MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Abstract

A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for describing functions of a image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for describing functions of a management server according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for describing the functions of a print server according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a user authentication process of an image forming apparatus management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing an operation of the personal menu process of an image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams for describing the statuses of an operation part in a case where a personal menu is selected by the user according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for describing configurations of an image forming apparatus, a control terminal, and an IC card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus management system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for describing the configurations of a laser printer, a control terminal, a setting terminal, and an IC card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A-12M are schematic diagrams for describing a display method executed by a display part in a case of displaying the status of the image forming apparatus management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 13A-13D are schematic diagrams for describing a display method executed by a display part for displaying the status of a second print server in a case where plural printer servers are connected.

Claims

1. A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus, the management apparatus comprising: a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data; anda use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data.

2. The management apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user identification data include first user identification data and a second user identification data corresponding to the first user identification data.

3. The management apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first user identification data include data stored in an information recording medium.

4. An image forming apparatus management system comprising: an image forming apparatus; anda management apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus;wherein the management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a first communication part for communicating with the image forming apparatus,wherein the image forming apparatus includes a user identification data obtaining part for obtaining the user identification data, and a second communication part for communicating with the management apparatus.

5. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a process history storage part for storing history data of a process executed by the image forming apparatus.

6. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a personal data storage part for storing personal data corresponding to the user identification data.

7. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user identification data include first user identification data and a second user identification data corresponding to the first user identification data, wherein the management apparatus is connected to a second user identification storage part for storing the second user identification data.

8. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a password generation part for generating a password based on at least one of the first user identification data and the second user identification data.

9. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a data format conversion part for converting the format of the obtained first user identification data to a format enabling the image forming apparatus to execute a process in accordance with the first user identification data.

10. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the management apparatus further includes a display part for displaying data indicating the status of the image forming apparatus management system.

11. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a print process apparatus for temporarily storing print commands corresponding to the user identification data, the print process apparatus including a communication part for communicating with the image forming apparatus and the management apparatus.

12. An image forming apparatus management system comprising: an image forming apparatus;an operation terminal connected to the image forming apparatus; anda management apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus;wherein the management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a first communication part for communicating with the operation terminal,wherein the image forming apparatus includes a user identification data obtaining part for obtaining the user identification data and a second communication part for communicating with the management apparatus.

13. The image forming apparatus management system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a print process apparatus for temporarily storing print commands corresponding to the user identification data, the print process apparatus including a communication part for communicating with the operation terminal and the management apparatus.

14. An image forming apparatus management system comprising: an image forming apparatus;a control terminal connected to the image forming apparatus for controlling the image forming apparatus;a management apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus; anda print process apparatus for processing print commands to be executed by the image forming apparatus;wherein the management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a first communication part for communicating with the control terminal and the print process apparatus,wherein the control terminal includes a user identification data obtaining part for obtaining the user identification data, a print process instructing part for instructing execution of a printing process by the print process apparatus, and a second communication part for communicating with the management apparatus and the print process apparatus;wherein the print process apparatus includes a print process controlling part for controlling execution of the print commands, a print command storage part for storing the print commands, and a third communication part for communicating with the image forming apparatus, the control terminal and the management apparatus.

15. The image forming apparatus management apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control terminal includes a first light emitting device for indicating a power status of the control terminal,a second light emitting device for indicating at least one of an apparatus status of the control terminal, an apparatus status of the management apparatus, and an apparatus status of the print process apparatus, anda third light emitting device for indicating at least one of a communication status between the control terminal and the management apparatus and a communication status between the control terminal and the print process apparatus.