Image forming apparatus provided with function to calculate charge based on the number of sheets printed, print system including image forming apparatus, method for counting the number of sheets printed executed by image forming apparatus, and program for counting

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printing portion to, upon receipt of a print job, carry out printing based on the print job;
• a count instruction transmitting portion to, when said image forming apparatus receives from another image forming apparatus an alternative instruction including the print job, transmit a count instruction to said another image forming apparatus upon every printing based on the other print job included the alternative instruction;
• and
• a counting portion to, when the count instruction is not transmitted, count the number of sheets printed by said printing portion,
• wherein said count instruction transmitting portion transmits the count instruction when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus;
• and
• wherein said count instruction transmitting portion does not transmit the count instruction when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus.

A print system including a print server, a first image forming apparatus, and a second image forming apparatus, said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus carrying out printing upon receipt of a print job from said print server,

• said print server comprising:
• a state detecting portion to detect a state of each of said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus;
• a job receiving portion to receive the print job;
• a state judging portion to, when the received print job designates said first image forming apparatus, judge whether said first image forming apparatus is available for printing;
• a first instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is available for printing, transmit the print job to said first image forming apparatus;
• a second instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is not available for printing, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to said second image forming apparatus;
• and
• a third instructing portion to transmit a count instruction to said first image forming apparatus when a unit charge for printing employed in said first image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said second image forming apparatus,
• said first image forming apparatus comprising:
• a first printing portion to carry out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job from said print server;
• and
• an adding portion to, upon receipt of the count instruction from the third instructing portion, add the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said first printing portion, the alternative sheets being printed by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction.

A print system including a print server, a first image forming apparatus, and a second image forming apparatus, said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus carrying out printing upon receipt of a print job from said print server,

• said print server comprising:
• a state detecting portion to detect a state of each of said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus;
• a job receiving portion to receive the print job;
• a state judging portion to, when the received print job designates said first image forming apparatus, judge whether said first image forming apparatus is available for printing;
• a first instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is available for printing, transmit the print job to said first image forming apparatus;
• and
• a second instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is not available for printing, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to said second image forming apparatus,
• said first image forming apparatus comprising:
• a first printing portion to carry out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job from said print server;
• and
• an adding portion to add the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said first printing portion, the alternative sheets being printed by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction,
• said second image forming apparatus comprising:
• a second printing portion to carry out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job from said print server;
• a count instruction transmitting portion to, when said second image forming apparatus receives the alternative instruction from said print server, transmit a count instruction to said print server upon every printing based on the print job included in the alternative instruction;
• and
• a counting portion to, when the count instruction is not transmitted, count the number of sheets printed by said second printing portion,
• wherein when a unit charge for printing employed in said first image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said second image forming apparatus, the alternative instruction transmitted by said second instruction portion to said second image forming apparatus does not include a command for counting of the number of sheets printed by said second printing portion;
• when the unit charge of said first image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge of said second image forming apparatus, said second instruction portion transmits the alternative instruction to said second image forming apparatus, the alternative instruction including a command of instruction for counting of the number of sheets printed by said second printing portion;
• when the unit charge of said first image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge of said second image forming apparatus, said count instruction transmitting portion transmits the count instruction to said print server;
• and
• when the unit charge of said first image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge of said second image forming apparatus, said count instruction transmitting portion does not transmit the count instruction to said print server.

A method for counting the number of sheets printed, the method comprising steps of:

• accepting a print job at an image forming apparatus;
• carrying out printing based on the print job;
• transmitting an alternative instruction including the accepted print job to an alternative printer when the accepted print job is not executable in the printing step;
• and
• when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, adding the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed in the printing step, the alternative sheets being printed by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction, and when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, the number of alternative sheets is not added to the number of sheets printed in the printing step.

A method for counting the number of sheets printed, the method comprising steps of:

• receiving a print job at an image forming apparatus and carrying out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job;
• receiving from another image forming apparatus an alternative instruction including a print job and, when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, transmitting a count instruction to said another image forming apparatus upon every printing based on the print job included the alternative instruction;
• and
• counting the number of sheets printed in the printing step when the count instruction is not transmitted,
• wherein when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, the count instruction is not transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.

A program for counting the number of sheets printed, the program being embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program causing a computer to execute steps comprising:

• accepting a print job at an image forming apparatus;
• carrying out printing based on the print job;
• transmitting an alternative instruction including the accepted print job to an alternative printer when the accepted print job is not executable in the printing step;
• and
• when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, adding the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed in the printing step, the alternative sheets being printed by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction, and when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, the number of alternative sheets is not added to the number of sheets printed in the printing step.

A program for counting the number of sheets printed, the program being embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program causing a computer to execute steps comprising:

• receiving a print job at an image forming apparatus and carrying out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job;
• receiving from another image forming apparatus an alternative instruction including a print job and, when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, transmitting a count instruction to said another image forming apparatus upon every printing based on the print job included the alternative instruction;
• and
• counting the number of sheets printed in the printing step when the count instruction is not transmitted,
• wherein when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, the count instruction is not transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.