JPH10254655A - Image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image formation system capable of minimizing the failures of output in the case of outputting a document to an output device present at a place incapable of confirming an outputted result. SOLUTION: In the case that 'inquiry of output result' is present in an output request performed from a host 201 through a network I/F 105, a CPU 106 uses the program of a program ROM 103, reads an outputted document as an image by using a scanner 110 and preserves it in a large-scale storage device 111. Thereafter, an icon is prepared on a home page provided in a large capacity printer and the image of the outputted document is linked to the icon. Also, the CPU 106 uses the program of the program ROM 103, preserves data for printing transmitted from the host 201 in the large-scale storage device 111 as PDL as they are and links them to the already prepared icon on the home page provided in the large capacity printer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus and a terminal are connected to a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as "owned image forming apparatus")
Also called “output device” or “printer”. In the case where (2) is not suitable for large-capacity output or when the print quality is not appropriate, it is necessary to ask a specialized output company or to introduce a suitable output device. On the other hand, there is an image forming system using a two-way communication system in which an image forming apparatus and a terminal are connected by a communication line and operation of the image forming apparatus is set by the terminal.

[0003]

However, in a conventional image forming system, when a signal is output to an output device remote from a terminal, a so-called host, using a communication line such as a network, the output result, that is, the print quality or the print quality is not improved. There is a problem that the printing state cannot be confirmed unless the user actually goes to a place where the output device is located.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system capable of minimizing the output failure when outputting a document to an output device in a place where the output result cannot be confirmed. I do.

[0005]

According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus and one or more terminals having a Web browser are connected by a communication line, and are described in an html format language. In an image forming system that uses data, the image forming apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives image data transmitted from a terminal, and an output request from the terminal.
Output means for outputting the image data received by the receiving means, reading means for reading an output result of the image data output by the output means, storage means for storing the image read by the reading means, and reading by the reading means Display means for displaying the obtained image on the HomePage, and the terminal has a monitor for displaying the HomePage.

[0006] Further, the image forming apparatus is connected by storage means for storing the image data transmitted from the terminal, connecting means for connecting the stored image data and the image displayed on the HomePage, and connecting means by the connecting means. Image to Ho
display means for displaying on the mePage.

[0007] Further, the image displayed on the HomePage is displayed for each page, and only the image data relating to the page requiring replacement is preferably processed from the terminal using a Web browser.

Further, the image forming apparatus has reading means for reading out the image data stored by the storage means in response to the output request again from the terminal, and output means for outputting the image data read out by the reading means. Good to do.

[0009]

Next, an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a large-capacity printer is used as the image forming apparatus. However, this is only one of the embodiments, and a high-precision printer, a color printer, or the like may be used as the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a controller 100 included in a large-capacity printer 200 and a connection relation around the controller 100.

The controller 100 includes a CPU 106
A work memory, an input buffer for input data, a RAM 101 used for digitizing an image, and a font ROM 102 storing a font pattern and the like.
, A program ROM 103 storing a control program of the controller 100, and an engine I / F1 for fetching the status of the engine and communicating print data.
04, a network I / F 105 for performing communication with the host 201 over a network, and a controller 1
CPU 106 that controls the entirety of the program, and a nonvolatile storage device NVRAM 107 that stores the contents of the mode instruction and the like.
An operation panel 108 for notifying the state of the large-capacity printer 200 and setting a mode;
Interface 109 such as, for example, SCSI for controlling the scanner and capturing images, customer information, and scanner 11.
And a large-scale storage device 111 such as a hard disk drive for storing images, print data, and the like read from 0.

A host 201 is connected to the network I / F 105, and a scanner 11 for reading an output result from a printer engine is connected to the SCSII / F 109.
0 is connected.

FIG. 2 shows a connection relationship between a host 201 and a printer normally used by a client, a connection relationship between a remote large-capacity printer 200 and other printers such as a high-precision printer and a color printer, and a charging management server.
In addition, these connection relations, the monitor 202 of the host 201 and the setting window 20 on the screen of the monitor 202 are set.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an output state 205 of image data displayed in a setting window 204. The host 201 and the printer, and the remote large-capacity printer and other printers are connected by a hub 203, and the hub 203 is connected by a communication line.

Next, the operation of the image forming system will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

The network I / F 10 from the host 201
"Inquiry of output result" in the output request made through
If there is, the CPU 106
The output document using the scanner 11
0, the image is read as an image and stored in the large-scale storage device 111. Thereafter, an icon is created on the HomePage of the large-capacity printer 200, and an image of the output document is linked to the icon.

A screen displaying a situation (setting window 204) in which the output image 205 of the document is linked to the icon created on the HomePage is shown on the monitor 202 in FIG. On the screen of the monitor 202 of the host 201, as shown in FIG.
The HomePage of the large-capacity printer 200 connected via the communication line is displayed on the “ndow 204”.
The output status 205 of the transmitted image data is displayed on the icon on the ePage, and the output result can be confirmed.

The CPU 106 has a program ROM 1
03, the print data transmitted from the host 201 is stored in the PDL in the large-scale storage device 1.
11 and linked to the icon on the HomePage of the large-capacity printer 200 created according to the first aspect of the present invention.

When the client confirms the output result and there is a problem with the output result, when the client requests replacement of the designated page from the Web, the CPU 106 uses the program in the program ROM 103 to read the page designated by the client. The image is output, read by the scanner 110, the image on the large-scale storage device 111 is removed, and the link is reestablished.

Further, when the client confirms the output result and outputs again, the print data is not transmitted, and the CPU 106 uses the program of the program ROM 103 to link the PDL linked according to the invention of claim 2.
The print data as it is read out from the large-scale storage device 111 and output.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming system according to this embodiment.

When an output request is made from the host 201 in step S1, it is confirmed in step S3 whether or not the output image is read by the scanner 110. If not read (No), the process proceeds to step S13. If it is to be read (Yes), the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the output document is scanned.
At 7, the read image is stored in a large-scale storage device 111 such as an HDD.

In step S9, a document icon is created on the HomePage, and in step S11,
Link with saved image data.

In step S13, the transmission data is
Confirm whether or not to keep the L. If not (No), the process proceeds to step S23. If it is to be saved (Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the transmission data is stored in a large-scale storage device 111 such as an HDD.

In step S17, HomePage
Check if there is a document icon above. If there is no icon (No), the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, an icon is created on the HomePage. If there is an icon (Yes), the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, it is linked with the stored transmission data.

When a re-output request is made in step S23, it is checked in step S25 whether or not transmission data is stored. If not saved (No),
Move to step S27. In step S27, the host 201 is requested to transmit the data again. If it is stored (Yes), the process proceeds to step S29.
In step S29, printing is performed using the stored data, and the operation ends.

[0026]

As is clear from the above description, when the image forming system of the present invention is used, the output result is read by the scanner, and the result can be confirmed on the HomePage. Failure can be minimized. The output result is Home
By pasting on the Page, the output result can be viewed at any time, and the operation of adding to the output document can be easily performed.

Further, by storing the transmission data as PDL data, additional output can be performed without retransmission of data even when reprinting is performed.

Further, by replacing only the page having a problem, the trouble of transmission can be saved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a connection relationship of the image forming system according to the present invention and a screen displayed on a monitor of a terminal.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 100 controller 101 RAM 102 font ROM 103 program ROM 104 engine I / F 105 network I / F 106 CPU 107 NVRAM (non-volatile storage device) 108 operation panel 109 SSCII / F 110 scanner 111 large-scale storage device (HDD) 200 large-capacity Printer 201 Host (terminal) 202 Monitor 203 HUB 204 Setting Window 205 Output status

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming system in which an image forming apparatus and one or more terminals equipped with a Web browser are connected by a communication line and use data described in a language of an html format, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises: Receiving means for receiving the image data transmitted from the terminal, output means for outputting the image data received by the receiving means in response to an output request from the terminal, and output means for the image data output by the output means Reading means for reading an output result; storage means for storing an image read by the reading means; and HomeP for storing the image read by the reading means.
display means for displaying the image on an image, and the terminal includes a monitor for displaying the HomePage. 2. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a storage unit configured to store the image data transmitted from the terminal; and a coupling unit configured to combine the stored image data with the image displayed on the HomePage. The image combined by the combining means is provided by HomePage.
The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the information on the display. 3. The image displayed on the HomePage is displayed for each page, and only image data relating to a page requiring replacement is processed from the terminal using a Web browser. Item 3. The image forming system according to item 1 or 2. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a reading unit that reads the image data stored by the storage unit in response to a re-output request from the terminal; and outputs the image data read by the reading unit. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an output unit that performs the operation.