JP2009009223A - Distributed printing processor and distributed printing system equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distributed printing processor for easily grasping circumstances when any trouble is occurred in distributed printing processing and a distributed printing system equipped with this. <P>SOLUTION: The distributed printing processor 14 is provided with a state detection part 148; a proxy processing detection part 150; an image generation part 146, and a GUI display panel 142. When any trouble is occurred in an image forming apparatus related with distributed printing processing, a proxy processing detection part 150 detects proxy printing processing which can be executed by using any image forming apparatus other than the image forming apparatus. An image generation part 146 generates a graphic image for visualizing the state of the distributed printing processing and the content of the proxy printing processing. A GUI display panel 142 is configured to display the graphic image generated by the image generation means, and to accept an input operation from a user performed according to the graphic image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention controls distributed printing processing executed in a printing system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus capable of outputting distributed printing requests to the plurality of image forming apparatuses. And a distributed printing system including the distributed printing processing apparatus.

  In recent years, a distributed printing system configured to be able to print a job to be printed by a plurality of image forming apparatuses has been used. By using this distributed printing system, for example, when printing a large amount, it is possible to perform a large amount of printing quickly by distributing the total number of pages to a plurality of network printers in the system.

  However, in such a distributed printing system, trouble may occur in the image forming apparatus involved in the distributed printing process. When trouble occurs, the number of image forming apparatuses involved in the distributed printing process is reduced, which causes a disadvantage that the processing speed of the distributed printing process is reduced.

Therefore, in the prior art, when trouble occurs during the distributed printing process, the proxy printing is performed so that the number of image forming apparatuses involved in the distributed printing process does not change before and after the trouble occurs. Some suggested a printing system that could do that.
JP 2003-223295 A

  Since many devices are involved in a distributed printing system, an image forming device involved in distributed printing processing, an image forming device in which a trouble has occurred, an image forming device capable of proxy printing, and an image forming device that performs proxy printing are provided. It may be difficult to grasp. For this reason, it may be difficult to know which image forming apparatus has trouble and which image forming apparatus performs proxy printing, particularly when trouble occurs in distributed printing processing.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed printing processing apparatus and a distributed printing system including the distributed printing processing apparatus that can easily grasp the situation when a trouble occurs during the distributed printing process.

  A distributed printing processing apparatus according to the present invention is a distributed printing executed in a printing system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus capable of outputting distributed printing requests to the plurality of image forming apparatuses. It is configured to control the printing process.

  The distributed printing processing apparatus includes a state detection unit, a substitute processing detection unit, an image generation unit, and a GUI (Graphical User Interface) unit.

  The status detection unit detects the status of the distributed printing process executed in the printing system. The state detection unit detects the state of the distributed printing process executed in the printing system, for example, by analyzing a signal moving in the network of the printing system. Further, when the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus in the printing system output a signal, the same signal may be output to the distributed printing processing apparatus at the same time.

  The proxy process detection unit detects a proxy print process that can be executed when a trouble occurs in the image forming apparatus involved in the distributed print process. Here, the proxy printing process is to continue the distributed printing process using an image forming apparatus other than the image forming apparatus in which the trouble has occurred. The proxy process detection unit detects the proxy printing process based on, for example, the specification information of the image forming apparatus and the distance between the image forming apparatus and the user.

  The image generation means generates a graphic image for visualizing the state of the distributed printing process and the contents of the proxy printing process. This graphic image is an aspect in which the distance between the image forming apparatus and the user, the identification of the image forming apparatus involved in the distributed printing process, and the identification of the image forming process to be subjected to the proxy printing process can be immediately performed. Is preferred. For example, a graphic image that displays the configuration of the printing system with icons may be used.

  The GUI unit displays a graphic image generated by the image generation unit and has a function of a graphical user interface that receives an input operation from a user performed according to the graphic image. For example, it is possible to perform an operation for selecting desired processing contents from a plurality of alternative printing process candidates and an approval operation for the presented optimal proxy printing process via the GUI unit.

  Further, the graphic image generated by the image generation means may be displayed not only on the GUI means but also supplied to the information processing apparatus in the printing system and displayed on this information processing apparatus.

  In the configuration described above, when a trouble occurs in the distributed printing process, information such as which image forming apparatus has trouble and which image forming apparatus performs proxy printing is visualized and presented to the user as a graphic image. The For this reason, the user can grasp the situation when trouble occurs during the distributed printing process via the graphic image.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily grasp the situation when a trouble occurs during distributed printing processing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 10 includes a distributed printing control device 14, a plurality of image forming devices (16, 18, 20, 22), and a client device 24. The distributed printing control device 14, the image forming devices (16, 18, 20, 22), and the client device 24 are each connected to the network 12.

  The distributed printing control device 14 is configured to comprehensively control distributed printing processing in the printing system 10. The distributed printing control apparatus 14 includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) display panel 142, a recording unit 144, a state detection unit 146, an image generation unit 148, and a proxy processing detection unit 150. The GUI display panel 142 is configured to convey a printing state in the printing system 10 to the user by a visual image (for example, animation). The recording unit 144 stores position information and spec information of the image forming apparatuses (16, 18, 20, and 22) and position information of the client apparatus. Further, the priority determined based on the position information and spec information of the image forming apparatus (16, 18, 20, 22) may be recorded. The status detection unit 146 detects the status of distributed printing processing executed by the printing system 10. The state detection unit 146 detects the occurrence of trouble in the image forming apparatus (16, 18, 20, 22) by detecting, for example, a signal that moves through the network 12. The image generation unit 148 generates a graphic image for visualizing the state of the distributed printing process and the contents of the proxy printing process. The proxy processing detection unit 150 detects a proxy printing process that can be executed when a problem occurs in the image forming apparatus involved in the distributed printing process.

  The image forming apparatus (16, 18, 20, 22) performs printing based on the contents of the input print job. Examples of the image forming apparatus (16, 18, 20, 22) include a copier, a laser printer, and an ink jet printer that execute an electrophotographic image forming process.

  The client device 24 includes a display unit 242 and an operation unit 244. Further, the client device 24 has a function of making a distributed print request to the image forming devices (16, 18, 20, 22).

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the distributed printing control apparatus 14 during distributed printing processing.

  When the distributed printing process is started, the distributed printing control device 14 causes the GUI display panel 142 to display a graphic image visualizing the processing contents of the distributed printing process (S11). For example, a graphic image as shown in FIG. 3A is displayed on the GUI display panel 142. Here, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 displays icons (116, 118, 120, 122) and icons 124 corresponding to the image forming apparatuses (16, 18, 20, 22) and the client apparatus 24, respectively, on the GUI display panel 142. is doing. Each icon (116, 118, 120, 122, 124) is arranged at a position corresponding to the positional relationship between the actual image forming apparatus (16, 18, 20, 22) and the client apparatus 24. The icons 116 and 118 corresponding to the image forming apparatuses 16 and 18 in use are surrounded by a frame 143 so that the user can visually recognize the image forming apparatuses 16 and 18 in use.

  The distributed printing control device 14 monitors the status of the printing system 10 during the execution of the distributed printing process (S12), and determines whether or not a trouble has occurred in the distributed printing process (S13).

  In the determination step of S13, if the distributed printing control device 14 does not detect the occurrence of a trouble, it is determined whether or not the distributed printing process has been completed (S19). If the distributed printing process has not been completed, S11 is again performed. Move on to the status display step.

  On the other hand, when trouble occurrence is detected in the determination step of S13, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 displays a graphic image for notifying occurrence of trouble on the GUI display panel 142 as shown in FIG. (S14). In FIG. 3B, the occurrence of a trouble in the image forming apparatus 118 is visually recognized by a “!” Mark 145.

  Subsequently, the distributed printing control device 14 determines whether or not a proxy process is possible (S15). In the determination step of S15, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 determines whether or not the substitution process is possible based on the specification information of the image forming apparatuses (16, 18, 20, and 22) and the contents of the printing process being executed. For example, if double-sided printing is in progress, an image forming apparatus capable of double-sided printing can be a proxy process target. In addition, during color printing, an image forming apparatus capable of color printing can be a proxy processing target.

  If the substitution process is not possible in the determination step of S15, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 proceeds to the step of S11 without executing the substitution process, and the printing process is performed only by the image forming apparatus in which no trouble has occurred. Continue.

  On the other hand, when the proxy process is possible in the determination step of S15, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 displays the alternative process plan options on the GUI display panel 142 as shown in FIG. 4 (S16). ). In this embodiment, the user can visually recognize the image forming apparatus that can perform the substitution process by surrounding the image forming apparatus with a frame 147. At the same time, the proxy processing content with the highest priority is displayed at the top, and the proxy processing proposals arranged from top to bottom according to the priority are displayed by the message box 149. The proxy processing content with the highest priority means the processing content for which the image forming apparatus with the highest priority is the target of the proxy processing. The priority of the image forming apparatus is set higher as the distance from the client apparatus used by the user becomes shorter. Further, when determining the priority of the image forming apparatus, the printing speed of the image forming apparatus and whether or not it has a function of executing a job desired by the user are considered. At this time, the user may arbitrarily set the weighting of the priority determination element of the image forming apparatus.

  Subsequently, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 waits until the user selects proxy processing content (S17).

  If there is a selection from the user in the standby step of S17, the distributed printing control device 14 starts a proxy printing process of the content selected by the user (S18). At the same time, as shown in FIG. 5, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 causes the GUI display panel 142 to display a graphic image visualizing the content of the selected proxy printing process (S18). Here, the icon 160 can be used to visually recognize which image forming apparatus has passed the processing to which image forming apparatus.

  Subsequently, the distributed printing control device 14 determines whether or not the distributed printing process has been completed (S19). If the distributed printing process has not been completed, the process proceeds to the state display step of S11 again, while the distributed printing process is performed. If the process is completed, the process waits until the next distributed printing process starts.

  According to the above embodiment, since the setting contents of distributed printing, the occurrence of trouble, the contents of the proxy processing plan, and the contents of the selected proxy process are visually transmitted to the user, these contents are promptly and reliably transmitted to the user. It becomes possible to grasp. In addition, since the user can easily grasp the position of the substitute process target device, the substitute process can be quickly selected.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation procedure of the distributed printing control apparatus 14 during distributed printing processing. Since the steps S21 to S25 correspond to the steps S11 to S15 in FIG. 2 described above, the description thereof is omitted here. Here, in the determination step of S25, the processing content when proxy processing is possible is different from FIG.

If the proxy process is possible in the determination step of S25, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 determines whether the setting of the proxy process is “automatic selection” (S26). Here, “automatic selection” means a setting content that automatically executes the substitution processing that the distributed printing control apparatus 14 determines to be optimal when a trouble occurs.
If “automatic selection” is set in the determination step of S26, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 starts the proxy process determined to be optimal and displays the proxy process content on the GUI display panel 142 ( S29).

  On the other hand, if “automatic selection” is not set in the determination step of S26, the distributed printing control device 14 determines that it is optimal as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. Is displayed on the GUI display panel 142 as an alternative processing plan (S27). Subsequently, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 determines whether or not the user approves the displayed proxy processing plan (S28). In the determination step of S28, a message box 152 as shown in FIG. 7B is displayed on the GUI display panel 142.

  If there is no user approval in the determination step of S28, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 proceeds to the step of S21 without executing the substitution process, and continues the printing process only with the image forming apparatus in which no trouble has occurred. To do. On the other hand, if there is a user approval in the determination step of S28, the distributed printing control device 14 starts the optimum substitute printing process presented (S29). At the same time, as shown in FIG. 5, the distributed printing control apparatus 14 displays the contents of the selected proxy printing process on the GUI display panel 142 (S29).

  Subsequently, the distributed printing control device 14 determines whether or not the distributed printing process has been completed (S30). If the distributed printing process has not been completed, the process proceeds to the state display step of S21 again, while the distributed printing process is performed. If the process is completed, the process waits until the next distributed printing process starts.

  Further, when “automatic selection” is set, the distributed printing control device 14 displays the proxy processing content on the GUI display panel 142 when the distributed printing processing ends, as shown in FIGS. In addition, it is preferable to report the contents of the proxy process to the user by displaying a message box 154.

  More preferably, for example, an image supply unit that supplies the image generated by the image generation unit 146 to the client device 24 may be provided in the distributed printing control device 14. If the image supply means is employed, the message 154 can be displayed not only on the GUI display panel 142 but also on the display unit 242 of the client device 24 used by the user. By the image supply means, for example, the distributed print control device 14 notifies the client device 24 of the proxy print content by e-mail, or the distributed print control device 14 displays the proxy print content on the display unit 242 of the client device 24. It is possible to display a window.

  The description of the above-described embodiment is an example in all respects and should be considered as not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a distributed printing system. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the distributed printing control apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a GUI display panel. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a GUI display panel. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a GUI display panel. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the processing procedure of the distributed printing control apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a GUI display panel. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a GUI display panel.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10- Distributed printing system 14- Distributed printing control apparatus 16, 18, 20, 22- Image forming apparatus 24- Client apparatus 142- GUI display panel

Claims (5)

It is configured to control distributed printing processing executed in a printing system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus capable of outputting distributed printing requests to the plurality of image forming apparatuses. A distributed printing processing apparatus,
State detection means for detecting the state of distributed printing processing executed in the printing system;
Proxy processing detection means for detecting a proxy printing process that can be executed when a trouble occurs in the image forming apparatus involved in the distributed printing process;
Image generating means for generating a graphic image for visualizing the state of the distributed printing process and the contents of the proxy printing process;
GUI (Graphical User Interface) means configured to display a graphic image generated by the image generation means and accept an input operation from a user performed in accordance with the graphic image;
A distributed printing processing apparatus. A recording unit that records position information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses and the information processing apparatus and specification information indicating functions of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
The distributed printing processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substitution processing detection unit detects a substitution printing process that can be executed based on the recording contents of the recording unit.   The said image generation means produces | generates the graphic image for visualizing the distance information which shows the distance between each image forming apparatus and the said information processing apparatus based on the recording content of the said recording part. Distributed print processing device   The distributed printing processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image supply unit that supplies the graphic image generated by the image generation unit to the information processing apparatus. A plurality of image forming apparatuses;
An information processing apparatus capable of outputting a distributed printing request to the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
The distributed printing processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Printing system equipped with.

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