Abstract:
A printing apparatus connectable with an external storage device is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printer unit to execute a printing operation to print an image in a current print job, a print log provider to provide a print log, which indicates a record of the printing operation for the current print job, to the external storage device, a print log obtainer to obtain a preceding print log, indicating a record of an earlier printing operation executed earlier in the printing apparatus, provided to and stored in the external storage device, a print log examiner to examine the preceding print log and determine normality of the preceding print log based on the record of the earlier print operation, and a controller to permit the printer unit to print the image and restrict the printer unit from printing the image depending on normality of the obtained print logs.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-248600, filed on Sep. 26, 2008, the entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     An aspect of the present invention relates to a printing device connectable with an external storage device, a printing system having the printing device, and a computer usable medium therefore. 
     2. Related Art 
     A printing device, which is connected to an external storage device within a printing system, has been known. When a print job is created and a printing operation according to the print job is activated in the printing device, the printing device can create a print log indicating information concerning the print job and provide the print log to the external storage device so that the external storage device stores the print log. Thus, history of the print operations having been executed in the printing device can be stored to be administrated. 
     SUMMARY 
     In such printing devices, however, the individual print logs may not be correctly registered occasionally, and the print history may not be administrated preferably depending on, for example, erroneous operations occurring in the printing devices. More specifically, when an accident, such as forcible termination of a printing operation or disconnection of communication between the printing device and the external storage device, occurs during the printing operation, the print log for the printing job may not be collected in the external storage device. If such erroneous behaviors are repeated before the print job completes, the incomplete print logs may not be registered in the history. When the incomplete print logs are left unregistered, history of the printing jobs executed in the printing device may not be administrated correctly. 
     In view of the above, the present invention is advantageous in that a printing device, a printing system, and a computer usable medium therefore, by which history of print jobs are correctly managed, are provided. 
     According to an aspect of the invention, a printing apparatus, which is connectable with an external storage device, is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printer unit configured to execute a printing operation to print an image in a current print job, a print log provider configured to provide a print log, which indicates a record of the printing operation for the current print job, to the external storage device when the printer unit activates the printing operation, a print log obtainer configured to obtain a preceding print log, indicating a record of an earlier printing operation executed earlier in the printing apparatus, provided to the external storage device by the print log provider, and stored in the external storage device, a print log examiner configured to examine the preceding print log and determine normality of the preceding print log based on the record of the earlier print operation indicated by the preceding print log, and a controller configured to permit the printer unit to print the image when the print log examiner determines that the preceding print log is normal, and restrict the printer unit from printing the image when the print log examiner determines that the preceding print log is abnormal. 
     With the printing apparatus according to the above configuration, the preceding print log for the earlier print job is obtained from the external storage device prior to activating the printing operation so that normality of the preceding print log can be examined. Thus, when the preceding print log is determined to be normal, the printing operation for the current print job is permitted. Meanwhile, when the preceding print log is not determined to be normal, the printing operation for the current print job is restricted from being executed. Therefore, the print logs left incomplete due to the erroneous behaviors can be prevented from leaking from history of the print logs, and the history can be correctly administrated. Accordingly, the printing operation to print the image can be controlled based on the correctly administrated print history. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a printing system, having a printing apparatus and an external storage device connected to the printing apparatus, is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printer unit configured to execute a printing operation to print an image in a current print job, a print log provider configured to provide a print log, which indicates a record of the printing operation for the current print job, to the external storage device when the printer unit activates the printing operation, a print log obtainer configured to obtain a preceding print log, indicating a record of an earlier printing operation executed earlier in the printing apparatus, provided to the external storage device by the print log provider, and stored in the external storage device, a print log examiner configured to examine the preceding print log and determine normality of the preceding print log based on the record of the earlier print operation indicated by the preceding print log, and a controller configured to permit the printer unit to print the image when the print log examiner determines that the preceding print log is normal, and restrict the printer unit from printing the image when the print log examiner determines that the preceding print log is abnormal. 
     With the printing system according to the above configuration, the print logs left incomplete due to the erroneous behaviors can be prevented from leaking from history of the print logs, and the history can be correctly administrated. Accordingly, the printing operation to print the image can be controlled based on the correctly administrated print history. 
     According to still another aspect of the invention, a computer usable medium to store computer readable instructions is provided. The computer readable instructions manipulate a printing apparatus having a printer unit and being connected to an external storage device to execute steps of activating a printing operation to print an image in a current print job, providing a print log, which indicates a record of the printing operation for the current print job, to the external storage device when the printing operation is activated, obtaining a preceding print log, which indicates a record an earlier printing operation executed earlier in the printing apparatus, provided to the external storage device in the step of providing, and stored in the external storage device, examining the preceding print log to determine normality of the preceding print log based on the record of the earlier print operation indicated by the preceding print log, permitting the printer unit to print the image when the preceding print log is determined to be normal and restricting the printer unit from printing the image when the preceding print log is determined to be abnormal. 
     With the computer usable medium according to the above configuration, the printing apparatus can be manipulated correctly so that the print logs left incomplete due to the erroneous behaviors can be prevented from leaking from history of the print logs, and the history can be correctly administrated. Accordingly, the printing operation to print the image can be controlled based on the correctly administrated print history. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram to illustrate a printing system  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart to illustrate a printing operation according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an illustrative view of a print log file according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment according to an aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The printing system  1  according to the present embodiment includes an MFP (multifunction peripheral)  2  and an administrative server  3 , which are connected to each other through a network  100 . 
     The MFP  2  is provided with a microcomputer  21 , a storage unit  23 , a communication interface (I/F)  25 , a printer engine  27 , and a scanner engine  29 . The MFP  2  is connected with a plurality of client devices  200 , which provide print jobs to the MFP  2 . The MFP  2  executes print operations according to the print jobs and creates print logs which indicate the print jobs according to a program stored in the storage unit  23 . The created print logs are passed to the administrative server  3  to be stored. The MFP  2  may include an input unit (not shown), through which instructions by a user can be entered. 
     The client devices  200  are known personal computers having input units  201 , through which users&#39; instructions are entered. Each of the client devices  200  may be shared to be used by a plurality of users. 
     The administrative server  3  is a known file server having a microcomputer  31 , a storage unit  33 , an HDD (hard disk drive)  35 , and a communication interface (I/F)  37 . The print logs provided by the MFP  2  are stored in the HDD  35  to be managed. The print logs stored in the HDD  35  are managed by a log management PC  300 , which is connected with the administrative server  3 . 
     Next, a printing process for a printing operation in the MFP  2  will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . The printing process is activated in S 110  upon receipt of a print job from one of the client devices  200 . According to the present embodiment, the print job includes information to identify a user of the client device  200  which provided the print job to the MFP  2 . In S 110   a , the MFP  2  refers to the identifying information in the print job. 
     In S 120 , the MFP  2  checks the identifying information to determine as to whether the user of the client device  200  provided the current print job is a predetermined “subject-to-examination” user. The subject-to-examination users are users of the client devices  200 , of which past print logs are to be examined in the printing process. According to the present embodiment, specific users of the client devices  200  being capable of communicating with the MFP  2  are eliminated from the subject-to-examination users. In the present embodiment, specific users, who are assumed to be less likely to take inappropriate behaviors during printing operations, are excused from the following examination in S 140 . Such users are, for example, administrators of the MFP  2  of the printing system  1 . Therefore, in  5120 , when the print job is provided by a client device  200 , of which user is not the administrator, the client device  200  is determined to be a subject-to-examination client device. According to the present embodiment, qualification of the administrator who can be excused from the examination can be recognized by the user ID. 
     In S 120 , when the MFP  2  determines that the user of the current client device  200  is a subject-to-examination user (S 120 : YES), the MFP  2  examines print logs including the user ID of the subject-to-examination user stored in the administrative server  3 . More specifically, in S 130 , the MFP  2  obtains print logs including a user ID which is identical to the user ID referred to in S 110   a  among print logs collected from the past print jobs and stored in the administrative server  3 . 
     According to the present embodiment, the MFP  2  creates a print log each time a printing operation for a print job is executed. The print log includes information indicating activation and normal completion of the printing operation and the identification of the user of the client device  200  which provided the print job (i.e., the user ID). Alternatively, the user ID may be identification of the client device  200 . From a leftmost column to a rightmost column, date and time in which the print job is activated, the user ID (i.e., a user name), identification of the print job (i.e., a job name), a print quality (e.g., colored or monochrome), a number of printed pages, an amount of toner used, and normal completion of the print job are indicated. When a print log is created, the items written in a left side with respect to the slashes, which are the starting date and time, the user name, the job name, and the print quality, are recorded upon activation of the printing operation. The items written in a right side with respect to the slashes, which are the number of printed pages, the amount of toner used, and normal completion without failure of the print job, are added upon completion of the printing operation. 
     The created print log is provided to the administrative server  3  and included in print history stored in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . Thus, in S 130 , the print logs including the user ID of the current client device  200 , which is identical to the user ID referred to in S 110   a , are obtained from the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . 
     When the print logs are obtained, the MFP  2  may directly access a storage area storing the print history in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . Alternatively, if the administrative server  3  is configured to respond to a request of the MFP  2  and transmit the print logs including the user ID to the MFP  2  in reply, the MFP  2  may transmits the request to the administrative server  3  for the print logs so that the administrative server  3  can provide the print logs to the MFP  2 . 
     In S 130 , the print logs to be obtained by the MFP  2  includes at least one and a latest print log with a latest time stamp and may include all the print logs with the user ID in the past stored in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . 
     In S 140 , the MFP  2  examines as to whether the print logs obtained in S 130  are normal print logs. In this step, more specifically, as to whether each print log indicates normal completion of the print job is examined. When one of the print logs indicates abnormal termination of the print job, i.e., when the print log does not include the indication of normal completion, the MFP  2  determines that the obtained print logs are not normal. In the present embodiment, the print logs are created in a predetermined format (e.g., a predetermined data format, language, and description format); therefore, when the print log is not written according to the predetermined format, the print log is also determined to be abnormal. 
     In S 140 , if the MFP  2  determines that the print logs are normal (S 140 : YES), in S 150 , the MFP  2  provides a print log indicating activation of a printing operation for the print job which was received in S 110  to the administrative server  3 . In S 150 , specifically, the print Job includes information concerning the date and the time in which the printing operation is activated, the user ID of the current client device  200 , and the print job name. The print job is provided to the MFP  2  and stored in the HDD  35 . In the present embodiment, a print log including items in the left side of the print log indicated in a topmost line shown in  FIG. 3 , which are 2008 Jan. 6, 12:00:00, User A, AAAA1.prn, mono, is created by the MFP  2  and stored in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . 
     In S 160 , the MFP  2  examines as to whether the print log provided to the administrative server  3  in S 150  was saved in the HDD  35  without failure. In this step, if the administrative server  3  is configured to respond to a request of the MFP  2  and stores the print log in the HDD  35  in response to the request, the MFP  2  may determine that the print log was registered without failure when information to notify the MFP  2  of the safe registration is provided to the MFP  2 . Alternatively, for example, the MFP  2  may determine the safe registration of the print log when no error indication is provided to the MFP  2 . When the print log was registered without failure in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3  (S 160 : YES), in S 170 , the MFP  2  manipulates the printer engine  27  to print an image as described in the print job, which was received in S 110 . 
     When the printing operation executed in S 170  completes, in S 180 , the print log registered in the HDD  35  in the administrative server  3  in S 150  is updated. In particular, additional information for the print log, indicating a number of printed pages, an amount of toner used, and normal completion of the printing operation without failure, is provided to the administrative server  3  and added to the print log registered in S 150 . In the present embodiment, items in the right side of the print log indicated in the topmost line shown in  FIG. 3 , which are 5 pages, 4, normal completion; are added to the print log in the topmost line and stored in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . Thus, the print log is updated, and the MFP  2  completes the printing process. 
     In S 160 , when the MFP  2  does not recognize normal registration of the print log provided to the administrative server  3  in S 150  (S 160 : NO), the MFP  2  terminates the printing process without executing S 170  or S 180 . 
     In S 140 , when the MFP  2  does not recognize the print logs are normal (S 140 : NO), the MFP  2  omits S 150 -S 180  and terminates the printing process. 
     In S 120 , when the MFP  2  does not recognize the user of the current client device  200  is not a subject-to-examination user, i.e., the current client device  200  is a client device  200  being used by an administrator (S 120 : NO), the MFP  2  proceeds to S 150  without obtaining or examining the past print logs with the user ID. Thus, the print log for the current print job is provided to the administrative server  3 , and the printing operation for the current print job is activated in S 150 . The MFP  2  completes the printing process after executing S 160 -S 180 . 
     According to the MFP  2  configured to behave as above, the past print logs collected in the administrative server  3  are obtained (S 130  in  FIG. 2 ) prior to activation of the printing operation. When the obtained print logs are normal print logs, which indicate the print jobs provided by the same user in the past were normally completed (S 140 : YES), a printing operation for the current print job is allowed to be activated (S 170 ). Meanwhile, when the obtained print logs are not normal print logs (S 140 : NO), the printing operation for the current print job is restricted from being carried out. 
     Therefore, when a user is aware that an inappropriate behavior may result in forcible prevention of the printing operation, the printing job can be eventually prevented from leaking from the history of the print jobs, and the history of the print jobs are correctly managed. The inappropriate behavior includes, for example, forcible termination of a printing operation before the MFP  2  completes the print job. For another example, the inappropriate behavior includes unplugging a communication cable which connects the administrative server  3  and the MFP  2  so that the communication therebetween is forcibly disconnected. 
     When the history of print jobs are correctly managed according to the above configuration, a printing service, which can be charged based on a number of pages printed, and/or an amount of toner used recorded in the print logs, can be suggested. In order for such a service to be charged, a complete print log for the print job needs to be recorded; therefore, if the inappropriate behavior is taken before completion of the printing operation, the print log is left incomplete in the HDD  35  of the administrative server  3 . In such a case, the print log indicates that the print job remains incomplete, and an amount to be charged cannot be determined; i.e., the service cannot be charged properly. However, although the administrative server  3  does not store complete print log for the print job, a new print job provided by the same user which ordered the previous incomplete print job is prevented from being carried out. 
     Thus, a printing operation for a print job ordered by a malicious user, who attempts to repeat the inappropriate behavior, can be eliminated from being carried out, and the service can be properly provided to be charged. 
     Further, according to the above configuration, when the inappropriate behavior is taken before completion of the printing operation, the incomplete print log is stored in association with the user ID of the current client device  200  (i.e., omitting S 180 ). The incomplete print log may appear, for example, a lowermost line shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     When the MFP  2  receives a new order for a printing operation from the same user, the print log stored in the administrative server  3  in association with the same user ID indicates abnormal; therefore, the new and succeeding printing operations can be restricted from being carried out (S 140 : NO). According to the above configuration, printing operations for the client devices  200  other than the client device  200  of the inappropriately behaving user are allowed. 
     Further, according to the above configuration, a predetermined number of print logs, which at least includes a latest print log (S 130 ). Therefore, when the MFP  2  receives the print job provided by the client device  200  of the user who behaved inappropriately in the past, the abnormality of the print job, i.e., hazardousness of the user can be speedily detected. 
     According to the above embodiment, the abnormality of the print job can be determined based on incompleteness of the print log which is obtained from the administrative server  3  (S 140 ). 
     According to the above embodiment, the abnormality of the print job can be determined based on the format of the print log which is obtained from the administrative server  3  (S 140 ). 
     Furthermore, print logs with the user ID which is identical to the user ID of the subject-to-examination user among print logs of the plurality of users are examined (S 120 : YES) in order to have the printing operations executed (S 130 -S 170 ). In other words, the users who are determined not to be the subject-to-examination users are allowed to have the printing operations executed (S 120 : NO, S 150 -S 170 ). Therefore, for example, the administrator of the printing system  1 , who is less likely to take the inappropriate behaviors, is eliminated from the examination so that the print job provided by the administrator can be executed without the restriction. 
     Although an example of carrying out the invention has been described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the printing apparatus, the printing system, and the computer usable medium that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. It is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or act described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. 
     For example, in the above embodiment, the MFP  2  is configured to execute the printing operation according to the print job provided from one of the client devices  200 . However, the print job may be created in the MFP  2  provided to the MFP  2  itself. In other words, the user may manipulate the MFP  2  to generate the print job including the user ID and order the MFP  2  to execute a printing operation based on the print job. In particular, the user may use the MFP  2  to have a duplicate of an original document. In such a case, the MFP  2  manipulates the scanner engine  29  to scan an image on the original document and activate a print job to have the scanned image printed. In this regard, the MFP  2  may be configured to require the user to enter the user ID when the MFP  2  scans the original image so that the user ID is examined in S 120  to determine as to whether the user is a subject-to-examination user. 
     According to the above configuration, the MFP  2  can activate the printing process as shown in  FIG. 2  after the scanning operation so that the print job created based on the scanned image is received in S 110  and the print logs stored in association with the identification of the user are obtained in S 130 . Thus, a new print log indicating the user ID can be created in S 150  and provided to the administrative server  3 . 
     For another example, application of the present invention is not limited to the MFP  2  having the plurality of functions, i.e., the printing function and the scanning function, but the present invention can be applied to any device which has at least a printing function.