Inkjet Printer, Ink Billing System, And Inkjet Printer Control Method

Abstract

A printer and printer control method can report information about ink consumption to the host computer. The printer 100 is in communication with a host computer 300, and prints according to print jobs sent from the host computer 300. The printer 100 has a job data memory 190 for storing information about each print job. A receiver 110 receives the print jobs from the host computer 300. A print controller 150 controls printing on paper using a predetermined ink according to the print job. A printing evaluator 175 evaluates the result of printing a print job. A ink shot count converter 170 calculates the number of ink shots used to print the print job. A job data manager 180 stores the job ID for the print job and the ink shot count used to print the print job linked to the print result determined for printing the print job in the job data memory 190.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a printer according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the printer according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a table showing an example of the print job information stored in the job data memory.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the print job information recording process of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the process for sending print job information to the host computer.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an alternative arrangement having multiple host computers connected to a single printer.

FIG. 7 is a table showing an another example of the print job information stored in the job data memory.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the print job information recording process when the host computer does not have a printing evaluator.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer that is in communication with a host computer and that prints based on a print job sent from the host computer, the inkjet printer comprising: a job data memory that stores information relating to print jobs;a receiver that receives the print job from the host computer;a print controller that prints on paper using a predetermined ink according to the print job;an ink shot count converter that calculates the ink shot count used to print the print job; anda job data manager that records in the job data memory a job ID for the print job and the ink shot count used to print the print job linked to device identification information that is contained in the print job, and identifies a particular host computer that sent the print job.

2. The inkjet printer described in claim 1, wherein the ink shot count converter separately calculates the ink shot count for each color of ink that is discharged for printing based on dot pattern data generated from the print job.

3. The inkjet printer described in claim 1, wherein the job data manager sends the ink shot count used for printing to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

4. The inkjet printer described in claim 3, wherein: the job data transmission request contains a job ID selection value that specifies a print job; andthe job data manager sends the ink shot count linked to a job ID corresponding to the job ID selection value to the host computer.

5. The inkjet printer described in claim 1, wherein the job data manager sends the ink shot count linked to the job ID and device identification information specified in the job data transmission request to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

6. The inkjet printer described in claim 1, further comprising: a printing evaluator that determines the result of printing a print job;wherein the job data manager records in the job data memory a job ID for the print job, the ink shot count used to print the print job, and device identification information identifying the host computer that sent the print job linked to the print result determined for the print job.

7. The inkjet printer described in claim 6, wherein the ink shot count converter separately calculates the ink shot count for each color of ink that is discharged for printing based on dot pattern data generated from the print job.

8. The inkjet printer described in claim 6, wherein the job data manager sends the ink shot count used for printing and the print result to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

9. The inkjet printer described in claim 8, wherein: the job data transmission request contains a job ID selection value that specifies a print job; andthe job data manager sends the ink shot count and print result linked to the job ID corresponding to the job ID selection value to the host computer.

10. The inkjet printer described in claim 6, wherein the job data manager sends the ink shot count and print result linked to the job ID and device identification information specified in the job data transmission request to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

11. An ink billing system for determining an ink shot count and print result using an inkjet printer described in claim 6, and for billing according to the ink shot count, wherein: the ink shot count is counted and billed only if the print result is successful.

12. A control method for an inkjet printer that is in communication with a host computer and that prints based on a print job sent from the host computer, the control method comprising: receiving the print job from the host computer;printing on paper using a predetermined ink according to the print job;calculating the ink shot count used to print the print job; andrecording information related to each print job in a job data memory, the recorded print job information including a job ID for the print job and the ink shot count used to print the print job linked to device identification information that is contained in the print job, and identifies a particular host computer that sent the print job.

13. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 12, wherein calculating the ink shot count separately includes calculating the ink shot count for each color of ink that is discharged for printing based on a dot pattern data generated from the print job.

14. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 12, further comprising: sending the ink shot count used for printing to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

15. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 14, wherein: the job data transmission request contains a job ID selection value that specifies a print job; andsending the ink shot count includes sending the ink shot count linked to the job ID corresponding to the job ID selection value to the host computer.

16. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 12, further comprising: sending the ink shot count linked to the job ID and device identification information specified in the job data transmission request to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

17. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 12, further comprising: determining the result of printing a print job;wherein recording print job information in the job data memory further includes recording a job ID for the print job, the ink shot count used to print the print job, and device identification information identifying the host computer that sent the print job linked to the print result determined for the print job.

18. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 17, wherein: calculating the ink shot count separately includes calculating the ink shot count for each color of ink that is discharged for printing based on the dot pattern data generated from the print job.

19. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 17, further comprising: sending the ink shot count used for printing and the print result to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.

20. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 19, wherein: the job data transmission request contains a job ID selection value that specifies a print job; andsending print job information sends the ink shot count and print result linked to the job ID corresponding to the job ID selection value to the host computer.

21. The inkjet printer control method described in claim 17, wherein: sending print job information sends the ink shot count and print result linked to the job ID and device identification information specified in the job data transmission request to the host computer in response to a job data transmission request received from the host computer.