Image forming device having division and color management functions

Abstract

An image forming device including a printer having a plurality of operation modes sets beforehand the number of pages printed by the printer to be counted in a division counter or a division undefined counter for each operation mode of the printer. The image forming device counts, in the division counter corresponding to the division to which the user belongs who has requested the printing, the number of the pages printed in the operation mode in which the number of the pages is set to be counted in the division counter, and counts, in the division undefined counter, the number of the pages printed in the operation mode in which the number of the pages is set to be counted in the division undefined counter.

1 . An image forming device comprising:
 a printer having a plurality of operation modes to form an image on an image forming medium;   a plurality of first counters which are associated with divisions to which users belong, respectively;   a second counter which is not associated with any specific division;   a setting unit to set the number of pages printed by the printer to be counted in the first counter or the second counter for each operation mode of the printer;   a first counting unit to count, in the first counter corresponding to the division to which the user belongs who has requested the printing, the number of the pages printed in the operation mode in which the setting unit sets the number of the pages to be counted in the first counter; and   a second counting unit to count, in the second counter, the number of the pages printed in the operation mode in which the setting unit sets the number of the pages to be counted in the second counter.   
     
     
         2 . The image forming device according to  claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the operation mode which counts the number of the pages printed by the printer in the first counter and the operation mode which counts the number of the pages printed by the printer in the second counter in accordance with a management mode designated by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The image forming device according to  claim 1 , wherein the printer has, as the operation mode, a color mode which chromatically prints the pages and a monochromatic mode which monochromatically prints the pages, and
 the setting unit sets the number of the pages printed in the color mode to be counted in the first counter, in a case where a division management function is valid which manages the number of the pages printed for each division, the user belonging to the division, and the setting unit further judges whether or not a color management function is valid which manages only the number of the pages printed in the color mode to thereby set the number of the pages printed in the monochromatic mode to be counted in the first counter or the second counter.   
     
     
         4 . The image forming device according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a judgment unit to judge whether the image to be printed on the image forming medium by the printer is chromatic or monochromatic,   the printer further having, as the operation mode, an auto color mode which selects the color mode or the monochromatic mode in accordance with a judgment result of the judgment unit.   
     
     
         5 . The image forming device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a scanner which reads the image to be printed on the image forming medium by the printer,   the judgment unit judging whether the image read by the scanner is chromatic or monochromatic,   the printer printing, in the color mode, the image judged to be chromatic by the judgment unit, and printing, in the monochromatic mode, the image judged to be monochromatic by the judgment unit, in a case where the operation mode is the auto color mode.   
     
     
         6 . The image forming device according to  claim 1 , wherein the printer has, as the operation mode, a two-color mode which prints the pages in two colors, and the setting unit sets the number of the pages printed in the two-color mode to be counted in the first counter or the second counter in accordance with user's designation. 
     
     
         7 . A method of managing an image forming device, comprising:
 setting beforehand the number of printed pages to be counted in a plurality of first counters associated with divisions to which users belong, respectively or a second counter which is not associated with any specific division for each operation mode of printing;   executing the printing in various operation modes;   counting, in the first counter corresponding to the division to which the user belongs who has requested the printing, the number of the pages printed in the operation mode in which the number of the pages is set to be counted in the first counter; and   counting, in the second counter, the number of the pages printed in the operation mode in which the number of the pages is set to be counted in the second counter.   
     
     
         8 . The method of managing the image forming device according to  claim 7 , wherein the setting includes:
 setting the operation mode which counts the number of the printed pages in the first counter and the operation mode which counts the number of the printed pages in the second counter in accordance with a management mode designated by the user.   
     
     
         9 . The method of managing the image forming device according to  claim 7 , wherein the setting includes:
 setting the number of the pages printed in a color mode to be counted in the first counter, the color mode chromatically printing the pages, in a case where a division management function is valid which manages the number of the pages printed for each division, the user belonging to the division; and   judging whether or not a color management function is valid which manages only the number of the pages printed in the color mode to thereby set the number of the pages printed in a monochromatic mode to be counted in the first counter or the second counter, the monochromatic mode monochromatically printing the pages.   
     
     
         10 . The method of managing the image forming device according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 judging whether the image to be printed on the image forming medium is chromatic or monochromatic,   the executing of the printing further including: selecting the color mode or the monochromatic mode in accordance with the judgment result to print the image in the selected mode.   
     
     
         11 . The method of managing the image forming device according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 reading the image to be printed on the image forming medium,   the judging including: judging whether the read image is chromatic or monochromatic,   the executing of the printing including: printing, in the color mode, the image judged to be chromatic; and   printing, in the monochromatic mode, the image judged to be monochromatic.   
     
     
         12 . The method of managing the image forming device according to  claim 7 , wherein the setting includes:
 setting the number of the pages printed in a two-color mode to be counted in the first counter or the second counter in accordance with user's designation, the two-color mode printing the pages in two colors.   
     
     
         13 . An image forming device comprising:
 image forming means for having a plurality of operation modes to form an image on an image forming medium;   a plurality of first counters which are associated with divisions to which users belong, respectively;   a second counter which is not associated with any specific division;   setting means for setting the number of pages having the image formed thereon by the image forming means to be counted in the first counter or the second counter for each operation mode of the image forming means;   first counting means for counting, in the first counter corresponding to the division to which the user belongs who has requested the image forming, the number of the pages having the image formed thereon in the operation mode in which the setting means sets the number of the pages to be counted in the first counter; and   second counting means for counting, in the second counter, the number of the pages having the image formed thereon in the operation mode in which the setting means sets the number of the pages to be counted in the second counter.   
     
     
         14 . The image forming device according to  claim 13 , wherein the setting means sets the operation mode which counts the number of the pages having the image formed thereon by the image forming means in the first counter and the operation mode which counts the number of the pages having the image formed thereon by the image forming means in the second counter in accordance with an management mode designated by the user. 
     
     
         15 . The image forming device according to  claim 13 , wherein the image forming means has, as the operation mode, a color mode which chromatically forms the image and a monochromatic mode which monochromatically forms the image, and
 the setting means sets the number of the pages having the image formed thereon in the color mode to be counted in the first counter, in a case where a division management function is valid which manages the number of the pages having the image formed thereon for each division, the user belonging to the division, and the setting means further judges whether or not a color management function is valid which manages only the number of the pages having the image formed thereon in the color mode to thereby set the number of the pages having the image formed thereon in the monochromatic mode to be counted in the first counter or the second counter.   
     
     
         16 . The image forming device according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 judgment means for judging whether the image to be formed on the image forming medium by the image forming means is chromatic or monochromatic,   the image forming means further having, as the operation mode, an auto color mode which selects the color mode or the monochromatic mode in accordance with a judgment result of the judgment means.   
     
     
         17 . The image forming device according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 reading means for reading the image to be formed on the image forming medium by the image forming means,   the judgment means judging whether the image read by the reading means is chromatic or monochromatic,   the image forming means forming, in the color mode, the image judged to be chromatic by the judgment means, and forming, in the monochromatic mode, the image judged to be monochromatic by the judgment means, in a case where the operation mode is the auto color mode.   
     
     
         18 . The image forming device according to  claim 13 , wherein the image forming means has, as the operation mode, a two-color mode which forms the image in two colors, and
 the setting mans sets the number of the pages having the image formed thereon in the two-color mode to be counted in the first counter or the second counter in accordance with user's designation.