Patent ID: 7321441
Filing Date: 2008-01-22
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04N

Abstract:
1. A printing management system comprising multiple printing devices divided into plural groups, plural group management apparatuses, each of which is provided in each of the plural groups and is connected with plural printing devices belonging to the group via a communication line, and an information management apparatus that is connected via the communication line with said multiple printing devices and with said plural group management apparatuses, each of said multiple printing devices comprising: an information storage module that stores printing device identification information for identifying said printing device, group identification information for identifying a group to which said printing device belongs, and expendable consumption information regarding an expendable consumed by said printing device; and an information transmission module that reads the printing device identification information, the group identification information, and the expendable consumption information from said information storage module at a preset timing and transmits the read-out printing device identification information, group identification information, and expendable consumption information to said information management apparatus via the communication line, said information management apparatus comprising: an information management apparatus storage module that stores information; an information management apparatus receiver-transmitter module that receives and transmits information via the communication line; an information reception and storage control module that controls said information management apparatus receiver-transmitter module to receive the printing device identification information, the group identification information, and the expendable consumption information transmitted from said information transmission module of each printing device and stores the received printing device identification information, group identification information, and expendable consumption information correlated with one another into said information management apparatus storage module; and an information transmission control module that controls said information management apparatus receiver-transmitter module to transmit the printing device identification information, the group identification information, and the expendable consumption information correlated with one another and stored into said information management apparatus storage module to each group management apparatus identified by the group identification information, each of said group management apparatuses comprising: a group management apparatus storage module that stores information; a group management apparatus receiver-transmitter module that receives and transmits information via the communication line; an information reception and storage control module that controls said group management apparatus receiver-transmitter module to receive the printing device identification information, the group identification information, and the expendable consumption information transmitted from said information management apparatus receiver-transmitter module and stores the received printing device identification information, group identification information, and expendable consumption information correlated with one another into said group management apparatus storage module; an expendable supplementary quantity setting module that reads the printing device identification information and the expendable consumption information from said group management apparatus storage module and sets a supplementary quantity of the expendable to be supplied to each printing device identified by the printing device identification information based on the read-out expendable consumption information; and an accounting management module that reads the printing device identification information and the expendable consumption information from said group management apparatus storage module, carries out accounting based on the read-out expendable consumption information, and sets a charge to said printing device identified by the printing device identification information.