Printing system and charging method thereof

A charging method of a printing system including a higher rank device and a printer having a total print number counter for counting the number of prints according to an instruction from said higher rank device, comprising the steps of:

• acquiring values of the total print number counter from the printer before a transfer of a printing data from the higher rank device to the printer and after a completion of printing of the printing data;
• accumulating the acquired values of the total print number counter correspondently to a name of a printing data producer attached to the printing data;
• calculating an accumulated number of prints of every printing data producer on the basis of the accumulated value of the total print number counter after the printing of the printing data is completed;
• and
• recording a result of calculation correspondingly to the name of the printing data producer.

A printing system including a higher rank device and a printer which reports a status and construction thereof to the higher rank device and having a total print number counter for counting the number of prints printed in the printer, comprising:

• a status storing database for storing data of the status and construction of said printer and noticing a generation of update of the data;
• printer status monitor means for acquiring data of the status and construction from said printer and storing the data in said status storing database;
• printing data transfer monitor means for storing a name of a printing data producer attached to a printing data transferred from said higher rank device to said printer and values of said total print number counter from said printer before a transfer of the printing data obtained from said printer and after a completion of printing of the printing data in said status storing database;
• printer status display means for displaying a current status of said printer by acquiring the data of the status and construction from said status storing database and monitoring a generation of update of the data;
• and
• print charging log producing means for acquiring the name of the printing data producer in transfer and the number of prints of the printing data from said status storing database every transfer of the printing data from said higher rank device to said printer and producing a record of an accumulated number of prints for every printing data producer.

A charging method of a printing system including a higher rank device and a printer having a total print number counter for noticing a status and construction thereof to the higher rank device and counting the number of prints printed by and ejected from the printer, wherein the higher rank device executing the step of:

• storing data of the status and construction of the printer and noticing a generation of update of the data;
• acquiring the data of the status and construction from the printer and storing the data;
• storing a name of a printing data and values of the total print number counter before a transfer of the printing data acquired from the printer and after the data is printed by the printer and ejected from the printer;
• displaying a current status of the printer by acquiring the stored data of the status and construction and monitoring a generation of update of the data;
• and
• acquiring the name of the producer of the printing data in transfer stored every transfer of the printing data from the higher rank device to the printer and the number of prints printed with the printing data and ejected from the printer and producing a record of the accumulated number of prints for every printing data producer.

A recording medium recorded with a charging control program of a printing system including a higher rank device and a printer having a total print number counter for noticing a status and construction of said printer to said higher rank device and counting the number of prints printed by and ejected from said printer, said charging control program instructing said higher rank device to execute the steps of:

• storing data of the status and construction of the printer and noticing a generation of update of the data;
• acquiring the data of the status and construction from the printer and storing the data;
• storing the name of the printing data producer attached to the printing data transferred from the higher rank device to the printer and values of the total print number counter acquired from the printer before a transfer of the printing data from the higher rank device to the printer and after a printing of the data is completed by the printer and ejected from the printer;
• displaying a current status of the printer by acquiring the data of the status and construction from the status storing database and monitoring a generation of update of the data;
• and
• acquiring the name of the producer of the printing data in every transfer from the higher rank device to the printer producer and the number of prints printed with the printing data by and ejected from the printer and produce a record of the accumulated number of prints for every producer.

A printing system including a server computer, a plurality of client computers connected to said server computer through a network and a printer which is to be used commonly by the plurality of said client computers and notices a status and construction of said printer to said server computer, wherein said server computer comprises:

• a status storing database for storing data of the status and construction of said printer and noticing a generation of update of the data;
• printer status monitor means for acquiring data of the status and construction from said printer and storing the data in said status storing database;
• printing data transfer monitor means for storing a name of a printing data producer transferred from said server computer to said printer and values of total print numbers before a transfer of the printing data acquired from said printer and after the printing data is printed by and ejected from said printer in said status storing database;
• printer status display means for displaying a current status of said printer by acquiring the data of the status and construction from said status storing database and monitoring the generation of update of the data;
• print charging log producing means for producing a record of an accumulated number of prints for every name of printing data producer by acquiring the name of the producer of the printing data in transfer and the number of prints of the printing data from said status storing database every transfer of the printing data from said server computer to said printer;
• and
• network communication means for transmitting an access to the data of the status and construction in said status storing database from the plurality of said client computers through said network, and
• where each said client computer comprises:
• means for copying the data in said status storing database in the printer through said network communication means;
• and
• means for monitoring the status and construction of said printer and changing the setting of said printer.

A charging method of a printing system including a server computer, a plurality of client computers connected to said server computer through a network and a printer which is to be used commonly by the plurality of said client computers and notices a status and construction of said printer to said server computer, wherein said server computer executes the steps of storing data of the status and construction of said printer and noticing a generation of update of the data, acquiring data of the status and construction from said printer and storing the data in said status storing database, storing a name of a printing data producer transferred from said server computer to said printer and values of total print numbers before a transfer of the printing data acquired from said printer and after the printing data is printed by and ejected from said printer in said status storing database, displaying a current status of said printer by acquiring the data of the status and construction from said status storing database and monitoring a generation of update of the data, producing a record of an accumulated number of prints for every name of printing data producer by acquiring the name of the producer of the printing data in transfer and the number of prints of the printing data from said status storing database every transfer of the printing data from said server computer to said printer and transmitting an access to the data of the status and construction in said status storing database from the plurality of said client computers through said network, and

• wherein each said client computer executes the steps of copying the stored data of the status and construction in said printer by accessing the stored data and monitoring the stored data of the status and construction and changing the setting of said printer.

A recording medium recorded with a charging control program of a printing system including a server computer, a plurality of client computers connected to the server computer through a network and a printer which is to be used commonly by the client computers and notices a status and construction of the printer to the server computer, wherein the charging control program instructs the server computer

• to store data of a status and construction of the printer and notice a generation of update of the data,
• to acquire data of the status and construction from the printer and store the data,
• to store a name of a printing data producer transferred from the higher rank device to the printer and values of total print numbers before a transfer of the printing data acquired from the printer and after the printing data is printed by and ejected from the printer,
• to display a current status of the printer by acquiring the data of the status and construction from the status storing database and monitoring a generation of update of the data,
• to produce a record of an accumulated number of prints for every name of printing data producer by acquiring the name of the producer of the printing data in transfer and the number of prints of the printing data every transfer of the printing data from the higher rank device to the printer, and
• to transmit an access to the stored data of the status and construction from the client computers through the network, and
• wherein the charging control program instructs each of the client computer
• to perform the access to copy the data of the status and construction in the printer, and
• to monitor the status and construction of the printer to change the setting of the printer.