Data communication apparatus, image forming apparatus management system using the data communication apparatus and counter information transmission method therefor

Abstract

A data communication apparatus regularly obtains counter information from a plurality of image forming apparatuses. Then, the data communication apparatus moves and writes the counter information that is in a first memory and obtained at a previous time to a second memory. Thereafter, the counter information obtained this time is written to the first memory. At the same time, the data communication apparatus compares the counter information obtained this time with the counter information obtained the previous time. When there is a contradiction between both sets of counter information, the counter information is determined to be a counter abnormality and transmitted to a central management apparatus.

1 . An apparatus for detecting a counter failure, comprising: 
 a first memory and a second memory to store counter information indicative of a count obtained by counting printed sheets;    a counter-information-write controlling unit configured to transfer the counter information stored in the first memory to the second memory, followed by writing updated counter information to the first memory;    a counter-failure detecting unit configured to compare the updated counter information stored in the first memory with the transferred counter information stored in the second memory and to detect a counter failure in response to an inconsistency between the updated counter information and the transferred counter information.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a connection unit configured to establish connections with a plurality of image forming apparatuses; and    a counter-information acquiring unit configured to acquire counter information from the image forming apparatuses connected through the connection unit,    wherein the first memory and the second memory store, separately for each image forming apparatus, the counter information acquired by the counter-information acquiring unit together with model number information about the image forming apparatus, such that the counter information is associated with the model number information.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a counter-failure-information transmitting unit configured to respond to a counter failure detected by the counter-failure detecting unit by transmitting counter-failure information together with the model number information associated with the counter information for which which the counter failure is detected, to a center management apparatus.  
   
   
       4 . A method of detecting a counter failure, comprising: 
 transferring counter information indicative of a count obtained by counting printed sheets from a first memory to a second memory;    writing updated counter information to the first memory after the step of transferring the counter information;    comparing the updated counter information stored in the first memory with the transferred counter information stored in the second memory; and    detecting a counter failure in response to an inconsistency found by the comparing of the updated counter information with the transferred counter information.    
   
   
       5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 establishing connections with a plurality of image forming apparatuses;    acquiring counter information from the image forming apparatuses for which the connections are established;    storing in the first memory, separately for each image forming apparatus, the acquired counter information together with model number information about the image forming apparatus, such that the counter information is associated with the model number information.    
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising responding to a detected counter failure by transmitting counter-failure information, together with the model number information associated with the counter information for which the counter failure is detected, to a center management apparatus.