial expected value to the minimum expected value when the initial expected value calculated by the above calculation formula is less than or equal to the minimum expected value. This can prevent the initial expected value from being set to an extremely small value.

The measurement time is a time starting from the time when the information collection program is started, the time when the printer 1 is started, or the time when the user starts the information collection operation. During this measurement time, the collection frequency suitable for the usage record of the printer 1 is set, and thus the information to be collected is not limited. Further, the PC control unit 21 stores the set initial expected value in a current expected value storage area (not shown) provided in the RAM or the like in the PC control unit 21. The current expected value storage area is an area for storing a current expected value, which is the currently set expected value. When setting the initial expected value, the initial expected value becomes the current set value.

The PC control unit 21 integrates the expected value at each information collection timing after the elapse of the measurement time, that is, after setting the initial expected value, and on the condition that the value obtained by integrating the expected values exceeds the threshold value. Collect information. For example, when the initial expected value is set to 20% and the threshold value is 50%, information is collected at the third collection timing. The integrated value of the expected value integrated for each collection timing is stored in an integrated expected value storage area (not shown) provided in the RAM or the like in the PC control unit 21. Hereinafter, the “expected value integrated value” is referred to as an integrated expected value. The threshold value is a value set for each information item in the information collection setting file.

In addition, the PC control unit 21 updates the expected value when the information changes after setting the initial expected value. More specifically, when the collected information fluctuates after setting the initial expected value, the PC control unit 21 is based on the number of information collection timings from when the currently expected value is set to when the information fluctuates. , Update the current expected value. That is, the current expected value storage area is rewritten in consideration of the latest expected value. The latest expected value is calculated by the reciprocal of "the number of information collection timings from when the current expected value is set to when the information changes". In this way, by updating the expected value, it is possible to collect information at a more appropriate collection interval.

For example, if the current expected value stored in the current expected value storage area is 20% and the threshold value is 50%, information will be collected at a rate of once in three collection timings. If the information changes at the third collection timing after setting the current expected value, the PC control unit 21 determines that the latest expected value is “1/3 times”, which is 33%. 20% and the latest expected value 33% are averaged, and the new current expected value is set to 26%. On the other hand, when the information does not change at the third collection timing, the current expected value is not updated. Further, for example, if the information does not change at the third collection timing after setting the current expected value and the information changes at the sixth collection timing, the latest expected value is “1/6 times”. Therefore, the new expected value is 18% by averaging 20% of the current expected value and 16% of the latest expected value.

The update of the current expected value is not limited to the method of averaging the current expected value stored in the current expected value storage area and the latest expected value, and the current expected value stored in the current expected value storage area is not limited to this method. It may be performed based on a predetermined algorithm using the value and the latest expected value as parameters.

When collecting information from a plurality of printers 1, the PC control unit 21 sets and updates expected values for each printer 1. Further, the PC control unit 21 sets a plurality of items to be collected in the information collection setting file, and when collecting information on a plurality of items, sets and updates the expected value for each item.

When the PC control unit 21 collects the information from the printer 1, the PC control unit 21 temporarily stores the collected information in an information storage area (not shown) provided in the RAM or the like in the PC control unit 21. The PC control unit 21 reads out the information stored in the information storage area and records it in the information collection log in the PC storage unit 27 together with the collection time. The PC control unit 21 also transmits the collected information to the server 3. Information may be transmitted from the PC 2 to the server 3 each time the PC 2 stores the information in the information storage area, or the information collected within the measurement time may be stored in the PC storage unit 27 separately from the information collection log. A configuration may be employed in which the stored information is stored inside and the stored information is transmitted after the measurement time has elapsed. In addition, the collected information is stored in the PC storage unit 27, and when the server 3 issues an information transmission request or when the PC operation unit 23 performs an information transmission operation, the PC 2 transfers to the server 3. The configuration may be such that the stored information is transmitted.

5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the flow of the information collecting process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the flow of processing until the initial expected value is set, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing after setting the initial expected value. The information collecting process is an example of “a method of controlling the information collecting device”. The PC control unit 21 starts the information collection process by using the information collection program start-up, the printer 1 start-up, or the user's information collection start operation as a trigger.

The PC control unit 21 determines whether or not it is the collection timing based on the timing of the PC clock unit 22 (S01). When the PC control unit 21 determines that it is not the collection timing (S01: NO), S01 is repeated. When the PC control unit 21 determines that it is the collection timing (S01: YES), the PC control unit 21 counts up the timing counter for counting the number of collection timings (S02), and the status of the printer 1 is changed from the printer 1. The information shown is collected (S03). In this way, the value of the timing counter and the number of times of information collection are equal until the initial expected value is set. In S03, when a plurality of information is set in the information collection setting file, the PC 2 transmits a request command requesting transmission of each information to the printer 1, and the printer 1 responds to the request commands. And collect information in the form of individual responses. That is, each request command includes data designating an item of information. The same applies to the step S13 of FIG. 6, which will be described later. Further, although not particularly shown, the PC control unit 21 records an error in the information collection log when the information cannot be collected from the printer 1 in S03, and when the information cannot be collected continuously a plurality of times, the PC control unit 21 notifies the user. Notify the user of the error.

After collecting the information from the printer 1, the PC control unit 21 determines whether the information collected this time has changed from the information collected last time (S04). When determining that the information has changed (S04: YES), the PC control unit 21 counts up the change counter for counting the number of changes (S05). If S03 is the first information collection after the start of the information collection process, the PC control unit 21 determines that the information has not changed in S04. Further, when the PC control unit 21 determines that the information has not changed (S04: NO), S05 is omitted. After that, the PC control unit 21 determines whether or not the measurement time has elapsed from the start of the information collection processing (S06), and when determining that the measurement time has not elapsed (S06: NO), returns to S01. When the PC control unit 21 determines that the measurement time has elapsed (S06: YES), the PC control unit 21 calculates the initial expected value based on the value of the timing counter and the value of the fluctuation counter, and the calculated initial expected value. Is stored in the current expected value storage area (S07). Further, the PC control unit 21 resets the timing counter and the fluctuation counter (S08).

As shown in FIG. 6, after setting the initial expected value, the PC control unit 21 determines whether it is the collection timing (S09), and when it is determined not to be the collection timing (S09: NO), S09. repeat. In addition, when the PC control unit 21 determines that it is the collection timing (S09: YES), the PC control unit 21 increments the timing counter (S10). In addition, the PC control unit 21 integrates the expected values currently stored in the expected value storage area (S11) and updates the integrated expected value stored in the integrated expected value storage area. The PC control unit 21 determines whether or not the expected integrated value is larger than a preset threshold value (S12), and when it is determined not to be larger (S12: NO), returns to S09. Further, when the PC control unit 21 determines that the integrated expected value is larger than the preset threshold value (S12: YES), the PC control unit 21 collects information from the printer 1 and resets the integrated expected value (S13). ..

After that, the PC control unit 21 determines whether the information collected this time has changed from the information collected last time (S14). When determining that the information has changed (S14: YES), the PC control unit 21 updates the expected value based on the current expected value stored in the current expected value storage area and the latest expected value ( S15). Further, the PC control unit 21 resets the timing counter (S16) and returns to S09. If the PC control unit 21 determines that the information has not changed (S14: NO), the PC control unit 21 returns to S09 without updating the expected value. Note that each step shown in FIG. 6 is repeatedly executed until the information collection program ends, the printer 1 is powered off, or the user ends the information collection operation.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the PC 2 that collects the information indicating the state of the printer 1 sets the initial expected value based on the frequency of change of the information, and after setting the initial expected value, Since the information is collected on condition that the value obtained by integrating the expected values exceeds the threshold value at each collection timing, the information can be collected at an appropriate collection interval corresponding to the frequency of information fluctuation. As a result, the frequency of information collection is reduced as compared with the case where information is collected every collection timing, and the pressure on the first network NW1 that connects the PC 2 and the printer 1 can be reduced and the power consumption of the PC 2 can be reduced. Can be suppressed.

Further, since the PC 2 sets the initial expected value to be a value larger than the preset minimum expected value, it is possible to prevent the information collection frequency from becoming extremely low when the information change frequency is low. Further, since the PC 2 updates the expected value when the collected information fluctuates after setting the initial expected value, it is possible to collect information at an appropriate collection interval even when the fluctuation frequency of information changes. ..

Further, when collecting information about a plurality of items, the PC 2 sets an expected value for each item, and collects information for each item based on the expected value set for each item. Information can be collected at an appropriate collection interval commensurate with. Further, when collecting information of a plurality of printers 1, the PC 2 sets an expected value for each printer 1 and collects information for each printer 1 based on the expected value set for each printer 1. It is possible to collect information at an appropriate collection interval corresponding to the frequency of change of information in. Furthermore, since the PC 2 transmits the information collected from the printer 1 to the server 3 that manages the information, the server 3 can effectively utilize the information.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the following modified examples can be adopted.
[Modification 1-1]
In the first embodiment, the threshold value serving as a criterion for determining whether or not to collect information is the value set for each item in the information collection setting file, but is common to all items. It may be a value. The information collection setting file may be set for each printer 1.

[Modification 1-2]
In the first embodiment, the PC 2 sets the initial expected value by setting the measurement time at the start of the information collection process, but the initial expected value may not be set. In this case, a predetermined initial expected value may be used to collect information at each collection timing and update the expected value. The initial expected value may be a value set for each item in the information collection setting file or a value set for each printer 1.

[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is characterized in that the information to be collected is narrowed down in consideration of the relationship between the information. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In addition, in this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the modification applied to the same components as the first embodiment is similarly applied to the present embodiment. The printer 1 of the present embodiment is an inkjet printer that uses copy paper as a print medium, and has a configuration capable of double-sided printing.

The system configuration of this embodiment and the hardware configurations of the printer 1, the PC 2, and the server 3 are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the collection condition table T is stored as the information collection setting file stored in the PC storage unit 27.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the collection condition table T. The collection condition table T is a table in which the first information, the first condition, the second information, the second condition, and the third information are associated with each other. Here, the first condition is a collection condition of the second information, and the second condition is a collection condition of the third information. Further, the first information is information first collected in the communication session for collecting information. Also, the second information is information that may change when the first information satisfies the first condition, and the third information is when the second information satisfies the second condition. This is information that may fluctuate.

When the PC control unit 21 collects the first information, it refers to the collection condition table T, and when the collected first information satisfies the corresponding first condition, determines that the corresponding second information is collected. Then, when the corresponding first condition is not satisfied, it is determined that the corresponding second information is not collected. Further, when the PC control unit 21 collects the second information, it refers to the collection condition table T, and when the collected second information satisfies the corresponding second information, collects the corresponding third information. Then, when the corresponding second condition is not satisfied, it is determined that the corresponding third information is not collected. If the first information is not associated with the first condition, the second information is not collected. If the second information is not associated with the second condition, the third information is not collected.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the PC control unit 21 collects the information of the item “cartridge manufacturing number” as the first information, whether the collected information satisfies the first condition “fluctuation” or not. Determine whether. Here, "variation" refers to the fact that the collected first information has changed from the previously collected first information.

When the information of “cartridge serial number” satisfies the first condition, that is, when the cartridge serial number collected this time is changed from the cartridge serial number collected last time, the PC control unit 21 sets the item as the second information. Collect information on "number of cartridge replacements" and "cartridge model number". Here, “the number of times of cartridge replacement” is a cumulative value of the number of times of cartridge replacement recorded in the printer 1. The cumulative value may be recorded for each color, or may be recorded for all color cartridges regardless of color. In addition, the cumulative value is the cumulative value from the time of the previous reset to the time of collecting information in the printer 1 if the structure can reset the cumulative value. Is the cumulative value up to.

Further, when the information of the “cartridge model number” satisfies the second condition of “variation”, the PC control unit 21 collects the information of the items “cartridge color information” and “cartridge capacity” as the third information. .. Here, "cartridge color information" refers to the color of the ink contained in the ink cartridge, and "cartridge capacity" refers to the amount of ink contained in the unused state of the ink cartridge. It should be noted that the second condition is not associated with the information of the item “number of times of cartridge replacement” which is one of the second information, and therefore it is not determined whether or not the second condition is satisfied.

As described above, the information of the item “cartridge serial number” is collected as the first information, which is used when the server 3 makes a replenishment/delivery plan of consumables or gives a replenishment/delivery instruction of consumables. This is because the information is available. This is also because the "cartridge manufacturing number" is unique information assigned to the ink cartridge and does not change unless the ink cartridge is replaced. Further, the information of the items “cartridge replacement number” and “cartridge model number” is collected as the second information because the information of the item “cartridge replacement number” and the “cartridge model number” are changed as the “cartridge serial number” changes. This is because there is a high possibility that the information in “” is fluctuating. The information of the items "cartridge color information" and "cartridge capacity" is collected as the third information because the color information and the capacity are determined for each "cartridge model number". This is because there is a high possibility that the information of the items “cartridge color information” and “cartridge capacity” will change with the change.

On the other hand, when the information of the item “ink remaining amount” is collected as the first information, the PC control unit 21 determines whether the collected information satisfies the first condition “increase”. Here, "increase" means that the value of the collected first information is increased from the value of the first information collected last time. When the collected first information satisfies the first condition, the PC control unit 21 collects the second information as in the case of collecting the information of the item “cartridge serial number”. The second condition and the third information are the same as in the case where the first information is the "cartridge serial number".

In this way, the information of the item “ink remaining amount” is collected as the first information because it is the information used when the server 3 calculates the charging fee according to the ink usage amount. Further, when the "ink remaining amount" is "increased", the items "cartridge replacement frequency" and "cartridge model number" are collected as the second information when the "ink remaining amount" is increased. Is likely to have been replaced. The first condition associated with the information of the item “ink remaining amount” may be “variation” which is a superordinate concept of “increase” instead of “increase”.

Further, when the PC control unit 21 collects the information of the item “elapsed time after activation” as the first information, the collected information indicates that the first condition “elapsed time after activation is more than the elapsed time from the previous information collection time”. It is determined whether "short" is satisfied. This is to determine whether or not the printer 1 has been started after the first information was collected last time. When the collected first information satisfies the first condition, the PC control unit 21 collects the information of the items “number of paper cassettes” and “presence/absence of duplex unit” as the second information. Here, the “number of paper cassettes” refers to the number of paper cassettes, which are parts that supply copy paper, which is a print medium, to the printer engine 14, mounted in the printer 1. Further, “presence/absence of double-sided unit” indicates whether or not the double-sided unit, which is a part for printing on both sides of copy paper, is attached to the printer 1.
Since the second condition is not associated with the information of the items “number of paper cassettes” and “presence/absence of duplex unit”, it is not possible to determine whether the second information satisfies the second condition. Not done

In this manner, the information of the items “number of paper cassettes” and “presence/absence of duplex unit” is collected as subordinate information of the item “elapsed time after startup” when the power of the printer 1 is turned off. This is because it is premised that parts such as a cassette and a double-sided unit will be replaced, that is, there will be no change in the configuration of parts when the power is on.

In the information shown in FIG. 7, items “cartridge serial number”, “cartridge replacement frequency”, “cartridge model number”, “cartridge color information”, “cartridge capacity”, and “ink remaining amount” are colored. It is included in the drug information. The information on the item “number of paper cassettes” is included in the print medium information. The colorant information and the print medium information are examples of “information regarding consumable items used by the printer”. On the other hand, the information on the item “number of paper cassettes” is an example of “information on the device configuration of the printer”.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of information collection processing according to the second embodiment. The information collecting process is an example of “a method of controlling the information collecting device”. The PC control unit 21 starts the information collection process by using the information collection program start-up, the printer 1 start-up, or the user's information collection start operation as a trigger. It should be noted that this flowchart is executed for each first information.

The PC control unit 21 determines whether or not it is the collection timing based on the timing of the PC timing unit 22 (S21). When the PC control unit 21 determines that it is not the collection timing (S21: NO), the process returns to S21, and when it is determined that it is the collection timing (S21: YES), the PC control unit 21 refers to the collection condition table T and The first information is collected (S22).

In S22, when a plurality of pieces of first information are set in the collection condition table T, the PC 2 sends a request command requesting the transmission of each piece of information to the printer 1, and the printer 1 sends the request command to those request commands. Information is collected in the form of individual responses. That is, each request command includes data designating the item of the first information. Further, although not particularly shown, the PC control unit 21 records an error in the information collection log when the information cannot be collected from the printer 1 in S22, and when the information cannot be collected continuously a plurality of times, the PC control unit 21 prompts the user to do so. Notify the user of the error. If the information can be collected in S22, the PC control unit 21 stores the collected information in the RAM in the PC control unit 21 and records it in the information collection log in the PC storage unit 27. The details of the information collection in S22 are the same in the steps of S25 and S28 described later.

After collecting the first information, the PC control unit 21 refers to the collection condition table T and determines whether the collected first information is associated with the first condition (S23). When the PC control unit 21 determines that the collected first information is associated with the first condition (S23: YES), whether or not the collected first information satisfies the first condition. Is determined (S24). The PC control unit 21 determines that the collected first information is not associated with the first condition (S23: NO), and that the collected first information does not satisfy the first condition. When it determines (S24:NO), it returns to S21. In addition, when the PC control unit 21 determines that the collected first information satisfies the first condition (S24: YES), the PC control unit 21 refers to the collection condition table T to change the printer 1 to the first information. The corresponding second information is collected (S25).

Upon collecting the second information, the PC control unit 21 refers to the collection condition table T and determines whether the collected second information is associated with the second condition (S26). When the PC control unit 21 determines that the collected second information is associated with the second condition (S26: YES), whether or not the collected second information satisfies the second condition. Is determined (S27). When the PC control unit 21 determines that the collected second information is not associated with the second condition (S26: NO), and the collected second information does not satisfy the second condition. When it determines (S27:NO), it returns to S21. In addition, when the PC control unit 21 determines that the collected second information satisfies the second condition (S27: YES), the PC control unit 21 refers to the collection condition table T to change the printer 1 to the second information. The corresponding third information is collected (S28). In the collection condition table T of this embodiment, since the lower information of the first information is only the second information and the third information, the PC control unit 21 collects the third information (S28), Return to S21.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the PC 2 collects the first information from the printer 1, and only when the collected first information satisfies the corresponding first condition, the corresponding first information is collected. Since it is determined that the second information is collected, the collection frequency of the second information can be reduced as compared with the first information. That is, the number of times information is collected in one communication session can be reduced as compared with the case where the second information is collected at the same frequency as the first information. As a result, the pressure on the first network NW1 that connects the PC 2 and the printer 1 can be reduced, and the power consumption of the PC 2 can be suppressed.

Similarly, when the PC 2 collects the second information from the printer 1, the PC 2 determines to collect the corresponding third information only when the collected second information satisfies the corresponding second information. The collection frequency of the third information can be further reduced as compared with the second information. As a result, the pressure on the first network NW1 that connects the PC 2 and the printer 1 can be further reduced, and the power consumption of the PC 2 can be further reduced. Moreover, since the PC 2 transmits the information collected from the printer 1 to the server 3 that manages the information, the server 3 can effectively utilize the information.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the following modified examples can be adopted.
[Modification 2-1]
In the second embodiment, “variation”, “increase”, etc. are exemplified as the conditions set in the collection condition table T, but other conditions can also be set. For example, when the collected information indicates some kind of phenomenon, the lower information may be collected.
Further, it may be configured to determine whether or not to collect lower level information, based on the comparison result of the collected information and the designated value. For example, when the collected information shows the same value as the specified value, when the collected information shows a value different from the specified value, when the collected information shows a value larger than the specified value, and when the collected information shows a value smaller than the specified value. When, the collected information indicates a value within the specified range, or the collected information indicates a value outside the specified range, the lower information may be collected. Note that "greater than" and "less than" may be replaced with "greater than or equal to" and "less than or equal to."
Further, it may be configured to determine whether or not to collect lower level information, based on a comparison result of the collected information and another information. For example, when the collected information shows the same value as another information, when the collected information shows a different value from another information, when the collected information shows a larger value than another information, the collected information shows another value. Collect lower information when it shows a value smaller than the information, when the collected information shows a value within the range based on another information, or when the collected information shows a value outside the range based on another information It may be configured to. The "different information" may be information collected in the past for the same item as the collected information, or may be information collected in the past for items different from the collected information. Further, as the “other information”, various information managed by the PC 2 may be used in addition to the information collected from the printer 1. For example, when the PC 2 collects the information of the plurality of printers 1, it may be the information collected from the printer 1 other than the printer 1 that collected the information. The “other information” may be the current time managed by the PC 2.
Further, it may be configured to determine whether to collect lower level information based on the calculation result of the calculation formula using the collected information as a parameter. For example, when the calculation result of the calculation formula is “true” or when the calculation result of the calculation formula is “false”, the lower information may be collected.

[Modification 2-2]
In the second embodiment, in the collection condition table T, the information associated with the first information is only the second information and the third information, but the information lower than the third information is set. You may. In the collection condition table T, the first condition does not necessarily have to be set, and only the first information may be set. Further, the collection condition table T may be displayed on the PC display unit 24 so that it can be edited by operating the PC operation unit 23.

In addition, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the following modified examples can be adopted.
[Modification 3-1]
In each of the above-described embodiments, the PC 2 collects the information, but the server may collect the information. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an information collection system SY2 according to Modification 3-1. The information collecting system SY2 includes one or more printers 1 and a second server 50. The second server 50 is an example of an “information collection device”. Further, the printer 1 and the second server 50 are connected via a second network NW2 such as an internet communication network.

The second server 50 includes a second server control unit 51, a second server clock unit 52, a second server operation unit 53, a second server display unit 54, a second server communication unit 55, and a second server storage. And a portion 56. The second server control unit 51 is an example of a “control unit”. The second server control unit 51, the second server clock unit 52, the second server operation unit 53, and the second server display unit 54 are the PC control unit 21, the PC clock unit 22, and the PC operation unit of the above-described embodiment, respectively. 23 and the PC display unit 24 (see FIG. 3). Further, the second server communication unit 55 communicates with the printer 1 via the second network NW2.

The second server storage unit 56 stores each information stored in the PC storage unit 27 (see FIG. 3) and an information management program stored in the server storage unit 35. That is, the second server 50 collects information based on the information collection program and manages the collected information based on the information management program.

As described above, according to the configuration of the modification example 3-1, the system configuration of the information collecting system SY2 can be simplified without the PC. As a further modification of Modification 3-1, the second server 50 may only collect information and the other servers may manage information.

[Modification 3-2]
Information may be collected using an external box 60 that can be attached to the printer 1. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an information collection system SY3 according to Modification 3-2. The information collecting system SY3 includes a printer 1′, an external box 60, a second PC 70, and a server 3. The external box 60 is an example of an “information collection device”. The printer 1'and the second PC 70 are connected via a first network NW1 such as a LAN. Further, the external box 60 and the server 3 are connected via a second network NW2 such as an internet communication network. Further, the printer 1'and the external box 60 are connected via a third network NW3 such as a communication network by infrared communication or Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication. The printer 1'and the external box 60 may be connected by a dedicated line so as to have a one-to-one relationship.

The printer 1'has a configuration in which a printer box communication unit 18 is added to the configuration of the printer 1 shown in FIG. The printer box communication unit 18 communicates with the printer 1′ via the third network NW3. Further, the printer communication unit 15 according to the modified example 3-2 receives the print data from the second PC 70. Note that a general PC configuration can be adopted as the second PC 70, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The external box 60 includes a box control unit 61, a box clock unit 62, a box first communication unit 63, a box second communication unit 64, and a box storage unit 65. The box control unit 61 is an example of a “control unit”. The box control unit 61 and the box timing unit 62 function similarly to the PC control unit 21 and the PC timing unit 22 of the first and second embodiments (see FIG. 3). The box first communication unit 63 communicates with the printer 1′ via the third network NW3. In addition, the box second communication unit 64 communicates with the server 3 via the second network NW2.

The box storage unit 65 stores information other than the OS out of the information stored in the PC storage unit 27 (see FIG. 3). That is, although the information collecting program of this modification is assumed to be a program that does not require an OS, it may be a program that runs on the OS.

As described above, according to the configuration of Modification 3-2, by attaching the external box 60 to the printer 1′, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments. As a further modification of Modification 3-2, the configuration of the external box 60 may be incorporated in the printer. Further, as a further modified example, the external box 60 may not be provided for each printer 1 ′, but the information of a plurality of printers 1 ′ may be collected by one external box 60.

[Modification 3-3]
In each of the above-described embodiments, the PC 2 collects information at fixed time intervals, but the time interval for collecting information may be different for each item or for each printer 1. That is, the collection timing for collecting information may be different for each information.

[Modification 3-4]
A configuration in which the above-described first and second embodiments are combined may be adopted. For example, as in the first embodiment, the expected value is integrated at each information collection timing, and the information is collected on the condition that the integrated expected value obtained by integrating the expected values exceeds the threshold value. The collected information is used as the first information in the collection condition table T of the second embodiment, and it is determined whether the collected information satisfies the first condition. It may be determined whether or not to collect the information.

[Modification 3-5]
A method for executing each process of the PC 2, the second server 50, and the external box 60 shown in the above-described respective embodiments and modified examples, and a method for executing each process of the PC 2, the second server 50, and the external box 60. The program, and a computer-readable recording medium recording the program are also included in the scope of the invention. Further, a configuration in which each embodiment and each modification are combined may be adopted.

[Modification 3-6]
In each of the above embodiments, the information collection of the printer 1 or the printer 1'has been described, but when collecting information of various electronic devices other than the printer, each of the above embodiments and each modification may be applied. .. Further, various information processing terminals such as various tablet terminals and smartphones may be used instead of the PC 2. Other than that, the respective processes of the PC 2, the second server 50, and the external box 60 are realized by the cooperation of hardware and software, and appropriate changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[Appendix]
Hereinafter, the information collecting device, the control method of the information collecting device, and the program will be additionally described.
The PC 2 is a PC 2 that collects information indicating the state of the printer 1, and sets an expected value at which the information fluctuates based on the fluctuation frequency of the information, and after setting the expected value, expects at each information collection timing. A PC control unit 21 is provided that collects information on the condition that the value is integrated and the value obtained by integrating the expected value exceeds a threshold value.

The control method of the PC 2 is a control method of the PC 2 that collects information indicating the state of the printer 1, and sets an expected value at which the information fluctuates based on the frequency of change of the information. The expected value is added up at each collection timing and the information is collected on condition that the value obtained by adding up the expected value exceeds the threshold value.

The program sets an expected value at which the information fluctuates on the PC control unit 21 of the PC 2 that collects the information indicating the state of the printer 1 based on the frequency of the information change, and after setting the expected value, the information collection timing. The expected value is summed up for each, and the step of collecting information is executed on condition that the value obtained by summing the expected value exceeds the threshold value.

According to this configuration, the expected value is set based on the frequency of change of the information, and after setting the expected value, the information is provided on condition that the value obtained by accumulating the expected value at each information collection timing exceeds the threshold value. Since the information is collected, it is possible to collect the information at an appropriate collection interval corresponding to the frequency of change of the information.

In the PC 2 described above, it is preferable that the PC control unit 21 sets an expected value so as not to be less than or equal to a preset minimum expected value.

With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the information collection frequency from becoming extremely low.

In the above-described PC 2, the PC control unit 21 sets the initial expected value, which is the initial value of the expected value, and then sets the current expected value, which is the currently set expected value, when the collected information fluctuates. It is preferable to update the current expected value based on the number of information collection timings until the information changes.

With this configuration, it is possible to set an appropriate expected value based on the latest information change frequency. Further, this makes it possible to collect information at a more appropriate collection interval.

When collecting information about a plurality of items in the PC 2 described above, it is preferable that the PC control unit 21 collects information for each item based on the expected value set for each item.

With this configuration, it is possible to collect information for each item at an appropriate collection interval.

When collecting information of a plurality of printers 1 in the PC 2 described above, the PC control unit 21 preferably collects information for each printer 1 based on the expected value set for each printer 1.

With this configuration, it is possible to collect information for each printer 1 at appropriate collection intervals.

In the PC 2 described above, the PC control unit 21 preferably transmits the information collected from the printer 1 to the server 3 that manages the information.

According to this configuration, the information collected from the printer 1 can be managed by the server 3 and effectively utilized.

1... Printer, 2... PC, 3... Server, NW1... First network, NW2... Second network.

Claims (8)

An information collection device that collects information indicating the status of the printer,
Based on the change frequency of the information, set the expected value that the information changes, after setting the expected value, the expected value is integrated at each collection timing of the information, the value obtained by integrating the expected value is An information collecting apparatus, comprising: a control unit that collects the information on condition that a threshold value is exceeded. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the expected value so as not to be less than or equal to a preset minimum expected value. The control unit, after setting the initial expected value, which is the initial value of the expected value, when the collected information fluctuates, the information is changed after the current expected value, which is the currently set expected value, is set. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the current expected value is updated based on the number of collection timings of the information until it changes. When collecting the above information for multiple items,
The information collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit collects the information for each item based on the expected value set for each item. When collecting the information of multiple printers,
The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit collects the information for each printer based on the expected value set for each printer. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits the information collected from the printer to a server that manages the information. A method for controlling an information collecting device that collects information indicating the status of a printer,
Based on the change frequency of the information, set the expected value that the information changes, after setting the expected value, the expected value is integrated at each collection timing of the information, the value obtained by integrating the expected value is A method of controlling an information collecting device, characterized in that the information is collected on condition that a threshold value is exceeded. In the control unit of the information collection device that collects information indicating the status of the printer,
Based on the change frequency of the information, set the expected value that the information changes, after setting the expected value, the expected value is integrated at each collection timing of the information, the value obtained by integrating the expected value is A program for executing the step of collecting the information on condition that the threshold value is exceeded.

Images