Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2003-07-22
Coles, Edward (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001150, C358S001180, C358S001130, C358S001140, C709S241000, C235S380000, C235S382000, C235S462010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597469
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system having a print server for using a composite function image forming apparatus having a composite function of outputting a print job and a copy job, as a common output apparatus for print jobs requested by client users on a network and received from the network, to an output number managing method, and to a storage medium storing programs for executing such a method.
2. Related Background Art
A copier having a password mode function is known in which a user is permitted to perform a copy job if an entered password specific to the user is coincident with an already registered password. In this password mode, the numbers of copy outputs for permitted copy jobs are counted and the cumulative number of copy outputs is managed in correspondence with each password. The cumulative number of copy outputs managed in this password mode is used for calculating a use charge of the copier and the like.
Recent advancement of multi-function and networking of a copier has lead the advent of a composite function apparatus added with a printer mode and being connectable to a network to allow the copier to be used as a common printer of clients on the network. The print mode of this composite function copier is not provided with the password mode described above in which the number of print outputs of a print job requested by each client is managed in correspondence with the client.
In order to manage the number of print outputs of a print job requested by each client, the following management method has been used heretofore. Specifically, a network is provided with a print server which receives from the network a print job requested by each client assigned beforehand a specific print job management number. The print server instructs the composite function apparatus to output the received print job, and the print server itself manages the number of print outputs of the print job in correspondence with the client print job management number.
In this network using the composite function apparatus as a common printer of clients, however, the number of copy outputs of a copy job in the copy mode is managed in correspondence with each client on the side of the composite function apparatus, whereas the number of print outputs of a print job in the print mode is managed in correspondence with each client on the side of the print server. Therefore, the numbers of print and copy outputs of the print and copy jobs requested by the same user are not managed collectively, and it takes a very long labor to calculate sums of the numbers of print and copy outputs of the print and copy jobs requested by the same user and then calculate a use charge of each user and the like.
Other functions can be set to each composite function copier, such as a function of inhibiting a copy job when the number of copy outputs exceeds a predetermined limit number set to the copier, even if the entered password is coincident with the already registered one.
However, since this function is set to each copier independently, a user can change the copier whose predetermined limit number being exceeded by the number of copy outputs to another copier still not used by the user. Therefore, the total number of copy outputs limited to each user cannot be set.
In managing the number of print outputs of each user output from a digital composite function copier connected to a network and being capable of processing each print request, the number of print outputs is not counted in correspondence with each password of the digital composite function copier, but the print server identifies the user from user output data and counts the number of print outputs in correspondence with not the password but another classification.
In managing the number of outputs, a conventional copier is provided with a counter for each department to count the number of outputs at each department. The number of outputs can be limited only in correspondence with each department. The total number of outputs by all copiers cannot be limited, and the total number of outputs by all departments cannot be limited.
In a digital composite function copier, the number of copy outputs by the copy function is counted by the digital composite function copier, whereas the number of print outputs by the print function is counted by the print server. Since different count means are used, it is not possible to limit the use of the copy or print function in accordance with the total number of print and copy outputs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming system and an output number management method for the image forming system capable of collectively managing the number of outputs of the print and copy jobs in correspondence with each user, and a storage medium storing programs for executing such a method.
According to one embodiment of the invention, an image forming system having a print server for using a composite function image forming apparatus having a composite function of outputting a print job and a copy job, as a common output apparatus for print jobs requested by client users on a network and received from the network, is provided wherein: the composite function image forming apparatus has a copy job output number management function of receiving a copy job requested by each client user assigned a specific copy job management identification number, outputting the received copy job, and managing the number of copy outputs of the copy job in correspondence with the copy job management identification number; the print server has a print job output number management function of receiving from the network a print job requested by each client user assigned a specific print job management identification number, instructing the composite function image forming apparatus to print out the received print job, and managing the number of print outputs of the print job in correspondence with the print job management identification number; and a totalling apparatus is provided on the network, the totalling apparatus comprising: storage means for storing user data in a correspondence format of the copy job management identification number and the print job management identification number; and user discriminating means for discriminating between client users each having a specific copy job management identification number and a specific print job management identification number by referring to the user data stored in the storage means, wherein the totalling apparatus fetches via the network the output number managed by the copy job output number management function of the composite function image forming apparatus in correspondence with the copy job management identification number and the output number managed by the print job output number management function of the print server in correspondence with the print job management identification number, and totals the output number of copy jobs and the output number of print jobs for each client user in accordance with a discrimination result by the user discriminating means.
According to another embodiment of the invention, an output number management method of managing an output number of a print job and an output number of a copy job for an image forming system having a print server for using a composite function image forming apparatus having a composite function of outputting a print job and a copy job, as a common output apparatus for print jobs requested by client users on a network and received from the network, is provided wherein: a totalling apparatus is provided on the network, the composite function image forming apparatus receives a copy job requested by each client user assigned a specific copy job management identification number, outputs the received copy job, and manages the number of copy outputs of the copy job in correspondence with the copy job management identification number; the print server receives from the network a print job requested by each clien
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Coles Edward
Ebrahimi Saeid
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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