Image processing apparatus and system, image formation apparatus, and recording medium therefor
First Claim
1. An image processing apparatus for performing image formation based on image-formation data, said image processing apparatus comprising:
- receiving means for receiving job data that includes the image-formation data and a communication program for communicating with an external unit; and
control means for controlling the image formation in accordance with a result of the communication with the external unit based on the communication program in the job data, wherein the communication program comprises a restriction procedure for restricting use of the image processing apparatus for each user.
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Abstract
An image formation apparatus receives, from a host computer, job data including image-formation data and a procedure for predetermined processing, and a computer controls image formation (printing) in accordance with the received procedure. Thereby, the image formation apparatus communicates with an external unit in accordance with the procedure, and based on a result of the communication, printing can be controlled, and by changing the content of the procedure, a control procedure for image formation can flexibly be changed. This enables detailed control of outputting, such as the restriction of the use of a printer, and the restriction of the use a printer in accordance with a user or the content of a document to be output.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An image processing apparatus for performing image formation based on image-formation data, said image processing apparatus comprising:
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receiving means for receiving job data that includes the image-formation data and a communication program for communicating with an external unit; and
control means for controlling the image formation in accordance with a result of the communication with the external unit based on the communication program in the job data, wherein the communication program comprises a restriction procedure for restricting use of the image processing apparatus for each user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An image processing apparatus connected to an external unit via a network, said image processing apparatus comprising:
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communication means for communicating with the external unit, said communication means being configured to receive job data that includes image-formation data and a communication program for communicating with the external unit;
image processing means for generating image data from the image-formation data;
image output means for outputting to a medium images based on the image data; and
control means for controlling said image processing means and said image output means in accordance with a result of the communication with the external unit by executing the communication program in the job data, wherein the job data is not required to be transmitted via a print server, and the external unit comprises an image-formation-history management unit for recording the history of the utilizing condition of said image processing apparatus for each user, and for restricting the use of said image processing apparatus based on the number of formed images. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program for controlling an image processing apparatus forming images based on image-formation data, said program comprising:
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code for a reception step, of receiving job data including the image-formation data and a second program for performing predetermined procedures; and
code for a control step, of controlling image formation in accordance with the received second program, wherein the job data is not required to be transmitted via a print server, and the received second program comprises a restriction procedure for restricting the use of the image processing apparatus.
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16. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program controlling an image processing apparatus forming images based on image-formation data, said program comprising:
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code for an addition step, of adding to job data the image formation data and a communication program for communicating with an external unit; and
code for a control step, of controlling the image formation in accordance with a result of the communication with the external unit based on the communication program added to the job data, wherein the job data is not required to be transmitted via a print server, and the communication program comprises a restriction procedure for restricting the use of the image processing apparatus.
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17. An image processing method for controlling an image processing apparatus performing image formation based on image-formation data, said image processing method comprising:
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an addition step, of adding to job data the image-formation data and a communication program for communicating with an external unit; and
a control step, of controlling the image formation in accordance with a result of communicating with the external unit based on the communication program, wherein the communication program comprises a restriction procedure for restricting the use of the image processing apparatus.
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18. An image processing method for controlling an image processing apparatus connected to an external unit via a network, said image processing method comprising:
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a receiving step, of receiving job data that includes image-formation data and a communication program for communicating with the external unit;
a communication step, of communicating with the external unit;
an image processing step, of generating image data from the image-formation data;
an image output step, of outputting to a medium images based on the image data; and
a control step, of controlling said image processing step and said image output step in accordance with a result of the communication with the external unit by executing the communication program in the job data, wherein said job data is not required to be transmitted via a print server, and the external unit comprises an image-formation-history management unit for recording the history of the utilizing condition of the image processing apparatus for each user, and for restricting the use of the image processing apparatus based on the number of formed images.
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Specification