USER-FRIENDLY IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, MOBILE TERMINAL, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20080052710A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Minami, Takeshi, Iwai, Hidetaka, Tamai, Yoshiyuki, Sawayanagi, Kazumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A printing system includes an image formation apparatus for executing a print job of forming an image that has been received, and upon completing the print job, transmitting a notification of completion to the print job transmission source, and a client terminal for transmitting, to the image formation apparatus, the image formation print job based on a request from a user, and upon receiving the completion notification, alerting the user that the requested print job has been completed. When the number of print job transmission to the image formation apparatus does not match the number of completion notification receptions from the image formation apparatus, the client terminal prevents alerting the user of completion of the print job. When there is a match, the client terminal alerts the user of the print job completion, which had been prevented.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

an image processing apparatus that includes

a job executor operable to receive an image processing-related job and execute the received job,

an authenticator operable to authenticate that a user of a mobile terminal is registered in the image processing apparatus,

a transmitter operable to transmit, to the mobile terminal of the authenticated user, a piece of application software that enables at least one operation equivalent to a user operation performed directly on the image processing apparatus in a case of execution of the job pertaining to the authenticated user, and

a receiver operable to receive, from the mobile terminal, operation content of an operation performed on the job by the authenticated user with use of the piece of application software transmitted to the mobile terminal; and

the mobile terminal that includes

a receiver operable to receive the piece of application software,

an application software executor operable to execute the received piece of application software, and

a transmitter operable to transmit, to the image processing apparatus, the operation content in a case of the authenticated user performing the operation on the job with use of the application software, wherein

the job executor of the image processing apparatus executes the job in accordance with the operation content received from the mobile terminal pertaining to the authentication.

2. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein

the job executor executes a plurality of types of image processing-related jobs, and

the transmitter of the image processing apparatus transmits the piece of application software corresponding to a type of the job pertaining to the authenticated user.

3. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein

the image processing apparatus includes a part operable to transmit, to the mobile terminal, information regarding an error that has occurred in execution of the job pertaining to the authentication,

the application software executor further receives the operation for handling the error,

the transmitter of the mobile terminal transmits, to the image processing apparatus, the operation content of the received operation performed by the authenticated user for handling the error, and

the job executor executes the job in which the error has occurred, in accordance with the operation content received by the receiver of the image processing apparatus.

4. An image processing apparatus capable of communication with a mobile terminal and including a job executor for executing an image processing-related job, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an authenticator operable to authenticate that a user of a mobile terminal is registered in the image processing apparatus;

a transmitter operable to transmit, to the mobile terminal of the authenticated user, a piece of application software that enables at least one operation equivalent to a user operation performed directly on the image processing apparatus in a case of execution of the job pertaining to the authenticated user; and

a receiver operable to receive, from the mobile terminal, operation content of an operation performed on the job by the authenticated user with use of the piece of application software transmitted to the mobile terminal, wherein

the job executor of the image processing apparatus executes the job in accordance with the operation content received from the mobile terminal pertaining to the authentication.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the job executor executes a plurality of types of image processing-related jobs, and

the transmitter of the image processing apparatus transmits the piece of application software corresponding to a type of the job pertaining to the authenticated user.

6. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the authenticator acquires authentication information of the user of the mobile terminal directly from the mobile terminal with use of wireless communication.

7. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the piece of application software is transmitted to the mobile terminal of the authenticated user, for execution of only the job received from the authenticated user.

8. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, including a part operable to transmit, to the mobile terminal, information regarding an error that has occurred in execution of the job pertaining to the authentication, wherein

the receiver receives the operation content of the operation for handling the error, and

the job executor executes the job in which the error has occurred, in accordance with the operation content received by the receiver.

9. A mobile terminal capable of communication with an image processing apparatus for executing an image processing-related job, the mobile terminal comprising:

a transmitter operable to transmit, to the image processing apparatus, authentication information necessary for authentication of a user of the mobile terminal in the image processing apparatus;

a receiver operable to, when the user has been authenticated by the image processing apparatus, receive therefrom a piece of application software that enables at least one operation equivalent to a user operation performed directly on the image processing apparatus in a case of execution of the job pertaining to the authenticated user; and

an application software executor operable to execute the received piece of application software, wherein

the transmitter further transmits, to the image processing apparatus, operation content of an operation performed on the job by the authenticated user with use of the piece of application software.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein

the mobile terminal includes a part operable to receive information regarding an error that has occurred in execution of the job pertaining to the authentication performed in the image processing apparatus,

the application software executor receives the at least one operation for handling the error in order to enable execution of the job in which the error has occurred, and

the transmitter transmits operation content of the received operation for handling the error to the image processing apparatus.

11. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing an image processing apparatus, which is for executing an image processing-related job and capable of communication with a mobile terminal, to perform processing including:

an authentication step of authenticating that a user of the mobile terminal is registered in the image processing apparatus;

a transmission step of transmitting, to the mobile terminal of the authenticated user, a piece of application software that enables at least one operation equivalent to a user operation performed directly on the image processing apparatus in a case of execution of the job pertaining to the authenticated user;

a reception step of receiving, from the mobile terminal, operation content of an operation performed on the job by the authenticated user with use of the piece of application software transmitted to the mobile terminal; and

an execution step of executing the job in accordance with the operation content received from the mobile terminal pertaining to the authentication.

12. The recording medium of claim 11, wherein

the program causes the image processing apparatus to perform a step of, when an error has occurred in execution of the job pertaining to the authenticated user of the mobile terminal, transmitting information regarding the error to the mobile terminal,

the reception step receives the operation content regarding the operation for handling the error, and

the execution step executes the job in which the error has occurred, in accordance with the operation content received in the reception step.

13. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a mobile terminal, which is capable of communication with an image processing apparatus for executing an image processing-related job, to perform processing including:

a first transmission step of transmitting, to the image processing apparatus, authentication information necessary for authentication of a user of the mobile terminal in the image processing apparatus;

a reception step of, when the user has been authenticated by the image processing apparatus, receiving therefrom a piece of application software that enables at least one operation equivalent to a user operation performed directly on the image processing apparatus in a case of execution of the job pertaining to the authenticated user; and

a second transmission step of transmitting, to the image processing apparatus, operation content of an operation performed on the job by the authenticated user with use of the piece of application software.

14. The recording medium of claim 13, wherein

the program causes the mobile terminal to perform an input reception step of receiving, from the authenticated user, input of whether to install the received piece of application software.

15. The recording medium of claim 13, wherein

the program causes the mobile terminal to perform a step of receiving information regarding execution of the job from the image processing apparatus, and a switch step of, in accordance with the received information, switching between deleting the piece of application software and alerting the user of the mobile terminal.

16. The recording medium of claim 15, wherein

the switch step switches to deleting the piece of application software when the information indicates completion of execution of the job, and to alerting the user when the information indicates that an error has occurred in execution of the job.

17. The recording medium of claim 13, wherein

the program causes the mobile terminal to perform a step of receiving information regarding an error that has occurred in execution of the job pertaining to the authentication performed in the image processing apparatus, and an operation reception step of receiving the at least one operation for handling the error in order to enable execution of the job in which the error has occurred, and

the second transmission step transmits, to the image processing apparatus, operation content of the received operation for handling the error.