Control device, non-transitory recording medium and image forming system

• US 10,409,531 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Minami, Keita
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddo, Ibrahim
• Application Number:
  US15/440,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1213 at an intermediate node or at the final node
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1217 achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1261 by using alternate printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1263 based on job priority, e.g. re-arranging the order of jobs, e.g. the printing sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling

Abstract

A control device that is communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses, comprises: an information obtaining part that obtains history information from the plurality of image forming apparatuses; a spool destination deciding part that decides two or more image forming apparatuses as spool destinations of an accepted job from the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of history information obtained by the information obtaining part; and a job transmitter that transmits a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by the spool destination deciding part.

Claims

1. A control device that is an image forming apparatus communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses, said control device comprising:

a storage that stores a job; and

a hardware processor configured to;

obtain history information from said plurality of image forming apparatuses;

decide two or more image forming apparatuses as spool destinations of an accepted job from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of history information obtained by said hardware processor;

transmit an entirety of the accepted job to each of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor;

manage the job stored in said storage and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus; and

obtain the job from said storage or said another image forming apparatus so as to execute the job, wherein

when said hardware processor starts execution of the job obtained from said storage, said hardware processor transmits a job start notification to said another image forming apparatus, and when the execution of the job is completed, said hardware processor transmits a job completion notification to said another image forming apparatus,

when said hardware processor receives the job start notification from said another image forming apparatus and a same job as the job executed by said another image forming apparatus is stored in said storage, said hardware processor locks the job, and after receiving the job completion notification from said another image forming apparatus, said hardware processor deletes the job from said storage.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said hardware processor decides the two or more image forming apparatuses in said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destinations in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user based on said plural pieces of history information.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said hardware processor calculates a job waiting time based on said plural pieces of history information, and when the waiting time is shorter than a predetermined time, said hardware processor increases a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when a history of execution by a user who introduces a job does not indicate a predetermined number of times in said plural pieces of history information, said hardware processor increases a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

said hardware processor obtains apparatus information about each image forming apparatus from said plurality of image forming apparatuses,

said hardware processor decides two or more image forming apparatuses from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of apparatus information obtained by said hardware processor.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein said hardware processor selects image forming apparatuses that can execute the job from said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of apparatus information, and decides spool destinations preferentially from said spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of history information.

7. The control device according to claim 5, wherein said hardware processor decides an image forming apparatus used most frequently by a user as a spool destination based on said plural pieces of history information, and decides an image forming apparatus installed near the image forming apparatus used most frequently by the user as another spool destination based on said plural pieces of apparatus information.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when residual storage capacity is insufficient in the image forming apparatus decided as a spool destination, said hardware processor transfers an old job spooled in the image forming apparatus to another image forming apparatus.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when transmitting a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor, said hardware processor transmits the job to the image forming apparatuses in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user.

10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said hardware processor transmits whole data of a job to one of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor, and transmits only first partial data of the job to another image forming apparatus.

11. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when transmitting a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor, said hardware processor adds a master flag to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and adds a replicated flag to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so as to transmit the jobs.

12. A control device that is an image forming apparatus communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses, said control device comprising:

a storage that stores a job; and

a hardware processor configured to;

obtain history information from said plurality of image forming apparatuses;

decide two or more image forming apparatuses as spool destinations of an accepted job from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of history information obtained by said hardware processor;

transmit an entirety of the accepted job to each of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor; and

manage the jobs stored in said storage and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus,

wherein when the job with a master flag is stored in said storage and the job is deleted, said hardware processor transmits a job deleting command to another image forming apparatus that spools the job with a replicated flag and after receiving a deletion completion notification from another image forming apparatus, said hardware processor deletes said job with the master flag stored in the storage.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said hardware processor decides the two or more image forming apparatuses in said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destinations in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user based on said plural pieces of history information.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said hardware processor calculates a job waiting time based on said plural pieces of history information, and when the waiting time is shorter than a predetermined time, said hardware processor increases a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein when a history of execution by a user who introduces a job does not indicate a predetermined number of times in said plural pieces of history information, said hardware processor increases a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations.

16. The control device according to claim 12, wherein

said hardware processor obtains apparatus information about each image forming apparatus from said plurality of image forming apparatuses,

said hardware processor decides two or more image forming apparatuses from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on plural pieces of apparatus information obtained by said hardware processor.

17. The control device according to claim 16, wherein said hardware processor selects image forming apparatuses that can execute the job from said plurality of image forming apparatuses as spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of apparatus information, and decides spool destinations preferentially from said spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of history information.

18. The control device according to claim 16, wherein said hardware processor decides an image forming apparatus used most frequently by a user as a spool destination based on said plural pieces of history information, and decides an image forming apparatus installed near the image forming apparatus used most frequently by the user as another spool destination based on said plural pieces of apparatus information.

19. The control device according to claim 12, wherein when residual storage capacity is insufficient in the image forming apparatus decided as a spool destination, said hardware processor transfers an old job spooled in the image forming apparatus to another image forming apparatus.

20. The control device according to claim 12, wherein when transmitting a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor, said hardware processor transmits the job to the image forming apparatuses in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user.

21. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said hardware processor transmits whole data of a job to one of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor, and transmits only first partial data of the job to another image forming apparatus.

22. The control device according to claim 12, wherein when transmitting a job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided by said hardware processor, said hardware processor adds a master flag to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and adds a replicated flag to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so as to transmit the jobs.

23. A non-transitory recording medium in which a computer-readable program to be executed in a computer communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses is recorded, wherein said computer is packaged into an image forming apparatus, said program allowing said computer to execute:

a first step of obtaining history information from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively;

a second step of deciding two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses as job spool destinations of an accepted job based on the plural pieces of history information obtained at said first step;

a third step of transmitting the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step;

a fourth step of storing a job in a predetermined storage;

a fifth step of managing the job stored in said storage and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus; and

a sixth step of obtaining the job from said storage or another image forming apparatus so as to execute the job, wherein

at said sixth step, when execution of the job obtained from the storage is started, a job starting notification is transmitted to another image forming apparatus, and when the execution of the job is completed, a job completion notification is transmitted to another image forming apparatus,

at said fifth step, when the job starting notification is received from another image forming apparatus and a same job as the job executed by said another image forming apparatus is stored in said storage, the job is locked, and after receiving the job completion notification is received from said another image forming apparatus, the job is deleted from said storage.

24. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said second step, the two or more image forming apparatuses in said plurality of image forming apparatuses are decided as spool destinations in decreasing order of user frequency relating to a user based on said plural pieces of history information.

25. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said second step, a job waiting time is calculated based on said plural pieces of history information, and when the waiting time is shorter than a predetermined time, a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations is increased.

26. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said second step, when an execution history by a user who introduces a job does not indicate a predetermined number of times in said plural pieces of history information, a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations is increased.

27. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein

at said first step, apparatus information about the image forming apparatuses is obtained from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively, and

at said second step, two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses are decided based on said plural pieces of apparatus information obtained at said first step.

28. The recording medium according to claim 27, wherein at said second step, image forming apparatuses that can execute a job are selected as spool destination candidates from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on said plural pieces of apparatus information, and spool destinations are decided preferentially from said spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of history information.

29. The recording medium according to claim 27, wherein at said second step, an image forming apparatus used most frequently by a user is decided as a spool destination based on said plural pieces of history information, and an image forming apparatus installed near the image forming apparatus used most frequently by the user is decided as another spool destination based on said plural pieces of apparatus information.

30. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said second step, when a residual storage capacity is insufficient in the image forming apparatus decided as the spool destinations, an old job spooled in the image forming apparatus is transferred to another image forming apparatus.

31. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said third step, when the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user.

32. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said third step, whole data of the job is transmitted to one of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, and only first partial data of the job is transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.

33. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein at said third step, when transmitting the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, a master flag is added to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and a replicated flag is added to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so that the job is transmitted.

34. A non-transitory recording medium in which a computer-readable program to be executed in a computer communicable with a plurality of image forming apparatuses is recorded, wherein said computer is packaged into an image forming apparatus, said program allowing said computer to execute:

a first step of obtaining history information from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively;

a second step of deciding two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses as job spool destinations of an accepted job based on the plural pieces of history information obtained at said first step;

a third step of transmitting the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step;

a fourth step of storing a job in a predetermined storage; and

a fifth step of managing the job stored in said storage and the job spooled in another image forming apparatus,

wherein at said fifth step, when the job with a master flag is stored in said storage and the job is deleted, a job deleting command is transmitted to another image forming apparatus that spools the job with a replicated flag and after a deletion completion notification is received from another image forming apparatus, the job with the master flag stored in said storage is deleted.

35. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said second step, the two or more image forming apparatuses in said plurality of image forming apparatuses are decided as spool destinations in decreasing order of user frequency relating to a user based on said plural pieces of history information.

36. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said second step, a job waiting time is calculated based on said plural pieces of history information, and when the waiting time is shorter than a predetermined time, a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations is increased.

37. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said second step, when an execution history by a user who introduces a job does not indicate a predetermined number of times in said plural pieces of history information, a number of image forming apparatuses to be spool destinations is increased.

38. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein

at said first step, apparatus information about the image forming apparatuses is obtained from said plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively, and

at said second step, two or more of said plurality of image forming apparatuses are decided based on said plural pieces of apparatus information obtained at said first step.

39. The recording medium according to claim 38, wherein at said second step, image forming apparatuses that can execute a job are selected as spool destination candidates from said plurality of image forming apparatuses based on said plural pieces of apparatus information, and spool destinations are decided preferentially from said spool destination candidates based on said plural pieces of history information.

40. The recording medium according to claim 38, wherein at said second step, an image forming apparatus used most frequently by a user is decided as a spool destination based on said plural pieces of history information, and an image forming apparatus installed near the image forming apparatus used most frequently by the user is decided as another spool destination based on said plural pieces of apparatus information.

41. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said second step, when a residual storage capacity is insufficient in the image forming apparatus decided as the spool destinations, an old job spooled in the image forming apparatus is transferred to another image forming apparatus.

42. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said third step, when the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, the job is transmitted to the two or more image forming apparatuses in decreasing order of use frequency relating to a user.

43. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said third step, whole data of the job is transmitted to one of the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, and only first partial data of the job is transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.

44. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein at said third step, when transmitting the job to the two or more image forming apparatuses decided at said second step, a master flag is added to the job to be transmitted to one image forming apparatus, and a replicated flag is added to the job to be transmitted to another image forming apparatus different from said one image forming apparatus so that the job is transmitted.