A printing device comprises a housing, a communication interface configured to communicate with a server, and a controller. The printing device is configured to operate either in a contract mode or in a normal mode. The housing is configured such that one or more consumables including a first type consumable and a second type consumable are attachable. The first type consumable is dedicated for the contract printing, and the second type consumable is usable for printing in both the contract mode and the normal mode. The controller is configured to activate the contract mode in response to an activation instruction from the server. In a case where the second type consumable is attached to the housing when the contract mode is activated, the controller changes a state of the printing device to a contract printing state in which the contract printing is activated after activating the contract mode.

In a control device, a controller sets an order condition using a plurality of sets of timing information and a plurality of index values stored in a memory. The plurality of index values is acquired from a recording device under a condition where a first cartridge is mounted in the recording device. The order condition requires that one of a latest index value and a current timing have reached corresponding one of a reference index value and a reference timing, and is set so that a second cartridge is delivered to a predetermined destination at a first timing at which the first cartridge is expected to be out of a printing agent while a tank of the recording device is expected to still accommodate the printing agent. The controller transmits an order command instructing to order the second cartridge to a relevant device after the order condition is satisfied.

A printing device comprises a housing, a communication interface configured to communicate with a server, and a controller. The printing device is configured to operate either in a contract mode or in a normal mode. The housing is configured such that one or more consumables including a first type consumable and a second type consumable are attachable. The first type consumable is dedicated for the contract printing, and the second type consumable is usable for printing in both the contract mode and the normal mode. The controller is configured to activate the contract mode in response to an activation instruction from the server. In a case where the second type consumable is attached to the housing when the contract mode is activated, the controller changes a state of the printing device to a contract printing state in which the contract printing is activated after activating the contract mode.

An image forming device includes: an image former that executes image forming processing to form an image on a sheet; a primary controller; a secondary controller that controls the image former; a sensor that detects a state of the image former and transmits sensor data indicating the state to the secondary controller; a first transmission path between the secondary controller and the primary controller; and a second transmission path different from the first transmission path. The primary controller instructs the secondary controller to execute the image forming processing. Data related to the execution of the image forming processing is transmitted through the first transmission path. The secondary controller generates diagnostic data for failure diagnostics from the sensor data and life prediction relating to the image forming device and transmits the diagnostic data to the primary controller via the second transmission path.

In a control device, a controller sets an order condition using a plurality of sets of timing information and a plurality of index values stored in a memory. The plurality of index values is acquired from a recording device under a condition where a first cartridge is mounted in the recording device. The order condition requires that one of a latest index value and a current timing have reached corresponding one of a reference index value and a reference timing, and is set so that a second cartridge is delivered to a predetermined destination at a first timing at which the first cartridge is expected to be out of a printing agent while a tank of the recording device is expected to still accommodate the printing agent. The controller transmits an order command instructing to order the second cartridge to a relevant device after the order condition is satisfied.

A print control apparatus includes an acquisition unit and a setup execution unit. The acquisition unit acquires, from a portable terminal, setting of an apparatus condition of an image forming apparatus that performs printing on continuous paper and of a print start time at which the image forming apparatus starts the printing. The setup execution unit starts a setup process for the image forming apparatus such that the setup process is completed by the print start time on the basis of the setting of the apparatus condition acquired by the acquisition unit. The setup process is performed for the image forming apparatus to perform the printing.

An information mediation system includes a printer and an information mediation device which accumulates operation information that is modified according to an operation of the printer from the printer, in which the information mediation device has an operation information accumulating section which accumulates operation information of a type according to specifications of the printer from the printer, and a specification sensing section which senses a modification in the specifications of the printer, and the operation information accumulating section queries the type of operation information that is to be accumulated in a printer in which a modification of the specifications is sensed by the specification sensing section to an external management apparatus and accumulates the operation information of the type that is indicated by the query result from the printer in which the modification of the specifications is sensed.

In the following, a content delivery system delivers a modified version of a media asset to a current content consuming user. Control information identifying a desired attribute of the modified version of the asset is received from the current content consuming user. The media asset is modified based on the control information and audience reaction data associated with the media asset and generated by analyzing at least a previous content consuming user's reactions to the media asset whilst the media asset was supplied to a media output device of the previous content consuming user.

Provided is an image processing apparatus to form an image on a sheet of paper, including a main body and a submodule detachably disposed on the main body. The main body includes an asynchronous serial bus and a master control unit. The submodule includes a slave control unit. An interactive asynchronous serial communication is performed between the master control unit and slave control unit. The master control unit includes a detection timing changing unit. The detection timing changing unit changes a scheduled timing to detect a second signal. The slave control unit includes a transmission signal changing unit. The transmission signal changing unit changes a state of the second signal from a first state detectable by the master control unit at a first timing to a second state detectable by the master control unit at a second timing.

A print control device includes a control unit configured to acquire print image data from a storage device according to a print request and to cause a printer 100 which is configured to execute printing based on the print image data to execute the printing, wherein the control unit acquires from the storage device, operation status information of the storage device storing the print image data and attribute information of the print image data stored in the storage device and enables the operation status information and the attribute information to be displayed on a display unit.