JP6763244B2 - Printing device, printing control method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing control method and a program.

Conventionally, a pull printing system including a printing device such as a multifunction device and a printing server has been used. In the pull printing system, the user registers a print job (print process) in the print server from the user terminal, and the multifunction device registers the print job data of the print job registered in the print server in response to the instruction from the user. Get and run the print job. In a conventional pull printing system, it is common for a user to select a print job from a list of print jobs displayed on the display of a multifunction device by operating an operation unit and execute the selected print job. ..

However, in the above-mentioned conventional pull printing system, while the user operates the operation unit to specify the selected print job as an execution target, in the case of a printing device having poor functions such as the operation unit, the user operates the operation unit. It is difficult to select a print job. Therefore, there is a problem that the print job to be executed cannot be flexibly specified according to the type of the printing device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to flexibly specify a print job to be executed according to the type of printing device used by the user.

The printing device according to the embodiment is a printing device that is registered by the user and executes a printing job stored in the job storage unit in association with the user, and is a first condition according to the type of the printing device. The first acquisition unit that acquires the first condition corresponding to the user who has logged in to the printing device from the condition storage unit that stores the above in association with the user, and the type of the printing device is the first. In the selection condition for selecting the print job to be acquired from the plurality of print jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit when the first condition acquired by the acquisition unit is satisfied. Therefore, among the selection conditions set for each user and the selection conditions set for all users, a second acquisition unit for acquiring the selection conditions corresponding to the first condition, and the user In response to logging in to the printing device, a plurality of the printing jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit are selected based on the selection condition acquired by the second acquisition unit. It also includes an execution unit that acquires and executes the print job .

According to each embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to flexibly specify the print job to be executed according to the type of the printing device used by the user.

The figure which shows an example of the printing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of an authentication information terminal. The figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of an authentication server. The figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of a user terminal. The figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of an image forming apparatus. The figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of a print server. The figure which shows an example of a print job list. The figure which shows an example of a selection condition. The figure which shows an example of the setting screen of a selection condition. The figure which shows an example of the usage condition. The figure which shows an example of the setting screen of the usage condition. The figure which shows an example of the registered job list. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the printing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The sequence diagram corresponding to FIG. A flowchart showing an example of execution processing of a print job. A flowchart showing another example of the execution process of the print job. The flowchart which shows an example of the decision method which decides whether to use a selection condition. The figure which shows an example of the printing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the printing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the printing system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the printing system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows another example of the printing system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows another example of the operation of the printing system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regarding the description of the specification and the drawings according to each embodiment, the components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and the superimposed description will be omitted.

(First Embodiment)
The printing system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. The printing system according to the present embodiment is a pull printing system including an image forming apparatus and a printing server. The print server registers a print job by the user and stores the print job data of the registered print job. The image forming apparatus is an example of a printing apparatus, receives print job data from a print server, and executes a print job.

The print job data is actual data of a print job, and includes image data of an image to be printed and attribute data indicating attributes of the print job. The attributes of the print job include the user ID of the user who registered the print job, the number of pages, the number of pages (double-sided printing or single-sided printing), color (monochrome printing or color printing), the registration date and time, and the image data file format. Contains information.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a printing system according to the present embodiment. The printing system of FIG. 1 includes an authentication information terminal 1, an authentication server 2, a user terminal 3, an image forming apparatus 4, and a printing server 5.

The authentication information terminal 1 is a communication terminal for inputting authentication information for a user to log in to the image forming apparatus 4 into the image forming apparatus 4. The authentication information terminal 1 is, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, a magnetic card, a smartphone, or the like. The authentication information includes information such as a user ID, a user's affiliation, a job title, and a password. The authentication information terminal 1 is prepared for each user.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the authentication information terminal 1. In the example of FIG. 2, it is assumed that the authentication information terminal 1 is an IC card. The authentication information terminal 1 of FIG. 2 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 101, a communication interface 102, and a bus 103.

The ROM 101 stores information such as authentication information. The communication interface 102 communicates with the image forming apparatus 4. The bus 103 connects the ROM 101 and the communication interface 102.

The authentication server 2 is a server computer that executes an authentication process based on the authentication information stored in the authentication information terminal 1. The authentication server 2 is connected to the image forming apparatus 4 via a network.

The authentication server 2 receives the authentication information from the image forming apparatus 4, executes the authentication process based on the received authentication information, and returns the result of the authentication process (hereinafter, referred to as “authentication result”) to the image forming apparatus 4. .. When the authentication is successful, the authentication server 2 returns the user information to the image forming apparatus 4 together with the authentication result. The user information includes a user ID, a user's affiliation, a job title, an ID of a print server 5 available to the user, an address of the print server 5 available to the user, and the like. Any existing method can be used as the authentication method by the authentication server 2.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the authentication server 2. The authentication server 2 of FIG. 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204, a communication interface 205, and a bus 206.

The CPU 201 executes a program for realizing the function of the authentication server 2. The ROM 202 stores a program executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 203 provides the CPU 201 with a work area. HDD 204 stores information used for user authentication, user information, and the like. The communication interface 205 communicates with the image forming apparatus 4 via a network. The bus 206 connects the CPU 201, the ROM 202, the RAM 203, the HDD 204, and the communication interface 205 to each other.

The user terminal 3 is a client computer for the user to register a print job in the print server 5. The user terminal 3 is connected to the print server 5 via a network. The user terminal 3 generates a print job (print job data) according to the user's operation, and transmits the generated print job data to the print server 5.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 3. The user terminal 3 of FIG. 4 includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, an HDD 304, a communication interface 305, an input device 306, a display device 307, and a bus 308.

The CPU 301 executes a program for realizing the function of the user terminal 3. The ROM 302 stores a program executed by the CPU 301. The RAM 303 provides the CPU 301 with a work area. The HDD 304 stores various information used for generating a print job. The communication interface 305 communicates with the image forming apparatus 4 via a network. The input device 306 inputs information according to the user's operation to the user terminal 3. The input device 306 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, or the like. The display device 307 displays an image or a moving image. The display device 307 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL display, a cathode ray tube display, or the like. The bus 308 connects the CPU 301, ROM 302, RAM 303, HDD 304, communication interface 305, input device 306, and display device 307 to each other.

The image forming apparatus 4 is an apparatus having a printing function, and is, for example, a printer apparatus or a multifunction device. The image forming apparatus 4 is connected to the authentication server 2, the user terminal 3, and the printing server 5 via a network. The image forming apparatus 4 may include at least one of an authentication server 2 and a printing server 5. The image forming apparatus 4 executes a print job registered in the print server 5 by a logged-in user. The functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 4 will be described in detail later.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 4. In the example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 4 is a multifunction device provided with a printer apparatus. The image forming apparatus 4 of FIG. 5 includes a CPU 401, a ROM 402, a RAM 403, a communication interface 404, an operation panel 405, a printer device 406, an authentication information reading device 407, and a bus 408.

The CPU 401 executes a program for realizing the function of the image forming apparatus 4. The ROM 402 stores a program executed by the CPU 401. The RAM 403 provides a work area for the CPU 401. The communication interface 404 communicates with the authentication server 2, the user terminal 3, and the print server 5 via the network. The operation panel 405 is a touch panel and constitutes an input / output device of the image forming apparatus 4. The image forming apparatus 4 may include an input / output device other than the operation panel 405. The printer device 406 is controlled by the CPU 401 to print an image on a print medium. The authentication information reading device 407 reads the authentication information from the authentication information terminal 1. The authentication information reader 407 is, for example, an IC card reader, but is not limited thereto. The bus 408 connects the CPU 401, the ROM 402, the RAM 403, the communication interface 404, the operation panel 405, the printer device 406, and the authentication information reading device 407 to each other.

The print server 5 is a server computer for accumulating print jobs registered by the user of the image forming apparatus 4. The print server 5 is connected to the user terminal 3 and the image forming apparatus 4 via a network. The print server 5 stores the print job data of the print job registered by the user. Further, the print server 5 transmits the print job data of the print job registered by the user logged in to the image forming apparatus 4 to the image forming apparatus 4 in response to the request from the image forming apparatus 4. The functional configuration of the print server 5 will be described in detail later.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the print server 5. The print server 5 of FIG. 6 includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, an HDD 504, a communication interface 505, and a bus 506.

The CPU 501 executes a program for realizing the function of the print server 5. The ROM 502 stores a program executed by the CPU 501. The RAM 503 provides the CPU 501 with a work area. The HDD 504 stores information such as print job data received from the user terminal 3. The communication interface 505 communicates with the user terminal 3 and the image forming apparatus 4 via the network. The bus 506 connects the CPU 501, the ROM 502, the RAM 503, the HDD 504, and the communication interface 505 to each other.

Next, the functional configurations of the image forming apparatus 4 and the printing server 5 will be described. First, the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 4 includes an authentication unit 41, a list acquisition unit 42, a job selection unit 43, a job execution unit 44, and a setting condition storage unit 45 as functional configurations. Each of these functional configurations is realized by the CPU 401 executing a program.

The authentication unit 41 acquires the user's authentication information from the authentication information terminal 1, transmits the acquired authentication information to the authentication server 2, and receives the authentication result from the authentication server 2. The authentication unit 41 rejects the user's login when the authentication by the authentication server 2 fails. On the other hand, when the authentication by the authentication server 2 is successful, the authentication unit 41 receives the user information together with the authentication result, passes the received user information to the list acquisition unit 42, and permits the user to log in.

The list acquisition unit 42 acquires from the print server 5 a list (hereinafter, referred to as “print job list”) that lists the print jobs registered in the print server 5 by the user logged in to the image forming apparatus 4. Specifically, the list acquisition unit 42 transmits a list acquisition request including the user information received from the authentication unit 41 to the print server 5, and the print job list generated by the print server 5 in response to the list acquisition request is displayed. Received from the print server 5. The list acquisition unit 42 passes the acquired print job list to the job selection unit 43.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a print job list. The print job list of FIG. 7 includes a job ID of each print job, a processing state, and attributes (number of pages, number of copies, number of pages, color, registration date and time, and file format). The processing status indicates whether or not the print job has been executed. Unprocessed means not executed, processed means executed. The processing status of the print job is updated by the print server 5.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the print job list does not have to include the user ID. This is because the user IDs of the print jobs included in the print job list are all the same.

Further, when there are a plurality of print servers 5 that can be used by the user, the list acquisition unit 42 receives a print job list from each print server 5 and integrates the received print job lists to print. You may generate a job list. In this case, it is preferable that the list acquisition unit 42 adds the server ID and address of the print server 5 in which the print job is registered as an attribute of the print job.

The job selection unit 43 selects a print job to be executed from the print jobs included in the print job list according to the setting conditions stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. The job selection unit 43 notifies the job execution unit 44 of the selected print job. The setting conditions will be described later.

The job execution unit 44 automatically executes the print job notified by the job selection unit 43, that is, the print job selected by the job selection unit 43. Specifically, the job execution unit 44 receives the print job data of the notified print job from the print server 5, performs a predetermined process on the image data included in the received print job data, and executes the print job. .. The job execution unit 44 may request the print server 5 for print job data one by one and execute the print jobs one by one. Further, the job execution unit 44 may collectively request the print job data from the print server 5 and execute the print jobs in the order in which the print job data is received.

The setting condition storage unit 45 stores preset setting conditions. The setting condition storage unit 45 may store the setting conditions in advance, or may store the setting conditions received from the outside. For example, the setting condition storage unit 45 may receive the setting condition together with the authentication information from the authentication information terminal 1 and store the received setting condition. Further, the setting condition storage unit 45 may receive the setting condition together with the authentication result from the authentication server 2 and store the received setting condition. Further, the setting condition storage unit 45 may receive and store the setting condition together with the print job list from the print server 5, and when the authentication by the authentication server 2 is successful, the setting condition is stored together with the authentication result from the authentication server 2. May be received and stored.

The setting conditions may be set by the user, or defaults may be set. In the following, the setting conditions set by the user are referred to as user setting conditions. The setting conditions set by default are called system setting conditions. The setting condition storage unit 45 may store both the user setting condition and the system setting condition as the setting condition.

The setting conditions include selection conditions and usage conditions. The selection conditions and usage conditions will be described below.

The selection condition is a condition for selecting a print job to be executed by the image forming apparatus 4 from the print jobs included in the print job list. The job selection unit 43 selects a print job that satisfies the selection condition from the print jobs included in the print job list. As the condition items of the selection condition, for example, the number of print jobs, the selection order, the processing state, the attributes, and the like can be considered.

The number of print jobs is the number of print jobs to select. The number of print jobs can be set to any natural number. The selection order is the order in which print jobs are selected. As the setting value of the selection order, for example, ascending order (oldest order) and descending order (newest order) of the registration date and time of the print job can be considered. The processing status is the processing status of the print job to be selected. As the setting value of the processing state, unprocessed, processed, and all can be considered. The attribute is the attribute of the print job to be selected. As the setting values of the attributes, the number of pages, the number of copies, monochrome printing, color printing, single-sided printing, double-sided printing, image data file format, registration date and time, and the like can be considered.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of selection conditions stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. FIG. 8A shows a system setting condition in which the number of copies to be printed is 1, the selection order is descending from the registration date and time, and the processing state is unprocessed. When the selection condition of FIG. 8A is used, the job selection unit 43 selects one print job with the latest registration date and time from the unprocessed print jobs included in the print job list. Then, the selected print job is automatically executed by the job execution unit 44.

FIG. 8B shows user setting conditions for user U1 (user whose user ID is U1). The number of copies to print is 3, the selection order is descending from the registration date and time, the processing status is unprocessed, and the request attribute is monochrome printing. It is set. When the selection condition of FIG. 8B is used, the job selection unit 43 selects three print jobs from the unprocessed and monochrome print print jobs included in the print job list in order of newest registration date and time. Then, the selected print job is automatically executed by the job execution unit 44.

By setting the selection conditions in advance in this way, the image forming apparatus 4 can automatically execute the print job satisfying the selection conditions. The condition items and setting values of the selection conditions are not limited to the above examples. Further, in the selection condition, the attribute may not be set (see FIG. 8A), or a plurality of attributes may be set.

The user can set such a selection condition from the user terminal 3. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a selection condition setting screen displayed on the display device 307 of the user terminal 3. The setting screen of FIG. 9 is a setting screen of the selection condition of the user U1, and corresponds to the selection condition of FIG. 8 (B). In the example of FIG. 9, the number of print jobs is set by inputting a numerical value in the text box. The selection order and processing state are set by selecting the radio box. The attributes are set by selecting the check box. On the other hand, the system setting conditions may be set by the administrator, for example, via the setting screen of FIG. In this case, the setting screen of FIG. 9 is a setting screen of system setting conditions.

The selection conditions set via such a display screen are stored in at least one of the authentication information terminal 1, the authentication server 2, the image forming device 4, and the printing server 5, and the image forming device 4 executes the print job. At that time, it is received from the storage destination and stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. As for the selection conditions for each user, the selection conditions set corresponding to the user logged in to the image forming apparatus 4 may be received from the storage destination and stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. For example, when the selection conditions for each user are stored in the authentication server 2, if the authentication by the authentication server 2 is successful, the selection conditions set corresponding to the users who have succeeded in the authentication are transmitted from the authentication server 2 together with the authentication result. Receive. When the authentication information terminal 1 is a smartphone, the selection condition may be set from the authentication information terminal 1.

The usage condition is a condition for deciding whether to use the selection condition. The job selection unit 43 determines whether to use the selection condition according to the usage condition. As the setting value of the usage condition, two values of "use" and "not use" can be considered. When the usage condition is set to "use", the job selection unit 43 selects a print job using the selection condition. Further, when the usage condition is set to "not used", the job selection unit 43 does not use the selection condition and does not select the print job. In this case, the selection of the print job may be made by the user.

In addition to the above usage conditions (hereinafter referred to as "usability"), as condition items of usage conditions, for example, priority selection conditions, device attributes, time zones, and the like can be considered.

The priority selection condition is a selection condition to be used preferentially. User setting conditions and system setting conditions can be considered as the setting values of the priority selection condition. The device attribute is an attribute of the image forming device 4 that uses (or does not use) the selection condition. As the set value of the device attribute, the model, manufacturer (manufacturer), model number, etc. of the image forming device 4 can be considered. Further, the image forming apparatus 4 of a plurality of models, a plurality of manufacturers, or a plurality of model numbers may be set. Further, the device attribute setting value may be the IP address of the image forming device 4, the subnet, or the device ID. The time zone is a time zone in which a user who uses (or does not use) the selection condition logs in to the image forming apparatus 4. As the set value of the time zone, the start time and the end time can be considered. Further, a time zone including a date and a day of the week may be set, or a plurality of time zones may be set.

Only one of the availability, priority selection condition, device attribute, and time zone may be used, or two or more may be used in combination. In addition, availability may be used as a higher-level usage condition, and other usage conditions may be used together as a lower-level usage condition. In this case, when the availability is set to "use", the job selection unit 43 selects a print job using other usage conditions, and when the availability is set to "not use". , Do not select a print job regardless of other terms of use.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of usage conditions stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. FIG. 10A shows a system setting condition, in which availability is set to "not used", priority selection condition is set to system setting condition, and time zone is set from 9:00 (start time) to 18:00 (end time). ing. When the usage conditions shown in FIG. 10A are set, the job selection unit 43 preferentially uses the selection conditions set by default between 9:00 and 18:00. That is, the job selection unit 43 selects the print job according to the selection condition set by default when the selection condition set by default exists, and according to the selection condition set by the user when the selection condition set by default does not exist. Select a print job. Then, the selected print job is automatically executed by the job execution unit 44.

On the other hand, the job selection unit 43 does not use the selection condition and does not select the print job during the period other than 9:00 to 18:00. In this case, the selection of the print job may be performed by the user operating the operation panel 405. Further, the print job may not be selected, and all the print jobs included in the print job list may be automatically executed by the job execution unit 44.

FIG. 10B shows a user setting condition, the availability is set to “use”, the priority selection condition is set to the user setting condition, and the device attribute is set to the 4LineLCD model. When the usage conditions shown in FIG. 10B are set, the job selection unit 43 of the image forming apparatus 4 of the 4LineLCD model preferentially uses the selection conditions set by the user. That is, the job selection unit 43 selects the print job according to the selection condition set by the user when the selection condition set by the user exists, and follows the selection condition set by default when the selection condition set by the user does not exist. Select a print job. Then, the selected print job is automatically executed by the job execution unit 44.

On the other hand, the job selection unit 43 of the image forming apparatus 4 which is not a 4LineLCD model does not use the selection condition and does not select the print job. In this case, the selection of the print job may be performed by the user operating the operation panel 405. Further, the print job may not be selected, and all the print jobs included in the print job list may be automatically executed by the job execution unit 44.

By setting the usage conditions in advance in this way, the image forming apparatus 4 can automatically determine whether to use the selection conditions. For example, the selection condition is used for the model of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as “poor image forming apparatus”) 4 in which the user cannot select a print job via the operation panel 405 due to the lack of functions of the operation panel 405. It is conceivable to set it as a device attribute.

With such a setting, in the poor image forming apparatus 4, the print job is selected according to the selection condition and automatically executed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the user from prolonging the occupancy time of the poor image forming apparatus 4. Further, in the image forming apparatus 4 (hereinafter, referred to as “rich image forming apparatus”) 4 in which the user can select a print job via the operation panel 405, the user selects and executes a desired print job via the operation panel 405. can do.

The condition items and setting values of the usage conditions are not limited to the above examples. Further, the setting condition does not have to include the usage condition. In this case, the job selection unit 43 may select the print job by always using the selection condition. Further, in the present embodiment, the user setting condition is preferentially used as the usage condition. That is, when the user setting condition is set, the user setting condition is used, and when the user setting condition is not set, the system setting condition is used.

The user can set such usage conditions from the user terminal 3. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a usage condition setting screen displayed on the display device 307 of the user terminal 3. The setting screen of FIG. 11 is a setting screen of the usage conditions of the user U1, and corresponds to the usage conditions of FIG. 10 (B). In the example of FIG. 11, availability and priority selection conditions are set by selecting a radio box. Device attributes are set by selecting a set value from the pull-down menu. In addition, the administrator may set the default usage conditions and the general user may set his / her own usage conditions, or the administrator may set the default usage conditions and the user's usage conditions without setting the general user. You may.

The usage conditions set via such a display screen are stored in at least one of the authentication information terminal 1, the authentication server 2, the image forming device 4, and the printing server 5, and the image forming device 4 executes a print job. At that time, it is received from the storage destination and stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. As for the usage conditions for each user, the usage conditions set corresponding to the user logged in to the image forming apparatus 4 may be received from the storage destination and stored in the setting condition storage unit 45. For example, when the usage conditions for each user are stored in the authentication server 2, if the authentication by the authentication server 2 is successful, the usage conditions set corresponding to the user who succeeded in the authentication together with the authentication result are transmitted from the authentication server 2. Receive. When the authentication information terminal 1 is a smartphone, the usage conditions may be set from the authentication information terminal 1.

Next, the functional configuration of the print server 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the print server 5 includes a job registration unit 51, a job storage unit 52, a list generation unit 53, and a job transmission unit 54 as functional configurations. Each of these functional configurations is realized by the CPU 501 executing a program.

The job registration unit 51 registers the print job generated by the user terminal 3 in the print server 5. Specifically, the job registration unit 51 receives print job data from the user terminal 3 and stores the received print job data in the job storage unit 52.

Further, the job registration unit 51 adds the attribute data included in the received print job data to the list of print jobs registered in the print server 5 (hereinafter, referred to as "registered job list"). As a result, a new print job corresponding to the received print job data is registered in the print server 5. The job registration unit 51 updates the registered job list every time it receives print job data from the user terminal 3.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a registered job list. The registered job list of FIG. 12 includes a job ID of each print job, a processing state, and attributes (user ID, number of pages, number of copies, number of pages, color, registration date and time, and file format). When registering a new print job, the job registration unit 51 assigns a job ID to the print job.

The job storage unit 52 stores the print job data of the print job registered in the print server 5 and the registered job list.

The list generation unit 53 receives a list acquisition request from the list acquisition unit 42, generates a print job list in response to the list acquisition request, and transmits the generated print job list to the list acquisition unit 42. The list generation unit 53 generates a print job list by referring to the job storage unit 52 and extracting information on print jobs registered by a user logged in to the image forming apparatus 4 from the registered job list. The list generation unit 53 compares the user ID included in the list acquisition request with the user ID of the user who registered the print job, so that the information of the print job registered by the user logged in to the image forming apparatus 4 is used. Can be extracted.

For example, consider a case where the registered job list of FIG. 12 is stored in the job storage unit 52 and the user U1 logs in to the image forming apparatus 4. In this case, the list acquisition unit 42 transmits a list acquisition request including the user ID (= U1) to the list generation unit 53. Upon receiving this list acquisition request, the list generation unit 53 extracts the information of the print job whose user ID is U1 from the registered job list of FIG. As a result, the information of the print jobs S0 to S2 is extracted. The list generation unit 53 may transmit the information extracted in this way to the list acquisition unit 42 as a print job list. Further, the list generation unit 53 may perform a predetermined process on the extracted information to generate a print job list, and may send the generated print job list to the list acquisition unit 42. For example, the list generation unit 53 can generate the print job list of FIG. 7 by removing the user ID from the information of the print jobs S0 to S2.

The job transmission unit 54 reads print job data from the job storage unit 52 in response to a request from the job execution unit 44, and transmits the read print job data to the job execution unit 44.

Next, the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram corresponding to FIG. Hereinafter, a case where the user U1 uses the image forming apparatus 4 will be described as an example.

First, the user U1 transmits the authentication information from the authentication information terminal 1 to the image forming apparatus 4 (step S101). The transmitted authentication information is received by the authentication unit 41 of the image forming apparatus 4. When the authentication unit 41 receives the authentication information, the authentication unit 41 transmits the received authentication information to the authentication server 2 (step S102).

When the authentication server 2 receives the authentication information, the authentication server 2 executes the authentication process based on the received authentication information (step S103). When the authentication fails (NO in step S104), the authentication server 2 transmits the authentication result (authentication failure) to the image forming apparatus 4 (step S105). The transmitted authentication result is received by the authentication unit 41 of the image forming apparatus 4. Upon receiving the authentication result, the authentication unit 41 causes the operation panel 405 to display that the authentication has failed. This completes the series of processing.

On the other hand, when the authentication is successful (YES in step S104), the authentication server 2 transmits the authentication result (authentication success) and the user information of the user U1 to the image forming apparatus 4 (step S106). The transmitted authentication result and user information are received by the authentication unit 41 of the image forming apparatus 4. When the authentication unit 41 receives the authentication result and the user information, the operation panel 405 displays that the authentication is successful, and the received user information is passed to the list acquisition unit 42.

When the list acquisition unit 42 receives the user information of the user U1, the list acquisition unit 42 transmits a list acquisition request including the user information to the print server 5 (step S107). When the list acquisition unit 42 receives the user information of the user U1, the list acquisition request may be automatically transmitted. Further, the list acquisition unit 42 may transmit a list acquisition request according to an instruction from the user input via the operation panel 405. The transmitted list acquisition request is received by the list generation unit 53 of the print server 5.

Upon receiving the list acquisition request, the list generation unit 53 extracts the information of the print job registered by the user U1 from the registered job list and generates the print job list (step S108). The list generation unit 53 transmits the generated print job list to the image forming apparatus 4 (step S109). The transmitted print job list is received by the list acquisition unit 42 of the image forming apparatus 4. When the list acquisition unit 42 receives the print job list, the list acquisition unit 42 passes the received print job list to the job selection unit 43.

Upon receiving the print job list, the job selection unit 43 determines whether to use the selection conditions according to the usage conditions stored in the setting condition storage unit 45 (step S110). The determination method will be described in detail later. When the selection condition is used (YES in step S110), the job selection unit 43 selects a print job to be executed from the print jobs included in the print job list according to the selection condition (step S111). When the job selection unit 43 selects a print job, the job selection unit 43 notifies the job execution unit 44 of the selected print job. The print job notification is performed, for example, by passing the information (job ID, etc.) of the selected print job to the job execution unit 44.

When the job execution unit 44 is notified of the print job, the job execution unit 44 automatically executes the notified print job (step S112). When the job execution unit 44 executes the print job, the job execution unit 44 transmits the execution result to the job transmission unit 54 of the print server 5. When the execution result of a certain print job is successful, the job execution unit 44 updates the processing status of the print job in the registered job list stored in the job storage unit 52 to have been processed. The job execution unit 44 may send the execution result every time one print job is executed, or may send the execution result collectively after the execution of all the print jobs is completed. The method of executing the print job will be described in detail later.

On the other hand, when the selection condition is not used (NO in step S110), the job selection unit 43 notifies the job execution unit 44 of the print job included in the print job list. When the job execution unit 44 is notified of the print job, the job execution unit 44 automatically executes the notified print job (step S112). That is, in the example of FIG. 13, if the selection condition is not used, all the print jobs included in the print job list are automatically executed.

However, the processing when the selection condition is not used is not limited to this. For example, when the selection condition is not used, the job selection unit 43 may display the print job list on the operation panel 405 and let the user U1 select the print job to be executed. In this case, the job execution unit 44 may execute the print job selected by the user U1 via the operation panel 405.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a print job execution process. The flowchart of FIG. 15 corresponds to the internal processing of step S112 of FIG. 13 and step S112A of FIG.

First, the job execution unit 44 selects one print job from the notified print jobs (step S201). The method of selecting the print job is arbitrary. The job execution unit 44 may select print jobs in ascending or descending order of the registration date and time of the print job, for example, according to the set value (ascending or descending order) of the selection order. Next, the job execution unit 44 transmits a job acquisition request requesting print job data of the selected print job to the print server 5 (step S202). The transmitted job acquisition request is received by the job transmission unit 54 of the print server 5.

When the job transmission unit 54 receives the job acquisition request, it reads the print job data of the requested print job from the job storage unit 52 and transmits the read print job data to the image forming apparatus 4 (step S203). The transmitted print job data is received by the job execution unit 44 of the image forming apparatus 4.

When the job execution unit 44 receives the print job data, the job execution unit 44 executes the print job based on the received print job data (step S204). When the notified print job includes a print job that has not been executed (NO in step S205), the job execution unit 44 selects one print job to be executed next (step S201). On the other hand, when the execution of all the notified print jobs is completed (YES in step S205), the job execution unit 44 ends the execution of the print job.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 15, the processes of steps S201 to S204 are repeated until the execution of all the notified print jobs is completed. That is, in the example of FIG. 15, the job execution unit 44 executes the print job while requesting the print job data from the print server 5 one by one.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing another example of the execution process of the print job. The flowchart of FIG. 16 corresponds to the internal processing of step S112 of FIG. 13 and step S112B of FIG.

First, the job execution unit 44 transmits a job start request requesting the start of execution of the print job to the print server 5 (step S301). The job execution unit 44 specifies all the print jobs selected by the job selection unit 43 as the print jobs to be executed. The transmitted job acquisition request is received by the job transmission unit 54 of the print server 5.

Upon receiving the job start request, the job transmission unit 54 sequentially reads the print job data of the print job specified by the job start request from the job storage unit 52, and sequentially transmits the read print job data to the image forming apparatus 4. (Step S302). The order of the print jobs to which the job transmission unit 54 transmits the print job data is arbitrary. The job transmission unit 54 may transmit the print job data in ascending or descending order of the registration date and time of the print job, for example, according to the set value (ascending order or descending order) of the selection order. The transmitted print job data is received by the job execution unit 44 of the image forming apparatus 4.

When the job execution unit 44 receives the print job data, the job execution unit 44 sequentially executes the print jobs based on the received print job data (step S303). When the notified print job includes a print job that has not been executed (NO in step S304), the job execution unit 44 continues receiving the print job data and executing the print job. On the other hand, when the execution of all the notified print jobs is completed (YES in step S304), the job execution unit 44 ends the execution of the print job.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 16, the process of step S303 is repeated until the execution of all the notified print jobs is completed. Further, the job transmission unit 54 repeats the process of step S302 until the transmission of the print job data of all the designated print jobs is completed. That is, in the example of FIG. 16, the job execution unit 44 requests the print server 5 collectively for the print job data, and executes the print jobs in the order in which the print job data is received.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination method for determining whether to use the selection condition. The flowchart of FIG. 17 corresponds to the internal processing of step S110 of FIG. In the following, it is assumed that the condition items of the usage conditions include availability, device attributes, time zone, and priority selection conditions.

First, the job selection unit 43 confirms the set value of availability under the usage conditions (step S401). When the set value of availability is "not used" (NO in step S401), the job selection unit 43 determines that the selection condition is not used (step S411).

On the other hand, when the set value of availability is "use" (YES in step S401), the job selection unit 43 confirms the set value of the device attribute in the use condition (step S402). When the device attribute is not set (NO in step S402) as in the example of FIG. 10A, the process proceeds to step S405.

On the other hand, when the device attribute is set as in the example of FIG. 10B (YES in step S402), the job selection unit 43 acquires the device attribute of the own device stored in the ROM 402 or the like (step). S403). Then, the job selection unit 43 compares the acquired device attribute of the own device with the set value of the device attribute set in the usage conditions (step S404). If the acquired device attribute of the own device and the set value of the device attribute set in the usage condition do not match (NO in step S404), the job selection unit 43 determines that the selection condition is not used (step). S411).

On the other hand, when the acquired device attribute of the own device and the set value of the device attribute set in the usage condition match (YES in step S404), the job selection unit 43 sets the time zone setting value in the usage condition. Confirm (step S405). When the time zone is not set (NO in step S405) as in the example of FIG. 10B, the process proceeds to step S408.

On the other hand, when the time zone is set (YES in step S405) as in the example of FIG. 10A, the job selection unit 43 acquires the current time (step S406). Then, the job selection unit 43 compares the current time with the set value of the time zone set in the usage conditions (step S407). If the current time and the set value of the time zone set in the usage condition do not match (NO in step S407), the job selection unit 43 determines that the selection condition is not used (step S411).

On the other hand, when the current time and the set value of the time zone set in the usage condition match (YES in step S407), the job selection unit 43 confirms the setting value of the priority selection condition in the usage condition (step). S408). As shown in FIG. 10B, when the priority selection condition is the user setting condition (YES in step S408), the job selection unit 43 determines to use the user setting condition of the selection condition (step S409).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the priority selection condition is the system setting condition (NO in step S408), the job selection unit 43 determines to use the system setting condition of the selection condition (step S410). ).

If the user setting condition of the selection condition is not set even though the priority selection condition is the user setting condition, the job selection unit 43 decides to use the system setting condition of the selection condition. Just do it. Similarly, if the priority selection condition is a system setting condition but the system setting condition of the selection condition is not set, the job selection unit 43 determines to use the user setting condition of the selection condition. do it.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the selection conditions for the print job to be executed by the image forming apparatus 4 can be set in advance. As a result, the image forming apparatus 4 can automatically select a print job according to the set selection conditions and automatically execute the selected print job.

(Second Embodiment)
The printing system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. In the present embodiment, a printing system in which the printing job is selected by the printing server 5 will be described.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a printing system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 4 according to the present embodiment does not include the job selection unit 43 and the setting condition storage unit 45. On the other hand, the print server 5 according to the present embodiment includes a job selection unit 55 and a setting condition storage unit 56. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the job selection unit 55 and the setting condition storage unit 56 will be described.

The job selection unit 55 receives the print job list (hereinafter referred to as “first print job list”) generated by the list generation unit 53 from the list generation unit 53. The job selection unit 55 selects a print job to be executed from the print jobs included in the received first print job list according to the setting conditions stored in the setting condition storage unit 56. The job selection unit 55 transmits a print job list (hereinafter, referred to as “second print job list”) listing the selected print jobs to the list acquisition unit 42.

The setting condition storage unit 56 stores preset setting conditions. The setting condition storage unit 56 may store the setting conditions in advance, or may store the setting conditions received from the outside. For example, the setting condition storage unit 56 may receive the setting condition received by the image forming apparatus 4 together with the authentication information from the authentication information terminal 1 from the image forming apparatus 4 and store the received setting condition. Further, the setting condition storage unit 56 may receive the setting condition received by the image forming apparatus 4 together with the authentication result from the authentication server 2 from the image forming apparatus 4 and store the received setting condition. Since the setting conditions are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment. Steps S101 to S108 and S112 of FIG. 19 are the same as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 13). Hereinafter, steps S113 to S115 will be described.

When the list generation unit 53 generates the first print job list, the list generation unit 53 passes the generated first print job list to the job selection unit 55. Upon receiving the first print job list, the job selection unit 55 determines whether to use the selection condition according to the usage condition stored in the setting condition storage unit 56. When the selection condition is used (YES in step S113), the job selection unit 55 selects a print job to be executed from the print jobs included in the first print job list according to the selection condition (step S114). When the print job is selected, the job selection unit 55 generates a second print job list listing the selected print jobs, and transmits the generated second print job list to the list acquisition unit 42 of the image forming apparatus 4. (Step S115). The transmitted second print job list is received by the list acquisition unit 42.

When the list acquisition unit 42 receives the second print job list, the list acquisition unit 42 notifies the job execution unit 44 of the print jobs included in the received print job list. When the job execution unit 44 is notified of the print job, the job execution unit 44 automatically executes the notified print job (step S112). When the job execution unit 44 executes the print job, the job execution unit 44 transmits the execution result to the job transmission unit 54 of the print server 5. When the execution result of a certain print job is successful, the job transmission unit 54 updates the processing status of the print job in the registered job list stored in the job storage unit 52 to have been processed. The job execution unit 44 may send the execution result every time one print job is executed, or may send the execution result collectively after the execution of all the print jobs is completed. Since the method of executing the print job is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the print server 5 can select the print job according to the setting conditions. By using the print server 5 according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the job selection unit 43 and the setting condition storage unit 45 in the image forming apparatus 4, so that a printing system capable of setting print job selection conditions can be easily established. Can be configured.

(Third Embodiment)
The printing system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 23. In the present embodiment, a printing system capable of continuously executing the unselected print job after executing the selected print job will be described.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a printing system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 4 according to the present embodiment includes a confirmation unit 46. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the confirmation unit 46 will be described.

The confirmation unit 46 is notified by the job selection unit 43 of a print job (hereinafter, referred to as “non-selection job”) that has not been selected according to the selection conditions. The confirmation unit 46 confirms with the user whether to continue executing the non-selected job after the selected print job is executed by the job execution unit 44. By displaying the list of non-selected jobs on the operation panel 405 of the image forming apparatus 4, the confirmation unit 46 can confirm with the user whether the non-selected jobs are continuously executed. When the authentication information terminal 1 is a smartphone, the confirmation unit 46 may send a list of non-selected jobs to the authentication information terminal 1 and ask the user whether to continue executing the non-selected jobs.

When the confirmation unit 46 is instructed by the user to continuously execute the non-selected job via the operation panel 405 or the authentication information terminal 1, the confirmation unit 46 notifies the job execution unit 44 of the non-selected job. When the job execution unit 44 is notified of the non-selected job, the job execution unit 44 automatically executes the notified non-selected job.

Next, the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment. Steps S101 to S112 of FIG. 21 are the same as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 13). Hereinafter, steps S116 to S119 will be described.

After the job execution unit 44 executes the selected print job, the confirmation unit 46 determines whether or not there is a non-selected job (step S116). Specifically, in step S111, the job selection unit 43 gives selected information indicating that the selected print job has been selected, and the confirmation unit 46 gives the print job to which the selected information is not given. You just have to check the existence of. A print job to which the selected information is not assigned corresponds to a non-selected job. If there is no non-selected job (NO in step S116), the print job execution process ends.

The confirmation unit 46 may acquire the print job list again from the print server 5 in order to confirm the presence or absence of the non-selected job. This is because there is a possibility that a new print job is registered in the print server 5 after the print server 5 transmits the print job list in step S109. The new print job described above corresponds to a non-selected job. Specifically, the confirmation unit 46 compares the print job list acquired in step S109 with the print job list acquired in step S116, and confirms the presence or absence of the above-mentioned new print job (non-selected job). Just do it.

On the other hand, when there is a non-selected job (YES in step S116), the confirmation unit 46 confirms with the user whether the non-selected job is continuously executed (step S117). In response to this confirmation, if the user does not input the instruction for continuous execution for a predetermined time or longer, or if the instruction for not continuing execution is input (NO in step S118), the print job execution process ends.

On the other hand, when the user inputs an instruction for continuous execution within a predetermined time in response to the confirmation from the confirmation unit 46 (YES in step S118), the confirmation unit 46 notifies the job execution unit 44 of the non-selected job. ..

When the job execution unit 44 is notified of the non-selected job, the job execution unit 44 automatically executes the notified non-selected job (step S119). The method of executing the non-selected job in step S119 is the same as the method of executing the print job in step S112. When the job execution unit 44 executes the non-selected job, the job execution unit 44 transmits the execution result to the job transmission unit 54 of the print server 5.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to continuously execute the non-selected job after executing the print job selected according to the selection condition. As a result, when there is no user who uses the image forming device 4 other than the user who is logged in to the image forming device 4 and the image forming device 4 can be occupied for a long time, the logged-in user is a non-selection job. Can be executed.

In the present embodiment, after the job execution unit 44 executes the print job, the job selection unit 43 selects the print job again from the non-selected jobs according to the setting conditions, and the confirmation unit 46 selects the print job. It is also possible to confirm the continuous execution with the user.

Further, in the present embodiment, after the job execution unit 44 executes the print job, the list acquisition unit 42 can acquire the print job list again from the print server 5. In this case, the job selection unit 43 selects the print job again from the print jobs included in the acquired print job list according to the setting conditions, and the confirmation unit 46 confirms with the user that the selected print job is continuously executed. Just do it.

Further, in the present embodiment, it is also possible to provide the confirmation unit 46 in the image forming apparatus 4 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another example of the printing system according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 4 of FIG. 22 is provided with a confirmation unit 46 in the image forming apparatus 4 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the printing system of FIG. 22. Steps S101 to S115 of FIG. 23 are the same as those of the second embodiment (FIG. 19). Further, steps S116 to S119 in FIG. 23 are the same as in FIG. However, in the example of FIG. 23, the operation of the job selection unit 43 in FIG. 21 is executed by the job selection unit 55. When the printing system of FIG. 22 performs the operation of FIG. 23, the above-mentioned effect of the present embodiment can be obtained at the same time as the effect of the second embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations shown here, such as combinations with other elements in the configurations and the like described in the above embodiments. These points can be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to the application form thereof.

1: Authentication information terminal 2: Authentication server 3: User terminal 4: Image forming device 5: Print server 41: Authentication unit 42: List acquisition unit 43: Job selection unit 44: Job execution unit 45: Setting condition storage unit 46: Confirmation Unit 51: Job registration unit 52: Job storage unit 53: List generation unit 54: Job transmission unit 55: Job selection unit 56: Setting condition storage unit

JP-A-2007-220284

Claims (9)

A printing device that is registered by a user and executes a print job stored in the job storage unit in association with the user.
A first acquisition unit that acquires the first condition corresponding to the user who has logged in to the printing device from a condition storage unit that stores the first condition corresponding to the type of the printing device in association with the user. When,
When the type of the printing device satisfies the first condition acquired by the first acquisition unit, the printing device is acquired from the plurality of printing jobs stored in the job storage unit corresponding to the user. A selection condition for selecting a print job, the selection condition set for each user and the selection condition corresponding to the first condition among the selection conditions set common to all users are acquired. The second acquisition department and
Based on the selection condition acquired by the second acquisition unit among the plurality of print jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit in response to the user logging in to the printing device. The execution unit that acquires and executes the selected print job , and
A printing device equipped with. The selection condition is a condition relating to at least one of a processing state indicating whether or not the print job has been executed and an attribute of the print job.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the first condition is a condition corresponding to one or a plurality of pieces of information among the model, model number, and manufacturer of the printing apparatus. The first acquisition unit corresponds to the user who has logged in to the printing device from the condition storage unit that stores the second condition according to the time when the user has logged in to the printing device in association with the user. The second condition is acquired, and
When the time when the user logs in to the printing device satisfies the second condition acquired by the first acquisition unit, the execution unit responds to the user logging in to the printing device. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the print job corresponding to the user is acquired from the job storage unit and executed. After the execution unit executes the print job in response to the user logging in to the printing device, among the print jobs corresponding to the user in the job storage unit, the print job that has not been executed The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a confirmation unit for instructing the user whether or not to continuously execute the print job that has not been executed. When the user instructed the execution unit to continuously execute the print job, the execution unit obtains the print job that was not executed from the job storage unit and executes the print job in response to the instruction. Item 5. The printing apparatus according to item 5. The confirmation unit continues all the print jobs corresponding to the user who logged in to the printing device in the job storage unit, which were not executed in response to the user logging in to the printing device. To instruct the user whether or not to execute
6. The execution unit acquires all the print jobs that have not been executed from the job storage unit and executes them in response to the instruction when the user instructs the user to continuously execute the print job. The printing apparatus described in. A printing device registered by a user and executing a print job stored in the job storage unit in association with the user
A first acquisition step of acquiring the first condition corresponding to the user who has logged in to the printing device from the condition storage unit that stores the first condition corresponding to the type of the printing device in association with the user. When,
When the type of the printing device satisfies the first condition acquired in the first acquisition step, the printing device is acquired from the plurality of printing jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit. It is a selection condition for selecting a print job, and the selection condition corresponding to the first condition among the selection condition set for each user and the selection condition set common to all users is acquired. The second acquisition process and
Based on the selection condition acquired in the second acquisition step among the plurality of print jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit in response to the user logging in to the printing device. The execution process of acquiring and executing the selected print job , and
Print control method to execute. A printing device registered by a user and executing a print job stored in the job storage unit in association with the user.
A first acquisition step of acquiring the first condition corresponding to the user who has logged in to the printing device from the condition storage unit that stores the first condition corresponding to the type of the printing device in association with the user. When,
When the type of the printing device satisfies the first condition acquired in the first acquisition step, the printing device is acquired from the plurality of printing jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit. It is a selection condition for selecting a print job, and the selection condition corresponding to the first condition among the selection condition set for each user and the selection condition set common to all users is acquired. The second acquisition process and
Based on the selection condition acquired in the second acquisition step among the plurality of print jobs corresponding to the user stored in the job storage unit in response to the user logging in to the printing device. The execution process of acquiring and executing the selected print job , and
A program to execute.

Images