JP7070205B2 - Storage media readers, programs, printing systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage medium reader, a program, and a printing system.

When the user instructs the client PC (Personal Computer) to print the document, the client PC sends the print job to the print server, and the user sends the print job stored in the print server to the image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a compound machine). A printing system that can be selected from () and printed is known. The printing method in which the multifunction device acquires a print job from the print server in this way is called the pull print method.

In order for the user to display his / her print job on the operation panel, the user needs to log in to the printing system, and one of the methods for logging in is to use a storage medium such as an IC card (for example, a patent). See Document 1). In Patent Document 1, when a user selects a multifunction device for printing by holding an IC card after instructing printing on a client PC, the multifunction device prints from another multifunction device connected via a network. A printing system that acquires and prints a job is disclosed. By avoiding the multifunction device that cannot be used by the user and selecting the multifunction device, the efficiency of printing work can be improved.

However, in the conventional technique, there is a problem that efficient printing may be difficult because the multifunction device logged in by the user prints all the print jobs of the user stored in the print server. .. For example, even if the multifunction device selected by the user holds many print jobs waiting for output, the user has no choice but to wait for all the outputs to be completed. Also, even if an error occurs in the multifunction device, you cannot output your own print job until the error is resolved. As described above, there may be a case where efficient output cannot be achieved by the conventional pull print type printing system.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing system capable of efficient printing.

In view of the above problems, the present invention is a storage medium reading device that communicates with a job storage device that transmits stored print jobs to an image forming device via a network, and is a reading means for reading user information from the storage medium. , The job acquisition means for acquiring the print job associated with the user information read by the reading means from the job storage device, and the device information acquisition for acquiring the availability information and load information of each image forming device from the device management device. It is characterized by having means and determination means for determining the image forming apparatus for executing the print job acquired by the job acquisition means based on the availability information and the load information.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing system capable of efficient printing.

It is an example of the figure explaining the outline structure and operation outline of a printing system. It is a schematic block diagram of an example of a printing system. It is a hardware block diagram of an example of a computer system. It is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a multifunction device. It is a hardware block diagram of an example of an IC card reader. This is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of a print server, an authentication server, a device management server, a multifunction device, and an IC card reader in a block shape. This is an example of a sequence diagram showing the procedure for accumulating and printing print jobs. It is a figure which shows an example of the message displayed on the display which the IC card reader has. This is an example of a flowchart showing a procedure in which a print request transmission unit determines the number of multifunction devices that execute a print job according to a held print job. This is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the print server in a block shape (Example 2). This is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure for accumulating and printing print jobs (Example 2). This is an example of a flowchart showing a procedure for determining whether to transmit to a multifunction device to which an IC card reader is connected and how many multifunction devices are to be operated in parallel (Example 2). This is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of an IC card reader in a block shape (Example 3). This is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure for accumulating and printing print jobs (Example 3). It is a figure which shows the display example of the e-mail received by the user. This is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of an IC card reader in a block shape (Example 4). It is a figure which shows an example of the list of the multifunction device displayed on the display of an IC card reader.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings with reference to examples.

<Outline of operation of printing system>
First, the outline of the operation of the printing system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an example of a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration and an outline of operation of the printing system 100. In the description of FIG. 1, it is assumed that the user's print job is stored in the print server 20.

(1) The user logs in to the printing system 100 by holding the IC card C over the IC card reader 50, and the user ID is specified. The IC card reader 50 requests device information from the device management server 10.

(2) The device management server 10 manages the device information of each multifunction device 40 connected to the network. The device management server 10 transmits the device information of each multifunction device 40 to the IC card reader 50.

(3) Next, the IC card reader 50 transmits the user ID to the print server 20 in order to acquire the job list.

(4) The print server 20 transmits a job list of print jobs associated with the user ID to the IC card reader 50.

(5) The IC card reader 50 specifies all of the destination multifunction device determined based on the device information and the job ID of the print job transmitted from the print server 20, and transmits the job data transmission request to the print server 20. do. The method of determining the destination multifunction device based on the device information will be described later, but among the multifunction devices 40 that have not failed, the multifunction device 40 (the multifunction device 40B in FIG. 1) has few print jobs. Instead of printing all the print jobs transmitted from the print server 20, only the print jobs selected by the user may be printed.

(6) The print server 20 transmits the print job specified by the job ID to the multifunction device 40B.

As described above, in the printing system 100 of the present embodiment, the device management server 10 returns the device information to the IC card reader 50, so that the IC card reader 50 designates an appropriate multifunction device 40 as the printing destination, so that the user can use the printing system 100. Printing can be efficiently performed from an empty multifunction device 40 simply by holding an IC card over it.

Further, since the IC card reader 50 communicates with the print server or the like, it is not necessary for the multifunction device 40A to support the print server 20 or the like. As a supplementary explanation, for convenience of explanation, the multifunction device 40A will be a multifunction device manufactured by another company, and the multifunction device 40B will be a multifunction device manufactured by the company. Any multifunction device is referred to as a multifunction device 40.

Generally, application software corresponding to the printing system 100 is operating on the multifunction device 40B. This application software communicates with a print server, displays a job list of print jobs, sends a job ID of a print job selected by the user, and prints from the multifunction device 40B. Since such application software is provided by the manufacturer that operates the printing system 100, the multifunction device 40A also needs to be manufactured by the manufacturer that operates the printing system 100. Therefore, when the multifunction device 40A is manufactured by another company, it is difficult to print by the pull print method because the application software is not operating.

Therefore, a method has been devised to enable pull printing from a multifunction device 40A manufactured by another company by adopting a configuration in which an IC card reader 50 compatible with a network communicates with a print server or the like. The IC card reader 50 is running software equivalent to the above application software. As a result, even if the IC card reader 50 is connected to the multifunction device 40A manufactured by another company, the user can efficiently output his / her own print job simply by holding the IC card over the IC card reader 50.

Some IC card readers 50 do not have a display, in which case it is difficult for the user to select a print job. Since the user cannot select a print job, the IC card reader 50 requests the print server 20 to output all the print jobs of this user stored in the print server 20. It is natural that the number of print jobs stored in the print server 20 is large, but even if the number is small, it seems that the multifunction device 40A to which the IC card reader 50 is connected holds many print jobs. In some cases or when it is out of order, it takes a long time to complete printing.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the IC card reader 50 determines the destination multifunction device based on the device information, the user holds the IC card over the IC card reader 50 connected to the multifunction device 40A made by another company. Also, the multifunction device 40 that can execute the print job at an early stage can be automatically selected. When the multifunction device 40B to which the IC card reader 50 is not connected is selected, proxy printing is performed, and when a plurality of multifunction devices 40A and 40B (three or more multifunction devices may be selected) are selected. It will be printed in parallel. In the case of parallel printing, the time to complete printing can be shortened.

<Terminology>
The storage medium reading device is an information processing device that can read information from the storage medium. It is preferable if it can be read non-contactly, but it may be read by contact. When the storage medium is an IC card, the storage medium reader is called an IC card reader.

The storage medium read by the storage medium reader may store user information about the user. The user information may be identification information that identifies or identifies the user, or may be authentication information for authenticating the user. The storage medium of the present embodiment is an IC card, but a medium on which a barcode is printed, an information processing device such as a smartphone having an IC card, or the like may be used. Further, when the user is authenticated by biometric authentication such as fingerprint, face, iris, and vein print, the storage medium may be omitted.

The availability information is information on whether or not the multifunction device can be used. For example, it includes whether the power is turned on or off, or whether an error has occurred. In the present embodiment, the information of the start-up state and the operating state will be described.

The load information is information indicating how much load the multifunction device has. For example, the number of print jobs held or the total number of pages of print jobs held.

<System configuration example>
FIG. 2 shows an example of a schematic configuration diagram of the printing system 100. The printing system 100 includes an authentication server 70, a device management server 10, a print server 20, a client PC 9, one or more multifunction devices 40, and an IC card reader 50 that can communicate via the network N.

The network N is assumed to be a general network such as a LAN or the Internet. The LAN is, for example, a LAN in a facility such as an in-house where a client PC 9 or a multifunction device 40 is arranged. The network N may include a wide area Ethernet (registered trademark), a VPN (Virtual Private Network), or a WAN composed of a plurality of LANs. The network may be partially or wholly wireless. The wireless network may include a mobile phone network such as 3G, 4G, 5G, as well as a wireless LAN and WiMAX.

The client PC 9 is an information processing device operated by a user to register a print job in the print server 20. Registration of a print job may be referred to as submitting a print job. The application software is running on the client PC 9 and has the document data created by the application software. The client PC 9 submits a print job using a printer driver for registering the print job to the print server 20. Application software dedicated to the printing system 100 may be installed on the client PC 9. By accumulating in the print server 20, the client PC 9 can share the multifunction device 40.

Note that the client PC 9 executes a printer driver common to different models, converts the document data into a print job (print data and print settings described in PDL (Page Description Language)) using this printer driver, and then prints. It may be sent to the server 20. In the present embodiment, the print job and the document data will be described as a print job without distinction.

The client PC 9 is, for example, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone, a wearable computer, or the like, in addition to the so-called PC. The client PC 9 may be any device or device capable of accumulating print jobs. In addition, a video conference terminal, an electronic blackboard, a projector, a car navigation terminal, a camera, a game machine, or the like may be used.

The print server 20 is an information processing device that manages and provides print jobs by a pull print method (an example of a job storage device). The print job includes print data to be printed and print settings such as the number of copies and colors, and is information to be the target of one print process performed by the multifunction device 40. When the print server 20 has a printer driver corresponding to each multifunction device 40, a print job can be generated from the document data. Further, a printer port for accumulating print jobs is provided, and the print jobs transmitted to the printer port are accumulated in the print server 20.

The print server 20 may have a function as an information processing device. Further, a form without the print server 20 is also conceivable. In this case, the multifunction device 40 also serves as the print server 20.

The print server 20 may be an on-premises server or a server provided as a cloud service. The print server 20 may have a function other than the print server 20. Further, a plurality of print servers 20 may exist. Further, it may be virtualized by a so-called virtualization technique.

There are two types of multifunction devices, those made in-house and those made by other companies. The in-house manufactured multifunction device 40 has a client function of the print server 20. The multifunction device 40 manufactured by another company does not have a client function, but an IC card reader 50 is connected to the multifunction device 40, and the IC card reader 50 has a client function.

The multifunction device 40 has a plurality of functions such as a printer function, a copy function, a facsimile function, and a scanner function. It may be called MFP (Multifunction Peripherals). Further, the image forming apparatus or the printer may be referred to by paying attention to the printer function. It may also be called a copier, a copier, or the like. The multifunction device 40 may have a function of executing a print job (image forming function), and may not have a function such as a scanner function or a facsimile function. The image forming method includes, for example, an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method, but any image forming method may be used. Further, a 3D printer may be used in which a three-dimensional model is formed by stacking sliced two-dimensional layers one by one based on the design data of 3D CAD.

The authentication server 70 is a server device (information processing device) that authenticates a user. The IC card reader 50 transmits the authentication information (for example, a card number) read from the IC card to the authentication server 70, and acquires the authentication result from the authentication server 70. The IC card reader 50 or the multifunction device 40 permits or restricts login to the printing system 100 based on the authentication result. If the multifunction device 40 has the function of the authentication server 70, the authentication server 70 is unnecessary.

An LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server is an example of the authentication server 70. LDAP is a protocol for connecting to a directory service that manages information such as network devices and users. The directory service is a service that centrally manages various information existing in the network and provides functions such as search. Further, the LDAP server includes open software such as OpenLDAP and commercial software represented by Microsoft's Active Directory (registered trademark).

The device management server 10 inquires about device information from the multifunction device 40, and finds an abnormality such as a startup state (whether the multifunction device 40 is started = the power is on) and an operating state (during failure, paper jam, etc.) for each device. Is there?) And an information processing device that manages device information including load information (an example of a device management device). The load information can be used to manage how many print jobs (including the number of pages of each print job) are held. The device management server 10 may be an on-premises server or a server provided as a cloud service.

The IC card reader 50 is a card reader connected to the network N via the multifunction device 40. For example, the IC card reader 50 is also connected to the LAN to which the multifunction device 40 is connected by a bridge connection. Therefore, it can be considered that the IC card reader is connected to the network N, and the IC card reader 50 may be connected to the network N by the connection line 90 shown by the dotted line.

The mechanism of the card reader is as follows. First, the IC card reader 50 oscillates magnetic field lines, excites the antenna in the IC card with the magnetic force lines to pass a current, activates the IC chip with the current, and reads the information, and this information is read by the IC card reader 50. The countermagnetic current generated in the direction opposite to the received magnetic current is transmitted to the IC card reader 50. The IC card reader 50 receives card information that can be read by a key held in advance. The card information shall include the card number. The IC card reader 50 may also acquire information about the user.

The device management server 10 and the print server 20 may be physically present on the same machine. The authentication server 70 may exist on the same machine as either the device management server 10 or the print server 20.

<Hardware configuration example>
Subsequently, the hardware configurations of the print server 20, the authentication server 70, the device management server 10, and the multifunction device 40 in the printing system 100 of the present embodiment will be described.

<< Hardware configuration example of print server, authentication server, and device management server >>
The print server 20, the authentication server 70, and the device management server 10 are realized by, for example, a computer system having a hardware configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of the computer system 200 according to the present embodiment.

The computer system 200 shown in FIG. 3 includes an input device 201, a display device 202, an external I / F 203, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 204, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 205, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 206, and a communication I / It includes an F207, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 208, and the like, and each is connected to each other by a bus B.

The input device 201 includes a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like, and is used by the user to input each operation signal. The display device 202 includes a display and the like, and displays the processing result by the computer system 200.

The communication I / F 207 is an interface for connecting the computer system 200 to an in-house network, the Internet, and the like. As a result, the computer system 200 can perform data communication via the communication I / F 207.

The HDD 208 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data. The stored programs and data include, for example, an OS (Operating System) which is basic software for controlling the entire computer system 200, application software which provides various functions on the OS, and the like. The HDD 208 manages the stored programs and data by a predetermined file system and / or a DB (database).

The external I / F 203 is an interface with an external device. The external device includes a recording medium 203a and the like. As a result, the computer system 200 can read and / or write to the recording medium 203a via the external I / F 203. The recording medium 203a includes a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an SD memory card (SD Memory card), a USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), and the like.

The ROM 205 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) capable of holding programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 205 stores programs and data such as BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), OS settings, and network settings that are executed when the computer system 200 is started. The RAM 204 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily holds programs and data.

The CPU 206 is an arithmetic unit that realizes control and functions of the entire computer system 200 by reading programs and data from a storage device such as the ROM 205 and the HDD 208 onto the RAM 204 and executing processing.

The print server 20 may be compatible with cloud computing. Cloud computing refers to a usage mode in which resources on a network are used without being aware of specific hardware resources.

<< Hardware configuration example of multifunction device >>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the multifunction device 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the multifunction device 40 includes a main body device 98 and an operation unit 99. The main unit 98 and the operation unit 99 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a dedicated communication path 29. The communication path 29 may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, but may be any standard regardless of whether it is wired or wireless.

The main unit 98 can perform an operation according to the operation received by the operation unit 99. Further, the main body device 98 can also communicate with an external device such as a client PC 9, and can perform an operation according to an instruction received from the external device.

Next, the hardware configuration of the main unit 98 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the main unit 98 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 14, and a communication I. A / F (Interface) 15, a connection I / F 16, and an engine unit 17 are provided, and these are connected to each other via a system bus 18. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 4, a configuration in which the main unit 98 has the HDD 14 has been described as an example, but for example, a configuration without the HDD 14 (for example, a configuration having a flash memory) may be possible.

The CPU 11 comprehensively controls the operation of the main unit 98. The CPU 11 controls the operation of the entire main unit 98 by executing a program stored in the ROM 12 or the HDD 14 using the RAM 13 as a work area (work area), and has a copy function, a scanner function, a fax function, a printer function, and the like. Realize various functions of.

The communication I / F 15 is an interface for connecting to the network N. The connection I / F 16 is an interface for communicating with the operation unit 99 via the communication path 29.

The engine unit 17 is hardware that performs general-purpose information processing and processing other than communication in order to realize a copy function, a scanner function, a fax function, and a printer function. For example, it is equipped with a scanner that scans and reads an image of a document, a plotter (image forming unit) that prints on a sheet material such as paper, and a fax unit that performs fax communication. Further, it may be provided with specific options such as a finisher for sorting printed sheet materials and an ADF (automatic document feeder) that automatically feeds documents.

Next, the hardware configuration of the operation unit 99 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 99 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a flash memory 24, a communication I / F 25, a connection I / F 26, and an operation panel 27, which are system buses. They are interconnected via 28. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 4, the configuration in which the operation unit 99 has the flash memory 24 has been described as an example, but for example, there may be a configuration in which the operation unit 99 does not have the flash memory 24.

As is clear from the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 99 and the main unit 98 have the functions of a computer or an information processing device.

<< IC card reader hardware configuration example >>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the IC card reader 50. The IC card reader 50 includes a CPU 301, a RAM 302, a flash memory 303, a communication unit 304, a short-range wireless communication antenna 305, and a display 306.

The CPU 301 executes various arithmetic processes and controls each part of the IC card reader 50 based on the program expanded from the flash memory 303 to the RAM 302. The RAM 302 is used as a work memory (temporary storage location for programs and data) of the CPU 301.

The flash memory 303 is a non-volatile memory for storing the operating system, programs, and data of the IC card reader 50.

The communication unit 304 is composed of a network interface card or the like, and performs data communication with the print server 20 or the like via the network N connected by the network interface card or the like.

The short-range wireless communication antenna 305 is an antenna for non-contact communication, and oscillates magnetic field lines to excite an IC card. It also receives the information transmitted by the IC card. The short distance means, for example, non-contact data communication within several tens of centimeters.

The display 306 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL. The display 306 may not be present. In this case, it is preferable to provide an output device such as an LED lamp or a speaker.

<About functions>
Next, the functions of the print server 20, the authentication server 70, the device management server 10, the multifunction device 40, and the IC card reader 50 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the print server 20, the authentication server 70, the device management server 10, the multifunction device 40, and the IC card reader 50 in a block shape.

<< Device management server >>
The device management server 10 has a first communication unit 31, a device information request unit 32, a device management unit 33, and a device information response unit 34. Each of these functional units possessed by the device management server 10 is a function realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 3 by an instruction from the CPU 206 according to a program expanded from the HDD 208 to the RAM 204. Or it is a means. This program is distributed from a server for program distribution or stored in a storage medium.

Further, the device management server 10 has a device information DB 35 built in the HDD 208 and the RAM 204 shown in FIG. First, the device information DB 35 will be described.

表１は、機器情報ＤＢ３５に記憶されている情報を模式的に示す。機器情報ＤＢ３５は、機器名、ＩＰアドレス、シリアル番号、ベンダー、起動状態、稼働状態、及び、プリント情報の各項目を有する。機器名は複合機４０の一般的な名称である。ＩＰアドレスは複合機４０に設定されているＩＰアドレスである。シリアル番号は複合機４０の製造番号であり、重複しないように設定されている。したがって、識別情報となりうる。ベンダーは複合機４０を提供する提供元である（主に製造企業であり、販売会社でもよい）。起動状態は、複合機４０が起動しているか否かの情報である。稼働状態は異常（エラー）が発生しているか否かを示す。プリント情報は、複合機４０が印刷する印刷ジョブの数（各印刷ジョブのページ数を含む）である。プリント情報は負荷情報に相当する。

Table 1 schematically shows the information stored in the device information DB 35. The device information DB 35 has items such as a device name, an IP address, a serial number, a vendor, a startup state, an operating state, and print information. The device name is a general name of the multifunction device 40. The IP address is an IP address set in the multifunction device 40. The serial number is the serial number of the multifunction device 40 and is set so as not to be duplicated. Therefore, it can be identification information. The vendor is a provider that provides the multifunction device 40 (mainly a manufacturing company and may be a sales company). The activation state is information on whether or not the multifunction device 40 is activated. The operating status indicates whether or not an abnormality (error) has occurred. The print information is the number of print jobs (including the number of pages of each print job) printed by the multifunction device 40. The print information corresponds to the load information.

Subsequently, each function of the device management server 10 will be described. The first communication unit 31 transmits and receives various information to and from the IC card reader 50. In this embodiment, a request for device information is received from the IC card reader 50, and the device information is transmitted to the IC card reader 50.

The device information request unit 32 issues a request (HTTP request) for acquiring device information to the multifunction device 40 managed by the device management server 10, and outputs the device information from the response (HTTP response) transmitted by the multifunction device 40. It is taken out and sent to the device management unit 33. Each multifunction device 40 and the device management server 10 are connected by VPN. At least one of the device management server 10 or the multifunction device 40 holds the IP address of the other. Even if the multifunction device 40A is manufactured by another company, at least a part of the device information can be acquired by a general-purpose communication protocol such as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). Further, if the device information requesting unit 32 inquires about the API of the multifunction device 40B manufactured by the company and receives an answer, it can be determined that the device is manufactured by the company or another company.

The device management unit 33 stores the device information acquired by the device information request unit 32 in the device information DB 35, and also acquires the device information from the device information DB 35 and sends it to the device information response unit 34.

The device information response unit 34 acquires device information from the device management unit 33 in response to a request for device information (HTTP request) transmitted from the IC card reader 50, and has a response (HTTP response) having this device information. Is transmitted to the IC card reader 50 via the first communication unit 31.

A management device for managing device information may be arranged in an in-house network (on-premises), and the management device may collectively transmit the device information of a plurality of multifunction devices 40 to the device management server 10.

<< Print server >>
The print server 20 has a second communication unit 41, a print job acquisition unit 42, a print job management unit 43, and a print request management unit 44. Each of these functional units of the print server 20 has a function or a function realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 3 by an instruction from the CPU 206 according to a program expanded from the HDD 208 to the RAM 204. It is a means. This program is distributed from a server for program distribution or stored in a storage medium.

Further, the print server 20 has a print job DB 45 built in the HDD 208 and the RAM 204 shown in FIG. First, the print job DB 45 will be described.

印刷ジョブＤＢ４５は、ユーザＩＤ、ジョブＩＤ、ジョブ名、カラー設定、両面設定、ページ数、部数、及び、ジョブデータ本体の各項目を有している。ユーザＩＤは印刷ジョブを蓄積したユーザの識別情報である。ジョブＩＤは印刷ジョブを識別又は特定するための識別情報である。なお、ＩＤとはIdentificationの略であり識別子や識別情報という意味である。ＩＤは複数の対象から、ある特定の対象を一意的に区別するために用いられる名称、符号、文字列、数値又はこれらのうち１つ以上の組み合わせをいう。

The print job DB 45 has each item of user ID, job ID, job name, color setting, double-sided setting, number of pages, number of copies, and job data main body. The user ID is the identification information of the user who has accumulated the print job. The job ID is identification information for identifying or specifying a print job. The ID is an abbreviation for Identification and means an identifier or identification information. An ID refers to a name, a code, a character string, a numerical value, or a combination thereof used to uniquely distinguish a specific object from a plurality of objects.

The job name is a name for the user to identify the print job, for example, a file name. Color settings refer to settings such as monochrome, color, and two-color printing. The number of pages is the number of pages of the print job. The number of copies is the number of prints of the print job. The job data body is the body of the print job (file) or the path to the file.

Subsequently, the function of the print server 20 will be described. The second communication unit 41 transmits and receives various information to and from the client PC 9 and the IC card reader 50. The second communication unit 41 spools the print job received from the client PC 9, and also receives the job data transmission request from the IC card reader 50. Spooling means temporarily storing data in a memory or hard disk, or buffering it. Usually used to adjust the speed difference between input and output. The spool function is a standard function for the OS (Operating System) of the print server 20.

The print job acquisition unit 42 detects that a print job has been input to the spooler, acquires a print job from the spooler, and sends the print job to the print job management unit 43.

The print job management unit 43 manages the print jobs stored in the print server 20. Bibliographic information (job name, print settings (color settings, double-sided settings, number of pages, number of copies, etc.)) and printing information (printer name used to generate the print job) for the print job acquired by the print job acquisition unit 42. , PDL type, print date and time, printed user information, etc.), and the print job data body is stored in the print job DB 45. The print job information may be stored as a file as well as the DB.

The print request management unit 44 acquires job data from the print job management unit 43 in response to a job operation request from the IC card reader 50 or the multifunction device 40, and returns the job data via the second communication unit 41. The main requests are job list acquisition, job data acquisition, job deletion, etc.

<< IC card reader >>
The IC card reader 50 includes a third communication unit 51, a card communication unit 52, an authentication information reading unit 53, an authentication request unit 54, a notification unit 55, a printer information acquisition unit 56, a job information acquisition unit 57, and a print request transmission unit. 58, is provided. Each of these functional units included in the IC card reader 50 is realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 5 by a command from the CPU 301 according to a program expanded from the flash memory 303 to the RAM 302. Function or means. This program is distributed from a server for program distribution or stored in a storage medium.

The third communication unit 51 transmits and receives various information to and from the device management server 10 and the print server 20. In the present embodiment, the device management server 10 is requested to receive the device information, and the device management server 10 receives the device information. In addition, the card number is transmitted to the authentication server 70, and the authentication result is acquired. Further, the user ID is transmitted to the print server 20, the job list is acquired, and the job list is received from the print server 20.

The card communication unit 52 excites the IC card and receives card information from the IC card. The information to be received is the information transmitted by the IC card and is not limited to the card number.

The authentication information reading unit 53 analyzes the card information read by the card communication unit 52 and retrieves the card number. The card number is the authentication information that the authentication server 70 authenticates the user.

The authentication request unit 54 transmits the removed card number to the authentication server 70 via the third communication unit 51, and receives the authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure). If the authentication is successful, the user ID of the authenticated user is received.

When the multifunction device 40B, which is not the multifunction device 40A to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, is selected as the transmission destination of the print job, the notification unit 55 visually or audibly notifies the user to that effect. The notification unit 55 holds the IP address of the multifunction device 40A to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, and the IC card reader 50 can be compared with the IP address of the multifunction device 40 selected as the destination of the print job. It is determined whether or not the connected multifunction device 40A is selected.

The printer information acquisition unit 56 requests and acquires device information from the device management server 10 via the third communication unit 51. The job information acquisition unit 57 acquires the user ID obtained by the authentication and the job list accumulated in the print server 20 by the user via the third communication unit 51.

The print request transmission unit 58 determines one or more multifunction devices 40 to execute a print job, and transmits a job transmission request to the determined multifunction device 40 to the print server 20 via the third communication unit 51. ..

<< Multifunction device >>
The multifunction device 40 has a fourth communication unit 71, an operation reception unit 72, a display control unit 73, and a printing unit 74. Each of these functional units included in the multifunction device 40 has a function realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 4 by a command from the CPU 11 according to a program developed from the HDD 14 to the RAM 13. It is a means. This program is distributed from a server for program distribution or stored in a storage medium. The operation unit 99 may have these functions.

The fourth communication unit 71 transmits and receives various information to and from the print server 20. The device information is transmitted to the print server 20, and the print job is received from the print server 20.

The operation reception unit 72 receives various operations on the multifunction device 40. In the present embodiment, there is no phase in which the user operates the multifunction device 40, but in normal pull printing, selection of a print job is accepted.

The display control unit 73 displays various information on the operation panel 27. For example, a normal pull print displays a job list. The printing unit 74 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper by executing a printing job. That is, the printed matter is printed or the printed matter is output.

<Authentication server>
The authentication server 70 has a fifth communication unit 61 and an authentication processing unit 62. Each of these functional units included in the authentication server 70 is a function realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 3 by an instruction from the CPU 206 according to a program expanded from the HDD 208 to the RAM 204. It is a means. This program is distributed from a server for program distribution or stored in a storage medium.

Further, the authentication server 70 has a user information DB 63 built in the HDD 208 and the RAM 204 shown in FIG. First, the user information DB 63 will be described.

ユーザ情報ＤＢ６３にはユーザに関する情報が記憶されており、その中に認証情報が含まれている。表３の例では、ユーザＩＤ、パスワード、及び、カード番号を有する。ユーザＩＤはユーザを特定又は識別するための識別情報である。パスワードはユーザのみが知る秘匿情報である。カード番号はＩＣカードが記憶する一意性のある番号（アルファベット、記号などを含んでもよい）である。

Information about the user is stored in the user information DB 63, and the authentication information is included in the information. In the example of Table 3, it has a user ID, a password, and a card number. The user ID is identification information for identifying or identifying a user. The password is confidential information known only to the user. The card number is a unique number (may include alphabets, symbols, etc.) stored in the IC card.

Next, each function of the authentication server 70 will be described. The fifth communication unit 61 transmits and receives various information to and from the IC card reader 50. In this embodiment, the authentication request is received from the IC card reader 50, and the authentication result is transmitted to the IC card reader 50.

The authentication processing unit 62 searches the user information DB 63 for the authentication request received by the fifth communication unit 61, and determines that the authentication is successful when the card number included in the authentication request is stored in the user information DB 63. However, if it is not stored, it is judged that the authentication has failed.

<Operation procedure>
Next, the printing procedure of the communication system will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure for accumulating and printing print jobs.

(Accumulation phase)
S1: The user creates a document on the client PC 9 and instructs "print" from the document creation application. The client PC 9 accepts this operation. When performing pull print, select the common printer driver (for job storage) installed on the client PC9.

S2: The client PC 9 generates a print job from the document data by the printer driver of the common printer and sends it to the print server 20.

S3: Since the second communication unit 41 of the print server 20 spools the print job to the spooler, the print job acquisition unit 42 acquires the print job information from the spool. The print job management unit 43 acquires a print job from the print job acquisition unit 42 and stores it in the print job DB 45.

(Printing phase)
S11: The user holds the IC card over the IC card reader 50 connected to the multifunction device 40A. That is, the operation of logging in is performed. The card communication unit 52 of the IC card acquires the card information from the IC card, and the authentication information reading unit 53 acquires the card number from the card information.

S12: The authentication request unit 54 transmits an authentication request including a card number to the authentication server 70 via the third communication unit 51. The fifth communication unit 61 of the authentication server 70 receives the authentication request, the authentication processing unit 62 performs user authentication based on the transmitted card number, and transmits the authentication result to the IC card reader 50. In the explanation of FIG. 7, it is assumed that the authentication is successful. The fifth communication unit 61 transmits the authentication success and the user ID to the IC card reader 50.

S13: Next, the printer information acquisition unit 56 of the IC card reader 50 requests the device information from the device management server 10 via the third communication unit 51. It is assumed that the multifunction device 40 from which the IC card reader 50 can acquire device information is predetermined. For example, it is a multifunction device used by a customer to which the user belongs.

S14: The first communication unit 31 of the device management server 10 acquires the request for device information, and the device management unit 33 acquires the device information of the multifunction device 40 associated with the customer to which the user belongs from the device information DB 35. The device information response unit 34 transmits the device information to the IC card reader 50 via the first communication unit 31.

S15: The third communication unit 51 of the IC card reader 50 receives the device information of each multifunction device 40. Next, the job information acquisition unit 57 requests a job list together with the user ID of the user logged in to the print server 20 via the third communication unit 51.

S16: The second communication unit 41 of the print server 20 receives the request for the job list, searches the print job managed by the print job management unit 43 in the print job DB 45 based on the user ID, and creates the job list. .. The second communication unit 41 of the print server 20 transmits the job list to the IC card reader 50.

S17: The job information acquisition unit 57 of the IC card reader 50 receives the job list via the third communication unit 51, and the print request transmission unit 58 holds the fewest print jobs based on the acquired device information. Select the multifunction device 40.

S18: The print request transmission unit 58 of the IC card reader 50 requests the print server 20 to output all the print jobs of the job list to the multifunction device 40 determined in step S17 via the third communication unit 51. .. The multifunction device 40 determined in step S17 is designated by an IP address, a serial number, or the like.

S19: The second communication unit 41 of the print server 20 receives the print request, and the print request management unit 44 transmits the user's print job to the designated multifunction device 40. The fourth communication unit 71 of the multifunction device 40 receives the print job, and the print unit 74 executes the print job.

<Summary>
As described above, in the printing system 100 of this embodiment, the IC card reader 50 can acquire the device information, so that an appropriate multifunction device 40 can be selected and printed on behalf of the printer. Further, since the multifunction device 40A is manufactured by another company, even if the pull print application software is not running, the pull print application software can be operated by the IC card reader 50 to perform pull print.

<Modification example>
In step S17, when the notification unit 55 of the IC card reader 50 transmits a print job to the multifunction device 40B other than the multifunction device 40A to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, a sound and a display (LED lighting / blinking, The user visually or audibly prints on a multifunction device 40B (hereinafter referred to as "another multifunction device") other than the multifunction device 40A to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, such as (message if there is a display). It is preferable to notify the user.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a message displayed on the display 306 of the IC card reader 50. In FIG. 8, the message 501 "output from a multifunction device different from this multifunction device. The next multifunction device will output." And the name "MP001" (reference numeral 502) of the multifunction device 40 to be output are displayed. The IP address "1.2.3.10" (reference numeral 503) of the multifunction device 40 is displayed. By reading this message 501, the user can grasp that the printed matter is output from another multifunction device 40. Further, the name 502 of the multifunction device 40 makes it possible to grasp from which the multifunction device 40 the output is made.

Further, in step S17, one multifunction device 40 having the least number of print jobs is selected, but a plurality of multifunction devices 40 are selected in ascending order of the number of print jobs held by the print request transmission unit 58. You may. For example, when the number of jobs or the number of pages included in the job list transmitted from the print server 20 is a predetermined number or more, a plurality of multifunction devices 40 are selected.

FIG. 9 is an example of a flowchart showing a procedure in which the print request transmission unit 58 determines the number of multifunction devices 40 that execute the print job according to the print job held in step S17 of FIG. 7.

The print request transmission unit 58 counts the number n of print jobs included in the job list (S17-1).

Next, the print request transmission unit 58 calculates “number of jobs n ÷ predetermined number = P” (S17-2). In addition, P is calculated by rounding up after the decimal point. The predetermined number is the number of jobs to be printed by one multifunction device 40.

The print request transmission unit 58 determines P multifunction devices 40 in ascending order of the number of jobs held (S17-3).

By doing so, one or more multifunction devices 40 having a small load can be determined according to the number of jobs to be printed, and when the number of jobs to be printed is large, the load can be distributed to the plurality of multifunction devices 40. That is, parallel printing is possible. Further, since the plurality of multifunction devices 40 print in parallel, the time until printing is completed can be shortened.

In the first embodiment, the print jobs are transmitted to the multifunction device 40 having the smallest number of jobs or the plurality of multifunction devices 40 in the order of the smallest number of print jobs held, but in this embodiment, the IC card reader 50 is connected. A printing system 100 capable of preferentially transmitting print jobs to the multifunction device 40 and limiting the number of multifunction devices 40 for parallel printing will be described.

When the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected is not selected, the IC card reader 50 preferentially sends the print job to the multifunction device 40 having a small number of jobs to be held, as in the first embodiment. Determine one or more multifunction devices 40.

FIG. 10 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the print server 20 in a block shape. The functions of the IC card reader 50, the device management server 10, the authentication server 70, and the multifunction device 40 are the same as those in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the print server 20 of this embodiment has the setting information DB 36. The setting information DB 36 is built in the HDD 208 and the RAM 204 shown in FIG.

表４は、設定情報ＤＢ３６に記憶されている情報を模式的に示す。設定情報ＤＢ３６には、「ＩＣカードリーダ５０が接続された複合機４０を利用するか否かの閾値」と「別の複合機４０を利用する場合の台数上限」の各項目が登録される。前者は、ＩＣカードリーダ５０が接続された複合機４０がいくつ以上の印刷ジョブを保持している場合に、別の複合機４０を印刷ジョブの送信先として選択するかを決定するための閾値である。後者は、別の複合機４０が選択された場合に、何台の複合機４０まで並列に利用するかを定める上限値である。

Table 4 schematically shows the information stored in the setting information DB 36. In the setting information DB 36, each item of "threshold value of whether or not to use the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected" and "upper limit of the number of devices when using another multifunction device 40" is registered. The former is a threshold value for determining whether to select another multifunction device 40 as a destination for printing jobs when the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected holds a number of print jobs. be. The latter is an upper limit value that determines how many multifunction devices 40 can be used in parallel when another multifunction device 40 is selected.

<Procedure for determining whether to send to the multifunction device to which the IC card reader is connected and how many multifunction devices are to be operated in parallel>
FIG. 11 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure for accumulating and printing print jobs. In the description of FIG. 11, the difference from FIG. 7 will be mainly described. In FIG. 11, the information of the setting information DB 36 is acquired in step S16-2.

Further, following step S16-2, the job list and the information of the setting information DB 36 are transmitted from the print server 20 to the IC card reader 50.

In step S17, using the information of the setting information DB 36, the print request transmission unit 58 determines whether to transmit a print job to the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, and how many multifunction devices 40 are arranged in parallel. Make a decision as to whether or not to operate.

FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart showing a procedure for determining whether or not to transmit to the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, and how many multifunction devices 40 are to be operated in parallel. The process of FIG. 12 is executed in step S17 of FIG.

The print request transmission unit 58 acquires a threshold value as to whether or not to use the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected from the information in the setting information DB 36 (S101).

The print request transmission unit 58 determines whether or not the number of jobs of the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected exceeds the threshold value (S102). The multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected can be specified, for example, by the IP address included in the device information.

If the determination in step S102 is No, the print request transmission unit 58 determines the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected as the transmission destination multifunction device 40 (S103).

If the determination in step S102 is Yes, the print request transmission unit 58 acquires the upper limit of the number of units when using another multifunction device 40 from the information in the setting information DB 36 (S104).

Next, the print request transmission unit 58 refers to the device information and determines the upper limit of the number of multifunction devices 40 in ascending order of print information (S105). If the maximum number of units is one, proxy printing is used, and if there are multiple units, parallel printing is used.

As described above, since the printing system 100 of this embodiment can preferentially select the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected, the user can take out the printed matter from the nearby multifunction device 40. Further, since the number of multifunction devices 40 to be printed in parallel can be limited by the upper limit of the number of multifunction devices 40 when using another multifunction device 40, the user has to take out printed matter from many multifunction devices 40. It can be suppressed.

Although it has been described that the print server 20 has the setting information DB 36 in this embodiment, the authentication server 70 may have the setting information DB 36. In this case, since the authentication server 70 can hold the information of the setting information DB 36 for each user, the "threshold value of whether or not to use the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected" and "another compound" are different for each user. It is possible to hold the "upper limit of the number of machines when using the machine 40".

Further, the setting information DB 36 may be held by the IC card reader 50. Further, each time the user prints, the "threshold value of whether or not to use the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected" and the "upper limit of the number of devices when using another multifunction device 40" are set to the IC card reader 50. You may enter it.

In this embodiment, the printing system 100 that can notify the user of the multifunction device 40 to which the print job has been transmitted will be described.

FIG. 13 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the IC card reader 50 in a block shape. The functions of the print server 20, the device management server 10, the authentication server 70, and the multifunction device 40 are the same as those in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the IC card reader 50 of this embodiment has a mail transmission unit 59. The mail transmission unit 59 sets the user's mail address acquired from the authentication server 70 as the destination and sends an e-mail.

FIG. 14 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure for accumulating and printing print jobs. In the description of FIG. 14, the difference from FIG. 7 will be mainly described. In FIG. 14, in the process of step S12, the e-mail address is transmitted from the authentication server 70 to the IC card reader 50 in addition to the authentication result.

Further, in step S20, the mail transmission unit 59 sets the user's mail address acquired in step S12 as the destination and sends an e-mail. In the body of the e-mail address, the name of the destination multifunction device 40, a list of job names sent to the multifunction device 40, and the like are described.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a display example of an e-mail received by a user. The e-mail has a subject column 511, a sender column 512, and a body column 513. The subject column 511 is set to indicate the execution result of the print job, and the sender column 512 represents the IC card reader 50. The email address is set. Further, in the text column 513, the print date and time, the destination multifunction device, and the list of executed jobs are displayed.

Therefore, the user can grasp from which multifunction device 40 the print job is output even if the multifunction device 40 that printed the print job is not the multifunction device 40 to which the IC card reader 50 is connected.

In this embodiment, the IC card reader 50 in which the user can select the multifunction device 40 to which the print job is transmitted will be described.

FIG. 16 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the IC card reader 50 in a block shape. The functions of the print server 20, the device management server 10, the authentication server 70, and the multifunction device 40 are the same as those in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, the IC card reader 50 of this embodiment has an operation reception unit 81 and a display control unit 82.

The display control unit 82 displays various information on the display 306. In this embodiment, a list of multifunction devices 40 transmitted from the device management server 10 is displayed.

The operation reception unit 81 receives various operations and inputs to the IC card reader 50. For example, the selection of the multifunction device 40 for executing the print job is accepted from the list of the multifunction devices 40 displayed on the display 306. When the display 306 is provided with a touch panel, the press on the touch panel is accepted, and when the display 306 is not the touch panel, the press of the hard key for moving the cursor is accepted.

FIG. 17 shows an example of a list of multifunction devices 40 displayed on the display 306 of the IC card reader 50. The list of the multifunction device 40 of FIG. 17 is displayed in step S17 of FIG. Therefore, in this embodiment, the user selects the multifunction device 40, and the multifunction device 40 having a small number of jobs is not selected.

The display control unit 82 of the IC card reader 50 displays the device name and print information acquired from the device management server 10. The multifunction device 40 whose power is turned off, the multifunction device 40 which cannot print due to a failure, etc. are not displayed.

Further, in FIG. 17, the magnitude of the load of each multifunction device 40 is indicated by an icon. For example, the icon "○" means that the load is low, the icon "△" means that the load is medium, and the icon "□" means that the load is high. The user can use it as auxiliary information for selecting the multifunction device 40. The magnitude of the load is, for example, the number of pages of each print job held by the multifunction device 40. It may be simply the number of jobs.

When the user selects the multifunction device 40 to be output from the list, the operation reception unit 81 accepts the selection, and the print request transmission unit 58 designates the multifunction device 40 selected by the user as the destination multifunction device, and the print server 20. Send to.

When a single multifunction device 40 is selected, the print server 20 sends all print jobs to the selected multifunction device 40, so that printing is performed on behalf of the printer. When a plurality of multifunction devices 40 are selected, the print request transmission unit 58 issues a print instruction to the print server 20 so as to distribute the load to each multifunction device 40 so that the load becomes uniform. Therefore, parallel printing is performed.

As described above, in the printing system 100 of this embodiment, the list of the multifunction device 40 is displayed on the display 306 of the IC card reader 50, so that the user can select the desired multifunction device 40. Since the load of the multifunction device 40 is displayed on the display 306, the user can select the multifunction device 40 having a low load. Further, the printing time can be shortened by selecting a plurality of multifunction devices 40.

<Other application examples>
Although the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and various modifications are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. And substitutions can be made.

For example, the IC card reader 50 may be connected not only to the multifunction device 40A manufactured by another company but also to the multifunction device 40B manufactured by the company.

Further, the configuration examples shown in FIG. 6 and the like correspond to the main functions in order to facilitate the understanding of the processing by the print server 20, the authentication server 70, the device management server 10, the multifunction device 40, and the IC card reader 50. It is divided. The present invention is not limited by the method of dividing the processing unit or the name. The processing of the print server 20, the authentication server 70, the device management server 10, the multifunction device 40, and the IC card reader 50 can be further divided into more processing units according to the processing contents. Further, one processing unit can be divided so as to include more processing.

Further, the communication system 1 may have a plurality of print servers 20 and a device management server 10, and the functions of the print server 20 and the device management server 10 may be distributed and installed in the plurality of servers.

The card communication unit 52 is an example of reading means, the job information acquisition unit 57 is an example of job acquisition means, the printer information acquisition unit 56 is an example of device information acquisition means, and the print request transmission unit 58 is determined. The notification unit 55 is an example of the notification means, the display control unit 82 is an example of the display control means, and the operation reception unit 81 is an example of the reception means. The print request management unit 44 is an example of job transmission means, and the print job DB 45 is an example of print job storage means.

1 Communication system 9 Client PC
10 Equipment management server 20 Print server 40 Multifunction device 70 Authentication server 100 Printing system

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-056146

Claims (10)

A storage medium reader that communicates with a job storage device that sends stored print jobs to an image forming device via a network.
A reading means that reads user information from a storage medium,
A job acquisition means for acquiring a print job associated with the user information read by the reading means from a job storage device, and a job acquisition means.
Equipment information acquisition means for acquiring availability information and load information of each image forming device from the equipment management device,
A determination means for determining the image forming apparatus for executing the print job acquired by the job acquisition means based on the availability information and the load information.
A storage medium reader, characterized in that it has. The storage medium reader is connected to an image forming apparatus and is connected to a network via the image forming apparatus.
When the image forming apparatus determined by the determining means is not the image forming apparatus to which the storage medium reading device is connected, the image forming apparatus to which the storage medium reading device is not connected outputs a print job. The storage medium reading device according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying means for visually or audibly notifying. When the number of print jobs held by the image forming apparatus to which the storage medium reader is connected is larger than the preset threshold value, the determination means is connected to the storage medium reader. The storage medium reading device according to claim 2, wherein the image forming device that is not the image forming device is determined to be the image forming device that executes the print job acquired by the job acquisition means. The storage according to claim 3, wherein the determination means determines a plurality of the image forming apparatus to be the image forming apparatus for executing the print job so as not to exceed a preset upper limit of the number of units. Media reader. Based on the availability information and the load information, the determination means determines the image forming apparatus having the least load among the available image forming apparatus as the image forming apparatus for executing the print job. The storage medium reader according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Based on the availability information and the load information, the determination means determines a plurality of the image forming devices among the available image forming devices in ascending order of load as the image forming device that executes the print job. The storage medium reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A display control means for displaying a list of the image forming apparatus acquired by the device information acquisition means on a display, and a display control means.
It has a receiving means for receiving one or more of the image forming devices from the list of the image forming devices.
The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the determination means determines the image forming apparatus for which the reception means has accepted the selection as the image forming apparatus for executing the print job acquired by the job acquisition means. Storage medium reader. The storage medium reading device according to claim 7, wherein the display control means displays the load information for each image forming device on the display. A storage medium reader that communicates with a job storage device that sends stored print jobs to an image forming device via a network.
A reading means that reads user information from a storage medium,
A job acquisition means for acquiring a print job associated with the user information read by the reading means from a job storage device, and a job acquisition means.
Equipment information acquisition means for acquiring availability information and load information of each image forming device from the equipment management device,
A determination means for determining the image forming apparatus for executing the print job acquired by the job acquisition means based on the availability information and the load information.
A program to function as. A printing system including a job storage device that transmits a stored print job to an image forming device, and a storage medium reading device that communicates with the job storage device via a network.
The storage medium reader is
A reading means that reads user information from a storage medium,
A job acquisition means for acquiring a print job associated with the user information read by the reading means from a job storage device, and a job acquisition means.
Equipment information acquisition means for acquiring availability information and load information of each image forming device from the equipment management device,
It has a determination means for determining the image forming apparatus for executing the print job acquired by the job acquisition means based on the availability information and the load information.
The job storage device is
A print job storage means for storing a print job in association with the user information,
A job transmission means for transmitting a list of print jobs associated with the user information to the storage medium reader in response to a request from the storage medium reader.
A printing system characterized by having.

Images