APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF LOG MANAGEMENT, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING LOG MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• US 20130016393A1
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Oku, Takenori, Tsuda, Michihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,786,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3223 of type information, e.g. reception or copy job
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A log management system stores association data indicating association between program identification information for identifying a program that requests execution of one or more functions at an information processing apparatus, and function identification information for identifying each one of the one or more functions to be executed by the program, receives program identification information for identifying a program that requests the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions from the information processing terminal on which the program is installed through the network, and obtains function identification information that is associated with the program identification information received from the information processing terminal using the association data.

Claims

1. A log management system connected to an information processing terminal and an information processing apparatus through a network, the log management system comprising:

a memory configured to store association data indicating association between program identification information for identifying a program that requests execution of one or more functions at the information processing apparatus, and function identification information for identifying each one of the one or more functions to be executed by the program;

a first network interface configured to receive program identification information for identifying a program that requests the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions, from the information processing terminal on which the program is installed through the network; and

a processor configured to obtain function identification information that is associated with the program identification information received from the information processing terminal using the association data.

2. The log management system of claim 1, wherein:

the first network interface is further configured to receive program usage information indicating a number of which the program is used to request the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions, from the information processing terminal through the network, and

the processor is further configured to convert the program usage information that is received from the information processing terminal, to converted program usage information indicating a number of which each one of the one or more functions is executed at the information processing apparatus by the program specified by the program identification information that is received from the information processing terminal.

3. The log management system of claim 2, further comprising:

a second network interface configured to receive function identification information for identifying a function that is executed at the information processing apparatus, and function execution log information indicating a number of which the function is executed at the information processing apparatus, from the information processing apparatus through the network, wherein the function identification information and the function execution log information are stored in the memory in association with each other.

4. The log management system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain, from the memory, function execution log information indicating a number of which each one of the one or more functions is executed, for the one or more functions that are specified by the function identification information that is associated with the program identification information received from the information processing terminal; and

compare between the function execution log information that is obtained from the memory and the converted program usage information that is converted from the program usage information received from the information processing terminal to generate an analysis result indicating the usage of the program installed on the information processing terminal in executing one or more functions.

5. The log management system of claim 4, wherein:

the first network interface is further configured to receive device identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus that is requested by the program specified by the program identification information to execute one or more functions;

the second network interface is further configured to receive device identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus that transmits the function identification information, wherein the device identification information is stored in the memory in association with the function identification information and the function execution log information; and

the processor is further configured to compare between the function execution log information and the converted usage information that are respectively obtained for the information processing apparatus requested by the program specified by the program identification information received from the information processing terminal, to generate an analysis result indicating the usage of the program installed on the information processing terminal in executing one or more functions for the information processing apparatus requested by the program.

6. The log management system of claim 5, wherein

the memory is further configured to store, for each one of a plurality of information processing apparatuses, estimated terminal number information indicating an estimated number of information processing terminals that are estimated to be connected to an information processing apparatus, in association with device identification information of the information processing apparatus, and

the processor is further configured to:

obtain estimated terminal number information that is associated with the device identification information of the information processing apparatus requested by the program;

obtain a number of different information processing terminals that send the program identification information and the program usage information to the information processing apparatus requested by the program; and

determine whether to generate the analysis result for the information processing apparatus requested by the program, based on the obtained estimated terminal number information and the obtained number of different information processing terminals.

7. The log management system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate, for each one of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the estimated number of information processing terminals based on a penetration rate of the information processing terminal for a user who uses the image forming apparatus, and an employee size of the user.

8. An information processing system, comprising:

the log management system of claim 1;

the information processing apparatus connected to the log management system through the network; and

the information processing terminal connected to the log management system through the network.

9. A log management method, comprising:

storing association data indicating association between program identification information for identifying a program that requests execution of one or more functions at an information processing apparatus, and function identification information for identifying each one of the one or more functions to be executed by the program;

receiving program identification information for identifying a program that requests the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions, from an information processing terminal on which the program is installed through a network; and

obtaining function identification information that is associated with the program specified by the program identification information received from the information processing terminal using the association data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving program usage information indicating a number of which the program is used to request the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions, from the information processing terminal through the network; and

converting the program usage information that is received from the information processing terminal, to converted function log information indicating a number of which each one of the one or more functions are executed at the information processing apparatus by the program specified by the program identification information that is received from the information processing terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving program usage information indicating a number of which the program is used to request the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions, from the information processing terminal through the network; and

converting the program usage information that is received from the information processing terminal, to converted program usage information indicating a number of which each one of the one or more functions is executed at the information processing apparatus by the program specified by the program identification information that is received from the information processing terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining, from the memory, function execution log information indicating a number of which each one of the one or more functions is executed, for the one or more functions that are specified by the function identification information that is associated with the program identification information received from the information processing terminal; and

comparing between the function execution log information that is obtained from the memory and the converted program usage information that is converted from the program usage information received from the information processing terminal to generate an analysis result indicating the usage of the program installed on the information processing terminal in executing one or more functions.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving device identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus that is requested by the program specified by the program identification information to execute one or more functions;

receiving device identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus that transmits the function identification information, wherein the device identification information is stored in the memory in association with the function identification information and the function execution log information; and

comparing between the function execution log information and the converted usage information that are respectively obtained for the information processing apparatus requested by the program specified by the program identification information received from the information processing terminal, to generate an analysis result indicating the usage of the program installed on the information processing terminal in executing one or more functions for the information processing apparatus requested by the program.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing in the memory, for each one of a plurality of information processing apparatuses, estimated terminal number information indicating an estimated number of information processing terminals that are estimated to be connected to an information processing apparatus, in association with device identification information of the information processing apparatus;

obtaining estimated terminal number information that is associated with the device identification information of the information processing apparatus requested by the program;

obtaining a number of different information processing terminals that send the program identification information and the program usage information to the information processing apparatus requested by the program; and

determining whether to generate the analysis result for the information processing apparatus requested by the program, based on the obtained estimated terminal number information and the obtained number of different information processing terminals.

15. A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a log management method comprising:

storing association data indicating association between program identification information for identifying a program that requests execution of one or more functions at an information processing apparatus, and function identification information for identifying each one of the one or more functions to be executed by the program;

receiving program identification information for identifying a program that requests the information processing apparatus to execute one or more functions, from an information processing terminal on which the program is installed through a network; and

obtaining function identification information that is associated with the program specified by the program identification information received from the information processing terminal using the association data.