JP2007011703A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system applicable to a pull type printing system capable of shortening waiting time from instructing printing of a desired file by a user until a start of printing. <P>SOLUTION: The printing system applicable when the file stored in an information processing device and a memory device such as a computer and storage is provided with a device having a printing function such as a multifunction device and a printer, and an application program capable of executing on the device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system, and is stored in an information processing apparatus / storage device such as a computer or a storage by a device having a printing function such as a multifunction device (MFP) / printer and an application program executable on the device. The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus, a network system, a control method, and a program that can be applied when a file is downloaded and printed.

  Conventionally, when a user prints a desired file on a computer, it is common to send a print instruction and print data from a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) to a printer or the like via a printer driver. Also, printing may be performed via a printer server or a document management server. All of these are push-type printing techniques that send data from a computer to a printer or the like.

On the other hand, when the location of a file to be printed (such as a URL) is instructed to a printer or the like, the case of pull-type printing, which is a technique for acquiring and printing a file from the printer via a network, has been increasing in recent years. The advantage of pull-type printing is that it is possible to print on the spot just by going to the device to be printed and specifying a desired file, and there is no need to prepare a client PC or the like. When printing is required at a place where the user is out, the file stored in the server or the like can be printed from any device without requiring a notebook PC or the like. An application execution environment represented by a Java (registered trademark) environment has been prepared for devices such as MFPs and printers, and a pull-type printing system has become easier to implement. .
JP 2004-46415 A

  However, in pull-type printing, the time for acquiring a file via the network and the processing time for developing a page description language (hereinafter referred to as PDL) in the device differ depending on the file size, the print content, and the processing performance of the device. It may take several tens of seconds to several minutes. There is a problem that the user feels dissatisfied with the waiting time from when the device instructs the device to start printing.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing system applicable to a pull type printing system that shortens the waiting time from when a user instructs printing of a desired file until printing is started.

  In order to achieve the above object, the system of the present invention comprises the following arrangement.

That is,
Means for obtaining a print file list from the management server;
Means for analyzing the print file list and acquiring the print file from the management server;
Means for storing a print file in a storage device;
Means for controlling print settings in accordance with the recommended print settings of the print file list;
Means for developing the print file into a PDL and storing a rasterized data file;
Means for instructing printing in accordance with print settings designated from the rasterized data file;
Display and input means for providing a user interface to the operator;
Means for selecting an optimum print process according to the description content of the file list and whether or not the print setting is changed;
A printing system comprising:

  In the embodiment of the present invention, by managing the print file by the print file list, the print file is downloaded in advance, the PDL development is completed, the rasterized data file is held, and the print format is changed. On the other hand, PDL expansion is performed again from the downloaded print file, and the print file that needs to be dynamically generated is downloaded from the server computer each time, so that the file desired by the user is the shortest. Printing can be started in a waiting time. This makes it possible to provide a pull-type printing system that shortens the waiting time from when the user instructs printing of a desired file until printing is started.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the system configuration of this embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a multifunction device (hereinafter referred to as MFP), 101 denotes a logical network connection, 102 denotes a server computer on which a program responsible for communication with the MFP or a program used in pull-type printing operates, and 103 denotes a server A database system or file storage system 104 used by the computer is a client PC connected to the server computer and processed by the operator.

  2 is a detailed diagram of the MFP 100 in FIG. 1, in which 200 is an automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as a feeder), 201 is a document scanning unit, 202 is a display / touch panel unit, 203 is a paper feeding unit, 204 is a fixing unit, Reference numeral 205 denotes a paper discharge unit, 206 denotes a finishing device, and 207 denotes a paper discharge tray. For the following description, 203, 204, and 205 are collectively referred to as a print engine.

  FIG. 3 shows a logical configuration of the information processing function of the MFP 100. A display / touch panel unit 300 provides a user interface to an operator, a network interface unit 301 communicates with an external device through a network, a CPU 302 executes a program for controlling the MFP, and an embedded program 303 A ROM in which data is recorded, a RAM 304 as a temporary memory area, and an HDD 305 as a large capacity storage area, are connected via an input / output interface 306.

  FIG. 4 shows a logical configuration of information processing functions of the server computer 102 and the client PC 104 in FIG. 400 is a keyboard / mouse input control unit that receives input from an operator, 401 is a display unit that provides an output screen to the operator, 402 is a network interface unit that communicates with an external device via a network, and 403 is a control program. A CPU to be executed, a ROM 404 in which built-in programs and data are recorded, a RAM 405 being a temporary memory area, a HDD 406 being a large-capacity storage area, and each unit is connected via an input / output interface 407 ing.

  FIG. 5 shows a software configuration capable of executing an application program in the MFP. Reference numeral 501 is an example of an execution environment for controlling the MFP. Generally, each module of a real-time OS that can control various functions of the MFP in real time, or an optional device of a copier, and an expansion by instructing the CPU. A library group capable of controlling each function including a card. It is realized by a module group that provides an interface command to an application that operates at a higher level.

  Reference numeral 502 denotes a controller control unit that operates on the execution environment 501 and includes a module that controls a scanning unit, a printer unit, a modem communication unit, a PDL development unit, and the like of the MFP. Reference numeral 503 denotes an application programming interface (hereinafter referred to as API), which is a function for controlling the network interface 301 and processing for accessing the controller control unit 502 using this interface in response to an instruction sequence of an instruction input from the application. It is what has.

  Reference numeral 504 denotes an optimal execution environment for executing a specific application, which is realized by, for example, a Java (registered trademark) virtual machine. A resource management unit 505 manages resources used by the execution environment 504 and operates on the real-time OS 501. The resource management unit 505 restricts the virtual machine 504 that implements the execution environment itself, the API 503, or all the applications on the OS 501 from using a resource resource such as a memory so that a resource exceeding a predetermined amount cannot be used. It is. Reference numerals 506, 507, and 508 are examples of application groups that can operate in the MFP. For the following description, it is assumed that the target application of the present invention is 506.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of the present invention. The administrator registers the print file list in the server computer 104 (S601). The server computer 104 distributes the file list to the MFP on which the application 506 is running (S602). The application 506 stores the file list in the storage device 406 in the MFP and analyzes it (S603).

  FIG. 7 shows details of the contents of the file list. Reference numeral 700 denotes a print file list held on the server side. Reference numeral 701 denotes a print file list held on the MFP side. The print file ID field gives an identifier that uniquely identifies the print file, the file version field gives the updated version number of the file, and the classification and document name fields give the operator an easy identification when printing is designated. The classification name and document name to be generated are displayed in the dynamically generated field, a flag indicating whether this print file must be dynamically generated by the server for every print request, and the recommended print setting field has the print setting. The default value is a flag indicating whether the operator can change the default value of the print setting later in the print setting change field, and the file path / file name to the actual file is described in the file name field. . Note that these file list storage formats can be used regardless of the format, such as a file or a database.

  As a result of the analysis of the file list, the application 506 transmits a print file acquisition request for each print file ID for the print file whose dynamic generation flag is set to false to the server computer 104 (S604). The server computer 104 reads the corresponding print file (S605), and the application 506 downloads the print file. The print file in this case includes an electronic document format represented by PDF (Portable Document Format) and various PDL files. The application 506 stores the print file in the storage device 406 (S607), and performs PDL expansion processing (S608). When the PDL development process is completed, a rasterized data file is generated in the storage device 406 (S609).

  The application 506 records the rasterized data file name in the print file list 701. When step S609 is completed, the MFP 100 is ready to instruct the print engine to start printing the corresponding rasterized data file.

  That is, if an instruction from the user is given, printing of the file can be started immediately. Also, by comparing the file version of the file list between the MFP side and the server side, if the file on the server side has been updated, only the relevant file can be side downloaded.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing a user interface (hereinafter, UI) 800 provided by the application 506 on the display / touch panel unit 202 of the MFP 100. Reference numeral 801 denotes a switching button that displays an application name, an application icon, and the like and switches between applications. 802 is a control capable of selecting the classification of the file list 701, 803 is a control capable of selecting the document name of the file list 701, 804 is a preview area for displaying a preview image at the time of printing according to the selected document name, 805 Are buttons for instructing to print the print file of the classification / document name selected in the above-mentioned 802 and 803.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a print setting dialog 900 that allows the print settings to be changed when a print instruction is given by the button 805. In this dialog, the number of copies, paper size, bookbinding, duplex setting, layout, stapling, and the like can be specified as attribute information of print settings. It should be noted that the print setting dialog is not displayed or invalidated for a file whose print setting change is disabled in the file list 701. In accordance with the print settings, the print engine and finishing device 206 performs printing and post-processing. Note that these UI configurations are examples of the embodiment, and can be implemented in any UI configuration.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing processing when a print request is generated from the user. When the application 506 detects the occurrence of a print request from the user (S1001), the application 506 checks the dynamic generation flag of the print file selected by the user of the file list 701 using the UI (S1002). If the dynamic generation flag is true, a print file acquisition request is transmitted to the server computer 102, and the file is downloaded (S1003). In this case, in step S605 of FIG. 6, the server computer 102 generates the requested file at that time and makes it downloadable. If the dynamic generation flag is false, the necessary print file has already been downloaded, so the download process is skipped and it is checked whether the print format has been changed (S1004). If the print format has been changed, the PDL development instruction is re-executed, and a rasterized data file having the format instructed by the print settings is generated (S1005). Thereafter, regardless of the branch condition described above, a print instruction is issued to the print engine (S1006), and printing is started.

It is the schematic which shows the system configuration | structure in the Example of this invention. It is a detailed view of a multifunction device. It is a figure explaining the logical structure of the information processing function of a multifunction device. It is a figure explaining the logical structure of the information processing function of a server computer and a client computer. It is a software block diagram of a multifunction device. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement sequence of this invention. It is a figure which shows the detail of the content of the file list for printing. It is a figure which shows the structural example of UI. It is a figure which shows the structural example of UI. It is a flowchart which shows the process of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Multifunction device (MFP)
101 Logical network connection 102 Server computer 103 Database system or file storage system 104 Client PC
200 Automatic document feeder (feeder)
201 Document scanning unit 202 Display / touch panel unit 203 Paper feed unit 204 Fixing unit 205 Paper discharge unit 206 Finishing device 207 Paper discharge tray 300 Display / touch panel unit 301 Network interface unit 302 CPU
303 ROM
304 RAM
305 HDD
306 Input / output interface 400 Keyboard / mouse input control unit 401 Display unit 402 Network interface unit 403 CPU
404 ROM
405 RAM
406 HDD
407 I / O interface 501 Real-time OS
502 Controller control unit 503 Application programming interface (API)
504 Virtual machine 505 Resource management unit 506, 507, 508 Application group 700 Server-side print file list 701 MFP-side print file list 800 User interface (UI)
801 Switching button 802, 803 Control 804 Preview area 805 Button control 900 Dialog

Claims (6)

Means for obtaining a print file list from the management server;
Means for analyzing the print file list and acquiring the print file from the management server;
Means for storing a print file in a storage device;
Means for controlling print settings in accordance with the recommended print settings of the print file list;
Means for developing the print file into a PDL and storing a rasterized data file;
Means for instructing printing in accordance with print settings designated from the rasterized data file;
Display and input means for providing a user interface to the operator;
Means for selecting an optimum print process according to the description content of the file list and whether or not the print setting is changed;
A printing system comprising:   A printing system comprising means for expressing the print file list according to claim 1 in XML.   A printing system comprising means for transmitting and receiving the print file list and the print file according to claim 1 by a communication method using a Web service.   A printing system comprising means for transmitting / receiving the print file list and the print file of claim 1 to / from a computer by encrypted communication.   A printing system comprising: means for realizing an application program executable on the device of claim 1 on a virtual machine and executing the application program without depending on an OS or an apparatus environment.   A printing system comprising: means for updating the print file list according to claim 1 immediately by an instruction from a computer or by specifying a time.