BACKGROUND

[0001] Printing devices include standalone printers as well as all-in-one (AIO) printing devices, which include functionality such as scanning or copying functionality in addition to printing functionality. Printing devices can print using a variety of different technologies, including laser-printing and inkjet technologies.

In some environments, multiple users may share a printing device. The printing device may be communicatively connected to a network, for instance, and receive print jobs over the network from client devices of different users.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] FIG. 1 is a diagram of example usage of printing restriction policies associated with a remaining amount of a printing device consumable item.

[0003] FIGs. 2A, 2B, and 20 are diagrams of example association of printing restriction policies with a remaining amount of a printing device consumable item.

[0004] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example method for restricting printing of print jobs via printing restriction policies associated with a remaining amount of a printing device consumable item.

[0005] FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example system in which printing of a print job can be restricted via printing restriction policies associated with a remaining amount of a printing device consumable item. [0006] FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example non-transitory computer- readable data storage medium.

[0007] FIG. 6 is a diagram of an example printing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] As noted in the background, multiple users can share a printing device. As the printing device fulfills print jobs received from the users, the remaining amounts of consumable items used to print the print jobs decreases. The consumable items of the printing device can include colorant supplies, such as toner and ink, as well as supplies of print media like paper. Once a consumable item of the printing device has become depleted, the printing device may no longer be able to fulfill print jobs until the item has been replenished. For example, an empty toner or ink cartridge may have to be replaced with a fresh cartridge, or print media may have to be added to the printing device.

[0009] It may be more important for some users to have their print jobs fulfilled than those of other users. If a consumable item becomes depleted due to the printing device fulfilling the print jobs of lower priority users, for instance, this means that the higher priority users will not be able to have their print jobs fulfilled until the consumable item in question has been replenished.

Furthermore, fulfilling print jobs using certain print modes, such as high-quality and photo-printing modes, uses more colorant than print jobs using other print modes. Similarly, fulfilling print jobs having more pages uses more print media than print jobs having fewer pages. (A print mode may thus be defined based on the number of pages; for example, a high-page print mode may encompass print jobs having more than a threshold number of pages, whereas a low-page print mode may encompass jobs having fewer pages.)

[0010] Techniques described herein provide for printing restriction policies that are associated with remaining amounts of consumable items of a printing device. Upon receiving a print job, the remaining amount of a consumable item is determined. If a printing restriction policy associated with this remaining consumable item amount restricts printing of the print job, the printing device does not print the print job. The printing device prints the print job just if the policy in question does not restrict printing of the print job.

[0011] The techniques therefore determine which printing restriction policies are associated within the remaining amount of a consumable item before applying any such associated policy to the print job. A printing restriction policy may restrict printing to a certain user or group of users, for instance, or prevent printing in certain print modes. Regardless of the restrictions of the policy, however, whether the restrictions prevent a print job from being printed is not determined until the remaining amount of the consumable item in question has been sufficiently depleted for the policy to become associated with the remaining consumable item amount. That is, the policy’s restrictions are not applied to the current print job unless the policy is associated with the remaining consumable item amount.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows example usage of printing restriction policies 104A,

104B, and 104C, which are collectively referred to as the policies 104, and which are associated with a remaining amount 102 of a consumable item of a printing device. The consumable item may be colorant or print media, for instance. The remaining consumable item amount 102 is depicted as a percentage, from 0% to 100%. When the consumable item is replenished, the remaining amount 102 may be 100%, for instance. As the printing devices prints print jobs using the consumable item, the remaining amount 102 decreases towards 0% until the consumable item is replenished again.

[0013] In the example of FIG. 1 , until the remaining consumable item amount 102 reaches 50%, no printing restriction policy 104 is associated with this remaining amount 102. Therefore, print jobs are printed without consideration of any policy 104, and the printing device does not apply any printing restriction policy 104 to a received print job to determine whether printing of the print job is restricted. That is, the printing device prints the print job without first considering or applying any of the printing restriction policies 104.

[0014] When the remaining consumable item amount 102 reaches 50%, the printing restriction policy 104A becomes associated with the remaining amount 102. Therefore, the printing device applies the policy 104A to a received print job to determine whether the printing restriction policy 104A restricts printing of the print job. The printing restriction policy 104A restricts printing by users other than those of a specified user group. If a received print job is not from a user of this group, then the printing device does not print the print job.

[0015] When the remaining consumable item amount 102 reaches 30%, the printing restriction policy 104B becomes associated with the remaining amount 102. Therefore, the printing device applies the policy 104B to a received print job to determine whether the printing restriction policy 104B restricts printing of the print job. The printing restriction policy 104B restricts printing of print jobs that use the high-quality and photo-printing modes of the print job. If a received print job uses either such mode, then the printing device does not print the print job.

[0016] When the remaining consumable item amount 102 reaches 10%, the printing restriction policy 104C becomes associated with the remaining amount 102. Therefore, the printing device applies the policy 104C to a received print job to determine whether the printing restriction policy 104C restricts printing of the print job. The printing restriction policy 104C restricts printing by users other than administrative users, or administrators. If a received print job is not from such an administrator, then the printing device does not print the print job. [0017] FIGs. 2A, 2B, and 20 show example association of printing restriction policies 204A, 204B, and 204C with a remaining amount 202 of a printing device consumable item. The printing restriction policies 204A, 204B, and 204C are collectively referred to as the policies 204. Each of the printing restriction policies 204 has a corresponding specified consumable item amount. In FIGs. 2A and 2B, the policies 204A, 204B, and 2040 have corresponding specified consumable item amounts of A%, B%, and C%, respectively, where A>B>C.

[0018] In FIG. 2A, each printing restriction policy 204 takes effect when the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item falls below its specified amount.

A policy 204 remains in effect until the remaining consumable item amount 202 rises back above the specified amount of the policy 204. For instance, the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item may rise back above the specified consumable item amount of a policy 204 when the consumable item is replenished.

[0019] In FIG. 2A, a printing restriction policy 204 is therefore said to be associated with the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item if the remaining amount 202 is below the specified amount of the policy 204. More than one printing restriction policy 204 can be associated with the remaining consumable item amount 202 at a time. The policies 204 are independent of one another, in that whether a printing restriction policy 204 remains associated with the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item does not depend on whether any other policy 204 has become associated with the remaining amount 202. [0020] In FIG. 2A, when the remaining consumable item amount 202 is greater than A%, no policy 204 is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining consumable item amount 202 is between A% and B%, just the policy 204A, and not the policies 204B and 204C, is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining consumable item amount 202 is between B% and C%, both the policies 204A and 204B, and not the policy 204C, are associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining consumable item amount 202 is below C%, all three policies 204 are associated with the remaining amount 202.

[0021] In FIG. 2B, each printing restriction policy 204 takes effect when the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item falls below its specified amount. A policy 204 remains in effect until the remaining consumable item amount 202 rises back above the specified amount, or until another printing restriction policy 204 takes effect. Another printing restriction policy 204 takes effect if the remaining consumable item amount 202 subsequently falls below its (lower) specified consumable item amount.

[0022] In FIG. 2B, a printing restriction policy 204 is therefore said to be associated with the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item if the remaining amount 202 is below the specified amount of the policy 204 and is not below a lower specified amount of any other policy 204. Just one printing restriction policy 204 can be associated with the remaining consumable item amount 202 at a time. The policies 204 are inter-dependent of one another, in that whether a printing restriction policy 204 remains associated with the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item depends on whether any other policy 204 has become associated with the remaining consumable item amount 202.

[0023] In FIG. 2B, when the remaining consumable item amount 202 is greater than A%, no policy 204 is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining consumable item amount 202 is between A% and B%, just the policy 204A, and not the policies 204B and 204C, is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining consumable item amount 202 is between B% and C%, just the policy 204B, and not the policies 204A and 204C, is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining consumable item amount 202 is below C%, just the policy 204C, and not the policies 204A and 204B, is associated with the remaining amount 202.

[0024] In FIG. 2C, the policies 204A, 204B, and 204C have corresponding upper and lower specified consumable item amounts of A1% and A2%, B1% and B2%, and C1% and C2%, respectively, where A1>A2, B1>B2, and C1>C2.

Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 2C, A2>B1 , B1>C1 , C1>B2, and C2=0. A printing restriction policy 204 takes effect when the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item falls below its upper specified amount. The policy 204 remains in effect until the remaining consumable item amount 202 rises back above the upper specified amount, or until the remaining amount 202 falls below the lower specified amount of the policy 204.

[0025] In FIG. 2C, a printing restriction policy 204 is therefore said to be associated with the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item if the remaining amount 202 is between the upper and lower specified consumable amounts of the policy 204. More than one printing restriction policy 204 can be associated with the remaining consumable item amount 202 at a time. The policies 204 are independent of one another, in that whether a printing restriction policy 204 remains associated with the remaining amount 202 of the consumable item does not depend on whether any other policy 204 has become associated with the remaining consumable item amount 202.

[0026] In FIG. 2C, when the remaining consumable item amount 202 is greater than A1%, no policy 204 is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining amount 202 is between A1% and A2%, just the policy 204A is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining amount 202 is between A2% and B1%, no policy 204 is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining amount 202 is between B1% and C1%, just the policy 204B is associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining amount 202 is between C1% and B2%, just the policies 204B and 204C are associated with the remaining amount 202. When the remaining amount 202 is between B2% and C2%, just the policy 204C is associated with the remaining consumable item amount 202.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows an example method 300 for restricting printing of print jobs via printing restriction policies associated with a remaining amount of a printing device consumable item. The method 300 is described in relation to one consumable item of a printing device. However, the method 300 can be extended to multiple consumable items of the printing device, each with its associated remaining amount, and which are each monitored as the printing device fulfills print jobs. The method 300 may be performed by a printing device, and may be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program code executable by the device.

[0028] The method 300 includes receiving a print job (302), such as from a client device. The method 300 includes determining the remaining amount of a consumable item of the printing device (304). For instance, the remaining consumable item amount may be continually monitored as print jobs are printed, such that the remaining amount is determined in part 304 by looking up or otherwise retrieving the remaining amount at the time the print job is received. The time the print job is received may be the time at which the printing device is about to print the print job, as opposed to the actual print job receipt when the device may still be printing another print job or still have to print one or multiple other print jobs.

[0029] The method 300 includes determining whether any printing restriction policies are associated with the remaining amount of the consumable item (306). Even if there are printing restriction policies having corresponding specified consumable item amounts, such a policy does not become associated with the (currently) remaining amount consumable item amount until the remaining amount falls below its specified consumable item amount. If there are no printing restriction policies associated with the remaining consumable item amount (308), the method 300 includes then printing the print job (310).

[0030] If there are one or multiple printing restriction policies associated with the remaining amount of the consumable item (308), the method 300 includes then setting the current policy to a first such associated policy (312). The method 300 includes determining whether the current printing restriction policy restricts printing of the print job (314). For example, the current policy may restrict printing by a user or a group of users. Therefore, if the originating user of the print job (e.g., the user of the client device from which the print job was received) is this user or a member of this group, then the policy restricts (viz., prevents) printing.

[0031] As another example, the current printing restriction policy may restrict printing in a certain print mode or modes. If the print job specifies a print job that is this certain print mode or one of these certain print modes, then the policy restricts (viz., prevents) preventing. The certain print mode or modes of the policy may be or include a high-quality or photo-printing mode. The certain print mode or modes may also or instead be or include a high-page print mode. [0032] If the current printing restriction policy restricts printing of the print job (316), the method includes then not printing the print job (318). The method 300 may include forwarding the print job to another (different) printing device (320) for (potential) printing, so that the print job can still be fulfilled. If the current policy does not restrict printing (316), but there are other policies associated with the remaining consumable item amount that have not yet been considered to determine whether they restrict printing of the print job (322), the method 300 includes then advancing the current policy to a next such policy (324) before repeating at part 314. Once all associated policies have been considered, and no such policy restricts printing of the print job, the method 300 includes then printing the print job (310).

[0033] FIG. 4 shows an example system 400 in which printing of a print job can be restricted via printing restriction policies associated with a remaining amount of a printing device consumable item. The system 400 includes printing devices 402 and 408, a user device 404, and an administrator device 406. The devices 402, 404, 406, and 408 are communicatively connected via a network 409, which may be or include the Internet, an extranet, an intranet, a wide-area network (WAN), and/or a local-area network (LAN), among other types of networks. [0034] The printing devices 402 and 408 may each be a standalone printer or an all-in-one (AIO) printing device. The user device 404 and the administrator device 406 may each be a computing device, such as a computer like a desktop, laptop, or notebook computer, a smartphone, a tablet computing device, or another type of computing device. The user device 404 may be operated by an end user, whereas the administrator device 406 may be operated by an administrative user, or administrator.

[0035] The printing device 402 receives a print job 410 from the user device 404 over the network 409, per arrow 414. The printing device 402 determines whether any printing restriction policies 412 are associated with the remaining amount of each consumable item of the device 402. The printing device 402 may have previously received the printing restriction policies 412 from the administrator device 406 over the network 409, per arrow 416, or may request the policies 412 at the time the printing device 402 receives the print job 410.

[0036] If there are any printing restriction policies 412 associated with the remaining amount of any consumable amount, the printing device 402 determines whether any such associated policy 412 restricts printing of the print job 410. If no associated policy 412 restricts printing of the print job 410, the printing device 402 prints the print job 410. That is, if every associated policy 412 does not restrict printing, the printing device 402 prints the print job 410. If any associated policy 412 restricts printing, the printing device 402 does not print the print job 410. In this case, the printing device 402 may forward the print job 410 over the network 409 to the printing device 408 for (potential) printing, per arrow 418.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows an example non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium 500 storing program code 502 executable by a printing device to perform processing. The processing includes, upon receiving a print job, determining a remaining amount of a consumable item that the printing device will use to print the print job (504). The processing includes in response to determining that a printing restriction policy associated with the remaining amount of the consumable item restricts printing of the print job, not printing the print job (506). The processing includes in response to determining that the printing restriction policy does not restrict printing of the print job, printing the print job (508).

[0038] FIG. 6 shows an example printing device 600. The printing device 600 includes printing hardware 602 to fulfill print jobs using a consumable item. For example, the printing hardware 602 may include laser-printing hardware, inkjet-printing hardware, or printing hardware that uses a different printing technology. The printing device 600 includes a processor 604 and a memory 606 storing program code 608. The program code 608 is executable by the processor 604 to monitor a remaining amount of the consumable item as the printing hardware 602 fulfills (viz., prints) the print jobs (610).

[0039] The program code 608 is executable by the processor 604 to determine which printing restriction policies (if any) are associated with the remaining consumable item amount (612). The program code 608 is executable by the processor 604 to, at time of receipt of a new print job, determine whether any policy associated with the remaining amount restricts printing of the new print job (614). The program code 608 may further be executable by the processor 604 to cause the printing hardware 602 to print the new print job if every associated policy does not restrict printing, and not cause the printing hardware 602 to print the new print job if any associated policy restricts printing.

[0040] The techniques that have been described provide for printing restriction policies that are associated with remaining amounts of consumable items of a printing device. Such printing restriction policies can increase the likelihood that there will be sufficient amounts of consumable items for certain users to have their print jobs fulfilled as the consumable items become depleted. Such policies can extend the life of the consumable items, by preventing high consumable item usage print jobs, such as those specifying certain print modes or those having many pages, from being fulfilled as the consumable items become depleted.