Image processing apparatus, image processing method and control program

• US 7,209,965 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US10/308,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/220, 709/224, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

Disclosed herein as a preferred embodiment is an image forming apparatus for printing data requested to be printed from a client apparatus via a network. The image forming apparatus comprising determination means for determining whether or not an instruction string is described in the body portion of e-mail sent from the client apparatus and controlling means for, in the case where the determination means determines that the instruction string is described, printing the data contained in an attached file according to the instruction string. And a control program, a method and a system for controlling these are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for printing data requested to be printed from a client apparatus via a network, comprising:

a determination unit adapted for determining whether or not a print instruction string indicating a print instruction for printing of data contained in an attached file to an e-mail sent from the client apparatus and a transfer instruction string indicating a transfer instruction for transfer of the data to another image forming apparatus are described in the body portion of the e-mail;

a controlling unit adapted for, in case where said determination unit determines that the print instruction string and the transfer instruction string are described, controlling printing of the data contained in the attached file and controlling transfer of the data to the other image forming apparatus if the data is not printed, in accordance with the print instruction string and the transfer instruction string; and

a notifying unit adapted for, in case where said determination unit determines whether or not a notification instruction string indicating a notification instruction for notification to the client apparatus is described and if said determination unit determines that the notification instruction string is described and if an abnormality has occurred in said image forming apparatus, notifying the client apparatus that the abnormality has occurred in said image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer instruction indicated by the transfer instruction string instructs transfer of the data to the other image forming apparatus if said image forming apparatus is in a print-impossible status described in said body portion.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the case where said image forming apparatus in the print-impossible status is the case where said image forming apparatus is offline.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the case were said image forming apparatus in the print-impossible status is the case where a paper jam has occurred to said image forming apparatus.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said notifying unit notifies that the abnormality has occurred by e-mail.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, said determination unit further determines whether or not a storing instruction string indicating a storing instruction to store the data in a storage medium is described, and wherein, if said determination unit determines the storing instruction string is described, said controlling unit controls storing of the data contained in the attached file in accordance with the storing instruction string.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the storing instruction string uses one or more of an option of specifying a file name to be stored in the storage medium, an option of specifying an area ID for storing a file, and an option of specifying a password for reading the stored file.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print instruction string uses one of both of an option of specifying a file name of the attached file and an option of providing the instruction to print all the data contained in the attached file.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer instruction string uses an option of specifying a transfer destination of the attached file.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification instruction string uses an option of specifying a destination of the e-mail.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification instruction string uses one or a plurality of an option of having a message notifying that printing has normally ended sent by the e-mail, an option of having a message notifying that an error has occurred at the beginning stage of or during the printing sent by the e-mail, and an option of having a character string specified by an argument sent by the e-mail.

12. An image forming method carried out in an image forming apparatus for performing an image forming process by making a printing request from a client apparatus via a network, said image method comprising:

determining whether or not a print instruction string indicating a print instruction for printing of data contained in an attached file to an e-mail sent from the client apparatus and a transfer instruction string indicating a transfer instruction for transfer of the data to another image forming apparatus are described in the body portion of the e-mail;

in case where said determination step determines that the print instruction string and the transfer instruction string are described, controlling printing of the data contained in the attached file and controlling transfer of the data to the other image forming apparatus if the data is not printed, in accordance with the print instruction string and the transfer instruction string; and

in case where said determination step determines whether or not a notification instruction string indicating a notification instruction for notification to the client apparatus is described and if said image forming apparatus has a notifying step of, in the case where said determination step determines that the notification instruction string is described and where an abnormality has occurred in said image forming apparatus, notifying the client apparatus that the abnormality has occurred in said image forming apparatus.

13. The image forming method according to claim 12, wherein the transfer instruction indicated by the transfer instruction string instructs transfer of the data to the other image forming apparatus if said image forming apparatus is in a print-impossible status.

14. The image forming method according to claim 12, wherein said notifying step notifies by the e-mail that the abnormality has occurred.

15. The image forming method according to claim 12, wherein, said determination step further determines whether or not a storing instruction string indicating a storing instruction string to store the data in a storage medium is described, and wherein if said determination step determines that the storing instruction string described, said controlling step controls storing of the data contained in the attached file in accordance with the storing instruction string.

16. The image forming method according to claim 15, wherein the case where said image forming apparatus is in the print-impossible status is the case where a paper jam has occurred to said image forming apparatus.

17. The image forming method according to claim 15, wherein the print instruction string uses one or both of an option of specifying a file name of the attached file and an option of providing the instruction to print all the data contained in the attached file.

18. The image forming method according to claim 15, wherein the transfer instructio string uses an option of specifying a transfer destination of the attached file.

19. The image forming method according to claim 15, wherein the notification instruction string uses using an option of specifying a destination of the e-mail.

20. The image forming method according to claim 15, wherein the notification instruction string uses using one or a plurality of an option of having a message notifying that printing has normally ended sent by the e-mail, an option of having a message notifying that an error has occurred at the beginning stage of or during the printing sent by the e-mail, and an option of having a character string specified by an argument sent by the e-mail.

21. The image forming method according to claim 17, wherein the storing instruction string uses one or a plurality of an option of specifying a file name to be stored in the storage medium, an option of specifying an area ID for storing a file, and an option of specifying a password for reading the stored file.

22. The image forming method according to claim 12, wherein the case where said image forming apparatus is in the print-impossible status is the case where said image forming apparatus is offline.

23. A control program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the control program to be executed by an image forming apparatus for printing data requested to be printed from a client apparatus via a network, characterized by having the contents of, as to e-mail sent from said client apparatus, identifying a header portion, the body portion of an attached file, said control program for performing a method comprising:

determining whether or not a print instruction string indicating a print instruction for printing of data contained in an attached file to an e-mail sent from the client apparatus and a transfer instruction string indicating a transfer instruction for transfer of the data to another image forming apparatus are described in the body portion of the e-mail;

in case where said determination step determines that the print instruction string and the transfer instruction string are described, controlling printing of the data contained in the attached file and controlling transfer of the data to the other image forming apparatus if the data is not printed, in accordance with the print instruction string and the transfer instruction string; and

in case where said determination step determines whether or not a notification instruction string indicating a notification instruction for notification to the client apparatus is described and if said image forming apparatus has a notifying step of, in the case where said determination step determines that the notification instruction string is described and where an abnormality has occurred in said image forming apparatus, notifying the client apparatus that the abnormality has occurred in said image forming apparatus.