JPH07121323A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the image forming device easily identifying the printing result outputting from any terminal on the network. CONSTITUTION:When accepting the image forming requests from terminals through a network cable 5 and an I/F1, a control part 4 retrieves registered data corresponding to the user information and the terminal information from the table stored in a storage part 4a and outputs a character string included in the retrieved registered data together with a picture accepted from the terminal from an image forming part 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, for example, a printer connected to a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a network environment, a large number of workstations (hereinafter referred to as "WS") and printers are connected, and when printing out from a certain WS to a certain printer, it becomes clear which WS has printed. In order to do so, the WS identification information is registered in advance on the server and the information is recorded on the recording paper to be printed out.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional example has the following problems. That is, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the identification information registered on the server is a login name or terminal name consisting of an alphanumeric string, and for a third party, the WS is identified only from these login name and terminal name. Was difficult.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides
The purpose is to register the terminal installation location etc. corresponding to the terminal name etc. in the image forming apparatus such as a printer so that it is possible to easily identify from which terminal on the network the print result is output. .

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and has the following structure as one means for solving the above problems. That is, an image forming apparatus connected to a computer network is provided with a table storing user information of the network and terminal information of a terminal connected to the network, and when an image forming request is received from the terminal, The user information and the terminal information that match the information received with the request are searched from the table, and the searched user information and terminal information are output together with the image received from the terminal.

[0006]

With the above arrangement, an image forming apparatus that searches the table for user information and terminal information that match the information received together with the image forming request and outputs the searched user information and terminal information together with the received image. It can be provided, and it is possible to easily identify from which terminal on the network the print result is output.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an example in which the present embodiment is applied to a printer connected to a network will be described. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the printer, and any device can be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Applicable to

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the printer of this embodiment. In the figure, 1 is an interface
I / F receives data from the network cable 5,
Data is transmitted to the network cable 5. An image processing unit 2 performs known image processing on the image data input from the I / F 1.

An image forming unit 3 forms an image on recording paper or the like from the image data processed by the image processing unit 2.
A control unit 4 is composed of a CPU, a RAM, a ROM and the like, and controls each of the above-mentioned components according to a program stored in the ROM or the like. The control unit 4 includes a table, the details of which will be described later, and a storage unit 4a such as a hard disk that stores a form overlay.

Usually, a number of terminals (including WS and printers) such as several to several hundreds are connected on the network. Each terminal has a unique terminal code, and each user has a unique login name. FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the operation procedure of this embodiment.
The left side shows the operation of the WS and the right side shows the operation of the printer, and the WS and the printer are connected via a network. The operation of the printer is executed by the control unit 4.

In FIG. 1, the WS issues a print request together with the login name and the terminal code in step S1. The printer receiving the request in step S11 searches the table stored in, for example, the storage unit 4a or the like in step S12, and searches for registration data that matches the received login name and terminal code. If it exists, the process jumps from step S13 to step S18. If no registration data matching both or either is not found, step S13.
Then, the process proceeds to step S14 to issue a registration request for data not searched.

Upon receiving the request in step S2, the WS proceeds from step S3 to step S4, displays the registration screen corresponding to the command, prompts the user to input registration data, and responds to the registration screen in step S5. When the received data is accepted, the registration data is returned in step S6, and then the process returns to step S2. The printer, which has received the response to the registration request in step S15, determines the response in step S16, and if it is registration data, the printer proceeds to step S1.
7, the registration is performed, and if the data indicates "temporary use", the process proceeds to step S18. In addition, "temporary use"
Means that the user temporarily uses the terminal to print. In addition, according to the present exemplary embodiment, printing may be rejected when a response other than the registration data is received as a response to the registration request, or the printing that is performed when the data indicating “interruption” is received, according to a preset operation condition. You can also interrupt the sequence.

Subsequently, in step S18, the printer issues a print data request. The WS that has received the command in step S2 proceeds from step S3 to step S7,
After transmitting the print data, the process ends. Step S
The printer that has received the print data in step 19 performs step S2.
At 0, the information retrieved from the table, that is, the character string included in the registration data that matches the login name and the terminal code is printed together with the print data. In the case of “temporary use”, the login name and the terminal code are printed instead of the character string included in the registration data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a table stored in the storage unit 4a or the like, in which a user name corresponding to a login name and a section name corresponding to a terminal code are registered. Note that the registration content is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2, but is set according to the environment in which the present embodiment is used. For example, the room information or telephone number (or extension number) corresponding to the terminal code, the terminal It is sufficient to register information that clearly indicates the installation location of.

For example, in the case of registration as shown in FIG. 2, the login name "aoki" from the WS and the terminal code "TA60A" from the WS.
The printer that received the message prints "Aoki /
Print the "Accounting Section" string. Further, data indicating the print date and time can be added before and after the character string. The form overlay registered in the storage unit 4a can be called and output from the registered login name or terminal code.

It is also possible to control whether or not output is possible in each section or the like. For example, it is possible to set to reject printing from a WS whose terminal code is not registered. The present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or an apparatus including a single device.
Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the user information and the terminal information that match the information received together with the image formation request are searched from the table, and the image that outputs the searched user information and the terminal information together with the received image. The forming device can be provided, and it is possible to easily identify from which terminal on the network the print result is output.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a table stored in a storage unit etc. of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 interface I / F 2 image processing unit 3 image forming unit 4 control unit 4a storage unit 5 network cable

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus connected to a computer network, comprising: a table storing user information of the network and terminal information of a terminal connected to the network, and receiving an image forming request from the terminal. Then, the image forming apparatus, which searches the table for user information and terminal information that match the information received together with the request, and outputs the searched user information and terminal information together with the image received from the terminal. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal information includes information indicating an installation place of the terminal. 3. When the user information and / or the terminal information matching the information received together with the image formation request from the terminal is not searched from the table, the registration of the information not searched is registered in the terminal. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus makes a request.