JP2016110633A - Information processing device, information processing method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve convenience by easily enabling the specification of a desired job.SOLUTION: A PC 100 connected to a printer through a network includes a storage part 130, a display control part 102 for displaying a list of one or more print jobs to be executed by the printer, the list being a job list including one or more setting items of each print job in a display part 150, an input reception part 104 for receiving selection of a setting item from the displayed job list, a job management part 110 for storing the alignment sequence of setting values of setting items in the displayed job list in the storage part 130 in the case of receiving the selection of the setting item, and a sort part 112 for rearranging print jobs such that setting values of the selected setting item is a prescribed sequence while maintaining an alignment sequence among jobs of the setting values of setting items other than the selected setting item in an earlier or later sequence stored in the storage part 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium.

  In recent years, in the field of product printing called so-called printing industry, printing of small lots and various types of products has become the mainstream rather than mass printing with offset. For this reason, electrophotographic and ink jet on-demand printers suitable for on-demand printing are more frequently used than conventional offset printing presses. When controlling multi-product printing in an on-demand printing machine, job management by a print server is important.

  Many small lots and many types of printing have extremely short delivery times. In such a case, it is common practice to use the interrupt printing function of the print server for the on-demand printing machine that is printing, and adjust the delivery time of other printed materials while printing between other jobs. In addition, if the print job for interrupt printing is reprinting instead of new printing, the raster image of the previous job remaining in the print queue is used instead of RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing by importing a new job. If re-execution is performed, it is possible to save RIP processing time.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus capable of performing the above-described interrupt printing because it has a job list display function, from which jobs can be selected and settings can be changed. The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is also useful when printing must be performed by changing the settings little by little by color matching or the like in proof printing or the like.

  By the way, in recent print servers (for example, the Fiery (registered trademark) server of EFI, USA), in addition to the job list function, attention is paid to a certain setting item, and the setting values of the setting item of interest are sorted (arranged). Can be changed). Then, for example, by selecting and sorting job names (setting items), it becomes easy to find a job to be printed from among many jobs. Of course, since it is possible to sort by setting items other than the job name, it is possible to search for a desired job by sorting by setting items such as the user name of the job and the print paper size. The setting items displayed in the job list can be freely changed by the user.

  By the way, in the recent printing industry, a plurality of jobs may be printed together with the same setting. At that time, even a conventional print server sorts the setting items such as the job name from the many jobs displayed in the job list, identifies the job, and instructs to change the settings and reprint. There was something to do. However, when many other jobs with similar job names or similar settings are displayed, there is a problem that it is difficult to specify a desired job and the operation becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium that can easily specify a desired job and improve convenience. Objective.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a storage unit and one or more jobs executed in the image forming apparatus in an information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via a network. A display control unit that displays a job list including one or more setting items of each job on a display unit, an input reception unit that receives selection of the setting item from the displayed job list, When the selection of the setting item is accepted, the job management unit that saves the order of setting values of the setting item in the displayed job list in the storage unit, and the setting item other than the selected setting item While maintaining the arrangement order of the set values among jobs in order from the last to the last stored in the storage unit, the print job is set so that the set values of the selected setting items are in a predetermined order. Comprising a sorting unit to sort and.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily specify a desired job and improve the convenience.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an entire configuration of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list displayed on the PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of sort processing in the PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list sorted by “Job Name”. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list sorted by “User Name (user name)”. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list sorted by “User Name (user name)” and “Job Name (job name)”. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list displayed on the PC according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of sort processing in the PC according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of display processing in the PC according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a hardware configuration of the PC according to the first to third embodiments. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a hardware configuration of the printer according to the first to third embodiments. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of sort processing in a conventional PC. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a job list displayed on a conventional PC.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an entire configuration of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system according to the present embodiment includes a personal computer (PC) 100a, 100b, 100c (100a to 100c) and a printer 10a, 200b, 200c (200a to 200c). Connected through. The network 10 can be applied to a public line or an in-house network, and is, for example, a telephone line, a wireless network, or the Internet. The printers 200a to 200c include print servers 300a to 300c and printer engines 400a to 400c, respectively.

  Although FIG. 1 shows an example of an image forming system in which three PCs and three printers are connected, any number of one or more PCs and printers can be connected. In the following description, when the PCs 100a to 100c and the printers 200a to 200c are not specified, the PC 100, the printer 200, the print server 300, and the printer engine 400 will be described. The PC 100 corresponds to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, and the printer 200 corresponds to the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  The PC 100 generates print data or a print job to be printed, and transmits it to the printer 200 via the network 10. Further, when the PC 100 receives a print instruction which is a print execution request by the user, the PC 100 transmits the received print instruction to the printer 200. The PC 100 includes a printer driver that generates a print job, client software that manages the print job, and the like.

  When the print server 300 receives print data or the like from the PC 100, the print server 300 performs data expansion or image processing on the received print data. Thereafter, when a print instruction is received from the PC 100, the print server 300 issues a print instruction to the printer engine 400 and transmits print data subjected to image processing or the like.

  Upon receiving the print instruction and print data from the print server 300, the printer engine 400 prints the received print data. The printer engine 400 may be a color machine, a monochrome machine, or the like depending on the color to be printed, and the printing method may be an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method. The image forming system according to the present embodiment can be applied to any kind of image forming system. Hereinafter, a case where the printer engine 400 is applied to a color electrophotographic system will be described as an example.

  As described above, when print data is transmitted from the PC 100 to the print server 300, the image forming system temporarily stores the print data received by the print server 300. When a print instruction is transmitted from the PC 100 to the print server 300, the print server 300 prints print data using the printer engine 400.

  Also, in the image forming system, when the PC 100 displays a job list that is a list of print jobs and accepts selection of a print job by the user, the printer 200 can change print settings and reprint. When selecting this print job, if the number of print jobs displayed in the job list is large, it is difficult to find a desired print job. Therefore, the PC 100 according to the present embodiment has a function of sorting (sorting) the contents of the job list so that the user can easily find a desired print job.

  Next, the configuration of the PC 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the PC according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the PC 100 includes a storage unit 130, a display control unit 102, an input reception unit 104, a print data generation unit 106, a communication unit 108, a job management unit 110, and a sorting unit 112. Mainly prepared.

  The storage unit 130 is a storage medium that stores various data such as image data desired to be printed, various screens and print jobs, and a job list that is a list of print jobs. For example, the storage unit 130 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a memory. is there. Here, the job list in the present embodiment is a list of one or more print jobs executed in the printer 200, and includes one or more setting items for each print job.

  The display control unit 102 performs control to display various data on the display unit 150 such as a display. In the present embodiment, the display control unit 102 displays on the display unit 150 a setting screen for performing printing and display settings and a printing screen for performing printing.

  Further, the display control unit 102 displays a job list that is a list of print jobs generated by the job management unit 110 on the display unit 150. Further, when the setting value of the selected setting item is sorted by the sorting unit 112, the display control unit 102 displays the sorted job list on the display unit 150.

  Here, the details of the “job list” will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list displayed on the PC according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the job list according to the present embodiment includes print job setting items “Job Name”, “User Name”, “Size”, and “Pages”. “(Number of pages)”, “Copies (number of copies)”, “Date / Time (date and time when the print instruction is issued)”, and the like are displayed, and setting values are displayed for each setting item. For example, “Dog”, “Cat”, “Salmon”, and the like, which are setting values indicating the job name, are displayed in order in the setting item “Job Name”. Also, for example, “Kyle”, “Mike”, “Ron”, and the like, which are setting values indicating the user name, are displayed in order in the setting item “User Name”. In the job list shown in FIG. 3, the print jobs are arranged from top to bottom in order of date and time when the print instruction for the print job is issued. That is, in the job list of FIG. 3, the print jobs are arranged in descending order from top to bottom according to the date and time (“Date / Time”) when the print instruction is issued.

  The display control unit 102 may also display “tray information” when displaying the job list on the display unit 150. The tray information is information notified from the printer engine 400, and is information on paper in the tray of the printer engine 400. The contents displayed in the tray information are a paper type, a paper thickness, a paper size, a remaining paper amount, and the like. By displaying the tray information in this way, the user can select a desired print job or setting item from the job list while grasping the state of the tray, and can further change the print setting.

  The input receiving unit 104 receives various inputs (selections) from the user. In the present embodiment, when printing is executed, the input receiving unit 104 receives a print setting by the user from the setting screen displayed on the display unit 150, and receives a print instruction that is a print execution request from the print screen. Note that the print settings can be changed by, for example, clicking a setting button on the menu screen or displaying properties by right-clicking.

  When the print setting is changed or reprinted, the input receiving unit 104 receives a user's selection of a print job from the job list displayed on the display unit 150. In addition, when the setting values of the setting items are sorted at that time, the input reception unit 104 receives selection of the setting item by the user from the job list.

  Further, when the sorting unit 112 sorts (reorders) the setting values of the setting items, the input receiving unit 104 selects either the first sort setting or the second sort setting that is the setting (method) of the sorting. Accept the settings. Here, the first sort setting refers to the order in which the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item are arranged between jobs when the setting values of the setting items selected for the job list are sorted. This is a setting for rearranging print jobs while maintaining the order before and after sorting. On the other hand, in the second sort setting, when the setting values of the setting items selected for the job list are sorted, the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item between the jobs is This is a setting for rearranging print jobs without maintaining the order before and after sorting. The conventional sort setting is to perform the sort process exclusively for the set value of the selected setting item, and corresponds to the second sort setting.

  The print data generation unit 106 converts image data such as a bitmap as multi-value data of KCMY (black, cyan, magenta, yellow) when print settings are accepted by the user. Then, the image data after the data conversion is compressed by a data compression unit that can be realized by a printer driver or the like to generate print data. For data compression, a general compression method such as MH, JBIG, or LZH can be used.

  The communication unit 108 controls communication with the printer 200 via the network 10. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 108 transmits the print data generated by the print data generation unit 106 and the print job generated by the job management unit 110 to the print server 300 via the network 10. Further, when the input unit 104 receives a print instruction, the communication unit 108 transmits the print instruction to the printer 200.

  Further, when the input reception unit 104 receives selection of a setting item in the job list, the communication unit 108 acquires the setting value of the setting item from the print server 300.

  When the user receives print settings, the job management unit 110 generates a print job, and stores a job list indicating the generated print job for each setting item in the storage unit 130. Further, when the user receives selection of a setting item from the job list by the user, the job management unit 110 saves in the storage unit 130 the order in which the setting values of the setting items are arranged between jobs in the displayed job list.

  The sort unit 112 accepts selection of a setting item from the job list by the user, and when the order of setting values of the setting items among the jobs in the job list is saved by the job management unit 110, the sorting unit 112 The print jobs are sorted (rearranged) so that the set values are in a predetermined order.

  Specifically, the sorting unit 112 determines whether the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in descending order, arranged in ascending order, or irregularly arranged in neither descending order nor ascending order. Then, when the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in descending order, the sorting unit 112 stores the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item between jobs in the storage unit 130. The print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in ascending order while maintaining the order in the last order.

  In addition, when the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in ascending order, the sorting unit 112 stores the order in which the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item are arranged between jobs in the storage unit 130. The print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in descending order while being maintained in order.

  Further, when the setting values of the selected setting items are irregularly arranged in neither descending order nor ascending order, the sorting unit 112 arranges the setting values of setting items other than the selected setting item between jobs. Are rearranged in order from the last stored in the storage unit 130, and the print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in ascending order.

  In addition, when the input receiving unit 104 receives the selection of the first sort setting, the sorting unit 112 changes the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item between jobs as described above. The setting values of the selected setting items are sorted while maintaining the order stored in the storage unit 130 in order. On the other hand, when the input accepting unit 104 accepts the selection of the second sort setting, the sorting unit 112 stores in the storage unit 130 the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item between the jobs. The setting values of the setting items are sorted without being maintained in order.

  Next, the configuration of the printer 200 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the printer according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the printer 200 includes a print server 300 and a printer engine 400. The print server 300 mainly includes a storage unit 330, a communication unit 302, a control unit 304, an image processing unit 306, a display control unit 308, an input reception unit 310, and an engine control unit 312. An operation panel 76 and a printer engine 400 are connected.

  The storage unit 330 is a storage medium that stores various data such as print data and print jobs received from the PC 100. Since the print data has a large capacity, the storage unit 330 preferably has a large capacity, and is usually an HDD or the like.

  The communication unit 302 controls communication with the PC 100 via the network 10. In the present embodiment, print data and a print job are received from the PC 100. In addition, the communication unit 302 receives a print instruction from the PC 100.

  When receiving a print instruction from the communication unit 302, the control unit 304 reads out print data indicated by the print instruction from the storage unit 330.

  Since the print data read by the control unit 304 is compressed, the image processing unit 306 decompresses the read print data, performs image processing necessary for printing such as dither processing, and prints data for each color of KCMY. Convert to

  The display control unit 308 displays various screens on the operation panel 76. Further, the input receiving unit 310 receives user input from various displayed screens or operation keys.

  When the engine control unit 312 receives a print instruction from the communication unit 302, the engine control unit 312 sends the print data subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 306 to the printer engine 400, and prints the print data by the printer engine 400.

  Here, the flow of sort processing in a conventional PC will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of sort processing in a conventional PC.

  First, the job list is displayed on the display unit 150 by the display control unit 102, and when the input receiving unit 104 receives selection of a setting item to be sorted from the job list by the user (step S100), the sorting process is started. The For example, a setting item to be sorted can be selected by clicking the upper part of the setting item (column) to be sorted in the job list. Alternatively, when the user executes the sort process from the menu, a setting item to be sorted may be selected.

  When the setting item to be sorted is selected, the sorting unit 112 determines whether or not the setting values of the selected setting item are arranged in descending order (step S102). If the setting values are arranged in descending order (step S102: Yes), the sorting unit 112 rearranges the print jobs so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in ascending order (step S104), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the setting values are not arranged in descending order (step S102: No), the sorting unit 112 determines whether or not the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in ascending order (step S106). When the setting values are arranged in ascending order (step S106: Yes), the sorting unit 112 rearranges the print jobs so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in descending order (step S108), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the setting values are not arranged in ascending order (step S106: No), that is, when the setting values are arranged in an irregular order, not descending order or ascending order, the sorting unit 112 sets the setting values of the selected setting items in ascending order. The print jobs are rearranged so as to become (step S110), and the process is terminated. In step S110, the print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values are in ascending order when the setting values of the selected setting items are not in ascending order or descending order (when they are irregularly arranged). You may rearrange in descending order.

  Next, the flow of sort processing in the PC 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of sort processing in the PC according to the first embodiment.

  First, the job list is displayed on the display unit 150 by the display control unit 102, and when the input receiving unit 104 receives selection of a setting item to be sorted from the job list by the user (step S10), the sorting process is started. The For example, a setting item to be sorted can be selected by clicking the upper part of the setting item (column) to be sorted in the job list. Alternatively, when the user executes the sort process from the menu, a setting item to be sorted may be selected.

  When the setting item is selected, the sorting unit 112 stores the order of setting values of the setting items among the jobs in the job list displayed on the display unit 150 in the storage unit 130 (step S12).

  Next, the sorting unit 112 determines whether or not the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in descending order (step S14). If the setting values are arranged in descending order (step S14: Yes), the sorting unit 112 rearranges the print jobs so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in ascending order (step S16), and ends the process.

  At this time, the sorting unit 112 refers to the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items between jobs in the job list stored in the storage unit 130 in step S12, and sets the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item. The print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in ascending order while maintaining the arrangement order among the jobs in the order.

  On the other hand, when the setting values are not arranged in descending order (step S14: No), the sorting unit 112 determines whether or not the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in ascending order (step S18). When the setting values are arranged in ascending order (step S18: Yes), the sorting unit 112 rearranges the print jobs so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in descending order (step S20), and ends the process.

  At this time, as in step S16, the sorting unit 112 refers to the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items between jobs in the job list stored in the storage unit 130, and sets each setting item other than the selected setting item. The print jobs are rearranged so that the set values of the selected setting items are in descending order while maintaining the order of the set values of the jobs among the jobs in order.

  On the other hand, if the setting values are not arranged in ascending order (step S18: No), that is, if the setting values are arranged in an irregular order, not descending order or ascending order, the sorting unit 112 sets the setting values of the selected setting items in ascending order. The print jobs are rearranged so as to become (step S22), and the process ends.

  At this time, as in step S16, the sorting unit 112 refers to the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items between jobs in the job list stored in the storage unit 130, and sets each setting item other than the selected setting item. The print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in ascending order, while maintaining the arrangement order of the setting values of the jobs among the jobs.

  In step S22, the print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values are in ascending order when the setting values of the selected setting items are not in ascending or descending order (when they are arranged irregularly). May be sorted in descending order.

  In this way, for example, setting items such as job name, user name, size, number of pages, and the like are selected, and a desired print job is narrowed down by performing continuous sort processing (continuous sort processing). be able to. The job list for the continuous sort process will be described below.

  In the state where the job list of FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 150, the arrangement order of the setting values of each setting item in the job list is stored in the storage unit 130, and “Job Name” is stored. When the sort process is performed according to the first sort setting, the job list shown in FIG. 6 is obtained. FIG. 6 shows an example of a job list sorted by “Job Name”.

  On the other hand, in the state where the job list of FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 150, the arrangement order of the setting values of each setting item between jobs in this job list is stored in the storage unit 130, and “User Name (user name) When the sort process is performed according to the first sort setting, the job list shown in FIG. 7 is obtained. FIG. 7 shows an example of a job list sorted by “User Name”.

  Further, in the state where the job list of FIG. 7 is displayed on the display unit 150, the arrangement order of the setting values of each setting item between jobs in this job list is stored in the storage unit 130, and “Job Name (job name) When the sort process is performed according to the first sort setting, the job list shown in FIG. 8 is obtained. FIG. 8 shows an example of a job list sorted by “User Name (user name)” and “Job Name (job name)”.

  Here, as an example, a case will be described in which when the job list shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 150, a print job having a job name “Cat” and a user name “Mike” is searched. Note that, as described above, the job list in FIG. 3 is arranged in descending order from top to bottom according to the date and time (“Date / Time”) when a print instruction is issued for print jobs.

  When performing sort processing by the first sort setting from the job list shown in FIG. 3 according to “Job Name”, first, the setting values of each setting item in the job list shown in FIG. The order is stored in the storage unit 130. Then, when sort processing is performed according to the first sort setting by “Job Name”, the print jobs are rearranged, and the job list shown in FIG. 6 is obtained. In the job list shown in FIG. 6, the date and time (“Date / Time”) when the print instruction is given is arranged in descending order, but “User Name” is irregularly arranged. Specifically, in the job name “Cat” in the job list shown in FIG. 6, the date and time (“Date / Time”) are arranged in descending order, but the user name used for searching for a print job is irregular. They are lined up. For this reason, when the number of print jobs with the job name “Cat” is large, it is difficult to find a print job with the desired user name “Mike” from among them.

  Therefore, from the job list shown in FIG. 3, a sort process is first performed according to the first sort setting based on “User Name” used to search for a print job. In this case, first, the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items between jobs in the job list shown in FIG. Then, when sort processing is performed according to the first sort setting by “User Name”, the print job is rearranged, and the job list shown in FIG. 7 is obtained. Accordingly, in the job list shown in FIG. 7, the user names are rearranged in ascending order.

  After that, from the job list shown in FIG. 7, sort processing is performed according to the first sort setting according to “Job Name (job name)” that is also used for searching for a print job. In this case, first, the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items between jobs in the job list shown in FIG. 7 is stored in the storage unit 130, that is, the arrangement order in which the setting values of the user names are in ascending order. . Then, when the sort processing by the first sort setting is performed by “Job Name”, the sort processing by the first sort setting is performed while maintaining the sort order of the user names rearranged first in ascending order. When jobs are rearranged, the job list shown in FIG. 8 is obtained. That is, in FIG. 8, a sort process is performed in which the order of “Job Name” is ascending while maintaining the order of “User Name” in ascending order. Specifically, in the job name “Cat” in the job list illustrated in FIG. 8, the user names are arranged in ascending order as “Ken”, “Mike”, “Ron”, and “Vivian”. For this reason, even if there are many print jobs with the target job name “Cat” and print jobs with the user name “Mike”, the job name “Cat” is first searched from the job list arranged in ascending order, then the job name By searching for the user name “Mike” from the user names arranged in ascending order in the print job “Cat”, it is easy to find a desired print job.

  Further, depending on the situation, there is a case where the sort process for narrowing down print jobs as described above (the sort process by the first sort setting for storing the order of the set values before rearrangement between jobs) is not necessary. Conceivable. Therefore, it may be configured to accept the setting of the sorting method when the sorting process is started.

  Specifically, for example, before accepting selection of a setting item, the input receiving unit 104 sets the order of setting values of each setting item other than the selected setting item between jobs before and after sorting. Either one of the first sort setting to be maintained in order and the second sort setting to be sorted without being maintained in order before and after the sorting is accepted. Then, when the first sort setting is accepted, the sort process (see FIG. 5) of the present embodiment is executed, and when the second sort setting is accepted, the conventional sort process (see FIG. 14) is executed.

  As described above, in the image forming system according to the present embodiment, when the sort process is performed according to the setting item selected from the job list displayed on the PC 100, the setting items between the jobs in the displayed job list are changed. Sort processing is performed after saving the order of setting values. As a result, the image forming system according to the present embodiment refers to the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items between jobs in the job list stored before sorting, and sets each setting item other than the selected setting item. The print jobs are rearranged so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in a predetermined order (ascending order, descending order, etc.) while maintaining the order of the setting values among the jobs in order before and after sorting. . Then, the print jobs can be narrowed down by performing the sort process continuously from the job list according to a plurality of setting items. For this reason, a desired print job can be easily specified, and convenience can be improved.

(Embodiment 2)
In the image forming system according to the first embodiment, when the sort process is performed on the setting item selected from the job list displayed on the PC 100, the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item are arranged between jobs. Sort processing is performed while maintaining the order in the order before and after sorting. In this embodiment, when there are a large number of setting items that cannot be displayed on the display unit at a time, a setting item dedicated to the sorting process is provided so that the sorting process can be performed on the setting items that are not displayed.

  First, display / non-display of setting items in a conventional job list will be described. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a job list displayed on a conventional PC. As shown in FIG. 15, the conventional job list includes print job setting items “Job Name”, “User Name”, “Pages”, and “Copies”. The number of copies), “Date / Time (date and time when the print instruction was issued)”, and the like are displayed, and the setting value is displayed for each setting item.

  Then, when right-clicking on the setting item, a menu M1 for setting whether to display the setting item is displayed, and whether to display the setting item or not (ON (display) / OFF (non-display)) Can be set. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, for example, if a check is put in the menu M1, it is ON (display), and if it is unchecked, it is OFF (non-display). In FIG. 15, since “Size” is unchecked, it can be seen that the setting item “Size” is not displayed compared to FIG. 3.

  However, when sorting processing is performed using various setting items in the job list, if all the setting items to be sorted are displayed, the job list becomes longer in the horizontal direction and cannot be displayed on the display unit 150 at a time. Then, it is necessary to scroll through the displayed job list to find a setting item to be sorted. That is, when the sort process is performed in order to search for a desired print job, a setting item for performing the sort process is searched before the sort process, resulting in a double labor and a decrease in convenience. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a setting item dedicated to sort processing is provided to avoid such double labor.

  Since the entire configuration of the image forming system, the configuration of the PC, and the configuration of the printer according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 4), the functions added in the PC 100 are described below. Only explained.

  The display control unit 102 displays on the display unit 150 a job list in which variable setting items, which are setting items whose contents can be changed, are added to the functions of the first embodiment. When the input receiving unit 104 receives selection of a setting item as a variable setting item, the display control unit 102 displays the setting value of the selected setting item as the setting value of the variable setting item.

  The input reception unit 104 selects a setting item that displays a setting value in the variable setting item from the job list to which the variable setting item has been added in addition to the function of the first embodiment, and for which sorting processing is desired. Accept.

  In addition to the function of the first embodiment, the sort unit 112 accepts selection of a setting item as a variable setting item of the job list by the user, and the setting value of the selected setting item, that is, the setting value of the variable setting item The print jobs are sorted (reordered) so that is in a predetermined order.

  Here, a job list to which variable setting items are added will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job list displayed on the PC according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the job list of the present embodiment includes print job setting items “Job Name”, “User Name”, “Pages”, “ “Copies (number of copies)”, “Date / Time (date and time when the print instruction is issued)”, “Sort”, and the like are displayed, and setting values other than “Sort” are displayed.

  The variable setting item “Sort” displayed in the job list of FIG. 9 displays a setting item on which the sort processing is performed, and can be changed. When the user right-clicks on the variable setting item “Sort” in the job list, a menu M2 for setting whether to display the setting item is displayed. Furthermore, the “Sort” option is also displayed in the menu M2, and when the “Sort” is selected, a menu M3 for selecting which setting item is used for sorting is displayed. Then, when the setting item to be sorted is selected by the user, the setting value of the selected setting item is displayed in the “Sort” setting item, and the sorting process is further performed on the setting item. In the job list of FIG. 9, one variable setting item is provided, but two or more variable setting items may be provided.

  Next, the flow of sort processing in the PC 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of sort processing in the PC according to the second embodiment.

  First, the job list is displayed on the display unit 150 by the display control unit 102, and the input receiving unit 104 displays a menu M2 when receiving a right click by the user on the variable setting item “Sort” of the job list. When the “Sort” option is selected and selection of a setting item to be sorted is accepted (step S30), the sort process is started.

  Next, the display control unit 102 displays the setting item selected as the variable setting item “Sort”, and displays the setting value of the selected setting item in the setting value column of the variable setting item (step S32). .

  When the setting item is selected, the sorting unit 112 determines whether or not the setting values of the selected setting item are arranged in descending order (step S34). When the setting values are arranged in descending order (step S34: Yes), the sorting unit 112 rearranges the setting values of the selected setting items in ascending order (step S36), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the setting values are not arranged in descending order (step S34: No), the sorting unit 112 determines whether or not the setting values of the selected setting items are arranged in ascending order (step S38). When the setting values are arranged in ascending order (step S38: Yes), the sorting unit 112 rearranges the setting values of the selected setting items in descending order (step S40), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the setting values are not arranged in ascending order (step S38: No), that is, when the setting values are arranged in an irregular manner, not descending order or ascending order, the sorting unit 112 sets the setting values of the selected setting items in ascending order. (Step S42), and the process ends. In step S42, when the setting values of the selected setting item are not arranged in ascending order or descending order (when they are arranged irregularly), the setting values are sorted in ascending order. Good.

  As described above, the image forming system according to the present embodiment displays the setting value of the selected setting item in the variable setting item in the job list displayed on the PC 100, and further performs the sort process according to the selected setting item. Do. That is, it is possible to display a desired setting item as a variable setting item and perform sort processing. For this reason, even if there are many setting items and they cannot be displayed on the display at once, there is no need to scroll through the job list and search for setting items to be sorted. Sorting processing can be performed, and convenience can be improved.

  Further, when the sort process is performed in the image forming system according to the second embodiment, the sort process of the first embodiment may be combined. In other words, before sorting using variable setting items, the order of the setting items in the displayed job list is saved and selected when sorting the setting values of the selected setting items. Sorting processing may be performed while maintaining the order in which the setting values of the setting items other than the setting items are arranged between jobs in order.

(Embodiment 3)
In the image forming system according to the first embodiment, when the sort process is performed on the setting item selected from the job list displayed on the PC 100, the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item are arranged between jobs. Sort processing is performed while maintaining the order in the order before and after sorting. In the present embodiment, it is also possible to easily confirm whether a print job has a desired set value from a plurality of print jobs.

  The user operates the client software of the PC 100 to transmit a print file including print data such as PS (Post Script) and PDF (Portable Document Format) to the print server 300. After that, the user changes print settings as necessary, or executes printing. In the recent printing industry, it is often desirable to print a plurality of print jobs with the same print settings. At that time, it is a difficult task to open setting screens (properties) of a plurality of print jobs and check the settings for each setting item one by one. Therefore, in the present embodiment, print jobs having the same set value in a plurality of print jobs are displayed in the same color.

  Since the entire configuration of the image forming system, the configuration of the PC, and the configuration of the printer according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 4), the functions added in the PC 100 are described below. Only explained.

  In addition to the functions of the first embodiment, the input receiving unit 104 receives selection of a plurality of print jobs from the job list displayed on the display unit 150 by the display control unit 102.

  In addition to the function of the first embodiment, the display control unit 102 receives print jobs having the same setting value from among the selected print jobs when the input reception unit 104 accepts selection of a plurality of print jobs. Are highlighted in the same color, and print jobs having different setting values are highlighted in different colors. Here, the highlighting only needs to be displayed so as to be visually distinguishable from other print jobs. In the present embodiment, highlighting is performed as an example of highlighting.

  Next, the flow of display processing in the PC 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of display processing in the PC according to the third embodiment.

  First, the job list is displayed on the display unit 150 by the display control unit 102, and the input receiving unit 104 receives a selection of n (plural) print jobs from the job list (step S50). Then, among the n print jobs for which selection has been accepted, the print job setting values are compared in order.

  In FIG. 11, the setting value of the i-th print job is compared with the setting values of other print jobs. First, the process starts from i = 0 (step S52), and i is incremented by 1 by adding 1 to i (i = i + 1) to be compared (step S54).

  The display control unit 102 determines whether or not the i-th print job is highlighted (step S56). When the i-th print job is highlighted (step S56: Yes), the process returns to step S54, and the display control unit 102 increments i by 1 (step S54), and proceeds to step S56.

  On the other hand, when the i-th print job is not highlighted (step S56: No), the display control unit 102 sets the same setting value as that of the i-th print job among the selected n print jobs. It is determined whether there is any print job (step S58).

  If there is a print job having the same setting value as the i-th print job (step S58: Yes), the display control unit 102 newly replaces the i-th print job and all print jobs having the same setting value as the i-th print job. The highlight display is performed in various colors (step S60).

  On the other hand, when there is no print job having the same set value as the i-th print job (step S58: No), the display control unit 102 highlights only the i-th print job with a new color (step S62). .

  Next, the display control unit 102 determines whether or not the i-th print job is the n-th print job (i = n?) (Step S64). That is, it is determined whether all print jobs 1 to n have been compared. If the i-th print job is not the n-th print job (step S64: No), the process returns to step S54, and the display control unit 102 increments i by 1 (step S54), and then returns to step S56. move on.

  On the other hand, if the i-th print job is the n-th print job (step S64: Yes), the process is terminated. Note that if the setting items in the job list do not affect the print result such as the file name and the user name, they are not subject to the determination and the highlight display need not be performed.

  As described above, when a plurality of print jobs are selected from the job list displayed on the PC 100, the image forming system according to this embodiment selects a print job having the same setting value from among the plurality of print jobs. Light display. Therefore, print jobs having the same setting value among a plurality of selected print jobs can be recognized at a glance, and convenience can be improved.

  Some client software of the PC 100 prohibits selecting a plurality of print jobs and changing the print settings in a batch. In that case, a setting screen (property) is opened and set for each print job to be printed. In such a case, it is conceivable that the setting is wrong due to a user's mistake. However, if the image forming system according to the present embodiment is used, print jobs having the same setting value can be recognized at a glance. You can also check.

  The highlight display by the image forming system according to the third embodiment may be combined with the sort processing of the first and second embodiments. In other words, before sorting using variable setting items, the order of the setting items in the displayed job list is saved and selected when sorting the setting values of the selected setting items. Sort processing is performed while maintaining the order of the setting values of the setting items other than the set items in the job in the order in which they are stored. Thereafter, when a plurality of print jobs are selected, a print job having the same set value among the plurality of print jobs is highlighted. This makes it easy to find the print job setting items from the job list and perform sort processing. By performing continuous sort processing, you can easily identify the desired print job and change the print settings as necessary. Can be printed. Further, the print settings in the print job can be easily confirmed by the highlighted print job, and the convenience can be improved.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the PC 100 according to the first to third embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a hardware configuration of the PC according to the first to third embodiments.

  The PC 100 according to the first to third embodiments is connected to a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, and a network. Connects the communication I / F 54 for communication, external storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and CD (Compact Disk) drive devices, display devices such as display devices, and input devices such as keyboards and mice. And a hardware configuration using a normal computer.

  The information processing program executed by the PC 100 according to the first to third embodiments is a file in an installable format or an executable format, and is a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R. (Compact Disk Recordable), recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), etc., and provided as a computer program product.

  The information processing program executed by the PC 100 according to the first to third embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. . The information processing program executed by the PC 100 according to the first to third embodiments may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  Further, the information processing programs of the first to third embodiments may be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The information processing program executed by the PC 100 according to the first to third embodiments includes the above-described units (the display control unit 102, the input reception unit 104, the print data generation unit 106, the communication unit 108, the job management unit 110, and the sorting unit 112). ), The CPU 51 (processor) reads the information processing program from the storage medium and executes the information processing program so that each unit is loaded onto the main storage device. It is generated on the main memory. In addition, for example, some or all of the functions of the above-described units may be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit.

  Next, a hardware configuration of the printer 200 according to the first to third embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a hardware configuration of the printer according to the first to third embodiments.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the printer 200 includes a CPU 71, a ROM 72, a RAM 73, an HDD 74, a communication I / F 75, an operation panel 76, and an engine I / F 77. It is connected to the.

  The CPU 71 is an arithmetic device that controls the operation of the entire printer 200. The ROM 72 is a non-volatile storage device that stores a program for the printer 200. The RAM 73 is a volatile storage device used as a work area for calculation of the CPU 71. The HDD 74 is a device that stores various data such as image data and print data.

  The communication I / F 75 is an interface for communicating data using the network 10. The operation panel 76 is, for example, a touch panel or the like, and is a device that accepts input to the printer 200 and displays the status of the printer 200 and the like.

  The engine I / F 77 is an interface for communicating with the printer engine 400. The printer engine 400 is a hardware device that realizes a scanner function, a printer function, and the like. Here, the scanner function is a function of reading document data and generating a scanner image. The printer function is a function for executing image processing on the above-described scanner image or image data transmitted from the PC 100 and printing a plotter image in a format that can be output on printing paper.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the image forming apparatus of the present invention is applied to a printer is shown. The present invention can be applied to any image forming apparatus such as a scanner apparatus and a facsimile apparatus.

100 PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102 Display control part 104 Input reception part 106 Print data generation part 108 Communication part 110 Job management part 112 Sort part 130 Storage part 150 Display part 200 Printer 300 Print server 302 Communication part 304 Control part 306 Image processing part 308 Display control part 310 Input Reception unit 312 Engine control unit 330 Storage unit

Japanese Patent No. 3016505

Claims (7)

In an information processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus via a network,
A storage unit;
A display control unit that displays a list of one or more jobs executed in the image forming apparatus, the job list including one or more setting items of each job on a display unit;
An input receiving unit that receives selection of the setting item from the displayed job list;
When the selection of the setting item is accepted, a job management unit that saves the order of setting values of the setting item in the displayed job list in the storage unit;
The setting value of the selected setting item is a predetermined value while maintaining the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item among the jobs in order from the last stored in the storage unit. A sorting section for rearranging the jobs in order,
An information processing apparatus comprising: When the input receiving unit rearranges the jobs so that the setting values of the selected setting items are in a predetermined order, the input receiving unit determines whether the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item are between jobs of the setting values. Accepting the selection of either the first sort setting that maintains the order of the first and second sort settings stored in the storage unit or the second sort setting that does not maintain the order of the order stored in the storage unit,
When the sorting unit receives the selection of the first sort setting, the sorting unit arranges the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item among the jobs in the order of precedence stored in the storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 to be maintained. The job list includes at least one variable setting item that is the setting item whose contents can be changed,
The input receiving unit receives selection of the setting item as the variable setting item;
When the selection of the setting item as the variable setting item is received, the display control unit displays the setting value of the selected setting item as the setting value of the variable setting item,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sorting unit rearranges jobs so that the setting values of the variable setting items are in a predetermined order. The input receiving unit receives selection of a plurality of jobs from the displayed job list,
When the selection of the plurality of jobs is received, the display control unit displays jobs having the same setting value in the same color among the selected jobs, and jobs having different setting values. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus displays the colors in different colors. In an information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus via a network,
A display control step of displaying a list of one or more jobs executed in the image forming apparatus, the job list including one or more setting items of each job on a display unit;
An input receiving step for receiving selection of the setting item from the displayed job list;
If the selection of the setting item is accepted, a job management step of storing in the storage unit the order of setting values of the setting item in the displayed job list;
The setting value of the selected setting item is a predetermined value while maintaining the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item among the jobs in order from the last stored in the storage unit. A sorting step for rearranging the jobs in order,
An information processing method including: A display control step of displaying a list of one or more jobs executed in the image forming apparatus, the job list including one or more setting items of each job on a display unit;
An input receiving step for receiving selection of the setting item from the displayed job list;
If the selection of the setting item is accepted, a job management step of storing in the storage unit the order of setting values of the setting item in the displayed job list;
The setting value of the selected setting item is a predetermined value while maintaining the arrangement order of the setting values of the setting items other than the selected setting item among the jobs in order from the last stored in the storage unit. A sorting step for rearranging the jobs in order,
A program that causes a computer to execute.   A computer-readable storage medium in which the program according to claim 6 is described.

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