JP4154204B2 - PRINT SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD AND CONTROL PROGRAM THEREOF - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates to a printing system for printing forms, electronic catalogs, etc. via a network. , Information processing apparatus, and control method and control program thereof About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
With the rapid development of the Internet and the establishment of a Web server, business processing has been promoted to Web. A personal computer, which is a client device connected to a network, is equipped only with a Web browser capable of displaying and inputting information, and business processing via the Web browser is widely performed. In addition, when performing business using a browser, information is exchanged between a Web server on the network and a Web browser on the client side. The Web server receives information input from the browser, processes it in the server, transmits it to the browser again, repeats operations such as displaying, and obtains a result, thereby performing the business.
[0003]
As for print processing, there is a system that delivers beautiful print results to client devices by implementing overlay processing using form data on the server side based on print requests sent from the client devices. Is provided.
[0004]
The following are examples of problems in print processing via a browser. First, since all processing for generating a final print image is performed on the server side, if there are intensive requests from an unspecified large number to the Web server, the load increases. In addition, since the print image is generated using a printer driver on the server side, in order to print the image on the client side, it is necessary to prepare the same printer driver that exists on the server. Furthermore, the print image generated on the server side may have a large amount of data depending on the contents, and it is assumed that the load on the network is caused when data is distributed to the client device.
[0005]
In order to solve such a problem, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a print form and print data are transferred from a server device to a client device, and a print image is generated on the client side. A print system has already been proposed.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-163596 A
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the printing system of Patent Document 1, only one of the printing form form stored in the client device and the printing form form on the Web server is used for image generation, and the past arbitrary arbitrary name having the same name is used. There is a problem in that image generation cannot be performed using a form form of the next generation, and the user cannot respond to a request for reprinting a past form.
[0008]
The present invention , The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to enable the reuse of old printing forms used in the past and increase the degree of freedom in image formation. , Information processing apparatus, and control method and control program thereof Is to provide.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a printing system according to claim 1 of the present invention receives a server form that distributes a printing form and printing data, and a printing form and printing data distributed from the server apparatus. A printing system configured with a client device, comprising: a managing unit that manages a printing form used for image formation in the client device in association with identification information; and the client device includes a printing form And an image forming unit that forms an image using printing data, and a print having the same identification information as the newly received printing form out of the used printing forms managed by the management unit Old form acquisition means to acquire older forms of older forms Selection means for enabling selection of which of the newly received printing form and the older generation printing form acquired by the old form acquisition means is used for image formation; The image forming means includes the newly received printing data and Printing form selected by the selection means And forming an image using the.
Claim 5 The information processing apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image based on a printing form and printing data; an acquiring unit that acquires the printing form and printing data; and the acquisition of the used printing form An old form acquisition means for acquiring a printing form having the same identification information as the printing form acquired by the means and having an older generation; A selection unit that enables selection of which one of the printing form acquired by the acquisition unit and the older printing form of the generation acquired by the old form acquisition unit is used for image formation; The image forming unit includes: Acquired by the acquisition means Print data and Printing form selected by the selection means And forming an image using the.
Claim 8 The printing system control method includes a server device that distributes a printing form and printing data, and a control of the printing system that includes a printing device and a client device that receives printing data distributed from the server device. A method, The printing system includes: Management for managing printing forms used for image formation in the client device in association with identification information means Have In the client device, the control method includes: An image forming step of forming an image using the printing form and the printing data; In the client device, Management means An old form acquisition step for acquiring a print form having the same identification information as a newly received print form and having an older generation among the used print forms managed by A selection step for selecting, in the client device, a newly received print form or an older generation print form acquired in the old form acquisition step to be used for image formation; The image forming step so The newly received print data and Print form selected in the selection step And forming an image using the.
Claim 10 The control method of the information processing apparatus of A method for controlling an information processing apparatus, An image forming step for forming an image based on the printing form and the printing data, an acquiring step for acquiring the printing form and the printing data, and the acquiring step among the used printing forms so Old form acquisition step for acquiring a printing form having the same identification information as the acquired printing form and having an older generation And a selection step for selecting which of the printing form acquired in the acquisition step and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step is used for image formation, The image forming step so Is Acquired in the acquisition step Print data and Print form selected in the selection step And forming an image using the.
Claim 13 systems The control program is a print system comprising a server device that distributes a printing form and printing data, and a client device that receives the printing form and printing data distributed from the server device. Let the computer execute the control method A control program, The printing system includes: Management for managing printing forms used for image formation in the client device in association with identification information Means for controlling, in the client device, Image formation that forms images using printing forms and printing data Step When, In the client device, Management means Acquire an old form that has the same identification information as the newly received print form and that has an older generation from the used print forms managed by And a selection step for selecting which of the newly received printing form and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step to be used for image formation in the client device, Image formation In steps The newly received print data and Print form selected in the selection step And forming an image using the.
Claim 14 systems Your program is A control program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an information processing apparatus, wherein the control method includes: Image formation for forming an image based on a printing form and printing data Step And get print form and print data Step Of the used printing forms In steps Acquire an old form that has the same identification information as the acquired print form and acquires an older generation. And a selection step for selecting which of the printing form acquired in the acquisition step and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step is used for image formation, Image formation In steps Is Acquired in the acquisition step Print data and Print form selected in the selection step And forming an image using the.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this system, a client device 110 such as a personal computer is connected to a Web server 100 (server device) via a network 109, and a cache server 120 (management means) is connected to the client device 110 via a network 124. Composed. It is assumed that there are a plurality of client devices 110 having the same configuration. The networks 109 and 124 may be of any type as long as they correspond to communication procedures in a Web environment such as a LAN, the Internet, and wireless. Further, the network 109 and the network 124 may be the same.
[0020]
In the Web server 100, a form form storage unit 101 stores a form form (print form) for printing a form. A data storage unit 102 stores a database and the like, and stores business data. The distribution data generation unit 103 combines data necessary for image generation (such as print data) and a form based on an HTTP print request (hereinafter simply referred to as “print request”) from the client device 110. Generate data. A network communication control unit 104 serves as a Web server.
[0021]
In the client device 110, reference numeral 111 denotes a data input / output unit (old form acquisition unit) that functions as a browser for inputting / outputting data to / from the Web server 100 and the cache server 120. A data processing unit 112 analyzes the distribution data generated and distributed by the distribution data generation unit 103 and restores data and form forms necessary for image generation. A form form storage unit 113 stores a form form restored by the data processing unit 112, and includes a form form temporary storage unit 113a and a form form permanent storage unit 113b. The form form distributed from the Web server 100 is restored, temporarily stored in the form form temporary storage unit 113a, and finally stored in the form form permanent storage unit 113b. Reference numeral 115 denotes an image generation unit (image forming unit) that creates an image such as a form image in accordance with a determined format. Reference numeral 117 denotes a printer. A print output unit 116 converts data generated by the image generation unit 115 into a format that can be output by the printer 117, and is generally called a printer driver.
[0022]
The cache server 120 is an information processing apparatus for managing an older generation, that is, a form form that has been used by the client apparatus 110 in the past for generating a print image (hereinafter referred to as “used form form”). In the cache server 120, 121 is a used form form storage unit that stores used form forms used for image generation in the client apparatus 110. Reference numeral 122 denotes a usage record management unit that manages which client device 110 used which form. 123 is configured in the same manner as the network communication control unit 104.
[0023]
Next, registration of a used form form in the cache server 120 will be described. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing examples of the used form form management table UFT. The used form form is stored in the used form form storage unit 121, and the use results corresponding to each used form form are stored in the use result management unit 122 as the used form form management table UFT. This management table UFT is constructed by uploading a used form form from the client apparatus 110 via the network 124, and is updated as needed.
[0024]
In FIG. 2, 201 is the file name of the uploaded form form, 202 is the creation date that is date information corresponding to each generation of the file name 201, and 203 is the creation date for each creation date 202 of each file name 201. This represents the client ID of the client device 110 that has generated the print image by using it. For example, in FIG. 2, a form form having a file name 201 of “a.fcp” and a creation date 202 of “011228” may have been used with client IDs “H1” and “H3”. It is shown. The way of viewing the management table UFT is the same as in FIG.
[0025]
In order to simplify the description, the value of the creation date 202 is expressed as “year / month / day”, but the value is not limited to this, and the unit is not limited. The client ID may be of any type as long as it can identify the individual, such as a network address. The creation date 202 is the date and time when the form form file was created, and is associated with each form form file in the Web server 100, but is not limited to this. For example, the date and time used by the client device 110 May be used.
[0026]
Now, in the case where the management table UFT is in the state shown in FIG. 2, the client H2 uses the form form with the file name “a.fcp” and the creation date “020228” to generate an image, and then sends it to the cache server. Consider uploading. The following description corresponds to the used form registration process of FIG. 4 described later.
[0027]
The cache server 120 first checks the file name 201 and confirms that the uploaded “a.fcp” exists in the management table UFT. Subsequently, the creation date corresponding to “a.fcp” 202, and if it is confirmed that the creation date “020228” is recorded, the client ID is verified. Here, the client IDs corresponding to “a.fcp” and “020228” are only “H1” and “H3”, and it is confirmed that there is no record of “H2”. "Additional recording.
[0028]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, “H2” is newly registered in the client ID 203 corresponding to “a.fcp” and “020228”, whereby the management table UFT is rewritten to the latest state. . Note that the file name 201 and the creation date 202 are not newly added because there are matching values “a.fcp” and “020228” as described above.
[0029]
In the above example, the file name 201 and the creation date 202 match. However, if the file name 201 does not match, an entry of a new file name 201, a creation date 202, and a client ID 203 is added. If the file name 201 matches but the creation date 202 does not match, a new creation date 202 and a new client ID are added to the entry of the file name 201, respectively.
[0030]
In this way, according to the management table UFT, which generation form form is used by the client apparatus 110 for image generation is managed in an integrated manner. Next, such processing will be described using a flowchart.
[0031]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the used form registration process. This process is executed by the cache server 120.
[0032]
First, the client ID of the client device 110 that has uploaded this time is acquired (step S401), the uploaded form form is checked against the file name 201 registered in the management table UFT, and the same file name is obtained. Is determined in the management table UFT (step S402). As a result of the determination, if there is the same file name, it is determined whether or not there is the same creation date 202 of the uploaded form form among the creation dates 202 corresponding to the file name 201 (step). S403). As a result of the determination, if there is the same creation date, it is determined whether or not the acquired client ID is among the client IDs corresponding to the same creation date 202 (step S404). As a result of the determination, if there is the same client ID, the form form uploaded this time has already been registered in the management table UFT and the client apparatus 110 that has uploaded this time has been registered in the past. I have used it. Therefore, since there is no new item to be registered, this process is immediately terminated.
[0033]
On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S402 is that there is no identical file name, a new file name 201, creation date 202, and client ID 203 are added to the management table UFT (step S405), and this process ends.
[0034]
If the same creation date does not exist as a result of the determination in step S403, a new creation date 202 and a client ID 203 are added to the management table UFT in correspondence with the existing file name 201 (step S406). The process ends.
[0035]
If the same client ID is not found as a result of the determination in step S404, a new client ID 203 is added to the management table UFT in correspondence with the existing file name 201 and creation date 202 (step S407). The process ends.
[0036]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of client processing executed by each client device 110.
[0037]
First, distribution data distributed from the Web server 100 in response to a print request is received (step S501), and printing data and a form form necessary for image generation corresponding to the print request are extracted (step S502). Next, the generation list corresponding to the extracted form form is read from the cache server 120 and displayed (step S503).
[0038]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of this generation list. The generation list is extracted from the management table UFT of the cache server 120 and displayed on a web browser screen (not shown) of the data input / output unit 111.
[0039]
In the figure, 401 is the file name of the form form that is the generation selection target, 402 is the creation date that is date information corresponding to the generation, 403 is a check box for the user to perform a selection operation, and 404 is the generation. Therefore, the message prompts selection.
[0040]
Here, assuming that the management table UFT is currently in the state shown in FIG. 3, the client apparatus 110 with the client ID “H3” sends two form form files “a.fcp” and “b.fcp” to the Web. Consider the case of downloading from the server 100. The creation dates of these two form forms files are the latest and may or may not be the same as the creation dates registered in the management table UFT.
[0041]
The cache server 120 sends the creation date 202 of the form form file “a.fcp”, “b.fcp” corresponding to the client ID “H3” to the client device 110. Then, in the client apparatus 110, as shown in FIG. 6, “0112228”, “020228”, and “download” are displayed as a list as the creation date 402 corresponding to the form form file “a.fcp”. In addition, “021228” and “download” are displayed as the creation date 402 corresponding to the form form file “b.fcp”. Here, “download” is the latest creation date of the form form file downloaded this time, and is similarly a 6-digit numerical value.
[0042]
Returning to FIG. 5, in the subsequent step S504, a form form to be used for image generation is selected from the displayed generation list.
[0043]
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the user can select a desired one from the creation dates 402 listed for each of the form form files “a.fcp” and “b.fcp”. The selection can be made by checking the check box 403. Note that the method of selecting a form is not limited to this. In the example of FIG. 6, for the form form file “a.fcp”, if “0112228” or “020228” is selected, the form form of the older generation (in some cases, the same generation) is used. If “Download” is selected, the latest form form downloaded this time can be used.
[0044]
In the following step S505, the selected form form is acquired from the cache server 120, a print image is generated based on this and the information extracted in step S502, and the generated print image is printed out by the printer 117. . Next, the form used for image generation this time is uploaded to the cache server 120 in the above-described manner (step S506), and this processing is terminated.
[0045]
In step S506, it may be configured so that the user can arbitrarily determine whether or not to upload the form form used for the current image generation. In addition, with respect to the form used for image generation this time, after the generation list is referred to and the same name and the same creation date are already registered in the cache server 120, the form form file is uploaded. Instead, only information indicating that the client device 110 has used the form form may be transferred to the cache server 120.
[0046]
According to the present embodiment, the form form distributed from the Web server 100 is transferred to the cache server 120 after image generation, and generation management is performed. The form form used for image generation can be reused, and a comfortable network print system can be realized by increasing the degree of freedom of image generation. In addition, since a desired form form can be selected from either the new form form downloaded this time or the form form having an older generation, the degree of freedom is higher and the usability is good.
[0047]
In the present embodiment, the used form registration process of FIG. 5 is executed by the cache server 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an external device such as the cache server 120 can manage the management table UFT. Or the storage unit provided in the client apparatus 110 stores the management table UFT, and the client apparatus 110 accesses the management table UFT to perform the used form registration process. By doing so, the client device 110 itself may perform generation management.
[0048]
In this embodiment, when the distribution data is received in the client processing of FIG. 5, the generation list shown in FIG. 6 is read. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For the form form file found from the storage unit 113b or the like, the generation list may be read at any time.
[0049]
An object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the embodiments to a system or apparatus, and the computer of the system or apparatus (or CPU, MPU, etc.) stores the storage medium. It is also achieved by reading out and executing the program code stored in.
[0050]
In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
[0051]
Examples of the storage medium for supplying the program code include a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, and a DVD. -RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, etc. can be used.
[0052]
Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. A case where part or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included.
[0053]
Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion is performed based on the instruction of the program code. This includes the case where the CPU or the like provided in the board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.
[0054]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reuse an old printing form that has been used in the past, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of image formation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a used form form management table.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a used form form management table.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a used form registration process.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of client processing executed by each client device.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a generation list.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 Web server (server device),
103 Distribution data generation unit
109, 124 networks
110 Client device
111 Data input / output unit (old form acquisition means)
112 Data processing unit
115 Image generator (image forming means)
120 Cache server (management means)
121 Used form form storage
122 Usage Results Management Department
UFT used form form management table

Claims (14)

A printing system comprising a server device that distributes a printing form and printing data, and a client device that receives the printing form and printing data distributed from the server device,
Management means for managing the print form used for image formation in the client device in association with identification information;
The client device is
Image forming means for forming an image using a printing form and printing data;
An old form acquisition unit that acquires, from the used printing forms managed by the management unit, a printing form having the same identification information as the newly received printing form and having an older generation and,
Selection means for enabling selection of which one of the newly received printing form and the older printing form of the generation acquired by the old form acquisition means is used for image formation;
The printing system, wherein the image forming unit forms an image using newly received printing data and the printing form selected by the selecting unit .   The print system according to claim 1, wherein the management unit includes a cache server connected to the client device via a network.   The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the registration of the used printing form in the cache server is performed by uploading from the client device through the network. The management unit, the print system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that managing the printing form of the the used for each client device. Image forming means for forming an image based on a printing form and printing data;
An acquisition means for acquiring a printing form and printing data;
Of the used printing forms, an old form acquisition means for acquiring a printing form having the same identification information as the printing form acquired by the acquisition means and having an older generation ;
A selection unit that makes it possible to select which of the printing form acquired by the acquisition unit and the older generation printing form acquired by the old form acquisition unit is used for image formation;
The information processing apparatus, wherein the image forming unit forms an image using the printing data acquired by the acquiring unit and the printing form selected by the selecting unit . The former form acquisition unit, identification information indicating printing form obtained by the obtaining unit and transmitted to the server apparatus receives the printing form list that is returned from the server device,
It said selection means, the information processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that makes Printable form from the printing form list old form acquiring means receives. Wherein said selecting means, wherein with printing forms list, by displaying the time and date information about the printing form of the printing foams list, which is characterized in that to select a printing form from the said printing form list Item 7. The information processing device according to Item 6 . A printing system control method comprising a server device that distributes a printing form and printing data, and a client device that receives the printing form and printing data distributed from the server device,
The print system includes a management unit that manages a print form used for image formation in the client device in association with identification information;
The control method is:
In the client device, an image forming step of forming an image using a printing form and printing data;
In the client device, a print form having the same identification information as the newly received print form and having an older generation is acquired from the used print forms managed by the management unit. and the old form acquiring step of,
In the client device, a selection step for selecting which of the newly received printing form and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step is used for image formation ,
In the image forming step , an image is formed using newly received printing data and the printing form selected in the selecting step . It said management means control method of a print system according to claim 8, characterized in that managing the printing form for already utilization for each client device. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus,
An image forming step for forming an image based on the printing form and the printing data;
An acquisition step for acquiring a printing form and printing data;
Of the used of the printing form, the old form acquiring step of a printing form having acquired the same identification information and print forms in the acquisition step acquires those older generations,
A selection step for selecting which of the printing form acquired in the acquisition step and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step is used for image formation;
In the image forming step , the image forming is performed using the printing data acquired in the acquiring step and the printing form selected in the selecting step . And in the former form obtaining step, the identification information indicating the printing form obtained by the obtaining step is transmitted to the server apparatus receives the printing form list that is returned from the server device,
Wherein in the selecting step, the control method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that makes Printable form from the printing form list received in the former form acquisition step. In the selecting step, the print form list is displayed together with date and time information related to the print form in the print form list, and the print form is selected from the print form list. The method for controlling the information processing apparatus according to claim 11 . A control program for causing a computer to execute a control method of a printing system including a server device that distributes a printing form and printing data, and a client device that receives the printing form and printing data distributed from the server device Because
The print system includes a management unit that manages a print form used for image formation in the client device in association with identification information ;
The control method is:
In the client device, an image forming step of forming an image using a printing form and printing data;
In the client device, a print form having the same identification information as the newly received print form and having an older generation is acquired from the used print forms managed by the management unit. The old form acquisition step to
In the client device, a selection step for selecting which of the newly received printing form and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step is used for image formation,
The image forming step, you characterized control program that performs image formation using the printing form that is selected by the newly received said selecting step the print data. A control program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an information processing apparatus, wherein the control method includes:
An image forming step for forming an image based on the printing form and the printing data;
An acquisition step for acquiring a printing form and printing data;
Of the used of the printing form, the old form acquiring step of a printing form having acquired the same identification information and print forms in the acquisition step acquires those older generations,
A selection step for selecting which of the printing form acquired in the acquisition step and the older printing form of the generation acquired in the old form acquisition step is used for image formation;
Wherein the image forming step, it characterized control program that performs image formation using the printing form that is selected by the selecting step and the print data acquired in the acquisition step.

Images