JP4709125B2 - Information processing apparatus and print processing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that generates print data and a print processing system that performs print processing, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and print processing system that can restrict execution of print processing.

In an office environment such as a company, one or a plurality of printing apparatuses are usually shared and used by a plurality of information processing apparatuses.
The information processing apparatus generates print data such as a document or image to be printed, and transmits the print data to the printing apparatus. When the printing apparatus receives the print data, the printing apparatus executes a printing process based on the print data.
In a print processing system including such an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus, conventionally, an increase in printing has been a problem.

In order to solve the above-described problem, Patent Document 1 provides a host device as an information processing device with a function of adding user information of the host device to print data, and a printer device as a printing device. A technology of a printer management system that can restrict printing for each user by providing a function for determining whether or not to execute printing based on user information is disclosed.
JP-A-10-207661

  However, in recent years, printing devices connected to a network have become widespread, and as the environment in which printing can be performed easily has been established, the increase in printing exceeding expectations is progressing. For this reason, there is a problem that the increase in printing cannot be sufficiently suppressed only by the above-described printing restriction for each user.

  Therefore, a print processing system and an information processing apparatus that can reliably suppress an increase in printing have been desired.

  The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above points.

<Configuration 1>
An information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a print data generation unit that generates print data to be transmitted to a printing apparatus, has application identification information, obtains an application for creating print data, and application identification information An application information acquisition unit, an application determination unit that determines whether or not the application is a web browser based on the acquired application identification information, and if it is determined that the application is a web browser, the web browser is executing URL information acquisition unit that acquires URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information of the web application as application identification information, an application information storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of application identification information in advance, and the acquired application A print availability determination unit that determines whether printing is possible based on the application identification information and the application identification information stored in the application information storage unit. Is characterized in that it generates print data based on print data.

<Configuration 2>
A print processing system according to a second invention includes an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus capable of communicating with the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus having application identification information and creating printing data; An application information acquisition unit that acquires application identification information, an application determination unit that determines whether the application is a web browser based on the application identification information, and a web browser that determines that the application is a web browser, A URL information acquisition unit that acquires URL information of the web application being executed as application identification information; a print data generation unit that generates print data including the acquired application identification information based on the generated print data; , The generated print data to the printing device The printing apparatus includes: an application information storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of application identification information in advance; and an extraction unit that extracts application identification information from print data received from the information processing apparatus. Based on the application identification information and the application information stored in the application identification information storage unit, a print propriety determination unit that determines whether printing is possible, and if printing is determined, print processing based on the print data is executed. And a print execution unit.

  According to the information processing apparatus and the print processing system of the present invention, when the application to be used is a web browser, the URL information of the web application being executed in the web browser is notified as the application identification information. Printing restriction is possible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary printing from being performed and to reliably suppress an increase in printing.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The print processing system according to the present invention determines whether or not printing is possible based on the application identification information so as to perform printing restriction for each application running on the OS (Operating System) of the client apparatus. As a result, for example, in a printer for printing posters and pops, it is possible to restrict printing of a document created by the document creation software, so that wasteful costs can be reduced and an increase in printing can be suppressed. .

  By the way, with the spread of the Internet in recent years, the use of applications that can be executed on a web browser, that is, web applications is increasing. In this case, with the above-described print restriction based on the application identification information, there is a problem that whether or not printing is possible is determined based on the web browser identification information (web browser name), and the print restriction cannot be imposed for each web application. .

The print processing system according to the present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problem.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a first embodiment of a print processing system according to the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the print processing system 10 according to the first embodiment includes a client device 11 as an information processing device, a printer 12 as a printing device, and an application server 13. The client device 11, the printer 12, and the application server 13 are connected via a network 14, respectively.
As a connection form of the client apparatus 11 and the printer 12, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection or a parallel connection may be employed.

  In this embodiment, the application server 13 has URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/”, and includes a web application storage unit 15 as shown in FIG. Yes.

  The web application storage unit 15 stores a plurality of applications that can be executed on a web browser, that is, a web application. In this embodiment, the web application storage unit 15 corresponds to the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/”, and a web application “popprint” for creating a poster, pop, and the like. , URL application “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/”, and a web application “dataprint” for creating documents, charts, and the like are stored respectively.

  In this embodiment, the client device 11 is a personal computer. As shown in FIG. 1, the client device 11 includes a display unit 16, a selection input unit 17, an application unit 18, a temporary storage unit 19, a web browser name storage unit 20, and an application name acquisition. A unit 21, an application determination unit 22, a URL information acquisition unit 23, a print data generation unit 24, a communication unit 25, and a device control unit 26.

  The display unit 16 includes a display, for example, and has a function of displaying various screens.

  The selection input unit 17 includes a mouse and a keyboard, for example, and is used for allowing the user to select or input information. The selection input unit 17 has a function of inputting print request information indicating a print request and sending it to the application unit 18.

  The application unit 18 is, for example, a processing unit for creating, browsing, and editing a document, and includes a plurality of applications that can be executed on the OS, such as document creation software and various web browsers. The application unit 18 performs each process based on the input from the selection input unit 17 and notifies the user of the result of the process via the display unit 16. When the print request information is input from the selection input unit 17, the application unit 18 creates print data based on the document data of the document created on the application. In the present embodiment, the printing data created by the application unit 18 includes the name of the application, that is, the application name, as application identification information for identifying the used application, that is, the used application. The created printing data is sent to the temporary storage unit 19.

  The temporary storage unit 19 temporarily stores print data sent from the application unit 18.

  The web browser name storage unit 20 is a storage area in which the name of each web browser that can be used in the client device 11, that is, the web browser name, is stored as the web browser information storage unit.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the web browser name storage unit.
As shown in FIG. 2, the web browser name storage unit 20 stores a web browser name as web browser identification information for identifying the web browser application.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the web browser names “WebBrowserA”, “WebBrowserB”, and “WebBrowserC” are stored in the web browser name storage unit 20 of the present embodiment.

  The application name acquisition unit 21 has a function as an application information acquisition unit that extracts and acquires an application name as application identification information from print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  The application determination unit 22 creates print data based on whether the application name acquired by the application name acquisition unit 21 matches any of the web browser names stored in the web browser name storage unit 20. It is determined whether or not the application used in step 1, that is, the application used is a web browser.

  The URL information acquisition unit 23 has a function of acquiring URL information of a web application. That is, the URL information acquisition unit 23 searches and acquires URL information in the printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19. When the URL information is not included in the print data, the URL information acquisition unit 23 acquires the URL information of the web application being executed on the web browser from the web browser, that is, the application unit 18. Further, the URL information acquisition unit 23 performs overwriting processing on the application name included in the printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 using the acquired URL information as application identification information, that is, an application name.

  The print data generation unit 24 reads the print data from the temporary storage unit 19, converts the print data into a printer language supported by the printer 12, and generates print data.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of print data according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the print data generated by the print data generation unit 24 includes an application name portion 39-1 and a document data portion 39- converted into a printer language. 2 is included. The print data shown in FIG. 3A includes “ApplicationD” as the application name in the application name portion 39-1, and the print data shown in FIG. URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” corresponding to the web application “dataprint” of the server 13 is included.

  The communication unit 25 is an interface unit having a communication function with the printer 12, and transmits the print data generated by the print data generation unit 24 to the printer 12 as a transmission unit.

  The device control unit 26 has a function of controlling the above-described units 16 to 25.

  In the present embodiment, a display device 27 and an input device 28 are connected to the printer 12 via an interface unit (not shown).

  The display device 27 includes a display, for example, and has a function as a display unit that displays various screens such as a setting screen and a print impossible notification screen described later.

  The input device 28 includes a switch such as an operation panel, for example, and has a data input function to the printer 12.

  In this embodiment, the printer 12 is a printer for printing posters and pops. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer communication unit 29, the temporary storage unit 30, the permitted application name storage unit 31, the setting unit 32, and the extraction unit. A section 33, a printability determination section 34, a print execution section 35, a notification section 36, and a print control section 37.

  The printer communication unit 29 is an interface unit that communicates with the client device 11 and has a function of receiving print data from the client device 11 and sending the print data to a temporary storage unit 30 described later.

  The temporary storage unit 30 temporarily stores print data received by the printer communication unit 29, various data input by the input device 28, and the like.

  The permitted application name storage unit 31 has a function as an application information storage unit, and is a storage area in which an application name of an application permitted to execute printing in the printer 12 is stored as a permitted application name.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of the permitted application name storage unit according to the first embodiment.
For example, the permitted application name storage unit 31 in FIG. 4 stores the application name “ApplicationD” as the permitted application name and the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.com” corresponding to the web application “popprint” of the application server 13. jp / popprint / "is stored. Since the printer 12 of this embodiment is not suitable for printing a document created by the document creation software, the URL information “http: corresponding to the web application“ dataprint ”is stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31, for example. //Server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/ "is not stored.

  The setting unit 32 causes the display device 27 to display a setting screen for setting the permitted application name based on the input from the input device 28. The setting unit 32 sets a permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 31 based on an input from the input device 28. The setting operation of the permitted application name by the setting unit 32 will be described later.

  The extraction unit 33 extracts and acquires the application name from the application name portion 39-1 of the print data (FIG. 3) stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  The print propriety determination unit 34 has a function of determining whether print execution is possible based on the application name. The printability determination unit 34 determines whether or not to execute printing based on whether or not the application name acquired by the extraction unit 33 matches any of the permitted application names stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31. Do.

  The print execution unit 35 is a processing unit that executes print processing based on print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  The notification unit 36 has a function of causing the display device 27 to display a print prohibition notification screen for notifying a determination result indicating that printing is impossible.

  The print control unit 37 has a function of controlling the above-described units 29 to 36.

Next, a procedure for setting a permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 31 in the print processing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the permitted application name setting operation of the print processing system according to the present invention.

  First, a case where a permitted application name is set in the permitted application name storage unit 31 will be described.

  When the operator inputs an authentication number for setting processing of a permitted application name, for example, via the input device 28, the setting unit 32 of the printer 12 that has received the input is stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31. The permitted application name is read (step S101). Then, the display device 27 is controlled to display a setting screen (step S101).

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of the setting screen.
In the setting screens 40a and 40b, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, an application name input area 41 for inputting an application name and a permitted application name display area for displaying a permitted application name. 42 is provided. The permitted application name display area 42 displays the permitted application name read from the permitted application name storage unit 31 of the printer 12.
The setting screens 40 a and 40 b are selected in the “add” button 43 for selecting to add the application name input in the application name input area 41 as the permitted application name and the permitted application name display area 42. A “delete” button 44 for selecting deletion of the permitted application name and an “end” button 45 for selecting the end of the setting process are provided.

  For example, in the setting screen 40a shown in FIG. 6A, the permitted application name display area 42 displays the application name “ApplicationD”. In this case, the permitted application name storage unit 31 stores “ApplicationD” as the permitted application name.

  Next, when input or selection is executed by the input device 28, the setting unit 32 that has received the input or selection controls the display device 27 to change the display of the setting screen (step S102).

  For example, in the setting screen 40a (FIG. 6A), the URL information “http” of the web application “popprint” is selected so that the input device 28 selects the application name input area 41 and sets it in the permitted application name storage unit 31. : /Server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/ "is displayed in the application name input area 41 as an input application name (step S102).

  Subsequently, when the “add” button 43 is pressed by the input device 28 (step S103), the setting unit 32 controls the display device 27 to add the input application name to the permitted application name display area 42. It is displayed (step S104). In the permitted application name display area 42 of the setting screen 40a, the input application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” is displayed together with the set permitted application name “ApplicationD” (step S104). ).

  Thereafter, when the “end” button 45 is pressed by the input device 28 (step S108), setting request information indicating a setting request for a permitted application name is input, and the permitted application name “displayed in the permitted application name display area 42” is displayed. ApplicationD ”and the input application name“ http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/ ”are sent to the setting unit 32 of the printer 12 together with the setting request information.

  When receiving the setting request information, the setting unit 32 initializes the permitted application name storage unit 31. Then, the setting unit 32 stores the application name “ApplicationD” and “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” sent from the input device 28 in the permitted application name storage unit 31 to allow the application name “ApplicationD” and “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/”. An application name is set (step S109). Then, the setting unit 32 ends the display of the setting screen on the display device 27, and the permitted application name setting process ends.

  As shown in FIG. 4, application names “ApplicationD” and “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” are set in the permitted application name storage unit 31. That is, the print permission is set for the application “ApplicationD” and the web application “popprint”.

  Next, a case where the setting of the permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 31 is canceled will be described.

  After the setting screen is displayed on the display device 27 (step S101), one of the permitted application names displayed in the permitted application name display area 42 on the setting screen is selected by the input device 28 (S102). The setting unit 32 changes the display of the selected portion (step S102).

  In the setting screen 40b shown in FIG. 6B, the permitted application name display area 42 displays the application name “ApplicationD” and URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/”. Yes. In this case, the permitted application name storage unit 31 stores “ApplicationD” and “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” as the permitted application names. If the permitted application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” displayed on the permitted application name display area 42 is selected by the input device 28 on the setting screen 40b, the display portion is displayed as shown in FIG. As shown in (b), the display is reversed (step S102).

Thereafter, when the “delete” button 44 is pressed by the input device 28 (step S105),
The setting unit 32 determines whether any permitted application name is selected (step S106).

  When it is determined that it is selected (step S106), the setting unit 32 controls the display device 27 to delete the display of the selected permitted application name, that is, the selected application name (step S107). In the permitted application name display area 42 of the setting screen 40b (FIG. 6B), the permitted application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” displayed in reverse is deleted, and the permitted application name is deleted. Only “ApplicationD” is displayed (step S107).

  When the “end” button 45 is pressed by the input device 28 (step S108), setting request information is input and sent to the setting unit 32 together with the application name “ApplicationD” displayed in the permitted application name display area 42. It is done. Then, the setting unit 32 initializes and updates the application name storage unit 31, and only “ApplicationD” is set as the permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 31 (step S109). That is, the permitted application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31 is deleted, and the print permission setting for the web application “popprint” is canceled. . As a result, the permitted application name setting process ends.

  If it is determined in step S106 that no permitted application name is selected, the setting unit 32 controls the display device 27 to display a message indicating that the permitted application name is not selected. It is displayed above (step S110).

  As described above, the setting unit 32 performs the setting process of the permitted application name for the application name storage unit 31.

Next, the flow of processing when executing print processing in the print processing system 10 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the printing operation in the first embodiment of the print processing system according to the present invention.

  First, an operation of the print processing system 10 when an application “ApplicationD” that is not a web browser is executed in the client apparatus 11 and printing is instructed will be described.

  The user operates the selection input unit 17 and presses a selection button (not shown) for selecting execution of printing in order to print a document created by the application “ApplicationD” being displayed on the display unit 16 of the client device 11. Then, the selection input unit 17 inputs print request information indicating a print request (step S201).

  The print request information input by the selection input unit 17 is sent to the application unit 18. Upon receiving the print request information, the application unit 18 creates print data (FIG. 3A) including the application name “ApplicationD” based on the document data of the document to be printed (step S202). The printing data is stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  Subsequently, the device control unit 26 controls the application name acquisition unit 21 to acquire the application name from the printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (step S203). The acquired application name “ApplicationD” is sent to the application determination unit 22.

  Next, under the control of the device control unit 26, the application determination unit 22 matches the application name received from the application name acquisition unit 21 with any of the web browser names stored in the web browser name storage unit 20 (FIG. 2). Based on whether or not to do, it is determined whether or not the application used is a web browser (step S204). Since the application name “ApplicationD” does not match any web browser name, the application determination unit 22 determines that the application name is not a web browser name, that is, the application used is not a web browser.

  If it is determined that the browser is not a web browser (step S204), the print data generation unit 24 reads the print data including the application name “ApplicationD” from the temporary storage unit 19 under the control of the apparatus control unit 26, and the print data Print data that can be analyzed by the printer 12 is generated based on the data (step S205). The print data generation unit 24 converts the document data included in the print data into a printer language, and print data including an application name portion 39-1 including the application name “ApplicationD” and a document data portion 39-2. (FIG. 3A) is generated (step S205).

  Then, the communication unit 25 transmits the generated print data (FIG. 3A) to the printer 12 (step S206).

  In the printer 12, when the printer communication unit 29 receives print data from the client device 11, the print control unit 37 stores the print data in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Next, the print control unit 37 controls the extraction unit 33 to acquire the application name from the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30 (step S207). The extraction unit 33 extracts and acquires the application name “ApplicationD” from the application name portion 39-1 of the print data shown in FIG. The acquired application name “ApplicationD” is stored in the temporary storage unit 30 (step S207).

  Next, the printing control unit 37 causes the printing availability determination unit 34 to determine whether printing can be performed (step S208). The printability determination unit 34 determines whether or not the application name “ApplicationD” stored in the temporary storage unit 30 matches any of the permitted application names stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31 (FIG. 4). Based on this, it is determined whether printing can be executed. Since the permitted application name “ApplicationD” is stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31 illustrated in FIG. 4, the print availability determination unit 34 determines that they match, that is, print execution is possible (step S <b> 208).

  When it is determined that printing can be performed (step S208), the print control unit 37 causes the print execution unit 35 to execute printing (step S209). The print execution unit 35 executes printing based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30 (step S209). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  If the application name stored in the temporary storage unit 30 does not match any of the permitted application names stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31 in step S208, the print availability determination unit 34 determines that printing cannot be performed. (Step S208).

  If it is determined that printing cannot be performed (step S208), the notification unit 36 controls the display device 27 to display a printing prohibition notification screen for notifying the determination result (step S210). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  As described above, print data including an application name is generated in the information processing apparatus, and the printer determines whether or not to execute printing based on the application name.

  Next, the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is specified on the web browser “WebBrowserA” of the client apparatus 11, and the web application “dataprint” of the application server 13 is executed. The operation of the print processing system 10 when printing is instructed will be described later.

  In the client device 11, after the print request information is input by the selection input unit 17 (step S201), the application unit 18 generates print data including the application name “WebBrowserA” (step S202). The print data is stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  Subsequently, the application name acquisition unit 21 acquires the application name “WebBrowserA” from the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (step S203). The acquired application name “WebBrowserA” is stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  Next, based on the application name “WebBrowserA” stored in the temporary storage unit 19, the application determination unit 22 determines whether the application used is a web browser (step S204). Since the application name “WebBrowserA” matches the web browser name stored in the web browser name storage unit 20 (FIG. 2), the application determination unit 22 determines that the application name is the web browser name. It is determined that the browser is a web browser (step S204).

  If it is determined that it is a web browser (step S204), the apparatus control unit 26 controls the URL information acquisition unit 23 to acquire the URL information of the web application being executed on the web browser. First, the URL information acquisition unit 23 searches the printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 to determine whether URL information is included (step S211). If it is determined that the URL information is included, the URL information acquisition unit 23 acquires the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (step S212). Then, the URL information acquisition unit 23 uses the acquired URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” as an application name to overwrite the application name “WebBrowserA” included in the print data. Is performed (step S212). The temporary storage unit 19 stores print data including the application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (step S212).

  If the URL information is not included in the print data (step S211), the URL information acquisition unit 23 acquires the URL information of the web application being executed on the web browser from the web browser “WebBrowser A” (step S211). S213). Then, the URL information acquisition unit 23 uses the acquired URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” as an application name to overwrite the application name “WebBrowserA” included in the print data. Is performed (step S213). The temporary storage unit 19 stores print data including the application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (step S213).

  Then, under the control of the device control unit 26, the print data generation unit 24 generates print data based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (step S205). The print data generation unit 24 converts the document data included in the print data into a printer language, an application name portion including the application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/”, and document data Print data (FIG. 3B) consisting of the part is generated (step S205).

  Thereafter, the generated print data is transmitted to the printer 12 by the communication unit 25 (step S206), and is received by the printer communication unit 29 in the printer 12 and then stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Subsequently, the extraction unit 33 of the printer 12 obtains the application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” from the print data (FIG. 3B) stored in the temporary storage unit 30. Extracted and acquired (step S207). The acquired application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Next, the printability determination unit 34 stores the application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” stored in the temporary storage unit 30 in the permitted application name storage unit 31. Whether or not printing can be executed is determined based on whether or not it matches any of the permitted application names (step S208).

  As described above, the printer 12 is a printer for printing posters and pops, and is not suitable for printing a document created by the web application “dataprint”. Therefore, the permitted application name storage unit shown in FIG. In 31, URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” corresponding to the web application is not set as the permitted application name. Therefore, the printability determination unit 34 determines that printing cannot be performed (step S208).

  If it is determined that printing cannot be performed (step S208), the notification unit 36 causes the display device 27 to display a printing prohibition notification screen (step S210). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  If the application name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is stored in the permitted application name storage unit 31 in step S208, the print availability determination unit 34 determines that the print can be executed. (Step S208). Then, the print execution unit 35 executes printing based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30 (step S209). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  As described above, when the application used is a web browser, the URL information of the web application being executed in the web browser is acquired as the application name, and print data including the application name is generated. Then, the printer determines whether or not to execute printing based on the application name.

  As described above, in the print processing system according to the present embodiment, the permitted application name for permitting print execution is set and stored in advance on the printer side, and print data including the application name is generated on the client apparatus side. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether printing can be executed based on the application name. Therefore, since it is possible to restrict printing for each application, it is possible to prevent unnecessary printing from being performed by imposing printing restrictions on an application that is inappropriate for printing with the printer. Further, when the application used in the client device is a web browser, it is possible to determine whether printing is possible based on the URL information by acquiring the URL information of the web application being executed on the web browser as the application name. Therefore, since it is possible to restrict printing for each web application, it is possible to reliably suppress an increase in printing.

  In the print processing system according to the present embodiment, the permitted application name that permits printing execution is set and stored. Alternatively, an unusable application name that prohibits printing execution may be set and stored. Is possible. In this case, when the application name acquired from the print data matches the set disabled application name, the print permission / inhibition determining unit determines that printing cannot be performed.

  In this embodiment, a display device and an input device connected to the outside of the printer are employed. However, the printer has an operation panel having a display function and an input function. It is also possible to adopt a configuration for displaying a screen and inputting each data.

  In addition, a printer communication unit having a function of communicating with a client device can be employed as a notification unit that notifies that printing is impossible. In this case, the non-printable notification screen is displayed on the display unit of the client device. The operation of the print processing system when a function as a notification unit is provided in the printer communication unit will be described in the second embodiment.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the web application storage unit is provided in an application server connected to the client device via the network, but may be provided in the client device.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the application name is present in the print data has been described. However, a configuration in which the printer communicates with the client device and acquires the application name can be employed. In this case, the application name is notified separately from the print data.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the print processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The print processing system according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the operation of the URL information acquisition unit in the client device and the configuration in which the print disabled notification screen is displayed on the display unit of the client device.
In the present embodiment, the same configurations and operations as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the print processing system 50 according to this embodiment includes a client device 51, a printer 52, and an application server 13. The client device 51, the printer 52, and the application server 13 are connected via the network 53, respectively.
Note that a USB connection or a parallel connection may be employed as a connection form of the client device 51 and the printer 52.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the client device 51 includes a display unit 54, a selection input unit 17, an application unit 18, a temporary storage unit 19, a web browser name storage unit 20, an application name acquisition unit 21, an application determination unit 22, and a URL. An information acquisition unit 55, a print data generation unit 56, a communication unit 57, and a device control unit 58 for controlling these units are provided.

  The display unit 54 displays various screens such as a non-printable notification screen.

  The URL information acquisition unit 55 acquires the URL information of the web application from the printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 or the application unit 18. Then, the URL information acquisition unit adds a delimiter and the acquired URL information to the application name included in the printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19. For example, when the application name included in the print data is “WebBrowserA” and the URL information acquired by the URL information acquisition unit 55 is “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/”, the URL The information acquisition unit 55 stores the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/”.

  The print data generation unit 56 generates print data based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of print data according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 9, the print data according to the second embodiment includes an application name portion 65-1 and a document data portion 65-2 converted into a printer language. The application name portion 65-1 includes a web application “ As an application name corresponding to “dataprint”, “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is included.

  The communication unit 57 is an interface unit that has a function of communicating with the printer 52. The communication unit 57 transmits the print data generated by the print data generation unit 56 to the printer 52 as a transmission unit, and prints from the printer 52 as a reception unit. Receive the notification screen.

  In this embodiment, the printer 52 is a printer for printing posters and pops. As shown in FIG. 8, the printer communication unit 59, temporary storage unit 30, permitted application name storage unit 60, setting unit 61, display An input unit 62, an extraction unit 33, a print availability determination unit 34, a print execution unit 35, and a print control unit 63 for controlling these units are provided.

  The printer communication unit 59 is an interface unit that communicates with the client device 51, and has a function of receiving print data from the client device 51 and sending it to the temporary storage unit 30. In addition, the printer communication unit 59 has a function as a notification unit that transmits a non-printable notification screen to the client device 51.

  The permitted application name storage unit 60 is an application information storage unit that stores a name of an application that is permitted to execute printing in the printer 52, that is, a permitted application name.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of the permitted application name storage unit according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10, the permitted application name storage unit 60 includes URL information “http://server.xxx.co.” Of the application name “ApplicationD”, the web browser name “WebBrowserA”, and the web application “popprint”. Application names including “jp / popprint /” “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” are stored as permitted application names.

  The setting unit 61 causes the display input unit 62 to display a setting screen for setting the permitted application name based on an input from the display input unit 62 described later. The setting unit 61 sets a permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 60 based on an input from the display input unit 62.

  The display input unit 62 includes, for example, an operation panel and has a setting screen display function and a data input function.

Next, the operation of the print processing system 50 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the following flowchart. The procedure for setting the permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 60 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a printing operation in the second embodiment of the print processing system according to the present invention.

In the client device 51, an application “ApplicationD” that is not a web browser is executed and printing is instructed, so the description thereof is omitted.
Here, the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is specified on the web browser “WebBrowserA” of the client apparatus 51, and the web application “dataprint” of the application server 13 is executed. The operation of the print processing system 50 when printing is instructed will be described later.

  In the client device 51, when print request information is input from the selection input unit 17 (step S201), the application unit 18 creates print data including the application name “WebBrowserA” based on the document data of the document to be printed. (Step S202). The created printing data is stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  Subsequently, the apparatus control unit 58 controls the application name acquisition unit 21 to acquire the application name “WebBrowserA” from the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (step S203). The acquired application name “WebBrowserA” is sent to the application determination unit 22.

  Next, under the control of the device control unit 58, the application determination unit 22 matches the application name received from the application name acquisition unit 21 with any of the web browser names stored in the web browser name storage unit 20 (FIG. 2). Based on whether or not to do, it is determined whether or not the application used is a web browser (step S204). Since the application name “WebBrowserA” matches the web browser name stored in the web browser name storage unit 20, the application determination unit 22 determines that the application used is a web browser (step S204).

  When it is determined that it is a web browser (step S204), the apparatus control unit 58 controls the URL information acquisition unit 55 to acquire the URL information of the web application being executed on the web browser. The printing data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 is searched to determine whether URL information is included (step S211). If the URL information is included, the URL information acquisition unit 55 acquires the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (step S301). Then, the URL information acquisition unit 55 adds the acquired URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” to the application name “WebBrowserA” included in the print data (step S301). The temporary storage unit 19 stores print data including the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (step S301).

  If the URL information is not included in the print data (step S211), the URL information acquisition unit 55 acquires the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp” of the web application being executed on the web browser. / Dataprint / "is acquired from the web browser (step S302). The acquired URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is added to the application name “WebBrowserA” included in the print data, and the application name “WebBrowserA” is stored in the temporary storage unit 19. Data for printing including “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is stored (step S302).

  Then, under the control of the apparatus control unit 58, the print data generation unit 56 generates print data based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (step S205). The print data generation unit 56 converts the document data included in the print data into a printer language, and print data including an application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (FIG. 9). Is generated (step S205).

  The generated print data is transmitted to the printer 52 by the communication unit 57 (step S206). In the printer 52, the print data is received by the printer communication unit 59 and then stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Subsequently, the extraction unit 33 of the printer 52 starts the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp” from the application name portion 65-1 of the print data (FIG. 9) stored in the temporary storage unit 30. / Dataprint / "is extracted and acquired (step S207). The acquired application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Next, the printability determination unit 34 stores the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” stored in the temporary storage unit 30 in the permitted application name storage unit 60. Whether or not printing can be executed is determined based on whether or not it matches any of the permitted application names (step S208). Since the permitted application name storage unit 31 illustrated in FIG. 10 does not store the permitted application name that matches the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/”, the printability determination unit 34 determines that printing cannot be executed (step S208).

  If it is determined that printing cannot be performed (step S208), the printer control unit 63 controls the printer communication unit 59 to display screen information of a print disabled notification screen for notifying the determination result from a screen storage unit (not shown). It is read out and transmitted to the client device 51, or it is notified that printing is not possible (step S303).

  In the client device 51, when the communication unit 57 receives from the printer 52 the screen information of the print prohibition notification screen or the notification indicating that the print is not possible, the device control unit 58 displays the print prohibition notification screen on the display unit 54 (step S304). . Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  In step S <b> 208, if a matching permitted application name is stored in the permitted application name storage unit 60, the print permission determination unit 34 determines that printing can be performed. Then, the print execution unit 35 executes printing based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30 (step S209). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  As described above, when the application used is a web browser, URL information corresponding to the web application being executed on the web browser is added to the application name. If it is determined that printing is not possible, the determination result is transmitted from the printer to the client device, and a printing impossible notification screen is displayed on the display unit of the client device.

  As described above, in the print processing system according to the present exemplary embodiment, by adding the web application name to the web browser name to obtain the application name, it is possible to set print restrictions according to the combination of the web browser and the web application. . In addition, since the print disabled notification screen is displayed on the client device, it is notified that printing cannot be executed without the user having to travel to the installation location of the printer.

  In the print processing system of the present embodiment, the permitted application name that permits printing execution is set and stored, but instead, an application name that prohibits printing execution may be set and stored. .

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the web application storage unit is provided in an application server connected to the client device via the network, but may be provided in the client device.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the print processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
In the print processing system of the present embodiment, a management server connected to the network is further provided, and the configuration for determining whether printing is possible in the management server is different from the first and second embodiments.
In the present embodiment, the same configurations and operations as those in the first embodiment or the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, the print processing system 70 of this embodiment includes a client device 71, a printer 72, a management server 73, and an application server 13. The client device 71, the printer 72, the management server 73, and the application server 13 are connected via a network 74, respectively. It is assumed that a plurality of printers (not shown) are connected to the print processing system 70 via the network 74.
Note that a USB connection or a parallel connection may be adopted as a connection form of the client device 71 and the printer 72.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the client device 71 includes a display unit 16, a selection input unit 17, an application unit 18, a temporary storage unit 19, a web browser name storage unit 20, an application name acquisition unit 21, an application determination unit 22, and a URL. An information acquisition unit 55, a print data generation unit 56, a communication unit 57, and an apparatus control unit 75 for controlling these units are provided.

In this embodiment, the printer 72 has printer identification information “X” for identifying the printer 72, and is a printer for printing posters and pops. As shown in FIG. A temporary storage unit 30, a display input unit 76, an extraction unit 33, a print availability inquiry unit 77, a print execution unit 35, a notification unit 78, and a print control unit 79 for controlling these units.
The printer identification information “X” included in the printer 72 is made up of, for example, an IP address, and is used to identify the printer 72 on the network 74.

  The display input unit 76 includes an operation panel, for example, and displays a print impossible notification screen.

  The print availability inquiry unit 77 generates print availability inquiry information for inquiring whether print execution is possible, the generated print availability inquiry information, the application name stored in the temporary storage unit 30, and the printer of the printer 72 It has a function of transmitting the identification information “X” to the management server 73.

  The notification unit 78 has a function of causing the display input unit 76 to display a print impossible notification screen.

  In the present embodiment, a display device 80 and an input device 81 are connected to the management server 73 via an interface unit (not shown).

  The display device 80 includes a display, for example, and displays a setting screen.

  The input device 81 includes, for example, a mouse and a keyboard, and has a data input function to the management server 73.

  The management server 73 is a server for managing a plurality of printers. As shown in FIG. 12, the server communication unit 82, the temporary storage unit 83, the permitted application name storage unit 84, the setting unit 85, and the print propriety determination Unit 86, signal generation unit 87, and server control unit 88 for controlling these units.

  The server communication unit 82 is an interface unit having a communication function with the printer 72, functions as a server reception unit that receives print permission inquiry information and an application name from the printer 72, and a signal generated by a signal generation unit 87 described later. Has a function as a server transmission unit for transmitting the message to the printer 72.

  The temporary storage unit 83 temporarily stores the application name and printer identification information received by the server communication unit 82.

  The permitted application name storage unit 84 has a function as an application information storage unit, and is a storage area in which an application name permitted to execute printing is stored as a permitted application name. As shown in FIG. 10, “ApplicationD” and “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/” are stored in the permitted application name storage unit 84 of the present embodiment as shown in FIG. It shall be.

  The setting unit 85 causes the display device 80 to display a setting screen for setting the permitted application name based on the input from the input device 81. Further, the setting unit 85 sets a permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 84 based on an input from the input device 81.

  The printability determination unit 86 determines whether or not to execute printing based on whether or not the application name stored in the temporary storage unit 83 matches any of the permitted application names stored in the permitted application name storage unit 84. Judging.

  The signal generation unit 87 has a function of generating a permission signal indicating permission of printing execution and a disabling signal indicating that printing cannot be performed.

Next, the operation of the print processing system 70 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the following flowchart. Note that the procedure for setting the permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 84 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a printing operation in the third embodiment of the print processing system according to the present invention.

  Here, the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is specified on the web browser “WebBrowserA” of the client apparatus 71, and the web application “dataprint” of the application server 13 is executed. Subsequently, the operation of the print processing system 70 when an instruction for printing using the printer 72 is given will be described.

  In the client apparatus 71, when the selection input unit 17 inputs print request information and printer identification information “X” as printer designation information for designating a printer to be used for printing (step S201), the print request information is The printer identification information “X” is sent to the application unit 18 and stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  Then, when printing data is generated by the application unit 18 (step S202), the apparatus control unit 75 controls the application name acquisition unit 21 to acquire the application name “WebBrowserA” from the printing data (step S203). ). The acquired application name “WebBrowserA” is sent to the application determination unit 22.

  Next, under the control of the device control unit 75, the application determination unit 22 determines whether or not the use application is a web browser (step S204). Since the application name “WebBrowserA” received from the application acquisition unit 21 matches the web browser name stored in the web browser name storage unit 20, the application determination unit 22 determines that the application used is a web browser ( Step S204).

  When it is determined that the web browser is used (step S204), under the control of the apparatus control unit 75, the URL information acquisition unit 55 acquires the print data in order to acquire the URL information of the web application being executed on the web browser. It is determined whether or not URL information is included therein (step S211). When the URL information is included, the URL information acquisition unit 55 acquires the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/”, and the application name “WebBrowserA” included in the print data. The URL information is added to and the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is stored (step S301).

  When it is determined that the URL information is not included in the print data (step S211), the URL information acquisition unit 55 acquires the URL information “http://server.xxx.” Of the web application being executed on the web browser. co.jp/dataprint/ ”is acquired from the web browser, the URL information is added to the application name“ WebBrowserA ”included in the print data, and the application name“ WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp ”is added. / Dataprint / "is stored (step S302).

  The device control unit 75 then controls the print data generation unit 56 to generate print data (FIG. 9) including the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” (step 9). S205).

  Subsequently, the communication unit 57 transmits print data to the printer 72 based on the printer identification information “X” stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (step S206).

  In the printer 72, when the printer communication unit 29 receives print data, the print data is stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Subsequently, under the control of the print control unit 79, the extraction unit 33 acquires the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” from the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30. (Step S207). The acquired application name is stored in the temporary storage unit 30.

  Next, the print control unit 79 controls the print availability inquiry unit 77 to generate print availability inquiry information to inquire whether printing can be executed (step S401). After generating the print permission inquiry information, the print permission inquiry section 77 and the print permission inquiry information and the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/ And the printer identification information “X” of the printer 72 are transmitted to the management server 73 (step S401).

  In the management server 73, when the server communication unit 82 receives print permission inquiry information, application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” and printer identification information “X” from the printer 72, server control The unit 88 stores the application name and printer identification information in the temporary storage unit 83.

  Subsequently, under the control of the server control unit 88, the print availability determination unit 86 determines whether printing can be executed (step S402). The printability determination unit 86 stores the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” stored in the temporary storage unit 83 in the permitted application name storage unit 84 (FIG. 10). Whether printing can be executed is determined based on whether or not it matches any of the permitted application names.

  When it is determined that printing can be performed (step S402), the server control unit 88 causes the signal generation unit 87 to generate a permission signal indicating that printing can be performed (step S403). Then, the server communication unit 82 transmits the permission signal to the corresponding printer 72 based on the printer identification information “X” read from the temporary storage unit 83 (step S403).

  In the printer 72, when the print permission inquiry unit 77 receives the permission signal from the management server 73, the print execution unit 35 controls the print control unit 79 based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 30. Printing is executed (step S209). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  If it is determined in step S402 that printing cannot be performed, the server control unit 88 causes the signal generation unit 87 to generate a disabled signal indicating that printing cannot be performed (step S404). Then, the server communication unit 82 transmits the disabled signal to the corresponding printer 72 based on the printer identification information “X” read from the temporary storage unit 83 (step S404).

  In the printer 72, when the print permission / inquiry inquiry unit 77 receives the disapproval signal from the management server 73, the notification unit 78 controls the display input unit 76 to display a print disapproval notification screen (step S405). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  As described above, the management server connected to the printer determines whether printing is possible based on the application name.

  If the application determining unit 22 determines in step S204 that the browser being used is not a web browser, the print processing system 70 proceeds to the operation in step S205 and performs the subsequent processing.

  As described above, the print processing system according to the present exemplary embodiment further includes a management server that performs setting of permitted application names and determination of whether or not to execute printing, so that settings in the management server can be performed in an environment in which a plurality of printers are connected. Since this is effective for all printers, the trouble of setting one printer for each printer is reduced.

  In this embodiment, print data is transmitted from the client device to the printer, and an inquiry is made from the printer to the management server as to whether printing is possible. However, the print data is transmitted from the client device to the management server, and the management server After determining whether or not printing is possible at the server, only the print data determined to be printable is transmitted to the printer, and when it is determined that printing cannot be executed, a print disabled notification screen is displayed on the client device. You can also.

  In this embodiment, only the permitted application name is stored in the permitted application name storage unit. However, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the permitted application name is stored in correspondence with the printer identification information of each printer. . In this case, the print propriety determination unit reads the permitted application name based on the printer identification information transmitted from the printer, and determines whether print execution is possible. As a result, different permitted application names can be set for each printer, so that the application range is expanded. Instead of the permitted application name, a disabled application name that disables printing execution may be set and stored.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the web application storage unit is provided in an application server connected to the client device via the network, but may be provided in the client device.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the print processing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the print processing system according to the present embodiment, the configuration in which the print permission / non-permission determination unit is provided in the client device is different from the first, second, and third embodiments.
In the present embodiment, the same configurations and operations as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 14, the print processing system 90 according to this embodiment includes a client device 91, a printer 92, and an application server 13. The client device 91, the printer 92, and the application server 13 are connected via the network 93, respectively.
Note that a USB connection or a parallel connection may be adopted as a connection form of the client device 91 and the printer 92.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the client device 91 includes a display unit 16, a selection input unit 17, an application unit 18, a temporary storage unit 19, a web browser name storage unit 20, an application name acquisition unit 21, an application determination unit 22, and a URL. An information acquisition unit 55, a permitted application name storage unit 94, a setting unit 95, a printability determination unit 96, a print data generation unit 97, a communication unit 25, a notification unit 98, and a device control unit 99 for controlling these units are provided. Yes.

  The permitted application name storage unit 94 is a storage area for storing a permitted application name that is permitted to be executed by the printer 92 as an application information storage unit. As shown in FIG. 10, the permitted application name storage unit 94 of the present embodiment stores the permitted application name “ApplicationD” and “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/popprint/”. Shall.

  The setting unit 95 displays a setting screen for setting the permitted application name on the display unit 16 based on the input from the selection input unit 17. Further, the setting unit 85 sets the permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 94 based on the input by the selection input unit 17.

  The print propriety determination unit 96 determines whether or not to execute printing based on whether or not the application name stored in the temporary storage unit 19 matches any of the application names stored in the permitted application name storage unit 94. to decide.

  The print data generation unit 97 reads the print data from the temporary storage unit 19 and converts it into a printer language corresponding to the printer 92 to generate print data. Unlike the first embodiment (FIG. 3), the second embodiment (FIG. 9), and the third embodiment, the print data generated by the print data generation unit 97 of the present embodiment does not include the application name portion and is in the printer language. It consists only of the converted document data portion.

  The notification unit 98 has a function of reading out a non-printable notification screen from a screen storage unit (not shown) and displaying it on the display unit 16.

  The printer 92 is a printer for printing posters and pops. As shown in FIG. 14, the printer communication unit 29, the temporary storage unit 30, the print execution unit 35, and the print control unit 101 for controlling these units. It has.

Next, the operation of the print processing system 90 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the following flowchart. The procedure for setting the permitted application name in the permitted application name storage unit 94 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the printing operation in the embodiment 4 of the print processing system according to the present invention.

  Here, the URL information “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is specified on the web browser “WebBrowserA” of the client apparatus 91, and the web application “dataprint” of the application server 13 is executed. The operation of the print processing system 90 when printing is instructed will be described later.

  In the client device 91, after the print request information is input by the selection input unit 17 (step S201), it is determined whether the application used is a web browser (step S204), and if it is determined that the application is a web browser, Since the flow of processing from acquiring URL information and adding it to the application name (steps S301 and S302) is the same as that in the third embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted.

  The URL name “http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” acquired by the URL information acquisition unit 55 is added to the application name “WebBrowserA” stored in the temporary storage unit 19 to obtain the application name. When “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” is stored in the temporary storage unit 19 (steps S301 and S302), the device control unit 99 controls the print availability determination unit 96 to Then, it is determined whether printing can be executed (step S501). The printability determination unit 96 stores the application name “WebBrowserA http://server.xxx.co.jp/dataprint/” stored in the temporary storage unit 19 in the permitted application name storage unit 94 (FIG. 10). Whether printing can be executed is determined based on whether or not it matches any of the permitted application names.

  When it is determined that printing can be performed (step S501), the apparatus control unit 99 causes the print data generation unit 97 to generate print data (step S502). The print data generation unit 97 generates print data based on the print data stored in the temporary storage unit 19.

  The generated print data is transmitted to the printer 92 by the communication unit 25 (step S503), and is received by the printer communication unit 29 in the printer 92 and then stored in the temporary storage unit 30. Then, under the control of the print control unit 101, the print execution unit 35 executes printing based on the print data (step S504). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  If it is determined in step S501 that printing cannot be performed, the notification unit 98 displays a printing disabled notification screen on the display unit 16 (step S505). Thereby, the printing process is completed.

  As described above, the client device determines whether to allow printing based on the application name.

  If the application determining unit 22 determines in step S204 that the browser being used is not a web browser, the print processing system 90 moves to the operation in step S501 and performs the subsequent processing.

  As described above, in the print processing system according to the present exemplary embodiment, by providing the permitted application name storage unit and the printability determination unit on the client device side, the print processing system according to the present invention is realized using the conventional printer as it is. It becomes possible. Also, since print data is generated and transmitted to the printer only when it is determined that printing can be executed, the load on the printer is reduced and the time required for generating unnecessary print data in the client device is reduced. The load is reduced.

  Note that when the permitted application name is set in the setting unit of the client device, the setting screen can be displayed only by inputting a specific authentication number by an operator having a special authority or a senior administrator. This prevents the user from canceling the setting of the permitted application name, so that an increase in printing can be reliably suppressed.

  In this embodiment, only the permitted application name is stored in the permitted application name storage unit. However, the permitted application name may be stored in association with the printer identification information of the printer. In this case, in a client device that can use a plurality of printers, when a printer to be used for printing is designated, the print availability determination unit reads the permitted application name based on the printer identification information of the printer, and prints Determine whether execution is possible. As a result, different permitted application names can be set for each printer, so that the application range is expanded. Instead of the permitted application name, a disabled application name that disables printing execution may be set and stored.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the web application storage unit is provided in an application server connected to the client device via the network, but may be provided in the client device.

  In each of the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to a printer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. Instead of a printer, the present invention can also be applied to a facsimile, a copier, a multifunction machine, and the like.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment of a print processing system according to the present invention. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a web browser name memory | storage part. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of print data in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the permission application name memory | storage part in Example 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation of setting a permitted application name in the print processing system according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display of a setting screen. 3 is a flowchart showing a printing operation in Embodiment 1 of the print processing system according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of Example 2 of the printing processing system which concerns on this invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of print data according to a second embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the permission application name memory | storage part in Example 2. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a printing operation in a second embodiment of the print processing system according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of Example 3 of the printing processing system which concerns on this invention. 10 is a flowchart showing a printing operation in Embodiment 3 of the print processing system according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a fourth embodiment of a print processing system according to the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing a printing operation in Embodiment 4 of the print processing system according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10, 50, 70, 90 Print processing system 11, 51, 71, 91 Client device 12, 52, 72, 92 Printer 13 Application server 20 Web browser name storage unit 21 Application name acquisition unit 22 Application determination unit 23, 55 URL information Acquisition unit 24, 56, 97 Print data generation unit 25, 57 Communication unit 29, 59 Printer communication unit 31, 60, 84, 94 Permitted application name storage unit 32, 61, 85, 95 Setting unit 33 Extraction unit 34, 86, 96 Print Permission Judgment Unit 35 Print Execution Unit 36, 78, 98 Notification Unit 73 Management Server 77 Print Permission Judgment Unit 82 Server Communication Unit 87 Signal Generation Unit

Claims (20)

An information processing apparatus including a print data generation unit that generates print data to be transmitted to a printing apparatus,
An application having application identification information and creating print data;
An application information acquisition unit for acquiring the application identification information;
An application determination unit that determines whether or not the application is a web browser based on the acquired application identification information;
If it is determined to be a web browser, a URL information acquisition unit that acquires URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information of a web application being executed in the web browser as application identification information;
An application information storage unit in which a plurality of pieces of application identification information are stored in advance;
A print propriety determining unit that determines whether printing is possible based on the acquired application identification information and the application identification information stored in the application information storage unit;
If it is determined that printing is possible, the print data generation unit generates print data based on the print data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays a result of the determination when the printability determination unit determines that printing is not possible. The printing data created by the application includes application identification information,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application information acquisition unit acquires the application identification information from the printing data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application information acquisition unit acquires application identification information from the application. A web browser information storage unit that stores in advance at least one web browser identification information;
The application determination unit performs the determination based on whether any of the web browser identification information stored in the web browser information storage unit matches the acquired application identification information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The URL information acquisition unit acquires URL information of the web application, adds the URL information to the application identification information acquired by the application information acquisition unit,
The printability determination unit performs the determination based on application identification information to which the URL information is added and application identification information stored in the application information storage unit. Information processing device. The printing data created by the application includes URL information of the web application,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the URL information acquisition unit acquires the URL information from the print data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the URL information acquisition unit acquires the URL information from the web browser. An input unit for inputting application identification information;
A setting unit for storing the input application identification information in the application information storage unit;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A print processing system including an information processing device and a printing device capable of communicating with the information processing device,
The information processing apparatus includes:
An application having application identification information and creating print data;
An application information acquisition unit for acquiring the application identification information;
An application determination unit that determines whether the application is a web browser based on the application identification information;
If it is determined that the web browser, the URL information acquisition unit that acquires the URL information of the web application being executed in the web browser as the application identification information;
A print data generation unit that generates print data including the acquired application identification information based on the generated print data;
A transmission unit that transmits the generated print data to the printing apparatus,
The printing apparatus includes:
An application information storage unit in which a plurality of pieces of application identification information are stored in advance;
An extraction unit that extracts application identification information from the print data received from the information processing apparatus;
Based on the extracted application identification information and the application information stored in the application identification information storage unit;
A print processing system comprising: a print execution unit that executes print processing based on the print data when it is determined that printing is possible.   The print processing system according to claim 10, wherein the printing apparatus includes a display unit that displays a result of the determination when the printing determination unit determines that printing is not possible. The printing apparatus includes:
A notification unit for notifying the information processing apparatus of the determination result when the printing permission determination unit determines that printing is impossible;
The information processing apparatus includes:
A receiving unit that receives the determination result from the printing apparatus;
The print processing system according to claim 10, further comprising: a display unit that displays the received determination result. In the information processing apparatus,
The printing data created by the application includes application identification information,
The print processing system according to claim 10, wherein the application information acquisition unit acquires the application identification information from the print data. In the information processing apparatus,
The print processing system according to claim 10, wherein the application information acquisition unit acquires application identification information from the application. The information processing apparatus includes:
A web browser information storage unit that stores in advance at least one web browser identification information;
The application determination unit performs the determination based on whether any of the web browser identification information stored in the web browser information storage unit matches the acquired application identification information. The print processing system according to claim 10. In the information processing apparatus,
The URL information acquisition unit acquires URL information of the web application, adds the URL information to the application identification information acquired by the application information acquisition unit,
The print processing system according to claim 10, wherein the print data generation unit generates print data including application identification information to which the URL information is added. In the information processing apparatus,
The printing data created by the application includes URL information of the web application,
The print processing system according to claim 10, wherein the URL information acquisition unit acquires the URL information from the print data. In the information processing apparatus,
The print processing system according to claim 10, wherein the URL information acquisition unit acquires the URL information from the web browser. The printing apparatus includes:
An input unit for inputting application identification information;
The print processing system according to claim 10, further comprising: a setting unit that stores the input application identification information in the application information storage unit. The print processing system according to claim 19, wherein the input unit includes an input device connected to the printing device.

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