# US 10,768,864 B2 · Server stores and determines print output format and account information represnting remaining balance amount spendable by user for printing process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,864 B2 - Document ID: US10768864B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/904,525 - Filed: 2018-02-26 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-27 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takeshi Nagasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768864B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1203: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management} - G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data} - G06F 3/1239: {Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts} - G06F 3/1268: {Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself} - G06F 3/1288: {in client-server-printer device configuration} - G06F 3/1255: {Settings incompatibility, e.g. constraints, user requirements vs. device capabilities} - G06F 2206/1504: Cost estimation - G06F 2206/1506: Degraded mode, e.g. in view of consumables depleted, thresholds reached - H04N 1/00148: {Storage (information retrieval G06F16/00)} - H04N 1/2369: {Selecting a particular reproducing mode from amongst a plurality of modes, e.g. paper saving or normal, or simplex or duplex} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A server includes memory storing management information including: first correspondence information representing correspondence between an output format for printing process and price for the printing process based on the output format; and second correspondence information representing correspondence between an account information of a user and balance spendable by the user and a controller configured to perform: receiving a printing request using an account information item; determining whether an object price is equal to or less than an object balance; if the object price is more than the object balance, extracting candidate output format that is different from the object output format and usable to perform a printing process based on the printing request within the object balance, with reference to the first correspondence information; and transmitting information representing the extracted candidate output format to an external device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A server connectable to a network, the server comprising: memory storing management information, the management information comprising: first correspondence information representing correspondence between an information item representing an output format for printing process and an information item representing price for the printing process based on the output format, the output format being at least one of (1) information representing whether to print images of N-number of pages on a single page, wherein N is an integer of 2 or greater and (2) information representing whether to perform double-sided printing; and second correspondence information representing correspondence between an account information item specifying a user and an information item representing a balance, the balance being a maximum amount of money spendable by the specified user; and a controller configured to perform: receiving a printing request using an account information item; determining whether an object price is equal to or less than an object balance, the object price being a price for performing a printing process with a single, specific printer based on the printing request according to an object output format specified by the user corresponding to the printing request, the object balance being the balance included in the second correspondence information in association with an object account information item corresponding to the printing request; in a case where it is determined that the object price is equal to or less than the object balance, updating the second correspondence information such that the balance associated with the object account information item represents a value obtained by subtracting the object price from the object balance; and in a case where it is determined that the object price is more than the object balance, extracting candidate output format executable by the single, specific printer with reference to the first correspondence information and transmitting, to an external device connected to the network, information representing the extracted candidate output format for performing the printing process, the external device being the single, specific printer, a price of the extracted candidate output format being less than a price of the object output format specified by the user and being usable to perform a printing process based on the printing request within the object balance, the extracted candidate output format being at least one of (1) printing images of N-number of pages on a single page in a case where the object output format specified by the user is printing images of N-number of pages on N-number of pages and (2) performing double-sided printing in a case where the object output format specified by the user is performing single-sided printing, and wherein in a case where a plurality of candidate output formats executable by the single, specific printer are extracted when performing the extracting, the transmitting of the information representing the extracted candidate output format is performed by transmitting, to the external device, information representing the plurality of candidate output formats, and the controller is configured to further perform receiving, from the external device, a selection of the user of one of the plurality of candidate output formats. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The server according to claim 1, wherein the output format further comprises at least one of: information representing any one of color printing and monochrome printing; or information representing whether to perform printing in a mode for saving color material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The server according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to further perform: receiving, from the external device, usage information representing whether to use a candidate output format represented by the information transmitted when performing the transmitting of the information representing the extracted candidate output format; in a case where the usage information represents that the candidate output format is to be used, transmitting, to the external device information representing the candidate output format. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The server according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to further perform: receiving, from the external device, usage information representing whether to use a candidate output format represented by the information transmitted when performing the transmitting of the information representing the extracted candidate output format; in a case where the usage information represents that any candidate output format is not be used, transmitting, to the external device information representing the object output format and the number of pages printable within the object balance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The server according to claim 1, wherein the management information comprises third correspondence information representing correspondence between the account information item and usable output format, wherein the third correspondence information comprises correspondence between a first account information item and a first output format group and correspondence between a second account information item and a second output format group, wherein in a case where the object account information item is the first account information item, the extracting is performed by extracting candidate output formats from the first output format group, and wherein in a case where the object account information item is the second account information item, the extracting is performed by extracting candidate output formats from the second output format group. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The server according to claim 1, wherein in the case where it is determined that the object price is more than the object balance, also transmitting to the external device information representing the extracted candidate output format selected by the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The server according to claim 6, wherein the external device performs a printing process based on the extracted candidate output format selected by the user. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a computer connectable to a network comprising: a server connectable to the network, the server comprising memory, the memory storing management information comprising: first correspondence information representing correspondence between an information item representing an output format for printing process and an information item representing price for the printing process based on the output format, the output format being at least one of (1) information representing whether to print images of N-number of pages on a single page, wherein N is an integer of 2 or greater and (2) information representing whether to perform double-sided printing; and second correspondence information representing correspondence between an account information item specifying a user and an information item representing a balance, the balance being a maximum amount of money spendable by the specified user, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor of the computer, causing the computer to perform: receiving a printing request using an account information item; determining whether an object price is equal to or less than an object balance, the object price being a price for performing a printing process with a single, specific printer based on the printing request according to an object output format specified by the user corresponding to the printing request, the object balance being the balance included in the second correspondence information in association with an object account information item corresponding to the printing request; in a case where it is determined that the object price is equal to or less than the object balance, updating the second correspondence information such that the balance associated with the object account information item represents a value obtained by subtracting the object price from the object balance; and in a case where it is determined that the object price is more than the object balance, extracting candidate output format executable by the single, specific printer with reference to the first correspondence information and transmitting, to an external device connected to the network, information representing the extracted candidate output format for performing the printing process, the external device being the single, specific printer, a price of the extracted candidate output format being less than a price of the object output format specified by the user and being usable to perform a printing process based on the printing request within the object balance, the extracted candidate output format being at least one of (1) printing images of N-number of pages on a single page in a case where the object output format specified by the user is printing images of N-number of pages on N-number of pages and (2) performing double-sided printing in a case where the object output format specified by the user is performing single-sided printing, and wherein in a case where a plurality of candidate output formats executable by the single, specific printer are extracted when performing the extracting, the transmitting of the information representing the extracted candidate output format is performed by transmitting, to the external device, information representing the plurality of candidate output formats, and the controller is configured to further perform receiving, from the external device, a selection of the user of one of the plurality of candidate output formats. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 8, wherein in the case where it is determined that the object price is more than the object balance, also transmitting to the external device information representing the extracted candidate output format selected by the user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, wherein the external device performs a printing process based on the extracted candidate output format selected by the user.