JP2011124921A - Document management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To output a document with the same print condition even if equipment to store print data and equipment to scan a cover page are different. <P>SOLUTION: Information about the storage destination of print data and the print condition are coded into a QR code and described on the cover page, the print condition is acquired by scanning the cover page, and print data are printed following the acquired print condition. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system in which print data storage destination information is encoded into an optically readable code and recorded on a cover page. In the present invention, when the cover page is scanned and all the pages of the document are printed, printing is performed while maintaining the original print conditions of the document.

  In a document management system, it is known that an optically readable code such as a QR code obtained by coding print data storage destination information is combined with print data and printed as the first page. The user scans the first page and prints the required number of copies of all pages of the document. If the storage destination information is coded and written on the first page, the first page can be scanned and a copy that does not deteriorate image quality can be performed each time.

  By the way, if the device that scanned the cover page does not store the print data, the print data is acquired from the storage destination file server or the like and all pages are printed. However, the device that scanned the cover page may not have a function necessary for printing the print data. In such a case, since the print data is printed according to the print capability of the device, a document having different print conditions from the original document is output.

Here, prior art related to this is shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-219769, which describes printing a bar code or other code in print data. JP2008-263469A describes that the original data is printed with the two-dimensional code written in the original data, and the original original data is acquired from the two-dimensional code at the time of reprinting.
However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not consider including a print condition in a bar code or a two-dimensional code.

JP 62-219769 JP2008-263469A

  An object of the present invention is to print a document under the same print conditions as the original document even when the device that stores the print data is different from the device that scanned the cover page of the print data.

A document management system according to the present invention is a document management system including a storage unit for storing print data, a scanner, and a printer, and codes storage destination information for each print data into an optically readable code. A code generation unit and a decoding unit that decodes the code are provided to print a page on which the code is written and to acquire print data storage destination information by decoding the code acquired by scanning the page. In a document management system configured to print all pages of a document,
The code generation unit encodes print conditions of print data,
In the page scan, the acquired code is decoded, print data storage destination information and print conditions are acquired, print data is read from the storage destination information, and print data is processed according to the print conditions. A processing unit is provided.

  On the cover page, data storage destination information and printing conditions are coded and described in an optically readable code such as a two-dimensional code. For this reason, the cover page is scanned to acquire the print data print conditions, and the print data can be printed under the same print conditions as the original document. Even if the device that scanned the cover page does not store the print data, the print data can be acquired from the storage destination and printed under the original print conditions.

  The print condition includes the paper size of the output document, the aggregation condition, color / monochrome, finishing, and the like. These print conditions are set by the document creator at the time of document creation, or set for a document scanned by a device that scans the document. Examples of the optically readable code include a QR code (registered trademark), a DF417 code, a two-dimensional code such as DataMatrix, and a one-dimensional code such as a barcode.

  Preferably, an input unit for the user to change the print condition is provided, and the print condition can be changed when the cover page is scanned.

Further preferably, when the document management apparatus included in the document management system that has scanned the cover page does not have a function according to the print condition, an instruction for causing the device that stores the print data to print is instructed. An instruction unit to perform is provided. For this reason, it is possible to perform printing while maintaining print conditions on a device that stores print data.

Block diagram of the MFP of the embodiment The figure for demonstrating the process which produces a cover page and the copy of print data in an Example The figure which shows the information included in the QR code of an Example The flowchart which shows the algorithm of the process which produces the cover page which described QR Code in an Example Flowchart showing print data printing algorithm in the embodiment

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be shown.

  1 to 5 show an embodiment of the multifunction machine 2 as an example. 4 is a LAN, 6 is a personal computer, 8 is a router, and connects the Internet 10 to the multifunction device 2 and the personal computer 6. Reference numeral 11 denotes another multifunction device connected to the LAN 4.

  The multifunction device 2 will be described. Reference numeral 12 denotes a LAN interface, reference numeral 14 denotes a bus, and reference numeral 16 denotes an image memory. The scanned and received original is stored as print data in units of pages. The memory 18 is a general-purpose memory and stores programs, intermediate data, and the like. The scanner 20 reads a document and reads a cover page of print data to be stored. When the QR code written on the cover page is read, the QR code read by the QR code decoding unit 38 is decoded to obtain storage destination information and print conditions. The printer 22 prints a cover page with QR code, print data, and the like. The G3 facsimile unit 24 performs G3 facsimile transmission and reception of image data. The e-mail unit 26 transmits and receives image data as an attached file of the e-mail, and the network server unit 28 operates the multifunction device 2 as a document management server, a remote printer, or the like.

  The operation panel 30 serving as a user interface includes a display unit such as an LCD and an input unit that accepts a user's manual input. The operation unit 30 displays on the display unit which print data is to be output and changes print conditions. Accepts input. The image processing unit 32 performs various image processing such as generation of print data of the scanned and received document and synthesis of the QR code and the print data.

  A cover page creation unit 34 creates a cover page for print data when the scanned and received original print data is stored. In the cover page of the embodiment, a QR code obtained by coding print data storage destination information and print conditions is described. The user scans the cover page of the document to be printed by the multifunction device 2 and obtains print data.

  The print data is stored in units of pages in the image memory 16, the multifunction peripheral 11, and other file servers. The storage destination information includes a storage destination path, a storage data name, storage host information, and the like. The print conditions are the paper size of the output document, the aggregation condition, color / monochrome, and finishing. These print conditions are set by the manuscript creator at the time of manuscript creation, or set for a manuscript scanned by a device that scans the manuscript.

  By scanning the cover page with the multifunction device 2, the read QR code is decoded to obtain storage destination information and print conditions, and the print data is printed from the printer 22 in accordance with the print conditions.

  A print control unit 36 decodes the read QR code by the QR code decoding unit 38 to acquire print data storage destination information and print conditions. The printer determination unit 39 determines the print destination from the print data storage destination and the print conditions. That is, when the print data is not stored in the multifunction device 2, it is determined whether the print data is acquired from the storage destination device and printed by the own device or printed by the storage destination device. The print data acquisition unit 40 acquires print data from the storage destination indicated in the storage destination information when printing on the own apparatus, and the print data processing unit 42 prints the acquired print data from the printer 22 according to the print conditions.

  FIG. 2 shows a process for creating a cover page and a process for printing print data. In the figure, when a document 50 is scanned or received by the multifunction device 2, print data of the document is generated by the image processing unit of the multifunction device 2, and stored as original data in the image memory 16 or a file server (not shown) in units of pages. . The print data may be compressed and stored.

  The QR code generating unit 52 encodes print data storage destination information and print conditions to generate a QR code. The storage destination information includes a storage path of the print data, a storage data name, storage host information, and the like. The print conditions include conditions such as paper size and color / monochrome when the print data is output. The print conditions are set in advance by the document creator, or determined by the conditions of the device that scanned the document. For example, a document style set to be printed with a paper size A4, color or monochrome reading when the document is scanned, and the like are coded as print conditions.

  The cover page describes image data such as the first page of the print data and device information such as the date, and performs image processing for synthesizing the QR code 66 thereon to generate image data. Print as ~ 64 etc. Cover pages 60 to 64 indicate a plurality of cover pages created for each document.

  If the user selects, for example, the cover page 60 from the plurality of cover pages 60 to 64 and scans it with the multi-function device 2, the read QR code 66 is decoded by the decoding unit 38, and print data storage destination information and print Get conditions and. The printer determination unit 39 determines a device to print using the storage location information of the acquired print data and the print conditions. That is, if the storage destination is the own device (multifunction device 2), printing is performed from the printer of the own device. Even if the storage destination is another machine (such as another multifunction machine 11), printing is performed from the own machine if the printing capability of the own machine satisfies the acquired printing conditions. On the other hand, if the own device does not have the ability to satisfy the print condition, it issues a print instruction to the multifunction device 11 or the like.

  When printing by the own machine, the print data obtaining unit 40 obtains print data from the own machine or another machine, and prints from the printer 22 as all pages 70 of the document by the print data processing unit 42.

  FIG. 3 shows information 72 included in the QR code of the embodiment. The QR code includes, for example, attribute information 74 such as a document creator and creation date, storage destination information 76 indicating a storage destination of print data, print paper size, color / monochrome designation, duplex / single-sided print, and the like. The print condition 78 is stored. Other print conditions include image aggregation conditions and whether or not a finisher is used. These pieces of information are encoded into a QR code by the QR code generation unit 52 and described on the cover page 60 or the like.

  FIG. 4 shows an algorithm of processing for creating a cover page in which a QR code is described. The multifunction peripheral generates print data of the scanned document (S10, S20), determines a storage destination for storing the print data, and stores the print data (S30). Then, the QR code is generated by encoding the print conditions set for the scanned document and the like and the storage destination information (S40). The image data such as the first page of the print data and the generated QR code are combined (S50), and the cover page describing the QR code is printed (S60).

  FIG. 5 shows an algorithm of processing for printing all pages of a document. The multifunction device scans the cover page (S100), reads and decodes the QR code (S110), and obtains storage destination information and print conditions. Next, it is checked whether the print data storage destination is the own machine or another machine (S120). If it is the device itself, the print data is read out and the user is inquired whether to print according to the print conditions (S140).

  In the embodiment, the user can change the print condition in which the acquired print data is designated. The cover page is scanned, the print condition included in the QR code is displayed on the operation panel or the like, and the change of the print condition by the user is accepted (S150). For example, it is possible to print under different printing conditions in accordance with the purpose of use of the document, such as change of paper, change of monochrome / color, necessity / unnecessity of finisher. If the print conditions are not changed, all pages of the document are printed according to the print conditions stored in the QR code (S160). When the print conditions are changed, printing is performed with the changed print conditions.

  If the host that stores the print data is another machine, it checks whether the machine satisfies the printing conditions (S170). If the conditions are printable by the own machine, the print data is acquired from the storage destination (S180), and the document is printed by the own machine according to the print conditions (S140).

  If the own machine (multifunction machine that has scanned the cover page) cannot perform printing that satisfies the printing conditions, it issues a print request to another machine that stores the print data (S170, S190), and causes the terminal to print (S200). The printed terminal is displayed on the display unit of the operation panel of the multifunction peripheral and the display of the personal computer on the AN, and the terminal information such as from which printer the document is printed is notified to the user (S210).

  If you cannot print with your own machine that satisfies the print conditions, you may print it with your own machine. Even if the printing capability of the MFP that has scanned the cover page differs from the set printing conditions, priority can be given to printing from a nearby device.

  As described above, in the embodiment, the print condition of the print data is included in the QR code written on the cover page for each document in addition to the print data storage destination information. The cover page is scanned to obtain print data from the storage destination, and printing is performed according to the print conditions included in the QR code. Therefore, the user can obtain a document with the same print conditions as the original document.

  Even if the print data is not stored in the multifunction device (own device) that has scanned the cover page, if the own device has the print function, the print data can be requested and printed by the own device.

  When scanning the cover page, the user can also change the print conditions. If you want to print under different conditions from the original document, you can change to any print condition and print all pages of the document.

If the device does not have a print function that matches the print conditions, printing according to the print conditions can be obtained from another device by printing on the device that stores the print data. Thus, even when the cover page is scanned by a device having different print specifications, all pages of the document can be printed. The user is notified of printing on the other device, so that the user can know which device the document was printed on.

2,11 MFP 4 LAN
6 personal computer 8 router 10 internet 12 LAN interface 14 bus 16 image memory 18 memory 20 scanner 22 printer 24 G3 facsimile unit 26 e-mail unit 28 network server unit 30 operation panel 32 image processing unit 34 cover page creation unit 36 print control unit 38 QR Code Decoding Unit 39 Printer Determination Unit 40 Print Data Acquisition Unit 42 Print Data Processing Unit 50 Document 52 QR Code Generation Units 60 to 64 Cover Page 66 of Multiple Documents QR Code 70 Print All Pages of Document 72 72 QR of Embodiment Information included in code 74 Attribute information 76 Print data storage location information

Claims (3)

A document management system including a storage unit for storing print data, a scanner, and a printer, a code generation unit that encodes storage destination information for each print data into an optically readable code, and the code A decoding unit for decoding, and printing a page in which the code is written and decoding the code obtained by scanning the page to obtain print data storage destination information and printing all pages of the document In a document management system configured to
The code generation unit encodes print conditions of print data,
In the page scan, the acquired code is decoded, print data storage destination information and print conditions are acquired, print data is read from the storage destination information, and print data is processed according to the print conditions. The document management system according to claim 1, further comprising a processing unit.   The document management system according to claim 1, wherein an input unit for changing a print condition by a user is provided so that the print condition can be changed when a cover page is scanned.   An instruction for instructing a device that stores the print data to print when a document management apparatus included in the document management system that has scanned a cover page does not have a function according to the print condition. The document management system according to claim 1, wherein a document management system is provided.

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