JP2009093406A - Print information processor, printing system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print information processor, a printing system and a program for receiving a print job to be printed when an identification code is input from an information terminal, and storing it in a storage means, and for performing the processing of designated contents about the print job designated from the information terminal among the print jobs stored in the storage means. <P>SOLUTION: A print server 12 receives a print job whose job name does not include a command and a print job whose job name includes a command from a client PC14. The print server 12 judges whether or not the command is included in the job name of the received print job, and when judging that the command is not included, stores the received print job in a spool area. Also, when judging that the command is included, the print server 12 performs processing designated by the command to the print job specified by the command included in the designation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print information processing apparatus, a printing system, and a program.

  In recent years, systems in which various terminal devices such as a printer and a personal computer (PC) are connected via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), and a plurality of PCs share a printer and print various information have become widespread. . For example, when print data is created on a PC and printed by a printer, the user designates a printer connected to the network, transmits the print data to the printer, and prints it out. Usually, a printer that outputs print data is shared by many PCs, and the printer is often installed at a location distant from the PC. Therefore, the printed matter printed by the printer is left until the user goes to the printer, and there is a problem from the viewpoint of security.

  Therefore, instead of printing as soon as the user sends the print data, the print data sent from the PC by the user is temporarily stored in a printer or a server connected to the printer, and the user goes to the printer. An on-demand printing system in which printing is executed by the printer by issuing a printing instruction or the like is also employed.

  There are various techniques for canceling print data that has already been transmitted.

For example, a system has been proposed in which when a cancel instruction is issued while transferring a plurality of print jobs to a printer server, a cancel flag is set to the dummy print job and transmitted to the printer to cancel all printing of the transferred print job. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). In addition, when there is an old print request in the print queue, or when the print queue capacity is exceeded, the new print request is rejected or the old print request stored in the print queue is deleted. Have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent No. 3817387 JP 2003-131854 A

  The present invention receives a print job to be printed when an identification code is inputted from an information terminal, stores it in a storage means, and print jobs designated from the information terminal among the print jobs stored in the storage means. It is an object of the present invention to provide a print information processing apparatus capable of processing specified contents, a printing system including the print information processing apparatus, and a program.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided storage means for storing a print job to which an identification code for identifying a requester of printing is stored, and the input identification code when the identification code is input. Control means for controlling the print job to be read from the storage means and printed by the printing means, receiving means for receiving the print job from the information terminal used by the print requester, and the name of the received print job Determining means for specifying a print job stored in the storage means and determining whether or not a command specifying processing contents for the specified print job is included; and When it is determined that the command is not included, the received print job is stored in the storage unit, and when it is determined that the command is included in the name, Has already been configured to include a processing means for performing the specified processing content by said command for a particular print job by the command of the print jobs stored in the serial storage means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the print information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the determination unit is configured to execute the command when the character string of the predetermined portion of the name is a predetermined character string. Judged to be included.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the print information processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the processing content designated by the command is a deletion process of a print job stored in the storage unit, or the storage unit A print prohibition process for prohibiting a print process of a stored print job, a change process for changing a print priority of a print job stored in the storage unit, and a print job stored in the storage unit when printing the print job This is one of display control processes for controlling the name of the print job not to be displayed on the display unit of the printing means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the print information processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, a print job that includes a command in the name, and a print job that does not include the command. And at least one information terminal capable of transmitting to the print information processing apparatus.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer having storage means for storing a print job to which an identification code for identifying a requester of printing is assigned, and the identification inputted when the identification code is inputted. A control unit for controlling the print job to which the code is added from the storage unit and controlling the print job to be printed; a receiving unit for receiving a print job from an information terminal used by a print requester; It is determined that the name includes a command designating processing contents for the print job stored in the storage unit, and the determination unit determines that the command does not include the command. If the received print job is stored in the storage means, and it is determined that the command is included in the name, the stored print job is stored in the storage means. Processing means for executing the processing contents designated by the command for a particular print job by the command of the print jobs stored a program for functioning as a.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a print job to be printed when an identification code is input is received from the information terminal and stored in the storage means, and the print job stored in the storage means is received from the information terminal. The specified contents can be processed for the specified print job.

  According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to easily determine a print job including a command from the name of the print job.

  According to the invention of claim 3, various processes can be designated by a command.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the print information control apparatus receives a print job printed when the identification code is input from the information terminal, stores it in the storage means, and has already been stored in the storage means. For a print job, an arbitrary print job can be specified from the information terminal, and the print information control apparatus can perform an arbitrary process.

  According to the invention of claim 5, a print job to be printed when an identification code is input is received from the information terminal and stored in the storage means, and the print job stored in the storage means is received from the information terminal. The specified contents can be processed for the specified print job.

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

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an on-demand printing system 10 according to the present embodiment.

  The on-demand printing system 10 includes a print server 12, a client PC (Personal Computer) 14, a printer 16, and an IC card reader 18 connected to a network 20 such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

  In the client PC 14, a print job is generated and transmitted to the print server 12. More specifically, when the user of the client PC 14 designates printing of some document data (print data), the printer driver installed in the client PC 14 is activated. The printer driver generates a print job from the print data designated for printing, and transmits the print job to the print server 12. The print job is composed of an attribute part and a data part. The attribute section includes information such as the name of the print job, the owner name of the print job (name of the print job creator, that is, the print requester), the size of the print job, and the like.

  The printer driver sets the print data file name designated by the user on the client PC 14 to “print job name” and connects to the network of the on-demand printing system 10 when the user starts up the client PC 14. The attribute part is generated with the input login name as the “owner name of the print job”.

  Note that the printer driver may be set to input the print job owner name every time the user transmits the print job. However, in this embodiment, the login name is the print job owner name. A printer driver is set in advance so that

  The printer driver converts print data designated for printing by the user into PDL data, and generates a data portion of the print job. The printer driver transmits a print job including the generated attribute part and data part to the print server 12. Such generation / transmission of a print job is a process generally performed by a conventional printer driver.

  In the present embodiment, the print job is a command that causes the print server 12 to execute some processing for a normal print job that is actually printed and a print job that is not printed but is held in the print server 12. There are two types of print jobs. In any case, the configuration includes the above-described attribute part and data part. Details of the print job including the command will be described later.

  The IC card reader 18 is installed in the vicinity of the corresponding printer 16. When the user holds the IC card over the IC card reader 18, the IC card reader 18 reads the user ID stored in the memory of the IC card, and transmits the read user ID to the print server 12. When an error code is returned from the print server 12, a warning sound is generated.

  When receiving a normal print job from the client PC 14, the print server 12 stores the print job in a predetermined storage area (a spool area described later). When the user ID is received from the IC card reader 18, the user ID is authenticated. The print server 12 stores an authentication table in which a user ID and a login name are stored in advance in association with each other. When the user ID received from the IC card reader 18 is registered in the authentication table, the print server 12 extracts the login name stored in association with the registered user ID (authentication success). ). If the user ID received from the IC card reader 18 is not registered in the authentication table, an error code is returned to the IC card reader 18 (authentication failure).

  When authentication is successful and the login name is extracted, the print server 12 compares the extracted login name with the owner name of the held print job, and prints the owner name that matches the extracted login name. The job is read, and the read print job is transmitted to the printer 16 corresponding to the IC card reader 18 that is the transmission source of the received user ID.

  In addition, when the print server 12 receives a print job having a name including a command from the client PC 14, the print server 12 executes a specified process for the print job specified by the command included in the name of the print job. This process will be described later.

  When the printer 16 receives a print job from the print server 12, the printer 16 performs print processing based on the print job. The printer is provided with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display. Normally, the display unit displays information indicating the name of the print job being printed and its print status, or all print jobs received from the print server 12. The name etc. are displayed.

  Although FIG. 1 illustrates the case where each of the client PC 14, the printer 16, and the IC card reader 18 is connected to the network 20, the present invention is not limited to this, and each of them is connected to the plurality of networks 20. It may be.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the hardware configuration of the print server 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the print server 12 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 30, a random access memory (RAM) 32, a read only memory (ROM) 34, an I / O interface 36, and a communication interface 38. Are connected to each other via a bus 46.

  The communication interface 38 is connected to the network 20. Information is exchanged with other devices connected to the network 20 via the communication interface 38.

  A CD-RW drive 40, an HDD (hard disk drive) 42, and an input / output device 44 are connected to the I / O interface 36. The HDD 42 reads and writes data with respect to the built-in hard disk. The CD-RW drive 40 reads / writes data from / to a CD-RW 48 that is a portable recording medium. The input / output device 44 is, for example, a keyboard for a user to input data, a display on which an image is displayed, or the like.

  Various programs and data are stored in the HDD 42, the ROM 34, or the CD-RW 48, and the various programs are executed by the CPU 30 using a work memory such as the RAM 32. In addition, the above-described authentication table is also stored in any of these recording media.

  The stored programs include various programs such as a print control program executed when a user ID is received and a print job management program executed when a print job is received.

  Note that the recording medium on which the program executed by the CPU 30 is stored is not limited to the CD-RW 48, the HDD 42, or the like. For example, although not shown, a portable recording medium such as a DVD disk, a magneto-optical disk, or an IC card. Or a storage device such as an HDD provided outside the print server 12, or a database connected via a line, another computer system and its database, or a transmission medium on the line. There may be.

  Therefore, it is possible not only to provide a program or the like according to an embodiment of the present invention, which will be described later, via a communication medium, but also to store it on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

  The HDD 42 or RAM 32 has an area (spool area) for temporarily storing received print jobs. As shown in FIG. 3, normal print jobs received via the communication interface 38 are stored in the spool area in the order received, and when printing the print jobs, the print jobs are sequentially read from the spool area. And transmitted to the printer 16.

  The hardware configuration of the client PC 14 is the same as the hardware configuration of the print server 12 shown in FIG. However, unlike the print server 12 program, general application software such as word processor software and drawing software for generating print data, printer driver programs, and the like are recorded in the HDD 42 and ROM 34 of the client PC 14. ing.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the on-demand printing system 10 of the present embodiment will be described.

  First, a case where a normal print job including no command is transmitted from the client PC 14 to the print server 12 will be described.

  On the client PC 14, the user acquires document data (print data) to be printed from a recording medium such as the CD-RW 48 or generates it with application software of the client PC 14. If the print data has already been given a file name or is newly created, the user gives the file name at the time of creation. Also, the file name already assigned may be changed by the user using the function of the OS of the client PC 14.

  When the user designates printing of this print data with the application software of the client PC 14, the printer driver of the client PC 14 is activated to generate a print job including the attribute part and the data part as described above and transmit it to the print server 12.

  Next, a case where a print job including a command is transmitted from the client PC 14 to the print server 12 will be described.

  This print job is not a print job for causing the printer 16 to perform print processing, but a job for causing the print server 12 to perform some processing on the print job already stored in the spool area of the print server 12. is there.

  The user prepares print data to be used for generating a print job including a command by generating some print data with application software of the client PC 14 or acquiring it from a recording medium such as a CD-RW 48. Then, using the OS function of the client PC 14, the file name of the print data is changed (or newly given) to a file name of the following format.

  File name: <magic number> <command name> <attribute name> = <value>

  The “magic number” at the beginning of the file name is a character string indicating that the subsequent character string is a command. Following this magic number, a “command name” that specifies the processing content that the print server 12 wants to process, followed by an “attribute name” that is information for specifying the print job to be processed and its “value”. It has been added.

  Here, one command is composed of “command name”, “attribute name”, and “value”.

  Hereinafter, some specific examples will be described.

For example, if the magic number is “% 1345%”, the processing content is deleted, and the file name to be deleted (print job name) is “document 1”,
% 1345% delete documentname = ”Document 1”
The file name is assigned or changed as follows. Here, “delete” is a command name for deleting a print job.

Also, if you want to delete a print job without specifying a part of the name,
% 1345% delete documentname = not ”specification *”
The file name is assigned or changed as follows.

When deleting a print job transmitted to the print server 12 before a certain date and time,
% 1345% delete submissiontime = before20071231
The file name is assigned or changed as follows.

If you want to increase the priority of a specific print job,
% 1345% sethighestpriority documentname = ”urgent”
The file name is assigned or changed as follows. Here, “sethighestpriority” is a command name that increases the priority of a print job.

  The file name format and the four file names described here are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  For example, various attribute names / values for specifying a print job are conceivable, such as a print job transmission date and time, a transmission period, and the number of pages, as well as a file name. In addition to deleting the command name and changing the priority order, for example, depending on the function of the print server 12, for example, printing is prohibited until the specified date and time so that the print job name is not displayed on the display unit of the printer 16 (confidential A command name that specifies the processing content (such as a high possibility) is conceivable. The command may be defined for each system and set in the print server 12.

  A system administrator or the like previously notifies each user who uses the client PC 14 of the format of the file name and the command name type to be given to the print data.

  When the user designates print data with the file name assigned (or changed) in this way, the printer driver is activated and a print job is generated in the same manner as a normal print job. That is, the file name of the print data is “print job name” in the attribute part of the print job, and the login name of the user is “owner name of print job”. Also, the contents of the print data designated for printing are converted into PDL data, which becomes the data portion. Therefore, the data structure of this print job is the same as that of a normal print job.

  Therefore, even in the case of a system in which a firewall is provided between the print server 12 and the client PC 14 so that only print jobs can be transmitted, it is not necessary to relax the restrictions set in the firewall. In addition, since a print job that functions as a command is generated simply by changing the file name, an end user can easily create a print job, and the operation is also simple.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the printer driver of the client PC 14 transmits the generated print job to the print server 12 via the network 20 in the same manner as a normal print job.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of a program that is started when the print server 12 receives a print job from the client PC 14.

  In step 100, first, the print server 12 refers to the attribute part of the received print job and extracts the name of the print job.

  In step 102, it is determined whether or not a command is included in the extracted name. Specifically, the determination is made based on whether or not the character string at the head of the print job name is the magic number.

  If a negative determination is made in step 102, the received print job is a normal print job that is actually to be printed, and is stored in the spool area in step 208.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step 102 is affirmative, the received print job is not a normal print job to be printed, but a job that specifies processing contents for the print job stored in the print server 12. In step 104, the contents of the command included in the name of the print job are determined.

  For example, if the name of the received print job is the name shown in FIG. 4 (% 1345% delete documentname = “specification 20070101”), the print server 12 indicates that the content of the command is “specification 20070101”. It is determined that the content is to delete the print job with the name “from the spool area”.

  In step 106, the print server 12 executes processing for the print job stored in the spool area according to the contents of the command. For example, in the above example, the print job named “specification 20070101” is deleted from the spool area. The print job stored second in the spool area illustrated in FIG. 3 is the print job to be deleted. The print server 12 deletes this second print job. Note that after the processing corresponding to the command is completed, the print job including the command is deleted and is not stored in the spool area. That is, since a print job including a command in its name is generated only for executing the command, the print data that is the basis for generating the data portion of the print job is any data. Good.

  If the command is a command for changing the priority order of the print jobs, the storage order of the print jobs in the spool area is changed or the priority is given so that the print job is transmitted preferentially and printed as soon as possible. Processing such as setting and managing a priority flag to be transmitted is performed. If the command prohibits printing of the designated print job until the designated date and time, control is performed so that the print job is not transmitted to the printer 16 until the designated date and time by setting a print prohibition flag for the designated print job. . Further, in the case of a command for preventing the print job name from being displayed on the display unit of the printer 16, a display prohibition flag is set for the designated print job, for example, when a print job is transmitted to the printer 16. And send it.

  In the present embodiment, the processing target by a print job including a command is limited to a print job having the same owner name as the owner name of the print job. This is to prevent a user's print job from being deleted by another user without the user's knowledge.

  Next, an operation for printing a print job will be described.

  The user goes to the desired printer 16 and holds the IC card over the IC card reader 18 installed in the vicinity of the printer 16. Then, the IC card reader 18 reads the user ID stored in the memory of the IC card, and transmits the read user ID to the print server 12.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of a program that is started when the print server 12 receives a user ID from the IC card reader 18.

  In step 200, the print server 12 searches the authentication table and confirms whether or not the received user ID is registered in the authentication table.

  If it is determined in step 202 that the received user ID is not registered in the authentication table, the authentication is unsuccessful, so an error code is returned to the IC card reader 18 in step 208. When receiving the error code, the IC card reader 18 generates a warning sound.

  If it is determined in step 202 that the received user ID is registered in the authentication table, the login name stored in the authentication table in association with the user ID is determined in step 204 as successful authentication. Is read.

  In step 204, the print server 12 sequentially reads out print jobs having owner names that match the read login name from the spool area, and transmits them to the printer 16 near the IC card reader 18 that is the transmission source of the user ID. As described above, in a print job including a command transmitted from the user, a print job in which a print prohibition flag or a display prohibition flag is set by processing specified by the command is processed according to the flag. To do.

  The printer 16 that has received the print job starts printing the print jobs in the order of reception. Note that when a plurality of print jobs are received, the name of the print job is displayed on the display unit, the user can select it, and the printer 16 is configured to print only the selected print job. Good.

  As is clear from the above description, on the client PC 14 side, the user only has to change or give the file name of the print data to a name including a command, so there is no need to install a special tool on the client PC 14. Further, it is not necessary to add a new function to the printer 16. In practice, it is only necessary to incorporate a function (program) for performing processing corresponding to the name only on the print server 12 side that manages the print job.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes may be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the authentication function is provided in the print server 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided on the printer 16 side or separately as an authentication server.

  Further, the example in which the print server 12 and the printer 16 are connected to the network 20 as separate devices has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the print server 12 may be provided with the printing function of the printer 16. . The printer 16 and the IC card reader 18 may be configured as an integrated device. Furthermore, when one printer is used, the print server 12, the printer 16, and the IC card reader 18 may be configured as an integrated device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the IC card is held over the IC card reader 18 and the user ID is read has been described. However, the user may directly input the user ID without using the IC card. .

  In the above embodiment, a system has been described in which a user ID and a login name are prepared and printed using these, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to the following system.

  The system configuration is the same as that of the above embodiment, but in this modification, the system operates using only the user ID.

  First, the user ID is stored in advance in the memory of the IC card possessed by the user, as in the above embodiment. The printer driver of the client PC 14 generates a print job with the user ID as the owner name and transmits it to the print server 12. The user ID may be input when the user requests printing, or may be set in advance in the printer driver. When the user ID is the same as the login name, the printer driver is previously set to use the login name as the user ID, as in the above embodiment.

  When the user ID is read by the IC card reader 18 of this system, the print server 12 searches the spool area for a print job having an owner name that matches the user ID and transmits it to the printer 16. That is, in the system according to this modification, the user ID and the login name are not authenticated, and the user ID itself is used as an identification code for specifying a print job to be printed. The generation of the print job including the command is performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment, and the print server 12 determines and processes the print job including the command in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Even in such a system, when a print job requested by a user is printed for each user and the print server 12 receives a print job including a command, the print job specified by the command is designated. Processed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an on-demand printing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating hardware configurations of a print server and a client PC. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state where a print job is recorded in a spool area. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state when a print job including a generated command is transmitted to a print server via a network. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of a program that is started when a print job is received from a client PC by a print server. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the program started when a print server receives user ID from an IC card reader.

Explanation of symbols

10 On-demand printing system 12 Print server 14 Client PC
16 Printer 18 Card reader 20 Network 30 CPU
32 RAM
34 ROM
38 Communication interface 42 HDD

Claims (5)

Storage means for storing a print job to which an identification code for identifying a print requester is assigned;
Control means for reading out the print job to which the inputted identification code is given when the identification code is inputted from the storage means and printing it by the printing means;
Receiving means for receiving a print job from the information terminal used by the print requester;
Determining means for determining whether or not the received print job name includes a command for specifying the print job stored in the storage means and designating processing contents for the specified print job;
When the determination unit determines that the command does not include the command, the received print job is stored in the storage unit, and the name is determined to include the command. Processing means for executing the processing content designated by the command for the print job specified by the command among the print jobs already stored in the storage means,
Information processing apparatus including   The print information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the command is included when a character string of a predetermined portion of the name is a predetermined character string.   The processing content specified by the command includes a deletion process of a print job stored in the storage unit, a print prohibition process for prohibiting a print job stored in the storage unit, and a print stored in the storage unit Any one of a change process for changing the print priority of the job and a display control process for controlling the display of the print unit so that the name of the print job is not displayed when the print job stored in the storage unit is printed The print information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The print information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
At least one information terminal capable of generating a print job including a command in the name and a print job not including a command and transmitting the print job to the print information processing apparatus;
Including printing system. A computer comprising storage means for storing a print job to which an identification code for identifying a print requester is assigned;
Control means for controlling the print job to which the inputted identification code is assigned when the identification code is inputted to be read from the storage means and printed by the printing means;
Receiving means for receiving a print job from an information terminal used by the print requester;
A determination unit that determines whether or not the received print job name includes a command that specifies processing content for the print job stored in the storage unit; and the determination unit includes the command in the name. If it is determined that the command is not included, the received print job is stored in the storage unit, and if it is determined that the command is included in the name, it is already stored in the storage unit. Processing means for executing the processing content specified by the command with respect to the print job specified by the command among the existing print jobs;
Program to function as.

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