Patent ID: 7860892

Claim:
A log providing apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory; a history information reception unit configured to receive history information on a print or communication process for image data; a WEB server unit configured to receive, from an external information processing apparatus, designation of a template which comprises a main template for designating a format of overall history information and a record template for designating a format of a record within the history information; and a shaping unit configured to shape the history information received by the history information reception unit based on the template of which designation is received by the WEB server unit, and output the shaped history information to the WEB server unit, wherein the WEB server unit is configured to communicate with the external information processing apparatus via a network in HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and provide the external information processing apparatus with the history information shaped and output by the shaping unit, wherein the WEB server unit is configured to provide a user interface and cause a WEB browser of the external information processing apparatus to display the user interface such that a user of the external information processing apparatus selects the template from among a plurality of templates stored in the external information processing apparatus, wherein the shaping unit is configured to shape the history information either in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format or in CSV (Comma Separated Value) format based on the template selected on the user interface by the user from among the plurality of templates, wherein the shaping unit is configured to shape the history information based on a default template provided in the log providing apparatus, if no template is selected by the user, and wherein the history information shows a job history in the print process or in the communication process, and the history information comprises at least one of a reception number, a reception time, a user name, an output document name, and an output result of a print job.