JP3219593B2 - Server system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a server system and a server in which a client user performs a scanner input and a print output of image data on a server on a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, when documents and images created and converted on a computer are output from a printer or image data is taken in from a scanner, these computers, printers, scanners, etc. are connected via a network. This has made it possible for one client user to use a plurality of printers and scanners.

[0003]

However, in this case, in order to obtain the expected input / output result, each client user must use the restrictions on the scanner / printer to be used (usable paper size, presence / absence of ADF / sorter, maximum reading). Size) must always be considered. If an I / O request that exceeds the limit is made by mistake, either an error results and no I / O result is obtained, or an unexpected I / O result is obtained. However, when the scanner / printer is installed at a position distant from the user or when the number of scanners / printers is large, it is difficult for the user to always be aware of the limitations of the scanner / printer.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a scanner / printer on a network can be used without being aware of the limitations of the scanner / printer used by a client user.
An object of the present invention is to provide a scanner / printer server system capable of inputting / outputting image data using a printer.

In order to achieve the above object, in a server system having a network function, a client computer requesting a print output or a scanner input on a network and receiving and executing a request from the client computer. A server having means for performing a request, wherein the server periodically collects and stores, at a predetermined timing, restriction information relating to various terminals on the network that execute the request, and prints the restriction information. Output or scanner
Enter the job data to be executed
Job data storage means for receiving and storing from a computer
And the job stored by the job data storage unit.
A solution that parses the request based on the commands contained in the data
Analyzing means , selecting means for selecting an optimal terminal to execute the request based on the restriction information, and selecting means
And a storage means for storing more selected terminal, the client requests the server system characterized in that to recognize the terminal selected by monitoring the storage means, and, a printout or scanner input A server in a server system having a client computer that executes the request and a server that has a unit that receives a request from the client computer and causes each terminal on the network to execute the request. Restricted information periodically collected and stored from these terminals at a predetermined timing
Information storage means and print output or scanner input
Job data to be
Job data storage means for receiving and storing
Included in the job data stored by the
Analyzing means for analyzing a request based on a command, a selection unit for the best terminal to perform the request selected on the basis of the restriction information, selected by the selection means
Storage means for storing the terminal
Selected by the monitor of the above storage means from the computer
A server characterized by recognizing the terminal that has been set .

[0006]

According to the present invention, according to the above configuration, when a client user uses a scanner or printer connected on a network, efficient scanner input can be performed without being conscious of restrictions on the scanner or printer. And print output.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a scanner / printer server system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system according to the present embodiment has a digital image reading unit (hereinafter, referred to as "scanner") (100) at the upper part and a digital image printing unit (hereinafter, referred to as a printer) for printing out a digital image. (30)
0), a plurality of scanner / printer servers (200) connected on a network, a plurality of client user computers (400), and a file server (500). .

FIG. 2 has a scan / print function.
The configuration of this digital copying machine (1000) is shown.

In the scanner (100) section, the scanner controller (101) is at the center of control and performs the following control.

First, an exposure system controller (103) controls a contact type CCD line sensor to scan an original on an original platen and converts it into an analog image signal corresponding to the density of each pixel. This analog image signal is converted by the A / D converter into 8 colors.
It is converted to a bit digital image signal. This image signal (digital) is converted from its luminance level to a level corresponding to the amount of toner, which is a density, by the image processing unit (102). Next, the image processing unit (102) performs various types of image processing such as synthesis, scaling, and movement.

The printer (300) includes a scanner (1).
The digital image signal sent from the (00) section is converted into a lighting signal for the semiconductor laser section, and the laser drive section (31)
The laser is controlled at 0), and the lighting signal of the laser is output as a pulse width corresponding to the level of the digital image signal.

The lighting level of the laser is 256 levels (8
bit). In accordance with the digital image signal to be output, the image is sequentially exposed and developed (314) on the photosensitive drum (315) in a digital dot format, transferred to a plurality of sheets (316), and finally fixed (322). It has become an electrophotographic laser beam printer.

The scanner (100) and the printer (3)
The section (00) controls the printer (300) under the control of the scanner (100) section, and can also function as a digital copying machine (1000).

When functioning also as a digital copying machine (1000), an original image is set on the original platen of the scanner (100), a copy start key is pressed, and an image is read from the scanner and image processing is performed in accordance with the above-described process. An image is formed through the processes of exposure, development, transfer, and fixing in the printer (300), and is output as a gray scale copy.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the client computer (400) on the network.

The client computer (400)
A network controller (420) for controlling a protocol on a network with the scanner / printer server (200), a CPU (405) for central control of a client computer, temporary registration of image data, and storage of various data Hard disk (451)
And the hard disk controller (45
0), a mouse (431) and a keyboard (441) as means for inputting instructions from a main memory (460) and an operator.
And a keyboard / mouse controller (430) for controlling them, a color display (412) for performing layout, editing, menu display, etc., a display memory (411), and a display controller (4).
10) and an image editing controller (41) for performing image layout and editing on the display memory (411).
3).

FIG. 4 shows a scanner / printer server (200) according to the present invention.

This device is roughly divided into a main controller (210) for controlling the entire scanner / printer server (200), a network controller (220) for controlling protocol processing on a network, and a packet controller for extracting a packet extracted by the protocol. A network server controller (221) for controlling the server as a server, such as analyzing the contents and separating image data, a hard disk controller (230) for controlling a single or a plurality of hard disks, a hard disk (231) connected thereto, and separated images A raster image storage unit (700) for storing / managing raster image data and its position / attribute information based on data / command data and performing layout and the like is provided.

As an interface, a digital copier (1000) exchanges image data, control information, commands, and the like, and switches a digital copier (1000) when a plurality of digital copiers (1000) are connected. An interface controller (790), a mouse (244) and a keyboard (245) as means for inputting instructions from a server administrator, a keyboard / mouse controller (243) for controlling them, and a layout / edit / menu display. It comprises a display (242), a display memory (241), and a display controller (240).

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the raster image storage unit (700) in the scanner / printer server.

The raster image storage section (700) includes an image main controller (710) for controlling the entire raster image data, and a memory management for efficiently arranging and managing the raster image data in the raster image memory (760). A controller (720), its management table (770), already registered image data, or an image editing controller (730) for performing enlargement / reduction / deformation editing when registering an image in a memory, and output to a printer unit. In this case, a layout controller (750) that performs layout editing in real time is mainly configured.

When outputting image data in the memory, a digital interface controller (79
0), the image data is transferred to the digital printer unit (300), and a print image can be obtained.

The raster image storage unit (700) and the scanner /
The image data and instructions for the main bus of the printer server (200) are based on a specific format, and are connected to the image main controller (710) and the scanner / printer server (100) via the bus controller (740). 200).

The raster image storage section (700) can manage image data in two modes, a file management mode and a page mode.

The first file management mode is a function for storing / managing a plurality of image data. The stored image data is registered in accordance with a command from the main controller (210) of the scanner / printer server. Each of the plurality of image data is laid out, and via the digital interface controller (790),
The image can be output to the digital printer unit (300) to obtain a print image. At this time, the plurality of image data are stored in the raster image memory (76
0) is divided into a plurality of parts and managed, and the start address on the memory and its image data length, the attribute of the image data,
The position information and the like of the layout output of the image data are registered in the position / attribute information table (770), and are managed by the memory management controller (720). The position and size designated by an image editing controller (730) that performs image conversion and enlargement / reduction / deformation editing of the registered image data and a layout controller (750) that performs layout editing when the image data is actually output. Then, it is output to the digital printer unit (300) via the color digital interface controller (790). Therefore, since the original image data is always stored in the memory, it is possible to change the layout output.

In the page mode, which is another memory management mode, the raster image memory (760) is treated as one sheet of paper, the memory is managed by width (WIDTH) / height (HEIGHT), and a plurality of image data are stored. Are respectively subjected to image conversion such as enlargement / reduction / deformation by the image editing controller (730) when being laid out on the memory, and fitted into the designated layout position on the memory.

As described above, the layout controller (75)
The position and size specified by 0) are output to the digital printer unit (300) via the digital interface controller (790).

FIG. 6 shows a file server (500) according to the present invention.

This device is roughly divided into a main controller (5) for controlling the entire file server (500).
10), a network controller (540) for controlling protocol processing on the network, and a network server controller (550) for performing control as a server, such as analysis of packet contents extracted by the protocol and separation of image data. A hard disk controller (560) for controlling one or a plurality of hard disks, a hard disk (561) controlled by the hard disk controller, a queue management controller (570) for managing / controlling queuing file data registered on the hard disk; It is composed of queue table data (571) for the management information.

The queuing data is command data that has already been input and is waiting for execution.

The client computer (400) and the file server (500) communicate with each other.
Packets are exchanged using a group of data strings called packets as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 as one block.

The structure of a packet is such that a destination network address is set at the beginning, a source network address is set next, and information on the frame size of the packet is followed by actual packet data. An error check such as a CRC called a tailor is added to improve the performance. This packet data part (100
02), any data can be entered. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS.
0003) and a data block (10100).

As shown in FIG. 7, the header part (10003) of the packet data part (10002) first has a header code indicating that it is header information, and then what function the packet data has. , A continuous packet ID (10030) indicating a continuous NO when one data is composed of a plurality of packets, a total packet ID (10031) indicating the total number of packets, and an actual Data block part (1010
The data length (1002) indicates the length of the data (0). The function code section (10
020) is a function ID (10021) indicating the type of the scanner / printer server and a job type ID (1002) indicating the type of the job for the server.
2), a job ID (10
023).

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the data block portion (10100) of the packet data portion (10002) has a command block (10005) based on the contents of the job type ID (10022) of the function code portion of the header portion. , Status block (10006),
It is divided into an image data block (10007) and an image information block (10008).

FIG. 12 shows a general flow of a printing operation procedure of the scanner / printer server system having the above configuration. Hereinafter, the procedure shown in the figure will be described in detail.

<Starting up the scanner / printer server>
(Fig. 13) When the scanner / printer server (200) is started,
Digital copier (1000) connected first
The main controller (210) controls the digital interface controller (790) in order to detect the restrictions on the digital copier (1000) and sends a command requesting notification of the restrictions to all the connected digital copying machines (1000). I do. Note that the restrictions are parameters depending on the capabilities of the copying machine, such as the maximum image reading range / maximum resolution of the scanner, the maximum output range / maximum resolution / maximum number of layouts of the printer, and usable paper sizes. Digital copier (100
The interface controller (104) of (0) obtains a code uniquely corresponding to the content of each restriction item from the scanner controller (101) and the printer controller (301), and obtains the code from the scanner / printer server (200). ). The digital interface controller (790), having received the notification from the copying machine, notifies the main controller (210) of the information on the acquired restrictions, and the main controller (210) stores it in the main memory (260). (S21).

The scanner / printer server (20)
During the operation of (0), the power of the digital copying machine (1000) is turned off or the paper cassette (32
Since there is a possibility that the state of 3) may be changed, the above-described restriction items are detected periodically.

<Activation of File Server> When the file server (500) is activated, first, in order to detect restrictions on the digital copier (1000) on the same network, the main controller (510) operates the network controller (540). ), And sends a command requesting notification of restrictions to all connected scanner / printer servers (200).
The scanner / printer server (2
The network controller (220) of (00) notifies the file server (500) of the restriction information stored in the main memory (260). The network controller (54) of the file server (500) receiving the notification from the scanner / printer server (200)
0) notifies the main controller (510) of information on the acquired restrictions, and the main controller (5)
10) stores it in the main memory (530) as table data (FIG. 11) (S22).

While the file server (500) is operating, the power of the scanner / printer server (200) or the digital copier (1000) is turned off, or the state of the set paper cassette (323) is changed. Therefore, the detection of the above-described restriction items is performed periodically.

<Layout Processing on Client Computer> On the client computer (400),
DTP (disk top publishing) software is loaded from the hard disk (451) onto the main memory (460) and executed by the CPU (405) (S21). The user can use the display (41
2) Layout of documents and various image data (illustrations formed by vectors / multi-valued images such as natural images captured by a scanner or the like) using a mouse (431) and keyboard (441) while checking on the above. Is performed directly while checking on the display (412) (S23).

When a multi-valued natural image is laid out on a document image, the image can be subjected to mask processing and cropped by a binary bitmap image.

The image editing controller (413) registers the processing procedure / multi-valued image data / binary bitmap mask image and the like of an arbitrary document image created in the meantime on the main memory (460) as needed. S27) When the format of one page is completed, the hard disk controller (450) is controlled and registered as a format of one page on the hard disk (451) (S28).

<Generation of Raster Image> During this time, the document image developed on the display memory (411) is displayed on the display (412). When the document image is finally completed, it is laid out on the hard disk. Based on the various information, the document or image laid out and converted by the device driver software in the ROM into a multi-value raster image (S30). At this time, position information and color correction information for layout output are registered on the hard disk as command data together with the image data (S3).
1).

The multi-valued raster image thus converted includes vector-based information such as characters and illustrations, data of a multi-valued raster image such as a laid-out natural image, mask commands for mask processing, and masks for the mask processing. It is created by device driver software based on binary bitmap mask image data of data.

<Request for Print Queue Information> (FIG. 14) Here, the client computer (400) communicates with the network controller (540) of the file server (500) via the network controller (420). Do.

Based on the network address of the file server (500) registered in the client computer in advance, the network controller (42)
0) sets the destination address of the packet base (10001), and sets the function ID of the header to the printer ID that is uniquely determined as the ID for identifying the function. The job ID is set to 0 since the job has not been determined yet, and as the job type ID,
The ID of a uniquely determined command indicating that the command is a data block is set.

At this time, the data block section sets a print queue status request command for obtaining the current print queue state information on the file server side.

The client computer (400)
This packet data is transferred to the file server (500) via the network controller (420) (S40).

On the file server side, the main controller (510) separates the content of the packet into a header portion and a data block portion, analyzes that the content of the data block portion is a command, and follows the command. Perform processing. Since the request from the client side is a command for a print queue status request, the main controller (510) sends the designated function ID
A request is made to the queue management controller (570) to determine whether there is queue information of the printer corresponding to (10021).

<Referring to Queuing Table> The queuing table is configured so that a plurality of print / scan jobs requested by the client can be registered (FIG. 9).

The queue management controller checks the queue type in the queuing table and searches for a queue corresponding to the designated function ID (10021). If it exists, the entire status information is created from the queuing table data. If there are a plurality of targets, a plurality of pieces of overall status information are created.

The data of the overall status information is a queue corresponding to the designated function ID (10021). The registered queue ID, the server ID / network ID of the file server targeted for the queue, and the currently registered total The number of queues and error codes.

The data of the overall status information is set in the data block part of the packet data, and the job type ID in the header is set to the status block ID, and is returned to the client computer which issued the status request (S41).

At this time, if no queue information exists,
An uniquely determined error code is set in the data block portion of the packet data, and returned to the client computer that issued the status request.

<Register a job in the queuing table>
The client computer is a file server (50
0), the content of the packet data returned is divided / analyzed, and the currently valid registration queue ID can be obtained (S4).
2). Here, the device driver on the client computer sets the destination address of the file server (500) in the packet base (10001) in the same procedure as that of issuing the overall status request command described above,
A printer ID uniquely determined as an ID for identifying a function is set in the function ID of the header portion.
The job ID is 0 because the job has not yet been determined.
Is set, and as a job type ID, an ID of a uniquely determined command indicating a data block of the command is set.

At this time, the data block section sets a job registration command for registering a new print job in the print queue on the file server side, and also sets a parameter of the determined registration queue ID in the command section. This packet is issued to the file server in the same manner as described above (S43).

<Issuance of New Job ID of Scanner / Printer Server> On the file server side, the main controller (510) separates the contents of the packet into a header section and a data block section in the same manner as described above. It analyzes that the content of the set is a command, and performs processing according to the job registration command. The main controller (510) instructs the queue management controller (570) to register the specified registration queue I in the job registration command.
A new job is registered in the queuing table of the scanner / printer server (200) corresponding to D, and a job ID at that time is newly issued. At that time, the job ID is set in the status block of the packet to be returned as the status, and the packet is returned to the client computer in the above-described procedure. Thereafter, scan / print processing within the network is performed using this job ID as an identification key.

<Print Job Registration / Image Data Transfer of Client> The client device driver obtains the job ID from the status packet returned from the file server (500) (S44). Read the rasterized image data registered on the hard disk and the command data containing the layout information, set the packet-based job ID to the same value as obtained, and set the command type as the job type ID. set. At this time, the data block section sets a print execution command, and in the command section, print information such as layout information to be printed, color balance information, the number of prints, print size, magnification, output resolution, and the like of image data. Size (width,
Height), image data type (RGB, CMYK, Bi
Parameters such as tmap, 8-bit Palette, transfer units of image data (line-sequential, plane-sequential, dot-sequential), sorter control information, and the like are set.

At this time, the number of packets of the image data block to be sent as a whole after the command block is calculated from the size of the image data and the type of the image, and the total number of packets (including the command packet) is indicated by the header. Is set to the total packet ID. These packets are continuously transferred from the client computer to the file server (500) according to the procedure described above (S4).
5).

In the continuous transfer of packets, some command packets are transferred first, and subsequently, packets of image data are transferred. The command, the image data, and the job type ID in the header following each transfer are set to the respective type, and the job ID is registered in the queue. The consecutive packet IDs of the header portion are sequentially transmitted from 0 to the total packet ID-1 in order from the packet from the head (S46).

<File Server Queue Registration> The file server receives the above-mentioned command packet / image data packet from the client and checks whether the specified job ID exists.
The queuing files are sequentially registered on the hard disk in the file server (S48).

The ID of the queuing file registered on the hard disk in the file server is registered in the queue of the job ID obtained from the command packet (S49). The job ID and the queuing file ID are managed as one set in the queuing table. The command packet / image data packet registered on the hard disk is managed as one file data on the file server.

<File server queue check>
(FIG. 15) The main controller (510) of the file server (500) requests the queuing table information from the queue management controller (570) at regular intervals registered in the ROM (520) (S50). . Then, when a newly registered job is found from the queuing table information (S51), the corresponding file information (packet data from the client registered as a file) is stored in the hard disk (531).
And extracts only the command packet part from the file information (S52).

<Selection of Output Printer> The main controller (510) receives print information such as layout information to be printed, color balance information, the number of prints, print size, magnification, resolution, sorter control information, and the like from the command packet. The parameters such as the image size (width, height) of the data, the type of the image data, and the transfer unit of the image data (point / line / plane sequential) are obtained.
Next, table data relating to the restrictions of the digital copying machine stored in the main memory (530) (FIG. 10)
, And selects a digital copying machine having restrictions that permit the parameters obtained from the command packet (S53). The choice of digital copier is scanner /
The main controller (2) of the printer server (200)
10) controls the color digital interface controller (790) to switch an internal switch.

<Issuance of Warning Code Regarding Selection of Digital Copier> The main controller (510) of the file server (500) transmits a queuing table (not shown) to notify the client (400) of the selected digital copier. The warning code uniquely determined for the warning status (10218) in (10200) is registered. Client (400)
After issuing a print execution packet, which will be described later, and issuing all command packets and image data packets, the status of the queuing table (10200) of the file server (500) is monitored. Notify the user immediately upon registration.

<Issue a print command to the scanner / printer server>
0) refers to the queuing table (571) via the queue management controller (570), and refers to the scanner / printer server (2) connected to the selected printer.
00) is obtained. Then, in the same procedure as when the client (400) previously issued the print command to the file server (500),
A print command is issued to the scanner / printer server (200) (S54). The scanner / printer server (200) temporarily registers the received command packet in the hard disk (231).

<Image File ID Request> The main controller (21) of the scanner / printer server (200)
0) works in the file management mode described above,
Setup is performed for the image controller (710) of the raster image storage unit via the bus controller (740). Accordingly, the image controller initializes the memory management controller to manage the raster image memory in the file management mode, and registers the image data registered in the hard disk (231) in the raster image memory (760). Then, an arbitrary file ID of the image data to be registered is set in the memory management controller (S55). The memory management controller uses this as an image file ID for management / identification.

The print information / image attribute parameters of the image data are set in the position information table (770) (S56).

<Transfer of Image Data to Raster Image Memory> (FIG. 16) The main controller (210)
31) Only the image data portion is extracted from the registered file information and the image data is transferred to the raster image memory (760) (S61). The transferred image data is stored in a raster image memory (76
0) is divided into a plurality of parts and managed, and the start address on the memory and its image data length, the attribute of the image data,
The image data is registered in the raster image memory (760) based on the information registered in the position / attribute information table (770) corresponding to the image file ID, such as the position information of the layout output of the image data.

<Layout Output of Image Data> After registering all image data packets, the main controller (21)
0) is the number of prints of the position / attribute information table,
The layout information is set in the layout controller (750) when outputting the layout (S62), and the layout controller performs enlargement / reduction / deformation editing to the designated position and size (S63) and converts the raster image data into a digital interface. The data is transferred via the controller (790), output to the digital printer unit (300) (S64), and the image requested by the client is printed.

<Status information setting such as outputting / completion>
The status executed by the scanner / printer server is notified to the queue management controller (570) via the network controller of the file server (500) and the scanner / printer server (200), and can be monitored. . The status includes a set of a job ID of a current print output execution queue, a current output number, an output end flag, and the like.

Here, only the flow of this status will be described below.

First, when the command parameters are registered in the raster image storage unit, the ID of the job to be executed is set in the execution queue (10203) of the queuing table, the job status (10215) is set to data transfer, and the print Print the total number of prints (10
216), and the number of printed sheets (1021)
7) is set to 1.

When the raster image storage unit (700) starts printing out, the main controller (2)
10) changes the job status (10215) of the job data in the queuing table to print in progress.

At the time when printing is started, the main controller (210) inquires of the raster image storage unit (700) at regular intervals about the status of printing, thereby obtaining the current number of printed sheets and error status such as no paper. Is confirmed, and the information is set as a parameter of print executed (10311) in the queuing table.

<Client Status Information Monitoring> The client computer (400) issues a print execution packet, and after issuing all the command packets and image data packets, monitors the status of the queuing table on the file server side. Will do. CPU (4) of the client computer (400)
05) issues a command packet of a job status request command via the network controller (420). This command packet returns the job information of the queuing table of the job ID specified as a parameter to the client side, whereby the information of the current job can be monitored.

The job information is monitored by the CPU (405) of the client computer (400) based on the status information obtained from the file server, the job ID of the data that has been printed out, the file server ID of the registration destination, and the queuing. The table is displayed on the display controller (410). Each I
D can be displayed in contrast to a unique name managed on a file server or a client computer, thereby making it easier to identify the server. In the displayed queuing table of the file server, it is possible to display the current execution process of the scanner / printer server, the number of printed sheets, and the error status. At regular intervals, the information is transmitted to the status set command. By packet
Obtain from the file server side.

With this monitor function, the client side can know the completion of printing (S
66).

In the above embodiment, a scanner and a printer are provided as terminals, but other various terminals may be used.

[0082]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when a client user uses a terminal such as a scanner or a printer connected to a network, the client user is restricted by the terminal. without being aware of the matter, it is selected rather than by efficiency by the server
Scanner input and print output can be performed using the optimal terminal .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a scanner / printer system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a digital copying machine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a client computer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a scanner / printer server according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a raster image storage unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a file server according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a network packet unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a data block unit of a network packet according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a queuing table according to the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a data block portion of a print execution command according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a scanner / printer restriction information table according to the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a general flowchart of the server system of the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart 1 of the server system of the embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart 2 of the server system of the embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart 3 of the server system of the embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart 4 of the server system of the embodiment.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-7-72993 (JP, A) JP-A-6-19648 (JP, A) JP-A-5-292240 (JP, A) JP-A-6-292240 95818 (JP, A) JP-A-6-75725 (JP, A) JP-A-6-149501 (JP, A) JP-A-2-99377 (JP, A) JP-A-6-143755 (JP, A) JP-A-6-324823 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/00-1/00 108 G06F 3/09-3/12 G06F 13/00 351- 357 B41J 29/00-29/70 G06T 1/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A server system having a network function, comprising, on the network, a client computer requesting print output or scanner input, and a server having means for receiving and executing a request from the client computer. The server includes a limit information storage unit that periodically collects and stores, at a predetermined timing, limit information regarding various terminals on the network that execute the request, and a job data that executes print output or scanner input.
Data received from the client computer and stored
And job data storage unit that has been stored by the job data storage unit Jobude
Analysis hand to analyze the request based on the command included in the data
Comprising: a stage, a selection means for an optimum terminal to perform the request selected on the basis of the restriction information, and storage means for storing the terminal selected by the selection means, the client, the storage means A server system characterized by recognizing a selected terminal by monitoring data. 2. Request print output or scanner input
Client computer and the client
Each terminal on the network in response to a request from the computer
Server having means for executing the program
In the server in the system, Related to the various terminals on the network that execute the request
Information to be restricted from these terminals at predetermined timing.
Restriction information storage means for collectively storing and storing; Job output to execute print output or scanner input
Data received from the client computer and stored
Means for storing job data, Job data stored by the job data storage means
Parser that analyzes the request based on the commands contained in the
Steps and The best terminal to execute the above request is determined based on the above restriction information.
Selection means for selecting Storage means for storing the terminal selected by the selection means
With The mode of the storage means from the client computer
Characterize that the terminal selected by Nita is recognized
Server to do.