JP2007036334A - Image forming system, control method of image forming system, and control program for image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming system capable of enhancing the convenience in the case of managing image data being an object of image forming in cross-reference with at least one group. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming system stores a color conversion profile used for image forming in cross-reference with a group as a standard profile, registers image data being an object of image forming in cross-reference with the group by designating the color conversion profile used for forming an image of the image data in cross-reference with the group, and outputs prescribed warning information when the color conversion profile designated to the registered image data is not the standard profile in cross-reference with the group. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system that manages image data to be subjected to image formation in association with at least one group, a control method for the image forming system, and a control program for the image forming system.

  For example, in an image forming system such as a multifunction peripheral having an image forming function, an image copying function, a fax function, etc., a storage unit such as a hard disk is provided, and various image data are assigned to a specific user or project group. Some have the function of storing in association with. With regard to such an image forming system, the above-described group is associated with a standard value of attribute information related to image data such as a data format, and the attribute information of image data belonging to the group is changed to a standard value or based on the standard value. For example, there is a technique for converting the data format of image data (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

For example, when a plurality of users produce one book using such an image forming system, a group corresponding to the book to be produced is prepared, and a standard value of attribute information is associated with the group. A plurality of users can manage image data using common attribute information. In this case, by associating a standard color conversion profile with a group as one piece of attribute information, a plurality of users can form an image based on the same color conversion profile.
JP-A-10-254745 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-200969

  However, according to the technique of the conventional example, the image forming system automatically changes the attribute information of the image data associated with the group or converts the data format of the image data according to the attribute information. Resulting in. For this reason, the color conversion profile designated for the image data that is the object of image formation is also automatically changed, and as a result, the color of the formed image may become unintended by the user. In such a case, the user needs to check the formed image every time an image is formed, which is not convenient.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its purposes is an image that can improve convenience when managing image data that is an object of image formation in association with at least one group. An image forming system, an image forming system control method, and an image forming system control program are provided.

  An image forming system according to the present invention for solving the above-described problem is an image forming system that manages image data to be subjected to image formation in association with at least one group, and associates the image data with the group. A standard profile storage means for storing a color conversion profile used for formation as a standard profile and image data to be image-formed are associated with the group and a color conversion profile used for image formation of the image data is designated. Predetermined warning information is output when the color conversion profile designated for the image data registration means to be registered and the image data registered by the image data registration means is not the standard profile associated with the group Warning information output means.

  As a result, the image forming system according to the present invention outputs warning information when the color conversion profile specified when the user registers image data in association with a group is not the standard profile of the group. Can inform the user that the color conversion profile should be changed, thereby improving convenience.

  In the image forming system, the warning information output unit may output the contents of the standard profile together with predetermined warning information. As a result, the user can obtain the standard profile, and even when the image forming system is in a remote place, the image forming apparatus can be verified using the image forming apparatus near the user.

  The image forming system control method according to the present invention manages image data to be image formed in association with at least one group, and associates the color conversion profile used for image formation with the group as a standard. A method of controlling an image forming system stored as a profile, wherein image data to be image-formed is associated with the group and registered by designating a color conversion profile used for image formation of the image data And a warning information output step of outputting predetermined warning information when the color conversion profile specified for the image data registered in the image data registration step is not the standard profile associated with the group It is characterized by including these.

  An image forming system control program according to the present invention is an image forming system control program for managing image data to be imaged in association with at least one group, and is associated with the group. Standard profile storage means for storing a color conversion profile used for image formation as a standard profile, specifying the color conversion profile used for image formation of the image data by associating the image data to be image formed with the group Predetermined warning information is output when the color conversion profile specified for the image data registration means to be registered and the image data registered by the image data registration means is not the standard profile associated with the group Make a computer function as a warning information output means And features.

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

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a printer 10, a print controller 20, a client terminal 30, and a local area that enables data transmission between the print controller 20 and the client terminal 30. A communication network 40 such as a network is included. The printer 10 and the print controller 20 are connected by a cable capable of data communication.

  The printer 10 is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium such as paper based on image data output from the print controller 20. Note that a plurality of image forming apparatuses may be connected to the print controller 20.

  The print controller 20 is a print server or the like, and stores image data requested to be printed from the client terminal 30 or the like via the communication network 40 or the like in a storage unit (not shown), and a priority order based on a predetermined condition. The image data requested to be printed is sent to an image forming apparatus such as the printer 10 for printing. Note that the print controller 20 holds a plurality of color conversion profiles for converting the color component values of the image data into the standard output density of the printer 10, and the color information of the image data by any one of the color conversion profiles based on the user's designation. Is output to the printer 10 after being converted into the output density of the printer 10. A plurality of color conversion profiles can be used properly depending on the type of image to be formed.

  In the present embodiment, the print controller 20 holds information of at least one group for managing image data in association with each other. This group can be realized by a function such as a print box or a confidential box. For example, data such as image data and fax transmission / reception data related to a specific user who uses the print controller 20 or a specific project is associated with this group. Various types of data can be managed for each user or project.

  Furthermore, standard attribute information, which is a standard value of attribute information related to data such as image data stored in association with the group, can be registered in this group. Attribute information that can be registered as standard attribute information includes information related to the data format of image data, information about the printer to be used, and the like. In particular, in the present embodiment, information on a standard profile which is a standard color conversion profile used when the image data stored in association with the group is printed by the printer 10 is included. Here, for group G, it is assumed that profile A is registered as a standard profile among a plurality of color conversion profiles for printer 10 held by print controller 20.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a registration data table specifically registered in the print controller 20. Registration data such as image data is stored in association with each group, so that the print controller 20 can display a list of registration data for each group or perform user access control for each group. it can.

  The client terminal 30 is, for example, a personal computer, and transmits a print job for instructing the print controller 20 to print an image based on a user operation. A plurality of client terminals may be connected to the communication network 40.

  Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, a processing flow when the print controller 20 registers a print job in the storage unit according to an instruction from the client terminal 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the user gives an instruction to register a print job including image data to be printed on the client terminal 30, the client terminal 30 transmits the print job to the print controller 20 via the communication network 40 (S1). The print job includes at least information about image data to be printed, a group to which the image data is associated, and designation of a color conversion profile used for printing. Here, it is assumed that the group to which the image data is associated is the group G.

  Next, the print controller 20 determines whether or not the color conversion profile designated for the print job matches the standard profile (S2). Here, since the standard profile of group G is profile A, if the color conversion profile designated by the user is profile A, it matches the standard profile. The print controller 20 may also determine whether the data format of the image data included in the print job and the designation of the printer used for image formation match the group G standard attribute information.

  When the color conversion profile designated by the user is not profile A, the print controller 20 determines whether or not the information of profile A is transmitted to the client terminal 30 (S3). This determination is made based on the information of the user who requested registration of the print job, for example. Specifically, the user who requested the registration of the print job is a user to whom a pre-registered standard profile is to be sent, or the standard profile has already been sent to the user from the past print job registration history It is determined based on whether or not there is. Or you may perform based on the information regarding the client terminal which transmitted the print job. Specifically, the determination is made based on, for example, information on the network segment to which the client terminal that has transmitted the print job is connected, information on the installation location of the client terminal registered in advance, and the like.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the standard profile is not required to be sent, the print controller 20 displays warning information on the client terminal 30 (S4). This warning information includes information indicating that the standard profile is profile A. When the warning information is output, the user can immediately consider whether to re-register the print job according to the standard profile or re-register the print job after correcting the contents of the image data.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the standard profile is to be sent, the print controller 20 displays warning information on the client terminal 30 as in step S4, and the profile A data is displayed on the client terminal 30. Transmit (S5). By sending the standard profile to the client terminal 30 through the network 40 in this way, the user reproduces an image formed on the medium by the printer 10 using the standard profile, for example, by a nearby printer. Color conversion profiles can be generated, and the image formation simulation by the printer 10 can be simulated by the printer at hand. As a result, the user can verify the output based on the standard profile before the image formation by the printer 10 even when the printer 10 that finally forms the image is in a remote location.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the color conversion profile designated by the user is the standard profile, the print controller 20 registers the print job in association with the group G (S6). As a result, the print controller 20 outputs image data that has undergone color conversion according to the standard profile to the printer 10 at a predetermined timing, and causes the printer 10 to execute printing.

  According to the present embodiment described above, when the color conversion profile specified when the user registers image data in association with a group is not a standard profile of the group, warning information is output to the user. It is possible to notify that the color conversion profile should be changed, and the convenience can be improved. Further, when a user who requests registration of a print job is away from the printer 10 and the like, sending a standard profile to the user makes it possible for the user to verify printing using the standard profile in advance.

  In the present embodiment, the determination as to whether or not to send the standard profile is automatically performed by the process of S3. However, the standard profile may be sent based on a user instruction. In this case, the print controller 20 causes the client terminal 30 to display a button or the like prompting the user to determine whether or not to send the standard profile together with the warning information, and the standard profile is displayed to the client terminal 30 based on the user's operation. Send.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing an example of the table of the registration data registered into the image forming system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performed by the image forming system which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  10 printer, 20 print controller, 30 client terminal, 40 communication network.

Claims (4)

An image forming system for managing image data to be imaged in association with at least one group,
Standard profile storage means for storing a color conversion profile used for image formation as a standard profile in association with the group;
Image data registration means for associating image data to be imaged with the group and specifying and registering a color conversion profile used for image formation of the image data;
Warning information output means for outputting predetermined warning information when the color conversion profile designated for the image data registered by the image data registration means is not the standard profile associated with the group;
An image forming system comprising: The image forming system according to claim 1,
The warning information output means outputs the contents of the standard profile together with predetermined warning information. An image forming system control method for managing image data to be subjected to image formation in association with at least one group, and storing a color conversion profile used for image formation as a standard profile in association with the group,
An image data registration step for registering image data to be imaged in association with the group, specifying and registering a color conversion profile used for image formation of the image data;
A warning information output step for outputting predetermined warning information when the color conversion profile designated for the image data registered in the image data registration step is not the standard profile associated with the group;
A control method for an image forming system. A control program for an image forming system that manages image data to be imaged in association with at least one group,
Standard profile storage means for storing a color conversion profile used for image formation as a standard profile in association with the group,
Image data registration means for registering image data to be subjected to image formation by specifying a color conversion profile used for image formation of the image data in association with the group, and an image registered by the image data registration means Warning information output means for outputting predetermined warning information when the color conversion profile specified for the data is not the standard profile associated with the group;
A control program for an image forming system, which causes a computer to function as:

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