US 11,853,625 B2
Consumables management system and method for managing consumables container
Shinya Yamagata, Matsumoto (JP); Noriyuki Fukasawa, Matsumoto (JP); and Yoshiharu Mizuno, Matsumoto (JP)
Assigned to SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/176,964.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-013949 (JP), filed on Mar. 2, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0280951 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 3/12 (2006.01); H04N 1/00 (2006.01); H04N 1/23 (2006.01); B41J 2/175 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/1229 (2013.01) [B41J 2/17543 (2013.01); G06F 3/121 (2013.01); G06F 3/1285 (2013.01); H04N 1/00344 (2013.01); H04N 1/2346 (2013.01); H04N 1/2392 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A consumables management system comprising:
a plurality of printers in each of which a consumables container is installed and each of which is configured to consume consumables contained in the consumables container; and
a management unit connected via a network to the plurality of printers, wherein
the management unit is configured to manage container identification information assigned to the consumables container, device identification information assigned to each of the plurality of printers, and user identification information assigned to a user of each of the plurality of printers in association with one another, wherein
the consumables container includes a container storage storing the container identification information assigned to the consumables container,
the printer includes
a device storage storing the device identification information assigned to the printer and the user identification information assigned to the user of the printer, and
a device output unit configured to output information,
the management unit includes
a management storage storing a plurality of information sets each of which includes a plurality of pieces of the container identification information, one or more pieces of the device identification information, and one piece of the user identification information in association with one another, and
a management output unit configured to output information,
the printer is configured to
in response to the consumables container being installed in the printer, read out the container identification information in the container storage of the consumables container and transmit the container identification information, together with the device identification information assigned to the printer and the user identification information assigned to the user of the printer, to the management unit, and
when an amount of consumables contained in the consumables container installed in the printer is below a predetermined amount,
using the device output unit, provide output that prompts the user of the printer to replace the consumables container installed in the printer, and
transmit, to the management unit, trigger information including container identification information assigned to the consumables container in which the amount of contained consumables is below the predetermined amount, and
the management unit is configured to, in response to receiving the trigger information,
identify, in accordance with the information set in the management storage, the user identification information associated with the container identification information included in the trigger information, and
provide, using the management output unit, output indicating that a consumables container to which another container identification information associated with the identified user identification information is assigned is to be prepared.