Information processing system and method therefor

• US 6,477,570 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1997
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Wakai, Masanori, Fujii, Kenichi, Takayama, Masayuki, Jeyachandran, Suresh, Ibaraki, Shouichi, Suda, Aruna Rohra, Mikame, Shuichi, Takahashi, Satomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US08/999,143
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 709/218, 709/223, 709/224, 709/219, 395/101, 395/113, 395/114, 395/115, 395/182.09, 395/182.1, 345/502, 345/504, 345/505, 710/5, 710/6, 710/7, 710/17, 710/18, 710/19, 703/23, 370/449, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1261 by using alternate printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer

Abstract

In an information processing system wherein a printer and a personal computer are connected together, when the printer receives a print job from a scanner, as there are a plurality of processes corresponding to the received printed job, the printer distinguishes between a print process to be performed by the printer and a print notification process to be performed for a user by the personal computer. When the printer initiates printing, it instructs the personal computer to perform the print notification process. Upon receipt of the instruction, the personal computer calls a user to notify the user that printing has been initiated.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a print device; and

an optional device connected to said print device,

wherein said print device comprises;

a first reception unit adapted to receive print job information, including a print command and print data,

an analysis unit adapted to analyze the print job information to understand a goal of a print job requested in the print job information, and to identify a print process constituting the requested print job and an additional process not constituting a print job, but to be performed to achieve the goal of the print job,

a print unit adapted to perform the print process in which the print data is printed, and

an instruction unit adapted to send an instruction to said optional device to perform the additional process, and

wherein said optional device comprises;

a second reception unit adapted to receive the instruction from said print device, and

an additional process execution unit adapted to perform the additional process in response to the instruction.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said optional device further comprises a selection unit adapted to, when a notification that the additional process cannot be performed is received from the notification unit, select a device to perform the additional process from among devices other than said optional device.

3. An information processing system according to claim 2, wherein said print device is connected to a third device and the selection unit selects the third device.

4. An information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the selection unit selects said print device.

5. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the additional process is a process for sending a notification that an output process has been performed.

6. An information processing system according to claim 5, wherein voice is used by the additional process execution unit to issue a notification.

7. An information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the analysis unit identifies a recipient and the additional process execution unit issues a notification to the recipient by telephone, by using a pager, or by sending electronic mail.

8. An information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein said optional device is connected to a fourth device, and

wherein a transfer unit is provided to transfer to the fourth device an object to be outputted.

9. An information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the transfer unit changes the object to be outputted into an output form suitable for the fourth device, and transfers the object in the output form.

10. An information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein said optional device includes an analysis unit adapted to analyze contents of an object to be outputted, and

wherein, as a result of an analysis by the analysis unit, a transfer unit, as needed, transfers the object to be outputted to a fourth device.

11. An information processing system according to claim 10,

wherein said optional device includes an identification unit adapted to identify a status of a recipient, and

wherein said optional device initiates an information transfer to the fourth device when the analysis unit ascertains that results will not be immediately collected by the recipient even when said optional device outputs the results to the recipient.

12. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said optional device further comprises:

a determination unit adapted to determine, based on the instruction, whether or not said optional device is currently prepared to perform the additional process, and

a notification unit adapted to, when it is ascertained that the additional process cannot be performed, transmit a notification to that effect to said print device.

13. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said print device includes a query unit adapted to, upon receipt of a notification that the additional process cannot be performed, ask a user to designate a device to perform the additional process.

14. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first reception unit receives as information a processing command and an object to be processed.

15. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the analysis unit includes a determination unit adapted to analyze the print job information that is received and to specify a plurality of processes corresponding to the print job information.

16. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, when the first reception unit receives a request for an instruction to perform a specific process from said optional device, the analysis unit identifies the specific process as the additional process.

17. An information processing method for an information processing system that includes a print device and an optional device connected to the print device, comprising:

a reception step of receiving print job information, including a print command and print data, at the print device;

an analysis step of analyzing the print job information to understand a goal of a print job requested in the print job information and identifying a print process constituting the requested print job and an additional process not constituting a print job, but to be performed to achieve the goal of the print job;

a print step of performing the print process in which the print data is printed at the print device;

an instruction step of transmitting from the print device an instruction to perform the additional process to the optional device; and

an additional process step of performing at the optional device the additional process upon receipt of the instruction from the print device.

18. An information processing method according to claim 17, further comprising a selection step of, when a notification that the additional process cannot be performed is received, selecting a device to perform the additional process from among devices other than the optional device.

19. An information processing method according to claim 18,

wherein the print device is connected to a third device, and

wherein the third device is selected in said selection step.

20. An information processing method according to claim 18, wherein the print device is selected in said selection step.

21. An information processing method according to claim 17, wherein the additional process is a process for sending a notification that an output process has been performed.

22. An information processing method according to claim 21, wherein voice is used in said additional process execution step to issue a notification.

23. An information processing method according to claim 21,

wherein a recipient is identified in said analysis step, and

wherein, in said additional process execution step, a notification is issued to the recipient by telephone, by using a pager, or by sending electronic mail.

24. An information processing method according to claim 17,

wherein the optional device is connected to a fourth device, and

further comprising a transfer step of transferring to the fourth device an object to be outputted.

25. An information processing method according to claim 24, wherein, in said transfer step, the object to be outputted is changed into an output form suitable for the fourth device, and the object in the output form is transferred.

26. An information processing method according to claim 17,

wherein the optional device performs an analysis step of analyzing contents of an object to be outputted, and

further comprising a transfer step of performing a transfer, as needed, as a result of an analysis in said analysis step.

27. An information processing method according to claim 26, further comprising an identification step of identifying, at the optional device, a status of a recipient,

wherein said transfer step is performed when it is ascertained in said identification step that results will not be immediately collected by the recipient even when the optional device outputs the results to the recipient.

28. An information processing method according to claim 17, wherein the optional device performs:

a determination step of determining, based on the instruction, whether or not the optional device is currently prepared to perform the additional process; and

a notification step of, when it is ascertained that the additional process cannot be performed, transmitting a notification to that effect to the print device.

29. An information processing method according to claim 17, wherein the print device performs a query step of, upon receipt of a notification that the additional process cannot be performed, asking a user to designate a device to perform the additional process.

30. An information processing method according to claim 17, wherein a processing command and an object to be processed are received as information in said first reception step.

31. An information processing method according to claim 17, wherein said analysis step includes a determination step of analyzing the print job information that is received and specifying a plurality of processes corresponding to the print job information.

32. An information processing method according to claim 17, wherein, when a request for an instruction to perform a specific process from the optional device is received in said first reception step, the specific process is identified as the additional process in said analysis step.

33. A print apparatus, connected to an information processing apparatus, comprising:

a reception unit adapted to receive print job information, including an print command and print data;

an analysis unit adapted to analyze the print job information to understand a goal of a print job requested in the print job information, and to identify a print process constituting the requested print job and an additional process not constituting a print job, but to be performed to achieve the goal of the print job;

a print unit adapted to perform the print process in which the print data is printed; and

an instruction unit adapted to send an instruction to the information processing apparatus to perform the additional process.

34. An information processing method for a print apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus, comprising:

a reception step of receiving print job information including a print command and print data;

an analysis step of analyzing the print job information to understand a goal of a print job requested in the print job information and identifying a print process constituting the requested print job and an additional process not constituting a print job, but to be performed to achieve the goal of the print job;

a print step of performing the print process in which the print data is printed; and

an instruction step of sending an instruction to the information processing apparatus to perform the additional process.

35. A computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program for controlling a computer to process information, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:

a reception step of receiving print job information, including a print command and print data;

an analysis step of analyzing the print job information to understand a goal of a print job requested in the print job information and identifying a print process constituting the requested print job and an additional process not constituting a print job, but to be performed to achieve the goal of the print job;

a print step of performing the print process in which the print data is printed; and

an instruction step of sending an instruction to an optional information processing apparatus to perform the additional process.