Image forming apparatus, management information processing terminal, and status information management system

A management information processing terminal comprising:

• a first communication unit that performs communication with an the image forming apparatus that includes a plurality of communication ports, each of which performs data communication with an information processing terminal, the image forming apparatus performing a process of forming an image on a recording medium in accordance with image data received from the information processing terminal, and performing, upon receiving an inquiry of a device state from an information processing terminal, a process of sending a port information indicating types of the communication ports connected to currently operating devices, and a status information indicating the state of the image forming apparatus, to the information processing terminal that made the inquiry of the device state;
• a second communication unit that is connected to a network to perform communication with a management apparatus that manages the operation state of the image forming apparatus through the network;
• an acquisition unit that inquires through the first communication unit to the image forming apparatus of the device state of the image forming apparatus, and acquires the port information and the status information from the image forming apparatus in response to the inquiry;
• a determining unit that determines, based on the port information acquired by the acquisition unit, whether a second communication port that is communicably connected to another information processing terminal is present in the image forming apparatus, and when the second communication port is present, determines whether, among the communication ports currently connected communicably to the information processing terminals, a first communication port connected to the management information processing terminal has a highest priority according to a priority order set in advance for the respective communication ports;
• and
• a sending unit that sends through the second communication unit the status information acquired by the acquisition unit to the management device when the determining unit determines that the second communication port is not present or determines that the first communication port is the communication port having the highest priority.

A computer-readable program product causing a computer to execute the procedures for managing status information,

• wherein the computer comprises:
• a first communication unit that performs communication with an the image forming apparatus that includes a plurality of communication ports, each of which performs data communication with an information processing terminal, the image forming apparatus performing a process of forming an image on a recording medium in accordance with image data received from the information processing terminal, and performing, upon receiving an inquiry of a device state from an information processing terminal, a process of sending a port information indicating types of the communication ports connected to currently operating devices, and a status information indicating the state of the image forming apparatus, to the information processing terminal that made the inquiry of the device state;
• and
• a second communication unit that is connected to a network to perform communication with a management apparatus that manages the operation state of the image forming apparatus through the network,
• wherein the program product causing the computer to execute the procedures comprising:
• inquiring through the first communication unit to the image forming apparatus of the device state of the image forming apparatus;
• acquiring the port information and the status information from the image forming apparatus in response to the inquiry;
• determining, based on the port information acquired by the acquisition unit, whether a second communication port that is communicably connected to another information processing terminal is present in the image forming apparatus;
• determining, when the second communication port is present, whether, among the communication ports currently connected communicably to the information processing terminals, a first communication port connected to the management information processing terminal has a highest priority according to a priority order set in advance for the respective communication ports;
• and
• sending through the second communication unit the status information acquired by the acquisition unit to the management device when the determining unit determines that the second communication port is not present or determines that the first communication port is the communication port having the highest priority.

A status information management system comprising:

• an image forming apparatuses that includes a plurality of communication ports, each of which performs data communication with an information processing terminal, the image forming apparatus performing a process of forming an image on a recording medium in accordance with image data received from the information processing terminal, and performing, upon receiving an inquiry of a device state from an information processing terminal, a process of sending a port information indicating types of the communication ports connected to currently operating devices, and a status information indicating the state of the image forming apparatus, to the information processing terminal that made the inquiry of the device state;
• a management device that manages the operation state of the image forming apparatus;
• and
• a plurality of information processing terminals, each of the information processing terminals being enabled to communicate with the management device through a network, being respectively connected to the communication ports of the image forming apparatus, and being configured to:
• inquire, upon receiving from the management device an instruction of requesting status information, the device state to the image forming apparatus;
• send, upon receiving the status information in response to the inquiry of the device state, a new status information, with which a device identification information for specifying the connected image forming apparatus is added to the received status information, to the management device,
• wherein the management device comprises:
• a communication unit that performs communication with the information processing terminals that are communicably connected through the network;
• an acquisition unit that sends through the communication unit to the information processing terminals connected to the management device, an instruction to request the status information from the image forming apparatus connected to the information processing terminals, and acquires the status information in response to the instruction through the communication unit;
• and
• an eliminating unit that determines, based on the device identification information included in the status information acquired by the acquisition unit, whether the acquired status information includes status information that is sent from the same image forming apparatus, and eliminates the status information with the exception of one of the status information when there is status information that is sent from the same image forming apparatus.