JP2012111136A - Printing system, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system that allows more convenient use of devices under a restricted environment.SOLUTION: A printer is configured to: communicate with other printers for additional functions, and receive a list of available additional functions; display the list in UI; communicate with a printer driver where functions are added by plug-in according to the instruction from an user; determine if it is possible for the printer itself to process a current print job; and transfer, if determined impossible, the print job to other printer that is capable of processing the print job, and instruct the other printer to complete the print job.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plug-in function of a printer.

  In printers, the need to customize and sell so that only necessary functions can be used is increasing. Therefore, printers that can be added as plug-ins (printers) for each function have been developed.

  For this reason, the printer driver itself needs a means for extending the function so that the function added to the printer can be used. In the printer driver, the function is plugged in (printer driver) corresponding to the function enhancement of the corresponding device. Thus, a mechanism that can easily use functions available to the user is considered and already known.

  In addition, there is a need for function expansion in a printer driver alone, and a mechanism for easily realizing function expansion by using a similar plug-in (printer driver) and improving user convenience is already known. ing.

  In addition, in order to extend the function of the printer driver, a technique for adding a function to the printer driver as a plug-in (printer driver) without recompilation or re-installation is considered and already known.

  Furthermore, it is already known that a specific user can use only a specific device to improve operational efficiency and to save energy through ecology.

  In Patent Document 1, for the purpose of easily adding a function to a client PC by plug-in, a server is set up in the network, and printing devices in the network and their functions are managed by a resource management table. In addition, a technique is disclosed in which a function addition can be easily realized in the client PC by returning a plug-in module or the printer driver itself to the client PC in response to an introduction request for function enhancement from the client.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses a technique that allows removal and addition of functions in a multi-function printer. The configuration is activated by launching the host application of the image processing apparatus, accessing the configuration setting file of the image processing apparatus, and launching at least one plug-in based on information regarding activation of each service. Presenting a graphical interface including an icon for each activated service corresponding to each plug-in.

However, when a specific user can use only a specific device, if that device does not allow function plug-in, a user who is only allowed to use a specific device can enjoy the benefits. There was a problem that I could not.
In Patent Document 1, in a restricted user device and function usage environment, other devices that cannot be directly used connected to the network are virtually used, but under the restriction that only specific devices can be directly communicated or used. However, the problem of having to provide a printing function has not been solved.

  The present invention relates to a device that does not have a function plug-in function, a user who is permitted to use only that device, and a device that supports a plug-in of another function connected to a network in that environment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system that improves the convenience of device use in a restricted environment by making it virtually usable from the beginning.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a printing system including a plurality of printing devices, wherein one printing device is a printer driver to which a function can be added by a plug-in. Means for receiving a list of functions that can be added by communicating with other printing devices, displaying the list on the UI, and communicating with a printer driver that can add the function by plug-in in response to an instruction from the user; , Means for exchanging information in a list, means for processing a print job, means for determining whether or not the print job can be processed by itself, and executing the process when the print job cannot be processed by itself And a means for causing a print job to flow to another printing apparatus capable of performing the following print processing.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printing system according to the first aspect, the one printing device determines whether or not the printing job can be executed by sharing the print job between the processing of the printing device and the processing of the other printing device. Features.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printing system according to the first or second aspect, when one printing device can process the print job by itself, it is determined that the print job is printed by itself as the printing device. It is characterized by being executed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the printing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the one printing device performs a print job for both the processing of itself and the processing of another printing device. When the print job can be executed, the print processing of the print job is performed as the printing device itself.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for executing a process for realizing the function of one printing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is a recording medium storing the program according to the fifth aspect.

  According to the present invention, in a device that does not have a function plug-in function, a user who is permitted to use only that device, and a device that supports plug-ins of other functions connected to the network, the device is identified. It is possible to improve the convenience of using the device in a restricted environment by making it virtually usable by the user.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of each apparatus of the printing system. It is a figure which shows an example of a provision function possible list | wrist. It is a figure which shows an example of a function management table. It is a function addition flow in the user side PC. It is a flow in the printing controller on the device side. It is a processing flow of a printing device (other than printing device A) connected to the network. It is a transition screen figure. It is a transition screen figure. It is a flow of the printing apparatus A (7) that has received a print job from a user (client PC).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The user's PC that uses the printer (device), the printing device A that is the only device that the user (and PC) can use, the network, and another printing device B (printing device B connected to the network) , And cannot be used directly by the user).

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of each apparatus of the printing system.

  A PC (0) used by the user, a document editing application (1) related to print processing in the PC, an OS (2), a printer driver (3), and a print spooler which is a part of the OS (2). (4), printer monitor (5), port monitor (6), network, printing device A (7), print controller (8) in the printing device, printing device B (9), printing And a print controller (10) in the apparatus.

  Line 21 is a request for a list of functions (provided function possible list) that can be expanded from the printer driver (3) to the print controller (8) in the printing apparatus A (7). The printing apparatus A that has received the request requests a list of functions that can be provided to devices on the network in order to create a provided function available list and a function management table. In line 22, information is provided to the devices connected via the network (a list of functions that can be provided) is requested.

  A line 23 shows a flow of a print job from the document editing application (1).

Printing processing is started in the document editing application (1). The print job is notified to the printer driver (3) via the OS (2) and subjected to processing (conversion processing to printable print data) by the printer driver (3), and then the print spooler (4 And then sent out to the network via the printer monitor (5) and the port monitor (6), and sent to the device designated as the printing destination (the printing device A). In the printing apparatus A, the function of the print controller (8) is compared with the function management table, and a print job is appropriately sent out through routes 24 to 27.
A line 24 is a flow of a print job in which a function that can be realized only by the printing apparatus A is designated.
The line 25 is a route that is sent out in order to realize the function in the printing device B without doing anything in the printing device A. Printing is performed in the flow of line 25 → line 27.
A line 26 is a route sent to process a print job in both the printing device A and the printing device B. Printing is performed in the flow of line 26 → line 27.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the provided function available list.
FIG. 3 is a list of available functions requested from the user (client) on line 21 in FIG. 2 and returned to the request source. Only the list that can be opened is returned to the user who made the inquiry.

  For the sake of convenience, the IP address of 133.xxx.xxx.xxx is not limited to managing the IP address of the printing device A as long as it is a uniquely identifiable number. If the printing device B is designated as 133.yyy.yyy.yyy for the sake of convenience and the other printing device C (none) is designated as 133.zzz.zzz.zzz for convenience, the function number The 0001 / function name STAPLE can be set by a notation command and value, and the processing can be performed by the printing device B. When printing, the printing device via the printing device A B is automatically sent out by the printing apparatus A and printed.

  The function number 0032 / function name Punch can be set by a notation command and value, and the processing can be performed by the printing device A, and is printed by the printing device A at the time of printing. It has been shown. Usually, in an environment where only a specific user is permitted to use a specific printing device, all the functions of the specific printing device are often opened to the user. On the other hand, a specific printing device (here, the printing device A) also has a function that is not opened as a standard, and if it is desired to use this function, permission from the IT manager or the like is required or some kind of permission has been obtained. The above is an example that can cope with a case where the addition of function use is desired.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a function management table.
FIG. 4 is a device management table that is configured and created when a provisionable function list is generated that is requested from the user (client) on the line 21 in FIG. 2 and returned to the request source. Of course, it is not only configured at that timing, but may be configured at an arbitrary timing. In this example, for the sake of convenience, the description will be continued assuming that it is configured and created when a request is generated as indicated by the line 21 in FIG.

Basically, it is formed with the same information as that of the provided function possible list, but in addition, it has user information that can be used corresponding to each function. For example, in FIG. 4, function number 0001 / function name STAPLE is 133.AAA. AAA. AAA and 133.BBB. BBB. Two users of BBB (or two client PCs, etc.) can be used. At this point, it can be seen that at least two users (or two client PCs, etc.) can be used for the device which is the printing apparatus A (7) shown in the example of FIG. It should be noted that available users in the device are not shown in the figure and the legend, but are managed using a separate means. Although it is expressed as user information and permission User that can be used, if it is a permission system, it is necessary to have some means for application to permission, and that means is provided separately. In addition, there is a management method at a level in which user information is added when a request is made instead of a permission system, and in this example, the latter description will be continued for convenience.
A flow of constructing and creating the provisionable function list after returning to the request source after configuring and creating this table when configuring the provisionable function list requested from the user (client) on the line 21 in FIG. become. Incidentally, it goes without saying that information is collected on the line 22 in FIG. 2 when the function management table is configured and created, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, commands and values are shown as examples. However, the present invention does not limit the command format and is described only as examples. When implemented, it will be used in an appropriate format according to the system specifications.
3 and 4 show the function name as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the function name, but is described only as an example. When implemented, it will be used in an appropriate format according to the system specifications.

FIG. 5 is a flow of adding functions in the user side PC.
FIG. 6 is a flow in the print controller on the device side.
FIG. 7 is a processing flow of a printing device (other than the printing device A) connected to the network.

  Referring to FIG. 5, a request for a provided function possible list, which is a request for adding a function, is made from the user (client PC) to the printing apparatus A (7) (function addition button in (1) of FIG. 8).

  Subsequently, in FIG. 6, the print controller in the printing apparatus A (7) receives the request for the provided function list, and in order to respond to the request, provides the provided function list and function management table for the devices on the network. In order to create it, a list-up is requested (S601, S602). The user (client PC) displays the screen (2) in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 7, an arbitrary printing device that has received a function list request via the network lists its function and returns it to the request source (printing device A (7) in this example).

Using the returned function list, the print controller in the printing device A (7) in FIG. 6 constructs and creates a device management table, and then provides a list of available functions (in this example, a user (client PC) ) As a response to the request in FIG. 5) (S603 to S605). The user (client PC) transitions from the screen of (2) in FIG. 8 to the screen of (3) in FIG. 8, and a screen (FIG. 8 (3)) is displayed to the user and selected.
If it is used according to the user's instruction (when ● is set in the “Valid ● / Invalid ○” column in the table of (3) in FIG. 8), the function is provided to the printer driver using the plug-in function. to add. The added function is provided by the printing apparatus A (7) from the user or operates as a function processed in another printing apparatus via the printing apparatus A (7).

FIG. 8 shows examples of UI for adding functions on the screen of the printer driver on the user (client PC) and transition screen examples thereof (1) to (3). The function set as ● in (3) is added as a plug-in to the screen on the printer driver after clicking OK in (3).
In FIG. 9, (4) shows an example of UI display that has been changed so that the function number “0047” / Color function can be used as a plug-in.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the printing apparatus A (7) that has received a print job from the user (client PC). The data structure and command structure in the print job data included in the print job from the user (client PC) are not mentioned in the present invention.
Further, in the case where the processing is performed in cooperation between the printing devices, the printing device that performs the processing first so that the printing device that processes the print data later correctly can continue the processing (in the present invention, the printing device A). In (7)), a predetermined data structure and command structure must be maintained. (The structure must be preserved even after processing that involves data conversion, etc., in order to ensure that the printing device to be processed later will correctly handle the process. Needless to say, command structures and their specifications are compatible between printing devices.)
In the “determination unit” in the above example, there may be cases where a print job can be processed using either the function as its own printing device or the function as another printing device. In that case, if you have the time to do it yourself, take the action yourself, and if it is difficult to process immediately due to various factors such as being used, ask a printing device that can process other available print jobs. We will also have such a judgment.

According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to increase and add usable functions via specific usable devices, thereby dramatically improving business efficiency.
As another effect, it becomes easy to add a function that can be used in an environment in which the IT manager manages a function to be used by a specific user, and the management efficiency is improved.

  The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

0 PC
1 Document editing application 2 OS
3 Printer Driver 4 Print Spooler 5 Printer Monitor 6 Port Monitor 7 Printing Equipment A
8 Print controller 9 Printing equipment B
10 Print controller

JP-A-2005-050062 JP 2008-193664 A

Claims (6)

A printing system comprising a plurality of printing devices,
One printing device is a printer driver to which a function can be added with a plug-in, communicates with another printing device to add a function, receives a list of functions that can be added, and receives the list Means for communicating with a printer driver that can add the function by plug-in according to an instruction from the user,
Means for exchanging information in a list with functions
Means for processing a print job;
A means of determining whether or not a print job can be processed by itself;
A printing system comprising: means for causing a print job to flow to another printing apparatus capable of executing the print job when the print job cannot be processed by itself, and executing a subsequent print process.   The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the one printing device determines whether or not the print job can be executed by sharing the processing of the print job with the processing of the other printing device.   3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the one printing device can process the print job by itself, the printing system determines whether to execute the printing process of the print job as the printing device and implements the printing job.   The one printing device performs print processing of a print job by itself as a printing device when the print job can be executed by both processing of its own processing and processing of another printing device. Item 4. The printing system according to any one of Items 1 to 3.   The program which performs the process which implement | achieves the function of one printing apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4. 6. A recording medium storing the program according to claim 5.

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