JP2024103210A - Information processing device, method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an information processing device that controls processing for causing an image forming device to execute a job based on whether the information processing device and an image forming device are on the same network. [Solution] The information processing device includes an acquisition means for acquiring network information of an image forming device that is to execute a job, and a control means for controlling processing for causing the image forming device to execute the job based on the network information of the image forming device acquired by the acquisition means. The control means executes the job by a first process if the image forming device is on the same network as the information processing device, and executes the job by a second process different from the first process if the image forming device is not on the same network as the information processing device. [Selected Figure] Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, method, and program.

Conventional multifunction devices print immediately when they receive a print job from a terminal device such as a PC. In this case, there is a risk of information leakage if the printed matter is forgotten to be picked up or if a third party sees the left printed matter. Patent Document 1 describes a method for maintaining confidentiality in which printing is executed if the PC issuing the print instruction is on the same network as the multifunction device, and a warning is issued if the PC is not on the same network, thereby preventing printing on a remote multifunction device. Patent Document 2 describes a method for receiving a print job and storing the print job in a storage area of the image forming device without printing it, and then printing is performed when the user issues a print instruction on the operation unit of the image forming device.

JP 2006-251863 A JP 2007-251279 A

There may be cases where the information processing device that instructs the execution of a job and the image forming device that executes the job are included in the same network, or where they are on different networks. The execution of the job on the image forming device is required to be performed appropriately depending on the case.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, method, and program that controls processing for executing a job in an image forming device based on whether the information processing device and image forming device are on the same network.

In order to solve the above problem, the information processing device according to the present invention is an information processing device comprising an acquisition means for acquiring network information of an image forming device that is to execute a job, and a control means for controlling a process for executing the job in the image forming device based on the network information of the image forming device acquired by the acquisition means, the control means causing the image forming device to execute the job by a first process when the image forming device is present on the same network as the information processing device, and causing the image forming device to execute the job by a second process different from the first process when the image forming device is not present on the same network as the information processing device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to control the process for executing a job in an image forming device based on whether or not the information processing device and the image forming device are on the same network.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of each device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a software configuration of the multifunction peripheral. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of a cloud server. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a software configuration of a print application of a PC. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a user interface screen displayed on a PC. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration. 4 is a flowchart showing a printing process. 4 is a flowchart showing a printing process. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a user interface screen displayed on a PC.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a network system configuration including a multifunction peripheral, which is an example of an image forming apparatus, and a cloud server, which is an example of an information processing apparatus, in this embodiment. The networks 10, 11, and 12 are networks capable of communication, for example, by TCP/IP protocol. The network 11 is connected to a PC 101, which is an example of an information processing apparatus, and a multifunction peripheral 151. The network 12 is connected to a PC 14, which is an example of an information processing apparatus, and a multifunction peripheral 15. Hereinafter, when the PCs 101 and 14 are not distinguished from each other, they may be simply called PCs. When the multifunction peripherals 151 and 15 are not distinguished from each other, they may be simply called multifunction peripherals. The networks 11, 12, and a cloud server 13 are connected to the network 10. The multiple networks 10, 11, and 12 are connected to each other via a router and other peripheral devices not shown. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the networks 11 and 12 are different bases, such as an office and a home. That is, the network 10 is, for example, a network including the Internet, and the networks 11 and 12 are, for example, local area networks. The networks 11 and 12 may be configured at the same base as long as they are different networks. Different networks refer to, for example, networks with different network addresses in IP addresses, and a configuration in which communication between the two networks is possible via a router.

Multifunction devices are used in a variety of ways. Not only are they shared within an office, but they are also placed at an individual's desk in the office for use, or placed in a location that cannot be accessed by other users, such as at home for teleworking. When placed in a location that cannot be accessed by other users, the risk of information leakage is extremely low.

In this embodiment, when the PC receives an instruction from a user to execute printing on the multifunction device, the PC obtains network information of the multifunction device associated with the user, that is, the multifunction device that executes printing, from the cloud server 13. Then, if the PC and the multifunction device associated with the user exist on the same network, the PC transmits a print job to the multifunction device within the same network. Then, the print job is executed without user operation on the multifunction device. On the other hand, if the PC and the multifunction device do not exist on the same network, the PC transmits a print job to the cloud server 13. After the print job is transmitted to the cloud server 13, the multifunction device receives authentication information from the user and requests authentication processing from the cloud server 13 based on the authentication information. If the user is authenticated, the multifunction device receives the print job associated with the user from the cloud server 13 and executes printing. In other words, the multifunction device receives authentication information from the user, and based on the authentication, receives the print job stored in the cloud server 13 and executes remote printing. After executing the print job, the MFP sends usage statistics, including the number of pages printed for the executed print job, to the cloud server 13.

As described above, in this embodiment, if the multifunction device that executes printing is on the same network as the PC that accepted the print instruction, the multifunction device executes printing without user operation, improving user convenience. On the other hand, if the multifunction device that executes printing is not on the same network as the PC that accepted the print instruction, remote printing is executed based on the acceptance of authentication information from the user. As a result, information leakage due to forgetting to pick up printed materials, etc. can be prevented, and security can be maintained.

Cloud server 13 is a server device that provides a cloud print service, and centrally manages user information, MFP information, and print jobs. User information includes, for example, user authentication information such as identification information and passwords. MFP information includes, for example, network information such as device name, serial number, hardware ID, and IP address. Cloud server 13 manages user information, MFP information, and print jobs in association with each other. While FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which there is one MFP and one PC in each network, there may be multiple of each device.

Next, the configuration of the PC and the multifunction device will be described with reference to the block diagram in FIG. 2. Below, PC 101 will be described as a representative example of PCs 101 and 14, and multifunction device 151 will be described as a representative example of multifunction devices 151 and 15.

The PC 101 includes an input interface 102, a CPU 103, a ROM 104, a RAM 105, an external storage device 106, an output interface 107, a display unit 108, a communication unit 110, a short-range wireless communication unit 111, an image capture unit 112, etc. The CPU 103, the ROM 104, the RAM 105, etc. form the PC 101 computer.

The input interface 102 is an interface for accepting data input and operational instructions from a user by operating an operation unit such as the keyboard 109. The operation unit may be a physical keyboard, physical buttons, etc., or a soft keyboard, soft buttons, etc. displayed on the display unit 108. In other words, the input interface 102 may accept input (operation) from the user via the display unit 108.

The CPU 103 is a system control unit that controls the entire PC 101. The ROM 104 stores fixed data such as control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 103, and embedded operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) programs. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 104 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 104.

RAM 105 is composed of a static random access memory (SRAM) that requires a backup power source. Since data is held in RAM 105 by a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, important data such as program control variables can be stored without volatilization. RAM 105 also has a memory area for storing setting information for PC 101, management data for PC 101, and the like. RAM 105 is also used as the main memory and work memory for CPU 103.

The external storage device 106 stores an application program (settings app) for executing network setup of the multifunction device 151, a print information generation program for generating print information that can be interpreted by the multifunction device 151, and the like. The setting app is, for example, an application program for setting the access point to which the multifunction device 151 is connected. The output interface 107 is an interface that controls the display unit 108 to display data and notify the status of the PC 101. The display unit 108 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode) and an LCD (liquid crystal display), and the like, and displays data and notifies the status of the PC 101.

The communication unit 110 is configured to connect to devices such as the multifunction device 151 and the access point 131 to perform data communication. For example, the communication unit 110 can be connected to an access point (not shown) in the multifunction device 151. By connecting the communication unit 110 to the access point in the multifunction device 151, the PC 101 and the multifunction device 151 can communicate with each other. The communication unit 110 may directly communicate with the multifunction device 151 by wireless communication, or may communicate via an external device that exists outside the PC 101 or the multifunction device 151. The external device includes an external access point (such as the access point 131) that exists outside the PC 101 and outside the multifunction device 151, and a device that can relay communication other than an access point. The wireless communication method used by the communication unit 110 may be Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), which is a communication standard that complies with the IEEE 802.11 series. The access point 131 may be, for example, a device such as a wireless LAN router. The PC 101 and the multifunction device 151 can be connected directly without going through an external access point (direct connection method), or can be connected through an external access point (infrastructure connection method).

The short-range wireless communication unit 111 is configured to wirelessly connect to a device such as the multifunction device 151 at a short distance to perform data communication, and communicates using a communication method different from that of the communication unit 110. The short-range wireless communication unit 111 can be connected to the short-range wireless communication unit 157 in the multifunction device 151, for example. Examples of communication methods include Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth (registered trademark) Classic, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Wi-Fi Aware.

The photographing unit 112 operates when a photographing function is executed by an application running on the PC 101. When the photographing function is executed by the application, for example, information acquired from the photographing unit 112 is processed by the CPU 103 and displayed on the display unit 108 as a live view. Here, when a photographing operation is executed by the application, information acquired from the photographing unit 112 is processed by the CPU 103 and saved in the RAM 105 as a photographed image.

The multifunction device 151 has a ROM 152, a RAM 153, a CPU 154, a print engine 155, a scan engine 162, a communication unit 156, a short-range wireless communication unit 157, etc. The ROM 152, the RAM 153, the CPU 154, etc. form a computer of the multifunction device 151.

The communication unit 156 has an access point for connecting to a device such as the PC 101 as an access point inside the multifunction device 151. The access point can be connected to the communication unit 110 of the PC 101. The communication unit 156 enables the access point, causing the multifunction device 151 to operate as an access point. The communication unit 156 may wirelessly connect directly to the PC 101, or may wirelessly connect via the access point 131. The wireless communication method used by the communication unit 156 may be a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series. Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark) (Wi-Fi communication) is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series. The communication unit 156 may be provided with hardware that functions as an access point, or may operate as an access point using software for functioning as an access point.

The multifunction device 151 of this embodiment can operate in infrastructure mode and P2P (Peer to Peer) mode as modes for communicating using the communication unit 156. The infrastructure mode is a mode in which the multifunction device 151 communicates with other devices such as the PC 101 via an external device (e.g., the access point 131) that forms a network. A connection to an external access point established by the multifunction device 151 operating in infrastructure mode is called an infrastructure connection (hereinafter, infrastructure connection). In this embodiment, in the infrastructure connection, the multifunction device 151 operates as a child station, and the external access point operates as a parent station. Note that the parent station is a device that determines the communication channel to be used in the network to which the parent station belongs, and the child station is a device that does not determine the communication channel to be used in the network to which the child station belongs, but uses the communication channel determined by the parent station.

The P2P mode is a mode in which the multifunction device 151 communicates directly with other devices such as the PC 101 without going through an external device that forms a network. The P2P mode includes an AP mode in which the multifunction device 151 operates as an access point. The connection information (SSID and password) of the access point that is enabled in the multifunction device 151 in the AP mode can be set by the user. The P2P mode may include, for example, a WFD mode in which the multifunction device 151 communicates by Wi-Fi Direct (WFD). Which of the multiple WFD-compatible devices operates as a parent station is determined, for example, according to a sequence called Group Owner Negotiation. The parent station may be determined without executing Group Owner Negotiation. A device that is a WFD-compatible device and plays the role of a parent station is particularly called a Group Owner. A direct connection established by the multifunction device 151 operating in P2P mode with another device is called a direct connection. In this embodiment, in a direct connection, the multifunction device 151 operates as a parent station, and the other device operates as a child station.

The short-range wireless communication unit 157 is configured to wirelessly connect to a device such as the PC 101 at a short distance, and can be connected to the short-range wireless communication unit 111 in the PC 101, for example. Examples of communication methods include NFC, Bluetooth Classic, BLE, and Wi-Fi Aware.

The CPU 154 is a system control unit and controls the entire MFP 151. The RAM 153 is composed of an SRAM or the like that requires a backup power source. Since the RAM 153 holds data using a primary battery for data backup (not shown), important data such as program control variables can be stored without volatilization. The RAM 153 also has a memory area for storing setting information for the MFP 151 and management data for the MFP 151. The RAM 153 is also used as the main memory and work memory for the CPU 154, and stores a reception buffer for temporarily storing print information received from the PC 101, etc., and various information. The ROM 152 stores fixed data such as the control program executed by the CPU 154, data tables, and OS programs. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 152 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 152.

The print engine 155 forms an image on a recording medium, such as paper, by applying a recording agent, such as ink, based on information stored in the RAM 153 or a print job received from the PC 101 or the like, and outputs the print result. Generally, since the amount of data of a print job sent from the PC 101 or the like is large, it is necessary to use a communication method capable of high-speed communication for communication of the print job. Therefore, the multifunction device 151 receives the print job via the communication unit 156, which is capable of communication at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 157.

The scan engine 162 reads image data or document data from a set document or the like, based on input from the operation unit 159 or a scan job received from the PC 101 or the like. The read data is stored in the RAM 153 as the scan result, or transmitted to the PC 101 or the like. Generally, the amount of scan result data transmitted from the multifunction device 151 to the PC 101 or the like is large, so a communication method capable of high-speed communication is required for such communication. Therefore, the multifunction device 151 transmits the scan result via the communication unit 156, which is capable of communication at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 157. The multifunction device 151 may be equipped with a memory such as an external HDD or SD card as an optional device, and the information stored in the multifunction device 151 may be stored in the memory.

The input interface 158 is an interface for accepting data input and operation instructions from the user by operating the operation unit 159 such as a physical button. The operation unit 159 may be a soft keyboard or soft buttons displayed on the display unit 161. That is, the input interface 158 may accept input from the user via the display unit 161. The output interface 160 is an interface for controlling the display unit 161 to display data and notify the status of the multifunction device 151. The display unit 161 is composed of an LED (light-emitting diode) or an LCD (liquid crystal display), and displays data and notifies the status of the multifunction device 151. In this embodiment, the operation unit 159 and the display unit 161 are configured as an operation display unit composed of a touch panel display.

The configuration in FIG. 2 can be an example of a configuration when a PC and a multifunction device exist on the same network. In this case, communication between the PC and the multifunction device can be performed using the configuration described above. In other words, various jobs such as print jobs can be sent and received between the PC and the multifunction device using the configuration described above. Furthermore, the cloud server 13 has a similar configuration to a general-purpose information processing device such as the PC 101.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a multifunction device in this embodiment. In the following explanations of Figures 3 to 5, PC 101 will be explained as a representative example of PCs 101 and 14, and multifunction device 151 will be explained as a representative example of multifunction devices 151 and 15. The software configuration in Figure 3 is implemented in the multifunction device as so-called firmware, and is executed by CPU 154.

The operating system 301 provides various resource management services and frameworks optimized for controlling embedded systems to software running on the operating system 301. The various resource management services and frameworks provided by the operating system 301 include multitask management, which allows multiple processes to run in parallel by managing multiple execution contexts of processes by the CPU 154. There is also inter-task communication, which realizes synchronization and data exchange between tasks. Furthermore, the operating system 301 provides memory management, interrupt management, various device drivers, and a protocol stack that implements the processing of various protocols such as local interfaces and network communications.

The controller platform 302 includes a file system 303, a job and device control 304, and a counter 305. The file system 303 is a mechanism for storing data constructed on a storage area such as the RAM 153, and is used to spool jobs handled by the CPU 154 and to save various data. The job and device control 304 controls the hardware of the multifunction device 151, and also controls jobs that mainly use basic functions provided by the hardware (printing, communication, image conversion, etc.). The counter 305 manages the expiration date for each application and counter values based on the usage record of printing.

The system service 306 is a module for monitoring the operating status of the multifunction device 151 and downloading software and licenses from a software distribution server (not shown) via the network. The application platform 307 is middleware that makes the mechanisms of the operating system 301 and controller platform 302 available to the system library 308 and application 309 described below.

The system library 308 is a software module that provides the functions of services that can be used by the application 309, and includes account management 311, database management 312, and network communication 313. The application 309 is a software module that can display menus on the operation unit 159 and accept input from the user, and can provide the user with various functions realized by the multifunction device 151.

The authentication print application 321 is one of the modules included in the application 309, and communicates with an authentication application 410 of the cloud server 13 (described later) via the network communication 313 for user authentication. The authentication print application 321 requests the authentication application 410 to verify the user name and password entered via the operation unit 159. If the user information is authenticated, it obtains print job information linked to the user information from the print management application 414. The authentication print application 321 then provides a remote printing function that performs printing based on the obtained print job information. After executing the print job, the authentication print application 321 also transmits usage statistics information, including the number of pages printed, to the cloud server 13.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the cloud server 13 in this embodiment. The infrastructure 401 is the foundation for the cloud server 13 to provide services, and is composed of servers, virtual machines, storage, networks, and operating systems.

The cloud platform 402 is a framework that uses the infrastructure 401 to provide common basic functions to the application 407. The cloud platform 402 includes a file system 403, an account/job control 404, and a database 405.

Application 407 communicates with a web browser running on PC 101, and is capable of displaying menus on the web browser screen of PC 101 and accepting input from the user. Application 407 is a software module that can manage user accounts that can use MFP 151, visualize usage statistics of MFP 151, and provide users with various functions for using MFP 151.

The authentication application 410 is one of the modules included in the application 407, and uses the account/job management 404 of the cloud platform 402 to manage users who can use the multifunction device 151. The authentication application 410 receives user information requested for authentication from the authentication print application 321 of the multifunction device 151 via the network, and checks the user name and password. Here, the user authentication may be performed using an external authentication server such as ActiveDirectory or LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), instead of the account/job management 404 of the cloud platform 402.

The device management application 411 is one of the modules included in the application 407, and performs device management such as registering, editing, and deleting the target multifunction device. It also manages private devices, which are multifunction devices that are linked by the user to the user information. Private devices will be described later.

The setting application 412 provides various screens to be displayed by the web browser of the PC 101. The screens provided by the setting application 412 will be described later. The usage statistics application 413 is one of the modules included in the application 407, and manages statistical information on the actual usage of functions such as printing and scanning. The statistical information is collected by receiving the statistical information from the authentication print application 321 of the multifunction device 151 or the usage statistics transmission unit 515 of the PC, which will be described later. The received statistical information is displayed on the web browser screen of the PC 101 for each multifunction device registered in the device management application 411 or for each user registered in the authentication application 410.

The print management application 414 is one of the modules included in the application 407, and manages remote print jobs. First, it holds print job information sent from the remote print execution unit 516 of the PC 101, which will be described later. Then, when it receives an inquiry about print job information linked to an authenticated user from the authentication print application 321 of the multifunction device 151, it returns a list of print jobs linked to the user and the print job information to the authentication print application 321. In other words, because jobs are centrally managed by user information, a remote print function is provided that allows printing to be performed from any multifunction device connected to the cloud server 130, regardless of which PC the print job was sent from.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a print application 510 pre-installed in the PC 101 in this embodiment. The print application 510 includes a spooler monitoring unit 511, a print method determination unit 512, a device information acquisition unit 513, a print job execution unit 514, a usage statistics information transmission unit 515, and a remote print job execution unit 516. Note that the printer driver 501 and the print spooler 502 are not included in the print application 510. The print spooler 502 is included in the OS (operating system) used by the PC 101, and the printer driver 501 is installed separately depending on the environment in which it is used.

The spooler monitoring unit 511 monitors the submission of print jobs from the printer driver 501 to the print spooler 502. The spooler monitoring unit 511 references the parameters of the submitted print job, and if it determines that the print data is to be monitored by the print application 510, passes the print data to the print method determination unit 512. Whether or not the print data is to be monitored may be determined, for example, by whether or not the parameters of the print data include a specific printer name. The specific printer name is, for example, the name of a private device linked to the user.

The print method determination unit 512 determines whether the print data passed from the spooler monitoring unit 511 should be sent to the device associated with the user via the print job execution unit 514, or to the cloud server 13 via the remote print job execution unit 516. Hereinafter, the device associated with the user is referred to as a private device. Specifically, the print method determination unit 512 compares the private device information acquired from the device information acquisition unit 513 with the network information of the PC 101 itself. If the PC 101 and the private device are in the same network, it determines that the print data should be sent to the private device via the print job execution unit 514. On the other hand, if they are not in the same network, it determines that the print data should be sent to the cloud server 13 via the remote print job execution unit 516.

The device information acquisition unit 513 acquires private device information that is linked to the user in advance from the authentication application 410 or device management application 411 of the cloud server 13 via the screen of FIG. 6(b) described later. The private device information includes at least the network information (IP address, etc.) of the device, but may include other information. The process of acquiring the private device information may be executed in response to an inquiry from the printing method determination unit 512. The private device information may be acquired at regular intervals and stored as a cache in the device information acquisition unit 513, and the cached private device information may be returned in response to an inquiry from the printing method determination unit 512. The print job execution unit 514 transmits print data to the private device based on the print data and private device information passed from the printing method determination unit 512, and instructs the execution of printing.

The usage statistics transmission unit 515 acquires usage statistics from the MFP 151 and transmits it to the usage statistics application 413 of the cloud server 13. The usage statistics is acquired by acquiring usage statistics of the private device that executed printing via the print job execution unit 514 from the job/device control 304 or the counter 305. Note that the authentication print application 321 of the MFP 151 described above also has a function of transmitting usage statistics of the MFP 151 itself to the cloud server 13. Therefore, this function in the authentication print application 321 may be used instead of the usage statistics transmission unit 515. The remote print job execution unit 516 transmits the print data passed from the print method determination unit 512 to the print management application 414 of the cloud server 13.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the print application 510 monitors print jobs spooled in the print spooler 502. Then, if the print job is, for example, a print job to be executed on a private device, the print application 510 controls processing to execute the print job on the private device based on whether the private device exists on the same network as the PC 101.

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing examples of various function and setting screens provided by the cloud server 13 in this embodiment. Display data for the screens in FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b) is generated by the setting application 412 of the application 407 of the cloud server 13. The screens in FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b) are displayed on the web browser of PC 101 as the web browser operating on PC 101 communicates with the cloud server 13.

Figure 6 (a) is an example of a device management display screen of the device management application 411 that is displayed when the device tab 620 is clicked. In the device list 624, a list of multifunction devices whose functions are provided by the cloud server 13 is displayed. Button 621 is an add device button, button 622 is an edit device button, and button 623 is a delete device button. When the user wants to add a multifunction device whose functions are provided by the cloud server 13, the user presses the add device button 621. When the user wants to delete a multifunction device whose functions are provided by the cloud server 13, the user presses the delete device button 623. When the user wants to edit information (such as name and IP address) of a registered device, the user presses the edit device button 622. The cloud server 13 provides functions such as user authentication, statistics and visualization of the usage record of the print/scan function of each device, and remote printing for the registered device group. As an example, device information 625 displays that the name of the multifunction device is "iR-ADV C5535", the serial number unique to each multifunction device is "BBB12345", and the IP address is "172.20.1.20". Note that device list 624 does not display information about private devices associated with the user.

Figure 6 (b) is an example of a user management display screen that is displayed when the user tab 640 is clicked. A list of users registered in the cloud server 13 is displayed in the user list 643. Button 641 is an add user button, and button 642 is a delete user button. When the user wants to register a new user in the cloud server 13, the user presses the add user button 641. In that case, a screen (not shown) for setting the user name, email address, account information, etc. is displayed after clicking the user information tab 644. When the user wants to delete a registered user, the user presses the delete user button 642.

When a user wishes to edit or refer to registered user information, the user selects the relevant user name from the user list 643. After the user name is selected, when the private device tab 645 is clicked, a list of multifunction devices linked to the relevant user is displayed in the device list 649. When the user wishes to add a new multifunction device, the user presses the add button 646. When the user wishes to edit the information of a registered multifunction device, the user presses the edit button 647. When the user wishes to delete the information of a registered multifunction device, the user presses the delete button 648.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration in this embodiment. Figure 7 corresponds to the network configuration in Figure 1. Here, as an example, it is assumed that network 11 is an in-house network and network 12 is a home network.

If PC101 is a portable PC (such as a notebook PC), it is usually connected to network 11, i.e., an in-house network (network address = 172.20.1.*). On the other hand, a user may carry PC101 around for purposes such as teleworking, and connect it to network 12, i.e., a home network (network address = 192.168.1.*). In Figure 7, PC101 is shown as PC14 when it is connected to the home network. PC14 is assigned the IP address "192.168.1.20".

A multifunction device 15 assigned an IP address of 192.168.1.30 is connected to the network 12, and the PC 14 can connect to the multifunction device 15 through communication within the home network. The multifunction device 15 can also communicate with the cloud server 13 via the network 10. In this example, the multifunction device 15 is assumed to be located in a place that cannot be accessed by other users, such as the user's home. The user registers such a multifunction device 15 as a private device on the screen in FIG. 6(b). In this example, the multifunction device 15 is assumed to be registered with the cloud server 13 as a private device 650 on the screen in FIG. 6(b).

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the printing process in PCs 101 and 14 in this embodiment. The process in Figure 8 is realized, for example, by CPU 103 of PCs 101 and 14 reading a program stored in ROM 104, such as print application 510, into RAM 105 and executing it. Here, we will first explain the process in PC 14 connected to the home network, and then explain the process in PC 101 connected to the company network.

First, in S801, the spooler monitoring unit 511 of the PC 14 monitors the submission of a print job to be monitored by the print application 510 from the printer driver 501 to the print spooler 502. In S802, the spooler monitoring unit 511 of the PC 14 determines whether or not the print job to be monitored by the print application 510 has been submitted to the print spooler 502. If it is determined that the print job has been submitted to the print spooler 502, the process proceeds to S803. If it is determined that the print job has not been submitted to the print spooler 502, the process repeats from S801.

In S803, the printing method determination unit 512 of the PC 14 receives the print data of the print job from the spooler monitoring unit 511, and then acquires private device information from the device information acquisition unit 513. In this example, as shown in FIG. 7, the information of the IP address 192.168.1.30 assigned to the multifunction device 15 is acquired as the private device information.

In S804, the printing method determination unit 512 of the PC 14 acquires network information of the PC (i.e., the PC 14) on which the print application 510 is running. The printing method determination unit 512 acquires the network information of the PC 14, for example, by a function of the OS (operating system) of the PC 14. In this example, as shown in FIG. 7, information is acquired that the IP address assigned to the PC 14 is 192.168.1.20, and that the network address of the home network to which the PC 14 is connected is 192.168.1.*.

In S805, the printing method determination unit 512 of PC 14 determines whether or not there is a private device in the network to which PC 14 is connected. For example, this determination is made based on whether PC 14 and the private device belong to the same network address. In this example, since PC 14 and multifunction device 15 are in the same network, it is determined that there is a private device in the network to which PC 14 is connected, and the process proceeds to S806. The printing method determination unit 512 passes the print data and private device information to the print job execution unit 514.

In S806, the print job execution unit 514 instructs printing by sending print data and a print job to the private device based on the print data and private device information passed from the print method determination unit 512. In this example, the print data is sent to the multifunction device 15 with IP address 192.168.1.30. The multifunction device 15 then receives the print data and executes the print process. That is, in this case, the multifunction device 15 executes the print process without accepting any user operation.

In this way, for example, when the PC 14 and the multifunction device 15 are present on the same home network, user operation on the multifunction device 15 is not required, thereby improving convenience.

In S808, the usage statistics transmission unit 515 acquires usage statistics from the job/device control 304 and counter 305 of the MFP 15. The usage statistics transmission unit 515 then transmits the acquired usage statistics to the usage statistics application 413 of the cloud server 13. Here, the usage statistics acquired and transmitted may be all information on the print history performed by the MFP 15, or may be only information on the print history related to the print job transmitted in S806. When only information on the print history related to S806 is used, for example, it becomes possible for the cloud server 13 to manage usage statistics only when the MFP 15 is used for business purposes. Note that the process of S808 may be executed by the CPU 154 of the MFP 15 using the authentication print application 321, instead of the PC 14. In other words, the MFP 15 may transmit the usage statistics to the cloud server 13.

Next, we will explain the differences from the above regarding the processing on PC 101 connected to the company network. Steps S801 to S803 are the same as the above explanation.

In S804, the printing method determination unit 512 of the PC 101 acquires network information of the PC (i.e., the PC 101) on which the print application 510 is running. The printing method determination unit 512 acquires the network information of the PC 101, for example, by using a function of the OS (operating system) of the PC 101. In this example, as shown in FIG. 7, information is acquired that the IP address assigned to the PC 101 is 172.20.1.20, and that the network address of the in-house network to which the PC 101 is connected is 172.20.1.*.

In S805, the printing method determination unit 512 of the PC 101 determines whether or not there is a private device in the network to which the PC 101 is connected. For example, this determination is made based on whether the PC 101 and the private device belong to the same network address. In this example, since the PC 101 and the multifunction device 15 are not in the same network, it is determined that there is no private device in the network to which the PC 101 is connected, and the process proceeds to S807. The printing method determination unit 512 passes the print data and user information to the remote print job execution unit 516 as a remote print job. Here, it is sufficient that the cloud server 13 can identify that it is a remote print job, and, for example, information indicating that it is a job that requires user authentication processing is added.

In S807, the remote print job execution unit 516 sends the print data and remote print job passed from the print method determination unit 512 to the print management application 414 of the cloud server 13. After that, the print management application 414 of the cloud server 13 holds the information of the remote print job sent from the remote print execution unit 516 of the PC 101. After executing the user authentication process, when an inquiry about the remote print job linked to the authenticated user is received from the authentication print application 321 of the multifunction device 15, the remote print job linked to the user is returned to the authentication print application 321. Then, printing is executed in the multifunction device 15. That is, in this case, the multifunction device 15 accepts authentication information from the user on the operation unit 159, and executes the print process based on the fact that the authentication information has been authenticated by the cloud server 13. Then, the process of FIG. 8 is terminated.

Note that in the process of FIG. 8, if no private devices are registered, no private device information is obtained in the process of S803. For example, information indicating that there are 0 devices is obtained. In that case, the process of S804 and S805 may be skipped and the process of S807 may be executed.

According to this embodiment, the MFP is managed as a private device linked to the user. If the PC instructing the printing and the private device are in the same network, the print job is sent to the private device without going through the cloud server 13. On the other hand, if the PC instructing the printing and the private device are not in the same network, the print job is sent to the cloud server 13. In the above, an example in which remote printing is performed on the MFP 15 via the cloud server 13 from the PC 101 has been described, but the operation can also be applied to a case in which remote printing is performed on the MFP 151 via the cloud server 13 from the PC 14. For example, if it is assumed that there is a risk of information leakage due to the printout being left unattended, the remote print job can be stored in the cloud server 13, so security can be maintained.

Normally, when printing using other multifunction devices connected to other networks, different printer drivers 501 are specified for each. In this embodiment, even when PC 101 is connected to another network and used as PC 14 to perform printing using multifunction device 15, the same printer driver 501 can be specified.

Also, in S808, it was explained that it becomes possible for the cloud server 13 to manage usage statistics only when the MFP 15 is used for business purposes. This makes it possible to realize a management method in which, for example, when a user uses a home MFP 15 for business purposes that is normally used for personal purposes, only the costs incurred when printing for business purposes are tallied and the costs are later refunded to the user. Also, in this embodiment, a print job is used as an example, but the job is not limited to a print job as long as it corresponds to a function that can be realized by the MFP.

[Second embodiment]
The second embodiment will be described below with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, it is assumed that there are multiple private devices associated with a user. In this embodiment, the process shown in FIG. 9 is executed in S806. In this embodiment, if multiple private devices are detected, the selection of the multifunction device to execute printing is accepted from the user. If a private device cannot be detected, a display is displayed prompting the user to check the status of the multifunction device, and then, if a private device is detected, the print process is executed.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of S806 in this embodiment. The processing of Figure 9 is realized, for example, by the CPU 103 of the PC 14 reading a program stored in the ROM 104, such as the print application 510, into the RAM 105 and executing it. Here, we will explain the case where the processing of S803 resulted in information on multiple private devices being included.

In S901, the printing method determination unit 512 checks whether the multiple private devices obtained by the processing of S803 are usable. In other words, it checks whether the multiple private devices are in a state in which they can execute a print job. When checking whether they are usable, it may be possible to check whether communication with the multifunction device is possible using a network command such as PING. It may also be possible to check whether the multifunction device is usable using IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) or the like.

In S902, the printing method determination unit 512 determines whether or not there are two or more usable private devices confirmed in S901. If it is determined that there are two or more usable private devices, the process proceeds to S903, and if it is determined that there are not two or more usable private devices, the process proceeds to S905.

In S903, the printing method determination unit 512 displays information on the display unit that multiple private devices have been detected and are available, as shown on the screen in FIG. 10(a). As shown in FIG. 10(a), for example, buttons 1001 and 1002 corresponding to two private devices are displayed on the screen. Buttons 1001 and 1002 make it possible to accept a selection from the user as to which private device to use for printing. In addition, a cancel button 1003 is displayed on the screen to accept an instruction to cancel all printing processes shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.

In S904, the print method determination unit 512 accepts a selection from the user as to which private device to use for printing. For example, when button 1001 is selected, the print job execution unit 514 is passed private device information, including information such as the device name "Satera MF999" and the IP address "192.168.1.20", and the print data, and the process proceeds to S909.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S902 that there are not two or more usable private devices, then in S905 the printing method determination unit 512 determines whether there is one usable private device confirmed in S901. If it is determined that there is one usable private device, then in S909 the printing method determination unit 512 passes the private device information including information about the usable private device and the print data to the print job execution unit 514, and the process proceeds to S909. If it is determined that there is not one usable private device, i.e., if there are zero usable private devices, the process proceeds to S906.

In S906, the printing method determination unit 512 displays a message screen, as shown in FIG. 10B, indicating that there are no available private devices. If the process proceeds to S906 even though there is information about multiple private devices obtained by the process of S803, it is possible that the private device is not turned on or is not properly connected to the network. In this embodiment, in such a case, the user can be prompted to check the power and connection to the network.

In S907, the printing method determination unit 512 checks whether each private device has become available, similar to the process of S901. In S908, the printing method determination unit 512 determines whether one or more private devices have become available. If it is determined that one or more private devices have become available, the process from S902 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that one or more private devices have not become available, the process from S907 is repeated. Here, if a predetermined time has elapsed since the screen was displayed in S906, the printing process shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 may be terminated.

In S909, the print job execution unit 514 executes the print process by sending the print job to the private device based on the private device information received from the print method determination unit 512. Thereafter, the process in FIG. 9 ends, and the process proceeds to S808 in FIG. 8.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when multiple private devices are available, it is possible to receive instructions from the user to select the device to use for printing. Furthermore, even if the private device is not in a state where it can print, it is possible to start the print process when the device becomes available.

The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following information processing device, method, program, and system.
(Item 1)
An information processing device,
An acquisition unit for acquiring network information of an image forming apparatus that executes a job;
a control unit that controls a process for executing the job in the image forming apparatus based on the network information of the image forming apparatus acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
the control means, when the image forming apparatus is present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, executes the job by a first process, and when the image forming apparatus is not present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, executes the job by a second process different from the first process.
23. An information processing apparatus comprising:
(Item 2)
a determination unit that determines whether the image forming device is present on the same network as the information processing device based on the network information of the image forming device and the network information of the information processing device acquired by the acquisition unit,
2. The information processing apparatus according to item 1, wherein the control unit controls a process for executing the job in the image forming apparatus based on a result of the determination by the determination unit.
(Item 3)
a linking unit for linking the image forming apparatus with a user corresponding to the job,
the acquiring means acquires network information of the image forming apparatus associated with the user by the associating means.
3. The information processing device according to item 1 or 2.
(Item 4)
When the image forming apparatus is present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, the control unit transmits the job to the image forming apparatus as the first process;
4. The information processing apparatus according to item 3, wherein the job is executed in the image forming apparatus without intervention of a user operation in the image forming apparatus.
(Item 5)
a first display unit that displays a screen for receiving a selection of an image forming apparatus to which the job is to be transmitted when a plurality of image forming apparatuses exist on the same network as the information processing apparatus;
the control unit transmits the job to an image forming apparatus selected on the screen.
5. The information processing device according to item 4.
(Item 6)
a confirmation unit that, when a plurality of image forming apparatuses are present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, confirms whether each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is capable of executing the job;
the first display unit displays the screen based on the image forming apparatus confirmed by the confirmation unit as being capable of executing the job.
6. The information processing device according to item 5,
(Item 7)
7. The information processing apparatus according to item 6, further comprising a second display unit that displays a message screen when there is no image forming apparatus that is confirmed by the confirmation unit as being capable of executing the job.
(Item 8)
The information processing device described in item 7, characterized in that the message screen includes at least one of the following messages: that the power of the image forming device associated with the user by the association means is turned off, and that the image forming device is not connected to a network.
(Item 9)
9. The information processing apparatus according to item 7 or 8, wherein the confirmation unit confirms whether each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is capable of executing the job after the second display unit displays the job.
(Item 10)
10. The information processing apparatus according to any one of items 3 to 9, further comprising: a means for acquiring, after the job is executed, information indicating a result of the execution.
(Item 11)
The information processing device described in any one of items 4 to 10, characterized in that, when the image forming device is not located on the same network as the information processing device, the control means transmits the job as a job requiring user authentication processing to a server device other than the image forming device as the second processing.
(Item 12)
12. The information processing apparatus according to item 11, wherein the job is executed based on an instruction for authentication processing of the user being accepted in the image forming apparatus and the user being authenticated.
(Item 13)
13. The information processing apparatus according to item 11 or 12, wherein the job is managed in the server apparatus in association with the user.
(Item 14)
14. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 13, wherein the network information includes a network address.
(Item 15)
15. The information processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 14, wherein the job is a print job.
(Item 16)
A method executed in an information processing device, comprising:
An acquisition step of acquiring network information of an image forming apparatus that executes a job;
a control step of controlling a process for executing the job in the image forming apparatus based on the network information of the image forming apparatus acquired in the acquisition step;
Equipped with
In the control step, when the image forming apparatus is present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, the job is executed by a first process, and when the image forming apparatus is not present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, the job is executed by a second process different from the first process.
A method comprising:
(Item 17)
16. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 15.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

13, 14, 101 Information processing device: 15, 151 Image forming device: 103, 154 CPU: 104, 152 ROM: 105, 152 RAM

Claims (17)

An information processing device,
An acquisition unit for acquiring network information of an image forming apparatus that executes a job;
a control unit that controls a process for executing the job in the image forming apparatus based on the network information of the image forming apparatus acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
the control means, when the image forming apparatus is present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, executes the job by a first process, and when the image forming apparatus is not present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, executes the job by a second process different from the first process.
23. An information processing apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the image forming device is present on the same network as the information processing device based on the network information of the image forming device and the network information of the information processing device acquired by the acquisition unit,
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls a process for executing the job in the image forming apparatus based on the result of the determination by the determination means. a linking unit for linking the image forming apparatus with a user corresponding to the job,
the acquiring means acquires network information of the image forming apparatus associated with the user by the associating means.
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, the control unit transmits the job to the image forming device as the first process when the image forming device is present on the same network as the information processing device;
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the job is executed in the image forming apparatus without intervention of a user operation in the image forming apparatus. a first display unit that displays a screen for receiving a selection of an image forming apparatus to which the job is to be transmitted when a plurality of image forming apparatuses exist on the same network as the information processing apparatus;
the control unit transmits the job to an image forming apparatus selected on the screen.
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4. a confirmation unit that, when a plurality of image forming apparatuses are present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, confirms whether each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is capable of executing the job;
the first display unit displays the screen based on the image forming apparatus confirmed by the confirmation unit as being capable of executing the job.
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, The information processing device according to claim 6, further comprising a second display means for displaying a message screen if there is no image forming device that is confirmed by the confirmation means as being capable of executing the job. The information processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the message screen includes at least one of the following messages: that the image forming device associated with the user by the association means is powered off, and that the image forming device is not connected to a network. The information processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the confirmation means, after display by the second display means, confirms whether each of the multiple image forming devices is capable of executing the job. The information processing device according to claim 3, further comprising a means for acquiring information indicating a result of the execution of the job after the job is executed. The information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when the image forming device is not present on the same network as the information processing device, the control means transmits the job as a job requiring user authentication processing to a server device other than the image forming device as the second process. The information processing device according to claim 11, characterized in that the job is executed based on the user being authenticated when an instruction for authentication processing of the user is received in the image forming device. The information processing device according to claim 11, characterized in that the job is managed in the server device in association with the user. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the network information includes a network address. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the job is a print job. A method executed in an information processing device, comprising:
An acquisition step of acquiring network information of an image forming apparatus that executes a job;
a control step of controlling a process for executing the job in the image forming apparatus based on the network information of the image forming apparatus acquired in the acquisition step;
Equipped with
In the control step, when the image forming apparatus is present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, the job is executed by a first process, and when the image forming apparatus is not present on the same network as the information processing apparatus, the job is executed by a second process different from the first process.
A method comprising: A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

Images