Device usage information writing apparatus and method thereof, image forming apparatus and device system having the apparatus

• US 20060064738A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Saka, Masaaki, Imaizumi, Shoji, Yoshida, Eiichi, Iwamoto, Hiroshi, Hino, Hideki, Ichiki, Toru
• Application Number:
  US11/023,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

Abstract

A device usage information writing apparatus comprises a memory having a usage information storage area wherein the usage information of a job execution device of a user is stored with reference to the user; a determination part of an existence of area wherein the existence of the usage information storage area regarding the user is determined concerning the existence at the memory when the user who has succeeded an authentication at an authentication part uses the device; an area generation part wherein the usage information storage area is generated with reference to the user when the determination part of the existence of area determines that the usage information storage area does not exist after the determination process at the determination part of the existence of the area; and a writing part in which the device usage information of the user is written in the usage information storage area generated by the area generation part or in an already-existing usage information storage area.

Claims

1. A device usage information writing apparatus comprising:

a memory having a usage information storage area wherein usage information of a job execution device by a user is stored with reference to the user;

a determination part of an existence of area wherein the existence of the usage information storage area regarding the user is determined concerning the existence at the memory when the user who has succeeded an authentication at an authentication part uses the device;

an area generation part wherein the usage information storage area is generated with reference to the user when the determination part of the existence of area determines that the usage information storage area does not exist after the determination process at the determination part of the existence of the area; and

a writing part in which the device usage information of the user is written in the usage information storage area generated by the area generation part or in an already-existing usage information storage area.

2. The device usage information writing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the job execution device is provided with at least any one of function of copying, scanning, printing, and faxing,

the device usage information comprising a page based counter information or a job based counter information during a use of at least any one of the copying function, the scanning function, the printing function, and the faxing function.

3. The device usage information writing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory is shared with a plurality of job execution devices.

4. The device usage information writing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the authentication part exists inside or outside of the usage information writing apparatus.

5. An image forming apparatus having at least any of a copying function, a scanning function, a printing function, and a faxing function comprising:

a memory having the usage information storage area wherein usage information of the image forming apparatus by the user is stored with reference to a user;

a determination part of the existence of area wherein the existence of the usage information storage area regarding the user is determined concerning the existence at the memory of a use by the user who has succeeded an authentication at an authentication part;

an area generation part wherein the usage information storage area is generated with reference to the user when the determination part of the existence of area determines that the usage information storage area does not exist after the determination process at the determination part of the existence of the area; and

a writing part in which the information of the user is written in the usage information storage area generated by the area generation part or in an already-existing usage information storage area.

6. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the authentication part exists inside or outside of the image forming apparatus.

7. A device system, comprising:

a job execution device;

an authentication apparatus for authenticating a user who uses the device;

a memory having a usage information storage area in which usage information of job execution by the user is stored in association with the user and therein; and

a usage information writing apparatus,

wherein the usage information writing apparatus comprises

a determination part of the existence of the area wherein the existence of the usage information storage area regarding the user is determined concerning the existence at the memory when the user who has succeeded the authentication at the authentication part uses the device;

an area generation part wherein the usage information storage area is generated with reference to the user when the determination part of the existence of the area determined that the usage information storage area does not exist after the determination process at the determination part of the existence of the area; and

a writing part wherein the usage information by the user is written either in the usage information storage area generated by the area generation part or in the already-existing usage information storage area.

8. The device system as recited in claim 7, wherein the job execution device comprises at least any one of a copying function, a scanning function, a printing function, and a faxing function, the usage information writing part is contained in the image forming apparatus.

9. The device system as recited in claim 8, wherein the device usage information is page based counter information and job based counter information when at least any one of the copying function, the scanning function, the printing function, and the faxing function is used.

10. A usage information writing method comprising the steps of:

authenticating the user who uses the job execution device;

determining the existence of the usage information storage area in the memory apparatus regarding the user when the user who has succeeded the authentication uses the device;

generating the usage information storage area with reference to the user when the information storage area is determined as not being existed; and

writing the device usage information of the user into the generated usage information storage area or into the already-existing usage information storage area.

11. The usage information writing method as recited in claim 10, wherein the job execution device comprises at least any one of the copying function, the scanning function, the printing function, and the faxing function.

12. The usage information writing method as recited in claim 11, wherein the device usage information is the page based counter information and the job based counter information when at least any one of the copying function, the scanning function, the printing function, and the faxing function is used.