JP2002072777A - Printing system, its image output method, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system and its image output method which can efficiently carry out a successive copying job, and to provide a storage medium. SOLUTION: When a user carries out the successive copying job after selecting a remote-side copying machine, a local-side display device makes a display indicating that print processing can not be performed immediately and one of the cancellation and continuation of the successive copying job and the change of the remote-side copying device to another copying device for output should be selected if a print job is already present on the remote-side copying apparatus and the processing that the user selects is carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a printing system, an image output method thereof, and a storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image data of a plurality of pages scanned by an image reading apparatus is locally connected to the image reading apparatus and remotely connected to the copying apparatus via a network. A printing process (hereinafter, referred to as a "continuous copy job") has been performed by a method of printing simultaneously with a remote copying apparatus. Further, when a failure such as a paper jam occurs in the remote copying apparatus, the user is notified of the failure by a display device or the like of the remote copying apparatus.

[0003]

However, when a multiple copy job is executed, if a print job already exists in the remote copying apparatus or a failure such as a paper jam occurs, the remote copying apparatus is not used. Since the printing process for the input to the printer cannot be performed immediately, the work efficiency of the entire printing process may be reduced.

[0004] Further, when the above-described failure occurs during the execution of a cascade copy job, notification of the occurrence of the failure is made only by the remote copying apparatus. In some cases, a user who has instructed a tandem copy job on the apparatus did not notice the fact that a failure occurred in the remote copying apparatus. Further, even when it is desired to continue the cascade copy job after the failure of the remote copying apparatus has been cleared, only the process of stopping the execution of the cascade copy job can be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system, an image output method thereof, and a storage medium capable of executing a multiple copy job more efficiently.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a printing system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network. One is to transmit a print job of image data of a plurality of pages acquired locally to another one of the image processing apparatuses via the network, and to simultaneously execute the print job with the other one of the image processing apparatuses. In a printing system configured to execute a cascade copy job to be executed, when the cascade copy job is executed, it is determined whether there is another print job in another of the image processing apparatuses. A determining unit that determines that there is another print job in another one of the image processing apparatuses, and one of the image processing apparatuses cannot immediately perform printing. The first processing to continue the cascade copy job, the second processing to cancel, or the duplication to the other one of the image processing apparatuses instead of the other one of the image processing apparatuses. Third to send continuous copy job
A notification unit for notifying the user that any one of the processes is selected, and a process execution unit for executing the process selected by the user among the notified processes.

In order to achieve the above object, a printing system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses is locally acquired. A plurality of pages of image data print job transmitted to the other one of the image processing apparatuses via the network, and the print job is executed simultaneously with the other one of the image processing apparatuses. A printing system configured to execute
Determining means for determining whether a failure has occurred during execution of the cascade copy job on another of the image processing apparatuses; and determining whether the failure has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses by the determining means. Notification means for notifying one of the image processing apparatuses when it is determined that the error has occurred, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses has a predetermined content when the notification is received. Is provided to the user.

[0008] The printing system according to the third aspect is the first aspect of the invention.
3. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined content includes information indicating that the failure has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses, whether the processing is the second processing, the third processing, or the input of a multiple copy job. Means to select any one of the fourth processes to be suspended until the fault is removed, and another process for executing the process selected by the user among the processes notified by the other notification means. It is characterized by having execution means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image output method for a printing system, comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network; Transmitting a locally acquired print job of a plurality of pages of image data to another one of the image processing apparatuses via the network, and simultaneously executing the print job with the other one of the image processing apparatuses In an image output method of a printing system configured to execute a cascade copy job, it is determined whether there is another print job in another one of the image processing apparatuses when the cascade copy job is executed. Determining that the other print job is present in the other one of the image processing apparatuses in the determination step; and immediately performing printing in the one of the image processing apparatuses. And the first processing to continue the cascade copy job, the second processing to cancel, or not to another one of the image processing apparatuses, but to another one of the image processing apparatuses. A notification step of notifying the user that any one of the third processing of transmitting the cascade copy job is selected; and a processing execution step of executing the processing selected by the user among the notified processing. It is characterized by having.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image output method for a printing system, comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network; Transmitting a locally acquired print job of a plurality of pages of image data to another one of the image processing apparatuses via the network, and simultaneously executing the print job with the other one of the image processing apparatuses In an image output method of a printing system configured to execute a cascade copy job, a failure occurs during execution of the cascade copy job in another of the image processing apparatuses. And a notifying step of notifying one of the image processing apparatuses that the failure has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses in the determining step. And, one of said image processing apparatus, upon receipt of the notification, and having other notification step of notifying the user of a predetermined content.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image output method according to the fourth aspect.
Or the image output method of the printing system according to 5, wherein the predetermined content is that the failure has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses, and whether the second processing or the third processing is performed.
The input of the cascade copy job is to select any one of the fourth processes to be suspended until the fault is removed, and the process selected by the user among the processes notified in the other notification process. Characterized in that it has another processing execution step of executing

In order to achieve the above object, a storage medium according to a seventh aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of image processing devices connected via a network, and one of the image processing devices is provided locally. A plurality of pages of image data print job transmitted to the other one of the image processing apparatuses via the network, and the print job is executed simultaneously with the other one of the image processing apparatuses. Is a storage medium storing a program for executing an image output method of a printing system configured to execute the image processing method, wherein the program executes another one of the image processing apparatuses when executing the multiple copy job. A determination module that determines whether there is another print job, and a determination module that determines that the other print job exists in another one of the image processing apparatuses. , One of the image processing apparatuses cannot perform printing immediately, and the first processing to continue the cascade copy job, the second processing to cancel, or the other one of the image processing apparatuses. A notification module for notifying a user that the user selects one of the third processes for transmitting the cascade copy job to still another one of the image processing apparatuses instead of the one; And a process execution module that executes a process selected by the user among the processes.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The printing system according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of copying apparatuses (image processing apparatuses) remotely connected via a network, and the copying apparatus 1 prints a locally acquired print job of a plurality of pages of image data. Is transmitted to another one of the copying apparatuses via the network to execute a cascade copy job that simultaneously executes a print job with the other one of the copying apparatuses. In the printing system shown in FIG. 1, the copying apparatus 1 is a local copying apparatus when performing a continuous copy job, and the copying apparatus 2 is one of a plurality of remotely connected copying apparatuses.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the copying apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

The copying apparatus 1 includes a central processing unit 301, a main storage device 302, a display device 303, an input device 304, an external storage device 305, a printing device 306, and a network device 3.
08, e-mail device 309, and fax device 31
0 is provided as a main part.

The central processing unit 301 includes the main storage device 30
2, display device 303, input device 304, external storage device 3
05, the printing device 306, the network device 308, the e-mail device 309, and the facsimile device 310, and perform control, arithmetic operation, and logical operation processing of these devices. The main storage device 302 stores information necessary for performing information processing in the copying apparatus 1, and can retrieve the information as needed. The display device 303 includes a CRT, a liquid crystal, a touch panel, and the like, and displays a result of processing a graphic, a character, or the like to notify a user of the result.
Reference numeral 04 includes a keyboard, a mouse, a card reader, a touch panel, and the like, and performs various inputs to the central processing unit 301. The external storage device 305 includes a magnetic storage device, a magneto-optical storage device, and the like, and stores various information.
Note that the external storage device 305 has a database that stores the failures and the notification destination information for each failure occurrence frequency.

The printing device 306 performs printing when a print job is input from the central processing unit. The network device 308 connects the local copying device 1 to a network. The e-mail device 309 sends and receives mail to and from the outside via a network, and the fax device 310 sends and receives a fax to and from the outside.

The image reading device 307 is locally connected to the copying machine 1, and transmits image data obtained by converting a paper document into electronic information to the copying machine 1. In the present embodiment, an image feeder 307 is provided with an auto feeder for automatically reading a document of a plurality of pages.

Hereinafter, a method of inputting a cascade copy job executed by the printing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described separately for operations of a local copying apparatus and a remote copying apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a cascade copy job input processing procedure executed by the copying apparatus 1 of FIG.

The image reading device 307 reads images of a plurality of pages of an original with an auto feeder to acquire image data, starts a multiple copy job input process for the acquired image data, and executes the following processes. I do.

First, a remote copying apparatus selected by a user is selected as a multiple copy job input destination (step S101), and it is determined whether a print job already input to the remote copying apparatus exists. A determination is made (step S102) (determination means). Note that the remote copying apparatus selected by the user in step S101 is the copying apparatus 2.

As a result of the determination in step S102, if there is no print job, the multiple copy job is transmitted as a print job to the remote copying apparatus by the network device 308 (step S103). And that the printing cannot be performed immediately by the display device 303, and either the multiple copy job is canceled or continued, or the remote copy device is changed to another copy device and output. Is displayed (notifying means), and the processing selected by the user is executed (step S104) (processing executing means). When the process selected by the user in step S104 executes a cancel process, the execution of the cascade copy job is stopped (step S105), and when the continuation process is executed, the cascade copy job is continued. After this (step S106), when the present processing is terminated and the processing for changing the output destination to another copying apparatus is executed, the above-described step S106 is executed.
The processing after 101 is executed again.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the multiple copy job input processing executed by the copying apparatus 1 of FIG.

First, when a job status detection signal is received from a local copying apparatus for inquiring whether or not a print job is currently input to the copying apparatus 2 (step S2).
01), the status of the job currently input to the remote copying device is notified to the local copying device (Step S202), and the presence or absence of the input of the multiple copy job from the local copying device is detected (Step S202). S203). As a result of the detection in step S203, if there is no multiple copy job input, the currently input print job is executed (step S210), and the present process is terminated. After receiving the cascade copy job as a print job (step S204), it is again detected whether or not there is a print job already entered on the remote side (step S205). As a result of the detection in step S205, if there is no input print job, printing of the multiple copy job is started (step S207), the process is terminated, and the input print job is present. In this case, the multiple copy job received from the local copying apparatus is put into a waiting state (step S20).
8) After the execution of the already-submitted print job is completed, the execution of the waiting multiple-copy job is started (step S209), and this processing is ended.

According to the present embodiment, when a user selects a remote copying apparatus and executes a cascade copy job, if a print job already exists in the remote copying apparatus (YES in step S102), The display device 303 indicates that printing cannot be performed immediately, and any of a case where the multiple copy job is canceled or continued, or a case where the copy device on the remote side is changed to another copy device and output. The fact that it is necessary to select a process is displayed and the process selected by the user is executed (step S104), so that the multiple copy job can be executed more efficiently.

Hereinafter, a method of inputting a multiple copy job according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described separately for operations of a local copying apparatus and a remote copying apparatus. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the copying apparatus 2 has a display device for displaying an error or the like to notify the user of the occurrence of an error or the like.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a multiple copy job input processing procedure of the copying apparatus 1 of FIG.

The image reading device 307 reads the image of the document of a plurality of pages with an auto feeder to acquire image data, starts a multiple copy job input process for the acquired image data, and executes the following processes. I do.

First, a remote copying apparatus selected by the user is selected as a destination of a multiple copy job (step S501), and a multiple copy job is submitted as a print job to the set remote copying apparatus. (Step S502), printing is started (Step S503). still,
The copying apparatus on the remote side selected by the user in step S501 is the copying apparatus 2.

It is determined whether or not a notification that a failure has occurred in the remote copying apparatus has been received (step S504).
Until the printing of the multiple copy job distributed to the remote side is completed (YES in step S505).
As a result of the determination in step S504, if there is the notification before the printing is completed (YES in step S504), the process proceeds to step S506, and if there is no notification before the printing is completed (NO in step S504), The process ends.

In step S506, the details of the fault that has occurred in the remote copying machine on the display device 303, and whether the multiple copy job is canceled, the fault is eliminated, or the remote copying machine is changed. A message indicating that it is necessary to select one of the processes to be output is displayed (another notifying unit), and the process selected by the user is executed (another process executing unit).

If the process selected by the user in step S506 is a cancel process, the cascade copy is stopped (S507), and the present process is terminated. The process is suspended until the fault is removed, and upon receiving a signal notifying that the fault has been removed (step S508), the process from step S503 described above is repeated, and the output destination is changed to another copying apparatus and output. If, the process from step S501 described above is performed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the multiple copy job input processing of the copying apparatus 2 of FIG.

First, when a multiple copy job from the local side is received as a print job (step S601),
Printing is started (step S602).

The determination as to whether or not a failure has occurred in the copying apparatus 2 (step S603) (determination means) is performed until the printing of the cascade copy job distributed to the remote side is completed (YES in step S604). As a result of the determination in step S603, if a failure occurs before printing is completed (YES in step S603), the process proceeds to step S605, and if no failure occurs before printing is completed (NO in step S603), This processing ends.

In step S605, before the printing is completed, the fact that a failure has occurred in the remote copying apparatus is notified to the local copying apparatus (notifying means), and step S506 is performed.
It is determined which of the processes selected by the user is among the cancellation of the cascade copy job, the elimination of the failure, and the output to another remote copying apparatus.

If the result of determination in step S 506 is that the failure is to be removed, the local side is notified at the stage of removal of the failure (step S 606), and then the processing from step 602 is repeated to cancel. Alternatively, if the output is to another copying machine on the remote side, the execution of the duplicate copy job is stopped (step S607), and this processing is ended.

According to the second embodiment, when submitting a print job as a multiple copy job to a remote copying apparatus selected by a user, a notification is issued indicating that a failure has occurred in the copying apparatus (step (YES in S504) Details of the failure that has occurred in the remote-side copying apparatus by the display device 303 and canceling the cascade copy job or submitting the cascade copy job eliminates the failure in one of the image processing apparatuses. Is displayed, indicating that it is necessary to select one of the processes, that is, hold or wait until the copy device is changed and output is performed, and execute the process selected by the user (step S506). If a failure occurs in the copying machine on the local side, the fact can be immediately known by the copying machine on the local side, and the processing of the multiple copy job can be performed quickly and It is possible to perform rate well.

It is also said that the present invention can be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus using a storage medium storing a software program module for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments. Not even. In this case, the program module itself read from the storage medium implements the novel function of the present invention, and the storage medium storing the program constitutes the present invention.

The program module in each of the above embodiments is stored in the main storage device 302. As a storage medium for supplying the program module, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R,
DVDs, MOs, magnetic tapes, nonvolatile memory cards, and the like can be used.

[0044]

As described above in detail, the printing system according to the first aspect, the image output method according to the fourth aspect, and the seventh aspect.
According to the storage medium of (1), when a cascade copy job is executed, a print job other than the cascade copy job transmitted from one of the image processing apparatuses to another one of the image processing apparatuses via the network has already been performed. When it is determined that one of the image processing apparatuses is located in another of the image processing apparatuses, a message indicating that one of the image processing apparatuses cannot perform printing immediately, Either a second process for canceling, or a third process for transmitting the cascade copy job to still another one of the image processing apparatuses instead of the other one of the image processing apparatuses. Since the user is notified of the selection, and the process selected by the user is executed, the cascade copy job can be performed more efficiently.

According to the printing system of the second aspect and the image output method of the fifth aspect, when it is determined that a failure has occurred while another one of the image processing apparatuses is executing the cascade copy job. Then, when one of the image processing apparatuses is notified to that effect, one of the image processing apparatuses notifies the user of predetermined contents. Therefore, even if a failure occurs on the remote side, the fact is immediately notified to the local side. Can be found at

According to the printing system of the third aspect and the image output method of the sixth aspect, the predetermined contents include information indicating that the fault has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses and whether the second processing has been performed. The third process or the input of the cascade copy job is to select either the fourth process to suspend until the fault is removed, and the user is notified of the predetermined content and the user is notified. Since the selected processing is executed, the processing of the multiple copy job can be performed quickly and efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the copying apparatus 1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a cascade copy job input processing procedure executed by the copying apparatus 1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a cascade copy job input process executed by the copying apparatus 1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a cascade copy job input processing procedure of the copying apparatus 1 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a cascade copy job input process of the copying apparatus 2 of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 Copying device 301 Central processing device 302 Main storage device 303 Display device 304 Input device 305 External storage device 306 Printing device 307 Image reading device 308 Network device 309 Electronic mail device 310 Fax device

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) G06F 3/12 G06F 3/12 D K H04N 1/00 106 H04N 1/00 106Z F term (reference) 2C061 AP01 AP03 AP04 HJ06 HJ07 HJ08 HN05 HN23 HQ12 HV09 HV35 2C087 AA03 AA09 BA03 BB10 CB02 CB13 DA11 2H027 DA50 EE10 EJ11 EJ15 FA30 FB18 GB05 GB07 GB19 HA01 ZA07 5B021 AA01 AA05 AA19 EE02 A22AC22 AB22AC38

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses executes a print job of image data of a plurality of pages acquired locally via the network; A print system configured to execute a cascade copy job that transmits to another one of the devices to simultaneously execute the print job with the other one of the image processing devices; Determining whether there is another print job in the other one of the image processing apparatuses when executing the other print job, and performing the other print job in the other one of the image processing apparatuses by the determination means. If it is determined that one of the image processing apparatuses cannot perform printing immediately, the first processing to continue the multiple copy job or the second processing to cancel The user is notified that any one of the third processes for transmitting the cascade copy job to another one of the image processing devices, not to another one of the image processing devices, is selected. A printing system comprising: a notifying unit; and a process executing unit that executes a process selected by the user among the notified processes. 2. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses executes a print job of image data of a plurality of pages acquired locally via the network; A printing system configured to execute a cascade copy job that transmits to another one of the devices to simultaneously execute the print job with the other one of the image processing devices. Determining means for determining whether a failure has occurred during execution of the cascade copy job on another one; determining that the failure has occurred on one of the image processing apparatuses by the determining means When done, one of the image processing devices
And a notification unit for notifying the user of a predetermined content when the notification is received. Printing system. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined contents include information indicating that the failure has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses, whether the second processing, the third processing, or the input of the cascade copy job is the failure. To select any one of the fourth processes to be suspended until is removed, and the other process execution unit that executes the process selected by the user among the processes notified by the other notification unit. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising: 4. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses executes a print job of image data of a plurality of pages acquired locally through the network via the network; An image output method for a printing system configured to transmit to another one of the apparatuses and execute a multiple copy job that simultaneously executes the print job together with the other one of the image processing apparatuses. A determination step of determining whether another print job is present in another one of the image processing apparatuses when performing a cascade copy job; and If it is determined that there is another print job, one of the image processing apparatuses cannot immediately perform printing, and the first processing to continue the multiple copy job or the first processing to cancel Or the third process of transmitting the cascade copy job to still another one of the image processing apparatuses instead of the other one of the image processing apparatuses. An image output method comprising: a notifying step of notifying a user; and a process executing step of executing a process selected by the user among the notified processes. 5. An image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses executes a print job of image data of a plurality of pages acquired locally through the image processing via the network; An image output method for a printing system configured to transmit to another one of the apparatuses and execute a multiple copy job that simultaneously executes the print job together with the other one of the image processing apparatuses. A judging step of judging whether or not a fault has occurred while executing the cascade copy job on another one of the image processing apparatuses; and A notification step of notifying one of the image processing apparatuses when it is determined that the error has occurred, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses has a predetermined content when the notification is received. You 5. The image output method according to claim 4, further comprising another notification step of notifying the user. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined contents include information indicating that the failure has occurred in one of the image processing apparatuses, whether the second processing, the third processing, or the input of the cascade copy job is the failure. Is to select any one of the fourth processing to be suspended until is removed, and another processing execution step of executing the processing selected by the user among the processings notified in the other notification step. The image output method according to claim 4, further comprising: 7. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected via a network, wherein one of the image processing apparatuses executes a print job of image data of a plurality of pages acquired locally through the image processing via the network. Performing an image output method of a printing system configured to transmit to another one of the devices to perform a cascade copy job that simultaneously executes the print job with the other one of the image processing devices. A storage medium storing a program, the program comprising: a determination module configured to determine whether another print job is present in another one of the image processing apparatuses when executing the cascade copy job; If the determination module determines that the other print job is present in another one of the image processing apparatuses, one of the image processing apparatuses cannot immediately perform printing. To the effect
A first process to continue the cascade copy job, a second process to cancel, or a cascade copy job to a further one of the image processing devices rather than to another one of the image processing devices A notification module for notifying the user that any one of the third processes for transmitting the process is selected; and a process execution module for executing the process selected by the user among the notified processes. Characteristic storage medium.