# US 8,542,385 B2 · Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and computer-readable recording medium thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,385 B2 - Document ID: US8542385B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/929,558 - Filed: 2011-02-01 - Published: 2011-08-04 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-03 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Toru Akutsu - Inventors: Toru Akutsu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542385B2 ## CPC - G06F 15/00: Digital computers in general (details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00); Data processing equipment in general - G06F 3/1239: {Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts} - H04N 1/00832: {Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied} - H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image processing apparatus is disclosed, including: a managing part, a use amount storing part, a setting part, and a determining part. The managing part manages a group threshold of a group including multiple members allowed to use the function for a use amount of the function. The use amount storing part stores a value of the use amount for each member. The setting part allocates the group threshold to the multiple members based on a value of a priority for each member in the group, and sets a member threshold for each member. The determining part determines whether a restriction concerning a use of the function is applied to a process of a use request, based on a result from comparing the value of the use amount with the member threshold for the request originator in response to the use request of the function. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a first setting registry part configured to register a first threshold of usage for the apparatus; a second setting registry part configured to register a value of a priority for multiple users, the value of the priority used to determine a second threshold for each of the multiple users, the second threshold indicating a threshold of usage for each of the multiple users; a setting part configured to allocate the second threshold for each of the multiple users automatically based on the first threshold and the value of the priority for each of the multiple users such that a sum of the second thresholds is less than the first threshold; a threshold storing part configured to store the first and second thresholds; and a use amount storing part configured to store a value of the use amount for each of the multiple users, wherein the second threshold and the value of the use amount for each of the multiple users are used for one of management and restriction of usage for each of the multiple users. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the priority is an allocation ratio of the second threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the value of the priority is one of multiple levels, each level being associated with a setting value of usage for determining the second threshold, if a sum of the setting values for all of the multiple users is less than the first threshold, the setting part automatically allocates the setting value associated with the level for each of the multiple users as the second threshold for each of the multiple users, and if the sum of the setting values for all of the multiple users is not less than the first threshold, the setting part automatically allocates an adjusting value as the second threshold for each of the multiple users, the adjusting value determined based on the first threshold and the setting value of each of the multiple users such that the sum of the second thresholds is less than the first threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the value of the priority is one of multiple levels each being associated with a difference in a value of usage between levels, and the setting part allocates the second threshold for each of the multiple users automatically based on the first threshold and the level of each of the multiple users such that the sum of the second thresholds is less than the first threshold and the difference in the value of usage between levels is maintained. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a third setting registry part configured to register a fixed value for one or more fixed value users as the second threshold for the one or more fixed value users, wherein the setting part allocates the second threshold for each of the multiple users except the one or more fixed value users, the allocation based on the value of the priority for each of the multiple users and a value subtracting a sum of the fixed values from the first threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein if, while one of changing the second threshold for a user, adding the user to the multiple users, and deleting the user from the multiple users, the apparatus detects that the use amount for the user exceeds the second threshold, the setting part excludes the user exceeding the second threshold from the multiple users and sets the second threshold for each of the remaining multiple users. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a user of the multiple users is deleted, the setting part deducts the use amount of the user from the first threshold and determines the second threshold of the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the apparatus detects that a second threshold has not been set for a new user, the second threshold is set for the new user based on a standard value of the priority which is determined beforehand. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are periodically maintained to set for a next period by forwarding a difference between the use amount at an expiration of a current period and a respective threshold of the first threshold and the second threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus determines whether or not the use amount for a request originator exceeds the second threshold in response to a use request, a process of the use request is performed and the use amount of the request originator is updated when the use amount does not exceed the second threshold, and a rule, which regulates the restriction is applied when the use amount exceeds the second threshold. ### Claim 11 A system, the system comprising: a server, the server including, a first setting registry part configured to register a first threshold of usage, a second setting registry part configured to register a value of a priority for multiple users, the value of the priority used to determine a second threshold for each of the multiple users, the second threshold indicating a threshold of usage for each of the multiple users, a setting part configured to allocate the second threshold for each of the multiple users automatically based on the first threshold and the value of the priority for each of the multiple users such that a sum of the second thresholds is less than the first threshold, a threshold storing part configured to store the first and second thresholds, and a use amount storing part configured to store a value of a use amount for each of the multiple users; and one or more apparatus configured, to one of manage and restrict usage for each of the multiple users based on the second threshold and the value of the use amount for each of the multiple users. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein if the system detects that a second threshold has not been set for a new user, the second threshold is set for the new user based on a standard value of the priority which is determined beforehand. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more apparatus further comprises: a user interface configured to announce an update of the second threshold when a user of the multiple users logs in after the second threshold of the user is changed in a desired period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more apparatus determines whether or not the use amount for a request originator exceeds the second threshold in response to a use request, a process of the use request is performed and the use amount of the request originator is updated when the use amount does not exceed the second threshold, and a rule that regulates the restriction is applied when the use amount exceeds the second threshold. ### Claim 15 A method for managing and restricting usage in an image processing apparatus, the method comprising: registering a first threshold of usage for an apparatus; registering a value of a priority for multiple users; determining a second threshold for each of the multiple users based on the value of the priority, the second threshold indicating a threshold of usage for each of the multiple users; allocating the second threshold for each of the multiple users automatically based on the first threshold and the value of the priority for each of the multiple users such that a sum of the second thresholds is less than the first threshold; storing the first and second thresholds; storing a value of the use amount for each of the multiple users; managing and restricting usage for each of the multiple users based on the second threshold and the value of the use amount for each of the multiple users. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: setting the second threshold for the new user based on a standard value of the priority, which is determined beforehand, if the system detects that a second threshold has not been set for a new user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: announcing an update of the second threshold when a user of the multiple users logs in after the second threshold of the user is changed in a desired period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: determining whether or not the use amount for a request originator exceeds the second threshold in response to a use request; performing a process of the use request and updating the use amount of the request originator when the determining determines that the use amount does not exceed the second threshold; and applying a rule that regulates the restriction when the determining determines that the use amount exceeds the second threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: updating, for target users to which the second threshold is allocated based on the first threshold and the value of the priority, the second threshold based on the first threshold and the value of the priority after a quantity of the target users changes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein if a quantity of target users, to which the second threshold is allocated based on the first threshold and the value of the priority, is changed, the second threshold is updated based on the first threshold and the value of the priority with respect to the target users after the quantity of the target users is changed.