JP2012250382A - Printer and method of printing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a waiting time of a user who has issued an identical print job in a case that there are identical jobs issued by different users as the print jobs to be executed.SOLUTION: The printer 1 includes a storage device 17 for storing a received print job, and a determination means 28 that compares a received print job with a print job stored in the storage device 17 when the print job is received to determine whether or not the received print job and the print job stored in the storage device are identical to each other. The printer 1 performs the printing of a plurality of copies in accordance with the number of print jobs which are determined to be identical to each other when the print jobs which are determined to be identical to each other by the determination means 28 are executed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for executing and printing out a plurality of print jobs collectively.

  Conventionally, there is a technique for executing a plurality of print jobs collectively and printing them out. For example, the printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a storage unit that stores received print jobs, and sequentially outputs the print jobs stored in the storage unit to the printing apparatus at a predetermined timing to execute printing. It is a configuration. According to such a configuration, since a plurality of print jobs received at intervals can be collectively printed out, the power consumption is reduced compared to the case where print output is executed each time a print job is received. There is a merit.

  In addition, the printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 can change the execution order of accumulated print jobs. That is, the printing apparatus executes a print job basically according to the print job reception order among the accumulated print jobs. If there are a plurality of print jobs issued by the same person, the printing apparatus executes the plurality of print jobs after changing them to a continuous execution order. Thereby, it can prevent that each user mistakes and acquires another person's printed matter.

JP 2008-90385 A

  However, in the conventional printing apparatus, the print job execution order is determined based on the print job reception order and the user name, and therefore, the same print job is not always executed continuously. For example, after a print job “JOB1” is received by a certain user, a print job “JOB2” different from the print job “JOB1” is received by another user, and after that, a print job is further processed by another user. It is assumed that the same print job “JOB3” as “JOB1” is accepted. In this case, the execution order in the conventional printing apparatus is the print jobs “JOB1”, “JOB2”, and “JOB3” according to the reception order. In this case, since each user issues a print job one by one, the execution order based on the user name is not changed.

  At this time, the user who has issued the print job “JOB3” waits until the execution of the print job “JOB3” is completed until the execution of the print job “JOB2” is completed. If the amount of information of the print job “JOB2” is large, it takes a long time to execute the print job “JOB2”. Therefore, the user who issued “JOB3” waits for a long time until acquiring his / her printed matter. End up.

  As described above, when a plurality of print jobs are collectively executed, even in the case where a plurality of the same print jobs are accumulated by different users in the conventional printing apparatus, the same print jobs are continuously displayed. May not be executed. In other words, in a conventional printing apparatus, if different print jobs are accepted among a plurality of the same print jobs, the user who issued the print job subsequent to the different print jobs will receive another print job issued earlier. There is a problem that the job is kept waiting.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems. When there is an identical print job issued by different users as a print job to be executed, the waiting of the user who issued the same print job is waited for. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method capable of reducing time.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a printing apparatus, comprising: a receiving unit that accepts a print job; and when the print job accepted by the accepting unit is not immediately executed, the printer waits for the print job. When a print job is accepted by the storage device stored as a job and the accepting means, it is determined whether the accepted print job and the standby job stored in the storage device are the same print job And a print control unit that performs print output by executing a print job, and the print control unit is determined to be the same when executing the print job determined to be the same by the determination unit. In this configuration, a plurality of copies are printed according to the number of print jobs.

  According to such a configuration, when a print job determined to be the same is executed, a plurality of print outputs are performed according to the number of print jobs determined to be the same. It is possible to reduce the waiting time of the user who issued the determined print job.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first aspect, the print control unit executes any one of a plurality of print jobs determined to be the same a plurality of times, and executes another print job. It is the structure characterized by not performing.

  According to such a configuration, the printing apparatus can prevent a problem in which a printed matter of a required number or more is printed out. That is, after a plurality of print outputs are performed based on any one of a plurality of print jobs determined to be the same, if another print job that is the same as the print job is further executed, it is excessive. Printed material may be output. However, according to the above configuration, the printing apparatus can prevent such a problem.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the print control means outputs a plurality of sets of print outputs corresponding to the number of users who have issued the same print job. It is the structure characterized by performing.

  According to such a configuration, a plurality of print outputs are performed corresponding to the number of users who have issued print jobs determined to be the same, so that each user who has issued a print job determined to be the same is not leaked. Printed material can be obtained.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the print control means outputs a plurality of sets of print outputs in accordance with print settings of print jobs determined to be the same. It is the structure characterized by performing.

  According to such a configuration, a plurality of copies are output in correspondence with the print settings of each print job determined to be the same, so that the user who issued the print job determined to be the same can set his / her print settings. The printed matter that is printed out can be acquired according to the above.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising power management means for controlling an energization state of the printing apparatus, wherein the storage device is controlled by the power management means. When the energization state to be performed is a power saving state, the print job accepted by the accepting unit is stored, and the print control unit controls the energization state controlled by the power management unit from the power saving state to the normal energization state. When returning to, a plurality of copies are output in accordance with the number of print jobs determined to be the same.

  According to such a configuration, when the energization state of the printing apparatus is the power saving state, since the input print job is stored in the storage device, the print job is executed every time the print job is input The power consumption of the printing apparatus can be saved compared to the above.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing method executed by a printing apparatus, wherein a reception step for receiving a print job, and when the print job received by the reception step is not immediately executed, the print job is a standby job. A storage step for storing the print job, a determination step for determining whether the received print job and the standby job are the same print job when the print job is received by the reception step, and executing the print job A print control step for performing print output, and when executing the print job determined to be the same by the determination step, the print control step corresponds to the number of print jobs determined to be the same. In this configuration, a plurality of copies are printed out.

  According to such a configuration, when a print job determined to be the same is executed, a plurality of print outputs are performed according to the number of print jobs determined to be the same. It is possible to reduce the waiting time of the user who issued the determined print job.

  According to the present invention, when there is the same print job issued by different users as print jobs to be executed, the waiting time of the user who issued the same print job can be shortened.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printing system. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of a printing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the outline of the process performed in a printing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the outline of the process performed in a printing apparatus. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control unit in the printing apparatus. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a guidance screen. It is a figure which shows an example of user information. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an overall processing procedure executed in the printing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of print job hold processing executed in the printing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of print job hold processing executed in the printing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of related job information. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of print job hold processing executed in the printing apparatus in the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of print job hold processing executed in the printing apparatus in the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, members that are common to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration example of a printing system including a printing apparatus 1 and a plurality of user terminals 6 (6a to 6d). The printing apparatus 1 is connected to each of the user terminals 6a to 6d via the network 5, and can communicate with each other. Further, the printing apparatus 1 holds an operation panel 2 for inputting an operation instruction by a user, a discharge port 3 for outputting a printed matter that has been printed out after executing a printing process, and an output printed matter. And a discharge tray 4 for storing. When receiving a print job from the user terminal 6 via the network 5, the printing apparatus 1 is configured to execute the print job and perform print output. The operation panel 2 is configured by, for example, a so-called touch panel, and is integrally provided with a display unit for displaying information and an operation input unit for inputting an operation instruction by a user.

  The printing apparatus 1 is configured to be able to create various display screens and display them on the user terminal 6. The printing apparatus 1 can execute various processes based on information input to the display screen. Each component included in the printing apparatus 1 may be incorporated in another apparatus that executes a printing process, such as a so-called multifunction machine or a FAX apparatus.

  In addition, the printing apparatus 1 has a power management unit (not shown) that manages the energization state of the printing apparatus 1. When the operation panel 2 does not detect any operation until a predetermined time elapses or when no signal is received via the network 5, the power management unit sets the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 to normal energization. The power supply circuit is controlled to shift from the state to the power saving state. The normal energization state is an operation mode in which power is supplied to each unit so that printing output can be performed in the printing apparatus 1. The power saving state is an operation mode in which power supply to some circuits is left and power supply to other circuits is restricted. Print output is not performed in the power saving state. Thus, the printing apparatus 1 can save power consumption when shifting to the power saving state. Further, the power management unit returns the energized state to the normal energized state when an operation by the user is detected by the operation panel 2 in the power saving state or when a signal or information is received via the network 5. It is the structure to make.

  The printing apparatus 1 is configured to allow the user to log in based on user identification information (hereinafter referred to as “user ID”) for identifying the user. Further, the printing apparatus 1 stores the user ID in association with identification information for specifying the user terminals 6a to 6d such as an IP address. Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 specifies the user and the user terminal 6 used by the user.

  The user terminal 6 is, for example, a general personal computer. In addition, the user terminal 6 includes a display unit 7 that displays various types of information, and an operation input unit 8 that inputs an operation instruction by the user. For example, the display unit 7 is a liquid crystal display, and the operation input unit 8 is configured with a keyboard, a mouse (not shown), and the like. In the following description, it is assumed that the user terminal 6a is used by the user A, and similarly, the user terminal 6b is used by the user B, the user terminal 6c is used by the user C, and the user terminal 6d is used by the user D.

  A printer driver is installed in the user terminal 6. Thereby, the user terminal 6 can generate a print job and output it to the printing apparatus 1. Further, the user terminal 6 is configured to be able to display various display screens output from the printing apparatus 1 on the display unit 7, and further, operation instructions input from the operation input unit 8 to the display screen. Can be received and output to the printing apparatus 1.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 1. The printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10 that controls the operation of the printing apparatus 1, a network interface 13 for connecting to an external device such as the user terminal 6, and a print processing unit 14 that executes a print job and performs print output. And an operation panel 2 that accepts various operations by the user and a storage device 17 that stores various types of information, and are connected to each other via a bus 15 so that they can communicate with each other.

  The control unit 10 includes a CPU 11 and a memory 12, and controls the operation of each unit. The CPU 11 reads and executes the program 18 stored in the storage device 17. Here, the program 18 is a basic program executed by the CPU 11 when the printing apparatus 1 is turned on. For example, the program 18 is a program for receiving a print job transmitted from the user terminal 6 and executing the print job, and a program for causing the control unit 10 to function as various processing units to be described later. It is. The memory 12 stores temporary data associated with the CPU 11 executing a program. The storage device 17 also has a print job storage unit 19 that stores print jobs.

  The network interface 13 is for connecting the printing apparatus 1 to the network 5. The control unit 10 is communicably connected to the user terminal 6 via the network interface 13.

  The print processing unit 14 feeds paper one by one from the paper feed cassette, and forms an image on the paper fed from the paper feed unit based on image data included in the print job. A transfer unit that transfers a toner image (image) formed by the image forming unit to a sheet, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet, a printed material conveyance unit that conveys the printed material to the discharge port 3, The image forming unit includes a toner bottle for replenishing toner. Thereby, the print processing unit 14 can execute the input print job.

  Each processing unit (to be described later) of the control unit 10 and at least a part of the storage area of the storage device 17 are activated even when the energized state is in the power saving state, and various information from the user terminal 6 is stored. The storage device 17 is configured to receive the received information and read the information stored in the storage device 17.

  3 and 4 show an outline of processing executed by the printing apparatus 1. In FIG. 3, the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 is a power saving state. In this state, when the printing apparatus 1 inputs the print job A1 from the user terminal 6a, the printing apparatus 1 notifies the user terminal 6a that the energized state is the power saving state, and whether or not to immediately execute the print job. A guidance screen for inquiring is displayed on the user terminal 6. When an instruction to suspend execution of the print job A1 is input from the user terminal 6a, the printing apparatus 1 stores the print job A1 as a standby job in the print job storage unit 19 of the storage device 17 and maintains the power saving state. . Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 can save the electric power accompanying the return from the power saving state to the normal energization state.

  When the printing apparatus 1 is in the power saving state and the standby job is already stored in the storage device 17, when the print job is input from the user terminal 6, the printing apparatus 1 is stored in the storage device 17. It is determined whether or not the waiting job that is present and the print job input from the user terminal 6 are the same. For example, when the print job B is input from the user terminal 6b when the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 is the power saving state and the print job A1 is stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job, the printing apparatus 1 determines the identity of the print job A1 stored as a standby job in the storage device 17 and the input print job B based on, for example, a file name.

  For example, in FIG. 3, when the print job B is generated based on document data different from the document data from which the print job A1 is generated, the print job B is stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job. It is determined that the print job is different from the print job A1 that is present. On the other hand, when the print job B is generated based on the same document data as the document data from which the print job A1 is generated, the print job B is stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job. It is determined that the print job is the same as A1. FIG. 3 illustrates a case where it is determined that the print job B is a print job different from the print job A1.

  In this way, when the determination of the identity between the received print job B and the print job A1 that is the standby job is completed, the printing apparatus 1 guides the user terminal 6b in the same manner as described above, as shown in FIG. Display the screen. When the printing apparatus 1 inputs an instruction to suspend execution of the print job B from the user terminal 6b, the printing apparatus 1 stores the print job B as a standby job in the storage device 17 and maintains the power saving state.

  Thereafter, when the printing apparatus 1 inputs the printing job A2 from the user terminal 6c, the printing apparatus 1 determines the sameness between the printing job A2 and the printing job A1 and the printing job B stored as standby jobs in the storage device 17.

  The determination here is performed in the same manner as described above. That is, when the print job A2 is generated based on document data different from the document data from which the print job A1 or B is generated, the print job A2 is stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job. It is determined that the print job is different from the jobs A1 and B. On the other hand, when the print job A2 is generated based on the same document data as the document data from which one of the print jobs A1 and B is generated, the print job A2 is stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job. It is determined that the print job is the same as one of the stored print jobs A1 and B. FIG. 3 illustrates a case where it is determined that the print job A2 is the same job as the print job A1.

  If the printing apparatus 1 determines that the print job A1 stored as a standby job in the storage device 17 is the same as the input print job A2, the printing apparatus 1 identifies the user who issued the print job A2. Then, the printing apparatus 1 generates user information 21 related to the user and associates the user information 21 with the print job A1 stored as a standby job in the storage device 17. In the example of FIG. 3, the printing apparatus 1 associates the user information 21 related to the user C with the print job A1.

  When the association of the user information 21 is completed, the printing apparatus 1 displays a guidance screen on the user terminal 6c in the same manner as described above. When the printing apparatus 1 inputs an instruction to suspend execution of the print job A2 from the user terminal 6c, the printing apparatus 1 stores the print job A2 as a standby job in the storage device 17 and maintains the power saving state. In this way, the print jobs A1, B, A2 are stored in the storage device 17. At this time, the user information 21 related to the user C is associated with the print job A1.

  After that, when the printing apparatus 1 further inputs the print job A3 from the user terminal 6d, the print job A3 and the print jobs A1, B, and A2 stored as standby jobs in the storage device 17 in the same manner as described above. Are the same. The determination here is also performed in the same manner as described above. As a result, for example, when it is determined that the print job A3 and the print job A1 are the same, the printing apparatus 1 associates the user information 21 related to the user D who issued the print job A3 with the print job A1. At this time, it is determined that the print job A3 is the same as the print job A2, but in this case, for example, the user information 21 is associated with the print job A1 having the earliest reception order.

  For example, when the users A, C, and D attend the same meeting and print instructions regarding document data such as meeting materials are given at different timings, the printing apparatus 1 has the same print jobs A1 and A2 at different timings. , A3. Further, as described above, the printing apparatus 1 may receive another print job B different from these while receiving the same print jobs A1, A2, and A3. In such a case, the printing apparatus 1 performs the following process in order to reduce the waiting time of the user who issued the same print job.

  When the association of the user information 21 is completed, the printing apparatus 1 displays a guidance screen on the user terminal 6d as described above. At this time, for example, if the scheduled start time of the meeting attended by the users A, C, and D is approaching, the user D instructs the guidance screen displayed on the user terminal 6d to immediately print out. . When an instruction to immediately execute the print job A3 is input from the user terminal 6d, the printing apparatus 1 returns the energized state from the power saving state to the normal energized state and starts executing the print job.

  When the printing apparatus 1 executes a print job that is determined to be the same in the above-described identity determination, a standby job that is associated with the user information 21 among the standby jobs stored in the storage device 17 is changed to another one. Executes with priority over standby jobs. In the example of FIG. 3, the printing apparatus 1 first executes the print job A1 associated with the user information 21. At this time, the printing apparatus 1 performs printing of a plurality of copies in accordance with the number of print jobs determined to be the same in the above-described identity determination. For example, the printing apparatus 1 refers to the user information 21 and executes a print job a plurality of times corresponding to the number of users recorded in the user information 21 to perform a plurality of print outputs.

  For example, in the illustrated example, user information 21 relating to users C and D is associated with the print job A1 stored as a standby job in the storage device 17. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the printing apparatus 1 executes the print job A1 twice twice corresponding to the number of users C and D. That is, the printing apparatus 1 outputs a total of three copies by executing the print job A1 three times. As a result, the user C who has issued the print job A2 and the user D who has issued the print job A3 acquire the printed matter at an early stage without waiting for the execution of the print job B received before the print jobs A2 and A3. Is possible. That is, since the users C and D do not have to wait for the time required to execute the print job B, the waiting time is reduced accordingly. In particular, even when the information amount of the print job B is large and it takes a relatively long time from the start to the end of execution of the print job B, the printed materials for the users C and D are printed before that. As a result, documents such as conference materials can be acquired before the conference starts.

  When the printing apparatus 1 executes the print job A1 associated with the user information 21, the printing apparatus 1 deletes the print jobs A2 and A3 issued by the user recorded in the user information 21 associated with the print job A1. . Thereby, the printing apparatus 1 can prevent the printed matter having the same contents from being further printed out after that.

  Further, when the execution of the print job associated with the user information 21 is completed, the printing apparatus 1 sequentially executes the print jobs that are in the standby state at that time. As a result, the user B can acquire the printed matter. Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the control unit 10 that controls the operation of the printing apparatus 1 as described above will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the control unit 10. The control unit 10 functions as the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27, the print control unit 29, the display control unit 30, and the above-described power management unit 31 when the CPU 11 described above executes the program 18. The instruction analysis unit 25 includes an energization detection unit 26, and the job management unit 27 includes a determination unit 28.

  Next, processing executed by the control unit 10 will be described. When receiving a signal or information via the network 5, the control unit 10 first causes the instruction analysis unit 25 to function. The instruction analysis unit 25 is a processing unit that receives and analyzes an operation instruction and various information input from the user terminal 6 and outputs various information to each processing unit based on the analysis result. When the instruction analysis unit 25 receives a print job from the user terminal 6, the energization detection unit 26 included in the instruction analysis unit 25 functions next.

  The energization detection unit 26 is a processing unit that detects whether the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 controlled by the power management unit 31 is a power saving state or a normal energization state. For example, the energization detection unit 26 is communicably connected to the above-described power management unit, and can detect a power supply state by the power management unit. Thereby, the instruction analysis unit 25 can perform various processes based on the detection result by the energization detection unit 26.

  When the instruction analysis unit 25 inputs a print job when the energization state is the normal energization state, the instruction analysis unit 25 outputs the print job to the print control unit 29.

  The print control unit 29 is a processing unit that outputs a print job to the print processing unit 14. The print control unit 29 functions by receiving a print job from the instruction analysis unit 25 and outputs the print job to the print processing unit 14. As a result, the print processing is performed by the print processing unit 14 and the printed matter is output from the discharge port 3.

  On the other hand, when the instruction analysis unit 25 inputs a print job when the energization state is the power saving state, the instruction analysis unit 25 outputs the print job to the job management unit 27.

  The job management unit 27 is a processing unit that manages a print job by storing the print job in the storage device 17 and associating various information with the print job. When the job management unit 27 receives a print job from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 detects whether there is a standby job already stored in the storage device 17. In the following, first, a case where no standby job is stored in the storage device 17 will be described.

  When no standby job is stored in the storage device 17, the job management unit 27 generates a guidance screen for the display control unit 30 in order to determine the output destination of the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25. Instruct. The display control unit 30 is a processing unit that generates various display screens and displays them on the user terminal 6. When receiving an instruction from the job management unit 27, the display control unit 30 generates a guidance screen and displays it on the user terminal 6.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the guidance screen 35 generated by the display control unit 30. As shown in the figure, the guidance screen 35 displays a message notifying that the printing apparatus 1 is in the power saving state. Thereby, the user can know that the printing apparatus 1 is in the power saving state. The guidance screen 35 is provided with an execution button 35a for executing printing and a hold button 35b for holding printing. When the user presses either the execution button 35a or the hold button 35b, the operation information is accepted by the instruction analysis unit 25.

  When the instruction analysis unit 25 receives operation information indicating that the hold button 35 b has been pressed, the instruction analysis unit 25 outputs the operation information to the job management unit 27. When the job management unit 27 receives the operation information, the job management unit 27 stores the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 in the storage device 17 based on the operation information. As a result, the power saving state is maintained, so that power consumption can be saved.

  On the other hand, when receiving operation information indicating that the execution button 35a has been pressed, the instruction analysis unit 25 instructs the power management unit 31 to return from the power saving state to the normal energization state. As a result, the printing apparatus 1 returns from the power saving state to the normal energization state by controlling the energization state by the power management unit 31. Then, the instruction analysis unit 25 outputs the received operation information to the job management unit 27. When the job management unit 27 receives the operation information from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 outputs the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 to the print control unit 29 based on the operation information. Upon receiving a print job from the job management unit 27, the print control unit 29 causes the print processing unit 14 to execute the print job. Thereby, the printed matter is output from the discharge port 3.

  Next, a case where a standby print job is stored in the storage device 17 will be described. When the standby job is stored in the storage device 17, the determination unit 28 functions in the job management unit 27 shown in FIG. The determination unit 28 is a processing unit that determines whether the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25.

  The determination of identity is performed based on, for example, print job attributes. The attributes of the print job include a file name included in the print job, a file type, a file creation date and time, a file creator, and the like. When at least one of the file name, file type, file creation date and time, and file creator is the same, the determination unit 28 and the instruction analysis unit 25 store the standby job stored in the storage device 17. It is determined that the print job received from is the same print job. However, the determination of identity is not limited to the above-described criteria. For example, the determination unit 28 compares text data included in each file of the standby job stored in the storage device 17 and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, and the matching rate of the text data. Whether or not the print jobs are the same may be determined based on the above.

  Further, when a plurality of standby jobs are stored in the storage device 17, the determination unit 28 determines whether or not all of the standby jobs are the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25. When the plurality of standby jobs stored in the storage device 17 and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 are the same, the determination unit 28 has the earliest reception order. To extract. As a result, the user information 21 can be intensively associated with one standby job stored in the storage device 17. However, as long as the user information 21 can be associated with one standby job stored in the storage device 17 in a concentrated manner, any of the plurality of standby jobs stored in the storage device 17 may be extracted.

  The job management unit 27 performs processing as follows based on the determination result by the determination unit 28. In the following, first, a case where the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is different from the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 will be described.

  When the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is different from the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 instructs the display control unit 30 to generate the guidance screen 35. When the display control unit 30 generates the guidance screen 35, the display control unit 30 displays the guidance screen 35 on the display unit 7 of the user terminal 6. When the hold button 35b is pressed, the job management unit 27 stores the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 in the storage device 17 as a standby job in the same manner as described above. On the other hand, when the execution button 35a is pressed, the control unit 10 starts processing for performing print output of the standby job. This process will be described later.

  Next, a case where the standby job stored in the storage device 17 and the print job received by the job management unit 27 from the instruction analysis unit 25 are the same will be described. If the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 has already received the user from the standby job stored in the storage device 17 It is determined whether the information 21 is associated. Then, when the user information 21 is not yet associated with the standby job stored in the storage device 17, the job management unit 27 records the information by newly generating the user information 21. On the other hand, if the user information 21 is already associated with the standby job stored in the storage device 17, the job management unit 27 records the information by updating the user information 21.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user information 21 generated by the job management unit 27. The user information 21 is information in which a standby job extracted by the determination unit 28, a user ID associated with the standby job, and setting contents are recorded. If the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 determines the user who issued the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25. Identify. Then, the job management unit 27 records the user ID of the identified user in the user information 21. When a plurality of print jobs that are the same as one standby job already stored in the storage device 17 are issued by different users, the user ID of each user who issued the plurality of print jobs is user information. 21. In the example of FIG. 7, users C and D are recorded in the user information 21 as user IDs. In this way, the user information 21 is associated with information about the user.

  Here, the standby job associated with the user information 21 is a print job scheduled to be executed later, and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 is a print job scheduled to be deleted later. The user information 21 is recorded with settings to reflect various print settings included in the print job scheduled to be deleted in the print job scheduled to be executed. In the setting contents, for example, various print settings made for the print job to be deleted, such as the print direction and the page allocation mode, are recorded. As a result, the control unit 10 can reflect the print settings included in the print job scheduled to be deleted when the print job scheduled to be executed is executed. If there is a plurality of standby jobs that are the same as the standby job in one standby job that is already stored in the storage device 17, the setting contents are stored in the user information 21, as shown in FIG. A plurality of records are recorded corresponding to each associated user.

  When the standby job stored in the storage device 17 and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 are the same, the job management unit 27 reads the print setting from the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, and the user information 21. In this way, the setting content is recorded in the user information 21.

  When the recording in the user information 21 is completed, the job management unit 27 stores the user information 21 in the storage device 17 and instructs the display control unit 30 to generate the guidance screen 35. When the display control unit 30 generates the guidance screen 35, the display control unit 30 displays the guidance screen 35 on the display unit 7 of the user terminal 6. When the hold button 35b is pressed, the job management unit 27 stores the print job in the storage device 17 as a standby job in the same manner as described above. On the other hand, when the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35, the control unit 10 starts a process for printing out the standby job stored in the storage device 17, as will be described below. .

  Hereinafter, processing for performing print output of the standby job stored in the storage device 17 will be described. First, when the instruction analysis unit 25 receives operation information indicating that the execution button 35a has been pressed on the guidance screen 35, the instruction analysis unit 25 instructs the power management unit 31 to return from the power saving state to the normal energization state. As a result, the printing apparatus 1 returns from the power saving state to the normal energization state under the control of the power management unit 31. However, the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 may return from the power saving state to the normal energization state by, for example, a direct operation on the operation panel 2 of the printing apparatus 1.

  Next, when the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 returns from the power saving state to the normal energization state, the instruction analysis unit 25 instructs the print control unit 29 to execute the standby job stored in the storage device 17. To do. When receiving the instruction, the print control unit 29 detects whether or not the user information 21 is stored in the storage device 17. When the user information 21 is stored in the storage device 17, the print control unit 29 specifies the standby job recorded in the user information 21. For example, in the example of FIG. 7, since the print job A1 is recorded as the standby job in the user information 21, the job management unit 27 identifies the print job A1. In this way, the print control unit 29 identifies the standby job with which the user information 21 is associated. A process when the user information 21 is not stored in the storage device 17 will be described later.

  When the print control unit 29 specifies a standby job associated with the user information 21, the print control unit 29 reads the standby job from the storage device 17. At this time, the storage device 17 may store both a standby job associated with the user information 21 and a standby job not associated with the user information 21. In this case, the print control unit 29 reads the standby job associated with the user information 21 from the storage device 17 with higher priority than the standby job not associated with the user information 21. As a result, the print job associated with the user information 21 is preferentially executed over the print job not associated with the user information 21, thereby reducing the waiting time of each user who issued the same print job. be able to.

  When the print control unit 29 reads out the standby job associated with the user information 21 from the storage device 17, the print control unit 29 refers to the user information 21 and sets the number of users associated with the user information 21 as the user ID. Identify based on. In the example of FIG. 7, users C and D are recorded in the user information 21. In this case, the print control unit 29 specifies that the number of users associated with the user information 21 is two. Further, the print control unit 29 specifies the setting content recorded in the user information 21. In the example of FIG. 7, the print control unit 29 records setting contents corresponding to the users C and D. In this case, the print control unit 29 specifies setting contents corresponding to the users C and D.

  When the print control unit 29 reads a print job stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job, the print control unit 29 executes the print job a plurality of times based on the number of specified users. For example, the print control unit 29 repeatedly executes a print job a plurality of times based on the specified number of users. Alternatively, for example, the print control unit 29 may perform print output of a plurality of copies by adding the number of specified users to the number of print copies set in advance in the read print job. Although a method for executing a print job a plurality of times can be designed as appropriate, the print control unit 29 performs processing so that each copy is continuously printed out.

  Thereby, the waiting time of the user who has issued the same print job as the print job to be executed is shortened. In the example of FIG. 7, since two users C and D are associated with the user information 21, the print control unit 29 executes an extra print job for two copies corresponding to the number of users. That is, the print control unit 29 executes the print job so that a total of three copies are output. As a result, the print job is executed in accordance with the number of users associated with the user information 21, so that the user associated with the user information 21 can obtain the printed material without omission.

  The print control unit 29 executes a print job based on the setting contents recorded in the user information 21. For example, referring to the example of FIG. 7, when executing the print job A1 three times, the print control unit 29 executes the print job A1 as usual based on the print settings of the print job A1. In addition, the print control unit 29 executes the print job A1 with the setting contents corresponding to the user C for the second time. Then, the print control unit 29 executes the print job A1 with the setting content corresponding to the user D for the third time. As a result, the print job A1 is executed three times with the setting contents corresponding to the users A, C, and D. Then, three copies of printed matter printed with setting contents corresponding to the users A, C, and D are output from the discharge port 3.

  When executing the print job associated with the user information 21, the print control unit 29 deletes the print job issued by the user associated with the user information 21 from the storage device 17.

At this time, a print job to be deleted that is not stored in the storage device 17 may be waiting for processing. For example, when the same print job as the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is newly input, and the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35 displayed when the print job is input. is there. In this case, the input print job is a print job to be deleted because the user who issued the print job is associated with the user information 21. The print job to be deleted is stored in the memory 12 when the job management unit 27 receives it from the instruction analysis unit 25 and is in a state of waiting temporarily. The print control unit 29 deletes the print job to be deleted waiting for such processing from the memory 12. As described above, the print control unit 29 is configured to execute one print job stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job a plurality of times and not execute another print job determined to be the same as the print job. . As a result, it is possible to prevent the printed matter having the same contents from being excessively printed out.

  When the deletion of the print job issued by the user associated with the user information 21 is completed, the print control unit 29 deletes the user information 21 from the storage device 17. Further, when there is a standby job remaining in the storage device 17, the print control unit 29 executes the standby job at this timing. When there are a plurality of standby jobs stored in the storage device 17, the print control unit 29 sequentially executes the standby jobs in accordance with the reception order, for example.

  However, at this time, a print job scheduled to be executed that is not stored in the storage device 17 may be waiting for printing. For example, in the guidance screen 35 that is displayed when a standby job associated with the user information 21 is stored in the storage device 17 and a print job different from the standby job is newly input, This is a case where the execution button 35a is pressed. In this case, the input print job is a print job to be executed because it is different from the standby job associated with the user information 21. The print job to be executed is stored in the memory 12 and temporarily waiting when the job management unit 27 receives it from the instruction analysis unit 25. In such a case, the print control unit 29 executes the print job to be executed with priority over the standby job stored in the storage device 17.

  Furthermore, the print job scheduled to be executed may be executed before the same print job is executed a plurality of times as described above. As a result, the print job issued by the user who presses the execution button 35a on the guidance screen 35 can be executed earliest, so that the user can quickly obtain the printed matter. At this time, the print control unit 29 detects the required print time of the print job to be executed based on the amount of data, and determines whether the required print time exceeds a predetermined threshold value. To do. The print control unit 29 may execute the same print job multiple times preferentially over the print job to be executed when the required print time of the print job to be executed exceeds the threshold value. . This prevents each user who issued the same print job from waiting for a long time until the print job to be executed is completed.

  Next, a process when the user information 21 is not stored in the storage device 17 when the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35 will be described. The user information 21 is information generated when there are identical print jobs. When the user information 21 is not stored in the storage device 17, the storage device 17 stores a standby job different from the print job received by the job management unit 27 from the instruction analysis unit 25. When a plurality of standby jobs are stored in the storage device 17, each standby job is a different print job.

  In such a case, when the execution button 35 a is pressed, the print control unit 29 receives a print job from the job management unit 27 and executes the print job with priority over the standby job stored in the storage device 17. To do. Then, the print control unit 29 sequentially reads the standby jobs stored in the storage device 17 from the storage device 17 in accordance with the reception order and executes them.

  The above description exemplifies a case where a print job with the earliest acceptance order is executed a plurality of times among print jobs determined to be the same as the received print job. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any of the print jobs determined to be the same may be executed a plurality of times. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the storage device 17 stores a print job A1 and a print job A2 that is the same as the print job A1 as standby jobs. In the above description, the print job A1 having the earliest acceptance order is the timing at which the energized state returns to the normal energized state in response to the input of the same print job A3 as the print jobs A1 and A2 in that state. Exemplified to be executed three times. As another example, the print job A2 may be executed three times at the above timing, or the print job A3 may be executed three times at the above timing. However, in any case, the user information 21 is associated with the print job scheduled to be executed at that time to the user who issued the print job scheduled to be deleted. Even with such a configuration, since the print job A2 or A3 is executed three times without waiting for the execution of the print job B, the waiting time of each user who issued the print jobs A2 and A3 is reduced.

  8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an example of processing procedures executed in the printing apparatus 1 configured as described above. FIG. 8 shows the overall processing procedure, and FIG. 9 shows the processing procedure of the print job hold processing.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the print job is received by the instruction analysis unit 25 (YES in step S1), the energization detection unit 26 detects the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 (step S2). When the energized state is the power saving state (YES in step S3), the control unit 10 executes a print job holding process (step S4). On the other hand, when the energization state is the normal energization state (NO in step S3), the print control unit 29 receives the print job from the job management unit 27 and causes the print processing unit 14 to execute the print job (step S5). ). As described above, the overall processing ends.

  Next, the print job holding process will be described with reference to FIG. When this process is started, the job management unit 27 searches the storage device 17 to detect whether there is a standby job already stored (step S10). Then, the job management unit 27 stores the storage device. If there is a standby job that is already stored by searching 17 (YES in step S10), the identity of the stored standby job and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 is determined (step S11). ). When the job management unit 27 determines that the stored standby job is the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 (YES in step S11), the job management unit 27 issues the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25. The identified user is identified (step S12).

  When the job management unit 27 identifies the user who issued the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 records the user ID in the user information 21 (step S13). At this time, the job management unit 27 reads the print settings of the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, records the setting contents in the user information 21, and stores the user information 21 in the storage device 17 (step S14). ).

  Whether the job management unit 27 determines that the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is not the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 (NO in step S11), or stores the user information 21 in the storage device 17 (step S14), the guide screen 35 is displayed on the display unit 7 (step S15).

  When the hold button 35b is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (YES in step S16), the job management unit 27 stores the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 in the storage device 17 (step S23). In this case, the control unit 10 waits until a print job is received (returns to step S1 in FIG. 8).

  On the other hand, when the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (NO in step S16), the instruction analysis unit 25 returns the energized state from the power saving state to the normal energized state via the power management unit 31 (step S17). ). Next, the print control unit 29 reads the standby job on condition that the standby job associated with the user information 21 is stored in the storage device 17 (step S18). Further, the print control unit 29 reads the user information 21 and specifies the user ID and the setting content recorded in the user information 21 (step S19).

  The print control unit 29 executes the print job read from the storage device 17 as described above a plurality of times corresponding to the number of users associated with the user information 21 (step S20). At this time, the print control unit 29 executes the print job by reflecting the print setting corresponding to each user based on the specified setting content. When all the executions of the print jobs associated with the user information 21 are completed, the print control unit 29 deletes the user information 21 from the storage device 17 and prints the print job issued by the user recorded in the user information 21. Delete (step S21). Then, the print control unit 29 executes the remaining print job (step S22).

  In addition, when any standby job is not yet stored in the storage device 17 (NO in step S10), the display control unit 30 displays the guidance screen 35 on the display unit 7 as shown in FIG. 10 (step S24). ). When the hold button 35b is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (YES in step S25), the job management unit 27 stores the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 in the storage device 17 as a standby job (step S26). In this case, the control unit 10 waits until a print job is received (returns to step S1 in FIG. 8).

  On the other hand, when the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (NO in step S25), the instruction analysis unit 25 returns the energized state from the power saving state to the normal energized state via the power management unit 31 (step S27). ). The print control unit 29 receives the print job from the job management unit 27 and causes the print processing unit 14 to execute the print job (return to step S5 in FIG. 8). Thus, the print job hold process ends.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when a print job is received by the instruction analysis unit 25, the printing apparatus 1 receives the received print job attribute and the standby job attribute stored in the storage device 17. And whether the received print job and the standby job stored in the storage device 17 are the same print job or not. In addition, when executing a print job determined to be the same, the printing apparatus 1 is configured to perform print output by executing the print job determined to be the same multiple times.

  According to such a configuration, when the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is executed, the standby job is executed a plurality of times. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can store the standby job stored in the storage device 17. It is possible to reduce the waiting time of the user who has issued the same print job as the job.

  In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 executes any one of a plurality of print jobs determined to be the same multiple times, and executes another print job among the plurality of print jobs determined to be the same. Configured not to.

  According to such a configuration, the printing apparatus can prevent a problem in which a printed matter of a required number or more is printed out. That is, after any one of a plurality of print jobs determined to be the same is executed, if another print job that is the same as the print job is further executed, an extra printed matter is output. there is a possibility. However, according to the above configuration, the printing apparatus 1 can prevent such a problem.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 10 includes a job management unit 27 that generates user information 21 related to a user who has issued a print job that is determined to be the same as the standby job stored in the storage device 17. ing. The job management unit 27 associates the generated user information 21 with the standby job determined to be the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25. The printing apparatus 1 is configured to execute the standby job stored in the storage device 17 a plurality of times corresponding to the number of users associated with the user information 21.

  According to such a configuration, the print job is executed a plurality of times corresponding to the number of users associated with the user information 21, so that it is determined that the print job is the same as the standby job stored in the storage device 17. Each user who has issued a print job can obtain printed matter without omission.

  In the present embodiment, the user information 21 records setting contents related to print settings of print jobs determined to be the same. The printing apparatus 1 is configured to execute the print job a plurality of times based on the print settings corresponding to each user when executing the print job stored in the storage device 17 as a standby job.

  According to such a configuration, a plurality of print outputs are performed corresponding to each print setting of each print job determined to be the same, and therefore the same as the standby job stored in the storage device 17. The user who has issued the print job determined to be can acquire the printed matter printed out according to his print settings.

  In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 is configured to store in the storage device 17 a print job that is input when the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 is a power saving state. According to such a configuration, the printing apparatus 1 can save power consumption of the printing apparatus 1 as compared with the case where the printing job is executed every time the printing job is input.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is executed a plurality of times corresponding to the number of users who have issued the same print job as the standby job. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is executed a plurality of times corresponding to the same number of print jobs as the standby job. Even with such a configuration, the printing apparatus 1 can output a plurality of copies according to the number of print jobs determined to be the same. In the following, the configuration related to the present embodiment will be described in detail, and the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of related job information 23 associated with the standby job stored in the storage device 17. In the present embodiment, the user information 21 is not generated. The related job information 23 includes information on the standby job extracted by the determination unit 28 among the standby jobs stored in the storage device 17, information on the related print job that is the same as the standby job, and related print jobs. The setting contents relating to the print settings made for each are recorded.

  The job management unit 27 records each piece of information in the related job information 23 as follows. When the standby job stored in the storage device 17 and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 are the same, the job management unit 27 already relates to the standby job stored in the storage device. It is determined whether or not the information 23 is associated. Then, if the related job information 23 is not yet associated with the standby job stored in the storage device 17, the job management unit 27 records the information by newly generating the related job information 23. To do. On the other hand, when the related job information 23 is already associated with the standby job stored in the storage device 17, the job management unit 27 records the information by updating the related job information 23. .

  If the standby job stored in the storage device 17 and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 are the same, the job management unit 27 uses the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 as an associated print job. It is determined that there is, and information related to the related print job is recorded in the related job information 23. When a plurality of newly input related print jobs are the same as one standby job already stored in the storage device 17, information related to each related print job is recorded in the related job information 23. . In the example of FIG. 11, related print jobs X <b> 2 and X <b> 3 are recorded in the related job information 23.

  The print job associated with the related job information 23 is a print job scheduled to be executed later, and the related print job recorded in the related job information 23 is a print job scheduled to be deleted later. In the related job information 23, setting contents are recorded in order to reflect various print settings for the related print job to be deleted when the print job to be executed is executed. In addition, there may be a plurality of related print jobs that are scheduled to be deleted for a print job scheduled to be executed. In this case, a plurality of setting contents are recorded corresponding to each related print job recorded in the related job information 23 as shown in FIG.

  When the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, the job management unit 27 reads the print setting from the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25, and related jobs Record in information 23. In this way, the setting contents are recorded in the related job information 23.

  FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 are flowcharts illustrating an example of a processing procedure of print job hold processing executed by the control unit 10 in the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the print job holding process executed by the control unit 10 will be described with reference to this flowchart.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when this process is started, the job management unit 27 searches the storage device 17 to detect whether there is a standby job already stored (step S40). When there is a standby job that has already been stored by searching the storage device 17 (YES in step S40), the management unit 27 matches the stored standby job with the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25. Sex is judged (step S41). If the job management unit 27 determines that the stored standby job and the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 are the same (YES in step S41), the information regarding the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 is displayed. Is recorded in the related job information 23 (step S42). In this way, information related to the related print job is recorded in the related job information 23.

  Next, the job management unit 27 records the print settings included in the related print job as setting contents in the related job information 23, and stores the related job information 23 in the storage device 17 (step S43). The job management unit 27 determines whether the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is not the same as the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 (NO in step S41) or stores the related job information 23. If it memorize | stores in the apparatus 17 (step S43), the guidance screen 35 will be displayed on the display part 7 (step S44).

  When the hold button 35b is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (YES in step S45), the job management unit 27 stores the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 in the storage device 17 (step S52). In this case, the control unit 10 waits until a print job is received (returns to step S1 in FIG. 8).

  On the other hand, when the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (NO in step S45), the instruction analysis unit 25 returns the energized state from the power saving state to the normal energized state via the power management unit 31 (step S46). ). Next, the print controller 29 reads the standby job on condition that the standby job associated with the related job information 23 is stored in the storage device 17 (step S47). Further, the print control unit 29 refers to the related job information 23 and specifies the related print job and the setting content recorded in the related job information 23 (step S48).

  The print control unit 29 executes the print job read from the storage device 17 as described above a plurality of times corresponding to the number of related print jobs recorded in the related job information 23 (step S49). In the example of the related job information 23 illustrated in FIG. 11, the number of related print jobs is two of the related print jobs X2 and X3, and therefore the print control unit 29 executes the print jobs three times in total. At this time, the print control unit 29 executes the print job a plurality of times by reflecting the print setting corresponding to each related print job based on the specified setting content. When the print control unit 29 finishes executing the print job read from the storage device 17 a plurality of times, the print control unit 29 deletes the related job information 23 from the storage device 17 and deletes the related print job recorded in the related job information 23. (Step S50). Then, the print control unit 29 executes the remaining print job (step S51).

  If no standby job has been stored in the storage device 17 (NO in step S40), the display control unit 30 displays the guidance screen 35 on the display unit 7 as shown in FIG. 13 (step S53). ). When the hold button 35b is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (YES in step S54), the job management unit 27 stores the print job received from the instruction analysis unit 25 in the storage device 17 (step S55). In this case, the control unit 10 waits until a print job is received (returns to step S1 in FIG. 8).

  On the other hand, when the execution button 35a is pressed on the guidance screen 35 (NO in step S54), the instruction analysis unit 25 returns the energized state from the power saving state to the normal energized state via the power management unit 31 (step S56). ). The print control unit 29 receives the print job from the job management unit 27 and causes the print processing unit 14 to execute the print job (return to step S5 in FIG. 8). As described above, the print job hold processing ends.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 is configured to execute the standby job stored in the storage device 17 a plurality of times in accordance with the number of related print jobs recorded in the related job information 23. It is. According to such a configuration, in the printing apparatus 1, each user who has issued the related print job recorded in the related job information 23 can acquire the printed material without omission.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment regarding this invention was described, this invention is not restricted to the content mentioned above, A various modification is applicable.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, when the standby job stored in the storage device 17 is executed a plurality of times, the energization state of the printing apparatus 1 returns from the power saving state to the normal energization state. Is the time. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the print execution time may be set in advance, or each user who has issued the print job may be notified that the print job will be executed. good. As a result, the user who issued the print job can know the print timing.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, any one print job of the standby job stored in the storage device 17 and the same print job as that print job is executed a plurality of times. However, each print job may be executed. For example, each print job is executed continuously by adjusting the priority order of the print job associated with the user information 21 and the print job issued by the user recorded in the user information 21. You may comprise. When the related job information 23 is used, the priority order between the print job with which the related job information 23 is related and the related print job recorded in the related job information 23 is adjusted, so that each print You may comprise so that a job may be performed continuously. This configuration can also reduce the waiting time of the user who has issued the same print job as the standby job stored in the storage device 17.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printing device 6 User terminal 17 Storage device 25 Instruction analysis part (accepting means)
26 Energization detection unit (detection means)
27 Job management section (management means)
28 Discriminating part (discriminating means)
29 Print Control Unit (Print Control Unit)
31 Power management unit (power management means)

Claims (6)

Receiving means for receiving a print job;
A storage device that stores the print job as a standby job when the print job accepted by the accepting unit is not immediately executed;
Determining means for determining whether or not the accepted print job and the standby job stored in the storage device are the same print job when the accepting means accepts the print job;
Print control means for performing print output by executing a print job;
With
The printing apparatus, wherein when executing the print job determined to be the same by the determination unit, the print control unit performs print output of a plurality of copies according to the number of print jobs determined to be the same.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit executes any one of a plurality of print jobs determined to be the same a plurality of times and does not execute another print job.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit performs print output of a plurality of copies in accordance with the number of users who have issued print jobs determined to be the same.   4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print control unit performs print output of a plurality of copies in accordance with print settings of print jobs determined to be the same. 5. A power management means for controlling the energization state of the printing apparatus;
The storage device stores the print job accepted by the accepting unit when the energized state controlled by the power management unit is a power saving state;
The print control unit performs print output of a plurality of copies according to the number of print jobs determined to be the same when the energization state controlled by the power management unit returns from the power saving state to the normal energization state. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A printing method executed by a printing apparatus,
A reception step for receiving a print job;
A storage step of storing the print job as a standby job when the print job accepted by the accepting step is not immediately executed;
A determination step of determining whether or not the received print job and the standby job are the same print job when the print job is received in the reception step;
A print control step for performing print output by executing a print job;
Have
The printing method, wherein when executing the print jobs determined to be the same by the determination step, a plurality of copies are output according to the number of print jobs determined to be the same.

Images