JP5353425B2 - Image processing apparatus and job processing status display method in the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing device etc. in which a user can easily comprehend a job processing status from the acquisition of a job from a server to job completion. <P>SOLUTION: The image processing device comprises: a job list acquisition means 11 for acquiring a job list of one or a plurality of jobs which are accumulated in a server 3 connected through a network 4 and to which job IDs are assigned; display means 182 for displaying the acquired job list; a job data acquisition means 11 for acquiring job data stored in a link of at least one job in the displayed job list; and a job processing means 17 for processing the acquired job data. The image processing device acquires a processing status of the acquired job data based on the job ID assigned to the job, combines it with the display data on the server 3 side showing the job, and causes the display means 182 to display the processing status combined with the display data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention, for example, acquires a job held in a server on a network and prints it, a printer having a function called a so-called pull print, an MFP (Multi Function Peripherals) which is a multi-function digital multi-function peripheral, etc. The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a job processing status display method in the apparatus.

  Conventionally, for example, when acquiring a job on a server and performing pull printing or the like as described above, a screen on the server is displayed on the screen of the image processing apparatus. The user can grasp whether or not the job information from the server has been transmitted to the image processing apparatus.

  Conventionally, for example, in a facsimile machine, job information stored in a server can be sent in response to a browsing request from a client terminal, and can be browsed collectively at the client terminal. Disclosed is a technique for searching for transmission side job information and reception side job information to be transmitted and sending them together at the client terminal so that the transmission side job information and the reception side job can be compared and viewed on the client terminal. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-142798 A

  However, the above-described conventional technique is inconvenient because only the screen of the server is displayed on the screen of the image processing apparatus, and the processing status of the job acquired from the server is not displayed.

  On the other hand, if the screen is switched to the main screen of the image processing apparatus, it is possible to display the job processing status, but there is a problem that it is difficult to determine whether the processing status is displayed for the job acquired from the server.

  Such a problem could not be solved even by the technique described in Patent Document 1.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an image processing apparatus that allows a user to easily grasp the job processing status from job acquisition to processing completion from a server. It is an object to provide a job processing status display method.

The above problem is solved by the following means.
(1) Job list acquisition means for acquiring a list of one or a plurality of jobs assigned with a job ID and stored in a server connected via a network, and displaying the acquired list of jobs Display means, job data acquisition means for acquiring job data stored at a link destination in a server of at least one job in the job list displayed on the display means, and job data acquired from the server Job processing means for processing the job data, the job processing status acquisition means for acquiring the processing status of the job data acquired from the server based on the job ID assigned to the job, and the job processing The job displayed on the display means indicates the processing status of the job data acquired by the status acquisition means. The image processing apparatus characterized by comprising a display updating means for periodically updating the display causes the display device display the display data and synthesizes the server side shown.
(2) After the job is selected from the job list, the display means displays the link destination information together with the server-side display data indicating the job until the job data is acquired from the job link destination. The link destination information is deleted from the display means by acquiring the job data, and the job processing means confirms that the link destination information has been deleted, and processes the acquired job data as described in item 1 above. The image processing apparatus described.
(3) The image processing apparatus according to item 1 or 2, wherein the job processing status acquisition unit acquires the job processing status periodically.
(4) The job ID is generated by a printer driver of an information processing apparatus that has transmitted job data to the server, and the generated job ID and display data of a job scheduled on the server side are received from the server. A receiving unit that receives in advance from the information processing apparatus before acquiring the job data, and when the receiving unit receives in advance a job ID and server-side display data, the display control unit sends a job to the display unit. 4. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 3, wherein a message indicating that job data has not been acquired is displayed together with display data on the server side.
(5) The job list acquisition unit acquires failure information from the server when a failure has occurred in the server when acquiring job data by the job data acquisition unit, and the display control unit acquires 5. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 4, wherein the display means displays that a failure has occurred based on failure information.
(6) A job list acquisition step for acquiring a list of one or a plurality of jobs assigned with a job ID while being stored in a server connected via a network, and displaying the acquired list of jobs A job data acquisition step for acquiring job data stored at a link destination in a server of at least one job in the job list displayed on the display means, and a job data acquisition step acquired from the server A job processing step for processing job data; a job processing status acquisition step for acquiring a processing status in the job processing step of job data acquired from the server based on a job ID assigned to the job; Processing of job data acquired in job processing status acquisition step The situation, characterized in that it and a display update step of periodically updating the display causes the display device display the display data and synthesizes the display unit server indicating the job displayed on A job processing status display method in an image processing apparatus.
(7) After the job is selected from the job list, the display means displays link destination information together with server side display data indicating the job until job data is acquired from the job link destination. The link destination information is deleted from the display means by acquiring the job data. In the job processing step, it is confirmed that the link destination information has been deleted, and the acquired job data is processed. The job processing status display method described.
(8) The job ID is generated by a printer driver of an information processing apparatus that has transmitted job data to the server, and the generated job ID and display data of a job scheduled on the server side are received from the server. A receiving step for receiving in advance from the information processing apparatus before acquiring the job data, and when receiving the job ID and server-side display data in the receiving step in advance, 8. The job processing status display method according to item 6 or 7, wherein a message indicating that job data has not been acquired is displayed together with display data on the server side.

According to the invention described in item (1) above, the processing status of job data acquired from the server is acquired based on the job ID assigned to the job, and the processing status of the acquired job data is displayed on the display means. It is combined with the server-side display data indicating the received job and displayed on the display means, and the display is periodically updated . In other words, the server-side display data indicating the job is used uniformly until the processing of the job data in the image processing apparatus is completed after the job list is acquired from the server. Until the processing by the apparatus is completed, it is possible to easily and accurately grasp the job processing status.

  According to the invention described in (2) above, after a job is selected from the job list, until the job data is acquired from the job link destination, the link destination is displayed together with the server-side display data indicating the job. Information is displayed, the link destination information is deleted from the display means by acquiring the job data, and this deletion is confirmed and the acquired job data is processed. Certain processing of data can be performed.

  According to the invention described in item (3) above, since the job processing status is periodically acquired, the latest job processing status can be displayed on the display means.

  According to the invention described in the item (4), when the job ID and the display data of the job scheduled on the server side are received from the printer driver in advance, it is determined that the job exists on the server. Since the apparatus can recognize, before acquiring job data from the server for the job having the job ID, it can be displayed on the display means that the data is not acquired together with the server-side display data indicating the job.

  According to the invention described in item (5) above, when a failure has occurred in the server when acquiring job data, the fact that a failure has occurred can be displayed on the display means as the job processing status.

  According to the invention described in item (6), the user can easily and accurately grasp the job processing status until the processing of the job data by the image processing apparatus is completed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image processing system to which an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an image processing apparatus in an image processing system. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram when the image processing apparatus acquires job data from a server and performs print processing in the image processing system of FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a display process of a job processing status from when the image processing apparatus acquires a job list from a server to when printing of the job is completed.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an image processing system to which an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  1, the image processing system includes the MFP 1 as an image processing apparatus, user terminals assigned to a plurality of users who can use the MFP 1, such as personal computers (PCs) 2... These MFP 1, PC 2..., And server 3 are connected via a network 4.

  The MFP 1 acquires job data from the server 3 and executes processing such as printing.

  The PC 2... Is configured such that a user can create a print job and send job data to the server 3.

  The server 3 stores job data transmitted from the user PC 2 in a storage unit (not shown), and job ID that is identification information for specifying a job for each job (for example, job A, job B, job C). (Job 1, Job 2, Job 3) is assigned. Further, a web page for providing a list of jobs for each user to the MFP 1 is created, and each job shown in the job list on the web page is linked to job data of each job stored in the storage unit. Link destination information (for example, link destination information A, link destination information B, link destination information C) is created.

  The job ID, each job data, and each link information are stored in association with each other.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the MFP 1.

  In FIG. 2, the MFP 1 includes a CPU 11, a transmission unit 12, a reception unit 13, a storage unit 14, a scanner unit 16, a printer unit 17, an operation panel unit 18, and a display composition unit 19. Yes.

  The CPU 11 controls the overall operation of the MFP 1 based on an operation program stored in a recording medium such as a ROM and a storage unit 14 (not shown).

  The transmission unit 12 performs control for transmitting data to the PC 2 and the server 3, and the reception unit 13 performs control to receive data from the PC 2 and the server 3.

  The storage unit 14 stores job data acquired from the server 3, job data directly transmitted from the PC 2, and other data, and a hard disk device or the like is used.

  The scanner unit 16 reads a document image and outputs image data.

  The printer unit 17 prints image data in a print job according to print setting information.

  The operation panel unit 18 includes a key unit 181 having a start button, a numeric keypad, and the like, and a display unit 182 including a touch panel type liquid crystal display device.

  The display unit 182 displays various input screens and messages, and also displays processing data (also referred to as status information) of the MFP 1 for display data from the server 3 and job data acquired from the server 3 in the pull print mode. Displayed updatable.

  The display combining unit 19 has a function of combining display data of each job shown in the job list acquired from the web page on the server 3 and displayed on the display unit, and status information on the MFP 1 side. The combined data is displayed on the display unit 182 of the operation panel unit 18.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram when pull printing, that is, the MFP 1 acquires job data from the server 3 and performs print processing in the image processing system of FIG.

In FIG. 3, after the user transmits a print job (for example, job A, job B, job C) from the PC 2 to the server 3, the user logs in to the MFP 1 and selects a job on the server 3. A case will be described in which pull printing is performed for all jobs without selection.
[Circle number 1]
When the user transmits a print job (for example, job A, job B, job C) from the PC 2 to the server 3, the server 3 stores each job data in a predetermined storage unit and each job (A, B, C). ), A job ID is assigned to each page, a web page in which a list of each job is collected is created, and link destination information that links each job and the job data storage destination is created. The job ID, job data, link destination information, and the like are stored in association with each other.

For example, for job A, job ID = 1 job data A link destination information A (URL http: //hogehoge/job1.html)
Is retained.

Similarly, for job B and job C, respectively
Job ID = 2 Job data B Link destination information B (URL http: //hogehoge/job2.html)
Job ID = 3 Job data C Link destination information C (URL http: //hogehoge/job3.html)
Is retained.
[Circle number 2]
When the user operates the MFP 1 to log in and then performs a pull print operation, the job list of the user held on the web page of the server 3 is displayed on the display unit 182 of the MFP 1 as a pull print screen. In the example of FIG. 3, the display data is displayed as job A, job B, and job C.
[Circle number 3]
When the user selects a job with reference to the job list display screen and requests printing, the server 3 reads out the job data from the storage location linked to the job and transmits it to the MFP 1. The MFP 1 receives this job data. Receive.
[Circle number 4]
Along with this, the job status information is updated.

Specifically, the MFP 1 starts acquiring job data, checks whether there is a job with the same job ID among the jobs fetched in the MFP 1 based on the job ID, and there is no job with the same job ID. For example, “acquiring” is displayed on the display screen of the job being processed. That is, the display data of the job on the server 3 side and “being acquired” on the MFP 1 side are combined and displayed on the display unit 182.
[Circular number 5]
When the acquisition of job data is completed, the link destination information (job1.html) is deleted, so that a link error occurs and the “Acquiring” display is erased.

  For example, for job A, “job A being acquired (link to job information A job1.html)” is displayed as “job A”.

Up to this point, the status information on the MFP 1 side is synthesized and displayed based on the display data from the server 3, and the following is a job on the server 3 side based on the processing status in the MFP 1. The display data is synthesized and displayed.
[Circle number 6]
When the data acquisition of the selected job is completed, the MFP 1 searches for the job being processed based on the job ID, and displays the status information of the job corresponding to the job ID on the display unit 182. Thereafter, printing of the job is executed.

  The notation of the job corresponding to the received job ID is switched to a display screen for checking information in the MFP 1 being processed and confirming the print state, and for example, “1. Job A printing in progress” is displayed. In this screen display, “1. Job A” is the display on the server 3 side in the job list of the server 3, and “Printing” is the status information of “1. Job A” displayed on the MFP 1. That is, both are combined and displayed.

  When printing is completed, “printing completed” is displayed on the display screen of the job being processed by the same composition processing. On the other hand, as printing is completed, the display of jobs that have been printed is sequentially deleted from the job list. The job may be deleted in the server 3 as well.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of status information display processing from when the MFP 1 acquires a job list from the server 3 to when printing of the job is completed.

  In FIG. 4, first, the user transmits a job (for example, job A, job B, job C) from the PC 2 to the server 3.

  When the server 3 receives the print job from the PC 2, the server 3 stores each job data in the storage unit, and creates link information and the like in step S1.

  In step S2, the user operates the MFP 1 to log in, and when the pull print mode is selected in step S3, in step S4, a list of jobs related to the user is transmitted from the server 3 to the MFP 1, and the MFP 1 acquires this. In step S <b> 5, the job list is displayed on the display unit 182 of the MFP 1.

  When the user selects a desired job from the job list displayed on the display unit 182 of the MFP 1 and requests pull printing in step S6, the server 3 sends job data corresponding to the selected job to the MFP 1 in step S7. And the job list to be displayed on the display unit 182 of the MFP 1 is updated and transmitted to the MFP 1. That is, the display data of “job A” is updated to a state in which “link to link destination information” is displayed (see the circled number 4 in FIG. 3), and is transmitted to the MFP 1.

  In step S <b> 8, the MFP 1 combines the display data from the server 3 with the status information “acquiring” and displays it on the display unit 182.

  When the transmission of the job data is completed, the server 3 updates the job list in step S9. That is, the link destination information is deleted.

  Thereby, in step S10, the MFP 1 deletes the status information “acquiring” (see the circled number 5 in FIG. 3).

  The MFP 1 confirms that the transmission of the job data is completed due to the deletion of the link destination information, and executes the printing process of the job A in step S11. As described above, the link destination information is deleted from the display unit 182, and the acquired job data is processed by confirming the deletion. Therefore, the job data is reliably executed after the job data is reliably acquired. can do.

  The MFP 1 periodically acquires the printing status in the MFP 1 based on the job ID assigned to the job, and the acquired status information is displayed on the server 3 on the server side in steps S11 and S12. It is synthesized with the display data and displayed on the display unit 182.

  When printing is completed in step S14, job completion status information is combined and displayed on the display unit 182 in step S15.

  As described above, the MFP 1 acquires the processing status of the job data acquired from the server 3 in the MFP 1 based on the job ID assigned to the job, and the processing status of the acquired job data is displayed on the display unit 182. This is combined with the server side display data indicating the processed job and displayed. In other words, the display data indicating the job is used uniformly until the print processing of the job data in the MFP 1 is completed after the job list is acquired from the server 3, so that the user completes the print processing of the job data. Thus, it becomes possible to easily and accurately grasp the job processing status.

  The same processing is performed for job B and job C.

  In this embodiment, when a job is transmitted from the user's PC 2 to the server 3, the job ID is generated by the server 3. However, a dedicated printer driver in the PC 2 is used, and the job ID is set by the printer driver. The job ID and the job display data (for example, job list) scheduled on the server 3 side may be sent to the MFP 1 at the same time as the job is created and transmitted from the PC 2 to the server 3. As a result, since the MFP 1 can recognize that the job exists in the server 3, before the job data is acquired from the server for the job having the job ID, the data not displayed together with the display data on the server 3 side indicating the job. It can be displayed on the display unit 182 that it is acquisition.

  In this case, not only the job ID and display data, but also detailed job data, specifically, print setting data (number of pages, output mode, etc.), etc. are sent to the MFP 1 in advance, so that job processing prediction is performed in advance. The time can be calculated, and when the user displays the job list on the display unit 182 of the MFP 1, it can be displayed together.

  If the server 3 is configured to link to failure information when an abnormality occurs regarding transmission of job data to the MFP 1, the MFP 1 acquires the failure information from the server 3, and the failure is detected. The occurrence can be displayed on the display unit 182.

  Further, when the MFP 1 obtains the setting data such as the number of pages and the output mode at the same time when obtaining the job list from the server 3, the processing ability and status information in the MFP 1 are combined and the estimated processing time is obtained. It can also be calculated and combined for display.

  When a plurality of jobs are accumulated on the server 3, by first obtaining the job list and setting data, it is possible to calculate the estimated processing time and combine it with the job list for display.

1 Image processing device (MFP)
2 User terminal (PC)
3 Server 4 Network 11 CPU
13 Receiving Unit 14 Storage Unit 17 Printer Unit 18 Operation Panel Unit 182 Display Unit 19 Data Composition Unit

Claims (8)

Job list acquisition means for acquiring a list of one or a plurality of jobs assigned with a job ID and stored in a server connected via a network;
Display means for displaying a list of the acquired jobs;
Job data acquisition means for acquiring job data stored in a link destination in a server of at least one job in the list of jobs displayed on the display means;
Job processing means for processing job data acquired from the server;
Job processing status acquisition means for acquiring the processing status of the job data acquired from the server based on the job ID assigned to the job;
The processing status of the job data acquired by the job processing status acquisition means is combined with the server-side display data indicating the job displayed on the display means and displayed on the display means and the display is periodically updated. Display update means;
An image processing apparatus comprising: The display means displays the link destination information together with the display data on the server side indicating the job until the job data is acquired from the job link destination after the job is selected from the job list. Link information is deleted from the display means by acquiring job data,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the job processing unit processes the acquired job data after confirming that the link destination information has been deleted.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the job processing status acquisition unit acquires the job processing status periodically. The job ID is generated by the printer driver of the information processing apparatus that has transmitted the job data to the server, and the generated job ID and job display data scheduled on the server side are displayed as job data from the server. Receiving means for receiving in advance from the information processing apparatus before acquisition of
When the receiving unit receives in advance the job ID and the server-side display data, the display control unit causes the display unit to display that the job data is not acquired together with the server-side display data indicating the job. Item 4. The image processing device according to any one of Items 1 to 3. The job list acquisition unit acquires failure information from the server when a failure has occurred in the server when acquiring job data by the job data acquisition unit,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display that a failure has occurred based on the acquired failure information. A job list acquisition step of acquiring a list of one or a plurality of jobs which are stored in a server connected via a network and assigned a job ID;
Displaying the acquired list of jobs on a display means;
A job data acquisition step of acquiring job data stored in a link destination in a server of at least one job in the list of jobs displayed on the display means;
A job processing step for processing job data acquired from the server;
A job processing status acquisition step for acquiring the processing status in the job processing step of the job data acquired from the server based on the job ID assigned to the job;
The processing status of the job data acquired in the job processing status acquisition step is combined with server-side display data indicating the job displayed on the display means and displayed on the display means, and the display is periodically updated. A display update step ;
A job processing status display method in an image processing apparatus. The display means displays the link destination information together with the display data on the server side indicating the job until the job data is acquired from the job link destination after the job is selected from the job list. Link information is deleted from the display means by acquiring job data,
7. The job processing status display method according to claim 6, wherein in the job processing step, the acquired job data is processed after confirming that the link destination information has been deleted. The job ID is generated by the printer driver of the information processing apparatus that has transmitted the job data to the server, and the generated job ID and job display data scheduled on the server side are displayed as job data from the server. Including a reception step of receiving in advance from the information processing apparatus before acquisition of
If the job ID and the server-side display data are received in advance in the receiving step, the display updating step causes the display means to display that the job data is not acquired together with the server-side display data indicating the job. Item 8. The job processing status display method according to Item 6 or 7.

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