JP2010152849A - Print support program, information processing apparatus, and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately determine whether or not it is possible to print using a plurality of printers before printing is actually started. <P>SOLUTION: A PC 2 connected to a plurality of printers 3, 5 is caused to function as an information collecting unit 16a which requests status information about at least the amounts of consumables from the plurality of printers 3, 5 and receives the status information from each of the printers; a determination process unit 16b which determines whether or not it is possible to print regarding the plurality of printers 3, 5, based on the status information; and a display/setting control unit 16c which displays information about whether or not it is possible to print using the printers 3, 5 based on the result of determination as to whether or not it is possible to print. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print support program or the like that causes a computer connected to a plurality of printers to function to determine whether or not printing can be performed by the plurality of printers.

  Conventionally, a document edited on a PC or the like is printed by a printer connected to the PC.

  In recent years, it has become possible to connect a printer to a PC via a network, and a document edited on the PC can be directly or directly printed from a plurality of printers connected via the network to any printer. It can be made to.

  As described above, when printing of a document edited on a PC is designated and printing is started, for example, the printer designated for printing is not operating, or there is no necessary paper in the printer. In the case where the printing is stopped in the middle of printing, the toner has run out, or the printing has occurred in the middle of printing, the user is notified as an error for the first time after the start of printing.

  In such a case, the user needs to replenish paper or turn on the printer, and there is a problem that takes time and effort.

  On the other hand, there is known a technique for notifying a user of a print amount within an allowable range when the necessary amount necessary for printing is equal to or greater than the remaining amount of the print medium (for example, Patent Document 1). Further, a technique is disclosed that can continue the printing process by changing the printing conditions even when there is a shortage of consumables (for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-127500 A JP 2007-74147 A

  By the way, some users of the printing apparatus think that printing can be performed by any printing apparatus as long as a desired printed matter can be obtained.

  On the other hand, according to the techniques of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a printing apparatus to be used is determined in advance, and this technique relates to the use of the printing apparatus.

  Therefore, no consideration is given to whether or not there are other printing apparatuses capable of printing, and the user's request is not necessarily met.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of appropriately determining whether or not printing can be performed by a plurality of printers at a time before actually starting printing. It is in.

In order to achieve the above object, a printing support program according to the first aspect of the present invention is a printing support program that causes a computer connected to a plurality of printers to execute the computer. Status information requesting means for requesting status information relating to the amount of printing, status information receiving means for receiving status information from each printer, determination means for determining whether printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information, and printing availability Based on the result of the determination, it is made to function as a process execution means for executing a predetermined process. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, it is possible to receive status information regarding at least the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers, and to determine whether printing is possible in the plurality of printers based on the status information. Can be executed.

  In the print support program, the status information requesting unit, the status information receiving unit, the determining unit, and the process executing unit are configured to start operations in response to a user's instruction to confirm whether or not the printer can print. Also good. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, the user can appropriately determine whether or not printing can be performed at a user's desired timing by performing an instruction to confirm whether or not the printer can print, and can execute predetermined processing. .

  In the printing support program, the computer may further function as an editing function unit that executes editing on a predetermined document and a print control unit that performs control to print the edited document on a predetermined printer. . According to the computer that executes the printing support program, the document can be edited and printed on the printer.

  In the printing support program, the process execution unit may display information regarding whether or not printing is possible for a plurality of printers. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, the user can grasp information about whether or not printing is possible for a plurality of printers.

  In the printing support program, the process execution unit may display information indicating a printer that can print based on the determination result. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, the user can appropriately grasp the printable printer.

  In the printing support program, the process execution unit may determine a printer that executes printing of a predetermined document from printable printers based on the determination result. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, it is possible to appropriately determine a printer that executes printing of a predetermined document from among printers that can print.

  In the printing support program, the computer is further caused to function as a candidate storage unit that stores specific information of a printer that is a candidate for determining whether or not printing specified by the user, and the determination unit is stored in the candidate storage unit. Whether or not printing is possible for the printer indicated by the specific information may be determined. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, it is possible to determine whether or not printing is possible for the candidate printer.

  In the printing support program, the computer can execute a plurality of editing function means for editing a document, and the candidate storage means stores specific information of candidate printers for each editing function means. The determining means may determine whether or not printing is possible for a printer having specific information corresponding to the target editing function means. According to the computer that executes the printing support program, the candidate printer can be made different for each editing function unit. For this reason, for example, the candidate printers can be made different between the editing function means for document editing and the editing function means for image editing.

  In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus connected to a printer, and requests status information regarding at least the amount of consumables from a plurality of printers. Status information requesting means, status information receiving means for receiving status information from each printer, determination means for determining whether or not printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information, and predetermined based on the determination result of whether or not printing is possible And a process execution means for executing the process. According to the information processing apparatus, it is possible to receive status information regarding at least the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers, determine whether printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information, and execute predetermined processing based on the determination result can do.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming system according to a third aspect of the present invention is an image forming system having a plurality of printers and an information processing apparatus connected to the plurality of printers. Status information requesting means for requesting at least status information regarding the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers, status information receiving means for receiving status information from each printer, and a plurality of printers based on the status information. A determination unit that determines whether or not printing is possible; and a processing execution unit that executes predetermined processing based on a determination result of whether or not printing is possible. The printer is a status information request receiving unit that receives a request for status information; Status information acquisition means for acquiring status information and the acquired status information And a status information transmitting means for transmitting to the broadcast processing apparatus. According to such an image forming system, it is possible to receive status information regarding at least the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers, determine whether printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information, and execute predetermined processing based on the determination result can do.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all the elements and combinations described in the embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention. Is not limited.

  First, an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming system 1 includes a PC (Personal Computer) 2 as an example of an information processing apparatus and a plurality of printers (printer 3 and printer 5). The PC 2 and the printer 3 are locally connected. That is, the PC 2 and the printer 3 are connected by a cable (for example, a USB cable).

  The PC 2 and the printer 5 are connected via a network. That is, the PC 2 and the printer 5 are connected via a network 6 such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a PC according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The PC 2 includes a PC main body 10, a display device 11, and an input device 12. The display device 11 is a device that displays an image, such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT display. The input device 12 is a device for receiving input from the user of the terminal 3 such as a mouse and a keyboard.

  In the PC main body 10, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 13, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 18, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 19, a hard disk drive (HDD) 20 as an example of candidate storage means, and a display processing unit 21, an input interface 22, a combo drive 23, a communication interface 24, and a communication interface 25 are connected via a bus 26.

  The ROM 18 stores a basic program such as a boot program. The RAM 19 is used as an area for storing programs and data, or as a work area for storing data used for processing by the CPU 13. The HDD 20 stores various programs such as an OS (Operating System) program, an application program, an add-in program, and a printer driver program in a readable manner. Further, the HDD 20 stores information (printer name and the like) related to the printer connected to the PC 2. Further, the HDD 20 stores information (printer name and the like) related to the printer (candidate printer) selected as a candidate to be used for printing by the user among the connected printers.

  The display processing unit 21 generates display data or a signal for displaying an image on the display device 11 under the control of the CPU 13, and outputs the data or signal to the display device 11. The input interface 22 is connected to the input device 12 and passes a signal from the input device 12 to the CPU 13 as data. The combo drive 23 reads data and programs from a plurality of types of recording media 27 and writes data to the recording media 27. Examples of the recording medium 27 include a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RAM. The communication interface 24 is connected to the printer 3 via the cable 4, for example, and mediates exchange of data with the printer 3. The communication interface 25 mediates data exchange with an external device, for example, the printer 5 via the network 6. CPU13 controls operation | movement of each part 18-25. The CPU 13 executes various processes by reading the basic program in the ROM 18, the OS program, the application program, the add-in program, the driver program, and the like stored in the HDD 20 into the RAM 19 and executing them.

  In the CPU 13, an OS processing unit 14, an application processing unit 15, an add-in processing unit 16, and a driver processing unit 17 are constructed. A plurality of sets of the application processing unit 15 and the add-in processing unit 16 may be constructed. The OS processing unit 14 is constructed by the CPU 13 executing the OS program, the application processing unit 15 is constructed by the CPU 13 executing the application program, and the add-in processing unit 16 is added by the CPU 13 to the application program. The driver processing unit 17 is constructed by executing a driver program by the CPU 13.

  The OS processing unit 14 manages the units 18 to 25 and provides basic functions to the application processing unit 15, the add-in processing unit 16, and the like. For example, the OS processing unit 14 stores the printer name, output port name, and the like of the printers 3 and 5 to which the PC 2 can be connected in the HDD 20 or the like, and responds to the printer name inquiry.

  The application processing unit 15 includes an editing processing unit 15a as an example of an editing function unit and a printing control unit 15b as an example of a printing control unit.

  The edit processing unit 15a displays an application screen (see FIG. 3) and provides various functions for supporting document editing. In the present embodiment, the editing processing unit 15a accepts editing of the contents (characters, images, etc.) of the document to be edited and various settings for the document, reflects these contents and settings on the document, and displays them. Performs processing to store contents and settings. The edit processing unit 15a stores the contents of the document and various setting information in the RAM 19 and the HDD 20. The editing processing unit 15a stores, for example, the paper size of each page when printing each page of the document, the total number of pages of the document, and the like as information about the document. The print control unit 15b controls printing of the document to be edited. For example, the print control unit 15 b stores document print settings in the RAM 19 or the HDD 20 and performs control to execute printing based on the print settings. The print settings include, for example, the name of the printer to be printed, the setting of paper to be printed, the number of copies to be printed, and the like.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a screen of an application program according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  On the application screen 61, a file button 62, an edit button 63, a display button 64, and an edit target document display area 65 are displayed. When the file button 62 is pressed, various processes related to the file are displayed in a selectable manner. Examples of various processes related to a file include a storage process for saving a document as a file and a print process for printing a document that is currently being edited. When the edit button 63 is pressed, various processes related to editing are displayed in a selectable manner. When the display button 64 is pressed, various processes related to display are displayed in a selectable manner. The editing target document display area 65 displays the document being edited. The user can make various edits to the document by operating the input device 12.

  In addition, a printer registration button 66 and a preprint confirmation button 67 are displayed on the application screen 61 by adding an add-in program (additional extension) to the application program. When the printer registration button 66 is pressed, a process for registering a printer candidate desired by the user by the add-in processing unit 16 is executed. When the pre-print confirmation button 67 is pressed, the add-in processing unit 16 executes a process for displaying the print possibility status of the printer candidate printer.

  The add-in processing unit 16 includes an information collection unit 16a as an example of a status information request unit and a status information reception unit, a determination processing unit 16b as an example of a determination unit, and a display / setting control unit 16c as an example of a process execution unit. And have.

  The information collecting unit 16a accepts designation of a printer as a candidate for displaying whether printing is possible from the user, and registers the candidate printer name in the HDD 20. Here, these candidate printer names are valid for one application processing unit 15 constructed by an application program in which an add-in program is added. Thus, when a plurality of application processing units 15 and add-in processing units 16 are constructed, candidate printers can be managed differently for each application program. In the present embodiment, the candidate printer registration process is started when the printer registration button 66 on the application screen 61 is pressed.

Further, the information collection unit 16a inquires of the OS processing unit 14 about a printer to which the PC 2 can be connected, receives the result, and requests the printer corresponding to the result to transmit printer status information. Here, when the OS program is a Windows (registered trademark) OS, printers registered in the printer folder managed by the OS can be enumerated by the EnumPrinters () function.
Further, in the present embodiment, the above-described processing is started with the press of the pre-print confirmation button 67 on the application screen 61 as a trigger. For example, when the information collecting unit 16a is notified of a locally connected printer as a connectable printer, the information collecting unit 16a acquires status information of the printer by using a predetermined command to the printer.

  In addition, when the information collection unit 16a is notified of a printer connected to the network as a connectable printer, the information collection unit 16a specifies the IP address of the printer and requests transmission of status information by SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). Send the packet to the printer. Here, whether the printer is a local connection or a network connection can be grasped by opening the listed printer (OpenPrinter () function) and checking the output port.

  Through the above processing, status information is transmitted from the printer, and the information collection unit 16a can acquire the status information of the printer. Here, the status information to be acquired includes at least information related to the amount of consumables. Examples of information related to the amount of consumables include, for example, the presence or absence of paper, the remaining amount of paper, the presence or absence of toner, or the remaining toner. Amount, presence or absence of ink, remaining amount of ink, and the like.

  In order to acquire necessary status information by SNMP, it is necessary to know an object ID indicating necessary status information. However, an object ID in an existing printer is preliminarily determined as a printer model ID (device ID). ) And the necessary object ID are stored in the HDD 20 in association with each other, and can be grasped based on the information. On the other hand, the printers that appear after the creation time of the add-in program are not initially stored in the HDD 20, but in this case, the information collection unit 16a acquires the device ID from the printer 5, and The object ID corresponding to the necessary status information can be acquired from an information management server (not shown) on the network 6 and stored in the HDD 20 for correspondence.

  Based on the status information received by the information collection unit 16a, the determination processing unit 16b determines, for each candidate printer designated by the user, whether or not the consumables for the printer are out. If it is determined that the printer is not printable, the display / setting control unit 16c is notified, and if the consumable is not out, the printer is determined to be printable and notified to the display processing unit 16c. To do. In the present embodiment, the determination processing unit 16b determines whether or not there is a predetermined amount or more of consumables, and determines that it is necessary to pay attention to the amount of consumables if the amount is less than the predetermined amount. This is notified to the display / setting control unit 16c.

  Based on the determination result from the determination processing unit 16b, the display / setting control unit 16c displays a pre-print confirmation window including information on whether or not each printer can print.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a preprint confirmation window according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In the pre-print confirmation window 71, a printer status display area 72, a property button 73, an OK button 74, and a cancel button 75 are displayed.

  The display / setting control unit 16c displays, in the printer status display area 72, the printer name, whether the printer is printable, and a description of the printer status based on the content notified from the determination processing unit 16b. Let In this embodiment, the printability information is indicated by the symbol “◯” when printing is possible and there is no particular problem, and the symbol “△” is indicated when printing is possible but there are cautions. When printing is impossible, it is indicated by a symbol “×”. In the present embodiment, the display / setting control unit 16b displays the content of a caution, for example, “toner LOW” when the amount of toner is low, and displays the content when printing is not possible. The cause, for example, A4 paper out is displayed. With these displays, the user can easily and appropriately grasp whether or not printing is possible in a plurality of printers, precautions, and the cause of printing failure.

  In the printer status display area 72, a printer to be used for printing can be selected and specified using a cursor (not shown). In the present embodiment, the selected printer is highlighted 76.

  When the property button 73 is pressed, the display / setting control unit 16c notifies the driver processing unit 17 of a setting instruction for the currently selected printer.

  When the OK button 74 is pressed, the display / setting control unit 16c sets the currently selected printer as a printer for printing by the application processing unit 16 and accepts setting information data from the driver processing unit 17. The setting information data is registered as a setting at the time of printing by the application processing unit 15, and the window is closed.

  When the cancel button 75 is pressed, the display / setting control unit 16c closes the window without changing the printer setting at the time of printing.

  The driver processing unit 17 mediates data exchange between the OS processing unit 14 and the printers 3 and 5. Further, the driver processing unit 17 displays a property window 81 that accepts a printer setting instruction, generates setting information data for the printer based on the setting in the property window 81, and passes it to the add-in processing unit 16.

  FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a property window of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The property window 81 includes a paper size selection area 82 for selecting a paper size, a resolution selection area 83 for selecting a resolution, a color / monochrome selection area 84 for selecting color printing or monochrome printing, and an OK button 85. A cancel button 86 is displayed. When the OK button 85 is pressed, the driver processing unit 17 generates print setting data corresponding to the current setting content, passes it to the add-in processing unit 16, and closes the window 81. When the cancel button 86 is pressed, the driver processing unit 17 closes the window 81 without changing the printer settings.

  FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6A is a configuration diagram of the locally connected printer 3, and FIG. 6B is a configuration diagram of the printer 5 that is connected to the network.

  The printer 3 includes a communication unit 31 as an example of a status information request receiving unit and a status information transmission unit, a status acquisition unit 32 as an example of a status information acquisition unit, and a printing unit 33.

  The communication unit 31 communicates with the PC 2 via the cable 4. When receiving the print data, the communication unit 31 passes the print data to the printing unit 33. In addition, when receiving a status confirmation command from the PC 2, the communication unit 31 passes the command to the status acquisition unit 32, receives status information from the status acquisition unit 32, and transmits the status information to the PC 2.

  The printing unit 33 performs printing (image formation) on an image forming medium such as paper based on the print data.

  The status acquisition unit 32 acquires various statuses in the printing unit 33. In the present embodiment, the status acquisition unit 32 acquires the size of the paper in the printing unit 33, the presence or absence of paper or the remaining amount of paper, the presence or absence of ink or toner, the remaining amount, and the like. When receiving a status confirmation command from the communication unit 31, the status acquisition unit 32 returns corresponding status information to the communication unit 31.

  The printer 5 includes a communication unit 51 as an example of a status information request receiving unit and a status information transmission unit, an MIB management unit 52 as an example of a status information acquisition unit, a printing unit 53, and an MIB (Management Information Base) 54. Have

  The printing unit 53 performs printing (image formation) on an image forming medium such as paper based on the print data.

  The MIB 54 stores various information such as status information in the printer 5.

  The communication unit 51 communicates with the PC 2 via the network 6. When receiving the print data, the communication unit 51 passes the print data to the printing unit 53. Further, when receiving the SNMP packet from the PC 2, the communication unit 51 passes the SNMP packet to the MIB management unit 52, receives a return SNMP packet including status information from the MIB management unit 52, and receives the SNMP packet. Send to PC2.

  The MIB management unit 52 confirms various statuses in the printing unit 53 and registers them in the MIB 54. In the present embodiment, the MIB management unit 52 checks the paper size, the presence or absence of paper or the remaining amount of paper, the presence or absence of ink or toner, the remaining amount, etc. in the printing unit 53. When receiving an SNMP packet for status confirmation from the communication unit 51, the MIB management unit 52 obtains corresponding status information from the MIB 54, generates an SNMP packet, and returns it to the communication unit 51.

  Next, the operation in the image forming system 1 will be described.

  First, candidate printer registration processing for registering a printer candidate desired by a user as a printer that displays whether printing is possible will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of candidate printer registration processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The candidate printer registration process is started when the printer registration button 66 is pressed on the application screen 61 shown in FIG. 3, and the information collection unit 16a of the add-in processing unit 16 requests the OS processing unit 14 to enumerate printers. (Step S1). In response to this, the OS processing unit 14 lists the currently set printers and responds (step S2). The information collection unit 16a displays the printer name included in the response (step S3), receives designation of a printer as a candidate for displaying whether printing is possible, and registers the candidate printer name in the HDD 20 (step S3). S4).

  Next, a print setting process for confirming whether or not the printer can print and setting a printer to be printed will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of print setting processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The print setting process is started when the pre-print confirmation button 67 is pressed on the application screen 61 shown in FIG. 3, and the information collection unit 16a of the add-in processing unit 16 requests the OS processing unit 14 to list printers. (Step S5). In response to this, the OS processing unit 14 lists the currently set printers and responds (step S6).

  Next, the information collection unit 16a transmits a request for status information to each printer (step S7). On the other hand, each of the printers 3 and 5 acquires status information (step S8) and transmits the status information to the PC 2 (step S9). The information collecting unit 16a receives the status information and passes it to the determination processing unit 16b. The determination processing unit 16b determines whether printing is possible for each candidate printer designated by the user based on the status information (step S10). Specifically, the determination processing unit 16b determines, for each candidate printer designated by the user, whether or not the consumables for the printer are out, and if the consumables are out, If it is determined that printing is not possible and is notified to the display / setting control unit 16c, if the consumable is not out, the printer is determined to be printable and notified to the display / setting control unit 16c.

  Based on the determination result from the determination processing unit 16b, the display / setting control unit 16c displays a preprint confirmation window 71 including information on whether or not each printer can print (step S11).

  As a result, the user can also select a printer to be printed in the pre-print confirmation window 71, and by pressing the property button 73 of the pre-print confirmation window 71, the user can select the OS processor 14 from the add-in processor 16. This is notified to the driver processing unit 17 (steps S12 and S13), the property window 81 is displayed, and the print setting of the printer can be performed.

  In the property window 81, when the user makes print settings and presses the OK button 85, the driver processing unit 17 generates print setting data having the set contents and sends it to the add-in processing unit 16 (step S14).

  The display / setting control unit 16c receives the print setting data, and sets the print setting data in the HDD 20 as data used for print setting at the time of printing by the application processing unit 15 (step S15).

  FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of print processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The print processing is started after the file button 62 is pressed on the application screen 61 shown in FIG. 3 and printing is selected. The print control unit 15b of the application processing unit 15 performs the OS processing on the set print setting data. A drawing instruction including an image of the document being edited is passed to the OS processing unit 14 (step S17). The OS processing unit 14 converts the image of the document into a predetermined format according to the print setting data, and further passes it to the driver processing unit 15 corresponding to the printer set as the printing destination. The driver processing unit 15 generates print data in a format suitable for the printer (step S19), and transmits the print data to the printer 3 or 5 set as the print destination (step S20). As a result, an image of the document is output from the printer.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various other modes.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the printer information managed by the OS processing unit 14 in the HDD 20 is acquired and the status information of these printers is acquired from each printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the add-in processing unit 16 may acquire information on printer candidates designated by a user who is independently managed in the HDD 20, and may acquire status information of each printer from the printer.

  In the above-described embodiment, information on whether or not printing is possible for a printer candidate designated by the user is displayed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, whether or not printing is possible for all connectable printers. Information may be displayed.

  In the above-described embodiment, information indicating whether printing is possible is displayed for each printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, only a printer that can print may be displayed.

  In the above embodiment, the add-in processing unit 16 is realized by the add-in program. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a program for realizing the add-in processing unit 16 is incorporated in the application program. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, information on whether or not the printer can be printed is displayed and the user is allowed to select a printer to be used for printing. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The printer to be used for printing may be automatically selected. For example, the conditions may be conditions such as the printing speed and the type of printer (laser printer, inkjet printer, dot impact printer).

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram of PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the screen of the application program which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the pre-print confirmation window which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the property window of the printer concerning one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a sequence diagram of candidate printer registration processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of print setting processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a sequence diagram of a printing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 image forming system, 2 PC, 3 printer, 4 cable, 5 printer, 6 network, 10 PC main body, 11 display device, 12 input device, 13 CPU, 14 OS processing unit, 15 application processing unit, 15a editing processing unit, 15b print control unit, 16 add-in processing unit, 16a information collection unit, 16b determination processing unit, 16c display / setting control unit, 17 driver processing unit, 18 ROM, 19 RAM, 20 hard disk drive, 21 display processing unit, 22 input interface , 23 combo drive, 24, 25 communication interface, 26 bus, 27 recording medium, 31 communication unit, 32 status acquisition unit, 33 printing unit, 51 communication unit, 52 MIB management unit, 53 printing unit, 54 MIB.

Claims (10)

A printing support program to be executed by a computer connected to a plurality of printers,
The computer,
Status information requesting means for requesting status information regarding at least the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers;
Status information receiving means for receiving the status information from each of the printers;
Determination means for determining whether or not printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information;
A print support program that functions as a process execution unit that executes a predetermined process based on a determination result of whether or not printing is possible. 2. The print support according to claim 1, wherein the status information requesting unit, the status information receiving unit, the determining unit, and the process executing unit are configured to start an operation in response to an instruction to confirm whether or not the printer can print. program. The computer,
An editing function means for executing editing on a predetermined document;
The print support program according to claim 1, further causing a print control unit to perform control for causing the predetermined printer to print the edited document. The printing support program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing execution unit displays information regarding whether or not the plurality of printers can print. The printing support program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing execution unit displays information indicating a printer capable of printing based on the determination result. The print support program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing execution unit determines a printer that executes printing of a predetermined document from among printable printers based on the determination result. . Further causing the computer to function as candidate storage means for storing specific information of a printer that is a candidate for determining whether printing is specified by the user,
The printing support program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not printing is possible for a printer indicated by the specific information stored in the candidate storage unit. The computer is capable of executing a plurality of editing function means for executing document editing,
The candidate storage means stores candidate printer specific information for each of the editing function means,
The printing support program according to claim 7, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not printing is possible for a printer having specific information corresponding to the editing function unit as a target. An information processing apparatus connected to a printer,
Status information requesting means for requesting status information regarding at least the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers;
Status information receiving means for receiving the status information from each of the printers;
Determination means for determining whether or not printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information;
An information processing apparatus having processing execution means for executing a predetermined process based on a determination result of whether or not printing is possible. An image forming system having a plurality of printers and an information processing apparatus connected to the plurality of printers,
The information processing apparatus includes:
Status information requesting means for requesting status information regarding at least the amount of consumables for a plurality of printers;
Status information receiving means for receiving the status information from each of the printers;
Determination means for determining whether or not printing is possible for a plurality of printers based on the status information;
Processing execution means for executing a predetermined process based on a determination result of whether or not printing is possible,
The printer is
Status information request accepting means for accepting a request for the status information;
Status information acquisition means for acquiring status information corresponding to the request;
An image forming system comprising status information transmission means for transmitting the acquired status information to the information processing apparatus.

Images