Printing system and method of controlling same

• US 7,079,268 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2000
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Douglas Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Chan S.
• Application Number:
  US09/503,478
• Time in Patent Office: 2,346 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.13, 358/1.16, 358/434, 713/201, 709/203, 709/213, 709/216, 709/219
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Disclosed are a printing system and a method of controlling the same, in which a terminal device storing image information to be printed is specified by an order management unit (203) in accordance with print requests from a plurality of terminal devices. Depending upon whether the specified terminal device and a printer to perform printing are connected locally or via a network (204), the specified terminal device is instructed to transfer the image information to a printer to perform printing. As a result, printing can be performed efficiently by a plurality of printers in response to print requests from a plurality of terminal devices connected via a network.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of terminal devices, the information processing apparatus for instructing a specified terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices to transfer image data to a printer in response to a print request received by the information processing apparatus from one of the plurality of terminal devices, said apparatus comprising:

an order management database storing management information about the image data stored in the specified terminal device;

a specifying unit adapted to specify a terminal device in which the image data to be printed has been stored in accordance with the print request and the stored management information, wherein the print request includes information for designating the printer as a print destination; and

a first designating unit adapted to instruct the terminal device specified by said specifying unit to transfer the image data to the printer designated as the print destination without passing the image data through the information processing apparatus; and

management unit adapted to manage record information including a printing date indicating the printing was performed by the printer based on the instruction by said first designating unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of terminal devices comprises a second designating unit adapted to designate the printer as the print destination, and

said first designating unit instructs transfer of the image data in dependence upon mode of connection between the printer designated by said second designating unit and the terminal device storing the image data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mode of connection indicates said first designating unit instructs transfer of the image data in dependence upon whether said terminal device and the printer are connected locally or via a network.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said specifying unit includes a management database for managing the image data as image file names, and

wherein said specifying unit specifies the terminal device, which is storing image data to be printed, based upon an image file name that has been registered in said management database.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image file name is a combination of a unique file name in the terminal device storing the image data and an identifier of this terminal device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a totalization unit adapted to totalize statistical information based upon attribute information in said management database.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the attribute information includes information on identifiers, image file names, number of pages to be printed and the printing date.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print request is issued from a first terminal device, and said specifying unit specifies a second terminal device as the terminal device in which the image data to be printed has been stored.

8. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of terminal devices, the information processing apparatus for instructing a specified terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices to transfer image data to a printer in response to a print request received by the information processing apparatus from one of the plurality of terminal devices, said method comprising:

storing management information in an order management database, the management information about the image data stored in the specified terminal device;

specifying a terminal device, in which the image data to be printed has been stored, in accordance with the print request and the stored management information, wherein the print request includes information for designating the printer as a print destination;

instructing the terminal device specified at said specifying step to transfer the image data to the printer designated as the print destination without passing the image data through the information processing apparatus; and

managing record information including a printing date indicating the printing performed by the printer based on the instruction.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising, performed by any of the plurality of terminal devices, designating the printer as the print destination,

wherein said instructing step instructs transfer of the image data in dependence upon mode of connection between the printer designated in said designating step and the terminal device storing the image data.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the mode of connection indicates whether the terminal device and the printer are connected locally or via a network.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said specifying step includes specifying the terminal device, which is storing image data to be printed, based upon an image file name that has been registered in a management database for managing the image data as image file names.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the image file name is a combination of a unique file name in the terminal device storing the image data and an identifier of this terminal device.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising totalizing statistical information based upon attribute information in the management database.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the attribute information includes information on identifiers, the image file names, number of pages to be printed and the printing date.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to implement the method set forth in claim 8.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the print request is issued from a first terminal device, and said specifying unit specifies a second terminal device as the terminal device in which the image data to be printed has been stored.