Interactive network board for logging peripheral statistics with logging level commands

Claim 2

An interactive network apparatus which couples a peripheral to a local area network (LAN) and which logs information concerning the peripheral, said apparatus comprising: a LAN interface, couplable to the LAN, for receiving job information for the peripheral, and for receiving a logging level command from the LAN, the logging level command specifying one of at least four logging levels including (i) a None logging level in which no information is statistics (ii) an Auto logging level in which peripheral statistics are logged periodically, (iii) an Error logging level in which peripheral statistics and peripheral error conditions are logged, and (iv) a Job logging level in which peripheral statistics, peripheral error conditions, and job information are logged; a peripheral interface, couplable to the peripheral, for transmitting received lob information to the peripheral, for transmitting peripheral information requests to the peripheral, the peripheral information requests for requesting peripheral information in accordance with the logging level, and for receiving peripheral information from the peripheral; a RAM for storing the received peripheral information; and a processor for (1) setting a logging level in accordance with the received logging level command, (2) interrogating the peripheral at a first predetermined interval by sending the peripheral information requests to the peripheral over the peripheral interface, (3) determining, at a second predetermined interval and based on the peripheral information received from the peripheral over said peripheral interface, (i) the peripheral statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (ii) the peripheral error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iii) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set, and (4) logging, in a log file, (i) no information in a case where the None logging level is set, (ii) the peripheral statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (iii) the peripheral error conditions in a case where one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iv) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral has a non-volatile memory, and wherein the log file is stored in the non-volatile memory.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory, disposed on the interactive network board, and wherein said processor stores the log file in the non-volatile memory on the interactive network board.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor stores the log file in said RAM disposed on the interactive network board.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said LAN interface receives peripheral status queries from the LAN, and transmits peripheral status responses to the LAN, and wherein said processor causes the log file to be transmitted over said LAN interface as a peripheral status response, in response to receipt of a peripheral status query.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined interval is substantially one minute, and wherein the second predetermined interval is substantially one day.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral comprises a printer, and wherein said peripheral interface comprises an SCSI interface.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is capable of calculating and logging peripheral job beginning and job end data in accordance with the received logging level command.

Claim 10

An interactive network apparatus coupled to a printer and to a local area network (LAN) for logging information concerning the printer, said apparatus comprising: a LAN interface, couplable to the LAN, for receiving job information for the printer, and for receiving a logging level command from the LAN, the logging level command specifying one of at least four logging levels including (i) a None logging level in which no information is logged, (ii) an Auto logging level in which printer statistics are logged periodically, (iii) an Error logging level in which printer statistics and printer error conditions are logged, and (iv) a Job logging level in which printer statistics, printer error conditions and job information are logged; an SCSI interface, couplable to the printer and having a data channel and a status channel, for transmitting print data to the printer over the data channel, for transmitting printer information requests to the printer over the status channel, and for receiving printer information from the printer over the status channel; a memory for storing the received printer information; and a processor, couplable to the interactive network board, for (1) setting a logging level in accordance with the received logging level command, (2) adding beginning and end of print job indicia to the print data prior to transmission to the printer, (3) causing the printer information requests to be transmitted to the printer at a first predetermined interval, (4) causing the printer information to be received from the printer and to be stored in said memory at the first predetermined interval, (5) determining, based on the received printer information and the beginning and end of job indicia, at a second predetermined interval longer than the first predetermined interval, (i) the printer statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (ii) the printer error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iii) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set, and (6) logging, in a log file, (i) no information in a case where the None logging level is set, (ii) the printer statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (iii) the printer error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iv) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set.

Claim 11

An interactive network apparatus coupled to a printer and to a local area network (LAN) for logging information concerning the printer, said apparatus comprising: a LAN interface, couplable to the LAN, for receiving job information for the printer, and for receiving a logging level command from the LAN, the logging level command specifying one of at least four logging levels including (i) a None logging level in which no information is logged, (ii) an Auto logging level in which printer statistics are logged periodically, (iii) an Error logging level in which printer statistics and printer error conditions are logged, and (iv) a Job logging level in which printer statistics, printer error conditions and job information are logged; an SCSI interface, couplable to the printer and having a data channel and a status channel, for transmitting print data to the printer over the data channel, for transmitting printer information requests to the printer over the status channel, and for receiving printer information from the printer over the status channel; a memory for storing the received printer information; and a processor, couplable to the interactive network board, for (1) setting a logging level in accordance with the received logging level command, (2) adding beginning and end of print job indicia to the print data prior to transmission to the printer, (3) causing the printer information requests to be transmitted to the printer at a first predetermined interval, (4) causing the printer information to be received from the printer and to be stored in said memory at the first predetermined interval, (5) determining, based on the received printer information and the beginning and end of job indicia, at a second predetermined interval longer than the first predetermined interval, (i) the printer statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (ii) the printer error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iii) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set, and (6) logging, in a log file, (i) no information in a case where the None logging level is set, (ii) the printer statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (iii) the printer error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iv) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the printer has a non-volatile memory, and further comprising an NVRAM, disposed on the interactive network board, and wherein said processor stores the log file in one of the NVRAM and the printer non-volatile memory.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a printer status query is received from the LAN over said LAN interface, a printer status report is transmitted to the LAN over said LAN interface, and wherein said processor, in response to the printer status query, (1) retrieves the log file stored in the one of the NVRAM and the printer non-volatile memory, and (2) transmits the log file to the LAN over said LAN interface as the printer status report.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, the printer information comprises at least a number of pages printed and printer error events, and wherein the printer statistics and printer error conditions comprise a number of pages printed per every second predetermined interval and error events per every second predetermined interval.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 13, wherein the printer statistics comprise pages printed per job, and wherein the error conditions comprise error events per day.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 14, wherein said step of periodically querying the printer for error information includes the step of interrogating the printer every minute for the error information.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 13, further comprising a storing step for storing the log file in one of a non-volatile memory in the printer and a non-volatile memory in the interactive network board.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 13, wherein the log file, in a case where any One of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, includes at least a number of pages printed, a number of jobs printed, and printer off-line time.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of: querying the interactive network board from a remote LAN location; transmitting the log file to the remote LAN location over the LAN interface; and changing the logging level from the remote LAN location.

Claim 22

A network system comprising: a peripheral; and an interactive network apparatus which couples the peripheral to a local area network (LAN) and which logs information concerning the peripheral, said apparatus comprising: a LAN interface, couplable to the LAN, for receiving job information for the peripheral, and for receiving a logging level command from the LAN, the logging level command specifying one of at least four logging levels including (i) a None logging level in which no information is logged, (ii) an Auto logging level in which peripheral statistics are logged periodically, (iii) an Error logging level in which peripheral statistics and peripheral error conditions are logged, and (iv) a Job logging level in which peripheral statistics, peripheral error conditions, and job information are logged; a peripheral interface, couplable to the peripheral, for transmitting received job information to the peripheral, for transmitting peripheral information requests to the peripheral, the peripheral information requests for requesting peripheral information in accordance with the logging level, and for receiving peripheral information from the peripheral; a RAM for storing the received peripheral information; and a processor for (1) setting a logging level in accordance with the received logging level command, (2) interrogating the peripheral at a first predetermined interval by sending the peripheral information requests to the peripheral over the peripheral interface, (3) determining, at a second predetermined interval and based on the peripheral information received from the peripheral over said peripheral interface, (i) the peripheral statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (ii) the peripheral error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iii) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set, and (4) logging, in a log file, (i) no information in a case where the None logging level is set, (ii) the peripheral statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (iii) the peripheral error conditions in a case where one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iv) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set.

Claim 23

A network system comprising: a peripheral; and an interactive network apparatus which couples the peripheral to a local area network (LAN) and which logs information concerning the peripheral, said apparatus comprising: a LAN interface, couplable to the LAN, for receiving job information for the peripheral, and for receiving a logging level command from the LAN, the logging level command specifying one of at least four logging levels including (i) a None logging level in which no information is logged, (ii) an Auto logging level in which peripheral statistics are logged periodically, (iii) an Error logging level in which peripheral statistics and peripheral error conditions are logged, and (iv) a Job logging level in which peripheral statistics, peripheral error conditions, and job information are logged; a peripheral interface, couplable to the peripheral, for transmitting received job information to the peripheral, for transmitting peripheral information requests to the peripheral, the peripheral information requests for requesting peripheral information in accordance with the logging level, and for receiving peripheral information from the peripheral; a RAM for storing the received peripheral information; and a processor for (1) setting a logging level in accordance with the received logging level command, (2) interrogating the peripheral at a first predetermined interval by sending the peripheral information requests to the peripheral over the peripheral interface, (3) determining, at a second predetermined interval and based on the peripheral information received from the peripheral over said peripheral interface, (i) the peripheral statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (ii) the peripheral error conditions in a case where either one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iii) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set, and (4) logging, in a log file, (i) no information in a case where the None logging level is set, (ii) the peripheral statistics in a case where any one of the Auto logging level, the Error logging level, and the Job logging level is set, (iii) the peripheral error conditions in a case where one of the Error logging level and the Job logging level is set, and (iv) the job information in a case where the Job logging level is set.

Claim 24

A network system according to claim 19, wherein said peripheral comprises a printer.