JP2018126892A - Print system, image forming device, and control program of the image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print system, image forming device, and control program of the image forming device which can reduce burden of a manager and user.SOLUTION: A print system includes: a server 100-1; a PC 200-1 for transmitting a first print job as a print job, which passes through the server 100-1, to the server 100-1; and a printer 300-1 which prints based on the first print job when receiving the first print job which passes through the server 100-1. The printer 300-1 includes a storage device for storing print server information as information for specifying the server 100-1, and notification means which notifies the PC 200-1 of the print server information when receiving a second print job as a print job, which does not pass through the server 100-1, from the PC 200-1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a print system, an image forming apparatus, and a control program for the image forming apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a print system, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus control program that can reduce the burden on an administrator and a user.

  The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a scanner function, a facsimile function, a copying function, a function as a printer, a data communication function, and a server function, an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), a facsimile apparatus, a copying machine, a printer, and the like. is there.

  In an office or the like, there is a printing system including an image forming apparatus, a print server, and a client terminal connected to each other through a network. In this print system, the client terminal sends a print job to the image forming apparatus via the print server (a method via the print server), and directly sends a print job to the image forming apparatus without going through the print server. A print job can be executed in two ways: a transmission method (a method not via a print server).

  Of the two methods described above, in the method via the print server, it is easy to monitor the print job at the print server and to manage the authority of the user who is the transmission source of the print job. Also, when there are multiple client terminals on the network, the printer server centrally manages the printer driver settings installed on each client terminal, and centrally manages the printer drivers installed on each client terminal. And can be updated. For this reason, the network administrator (print manager) may try to manage the network by limiting the printing method of the client terminal only to the method via the print server.

  When the printing method of the client terminal is limited to the method via the print server, the user needs to identify and connect to the print server at the client terminal.

  A technique related to a conventional print system is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. Patent Document 1 listed below includes a receiving unit that receives a print request from a portable information device, a transmission unit that transmits server address information to the portable information device when the print request is received, and print data from the portable information device via the server. And a printing unit that receives and prints the data.

JP 2005-352584 A

  When the administrator intends to shift the printing method from the client terminal to the method via the print server, the administrator controls the arrangement of each image forming apparatus on the network and the printing operation of each image forming apparatus. It was necessary for the user to be notified of information specifying the print server, which was a heavy burden on the administrator.

  In addition, in an environment where there are a large number of print servers on the network, the user needs to search for a print server that manages the image forming apparatus that performs printing from among the large number of print servers. It was big. As a result, the user has continued to adopt a printing method that does not pass through the print server against the intention of the administrator, which has been a factor that hinders a smooth transition to a printing method that passes through the print server.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a printing system, an image forming apparatus, and a control program for the image forming apparatus that can reduce the burden on the administrator and the user. It is.

  A printing system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a print server, a client terminal that transmits a first print job that is a print job that passes through the print server, and a first print job that passes through the print server. A print system including an image forming apparatus that performs printing based on a first print job when received, the image forming apparatus including a storage device that stores print server information that is information for specifying a print server; A notification means for notifying the client terminal of the print server information when a second print job, which is a print job not passing through the print server, is received from the client terminal.

  Preferably, in the above print system, the print server includes an information transmission unit that transmits print server information to the image forming apparatus when a predetermined operation is received, and the image forming apparatus receives the print server information from the print server. In this case, the information processing apparatus further includes storage means for storing the print server information in the storage device, and the notification means notifies the client terminal of the print server information stored in the storage means.

  Preferably, in the above-described print system, each of the print server and the client terminal includes a Windows (registered trademark) OS (Operating System), and the print server OS shares the print job input to the image forming apparatus. The print server information including the queue is a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) name that is a notation for designating resources on the network configured by the OS, and is a UNC name of the shared queue. The print server information is notified to the client terminal using MSG which is a command for transmitting a message to the Windows OS.

  Preferably, in the above printing system, the image forming apparatus receives the first print job, the execution unit that performs printing based on the first print job, and the second print job receives the second print job. And canceling means for canceling printing based on the print job.

  An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention performs image formation based on a first print job when a first print job that is a print job transmitted from a client terminal and passed through a print server is received. A storage device that stores print server information that is information for specifying the print server, and a second print job that is a print job that does not pass through the print server. Notification means for notifying the client terminal.

  An image forming apparatus control program according to still another aspect of the present invention prints based on a first print job when a first print job, which is a print job transmitted from a client terminal and passed through a print server, is received. A second print job that is a print job that includes a storage device that stores print server information that is information for specifying a print server, and that is a print job that does not pass through the print server Is received from the client terminal, the computer is caused to execute a notification step of notifying the client terminal of the print server information.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a print system, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus control program that can reduce the burden on the administrator and the user.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a print system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a printing system and an operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printer 300-1 when a print job is received in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a print system and an operation when an instruction to register print server information is received according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the server 100-1 when an instruction to register print server information is received in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a print system and an operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printer 300-1 when a print job is received in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a first diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a print system and an operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a second diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a print system and an operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the following embodiments, a print system including a print server, a client terminal, and an image forming apparatus will be described. The print server includes, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, or an image forming apparatus. For example, the print terminal of the client terminal includes a PC, a smartphone, or an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes, for example, an MFP or a printer.

  [First Embodiment]

  First, the configuration of the print system in the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the print system according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of servers 100-1, 100-2, 100-3 as print servers, and a plurality of PCs 200-1, 200-2, as client terminals. And 200-3, and a plurality of printers 300-1, 300-2, 300-3, 300-4, 300-5, and 300-6 as image forming apparatuses. A plurality of servers 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, a plurality of PCs 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3, and a plurality of printers 300-1, 300-2, 300-3, 300-4, Each of 300-5 and 300-6 is connected to each other through the network 400, and can communicate with each other.

  Each of the PCs 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 is owned by a user (a user who executes printing).

  The server 100-1 relays a print job input from the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 to each of the printers 300-1 and 300-2. As a result, the server 100-1 monitors the print job input to each of the printers 300-1 and 300-2, and manages the presence or absence of the authority of the user who is the transmission source of the print job. The server 100-1 includes a shared queue QE1 for the printer 300-1 and a shared queue QE2 for the printer 300-2.

  The server 100-2 relays a print job input from the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 to each of the printers 300-3 and 300-4. As a result, the server 100-2 monitors the print job input to each of the printers 300-3 and 300-4, and manages whether the user who is the transmission source of the print job has authority. The server 100-2 includes a shared queue QE3 for the printer 300-3 and a shared queue QE4 for the printer 300-4.

  The server 100-3 relays a print job input from the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 to each of the printers 300-5 and 300-6. As a result, the server 100-3 monitors the print job input to each of the printers 300-5 and 300-6, and manages whether the user who is the transmission source of the print job has authority. The server 100-3 includes a shared queue QE5 for the printer 300-5 and a shared queue QE6 for the printer 300-6.

  A shared queue for a printer is an unexecuted print job that has been input to the printer from a device (PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3) on the network, and stores print jobs that pass through the server. Queue.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the printing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10 show only a part of the configuration of the print system. Each of the servers 100-2 and 100-3 has the same configuration as the server 100-1, and each of the PCs 200-2 and 200-3 has the same configuration as the PC 200-1. Each of the printers 300-2, 300-3, 300-4, 300-5, and 300-6 has the same configuration as the printer 300-1. The server 100-1 further includes a print server unit that controls the printer 300-2, a shared queue QE2, and the like. In FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 5, FIG. 7, FIG. The configuration of is not shown.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the server 100-1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and an auxiliary storage such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive). A device 14, a network interface 15, an operation display unit 16, and the like are included. The CPU 11 controls the entire server 100-1 based on the control program. The ROM 12 stores various control programs. The RAM 13 is a work area for the CPU 11. The auxiliary storage device 14 stores various information such as a control program. The network interface 15 communicates with devices on the network 400. The operation display unit 16 accepts various operations and displays various information.

  The PC 200-1 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, an auxiliary storage device 24, a network interface 25, an operation display unit 26, and the like. The CPU 21 controls the entire PC 200-1 based on the control program. The ROM 22 stores various control programs. The RAM 23 is a work area for the CPU 21. The auxiliary storage device 24 stores various information such as a control program. The network interface 25 communicates with devices on the network 400. The operation display unit 26 receives various operations and displays various information.

  The printer 300-1 includes a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, an auxiliary storage device 34 (an example of a storage device), a network interface 35, an operation display unit 36, an image forming unit 37, and the like. The CPU 31 controls the entire printer 300-1 based on the control program. The ROM 32 stores various control programs. The RAM 33 is a work area for the CPU 31. The auxiliary storage device 34 stores various information such as a control program. The network interface 35 communicates with devices on the network 400. The operation display unit 36 receives various operations and displays various information.

  The image forming unit 37 performs printing. The image forming unit 37 is roughly composed of a toner image forming unit, a fixing device, a paper transport unit, and the like. The image forming unit 37 forms an image on a sheet by, for example, electrophotography. The toner image forming unit combines four color images by a so-called tandem method, and forms a color image on a sheet (recording medium). The toner image forming unit includes a photoconductor provided for each color of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black), and an intermediate in which a toner image is transferred (primary transfer) from the photoconductor. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt and a transfer unit that transfers an image from the intermediate transfer belt to a sheet (secondary transfer). The fixing device has a heating roller and a pressure roller. The fixing device conveys the sheet on which the toner image is formed between the heating roller and the pressure roller, and heats and presses the sheet. As a result, the fixing device melts the toner adhering to the paper and fixes it on the paper to form an image on the paper. The paper transport unit includes a paper feed roller, a transport roller, and a motor that drives them. The paper transport unit feeds paper from the paper feed cassette and transports it inside the housing of the printer 300-1. Further, the paper transport unit discharges the paper on which the image is formed from the housing of the printer 300-1 to a paper discharge tray or the like.

  By the way, when the user executes printing from the PC 200-1 using the printer 300-1, the user transmits a print job to the printer 300-1 via the server 100-1 (method via the server). In addition, printing can be performed by two methods, that is, a method of directly transmitting a print job from the PC 200-1 to the printer 300-1 without passing through the server 100-1 (a method not passing through the server).

  On the other hand, the administrator (print manager) of the network 400 desires to manage the network by limiting the printing method from the PC 200-1 to the method via the server. However, in order for the PC 200-1 to send a print job to the printer 300-1 via the server 100-1, the user who owns the PC 200-1 identifies the server 100-1 on the PC 200-1. It is necessary to input a print job from the PC 200-1 to the shared queue QE1 for the printer 300-1 by inputting the information to be printed.

  Hereinafter, information for specifying a server may be referred to as print server information. The print server information is specifically a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) name or an IP (Internet Protocol) address.

  The print system according to the present embodiment notifies the user of print server information by the method described below, and promotes the shift to a printing method via the server.

  In the following description, a case will be described in which the printing system shifts the printing method transmitted from the PC 200-1 and executed by the printer 300-1 to the method via the server 100-1.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the print system and the operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 3, server 100-1 includes a print server unit 101 and a shared queue QE1. The print server unit 101 controls the printer 300-1. The print server unit 101 is realized by a printer driver program for the printer 300-1 stored in the auxiliary storage device 14 or the like. The shared queue QE1 is created in a storage area in the auxiliary storage device 14.

  The PC 200-1 includes a print instruction unit 201. The print instruction unit 201 transmits a print job to a specified transmission destination in a predetermined case.

  The printer 300-1 includes a determination unit 301 and a print server information notification unit 302 (an example of a notification unit). The auxiliary storage device 34 stores print server information 303 for the server 100-1.

  The determination unit 301 determines whether the transmission source of the received print job is the server 100-1 and whether the print server information of the server 100-1 is stored in its own storage area (auxiliary storage device 34). Is determined. The print server information notification unit 302 notifies the print server information 303 to the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 in a predetermined case. The determination unit 301 and the print server information notification unit 302 are realized by a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 34 or the like.

  The user who owns the PC 200-1 issues an instruction to execute a print job whose output destination is the printer 300-1 through the operation display unit 26 (process PR10). This print job may or may not pass through the server 100-1. When information specifying the server 100-1 is already input to the PC 200-1, the user can issue an instruction to execute a print job via the server 100-1.

  When the PC 200-1 receives an instruction to execute a print job (an example of a first print job) that passes through the server 100-1 and has the printer 300-1 as an output destination, the PC 200-1 displays the print instruction unit 201. The print job is transmitted to the server 100-1 (process PR11). This print job is input to the shared queue QE1. The server 100-1 transmits the print job input to the shared queue QE1 to the printer 300-1 (process PR12).

  When the printer 300-1 receives a print job, the printer 300-1 stores whether or not the transmission source of the received print job is the server 100-1 and the print server information of the server 100-1 in its own storage area. It is determined whether or not there is (process PR13).

  When the transmission source of the received print job is the server 100-1 (when the print job passes through the server 100-1), the printer 300-1 executes the print job using the image forming unit 37. The printed matter is output (process PR14).

  On the other hand, the PC 200-1 receives an instruction to execute a print job that does not pass through the server 100-1 (an example of a second print job) and outputs the printer 300-1 as an output destination. In this case, the print instruction unit 201 is used to send a print job to the output destination printer 300-1 (process PR21).

  When the printer 300-1 receives a print job, the printer 300-1 stores whether or not the transmission source of the received print job is the server 100-1 and the print server information of the server 100-1 in its own storage area. It is determined whether or not (process PR22).

  When the determination unit 301 determines that the transmission source of the received print job is not the server 100-1 and the print server information of the server 100-1 is stored in its storage area, the printer 300-1 Then, the print server information 303 is notified to the PC 200-1 using the print server information notification unit 302 (process PR23).

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer 300-1 when a print job is received in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 4, upon receiving a print job (S101), CPU 31 of printer 300-1 determines whether print server information is stored in the storage area (S103).

  If it is determined in step S103 that the print server information is stored in the storage area (YES in S103), the CPU 31 of the printer 300-1 determines whether the transmission source of the print job is other than the server 100-1. It discriminate | determines (S105).

  If it is determined in step S105 that the print job transmission source is other than the server 100-1 (YES in S105), the CPU 31 of the printer 300-1 notifies the transmission source of the print server information (S107), and the process is performed. finish.

  If it is determined in step S103 that the print server information is not stored in the storage area (NO in S103), or if it is determined in step S105 that the transmission source of the print job is the server 100-1 (NO in S105). ), The CPU 31 of the printer 300-1 ends the process.

  According to the present embodiment, when an instruction to execute a print job that does not pass through the print server is issued, the user can be notified of the print server that relays the print job. Thereby, it is possible to save the administrator's trouble of notifying the user of information specifying the print server that controls the printing operation of each printer and the trouble of the user searching for the print server. As a result, it is possible to reduce the burden on the administrator and the user when shifting the printing method to the method via the print server.

  [Second Embodiment]

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the print system and the operation when an instruction to register print server information is received according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The print server information 303 in FIG. 5 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 34 at a necessary timing.

  Referring to FIG. 5, server 100-1 further includes a user interface unit 102 and a print server information transmission unit 103 (an example of an information transmission unit). The user interface unit 102 performs various displays related to the print server function on the operation display unit 16 and receives various inputs related to the print server function through the operation display unit 16. The print server information transmission unit 103 transmits the print server information to the printer 300-1 in a predetermined case. The user interface unit 102 and the print server information transmission unit 103 are realized by a printer driver program for the printer 300-1 stored in the auxiliary storage device 14 or the like. The server 100-1 further includes a user interface unit 102 and a print server information transmission unit 103 related to the printer 300-2, which are not shown here.

  The printer 300-1 further includes a print server information storage unit 304 (an example of a storage unit). The print server information storage unit 304 stores (saves) the print server information 303 in its own storage area (auxiliary storage device 14) in a predetermined case. The print server information storage unit 304 is realized by a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 34 or the like.

  The administrator of the network 400 gives an instruction (operation) to register the print server through the user interface unit 102 (process PR31).

  When the server 100-1 receives an instruction to register a print server, the server 100-1 uses the print server information transmission unit 103 to transmit its own print server information 303 to the printer 300-1 (process PR32).

  Upon receiving the print server information 303, the printer 300-1 uses the print server information storage unit 304 (an example of a storage unit) to store the received print server information 303 in the auxiliary storage device 34 (process PR33).

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server 100-1 when an instruction to register print server information is received in the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 6, upon receiving an instruction to register print server information (S131), CPU 11 of server 100-1 transmits the print server information to the printer (S133), and ends the process.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the print system and the operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 7, in the process PR22 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the printer 300-1 is not the server 100-1 of the received print job, and the server 100-1 prints. When the determination unit 301 determines that the server information is stored in its own storage area, the print server information notification unit 302 is used to notify the print server information 303 to the PC 200-1 (process PR23), and printing is performed. The job execution is stopped (process PR24). The process PR24 may be performed before the process PR23.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printer 300-1 when a print job is received in the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 8, this flowchart is different from the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 in the processing after step S105.

  That is, in step S105, when it is determined that the transmission source of the print job is other than the server 100-1 (YES in S105), the CPU 31 of the printer 300-1 stops executing the print job (S106), and the transmission source Is notified of the print server information (S107), and the process is terminated.

  If it is determined in step S105 that the print job transmission source is the server 100-1 (NO in S105), the CPU 31 of the printer 300-1 executes the print job (S109) and ends the process.

  Since the configuration and operation other than those described above in the print system of the present embodiment are the same as the configuration and operation of the print system of the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, The explanation will not be repeated.

  According to the present embodiment, the administrator can save the trouble of inputting the print server information to the printer. In addition, it is possible to forcibly shift the printing method to a method via a print server while omitting the time and effort for the administrator to input settings for restricting the transmission source of the print job to the printer.

  [Third Embodiment]

  9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining the functional configuration of the print system and the operation when a print job execution instruction is received according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The printer driver 151, shared queue QE1, various printer driver programs 153, printer driver 251, local queue LQ, printer driver 253, and PnP queue PQ in FIGS. 9 and 10 are installed or created at a necessary timing. It is.

  Referring to FIG. 9, the print system according to the present embodiment is realized using a PnP (Point and Print) function, which is one of the functions of a Windows (registered trademark) OS (Operating System). The PnP function can provide both a printer driver for a server and a printer driver for a client terminal.

  The server 100-1 serves as a PnP server. The server 100-1 includes a server OS 150 made up of a Windows OS. The server OS 150 includes a printer driver 151, a shared queue QE1 for the printer 300-1, various printer driver programs 153, and the like.

  The printer driver 151 is a printer driver for the printer 300-1, and is associated with the shared queue QE1. The printer driver 151 implements a print server unit 101, a user interface unit 102, and a print server information transmission unit 103.

  The various printer driver programs 153 are printer driver programs for the printer 300-1 that are downloaded to a device (such as the PC 200-1) that issues a print job execution instruction.

  The PC 200-1 includes a client OS 250 made up of a Windows OS. The client OS 250 includes a printer driver 251 and a local queue LQ.

  The printer driver 251 is associated with the local queue LQ, and controls print jobs stored in the local queue LQ and executed by the printer 300-1.

  The local queue LQ is an unexecuted print job whose output destination is the printer 300-1, and is a queue for storing print jobs to be directly input from the own apparatus to the printer 300-1 without going through the server 100-1. It is.

  In the present embodiment, the printing system prohibits printing by a method other than PnP printing (non-PnP environment) from an environment in which the user has allowed printing by a method other than PnP printing (PnP environment). A case of shifting to will be described.

  The administrator of the network 400 installs the printer driver 151 on the server 100-1 through the operation display unit 16, and creates the shared queue QE1 that specifies the printer 300-1 as the print port of the server 100-1. When the printer driver 151 is installed, various printer driver programs 153 are also installed in the server 100-1 (process PR51).

  The administrator of the network 400 gives an instruction to register the print server through the user interface unit 102 (process PR52).

  When the server 100-1 receives an instruction to register a print server, the print server information transmission unit 103 is used to transmit the print server information 303 of the own machine to the printer 300-1 (process PR53).

  The print server information 303 in the present embodiment includes the UNC name of the shared queue QE1. The UNC name is a name indicated by a notation for designating a resource such as a folder, a file, a shared printer, or a shared directory existing on the network in a Windows OS.

  Upon receiving the print server information 303, the printer 300-1 uses the print server information storage unit 304 to store the print server information 303 in the auxiliary storage device 34 (process PR54).

  The user who owns the PC 200-1 installs the printer driver 251 in the PC 200-1 through the operation display unit 26, and creates a local queue LQ in which the printer 300-1 is designated as the print port of the PC 200-1 (process PR55). ).

  A user who owns the PC 200-1 issues a print job execution instruction with the printer driver 251 through the operation display unit 26. This print job is input to the local queue LQ (process PR56).

  When a print job is input to the local queue LQ, the PC 200-1 transmits the print job to the printer 300-1 without passing through the server 100-1 (process PR57).

  When the printer 300-1 receives a print job from the PC 200-1, the transmission source of the received print job is not the server 100-1, and the print server information of the server 100-1 is stored in its own storage area. (Processing PR58).

  The printer 300-1 notifies the print server information 303 to the PC 200-1 using the print server information notification unit 302 (process PR59), and stops the execution of the print job (process PR60). The process PR59 may be performed before the process PR60.

  Here, in the process PR59, it is preferable that the print server information 303 is transmitted using an MSG command. The MSG command is a function of Windows / DOS that transmits a message to the Windows OS of another device.

  When receiving the MSG command, the OS 250 of the PC 200-1 displays a message including the print server information 303 on the operation display unit 26 of the PC 200-1 (process PR61).

  Referring to FIG. 10, the user who owns PC 200-1 accesses shared queue QE1 indicated by the UNC name included in the displayed message through operation display unit 26. The user who owns the PC 200-1 creates a PnP queue PQ for the shared queue QE1 in the PC 200-1. When the PnP queue PQ is created, the client OS 251 of the PC 200-1 downloads the printer driver 253 from the various printer driver programs 153 and installs it in the PC 200-1 (process PR62).

  The printer driver 253 is associated with the PnP queue PQ, and controls print jobs stored in the PnP queue PQ and executed by the printer 300-1.

  The PnP queue PQ is an unexecuted print job whose output destination is the printer 300-1, and a print job that is input from the own machine to the printer 300-1 via the server 100-1 (shared queue QE1). A queue to accumulate.

  The user who owns the PC 200-1 instructs the printer driver 253 to execute a print job whose output destination is the printer 300-1 through the operation display unit 26 (process PR63). This print job is submitted to the PnP queue PQ.

  Using the printer driver 253, the PC 200-1 transmits the print job input to the PnP queue PQ to the shared queue QE1 of the server 100-1 (process PR64).

  The server 100-1 transmits the print job input to the shared queue QE1 to the printer 300-1 (process PR65).

  When the printer 300-1 receives a print job from the server 100-1, the printer 300-1 determines that the print server information of the server 100-1 is stored in its own storage area, and the printer 300-1 stores the print queue information in the shared queue QE1 from the print server information 303. Read UNC name. The printer 300-1 further determines whether or not the queue of the print job transmission source matches the shared queue QE1 having the read UNC name (process PR66).

  The printer 300-1 determines that the print job transmission source queue matches the shared queue QE1 having the read UNC name, executes the print job using the image forming unit 37, and outputs the printed matter. (Processing PR67).

  The configuration and operation other than those described above in the print system of the present embodiment are the same as the configuration and operation of the print system of the first and second embodiments, and thus the same configuration is denoted by the same reference numeral. The description will not be repeated.

  According to the present embodiment, when shifting to an environment where printing by a method other than printing by PnP is prohibited, the user connects his / her own PC to the shared queue without searching for the necessary shared queue. can do. As a result, the administrator can smoothly shift to an environment where printing by a method other than printing by PnP is prohibited.

  [Others]

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the printing method transmitted from the PC 200-1 and executed by the printer 300-1 is shifted to the method via the server 100-1 has been described, but the PC 200-2 or 200-3 is used. When the printing method transmitted from the server and executed by the printer 300-1 is shifted to the method via the server 100-1, the server 100-1, the PC 200-2 or 200-3, and the printer 300-1 The same operation as the above-described operation is performed.

  When the printing method transmitted from the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 and executed by the printer 300-2 is shifted to the method via the server 100-1, the server 100-1 transmits A similar operation is performed between the original PC 200-1, PC 200-2, or 200-3 and the printer 300-2.

  When the printing method executed by the printer 300-3 or 300-4 from the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 is shifted to the method via the server 100-2, the server 100-2 A similar operation is performed between the PC 200-1, PC 200-2, or 200-3 as the transmission source and the printer 300-3 or 300-4 as the output destination.

  Further, when the printing method transmitted from the PC 200-1, 200-2, or 200-3 and executed by the printer 300-4 or 300-5 is shifted to the method via the server 100-3, the server 100- 3, a similar operation is performed between the PC 200-1, PC 200-2, or 200-3 that is the transmission source, and the printer 300-5 or 300-6 that is the output destination.

  The above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. For example, in the situation where the PnP function shown in the third embodiment can be used, the operation in the first embodiment or the second embodiment may be performed.

  The processing in the above-described embodiment may be performed by software or by using a hardware circuit. It is also possible to provide a program for executing the processing in the above-described embodiment, and record the program on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, or a memory card and provide it to the user. You may decide to do it. The program is executed by a computer such as a CPU. The program may be downloaded to the apparatus via a communication line such as the Internet.

  The above-described embodiment is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

11, 21, 31 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
12, 22, 32 ROM (Read Only Memory)
13, 23, 33 RAM (Random Access Memory)
14, 24, 34 Auxiliary storage device (an example of a storage device)
15, 25, 35 Network interface 16, 26, 36 Operation display unit 37 Image forming unit 100-1, 100-2, 100-3 Server (an example of a print server)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Print server part 102 User interface part 103 Print server information transmission part (an example of an information transmission means)
150 Server OS (Operating System)
151, 251, 253 Printer driver 153 Various printer driver programs 200-1, 200-2, 200-3 PC (Personal Computer) (an example of a client terminal)
201 Print instruction unit 250 Client OS
300-1, 300-2, 300-3, 300-4, 300-5, 300-6 Printer (an example of an image forming apparatus)
301 Discrimination unit 302 Print server information notification unit (an example of notification means)
303 Print Server Information 304 Print Server Information Storage Unit (Example of Storage Unit)
400 network LQ local queue PQ PnP queue QE1, QE2, QE3, QE4, QE5, QE6 shared queue

Claims (6)

When the print server, the client terminal that transmits a first print job that is a print job that passes through the print server, and the first print job that passes through the print server are received, A printing system including an image forming apparatus that performs printing based on one print job,
The image forming apparatus includes:
A storage device for storing print server information which is information for specifying the print server;
And a notification unit that notifies the client terminal of the print server information when a second print job that is a print job that does not pass through the print server is received from the client terminal. The print server includes an information transmission unit that transmits the print server information to the image forming apparatus when a predetermined operation is received;
The image forming apparatus further includes storage means for storing the print server information in the storage device when the print server information is received from the print server,
The print system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the client terminal of the print server information stored in the storage unit. Each of the print server and the client terminal includes a Windows (registered trademark) OS (Operating System),
The OS of the print server includes a shared queue in which print jobs submitted to the image forming apparatus are stored;
The print server information is a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) name that is a notation for designating resources on the network configured by the OS, and is the UNC name of the shared queue,
The print system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the client terminal of the print server information using MSG that is a command for transmitting a message to a Windows OS. The image forming apparatus includes:
Execution means for performing printing based on the first print job when the first print job is received;
The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising a canceling unit that cancels printing based on the second print job when the second print job is received. An image forming apparatus that performs printing based on a first print job when a first print job that is a print job transmitted from a client terminal and that has passed through a print server is received,
A storage device for storing print server information which is information for specifying the print server;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a notification unit that notifies the client terminal of the print server information when a second print job that is a print job that does not pass through the print server is received from the client terminal. A control program for an image forming apparatus that performs printing based on the first print job when a first print job, which is a print job transmitted from a client terminal and passes through a print server, is received.
The image forming apparatus includes a storage device that stores print server information that is information for specifying the print server,
A control program for an image forming apparatus that causes a computer to execute a notification step of notifying the client terminal of the print server information when a second print job that is a print job that does not pass through the print server is received from the client terminal .

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