Patent ID: 8300246

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a print-log information producing section that produces print log information on a print job that has been printed in accordance with data received in the image forming apparatus; an operation panel including a display; a storing section that stores the print log information; an interface that receives a request-to-obtain-print-log outputted at regular intervals from an external apparatus and provides the print log information stored in said storing section directly to the external apparatus in response to the request-to-obtain-print-log, the external apparatus using the print log information to compute an amount of use of the image forming apparatus; an operation condition detecting section that makes a determination that the external apparatus is not normally operating and that the print log information cannot be sent to the external apparatus because the external apparatus is not normally operating, the determination being made if the interface fails to receive the request-to-obtain-print-log in a certain period of time; and an information-outputting section that outputs an item of information indicative that the external apparatus is not normally operating, the item of information being displayed on the display to a user of the image forming apparatus if the print-log information that should be sent to the external apparatus is in the storing section and the operation condition detecting section determines that the print log information cannot be sent to the external apparatus, and that does not output the item of information if the print log information that should be sent to the external apparatus is not in the storing section and the operation condition detecting section determines that the print log information cannot be sent to the external apparatus.