Information processing device, control method for information processing device, and program

Abstract

To create a report even when a printer is replaced due to a subscription contract, the report including a use state of not only a printer connected to a network at output of the report, but a printer replaced and already not connected to the network.SOLUTION: A device management application 300 acquires device information from a printer on a network at a set frequency (S502), and sequentially adds newly detected printers to create a device list (S503). For printers in the device list from which the device information is acquired, the device management application accumulates the device information while linking the device information to the acquisition date (S507), and for printers from which the device information is not acquired, accumulates information on a non-connection state as device use information while linking the information on a non-connection state to the acquisition date (S508). The device management application creates a report on the basis of, the accumulated information on the printers included in the device list (Figure 6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that executes software that acquires and manages device information from a printing apparatus, a method for controlling the information processing apparatus, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, subscription contracts, which allow users to pay a predetermined flat rate and use a printing device (hereinafter referred to as "device") for a specified period of time, have become increasingly common as a form of usage for printers, MFPs (Multi-Function Peripherals), and other printing devices. Typically, a subscription contract is made for each device, and the device can be used for a fixed fee as long as the number of prints within the period specified in the contract is not exceeded. For example, in the case of a monthly contract, the device can be used for a fixed fee as long as the number of prints per month does not exceed the limit. An overage fee is only paid if the print limit is exceeded, and consumables such as toner are automatically delivered free of charge when the remaining amount is low. If a device breaks down and is difficult to repair, the service will continue by replacing it with an alternative device.

[0003] Furthermore, applications that create reports on device usage are used so that users can select the number and model of devices to be installed depending on the device usage. Conventionally, a report creation method has been proposed that takes into consideration the use of another device in place of a failed device when the device fails. In Patent Document 1, when a failure is detected, devices whose usage status is negatively correlated with that of the failed device are identified and grouped with the failed device as devices that were used in place of the failed device. This allows a report to be created that allows the user to properly understand the usage status. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-66237 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a device is replaced due to a malfunction or other reason, the user is interested not only in the usage status of the device that is connected at the time of report output, but also in the usage status of the replaced device that is no longer connected at the time of report output. However, information about the usage status cannot be obtained from the replaced device that is no longer connected, and cannot be included in the report. As a result, the user is unable to grasp the usage status of the replaced device that is no longer connected at the time of report output.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a system that makes it possible to create a report that includes the usage status of not only the printer that is connected at the time of report output, but also the usage status of the replaced printer that is no longer connected, even when the printer is replaced due to a subscription contract or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a printing device. The number of printed sheets An information processing apparatus that executes software that acquires and manages device information including: Ne The device information is transmitted from a printing device connected to the network. , at a given frequency Acquisition means for executing an acquisition process to acquire; Among the printing devices that have been detected on the network, the acquisition process For the printing device from which the device information was acquired, the device information is stored in association with the execution date and time of the acquisition process. death For a printing device for which the device information has not been acquired, information indicating that the printing device is not connected is stored in association with the execution date and time of the acquisition process. do A storage means; a generating means for generating a list including information on printing devices that have been detected on the network; and a setting means for setting a group consisting of a plurality of printing devices that are specified from the list and include a printing device for which information is stored in the storage means including a link to information indicating that the printing device is not connected; Regarding the printing devices included in the list 、 The accumulated information and setting of said group Based on , including device information of the printing device from which the device information was acquired and the printing device from which the device information was not acquired, and the execution date and time of the acquisition process.Create a report Report and a creating means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if a printing device is replaced due to a subscription contract or the like, a report can be created that includes not only the usage status of the printing device that is connected at the time of report output, but also the usage status of the replaced printing device that is no longer connected. This allows the user to understand the usage status of the printing devices, including the usage status of the printing device that was connected in the past but is replaced and no longer connected at the time of report output. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device (PC). [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of a device management application. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of a device management application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of a device management application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4C] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of a device management application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for executing a device information collection process. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for executing a device usage report output process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of a device management application according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of a device management application according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for executing a device usage report output process according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The system of this embodiment includes a PC (Personal Computer) 100, a device 101, and a LAN (Local Area Network) 102, and the PC 100 and the device 101 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the LAN 102. The LAN 102 may be wired or wireless.

[0011] PC 100 is an example of an information processing device, and has a predetermined OS (operating system) (not shown) installed. Also installed in PC 100 is a device management application 300 (described later). Device management application 300 acquires status information of device 101 connected to PC 100 from device 101, and displays the information on a GUI (graphical user interface) of device management application 300 (described later). The status information of device 101 refers to information such as a device status indicating whether printing is possible or whether a warning or error has occurred, the remaining amount of each color toner installed in device 101, and the number of pages printed indicating the total number of pages printed by device 101.

[0012] The device 101 is an example of an image forming device (printing device) such as a printer or MFP, and may have not only a printing function but also a fax function, a copy function, a scanner function, a file transmission function, etc. The device 101 executes output processing such as printing in response to an instruction from the PC 100. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which multiple devices 101 are connected to the LAN 102 and each is capable of communicating with the PC 100.

[0013] <Hardware configuration of information processing device> FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the PC 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the PC 100 has an input device 205 that receives user operation input such as a keyboard or a pointing device, and a display unit 202 that provides visual output information feedback to the user.

[0014] The PC 100 also includes a storage device RAM 203 for storing various programs and execution information in this embodiment, an external memory 206 such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or FDD (flexible disk drive), and a ROM 204. The PC 100 also includes an interface device I / O 207 for communicating with external devices, and a CPU 201 for executing programs. The PC 100 may be connected to a device 101 via the I / O 207, regardless of whether the connection is wired or wireless.

[0015] <Software configuration> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a device management application 300 executed by the PC 100. Each unit shown in Fig. 3 is realized by the CPU 201 loading the device management application 300 program stored in the ROM 204 or external memory 206 into the RAM 203 and executing it.

[0016] The device management application 300 includes, as software components, a device management unit 301 , a report output unit 302 , a device information acquisition unit 303 , an input unit 304 , and a screen display unit 305 .

[0017] The device management unit 301 manages device information of the devices 101 that are to be managed by the device management application 300. Here, the devices 101 to be managed refer to devices that are to be displayed on the device management application 300, and refer to devices in a device list. The device information refers to a device list that stores information for identifying devices, and device usage information that stores information such as the number of prints and the number of times each function has been used, and is stored and managed in the external memory 206 by the device management unit 301.

[0018] The report output unit 302 controls the device usage report function of the device management application 300 and creates a device usage report from the device information stored in the external memory 206. A device usage report refers to a report on the device usage status, such as the number of pages printed by the device during a collection period specified by the user. The device usage report is created for each device 101 that is managed by the device management application 300.

[0019] The device information acquisition unit 303 detects the device 101 connected to the network and acquires the device information. The acquisition of the device information is processed, for example, in the following manner. First, the device information acquisition unit 303 transmits a broadcast packet of SNMPv1 (Simple Network Management Protocol, SNMP version 1). The device 101 responds to the SNMPv1 request from the device information acquisition unit 303. For the device 101 that has returned a response, the device information acquisition unit 303 acquires additional device information to be used in the device management application 300. Furthermore, the device information acquisition unit 303 periodically acquires device information, including the number of pages printed by the device itself, for the device 101 managed in the device list by the device management unit 301, and saves the device information via the device management unit 301. Note that the device information may be acquired by other means. For example, the device may be notified, or a separate server (not shown) that manages the device may collect device information and acquire the information via that server.

[0020] The input unit 304 detects the operation of the input device 205 by the user via the GUI of the device management application 300 displayed on the screen display unit 305, and acquires the user's operation information. The screen display unit 305 controls the screen display, such as displaying the GUI of the device management application 300 and accepting user operations on the GUI.

[0021] <Device management application GUI> 4A to 4C are diagrams showing an example of a GUI 400 of the device management application 300 of the first embodiment. The GUI 400 is displayed on the display unit 202 by the screen display unit 305 . When the input unit 304 detects a user operation on the input device 205, the input unit 304 passes the user operation information to the screen display unit 305, and the screen display unit 305 displays the GUI 400 on the display unit 202 according to the user operation information.

[0022] The GUI 400 displays information on a device list managed by the device management application 300, an input screen for specifying a target and outputting a device usage report, an input screen for changing the settings of the device management application 300, and the like.

[0023] 4A, the screen display unit 305 displays information on a device list managed by the device management unit 301 of the device management application 300 in a device list display area 411 of the GUI 400. The device list will be described in detail later. The device list display section 411 displays, for each device managed by the device management section 301, the device connection status, device name, serial number, model name, last acquisition date and time, IP address, and total number of printed sheets.

[0024] By selecting the report tab 420, the screen display unit 305 displays a report output screen as shown in FIG. 4B on the GUI 400. On the report output screen, a calculation period specification unit 421 accepts specification of the calculation period for the report. In addition, a target device selection unit 422 accepts selection of the device for which the report is to be output. The target device selection unit 422 displays all devices in the device list as options, including devices that are not connected at the time of selection, so that devices that are not connected at the time of selection can also be selected as targets for report output. By clicking the report output button 423, the report output unit 302 outputs a report for the device specified in the target device selection unit 422.

[0025] Selecting the settings button 430 causes the screen display unit 305 to display an input screen for changing the settings of the device management application 300, as shown in FIG. 4C , on the GUI 400. Furthermore, selecting a device information acquisition and storage setting section 431 on this input screen causes the screen display unit 305 to display an input screen for changing the settings for device information acquisition and storage. After the user inputs the device information acquisition frequency in a device information acquisition frequency setting section 432 and the device information storage period in a device information storage period setting section 433, the device management unit 301 reads the input settings when it clicks the apply settings button 434. The device management unit 301 saves the read settings in the external memory 206 as a device information acquisition and storage setting file.

[0026] The device information acquisition and storage setting file is read by the device management unit 301 when the device management application 300 is started. The device management unit 301 acquires and stores device information at the acquisition frequency of the device information read from the device information acquisition and storage setting file. The device management unit 301 also uses the storage period of the device information read from the device information acquisition and storage setting file to delete device usage information whose storage period has expired.

[0027] <Data structure (device list)> Table 1 shows an example of the data structure of the device list managed by the device management application 300. [Table 1]

[0028] In the device list, each record indicates one device and includes information such as the device ID, device name, model name, serial number, last connection date and time, and IP address. The device ID is an ID assigned to a combination of the model name and serial number, and this value can be used to identify individual devices. The device name is a name that the user can set arbitrarily for each device. The device name can be changed from the GUI of the device management application or the device GUI. The model name indicates the model name of the device and uniquely indicates the type of device. The serial number is a number assigned to an individual device and is not duplicated with the same model name. The last connection date and time indicates the last date and time when the device information acquisition unit confirmed that the device was connected and acquired device information. The IP address is the IP address assigned to the device and indicates the IP address of the device when the device information was last acquired.

[0029] The device list is saved in CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format in the external memory 206 of the PC 100. Alternatively, the device list may be saved as a file in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format or XML (Extensible Markup Language) format, or saved in an external database (not shown). The saving method and format are not particularly limited.

[0030] <Data structure (device usage information)> Table 2 shows an example of the data structure of the device usage information managed by the device management application 300. [Table 2]

[0031] The device usage information includes the device ID, connection status, IP address, total number of printed pages, etc., and is additionally stored each time device information collection is performed. The device ID corresponds to the device ID in the device list shown in Table 1 and uniquely identifies the device. The connection status indicates whether the device was connected to the network when the device information was collected. The acquisition date and time indicates the date and time when the device information acquisition process was executed. The IP address indicates the IP address of the device if the device was connected to the network when the device information was collected. If the device was not connected to the network when the device information was collected, the IP address value will be blank. The total number of printed pages indicates the total number of printed pages for the device included in the device information if the device was connected to the network when the device information was collected. If the device was not connected to the network when the device information was collected, the value for the total number of printed pages will be blank.

[0032] The device usage information is saved in CSV format in the external memory 206 of the PC 100. Alternatively, the device usage information may be saved as a file in JSON format or XML format. The device usage information may also be saved in an external database (not shown). The saving method and format are not particularly limited.

[0033] <Device Usage Report> Table 3 shows an example of a device usage report output by the report output unit 302. [Table 3]

[0034] The device usage report includes information such as the device ID, device name, model name, serial number, start date and time of the collection period, end date and time of the collection period, and the increase in the total number of printed sheets. The device ID, device name, model name, and serial number are obtained from the device list shown in Table 1, depending on the selection made in the target device selection section 422. The first acquisition date and time during the aggregation period and the last acquisition date and time during the aggregation period indicate the first and last acquisition dates and times of device usage information on the connection status during the aggregation period specified in the GUI 421 of the device management application 300. The increase in the total number of printed sheets indicates the difference between the first and last total number of printed sheets obtained during the aggregation period specified in the GUI 421 of the device management application 300. The device usage report is saved in CSV format in the external memory 206 of the PC 100. The saving method and format are not particularly limited.

[0035] <Device information collection execution process> 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for executing device information collection by the device management application 300. This shows the process of executing device information collection for all devices in the device list shown in Table 1 in accordance with the information collection frequency set by the user in the GUI 432 of the device management application 300 shown in FIG. The processing of the flowcharts shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (to be described later) is realized by the CPU 201 loading the program of the device management application 300 stored in the ROM 204 or the external memory 206 into the RAM 203 and executing it.

[0036] In S501 , the device management unit 301 of the device management application 300 reads the device list stored in the external memory 206 . Next, in S502, the device management unit 301 instructs the device information acquisition unit 303 to acquire device information. Upon receiving the instruction, the device information acquisition unit 303 acquires information such as the device name, model name, serial number, IP address, and total number of printed sheets from all devices on the network (device information acquisition process).

[0037] Next, in S503, the device management unit 301 receives the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit 303 and compares it with the device list acquired in S501. If the device information contains information about a device that does not exist in the device list, the device management unit 301 adds the information about that device to the device list.

[0038] Next, in S504, the device management unit 301 selects one device from the device list that has not yet undergone the processes of S504 to S508 as a target device. Next, in S505, the device management unit 301 adds a row for the target device to the device usage information, and stores the acquisition date and time of the information (the execution date and time of the device information acquisition process (S502)).

[0039] Next, in S506, the device management unit 301 determines whether the target device is connected to the network. This determination is made by checking whether the device information received in S503 above includes information about the target device, and if so, it is determined that the device is connected; if not, it is determined that the device is not connected.

[0040] If the target device is connected to the network (Yes in S506), the device management unit 301 advances the process to S507. In S507, the device management unit 301 adds and stores the information that the target device is in a "connected state" and the device information of the target device to the device usage information, and proceeds to S509.

[0041] On the other hand, if the target device is not connected to the network (No in S506), the device management unit 301 proceeds to S508. In S508, the device management unit 301 adds the information that the target device is in a "disconnected state" to the device usage information and stores the information, and then the process proceeds to S509.

[0042] In S509, the device management unit 301 checks whether the processes of S504 to S508 have been executed for all devices in the device list. If there are still unprocessed devices (No in S509), the device management unit 301 returns the process to S504 and executes the processes from S504 onwards. On the other hand, if the processes in steps S504 to S508 have been performed for all devices (Yes in step S509), the device management unit 301 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0043] In the above process, after a device newly connected to the network is added to the device list, device information can be obtained for all devices in the device list. At this time, for devices for which device information could be obtained, the "connected" state and the obtained device information are added to the device usage information. On the other hand, for devices for which device information could not be obtained, the "disconnected" state is added to the device usage information. This makes it possible to generate a device list and device usage information for devices that have been connected at least once in the past.

[0044] <Device usage report output execution process> 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the execution processing procedure for outputting a device usage report by the device management application 300 according to the first embodiment. Here, the process shown is for outputting the device usage report shown in Table 3 for a device specified by the user on the GUI 400 of the device management application 300 as shown in FIG. 4B, based on the device usage information shown in Table 2 for the collection period. After specifying the target of the report in the collection period specification section 421 and the target device selection section 422, the input section 304 accepts a user operation with the report output button 423, and notifies the device management section 301 that the user operation has been received. In response to this notification, the device management section 301 starts the device usage report output processing shown in FIG.

[0045] First, in S601, the device management unit 301 acquires a list of devices selected in the target device selection unit 422 and instructs the report output unit 302 to output a device usage report for the aggregation period specified in the aggregation period specification unit 421.

[0046] In S602, the report output unit 302 selects one device from the list of devices for which the report is to be output, which has not yet undergone the processes of S602 to S604, as a target device, and adds a row for the target device to the device usage report.

[0047] In S603, the report output unit 302 checks the device usage information for the target device during the collection period. If the device usage information for the target device indicates that it is connected during the collection period (Yes in S603), the report output unit 302 proceeds to S604. In S604, the report output unit 302 acquires the first and last acquisition dates and times during the aggregation period from the device usage information for the target device during the aggregation period, and outputs these dates and times in the row for the target device in the report. Also, the report output unit 302 outputs the difference between the first and last acquired total number of printed sheets during the aggregation period as the increase in the total number of printed sheets in the row for the target device in the report, and proceeds to S605.

[0048] On the other hand, if there is no device usage information in a connected state for the target device during the aggregation period (No in S603), the report output unit 302 advances the process to S605.

[0049] In S605, the report output unit 302 checks whether the processes of S602 to S604 have been executed for all devices in the list of devices to be output in the report. If there are still unprocessed devices (No in S605), the report output unit 302 returns the process to S602 and executes the processes from S602 onwards. On the other hand, if the processes of S602 to S604 have been executed for all devices in the list of devices for which a report is to be output (Yes in S605), the report output unit 302 ends the process of this flow.

[0050] The above process allows a device usage report for the collection period to be output for the device specified by the user, regardless of the device's connection status at the time the report is output. In other words, a report can be created that includes not only the usage status of devices that are connected at the time the report is output, but also the usage status of devices that have been replaced and are no longer connected. This allows the user to understand the device usage status, including the usage status of devices that were connected in the past but have been replaced and are no longer connected at the time the report is output.

[0051] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, a configuration was described in which a report was output containing information such as counters as history for unconnected devices. Note that usability can be further improved by making it possible to know from the report output which device an unconnected device has been replaced with. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a configuration will be described in which a replaced device and the device that replaced it are grouped as devices in the same group, and a report is output collectively for devices in the same group.

[0052] <Device management application GUI> 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an example of the GUI 400 of the device management application 300 of the second embodiment. The GUI 400 displays information about a device list or group managed by the device management application 300, an input screen for specifying a target to output a device usage report, an input screen for changing the settings of the device management application 300, etc. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and explanations of the same configurations will be omitted.

[0053] By selecting the device tab 410, the screen display unit 305 displays a display all devices button 711, a group list 712, and a create group button 714 on the GUI 400, as shown in Fig. 7A. When the display all devices button 711 is selected, device information for all devices in the device list is displayed in the device list display unit 411, as in Fig. 4A.

[0054] By selecting a group 713 from the group list 712 , the screen display unit 305 displays device information of the devices included in the group 713 in the device list display section 411 . Additionally, by selecting the group creation button 714, a new group can be created that is made up of devices in the device list. Here, since the device list includes devices that are not connected at the time of group creation, it is possible to create a group that is made up of devices before and after replacement. Group creation is performed by, for example, the device management unit 301.

[0055] By selecting the report tab 420, the screen display unit 305 displays a report output screen as shown in FIG. 7B on the GUI 400. On the report output screen, a calculation period specification section 421 accepts specification of the calculation period for the report. Also, a target device selection section 422 accepts selection of the device for which the report is to be output, and a target group selection section 721 accepts selection of the group for which the report is to be output. By clicking the report output button 423, the report output unit 302 outputs a report for the device specified in the target device selection section 422 and the group specified in the target group selection section 721.

[0056] <Data structure (group information)> Table 4 shows an example of the data structure of group information managed by the device management application 300. [Table 4]

[0057] The group information includes a group ID, a group name, and a device ID. The group ID is an ID assigned to each group when the group is created, and this value allows the group to be identified. The group name is a name that the user can set for each group. The group name can be changed from the GUI 400 of the device management application. The device ID is the device ID of the device included in the group, and corresponds to the device ID in the device list shown in Table 1.

[0058] The group information is saved in CSV format in the external memory 206 of the PC 100. Alternatively, the group information may be saved as a file in JSON format or XML format, or may be saved in an external database (not shown). The saving method and format are not particularly limited.

[0059] <Device Usage Report> Table 5 shows an example of a device usage report output by the report output unit 302. Differences from the first embodiment will be described below. [Table 5]

[0060] The device usage report includes information such as the group / device ID, group / device name, model name, serial number, start date and time of the aggregation period, end date and time of the aggregation period, increase in the total number of printed sheets, etc. Each record indicates either the group selected in the target group selection section 721, a device included in the group selected in the target group selection section 721, or a device selected in the target device selection section 422.

[0061] The group / device ID indicates a group ID, a device ID, or a value that combines a group ID and a device ID. For a group selected in the target group selection unit 721, a group ID is output ("Grp00001" in the example of Table 5). For a device selected in the target device selection unit 422, a device ID is output ("Dev00001" in the example of Table 5). For devices included in the group selected in the target group selection section 721, a value obtained by combining the group ID and device ID is output (in the example of Table 5, "Grp00001|Dev00002" or "Grp00001|Dev00003").

[0062] The group / device name indicates the group name or device name. For a group selected in the target group selection section 721, the group name is output (in the example of Table 5, "XX branch, 2nd floor"). For a device selected in the target device selection section 422, the device name is output (in the example of Table 5, "XX branch, 1st floor"). For a device included in the group selected in the target group selection section 721, the device name is output (in the example of Table 5, "XX branch, 2nd floor (old)" or "XX branch, 2nd floor (new)").

[0063] For the group selected in the target group selection section 721, the model name and serial number are left blank. The first acquisition date and time during the aggregation period and the last acquisition date and time during the aggregation period are output as the first and last dates and times, respectively, of the first acquisition date and time during the aggregation period for the devices included in the group. The increase in the total number of printed sheets is output as the sum of the increases in the total number of printed sheets for the devices included in the group. In the example of Table 5, the sum of the increase in the total number of printed sheets for "Dev00002" (240) and the increase in the total number of printed sheets for "Dev00003" (210), totaling "450", is output as the increase in the total number of printed sheets for "Grp00001".

[0064] <Device usage report output execution process> FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the execution processing procedure for outputting a device usage report by the device management application 300 according to the second embodiment. This flowchart illustrates processing for outputting the device usage report shown in Table 5 based on the device usage information shown in Table 2 for a collection period for a device / group specified by a user using the GUI 400 of the device management application 300 as shown in FIG. 7B. After specifying the target of the report using the collection period specification section 421, the target device selection section 422, and the target group selection section 721, the input section 304 accepts a user operation using the report output button 423, and notifies the device management section 301 that the user operation has been received. In response to this notification, the device management section 301 starts the device usage report output processing shown in FIG. 8. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is implemented by the CPU 201 loading the device management application 300 program stored in the ROM 204 or external memory 206 into the RAM 203 and executing it.

[0065] First, in S801, the device management unit 301 acquires a list of devices / groups selected in the target device selection unit 422 and the target group selection unit 721. Furthermore, the device management unit 301 passes the acquired list to the report output unit 302 and instructs the aggregation period designation unit 421 to output a device usage report for the aggregation period designated.

[0066] Next, in S802, the report output unit 302 checks whether the device is included in the received device / group list. If the device is not included (No in S802), the report output unit 302 proceeds to S807.

[0067] On the other hand, if the device is included in the received device / group list (Yes in S802), the report output unit 302 proceeds to S803. Note that the processes in S803 to S806 are the same as the processes in S602 to S605 in Fig. 6, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] In S807, the report output unit 302 checks whether the group is included in the received device / group list. If the group is not included (No in S807), the report output unit 302 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0069] On the other hand, if the group is included in the received device / group list (Yes in S807), the report output unit 302 advances the process to S808.

[0070] In S808, the report output unit 302 selects one group from the list of groups for which a report is to be output, which has not undergone the processes of S808 to S813, as a target group, and acquires a device list for the target group.

[0071] Next, in S809, the report output unit 302 selects an unprocessed device from the device list of the target group as a target, and adds a row for the target device of the target group to the device usage report.

[0072] Next, in S810, the report output unit 302 checks whether there is device usage information for the target device in a connected state during the aggregation period. If there is device usage information for the target device in a connected state during the aggregation period (Yes in S810), the report output unit 302 proceeds to S811. In S811, the report output unit 302 acquires the first and last acquisition dates and times during the aggregation period from the device usage information during that period, and outputs the acquired first and last acquisition dates and times to the row for the target device of the target group in the report. The report output unit 302 also outputs the difference between the first and last acquired total number of printed sheets during the aggregation period as the increase in the total number of printed sheets to the row for the target device of the target group in the report. After S811, the report output unit 302 proceeds to S812.

[0073] On the other hand, if there is no device usage information in a connected state during the aggregation period (No in S810), the report output unit 302 advances the process to S812.

[0074] In S812, the report output unit 302 checks whether the processes of S809 to S811 have been executed for all devices in the device list of the target group. If there are any unprocessed devices (No in S812), the report output unit 302 returns the process to S809 and executes the processes from S809 onwards. On the other hand, if the processes of S809 to S811 have been executed for all devices in the device list of the target group (Yes in S812), the report output unit 302 advances the process to S813.

[0075] In S813, the report output unit 302 calculates the increase in the total number of printed sheets for the target group from the report output results of each device in the target group, and outputs this in the row for the target group in the report. That is, the sum of the increase in the total number of printed sheets for each device in the target group is output to the report as the increase in the total number of printed sheets for the group.

[0076] In S814, the report output unit 302 checks whether the processes of S808 to S813 have been executed for all groups in the list of groups to be output in the report. If there are any groups that have not yet been processed (No in S814), the report output unit 302 returns the process to S808 and executes the processes from S808 onwards. On the other hand, when the processes of S808 to S813 have been executed for all groups in the list of groups for which a report is to be output (Yes in S814), the report output unit 302 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0077] Through the above process, a device usage report for the aggregation period can be output for a device or group specified by the user. For example, devices that the user wants to manage together, such as a device that has been replaced and is no longer connected, and a device that is currently connected in place of the replaced device, can be set as a group. This allows the usage status of the device before the replacement and the device after the replacement to be managed together, like device 1. As a result, the user can aggregate the usage status of the device before the replacement and the device after the replacement, and grasp them together, like device 1.

[0078] In the above embodiments, the device information, including the number of printed pages, is acquired from the device at a set frequency. However, the device information acquired from the device may include usage information, such as the number of printed pages and the number of times each function has been used, and operation information, such as counter information for spare parts and error information. Such device information may be accumulated as a history, and a report may be created based on the accumulated information.

[0079] In each of the above embodiments, device information is acquired from devices connected to the network at a set frequency, and a device list is generated by adding newly detected devices. For devices included in the device list for which device information has been acquired, information indicating a "connected" state and the date and time of the acquisition process are linked and stored as device usage information. For devices for which device information has not been acquired, information indicating a "disconnected" state is linked and the date and time of the acquisition process are stored as device usage information. Furthermore, for devices specified from the device list, a report is created based on the device usage information corresponding to a specified aggregation period. This configuration allows a device usage report for a device (image forming apparatus, printing apparatus) or group specified by a user to be output during an aggregation period, regardless of the device's connection status at the time of report output. In other words, a report can be created that includes not only devices connected at the time of report output, but also devices that have been replaced and are no longer connected. This allows a user to understand device usage status, including the usage status of devices that were previously connected but have been replaced and are no longer connected at the time of report output.

[0080] It goes without saying that the configurations and contents of the various data described above are not limited to those described above, and that the data may be configured in various configurations and contents depending on the application and purpose. Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention can be embodied as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, etc. Specifically, the present invention may be applied to a system made up of multiple devices, or may be applied to an apparatus made up of a single device. Furthermore, the present invention also includes any combination of the above embodiments.

[0081] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system made up of multiple devices, or to an apparatus made up of a single device. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications (including organic combinations of the embodiments) are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all configurations that combine the above-described embodiments and their modifications are included in the present invention.

Claims

1. An information processing device that executes software that acquires and manages device information including the number of pages printed by a printing device, an acquisition unit that executes an acquisition process to acquire the device information from a printing device connected to a network at a predetermined frequency; Among the printing devices that have been detected on the network, the acquisition process (1) For the printing device from which the device information has been acquired, the device information is stored in association with the execution date and time of the acquisition process; (2) a storage means for storing information indicating that the printing device is not connected, for a printing device for which the device information has not been acquired, in association with the execution date and time of the acquisition process; a generating means for generating a list including information on printing devices that have been detected on the network; a setting means for setting a group made up of a plurality of printing devices, including a printing device designated from the list and having information stored in the storage means including a link indicating that the printing device is not connected; and a report creation means for creating a report containing device information for printing devices included in the list, based on the accumulated information and the group settings, for printing devices for which the device information has been acquired and printing devices for which the device information has not been acquired, as well as the date and time of execution of the acquisition process.

2. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the report includes information about the group that combines information accumulated for each printing device included in the group.

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the report creation means creates a report for the group, the report creation means also creates a report for each printing device included in the group.

4. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the report creating means creates a report based on information corresponding to a specified period of time out of the accumulated information.

5. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage means deletes, from the stored information, information that has been stored for a predetermined period of time.

6. 1. A method for controlling an information processing device that executes software that acquires and manages device information including the number of pages printed by a printing device, comprising: an acquisition step of executing an acquisition process for acquiring the device information from a printing device connected to a network at a predetermined frequency; Among the printing devices that have been detected on the network, the acquisition process (1) For the printing device from which the device information has been acquired, the device information is stored in association with the execution date and time of the acquisition process; (2) a storage step of storing, for a printing device for which the device information has not been acquired, information indicating that the printing device is not connected, in association with the execution date and time of the acquisition process; a generating step of generating a list including information on printing devices that have been detected on the network; a setting step of setting a group consisting of a plurality of printing devices, the group being a plurality of printing devices designated from the list, including a printing device for which information has been stored in the storage step, including a link to information indicating that the printing device is not connected; and a report creation process for creating a report containing device information for printing devices included in the list, based on the accumulated information and the group settings, for printing devices for which the device information has been acquired and printing devices for which the device information has not been acquired, as well as the date and time of execution of the acquisition process.

7. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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