CONTROL DEVICE, NON-TRANSITORY RECORDING MEDIUM AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

• US 20170242636A1
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: MINAMI, Keita
• Granted Patent: US 10,409,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1213 at an intermediate node or at the final node
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1217 achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• 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 3/1263 based on job priority, e.g. re-arranging the order of jobs, e.g. the printing sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling

Abstract

A control device that is communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses, comprises: an information obtaining part that obtains history information from the plurality of image forming apparatuses; a spool destination deciding part that decides two or more image forming apparatuses as spool destinations of an accepted job from the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of history information obtained by the information obtaining part; and a job transmitter that transmits a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by the spool destination deciding part.

Claims

1. A control device that is communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses, comprising:

an information obtaining part that obtains history information from aid plurality of image forming apparatuses;

a spool destination deciding part that decides two or more image forming apparatuses as spool destinations of an accepted job from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of history information obtained by said information obtaining part; and

a job transmitter that transmits a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said spool destination deciding part.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said spool destination deciding part decides the two or more image forming apparatuses in said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destinations in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user based on said plural pieces of history information.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said spool destination deciding part calculates a job waiting time based on said plural pieces of history information, and when the waiting time is shorter than a predetermined time, said spool destination deciding part increases a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when a history of execution by a user who introduces a job does not indicate a predetermined number of times in said plural pieces of history information, said spool destination deciding part increases a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

said information obtaining part obtains apparatus information about each image forming apparatus from said plurality of image forming apparatuses,

said spool destination deciding part decides two or more image forming apparatuses from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of apparatus information obtained by said information obtaining part.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein said spool destination deciding part selects image forming apparatuses that can execute the job from said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of apparatus information, and decides spool destinations preferentially from said spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of history information.

7. The control device according to claim 5, wherein said spool destination deciding part decides an image forming apparatus used most frequently by a user as a spool destination based on said plural pieces of history information, and decides an image forming apparatus installed near the image forming apparatus used most frequently by the user as another spool destination based on said plural pieces of apparatus information.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when residual storage capacity is insufficient in the image forming apparatus decided as a spool destination, said spool destination deciding part transfers an old job spooled in the image forming apparatus to another image forming apparatus.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when transmitting a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said spool destination deciding part, said job transmitter transmits the job to the image forming apparatuses in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user.

10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said job transmitter transmits whole data of a job to one of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said spool destination deciding part, and transmits only first partial data of the job to another image forming apparatus.

11. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when transmitting a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said spool destination deciding part, said job transmitter adds a master flag to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and adds a replicated flag to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so as to transmit the jobs.

12. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when said spool destination deciding part is not communicable with one image forming apparatus that spools a job after said job transmitter transmits the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses, said spool destination deciding part decides a new spool destination from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, and transfers the job to said new spool destination from another image forming apparatus that spools the job.

13. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when said spool destination deciding part changes the spool destination by the time when a job is executed after said job transmitter transmits the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses, said spool destination deciding part transfers the job from an image forming apparatus excluded from spool destinations due to the change to an image forming apparatus to be a new spool destination due to the change.

14. The control device according to claim 1 is an image forming apparatus.

15. The control device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a storage part that stores a job;

a job management part that generates spool information for managing the job stored in said storage part and the jobs spooled in another image forming apparatus and manages the jobs; and

a display part that displays a job list based on the spool information.

16. The control device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a storage part that stores a job;

a job management part that manages the job stored in said storage part and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus; and

a job executing part that obtains the job from said storage part or said another image forming apparatus so as to execute the job, wherein

when said job executing part starts execution of the job obtained from said storage part, said job executing part transmits a job start notification to said another image forming apparatus, and when the execution of the job is completed, said job executing part transmits a job completion notification to said another image forming apparatus,

when said job management part receives the job start notification from said another image forming apparatus and a same job as the job executed by said another image forming apparatus is stored in said storage part, said job management part locks the job, and after receiving the job completion notification from said another image forming apparatus, said job management part deletes the job from said storage part.

17. The control device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a storage part that stores a job; and

a job management part that manages a job stored in said storage part and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus,

wherein when receiving a request for the job stored in said storage part from said another image forming apparatus, said job management part makes a response only when a master flag is added to the job stored in said storage part.

18. The control device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a storage part that stores a job; and

a job management part that manages the jobs stored in said storage part and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus,

wherein when the job with a master flag is stored in said storage part and the job is deleted, said job management part transmits a job deleting command to another image forming apparatus that spools the job with a replicated flag and after receiving a deletion completion notification from another image forming apparatus, said job management part deletes said job with the master flag stored in the storage part.

19. A non-transitory recording medium in which a computer-readable program to be executed in a computer communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses is recorded, said program allowing said computer to execute:

a first step of obtaining history information from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively;

a second stop of deciding two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses as job spool destinations of an accepted job based on the plural pieces of history information obtained at said first step; and

a third step of transmitting the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step.

20. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said second step, the two or more image forming apparatuses in said plurality of image forming apparatuses are decided as spool destinations in decreasing order of user frequency relating to a user based on said plural pieces of history information.

21. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said second step, a job waiting time is calculated based on said plural pieces of history information, and when the waiting time is shorter than a predetermined time, a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations is increased.

22. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said second step, when an execution history by a user who introduces a job does not indicate a predetermined number of times in said plural pieces of history information, a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations is increased.

23. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein

at said first step, apparatus information about the image forming apparatuses is obtained from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively, and

at said second step, two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses are decided based on said plural pieces of apparatus information obtained at said first step.

24. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said second step, image forming apparatuses that can execute a job are selected as spool destination candidates from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on said plural pieces of apparatus information, and spool destinations are decided preferentially from said spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of history information.

25. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said second step, an image forming apparatus used most frequently by a user is decided as a spool destination based on said plural pieces of history information, and an image forming apparatus installed near the image forming apparatus used most frequently by the user is decided as another spool destination based on said plural pieces of apparatus information.

26. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said second step, when a residual storage capacity is insufficient in the image forming apparatus decided as the spool destinations, an old job spooled in the image forming apparatus is transferred to another image forming apparatus.

27. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said third step, when the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user.

28. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said third step, whole data of the job is transmitted to one of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, and only first partial data of the job is transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.

29. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said third step, when transmitting the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, a master flag is added to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and a replicated flag is added to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so that the job is transmitted.

30. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said second step, when communication with one image forming apparatus that spools the job is disabled after the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses at said third step, a new spool destination is decided from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, and the job is transferred to said new spool destination from said another image forming apparatus that spools the job.

31. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein at said second step, when the spool destination is changed by the time when the job is executed after the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses at said third step, the job is transferred from an image forming apparatus excluded from spool destinations due to the change to an image forming apparatus to be a new spool destination due to the change.

32. The recording medium according to claim 19, wherein said computer is packaged into an image forming apparatus.

33. The recording medium according to claim 32, wherein said program allows said computer to execute:

a fourth step of storing a job in a predetermined storage part;

a fifth step of generating spool information for managing a job stored in said storage part and a job spooled in another image forming apparatus so as to manage the jobs; and

a sixth step of displaying a job list based on the spool information.

34. The recording medium according to claim 32, wherein said program allows said computer to further execute:

a fourth step of storing a job in a predetermined storage part;

a fifth step of managing the job stored in said storage part and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus; and

a sixth step of obtaining the job from said storage part or another image forming apparatus so as to execute the job, wherein

at said sixth step, when execution of the job obtained from the storage part is started, a job starting notification is transmitted to another image forming apparatus, and when the execution of the job is completed, a job completion notification is transmitted to another image forming apparatus,

at said fifth step, when the job starting notification is received from another image forming apparatus and a same job as the job executed by said another image forming apparatus is stored in said storage part, the job is locked, and after receiving the job completion notification is received from said another image forming apparatus, the job is deleted from said storage part.

35. The recording medium according to claim 32, wherein said program allows said computer to further execute:

a fourth step of storing a job in a predetermined storage part; and

a fifth step of managing the job stored in said storage part and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus,

wherein at said fifth step, when a request for the job stored in said storage part is received from said another image forming apparatus, a response is made only when a master flag is added to the job stored in said storage part.

36. The recording medium according to claim 32, wherein said program allows said computer to further execute:

a fourth step of storing a job in a predetermined storage part; and

a fifth step of managing the job stored in said storage part and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus,

wherein at said fifth step, when the job with a master flag is stored in said storage part and the job is deleted, a job deleting command is transmitted to another image forming apparatus that spools the job with a replicated flag and after a deletion completion notification is received from another image forming apparatus, the job with the master flag stored in said storage part is deleted.

37. An image forming system comprising:

a plurality of image forming apparatuses; and

a control device that transmits a job to a spool destination selected from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, wherein

each of said plurality of image forming apparatuses includes;

a storage part that stores a job when receiving the job from said control device;

a job executing part that obtains the job from said storage part or another image forming apparatus so as to execute the job, and

a history management part that records an execution history of the job on history information to manage the history information when said job executing part executes the job,

said control device includes;

an information obtaining part that obtains history information of said plurality of image forming apparatuses,

a spool destination deciding part that decides two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destinations of an accepted job based on plural pieces of history information obtained by said information obtaining part, and

a job transmitter that transmits a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said spool destination deciding part.

38. The image forming system according to claim 37, wherein each of said plurality of image forming apparatuses further includes:

a job management part that generates spool information for managing a job stored in said storage part and jobs spooled in other image forming apparatuses so as to manage the spool information; and

a display part that displays a job list based on the spool information.

39. The image forming system according to claim 38, wherein

mid job executing part transmits a job starting notification to the other image forming apparatuses when executing the job obtained by said storage part, and transmits a job completion notification to the other image forming apparatuses when the execution of the job is completed, and

said job management part locks a job when receiving the job starting notification from another image forming apparatus and a same job as the job that is being executed in said another image forming apparatus is stored in said storage part, and after receiving the job completion notification from said another image forming apparatus, said job management part deletes the job from said storage part.

40. The image forming system according to claim 38, wherein when transmitting a job to two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said spool destination deciding part, said job transmitter adds a master flag to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and adds a replicated flag to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so as to transmit the jobs.

41. The image forming system according to claim 40, wherein receiving a request for a job stored in said storage part from said another image forming apparatus, said job management part makes a response only when the job stored in said storage part has a master flag.

42. The image forming system according to claim 40, wherein when the job with the master flag is stored in said storage part and said job management part deletes the job, said job management part transmits a job deleting command to another image forming apparatus that spools the job having the replicated flag, and after receiving a deletion completion notification from said another image forming apparatus, said job management part deletes the job with the master flag stored in the storage part.

43. The image forming system according to claim 37, wherein when said spool destination deciding part is not communicable with one image forming apparatus that spools a job after said job transmitter transmits the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses, said spool destination deciding part decides a new spool destination from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, and transfers the job to the new spool destination from another image forming apparatus that spools the job.

44. The image forming system according to claim 37, wherein when said spool destination deciding part changes a spool destination by the time when a job is executed after said job transmitter transmits the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses, said spool destination deciding part transfers the job from an image forming apparatus excluded from spool destinations due to the change to an image forming apparatus to be a new spool destination due to the change.