Patent ID: 9589248
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: G06Q

Claim:
1. A system including: a printing apparatus; and an information processing apparatus for managing a stock number of a consumable detachably placed in the printing apparatus, wherein the printing apparatus is configured to process input image data and comprises: (1) a first sensor that counts a number of print sheets as information indicative of an operation of the printing apparatus or a consumable placed in the printing apparatus; (2) a second sensor that detects a residual amount of contents in the consumable; and (3) a transmitter that transmits a notification to the information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a receiver that receives the notification via communication from the transmitter of the printing apparatus and is configured, for enabling management of the stock number of the consumable detachably placed in the printing apparatus by referring to operation information of the printing apparatus, to compute, with respect to a plurality of notifications of the residual amount related to the consumable placed in the printing apparatus received by the receiver at a plurality of timings, a change of information indicative of the operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in a period corresponding to the plurality of notifications, wherein the printing apparatus comprises a processor functioning as a network communicator that controls so that the transmitter transmits, to the information processing apparatus, a notification of the residual amount related to the consumable, the notification including the number of print sheets counted by the first sensor and the residual amount detected by the second sensor, wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a processor functioning as: (1) a controller that performs a control of the stock number of the consumable based on a first notification received by the receiver, in accordance with a computed change of information indicative of an operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in a period between a previous notification of the residual amount related to the consumable and the first notification exceeding a predetermined value, without controlling the stock number of the consumable according to reception of a second notification by the receiver, in accordance with the computed change of information indicative of the operation in a period between the previous notification and the second notification not exceeding the predetermined value; and (2) a comparison unit that compares the stock number of the consumable with a threshold based on which it is determined whether or not a notification related to the stock number of the consumable is to be transmitted, when the controller performs the control of the stock number of the consumable, and wherein the previous notification is a notification which the controller had used for controlling the stock number of the consumable, and wherein the number of print sheets included in the previous notification is stored, in a storage device of the information processing apparatus, for computing the change of information indicative of the operation of the printing apparatus or the consumable in the period corresponding to the plurality of notifications.