PRINT SYSTEM, PRINT SERVER, PRINT CONTROL METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH PRINT CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20160011834A1
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: HAMA, Kenro, AKITA, Katsuhiko, SAKIYAMA, Daisuke, KAWAGUCHI, Toshikazu, TAKAHASHI, Kazusei, ASAI, Yuki, MAEKAWA, Takeshi, TANAKA, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/124 Parallel printing or parallel ripping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A print system includes a print server and a plurality of image forming apparatuses. The print server externally receives a print job, extracts a print job that includes user identification information included in a download request received from any of the image forming apparatuses, transmits the print job to an image forming apparatus that transmits the download request, detects a progress status of the print job executed by a first image forming apparatus that receives the print job, detects the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus as a job in progress in response to reception of a download request from a second image forming apparatus, splits the job in progress into a first split job and a second split job, transmits the second split job to the second image forming apparatus, and transmits an end command to the first image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. A print system comprising a print server and a plurality of image forming apparatuses,

a processor of the print server executing:

a server-side receiving step of externally receiving a print job including user identification information for identifying a user and image data;

a server-side extracting step of, in response to reception of a download request including user identification information from any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, extracting a print job that includes user identification information identical with the user identification information included in the received download request from among one or more print jobs received in the server-side receiving step;

a print job transmitting step of transmitting the extracted print job to, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, an image forming apparatus that has transmitted the download request;

a progress status detecting step of detecting a progress status in which, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus that has received the print job executes the print job;

a job-in-progress detecting step of, in response to reception of a download request from a second image forming apparatus different from the first image forming apparatus, detecting the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus as a job in progress, if the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus includes user identification information identical with user identification information included in the download request received from the second image forming apparatus and the progress status detected in the progress status detecting step of the print job executed in the first image forming apparatus is in progress;

a splitting step of, if the job in progress is detected, splitting the job in progress into a first split job that is a preceding section and a second split job that is a following section, based on the progress status of the job in progress;

a split job transmitting step of transmitting the second split job to the second image forming apparatus; and

an end command transmitting step of transmitting an end command to terminate the job in progress at a location defined by the first split job to the first image forming apparatus,

a processor of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses executing;

a user detecting step of detecting a user;

a download request step of transmitting a download request including user identification information of the user detected in the user detecting step to the print server; and

a job executing step of, if the print job is received from the print server in response to transmission of the download request, executing the print job, and if the second split job is received from the print server, executing the second split job,

wherein the job executing step includes a job cancel step of terminating execution of the print job at a location defined by the end command if the end command is received from the print server while the print job is being executed.

2. A print system comprising a print server and a plurality of image forming apparatuses,

a processor of the print server executing:

a server-side receiving step of externally receiving a print job including user identification information for identifying a user and image data;

a server-side extracting step of, in response to reception of a download request including user identification information from any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, extracting a print job that includes user identification information identical with the user identification information included in the received download request from among one or more print jobs received in the server-side receiving step;

a print job transmitting step of, in response to reception of the download request from a first image forming apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, transmitting the extracted print job to the first image forming apparatus;

a progress status detecting step of detecting a progress status in which, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus that has received the print job executes the print job;

a job-in-progress detecting step of, in response to reception of a download request from a second image forming apparatus different from the first image forming apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, detecting the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus as a job in progress, if the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus includes user identification information identical with user identification information included in the download request received from the second image forming apparatus and the progress status detected in the progress status detecting step of the print job executed in the first image forming apparatus is in progress; and

a job-in-progress information transmitting step of, if the job in progress is detected, transmitting job-in-progress information including the job in progress and device identification information for identifying the first image forming apparatus to the second image forming apparatus,

a processor of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses executing;

a user detecting step of detecting a user;

a download request step of transmitting a download request including user identification information of the user detected in the user detecting step to the print server; and

a job executing step of, if the print job is received from the print server in response to transmission of the download request, executing the print job, and if the second split job is received from the print server, executing the second split job,

a processor of the second image forming apparatus executing;

a progress status acquiring step of, if the job-in-progress information is received from the print server, acquiring a progress status of executing the job in progress from the first image forming apparatus specified by the device identification information included in the job-in-progress information;

a splitting step of splitting the job in progress into a first split job that is a preceding section and a second split job that is a following section, based on the acquired progress status of the job in progress;

a split job executing step of executing the second split job; and

an end command transmitting step of transmitting an end command to terminate the job in progress at a location defined by the first split job to the first image forming apparatus,

the processor of the first image forming apparatus further executing a job cancel step of terminating execution of the job in progress at a location defined by the end command if the end command is received from the second image forming apparatus.

3. A print server comprising a processor that executes:

a server-side receiving step of externally receiving a print job including user identification information for identifying a user and image data;

a server-side extracting step of, in response to reception of a download request including user identification information from any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, extracting a print job that includes user identification information identical with the user identification information included in the received download request from among one or more print jobs received in the server-side receiving step;

a print job transmitting step of transmitting the extracted print job to, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, an image forming apparatus that has transmitted the download request;

a progress status detecting step of detecting a progress status in which, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus that has received the print job executes the print job;

a job-in-progress detecting step of, in response to reception of a download request from a second image forming apparatus different from the first image forming apparatus, detecting the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus as a job in progress, if the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus includes user identification information identical with user identification information included in the download request received from the second image forming apparatus and the progress status detected in the progress status detecting step of the print job executed in the first image forming apparatus is in progress;

a splitting step of, if the job in progress is detected, splitting the job in progress into a first split job that is a preceding section and a second split job that is a following section, based on the progress status of the job in progress;

a split job transmitting step of transmitting the second split job to the second image forming apparatus; and

an end command transmitting step of transmitting an end command to terminate the job in progress at a location defined by the first split job to the first image forming apparatus.

4. The print server according to claim 3, wherein

the processor further executes:

a raster data acquiring step of acquiring raster data from the first image forming apparatus, the raster data being formed by expanding print data included in the job in progress; and

a split job changing step of changing print data included in the second split job to the acquired raster data, and

the split job transmitting step includes a step of transmitting the second split job changed in the split job changing step to the second image forming apparatus.

5. The print server according to claim 3, wherein

the splitting step includes

a predicting step of predicting a first time for the first image forming apparatus to execute the first split job and a second time for the second image forming apparatus to execute the second split job, based on an image forming ability of the first image forming apparatus, an image forming ability of the second image forming apparatus, and an unexecuted process of the job in progress, and

a step of determining the first split job and the second split job in which a difference between the first time and the second time is smallest.

6. A print control method performed in a print server, comprising:

a server-side receiving step of externally receiving a print job including user identification information for identifying a user and image data;

a server-side extracting step of, in response to reception of a download request including user identification information from any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses, extracting a print job that includes user identification information identical with the user identification information included in the received download request from among one or more print jobs received in the server-side receiving step;

a print job transmitting step of transmitting the extracted print job to, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, an image forming apparatus that has transmitted the download request;

a progress status detecting step of detecting a progress status in which, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus that has received the print job executes the print job;

a job-in-progress detecting step of, in response to reception of a download request from a second image forming apparatus different from the first image forming apparatus, detecting the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus as a job in progress, if the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus includes user identification information identical with user identification information included in the download request received from the second image forming apparatus and the progress status detected in the progress status detecting step of the print job executed in the first image forming apparatus is in progress;

a splitting step of, if the job in progress is detected, splitting the job in progress into a first split job that is a preceding section and a second split job that is a following section, based on the progress status of the job in progress;

a split job transmitting step of transmitting the second split job to the second image forming apparatus; and

a command transmitting step of transmitting an end command to terminate the job in progress at a location defined by the first split job to the first image forming apparatus.

7. The print control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a raster data acquiring step of acquiring raster data from the first image forming apparatus, the raster data being formed by expanding print data included in the job in progress; and

a split job changing step of changing print data included in the second split job to the acquired raster data,

wherein the split job transmitting step includes a step of transmitting the second split job changed in the split job changing step to the second image forming apparatus.

8. The print control method according to claim 6, wherein

the splitting step includes

a predicting step of predicting a first time for the first image forming apparatus to execute the first split job and a second time for the second image forming apparatus to execute the second split job, based on an image forming ability of the first image forming apparatus, an image forming ability of the second image forming apparatus, and an unexecuted process of the job in progress, and

a step of determining the first split job and the second split job in which a difference between the first time and the second time is smallest.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a print control program executed in a computer that controls a print server, the program causing the computer to execute:

a server-side receiving step of externally receiving a print job including user identification information for identifying a user and image data;

a server-side extracting step of, in response to reception of a download request including user identification information from any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses, extracting a print job that includes user identification information identical with the user identification information included in the received download request from among one or more print jobs received in the server-side receiving step;

a print job transmitting step of transmitting the extracted print job to, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, an image forming apparatus that has transmitted the download request;

a progress status detecting step of detecting a progress status in which, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus that has received the print job executes the print job;

a job-in-progress detecting step of, in response to reception of a download request from a second image forming apparatus different from the first image forming apparatus, detecting the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus as a job in progress, if the print job transmitted to the first image forming apparatus includes user identification information identical with user identification information included in the download request received from the second image forming apparatus and the progress status detected in the progress status detecting step of the print job executed in the first image forming apparatus is in progress;

a splitting step of, if the job in progress is detected, splitting the job in progress into a first split job that is a preceding section and a second split job that is a following section, based on the progress status of the job in progress;

a split job transmitting step of transmitting the second split job to the second image forming apparatus; and

a command transmitting step of transmitting an end command to terminate the job in progress at a location defined by the first split job to the first image forming apparatus.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a print control program according to claim 9, further causing the computer to execute:

a raster data acquiring step of acquiring raster data from the first image forming apparatus, the raster data being formed by expanding print data included in the job in progress; and

a split job changing step of changing print data included in the second split job to the acquired raster data,

wherein the split job transmitting step includes a step of transmitting the second split job changed in the split job changing step to the second image forming apparatus.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a print control program according to claim 9, wherein

the splitting step includes

a predicting step of predicting a first time for the first image forming apparatus to execute the first split job and a second time for the second image forming apparatus to execute the second split job, based on an image forming ability of the first image forming apparatus, an image forming ability of the second image forming apparatus, and an unexecuted process of the job in progress, and

a step of determining the first split job and the second split job in which a difference between the first time and the second time is smallest.