1. A method of laundering fabric, comprising the steps of:
a) diluting an anti-microbial laundry detergent composition that comprises a diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent with water or an aqueous solution by an order ranging from 900 to 3000 times by weight to form a laundry washing liquor having a Through-The-Wash (TTW) dosage of said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent ranging from 0.25 to 1 ppm; and
b) contacting fabrics in need of laundering with said laundry washing liquor.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the TTW dosage of said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent in the laundry washing liquor ranges from 0.3 to 0.7 ppm, preferably from 0.4 to 0.6 ppm, and more preferably from 0.45 to 0.55 ppm.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said anti-microbial laundry detergent composition further comprises one or more anionic andor nonionic surfactants selected from the group consisting of: (1) C10-C20 linear alkyl benzene sulphonates; (2) C10-C20 linear or branched alkylalkoxy sulfates having a weight average degree of alkoxylation ranging from 0.1 to 5.0; (3) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl sulfates; (4) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl ester sulfates; (5) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl ester sulfonates; (6) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl ester alkoxylates; (7) C8-C22 alkyl alkoxylated alcohols having a weight average degree of alkoxylation from 1 to 60; and combinations thereof.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said anti-microbial laundry detergent composition comprises at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C10-C20 linear alkyl benzene sulphonates, C10-C20 linear or branched alkylalkoxy sulfates having an average degree of alkoxylation ranging from 0.1 to 5.0, and combinations thereof.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said anti-microbial laundry detergent composition comprises at least one nonionic surfactant having a formula selected from the group consisting of:
(i) R1\u2014O\u2014(C2H4O)l\u2014H, wherein R1 is a C8-C22 alkyl group, and l represents the weight average degree of ethoxylation which ranges from 1 to 20; and
(ii) R2\u2014O\u2014(C2H4O)m-(AO)n\u2014H, wherein R1 is a C8-C22 alkyl group, AO is an C3-C5 alkyleneoxy group, m and n represent the weight average degrees of ethoxylation or alkoxylation, respectively, with m ranging from 18 to 60, and n ranging from 0 to 5.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent is a hydroxyl diphenyl ether of formula (I):
wherein:
each Y is independently selected from chlorine, bromine, or fluorine,
each Z is independently selected from SO2H, NO2, or C1-C4 alkyl,
r is 0, 1, 2, or 3,
o is 0, 1, 2, or 3,
p is 0, 1, or 2,
m is 1 or 2, and
n is 0 or 1.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent is selected from the group consisting of 4-4\u2032-dichloro-2-hydroxy diphenyl ether, 2,4,4\u2032-trichloro-2\u2032-hydroxy diphenyl ether, and a combination thereof, and wherein said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent is preferably 4-4\u2032-dichloro-2-hydroxy diphenyl ether.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said anti-microbial laundry detergent composition comprises said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent in an amount from 0.02% to 0.3% by total weight of the composition.
9. An anti-microbial laundry detergent composition, comprising a diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent in an amount sufficient for delivering a Through-The-Wash (TTW) dosage of the diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent ranging from 0.25 to 1 ppm in a laundry washing liquor formed by said anti-microbial laundry detergent composition.
10. The anti-microbial laundry detergent composition of claim 9, comprising from 0.02% to 0.3% of said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent by total weight of the composition, and wherein said anti-microbial laundry detergent composition is constructed and designed to form the laundry washing liquor through dilution of said composition in water or an aqueous solution by an order ranging from 900 to 3000 times by weight.
11. A laundry washing liquor comprising an aqueous solution of a diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent with a Through-The-Wash (TTW) dosage ranging from 0.25 to 1 ppm.
12. The laundry washing liquor of claim 11, wherein the TTW dosage of said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent ranges from 0.3 to 0.7 ppm, preferably from 0.4 to 0.6 ppm, and more preferably from 0.45 to 0.55 ppm.
13. The laundry washing liquor of claim 11, comprising one or more anionic andor nonionic surfactants selected from the group consisting of: (1) C10-C20 linear alkyl benzene sulphonates; (2) C10-C20 linear or branched alkylalkoxy sulfates having a weight average degree of alkoxylation ranging from 0.1 to 5.0; (3) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl sulfates; (4) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl ester sulfates; (5) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl ester sulfonates; (6) C10-C20 linear or branched alkyl ester alkoxylates; (7) C8-C22 alkyl alkoxylated alcohols having a weight average degree of alkoxylation from 1 to 60; and combinations thereof.
14. The laundry washing liquor according to claim 11, comprising at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C10-C20 linear alkyl benzene sulphonates, C10-C20 linear or branched alkylalkoxy sulfates having an average degree of alkoxylation ranging from 0.1 to 5.0, and combinations thereof.
15. The laundry washing liquor according to claim 11, comprising at least one nonionic surfactant having a formula selected from the group consisting of:
(i) R1\u2014O\u2014(C2H4O)l\u2014H, wherein R1 is a C8-C22 alkyl group, and l represents the weight average degree of ethoxylation which ranges from 1 to 20; and
(ii) R2\u2014O\u2014(C2H4O)m-(AO)n\u2014H, wherein R1 is a C8-C22 alkyl group, AO is an C3-C5 alkyleneoxy group, m and n represent the weight average degrees of ethoxylation or alkoxylation, respectively, with m ranging from 18 to 60, and n ranging from 0 to 5.
16. The laundry washing liquor according to claim 11, wherein said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent is a hydroxyl diphenyl ether of formula (I):
wherein:
each Y is independently selected from chlorine, bromine, or fluorine,
each Z is independently selected from SO2H, NO2, or C1-C4 alkyl,
r is 0, 1, 2, or 3,
o is 0, 1, 2, or 3,
p is 0, 1, or 2,
m is 1 or 2, and
n is 0 or 1.
17. The laundry washing liquor according to claim 11, wherein said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent is selected from the group consisting of 4-4\u2032-dichloro-2-hydroxy diphenyl ether, 2,4,4\u2032-trichloro-2\u2032-hydroxy diphenyl ether, and a combination thereof, and wherein said diphenyl ether anti-microbial agent is preferably 4-4\u2032-dichloro-2-hydroxy diphenyl ether.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A network system for determining billing fee usage information for document processing related jobs, comprising:
a plurality of processing apparatuses having document processing functions, each processing apparatus belonging to one of a plurality of groups;
a plurality of client apparatuses configured to instruct each of the processing apparatuses to execute a necessary document processing related job, each client apparatus belonging to one of the plurality of groups; and
a server apparatus, all of said plurality of processing apparatuses and all of said plurality of client apparatuses being mutually connected on a network,
wherein said server apparatus comprises a collection recorder that collects, from each of said plurality of processing apparatuses, information about a document processing related job executed by each of said processing apparatuses and records the information as job data, and a count processor that executes a count process according to a count condition specified by each of said plurality of client apparatuses, based on the job data,
wherein a browser is installed to each client apparatus of the plurality of client apparatuses in order to specify the count condition, instruct an execution of the count process, and view a count result generated by the count processor,
wherein, when performing a remote process where a certain document processing related job executed by using one of the plurality of processing apparatuses within a group different from a normal group to which a client apparatus belongs, the count processor of said server apparatus executes the count process by incorporating billing fee usage information of the document processing related job into the normal group, and
wherein the normal group is a group where a processing apparatus that executes a document processing related job and a client apparatus that instructs the processing apparatus to execute the document processing related job are included in the same group.
2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the count processor of said server apparatus executes a count process by classifying job data to be counted, according to a count type chosen and specified by a client apparatus, the count type being chosen from a prearranged plurality of count types.
3. The network system according to claim 2, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by groups of processing apparatuses and client apparatuses, and wherein jobs executed by a processing apparatus of a certain group and job data related to jobs instructed by a client apparatus of the certain group are to be counted for each group.
4. The network system according to claim 2, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by users who operate said plurality of client apparatuses, and wherein job data related to jobs instructed by a certain user are to be counted for each user.
5. The network system according to claim 2, wherein the count type is used when counting job types by said plurality of processing apparatuses, and wherein job data related to jobs executed by a certain processing apparatus are to be counted for each processing apparatus.
6. The network system according to claim 2, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by job types, and wherein job data related to jobs within a certain job type are to be counted for each job type.
7. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the count processor of said server apparatus executes a count process by narrowing down job data for counting, based on a count period specified by a client apparatus.
8. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the count processor of said server apparatus executes a count process by narrowing down job data for counting, based on a count range selected, from a plurality of prearranged selections of count items, by a client apparatus.
9. The network system according to claim 8, wherein the count items include a group, a user, a job type, a processing apparatus, and a paper size.
10. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the count processor of said server apparatus generates a count result that includes a numeric value stored in job data, and fee information calculated based on a unit usage fee set for each job.
11. The network system according to claim 10, wherein the unit usage fee is set based on an instruction given by said client apparatus in a manager mode.
12. A server apparatus for determining billing fee usage information for document processing related jobs, connected on a network to a plurality of processing apparatuses having document processing functions and a plurality of client apparatuses instructing each of the plurality of processing apparatuses to execute a necessary document processing related job, each client apparatus and each processing apparatus belonging to one of a plurality of groups, the server apparatus comprising:
a collection recorder that collects from each of the plurality of processing apparatuses, information about a document processing related job executed by each of the processing apparatuses and records the information as job data; and
a count processor that executes a count process according to a count condition specified by each of said plurality of client apparatuses, based on the job data,
wherein a browser is installed to each client apparatus in order to specify the count condition, instruct an execution of the count process, and view a count result generated by each count process,
wherein, when performing a remote process where a certain document processing related job executed by using one of the plurality of processing apparatuses within a group different from a normal group to which the client apparatus belongs, said count processor executes the count process by incorporating fee information of the document processing related job into the normal group, and
wherein the normal group is a group where a processing apparatus that executes a document processing related job and a client apparatus that instructs the processing apparatus to execute the document processing related job are included in the same group.
13. The server apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said count processor executes a count process by classifying job data to be counted, according to a count type chosen and specified by a client apparatus, the count type being chosen from a prearranged plurality of count types.
14. The server apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by groups of processing apparatuses and client apparatuses, and wherein jobs executed by a processing apparatus of a certain group and job data related to jobs instructed by a client apparatus of the certain group are to be counted for each group.
15. The server apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by users who operate the plurality of client apparatuses, and wherein job data related to jobs instructed by a certain user are to be counted for each user.
16. The server apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by the plurality of processing apparatuses, and wherein job data related to jobs executed by a certain processing apparatus are to be counted for each processing apparatus.
17. The server apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by job types, and wherein job data related to jobs within a certain job type are to be counted for each job type.
18. The server apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said count processor executes a count process by narrowing down job data for counting, based on a count period specified by a client apparatus.
19. The server apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said count processor executes a count process by narrowing down job data for counting, based on a count range selected, from a plurality of prearranged selections of count items, by a client apparatus.
20. The server apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the count items include a group, a user, a job type, a processing apparatus, and a paper size.
21. The server apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said count processor generates a count result that includes a numeric value stored in job data, and fee information calculated based on a unit usage fee set for each job.
22. The server apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the unit usage fee is set based on an instruction given by the client apparatus in a manager mode.
23. A network management method for determining billing fee usage information for document processing related jobs for a server apparatus, connected on a network to a plurality of processing apparatuses having document processing functions, and a plurality of client apparatuses instructing each of the plurality of processing apparatuses to execute a necessary document processing related job, each client apparatus and each processing apparatus belonging to one of a plurality of groups, the method comprising:
collecting and recording, from each of the processing apparatuses, information about a document processing related job executed by the plurality of processing apparatuses and recording the information as job data; and
executing a count process according to a count condition specified by each client apparatus, based on the job data,
wherein a browser is installed to each client apparatus in order to specify the count condition, instruct an execution of the count process, and view a count result generated by the count process,
wherein, when performing a remote process where a certain document processing related job executed by using one of the plurality of processing apparatuses within a group different from a normal group to which a client apparatus belongs, the count process is executed by incorporating fee information of the document processing related job into the normal group, and
wherein the normal group is a group where a processing apparatus that executes a document processing related job and a client apparatus that instructs the processing apparatus to execute the document processing related job are included in the same group.
24. The network management method according to claim 23, wherein executing a count process executes a count process by classifying job data to be counted, according to a count type chosen and specified by a client apparatus, the count type being chosen from a prearranged plurality of count types.
25. The network management method according to claim 24, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by groups of processing apparatuses and client apparatuses, and wherein jobs executed by a processing apparatus of a certain group and job data related to jobs instructed by a client apparatus of the certain group are to be counted for each group.
26. The network management method according to claim 24, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by users who operate the plurality of client apparatuses, and wherein job data related to jobs instructed by a certain user are to be counted for each user.
27. The network management method according to claim 24, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by the plurality of processing apparatuses, and wherein job data related to jobs executed by a certain processing apparatus are to be counted for each processing apparatus.
28. The network management method according to claim 24, wherein the count type is used when counting jobs by job types, and wherein job data related to jobs within a certain job type are to be counted for each job type.
29. The network management method according to claim 23, wherein executing a count process executes a count process by narrowing down job data for counting based on a count period specified by a client apparatus.
30. The network management method according to claim 23, wherein executing a count process executes a count process by narrowing down job data for counting, based on a count range selected, from a plurality of prearranged selections of count items, by a client apparatus.
31. The network management method according to claim 30, wherein the count items include a group, a user, a job type a processing apparatus, and a paper size.
32. The network management method according to claim 23, wherein executing a count process generates a count result that includes a numeric value stored in job data, and fee information calculated based on a unit usage fee set for each job.
33. The network management method according to claim 32, wherein the unit usage fee is set based on an instruction given by a client apparatus in a manager mode.