JP2005063401A - Printing service system and server - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing service system capable of selecting a printing device which meets the requirement of a user as much as possible, and conducting printing reservation. <P>SOLUTION: A server 100 registers and stores print data of a user, and grasps the current conditions, such as trouble or the running of paper of respective printing devices 101-104. The printing data is specified from a portable communication terminal 105, and the desired conditions and positional information are provided, then the server extracts the specified printing data from the stored print data, finds distance from a printing device of printing execution candidates according to the desired condition to the communication terminal, and provides it to the portable communication terminal. If the user reserves printing for one piece of printing device among the printing execution candidates, the server transmits the extracted printing data, authentication number, and the desired condition to the printing device, and transmits the authentication number to the portable communication terminal. The specified printing data is printed according to the desired condition, if the user enters the authentication number. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a print service system that performs printing by selecting one of a plurality of printing apparatuses on a network from a communication terminal such as a mobile phone, and a server used in the print service system.

In recent years, one of a plurality of printing devices connected to a network (for example, a printing device installed in a convenience store) is reserved by a user using a mobile phone, and print data registered in advance using the printing device is stored. A printing service system for performing printing has appeared (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this system, first, a user searches a service center database from a mobile phone to know a convenience store nearby, obtains its location information, makes a print reservation, goes to the location, and prints out. (For example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3).
JP-A-10-222527 JP 2002-82866 A JP 2002-305549 A

However, in the above-described conventional print service system, the user who uses the mobile phone needs to know the service center or know the searched convenience store. When searching, it can be very time-consuming to find the place.
Also, if you decide on a location based only on location information and then go to that location, there are inconveniences such as unexpectedly far away, there is no desired size paper, and there is no desired printing function. As a result, there is a problem that the search must be performed again. Furthermore, if a failure such as a failure occurs after a print reservation or a large-scale print is executed with a long print time, the user consumes wasted time. There is also the problem of doing.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a print service system and a server that can reserve a printing apparatus that satisfies a user's desired conditions as much as possible and perform printing. It is.

  In order to achieve the above object, a printing system according to the present invention is a printing service system including a plurality of printing apparatuses connected to a network, a communication terminal, and a server, and the communication terminal is a print input by a user. The data designation information, desired condition information, and location information of the terminal itself are transmitted to the server. The server stores the print data registered by the user, receives the current state from each printing device, and receives the received request. Select at least one printing execution candidate from the plurality of printing devices based on the condition information, the position information of the communication terminal, and the current status information, calculate the distance between the installation location and the communication terminal, The printing device information, the installation location information, and the distance information that are candidates for print execution are presented to the communication terminal, and the communication terminal is selected by the user from the printing devices that are candidates for print execution. The server instructs the server to make a print reservation for the one printing apparatus, and the server transmits an authentication number to the communication terminal in response to the instruction, and print data, desired condition information, and authentication number designated by the received designation information. Is transmitted to the printing apparatus reserved for printing, and each printing apparatus transmits information indicating the current state to the server and from the server in response to the input of the authentication number from the user when the printing reservation is made from the server. Printing of the sent print data is executed according to the desired condition.

  The server according to the present invention includes: a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of printing apparatuses and a communication terminal used by a user; a print data storage unit that stores print data registered by the user; Printing device information storage means for receiving information indicating the status and storing the information together with the installation location / function information of each printing device; designation information of print data received from the communication terminal; desired condition information; and position information of the communication terminal. Based on the printing device information storage means, select at least one printing device as a printing execution candidate, calculate the distance between the installation location and the position of the communication terminal, and printing device information as a printing execution candidate; Search / calculation means for transmitting the installation location information and distance information to the communication terminal for presentation, and printing device information that is the print execution candidate presented from the communication terminal. When the print reservation instruction of one of the printing apparatuses is received, the designated print data is selected from the print data storage means and transmitted to the print reserved print apparatus together with the desired condition information and the authentication number. Means are provided.

  According to the present invention, the server stores the print data registered by the user, and always knows the current state such as the presence / absence of a failure of each printing apparatus and out of paper. When the print data is designated from the communication terminal and the desired conditions and position information are indicated, the server extracts the designated print data from the stored print data in accordance with this, and print execution candidates according to the desired conditions When the printing device and the distance to the communication terminal are obtained and presented to the communication terminal, and the user makes a print reservation from one of the presented printing devices that are candidates for printing execution, the server prints the print data extracted to the printing device. And the authentication number and desired conditions are transmitted, and the authentication number is transmitted to the communication terminal. When the user goes to the location of the printing apparatus that has been reserved for printing and inputs the authentication number to the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus prints the designated print data according to desired conditions.

According to the present invention, the user can know the appropriate printing device and its location, distance, etc. only by specifying print data from a communication terminal such as a mobile communication terminal and inputting desired conditions. Whether it is possible or not can be easily determined. In particular, the distance to the printing apparatus installation location can be known, which is convenient when searching for a location. In addition, since the printing apparatus presented as a candidate list or the like is not currently out of order and conforms to desired conditions, an effect that the user can make a reservation with confidence is obtained.
In addition, after a print reservation, when a failure or abnormal failure occurs in the target printing device while moving to the reserved printing device, the user is notified in advance that a failure has occurred. The user can obtain a desired printed matter without wasting time.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a print service system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a plurality of printing apparatuses 101 to 104 installed in a convenience store, a portable communication terminal 105 such as a mobile phone owned by a user, and information relaying between the portable communication terminal 105 and the printing apparatuses 101 to 105. Is connected to the server 100 via a network such as the Internet.
The server 100 has a database 106, and the mobile communication terminal 105 has a position information acquisition function for acquiring its own position information using GPS.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 100.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU that controls the whole, and reference numeral 2 denotes a communication unit that communicates with the printing apparatuses 101 to 104 and the portable communication terminal 105. A print data storage unit 3 stores print data such as documents and contents that the user desires to print.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a printing apparatus information storage unit that stores printing apparatus information regarding the printing apparatuses 101 to 104. The printing apparatus information includes position information, function information, and information indicating the current state. The position information indicates the installation location of the printing apparatus, and the function information is information indicating color / monochrome, post-processing (staple / punch / sort, etc.), magnification, and the like. Information indicating the current state includes the presence / absence of a failure (usable / unusable), the presence / absence of paper for each size, the presence / absence of toner, power ON / OFF, and the status of printing reservation (degree of congestion, etc.).
The print data storage unit 3 and the printing apparatus information storage unit 4 are in the database 106.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a user information extraction unit 5 that extracts user information from information transmitted from the user. The user information includes position information of the user (mobile communication terminal 105) and desired condition information for printing. The desired condition corresponds to various functions indicated by the function information.
6 searches the printing apparatus information storage unit 4 based on the extracted user position information and desired condition information, extracts a printing apparatus suitable for the desired condition, acquires the printing apparatus information, and obtains distance information and printing requirements. A search / calculation unit for calculating time and the like. A print reservation unit 7 instructs the selected printing apparatus to make a print reservation in accordance with a print reservation from the user. Reference numeral 8 is a ROM for storing control programs and the like, and 9 is a working RAM.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The user registers in advance print data such as documents and contents to be printed in the print data storage unit 3 of the server 100. This registration may be performed by e-mail or other methods using the mobile communication terminal 105, for example. In addition, the server 100 and the printing apparatuses 101 to 104 exchange necessary information such as the current state of the printing apparatus regularly or as necessary through bidirectional communication such as mib.

  First, the user accesses the server 100 from the mobile communication terminal 105, specifies print data desired to be printed from print data stored in the print data storage unit 3, and inputs desired conditions for printing ( Step S1). The mobile communication terminal 105 transmits user information including the print data designation information, desired condition information, and its own location information (user location information) acquired by the GPS to the server 100 (step S2).

  In the server 100, the user information extraction unit 5 extracts the user information from the signal received from the mobile communication terminal 105 (step S3). The search / calculation unit 6 searches the printing device information storage unit 4 based on the extracted user information (step S4), and obtains a printing device suitable for the user information from the printing devices 101 to 104.

  That is, for each of the printing apparatuses 101 to 104, the current state including the presence / absence of a failure, the presence / absence of a sheet of a size desired by the user, the presence / absence of toner, power ON / OFF, printing reservation status, and the position of the printing apparatus Each of the functions of the printing apparatus desired by the user is examined, and the distance between the printing apparatus and the user is calculated using the user position information. Further, the time required for printing the print data designated by the user under desired conditions is calculated from the capability of the printing apparatus (step S4).

  Then, based on these investigation results and calculation results, several printing apparatuses that are as suitable as possible for the user are selected as print execution candidates, and a candidate list 20 shown in FIG. It is displayed on the terminal 105 (step S5). In this candidate list 20, the installation location of each printing apparatus, the time required for printing, and the distance from the user position to the installation location are displayed in the order of 1, 2, 3,.

  In this display example, the distance is generally in the order of short distance, but when other conditions are taken into consideration, the distance may not always be in order. The user may be allowed to select whether the display order of the candidate list 20 is in the order of distance, in the order of shortest printing time, or in the order of cheaper charge if there is a difference in charge.

  Next, the user selects a desired place by looking at the candidate list 20, and notifies the server 100 of the number (step S6). In response to this, the server 100 transmits information 21 including detailed information on the installation location of the printing apparatus and the authentication number to the mobile communication terminal 105 for display as shown in FIG. 4B (step S7). If the user desires to execute printing by the printing apparatus at the location indicated by the information 21, the user reserves printing from the portable communication terminal 105 (step S8).

  When the printing reservation unit 7 accepts the reservation, the server 100 always monitors the state of the printing apparatus to be printed until the reserved printing is finished, and determines whether printing is possible (steps S81 and S82). ). If the reserved printing apparatus fails (failure, out of paper, out of toner, large amount of print jobs) and cannot be printed, the print reservation unit 7 causes a failure to the mobile terminal 105. Send an e-mail to notify you. FIG. 5 shows an example of the contents of the e-mail. The transmitted e-mail includes a failure occurrence status (time required for recovery, estimated end time of mass print job, etc.) and a URL for performing “re-reservation” or “reservation cancellation”.

  Subsequently, when the user confirms the content of the received e-mail and selects a URL included in the e-mail, communication is established between the portable terminal 105 and the server 100. In response to this, the print reservation unit 7 makes an inquiry to the portable terminal 105 as to whether or not to make a reservation again. In response to this, the user performs an operation of answering whether or not to make a reservation again from the portable terminal 105. The print reservation unit 7 determines whether or not to re-reserve based on the response from the mobile terminal 105 (step S83). If re-reservation is to be performed, the content of the print reservation already reserved is corrected. Then, a new print reservation is made (step S84). Then, the print data designated by the printing apparatus, the desired condition, and the authentication number are transmitted (step S9). When the user goes to a convenience store or the like where the printing apparatus is installed, inputs an authentication number to the printing apparatus and presses the print button, the printing apparatus executes printing of the designated print data according to desired conditions (step S10). On the other hand, when the reservation is not made again, the print reservation unit 7 performs a process of canceling the print reservation for the printing apparatus in which the failure has occurred (step S85).

  According to the above, the user can know the appropriate printing apparatus, its location, distance, required printing time, etc. only by specifying the print data from the mobile communication terminal 105 and inputting the desired conditions. It is possible to easily determine whether or not to perform. In particular, since it is possible to know the distance to the printing device installation location, it is convenient when searching for a location even in unguided land. In addition, since the printing devices listed in the candidate list 20 are usable and not in trouble, and are in accordance with desired conditions, the user can make a reservation without worrying about uselessness. You can go to that place.

  Further, when a failure occurs in the target printing apparatus or when it becomes difficult to perform the printing operation of the reservation contents while moving to the location of the printing apparatus where the user has made a print reservation, the server 100 Since the user is notified of this fact and the print reservation can be redone again, the user can obtain the desired printed matter without wasting time.

  As another embodiment, the current state and function of each printing apparatus may be additionally displayed in the candidate list 20 so that the user can change the desired condition by viewing it. For example, when there is no paper of the size that the user wants although the distance is short, or when the distance is short but color is not possible, the paper can be changed to another paper size or changed to monochrome. . In that case, after presenting the candidate list 20, the server 100 causes the user to select whether or not to reset the desired conditions. When the user resets, the search / calculation is performed again based on the reset desired condition, and the candidate list 20 is created again and presented to the user.

In addition, in the candidate list 20 of FIG. 4A, printing apparatuses in the area where the user is currently present (for example, an area within a radius of 2 km) are listed as candidates. An area may be designated. In that case, the candidate list 20 includes candidates for printing apparatuses in the designated area. In particular, when a remote place is designated, the date and time for printing may be reserved.
The print reservation is not limited to a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone, but may be a communication terminal including an information terminal such as a personal computer having a communication function.

  2 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read into a computer system and executed, thereby executing a print service process. May be performed. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The “computer system” includes a WWW system having a homepage providing environment (or display environment). The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a storage device such as a flexible medium, a magneto-optical disk, a portable medium such as a ROM and a CD-ROM, and a hard disk incorporated in a computer system. Further, the “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In addition, those holding programs for a certain period of time are also included.

  The program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the “transmission medium” for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a print service system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a server. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the print service system. It is a block diagram which shows a candidate list and detailed information. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the email at the time of failure occurrence.

Explanation of symbols

100: server, 101-104: printing device, 105: mobile communication terminal, 106: database, 1: CPU, 2: communication unit, 3: print data storage unit, 4: printing device, information storage unit, 5: user information Extraction unit, 6: Search / calculation unit, 7: Print reservation unit

Claims (14)

A print service system comprising a plurality of printing devices, communication terminals, and servers connected on a network,
The communication terminal transmits print data designation information, desired condition information, and position information of the terminal itself input by the user to the server,
The server stores print data registered by a user, receives a current state from each printing apparatus, and based on the received desired condition information, communication terminal position information, and current state information, A printing device that is at least one printing execution candidate is selected from the printing devices, the distance between the installation location and the communication terminal is calculated, and the printing device information that is the printing execution candidate, the installation location information, and the distance information are stored in the communication terminal. Presented,
The communication terminal instructs the server to make a print reservation for one printing apparatus selected by the user from the printing apparatuses that are candidates for print execution,
The server transmits an authentication number to the communication terminal according to the instruction, and transmits print data designated by the received designation information, desired condition information, and an authentication number to the printing apparatus reserved for printing,
Each printing apparatus transmits information indicating the current state to the server, and prints the print data sent from the server in response to the input of the authentication number from the user when a print reservation is made from the server. A printing service system, wherein the printing service system is executed in accordance with the desired conditions.   The server also presents the current status of the print execution candidate at the time of the presentation, the communication terminal transmits the desired conditions reset by the user to the server after the presentation, and the server resets 2. The printing service system according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus information, the installation location information, the distance information, and the current state which are candidates for printing again based on the desired conditions are obtained and presented again to the communication terminal. .   The print service system according to claim 1, further comprising: a print time and / or a charge for the designated print data as the presented information.   4. The print service according to claim 1, wherein a region desired to be printed is selected from the communication terminal, and the server obtains each piece of information to be presented for the selected region. system.   The print service system according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile communication terminal.   6. The print service system according to claim 1, wherein the current state of the printing apparatus includes at least the presence / absence of a failure, the presence / absence of paper, the presence / absence of toner, and the presence / absence of a mass print job.   The server notifies the communication terminal that a failure has occurred and accepts a re-reservation when a failure occurs in a printing device to be reserved between the time when printing is reserved and the time when printing starts. The print service system according to claim 1, wherein the print service system is enabled. A communication means for communicating with a plurality of printing apparatuses and a communication terminal used by a user;
Print data storage means for storing print data registered by the user;
Printing device information storage means for receiving information indicating the current state from the plurality of printing devices and storing the information together with installation location / function information of each printing device;
Based on the print data designation information, the desired condition information received from the communication terminal, and the position information of the communication terminal, the printing apparatus information storage unit is searched to select at least one printing execution candidate, Calculating the distance between the installation location and the position of the communication terminal, and the search / calculation means for sending and presenting the printing device information as the print execution candidate, the installation location information and the distance information to the communication terminal;
When receiving a print reservation instruction for one printing device in the presented printing device information as a candidate for execution of printing from the communication terminal, the designated print data is selected from the print data storage unit and the desired A server, comprising: a print reservation unit configured to transmit the condition information and the authentication number together with the printing apparatus reserved for printing.   The search / calculation means also presents the current state of the print execution candidate at the time of the presentation, and after receiving the desired conditions reset from the communication terminal after the presentation, the search / calculation means 9. The printing apparatus information that becomes a printing execution candidate again based on the reset desired condition, its installation location information, distance information, and the current state are obtained and presented again to the communication terminal. Server.   10. The server according to claim 8, wherein the search / calculation unit obtains a required printing time and / or fee for the designated print data and presents it to the communication terminal. 11.   11. The search / air calculation means obtains each piece of information to be presented for the area when the area desired to be printed is received from the communication terminal. server.   The server according to claim 8, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile communication terminal.   13. The server according to claim 8, wherein the current state of the printing apparatus includes at least the presence / absence of a failure, the presence / absence of paper, the presence / absence of toner, and the presence / absence of a mass print job. The print reservation unit notifies the communication terminal that a failure has occurred and re-reserves if a failure occurs in a printing device to be reserved between the time when printing is reserved and the time when printing starts. The server according to claim 8, wherein the server can be accepted.

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