JP2009277083A - Printing system and its program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system for selecting a printer suitable for a place and time where and when a printer is used. <P>SOLUTION: This printing system having a terminal for outputting a print instruction and a plurality of printers installed in different areas is provided with a conference room reservation management part 32 for, when an item input on the image of a display means installed in the terminal is a specific item, making a display means display a detail input image to input the details of the specific item including the designation of the region, and for making the display means display the input item on the image on the basis of the instruction of input completion, and for registering the input item in a conference room reservation DB34; a schedule management part 31 for registering the electronic file selected on the image on which the input item is displayed in a distribution material DB 33; and a printer selection part 35 for changing the sequence of the destinations of the printers to be displayed by the display means according to the position coordinates of the region having the designation of the region and the items related with the print setting conditions of the electronic file and the performance of the printer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system and a program thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art A printing system that causes a printer to print a document file or the like generated on a PC (Personal Computer) based on a print instruction from the PC is widely known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing system that selects and prints a printer having the shortest printing time from a plurality of printers when there is no designation of a printer that performs printing. Patent Document 2 discloses a printing system that presents a scheduled print end time to a PC when the number of printed sheets is large. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a printing system in which a printer suitable for printing is displayed on a PC and selected from a plurality of printers depending on the installation position, type, and the like.

JP 2003-241941 A JP-A-11-110174 JP 2005-84783 A

  However, with the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the printer with the shortest printing time is not necessarily located in the vicinity of the place where the printed material is used. For this reason, there is a possibility that the trouble of transporting the printed material from the printer that printed the printed material to the place where the printed material is used may occur. In addition, Patent Document 2 does not consider the place where the printed material is used.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 acquires accurate position information of a printer and displays a printer suitable for printing, but cannot select a printer based on information other than position information.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a printing system and a program capable of selecting a printer suitable for various situations such as a place where the printer is used, a time, a printing result, and the like. Objective.

  In order to achieve such an object, a printing system according to claim 1 includes a terminal that outputs a print instruction, a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are installed in different areas, and that performs print processing according to the print instruction; A detailed input screen for inputting details of a specific item including an area name when the item input on the screen of the display unit included in the terminal is a specific item. The first registration means for registering the input items in the first storage means while displaying the input items on the screen based on the instruction indicating that the input has been completed, and the screen on which the input items are displayed Second registration means for registering the electronic file selected above in the second storage means based on the instruction, position coordinates of the area having the name of the area stored in the first storage means, second storage Electronic file stored in the means Depending on the performance of Le of the print setting conditions matter and an image forming apparatus relating to, it is characterized by having a printer selection means for changing the order of the names of the image forming apparatus to be displayed on the display unit.

  The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, the printer selection means displays an image forming apparatus capable of corresponding to the print color of the electronic file at the top.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the detailed input screen further includes the number of people who gather in the area, and the printer selection means multiplies the number of printed sheets and the number of people that the electronic file has. When the total number of sheets is equal to or less than the remaining number of sheets loaded in the image forming apparatus, the name of the image forming apparatus is displayed at the top.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the printer selection unit further displays the name of the image forming apparatus having a high printing speed at the top. Yes.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the printer selecting means is an order in which the printing time is obtained by dividing the total number of sheets by the printing speed of the image forming apparatus. The name of the image forming apparatus is displayed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the printer according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the printer selecting means determines that the toner capacity necessary for printing the total number of sheets is equal to the toner loaded in the image forming apparatus. When the remaining amount is less than or equal to the remaining amount, the name of the image forming apparatus is displayed at the top.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detailed input screen further includes a use time of the image forming apparatus, and the printer selection means displays on the display means. When the selected name of the image forming apparatus is selected, the use of the image forming apparatus within the use time is stopped.

  The program according to claim 8 is a program for a printing system including a terminal that outputs a print instruction and a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are installed in different areas and perform print processing according to the print instruction. The computer displays a detailed input screen for inputting details of a specific item including the name of the area on the display unit when the item input on the screen of the display unit included in the terminal is a specific item. The first registration means for registering the input item in the first storage means while the input item is displayed on the screen based on the instruction to the effect that the input has been completed, is selected on the screen on which the input item is displayed Second registration means for registering the electronic file in the second storage means based on the instruction, position coordinates of the area having the name of the area stored in the first storage means, and electronic data stored in the second storage means file of Depending on the performance of the matter and an image forming apparatus relating to printing setting condition is a program for causing to function as a printer selection means for changing the order of the names of the image forming apparatus to be displayed on the display unit.

  According to the present invention, a printer suitable for various situations such as a place where the printer is used, a time, a printing result, and the like is selected.

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

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system is installed in a room AR5 that outputs a print instruction to any one of the printers A to F and the printers A to F installed in different conference rooms AR1 to AR4, respectively. The PC 10 includes a server 30 that displays the printers desired for printing in order on the PC 10 according to the color and number of printed materials, the performance of the printer, and the like. In addition, the installation form of each printer in the conference room is not limited to the illustrated one, and for example, there may be three or more in one conference room.

  The PC 10 controls the operation of the display means 11 such as a liquid crystal display or CRT display, the input means 12 such as a keyboard or a mouse, and the server 30 and the printers A to F via the network 40 such as a wired / wireless LAN. And a computer 13 for transmitting and receiving various data. The PC 10 is operated by the user to generate an electronic file such as a document file or an image file, or stores the user's own schedule (schedule) or conference room use reservation input via the input unit 12. Or displayed on the display means 11. The input described below includes selection.

  In addition, the area | region comprised from 1st meeting room AR1-4th meeting room AR4, living room AR5, etc. which are shown in FIG. 1 is divided for every predetermined area, and positional information is allocated with respect to each area | region. This position information is assigned as A to D in the longitudinal direction and 1 and 2 in the short direction in FIG. Accordingly, for example, the installation position of the printer A can be expressed as (A, 1), the installation position of the PC 10 can be expressed as (C, 2), and the like. This area may be further finely divided or broadly divided.

  Next, the server 30 described above will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the server 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 30 includes a CPU 30a, a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a DRAM (Dynamic RAM), a SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), a RAM 30b such as a NVRAM (Non Volatile RAM), and a ROM (Read Memory) such as a flash memory. (Only Memory) 30c, an I / O interface 30d for controlling input / output, a LAN interface 30e, and the like are realized by a hardware configuration connected by a bus 30f.

  Accordingly, the CPU 30a reads a required program stored in a storage device such as the RAM 30b or the ROM 30c, and performs calculations according to the program, thereby realizing each function of the server 30 described later. The control unit (not shown) included in the computer 20 or the printer has substantially the same configuration. In addition, as such a program, it can be set as the program according to the flowchart mentioned later. As shown in the figure, an HDD (hard disk drive) 30g, a CD-ROM drive 30h, an FD drive 30i, and a modem 30j may be connected to the bus 30f as necessary.

  3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the main configuration of the server 30, FIG. 4 is an example of a distribution material table, FIG. 5 is an example of a conference room reservation table, FIG. 6 is an example of a conference room table, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an example of a printer table.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the server 30 includes a schedule management unit 31, a conference room management unit 32, a distribution material DB 33, a conference room reservation DB 34, a printer selection unit 35, a conference room DB 36, a printer DB 37, and the like. In addition, transmission / reception between each functional block diagram is performed as electronic data.

  The schedule management unit 31 is an example of a second registration unit according to the present invention, and displays a schedule registration screen on the PC 10 upon receiving a schedule registration screen display request from the PC 10. Details of the schedule registration screen will be described later with reference to FIGS. When the schedule management unit 31 receives from the PC 10 that a specific item such as a meeting has been selected from the various schedule lists displayed in the schedule registration screen, the schedule management unit 31 has already reserved a meeting room for the meeting. An alarm screen for alerting the operator to this is displayed on the PC 10. Further, when receiving from the PC 10 that the reservation has not been made yet, the schedule management unit 31 activates the conference room reservation management unit 32. After receiving the required items from the conference room reservation management unit 32, when the electronic file is set on the schedule registration screen and the registration is received, the set electronic file is stored in the distribution material DB 33 and the printer is selected. The unit 34 is activated. This electronic file is preferably highly relevant to a specific item selected in the schedule list.

  The conference room reservation management unit 32 is an example of the first registration unit of the present invention. When the activation request is received from the schedule management unit 32, the conference room reservation management unit 32 causes the PC 10 to display a usage date selection screen. Details of the usage date selection screen will be described later with reference to FIG. In addition, the conference room reservation management unit 32 displays a detailed input screen on the PC 10 when receiving a notification that a use date or a conference room to be used is selected. The detailed input screen will be described later with reference to FIG. When the conference room reservation management unit 32 receives the fact that the required items have been input and registered in the detailed input screen, the conference room reservation management unit 32 transmits these selection items and input items to the schedule management unit 31, and An identification number is assigned and stored in the conference room reservation DB 34.

  The distribution material DB 33 is an example of the second storage unit of the present invention, and is a database that stores electronic files from the schedule management unit 33. The stored electronic file is managed by a distribution material table as shown in FIG. For example, a document number “000N” is assigned to the electronic file “technical department document.xls” and managed. This document number is associated with a reservation number in a conference room reservation table described later. Thereby, a meeting room and the printed matter utilized in the meeting room correspond.

  The conference room reservation DB 34 is an example of the first storage means of the present invention, and is a database that stores selection items, input items, and the like from the conference room reservation management unit 32. These stored items are managed by a conference room reservation table as shown in FIG. These items are given a reservation number for identifying these items. This reservation number is associated with the material number described above.

  The printer selection unit 35 is an example of a printer selection unit according to the present invention. The printer selection unit 35 includes the conference room position coordinates stored in the conference room DB 36, items relating to the print setting conditions of the electronic file stored in the distribution material DB 33, and the printer DB 37. The order of printer names displayed on the PC 10 is changed according to the stored performance of each of the printers A to F. Further, the printer selection unit 35 is connected to each of the printers A to F based on the activation request from the schedule management unit 31, and the remaining number of sheets mounted on each of the printers A to F, the remaining capacity of toner, and option information. The information about the security function is acquired, and the printer DB 37 is updated. The printer DB 37 may be updated by connecting to each of the printers A to F at a predetermined cycle. However, if the printer has a copy function or a facsimile function, the update time and the start request reception time For example, when the copy function is used during this period, the remaining number of sheets or the remaining capacity of the toner may vary depending on the timing. Also, it is preferable that the connection / update is based on the activation request.

  The conference room DB 36 includes the name of the conference room, the position coordinates of the conference room, the number of people accommodated, for example, the floor number of the conference room in a building, WB (whiteboard), OHP (overhead projector), VP (video projector), TVM. (TV monitor), AS (audio system (not shown)), etc., a database that stores the number of installed equipment in each conference room, the number of installed infrastructure such as various outlets, and the like. These stored items are managed by a conference room table as shown in FIG. For example, in the case of the second meeting room, it can be seen that the position coordinates of the meeting room are (C, 1). The second conference room is also included in the position coordinates (C, 2). In such a case, the second meeting room may be specified by a number, symbol, or the like whose position coordinates are young. The same applies to the first conference room. Moreover, you may memorize | store the floor number (2nd floor, 8th floor, etc.) of a building with a conference room as needed, for example.

  The printer DB 37 is a database that stores position coordinates, performance, remaining number of sheets for each size of the loaded paper, and the like. If necessary, option information attached to the printer, toner remaining amount, and the like may be stored. These stored items are managed by a printer table as shown in FIG. For example, it can be seen that the printer B is installed at the position coordinates (B, 1) and has a color printing function. The printer management DB 35 does not necessarily have to be installed in the server 30, and each printer A to F may manage its own position coordinates, the remaining number of sheets, and the like. In this case, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the position coordinates and the like from the printers A to F. In the case of a printer that performs monochrome printing, a hyphen or the like is stored in the portion related to the color of performance.

  Next, the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the schedule management unit 31, FIG. 9 is an example of a schedule registration screen and an alarm screen, and FIG. 10 is another example of the schedule registration screen.

  When receiving the request for displaying the schedule registration screen (step S1), the schedule management unit 31 displays the schedule registration screen on the display unit 11 of the PC 10 (step S2).

  Specifically, the display request for the schedule registration screen is made by the user operating the PC 10, and the PC 10 (more specifically, the computer 13) sends the display request to the server 30 (more specifically, the schedule management unit 31). This is done by sending. Upon receiving this, the server 30 transmits data relating to the schedule registration screen to the computer 13, and the computer 13 causes the display means 11 to display the schedule registration screen via a display area such as a Web browser.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the schedule registration screen is an item for selecting a schedule list, an item for inputting a use date, an item for inputting a use start time and an end time, an item for setting distribution materials, etc. And a registration button for registering these items. The user moves the pointer Pt on the screen via the input means 12 of the PC 10, and selects and inputs these items.

  Here, the schedule management unit 31 determines whether or not “conference” is selected from the schedule list (step S3), and displays the alarm screen when receiving the notification that “conference” is selected (step S3). S4).

  That is, the user moves the pointer Pt on the screen via the input unit 12 of the PC 10 and selects “Conference” from the schedule list. The computer 13 detects this and transmits to the server 30 that “conference” has been selected. Receiving this, the server 30 displays an alarm screen on the PC 10. As illustrated in FIG. 9B, the alarm screen is a screen for asking the user whether or not the conference room has been reserved, and includes “Yes” and “No” buttons.

  Here, the schedule management unit 31 determines whether or not the conference room has been reserved (step S5). When “No” indicating that the conference room has not been reserved has been selected, the conference room reservation management unit 32 is activated (step S6). The conference room reservation management unit 32 performs processing for specifying the name of the conference room, the use time, and the like. Details of this operation will be described later.

  Next, the schedule management unit 31 acquires the name, use time, etc. of the conference room specified by the conference room reservation management unit 32 (step S7), and additionally displays it on the schedule registration screen (step S8). More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the specified use date, use start time, and end time are additionally displayed in the schedule registration screen. From the viewpoint of operability, it is desirable to indicate that these items cannot be changed, for example, by shading.

  Next, when receiving a schedule registration request (step S9), the schedule management unit 31 determines whether there is an attached material (step S10). Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the user moves the pointer Pt on the screen via the input unit 12 of the PC 10 and presses the registration button. The computer 13 detects this, converts the input items and setting items related to the distribution material into a file, and transmits a registration request to the server 30 (schedule management unit 31). Thereby, the schedule management part 31 can determine whether there exists any attached material.

  If it is determined that there is an attached material, the schedule management unit 31 stores the set attached material in the distribution material DB 33 (step S11) and activates the printer selection unit 35 (step S12). As described above, the printer selection unit 35 responds to the position coordinates of the conference room, the matters related to the print setting conditions of the electronic file stored in the distribution material DB 33, and the performances of the printers A to F stored in the printer DB 37. Then, a process of changing the order of printer names displayed on the PC 10 is performed. Details of this operation will be described later.

  Next, the operation of the conference room reservation management unit 32 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the conference room reservation management unit 32, FIG. 12 is an example of a usage date selection screen, and FIG. 13 is an example of a detailed input screen.

  Upon receiving the activation request from the schedule management unit 31, the conference room reservation management unit 32 displays a usage date selection screen on the display unit 11 of the PC 10 (step S61). As illustrated in FIG. 12, the usage date selection screen includes items for selecting a usage month, items for selecting a usage date, items for selecting a conference room to be used, and the like.

  Next, the conference room reservation management unit 32 displays the use date corresponding to the instructed use month (step S62). For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the user moves the pointer Pt on the screen via the input unit 12 of the PC 10 and designates the usage month “May”, the date corresponding to the usage month is displayed. . In FIG. 12, the date is displayed only from “12th” to “17th”, but the date to be displayed may be changed by instructing “day”, for example. In addition, when the date is a holiday or the like, a color different from the date other than the holiday may be added.

  Next, the conference room reservation management unit 32 displays the use time corresponding to the instructed use date (step S63). For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the user moves the pointer Pt on the screen via the input means 12 of the PC 10 and designates the usage date “12th”, the usage time corresponding to the usage date is displayed. Let At this time, the reserved time may also be displayed. Further, when the instructed use date is a non-business day such as a holiday, the use time may be limited from “10:00” to “17:00”.

  Here, the conference room reservation management unit 32 continues to stand by until there is an instruction for the conference room (step S64), and when there is an instruction for the conference room, causes the PC 10 to display a detailed input screen (step S65). As shown in FIG. 12, when the user further moves the pointer Pt on the screen via the input means 12 of the PC 10 and designates the part related to the use time of the meeting room name, the name of the meeting room, the month of use, Display a detailed input screen that reflects the date of use.

  As illustrated in FIG. 13, the detail input screen includes a conference room name, a use date, a use disclosure time, an end time, an expected number of participants, a user (registrant) name input, selection items, and the like. . Among these items, the meeting room name and the date of use are preferably shaded or the like so as to avoid the input of content different from the content selected on the use date selection screen.

  Here, the conference room reservation management unit 32 continues in a standby state until a registration request is received (step S66). When the registration request is received, specific items to be displayed on the schedule registration screen are transmitted to the schedule management unit 31. The items input and selected on the detail input screen are stored in the conference room reservation DB 34 (step S67). That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the user inputs the start time, the number of participants, the user (registrant) name, etc. in the screen via the input means 12 of the PC 10 and presses the registration button. The item displayed on the input screen is stored with a reservation number. Thereby, the reservation of the conference room is completed.

  Next, the operation of the printer selection unit 35 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the printer selection unit 35, and FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a display result.

  Upon receiving the activation request from the schedule management unit 31, the printer selection unit 35 acquires coordinate information of the reserved conference room (step S121). Since the meeting room coordinate information is stored in the meeting room DB 36, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the coordinate information from the meeting room DB 36. For example, when the reserved conference room is “second conference room”, coordinates (C, 1) are acquired as shown in FIG. 6.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 acquires information on the coordinates of each printer and the remaining number of sheets (step S122). The coordinates of each printer and the remaining number of sheets may be acquired from the printers A to F or from the printer DB 37. The printer selection unit 35 obtains coordinates (A, 1), the remaining number (5, 30, 85, 42) for the printer A and the remaining number (5, 30, 85, 42), etc. For F, the coordinates (B, 2) and the remaining number (50, 28, 52, 63) are acquired.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 calculates the distance from the reserved conference room to each printer (step S123). This distance is calculated by the degree of separation between the coordinates. For example, since the coordinates (C, 1) of the second conference room and the coordinates (C, 1) of the printer C are the same coordinates, the distance is calculated as “0”. Further, since the second conference room (C, 1) and the coordinates (B, 1) of the printer B and the coordinates (D, 1) of the printer D are adjacent to each other, the distance is calculated as “1”. For the printer E and the printer F, the distance may be calculated by the three square theorem. As a result, the proximity and distance between the reserved conference room and each printer can be measured. Also, the distance taking into account the floor number of the building may be calculated. In this case, the distance between the reserved floor number of the conference room and the floor number of the conference room in which each printer is set may be included in the distance.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 acquires print setting conditions such as the number of printed attached materials, print color, and print size (step S124). Since the information regarding the number of prints, print color, and print size of the attached material is stored in association with the electronic file stored in the distribution material DB 33, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the number of prints from the distribution material DB 33. For example, if the number of copies of the distribution material “technical department material.xls” is “4”, the print color is “color”, and the print size is “A4”, these pieces of information are acquired. It is assumed that the attached material specified by the printer selection unit 35 is closest to the current time when the attached material is stored.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the planned number of participants (step S125). Since information related to the planned number of participants is stored in the conference room reservation DB 33, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the planned number of participants from the conference room reservation DB 33. For example, if the planned participation number stored in the conference room reservation DB 33 is “6”, this information is acquired. The number of participants specified by the printer selection unit 35 is assumed to be closest to the current time when the planned number of participants is stored.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 calculates the required number of sheets (step S126). This calculation process is performed by multiplying the acquired number of printed sheets (4 sheets) and the acquired planned number of participants (6 persons). Thereby, the total number of sheets (24 sheets) necessary for printing is specified.

  Here, the printer selection unit 35 determines whether the attached material is color printing (step S127). This determination process may be performed based on the acquired print color. In the present embodiment, since the print color of the attached material is “color”, a printer group capable of color printing is set at the upper level (step S128). That is, the printer B, the printer D, and the printer F are set to be displayed higher than the printer A or the like. This higher setting is performed by adding a necessary weight to information relating to the printer B, the printer D, and the like. If the attached material is not color printing, the process of step S128 is not performed.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 determines whether each printer has a required number of sheets (step S129). This determination process is performed based on the remaining number of sheets of each printer acquired in step S122, the print size acquired in step S124, and the total number calculated in step S126. Specifically, in the present embodiment, since the print size is “A4”, the total number of sheets required for printing is equal to or less than the remaining number of sheets of print size “A4” in each printer. It is determined that the required number of sheets is loaded.

  If the printer selection unit 35 determines that the printer has the required number of sheets, the printer selection unit 35 performs a setting to display the name of the printer at the top (step S130). That is, since the total number of sheets required for printing is “24 sheets” in the present embodiment, printer A (85 sheets), printer B (40 sheets), and printer F (52 sheets) are displayed higher than printer C and the like. Settings are made. This higher setting is performed by adding the above-described required weighting to information relating to the printer. Note that the process of step S128 is not performed for a printer that does not have the required number of sheets. At this time, the printer B and the printer F are capable of color printing and have the necessary number of sheets, so that the setting is displayed higher than the other printers.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 rearranges the printers included in the printer group in the order of short distance (step S131). In this embodiment, first, printer B and printer F (first group) capable of color printing and equipped with a necessary number of sheets, printer D capable of color printing but not equipped with a necessary number of sheets. (Second group), printer A (third group) that cannot perform color printing but has the necessary number of sheets, printer C and printer that cannot perform color printing and does not have the necessary number of sheets E (fourth group). For the printers in each group, weighting is added according to the distance calculated in step S123. For example, in the first group, since the distance between the printer B and the printer F is shorter than the printer B, weighting is further performed. The same applies to the fourth group. When there is one printer included in the group, weighting may not be performed.

  The printer selection unit 35 causes the PC 10 to display the names of the printers in the order of increasing weighting according to the weighting performed from step S127 to S131 (step S132). As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the printer names are displayed in a list in an order suitable for printing, and the user can determine that the printer B is most suitable for printing when performing printing processing. As shown below, if the printer is reserved and registered, the user can use a printer that is close to or in the conference room to be used and that is suitable for printing the distribution material. That is, even if the printer is suitable for printing, a situation where printing is performed on a printer far from the conference room to be used can be suppressed.

  Further, as illustrated in FIG. 15, a selection field (check box) may be provided near the displayed printer name (for example, the left side). When this selection field is instructed by the pointer Pt and the registration (reservation) button is instructed, the printer corresponding to the instructed selection field is reserved within the conference room name and use time range displayed on the screen. The Therefore, in the present embodiment, the printer B is reserved and registered between the “second meeting room” and “13:30 to 15:00”. As a result, use of the printer B other than the registrant (Taro Koda) displayed on the screen is restricted within the usage time. For this limitation, the printer B may be provided with a user identification function.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the printer selection unit 35. Note that this flowchart can be included in the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, and can be included between step S130 and step S131. The printer selection unit 35 according to the present embodiment further increases the conditions for setting the above-described printer group at the upper level.

  After completing the process of step S130, the printer selection unit 35 then acquires information regarding the printing speed of each printer (step S141). Since the information regarding the printing speed of the printers A to F is stored in the printer DB 37 as the performance of the printer, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the information regarding the printing speed from the printer DB 37. As a result, the coordinate “−” is acquired for the printer A, “65 (sheets / minute)” for the printer B,..., And “50 (sheets / minute)” is acquired for the printer F.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 divides the total number of printed materials by the printing speed of each printer, and calculates the printing time from the start of printing to the completion of printing (step S142). At this time, the print size may be taken into consideration as necessary. This is because when the print size is large, the printing time is longer than when the print size is small, and this is corrected.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the use start time of the conference room (step S143). Since information regarding the use start time is stored in the conference room reservation DB 34, the printer selection unit 35 may acquire the use start time from the conference room reservation DB 34.

  Here, the printer selection unit 35 determines whether or not the print end time is before the use start time (step S144). If it is determined that the print end time is before the use start time, the corresponding printer group is selected. A process for setting to the upper level is performed (step S145). The calculation of the print end time may be performed, for example, by holding the time when the printer selection unit 35 receives the activation request and adding the print time calculated in step S142 to this time. The print end time is preferably before the use start time of the conference room, and is preferably set to display higher than the case where the use start time of the conference room is exceeded. This makes it easier to avoid a state in which printing continues even when the meeting room usage time comes.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the printer selection unit 35. Note that this flowchart can also be included in the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, and preferably included between step S130 and step S131. It may be after the second embodiment described above. The printer selection unit 35 according to the present embodiment also has a further increased condition for setting the above-described printer group to the upper level.

  The printer selection unit 35 first acquires printer option information (step S151). The option information of the printer is information regarding options that can be added to the printer, and includes information such as a high-capacity paper feeding device, a paper discharge device with a stack function, a paper discharge device with a simple bookbinding function, and a mailbox. This optional information may be included in the printer table as necessary.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 acquires printing conditions such as bookbinding and stacking (step S152). That is, when the distributed material is a material having these conditions, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the printing conditions.

  Here, the printer selection unit 35 determines whether each printer is a printer that satisfies the printing conditions (step S153), and if this is satisfied, performs processing for setting the corresponding printer group to the upper level (step S153). Step S154). That is, it is desirable to perform a setting process for displaying a printer that can handle the above-described printing conditions at a higher rank than a printer that cannot handle the above printing conditions.

(Fourth embodiment)
Subsequently, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the printer selection unit 35. Note that this flowchart can also be included in the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, and preferably included between step S130 and step S131. It may be after the second embodiment or the third embodiment described above. The printer selection unit 35 according to the present embodiment also has a further increased condition for setting the above-described printer group to the upper level.

  The printer selection unit 35 first acquires printer security information (step S151). The security information of the printer is a security function that the printer has, for example, a function that can be used after inputting identification information and a password. This security information may be included in the printer table as necessary.

  Next, the printer selection unit 35 acquires a printing condition related to security (step S162). In other words, when the distribution material is printed, the printer selection unit 35 acquires the printing conditions when the conditions such that the identification information and the password do not print unless the identification information and the password match are satisfied.

  Here, the printer selection unit 35 determines whether each printer is a printer that satisfies the printing conditions (step S163), and if this is satisfied, performs processing for setting the corresponding printer group to the upper level (step S163). Step S164). That is, it is desirable to perform a setting process for displaying a printer that can handle the above-described printing conditions at a higher rank than a printer that cannot handle the above printing conditions.

  The present invention is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the program of the present invention can be provided not only by communication means but also stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

  In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the server 30 and each printer are described as separate units. However, the function of the server 30 may be included in the printer or included in the PC 10. Also good. Furthermore, the above-described schedule management unit 31 and conference room reservation management unit 32 may be linked to the server 30 as a schedule management system and a conference room reservation management system, respectively, without using the configuration functions of the server 30. Thereby, cooperation with the existing schedule management system and conference room reservation management system can be achieved. Further, display settings may be made according to the remaining amount of toner. In this case, a printer that does not run out of toner may be set higher. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a printer is used as an example of an image forming apparatus. However, the printer may have various functions related to image formation such as a copying function, a facsimile function, a scanner function, and an e-mail function. Good.

1 is a configuration diagram of a printing system. It is a functional block diagram which illustrates the hardware constitutions of a server. It is a functional block diagram which illustrates the principal part composition of a server. It is an example of a distribution material table. It is an example of a conference room reservation table. It is an example of a meeting room table. It is an example of a printer table. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a schedule management part. It is an example of a schedule registration screen and an alarm screen. It is another example of a schedule registration screen. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a meeting room reservation management part. It is an example of a usage date selection screen. It is an example of a detailed input screen. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of a printer selection unit. It is an example of a display result. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the printer selection unit. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the printer selection unit. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the printer selection unit.

Explanation of symbols

10 PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Display means 12 Input means 30 Server 31 Schedule management part 32 Conference room reservation management part 33 Distribution material DB
34 Meeting room reservation DB
35 Printer Selection Department 36 Conference Room DB
37 Printer DB
Pt pointer AR1 to AR4 meeting room AR5 living room

Claims (8)

A printing system comprising: a terminal that outputs a print instruction; and a plurality of image forming apparatuses installed in different areas that perform print processing according to the print instruction;
When the item input on the screen of the display means included in the terminal is a specific item, the display unit displays a detail input screen for inputting details of the specific item including the name of the region, A first registration unit for registering the input item in the first storage unit while displaying the input item on the screen based on an instruction indicating that the input is completed;
Second registration means for registering the electronic file selected on the screen on which the input items are displayed in the second storage means based on an instruction;
According to the position coordinates of the area having the name of the area stored in the first storage unit, the matter regarding the print setting condition of the electronic file stored in the second storage unit, and the performance of the image forming apparatus, Printer selection means for changing the order of names of the image forming apparatuses to be displayed on the display means;
A printing system comprising:   The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printer selection unit displays an image forming apparatus that can correspond to a printing color included in the electronic file at a higher level. The detailed input screen further includes the number of people gathered in the area,
The printer selection unit places the name of the image forming apparatus in a higher rank when the total number of prints of the electronic file multiplied by the number of persons is equal to or less than the remaining number of sheets mounted on the image forming apparatus. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing system is displayed.   4. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printer selection unit further displays the name of the image forming apparatus having a high printing speed at a higher rank. 5.   5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer selection unit displays the names of the image forming apparatuses in an order of a short printing time obtained by dividing the total number by the printing speed of the image forming apparatus. The printing system according to item 1.   The printer selection unit displays the name of the image forming apparatus at a higher level when the amount of toner necessary for printing the total number of sheets is equal to or less than the remaining amount of toner installed in the image forming apparatus. The printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The detailed input screen further includes a use time of the image forming apparatus,
7. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the name of the image forming apparatus displayed on the display means is selected, the printer selecting unit stops using the image forming device within the use time. The printing system according to claim 1. A printing system program comprising: a terminal that outputs a print instruction; and a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are installed in different areas and perform print processing according to the print instruction.
Computer
When the item input on the screen of the display means included in the terminal is a specific item, the display unit displays a detail input screen for inputting details of the specific item including the name of the region, A first registration unit for registering the input item in the first storage unit while displaying the input item on the screen based on an instruction indicating that the input is completed;
Second registration means for registering the electronic file selected on the screen on which the input items are displayed in the second storage means based on an instruction;
According to the position coordinates of the area having the name of the area stored in the first storage unit, the matter regarding the print setting condition of the electronic file stored in the second storage unit, and the performance of the image forming apparatus, Printer selection means for changing the order of names of the image forming apparatuses displayed on the display means;
A program characterized by functioning as

Images