Image forming apparatus management system which manages number of image formations performed by an image forming apparatus on a user basis

A host computer is connected to a copying machine through communication lines. The copying machine includes an management apparatus which is provided with a card reader. Using the card reader, a section code stored in a user ID card is read and is compared with section codes previously registered in the management apparatus. When the section code of the user ID card matches one of the section codes registered in advance, copying operation is allowed and the section code and the number of copying operations are stored as management data in a registration table stored in an SRAM. When the amount of available storage space becomes less than the predetermined amount, the management apparatus transmits the registered management data to the host computer through the communication lines, clears the storage area and waits for next registrations. The host computer has an accumulating table which is capable of storing the numbers of copying operations for all the sections subjected to management. The host computer receives the management data and updates the number of copying operations of the corresponding section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus management 
system which manages the number of image formations performed by an image 
forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, on a user basis using a 
central accumulating apparatus. 
(2) Related Art 
Organizations such as companies may own a number of copying machines. A 
bill corresponding to the number of copying operations is issued 
regularly, for example, at the end of every month, to each section. To 
prepare this bill, the number of copying operations has to be accumulated 
for each section and for each copying machine. If this accumulating work 
is done by hand for each copying machine, it consumes a lot of time and 
effort. In recent years, there have been many cases where a system which 
manages the number of copying operations for each section with copying 
machines being connected respectively to a host computer through lines is 
used (hereafter, this system is referred to a "copying machine management 
system") to improve the efficiency of the accumulating work. 
When using such a copying machine management system, a card magnetically 
recording an identification number of a section (such card is referred to 
as an "ID card" hereafter) is given to each section and each copying 
machine is provided with a management apparatus including a card reader 
which reads the identification number of the ID card. The card reader 
reads the identification number recorded on the ID card and compares it 
with identification numbers previously stored in the internal memory to 
determine if there is a match. Copying operations are only allowed when 
there is a match. 
A memory which cumulatively stores the number of copying operations for 
each section is provided (the memory is referred to as the "management 
memory" hereafter) in the management apparatus. The management memory 
stores the number of copying operations for a section, which is allowed to 
use the copying machine, into the management memory area which corresponds 
to the section. The stored contents in the management memory are 
transmitted from the management apparatus to the central host computer 
regularly, for example, at the end of every month, through communication 
lines. The host computer receives the data, accumulates the number of 
copying operations for each section and generates the bills in accordance 
with instructions from an operator. 
Using the copying machine management system, the number of copying 
operations stored in all the copying machines for each section are 
accumulated automatically. As a result, it contributes largely to the 
rationalization of clerical work. 
In a large company, however, the number of sections using copying machines 
may exceed more than 100 sections. Except for copying machines installed 
in rooms such as conference rooms for common use, a copying machine of one 
section is not often used by the users belonging to other sections. 
Nevertheless, if the management memory of the management apparatus of each 
copying machine provides a memory area for storing the number of copying 
operations of all the sections as before, most of the memory capacity will 
go to waste, which is highly uneconomical. 
Meanwhile, if a small amount of memory is used and the number of sections 
that can be handled by each copying machine is reduced, a user of one 
section may not be able to use the copying machines of other sections with 
the user's ID card. The user will then have to go back to his/her own 
section to make a copy, which is inconvenient and inefficient for clerical 
work. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the stated problems, it is a general object of the present 
invention to provide an image forming apparatus management system which 
enables a user to use image forming apparatuses of all sections subjected 
to the management using a small amount of management memory in each image 
forming apparatus, and which can reliably manage an image forming 
operation performed by each image forming apparatus. 
This object can be achieved by an image forming apparatus management 
system, the image forming apparatus management system including: a image 
forming apparatus and a central accumulating apparatus which is connected 
to the image forming apparatus through lines, wherein the image forming 
apparatus is made up of: an identification code reception unit for 
receiving at least one identification code that identifies a user; a 
counting unit for counting a number of image formations for each 
identification code; a first storage unit for storing each identification 
code received by the identification code reception unit associated with 
the number of image formations counted by the counting unit; a 
transmission unit for transmitting all identification codes and associated 
numbers of image formations stored in the first storage unit to the 
central accumulating apparatus via the communication line when a number of 
identification codes in the first storage unit reaches a predetermined 
number; and a storage clearing unit for clearing the first storage unit 
after all the identification codes and associated numbers of image 
formations have been transmitted by the transmission unit, and wherein the 
central accumulating apparatus is made up of: a reception unit for 
receiving the identification codes and associated numbers of image 
formations transmitted from the image forming apparatus; and an 
accumulating unit for accumulating and storing data of the number of image 
formations for each user in accordance with the identification codes and 
associated numbers of image formations received by the reception unit. 
This object can be also achieved by an management method for a number of 
image formations in an image forming apparatus management system which is 
made up of a central accumulating apparatus and an image forming 
apparatus, wherein the management method includes first step performed by 
the image forming apparatus and second step performed by the central 
accumulating apparatus, wherein the first step includes: a step of 
receiving at least one identification code for identifying a user and of 
counting the number of image formations performed in relation to the 
received identification code; a step of storing a received identification 
code associated with the number of image formations performed in relation 
to each identification code into a first storage unit; a step of 
transmitting each identification code and associated number of image 
formations stored in the first storage unit through lines when a number of 
identification codes stored in the first storage unit reaches a 
predetermined number; and a step of clearing all identification codes and 
the numbers of image formations stored in the first storage unit after 
transmission by the transmission unit, and wherein the second step 
includes: a step of receiving the identification codes and associated 
number of image formations which are transmitted from the image forming 
apparatus; and a step of accumulating and storing data of the number of 
image formations for each user in accordance with the identification codes 
and associated number of image formations received by the reception unit. 
By means of the stated construction, the first storage unit of the image 
forming apparatus only has to store the predetermined number of 
identification codes and associated numbers of image formations so that 
only a small amount of memory is needed. Meanwhile, the central 
accumulating apparatus receives data including an section code and a 
number of image formations from the image forming apparatus and 
accumulates the number of image formations in accordance with the received 
data, so that the number of image formations can be managed for each user 
identification code.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The following is an explanation of an embodiment of the present invention, 
taking a copying machine management system as one example. 
(1) Structure of Copying Machine Management System 
FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of the copying machine management system 
of the embodiment of the present invention. In the management system shown 
in FIG. 1, the N copying machines 4-1, 4-2, . . . 4-N which are subjected 
to management are connected via analog local telephone lines 60 to a 
private branch exchange (PBX) that is in turn connected via a public 
telephone line 61 to a host computer 90 of a remote service center. In the 
following description, the notation "copying machine 4" refers to any out 
of the N copying machines, with this also being the case for the 
management apparatus 1 and the user communication terminal 50 provided in 
each copying machine. 
The copying machine 4 is a conventional electrophotographic copying machine 
which forms a toner image on a photosensitive drum in accordance with the 
document information read by a scanner and transfers it onto a copying 
sheet. An operation panel 40 is provided on the optimum position of the 
top of the copying machine 4. The management apparatus 1 is provided at 
the side of the copying machine 4 and manages the number of copying 
operations performed by the copying machine 4 for each section which uses 
the copying machine 4. A user communication terminal 50 for transmitting 
the management data from the management apparatus 1 to the host computer 
90 through the PBX using the analog local telephone line 60 and the 
external public telephone line 61 (these lines and the PBX are generically 
referred to as "communication lines" hereafter) is also provided. 
The management apparatus 1 includes a card reader (not illustrated) which 
has a magnetic head inside. When an ID card magnetically storing the 
information of a section identification number (referred to as a "section 
code" hereafter) is inserted, the management apparatus 1 reads the 
information using the magnetic head to determine whether to allow the 
copying operation. If the copying operation is allowed, the number of 
copying operations is stored together with the section code in a 
registration table T (see FIG. 4) provided within the management apparatus 
1. When the stored number of sections exceeds the predetermined number, as 
described later, the information of the registration table T, i.e., the 
data of the section codes and the numbers of copying operations (referred 
to as "management data" hereafter), is transmitted to the host computer 90 
through the communication lines. At the same time, the present storage 
area where the transmitted management data had been stored in the 
registration table T is cleared and is ready to be overwritten. It should 
be noted here that the numbers from "01" to "99" are set as the section 
codes according to this embodiment, so that 99 sections or less can use 
the management system. 
Meanwhile, the host computer 90 is composed of a CPU as a main component, 
and a service center communication terminal 70 for performing data 
communication with the management apparatus 1 of the copying machine 4 
through the communication lines, a display 92 for display, a keyboard 93 
and a printer 94 for printing documents such as bills are provided as the 
peripheral devices. The host computer 90 controls these components to 
manage the number of copying operations for all the sections which are 
subjected to management. 
A RAM 97 (see FIG. 3) for accumulation provided within the host computer 90 
has a storage area to store the number of copying operations corresponding 
to each section code. The RAM 97 adds the number of copying operations 
included in the management data which were received from the management 
apparatus 1 to the number of copying operations already stored in the 
corresponding area for the section, and stores the result as the updated 
number. Periodically, such as at the end of every month, the amount billed 
to each section is calculated based on the stored content of the RAM 97 in 
accordance with a predetermined operation made by the user via the 
keyboard 93. The calculated result is then outputted by the printer. 
Accordingly, the bills for copying operations are sent to the sections 
from the service center. 
(2) Structures of Control Units of Apparatuses 
The following explanation is about the structures of the control units of 
the apparatuses, with reference to the block diagrams in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structures of a main control unit 400 
which controls copying operations performed by the copying machine 4 and a 
management control unit 100 which is provided within the management 
apparatus 1 and manages the number of copying operations performed by the 
copying machine 4. 
The main control unit 400 is comprised of a CPU 41 as the main component, 
serial interfaces 42 and 43 for communicating with the management control 
unit 100, a battery-backed SRAM 44, and a ROM 45 storing the control 
programs for copying operations. 
Detection signals of sensors, such as sensors for detecting a paper jam and 
the size of an original document, are inputted into the CPU 41, which 
indicates a necessary display on the display unit of the operation panel 
40 in accordance with the detection signals. At the same time, the CPU 41 
generates the control signals for the operating units, such as a scanner 
motor for moving the scanner and a main motor for rotating the 
photosensitive drum, with the appropriate timing, and to synchronizes 
these operating units and so perform a smooth copying operation. 
The operation panel 40 is provided with a 10-key pad to set the number of 
copies to be made in multiple copying operations and to set the 
magnification ratio, a print key (PR key) for starting copying, a display 
unit for indicating the set number of copies to be made and the current 
status of the copying machine (like warm-up and a paper jam). In addition, 
switch keys, such as a reset key for resetting the status of the operation 
panel 40 and a clear key for clearing the setting of the number of copies 
to be made, are provided. Only after receiving the allowance signal for 
copying operation from the management control unit 100 via the serial 
interface 43, the CPU 41 receives operations from the operation panel 40 
to set the copy mode and reads the corresponding control programs from the 
ROM 45. Then, the CPU 41 synchronizes the various units to perform the 
copying operation. In doing so, the CPU 41 transmits a signal indicating 
the completion of copying (referred to as the "copying signal" hereafter) 
to the management control unit 100 via the serial interface 42 each time a 
copying operation is performed. On receiving this copying signal, the 
management control unit 100 counts up the number of copying operations 
with relation to the present section code. 
Meanwhile, the management control unit 100 is composed of: a CPU 11 as the 
main component; serial interfaces 12 and 13 for data communication with 
the main control unit 400; an EPROM 14 for storing necessary control 
programs; a battery-backed SRAM 15 for storing the management data as well 
as flags and variables for control (described later); a nonvolatile memory 
16 (referred to as "the NVRAM 16" hereafter) for storing information 
including the identification number of the copying machine 4 (referred to 
as the "apparatus ID" hereafter), the section codes managed by the host 
computer 90 and the dial-up number of the host computer 90; a timer IC 17 
for measuring the time so that the management data stored in the SRAM 15 
is regularly transmitted to the host computer 90; an RS232C interface 18 
for communicating with the host computer 90 via the user communication 
terminal 50; and a push button 20 and DIP switches 21 to 24 for 
registering the apparatus ID of the management apparatus 1. 
The setting of the apparatus ID is made by setting an appropriate value 
using the DIP switches 21 to 24. After this, the push button 20 is set to 
"ON" and the apparatus ID is then registered in the NVRAM 16. 
The CPU 11 is connected to a card reader 19 which magnetically reads the 
information of the ID card. When the user inserts an ID card into the card 
reader 19, the information of the section code is read and is transmitted 
to the CPU 11. 
The CPU 11 compares the section code with the previously registered section 
codes to determine if there is a match, and if so, the CPU 11 transmits 
the copying allowance signal to the main control unit 400 through the 
serial interface 13. On receiving this copying allowance signal for 
copying operation via the serial interface 43, the CPU 41 of the main 
control unit 400 receives operations from the user via the operation panel 
40, performs the copying operation in accordance with the indicated copy 
mode, and transmits the copying signal to the management apparatus 1 
through the serial interface 42. 
On receiving this copying signal through the serial interface 12, the CPU 
11 of the management apparatus 1 counts up the number of copying 
operations with relation to the received section code. The number of 
copying operations obtained here is stored, as the management data, in the 
registration table T set inside the SRAM 15. 
An example of the structure of the registration table T is shown in FIG. 4. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the management data, i.e., pairs of a section code and 
a number of copying operations, are registered in the storage areas 
comprising the area numbers 1 to 20 vertically in order. 
When meeting certain conditions described later, each management data 
registered in the registration table T is transmitted together with the 
apparatus ID data to the host computer 90 through the RS232C interface 18 
and the user communication terminal 50. 
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing structures of the user communication 
terminal 50, the service center communication terminal 70 and the host 
computer 90. 
The user communication terminal 50 is composed of an RS232C interface 51 
and a modem apparatus 52. The management data and the apparatus ID data 
transmitted from the management apparatus 1 is outputted through the 
RS232C interface 51 to the modem apparatus 52 where this data is modulated 
into the analog signals and are transmitted to the host computer 90 
through the communication lines and the service center communication 
terminal 70. 
The service center communication terminal 70 is composed of a modem 
apparatus 72 and an RS232C interface 71. The modem apparatus 72 
demodulates the management data and the apparatus ID data received through 
the communication lines into the digital signals and transmits the data 
through the RS232C interface 71 to the host computer 90. 
The host computer 90 is provided with a CPU 91 as the main component, a RAM 
97 and an RS232C interface 98, and receives the management data and the 
apparatus ID data through the RS232C interface 98. 
The RAM 97 stores the apparatus IDs of the copying machines subjected to 
the management of the host computer 90 (referred to as the "managed 
apparatus ID" hereafter) and an accumulating table for the management 
data. As described later, the CPU 91 only receives the management data 
transmitted from the copying machine 4 which has an apparatus ID which 
matches one of the managed apparatus ID, and accumulates the number of 
copying operations. 
It should be noted here that the accumulating table of the RAM 97 has the 
same structure as that of the registration table T shown in FIG. 4, except 
that the accumulating table of the RAM 97 is capable of storing the 
section codes and the number of copying operations of all the sections 
subjected to the management by the CPU 91 (up to 99 sections in this 
embodiment). 
(3) Management Operation of Copying Machine Management System 
The following is an explanation of the management operations of every unit 
in the copying machine management system, with reference to flow charts. 
(3-1) Management Operation in Management Control Unit 100 
FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the main routine performed by the management 
control unit 100 of the management apparatus 1. 
When the power of the copying machine 4 is turned on, the CPU 11 (see FIG. 
2) reads the initialization program stored in the EPROM 14 to initialize 
the internal registers (step S11), and starts timing using the internal 
timer to monitor that the processing subroutine is performed in the 
specified period (steps S12 and S16). 
After starting the timer, the CPU 11 performs the ID card processing (step 
S13) and determines whether to allow copying operation in accordance with 
the status of the ID card insertion in the card reader 19 and the section 
code read from the ID card. 
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a subroutine of the ID card processing in 
step S13. 
The CPU 11 detects whether an ID card has been inserted into the card 
reader 19 (step S101). The detection of the ID card insertion is 
accomplished by a card detecting sensor which is composed of a 
photoelectric sensor or a micro switch. When the ID card is inserted, the 
signal from this sensor changes from OFF to ON (from low level to high 
level) and the edge appearing here (referred to as the "insertion edge" 
hereafter) is detected to show that an ID card has been inserted. 
When the ID card insertion is detected ("Y" in step S101), the CPU 11 
compares the section code read during the ID card insertion with the 
section codes previously stored in the NVRAM 16 to determine if there is a 
match, and if so, the CPU 11 sets the variable "CARD NO." to the read 
section code. If not, a number unassigned as a section code is set into 
the variable "CARD NO." and is stored in the SRAM 15 (step S102) It should 
be noted here that the section codes use the numbers from "01" to "99" in 
this embodiment, so that "0" is used as the number to be set when there is 
no match in NVRAM 16. 
The CPU 11 judges whether the variable "CARD NO." is "0", and if not, which 
means that the section code of the ID card is stored in the NVRAM 16, the 
CPU sets the copy allowance transmission flag to "1", resets the copying 
prohibit flag to "0" and returns to the main routine (steps S103, S104 and 
S105). On the other hand, if the variable "CARD NO." is "0" in step S103, 
which means the section is not subjected to the management of the host 
computer 90, the CPU 11 does not allow copying operation and returns to 
the main routine. 
Meanwhile, when the insertion edge is not detected back in step S101, the 
CPU 11 proceeds to step S106 to judge whether an ID card has already been 
inserted into the card reader 19. This is judged easily from the current 
status, that is, ON or OFF, of the detecting sensor. 
When the ID card has already been inserted ("Y" in step S106), which means 
that the processes from steps S101 to S105 were performed after the 
detection of the insertion edge, the CPU 11 returns to the main routine. 
On the other hand, when an ID card is no longer inserted due to having 
been removed or the like ("N" in step S106), the copying operation should 
not be allowed. In this case, the CPU 11 judges the status of the copying 
prohibit flag. When the flag is set to "0", the CPU 11 sets the copying 
prohibit transmission flag to "1" and the copying prohibit flag to "1", 
and returns to the main routine (steps S107 to S109). 
When the copying prohibit flag is set to "1" in step S107, the copying 
operation has already been prohibited. Therefore, the CPU 11 returns to 
the main routine. 
After the ID card processing of step 13 back in FIG. 5, the transmission 
process of step S14 is performed. 
In this transmission process shown in FIG. 7, the transmission processes to 
the copying machine 4 (step S200) and to the host computer 90 (step S300) 
are performed. 
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the subroutine of the transmission process to the 
copying machine in step S200. The CPU 11 first checks the setting status 
of the copying allowance transmission flag (step S201). When the flag is 
set to "1", as explained in step S104 of FIG. 6, which means the section 
code of the ID card matches one of the section codes stored in the NVRAM 
16, the CPU 11 resets the copying allowance transmission flag to "0" and 
transmits the copying allowance signal to the main control unit 400 (steps 
S202 and S203). 
On the other hand, when the copying allowance transmission flag is set to 
"0" in step S201, the CPU 11 checks the setting status of the copying 
prohibit transmission flag (step S204). When the flag is set to "1", the 
CPU 11 resets the copying prohibit transmission flag to "0" and transmits 
the copying prohibit signal to the main control unit 400 (steps S205 and 
S206). When the copying prohibit transmission flag is set to "0" in step 
S204, the CPU 11 returns to the subroutine of the transmission process of 
FIG. 7. 
By means of the ID card processing of step S13 and the transmission process 
to the copying machine 4 of step S200, the copying allowance signal is 
transmitted to the copying machine 4 only when an ID card is inserted into 
the card reader 19 and the section code of the ID card is judged to have 
been registered. Otherwise, the copying prohibit signal is transmitted to 
the copying machine 4. 
FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a subroutine of the transmission process to the 
host computer in step S300 of FIG. 7. 
In step S301, the CPU 11 determines the transmission condition to show 
whether the management data stored in the registration table T should be 
transmitted to the host computer 90. 
FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a subroutine of the determination of the 
transmission condition. 
The CPU 11 first judges whether the current time has passed the 
predetermined time (step S401). When it has, the transmission condition is 
set to "1" (step S402). When it has not, the CPU 11 moves to step S403 and 
checks the amount of storage available in the registration table T. If the 
amount of available storage is below the specified limit, the transmission 
condition is set to "2" (step S404), but if the available storage is equal 
to or larger than the specified limit, the transmission condition is set 
to "0" and then the CPU 11 returns to the subroutine of FIG. 9 (step 
S405). 
If the setting of the transmission condition is "1" or "2" in steps S402 
and S404, it is desirable for the data to be transmitted after the 
updating of the management data is complete because the copying is being 
currently performed or appears likely. In this case, the CPU 11 checks the 
setting of the copying prohibit flag in step S406. When it is set to "1", 
copying operation is prohibited, so the CPU 11 returns to the subroutine 
of FIG. 9, leaving the transmission condition "1" or "2" as it is. When 
the copying prohibit flag is set to "0", a copying operation has been 
allowed so that the management data may be updated. Therefore, the CPU 11 
resets the transmission condition to "0" (step S407) and returns to the 
subroutine of FIG. 9. 
After the transmission condition is set in step S301 as described above, 
the CPU 11 checks the setting of the transmission condition (step S302) 
back in the flow chart of FIG. 9. When the transmission condition is set 
to "0", the management data is not to be transmitted so the CPU 11 returns 
to the subroutine of the transmission process in FIG. 7. On the other 
hand, when it is set to "1" or "2", the management data should be 
transmitted to the host computer 90, so that the CPU 11 reads the dial-up 
number of the host computer 90 from the NVRAM 16 and calls the host 
computer 90 (step S303). 
When the host computer 90 responds to this call ("Y" in step S304), the 
apparatus ID stored in the NVRAM 16 and all of the management data stored 
in the registration table T of the SRAM 15 are transmitted through the 
communication lines (step S305). When the host computer 90 does not 
respond to the call, the CPU returns to the subroutine of transmission 
process in FIG. 7. 
When the transmission condition is set to "1", that is, when the management 
data is transmitted after the predetermined time has been passed, the next 
predetermined time as the transmission time is set (steps S306 and S307). 
The CPU 11 then clears the storage area of the registration table T for 
the management data which has been transmitted to the host computer 90 
(step S308). Accordingly, the management data for other sections can be 
stored. 
When in step S306 the transmission condition is not set at "1", which is to 
say, when the transmission condition is set at "2" and the management data 
has been transmitted before the predetermined time has been reached due to 
the reduction in the amount of available storage, the next predetermined 
time does not need to be set. In this case, the CPU 11 clears the storage 
area for the transmitted management data in the registration table T 
without performing step S307, and returns to the subroutine of the 
transmission process in FIG. 7. 
The CPU 11 returns to the main routine in FIG. 5 after performing the ID 
card processing of step S13 and the transmission process of step S14, and 
performs other processes, such as the registration process of the 
apparatus ID set through the settings of the DIP switches 21 to 24 into 
the NVRAM 16 and an instruction process to instruct the main control unit 
400 to display the necessary message on the operation panel 40 showing 
that the section code of the inserted ID card does not match any of the 
stored section codes (step S15). After this, the CPU 11 waits for the 
internal timer to finish (step S16) and returns to step S12 to repeat the 
process described above. 
Meanwhile, when step S17 is activated by the interruption of the serial 
interface 12, the CPU 11 receives the copying signal from the main control 
unit 400 and performs the reception process for the registration of the 
management data into the registration table T of the SRAM 15. 
FIG. 11 is a flow chart of this reception process. 
The received signal is first analyzed, and if it is a copying signal sent 
from the main control unit 400 every time a copying operation is 
performed, the CPU 11 then judges whether the section code of the section 
which is currently being allowed to make a copy, has been registered in 
the registration table T (steps S501 and S502). When it has, the CPU 11 
increments the number of copying operations stored in the storage area 
corresponding to the section code by "1" and returns to the main routine 
of FIG. 5(step S503). 
On the other hand, when the section code has not yet been registered in the 
registration table T, the section code is registered in the first 
available space in the registration table T and the number of copying 
operations is incremented in the corresponding storage area (steps S503 
and S504), and the CPU returns to the main routine in FIG. 5. 
(3-2) Management Operation by CPU 41 of Copying Machine 4 
FIG. 12 is a flow chart of the main routine of the management operation 
performed by the CPU 41 in the main control unit 400. 
When the copying machine 4 is turned on, the CPU 41 reads the 
initialization program stored in the ROM 45, initializes the units (step 
S21), and starts timing using the internal timer to perform the time 
management for the processing routines of the copying machine 4 (steps S22 
and S26). 
After starting the internal timer, the data transmission process of step 
S23 is performed and the copying signal is transmitted to the management 
control unit 100. FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a subroutine of the data 
transmission process. The CPU 41 first judges whether a new copying 
operation has been performed (step S601). If a new copying operation is 
judged to have been performed, the CPU 41 generates a copying signal and 
transmits the signal to the management control unit 100 before returning 
to the main routine in FIG. 12 (step S602). When no new copying operation 
has been performed, the CPU returns to the main routine in FIG. 12. 
The above judgement of the presence or absence of the new copying operation 
may be performed as follows. A photoelectric sensor or a micro switch may 
be set at the specified position of a feeding part of a paper cassette or 
of a discharge tray to detect the copying paper passing through, and the 
judgement can be made by the presence or absence of the detection signal. 
Alternatively, since the copying operation is generally controlled by the 
CPU 41 with a predetermined timing, the new copying operation may be 
judged to have been performed at the end of the timing of one copying 
operation. 
After the data transmission process, the CPU 41 returns to step S24 of FIG. 
12 and performs the copying operation. 
FIG. 14 is a flow chart of the subroutine of the copying operation. The CPU 
41 first judges whether the copying operation has been allowed (copying 
allowance) (step S701). This judgement, as described later, is achieved in 
accordance with the setting in the reception process of step S27 which is 
made after the copying allowance signal or the copying prohibit signal is 
received from the management control unit 100(see FIG. 12). 
When the copying operation has been allowed in step S701, the CPU 41 
receives the instructions from the user through the operation panel 40, 
performs the copying operation in the indicated copying mode (step S702) 
and returns to the main routine of FIG. 12. When the copying has not been 
allowed in step S701, the CPU 41 returns to the main routine in FIG. 12. 
In step S25 back in FIG. 12, other processes, such as the control process 
for the display on the operation panel 40, are performed. After this the 
CPU 41 waits for the internal timer to end (step S26) and returns to step 
S22 to repeat the process described above. 
Meanwhile, when step S27 is activated by an interruption received by the 
serial interface 43, the CPU 41 performs the reception process to 
determine whether to allow the copying operation in accordance with the 
management data transmitted from the management control unit 100. 
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of the subroutine of the data reception process of 
step S27. 
The received signal from the management control unit 100 is first analyzed, 
and if it is the copying allowance signal (see step S203 in FIG. 8), the 
copying allowance is set (steps S801 and S802). If it is not, it is judged 
whether the received signal is the copying prohibit signal. If it is, the 
copying prohibition is set (steps S803 and S804). When the received signal 
is neither the copying allowance signal nor the copying prohibit signal 
("N" in steps S801 and S803), other reception processes corresponding to 
the content of the signal are performed (step S805). As one example, on 
the reception of the information from the management control unit 100 that 
an ID card has not been inserted into the card reader 19, the CPU 41 
instructs the display unit of the operation panel 40 to display an "Insert 
ID card" message. After this, the CPU 41 returns to the main routine. 
(3-3) Control Operation in Host Computer 90 
The host computer 90 receives the data (the management data and the 
apparatus ID data) from the management control unit 100 of the management 
apparatus 1 and accumulates the number of copying operations for each 
section in accordance with the received data. 
FIG. 16 is a flow chart of the subroutine of the data reception process of 
a series of process routines in the host computer 90. 
After analyzing the content of the data received from the management 
control unit 100, the CPU 91 (see FIG. 3) in the host computer 90 compares 
the apparatus ID included in the received data with the managed apparatus 
IDs stored in the RAM 97 to determine if there is a match. If negative, 
the CPU 91 judges that the data of a copying machine which is not 
subjected to the management of the host computer 90 has been transmitted 
by mistake. The CPU 91 stops the reception process here (steps S31 and 
S33). 
On the other hand, if the apparatus ID matches one of the managed apparatus 
IDs, the CPU 91 judges that the management data has been transmitted from 
one of the managed copying machines 4, and updates the data in the 
accumulating table in accordance with this transmitted management data. 
Here, as the management data includes the section code and the number of 
copying operations described above, the CPU 91 adds the number of copying 
operations included in the management data to the number of copying 
operations stored in the storage area corresponding to the section code in 
the accumulating table in the RAM 97, and stores the updated number (step 
S32). Accordingly, the number of copying operations performed by the 
copying machine 4 is accumulated for each section. 
The service center has the CPU 91 calculate the total amount billed for 
each section regularly, for example, at the end of each month, in 
accordance with the stored number on the accumulating table. The 
calculated bills are then outputted for each section by the printer 94 and 
are sent to each section. Programs for calculating the copying fee and for 
generating the bills are well known, and will therefore not be described. 
An image forming apparatus management system related to the present 
invention has been described above focusing on a management system for the 
number of copying operations performed by a copying machine, although it 
should be obvious that the present invention is not limited to the present 
embodiment. 
In the present embodiment, the management apparatus 1 is provided with a 
card reader 19 by which the information of the ID card is read and the 
section code is inputted. Alternatively, however, the user may directly 
input the section code, for example, by using the 10-key on the operation 
panel 40. 
The registration table T only includes the section code and the number of 
copying operations as the management data in the present embodiment, 
although the content of the management data may be increased. For 
instance, the management data may include information for the copying 
paper size, information for the execution or non-execution of two-sided 
copying, and the number of the copying paper sheets used from each paper 
cassette. When using a copying machine which performs both monochrome 
copying and full-color copying, information as to which function is 
selected may also be registered as the management data. By adding 
different types of management data as necessary, the appropriate 
maintenance and the generation of detailed bills are possible. It hardly 
need be said that the effect of the savings in memory for managing the 
number of copying operations in each copying machine in the present 
invention compared to the related art is more noticeable as the extent of 
the management data to be accumulated for each section increases. 
The CPU sets the transmission condition in accordance with the amount of 
the available storage in the registration table T in step S403 of FIG. 10. 
However, the CPU 11 may judges whether the number of section codes stored 
in the registration table T has reached a predetermined number, and when 
it has, the transmission condition is set to "2", and when it has not, the 
transmission condition is set to "0". 
While the description of step S305 of FIG. 9 states that all of the 
management data stored in the registration table T is transmitted to the 
host computer 90, it is also possible for only part of such management 
data to be transmitted. In such case, only the management data that has 
been transmitted is cleared from the registration table in step S308. 
In the present embodiment, the management data of a plurality of copying 
machines 4 are transmitted to the host computer 90 using the single 
external public telephone line through the PBX, although each copying 
machine 4 may transmit the data to the host computer via a separate public 
telephone line. 
In the present embodiment, a management system for the number of copying 
operations performed by the copying machine is described, although it 
should be noted here that the present invention can be applied to the 
management for the number of image formations in an image forming 
apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile machine. 
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples 
with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that 
various changes and modifications depart will be apparent to those skilled 
in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications 
depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be constructed 
as being included therein.