Method of managing production of printing systems and supply of expendables

Abstract

A system construction section 24 receives mechanical modules, such as printer modules, and a scanner, produced by a mechanicals expendables production section 22, and assembles the mechanical modules and a built-in computer for driving and controlling the mechanical modules, so as to construct a printing system. Constructed printing systems 132, 134, and 136 are installed in a mini-labo 32, a drugstore 34, and a shopping mall 36. An expendables supply section 26 obtains a supply of expendables, which have been consumed in the respective printing systems 132, 134, and 136, from a mechanicals expendables production section 22. The supply of expendables from the mechanicals expendables production section 22, which produces genuine expendables suitable for the printer modules, ensures sufficient execution of the printing performances of the printing system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of managing production of a printing system, which includes a printing apparatus and a computer, and supply of expendables, said method comprising the steps of: 
 causing a system construction section to construct said printing system by assembling at least one print module supplied from a modules expendables production section, which produces a print module including at least a printing execution section of said printing apparatus and recording agent expendables consumed by said print module, and a computer that controls a printing operation of said at least one print module; and    causing an expendables supply section to obtain a supply of recording agent expendables, which have been consumed by said printing system, from said modules expendables production section and give the supply of the recording agent expendables to said printing system.    
     
     
         2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the recording agent expendables include recording agent cartridge.  
     
     
         3 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said printing system is under management of maintenance by said system construction section.  
     
     
         4 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , in which the supply of the recording agent expendables by said expendables supply section is carried out based on a state of consumption of recording agent expendables, which is collected from said printing system via communication.  
     
     
         5 . A method in accordance with claims  1 , wherein said expendables supply section outputs information on charging for the supply of recording agent expendables to said printing system, which has received the supply, via communication.  
     
     
         6 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the production of recording agent expendables by said modules expendables production section is managed, based on the state of consumption of recording agent expendables collected from said printing system via communication.  
     
     
         7 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the production of recording agent expendables by said modules expendables production section is managed, based on the supply of recording agent expendables given to the printing system by said expendables supply section.  
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the production of recording agent expendables by said modules expendables production section is managed, based on the acquisition of the supply of recording agent expendables by said expendables supply section.  
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said expendables supply section outputs information on the supply of recording agent expendables to said system construction section via communication.  
     
     
         10 . A system of managing production of a printing system, which includes a printing apparatus and a computer, and supply of expendables consumed by the printing system, said system comprising: 
 a production supply section that produces a print module including at least a printing execution section of said printing apparatus and recording expendables consumed by said print module and supplies the produced print module and recording expendables;    a system construction section that constructs said printing system by assembling at least one print module supplied from said production supply section and a computer which controls a printing operation of said at least one print module and executes a maintenance of the constructed printing system;    an expendables supply section that obtains a supply of recording expendables consumed by said printing system from said production supply section and gives the supply of the recording expendables to said printing system.    
     
     
         11 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the recording expendables include at least one of recording agent cartridge and recording medium.  
     
     
         12 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , in which the supply of the recording expendables by said expendables supply section is carried out based on a state of consumption of recording expendables, which is collected from said printing system via communication.  
     
     
         13 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein said expendables supply section outputs information on charging for the supply of recording expendables to said printing system, which has received the supply, via communication.  
     
     
         14 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the production of recording expendables by said production supply section is managed, based on the state of consumption of recording expendables collected from said printing system via communication.  
     
     
         15 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the production of recording expendables by said production supply section is managed, based on the supply of recording expendables given to the printing system by said expendables supply section.  
     
     
         16 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the production of recording expendables by said production supply section is managed, based on the acquisition of the supply of recording expendables by said expendables supply section.  
     
     
         17 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein said expendables supply section outputs information on the supply of recording expendables to said system construction section via communication.  
     
     
         18 . A method of managing production of a printing system, which includes a printing apparatus and a computer, and supply of expendables consumed by the printing system, said system comprising the steps of: 
 supplying the produced print module and recording expendables from a production supply section that produces a print module including at least a printing execution section of said printing apparatus and recording expendables consumed by said print module;    constructing printing system by assembling at least one print module supplied from said production supply section and a computer which controls a printing operation of said at least one print module and executing a maintenance of the constructed printing system;    obtaining a supply of recording expendables consumed by said printing system from said production supply section and giving the supply of the recording expendables to said printing system.