JP4293540B2 - PRINT MANAGEMENT DEVICE, METHOD, PRINT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a print management apparatus , method, print management program, and storage medium for managing print log information and the like in a printing apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine thereof.

  Conventionally, as a technique for managing the print log information and the like of the printing apparatus described above, there are a technique for managing by the printing apparatus main body and a technique for managing the print log information and the like by the print server. In recent years, network printers that do not require a print server have become widespread, and centralized management of print log information has become necessary as network systems that connect printers and client terminals become larger. In such a large-scale network system, a print management server is connected to manage print log information and the like. Based on these centrally managed print log information and the like, for example, a usage fee for a printing apparatus is used. Has been calculated.

As a management apparatus for such a network system, for example, in Patent Document 1, the image forming system manages the number of output copy jobs requested by each user in association with the copy ID of the user. An image input device having a management function and an output request of a print job requested from a client via a network are made to the image input / output device, and the output number of the print job is associated with the print ID of the user A print server having a print job output number management function to be managed, and a department management server for counting the output number by the copy job output number management function of the image input / output device and the output number by the print job output number management function of the print server. By providing each user with a copy job It is described that can be centrally managed and the output number of forces sheets and print jobs. Further, in Patent Document 2, when a print request file and a form file are transmitted from a client terminal to a billing server, the billing server sends a print permission file that describes the permitted amount of resources such as the number of usable print sheets to the client. The accounting information is generated based on the resource amount and stored in the accounting information file, and the client terminal transmits the print permission file to the printer device in advance of the form file. By executing the printing process only when the print permission file is transmitted in advance, it is possible to centrally manage the charging information and to control the printing and the charging process for the printing process on the network. It is described that can be performed efficiently.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-205498 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-242576

When managing print information with such a conventional print management server, a program for acquiring print log information and transferring the print log information and the like to the print management server is installed in the client terminal. With this program, when a print instruction is executed at the client terminal, the print log information and the like are transferred to the print management server, and the print operation in which the print log information is normally transferred to the print management server is charged. can do. However, with print log information alone, the administrator of the print management server cannot know the operating status, such as whether the transfer program installed on the client terminal is operating normally, and prints normally from each client terminal. It is difficult to check whether log information is transferred.
Therefore, the present invention relates to a print management apparatus that is connected to a network system and manages print log information and the like from a client terminal, and can accurately grasp the operation status of a transfer program installed in the client terminal. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a print management program.

The print management apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiving unit capable of receiving print log information transmitted from a client terminal, a storage unit storing reception date / time data of the print log information for each client terminal, comprising an updating means for updating the reception date data stored in the storage means when receiving the print log information, and display means for displaying the data stored in the storage means, and said storage means, the client When printing is instructed from a terminal, the print information acquired from the client terminal and the client terminal identifier of the additional information, the user identifier, and the version of the transfer program are stored in association with each other . Before Symbol receiving means may may receive the installation information of the print management information transfer program of the each client terminal, wherein the storage unit, storing the installation date data of the installation information for each of the client terminal It is characterized by. Further, the storage means comprises means for notifying that a new version is to be installed when the version of the transfer program is updated.

The print management program according to the present invention includes a computer for transmitting / receiving means for receiving print log information transmitted from a plurality of client terminals, storage means for storing the reception date / time data of the print log information for each client terminal, and the printing updating means, display means for displaying the data stored before term memory means for updating the reception date data stored in said storage means when receiving the log information, and, when the print instruction from the client terminal, The print information acquired from the client terminal and the client information identifier of the additional information, the user identifier, and the version of the transfer program are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit .
A computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention stores the print management program.
The print management method in the print management apparatus according to the present invention further includes a reception step of receiving print log information transmitted from a client terminal, and the reception date / time data of the print log information is stored in a storage unit for each of the client terminals. A storage step, an update step of updating the reception date and time data stored in the storage unit when the print log information is received, and a display step of displaying the data stored in the storage unit, In the storage step, when printing is instructed from the client terminal, the storage unit associates the identifier of the print information acquired from the client terminal and the client terminal of the additional information, the user identifier, and the version of the transfer program. It memorize | stores in .

  Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, the print management apparatus stores and displays the latest date and time data when the print log information from the client terminal is received. It is possible to accurately grasp whether the installed program is operating normally. Also, by storing the installation date / time data of the program installed in the client terminal together with the date / time data, it is possible to grasp whether the program is correctly set in the client terminal at the initial setting of the print management system based on the installation date / time. Is possible. Further, by storing and displaying additional information such as the identifier of the client terminal, the user identifier, and the version of the program installed in the client terminal, the client terminal, the operating status of the program of the client terminal, the usage status of the user in more detail Therefore, the management load on the administrator of the print management apparatus is reduced and management becomes easy.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the embodiments described below are preferable specific examples for carrying out the present invention, and thus various technical limitations are made. However, the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention. A print management information transfer program 2 is stored in the client PC 1, and an arbitrary number of client PCs 1 are connected to the network 3. An arbitrary number of printing apparatuses 4 are also connected to the network 3 in the same manner as the client PC 1. Further, a relay server 5 is connected to the same network 3, and a storage program 6, a transfer program 7, and a print management information database 8 (hereinafter referred to as “print management information DB”) are stored in the relay server 5. Has been. A range surrounded by a broken line constitutes one network system 9, and a plurality of network systems 9 are connected to the print management server 10. The print management server 10 stores a print management program 11 and includes a display unit 12 and an input unit 13.

  Here, in FIG. 1, the client PC 1 and the print management server 10 are assumed to be a personal computer (PC) or a workstation (WS), but may be a computer corresponding thereto. The printing apparatus 4 is an apparatus including at least one function among a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and a scanner. The network 3 can be a local area network (LAN), the Internet, or the like. The display unit 12 may be a CRT, a liquid crystal display, or the like. The input unit 13 may be a keyboard or a mouse.

  FIG. 2 is a processing flow in the print management system shown in FIG. In the print management system of FIG. 1, when the client PC 1 is operated and activated or when the client PC 1 instructs the printing apparatus 4 to print, the print management information transfer program 2 sends the print information and additional information ( The following two are combined as print management information) (S101). The print information is information indicating what, how many sheets, where, and how they are printed. Additional information includes an identifier of the client terminal, a user identifier, version information of the print management information transfer program 2, and the like as shown in FIG. Further, the print management information transfer program 2 transfers the print management information to the relay server 5 via the network 3 (S102).

  Similarly, when the user activates the printing apparatus 4 or uses the copy function or fax function of the printing apparatus 4, the print management information is acquired through the printing apparatus 4 or the user ID card reader, and the relay server 5 is transferred.

  When print management information is input to the relay server 5, the reception date / time data is updated by the storage program 6 (S103), and print management information other than the reception date / time data is stored in the print management information DB 8 (S104). . The reception date / time data is updated every time there is an input from the client PC 1 and is displayed as the latest access date / time as shown in FIG.

  When the print management information transfer program 2 is installed in the client PC 1, installation date / time data is transferred by the print management information transfer program 2, stored (103), and stored (S 104) by the relay server 5. Each time print management information is generated in the client PC, the processing from S101 to S104 as described above is executed, and the print management information is accumulated in the print management information DB 8.

  Next, a request for transferring print management information to the relay server 5 from the print management program 11 of the print management server 10 manually or automatically at a preset date and time (for example, at the end of the month) (S105). ), The relay server 5 extracts the print management information from the print management information DB 8 by the transfer program 7 (S106), and transfers the print management information to the print management server 10 (S107). Upon receiving the print management information, the print management server 10 displays the contents on the display unit 12 by the print management program 11 (S108).

  The display result is obtained by adding additional information as shown in FIG. 3 together with normal print information. The additional information 14 is acquired from the client PC 1 via the relay server 5 and includes a client PC identifier 14a, a user identifier 14b, and version information 14c related to the transfer program. The additional information 14 includes the client PC 1 and the printing device 4. The total number of printed sheets for each device, the total number of printed sheets for each user, and when the transfer program version is updated, the print management server 10 notifies the user to install a new version, print management A new version can be automatically installed on the client PC from the server 10. The additional information 15 is generated and stored in the relay server 5, and the installation date / time data 15 a that is the date and time when the print management information transfer program 2 is installed in each client PC 1 and the printing device 4, and each client PC 1 and the printing device 4. The relay server 5 includes the latest received date / time data 15b when the print management information is received. The additional information 15 indicates whether the transfer program is correctly installed at the time of initial setting of the print management system, and the transfer program is normally It is possible to accurately grasp whether it is operating. As described above, since the operating status of the client PC 1 and the printing apparatus 4 on the network 3 and the usage status of the user can be grasped in detail, the management load on the administrator of the print management server 10 is reduced.

  With the configuration as shown in FIG. 1, print management information can be stored in the relay server 5 for each network system 9, and management is facilitated even in a large-scale network environment. That is, by having the print management information DB 8 in the relay server 5, the burden on the print management server 10 is reduced and the environment is stabilized. Further, when a new network system 9 is added to an existing print management system, it can be easily added by adding the relay server 5.

  Moreover, it can also be set as a structure like FIG. In this case, since the print management server 10 is directly connected to the network system 9, there is no need for a relay server, and the print management information DB 9 is provided in the print management server 10 to transfer the last access date / time and print management information. By storing the installation date and time of the program 2 in the print management server 10, print management similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 can be performed. However, the configuration of FIG. 4 places a burden on the print management server 10 and is suitable for a small-scale network environment.

It is a block block diagram regarding embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a processing flow of embodiment of FIG. It is an example of a display of additional information concerning the present invention. It is another block block diagram regarding embodiment which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Client PC2, print management information transfer program, 3 ... Network, 4 ... Printing apparatus, 5 ... Relay server, 6 ... Storage program, 7 ... Transfer program, 8 ..Print management information DB, 9 ... Network system, 10 ... Print management server, 11 ... Print management program, 12 ... Display unit, 13 ... Input unit, 14 ... Additional information, 15 ... additional information

Claims (6)

Receiving means capable of receiving print log information transmitted from a client terminal, storage means for storing reception date / time data of the print log information for each client terminal, and when the print log information is received comprising an updating means for updating the reception date data stored in the storage means, and display means for displaying the data stored in the storage means, and
The storage means stores the print information acquired from the client terminal and the client terminal identifier of the additional information, the user identifier, and the version of the transfer program in association with each other when a print instruction is issued from the client terminal. A print management apparatus. The receiving means can receive installation information of a print management information transfer program for each client terminal, and the storage means stores installation date / time data of the installation information for each client terminal. The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The print management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for notifying that a new version is installed when the version of the transfer program is updated. Computer
A transmission / reception means for receiving print log information transmitted from a plurality of client terminals;
Storage means for storing the reception date and time data of the print log information for each of the client terminals;
Updating means for updating the reception date and time data stored in the storage means when the print log information is received;
Display means for displaying data stored in the storage means; and
As a means for storing the print information acquired from the client terminal and the client terminal identifier of the additional information, the user identifier, and the version of the transfer program in association with each other when the print instruction is issued from the client terminal Print management program to make it function. A computer-readable storage medium storing the print management program according to claim 4. In the print management apparatus, a reception step of receiving print log information transmitted from a client terminal, a storage step of storing reception date / time data of the print log information in a storage unit for each client terminal, and reception of the print log information An update process for updating the reception date and time data stored in the storage means, and a display process for displaying the data stored in the storage means,
In the storage step, when printing is instructed from the client terminal, the storage unit associates the identifier of the print information acquired from the client terminal and the client terminal of the additional information, the user identifier, and the version of the transfer program. And a print management method.

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