Peripheral device managing system, job sending method and storing medium

• US 20030197885A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takeo, Akinori
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to permit smooth and proper charge processing by also permitting charging with respect to charging destination other than the user who inputs a job for charge processing. In a peripheral device managing system in which a peripheral device for receiving and processing a job, a client for sending the job to the peripheral device and a server apparatus for managing the peripheral device are interconnected via a network, the server apparatus includes means for issuing a job ticket as a job issue license to the client, the job includes at least the issued job ticket as attribution information, and the peripheral device includes means for interpreting the job ticket included in the attribution information of the job and means for confirming the fact that issuing of the job is allowed by the server apparatus on the basis of the job ticket, thereby permitting the charge processing with respect to allowed agent charging destination.

Claims

1. A peripheral device managing system comprising a peripheral device for receiving and processing a job, a client for sending the job to said peripheral device, a server apparatus for managing said peripheral device, and a network for connecting between the client and said peripheral device and said server apparatus, wherein:

said server apparatus includes means for issuing a job ticket as a job issue license to the client;

the job includes at least the issued job ticket as attribution information; and

said peripheral device includes means for interpreting the job ticket included in the attribution information of the job and means for confirming the fact that issuing of the job is allowed by said server apparatus on the basis of the job ticket.

2. A peripheral device managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said server apparatus holds a correspondence table for indicating a relationship between user ID and allowed charging destination account, and a maximum value of a charge counter for the charging destination account;

and

the job ticket includes at least user ID of the client in which issuing of the job is allowed by said server apparatus, and charge destination account ID for job processing.

3. A peripheral device managing system according to claim 2, wherein said job ticket issuing means of said server apparatus include means for ascertaining the fact that a value of said charge counter for the charging destination account does not exceed the maximum of said charge counter for the charging destination account.

4. A peripheral device managing system according to claim 3, wherein the correspondence table held by said server apparatus and indicating the relationship between the user ID and the allowed charging destination account is a correspondence table for indicating a relationship between the user ID and allowed agent charging destination account;

and

charging destination account ID for the job processing included in the job ticket agent charging destination account ID.

5. A peripheral device managing system according to claim 3, wherein charging for the job processing is counted with respect to the charging destination account described in the job ticket.

6. A method for sending a job performed by a client in a peripheral device managing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein:

the client includes a step for requesting issue of the job ticket to said server apparatus before the job is sent to said peripheral device, and a step for sending the job to said peripheral device after the job ticket is included in the attribution information of the job.

7. A storing medium for storing a program for causing a computer to execute the steps according to claim 6.