Method and system for remote diagnostic, control and information collection based on various communication modes for sending messages to users

A method of monitoring usage of an image output device, comprising:

• receiving, from the image output device, a real-time status message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a print job and resource usage information for the print job, wherein the print job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;
• extracting, from the received message, the job identifier and the resource usage information;
• calculating, based on the extracted resource usage information and usage information of the registered user stored in a memory, a total resource usage of the registered user;
• determining whether the calculated total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold;
• and
• transmitting a message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined in the determining step that the calculated total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.

An apparatus for monitoring usage of an image output device, comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to
• receive, from the image output device, a real-time status message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a print job and resource usage information for the print job, wherein the print job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;
• extract, from the received message, the job identifier and the resource usage information;
• calculate, based on the extracted resource usage information and usage information of the registered user stored in a memory, a total resource usage of the registered user;
• determine whether the calculated total resource usage of the registered user
• reaches a predetermined threshold;
• and
• transmit a message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined that the calculated total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform a method of monitoring usage of an image output device, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the image output device, a real-time status message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a print job and resource usage information for the print job, wherein the print job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;
• extracting, from the received message, the job identifier and the resource usage information;
• calculating, based on the extracted resource usage information and usage information of the registered user stored in a memory, a total resource usage of the registered user;
• determining whether the calculated total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold;
• and
• transmitting a message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined in the determining step that the calculated total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.