JP2014222478A - Instruction creation program management system, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify the management of a program used for using an image forming apparatus from an information processing apparatus.SOLUTION: An instruction creation program management system: receives instructions to form and output images created and transmitted by an instruction creation program installed in an information processing apparatus from the information processing apparatus; acquires instruction creation program identification information identifying the instruction creation program that has created the received instructions to form and output images and using function list information representing a list of functions used when causing an image forming apparatus to form and output images from the received instructions to form and output images; and stores in a storage unit, function information represented in the received using function list information, associated with the acquired instruction creation program identification information.

Description

  The present invention relates to a command generation program management system and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to management of a program used for using an image forming apparatus from an information processing apparatus.

  In recent years, there has been a tendency to digitize information, and image processing apparatuses such as printers and facsimiles used for outputting digitized information and scanners used for digitizing documents have become indispensable devices. Such an image processing apparatus is configured as an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) that can be used as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and a copier by providing an imaging function, an image forming function, a communication function, and the like. Many.

  Among such image processing apparatuses, an image forming apparatus used for outputting an electronic document executes image forming output based on a print job generated in an information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer). Printers are commonly used. In recent years, various functions have been added to such printers, and printing is performed under various printing conditions using these functions. For example, double-sided printing, aggregate printing, monochrome / color printing, sorting / stacking function, stapling function, punching function, bookbinding function and the like can be mentioned.

  In order to cause the printer to print using such functions, it is necessary to input a print job including setting information and parameter information related to the above functions as print conditions in addition to image data to be imaged and output. There is. Such a print job is generally installed in the information processing apparatus as a software program for giving an instruction to the printer, and is generally generated by a printer driver corresponding to the function of each printer (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, in recent years, mobile phones have become highly functional, and portable information processing devices (hereinafter referred to as “portable terminals”) such as smartphones and tablet terminals having an information processing function based on a PC have been spreading. . By using such a portable terminal, the image data is transmitted from the portable terminal to the image forming apparatus in addition to the conventional mode in which image data is transmitted from the PC to the image forming apparatus and the image forming output is executed on business. A mode of executing image forming output is also increasing.

  In such an aspect in which image data is transmitted from the portable terminal to the image forming apparatus and image forming output is executed, an application program (hereinafter, referred to as a software program for realizing the same function as the printer driver described above) is used. "App" is installed. Such an application is usually provided from various suppliers such as a manufacturer or a third party that provides an image forming apparatus.

  Therefore, when using an image forming apparatus from a mobile terminal, the user selects an application that can use the intended function from among a large number of applications provided as described above, or is optimal for an image forming apparatus that intends to use it. You need to select the appropriate app and install it on your mobile device. However, recent image forming apparatuses are configured as multi-function peripherals as described above, and are multi-functional. On the other hand, depending on the provided applications, these various functions are supported. There are differences in functionality. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to select an application that can use the intended function from among a plurality of provided applications as described above, or to select an application that is optimal for the image forming apparatus to be used. is there.

  Therefore, as a method for assisting the user in selecting a number of applications provided in this way, all program list information that is a list in which the application and its function are associated with each other is stored on the image forming apparatus side. A method of providing a list in response to a request from the information processing apparatus side is conceivable. With such a method, the user selects or uses an application that can use the intended function by referring to the entire program list information provided and displayed on the information processing apparatus. It becomes easy to select an optimal application for the image forming apparatus.

  However, in order to create such all program list information, the creator or administrator collects performance information such as function information and spec information provided with the application for each application, or downloads the application. By actually using it, work such as listing the performance of each application together is required. For third-party apps, the functions that are supposed to be available in the performance information may not actually be available, so for third-party apps, the app is actually installed. It is essential to try to use it. In addition, all program list information created in this way is not always operated as it is, and every time an app is upgraded, a new app is added, or a new function is added on the printer side, Need to be updated.

  Therefore, in order to create all program list information and keep the existing all program list information up-to-date, it takes a lot of labor and time for the creator and administrator, and improving work efficiency is an issue. Become. Note that such a problem is not limited to the above-described portable terminal, and even when a general information processing apparatus such as a PC is provided with a plurality of programs used for using the image forming apparatus. Can be problematic as well.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it facilitates management of a program used to use an image forming apparatus from an information processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the present invention provides a plurality of instructions for generating and transmitting an image forming output command for causing an image forming apparatus to execute an image forming output by being installed in an information processing apparatus. A command generation program management system for managing the command generation program of the computer, wherein the command reception unit receives the command for image formation output from the information processing apparatus, and the command generation program for generating the received command for image formation output An information acquisition unit that acquires command generation program identification information for identifying a function and list of functions used to indicate a list of functions used when causing the image forming apparatus to perform image formation output from the received image formation output instruction And associating the function information indicated in the acquired used function list information with the acquired instruction generation program identification information A storage unit for storing in the storage unit, characterized in that it comprises a.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of instruction generation programs for generating and transmitting an image formation output instruction for causing an image forming apparatus to execute an image formation output by being installed in an information processing apparatus. An instruction generation program management system for managing, wherein the image forming apparatus receives an instruction for the image formation output from the information processing apparatus, and generates an instruction for generating the received instruction for the image formation output An information acquisition unit that acquires command generation program identification information for identifying a program and function information indicating a function used when causing the image forming apparatus to execute image formation output from the received image formation output instruction; The function information shown in the used function list information is recorded in the storage unit in association with the acquired instruction generation program identification information. A storage processing unit, an acquisition request receiving unit for receiving an association information acquisition request indicating an association between the function information and the instruction generation program identification information from the information processing device, and a response to the received acquisition request And an association information transmitting unit that transmits the association information to the information processing apparatus that is the transmission source of the acquisition request, and the information processing apparatus generates an acquisition request for the association information. An acquisition request transmitter that transmits the generated acquisition request to the image forming apparatus, and association information reception that receives the association information from the image forming apparatus in response to the transmitted acquisition request transmitter And a display control unit for displaying a list of associations between the function information and the instruction generation program on a display unit based on the received association information.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus that receives an image forming output instruction generated and transmitted by an instruction generating program installed in an information processing apparatus and executes an image forming output. A command receiving unit that receives the command for image formation output from the information processing apparatus; command generation program identification information for identifying a command generation program that has generated the received command for image formation output; and image formation output to the image forming apparatus Information acquisition unit for acquiring the used function list information indicating a list of functions used when executing the function from the received image formation output command, and the function information indicated in the acquired used function list information Is stored in the storage unit in association with the acquired instruction generation program identification information.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate management of a program used for using an image forming apparatus from an information processing apparatus.

It is a figure which shows the operation | use form of the system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows typically the hardware constitutions of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the mobile terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing when image forming output is executed on the image forming apparatus in the image forming system according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of all the program lists which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the production | generation process of all the program list information by the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the information contained in the print job which the mobile terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention produces | generates. It is a figure which shows an example of the mounting function list information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention produces. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention produced and memorize | stored beforehand. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information after the update by the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a print job that is generated by a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention by a print job generation program after version upgrade and transmitted to an image forming apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information after the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has been updated with a version upgrade of a print job generation program. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information after the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has been updated with a version upgrade of a print job generation program. It is a figure which shows the other example of the operation | use form of the image forming system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation | use form of the image forming system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows typically the function structure of the list information tube | pipe server which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the update process of all the program list information by the list information management server which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print job generated by a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention and transmitted to an image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print job generated by a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention and transmitted to an image forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information before the update process by the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information after the update process by the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information after the update process by the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the list information management server which concerns on other embodiment of this invention produces and stores beforehand. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information after the update process by the list information management server which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other example of the operation | use form of the image forming system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a print job generated by a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention produced. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention produced. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention produced. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention produced. It is a figure which shows an example of all the program list information which the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention merges, or the list information management server merged. It is a figure which shows an example of the information contained in the print job which the mobile terminal which concerns on other embodiment of this invention produces | generates.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as an example of an instruction generation program management system, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal that transmits image data to an image forming apparatus, and an image formation output based on image data transmitted from the mobile terminal. An image forming system configured with an image forming apparatus to be executed will be described as an example.

  When using the image forming apparatus in such an image forming system, the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment forms an image from the mobile terminal as a software program for realizing the same function as a printer driver that generates a print job. A print job generation program for using the apparatus is installed.

  In such an image forming system, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment displays a list (hereinafter referred to as “all program list”) in which a plurality of provided print job generation programs and their functions are associated with each other. Information (hereinafter referred to as “all program list information”) is stored. In such an image forming system, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment provides the entire program list information in response to a request from the mobile terminal when installing the print job generation program on the mobile terminal. To facilitate the selection of print job generation programs.

  In the image forming system configured as described above, one of the gist according to the present embodiment is to facilitate creation and management of the all program list information.

  First, an operation mode of the image forming system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation mode of the image forming system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system according to the present embodiment is configured by connecting an image forming apparatus 1 and a mobile terminal 2 via a network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network).

  The image forming apparatus 1 is an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) that can be used as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and a copier by providing an imaging function, an image forming function, a communication function, and the like. The mobile terminal 2 is a portable information processing terminal such as a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment executes image formation output to the image forming apparatus 1 by installing a print job generation program provided by a manufacturer or third party that provides the image forming apparatus 1. A function of transmitting a print job for printing.

  Next, hardware constituting the information processing apparatus such as the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 2 included in the image forming system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a configuration similar to that of a general server, a PC (Personal Computer), or the like.

  That is, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 20, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 30, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 40, and an I / F 50. Connected through. Further, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 60 and an operation unit 70 are connected to the I / F 50. In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an engine that executes image forming output and scanning.

  The CPU 10 is a calculation means and controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus. The RAM 20 is a volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information at high speed, and is used as a work area when the CPU 10 processes information. The ROM 30 is a read-only nonvolatile storage medium and stores a program such as firmware. The HDD 40 is a non-volatile storage medium that can read and write information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, and the like.

  The I / F 50 connects and controls the bus 80 and various hardware and networks. The LCD 60 is a visual user interface for the user to check the state of the information processing apparatus. The operation unit 70 is a user interface for a user to input information to the information processing apparatus, such as a keyboard, a mouse, various hard buttons, and a touch panel.

  In such a hardware configuration, a program stored in a storage medium such as the ROM 30, the HDD 40, or an optical disk (not shown) is read into the RAM 20, and the software control unit is configured by the CPU 10 performing calculations according to those programs. . A combination of the software control unit configured in this way and hardware constitutes a functional block that realizes the function of each device constituting the image forming system according to the present embodiment.

  Next, functions of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a controller 100, an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 110, a scanner unit 120, a paper discharge tray 130, a display panel 140, and a paper feed table. 150, a print engine 160, a paper discharge tray 170, a network I / F 180, and a near field communication I / F 190.

  The controller 100 includes a main control unit 101, an engine control unit 102, an input / output control unit 103, an image processing unit 104, and an operation display control unit 105. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as a multifunction machine having a scanner unit 120 and a print engine 160. In FIG. 3, the electrical connection is indicated by solid arrows, and the flow of paper is indicated by broken arrows.

  The display panel 140 is an output interface that visually displays the state of the image forming apparatus 1 and is an input when the user directly operates the image forming apparatus 1 or inputs information to the image forming apparatus 1 as a touch panel. It is also an interface (operation unit). The network I / F 180 is an interface for the image forming apparatus 1 to communicate with other devices such as an administrator terminal via the network, and an Ethernet (registered trademark) or a USB interface is used.

  The short-range communication I / F 190 is an interface for the image forming apparatus 1 to communicate with other devices by short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), FeliCa (registered trademark), and the like. The interface is used.

  The controller 100 is configured by a combination of software and hardware. Specifically, a software control unit and an integrated circuit configured by loading a control program such as firmware stored in a non-volatile storage medium such as the ROM 30 or the HDD 40 into the RAM 20 and performing an operation by the CPU 10 according to the program. The controller 100 is configured by hardware such as the above. The controller 100 functions as a control unit that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1.

  The main control unit 101 plays a role of controlling each unit included in the controller 100, and gives a command to each unit of the controller 100. The engine control unit 102 serves as a drive unit that controls or drives the print engine 160, the scanner unit 120, and the like. The input / output control unit 103 inputs signals and commands input to the main control unit 101 via the network I / F 180 and the short-range communication I / F 190. The main control unit 101 also controls the input / output control unit 103 to access other devices via the network I / F 180, the near field communication I / F 190, and the network.

  The image processing unit 104 generates drawing information based on image information to be printed and output under the control of the main control unit 101. The drawing information is information for drawing an image to be formed in the image forming operation by the print engine 160 as an image forming unit. The image processing unit 104 processes image data input from the scanner unit 120 to generate image data. The image data is information stored in the image forming apparatus 1 as a result of the scanner operation or transmitted to another device via the network I / F 180 or the short-range communication I / F 190. The operation display control unit 105 displays information on the display panel 140 or notifies the main control unit 101 of information input via the display panel 140.

  In the case of an image forming apparatus having only a printer function, the ADF 110, the scanner unit 120, and the paper discharge tray 130 shown in FIG. 3 are omitted, and the ADF 110, the scanner unit 120, and the paper discharge tray are provided from the function of the engine control unit 102. The function for controlling 130 is omitted.

  When the image forming apparatus 1 operates as a printer, first, the input / output control unit 103 receives a print job via the network I / F 180. This print job is information generated by the information processing apparatus that requests the image forming apparatus 1 to print out, that is, the mobile terminal 2 in this embodiment. The print job includes header information indicating that the job is a print job, information on an image to be output, and information on parameters to be set at the time of printout.

  In order to generate such a print job in the mobile terminal 2, a print job generation program is installed in the mobile terminal 2 as a software program that executes processing for generating a print job corresponding to the image forming apparatus 1. There is a need. Various print job generation programs are provided by manufacturers or third parties that provide the image forming apparatus 1 and have different functions.

  The gist of the present embodiment is to facilitate creation and management of all program list information provided from the image forming apparatus 1 to the mobile terminal 2 in order to facilitate selection of such various print job generation programs. is there. Note that the print job is an image formation output command to the image forming apparatus 1, and a print job generation program is used as the command generation program.

  The input / output control unit 103 transfers the received print job to the main control unit 101. When receiving the print job, the main control unit 101 controls the image processing unit 104 to generate drawing information based on document information or image information included in the print job. When drawing information is generated by the image processing unit 104, the engine control unit 102 executes image formation on a sheet conveyed from the paper feed table 150 based on the generated drawing information. As a specific mode of the print engine 160, an image forming mechanism using an ink jet method, an image forming mechanism using an electrophotographic method, or the like can be used. The document on which the image has been formed by the print engine 160 is discharged to the discharge tray 170.

  When the image forming apparatus 1 operates as a scanner, the operation display control unit 105 or input / output control is performed in accordance with a user operation on the display panel 140 or a scan execution instruction input from an external device via the network I / F 180. The unit 103 transfers a scan execution signal to the main control unit 101. The main control unit 101 controls the engine control unit 102 based on the received scan execution signal. The engine control unit 102 drives the ADF 110 and conveys the document to be imaged set on the ADF 110 to the scanner unit 120. Further, the engine control unit 102 drives the scanner unit 120 and images a document conveyed from the ADF 110. If no original is set on the ADF 110 and the original is set directly on the scanner unit 120, the scanner unit 120 images the set original according to the control of the engine control unit 102.

  In the imaging operation, an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) included in the scanner unit 120 optically scans the document, and imaging information based on the optical information is generated. The engine control unit 102 transfers the imaging information generated by the scanner unit 120 to the image processing unit 104. The image processing unit 104 generates image information based on the imaging information received from the engine control unit 102 according to the control of the main control unit 101. Image information generated by the image processing unit 104 is stored in a storage medium attached to the image forming apparatus 1 such as the HDD 40. The image information generated by the image processing unit 104 is stored in the HDD 40 or the like as it is according to a user instruction, or is transmitted to an external device by the input / output control unit 103 via the network I / F 180 and the short-range communication I / F 190. Sent.

  Further, when the image forming apparatus 1 operates as a copying machine, the image processing unit 104 generates drawing information based on imaging information received by the engine control unit 102 from the scanner unit 120 or image information generated by the image processing unit 104. To do. Based on the drawing information, the engine control unit 102 drives the print engine 160 as in the case of the printer operation.

  Next, the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment includes a controller 200, a network I / F 210, and a short-range communication I / F 220 in addition to the LCD 60 and the operation unit 70 described in FIG. The controller 200 includes a network control unit 201, an operation control unit 202, a display control unit 203, a near field communication control unit 204, and a client application 205.

  The network I / F 210 is an interface for the mobile terminal 2 to communicate with other devices via the network, and an interface such as Ethernet (registered trademark) is used. The short-range communication I / F 220 is an interface for the mobile terminal 2 to communicate with other devices by short-range wireless communication, and an interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, or FeliCa (registered trademark) is used. . The network I / F 210 and the short-range communication I / F 220 are realized by the I / F 50 shown in FIG.

  The controller 200 is configured by a combination of software and hardware. The controller 200 is a control unit that controls the entire mobile terminal 2. The network control unit 201 acquires information input via the network I / F 210 and transmits information to other devices via the network I / F 210. The near field communication control unit 204 acquires information input via the near field communication I / F 220 and transmits information to other devices via the near field communication I / F 220.

  The operation control unit 202 acquires a signal of an operation content by the user with respect to the operation unit 70 and inputs it to a module operating in the mobile terminal 2 such as the client application 205. The display control unit 203 displays the state of the mobile terminal 2 on the LCD 60 such as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) of the client application 205.

  The client application 205 is configured by a software program that is installed and operates in the mobile terminal 2 in order to use the function of the image forming system according to the present embodiment in the mobile terminal 2. The client application 205 is a software application installed on the mobile terminal 2 in order to assist the installation of the above-described print job generation program on the mobile terminal 2. Detailed functions of the client application 205 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In such a system configuration, the image forming system according to the present embodiment creates all program list information for effectively presenting information that helps the user of the mobile terminal 2 to select a print job generation program. And assist the management.

  Next, in the image forming system according to the present embodiment, processing when the image forming apparatus 1 executes image forming output will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing processing when the image forming apparatus 1 executes image forming output in the image forming system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in the image forming system according to the present embodiment, when the image forming apparatus 1 executes image forming output, first, in the mobile terminal 2, the client application 205 executes an image according to a user operation. A print job generation program list display request is sent to the forming apparatus 1 (S501). In step S <b> 501, the mobile terminal 2 transmits the list display request to the image forming apparatus 1 using the network I / F 210 or the short-range communication I / F 220. That is, in this embodiment, the client application 205 functions as an acquisition request transmission unit, and generates a list display request for a print job generation program as an acquisition request and transmits it to the image forming apparatus 1.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 that has received the print job generation program list display request from the mobile terminal 2, the main control unit 101 acquires the request via the input / output control unit 103, and sends all program list information to the mobile terminal 2. Transmit (S502). That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, the main control unit 101 functions as an acquisition request receiving unit and an associated information transmitting unit.

  In the mobile terminal 2 that has received all program list information from the image forming apparatus 1, the client application 205 acquires all program list information, and the display control unit 203 stores all programs in the LCD 60 based on the acquired all program list information. A list is displayed (S503). Through the processing in S503, the entire program list shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the LCD 60 of the mobile terminal 2, and a print job generation program that can be used in the mobile terminal 2 is presented to the user. That is, in this embodiment, the client application 205 functions as an association information receiving unit, and the display control unit 203 displays a list of associations between functional information and command generation programs on the LCD 60 as a display unit as a display control unit. .

  Here, a list of all programs displayed on the LCD 60 of the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of the entire program list according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the list of all programs according to the present embodiment is currently available such as “App A (Ver 1.0)”, “App B (Ver 1.0)”, “App C (Ver 1.0)”, etc. Whether it is compatible with each function such as “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “aggregation”, etc., along with its version information, for each of various print job generation programs capable of printing Is a registered table. A function corresponding to each function is indicated by “◯”, and a function whose compatibility is unknown is indicated by “−”. All program list information for displaying the entire program list is used as association information.

  In addition, in the all program list, information such as “size”, “price”, “corresponding OS” is registered together with version information for each print job generation program, and each print job generation program is downloaded. Therefore, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) which is an address on the destination network is registered. Such all program list information is stored in a non-volatile storage medium mounted on the image forming apparatus 1, such as the HDD 40 described in FIG. That is, in the present embodiment, a storage medium that stores all program list information that is association information functions as a storage unit.

  On the screen on which the entire program list is displayed by the processing of S503 (hereinafter referred to as “all program list display screen”), the client application 205 of the mobile terminal 2 waits for the user to select a print job generation program. Then, the client application 205 receives selection of the print job generation program by the user on the all program list display screen via the operation control unit 202 (S504). Accordingly, the client application 205 refers to the “URL” of the selected print job generation program, downloads the print job generation program selected by accessing the URL, and installs it in the mobile terminal 2 (S505). ).

  When the mobile terminal 2 downloads and installs the print job generation program by the process of S505 and then receives a print output command by a user operation or the like, the mobile terminal 2 generates a print job using the installed print job generation program ( In step S506, the generated print job is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 (S507). Upon receiving the print job transmitted in S507, the image forming apparatus 1 executes print processing based on the received print job (S508). By such processing, processing for causing the image forming apparatus 1 to execute image forming output is completed in the image forming system according to the present embodiment.

  As described above, according to the image forming system of the present embodiment, the entire program list as shown in FIG. 6 is stored in the mobile terminal 2 that is the request source of the print job generation program list display request to the image forming apparatus 1. Since it is displayed, even an inexperienced user can easily select a print job generation program according to the intention.

  Next, creation processing and update processing of all program list information by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing the creation processing and update processing of all program list information by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment creates or updates all program list information, first, the mobile terminal 2 receives a print output command by a user operation or the like, A print job is generated using a print job generation program already installed in the terminal 2 (S701), and the generated print job is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 (S702).

  Here, information included in a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 includes “job information”, “program information”, and “function information”.

  The “job information” includes information related to print job generation such as “print job name”, “print file name”, “print date”, “print time”, “data size”, and the like. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the “print job name” of the generated print job is “print job D”.

  “Program information” includes “print name”, “version”, “size”, “price”, “corresponding OS”, and other information related to the print job generation program that generated the print job. URL, which is an address on the network to which access is made to download, is included. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the “program name” of the print job generation program that generated the print job is “application D”, and the “version” is “Ver1.0”. That is, in this embodiment, “program name” is used as instruction generation program identification information, and “version” is used as additional information.

  “Function information” includes the functions for which the presence / absence of use and the setting contents are specified in the print job generation processing in S701 among the functions such as “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, and “aggregation”. Includes usage and settings. In the example shown in FIG. 8, use / non-use and setting contents are specified for each function of “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “aggregation”, “sort / stack”, and “punch”. That is, in the present embodiment, “function information” is used as used function list information.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 that has acquired such a print job from the mobile terminal 2, the main control unit 101 acquires and analyzes the print job via the input / output control unit 103 (S703), and is included in the print job. All program list information is created based on “function information” and a table in which functions that are installed in the image forming apparatus 1 and functions that are not installed are registered (hereinafter referred to as “installed function list information”). Or update (S704). That is, in the present embodiment, the main control unit 101 functions as a command receiving unit.

  Here, the creation processing of all program list information by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the installed function list information according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 9, functions mounted in the image forming apparatus 1 are registered in the mounted function list information according to the present embodiment.

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “aggregation”, “aggregation direction”, “aggregation line”, “monochrome / color”, “toner save”, “enlarge / reduce”, “sort” / Stack ”,“ staple ”, and“ punch ”are registered as functions installed in the image forming apparatus 1. Such mounted function list information is stored in a non-volatile storage medium mounted in the image forming apparatus 1 such as the HDD 40 described in FIG.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 storing such mounted function list information, the main control unit 101 determines all program list information based on the print job acquired and analyzed in the processing of S703 and the mounted function list information. Create

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, all program list information according to the present embodiment includes “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “printing” for the print job generation program that generated the print job acquired and analyzed in the processing of S703. It is registered whether each function such as “aggregation” is supported or whether it is unknown whether or not it is supported.

  More specifically, the functions registered in the installed function list information and for which the presence / absence of use and the setting contents are specified in the “function information” in the print job include the print job in the all program list information. “◯” is shown in the column corresponding to the generation program. This is because, in the “function information” shown in FIG. 8, the presence / absence of use and setting contents are specified, because the print job generation program includes the function. That is, a function indicated by “◯” in the entire program list information is a function supported by the print job generation program and is a function that can be used by the print job generation program.

  On the other hand, functions that are registered in the installed function list information and that are not used or set in the “function information” of the print job are stored in the print job generation program in the entire program list information. “-” Is shown in the corresponding column. That is, a function indicated by “-” in the entire program list information is a function that is not known whether or not the print job generation program supports it, and is a function that can be used in the print job. Indicates that it is not known.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, in the all program list information according to the present embodiment, information such as “size”, “price”, “corresponding OS”, etc. is registered for the print job generation program. A URL that is an address on the network to be accessed for downloading the print job generation program is registered.

  The all program list information shown in FIG. 10 is all program list information created based on the print job shown in FIG. 8 and the installed function list information shown in FIG.

  Here, update processing of all program list information by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information created and stored in advance by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information updated by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment creates and stores in advance all program list information as shown in FIG. 11 before the update process of the original information in S704. As shown in FIG. 11, all program list information before update is created and stored in advance based on print jobs acquired so far. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment performs the same process as the creation process of all program list information described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 before the update process of all program list information in S704. All program list information is created and stored in advance based on the print jobs acquired so far. Such all program list information is stored in a non-volatile storage medium mounted on the image forming apparatus 1, such as the HDD 40 described in FIG.

  Then, when the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment acquires and analyzes the print job as illustrated in FIG. 8 in the processing of S703, the update processing of all program list information in S704 as illustrated in FIG. All program list information is updated to all program list information as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the updated all program list information includes a column for a print job generation program that has generated and analyzed the print job shown in FIG. Newly added to all program list information.

  In other words, the image forming apparatus 1 is first acquired in the process of S703 in the update process of all program list information in S704, similarly to the process of creating all program list information described with reference to FIGS. Registers whether the print job generation program that generated the analyzed print job supports each function such as “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “aggregation”, or whether it is compatible To do. At the same time, the image forming apparatus 1 registers information such as “size”, “price”, “corresponding OS”, etc. for the print job generation program, and also accesses the print job generation program to download the print job generation program. The URL that is the address on the destination network is registered. Then, the entire program list information is updated by newly adding a column for the print job generation program in which each item is registered in this way to the all program list information before update shown in FIG.

  The all program list information shown in FIG. 12 is obtained by updating the all program list information shown in FIG. 11 based on the print job shown in FIG. 8 and the installed function list information shown in FIG. .

  Thus, in this embodiment, the main control unit 101 functions as an information acquisition unit and a storage processing unit.

  The image forming apparatus 1 executes a printing process based on the print job acquired in the process of S703 in parallel with the process of creating or updating all the program list information (S705). By such processing, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment completes creation processing or update processing of all program list information.

  The image forming system according to the present embodiment can make the entire program list information closer to a completed form by repeating the processing described with reference to FIG. That is, every time the mobile terminal 2 transmits a print job to the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming apparatus 1 adds a new print job generation program to all program list information or print jobs that have already been registered. It is possible to constantly update the list information of all programs by adding information on the functions supported by the generated program.

  As described above, in the image forming system according to the present embodiment, every time the image forming apparatus 1 receives a print job from the mobile terminal 2, the all program list information is updated to the latest state, and the latest all program list information is updated. Can be provided to the user.

  As described above, the image forming system according to the present embodiment can automatically create or update all program list information by analyzing the acquired print job. Accordingly, the image forming system according to the present embodiment can create or update all program list information without bothering the system administrator. Therefore, according to the image forming system according to the present embodiment, it is possible to create and manage all program list information for effectively presenting information that helps the user of the mobile terminal 2 to select a print job generation program. This can be facilitated.

  In this embodiment, as described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, the case where a new print job generation program is added to all program list information created and stored in advance has been described. In addition, the present invention can be similarly applied when the version of a print job generation program already registered in all program list information created and stored in advance is upgraded. In this case, even the same print job generation program can be applied by treating it as different print job generation programs before and after version upgrade.

  Here, update processing of the entire program list information by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment accompanying the upgrade of the print job generation program will be described with reference to FIGS. 12, 13, and 14. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a print job that the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment generates and transmits to the image forming apparatus 1 using the print job generation program after the upgrade. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information after the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has been updated along with a version upgrade of the print job generation program.

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, the “program name” of the print job generation program that generated the print job is “application D”, and its “version” is “Ver2.0”. Application D (Ver1.0) "is upgraded. In the example shown in FIG. 13, use / non-use and setting contents are designated for each function of “bookbinding”, “monochrome / color”, “staple”, and “punch”.

  Then, when the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment acquires and analyzes the print job as illustrated in FIG. 13 in the processing of S703, the update processing of all program list information in S704 as illustrated in FIG. All program list information is updated to all program list information as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the updated all program list information includes a column for the print job generation program that has generated and analyzed the print job shown in FIG. Newly added to all program list information.

  In other words, the image forming apparatus 1 is first acquired in the process of S703 in the update process of all program list information in S704, similarly to the process of creating all program list information described with reference to FIGS. Registers whether the print job generation program that generated the analyzed print job supports each function such as “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “aggregation”, or whether it is compatible To do. At the same time, the image forming apparatus 1 registers information such as “size”, “price”, “corresponding OS”, etc. for the print job generation program, and also accesses the print job generation program to download the print job generation program. The URL that is the address on the destination network is registered. Then, the entire program list information is updated by newly adding a column for the print job generation program in which each item is registered in this way to the all program list information before update shown in FIG.

  In this way, even if the same print job generation program is used, it is possible to generate a new print job in all the program list information created and stored in advance by treating them as different print job generation programs before and after upgrading. In addition to the case where a program is added, the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where an already registered version of a print job generation program is upgraded.

  It should be noted that it is unlikely that a function that was available before the upgrade will become unavailable after the upgrade. Therefore, for functions that are not known in the print job generation program after the upgrade in the list information of all programs after the upgrade, follow the availability in the print job generation program before the upgrade. It may be configured to.

  The all program list information updated in this way will be described by comparing FIG. 14 with FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information after the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has been updated along with a version upgrade of the print job generation program. When the use in the print job generation program before the upgrade is followed as it is, as shown in FIG. 15, “use status” in “function information” included in the print job shown in FIG. 13, unlike FIG. In the column, whether or not the function is used and whether or not the setting contents are specified does not apply in the print job generation program before the upgrade.

  In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 2 has been described as an example of an information processing terminal for a user to operate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same applies to a general information processing apparatus such as a PC. Is possible.

  In the above embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the case where the client application 205 installed in the mobile terminal 2 performs processing on the mobile terminal 2 side has been described as an example. In addition, a general web browser is installed in the mobile terminal 2, a web server function is installed on the image forming apparatus 1 side, and the function of the client application 205 is provided from the image forming apparatus 1 via the network. It is also possible. In this case, it is not necessary to install the client application 205 on the mobile terminal 2, and the functions according to the present embodiment can be used by more information processing terminals.

  In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 2 transmits a print job to the image forming apparatus 1 as described in FIG. 1, and the image forming apparatus 1 analyzes the print job as described in FIG. The case where all program list information is created or updated has been described as an example. In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 16, a list information management server 3 is provided separately from the image forming apparatus 1 to constitute a management system for the image forming apparatus 1, and the image forming apparatus 1 takes charge in the sequence diagram of FIG. 7. It is also possible for the list information management server 3 to carry out the functions that are included. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating another example of the operation form of the image forming system according to the present embodiment.

  In such a configuration, the image forming apparatus 1 and the list information management server 3 may have a one-to-one relationship. However, even when a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1 are installed, a plurality of images are used. It is not necessary for each of the forming apparatuses to have a function for creating and updating all program list information as described above, and a single list information management server 3 can support a plurality of image forming apparatuses.

  However, in the case of the mode shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 may store all program list information indicating a list of print job generation programs that can use the functions installed in the image forming apparatus 1. In the case of the aspect, the list information management server 3 performs the creation process or the update process of the all program list information described in FIG. 7 for each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and stores all the program list information for each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses. It is necessary to keep.

  In the case of the mode of FIG. 1, the mobile terminal 2 may have made a print job generation program list display request to the image forming apparatus 1 to be used, but in the case of the mode of FIG. 16, the print job generation program When a list display request is made, it is necessary to specify an image forming apparatus to be used. Therefore, the print job transmitted by the mobile terminal 2 in the mode of FIG. 16 includes information for specifying the image forming apparatus to be used in addition to the information shown in FIGS.

  As information for specifying the image forming apparatus, for example, information for specifying a device type such as a model name of the image forming apparatus or information for specifying an address on a network such as an IP address can be used. Upon receiving such a print job, the list information management server 3 executes the processing of S703 to S705 in FIG. 7 based on all program list information corresponding to the specified image forming apparatus, and stores all program list information. Create or update. With such an aspect, it is possible to cope with a plurality of image forming apparatuses by one list information management server 3.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the “function information” in the print job includes the print job generation in step S701 among the functions such as “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, and “aggregation”. An example in which presence / absence of use and setting contents are included for a function for which use / non-use and setting contents are specified at the time of processing has been described. In addition, as shown in FIG. 34, the “function information” in the print job includes items for all the functions installed in the image forming apparatus 1, and among them, in the print job generation program that generated this print job, A function that has been determined to be unusable may be configured such that “x” is displayed in the corresponding “usage status” column.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 34, the “function information” in the print job includes items for all functions installed in the image forming apparatus 1, and among these, functions that are not used or set are not shown. And a function not indicated by “x” (a function indicated by “−”) is not known whether it can be used by the print job generation program that generated the print job. It may be configured to represent. FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to another embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the example in which the image forming apparatus 1 creates or updates all program list information based on the print job acquired from the mobile terminal 2 has been described.

  In this case, since all program list information is automatically created or updated in the image forming apparatus 1, it is possible to create or update all program list information without bothering the system administrator. Therefore, according to the image forming system according to the first embodiment, creation and management of all program list information for effectively presenting information that helps the user of the mobile terminal 2 to select a print job generation program. Can be facilitated.

  On the other hand, the present embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment until the image forming apparatus 1 creates or updates all program list information based on the print job acquired from the mobile terminal 2, but a plurality of images are displayed. An example will be described in which all program list information individually created or updated by the forming apparatus is collectively managed by the list information management server, and all the program list information is merged in the list information management server.

  In this case, all program list information individually created or updated in each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses is collectively managed by the list information management server, so that it is installed not only from a specific image forming apparatus but also in a remote place. Therefore, it is possible to collect information from the image forming apparatus that is used, and it is possible to collect more information in a short period of time. In this case, all program list information merged in the list information management server can be distributed not only to a specific image forming apparatus but also to an image forming apparatus installed at a remote place.

  Therefore, according to the image forming system according to the present embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, it is possible to create or update all program list information with high accuracy in a short period of time, and to more users. It is possible to present a list of all programs. Details will be described below. In addition, about the structure which attaches | subjects the code | symbol similar to Embodiment 1, it shall show the same or an equivalent part, and abbreviate | omits detailed description.

  First, an operation mode of the image forming system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation mode of the image forming system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, in the image forming system according to the present embodiment, an image forming apparatus 1a, an image forming apparatus 1b, a mobile terminal 2, and a list information management server 3 are connected via a network such as the Internet or a LAN. Composed.

  In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are equipped with the same function, and in the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b, These are collectively referred to as an image forming apparatus 1. The hardware configuring the list information management server 3 is the same as the hardware configuring the information processing apparatus shown in FIG.

  Next, the functional configuration of the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a block diagram schematically showing a functional configuration of the list information tube server 3 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 18, the electrical connection is indicated by solid arrows. As illustrated in FIG. 18, the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment includes a controller 300 and a network I / F 310. The controller 300 also includes a list information management control unit 301 and an input / output control unit 302.

  The network I / F 310 is an interface for the list information management server 3 to communicate with other devices via the network, and an Ethernet (registered trademark) or a USB interface is used.

  The controller 300 is configured by a combination of software and hardware. Specifically, a software control unit and an integrated circuit configured by loading a control program such as firmware stored in a non-volatile storage medium such as the ROM 30 or the HDD 40 into the RAM 20 and performing an operation by the CPU 10 according to the program. The controller 300 is configured by hardware such as the above. The controller 300 functions as a control unit that controls the entire list information management server 3.

  The list information management control unit 301 plays a role of controlling each unit included in the controller 300, and gives a command to each unit of the controller 300. The input / output control unit 302 inputs signals and commands input via the network I / F 310 to the list information management control unit 301. The list information management control unit 301 controls the input / output control unit 302 to access other devices via the network I / F 310.

  Next, update processing of all program list information by the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram showing the update processing of all program list information by the list information management server 3 according to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 19, when the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment updates the original information, first, as described in S701 and S702 in FIG. A print output command is received, a print job H is generated using “application H (Ver1.0)” which is a print job generation program already installed in the mobile terminal 2 (S1901), and the generated print job H is generated. The image is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1a (S1902). The print job H generated and transmitted at this time will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 a that has acquired the print job H from the mobile terminal 2, the main control unit 101 acquires the print job H via the input / output control unit 103 as described in S <b> 703 and S <b> 704 in FIG. 7. Based on the information included in the print job H, all program list information created and stored in advance is updated (S1903). The preprogrammed all program list information created and stored in advance at this time will be described later with reference to FIG. 22, and the updated all program list information will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In the image forming apparatus 1a that has updated the entire program list information, the main control unit 101 transmits the updated all program list information to the list information management server 3 via the input / output control unit 103 (S1904).

  When the mobile terminal 2 transmits the print job H to the image forming apparatus 1a, the mobile terminal 2 accepts a print output command again by a user operation or the like, and the “application I (Ver1), which is a print job generation program already installed in the mobile terminal 2. .0) "is generated (S1905), and the generated print job I is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1b (S1906). The print job I generated and transmitted at this time will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the image forming apparatus 1b that has acquired the print job I from the mobile terminal 2, the main control unit 101 acquires and analyzes the print job I via the input / output control unit 103 in the same manner as the image forming apparatus 1a. Then, based on the information included in the print job I, all program list information created and stored in advance is updated (S1907). The pre-update all program list information created and stored in advance at this time will be described later with reference to FIG. 22, and the updated all program list information will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In the image forming apparatus 1b that has updated all program list information, the main control unit 101 transmits the updated all program list information to the list information management server 3 via the input / output control unit 103 (S1908).

  Here, a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1a. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1b.

  As shown in FIG. 20, for a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1a, the “program name” of the print job generation program that generated the print job is “application “H” and its “version” is “Ver1.0”.

  As shown in FIG. 20, in the print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1a, “double-sided”, “bookbinding”, “aggregation”, “sort / stack”, For each function of “punch”, presence / absence of use and setting contents are designated.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21, for the print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1b, the “program name” of the print job generation program that generated the print job is “Application I”, and its “version” is “Ver1.0”.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 21, in a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1b, “double-sided”, “monochrome / color”, “enlarge / reduce”, “sort” For each function of “/ stack”, use / non-use and setting contents are specified.

  Here, FIG. 22 to FIG. 24 show all program list information before and after the update processing by the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b according to the present embodiment. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information before update processing by the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b according to the present embodiment. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information after update processing by the image forming apparatus 1a according to the present embodiment. FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information after update processing by the image forming apparatus 1b according to the present embodiment.

  In the list information management server 3 that acquires all the program list information after such update processing from the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b, the list information management control unit 301 uses the input / output control unit 302 to display all the program list information. The program list information is updated by merging the program list information with all program list information created and stored in advance (S1909). In the list information management server 3, such all program list information is stored in a non-volatile storage medium mounted on the list information management server 3, such as the HDD 40 described in FIG.

  Here, the update processing of all program list information by the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 25 and FIG. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information created and stored in advance by the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information after update processing by the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment.

  The list information management server 3 according to this embodiment creates and stores all program list information as shown in FIG. 25 in advance, and stores all program list information shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 as all programs shown in FIG. By merging with the list information, all program list information as shown in FIG. 26 is updated.

  In the list information management server 3 that has updated all program list information in this way, the list information management control unit 301 sends the updated all program list information to the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b via the input / output control unit 302. Transmit (S1910). By such processing, the list information management server 3 according to the present embodiment completes the update processing of all program list information.

  In the image forming apparatuses 1 a and 1 b that have acquired all program list information in this way, when a print job generation program list display request is acquired from the mobile terminal 2, the main control unit 101 requests the request via the input / output control unit 103. And the acquired all program list information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 2. As a result, all program list information as shown in FIG. 26 is displayed on the LCD 60 of the mobile terminal 2, and a print job generation program that can be used in the mobile terminal 2 is presented to the user.

  As described above, the image forming system according to the present embodiment includes the list information management server 3 in addition to the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and all programs individually created or updated by the plurality of image forming apparatuses. The list information is configured to be collectively managed by the list information management server 3. The image forming system according to this embodiment is configured to merge all the program list information in the list information management server 3 and distribute the merged all program list information to the plurality of image forming apparatuses. ing.

  As a result, in the image forming system according to the present embodiment, it is possible to collect information not only from a specific image forming apparatus but also from an image forming apparatus installed in a remote place, and more in a short period of time. It becomes possible to collect information. In the image forming system according to the present embodiment, all program list information merged in the list information management server 3 is distributed not only to a specific image forming apparatus but also to an image forming apparatus installed in a remote place. It becomes possible to do. Therefore, according to the image forming system according to the present embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, it is possible to create or update all program list information with high accuracy in a short period of time, and to more users. It is possible to present a list of all programs.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the image forming apparatus 1a, the image forming apparatus 1b, the mobile terminal 2, and the list information management server 3 are connected via a network such as the Internet or a LAN. An example to be described. In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 27, the list information management server 3 may be configured not to be provided so that the functions of the list information management server 3 are performed by the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b. It is. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating another example of the operation form of the image forming system according to the present embodiment.

  In such a configuration, all programs created or updated in other image forming apparatuses by exchanging all program list information created or updated by the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b with each other via a network. It is possible to merge the list information with all program list information created or updated by itself. Therefore, even in such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the image forming system according to the present embodiment.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, a print job generation program that generates a print job acquired by the image forming apparatus 1a and a print that generates a print job acquired by the image forming apparatus 1b. Although an example different from the job generation program has been described, the present invention is not particularly limited, and the same may be used.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the second embodiment, the example in which the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are configured to analyze a print job and execute printing using the same PDL (Page Description Language) has been described.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are configured to execute printing by analyzing print jobs using different PDLs. In addition, about the structure which attaches | subjects the code | symbol similar to Embodiment 1 and 2, it shall show the same or an equivalent part, and abbreviate | omits detailed description.

  In the image forming system according to this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1a, the image forming apparatus 1b, the mobile terminal 2, and the list information management server 3 are connected via a network such as the Internet or a LAN, as described in FIG. In the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 27, the image forming apparatus 1a, the image forming apparatus 1b, and the mobile terminal 2 are connected via a network such as the Internet or a LAN.

  Although the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b according to the present embodiment have the same functions, as described above, they are configured to analyze a print job using different PDLs and execute printing. Yes. For example, the image forming apparatus 1a analyzes a print job using PCL (Printer Command Language) and executes printing, and the image forming apparatus 1b analyzes the print job using PDF (Portable Document Format) and executes printing.

  As described above, when the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are configured to execute prints by analyzing print jobs using different PDLs, both of them are based on the same print job. Even when the list information is created or updated, there is a difference in the analysis result between the two, and as a result, there is also a difference in all program list information created or updated.

  For example, when the mobile terminal 2 generates a print job as shown in FIG. 28 and transmits it to the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b to execute printing, the image forming apparatus 1a completely analyzes the acquired print job. 29, while creating the entire program list information as shown in FIG. 29, the image forming apparatus 1b cannot completely analyze the acquired print job, and the entire program as shown in FIG. List information will be created.

  FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a print job generated by the mobile terminal 2 according to the present embodiment and transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1a according to another embodiment. FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1b according to another embodiment.

  As described above, when the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are configured to execute printing by analyzing print jobs using different PDLs, as shown in FIGS. Even when all program list information is created or updated based on the print job, all program list information differs between the two.

  Therefore, even if all program list information for the same print job generation program is used, the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are different.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, by including the PDL used for the analysis of the print job in all program list information, even the same print job generation program is distinguished by the PDL used for the analysis of the print job, By treating each as a different print job generation program, the above problem can be avoided.

  Here, FIG. 31 and FIG. 32 show all program list information created by the image forming apparatuses 1a and 1b according to the present embodiment based on the print job as shown in FIG. FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1a according to the present embodiment. FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an example of all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1b according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, unlike the first and second embodiments, “PDL” is added to the “function” column in the entire program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 31, in the all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1a according to the present embodiment, “PCL” is shown in “PDL” in the “Function” column, whereas FIG. As shown in the figure, in the all program list information created by the image forming apparatus 1b according to the present embodiment, “PDF” is shown in “PDL” in the “Function” column. That is, in this embodiment, “PDL” is used as analysis program identification information.

  The all program list information created in this way is merged in the image forming apparatus 1a or 1b or merged in the list information management server 3, and as a result, all program list information as shown in FIG. Created or updated as FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating an example of all program list information merged by the image forming apparatus 1a or 1b according to the present embodiment or merged by the list information management server 3.

  As shown in FIG. 33, since all the program list information according to the present embodiment includes the PDL used for the analysis of the print job, even the same print job generation program is used for the analysis of the print job. When the PDLs are different, each is handled as a different print job generation program.

  Therefore, according to the image forming system according to the present embodiment, all the programs for the same print job generation program can be obtained by using different PDLs when analyzing the print job between the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b. Even the list information can avoid the problem that the image forming apparatus 1a and the image forming apparatus 1b are different.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Mobile terminal 3 List information management server 10 CPU
20 RAM
30 ROM
40 HDD
50 I / F
60 LCD
70 Operation Unit 80 Bus 100 Controller 101 Main Control Unit 102 Engine Control Unit 103 Input / Output Control Unit 104 Image Processing Unit 105 Operation Display Control Unit 110 ADF
120 Scanner unit 130 Paper discharge tray 140 Display panel 150 Paper feed table 160 Print engine 170 Paper discharge tray 180 Network I / F
190 Short range communication I / F
200 Controller 201 Network Control Unit 202 Operation Control Unit 203 Display Control Unit 204 Short-Range Communication Control Unit 205 Client Application 210 Network I / F
220 Short range communication I / F
300 Controller 301 List Information Management Control Unit 302 Input / Output Control Unit 310 Network I / F

JP 2011-059774 A

Claims (9)

An instruction generation program management system for managing a plurality of instruction generation programs for generating and transmitting an image formation output instruction for causing an image formation apparatus to execute an image formation output by being installed in an information processing apparatus. ,
A command receiving unit that receives a command of the image formation output from the information processing apparatus;
Command generation program identification information for identifying a command generation program that has generated the received image formation output command and use function list information indicating a list of functions used when causing the image forming apparatus to execute image formation output; An information acquisition unit to acquire from the received image formation output command;
A storage processing unit for storing the function information indicated in the acquired used function list information in a storage unit in association with the acquired instruction generation program identification information;
An instruction generation program management system comprising:   The storage processing unit compares the installed function list information indicating a list of functions installed in the image forming apparatus with the used function list information acquired from the received image formation output command, thereby Of the function information indicated in the installed function list information, only the function information indicated in the acquired used function list information is extracted, and the extracted function information is identified as the acquired instruction generation program. The instruction generation program management system according to claim 1, wherein the instruction generation program management system is stored in the storage unit in association with information. The information acquisition unit acquires additional information added to the command generation program identification information from the received image formation output command,
The storage processing unit causes the storage unit to store the acquired additional information and the acquired used function list information in association with the command generation program identification information. The instruction generation program management system described. The information acquisition unit acquires analysis program identification information for identifying an analysis program used when analyzing the image formation output command;
The storage processing unit causes the storage unit to store the acquired analysis program identification information and the acquired function information in association with the instruction generation program identification information. The instruction generation program management system according to claim 1.   The storage processing unit combines the function information stored in the storage unit and the function information stored in a storage unit different from the storage unit with the same instruction generation program identification information, respectively. The instruction generation program management system according to claim 1, wherein the instruction generation program management system is stored in a storage unit.   The storage processing unit generates the instruction with the function information associated with the instruction generation program identification information together with some additional information and the additional information different from the additional information among the function information stored in the storage unit. 6. The instruction generation program management according to claim 1, wherein the program identification information and function information associated with the same instruction generation program identification information are combined and stored in the storage unit. system. An acquisition request receiving unit that receives an association information acquisition request indicating association between the function information and the instruction generation program identification information from the information processing device;
In response to the received acquisition request, an association information transmission unit that transmits the association information to the information processing apparatus that is the transmission source of the acquisition request;
The instruction generation program management system according to claim 1, further comprising: An instruction generation program management system for managing a plurality of instruction generation programs for generating and transmitting an image formation output instruction for causing an image formation apparatus to execute an image formation output by being installed in an information processing apparatus. ,
The image forming apparatus includes:
A command receiving unit that receives a command of the image formation output from the information processing apparatus;
The command generation program identification information for identifying the command generation program that generated the received image formation output command and the function information indicating the function used when the image forming apparatus executes the image formation output are received. An information acquisition unit to acquire from an image formation output command;
A storage processing unit for storing the function information indicated in the acquired used function list information in a storage unit in association with the acquired instruction generation program identification information;
An acquisition request receiving unit that receives an association information acquisition request indicating association between the function information and the instruction generation program identification information from the information processing device;
In response to the received acquisition request, an association information transmission unit that transmits the association information to the information processing apparatus that is the transmission source of the acquisition request;
With
The information processing apparatus includes:
An acquisition request transmission unit that generates an acquisition request for the association information and transmits the generated acquisition request to the image forming apparatus;
In response to the acquired acquisition request transmission unit, an association information receiving unit that receives the association information from the image forming apparatus;
A display control unit for displaying a list of associations between the function information and the instruction generation program on a display unit based on the received association information;
An instruction generation program management system comprising: An image forming apparatus that receives an image formation output instruction generated and transmitted by an instruction generation program installed in an information processing apparatus and executes image formation output,
A command receiving unit that receives a command of the image formation output from the information processing apparatus;
Command generation program identification information for identifying a command generation program that has generated the received image formation output command and use function list information indicating a list of functions used when causing the image forming apparatus to execute image formation output; An information acquisition unit to acquire from the received image formation output command;
A storage processing unit for storing the function information indicated in the acquired used function list information in a storage unit in association with the acquired instruction generation program identification information;
An image forming apparatus comprising: