Patent ID: 7996283
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: G03G,G06Q

Abstract:
1. An information processing apparatus comprising: a holding unit comprising a memory configured to hold inventory information including one or more inventory information sets, wherein each of the inventory information sets includes a storage place identification, a type of an expendable supply, and a number of stocks of the expendable supply, wherein said information processing apparatus is provided with an inventory management function that performs a deduction of the number of stocks of the expendable supply included in each of the inventory information sets held by said holding unit; a receiving unit configured to receive input information, which includes connection information of a color printing apparatus, the connection information comprising at least one of an IP address, an MAC address, and a device name of the color printing apparatus, and a storage place identification of the color printing apparatus, the input information being input when the color printing apparatus is newly set; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a model code from the color printing apparatus by using the connection information included in the input information received by said receiving unit; a specifying unit configured to specify, using the model code acquired by said acquisition unit from the color printing apparatus, a plurality expendable supplies used in the color printing apparatus, wherein said specifying unit executes the specifying by using a management table that includes one or more printing apparatus sets, each of the printing apparatus sets includes a model code, an expendable supply type, and a name of the expendable supply; and an updating unit configured to update the inventory information held in said holding unit when the color printing apparatus is newly set, wherein (i) in the event that the inventory information does not include an inventory information set with the storage place identification for the color printing apparatus received as the input information by said receiving unit and the plurality of types of expendable supplies specified by said specifying unit, said updating unit updates the inventory information by adding a new inventory information set which includes the storage place identification set as the storage place identification for the color printing apparatus received as the input information by said receiving unit, the plurality of types of expendable supplies specified by said specifying unit, and sets the number of stocks of the expendable supplies to zero, and (ii) in the event that the inventory information includes an inventory information set with the storage place identification for the color printing apparatus received as the input information by said receiving unit, and the plurality of types of expendable supplies specified by said specifying unit, said updating unit does not update the inventory information.