CN105446668B

CN105446668B - Image forming apparatus and method of changing print setting

Info

Publication number: CN105446668B
Application number: CN201410498219.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 韦进春
Original assignee: Oki Data Corp
Current assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2014-09-25
Filing date: 2014-09-25
Publication date: 2020-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2034-09-25
Also published as: CN105446668A

Abstract

The invention provides an image forming apparatus and a method for changing print setting, the apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires a print job including print condition information from an information processing apparatus; a storage unit that stores print jobs; an image forming section that executes image forming processing for the paper sheet in accordance with the print job stored in the storage section; an operation unit that accepts a change instruction for changing the print condition information or an execution instruction for executing an image forming process based on a print job; and a control unit that changes the printing condition information included in the print job stored in the storage unit in accordance with the change instruction when the operation unit accepts the change instruction, and causes the image forming unit to execute the image forming process based on the print job stored in the storage unit when the operation unit accepts the execution instruction. By the embodiment of the invention, the printing condition of the printing task can be changed on the printer by the user, and the operability is improved.

Description

Image forming apparatus and method of changing print setting

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of printing, and in particular, to an image forming apparatus and a method for changing print settings, which record and reuse print setting changes that occur before printing of data.

Background

In the conventional printing technology, a process is generally included in which an information processing apparatus (for example, a host computer, which may also be referred to as a PC) sets a print condition in accordance with a user operation, the PC transmits a print job in which the print condition is set to an image forming apparatus (for example, a printer), and the printer stores the print job in a storage unit without executing the print job after receiving the print job.

When the user moves from the PC to the printer, the printer receives a print instruction by the user operation from an operation unit (for example, a UI panel), and the printer executes printing according to the print instruction and the print condition set in the PC.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 11-249848

It should be noted that the above background description is only for the sake of clarity and complete description of the technical solutions of the present invention and for the understanding of those skilled in the art. Such solutions are not considered to be known to the person skilled in the art merely because they have been set forth in the background section of the invention.

Disclosure of Invention

But the inventor finds that: in the conventional technique disclosed in patent document 1, after the user moves from the PC to the printer, the printing conditions of the print job stored in the printer cannot be changed, and thus the printing adjustment cannot be performed easily.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to solving the above-described problems, and provide an image forming apparatus and a method for changing print settings, which enable a user to change and further process print conditions of a print job on a printer.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having:

an acquisition unit that acquires a print job including print condition information from an information processing apparatus;

a storage unit that stores print jobs;

an image forming section that executes image forming processing for the paper sheet in accordance with the print job stored in the storage section;

an operation unit that accepts a change instruction for changing the print condition information or an execution instruction for executing an image forming process based on a print job; and

a control unit that changes the print condition information included in the print job stored in the storage unit in accordance with the change instruction when the operation unit accepts the change instruction; when the operation unit receives an execution instruction, the control unit causes the image forming unit to execute an image forming process based on the print job stored in the storage unit.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a method of changing print settings, including:

acquiring a print job including print condition information from an information processing apparatus and storing the print job;

receiving a change instruction for changing the print condition information or receiving an execution instruction for executing an image forming process based on the print job;

when the change instruction is accepted, changing the printing condition information included in the stored print job according to the change instruction; when the execution instruction is accepted, the image forming process is executed based on the stored print job.

The embodiment of the invention has the beneficial effects that: the user can change the printing condition of the printing task on the printer, thereby being convenient to print and adjust; and readability of characters can be maintained even in the case of toner saving.

Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and drawings, indicating the manner in which the principles of the invention may be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not so limited in scope. The embodiments of the invention include many variations, modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments, in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used herein, is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the invention, and that for a person skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from them without inventive effort. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an overall schematic view of embodiment 1 of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a diagram of a configuration example of a printing apparatus and a host computer according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an overall flowchart of the setting change operation before printing according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a print setting change according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a schematic view of storing print data and print settings according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a printing option in embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a print setting change in embodiment 1 of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a schematic view of printing/deletion in embodiment 1 of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a diagram of another configuration example of the printing apparatus and the host computer according to embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a return print setting change in embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of when the information processing apparatus of embodiment 2 of the present invention prints again;

fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of setting prompt/selection according to embodiment 2 of the present invention;

fig. 14 is a schematic view of a method of changing print settings according to embodiment 3 of the present invention;

fig. 15 is a schematic view of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The foregoing and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description and drawings, particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail as being indicative of some of the embodiments in which the principles of the invention may be employed, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, variations, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Example 1

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 11 includes:

an acquisition unit 111 that acquires a print job including print condition information from the information processing apparatus 10;

a storage unit 112 that stores the print job;

an image forming section 113 that executes image forming processing for a sheet according to the print job stored in the storage section 112;

an operation unit 114 that receives a change instruction for changing the print condition information and an execution instruction for executing the image forming process based on the print job;

a control unit 115 that, when the operation unit 114 receives the change instruction, changes the print condition information included in the print job stored in the storage unit 112 in accordance with the change instruction by the control unit 115; when the operation unit 114 receives the execution instruction, the control unit 115 causes the image forming unit 113 to execute the image forming process based on the print job stored in the storage unit 112.

In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 11 may be, for example, an actual Printer or a virtual Printer such as a PDF Printer. The information processing apparatus 10 may be, for example, a host, i.e., a Personal Computer (PC), or may be another terminal, e.g., a mobile terminal (mobile phone), a tablet computer, or the like. The image forming apparatus 11 and the information processing apparatus 10 may communicate via a network (e.g., a local area network or a wide area network, or a wireless network).

As shown in fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 11 may further include:

a display unit 116, wherein the control unit 115 causes the display unit 116 to display the print condition information before the change and the print condition information after the change in a list.

As shown in fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 11 may further include:

and a transmission unit 117, wherein the control unit 115 causes the transmission unit 117 to transmit change information relating to the change instruction to the information processing device 10. The changed information may be the changed printing condition information, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, a print job containing print condition information can be acquired from the information processing apparatus 10 by the acquisition section 111, and the print job can be stored by the storage section 112; the print condition information can be changed at the image forming apparatus 11 by the operation portion 114 and the control portion 115, and the storage portion 112 can also store the changed information. Thus, the printing conditions of the print job stored in the printer can be changed not only after the user moves to the printer; further, when the user changes the print setting, the previous print setting and the changed print setting may be retained in the printing apparatus.

Further, the display unit 116 can display the print condition information before the change and the print condition information after the change in a list, thereby facilitating the user to change the print condition information. The transmission unit 117 may also transmit change information related to the change instruction to the information processing apparatus 10; this makes it possible to return the user's setting change history to the PC, thereby affecting the user's setting for subsequent printing.

The present invention will be described in detail below by taking as an example that the image forming apparatus 11 is a printing device, the information processing apparatus 10 is a host, and the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus are connected via a wired network. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus may be connected via a wireless network.

FIG. 2 is an overall schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the user 104 transmits a print job 102 from the host computer 101 to the printing apparatus 103, changes the print setting by the printing apparatus 103, and outputs the print job 102.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the printing apparatus and the host computer of the embodiment of the present invention, showing the components of the printing apparatus 103. It is noted that for simplicity, FIG. 3 only shows various components relevant to embodiments of the present invention, and other components of the printing device (e.g., power supplies, etc.) are not shown.

In fig. 3, the printing apparatus 103 may include: a storage device 201, an interface 202, a task processing section 203, a control section 204, a UI control section 205, a printing section 206, and a UI panel 207. The printing apparatus 103 is connected to the host computer 101 through a communication network 208.

Among them, the storage device 201 can realize the function of the storage section 112. The storage device 201 may be a component such as a ROM, an SD card, or an HDD, for example, and stores the print job 102 including print data and related print settings. The control unit 204 reads and writes the print job 102.

The interface 202 can realize the functions of the acquisition section 111 and the transmission section 117. The interface 202 can communicate with the host computer 101 via the communication network 208, and can realize a function of returning the reception of the print job 102 and the record of the change of the print setting to the host computer 101.

The job processing section 203 and the printing section 206 can realize the functions of the image forming section 113. The job processing portion 203 is a component that analyzes and data-processes the print job 102 stored in advance in the printing apparatus 103, converts the data format, and makes it into a data format that the printing apparatus 103 can recognize.

The control section 204 may realize the function of the control section 115. The control unit 204 is a unit that integrates the components in the printing apparatus 103 and controls the overall operation flow of the printing system in order to realize data printing from the host computer 101.

The UI (user interface) control unit 205 and the UI panel 207 can function as the operation unit 114 and the display unit 116. The UI control section 205 realizes information exchange with the user 104 using the UI panel 207. The UI control section 205 presents the print job 102 and the relevant print settings to the user 104 using the UI panel 207. The UI control section 205 is notified of an operation from the user 104 via the UI panel 207.

It should be noted that the task processing portion 203 and the printing portion 206 are only one specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The virtual print function of the image forming section 113, such as PDF Printer, can be realized by, for example, printing software.

Further, the UI control section 205 and the UI panel are also only one specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the function of the operation portion 114 may be realized by a keyboard or a mouse, and the function of the display portion 116 may be realized using a display.

In the present embodiment, the host computer 101 stores a print material that the user 104 wants to print, converts the material into a print job 102 according to an instruction of the user 104, and transmits to the printing apparatus 103. After the user 104 moves to the printing apparatus 103, the printing condition information may be changed. The print setting change will be described in detail below.

Fig. 4 is an overall flowchart of the setting change operation before printing according to the embodiment of the present invention. When the print setting is changed, the embodiment of the present invention also records the original setting, and performs the next action according to the selection of the user 104.

As shown in fig. 4, after the print device 103 receives the print job 102 from the host computer 101 in step 401, the received print job 102 is stored in advance in the storage device 201 of the print device 103 in step 402.

As shown in fig. 4, in step 403, if the UI panel 207 receives an operation by the user 104 while the printing apparatus 103 waits for the operation by the user 104, a determination is made in step 404 as to a request operation by the user 104. If the request from the user 104 is "modify print setting", step 406 opens the setting change screen.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a print setting change according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a screen of the print setting change. As shown in fig. 5, in the change screen, the print setting is changed in step 407 in accordance with the operation of the user 104. After the setting change is completed, the operation is returned to the state of accepting the operation by the user 104.

In fig. 5, when a print job 102 transmitted from a user 104 to a printing apparatus 103 wants to change a print setting used in printing, the printing apparatus 103 displays an operation screen 501 for changing the print setting to the user 104 via a UI panel 207. On this screen, a list 502 of the print settings that can be changed by the user and the current setting values is displayed. For example, "Copy", "control", "double", "merge", "Color", and the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may include other set values.

The user 104 can select an icon of a print setting to be changed and set the icon to be used at the time of printing. If the user 104 makes a setting change, the Print (Print) button 504 in the setting change screen 501 is selected when printing is executed directly with the current Print setting. When the user 104 does not immediately execute printing and stores a change in setting, a Save (Save) button 505 is selected. In a case where the user 104 wants to abandon the change of the print setting, it is possible to select a Cancel (Cancel) button 503 and Cancel the current setting change operation.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of storing print data and print settings according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a case where each print job 102 is stored in the storage device 201 of the printing device 103. The print job 102 may be composed of print data 602 and an associated print setting group 603. In the storage device 201, in order to store the print jobs 102 correctly, a job information table 601 is provided for each print job 102, and a correspondence relationship between the print data 602 and the print setting group 603 is established based on the table.

As shown in fig. 4, if the request of the user 104 is a direct processing request such as printing or deletion, the control section 204 reads out the corresponding print job 102 from the storage device 201, analyzes it by the job processing section 203, and prints data by the printing section 206 in step 405; alternatively, after the control unit 204 reads out the corresponding print job 102 from the storage device 201, an operation of deleting the related information is performed.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of print selection according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a selection screen at the time of printing. In fig. 7, a case where the user 104 confirms the stored print job 102 from the printing apparatus 103 and operates for the print job 102 is shown.

As shown in fig. 7, on this screen 701, the user 104 can confirm and operate the original settings 702 of the print job 102 and the list 704 of the setting groups that the user 104 has changed for the job. Further, the setting of each task (for example, setting 1 and setting 2 … … of task 1 as shown in fig. 7) can be displayed or hidden by the triangular button 703.

As shown in fig. 7, various operations 705, such as Delete (Delete), Detail (Detail), Modify (Modify), Print (Print), and the like, may be provided for each Print setting. When the user 104 wants to change the print setting, the user can select the modification button 706 to change the print setting on the setting change screen 501 shown in fig. 5.

Note that fig. 5 and 7 schematically show only screens for print setting change and print job selection, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In practical applications, the screen may also be adjusted or deformed as appropriate according to actual situations, for example, buttons may be added or subtracted, or the layout of each button may be adjusted.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a print setting change according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, illustrating part of operations of

steps

406 and 407 in fig. 4. Fig. 8 shows a flow of processing when the print setting of the print job 102 is changed according to the operation of the user 104.

As shown in fig. 8, in accordance with the operation of the user 104, in step 801, the printing apparatus 103 displays a setting change screen 501. When the user 104 selects a print setting to be modified, the printing apparatus 103 opens an adjustment screen of the print condition to be modified in step 802, and accepts a value adjustment operation by the user in step 803. After the adjustment of the value is completed, the locally adjusted value is stored in step 804, and the setting change screen 501 is returned to in step 805.

As shown in fig. 8, if the user 104 has another print condition to be adjusted in step 806, the print condition is adjusted by using the above-described flow again. After the user 104 has completed changing all the print settings to be adjusted, the printing apparatus 103 generates a new print condition in step 807 in accordance with the change made by the user 104, stores the new print condition in the storage apparatus 201 in step 808, and finally updates the job information table 601 storing print jobs in step 809.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of printing/deleting according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, a part of the operation of step 405 in fig. 4 is shown. Fig. 9 shows a flow of data printing in which the printing apparatus 103 reads out the print setting when printing the print job 102.

As shown in fig. 9, in accordance with a selection screen 701 of a print job 102 currently displayed on the UI panel 207, if a print instruction from the user 104 is accepted in step 901, the printing apparatus 103 reads out print data 602 of the print job 102 designated by the user 104 from the storage apparatus 201 in step 902; in step 903, the print setting specified by the user 104 is read out; step 904 executes printing of the print job 102 by the data processing section 203 and the printing section 206.

As shown in fig. 9, when it is determined in step 905 that the print job 102 needs to be deleted after the job is printed, the print data is deleted from the storage device 201, all the print setting groups 603 of the print job 102 are acquired in step 907, and after all the print setting groups are deleted in step 908, the table 601 storing the information of the print job 102 is deleted from the storage device 201 in step 909.

As described above, according to embodiment 1, when the user 104 retrieves the print job 102 again using the printing apparatus 103, the original print setting and the changed print setting can be seen; the print job 102 can be printed in different settings according to the selection of the user 104. In the case where the print setting conditions are changed before printing is performed on the print job 102, the original settings at the time of sending the print job 102 and the print setting conditions changed by the user 104 are made to coexist in the printing apparatus 103, and the user 104 cancels the settings, thereby improving operability.

Example 2

The present invention is further described in addition to embodiment 1, and provides an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a diagram of another configuration example of the printing apparatus and the host computer of the embodiment of the present invention, showing the respective components of the printing apparatus 103 and the host computer 101. It is noted that for simplicity, FIG. 10 only shows various components associated with an embodiment of the present invention, and other components of the printing device and host (e.g., power supplies, etc.) are not shown.

In fig. 10, the printing apparatus 103 may include: a storage device 201, an interface 202, a task processing section 203, a control section 204, a UI control section 205, a printing section 206, and a UI panel 207. The printing apparatus 103 and the host computer 101 are connected via a communication network 208. As described in example 1.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a change from embodiment 1. As shown in fig. 10, the host 101 side structure has a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) 1001 that stores documents, a print driver 1002, and a display device 1003.

Among them, the HDD 1001 stores a material that the user 104 wants to print. The original material is stored in advance in the HDD 1001 before the print job 102 is sent from the host computer 101 to the printing apparatus 103. The driver 1002 may be software as follows: at the time of transmission from the host computer 101 to the printing apparatus 103, conversion from printing original materials to a print job 102 and communication between the host computer 101 and the printing apparatus 103 are realized. The display device 1003 is a display of the host computer 101, and is a means for presenting necessary information to the user 104 and receiving a print instruction from the user 104.

In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 103 can transmit change information related to a change instruction to the host computer 101; the change information may be changed printing condition information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be other change information related to the change instruction.

Fig. 11 is a schematic flow chart of the return print setting change according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the operation flow of returning the change information of the print setting is shown on the basis of fig. 9. As shown in fig. 11, in step 901, step 902, and step 903, the printing apparatus 103 reads out print data and print settings when performing print execution for the print job 102 in the storage apparatus 201 in accordance with a request of the user 104.

As shown in fig. 11, the printing unit 206 prints the data in step 904, returns the print setting change information to the host computer 101 with the print setting selected by the user 104 as the sender of the print job 102 in step 1101, and stores the print setting received from the printing apparatus 103 in advance in the HDD 1001 on the host computer 101 side in step 1102.

In this embodiment, when the user performs printing again using the host computer, the printing condition information may be compared with the stored printing condition information, and the comparison result may be displayed on the display section.

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of when the information processing apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention prints again, showing a processing flow of the host computer 101 when the user 104 prints again with the host computer 101.

As shown in fig. 12, when the host computer 101 receives a document print request from the user 104 in step 1201, the print driver 1002 analyzes the change information of the print setting stored in the HDD 1001 in step 1202.

As shown in fig. 12, in step 1203, the host computer 101 compares the print settings frequently used by the user 104 in the printing apparatus with the print settings of the current user 104 with respect to the analysis result; in step 1204, determine whether there is a difference in the settings; if there is a difference point, in step 1205, a list of difference information for print setting is presented to the user 104 using fig. 13, and in step 1206, selection is made in accordance with an operation of the user 104; if there is a setting change, the print setting is changed in step 1207, and then the print job 102 is transmitted to the printing apparatus 103 in step 1208.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of setting presentation/selection according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a setting presentation/selection screen when the host computer 101 prints again, for example, a screen of a difference between a print setting frequently used when the printing apparatus 103 performs actual printing and a current setting of the user 104.

As shown in fig. 13, a list 1302 of print settings with differences is displayed on the presentation screen 1301. The user 104 can add the change mark 1303 and adopt the setting that has been used frequently. After the confirmation by the user 104 is completed, the print button 1305 in the lower part of the screen is clicked and the print job 102 is sent to the printing apparatus 103, or the cancel button 1304 is clicked and the printing is cancelled.

As described above, according to embodiment 2, the change information of the print setting is notified to the host computer 101 as the sender of the print job 102. When the host computer 101 sends a similar job to the printer at the next printing, it can confirm to the user 104 whether the print setting conditions are appropriate or not based on the history of the setting change.

Example 3

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for changing print settings, using the image forming apparatus according to embodiment 1 or 2. The same contents as those in embodiment 1 or 2 will not be described again.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a method for changing print settings according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 14, the method includes:

a step 1401 in which the image forming apparatus acquires a print job including print condition information from the information processing apparatus;

step 1402, the image forming apparatus stores the print job;

a step 1403 in which the image forming apparatus receives a change instruction for changing the print condition information or an execution instruction for executing image forming processing based on the print job;

a step 1404, when receiving a change instruction, of changing the print condition information included in the stored print job in accordance with the change instruction; when the execution instruction is accepted, the image forming process is executed based on the stored print job.

In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus may further transmit change information related to the change instruction to the information processing apparatus. Wherein the change information may be the changed printing condition information. This can affect the print setting of the user at the time of subsequent printing.

According to the embodiment, the user can change the printing condition of the printing task on the printer, so that the printing adjustment can be conveniently carried out; and readability of characters can be maintained even in the case of toner saving.

Example 4

In embodiments 1 and 2, the description has been made using a host, a printing apparatus, and a network connection, but the present invention is also applicable to other data transmission terminals, image processing apparatuses, and various communication channels between the terminals and the image processing apparatuses.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an image forming apparatus that is not limited to an actual Printer but can be applied to a virtual Printer such as a PDF Printer.

Fig. 15 is a schematic view of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 15, the image forming apparatus 1500 may include: a Central Processing Unit (CPU)200 and a memory 210; the memory 210 is coupled to the central processor 200. Wherein the memory 210 can store various data; further, a program for information processing is stored and executed under the control of the central processor 200 to receive various information transmitted from an information processing apparatus (e.g., a PC) and transmit the various information to the PC.

In one embodiment, the function of controlling the print setting change may be integrated into the central processor 200. Wherein the central processor 200 may be configured to: the control implements the changing method of the print setting described in embodiments 1 to 3.

In another embodiment, the function of controlling the change of the print setting may be disposed separately from the central processing unit, for example, the function of controlling the change of the print setting may be disposed on a chip connected to the central processing unit 200, and the function of changing the print setting may be realized by the control of the central processing unit.

Further, as shown in fig. 15, the image forming apparatus 1500 may further include: a communication unit 220, an input/output unit 230, and the like; the functions of the above components are similar to those of the prior art, and are not described in detail here. Note that the image forming apparatus 1500 does not necessarily include all of the components shown in fig. 15; further, the image forming apparatus 1500 may further include a component not shown in fig. 15, and reference may be made to the related art.

The above apparatuses and methods according to the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by hardware in combination with software. The present invention relates to a computer-readable program which, when executed by a logic section, enables the logic section to realize the above-described apparatus or constituent section, or to realize the above-described various methods or steps. The present invention also relates to a storage medium such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, or the like, for storing the above program.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these descriptions are illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. Various modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art based upon the spirit and principles of this invention, and such modifications and alterations are also within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a storage unit that stores the print job;

an image forming section that executes image forming processing for a sheet in accordance with the print job stored in the storage section;

an operation unit that accepts a change instruction for changing the print condition information or an execution instruction for executing the image forming process based on the print job;

a control unit that changes the print condition information included in the print job stored in the storage unit in accordance with the change instruction when the operation unit accepts the change instruction; when the operation unit accepts the execution instruction, the control unit causes the image forming unit to execute the image forming process based on the print job stored in the storage unit;

a display unit that causes the display unit to display a list of the print condition information before the change and the print condition information after the change; and

and a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, change information associated with the change instruction for presenting a history of print condition change to a user in a list so that the user can select the change information.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

the change information is the changed printing condition information.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition section and the transmission section communicate with the information processing apparatus via a communication network through an interface.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage section is further configured to store the change information.

5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image forming section includes:

a job processing section that analyzes and data-processes the print job stored in advance in the storage section, converts a data format, and makes it into a data format that can be recognized by the image forming apparatus;

and the printing part is used for printing the printing task.

6. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation portion includes:

a UI panel for accepting user operations;

and a UI control unit for realizing information communication with the user by using the UI panel.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the UI control section presents the print job and the relevant print setting to a user using the UI panel, and the UI control section learns the operation from the user through the UI panel.

8. A method of changing print settings, the method comprising:

changing the print condition information included in the stored print job in accordance with the change instruction when the change instruction is accepted, and executing the image forming process based on the stored print job when the execution instruction is accepted;

displaying a list of the print condition information before the change and the print condition information after the change;

and transmitting, to the information processing apparatus, change information relating to the change instruction, the change information being used to present a history of printing condition changes to a user in a list so that the user can select the change information.