Information processing apparatus and information processing method

• US 7,916,324 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Benny Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): GETANEH, MESFIN S
• Application Number:
  US11/131,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 705/8, 715/769, 713/502
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1215 achieving increased printing speed, i.e. reducing the time between printing start and printing end
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/125 Page layout or assigning input pages onto output media, e.g. imposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence

Abstract

Scheduling work is easily achieved without the necessity of an operator paying special attention to the throughput and the type of each printer and the idle time when each printer is available. An arrow is obtained when the operator performs a drag operation such as to increase the length in the vertical axis direction of an initial arrow. The length in the horizontal axis direction of the arrow becomes shorter in response to the above-mentioned drag operation. In this scheduling, all of the three available devices are used. Accordingly, the printing of the job is completed in a short printing time. Further, an arrow is obtained by a drag operation for increasing the length in the horizontal axis direction of the initial arrow. This scheduling represents that the job is executed by one device, for example, having a throughput A among the three available devices.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for performing scheduling of a print job for a printing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a displaying unit configured to cause a display section to display;

a scheduling region defined by first and second axes where the first axis indicates capability of the printing apparatus and the second axis indicates print time; and

a job element in the scheduling region, a length of the job element along the first axis corresponding to the capability of the printing apparatus which is used for the print job corresponding to the job element, and a length of the job element along the second axis corresponding to the print time required for the print job with the capability of the printing apparatus which is used for the print job; and

a designation unit configured to designate the length of the job element along the first axis and the length of the job element along the second axis by a dragging operation of the job element;

a control unit configured to determine the length of the job element along the first axis and a printing apparatus which is used for the print job based on information of the print job corresponding to the job element in a case where the designation unit designates the length of the job element along the second axis by the dragging operation of the job element, and determine the length of the job element along the second axis and the print time required for the print job based on information of the print job corresponding to the job element in a case where the designation unit designates the length of the job element along the first axis by the dragging operation of the job element.

2. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit moves the job element within the scheduling region, in response to the dragging operation of the job element.

3. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the length of the first and the second axes, according to a combination of capability of a plurality of printing apparatuses capable of being used for the print job.

4. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a property of the print job corresponding to the job element displayed.

5. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a delivery due date element which indicates a delivery due date of the print job corresponding to the job element displayed.

6. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first forbidding unit configured to forbid the control-unit to forbid the control unit to arrange the job element being scheduled on a range that overlaps with the job element which has been already arranged, when the job element corresponding to another-print job is arranged in the scheduling region.

7. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second forbidding unit configured to forbid, when there is a printing apparatus not used for printing the print job, the control unit to arrange the job element being scheduled on a range that corresponds to the capability of the printing apparatus not used for printing.

8. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a mask unit configured to, when there is a printing apparatus not used for printing, display in the scheduling region a predetermined indication for a range corresponding to the capability of the printing apparatus not used for printing and forbid arrangement of the job element in the range indicated; and

an allocating unit configured to allocate the job element, which corresponds to the print job having used the printing apparatus not used for printing or the print job is to use the printing apparatus not used for printing, to another printing apparatus,

wherein, when at least a part of the job element allocated by the allocating unit is arranged on a print time range after the delivery due date of the print job, the control unit changes the length corresponding to the capability to be used for the print job so that the job element is arranged in the range not crossing over the due date, in a direction of the first or the second axis corresponding to the time required for printing.

9. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein, when the printing apparatus is restored to be capable of being used, the mask unit performs control of clearing of the scheduling region the predetermined indication corresponding to the capability of the restored printing apparatus.

10. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a re-allocating unit configured to allocate the job element corresponding to the print job having used the restored printing apparatus before the printing apparatus was not used, so that the job element is allocated to the printing apparatuses of the capability including the capability of the restored printing apparatus.

11. A control method for controlling an information processing apparatus of performing scheduling of a print job for a printing apparatus, the control method comprising:

a displaying step of causing a display section to display;

a scheduling region defined by first and second axes where the first axis indicates capability of the printing apparatus and the second axis indicates print time; and

a job element in the scheduling region, a length of the job element along the first axis corresponding to the capability of the printing apparatus which is used for the print job corresponding to the job element, and a length of the job element along the second axis corresponding to the print time required for the print job with the throughput of the printing apparatus which is used for the print job; and

a designation step of designating the length of the job element along the first axis and the length of the job element along the second axis by a dragging operation of the job element;

a control step of determining the length of the job element along the first axis and a printing apparatus which is used for the print job based on information of the print job corresponding to the job element in a case where the length of the job element along the second axis is designated by the dragging operation of the job element, and determining the length of the job element along the second axis and the print time required for the print job based on information of the print job corresponding to the job element in a case where the length of the job element along the first axis is designated by the dragging operation of the job element.

12. A control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display change step moves the job element within the scheduling region, in response to the dragging operation of the job element.

13. A control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control step changes the length of the first and second axes, according to a combination of capability of a plurality of printing apparatuses capable of being used for the print job.

14. A control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display section displays a property of the print job corresponding to the job element displayed.

15. A control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display step displays a delivery due date element which indicates a delivery due date of the print job corresponding to the job element displayed.

16. A control method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a first forbidding step of forbidding the control step to arrange the job element being scheduled in a range that overlaps with the job element which has been already arranged, when the job element corresponding to another print job is arranged in the scheduling region.

17. A control method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a second forbidding step of forbidding, when there is a printing apparatus not used for printing the print job, the control step to arrange the job element being scheduled in a range that corresponds to the capability of the printing apparatus not used for printing.

18. A control method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a masking step of, when there is a printing apparatus not used for printing, displaying in the scheduling region a predetermined indication for a range corresponding to the capability of the printing apparatus not used for printing and performing control of forbidding arrangement of the job element in the range indicated; and

an allocating step of allocating the job element, which corresponds to the print job having used the printing apparatus not used for printing or the print job is to use the printing apparatus not used for printing, to another printing apparatus,

wherein, when at least a part of the job element allocated by the allocating step is arranged in a print time range after the delivery due date of the print job, the control step changes the length corresponding to the capability to be used for the print job so that the job element is arranged in the range not crossing over the due date, in a direction of the first or the second axis corresponding to the time required for printing.

19. A control method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, when the printing apparatus is restored to be capable of being used, the masking step performs control of clearing of the scheduling region the predetermined indication corresponding to the capability of the restored printing apparatus.

20. A control method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a re-allocating step of allocating the job element corresponding to the print job having used the restored printing apparatus before the printing apparatus was not used, so that the job element is allocated to the printing apparatuses of the capability including the capability of the restored printing apparatus.

21. A storage medium storing a program for performing an information processing of performing scheduling of a print job for a printing apparatus, the program causing an information processing apparatus to execute:

a displaying step of causing a display section to display;

a scheduling region defined by a first and a second axes where the first axis indicates capability of the printing apparatus and the second axis indicates print time; and

a job element in the scheduling region, a length of the job element along the first axis corresponding to the capability of the printing apparatus which is used for the print job corresponding to the job element, and a length of the job element along the second axis corresponding to the print time required for the print job with the capability of the printing apparatus which is used for the print job; and

a designation step of designating the length of the job element along the first axis and the length of the job element along the second axis by a dragging operation of the job element;

a control step of determining the length of the job element along the first axis and a printing apparatus which is used for the print job based on information of the print job corresponding to the job element in response to a case where the length of the job element along the second axis is designated by the dragging operation of the job element, and determining the length of the job element along the second axis and the print time required for the print job based on information of the print job corresponding to the job element in a case where the length of the job element along the first axis is designated by the dragging operation of the job element.

22. An information processing apparatus for performing scheduling of a product produced in a producing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a displaying unit configured to cause a display section to display;

a scheduling region defined by a first and a second axes where the first axis indicates capability of the producing apparatus and the second axis indicates time required for producing; and

a job element in the scheduling region, a length of the job element along the first axis corresponding to the capability of the producing apparatus which is used for producing the product corresponding to the job element, and a length of the job element along the second axis corresponding to the time required for producing the product with the capability of the producing apparatus which is used for producing the product; and

a designation unit configured to designate the length of the job element along the first axis and the length of the job element along the second axis by a dragging operation of the job element;

a control unit configured to determine the length of the job element along the first axis and a printing apparatus which is used for producing the product based on information of the product corresponding to the job element in a case where the designation unit designates the length of the job element along the second axis by the dragging operation of the job element, and determine the length of the job element along the second axis and the time required for producing the product based on information of the product corresponding to the job element in a case where the designation unit designates the length of the job element along the first axis by the dragging operation of the job element.

23. A control method for controlling an information processing method of performing scheduling of a product produced in a producing apparatus, the control method comprising:

a displaying step of causing a display section to display;

a scheduling region defined by a first and a second axes where the first axis indicates capability of the producing apparatus and the second axis indicates time required for producing; and

a job element in the scheduling region, a length of the job element along the first axis corresponding to the capability of the producing apparatus which is used for producing the product corresponding to the job element, and a length of the job element along the second axis corresponding to the time required for producing the product with the capability of the producing apparatus which is used for producing said product; and

a designation step of designating the length of the job element along the first axis and the length of the job element along the second axis by a dragging operation of the job element;

a control step of determining the length of the job element along the first axis and a printing apparatus which is used for producing the product based on information of the product corresponding to the job element in a case where the length of the job element along the second axis is designated by the dragging operation of the job element, and determining the length of the job element along the second axis and the time required for producing the product based on information of the product corresponding to the job element in a case where the length of the job element along the first axis is designated by the dragging operation of the job element.