IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20150092221A1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: OCHI, Kengo
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• 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 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1261 by using alternate printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

An image forming system includes a server, a first image forming apparatus, and a second image forming apparatus. The server includes: a registration unit that stores identification information for the first image forming apparatus in the first memory; a job obtaining unit that obtains a print job; and a job transmission unit that, upon receiving a request including the identification information stored in the first memory, transmits the print job. The first image forming apparatus includes: a second memory that stores the identification information; and a first job reception unit that transmits the request including the identification information stored in the second memory to the server and receives the print job. The second image forming apparatus includes: an identification information obtaining unit that obtains the identification information; and a second job reception unit that transmits the request including the obtained identification information to the server and receives the print job.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

a server;

a first image forming apparatus; and

a second image forming apparatus,

wherein the server includes;

a first memory;

a registration unit that registers the first image forming apparatus with the server by storing identification information for identifying the first image forming apparatus in the first memory;

a job obtaining unit that obtains a print job for the first image forming apparatus; and

a job transmission unit that, upon receiving a request including the identification information stored in the first memory, transmits the print job obtained by the job obtaining unit to a source of the request,

wherein the first image forming apparatus includes;

a second memory that stores the identification information for identifying the first image forming apparatus; and

a first job reception unit that transmits the request including the identification information stored in the second memory to the server and receives the print job transmitted from the server in response to the request, and

wherein the second image forming apparatus includes;

an identification information obtaining unit that obtains the identification information for identifying the first image forming apparatus; and

a second job reception unit that transmits the request including the identification information obtained by the identification information obtaining unit to the server and receives the print job transmitted from the server in response to the request.

2. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the job obtaining unit, upon receiving designation of the first image forming apparatus registered with the server and image data, generates a print job for the designated first image forming apparatus including the designated image data, and

wherein the job transmission unit transmits the generated print job as the obtained print job.

3. The image forming system of claim 2, further comprising a client including a designation unit that designates the first image forming apparatus registered with the server and image data,

wherein the job obtaining unit receives the designation from the designation unit.

4. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the first image forming apparatus further includes an identification information output unit that outputs the identification information stored in the second memory to the outside of the first image forming apparatus, and

wherein the identification information obtaining unit obtains the identification information output by the identification information output unit.

5. The image forming system of claim 4, wherein the identification information output unit outputs the identification information with validity period information indicating a validity period,

wherein the identification information obtaining unit obtains the identification information with the validity period information, and

wherein the second image forming apparatus further includes a first restriction unit that restricts the reception of the print job by the second job reception unit after the lapse of the validity period indicated by the validity period information.

6. The image forming system of claim 5, wherein the first restriction unit deletes the identification information obtained by the identification information obtaining unit after the lapse of the validity period.

7. The image forming system of claim 5, wherein the first image forming apparatus further includes a second restriction unit that restricts the reception of the print job by the first job reception unit after the output of the identification information by the identification information output unit, and removes the restriction of the reception of the print job by the first job reception unit after the lapse of the validity period.

8. The image forming system of claim 4, wherein the second image forming apparatus further includes a command transmission unit that transmits a command to the first image forming apparatus when the identification information obtaining unit obtains the identification information, and

wherein the first image forming apparatus further includes a command reception unit that, upon receiving the command from the command transmission unit, restricts the reception of the print job by the first job reception unit.

9. The image forming system of claim 5, wherein the second image forming apparatus further includes a command transmission unit that transmits a command to the first image forming apparatus after the lapse of the validity period indicated by the validity period information obtained by the identification information obtaining unit, and

wherein the first image forming apparatus further includes a command reception unit that, upon receiving the command from the command transmission unit when the reception of the print job by the first job reception unit is restricted, removes the restriction of the reception of the print job by the first job reception unit.

10. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the registration unit, upon receiving a request to register the first image forming apparatus, generates identification information for identifying the first image forming apparatus, stores the generated identification information in the first memory to register the first image forming apparatus with the server, and transmits the generated identification information to the first image forming apparatus, and

wherein the first image forming apparatus receives the identification information from the registration unit and stores the received identification information in the second memory.

11. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the first image forming apparatus transmits the identification information stored in the second memory to the server, and

wherein the registration unit receives the identification information transmitted from the first image forming apparatus, and stores the received identification information in the first memory to register the first image forming apparatus with the server.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an identification information obtaining unit that obtains identification information for identifying another image forming apparatus other than the image forming apparatus; and

a job reception unit that transmits a request including the identification information obtained by the identification information obtaining unit to a server, and receives a print job for the other image forming apparatus identified by the identification information from the server.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification information obtaining unit obtains the identification information with validity period information indicating a validity period, and

wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a restriction unit that restricts the reception of the print job by the job reception unit after the lapse of the validity period indicated by the validity period information.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 13, wherein the restriction unit deletes the identification information obtained by the identification information obtaining unit after the lapse of the validity period.