JP2015001842A - Information process device, printing system and printing program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To respond a printing request via a remote operation by a simple configuration.SOLUTION: When a printing server receives a printing request and printing data, an authentication section performs personal authentication of an employee owing a transmission source communication terminal, a printing estimation section acquires a transmission time of the printing request, and a current place identification section acquires a current place of the transmission source communication terminal. When a printing case matching an employee's name, the transmission time and the current place is stored in a use printer DB, the printing estimation section determines a printing destination printer and a data transfer time on the basis of the matched printing case. When the matched printing case is not stored therein, the printing estimation section acquires a working place of the employee, collates the acquired working place, the transmission time and the current place of the transmission source communication terminal with a storage content of a printing pattern storage section, and determines the printing destination printer and the data transfer time. Then, when the data transfer time comes, the printing estimation section transmits the printing data to the printing destination printer.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for performing a printing process by predicting a printing destination printer or the like based on the location of a communication terminal and the transmission time of a print request.

  In recent years, an increasing number of companies have introduced BYOD (Bring your own device). BYOD indicates that a portable communication terminal such as a laptop computer, a mobile phone, or a tablet terminal that is owned by an employee of the company is used for business. By introducing BYOD, it becomes possible to view and edit necessary information at a place other than the workplace, such as at home or away from home, and work at home becomes possible.

  For example, if you want to print a document created at your accommodation, etc. while you are traveling at home or on a business trip, the user operates the communication terminal to send the document you want to print to a company server, etc. Making a printer or the like perform printing can be realized by using a conventional technique.

  Further, in Patent Document 1, when the print control apparatus receives print data from a mobile phone, it searches the current location and route information of the mobile phone, searches for a printer on the route of the route information, and the mobile phone A technique is described in which a printing grace time for ending printing before reaching a printer is constantly updated and calculated, and printing is performed from a printer whose printing grace time has become zero.

JP 2009-223791 A

  However, in the above-described conventional technology, the user himself / herself has to perform extraction of a printer that is convenient for the user. Further, in the method of Patent Document 1, since a printer is selected based on time information such as a print grace time, the selected printer is not always convenient for the user, and the print grace time is calculated. Since this process becomes complicated, the development cost of the printing control apparatus is increased.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems. By using a simple configuration that does not require complicated calculations, it is possible to respond to a print request by remote operation, and a printer that is convenient for the user. The purpose is to extract more accurately than before.

  An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit that performs data communication with a communication terminal, a communication control unit that controls the communication unit, and the communication unit receives a print request and print data from the communication terminal. In this case, the authentication unit that performs personal authentication of the user of the communication terminal, the personal information of the user of the transmission source communication terminal that has transmitted the print request for each past printing case, and the transmission source communication terminal transmits the print request. The position information at the time of printing, the transmission time of the print request, the information of the print destination printer that performed printing in response to the print request, and the data transfer time at which the print data was transferred to the print destination printer When the print status storage unit and the authentication unit recognize the use of the user, the print request is received from the transmission source communication terminal. A current location specifying unit for specifying the current location of the transmission source communication terminal, personal information of the user of the transmission source communication terminal, position information matching the current location specified by the current location specifying unit, and a transmission time of the print request The matching print case is extracted from the print status storage unit, and the print destination printer and the data transfer time indicated by the extracted print case are used as a print destination printer and a data transfer time for responding to the print request. A print predicting unit that determines, and the communication control unit causes the communication unit to perform control to transmit the print data to the determined print destination printer at the data transfer time determined by the print predicting unit. is there.

  In addition, when a print program according to an aspect of the present invention receives a print request and print data from a communication terminal, the print program determines a print destination printer and a data transfer time, and causes the print destination printer to print the print data. When the print request and the print data are received from the communication terminal, the authentication step for performing personal authentication of the user of the communication terminal, and when the use of the user is permitted in the authentication step, the print The current location identifying step for identifying the current location of the communication terminal when the request is transmitted, the personal information of the user of the communication request source communication terminal for each print case, and the source communication terminal transmits the print request. Current location, the time of sending the print request, and printing in response to the print request The information stored in the print status storage unit that stores the information about the print destination printer that has been performed and the data transfer time at which the print data was transferred to the print destination printer, the current location specified in the current location specifying step, A determination step of determining a print destination printer and a data transfer time corresponding to a previous print request based on a transmission time of the print request, and the determination of the data transfer time to the print destination printer determined in the determination step. And a transmission step of transmitting print data.

  According to the present invention, by using a simple configuration that does not require complicated calculation, it is possible to respond to a print request by remote operation, and a printer that is more convenient for the user can be extracted more accurately than before.

  In the present invention, by using past print cases stored in the print case storage unit, it is possible to make a print reservation corresponding to a print request without performing complicated calculation processing such as time calculation. In the case of the present invention, since complicated calculation processing for print reservation is not required, development cost is not required, and system construction can be performed at low cost. In addition, when a print request is sent, the print prediction unit determines the printer to print to based on the print case, so the user does not need to specify the printer, and can easily make print reservations from home or away from home. It can be carried out.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the data structure of the print server and the database group. It is the figure which showed the data structure of utilization printer DB. It is the figure which showed the data structure of the printing pattern memory | storage part. It is the figure which showed the data structure of printing instruction | indication spot DB. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of printing processing. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of printing processing.

  Hereinafter, an information processing apparatus, a printing system, and a printing program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a printing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printing system 100 includes communication terminals 1a and 1b (hereinafter collectively referred to as “communication terminal 1”), a print server 2, a database group 3, and printers 4a, 4b, 5a, and 5b.

  The communication terminal 1 is a mobile terminal capable of data communication with the print server 2 by connecting to the Internet via a communication network of a mobile phone company or a public wireless LAN (Local Area Network). When the user operates the communication terminal 1 and transmits a print request together with print data to the print server 2, the print server 2 determines a print destination printer and performs print processing.

  When the print server 2 receives a print request from the communication terminal 1, the print server 2 determines a print destination printer and performs print control such as transferring print data to the printer 4a, 4b, 5a, or 5b. The database group 3 stores and stores data necessary for print control performed by the print server 2.

  The printers 4a and 4b are connected to the same in-house LAN. Similarly, the printers 5a and 5b are connected to the same in-house LAN. Each in-house LAN is connected to the print server 2 via the Internet, a dedicated line, or the like. In FIG. 1, in order to make the following explanation easy to understand, it is assumed that the printers 4a and 4b are installed in the Osaka office and the printers 5a and 5b are installed in the Tokyo office.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the print server 2 and the database group 3. The print server 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a used printer DB 31. The communication unit 22 performs data communication with the communication terminal 1 via a telephone network of a communication company, a public wireless LAN, or the like. Further, the communication unit 15 performs data communication with the printers 4a, 4b, 5a, and 5b via the Internet or a dedicated line.

  The storage unit 23 stores programs and data necessary for the operation of the print server 2. The storage unit 23 stores a print program 231 that is an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the storage unit 23 includes a print pattern storage unit (print status storage unit) 232 that is a storage area for print patterns. When the communication unit 22 receives a print request from the communication terminal 1, the print program 231 determines a print destination printer or the like and issues a print instruction to the printer. The print pattern storage unit 232 will be described later.

  The control unit 21 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, reads various programs stored in the storage unit 23 and executes processing, outputs instruction signals to each functional unit, and transfers data. To control the print server 2 in an integrated manner, and includes a communication control unit 211, an authentication unit 212, a current location specifying unit 213, and a print prediction unit 214.

  The communication control unit 211 performs communication control for the communication unit 22. The authentication unit 212 performs personal authentication of the user of the communication terminal 1 (sender communication terminal) that has transmitted the print request using the employee information stored in the employee information DB 34. The current location specifying unit 213 uses the information stored in the print instruction spot DB 32 to acquire the current location when the communication terminal 1 transmits a print request. The print prediction unit 214 reads the print program 231 from the storage unit 22 and executes a print process and a prediction process described later.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of the used printer DB 31. For each print case, the use printer DB 31 stores user information of the transmission source communication terminal, position information indicating the current location when the transmission source communication terminal transmits the print request, transmission time of the print request, and print destination corresponding to the print request. A history such as the time when the print data is transferred to the printer and its destination printer is accumulated and stored.

  Case number 1 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The print request transmitted from the Osaka city before the start time by the communication terminal 1 owned by the employee A corresponds to the printer A1, and the print data is transferred from the print server 2 to the printer A1 at the start time. . Thereafter, actual printing is performed by the user operating the printer A1. In the present embodiment, the start time is the start time of the start.

  Next, case number 3 will be described. The printer B1 corresponds to the print request sent from Nagoya City before the start time by the communication terminal 1 owned by the employee A, and the print data is transferred from the print server 2 to the printer B1 two hours after the print request transmission time. It shows that. In this embodiment, “starting time” is used as the print request transmission time and data transfer time. However, this is an example for easy understanding of the description, and the actual time may be stored. .

  In case number 3, for example, when employee A is working in Osaka, a print request is sent from Nagoya City (for example, Nagoya Station) using a communication terminal while moving from Osaka to Tokyo on the Shinkansen. It has been transferred to the printer B1 in the Tokyo office in 2 hours later (the time it takes to move from Nagoya to Tokyo to the Tokyo office using transportation such as the Shinkansen).

  In this way, the use printer DB 31 stores print processing performed in the past for each case. When the communication unit 22 receives the print request, the print predicting unit 214 predicts and determines the print destination printer and the data transfer time based on the print case stored in the use printer DB 31.

  The information processing apparatus in the present invention is an apparatus that combines the print server 2 and the used printer DB 31. Although the print server 2 and the used printer DB 31 have been described as different components in the present embodiment, the storage unit 23 of the print server 2 may store the contents of the used printer DB 31.

  However, a print example that matches the transmission status of the print request is not always stored in the use printer DB 31. For example, when a certain employee transmits a print request for the first time, the use printer DB 31 naturally does not store a matching print case.

  Therefore, an assumed print pattern is stored in advance in the print pattern storage unit 232. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of the print pattern storage unit 232. For example, when an employee whose work location is “Tokyo” based on employee information sends a print request from Tokyo “before the start time”, the print server 2 sends the print data to “printer B1” at the Tokyo office. It shows that it is transferred to "time".

  That is, when the employee Z working at the Tokyo office transmits a print request for the first time before the start time, the print prediction unit 214 uses the stored contents of the print pattern storage unit 232. That is, the print server 2 transfers the print data to the printer B1 at the Tokyo office at the start time.

  In addition, when an employee whose work location is “Tokyo” sends a print request from “Nagoya” to “Before business hours”, the print server 2 sends the print data to “Printer A1” at the Osaka office and “After 2 hours”. Indicates to transfer. That is, since the employee Z who works at the Tokyo office is moving from Osaka to Tokyo on the Shinkansen or the like, for the first time, a print request is sent from Nagoya City (for example, Nagoya Station). This stored content of the pattern storage unit 232 is used. When the employee Z transfers to the transportation facility and arrives at the Osaka office, the printer A1 holds the print data, so the printing operation can be started immediately.

  As described above, the print pattern storage unit 232 stores a combination of an assumed work location, current location, transmission time, printing destination printer, and data transfer time as shown in FIG.

  The database group 3 includes a print instruction spot DB 32, a printer information DB 33, and an employee information DB 34. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data configuration of the print instruction spot DB 32. The print instruction spot DB 32 stores the current location information (IP address and domain information) attached to the print request transmitted to the print server 2 and the transmission location in association with each other. The data contents of the print instruction spot DB 32 may be stored in advance, or each time the print server 2 receives a print request, the current position specifying unit 213 specifies the current position based on the current position information, and the current position is stored in the print instruction spot DB 32. The information and the current location may be stored in association with each other.

  The printer information DB 33 stores a printer ID accessible by the print server 2 and its IP address in association with each other. The employee information DB 34 stores information necessary for personal authentication, such as an employee name and employee ID as employee information, and an ID number of a communication terminal held by the employee.

  Next, the flow of processing when the print prediction unit 24 executes the print program 231 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the printing process. First, a case where the user performs a print start operation on the print destination printer (printer B1) determined by the print prediction unit 24 will be described.

  First, an employee operates the communication terminal 1 to transmit a print request and print data to the print server 2 (step S11). When the communication unit 22 of the print server 2 receives the print request and the print server, the authentication unit 212 performs personal authentication of the employee who owns the transmission source communication terminal using the employee information DB 34 (step S21). Next, the print prediction unit 24 acquires a transmission time at which the print request is transmitted (for example, a transmission time indicated by transmission time information attached to the print request or a reception time at which the communication unit 22 is received) ( Step S22).

  Next, the current location specifying unit 213 compares the current location information indicated by the IP address and domain information attached to the print request with the stored contents of the print instruction spot DB 33, and notifies the notification terminal 1 when the print request is transmitted. The current location is acquired (step S23). Note that the current location specifying unit 213 may specify a current location by accessing a service that provides current location information from an IP address, domain information, or the like. In this case, the print instruction spot DB 32 is not necessary as a component of the printing system 100.

  Next, the print prediction unit 24 determines whether or not the use printer DB 31 has a print case that matches the employee authenticated in step S21, the transmission time acquired in step S22, and the current location specified in step S23 (step S24). ). If there is a matching print case (step S24; YES), the print predicting unit 24 determines a print destination printer and a transfer time based on the matching print case (step S28).

  For example, when the employee A sends a print request from his home in Osaka (Osaka City) before going to work (before the start time), it matches the print example of case number 1 in the use printer DB 31. Accordingly, the print predicting unit 24 determines that the printer to be printed is “printer A1” and the data transfer time is “starting time” based on the print case of case number 1.

  On the other hand, if there is no matching print example (step S24; NO), the print predicting unit 34 first acquires the employee's work location authenticated in step S21 from the employee information DB 33 (step S25). The transmission time acquired in S22 and the current location of the transmission source communication terminal specified in step S23 are compared with the stored contents of the print pattern storage unit 232 to determine the print destination printer and the data transfer time (step S26).

  Specifically, for example, when the employee Y working in Osaka transmits a print request from Haneda Airport before the start time, the print predicting unit 34 refers to the print pattern storage unit 232 and sets the print destination printer to “printer A2”. The data transfer time is determined as “3 hours later”. This is based on the premise that employee Y sends a print request from Haneda Airport before the start time (for example, early morning), then boardes the plane, transfers the transportation, and returns to the Osaka office three hours later. The print prediction unit 34 determines the print destination printer and the data transfer time using the pattern stored in the unit 232.

  Then, the print predicting unit 34 identifies the employee name authenticated in step S21, the transmission time of the print request acquired in step S22, the current location of the transmission source communication terminal specified in step S23, the printing destination printer and the data transfer time determined in step S26. Are associated with each other and stored in the used printer DB 31 as a new printing case (step S27).

  Next, the print predicting unit 34 transmits the print data to the print destination printer when the data transfer time comes (step S29), and ends the process.

  When the print destination printer (printer B1) receives the print data, the print data is temporarily stored in the storage unit that it holds (step S41). When the employee who transmitted the print request performs a print start operation from the operation unit of the print destination printer (step S42), the print destination printer prints an image based on the print data on condition that the print operation is accepted (step S42). S43).

  As described above, the printing prediction unit 34 determines the printing destination printer and the data transfer time from the work location, transmission time, transmission location, etc. of the employee who transmitted the print request, or by determining from the past printing examples, It is possible to easily issue a print instruction from a desired place outside the office without specifying a printer.

  In addition, the print predicting unit 34 determines the data transfer time at the time when the employee will go to work, that is, the time when the printer can be operated (for example, start time). Even if the print data is not transmitted, the printing operation can be started immediately.

  Next, a case where the user performs printing with a printer (printer A1) other than the printing destination printer (printer B) determined by the print prediction unit 24 will be described with reference to FIG. First, an employee operates the communication terminal 1 to transmit a print request and print data to the print server 2 (step S11). Since the processing after the print server 2 receives the print request and the print data is the same as the steps S21 to S28 shown in FIG. 6, the description of the processing is omitted.

  After step S28, the print predicting unit 34 transmits the print data to the print destination printer at the data transfer time (step S29). When the print destination printer (printer B1) receives the print data, the print data is temporarily stored in the storage unit that it holds (step S41).

  Thereafter, when the employee who transmitted the print request performs a print start operation on the printer A1 instead of the printer B1 that is the print destination printer determined by the print prediction unit 34 (step S51), the printer A1 prints to the print server 2 A data transfer request is transmitted (step S52). Upon receiving this transfer request, the communication control unit 211 of the print server 2 causes the communication unit 22 to transmit print data to the printer A1 (step S30), and further transmits a print data deletion request to the printer B1 (step S31). . In response to the print data deletion request, the printer B1 deletes the stored print data (step S49). Then, the printer A1 prints an image based on the transferred print data (step S53).

  After transmitting the print data deletion request, the print predicting unit 34 corrects and updates the print case applied in step S28 or the print case added in step S27 (step S32).

  The processing in step S32 will be described using case number 5 in FIG. Before revision of Case No. 5 (when the item “Printer Printer” is “Printer B2”), employee B sent a print request from Kansai Airport after the start time in the past, and the start time of the next day This indicates that the print data has been transferred to the printer B2 at the Osaka office. For example, employee B working at the Osaka office sends a print request at Kansai Airport on the way back from a business trip, and after printing at the Osaka office where he works the next day, the printer B2 prints the print data. It shows that.

  However, after that, when employee B goes on a business trip from Osaka and travels by plane the night before, a print request is sent from Kansai Airport before boarding. The print prediction unit 34 refers to the case number 5 before the update, and sets the printer to be printed as the printer B2 of the Osaka office. The employee B goes to the Tokyo office the next day and prints data with the printer A2 of the Tokyo office. The print start instruction is issued. Then, the printer A2 acquires print data from the print server 2 and executes printing. The print predicting unit 34 causes the use printer DB 31 to store the content of changing the print destination printer of the applied print example 5 to “printer A2”. In this way, by updating the print examples to the latest history contents, the print prediction unit 34 can perform print prediction in accordance with the latest behavior of the employee.

  As described above, when the user transmits a print request from the communication terminal 1, the print predicting unit 34 determines the print destination printer and the data transfer time based on the print example in the use printer DB 31, so that the user can You can make print reservations from home or on the go without specifying a printer when sending.

  In addition, when a user makes a print request, printing is not performed immediately at the destination printer, but printing is performed after the user starts printing on the destination printer, preventing loss of printed matter and data leakage, Security can be maintained.

  In addition, when a print start instruction operation is performed by a printer different from the printing destination printer determined by the print predicting unit 34, the print predicting unit 214 rewrites the contents of the print case by the use printer DB 31, and therefore the print predicting unit 34 , It is possible to always make a print prediction in accordance with the latest behavior of the user.

  Further, complicated processing such as time calculation is not necessary, and it can be realized if the print prediction unit 34 has a database for determining the printing destination printer and the data transfer time. Specifically, the printer information DB 33 and the employee information DB 34 are often already held by a company server or the like. Further, the print instruction spot DB 32 is a component that may not be required when the current location specifying unit 213 accesses a service that provides position information to acquire transmission information. Therefore, it is possible to construct the printing system 100 according to the present invention only by newly providing at least the printer DB 31 to be used, which can be realized at low cost.

1, 1a, 1b Communication terminal 2 Print server 21 Control unit 211 Communication control unit 212 Authentication unit 213 Current location specifying unit 214 Print prediction unit 22 Communication unit 23 Storage unit 231 Print program 232 Print pattern storage unit 3 Database group 31 Use printer DB
32 Print instruction spot DB
33 Printer information DB
34 Employee Information DB
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b Printer 100 Printing system

Claims (4)

A communication unit for data communication with a communication terminal;
A communication control unit for controlling the communication unit;
When the communication unit receives a print request and print data from the communication terminal, an authentication unit that performs personal authentication of the user of the communication terminal;
For each past print case, the personal information of the user of the transmission source communication terminal that transmitted the print request, the position information when the transmission source communication terminal transmitted the print request, the transmission time of the print request, and the print A print status storage unit that stores information on a print destination printer that has received a request and the data transfer time at which the print data is transferred to the print destination printer in association with each other;
When the authentication unit allows the user to use, a current location identifying unit that identifies the current location of the transmission source communication terminal when the print request is received from the transmission source communication terminal;
Extracting from the print status storage unit the personal information of the user of the transmission source communication terminal, the position information that matches the current location specified by the current location specifying unit, and the print case that matches the transmission time of the print request, A print prediction unit that determines the print destination printer and the data transfer time indicated by the extracted print case as a print destination printer for responding to the print request and a data transfer time; and
The information processing apparatus, wherein the communication control unit causes the communication unit to perform control to transmit the print data to the determined print destination printer at the data transfer time determined by the print prediction unit. The communication control unit can receive a print data transfer request from each communicable printer, and can control the printer that has transmitted the print data transfer request to transmit the print data to the communication unit by the communication unit. And
When the communication unit receives a print data transfer request from a printer different from the print destination printer determined by the print prediction unit, the communication control unit sends the communication unit to the predicted print destination printer. Send a print data deletion request, transfer the print data with the different printer as the print destination printer,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print prediction unit changes a print destination printer in a corresponding print case stored in the print status storage unit to information on the different printer.   A communication terminal that transmits a print request and print data in response to a user operation, a plurality of printers that perform printing based on the print data, and a printer to be printed from the plurality of printers when the print request and the print data are received A printing system comprising the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed to perform printing. A print program that receives a print request and print data from a communication terminal, determines a print destination printer and a data transfer time, and causes the print destination printer to print the print data.
Upon receiving the print request and the print data from the communication terminal, an authentication step for performing personal authentication of the user of the communication terminal;
If the use of the user is permitted in the authentication step, a current location specifying step for specifying the current location of the communication terminal when the print request is transmitted;
For each print example, prints in response to the personal information of the user of the transmission request communication terminal, the current location when the transmission communication terminal transmits the print request, the transmission time of the print request, and the print request Stored in the print status storage unit that stores the information of the print destination printer that has performed and the data transfer time at which the print data was transferred to the print destination printer, and the current location specified in the current location specifying step Determining a printing destination printer and a data transfer time corresponding to the previous print request based on the transmission time of the print request;
A transmission step of transmitting the print data to the determined print destination printer at the data transfer time determined in the determination step;
A printing program that causes a computer to execute.

Images