Outputting a network device log file

A network device which interfaces between a local area network (LAN) and an image forming apparatus which outputs a visible image of a log file, said network device comprising:

• a LAN interface for receiving image forming jobs and command signals from the LAN;
• a peripheral interface including a connector electrically connectable to a corresponding connector of the image forming apparatus for outputting image forming jobs to the image forming apparatus;
• a storage device having an allocated area for storing a log file of information relating to the image forming apparatus, the information including at least information on image forming jobs which have been received from the LAN and which have been output in a job format through the connector to the image forming apparatus;
• and
• a processor that (i) updates the log file in the storage device based on at least the information on image forming jobs which have been received from the LAN and which have been output to the image forming apparatus, (ii) sets at least one triggering condition for initiating output of the log file, (iii) detects the at least one triggering condition in order to initiate output of the log file, (iv) formats the log file into an image forming job in the job format in response to the detected triggering condition, and (v) outputs the image forming job from the storage device through the connector directly to the image forming apparatus, whereby the image forming job is output by the image forming apparatus as a visible image.

A computer-readable memory medium for storing computer-executable process steps to output a log file from a network device having a connector electrically connectable to a corresponding connector of an image forming apparatus which outputs visible images, the network device for interfacing between a local area network (LAN) and the image forming apparatus, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

• a maintaining step to maintain a log file in the network device which logs information relating to the image forming apparatus interfaced to the network device, the information including at least information on image forming jobs which have been received from the LAN and which have been output in a job format through the connector to the image forming apparatus;
• a setting step to set at least one triggering condition for initiating output of the log file;
• a detecting step to detect the at least one triggering condition in order to initiate output of the log file;
• a formatting step to format the log file into an image forming job in the job format in response to the triggering condition detected in the detecting step;
• and
• an outputting step to output the image forming job from the network device through the connector directly to the image forming apparatus, whereby the image forming job is output by the image forming apparatus as a visible image.

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the process steps to output a log file from a network device having a connector electrically connectable to a corresponding connector of an image forming apparatus which outputs visible images, the network device for interfacing between a local area network (LAN) and the image forming apparatus, the process steps comprising:

• code to maintain a log file in the network device which logs information relating to the image forming apparatus interfaced to the network device, the information including at least information on image forming jobs which have been received from the LAN and which have been output in a job format through the connector to the image forming apparatus;
• code to set at least one triggering condition for initiating output of the log file;
• code to detect the at least one triggering condition in order to initiate output of the log file;
• code to format the log file into an image forming job in the job format in response to the triggering condition detected by the code to detect;
• and
• code to output the image forming job from the network device through the connector directly to the image forming apparatus, whereby the image forming job is output by the image forming apparatus as a visible image.