JP2013131873A - Multifunction machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the latest file to be printed when a file on a file server is printed by a multifunction machine even if the file is being edited.SOLUTION: A multifunction machine comprises: editing state confirmation means that can grasp an editing state of a file on a server; and print propriety determination means that determines print propriety on the basis of the editing state of the file on the server.

Description

  The present invention relates to the operation of a multifunction machine when file access contention on a server occurs.

  Some recent multifunction peripherals have a file server function in the multifunction peripheral, and files in the multifunction peripheral can be edited from an external PC or the like connected via a network. Furthermore, depending on the multifunction device, a file such as an external file server connected via a network can be accessed from the multifunction device, and the file can be operated and printed on the multifunction device. Also, it has a function to reserve printing of files on the server at a specific time, compare the file at the time of reservation with the file at that time when the specific time comes, and a function to not print if there is no difference between the files There is also a multifunction peripheral (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-351806 A

  When printing a file in a file server attached to the multifunction peripheral or in an external file server connected to the multifunction peripheral through a network, there are cases where another user is editing the target file. In this case, the file on the file server does not necessarily reflect all the data edited by other users, but the multifunction peripheral prints the file on the file server. For this reason, if the file is updated by the editing user after being printed on the server by the multifunction peripheral, the user who printed the file needs to print again.

  A multifunction device capable of printing a file on the server. The multifunction device checks the editing status of the file on the server and determines whether printing is possible based on the editing status of the file on the server. It has the means.

  According to the present invention, when a file on a file server is printed by a multi-function peripheral, it can be confirmed whether the file is being edited, so that useless printing can be omitted.

Overall system configuration diagram Block diagram of MFP 1 Software block diagram of the control unit 300 of the MFP 1 Flow chart for printing files on the server Example of screen displayed on the operation unit Software block diagram of the control unit 300 of the MFP 1 having a server function Flow chart when printing a file in the MFP 1 Example of screen displayed on the operation unit

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Example 1]
FIG. 1 shows an example of the system configuration of this embodiment. A user terminal device 2 composed of a PC or the like connected to a network 4 such as a LAN, a file server 3, and a multifunction device 1 are provided. The network 4 is connected to the Internet, and the multi-function device 1 can be connected to various external devices via the Internet.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration inside the multi function device 1 functioning as a decoder according to the embodiment of the present invention. The multifunction device 1 is an image forming apparatus (MFP) having various functions such as scanning, printing, copying, transmission / reception, and boxing. The multifunction device 1 includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, an external interface 203, a storage unit 204, a scanner unit 205, a printer unit 206, an operation unit 207, and the like. These units are controlled by an MFP control unit 300 described later.

  FIG. 3 is a software block diagram showing the configuration of the MFP control unit 300 of the copier according to the present embodiment. The operation control unit 301 receives input information from the operation unit 207 that has received an input from the user, and controls the multifunction device 1. The file server control unit 302 receives user input information from the operation control unit 301 and accesses a file server connected via a network via the external interface 203. Also, a file on the file server is accessed by an input from the operation control unit 301. The file print control unit 303 stores an image read from the scanner unit 205 or an image input from an external PC or the like in the storage unit 204 according to an input from the operation control unit 301, and prints it using the printer unit 206. Do. Further, the file print control unit 303 receives user input information from the operation control unit 301, and prints a file on the file server using the file server control unit 302.

  FIG. 4 shows the details of the operation of the file print control unit 303 when printing a file on the file server. In step S401, the file print control unit 303 starts printing the file on the designated server. In step S <b> 402, the file print control unit 303 confirms the editing state of the file on the server via the file server control unit 302. If the file has been WriteOpen by another user, it is determined that the file is being edited, and the process proceeds to S403. If the file has not been WriteOpen by another user, it is determined that the file is not being edited, and the process proceeds to S404. In step S403, the file print control unit 303 acquires a file on the server via the file server control unit 302, stores the file on the storage unit, prints the file using the printer unit, and ends the process. In step S <b> 404, the file print control unit 303 displays a confirmation screen on the operation unit via the operation control unit 301 as to whether the file can be printed because it is being edited. In S405, when the user selects printing from the operation unit, the process proceeds to S406. When the user selects not printing from the operation unit, the process ends without printing the file. In step S406, the file print control unit 303 acquires a file on the server via the file server control unit 302, stores the file on the storage unit, prints the file using the printer unit, and ends the process.

  FIG. 5 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation unit in S404. The user confirms the display, and determines whether or not printing is possible by selecting a button 502 when printing is performed and selecting a button 501 when not printing.

  According to the present invention, when a file on a file server is printed by the multifunction device 1, the user can grasp whether the file is being edited. If the file is being edited, the user can confirm whether the file is to be printed. Printing can be omitted.

[Example 2]
Hereinafter, a mode different from the first embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The system configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2).

  FIG. 5 is a software block diagram of the control unit in the second embodiment. A difference from the first embodiment is a file server management unit 601 and a file server area 602. The file server management unit 601 discloses the storage unit 204 of the multifunction device 1 as a file server, and makes it accessible from an external device connected to the multifunction device 1 via a network. The file server area 602 is an area in the storage unit 204 and is an area that can be used as a file server.

  FIG. 6 shows details of the operation of the file print control unit 303 when printing a file on the file server of the multifunction device 1 disclosed by the file server management unit 601. In step S <b> 701, the file print control unit 303 starts printing the file on the designated server of the multifunction device 1. In step S <b> 702, the file print control unit 303 confirms the editing state of the file on the file server of the multifunction device 1 via the file server control unit 302. If the file is WriteOpen by another user, it is determined that the file is being edited, and the process proceeds to S703. If the file is not WriteOpen by another user, it is determined that the file is not being edited, and the process proceeds to S704. In step S703, the file print control unit 303 prints the file using the printer unit, and the process ends. In step S <b> 704, the file print control unit 303 displays on the operation unit via the operation control unit 301, a message indicating that the file is being edited, so that printing is not performed on the operation unit via the operation control unit 301.

  FIG. 8 is an example of a screen displayed on the operation unit in S704. When the user confirms the display and selects the button 801, the file ends without being printed.

  According to the present invention, when printing a file of a multifunction machine having a file server function, the editing state is confirmed, and if it is determined to be the editing state, printing is not performed, so that useless printing can be omitted.

  Note that a storage medium (or recording medium) storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above embodiments is supplied to the system or apparatus, and the information processing apparatus (or CPU or the like) of the system or apparatus stores it in the storage medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. In addition, by executing the program code read by the information processing apparatus, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system running on the information processing apparatus based on an instruction of the program code ( It goes without saying that the case where the OS) performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written to the storage medium provided in the function expansion card inserted into the information processing apparatus or the function expansion unit connected to the information processing apparatus, the program code instruction It is needless to say that the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion card or function expansion unit performing part or all of the actual processing based on the above processing. .

  In addition, the present invention distributes the program code of software that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments via a network, so that storage means such as a hard disk or memory of a system or apparatus, CD-RW, CD-R, etc. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by the information processing device (or CPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reading and executing the program code stored in the storage means or the storage medium. Absent.

301 Operation Control Unit 302 File Print Control Unit 303 File Server Control Unit

Claims (4)

A multifunction device capable of printing files on the server,
Editing status confirmation means that can grasp the editing status of files on the server,
A print propriety judging means for judging the print propriety based on the editing state of the file on the server;
A multi-function machine characterized by having The multi-function peripheral has a storage area, and has a file server publishing function that can be externally disclosed as a storage area as a file server.
The multifunction device according to claim 1. The multifunction device has screen display means,
If the editing status confirmation means determines that the file on the server is being edited when printing the file on the server, the printability determination means determines that the file on the server is not printable, and the file is printed on the screen display means. 3. The multi-function apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a display indicating that disabling is performed is performed. The MFP has a screen display means, and when the file on the server is printed by the editing status confirmation means when it is determined that the file on the server is being edited, the print permission judgment means needs to confirm the file on the server. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the display is performed while the file is being edited on the screen display means.