Network system, method and computer readable medium including print log generation

• US 6,864,992 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Okada, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Arthur G.
• Application Number:
  US09/598,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/504, 358/404, 709/224, 709/250, 709/203, 710/15, 714/47, 714/46, 714/39, 714/20, 714/723
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• 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: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer

Abstract

A network system includes at least one computer server and at least one client computer having a printer respectively connected to a network. The system has a print log generating device that generates a print log having printer usage contents including software used by the at least one client computer when a printing request is made in the at least one client computer. A print log storing device stores the print log, a collecting device collects the print log from the at least one client computer, and an aggregating device aggregates usage contents of the printer per a prescribed category. The print log generating device and the print log storing device are provided in the at least one client computer, and the collecting device is provided in the at least one computer server.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

at least one computer server;

at least one client computer having a printer respectively connected to a network,

a print log generating device configured to generate a print log having printer usage contents that includes software used by a client when a printing request is made in said at least one client computer;

a print log storing device configured to store the print log;

a collecting device configured to collect said print log from said at least one client computer; and

an aggregating device configured to aggregate usage contents of the printer per a prescribed category, wherein

said print log generating device and said print log storing device are provided in said at least one client computer, and

said collecting device is provided in said at least one computer server.

2. A network system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display apparatus configured to display a result of the aggregation.

3. A network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printer usage contents include a name of the printer, a print requesting time period and a name of an application.

4. A network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said category is a time zone when a print request is made.

5. A network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said category is an application with which a printer is used.

6. A network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting device periodically collects the print log from said client computer.

7. A network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aggregating device is provided in at least one supervisor computer.

8. A network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display device is provided in at least one supervisor computer.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said category is a time zone when a printer is utilized.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said category is an application with which a printer is utilized.

20. A network system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said printer usage contents include a name of the printer, a print requesting time period and a name of an application.

9. A method for aggregating usage contents of a printer of each client computer connected to a network system, comprising:

generating a print log including a software used by a client when a print request is made in a client computer;

storing said print log;

collecting said print log from the client computer; and

aggregating the print log per prescribed category, wherein

the print log is generated and stored in the client computer, and

the print log is collected by at least one computer server.

12. A computer readable medium readable for at least one computer server and at least one client computer respectively connected to a network system, said medium storing a program for enabling the at least one client computer to collect a print log having printer usage contents that include a software used by a client, and the at least one server computer to collect the print log from the at least one client computer and to aggregate the printer usage contents per prescribed category, wherein

the print log is generated and stored in the at least one client computer, and

the print log is collected by the at least one computer server.

13. A medium as claimed in claim 12, wherein said printer usage contents include a name of the printer, a print requesting time period and a name of application.

14. A medium as claimed in claim 12, wherein said category is a time zone when a print request is made.

15. A medium as claimed in claim 12, wherein said category is an application with which a printer is used.

16. A network system comprising:

at least one computer server,

at least one client computer having a printer respectively connected to a network;

print log generating means for generating a print log having printer usage contents including a software used by a client when a printing request is made in said at least one client computer;

print log storing means for storing the print log;

collecting means for collecting said print log from said at least one client computer; and

aggregating means for aggregating usage contents of the printer per prescribed category, wherein

said print log generating means and said print log storing means are provided in said at least one client computer, and

said collecting means is provided in said at least one computer server.

17. A network system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising displaying means for displaying a result of the aggregation.

18. A network system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said printer usage contents include a name of the printer, a print requesting time period and a name of an application.

19. A network system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said category is a time zone when a print request is made.

21. A network system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said printer usage contents include a name of the printer, a print requesting time period and a name of an application.