JP4921199B2 - Image forming system, image forming apparatus, and control program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system, an image forming apparatus, and a control program in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction peripheral are connected to a host computer via a network.

  In recent years, computer networks have become widespread, and many offices have constructed LANs connecting a plurality of information devices such as computers and printers. Peripheral devices such as computers and printers, scanners, digital cameras and the like have become widespread, and networks such as LANs have also become widespread, and by sharing printers, modems, and image reading devices on the network, any network on the network It has become an environment where devices can be used.

  Conventionally, a command is sent from a host device such as a computer to a printing device such as a printer to cause the printing device to print characters and graphics, to make a printing appearance, or to set the printing device itself Printing systems are widely used.

  For example, the host device transmits a command including print data and a power-off command to the printing device. When the power-off command is transmitted, the host device receives information on the status of the printing device transmitted from the printing device, and prints. The device receives a command transmitted by the host device, and when the received command is a power-off command, performs a stop process such as a print head maintenance process, transmits status information to the host device, and supplies power. In a printing system that performs stop processing (for example, see Patent Document 1) and a printing apparatus that can temporarily store print data in a nonvolatile storage device, the print data received from the host and information related to the print data are turned off. A printing apparatus having a print control unit that also holds the printer (see, for example, Patent Document 2), a printer system in which a printer and a host device are connected If there are multiple printers in the same environment, the storage media area of the printer with other large-capacity storage media is provided to printers that do not have a storage media among the printers in the same environment. A printer system (for example, patents) that enables printing using a storage medium to a printer that does not have a storage medium and shares the storage medium with the registered printer when the power is turned on to deal with memory corruption. Document 3) has been proposed.

JP 2001-096850 A JP 2004-216604 A JP 2005-319673 A

  By the way, in an image forming apparatus that does not have a large-capacity storage medium, a stored job may be left for a long time, and the capacity of the storage medium may be compressed. Also, an image forming apparatus equipped with a facsimile or the like often remains on for 24 hours. Therefore, in the case of an image forming apparatus having no security function, there is a possibility that a job stored in a memory (such as an HDD) in the image forming apparatus is acquired by accessing from outside.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system that avoids leaving a job in the image forming apparatus in view of the conventional problems as described above, thereby improving security. An image forming apparatus and a control program are provided.

  Other objects of the present invention and specific advantages obtained by the present invention will become more apparent from the description of embodiments described below.

  In the present invention, a job is avoided from being left in the image forming apparatus by sucking up the job from the image forming apparatus at the timing when the host apparatus of the job owner is turned off.

  In other words, an image forming system according to the present invention includes a host device and an image forming device connected to the host device via a network, and the host device communicates with the image forming device via the network. Power-off notification for notifying the image forming apparatus on the network together with job information for specifying the job to be turned off when the power is turned off. Is transmitted by the host device side communication means, and the host device side performs control to turn off the power after the job sent from the image forming apparatus that has received the power off notification is stored in the storage means The image forming apparatus includes a job storage unit that stores a job, and the host device via the network. When the power-off notification is received from the host device by the image forming apparatus side communication means that communicates with the image forming apparatus side, the presence / absence of the job specified by the job information is searched and specified by the job information Image forming apparatus side control for reading out the received job from the job storage means, transmitting it from the image forming apparatus side communication means to the host apparatus, and deleting the job transmitted to the host apparatus from the job storage means Means are provided.

  With this configuration, in this image forming system, when the host apparatus is turned off, a termination process for sucking up the job stored in the image forming apparatus on the network to the host apparatus is performed.

  In the image forming system according to the present invention, the host device-side control unit stores, for example, in the storage unit the job specified by the job information sent from the image forming device that has received the power-off notification. The host device side communication unit transmits a job storage completion notification for notifying the image forming apparatus that the job storage is completed, and the image forming apparatus side control unit performs job storage completion from the host device. After receiving the notification, the job transmitted to the host device is deleted from the job storage unit, and a job deletion completion notification is sent to the image forming apparatus side communication unit for notifying the host device that the job deletion has been completed. The host device-side control means sends a job deletion completion notification from the image forming device. After receiving performs control to turn off the power.

  Further, in the image forming system according to the present invention, the host device side control means, for example, sends a power-on notification to notify the image forming device on the network that the power is turned on when the power is turned on. When the host apparatus side communication means performs transmission control, and the image forming apparatus side control means receives the power-on notification from the host apparatus, the job information is specified by the job information when the host apparatus is powered off. The image forming apparatus side communication means transmits a job transmission request for requesting the host apparatus to transmit a job, and the host apparatus side control means is specified by job information in response to the job transmission request. The host device side communication means sends the job specified by the job information to the image forming apparatus. Control is performed to, the image forming apparatus control means performs control to store the job specified in the job information sent from the host device that receives the job transmission request to said job storage means.

  With this configuration, in this image forming system, when the host device is turned on, when the host device is turned off, the image data is sucked from the image forming device on the network by the termination process. Start processing for returning the stored job to the saved state by the original image forming apparatus.

  Further, in the image forming system according to the present invention, the image forming apparatus side control unit performs control to transmit a polling request to a plurality of host devices on the network by the image forming apparatus side communication unit, for example. Each host device side control unit of the plurality of host devices performs control to transmit the power-on notification or the power-off notification by the host device-side communication unit in response to the polling request.

The present invention also relates to an image forming apparatus in an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is connected to a host apparatus via a network, the job storing means for storing a job, and the host apparatus via the network. Job information for specifying a job to turn off the power transmitted from the host apparatus when the power of the host apparatus is turned off by the image forming apparatus side communication means to communicate and the image forming apparatus side communication means. When the power-off notification to be notified is received, the presence / absence of the job specified by the job information is searched, the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit, and the image forming apparatus side communication unit transmits the job. An image that is transmitted to the apparatus and controls to delete the job transmitted to the host apparatus from the job storage means Characterized in that it comprises a forming device-side control unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control program for an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is connected to a host device via a network, the job of turning off the power when the host device is turned off. When the computer provided in the host device executes control for transmitting a power-off notification to notify the image forming apparatus on the network together with job information for identifying the job, the job is received when the power-off notification is received from the host device. The presence / absence of the job specified by the information is searched, the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit and transmitted to the host device, and the job transmitted to the host device is deleted from the job storage unit. The control is executed by the computer provided in the image forming apparatus, and the power-off notification is received. After saving the job sent from the image forming apparatus in a storage means, a control for turning off the power source, characterized in that to be executed by a computer provided in the host device.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a host apparatus control program in an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is connected to a host apparatus via a network, wherein the power is turned off when the host apparatus is turned off. A job-off notification for notifying the image forming apparatus on the network together with job information for specifying the job, and after storing the job specified by the job information sent from the image forming apparatus that has received the power-off notification The control for turning off the power is executed by a computer provided in the host device.

  In the present invention, when returning home at night, long vacation, when a certain period has passed, the data stored in the image forming apparatus is transmitted to the host device of the saver at the designated date and time, thereby Can be in a state where no job exists.

  That is, according to the present invention, an image forming system that avoids leaving a job in the image forming apparatus is provided because the job is picked up from the printing apparatus at the timing when the host apparatus of the job owner is turned off. be able to. Further, this can improve security.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be arbitrarily changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  The present invention is applied to an image forming system 100 in which a host apparatus 10 and an image forming apparatus 20 are connected to each other via a network 30 such as a LAN so that they can communicate with each other as shown in FIG.

  In this image forming system 100, the host device 10 is composed of, for example, a so-called personal computer. As shown in FIG. 2, the host device 10 stores a control unit 11 composed of a CPU that controls the entire device and performs various arithmetic processes, and stores control programs and data. ROM (Read Only Memory) 12 for storing data, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 for temporarily storing programs and data as a work area, and a hard disk 14 as an external storage device for storing various programs and data , A display unit 15 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying various information, an input unit 16 including a keyboard and a mouse for inputting various instructions, and a communication including a network interface such as a LAN card for connecting to the network 30 Units 17 and the like are connected to each other via a bus 18.

  The image forming apparatus 20 is a so-called multi-function machine having copy, print, scan, facsimile transmission, and facsimile reception functions. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 20 is controlled mainly by a CPU that controls the operation of the entire apparatus. The control unit 21 includes a printing unit 22, a document reading unit 23, an operation display unit 24, a job storage unit 25, a job deletion unit 26, a job information management unit 27, and a LAN card for connection to the network 30. A communication unit 28 including a network interface is connected.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 21 includes a ROM 211 that stores a control program for the image forming apparatus 20, a RAM 212 that temporarily stores data, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) that stores various setting data that can be updated. 213 and a microcomputer 214 that reads out and executes a control program from the ROM 211, and the like. Predetermined instruction information input in the operation display unit 24 and the like, and detection signals from various sensors provided in various parts of the apparatus The entire apparatus is controlled according to the above.

  The printing unit 22 performs image forming processing for printing a job on output paper, and includes a printer controller, a laser scanning unit, a fixing roller, and the like (not shown).

  The original reading unit 23 reads an original and generates image data corresponding to the original, and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor that generates image data from an optically acquired original image and an exposure. The image data obtained by scanning a manuscript placed on the contact glass is output to the control unit 21.

  The operation display unit 24 inputs predetermined instructions according to user operations. The operation display unit 24 includes a start key for inputting a print execution instruction and a numeric keypad for inputting the number of copies to be printed. A liquid crystal display (LCD) on which various operation buttons and the like for displaying operation guide information for inputting settings of various copying operations and the like is displayed.

  The job storage unit 25 stores a job that the user has requested to store in the image forming apparatus 20.

  The job deletion unit 26 performs processing for deleting a job stored in the job storage unit 25 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 21. In the image forming apparatus 20, in response to a host power-off notification, the job deletion unit 26 After the job is read from the storage unit 25 and transmitted to the host device 10, the transmitted job is deleted from the job storage unit 25. The process for deleting the job may be a process for releasing the recording area of the job and allowing overwriting.

  The job information management unit 27 manages jobs stored in the image forming apparatus 20. Job storage host information (IP address, etc.) associated with the job is also managed here.

  The communication unit 28 transmits and receives jobs to and from the host device 10 through the network 30.

  In this image forming system 100, the control unit 11 of the host device 10 and the control unit 21 of the image forming device 20 perform an end process according to the control program according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 when the host device 10 is powered off. Execute.

  That is, when the control unit 11 of the host apparatus 10 turns off the power, first, the communication unit 17 performs control to transmit a power-off notification that notifies the image forming apparatus 20 on the network 30 that the power is turned off. (Step S1). At that time, host information such as an IP address and job information such as a job name and a job ID are notified together.

  When the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 on the network 30 receives the power-off notification from the host apparatus 10, a job that matches the job information sent from the host apparatus 10 is sent to the job storage unit 25. Whether the job is stored is searched (step S2). If the job is stored, the job is read from the job storage unit 25 and transmitted to the host device 10 by the communication unit 17 (step S3). At that time, the image forming apparatus information such as the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 is notified together.

  Next, the control unit 21 of the host device 10 stores the job sent from the image forming device 20 in, for example, the hard disk 14 (step S4). When the storage of the job is completed, the control unit 21 of the host device 10 sends a job storage completion notification for notifying the image forming apparatus 20 that has transmitted the stored job that the storage of the job has been completed through the communication unit 17. Transmission control is performed (step S5).

  Next, when the job storage completion notification is sent from the host device 10, the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 performs control to delete the job from the job storage unit 25 by the job deletion unit 26 (step S6). . Then, when the deletion of the job is completed, the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 performs control to transmit a job deletion completion notification for notifying the host device 10 that the job deletion is completed by the communication unit 28 (Step S21). S7).

  When the control unit 11 of the host device 10 receives the job deletion completion notification from the image forming apparatus 20, the control unit 11 turns off the power (step S8).

  That is, when the host device 10 in the image forming system 100 turns off the power, the host device 10 sends a power-off notification to notify the image forming device 20 on the network 30 together with job information for specifying the job to turn off the power. Control is performed by the communication unit 17 (step S1), the job specified by the job information sent from the image forming apparatus 20 that has received the power-off notification is stored (step S4), and then the power is turned off. (Step S5) is provided. When the power is turned off, the control unit 11 performs an end process of sucking up the job stored in the image forming apparatus 20 on the network.

  In the image forming system 100, the control unit 11 of the host device 10 further stores the job specified by the job information sent from the image forming device 20 that has received the power-off notification (step S4). Then, the communication unit 17 is controlled to transmit a job storage completion notification for notifying the image forming apparatus 20 that the job storage is completed (step S5), and the image forming apparatus 20 that has received the job storage completion notification is received. After receiving the job deletion completion notification for notifying that the deletion of the job sent from is completed, the power is turned off (step S8).

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 20 in the image forming system 100 receives a power-off notification that is sent from the host apparatus 10 when the power is turned off and notifies the job information that identifies the job to be turned off. Then, the presence or absence of a job specified by the job information is searched (step S2), and the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit 25 and transmitted to the host device 10 by the communication unit 28. (Step S3), the job deletion unit 26 controls the job storage unit 25 to delete the job transmitted to the host device (step S6). The control unit 21 includes the control unit 21. When the power of 10 is turned off, the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit 25. Transmitted to the host device 10 out, the job transmitted to the host device 10 performs termination processing for deleting from the job storage unit 25.

  In the image forming system 100, the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 further notifies that the saving of the job sent from the host apparatus 10 that has saved the job specified by the job information is completed. After receiving the job storage completion notification, control is performed to delete the job transmitted to the host device 10 from the job storage unit 25 (step S6), and the host device 10 is notified that the job deletion has been completed. The communication unit 28 transmits a job deletion completion notification to be performed (step S7).

  In the image forming system 100, the control unit 11 of the host apparatus 10 and the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 follow the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 when the host apparatus 10 is turned on according to the control program. Execute start processing.

  That is, when the power is turned on, the control unit 11 of the host device 10 first turns on the image forming apparatus 20 having the image forming apparatus information (for example, IP address) received when the power is turned off. Is controlled by the communication unit 17 to transmit a power-on notification (step S11).

  When the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 on the network 30 receives the power-on notification sent from the host apparatus 10, it confirms whether or not there is a job that the host apparatus 10 has picked up when the power is off. (Step S12) If there is a job, control is performed so that the communication unit 17 transmits a job transmission request for requesting the host device 10 to transmit the job (Step S13). At that time, the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 performs control to notify the image forming apparatus information such as the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 and the job information together by the communication unit 17.

  Next, when receiving the job information from the image forming apparatus 20 together with the job transmission request from the image forming apparatus 20, the control unit 11 of the host apparatus 10 searches whether the job specified by the received job information is stored in the hard disk 14 (Step S11). S14) If a job is stored, control is performed to read the job from the hard disk 14 and transmit it to the image forming apparatus 20 through the communication unit 17 (step S15).

  Next, the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 stores the job sent from the host apparatus 10 in the job storage unit 25 (step S16). When the job storage is completed, the communication unit 28 controls to transmit a job storage completion notification for notifying the host device 10 that has sent the stored job that the job storage has been completed (step S17).

  That is, the host device 10 in the image forming system 100 performs control to transmit from the communication unit 17 a power-on notification that notifies the image forming device 20 on the network that the power is turned on when the power is turned on. (Step S11), in response to a job transmission request from the image forming apparatus 20 that has received the power-on notification, the presence / absence of a job specified by job information is searched (Step S14), and the job specified by the job information is searched. Is transmitted from the communication unit 17 to the image forming apparatus 20 (step S15). When the host unit 10 is turned on by the controller 11, the host unit 10 is powered on. When the job is turned off, the job sucked from the image forming apparatus on the network is returned to the storage state by the original image forming apparatus 20. Performing the start processing.

  When the image forming apparatus 20 in the image forming system 100 receives the power-on notification from the host apparatus 10, the image forming apparatus 20 confirms the job that has been picked up when the host apparatus 10 is powered off (step S 12), and turns off the power. The job that has been picked up at times is specified by job information, and control is performed to transmit a job transmission request for requesting transmission of a job to the host device 10 from the communication unit 28 (step S13), and the host that has received the job transmission request A control unit 21 is provided for controlling the job specified by the job information sent from the apparatus 10 to be stored in the job storage job storage unit 25 (step S16). The control unit 21 controls the power supply of the host device. When the host device 10 is turned off, the job that has been picked up when the host device 10 is turned off The starting process of returning to the presence state performed.

  As described above, in the image forming system 100, since the job is picked up from the image forming apparatus 20 at the timing when the host apparatus 10 that owns the job is turned off, it is avoided that the job is left in the image forming apparatus 20. can do. As a result, for example, when the user goes home at night, long vacation, when a certain period has passed, when the host device 10 is turned off at a specified date and time, the data stored in the image forming apparatus 20 is saved. By transmitting to the host device 10 of the saver, it is possible to make a state in which no job exists in the image forming apparatus 20.

  Then, if the job sucked up when the power is turned off is stored in the host 10, when the host device 10 is turned on, the job sucked up when the power is turned off is sent to the original image forming apparatus 20, and the power is turned on. It is possible to return to the saved state of the job before being turned off.

  As a result, security in the image forming system 100 can be improved.

  When the host device 10 updates the data of the collected job, it notifies the other host devices related to the data of the update.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 20 in the image forming system 100 sucks up the 10 jobs of the host apparatus whose power is turned off when the jobs of the plurality of host apparatuses on the network 30 are stored in the job storage unit 25. Accordingly, by deleting the job from the job storage unit 25 or releasing the recording area of the job and allowing overwriting, the data storage capacity can be ensured accordingly.

  Further, in the image forming system 100, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the control unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 controls the communication unit 28 to transmit polling requests to a plurality of host devices on the network 30. The control unit 11 of each of the plurality of host devices on the network 30 performs control to transmit the power-on notification or the power-off notification by the communication unit 17 in response to the polling request. The forming apparatus 20 monitors off or on of the host power supply for a plurality of host apparatuses on the network 30 by polling, and completes the above-described termination processing (steps S1 to S1) with the host apparatus that has notified the host power supply off. S8) is executed, and the above-described start processing (with the host device that has been notified of the host power off) as described above ( It may be configured to perform the step S11~ step S17).

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming system to which the present invention is applied. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a host device in the image forming system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus in the image forming system. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control part of the said image forming apparatus. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of end processing in the image forming system. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the start process in the said image forming system. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure when the image forming apparatus performs a termination process and a start process by monitoring a plurality of host apparatuses on a network by polling in the image forming system.

Explanation of symbols

10 Host device,
11 Control unit,
12 ROM,
13 RAM,
14 hard disk,
15 display section,
16 input section,
17 Communication Department,
18 Bus,
20 image forming apparatus,
21 control unit,
22 Printing Department,
23 Document reading unit,
24 operation display section,
25 Job storage section,
26 Job deletion section,
27 Job Information Management Department,
28 Communication Department,
30 network,
100 image forming system,
211 ROM,
212 RAM,
213 EEPROM
214 microcomputer,

Claims (7)

A host device;
An image forming apparatus connected to the host device via a network;
The host device identifies a job to turn off the power when the host device-side communication unit that communicates with the image forming apparatus via the network, a storage unit that stores a job, and the power is turned off. The host device side communication means controls to send a power off notification to the image forming apparatus on the network together with job information, and the job sent from the image forming apparatus that has received the power off notice is stored in the storage means. Host device side control means for performing control to turn off the power after being stored in
The image forming apparatus includes a job storage unit that stores a job, an image forming apparatus side communication unit that communicates with the host apparatus via the network, and the power off notification from the host apparatus by the image forming apparatus side communication unit. Is received, the presence or absence of the job specified by the job information is searched, the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit, transmitted from the image forming apparatus side communication unit to the host device, and An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus side control unit that performs control to delete the job transmitted to the host device from the job storage unit. The host device side control means stores the job specified by the job information sent from the image forming apparatus that has received the power-off notification in the storage means, and then indicates that the saving of the job is completed. The host device side communication means transmits the job storage completion notification to be notified to the forming device.
The control unit on the image forming apparatus side receives the job storage completion notification from the host device, deletes the job transmitted to the host device from the job storage unit, and indicates that the deletion of the job has been completed. Control to send a job deletion completion notification to the apparatus by the image forming apparatus side communication means,
The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the host device side control unit performs control to turn off the power after receiving a job deletion completion notification from the image forming device. The host device-side control means performs control for transmitting a power-on notification for notifying the image forming apparatus on the network that the power is turned on by the host device-side communication means when the power is turned on,
When the image forming apparatus side control unit receives the power-on notification from the host apparatus,
A job transmission request for specifying a job sucked up when the host apparatus is powered off by job information and requesting the host apparatus to transmit a job is transmitted by the image forming apparatus side communication unit,
In response to the job transmission request, the host device side control means searches for the presence or absence of a job specified by job information, and sends the job specified by the job information from the host device side communication means to the image forming apparatus. Control to send,
2. The image forming apparatus side control unit performs control for storing in the job storage unit a job specified by the job information transmitted from the host apparatus that has received the job transmission request. The image forming system according to claim 2. The image forming apparatus side control unit performs control to transmit a polling request to a plurality of host devices on the network by the image forming apparatus side communication unit,
Each host device side control means of the plurality of host devices on the network performs control to transmit the power-on notification or the power-off notification by the host device-side communication means in response to the polling request. The image forming system according to claim 3. An image forming apparatus in an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is connected to a host device via a network,
Job storage means for storing jobs;
Image forming apparatus side communication means for communicating with the host apparatus via the network;
When the image forming apparatus side communication unit receives a power off notification transmitted from the host apparatus when the host apparatus is powered off and notified with the job information specifying the job that the power is to be turned off . The presence / absence of the job specified by the job information is searched, the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit, transmitted from the image forming apparatus side communication unit to the host device, and transmitted to the host device. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming apparatus side control unit that performs control to delete the job from the job storage unit. A control program for an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is connected to a host device via a network,
The host device is provided with a control for transmitting a power-off notification for notifying the image forming apparatus on the network together with job information for specifying a job to turn off the power when the host device is turned off. Let the computer run,
Upon receiving the power-off notification from the host device, the presence / absence of the job specified by the job information is searched, the job specified by the job information is read from the job storage unit, and transmitted to the host device. Causing the computer provided in the image forming apparatus to execute control for deleting the job transmitted to the apparatus from the job storage unit;
An image forming system for causing a computer provided in the host device to execute a control for turning off the power after storing a job sent from the image forming device that has received the power off notification in a storage unit Control program. A host apparatus control program in an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is connected to a host apparatus via a network,
When turning off the power of the host device, the image forming apparatus which has performed the power off notification for notifying the image forming apparatus on the network together with job information for specifying the job to be turned off, and has received the power off notice A control program for a host device, characterized in that after the job specified by the job information sent from is stored, the computer provided in the host device executes control to turn off the power.

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