JP2011235505A - Image forming device, image forming system, image formation control method, image formation control program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device, an image forming system, an image formation control method, an image formation control program and a recording medium for performing group management of printing jobs.SOLUTION: In the image forming system 1, printers Pr1-Prm acquire a group ID to which a printing job belongs and job information which are given to the printing job sent from host devices HS1-HSn through a network NW, store them in a job management table in corresponding to the printing job, and perform the printing job on the basis of the job management table. The printers acquire job change information from an operation panel or the host devices HS1-HSn, which designates a change in the content of job processing designating the group ID, and based on the acquired job change information, perform change processing designated by the job change information to job management information of the printing job which belongs to the group of the group ID designated by the job change information, among job management information of the job management table.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming control method, an image forming control program, and a recording medium. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming control method, an image forming control group, and a recording medium. The present invention relates to a formation control program and a recording medium.

  In recent years, a plurality of image forming apparatuses such as printers are connected to a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, and print data is received from a plurality of information processing apparatuses such as computers connected to the network. Distribution printing is performed in which the image is distributed to the image forming apparatus and printed out by the destination image forming apparatus.

  For example, when distributing newsletter news to each company, use PDF direct printing from the distribution source computer to send print data in PDF format to multiple remote printers connected via the network. The previous printer prints out PDF news print data.

  However, even if the image forming apparatus normally prints print jobs in the order of acceptance and the sender sends important print data, if there are many standby print jobs, important print data that requires immediate printing is required. Even so, it takes a long time to start and complete printing.

  Conventionally, in distributed printing in which one print data is distributed to a plurality of printers on a network and printed, identification information for identifying a destination printer of the distributed print data is given and distributed, and the identification information and the distribution are distributed. When storing a print destination printer in the storage unit and transmitting a control command to the distributed print destination, the control command is transmitted to the distributed print destination printer specified by the identification information of the storage unit, thereby distributing A technique for controlling print data has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

  However, in the above prior art, since the control command is transmitted to the distributed printing destination printer specified by the identification information, it is possible to collectively control the distributed print data. If you send multiple print data to the printer, and other users are also sending print data to the printer, the print data will be canceled and given priority only for your own print data as distinguished from the print data of other users. When it is desired to perform processing such as changing the degree of printing, deleting print data, etc., it is necessary to send a control command for each print data to perform the processing, and improvement is necessary to improve usability. For example, it is not possible to interrupt the execution of a specific print job among a plurality of print jobs and prioritize the subsequent high-priority news print job. There was a need.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming control method, an image forming control program, and a recording medium capable of dividing a print job into arbitrary groups and managing each group. It is aimed.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention acquires group information for identifying a group to which the print job belongs, and job information for identifying the print job, which are assigned to a print job sent via a network. Then, the job management information is stored in the information storage unit corresponding to the print job, the print job is executed based on the job management information stored in the information storage unit, and the group information in which the group information is designated Job change information for specifying a change in job processing content for a print job belonging to a group is acquired, and the job change information of the job change information stored in the information storage unit based on the acquired job change information The job change information is specified for the job management information of the print job belonging to the group of the specified group information. It is characterized by performing a changing process.

  Further, the present invention may be characterized in that the change contents of the job processing contents are print job execution stop, print job execution stop cancellation, print job deletion, and print job priority change.

  According to the present invention, print jobs can be divided into arbitrary groups and managed for each group.

1 is a system configuration diagram of an image forming system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The figure which shows an example of the job information produced with a host apparatus. The block block diagram of a printer. The figure which shows an example of a job management table. 6 is a flowchart showing print job management processing. The figure which shows the other example of a job management table. The other system block diagram of an image forming system.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, since the Example described below is a suitable Example of this invention, various technically preferable restrictions are attached | subjected, However, The range of this invention is unduly limited by the following description. However, not all the configurations described in the present embodiment are essential constituent elements of the present invention.

  1 to 7 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming control method, an image forming control program, and a recording medium according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an image forming system 1 to which an embodiment of an image forming system, an image forming control method, an image forming control program, and a recording medium are applied.

  In FIG. 1, an image forming system 1 includes a plurality of printers Pr1 to Prn, host devices Hs1 to Hsn, and the like connected to a network NW such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and the Internet. The number of connected printers Pr1 to Prm is not limited.

  As the host devices (information processing devices) Hs1 to Hsn, a computer having a normal hardware configuration and software configuration is used. Generally, a memory such as a hard disk, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), It includes hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and other input units, and the hardware of the present invention is stored on the OS (Operating System) such as Windows (registered trademark). Software such as a host image formation control program, a printer driver, and document creation software that sends a print job including a group ID (group information) and print data to the printers Pr1 to Prm and requests printing is installed.

  The host apparatuses Hs1 to Hsn have group information for managing a plurality of print data to be printed out (image formation output) by the printers Pr1 to Prm on a memory such as hardware as one print data group, for example, a group ID Is assigned to the print data management information necessary for managing print data such as printer information for specifying the group ID and the printers Pr1 to Prm as print request destinations on the network NW. To store and manage.

  The host apparatuses Hs1 to HSn execute the image formation control process in the host apparatuses Hs1 to HSn by incorporating the image formation control program into the printer driver. In other words, when there is a print request specifying document data to be printed, the printer driver (print job generating unit) displays a print setting UI (user interface) on the display, and when the print setting is performed, The data is converted into print data, and a print job to which the print data, the print settings, and job information as shown in FIG. The printer driver generates job information in which normal job information (source IP, PC name, document name, etc.) is added with the group ID given by the user to the print job as job information. As the group ID, a group ID setting item is added to the print setting UI, and the group ID set by the group setting item is adopted. The host devices Hs1 to HSn transmit the print job added with the generated job information from the network I / F (transmission unit) to the printers Pr1 to Prm via the network NW. In FIG. 2, the group ID is shown as a combination of single-byte alphanumeric characters as shown as “HAISHIN001”, but the group ID is not limited to single-byte alphanumeric characters. For example, it may be a specific numerical value or other information, and can be set arbitrarily.

  The host apparatuses Hs1 to Hsn execute the host image formation control program, thereby assigning the group ID for each print data, and storing and managing the print data management information in the memory in association with the print data management information. I do.

  The host devices Hs1 to Hsn are ROM, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), EPROM, flash memory, flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), CD-RW (Compact Disc Rewritable), Print data management which is an image formation control method in a host of the present invention recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an SD (Secure Digital) card, or an MO (Magneto-Optical Disc) It is constructed as an information processing apparatus that executes an image formation control process to be described later by reading an image formation control program for a host that executes the method and introducing it to a hard disk or the like. The image forming control program for the host is a computer-executable program written in a legacy programming language such as assembler, C, C ++, C #, Java (registered trademark), an object-oriented programming language, or the like. It can be stored in a medium and distributed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the printers (image forming apparatuses) Pr <b> 1 to Prm include a controller 10, a main body engine 30, a finisher 31, an operation panel 32, a program recording medium 40, and the like. , RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, NV-RAM (Non Volatile RAM) 13, operation panel control unit 14, CPU (Central Processing Unit) 15, ROM (Read Only Memory) 16, hard disk (HDD) 17, engine control unit 18 and a medium control unit 19, etc., and each unit is connected by a bus 20.

  The main body engine 30 is a printing engine such as a predetermined image forming system, for example, an electrophotographic system, an ink ejection system, etc. For example, in the case of an electrophotographic engine, the main body engine 30 mainly includes a paper transport unit, a photoconductor, and a photoconductor. A charging unit, a light writing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a charge eliminating unit, a cleaning unit, a fixing unit and a paper discharge unit that heat and pressurize a sheet onto which a toner image has been transferred are provided. Yes. A finisher 31 is connected to the main body engine 30. Hereinafter, the main body engine 30 will be described as an electrophotographic engine. In the main body engine 30, the optical writing unit irradiates the photosensitive member, which is uniformly charged by the charging unit and rotated at a predetermined speed, with the laser beam modulated based on the drawing data delivered from the controller 10. An electrostatic latent image is formed thereon, toner is applied to the photoreceptor by the developing unit, and the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor is developed to form a toner image. The main body engine 30 transfers the toner image formed on the photoconductor onto the paper conveyed between the photoconductor and the transfer unit from the paper conveyance unit by the transfer unit, and the photoconductor on which the transfer of the toner image is completed. The residual toner on the top is cleaned by the charge eliminating unit and the cleaning unit, and again used for image formation. The main body engine 30 conveys the paper onto which the toner image has been transferred to the fixing unit, and after the toner image on the paper is fixed on the paper by the fixing unit, it is sent to the finisher 31 or discharged to the paper discharge unit. .

  The finisher 31 includes a plurality of paper discharge trays, and includes a post-processing mechanism unit such as a stapling mechanism unit that performs a stapling process on a printed sheet bundle and a punch mechanism unit that performs a punching process. Executes a sort function that performs post-processing specified for a sheet bundle on which images are printed, discharges the paper onto a paper discharge tray, and sequentially discharges a plurality of copies for each page onto a plurality of paper discharge trays. .

  The CPU 15, the engine control unit 18, and the main body engine 30 function as job execution means as a whole.

  The operation panel (input means) 32 includes various operation keys necessary for operating the printers Pr1 to Prm such as a start key, a stop key, a numeric keypad, an image quality setting key, and a display (for example, a liquid crystal display). From the above operation keys, various operations for operating the printers Pr1 to Prm, in particular, print data management processing instructions for each group specified by the group ID (group information) of the image formation control method of the present invention. The operation is performed. The operation panel 32 displays on the display the contents of commands input from the operation keys and various information notified to the user from the printers Pr1 to Prm, particularly various information necessary for the image formation control processing of the present invention.

  A communication control unit (reception unit, information acquisition unit) 11 is connected to the network NW to which the host devices Hs1 to HSn are connected, analyzes print jobs received from the host devices Hs1 to HSn, and print data and groups. The job management information such as ID is taken out and transferred to the CPU 15, or the print information such as the print result is transmitted to the host devices Hs1 to HSn via the network NW. As will be described later, the communication control unit 11 performs an operation for changing job management information by specifying a group ID in the host devices Hs1 to HSn or the print server, and when the job control information is transmitted via the network NW, The change information is received and passed to the CPU 15.

  The engine control unit 18 receives drawing data subjected to image processing required by the CPU 15 for the print data received by the communication control unit 11 from the host devices Hs <b> 1 to HSn, sends the drawing data to the main body engine 30, and controls the main body engine 30. Then, an image based on the image data is printed out.

  The ROM 16 controls the main body engine 30 of the printers Pr1 to Prm and performs image forming to execute a basic program for performing a printing operation, necessary system data, and an image forming control method for managing print data for each group of the present invention described later. A control program and necessary data are stored, and the CPU 15 uses the RAM 12 as a work memory based on the program in the ROM 16 and controls each part of the printers Pr1 to Prm to perform basic processing as the printers Pr1 to Prm. And an image formation control process to be described later.

  The NV-RAM (information storage means) 13 is a non-volatile memory that retains the stored contents even when the printers Pr1 to Prm are turned off. The printer Pr1 contains the contents of the mode instruction from the operation panel 32, the operation history, and the like. Stores various information related to operations of ~ Prm and various information necessary for image formation control processing to be described later, for example, a job management table (job management information) for collectively managing currently received print jobs as shown in FIG. To do. In the job management table, in addition to normal job management information, as shown in FIG. 4, group IDs transmitted together with print jobs from the host devices Hs1 to HSn are registered.

  The operation panel 32 is connected to the operation panel control unit (information acquisition means) 14, monitors the operation on the operation panel 32, notifies the operation content to the CPU 15, and displays the display data from the CPU 15. It is displayed on the display of the operation panel 32, and lighting, extinction, blinking, and the like of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) provided on the operation panel 32 are controlled. As will be described later, when a group ID is specified on the operation panel 32 and a job management information change operation is performed, the operation panel control unit 14 acquires the change information and passes it to the CPU 15.

  When the CPU 15 receives the change information of the print job from the operation panel control unit 14 or the communication control unit 11, the print belonging to the group of the group ID designated by the change information in the job management information of the job management table of the NV-RAM 13. The job management information of the job is changed according to the change information instruction.

  The hard disk 17 is a large-capacity data storage medium. Under the control of the CPU 15, the hard disk 17 stores large-capacity data, particularly print data, for each print job, and stores necessary programs and other data. In particular, the hard disk 17 stores an image formation control program for managing print jobs based on the group ID of the present invention and data necessary for executing the image formation control program. The job management table is not limited to being stored in the NV-RAM 13, but may be stored in the hard disk 17 or the like.

  A program recording medium (recording medium) 40 is detachably attached to the medium control unit 19, and the program recording medium 40 includes a ROM, an EEPROM, an EPROM, a flash memory, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a DVD, A recording medium that can be read by the printers Pr1 to Prm, such as an SD card or MO, and an image forming control program for executing the image forming control method of the present invention is read and introduced into the ROM 16 or the hard disk 17 to be described later. It is constructed as an image forming apparatus that executes an image forming control method for managing print jobs based on IDs. The image formation control program is a computer-executable program written in a legacy programming language such as assembler, C, C ++, C #, Java (registered trademark), an object-oriented programming language, or the like. Can be stored and distributed.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the host devices Hs1 to HSn transmit a print job to the printers Pr1 to Prm, the group Pr is assigned and transmitted, and the printers Pr1 to Prm transmit the print jobs from the host devices Hs1 to HSn. The received print job is managed based on the group ID, and the change processing requested in response to the job change processing request specifying the group ID is performed on the job management information of the print job to which the group ID is assigned. And execute.

  That is, in the image forming system 1, when a print request is made by designating document data in the host devices Hs 1 to HSn, the printer driver of the host devices Hs 1 to HSn displays the print setting UI on the display, and the user performs A UI for enabling print setting and setting a group ID for the print data of the document data is displayed. When the print setting and the group ID are set, the job information shown in FIG. 2 is generated and generated. The job information, the print data converted from the document data, and the print settings are transmitted as a print job from the network I / F to one or more printers Pr1 to Prm designated as the print destination via the network NW.

  The printers Pr1 to Prm to which the print job is transmitted receive the print job by the communication control unit 11, and the communication control unit 11 analyzes the received print job and prints data and group management information such as a group ID. Is taken out and passed to the CPU 15.

  The CPU 15 registers the print job in the job management table shown in FIG. 4, manages the print job, and print data for each print job in a predetermined order (for example, reception order, priority order, reception order, etc.). Then, drawing data is generated from the image data, and the main body engine 30 prints and outputs the image on paper under the control of the engine control unit 18.

  When the print job management mode is selected by operating the operation panel 32, the printers Pr1 to Prm are specified on the display of the operation panel 32 by inputting a group ID for specifying the print job and the group ID. A change content to the job management information of the print job is input, and a print job management screen for instructing operation start is displayed.

  The user inputs a group ID on the print job management screen of the operation panel 32, sets and inputs change contents for the job management information of the print job of the group ID, and then operates the start.

  The CPUs 15 of the printers Pr1 to Prm are operated by inputting the group ID on the print job management screen of the operation panel 32, setting the change contents for the job management information of the print job of the group ID, and then operating the start key. Then (step S101), it is checked whether there is an unsearched print job in the job management table (step S102).

  If there is an unsearched print job in step S102, the CPU 15 refers to the first print job among the unsearched print jobs (step S103), and the group ID of the print job is the specified group ID. Is checked (step S104).

  If the group ID of the print job is not the designated group ID in step S104, the CPU 15 returns to step S102 and performs the same processing as above from checking whether there is an unsearched job (steps S102 to S104).

  In step S104, if the group ID of the print job is the specified group ID, the CPU 15 executes a change process specified by the specified job change information on the job management information of the print job (step S105). ). As changes to the job management information of the print job, resetting of the print job, printing stop, deletion of the print job, release of the stop, and the like can be specified. The CPU 15 changes the job management information of these print jobs. Of the processes, the change process designated in step S101 is executed in step S105. For example, if the reset of the print job is designated in step S101, the CPU 15 performs a reset process for the print job of the designated group ID in step S105.

  In step S105, when the CPU 15 executes designated change processing for the job management information of the print job with the designated group ID, the CPU 15 returns to step S102 to check whether there is an unsearched print job in the same manner as described above. Processing (steps S102 to S105), executing specified change processing on the job management information of all print jobs of the specified group ID, and when there is no unexamined print job in the job management table in step S102, The print job management process ends.

  In the above description, in the print job search, the print job to be processed is searched based only on the group ID. However, when a print job is accidentally transmitted with the same group ID as another user, the other print job is searched. In order to prevent a specified change process for a print job with the same group ID from being executed by another user, other search conditions may be searched together to specify the print job to be changed. Good. For example, a print job whose both the group ID and the transmission source IP address are matched is searched for as a change processing target print job, or a print job whose both the group ID and the print job transmission date is the same is searched for as a change processing target. Etc. may be used. As a search condition to be added to the group ID, the user may be able to set an appropriate search condition on the print job management screen, or a plurality of additional search conditions may be set.

  Further, when the printers Pr1 to Prm have a function of managing print jobs by priority and executing printing in order of higher priority, the image forming system 1 prints the job of the print job specified by the group ID. A priority change process may be designated as the change process content to be executed on the management information.

  In this case, the host devices HS1 to HSn can set and input the priority in addition to the group ID in the print setting, and transmit the print job including the input group ID and priority information to the printer via the network NW. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the printers Pr <b> 1 to Prm have an item of execution priority as shown in FIG. 6, and if there is priority information in a print job sent from the host devices HS <b> 1 to HSn, the priority Information is acquired and registered in the execution priority of the job management table.

  The printers Pr1 to Prm are the first (old) print jobs submitted by the CPU 15 with reference to the execution priority in the job management table, among the print jobs having the highest execution priority, and Execute a job from a print job that is not stopped.

  Then, the printers Pr1 to Prm can specify the change of priority as the change contents of the job management information on the print job management screen, and when the change of priority is input as the change contents, the CPU 15 In step S104, the priority of the job management information is changed (e.g., raising the priority, lowering the priority, etc.) according to the setting contents in step S101.

  For example, when the priority of a print job with a specific group ID is raised, the printers Pr1 to Prm are preceded by other print jobs with a priority lower than the raised priority by an amount corresponding to the raised priority. Then, after executing the print job and completing the execution of all the print jobs in the group with the higher priority, another print job with a lower priority is executed. On the other hand, when the priority of the print job with the specific group ID is lowered, the printers Pr1 to Prm first put another print job with a priority higher than the lowered priority by the amount of the lowered priority. After all other print jobs having a higher priority than all print jobs in the group whose priority has been lowered are completed, the print job in the group whose priority has been lowered is executed.

  Further, when the execution stop of the print job with a specific group ID is designated as the change contents of the job management information, the printers Pr1 to Prm finish the processing of all the print jobs other than the group, and the CPU 15 or the like. Even if the resources of the printers Pr1 to Prm are large, the print job processing of the group in which the execution has been stopped is not performed, and the processing of the print job is resumed after waiting for a job resumption instruction from the user.

  As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment, the printers Pr1 to Prm indicate the groups to which the print jobs belonging to the print jobs sent from the host apparatuses HS1 to HSn via the network NW belong. A group ID (group information) to be specified and job information to specify the print job are acquired and stored in the job management table (job management information) of the NV-RAM 13 or the hard disk 17 in correspondence with the print job. In addition, a print job to be printed by the main engine 30 is executed based on the job management table, job change information designating change of job management information is acquired, and the job management table is updated based on the acquired job change information. Among the job management information, the group of group information specified by the job change information Running changing process of designating of job change information to the job management information of the print job belongs to.

  Therefore, the job management information such as print stop, cancel print stop, reset, delete print job, etc. for the print jobs belonging to the group is divided into groups for each arbitrary group. The print job can be changed flexibly and efficiently. For example, in the host devices HS1 to HSn, when a print job is always sent to the printers Pr1 to Prm, if a predetermined group ID is given, a plurality of users are sending print jobs to the printers Pr1 to Prm. In this case, it is possible to specify only the print job transmitted by itself and cancel or stop printing.

  Further, in the image forming system 1 of the present embodiment, the printers Pr1 to Prm include an operation panel 32 for inputting job change information, and an operation panel control unit (job change information acquisition unit) 14 is provided from the operation panel 32. The input job change information is acquired and transferred to the CPU 15.

  Accordingly, for each printer Pr1 to Prm, print jobs transmitted from the host devices Hs1 to HSn to the printers Pr1 to Prm are collectively displayed for each group ID, such as print stop, print stop cancellation, reset, and print job deletion. Job management information can be changed.

  Further, in the image forming system 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment, the change contents of the job processing contents are print job execution stop, print job execution stop cancellation, print job deletion, and print job priority change.

  Therefore, for each group ID, the print data belonging to the group ID can be collectively processed, such as print job execution stop, print job execution stop cancel, print job deletion, and the like, and the print job priority. For example, priority can be given to printing important print jobs, or the execution of print jobs can be stopped until an appropriate print time, thereby further improving the usability. be able to.

  Furthermore, in the above description, the print job management operation for each group is performed on the operation panel 32 of the printers Pr1 to Prm, but the operation result command is performed on the host devices HS1 to HSn via the network NW. The devices HS1 to HSn may transmit to the printers Pr1 to Prm. As shown in FIG. 7, when the print server SV is connected to the network NW, the job change information of the print job is transmitted from the print server SV. An input operation may be performed.

  That is, in the case of FIG. 7, the print server SV includes normal workstation hardware and software, and an image formation control program that makes requests according to print job management operations to the printers Pr1 to Prm. When a print job management request for the printers Pr1 to Prm is made from the operation unit, the image formation control program inputs to the display a group ID for specifying the print job and a print specified by the group ID. A change content for the job management information of the job is input, and a print job management screen for instructing operation start is displayed. The print server SV, when a change in the group ID and the job management information of the print job is designated and input on the print job management screen and a process start instruction operation is performed, the group ID and the job management information set and input Information on the contents of the change is transmitted to the printers Pr1 to Prm via the network NW.

  When the printers Pr1 to Prm receive information about the contents of changes to the group ID and job management information from the print server SV, they are received by the communication control unit 11 and passed to the CPU 15 as in the case shown in FIG. The CPU 15 searches for a print job with a specified group ID, and executes a specified change process on the job management information of the print job.

  Further, in the host devices HS1 to HSn, the case where the print job change operation is performed is the same as that performed in the print server SV.

  In this way, for all the printers Pr1 to Prm or specific printers Pr1 to Prm on the network NW, the job management information of the print job for each group ID is not sent to the installation location of the printers Pr1 to Prm. Management can be performed appropriately and easily, and usability can be further improved.

  The invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to that described in the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It goes without saying that it is possible.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying apparatus, and a composite apparatus that manages and processes a print job for each group, an image forming system, an image forming control method, an image forming control program, and a recording medium. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming system Hs1-Hsn Host apparatus Pr1-Prm Printer 10 Controller 11 Communication control part 12 RAM
13 NV-RAM
14 Operation panel controller 15 CPU
16 ROM
17 Hard disk (HDD)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 18 Engine control part 19 Medium control part 20 Bus 30 Main body engine 31 Finisher 32 Operation panel 40 Program recording medium SV Print server

JP 2006-190032 A

Claims (12)

Receiving means for receiving a print job sent via a network;
Information acquisition means for acquiring group information for identifying a group to which the print job belongs to the print job and job information for specifying the print job;
Information storage means for storing job management information in which the group information and job information acquired by the information acquisition means are associated with a print job;
Job execution means for executing a print job based on the job management information stored in the information storage means;
Job change information acquisition means for acquiring job change information for specifying a change in job processing content for a print job belonging to the group of the group information for which the group information is specified;
Among the job management information stored in the information storage unit based on the job change information acquired by the job change information acquisition unit, the job management of a print job belonging to a group of group information specified by the job change information Job change management means for executing change processing specified by the job change information on the information;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus includes an input unit for inputting the job change information,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the job change information acquisition unit acquires the job change information input from the input unit.   3. The image according to claim 1, wherein the job change information acquisition unit acquires the job change information transmitted from the information processing apparatus connected to the network via the network. Forming equipment.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change contents of the job processing contents are print job execution stop, print job execution stop cancellation, print job deletion, and print job priority change. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. In an image forming system in which an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus are connected to a network,
The information processing apparatus includes:
Print job generation means for generating a print job and assigning to the print job group information for specifying a group to which the print job belongs;
Transmitting means for transmitting the print job to the image forming apparatus via the network;
With
The image forming apparatus includes:
Receiving means for receiving the print job sent from the information processing apparatus via the network;
Information acquisition means for acquiring the group information assigned to the print job and job information for specifying the print job;
Information storage means for storing job management information in which the group information and job information acquired by the information acquisition means are associated with the print job;
Job execution means for executing a print job based on the job management information stored in the information storage means;
Job change information acquisition means for acquiring job change information for specifying a change in job processing content for a print job belonging to the group of the group information for which the group information is specified;
Among the job management information stored in the information storage unit based on the job change information acquired by the job change information acquisition unit, the job management of a print job belonging to a group of group information specified by the job change information Job change management means for executing change processing specified by the job change information on the information;
An image forming system comprising: The image forming apparatus includes an input unit for inputting the job change information,
The image forming system according to claim 5, wherein the job change information acquisition unit acquires the job change information input from the input unit. The information processing apparatus includes:
Input means for inputting the job change information;
Change information transmission control means for transmitting the job change information input from the input means from the transmission means to the image forming apparatus via the network;
Has
7. The job change information acquiring unit according to claim 5, wherein the job change information acquisition unit acquires the job change information transmitted from the information processing apparatus connected to the network via the network. Image forming system. A reception processing step for receiving a print job sent via the network;
An information acquisition processing step for acquiring group information for identifying a group to which the print job belongs to the print job and job information for identifying the print job;
Job execution processing step for executing a print job based on the job management information of an information storage means for storing job management information in which the group information acquired in the information acquisition processing step and predetermined job information are associated with the print job When,
A job change information acquisition processing step for acquiring job change information for specifying a change content of job processing content for a print job belonging to the group of the group information specifying the group information;
Of the print job management information stored by the information storage unit based on the job change information acquired in the job change information acquisition processing step, the print job belonging to the group of the group information specified by the job change information. A job change management processing step for executing processing of the change contents designated by the job change information with respect to the job management information;
An image formation control method characterized by comprising: An image forming control method in an image forming system in which an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus are connected to a network,
The information processing apparatus includes:
A print job generation processing step for generating a print job and adding group information for identifying the group to which the print job belongs to the print job;
A transmission processing step of transmitting the print job to the image forming apparatus via the network;
Have
The image forming apparatus includes:
A reception processing step of receiving the print job sent from the information processing apparatus via the network;
An information acquisition processing step for acquiring the group information given to the print job and job information for specifying the print job;
A job execution processing step for executing a print job based on the job management information of an information storage means for storing job management information in which the group information and job information acquired in the information acquisition processing step are associated with the print job;
A job change information acquisition processing step for acquiring job change information for specifying a change in job processing content for a print job belonging to the group of the group information for which the group information is specified;
Of the job management information stored in the information storage unit based on the job change information acquired in the job change information acquisition processing step, the print job belonging to the group of the group information specified by the job change information A job change management processing step for executing the change processing specified by the job change information for the job management information;
An image formation control method characterized by comprising: On the computer,
A reception process for receiving a print job sent via the network;
Information acquisition processing for acquiring group information for specifying a group to which the print job belongs, and job information for specifying the print job, which are assigned to the print job;
A job execution process for executing a print job based on the job management information of an information storage means for storing job management information in which the group information acquired in the information acquisition process and predetermined job information are associated with the print job;
A job change information acquisition process for acquiring job change information for specifying a change content of job processing contents for a print job belonging to the group of the group information for which the group information is specified;
Of the print job management information stored in the information storage unit based on the job change information acquired in the job change information acquisition process, the print job belonging to the group of the group information specified by the job change information Job change management processing for executing processing of change contents designated by the job change information with respect to job management information;
An image formation control program for executing An image forming control program executed in an image forming system in which an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus are connected to a network,
In the computer of the information processing apparatus,
Print job generation processing for generating a print job and adding group information for specifying the group to which the print job belongs to the print job;
A transmission process for transmitting the print job to the image forming apparatus via the network;
And execute
In the computer of the image forming apparatus,
A receiving process for receiving the print job sent from the information processing apparatus via the network;
An information acquisition process for acquiring the group information given to the print job and job information for specifying the print job;
A job execution process for executing a print job based on the job management information of an information storage means for storing job management information in which the group information and job information acquired in the information acquisition process are associated with the print job;
Job change information acquisition processing for acquiring job change information for specifying a change in job processing content for a print job belonging to the group of the group information for which the group information is specified;
Among the job management information stored in the information storage unit based on the job change information acquired in the job change information acquisition process, the job of the print job belonging to the group of the group information specified by the job change information A job change management process for executing a change process designated by the job change information for the management information;
An image formation control program for executing   A computer-readable recording medium on which the image forming control program according to claim 10 or 11 is recorded.

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