IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, LOG MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120096465A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: KAMISHIRO, Daisuke
• Application Number:
  US13/238,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3082 the data filtering being achieved by aggregating or compressing the monitored data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes application programs that generate logs, an interface information storing unit configured to store interface information for the respective application programs, and a log management unit. The interface information is used to obtain the logs generated by the corresponding application programs. The log management unit is configured to receive a log acquisition request, to obtain the logs of one or more of the application programs specified in the log acquisition request based on the corresponding interface information stored in the interface information storing unit, and to output the obtained logs as a response to the log acquisition request.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

application programs that generate logs;

an interface information storing unit configured to store interface information for the respective application programs, the interface information being used to obtain the logs generated by the corresponding application programs; and

a log management unit configured

to receive a log acquisition request,

to obtain the logs of one or more of the application programs specified in the log acquisition request based on the corresponding interface information stored in the interface information storing unit, and

to output the obtained logs as a response to the log acquisition request.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an access right information storing unit configured to store information including categories of the logs generated by the application programs and access rights of users for accessing the categories of the logs, wherein

the interface information storing unit is configured to store the interface information for each of the categories; and

the log management unit is configured

to determine the categories of the logs that are accessible by a user sending the log acquisition request based on the information stored in the access right information storing unit, and

to obtain the logs based on the interface information associated with the determined categories.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a log format information storing unit configured to store format information of the logs,

wherein the application programs are configured to generate the logs according to the format information stored in the log format information storing unit.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

an application log format information storing unit configured to store information indicating a correspondence between the application programs and sets of the format information stored in the log format information storing unit,

wherein the application programs are configured to generate the logs according to the sets of the format information associated therewith in the application log format information storing unit.

5. A method of managing logs performed by an image forming apparatus including application programs that generate the logs, the method comprising:

storing interface information for the respective application programs, the interface information being used to obtain the logs generated by the corresponding application programs;

receiving a log acquisition request;

obtaining the logs of one or more of the application programs specified in the log acquisition request based on the corresponding interface information; and

outputting the obtained logs as a response to the log acquisition request.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

storing access right information including categories of the logs generated by the application programs and access rights of users for accessing the categories of the logs; and

determining the categories of the logs that are accessible by a user sending the log acquisition request based on the access right information, wherein

the interface information is stored for each of the categories; and

the logs are obtained based on the interface information associated with the determined categories.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

storing format information of the logs; and

generating the logs by the application programs according to the format information.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

storing correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the application programs and sets of the format information,

wherein the logs are generated by the application programs according to the sets of the format information associated therewith in the correspondence information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing an image forming apparatus including application programs that generate logs to perform a method comprising:

storing interface information for the respective application programs, the interface information being used to obtain the logs generated by the corresponding application programs;

receiving a log acquisition request;

obtaining the logs of one or more of the application programs specified in the log acquisition request based on the corresponding interface information; and

outputting the obtained logs as a response to the log acquisition request.

10. The storage medium as claimed in claim 9, the method further comprising:

storing access right information including categories of the logs generated by the application programs and access rights of users for accessing the categories of the logs; and

determining the categories of the logs that are accessible by a user sending the log acquisition request based on the access right information, wherein

the interface information is stored for each of the categories; and

the logs are obtained based on the interface information associated with the determined categories.

11. The storage medium as claimed in claim 9, the method further comprising:

storing format information of the logs; and

generating the logs by the application programs according to the format information.

12. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, the method further comprising:

storing correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the application programs and sets of the format information,

wherein the logs are generated by the application programs according to the sets of the format information associated therewith in the correspondence information.