# US 12,192,431 B2 · Printing system for printing at various locations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,431 B2 - Document ID: US12192431B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/815,855 - Filed: 2022-07-28 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-29 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Kei Sadakuni - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192431B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/346: {Accounting or charging based on a number representative of the service used, e.g. number of operations or copies produced} - B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control} - G06F 3/1203: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management} - G06F 3/121: {Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted} - G06F 3/126: {Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device} - H04N 1/00832: {Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied} - B41J 2002/17569: {based on the amount printed or to be printed} - B41J 2002/17589: {using ink level as input for printer mode selection or for prediction of remaining printing capacity} - G06F 3/1205: {resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets} - G06F 3/1218: {Reducing or saving of used resources, e.g. avoiding waste of consumables or improving usage of hardware resources} - G06F 3/1219: {with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper} - G06F 3/1226: {Discovery of devices having required properties} - Y02P 90/30: Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A printing system includes an acquirer, a comparator, a calculator, and an allocator. The acquirer acquires the number of media printed by a first printing device installed at a first location. The comparator compares the number of printed media acquired by the acquirer with the number of media specified based on a billing amount. The calculator calculates a first number of printable media of the first printing device based on the comparison by the comparator. The allocator allocates at least a part of the first number of printable media calculated by the calculator as a second number of printable media to a second printing device installed at a second location. The second printing device can perform printing as a billing target based on the second number of printable media. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printing system comprising: a first printing device installed at a first location and being configured to accept a first print instruction; a second printing device installed at a second location and being configured to accept a second print instruction; an acquirer that acquires a number of media printed by the first printing device; a comparator that compares the number of printed media acquired by the acquirer with a maximum number of printable media specified based on a fixed billing amount; a calculator that calculates a first number of printable media of the first printing device based on the comparison by the comparator; an allocator that allocates at least a part of the first number of printable media calculated by the calculator as a second number of printable media, which is the number of printable media of the second printing device; and a determiner that determines whether a medium to be printed by the second printing device is a medium for business use or a medium for private use, wherein the first and second print instructions are independent print instructions, the second printing device is configured to perform printing as a billing target based on the second number of printable media when accepting the second print instruction, when the medium determined by the determiner as the medium for business use is printed, only the number of media printed for business use is subtracted from the second number of printable media, and when the medium determined by the determiner as the medium for private use is printed, the number of media printed for private use is not subtracted from the second number of printable media. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a converter that performs conversion between the first number of printable media and the second number of printable media before at least a part of the first number of printable media is allocated as the second number of printable media, wherein the converter performs the conversion between the first number of printable media and the second number of printable media based on printing information of the first printing device and printing information of the second printing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The printing system according to claim 2, wherein as the printing information, a cost of printing per medium is used. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising an estimator that estimates, based on the number of media printed by the second printing device for business use, an amount of a printing agent used by the second printing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The printing system according to claim 4, wherein when the amount of the used printing agent estimated by the estimator reaches a predetermined amount, a request to provide a printing agent in the predetermined amount is given. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The printing system according to claim 4, wherein the second printing device is an ink jet printing device that performs printing by ejecting ink, and when it is determined that a recovery operation performed by the second printing device relates to the medium for business use, an amount of the printing agent used for the recovery operation is added to the amount of the printing agent used. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the allocator can allocate at least a part of the second number of printable media as the first number of printable media to the first printing device, and when the first number of printable media is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the allocator allocates the second number of printable media as the first number of printable media to the first printing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a code generator that generates the second number of printable media as a code; and a reader that is included in the second printing device and reads the code, wherein the second number of printable media is set in the second printing device by reading the code by the reader. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the code includes device information of the second printing device, and when the reader reads the code and the device information does not match the second printing device, the second number of printable media is not set in the second printing device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the first location is an office and the second location is a location other than the office. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the first print instruction is not output to the second printing device, but directly to the first printing device, and the second print instruction is not output to the first printing device, but directly to the second printing device. ### Claim 12 A printing system comprising: a processor; a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the printing system to instantiate: an acquirer that acquires a number of media printed by a first printing device installed at a first location; a comparator that compares the number of printed media acquired by the acquirer with a number of media specified based on a billing amount; a calculator that calculates a first number of printable media of the first printing device based on the comparison by the comparator; and an allocator that allocates at least a part of the first number of printable media calculated by the calculator as a second number of printable media to a second printing device installed at a second location; and a determiner that determines whether a medium to be printed by the second printing device is a medium for business use or a medium for private use, wherein the second printing device can perform printing as a billing target based on the second number of printable media, when the medium determined by the determiner as the medium for business use is printed, only the number of media printed for business use is subtracted from the second number of printable media, and when the medium determined by the determiner as the medium for private use is printed, the number of media printed for private use is not subtracted from the second number of printable media. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The printing system according to claim 12, further comprising an estimator that estimates, based on the number of media printed by the second printing device for business use, an amount of a printing agent used by the second printing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The printing system according to claim 13, wherein when the amount of the used printing agent estimated by the estimator reaches a predetermined amount, a request to provide a printing agent in the predetermined amount is given. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The printing system according to claim 13, wherein the second printing device is an ink jet printing device that performs printing by ejecting ink, and when it is determined that a recovery operation performed by the second printing device relates to the medium for business use, an amount of the printing agent used for the recovery operation is added to the amount of the printing agent used. ### Claim 16 A printing system comprising: a processor; a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the printing system to instantiate: an acquirer that acquires a number of media printed by a first printing device installed at a first location; a comparator that compares the number of printed media acquired by the acquirer with a number of media specified based on a billing amount; a calculator that calculates a first number of printable media of the first printing device based on the comparison by the comparator; an allocator that allocates at least a part of the first number of printable media calculated by the calculator as a second number of printable media to a second printing device installed at a second location; and a code generator that generates the second number of printable media as a code; and a reader that is included in the second printing device and reads the code, wherein the second printing device can perform printing as a billing target based on the second number of printable media, and the second number of printable media is set in the second printing device by reading the code by the reader. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The printing system according to claim 16, wherein the code includes device information of the second printing device, and when the reader reads the code and the device information does not match the second printing device, the second number of printable media is not set in the second printing device.