JP2001296980A - Image forming device system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device system allowing separate users to respectively edit a piece of book data in separate clients. SOLUTION: The image forming device system comprises one or plural client computers 103 networked with a document server 102 and one or plural multi- function peripheral devices 105 connected to the server 102. In this system, the separate users prepare the document of each by each chapter in the separate client computers 103 and merge them in the document server 102 to edit into one piece of book data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus system including a document server, a client, and an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when performing image formation, a user selects a desired printer by using a driver from a desired application on each computer,
Printing was performed via a public line such as a LAN or a dedicated interface.

There is also widely known a method called a server / client method, in which a job of a client user is sent to a printer via a document server.

[0004]

However, in the market called print-on-demand in recent years, the number of documents including a large number of pages, such as manuals and instruction manuals, has been increasing. There is a need for a fast and efficient image forming apparatus system that creates documents using computers, each using a special application, connects the documents, creates one job, and prints a large number of jobs.

On the other hand, paper manuscripts still remain on the market, and there is a growing demand for storing them as electronic data or for merging and printing paper manuscripts and electronic data.

[0006] The present invention also provides that different documents can be created in chapters by different users in separate clients to create book data, compiled into one book data, and printed immediately. It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a flow capable of re-editing completed book data on a page-by-page basis.

In addition, the present invention allows a combination of a paper manuscript and electronic data, and a book data creation between different formats and different OSs, which could not be done conventionally, and the completed book can be stored and printed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient image forming apparatus system in which a series of operations can be shared by a plurality of users, and a flow thereof.

[0008]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus system comprising: one or more client computers connected to a server computer via a network; and at least a client computer connected to the server computer. An image forming apparatus system comprising one or a plurality of selected image forming apparatuses, a job input unit in the server computer for inputting a first job from the server computer itself or a client computer; Data conversion means for converting the first job into a data format managed on a predetermined page basis, storage means for storing the first job in the data format on a page basis, and a second job To the same data file managed in page units Storage means for converting and storing the first job and the second job, and merging the first job and the second job, and the merged job Is output to the one or more image forming apparatuses.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus system comprising:
An image forming apparatus system comprising one or more client computers connected to a server computer via a network and at least one or more image forming apparatuses connected to the server computer. First from the server computer itself or from the client computer
Job input means for inputting the first job, rasterization processing means for rasterizing the input first job, and data for converting the rasterized first job into a data format managed in a predetermined page unit Converting means, storing means for storing the first job in the data format of the page unit,
Storage means for converting and storing the second job into the same data format managed on a page basis, reading the stored first job and second job, and reading the first job and the second job A job merging unit for merging the jobs, and outputting the merged job to the one or more image forming apparatuses.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus system comprising:
An image forming apparatus system comprising one or more client computers connected to a server computer via a network and at least one or more image forming apparatuses connected to the server computer. First from the server computer itself or from the client computer
Job input means for inputting the first job, first rasterizing processing means for rasterizing the input first job, and converting the rasterized first job into a data format managed in a predetermined page unit. Data conversion means for conversion, storage means for storing the first job in the data format of the page unit, similarly, second rasterization processing means for rasterizing the input second job, and the second job Means for converting the same into the same data format managed in the same page unit and storing the same, reading out the stored first job and second job, and reading the first job and the second job Merger, and outputting the merged job to the one or more image forming apparatuses. And it features.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus system comprising:
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first job and the second job have different types of data formats.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus system comprising:
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first rasterizing unit and the second rasterizing unit are separate rasterizing modules.

The image forming apparatus system according to claim 6 is
One or more client computers connected to a server computer via a network, at least one or more image reading devices connected to the server computer, and one or more image forming devices connected to at least the server computer A job input means for inputting a first job from the server computer itself or a client computer, wherein the input first job is determined in advance in the server computer. Data conversion means for converting data into a data format managed on a page basis, storage means for storing a first job in the data format on a page basis, image reading means for reading an image from a paper document by the image reading device, Storage means for converting the image data read by the reading means into the same data format managed on a page basis as a second job and storing the converted data; reading out the stored first and second jobs; Job merging means for merging the first job and the second job, and outputs the merged job to the one or more image forming apparatuses.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] [Overview of System] FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for giving priority to performance. The two networks 101 are merely divided into two systems, and can be implemented with both configurations. The two networks in FIG. 1 are called a public network 101a and a private network 101b.

The document server 102 has two hardware network interface cards (NICs), one of which is connected to the public network 101a.
The other is an IC 111, and the other is an NIC 112 connected to the private network 101b connected to the printer.
Exists.

Computers 103a, 103b and 10
3C is a client that sends a job to the document server. Although not shown, many clients are connected in addition to these. Hereinafter, the client is represented as 103.

Further, an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) 105 and a printer 107 are connected to the private network 101b. 105 is a monochrome scan, print or low-resolution or binary simple color scan,
The MFP performs color printing and the like. Although not shown, other MFPs, scanners, printers,
Other devices such as a facsimile are also connected.

The MFP 104 is a full-color MFP capable of high-resolution, high-gradation, full-color scanning or printing, and may transmit and receive data by connecting to the private network 101b. Here, it is assumed that a plurality of bits can be transmitted and received at the same time by an independent interface.
Connected at

A scanner 106 is a device for taking in an image from a paper document. The scanner 106 is connected to a public network 101a (or a private network 10a) via a SCSI interface.
There are two types 106a connected to 1b).

Next, the hardware configuration of the document server 102 is such that the above-mentioned NICs 111 and 112, the dedicated I / F card 113, Alternatively, the SCSI card 11
4 etc. are connected.

Here, the client computer 103
Above, application software for executing so-called DTP (Desk Top Publishing) is operated to create / edit various documents / graphics. The client computer 103 converts the created document / graphic into a page description language (Page Description Language) and sends it to the MFP 104 or 105 via the network 101a for printing out.

Each of the MFPs 104 and 105 has communication means capable of exchanging information with the document server 102 via the network 101b or the dedicated interface 109. The MFP 104 and 105 communicate information and status of the MFPs 104 and 105 with the document server 102 or the document server 102, respectively. This is a mechanism for successively informing the client computer 103 via the server. Further, the document server 102
(Or the client 103) has utility software that operates upon receiving the information.
The FPs 104 and 105 are managed by the computer 102 (or the client 103).

[Configuration of MFPs 104 and 105] Next, the configuration of the MFPs 104 and 105 will be described with reference to FIGS. However, the difference between the MFP 104 and the MFP 105 is the difference between full-color and monochrome, and since the full-color device often includes the configuration of the monochrome device except for the color processing, only the full-color device will be described here.
A description of the monochrome device will be added as needed.

In FIG. 3, MFPs 104 and 105
A scanner unit 201 for reading an image, a scanner IP unit 202 for performing image processing on the image data, a facsimile unit 203 for transmitting and receiving an image using a telephone line represented by a facsimile, etc. NIC (Network Inter) for exchanging device information
A face card (network interface card) section 204 and a dedicated I / F section 205 for exchanging information with the full-color MFP 104 are provided. And the MFP 104,
The image signal is temporarily stored in the core unit 206 or the route is determined according to the usage of the 105.

Next, the image data output from the core unit 206 is sent to a printer unit 209 for forming an image via a printer IP unit 207 and a PWM unit 208.
The sheet printed out by the printer unit 209 is sent to the finisher unit 210, where a sheet sorting process and a sheet finishing process are performed.

[Configuration of Scanner Unit 201] The configuration of the scanner unit 201 will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 301 denotes a platen glass on which a document 302 to be read is placed.
The original 302 is illuminated by an illumination lamp 303, and the reflected light passes through mirrors 304, 305, and 306,
07, an image is formed on the CCD 308. Mirror 30
4. First mirror unit 310 including illumination lamp 303
Moves at a speed v, and the second mirror unit 311 including the mirrors 305 and 306 moves at a speed of 1/2 v to scan the entire surface of the document 302. The first mirror unit 310 and the second mirror unit 311 are driven by a motor 309.

[Configuration of Scanner IP Unit 202] FIG.
Scanner I for performing color image processing using (a)
The P section 202 will be described. The input optical signal is converted into an electric signal by the CCD sensor 308.
The CCD sensor 308 is a color sensor for three lines of RGB, and is input to the A / D conversion unit 401 as RGB image signals. Here, after the gain adjustment and the offset adjustment are performed, the A / D converter converts each color signal into eight.
It is converted into bit digital image signals R0, G0, B0. After that, the shading correction unit 402
Known shading correction is performed using a read signal of the reference white plate. Further, since the respective color line sensors of the CCD sensor 308 are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other, the line delay adjustment circuit (line interpolation unit) 4
At 03, a spatial shift in the sub-scanning direction is corrected.

Next, the input masking section 404 is a CCD
This part converts the read color space determined by the spectral characteristics of the RGB filters of the sensor 308 into the NTSC standard color space, and is a device-specific constant taking into account various characteristics such as the sensitivity characteristics of the CCD sensor 308 and the spectral characteristics of the illumination lamp. , A 3 × 3 matrix operation is performed, and (R
(0, G0, B0) signal to a standard (R, G, B) signal.

Further, a luminance / density conversion unit (LOG conversion unit)
Reference numeral 405 is configured by a look-up table (LUT) RAM, which converts RGB luminance signals into C1, M1, and Y1 density signals.

When monochrome image processing is performed by the MFP 105, one line C of one color is used in accordance with FIG.
A / D conversion unit 401 in monochrome using CD sensor 308
After the A / D conversion is performed and shading correction is performed by the shading correction unit 402, the data is sent to the core unit 206.

[Configuration of FAX Unit 203] Referring to FIG.
The AX unit 203 will be described. First, at the time of reception, the data coming from the telephone line is received by the NCU unit 501 and the voltage is converted.
After performing the / D conversion and demodulation operations, the decompression unit 506 develops the raster data. Generally, a run-length method or the like is used for compression and expansion by FAX. The image converted into the raster data is temporarily stored in the memory unit 507 and sent to the core unit 206 after confirming that there is no transfer error in the image data.

Next, at the time of transmission, the image signal of the raster image coming from the core section is subjected to compression such as a run-length method by the compression section 505 and D / A converted by the modulation section 503 in the modem section 502. And after performing the modulation operation, N
It is sent to the telephone line via the CU unit 501.

[Configuration of NIC Unit 204] Referring to FIG.
The IC unit 204 will be described. This NI has an interface function for the network 101.
C section 204, for example, 10Base-T / 100Base-T
It plays a role of acquiring information from the outside and transmitting the information to the outside using an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable such as X.

When information is obtained from the outside, first, the voltage is converted by the transformer 601 and sent to the LAN controller 602. The LAN controller unit 602 includes:
It has a first buffer memory (not shown) therein, and determines whether or not the information is necessary information.
After being sent to a buffer memory (not shown), a signal is passed to the core unit 206.

Next, when providing information to the outside, the LAN controller 602 adds necessary information to the data sent from the core unit 206, and
1 is connected to the network 101.

[Configuration of Dedicated I / F Unit 205] The dedicated I / F unit 205 is an interface for transmitting multi-valued bits of CMYK in parallel at the interface with the full-color MFP 104.
It consists of image data of "it" and a communication line. If transmission is performed using an Ethernet cable, the dedicated parallel interface is used because output cannot be performed at a speed corresponding to the MFP 104 and performance of other devices connected to the network is sacrificed.

[Structure of Core Unit 206] The core unit 206 will be described with reference to FIG. The bus selector unit 611 of the core unit 206 is used for using the MFPs 104 and 105.
In other words, it plays a role in traffic control. That is, the bus is switched in accordance with various functions in the MFPs 104 and 105, such as a copy function, network scan, network print, facsimile transmission / reception, and display.

A path switching pattern for executing each function will be described below. Copy function: scanner 201 → core 206 → printer 2
09 ・ Network scan: scanner 201 → core 206
→ NIC unit 204 ・ Network print: NIC unit 204 → Core 206
→ Printer 209 ・ Facsimile transmission function: Scanner 201 → Core 206
→ FAX unit 203 ・ Facsimile reception function: FAX unit 203 → core 206
→ Printer 209 Next, the image data output from the bus selector 611 is sent to the printer 209 via a compression unit 612, a memory unit 613 including a large-capacity memory such as a hard disk (HDD), and a decompression unit 614. As a compression method used in the compression unit 612, a general method such as JPEG, JBIG, or ZIP may be used. The compressed image data is managed for each job, and is stored together with additional data such as a file name, a creator, a creation date and time, and a file size.

Further, if a job number and a password are provided and stored together, the personal box function can be supported. This is a function for temporarily saving data and making printout (readout from HDD) only to a specific person. When an instruction to print out the stored job is issued, after performing authentication using a password, the memory unit 61 is executed.
3, the image is decompressed, returned to a raster image, and sent to the printer unit 207.

[Configuration of Printer IP Unit 207] FIG.
Printer I for performing color image processing using (a)
The P section 207 will be described. Reference numeral 701 denotes an output masking / UCR circuit which converts the M1, C1, and Y1 signals into Y, M, C, and K signals, which are the toner colors of the image forming apparatus, by using a matrix operation.
8, C1, M1, Y based on the RGB signals read in
1, K1 signal is converted to C, based on the spectral distribution characteristics of toner.
The signal is corrected to M, Y, and K signals and output.

Next, the gamma correction unit 702 looks up a table (LUT) in consideration of various color characteristics of the toner.
After being converted into C, M, Y, and K data for image output using the RAM, and subjected to sharpness or smoothing by the spatial filter 703, the image signal is sent to the core unit 206.

When performing monochrome image processing, FIG.
According to (b), the output of the spatial filter unit 703 is sent to the PWM unit 208 via the binarization circuit 704.

[Configuration of PWM Unit 208] Referring to FIG.
The WM unit 208 will be described. Image data (MFP1) separated from the printer IP unit 207 into four colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K)
05, it becomes a single color).
8 to form an image. Reference numeral 801 denotes a triangular wave generator, and 802, a D / A converter (D / A converter) that converts an input digital image signal into an analog signal. The signal from the triangular wave generator 801 (FIG. 11A) and the signal from the D / A converter 802 (FIG. 11B)
The magnitude is compared by the comparator 803, and a signal as shown in FIG. 11C is sent to the laser driving unit 804.
Each of K is converted into a laser beam by a laser 805 of each of CMYK.

Then, the respective laser beams are scanned by the polygon scanner 913 to irradiate the respective photosensitive drums 917, 921, 925, 929.

[Configuration of Printer Unit 209 (Color MFP)
FIG. 12 shows a schematic view of a color printer section. A polygon mirror 913 receives four laser beams emitted from four semiconductor lasers 805. One of them scans the photosensitive drum 917 through the mirrors 914, 915, and 916, and the other one scans the mirror 91.
8, 919, and 920 to scan the photosensitive drum 921,
The next one scans the photosensitive drum 925 through mirrors 922, 923 and 924, and the next one mirrors 926 and 92
7, 928, the photosensitive drum 929 is scanned.

On the other hand, reference numeral 930 denotes a developing device for supplying yellow (Y) toner.
A developing device 931 forms a yellow toner image on a photosensitive drum 17 and supplies magenta (M) toner. The developing device 931 forms a magenta toner image on a photosensitive drum 921 according to a laser beam. A developing device for forming a cyan toner image on the photosensitive drum 925 in accordance with the laser beam, and a developing device 933 for supplying black (K) toner in accordance with the laser beam.
A magenta toner image is formed on the image 29. The toner images of the four colors (Y, M, C, K) are transferred onto the sheet, and a full-color output image can be obtained.

Sheets fed from one of the sheet cassettes 934 and 935 and the manual feed tray 936 are
After passing through the registration roller 937, the toner is sucked onto the transfer belt 938 and transported. Synchronous with the paper feed timing, the toner of each color is developed in advance on the photosensitive drums 917, 921, 925, 929, and the toner is transferred to the sheet as the sheet is transported. The sheet on which the toner of each color has been transferred is separated, transported by the transport belt 939, and the toner is fixed to the sheet by the fixing device 940. The sheet that has passed through the fixing device 940 is a flapper 950.
The sheet is once guided downward, and the rear end of the sheet is
After passing through 50, switch back and discharge. As a result, the sheets are discharged in a face-down state, and the correct page order is obtained when printing is performed in order from the first page.

The four photosensitive drums 917, 921,
925 and 929 are arranged at regular intervals at a distance d, and the sheet is conveyed at a constant speed v
This timing is synchronized, and 4
One semiconductor laser 805 is driven.

[Configuration of Printer Unit 209 (Monochrome MF
FIG. 13 shows a schematic view of the monochrome printer unit. Reference numeral 1013 denotes a polygon mirror which receives laser beams emitted from the four semiconductor lasers 805. The laser beam scans the photosensitive drum 1017 through mirrors 1014, 1015, and 1016. On the other hand, reference numeral 1030 denotes a developing device for supplying black toner, which forms a toner image on the photosensitive drum 1017 in accordance with the laser beam, and the toner image is transferred to a sheet to obtain an output image.

The sheet fed from one of the sheet cassettes 1034 and 1035 and the manual feed tray 1036 passes through the registration roller 1037 and passes through the transfer belt 1.
038 and transported. The toner is developed on the photosensitive drum 1017 in advance in synchronization with the sheet feeding timing, and the toner is transferred to the sheet as the sheet is conveyed. The sheet to which the toner has been transferred is separated, and the toner is fixed to the sheet by the fixing device 1040. The sheet that has passed through the fixing device 1040 is the flapper 105
0, the sheet is once guided downward, the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the flapper 1050, and is then switched back and discharged.
As a result, the sheets are discharged in a face-down state, and the correct page order is obtained when printing is performed in order from the first page.

[Configuration of Finisher 209] FIG.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the finisher unit. Printer unit 209
The sheet exiting the fixing unit 940 (or 1040) of
Enter the finisher unit 209. The finisher unit 209 includes a sample tray 1101 and a stack tray 110.
There are two types, which are switched according to the type of job and the number of sheets to be discharged.

There are two types of sorting methods, a bin sorting method in which a plurality of bins are assigned to each bin, and an electronic sorting function to be described later, and bins (or trays) are shifted in a forward direction and output for each job. Sorting can be performed by a shift sort method for sorting sheets. The electronic sort function is called collate, and if you have the large-capacity memory described in the core section above, you can use this buffer memory to change the order of buffered pages and the order of ejection. By using it, the function of electronic sorting can be supported. Next, the group function is a function of sorting by page while sorting sorts by job.

Further, when the sheets are discharged to the stack tray 1102, the sheets before the sheets are discharged can be stored for each job, and the sheets can be bound by the stapler 1105 immediately before the sheets are discharged.

In addition, before reaching the two trays, a Z-folding machine 1104 for folding paper in a Z-shape, and a puncher 11 for making two (or three) holes for files.
06, and performs each process according to the type of job.

Further, the saddle stitcher 1107 binds the central portion of the sheet at two places and then half-folds the sheet by biting the central portion of the sheet with a roller.
Perform processing to create booklets such as weekly magazines and pamphlets. The sheets bound by the saddle stitcher 1107 are discharged to a booklet tray 1108.

In addition, although not shown in the drawing, it is also possible to add a binding by gluing (glue) for bookbinding, or a trim (cutting) for aligning the end face opposite to the binding side after the binding. It is.

The inserter 1103 is connected to the tray 111
Tray 1 without passing the sheet set to 0 to the printer
101, 1102, and 1108. As a result, a sheet set in the inserter 1103 can be inserted (inserted) between sheets fed to the finisher 209. The tray 1110 of the inserter 1103 is set by the user in a face-up state, and the sheet is fed by the pickup roller 1111 in order from the uppermost sheet. Therefore, the sheet from the inserter 1103 is conveyed to the trays 1101 and 1102 as they are and is discharged in a face-down state. When sending to the saddle stitcher 1107, the face is adjusted by sending it to the puncher 1106 side and then switching it back and sending it.

[Structure of Document Server 102] Next, the document server 102 will be described with reference to FIG.

A job input from the NIC 111 or the SCSI 114 enters the server from the input device control unit 1201 and plays a role in connecting the server to various client applications. PDL data and JCL (Job Control Language) data are received as input. It corresponds to various clients with status information about the printer and server, and the output of this module is responsible for combining all the appropriate PDL and JCL components.

Next, the input job control unit 1202 manages the requested list of jobs and creates a job list to access individual jobs submitted to the server. Furthermore, this module has three functions: job routing for determining a job route, job split for determining whether to divide and RIP, and job scheduling for determining the order of jobs.

Rasterize processing (RIP) unit 1203
Can exist multiple times, but here we collectively call
203. The RIP module RIPs the PDLs of the various jobs to create bitmaps of appropriate size and resolution. For RIP processing, PostScri
pt (registered trademark of Adobe), PCL, TIF
Rasterization processing of various formats such as F, JPEG, and PDF is possible.

The data converter 1204 serves to compress the bitmap image created by the RIP and to perform format conversion, and selects the most suitable image image type for each printer. For example, if you want to handle the job by page, use TIF
A process such as adding a PDF header to bitmap data after F or JPEG is rasterized by the RIP unit and editing the data as PDF data is performed.

The output job control unit 1205 takes page images of the job and manages how they are handled based on the command settings. The page is printed on a printer or saved on the hard disk 1207.
Whether or not the job after printing is left in the hard server 1207 can be selected, and when the job is saved, it can be recalled. Further, this module manages the interaction between the hard disk 1207 and the RAM 1208.

The output device control unit 1206 controls which device is to be output, and which device is to be clustered (connecting a plurality of devices for simultaneous printing), and the interface card 11 of the selected device.
2 or 113. This module also plays a role in monitoring the status of the devices 104 and 105 and transmitting the device status to the document server 102.

[Page Description Language (PDL)]
Next, PDL data will be described. PDL represented by Adobe's PostScript (registered trademark) language is classified into the following three elements.

(A) Image description using character code (b) Image description using graphic code (c) Image description using raster image data That is, PDL is a language that describes an image composed of a combination of the above elements. The data described thereby is called PDL data.

FIG. 16 is an example in which character information R1301 is described. L1311 is a description for designating the color of the character, and the values in parentheses indicate the densities of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, respectively. The minimum is 0.0 and the maximum is 1.0
It is. In L1311, it is specified that the characters be black. Next, L1312 stores the character string “IC” in the variable String1.
Is assigned. Next, in L1313, the first and second parameters indicate the x and y coordinates of the start position coordinates on the paper on which the character string is laid out, the third parameter indicates the size of the character, and the fourth parameter indicates the space between the characters. Shows the fifth
The parameter indicates a character string to be laid out. In short, L1313 is an instruction to lay out the character string "IC" with the size of 0.3 and the interval of 0.1 from the coordinates (0.0, 0.0).

Next, in the example in which the graphic information R1302 is described, L1321 specifies the color of the line, similarly to L1311, and here, Cyan is specified. Next, L1
322 is for designating drawing a line,
The first and second parameters are the start and end coordinates of the line, and the third and fourth parameters are the x and y coordinates of the end coordinate. The fifth parameter indicates the thickness of the line.

Further, in the example in which the raster image information is described, L1331 substitutes the raster image for the variable image1. Here, the first parameter represents the image type of the raster image and the number of color components, the second parameter represents the number of bits per color component, and the third and fourth parameters represent the x and y directions of the raster image. Represents the image size. The fifth and subsequent parameters are raster image data.
The number of raster image data is the product of the number of color components forming one pixel and the image size in the x and y directions. L
At 1331, the CMYK image has four color components (Cyan, Ma).
genta, Yellow, Black), the number of raster image data is (4 × 5 × 5 =) 100. Next, L1332 indicates that image1 is laid out to a size of 0.5 × 0.5 from the coordinates (0.0, 0.5).

FIG. 17 shows a state in which the above three image descriptions are interpreted in one page and developed into raster image data. R1301, R1302, R130
Numeral 3 is an expanded version of each PDL data. These raster image data are actually developed in the RAM 1208 (or ImageDisk 1207) for each of the CMYK color components.
In the RAM 1208 of K, C = 0, M = 0, Y = 0, K = 2
55 is written, and R1302 part is
C = 255, M = 0, Y = 0, K = 0 are written.

In the document server 102, the PDL data sent from the client 103 (or the document server itself) may be stored in the form of PDL data or expanded into a raster image as described above.
The data is written to M1208 (or ImageDisk 1207) and stored as needed.

[Network 101] Next, the network 101 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 18, the network 101 is connected by a device called a router that connects the networks shown in FIG.
Configure a further network called (LocalArea Network).

The LAN 1406 is connected to the internal router 1
401, another private line 1408, another LA
The network is connected to a router 1405 inside the N1407, and these networks are stretched over and over to form a vast connection form.

Next, FIG.
This will be described in Section 9.

There is data 1421 existing in the transmission source device A (1420a), and the data may be image data, PDL data, or a program. When this is transferred to the destination device B (1420b) via the network 101, the data 1421 is subdivided and image-wise divided like 1422. For the divided data 1423, 1424, 1426, etc., a destination address (T
When the CP / IP protocol is used, the destination I
P address) and the like, and the packets are sequentially sent as packets 1427 onto the network 101. Device B address and header 1431 of packet 1430
Are matched, the data 1432 is separated and reproduced to the state of the data that was in the device A.

[Printer Driver] Next, the process of transmitting image data to the printer from the computer 102 (or 103) by the printer driver will be described with reference to FIG. The printer driver is a GUI (Graphic User Interface) for instructing a print operation, and by instructing the GUI, the user instructs desired setting parameters and sends a desired image image to a transmission destination such as a printer. Becomes possible.

Reference numeral 1601 denotes a window of the printer driver, and 1602 denotes a transmission destination selection column for selecting a target output destination as a setting item in the window. Generally, the above-described MFPs 104 and 105 or
It is a printer 107. Reference numeral 1603 denotes a page setting column for selecting an output page from a job, and determines which page of an image created by application software operating on the computer 102 (or 103) to output. Reference numeral 1604 denotes a copy number setting column for designating the number of copies. Reference numeral 1607 denotes a destination selection column 1602.
Is a property key for performing detailed settings related to the selected destination device. Click here to enter setting information unique to the device on another screen, and perform special image processing, for example, in the printer IP unit 207. By changing the parameters of the gamma conversion unit 702 and the spatial filter unit 703, finer color reproduction and sharpness adjustment can be performed.

When the desired settings are completed, printing is started with the OK key 1605. In the case of canceling, the printing is canceled by the cancel key 1606.

[Operation by Web Browser] FIG.
This is the main screen of the web service provided inside the server 102, and the IP address of the server (here, 19
When 2.168.100.11) is input to the URL address portion, the service screen is set in advance so as to be read.

The service tool includes a job status (1701), a device status (1702), a job submission (1703), a scanning (170)
4), configuration (1705), and help (1706) containing the manual of this service
, And will be described in order from the job status.

[Job Status] The job status tab shown in FIG.
A job status display section of the active job 709 and a job history display section of 1710 and 1711 are provided. Since all of the displays of 1709 and 1711 cannot be displayed, if the key of 1708 is pressed as necessary, Are displayed, and if the user presses 1710, the entire job history can be referred to, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the device display unit 1707 displays device names 1721 to 1724, device icons 1725 to
1728 (icon 1727 or 1 depending on status)
728), and their statuses 1729-1732 can also be viewed in text.

The job status 1709 can monitor the status of each job in the server.
ooling (receiving data before RIP), Ripping (RI
P), Wait to Print (Waiting for Print) or Pri
Expressed as nting (during printing). In addition, a job that has been instructed to wait in the server when the job is input is held as Hold before the RIP. If an error or a jam occurs, the print job is displayed to notify the user of the error and the print job is sent to the next finished job.

The job history can be viewed in the job history 1711. Printed is displayed when the job is completed normally, and Canceled when canceled halfway.

Further, a job name, a target printer, a job priority, etc. (1741-1748) are displayed in addition to the running job 1709, and a job name, a target printer, a job ID, etc. 1761 to 1768) are displayed, and the operator can handle the server based on the information.

[Device Status] MFP 104, 1
05 or the network interface part in the printer 107 is a MIB (Management Information Bass).
e) A standardized database called “e) has been built, and the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
l) communicates with a computer on the network via a network management protocol
And the state of devices connected on the network can be exchanged with the computer 102 (or 103) for necessary information.

For example, it is detected as the equipment information of the MFPs 104 and 105 what kind of function the finisher 210 is connected to, and as the status information, it is detected whether an error or a jam has occurred at present, whether printing is in progress or idle. Information about MFPs 104 and 105, device status, network settings, job history,
It is possible to obtain all kinds of static information such as management and control of usage status.

FIG. 26 is a tab showing the device status. The tab is used to check the paper size and replenishment status (1801 to 1806) of the device in the device managed by the server, and to provide accessories such as a finisher for each device. It is possible to check the situation (1807) in advance.

[Job Submit] The job submit tab will be described with reference to FIG. The method of use is the same as that of the above-described print driver, except that the file on the client 103 is directly thrown into the document server 102 without opening the application. , Converts the data into a format such as PS (or PCL), and
, While job submissions are in a variety of formats (eg, PDF, TIF, JPG, etc.)
Is sent directly to the document server 102.

As a setting item, reference numeral 1901 denotes a transmission destination selection column for selecting a target output destination. Generally, the above-described MFP 104 or 105 or the printer 1
07, it is also possible to set a cluster printer described later. A column 1902 for selecting a file may directly indicate a file name together with a directory in a column for selecting a file, but in general, a browse button below it can be used to select a job file in a computer (or in a network). .

[Job Ticket] Next, at 190 in FIG.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a column called a job ticket, which indicates a file in which setting items other than image data of the job are collected together with the job. More specifically, as shown in 1908, not only general job settings such as paper size, image orientation and number of copies, but also finishing processing such as presence / absence of both sides and stapling, and image processing for color images All various settings related to the job, such as color adjustment by processing and instructing the priority of the job for the operator, can be set with this job ticket.

This job ticket not only has setting items unique to each device, but also has the advantage that if it is prepared in advance, the operation can be smoothly carried out. There are a save key 1905 for saving an arbitrarily set job ticket and a save as key 1906 for saving with a new name, and a reset key 190 for the job ticket so that the job ticket can be returned to the default state.
7 are prepared.

For example, in the Duplex setting column, ON
And OFF are prepared. When ON, printing is performed by double-sided printing, and when OFF, printing is performed by single-sided printing. However, when a printer having no double-sided function is selected, this item itself is not displayed. In addition, a default setting item is set in advance to a frequently used item, and OFF is selected as a default because Duplex uses a single-sided print frequently.

The items set here can selectively change not only finishing functions but also basic functions of the printer such as image processing parameters, the number of copies, and paper size.

When the desired settings are completed, the screen returns to the job submitter screen using the print key 1909, and when canceling, the cancel key 1910 is used to cancel.

[Configuration] The configuration tab shown in FIG. 29 includes a printer configuration key 2101, a cluster configuration key 2102, and a queue configuration key 21.
03, an archive key 2104, and a job merge tool key 2105.

[Printer Configuration] When the printer configuration key is depressed, FIG.
And the flow chart of FIG. 31 is entered. Here, three modes of addition, correction, and deletion of a printer are prepared.
In the additional mode, a desired printer type (for example, color or black and white) is selected, and further settings can be made if the number is equal to or less than the limit allowed by the server. Etc.), and register with a printer name.

The printer correction mode is a mode in which, when printer information such as an IP address or an accessory is changed, the printer information is corrected and saved again, and the printer erasing mode is used to delete an unnecessary printer from the server management. This is the mode to remove.

[Cluster Configuration] When a plurality of printers are registered, it becomes possible to register them as a cluster printer by combining the printers. The procedure will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, from among the registered printer groups, 2
Select one or more printers. For example, if A, B, C and three printers, A & B, A &
Four combinations of C, B & C, and A & B & C are possible. In addition, the same combination of printers can be registered as another cluster printer if the mode described below is different.

Next, when the selected combination is a different type of printer such as a color printer and a black and white printer, the color / black and white page separation mode and the color / black and white page separation mode are used.
It is possible to select from two modes of the black and white automatic routing mode.

The color / monochrome page separation mode is a mode in which, for a job in which color pages and monochrome pages coexist, the job is separated into color pages and monochrome pages in page units in advance, and output to each printer.

The color / monochrome automatic routing mode is
Similarly, after distinguishing between color pages and black and white pages in advance,
If at least one color page is mixed, all jobs are output to a color printer, and if all jobs are made up of monochrome pages, the job is automatically routed to a monochrome printer. These functions aim at cost reduction and simplicity of operation because there is a gap in the per-print cost between the color page and the monochrome page.

Further, when the selected combination is a printer of the same type such as a color printer and a color printer, or a monochrome printer and a monochrome printer,
Three modes are prepared: a job cluster mode, a copy cluster mode, and a page cluster mode.

The job cluster mode is a mode in which jobs are sequentially distributed to vacant printers or printers that are expected to be in the idle state sooner among the printers for which jobs have been set, so to speak, optimization of load balance. It is.

The number of copies cluster is, for example, a job in which 100 copies are set to 33 printers of the same capacity and 33 copies.
Copies, 34 copies, so that the job can be completed earlier.

The page cluster is such that a job of 1000 pages is allocated to two printers at 500 pages each.

Each cluster printer can be registered with a different combination of modes by giving a name to the same printer in advance in a different type of mode, and can be treated as a virtual high-speed printer in the same manner as a normal printer. Become.

Also, according to the mode, the minimum pages and the minimum number of copies per unit can be set in advance according to each mode, and when one unit goes down due to a jam or error, the job is automatically executed. Can be set a waiting time for job rerouting to be allocated to another printer.

[Queue Configuration] Next, when clicking on 2103 in FIG. 29, the process enters the flowcharts of FIGS. 34 and 35. The queue configuration has three modes of adding, modifying, and deleting a spool queue, and one of them can be selected. When adding a spool queue, you must first create a hot folder.
The hot folder is, for example, the server computer 1
02 is set to share with a computer in the network (Share), and the client computer 103
, And the server computer 102 constantly monitors (polls) the jobs in the hot folder, and when a job is thrown, guides the job to printing. It is a folder.

Then, the added spool queue is associated with the created hot folder, and then either the printer created in the printer configuration or the cluster printer created in the cluster configuration is associated with the spool queue. Associates the job ticket of the last associated printer or cluster. In this case, the job ticket is a default value to be referred to by the client, and the client can change the job ticket at the time of issuing the job as desired.

Here, the associated spool queues are stored in the server as a spool queue table as shown in FIG.

[Job input and hot folder] A series of flow charts are described in the flowcharts of FIGS. 37 and 38 and the flowcharts of FIGS. 39 and 40. Here, FIGS. 37 and 39 show the client side, and FIGS. 39 and 40 show the server side.

FIGS. 37 and 38 show the flow at the time of job submission. When the client 103 throws a file from the above-mentioned job submission, the client 103 first selects a printer or a cluster. Next, the client 103
Reference is made to the spool queue table in 02, and the client is notified of the default job ticket and the hot folder that match the spool queue table. The user selects a desired file, and at the same time, changes to a desired job ticket and sends the job to the designated hot folder.

On the other hand, the server sequentially monitors a plurality of hot folders. When a job thrown from the client side (or the server itself) is found, the job is immediately scheduled by the input job control unit 1202, and
The IP processing (1203) is performed, the output job control unit 1205 schedules the job order, and the output device control unit 1206 determines which printer or cluster to output by referring to the spool queue table, and prints. .

[0117] Further, although FIG. 39 and FIG. 40 is a flow when throwing a job from the driver, but the same in principle, in the case of driver himself or a user prints in advance to any printer or cluster In general, it is not possible to inquire the spool queue table at the time of selection.

[Job Merge Tool] 2105 in FIG.
Is clicked, the job merge tool 280 shown in FIG. 41 is clicked.
Move to 1.

Here, the Open key 2802 opens the original file, and the Import key 2803 adds another file to the currently opened original file. The delete key 2805 is used to delete a page, and the print key is used to print a currently open file. Clicking this button calls up the above-described job submission screen.
A save key 2807 is for saving a currently opened file.

Next, in the book 2812, the structure of the chapter / page of the currently opened file can be understood at a glance, the structure of the file (File-A) is arranged for each chapter, and the-mark is When the chapter is open, the plus sign means that the chapter is closed, and when you click here, the mark will change to-and the page will be displayed in an expanded form.

Further, the preview 2813 on the right side can preview the page of the indicated page (here, Index / Page 1), and can display a plurality of pages according to the mode.

FIGS. 42 and 43 are flowcharts of the job merge tool. The tool has modes of editing, importing, scanning, printing, and saving. In the edit mode, movement, duplication, deletion, and the like are performed in chapters or pages. In the print mode, the above-described job submit screen is called to print the currently open file. The save mode is for saving a file by literally specifying a directory or a file name.

[Job Merging] In order to merge jobs, it is necessary to convert them into PDL in a format that allows editing in page units. In order to create a page-based format, the PDF format is famous, and it is ideal that the format be converted by using Acrobat Writer from Adobe. However, here, for simplicity of description, the description has a format as shown in FIG. 44, FIG. 45, and FIG.

FIGS. 44 and 45 show the Index and Chapter 1 previewed in FIG. 46 in PDL.
Is converted in advance.

If data in a format other than the page unit is input, the data is rasterized by the RIP processing unit 1203 in FIG. 15 in advance, and the image compression / data conversion unit 1204 converts the data in page units in FIG. R1303, and if necessary, compress and process the raster image so that it can be handled in page units.
Describe each page inside the DL.

Next, FIG. 46 shows the file and PDL after merging FIGS. 44 and 45, and the Index part is converted so as to correspond to Page1 and Page2, and the Chapter 1 is converted so as to correspond to Page3 and Page4. . This flow is shown in the import mode of FIG. 43, in which the PDL file of the original file (FIG. 44) is copied to the job merge tool 28.
01, the PDL of the file to be imported next (FIG. 45) is also read, the insertion position of the import file is designated, and the import file is inserted into the designated position of the original file. FIG. 46 shows the completed PDL data, which has been converted into one piece of PDL data.

Further, input / output data to / from the job merge tool is handled by the editing I / F unit 115 shown in FIG. 15, and this interface operates in a unified PDL converted in advance by the image compression / data conversion unit 1204. Will be.

[Second Embodiment] [Scanner Driver] Next, a scanner driver will be described.

FIG. 20 shows the computer 102 (or 1).
03) shows a GUI (Graphic User Interface) of a scanner driver for instructing a scanning operation, and by instructing the GUI, the user instructs a desired setting parameter and outputs a desired image image. It can be converted to data.

First, reference numeral 1501 denotes a window of the scanner driver, and 1502 is a source device selection column for selecting a target transmission source as a setting item in the window. Generally, it is similar to the above-described scanner 201, but the image is fetched from the memory 108,
Alternatively, it may be from something like a digital camera. Reference numeral 1503 denotes a button for performing detailed settings relating to the selected source device. When the user clicks here, setting information unique to the device is input on another screen, and special image processing (eg, character mode / photo mode) is performed. It is possible to select and input an image in a processing mode suitable for it.

Next, reference numeral 1504 denotes the selection of a scanning method. Here, it is possible to select the scanning from the flatbed or the ADF. Reference numeral 1505 denotes a portion for designating a reading surface of a document, which can designate a single-sided document or a double-sided document. Reference numeral 1506 denotes an image size column for selecting an image size.
A resolution can be input at 7 and a halftone mode can be selected at 1508. Simple binary, dither method, error diffusion, or multi-value (8 bits) can be selected.

Further, 1509 and 1510 can alternatively set whether to scan all pages or scan only specified pages when using the ADF. Reference numerals 1511 to 1513 denote parts for determining the size of the image area.

When the prescan key 1516 is pressed after these designations, the computer 102 (or 1) is pressed.
03), the device selected in the source device selection column 1502 is instructed, and image input is started.
Here, since the pre-scanning is performed, image reading is performed at a coarser resolution than the actual resolution, and the obtained image is displayed on the display unit 1515 as a preview image 1514. In the display, the scale is displayed according to the unit 1511 of the image area.

If it is determined that the preview image is OK, the scan operation is started by clicking a scan key 1517. To get started,
A dialog appears to enter the file name and directory name for saving the scan file.
Press the key to save the scanned image. If the preview image is NG, the pre-scan is performed again to confirm it. If the preview image is canceled, the cancel key 1518 is clicked.

[Scanning] FIG. 28 shows a scanning tab for controlling the scanning operation. In 2001, available scanner states are displayed. Reference numeral 2002 denotes a scanning key. When the scanning key is pressed, the above-described scanner driver is called.

Reference numeral 2003 denotes a quick copy key, which is a mechanism in which after a scanning operation, printing is performed in a continuous operation on a printer designated in advance.

[Merging of Scanned Image Data and Electronic Data] A scan key 2804 in FIG. 41 is for reading a paper original from the scanner 106, converting it into electronic data, and adding it. The above-described scan driver appears and enters the scan mode of FIGS. 42 and 43.

The interface of the scanned image in the flow of FIG.
This is the SI interface 114, and the NIC 111 is in charge of the network scanner 106b. They are,
Input device control unit 1201, input job control unit 120
2 and enters the image compression / data conversion unit 1204, where it is converted into PDL data in page units.
It is stored in the image disk 1207.

In the scan mode shown in FIGS. 42 and 43,
The user specifies the insertion position of the file to be scanned, calls the scanner driver, performs scanning, and saves the data. Here, when saving, the above-mentioned page unit PD
Stored in L format. This is ADF (automatic paper feeder)
This means that the image is compressed in page units and stored in a PDL format that can be handled in page units.

[Third Embodiment] [Job Merging Between Different Formats] Next, a method for enabling merging between various image formats will be considered.

FIG. 41 is different from FIG.
203 are prepared. This is, for example, R
IP-A (1203a) is a rasterizing unit for PostScript data, RIP-B (1203b) is a rasterizing unit for PCL data, and RIP-C (1203c) is a rasterizing unit for JPEG or TIFF format data.

At this time, the input job control unit determines which rasterizer is to be passed according to the format of the input data, and performs rasterization for each. Next, the rasterized image data is converted again into PDL data in page units by an image compression / data conversion unit 1204, and is temporarily stored in the image disk 1207.

The converted PDL data in page units is read from the job merge tool, merged, and printed or saved.

When the PDL data for each page which handles the job merge tool is directly input, the input job control unit 1202 passes through the RIP processing unit 1203 and the image compression / data conversion unit 1204 to the image disk 1207. It may be stored as it is.

[Job merge between different OSs] By using this, job merge between different OSs becomes possible. Generally W
Although it is possible to print image data created by an Windows (registered trademark) client and a job created by a Macintosh, it is difficult to merge and print these.

However, according to this method, the server 1
If the network interface 02 is cross-platform compatible, the input data can be page-based PDL data or, if rasterized, can be merged and printed.

[0147]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In order to create book data, different users can create respective documents in chapters in different clients, compile them into one book data, and print them immediately. The edited book data can be edited again in page units.

Also, the combination of a paper manuscript and electronic data, and the creation of book data between different formats and different OSs, which could not be performed conventionally, are as desired. Since the completed book can be stored and printed, a series of operations can be performed. , An efficient image forming apparatus system that can be shared by a plurality of users can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of MFPs 104 and 105.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a scanner unit 201.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a scanner IP unit 202.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a FAX unit 203.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an NIC unit 204.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a core unit.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer IP unit 207.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a PWM unit 208.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing signal waveforms of various parts of the PWM unit 208.

FIG. 12 illustrates a configuration of a printer unit 209 of the color MFP 104.

FIG. 13 illustrates a configuration of a printer unit 209 of the monochrome MFP 105.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of a finisher unit 210.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration of a document server 102.

FIG. 16 shows character information R1301, graphic information R1302,
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a description example of raster image information R1303.

FIG. 17 is an illustration of the interpretation of the three image descriptions shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating raster image data developed in a page.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a flow of data in a network.

FIG. 20 is a view showing a GUI of a scanner driver for instructing a scan operation on the document server 102.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a GUI of a printer driver.

FIG. 22 illustrates a GUI of a job status tab.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a GUI of a job status tab.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a GUI of a job status tab.

FIG. 25 is a view showing a GUI of a job status tab.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a GUI of a device status tab.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a GUI of a job submission tab.

FIG. 28 is a view showing a GUI of a scanning tab.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing a GUI of a configuration tab.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart of a printer configuration.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart of a printer configuration.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart of a cluster configuration.

FIG. 33 is a flowchart of a cluster configuration.

FIG. 34 is a flowchart of a queue configuration.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart of a queue configuration.

FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating an example of a spool queue table.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart at the time of printing from a job submission.

FIG. 38 is a flowchart at the time of printing from a job submission.

FIG. 39 is a flowchart at the time of printing from a driver.

FIG. 40 is a flowchart at the time of printing from a driver.

FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating a GUI of the job merge tool.

FIG. 42 is a flowchart of a job merge tool.

FIG. 43 is a flowchart of a job merge tool.

FIG. 44 is a diagram illustrating PDL data in page units before merging.

FIG. 45 is a diagram illustrating PDL data in page units before merging.

FIG. 46 is a diagram illustrating PDL data in page units after merging.

FIG. 47 is a diagram showing a configuration of a document server 102 according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Network 102 Document Server Computer 103 Client Computer 104 Color MFP 105 Monochrome MFP 106 Scanner

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C087 AB06 AB08 BC02 BC05 BD07 BD13 CA05 5B021 AA01 EE04 FF03 KK01 KK02 KK06 LE01 LE09 LG07 LG08 5E501 AA02 AA06 AB04 AC35 BA03 BA05 CA02 CB02 EA05 EA10 EA12 EB05 CB03 CB05 CB05 DD10 DD13 EE02 EE05 FF05 HH24 HH27 HH28 JJ18 JJ27 JJ35 KK42 LL09

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. One or more client computers network-connected to a server computer;
An image forming apparatus system comprising at least one or a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the server computer, wherein a job in the server computer for inputting a first job from the server computer itself or a client computer Input means; data conversion means for converting the input first job into a data format managed in a predetermined page unit; storage means for storing the first job in the page data format; Storage means for converting and storing the second job into the same data format managed on a page basis, reading the stored first job and second job, and reading the first job and the second job. Job merging means for merging a second job, the merged job The image forming apparatus system and outputs a blanking to the one or more image forming apparatus. 2. One or more client computers network-connected to a server computer;
An image forming apparatus system comprising at least one or a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the server computer, wherein a job in the server computer for inputting a first job from the server computer itself or a client computer Input means, rasterizing processing means for rasterizing the input first job, data converting means for converting the rasterized first job into a data format managed in a predetermined page unit, the page unit Storage means for storing the first job in the data format of the above; similarly, storage means for converting the second job into the same data format managed in page units and storing the same, and the stored first job Read the second job and Job merge means for merging the first job and the second job, the image forming apparatus system and outputs the merged job on the one or more image forming apparatus. 3. One or more client computers network-connected to the server computer;
An image forming apparatus system comprising at least one or a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the server computer, wherein a job in the server computer for inputting a first job from the server computer itself or a client computer Input means, first rasterization processing means for rasterizing the input first job, data conversion means for converting the rasterized first job into a data format managed on a predetermined page unit, Storage means for storing the first job in the page unit data format; similarly, second rasterization processing means for rasterizing the input second job; and storing the second job in the same page unit Same data format managed by Storage means for converting and storing the first job and the second job stored therein, and merging the first job and the second job with each other; An image forming apparatus system for outputting to one or more image forming apparatuses. 4. The image forming apparatus system according to claim 3, wherein the first job and the second job have different types of data formats. 5. The first rasterizing means and the second rasterizing means.
4. An image forming apparatus system according to claim 3, wherein said rasterizing means are separate rasterizing modules. 6. One or more client computers network-connected to the server computer,
An image forming apparatus system including at least one or more image reading apparatuses connected to the server computer and at least one or more image forming apparatuses connected to the server computer. A job input unit for inputting a first job from the server computer itself or a client computer; a data conversion unit for converting the input first job into a data format managed in a predetermined page unit; A storage unit that stores a first job in a data format of a page unit; an image reading unit that reads an image from a paper document by the image reading device; image data read by the image reading unit as a second job; In tube A storage unit that converts the data into the same data format and stores the stored data, a job merge unit that reads the stored first job and second job, and merges the first job and the second job, An image forming apparatus system that outputs the merged job to the one or more image forming apparatuses.