Management system, monitoring apparatus and management method

A monitoring apparatus for acquiring counter values as counter information from an image forming apparatus having a recording unit configured to record counter values of a plurality of types in a storage device in the image forming apparatus and a copying unit configured to make, in the storage device, a copy of a part of the counter information between image forming operations,

• the monitoring apparatus comprising:
• a first acquisition unit configured to acquire the counter values of the plurality of types recorded in the storage device;
• a storing unit configured to store the acquired counter values of the plurality of types as valid counter values if the acquired counter values are consistent with one another;
• and
• a second acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the image forming apparatus, the part of the counter values whose copy was made by the copying unit,
• wherein the storing unit storing, as valid counter values, the part of the counter values whose copy was made by the copying unit that was acquired by the second acquisition unit if the acquired counter values of the plurality of types are inconsistent with one another.

A management method used by a management system for managing information concerning an amount of usage of an image forming apparatus, the system comprising the image forming apparatus and a monitoring apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus, the method comprising:

• a step, performed by the image forming apparatus, of recording, as the counter information, counter values of a plurality of types in a storage device in the image forming apparatus;
• a copying step, performed by the image forming apparatus, of making, in the storage device, a copy of a part of the counter information between image forming operations,
• a first acquiring step, performed by a monitoring apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus, of acquiring the counter values of the plurality of types recorded in the storage device;
• a storing step, performed by the monitoring apparatus, of storing the acquired counter values of the plurality of types as valid counter values if the acquired counter values are consistent with one another;
• and
• a second acquiring step, performed by the monitoring apparatus, of acquiring, from the image forming apparatus, the part of the counter values whose copy was made in the copying step,
• wherein in the storing step the counter values whose copy was made in the copying step that was acquired in the second acquiring step are stored as valid counter values if the acquired counter values of the plurality of types are inconsistent with one another.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a monitoring method for acquiring counter values as counter information from an image forming apparatus having recording means configured to record counter values of a plurality of types in a storage device in the image forming apparatus, and copying means configured to make, in the storage device, a copy of a part of the counter information between image forming operations, the monitoring method comprising:

• a first acquiring step of acquiring the counter values of the plurality of types recorded in the storage device;
• a storing step of storing the acquired counter values of the plurality of types as valid counter values if the acquired counter values are consistent with one another;
• and
• an acquiring step of acquiring, from the image forming apparatus, the part of the counter values whose copy was made in the copying step,
• wherein in the storing step, the counter values whose copy was made in the copying step that was acquired in the second acquiring step are stored as valid counter values if the acquired counter values of the plurality of types are inconsistent with one another.