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

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

• processing circuitry configured to
• receive, from the image output device, a first message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a job and resource usage information for the job, wherein the job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;
• obtain, based on the 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 obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold;
• and
• transmit a second message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined that the obtained 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 first message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a job and resource usage information for the job, wherein the job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;
• obtaining, based on the 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 obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold;
• and
• transmitting a second message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined in the determining step that the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.