JP2006209670A - Image forming system, and department management device and department management program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming system, and a department management device and a department management program therefor, always accurately managing the counter information of each department without receiving an influence of an upper limit value of a department registration number on an image forming device side. <P>SOLUTION: In this image forming system 10, a host PC transmits a department code of a user and print data to an image forming means by a printer driver, and performs the printing output of the print data, and the image forming means counts up the counter information of each the department corresponding to the department code according to the printing output. The image forming system 10 is provided with the department management device 200 acquiring the counter information 301 of each department from the image forming means by a utility, storing it in a counter information database, adding it to the counter information of each the department, and resetting the counter information of each department of the image forming means 300. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system for performing department management in, for example, a printer, a multifunction peripheral, etc., a department management apparatus, and a department management program.

In general, in an image forming system that prints output from a host PC connected to a network to an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a multifunction peripheral, the counter information of each user is held in the image forming apparatus. The billing process is performed by counting up the counter information with the print output.
An image forming system having such a configuration is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707. As an initial setting, a department to be managed is registered on the image forming apparatus side, and a user who uses each host PC and a department code are registered. The association is made to be reflected in the printer driver of each host PC.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-236577

  However, in such an image forming system, an administrator registers a department as an initial setting by assigning a department code to the image forming apparatus, and uses the host PC as a printer driver in each host PC. An operation for associating and registering a user and a department code is necessary, and the processing cost of department management is increased.

  Also, when registering departments on the image forming apparatus side, there is an upper limit on the number of registered departments, so when the number of registerable departments is exceeded, counts related to print output are performed as other departments. Accurate counter information for each department cannot be obtained.

  Further, department management, that is, management of counter information for each department, is performed by the administrator extracting counter information for each department held in the image forming apparatus, so that some failure or the like occurs in the image forming apparatus. If the counter information is lost or cannot be extracted, the counter information cannot be acquired and the department management becomes impossible.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and enables accurate counter information for each department to be managed, and is influenced by the upper limit value of the number of department registrations on the image forming apparatus side. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming system capable of managing counter information of each department, and a department management apparatus and a department management program thereof.

  In order to achieve this object, an image forming system according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises an image forming means for performing image forming processing such as printing, and at least one host PC connected to the image forming means. The host PC transmits a user's department code and print data to the image forming means by a printer driver, and the image forming means prints out the print data, and the image forming means In the image forming system, the counter information for each department is counted up based on the department code according to the print output. In the image forming system, the counter information for each department is connected to the image forming means. A department management device for acquiring information is provided, and the department management device uses a utility to count the department for each department. To obtain information, accumulated in the counter information database that internal retention, as well as added to the counter information for each sector, it is constituted to reset the counter information for each sector of the image forming means.

If the image forming system has such a configuration, the counter information for each department held in the image forming means is acquired by the utility of the department management apparatus, so the counter information for each department is stored on the department management apparatus side. For example, even when a plurality of image forming units are installed, counter information for each department is easily managed in an integrated manner.
Even if there is an upper limit on the number of registered departments in the image forming unit, the counter information is reset after the department management device acquires the counter information for each department of the image forming unit. With respect to more departments than possible, counter information for each department can be accurately managed.

Furthermore, since department registration is performed by the printer driver of the host PC, it is not necessary for the administrator to register the department in the image forming means, and the initial setting work is simplified. Can be reduced.
In addition, since the counter information for each department is held and managed on the department management device side, if the image forming means has some trouble, the counter information is lost, or the counter information cannot be taken out. Even if the counter information is altered, the counter information for each department can be accurately managed by the department management device.

According to another aspect of the image forming system of the present invention, the printer driver of the host PC adds a department registration command of the department code to the print data based on the department code selected by the user, and sends it to the image forming means. It is configured to transmit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus registers a department corresponding to the department code based on a department registration command sent from the host PC, and stores counter information of the department. It is configured to count up.

  When the image forming system has such a configuration, the image forming unit registers the department corresponding to the department code based on the department registration command transmitted from the host PC together with the print data, so that the unregistered department is registered. Even in this case, it is possible to reliably count up the counter information of the department.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming system, when the department corresponding to the department code is already registered based on the department registration command sent from the host PC, the department The new registration is omitted, and the counter information of the department already registered is counted up.
When the image forming system has such a configuration, in the case of a registered department, the counter information of the registered department can be counted up without registering a new department.

The image forming system according to claim 5 is configured such that the department management device acquires counter information from the image forming means by polling at predetermined intervals.
When the image forming system has such a configuration, the department management device acquires counter information from the image forming unit at predetermined intervals, such as the beginning of the month, the end of the month, or a fixed day of the week. The information database can be updated to the latest counter information.

  The image forming system according to claim 6, wherein the image forming unit notifies the department management device of a counter information acquisition request when at least one item of the department management information approaches an upper limit value, and The management device is configured to acquire counter information from the image forming unit when receiving a counter information acquisition request from the image forming unit.

  When the image forming system has such a configuration, when at least one item such as the number of prints, the number of prints, and the elapsed time approaches the upper limit, a counter information acquisition request is sent from the image forming unit to the department management device. By notifying, the department management device acquires the counter information from the image forming unit based on the counter information acquisition request, thereby acquiring the counter information before the item exceeds the upper limit value, and the image forming unit. Reset counter information for each department. Thereby, since each item is reset to 0, accurate counter information can always be acquired.

  The image forming system according to claim 7, when the number of registered departments approaches the upper limit value of the number of departments that can be registered, notifies the department management device of a counter information acquisition request, The department management apparatus is configured to acquire counter information from the image forming means when receiving a counter information acquisition request from the image forming means.

  When the image forming system has such a configuration, when the number of registered departments approaches the upper limit, the department management apparatus notifies the department management apparatus of a counter information acquisition request from the image forming unit side, so that the department management apparatus acquires the counter information. Based on the request, by obtaining counter information from the image forming unit, the counter information is acquired before the number of registered departments in the image forming unit exceeds the upper limit, and the counter information for each department of the image forming unit is reset. To do. As a result, the number of registered departments is reset to 0, so that accurate counter information can always be obtained.

The department management apparatus in the image forming system according to claim 8, wherein the printer driver of the host PC transmits a user department code and print data to the image forming means, and the image forming means prints out the print data. A department management device of an image forming system for obtaining counter information counted up for each corresponding department based on the department code in accordance with a print output in the image forming apparatus. Counter information for each department is acquired from the forming means, stored in the counter information database held internally, added to the counter information for each department, and the counter information for each department of the image forming means is reset. It is as composition to do.
Thus, the present invention can also be realized as a department management device of an image forming system.

The department management program of the image forming system according to claim 9 is a printer driver of the host PC that transmits the department code and print data of the user to the image forming means, and the image forming means prints out the print data. A section of an image forming system for causing a computer to execute processing for obtaining counter information counted up for each corresponding section based on the section code in response to print output in the image forming apparatus A management program for acquiring counter information for each department from the image forming means, and storing the acquired counter information for each department in an internally held counter information database. And a procedure for resetting counter information for each department of the image forming means. There as.
Thus, the present invention can also be realized as a program.

  Thus, according to the image forming system and the department management apparatus and department management program according to the present invention, the counter information for each department is managed on the department management apparatus side, not on the image forming means side. Regardless of the upper limit of the number of registered departments on the image forming means side, even if the counter information for each department of the image forming means cannot be read due to a failure or the like, the accurate counter information for each department is always managed. be able to.

An embodiment of an image forming system to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to FIG.
Note that the image forming system of the present embodiment described below is realized by processing, means, and functions executed by a computer in accordance with instructions of a program (software). The program (department management program of the image forming system) sends a command to each component of the computer to perform predetermined processing and functions as described below. That is, each process / means in the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment is realized by specific means in which a program and a computer cooperate. Further, all or a part of the program is provided by, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or any other computer-readable recording medium, and the program read from the recording medium is installed in the computer and executed. The The program can also be loaded and executed directly on a computer through a communication line without using a recording medium.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image forming system 10 includes a host PC 100, a department management device 200, an image forming unit 300, and a network 400.

Here, the operations of the host PC 100, the department management device 200, and the image forming means 300 are controlled by programs that run on the computer.
The network 400 is a network such as a local area LAN, for example, and connects the above-described host PC 100, department management device 200, and image forming means 300 to each other.

  The host PC 100 is, for example, a personal computer, and is connected to the image forming unit 300 via the network 400. In order to perform print output by the image forming unit 300, various settings of the image forming unit 300 are performed. A printer driver 110 for performing the above is installed.

In the printer driver 110, a department code file for selecting a department code is imported by an administrator of the network 400 or the like, and the user can select a department code when performing printing output on the host PC 100. It can be done.
When the print request is generated, the printer driver 110 adds a department registration command to the print data based on the department code input by the user, and transmits the print data from the spooler 120 to the image forming unit 300 via the network 400. It is supposed to be.

  The department management device 200 is configured by a utility in a server such as a PC or a network management server, for example, and as shown in FIG. 2, a main control unit 210, a communication unit 220, a UI unit 230, a database unit 240, and A determination unit 250 is provided.

Here, the main control unit 210 controls the communication unit 220, UI unit 230, database unit 240, and determination unit 250.
The communication unit 220 acquires counter information for each department from the image forming unit 300 by polling periodically or when a counter information acquisition request is received from the image forming unit 300, and the database via the main control unit 210. The data is sent to the unit 240.
Further, after acquiring the counter information for each department from the image forming unit 300, the communication unit 220 transmits a command to delete all department information to the image forming unit 300 via the network 400.

The UI unit 230 supports input / output for an administrator who operates the department management apparatus 200.
The database unit 240 accumulates counter information for each department of the image forming unit 300 acquired by the communication unit 220, and adds and holds the counter information.
The determination unit 250 refers to the counter information for each department stored in the database unit 240 and makes a department management determination.

The image forming unit 300 is a known image forming unit such as a printer or a multifunction peripheral, and prints out based on print data transmitted from the host PC 100 via the network 400 and is designated by a department registration command. The department corresponding to the department code thus registered is registered, and the counter information of this department is counted up according to the print output and held inside.
When the department corresponding to the department code specified by the department registration command has already been registered, the image forming unit 300 omits the new registration of the department and displays the counter information of the registered department. Count up.

  Further, the image forming unit 300 determines whether the number of prints, the number of prints, the elapsed time, etc. of the items included in the counter information of each department approaches the upper limit value or the number of registered departments described above. , The counter information acquisition request is notified to the department management apparatus 200 via the network 400.

  Further, when the image forming unit 300 receives an instruction to delete all the department information from the department management apparatus 200, the image forming unit 300 resets the counter information 301 for each department held therein to 0 and registers the registered department. Is deleted.

Next, initial setting, print job, and department management processing operations of the image forming system 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the initial setting processing operation of the image forming system 10.
In FIG. 3, when the administrator performs a department code file setting operation on the host PC 100 in step A1, the printer driver 110 of the host PC 100 stores the department code file in the printer driver 110 in step A2. Import.
This completes the initial setting process.

Next, the print job processing operation of the image forming system 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the print job of the image forming system 10.
In FIG. 4, when the user selects a department code for the host PC 100 in step B1 and makes a print request in step B2, the printer driver 110 of the host PC 100 is selected in step B3. A department registration command 111 corresponding to the department code is added to the print data 112.
In step B4, the printer driver 110 transmits the department registration command 111 and the print data 112 to the image forming unit 300 via the network 400.

  In response, the image forming unit 300 newly creates a corresponding department in step B5 based on the department registration command 111. If a department corresponding to the department registration command 111 has already been registered, the image forming unit 300 skips the new creation of the corresponding department in step B5.

Subsequently, the image forming unit 300 performs print output based on the print data 112 in step B6.
Thereafter, in step B7, the image forming unit 300 counts up the count value of the counter information 301 of the department designated by the department registration command in accordance with the contents of the print output and holds it inside.
This is the end of the print job processing.

Next, the department management processing operation of the department management apparatus 200 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the department management processing operation of the department management apparatus 200.
First, when the department management apparatus 200 receives a counter information acquisition request from the image forming unit 300 via the network 400 at step C0, or at regular intervals of a predetermined period, the department management apparatus 200 proceeds to step C1. Thus, counter information for each department is acquired from the image forming unit 300 via the network 400.

As a result, in step C <b> 2, the image forming unit 300 transmits the counter information 301 for each department to the department management apparatus 200 via the network 400.
In response to this, the department management device 200 accumulates the counter information 301 for each department in the counter information database of the database section 240 and adds the count value of the counter information 301 in step C3.

Thereafter, the department management device 200 transmits an instruction to delete all department information to the image forming unit 300 via the network 400 in step C4.
Accordingly, the image forming unit 300 resets the counter information 301 for each department to 0 and deletes each registered department in step C5.
Thus, the department management processing operation by the department management device 200 is completed.

  In the embodiment described above, only one image forming unit 300 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of image forming units 300 may be connected to the network 400. In this case, the counter information 301 for each department in each image forming unit 300 is centrally managed by the department management apparatus 200, so that the counter information 301 for each department can be easily managed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the host PC 100, the department management apparatus 200, and the image forming unit 300 are connected to each other via the network 400. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be connected directly. Is clear.

  Since the present invention is an invention related to the management of department information, it can be used in apparatuses and devices that perform department management.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a department management device in the image forming system of FIG. 1. 2 is a flowchart showing an initial setting processing operation in the image forming system of FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation of a print job in the image forming system of FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a department management processing operation in the image forming system of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

10 Image forming system 100 Host PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 Printer driver 111 Department registration command 112 Print data 120 Spooler 200 Department management apparatus 210 Main control part 220 Communication part 230 UI part 240 Database part 250 Judgment part 300 Image forming means 301 Account information 400 Network

Claims (9)

An image forming unit that performs image forming processing such as printing, and at least one host PC connected to the image forming unit;
The host PC transmits a user's department code and print data to the image forming unit by a printer driver, and prints out the print data by the image forming unit.
In the image forming system in which the image forming unit counts up counter information for each corresponding department based on the department code in accordance with print output.
A department management device connected to the image forming means and obtaining counter information for each department from the image forming means is provided.
The department management device acquires counter information for each department from the image forming means by a utility, accumulates it in a counter information database held internally, adds it to the counter information for each department, and An image forming system, wherein counter information for each department of the forming means is reset. The printer driver of the host PC adds a department registration command of the department code to the print data based on the department code selected by the user, and transmits the print data to the image forming unit. Image forming system. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus registers a department corresponding to the department code based on a department registration command sent from the host PC, and counts up counter information of the department. The image forming system described. When the department corresponding to the department code is already registered based on the department registration command sent from the host PC, the image forming apparatus omits the new registration of the department and has already been registered. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the counter information of the relevant department is counted up. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the department management device acquires counter information from the image forming unit by polling every predetermined period. When at least one item of the department management information approaches the upper limit value, the image forming unit notifies the department management device of a counter information acquisition request, and the department management device acquires the counter information from the image forming unit. 6. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein counter information is acquired from the image forming unit when a request is received. When the number of registered departments approaches the upper limit value of the number of departments that can be registered, the image forming unit notifies the department management device of a counter information acquisition request, and the department management device receives a counter from the image forming unit. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein counter information is acquired from the image forming unit when an information acquisition request is received. When the printer driver of the host PC sends the user's department code and print data to the image forming means and prints out the print data by the image forming means, the image forming apparatus responds to the print output. , A department management device of the image forming system for acquiring counter information counted up for each department corresponding to the department code,
Counter information for each department is acquired from the image forming means, stored in an internally held counter information database, added to the counter information for each department, and counter information for each department of the image forming means A department management device for an image forming system. When the printer driver of the host PC sends the user's department code and print data to the image forming means and prints out the print data by the image forming means, the image forming apparatus responds to the print output. A department management program of an image forming system for causing a computer to execute processing for obtaining counter information counted up for each department corresponding to the department code,
A procedure for obtaining counter information for each department from the image forming means;
A procedure for accumulating the acquired counter information for each department in the counter information database held internally and adding it to the counter information for each department;
A procedure for resetting counter information for each department of the image forming means;
A department management program for an image forming system.

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