JP6079845B2 - System and processing terminal - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing control server, a processing control method, and a processing terminal, and more particularly to a technique for immediately executing a request acquired from a user via a server in a cloud computing system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cloud computing system that provides a service for causing a specific printer to execute printing by sending an e-mail is known (for example, Patent Document 1). This cloud computing system includes a server that generates print data corresponding to a specific printer based on the e-mail when a specific e-mail is received, and the specific printer registered in the server obtains the print data from the server And execute printing. Therefore, the user can use the printer registered in the server even when the printer driver is not installed in a communication terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone. In this system, when a printer registration process associated with a specific electronic mail address is performed at the server, any user who knows the electronic mail address can use the printer.

JP 2008-71257 A

  Here, a situation will be described in which the user gives an instruction to cancel printing when the printer is executing printing while acquiring print data from the server based on HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). In this situation, the server that has acquired the cancel request from the user's communication terminal causes the printer to cancel printing. First, assume that the server deletes the print data file so that the printer can stop printing. However, in general, the HTTP server is designed so that the data of the file being sent can be accessed until the file is closed after the HTTP connection is cut off. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to delete the print data file, transmission of the print data continues. Therefore, printing by the printer cannot be stopped. Then, there is a problem that the server treats the print as being canceled. Next, it is assumed that the server deletes the print data file and disconnects the HTTP connection in order to cause the printer to stop printing. However, to stop sending print data from the HTTP server after transmission of print data is started in response to a request from the printer, the process execution requesting entity and the process cancellation requesting entity are different. Special processing that significantly increases the load on the system is required. Next, it is assumed that the server transmits a print cancel request to the printer based on HTTP and deletes the print data file in order for the server to stop printing. However, sending a print cancellation request using the same HTTP during a period in which print data is being sent based on HTTP interrupts the print data sending process, and this is a special case that significantly increases the load on the HTTP server. Processing is required.

  An object of the present invention is to stop processing by a processing terminal without increasing the load on the server.

  (1) A processing control server for achieving the above object uses a first communication means for communicating with a processing terminal using a first connection based on HTTP, and a second connection different from the first connection. Second communication means for communicating with the processing terminal, and after acquiring the processing request, the target data is transmitted to the processing terminal based on HTTP, and the processing of the target data is stopped according to the acquisition of the cancellation request. Processing control means for requesting the processing terminal using a second connection.

  According to the present invention, even when target data is being transmitted to the processing terminal based on HTTP, communication is performed with the processing terminal using a second connection different from the first connection used for transmitting the processing data. As a result, the processing terminal is requested to stop processing the target data. That is, since the transmission of the target data and the request to stop the processing of the target data are separated at the same protocol level as HTTP, the load on the processing control server can be suppressed.

  (2) In the processing control server for achieving the above object, the processing control means determines whether or not the processing of the target data is continued in the processing terminal based on a response to the request to stop the processing terminal. If the processing of the target data is not continued, the target data may be deleted. If the processing of the target data is continued, the deletion of the target data may be postponed.

In the present invention, it is assumed that the specifications of the processing terminals are not unified. For example, when the processing terminal is requested to stop the processing after starting the processing of the target data, the processing may not be stopped. In such a case, the response received by the processing control server due to the request to stop the processing terminal indicates an error. Therefore, the processing control server determines whether or not the processing is continued based on the response. Can be determined. When the process is continued, it is preferable to notify the user that the process for the cancel request has failed, for example, rather than deleting the target data immediately.
(3) The processing control server for achieving the above object may further include third communication means for communicating with the management terminal, and the stop request may be acquired from the management terminal using the third communication means.
(4) The first communication unit, the second communication unit, and the processing control unit may be configured by separate computers.

  Note that the function of each means described in the claims is realized by hardware resources whose function is specified by the configuration itself, hardware resources whose function is specified by a program, or a combination thereof. Further, the functions of these means are not limited to those realized by hardware resources that are physically independent of each other. For example, the server recited in the claims is not limited to that realized by a single computer, and the server may be realized as a group of combinations of a plurality of computers each sharing each means. Furthermore, the present invention can be realized as a method, a processing terminal, a computer program for causing a computer to realize the above functions, and a recording medium for the program. Of course, the recording medium for the computer program may be a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or any recording medium that will be developed in the future.

1 is a block diagram showing an entire printing system including a processing control server and a printer as a processing terminal. It is a sequence chart which shows a process control method. It is a top view which shows a printing control page.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the corresponding component in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.
1. Configuration FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the entire printing system including a processing control server 2 and printers 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d as processing terminals. The printing system shown in FIG. 1 transmits an e-mail addressed to any of the printers 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d registered in the processing control server 2 from an arbitrary communication terminal 1. , The function of printing the attached file or the text of the e-mail in any of the printers 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d associated with the destination e-mail address is realized. The processing control server 2, the printers 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and the communication terminal 1 are connected to the Internet 4. Since the configurations of the printers 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are substantially the same for understanding the invention, the configurations of the printers 3a, 3b, and 3c are omitted in FIG. In the following description, the printers 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are expressed as printers 3 without being distinguished unless otherwise required. The printer 3 may be connected to the Internet 4 via a hub or a router.

  The processing control server 2 is composed of one or more computers, and includes an application server 21, an SMTP server 22, an HTTP server 23, and an XMPP server 24. Each of the application server 21, SMTP server 22, HTTP server 23, and XMPP server 24 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk device, a communication unit, and an internal interface for connecting them, not shown. The communication unit converts a signal received from the Internet via the LAN according to the protocol and sends it to the internal bus, and converts a signal received from the internal bus according to the protocol and sends it to the Internet via the LAN.

  The SMTP server 22 has a function of transmitting and receiving e-mails at an e-mail address assigned to the printer 3 registered in the application server 21.

  The HTTP server 23 functions as a first communication unit that communicates with the printer 3 based on HTTP.

  The XMPP server 24 functions as a second communication unit that communicates with the printer 3 based on XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol).

  When the application server 21 obtains a print execution request based on SMTP, the application server 21 generates print data corresponding to the corresponding printer 3, transmits the generated print data to the corresponding printer 3 based on HTTP, and based on HTTP. When the print cancel request is acquired, it functions as a process control means for requesting the corresponding printer 3 to cancel print based on XMPP.

  The printer 3 has a function of executing printing based on a print execution request acquired from the process control server 2 through a constant connection with the process control server 2. Accordingly, the printer 3 includes a communication unit 34 for transmitting and receiving messages via the Internet 4 in addition to the components of a normal printer such as the CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, and printing unit 35. The communication unit 34 converts the signal received from the Internet 4 via the LAN according to the protocol and sends it to the internal bus, converts the signal received from the internal bus according to the protocol and sends it to the Internet via the LAN. The ROM 32 stores various computer programs that are read into the RAM 33 such as the OS 331, the connection control module 332, the server interface module 333, and the print control module 334 and executed by the CPU 31. Various functions of the printer 3 are realized by the CPU 31 executing these computer programs.

  The OS 331 controls the hardware of the printer 3 in cooperation with various application programs such as the connection control module 332, the server interface module 333, the print control module 334, and performs processing according to protocols such as TCP / IP, HTTP, and XMPP. A function for controlling communication with the control server 2 is realized. Therefore, the OS 331 is a computer program that causes the CPU 31 and the communication unit 34 to function as a first communication unit and a second communication unit. Note that account information for the printer 3 to communicate with the processing control server 2 according to a protocol such as TCP / IP, HTTP, XMPP is set in advance in the printer 3 and the processing control server 2 respectively.

  The server interface module 333 realizes a function of acquiring a print execution request, print data, and a print cancel request from the process control server 2 by communicating with the process control server 2 according to a protocol such as HTTP or XMPP.

  The print control module 334 acquires a print execution request, print data, and a print cancel request via the server interface module 333. When the print execution request is acquired, the print control module 334 controls the printing unit 35 based on the print data to execute printing. When the print cancel request is acquired, a function for canceling the print execution is realized. Therefore, the print control module 334 is a computer program that causes the CPU 31 and the printing unit 35 to function as processing means.

2. Process Control Method Next, a process control method for causing the above-described process control server 2 to function as a process control server as one embodiment of the present invention and causing the printer 3 to function as a process terminal will be described. In the printing system shown in FIG. 1, when printing is requested from the communication terminal 1 to the processing control server 2, printing is immediately executed in the printer 3, and printing suspension is requested from the communication terminal 1 to the processing control server 2. It is desired that printing be stopped immediately at the printer 3. In addition, it is not preferable that the printer 3 polls the processing control server 2 using a message based on HTTP in order to immediately acquire a print execution request or a print cancellation request from the viewpoint of the load of the processing control server 2 and network traffic. . Therefore, the printer 3 acquires a print execution request and a print stop request based on XMPP from the processing control server 2. Since XMPP is a push-type protocol that can send messages in both directions, polling of the processing control server 2 by the printer 3 is not necessary. In the sequence described below, an account for the printer 3 to communicate with the processing control server 2 such as JID, XMPP login password, and e-mail address is referred to registration information of other printers already registered in the application server 21. Assume that the process assigned to the printer 3 is executed in the printer 3 and the process control server 2.

  Each time the user presses the power button of the printer 3 to cut off the power and then presses the power button again to turn on the power, the printer 3 executes a login sequence for XMPP connection with the processing control server 2 (S301). In the login sequence, the printer 3 initializes each unit and transmits account information such as a JID and an XMPP login password to the XMPP server 24. The XMPP server 24 that has acquired the XMPP account information establishes an XMPP connection with the printer 3 (S202). In this way, the XMPP connection established between the XMPP server 24 and the printer 3 is maintained until the printer 3 is powered off.

  The user of the communication terminal 1 can cause the printer 3 that has acquired the corresponding e-mail address to execute printing by operating a mail user agent (MUA). Specifically, first, the user of the communication terminal 1 operates the MUA to generate an e-mail as a print request, and prints the e-mail address assigned to the printer 3 from the communication terminal 1 to the SMTP server 22. An e-mail as a request is transmitted (S101).

  When the SMTP server 22 receives an e-mail as a print request, the application server 21 generates a print setting page and stores it in the HTML server 23 (S202). The print control page is a web page for transmitting various print control commands from the communication terminal 1 to the printer 3 via the processing control server 2.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the print control page. The print control page 5 includes various drop-down lists 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 for selecting a file to be printed, a paper size, an automatic color conversion type, an image quality level, the number of copies, and a print execution request. A print button 56 for sending, a re-preview button 57 for updating the preview image 59 when the user changes the automatic color conversion type, image quality level, etc., a cancel button 58 for sending a print stop request, printing A preview image 59 of the target file is arranged. The print control page 5 and the file to be printed are associated with each other by the application server 21.

  When the application server 21 generates the print control page 5, the application server 21 generates an electronic mail including a URL for acquiring the print control page 5, and transmits the electronic mail to the communication terminal 1 via the SMTP server 21 (S203). As a result, information necessary for the communication terminal 1 to acquire the print control page 5 is notified from the processing control server 2 to the communication terminal 1.

  The user of the communication terminal 1 operates the MUA to cause the browser to acquire a URL for acquiring the print control page 5 included in the e-mail, and transmits the URL from the browser of the communication terminal 1 to the HTML server 23. Let As a result, the communication terminal 1 acquires the print control page 5 from the HTML server 23 (S102), and displays the acquired print control page 5 on the screen (S103). The user of the communication terminal 1 that has acquired the print control page can request the printer 3 to start and stop printing by operating the browser. Specifically, it is as follows.

  When the print button 56 on the print control page 5 is clicked, a print execution request is transmitted to the processing control server 2 by the browser of the communication terminal 1 (S104). As a result, the application server 21 acquires a print execution request via the HTML server 23. The print execution request is an HTTP request for transmitting the selection items of the drop-down lists 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 to the URL embedded in the print button 56.

  When a print execution request is generated in the process control server 2 in this way, the application server 21 is based on the print target acquired from the electronic mail as the print request and the selection items of the drop-down lists 51, 52, 53, 54, 55. Thus, a print job including print data corresponding to the printer 3 is generated (S205).

  Next, the application server 21 notifies the printer 3 of the occurrence of the print job via the XMPP server 24 (S206). When notifying the printer 3 of the occurrence of a print job, a URL for acquiring print job information necessary for acquiring print data from the HTTP server 23 is transmitted to the printer 3 via the XMPP server 24. As described above, XMPP is used for the process of notifying the printer 3 of the occurrence of the print job, so that the process control server 2 can autonomously notify it and does not require polling from the printer 3. For this reason, the occurrence of a print job can be immediately notified to the printer 3, and the occurrence of the print job can be notified to the printer 3 with a minimum communication amount.

  The printer 3 notified of the generation of the print job acquires the print job information necessary for acquiring the print data from the processing control server 2 based on HTTP (S302). The print job information includes a URL for downloading print data.

  The printer 3 that has acquired the print job information waits for the printer 3 to enter an idle state. When the printer 3 enters the idle state, the printer 3 acquires the print data by sending a URL for downloading the print data to the HTTP server 23. Printing is executed based on the printed data (S303).

  In this way, when the user of the communication terminal 1 that has acquired the print control page operates the browser to request the start of print execution, the process control server 2 prints the print data that is the print target data. Is transmitted to the printer 3 based on HTTP, and as a result, the printer 3 performs printing.

  On the other hand, when the user of the communication terminal 1 that has acquired the print control page operates the browser and clicks the cancel button 58 of the print control page that is continuously displayed after the print execution request is generated, the browser of the communication terminal 1 A print cancellation request is transmitted to the processing control server 2 (S106). As a result, the application server 21 acquires a print cancellation request via the HTML server 23. The print cancel request is an HTTP request including a URL embedded in the cancel button 58.

  The application server 21 that has acquired the print cancel request sends a print cancel request to the printer 3 via the XMPP server 24 after notifying the printer 3 of the occurrence of the print job in step S206 (S207). That is, when a print stop request is generated, the processing control server 2 requests the printer 3 to stop print execution by communication based on XMPP that is a push type protocol. This process can be executed by the XMPP server 24 even when print data is transmitted to the printer 3 by the HTML server 23. Since XMPP is a push-type protocol, it is possible to immediately request the printer 3 to stop printing when a print stop request is generated. On the other hand, if the print stop request acquisition of the application server 21 is before notifying the printer 3 of the occurrence of the print job in step S206, the generation of the print job is canceled or the print job is deleted without notifying the printer 3 To do.

  The printer 3 that has acquired the print cancel request transmits a response to the print cancel request to the processing control server 2 based on XMPP (S304). If the printer 3 that has acquired the print cancel request succeeds in canceling the print, the process control server 2 is notified of the success of the print cancel. Note that the case where the printer 3 does not support the print cancellation request, the case where the printer 3 acquires the print cancellation request after the printing ends, or the case where the printer 3 acquires the print cancellation request before the printing starts will be described later.

  The printer 3 that has acquired the print cancel request next cancels the process of acquiring print data from the process control server 2 and the process of executing printing based on the acquired print data, and includes the received print data. The print job is deleted (S305).

  In the processing control server 2 notified of the success of the print cancellation, the application server 21 obtains the print cancel success status via the XMPP server 24 and sends a print job including the print data generated for transmission to the printer 3. It is deleted (S208). The HTML server 23 can send the print data file opened before the deletion to the printer 3 in response to the request even after the application server 21 deletes the print data. Since the process of acquiring the print data, that is, the process of requesting the print data to the HTML server 23 is stopped, the printer 3 does not continue printing.

  Next, the application server 21 generates a print cancel page for notifying the user of the success of the print cancel (S209).

  The print cancellation page generated by the application server 21 is acquired by the communication terminal 1 via the HTML server 23 (S107) and displayed by the browser of the communication terminal 1 (S108). As a result, the user of the communication terminal 1 can know that printing has been stopped in the printer 3.

Note that if a print cancel request occurs immediately after a print execution request and before printing starts, or if a print cancel request occurs after printing ends, the response of the printer 3 to the print cancel request is a non-printing error. If it is before the start of printing, the print job including the received print data may be deleted without starting the printing. The application server 21 that has acquired the non-printing error response via the XMPP server 24 may delete the print job and generate a print cancel page on the assumption that the print cancel has been successful. Of course, when a print cancellation request is generated after the printing is finished, it may be treated as a failure of the printing suspension, and a web page for notifying the user of the communication terminal 1 of the failure of the printing suspension may be generated.
Also, if the XMPP connection is not established between the printer 3 and the processing control server 2, the printer 3 can be deleted if the power of the printer 3 is cut off or the communication path is abnormal. Good.

In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the specifications of the printer 3 that can be registered in the processing control server 2 are not unified. Therefore, even if the printer 3 acquires a print cancellation request after starting printing, there is a possibility that printing will not be canceled. In such a case, the response received by the processing control server 2 as a result of sending a print stop request to the printer 3 based on XMPP is a content indicating a non-corresponding error. When the process control server 2 receives a response indicating a non-corresponding error, the process control server 2 assumes that the print cancellation has failed, and postpones the timing of deleting the print data to the timing of deletion when the normal print is completed. Specifically, the application server 21 may hold the print data without deleting it until the printer 3 notifies the end of printing.
That is, the application server 21 determines whether or not printing in the printer 3 is continued based on a response received from requesting the printer 3 to stop based on XMPP, and print including print data according to the determination result. Delete the job or postpone deleting the print job.

  According to the embodiment described above, the execution of printing can be stopped without adding a special function to the HTTP server 23. In other words, the execution of printing by the printer 3 can be stopped by remote operation without increasing the load on the processing control server 2. Note that the XMPP server 24 for transmitting the print cancel request to the printer 3 is necessary to immediately notify the printer 3 of the occurrence of the print job. Even if 24 is used, the peak load of the XMPP server 24 does not increase. That is, by distributing the processing for canceling printing within the processing control server 2, the configuration of the processing control server 2 can be simplified, and the cost for realizing the print canceling processing can be suppressed.

3. Other Embodiments The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various combinations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, such as by combining one or more of the following modifications. Of course, changes can be made.

For example, the processing control server 2 may be configured by a plurality of physically independent computers, or may be configured by a single computer.
Further, the application server 21 may generate a print job in response to reception of an e-mail as a print request without using the print control page 5, and then notify the printer 3 of the occurrence of the print job. For example, the user acquires the job management screen of the printer 3 existing in the HTML server 23 using the browser of the communication terminal 1, and instructs the deletion of the job and the cancellation of printing from the job management screen. Alternatively, the user transmits an e-mail instructing cancellation. Even in this case, the operations in and after step S207 are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

Further, a communication protocol other than XMPP may be used as a communication protocol for constant connection between the printer 3 and the processing control server 2. For example, push communication protocols other than XMPP such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and SIMPLE (SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions) (protocols that do not require a request from the client to execute processing from the server to the client) It may be used for transmission, or when polling is required for purposes unrelated to the above, it may be transmitted using a pull communication protocol used for the polling.
Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to various information devices other than printers as processing terminals.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Communication terminal, 2 ... Processing control server, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d ... Printer, 4 ... Internet, 5 ... Print control page, 21 ... Application server, 22 ... SMTP server, 23 ... HTTP server, 24 ... XMPP server 31 ... CPU, 32 ... ROM, 33 ... RAM, 34 ... communication unit, 35 ... printing unit, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 ... drop down list, 56 ... print button, 57 ... re-preview button, 58 ... Cancel button, 59 ... Preview image, 332 ... Connection control module, 333 ... Server interface module, 334 ... Print control module

Claims (3)

A system in which a processing terminal communicates with a processing control server,
The processing control server
First communication means for communicating with the processing terminal using a first connection based on HTTP;
Second communication means for communicating with the processing terminal using a second connection different from the first connection;
After acquiring the processing request, the target data is transmitted to the processing terminal based on HTTP, and the processing terminal is requested to stop processing the target data using the second connection in response to the acquisition of the cancel request. Processing control means;
With
The processing terminal is
First communication means for communicating with the process control server using a first connection based on HTTP;
Second communication means for communicating with the processing control server using a second connection different from the first connection;
When the occurrence of a job is notified using the second connection, the target data is acquired from the processing control server using the first connection and a predetermined process is executed based on the target data. Processing means for transmitting a response to the request to stop the processing terminal and the processing terminal to stop the processing of the target data when acquiring the stop request using the second connection;
With
The processing control means of the processing control server determines whether or not processing of the target data is continued in the processing terminal based on a response to requesting the processing terminal to stop, and processing the target data If the target data is not continued, the target data is deleted, and if the processing of the target data is continued, the deletion of the target data is postponed.
system. A processing terminal,
First communication means for communicating with the process control server using a first connection based on HTTP;
Second communication means for communicating with the processing control server using a second connection different from the first connection;
When the occurrence of a job is notified using the second connection, the target data is acquired from the processing control server using the first connection and a predetermined process is executed based on the target data. Processing means for transmitting a response to the request for cancellation to the processing terminal and the processing terminal to stop the processing of the target data when acquiring the cancellation request using the second connection,
The processing control server determines whether or not the processing of the target data is continued in the processing terminal based on a response to requesting the processing terminal to stop, and when the processing of the target data is not continued Deletes the target data, and when the processing of the target data is continued, the deletion of the target data is postponed.
Processing terminal. The processing terminal according to claim 2, wherein when the cancel request is acquired using the second connection, the job including the acquired target data is deleted.

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