Patent Grant
11249703
The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus capable of saving a print job and executing the saved print job, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium.
There are image forming apparatuses that have a function called a retention print for security purposes. The image forming apparatus, rather than immediately outputting a print job inputted from a printer driver, first saves the print job in a hard disk region allocated as a queue for retaining print jobs in the image forming apparatus. Then, after a user logs in, the image forming apparatus displays a list of print jobs for that user on an operation unit. On the image forming apparatus, the user selects a print job from the list to make a print instruction to print the print job. Also, there is a technique in which, upon log in, print jobs of the user that logged in are automatically printed without a print instruction by the user. This technique is effective as a means for efficiently performing printing since the printing is executed without the user needing to select a print job and make a print instruction on the operation unit. On the other hand, in the case where a large number of print jobs for the user are saved, it will require a long time for the printing of all of the print jobs to complete, and the image forming apparatus will be monopolized during that time. In a technique for limiting printing of print jobs, a printer that stops printing when the number of print pages of the currently printing print job reaches a limit value of a maximum sheet discharge number is disclosed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-76014).
Since a limit is put on a single print job in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-76014, it is not possible thereby to put a restriction on the accumulation of pages of all of the print jobs that are to be printed in the case where a plurality of print jobs are printed collectively. Also, since printing is stopped when the limit value is reached, the subsequent print operation is complicated since a print job is only printed part way through.
The present disclosure was conceived in view of the above conventional art, and has as an object to provide an image forming apparatus that, even in a case where retention printing is performed collectively for a plurality of print jobs, can prevent monopolization by the print jobs, a method of controlling the same, and a program.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors that execute a set of instructions to: receive from an external apparatus one or more print jobs with which user identification information is associated; save in the one or more memories the received print jobs in association with the user identification information; perform a user authentication by using inputted user identification information; and execute the print jobs associated with the inputted user identification information, in accordance with success of the user authentication, wherein the print jobs to be executed are decided so that a total number of pages to be outputted does not exceed an upper limit number.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors that execute a set of instructions to: receive from an external apparatus one or more print jobs with which user identification information is associated; save in the one or more memories the received print jobs in association with the user identification information; perform a user authentication by using inputted user identification information; and execute the print jobs associated with the inputted user identification information, in accordance with success of the user authentication, wherein the print jobs that are to be executed are decided from among the saved print jobs so that a set upper limit number of jobs is not exceeded.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but limitation is not made an invention that requires all such features, and multiple such features may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
System Configuration
A UI control unit 302 receives information that a user inputted by the operation unit 207 via the operation unit I/F 206 and transmits the information to an authentication unit 303, a data management unit 304, and a job management unit 307. Alternatively, a response from the authentication unit 303, the data management unit 304, and the job management unit 307 is received and the information is outputted to the operation unit 207 via the operation unit I/F 206.
The authentication unit 303 performs authentication processing based on authentication information received from the UI control unit 302 and returns the result. In other words, the authentication unit 303 performs user authentication. The data management unit 304 receives a data write/read request from the UI control unit 302, a network control unit 306, or the job management unit 307, and transmits the data write/read request to a storage control unit 305. Alternatively, the data management unit 304 receives a response from the storage control unit 305 and transmits the information to the UI control unit 302, the network control unit 306, and the job management unit 307. The storage control unit 305 receives a data write/read request from the data management unit 304, writes/reads data to/from the HDD 205, and returns the result to the data management unit 304.
The network control unit 306 receives a request from an image forming apparatus or the PC 101 connected to the LAN 103 via the network I/F 208. Also, the network control unit 306 makes a request to the data management unit 304 or the job management unit 307 to perform processing in accordance with the received request. Also, the network control unit 306 receives a response from the data management unit 304 or the job management unit 307. Also, the network control unit 306 transmits a received response to an image forming apparatus or the PC 101 connected to the LAN 103 via the network I/F 208.
The job management unit 307 receives a job execution request from the UI control unit 302 or the network control unit 306, and manages the job. Also, the management unit requests job execution to a job control unit 308 or transmits a data write/read request to the data management unit 304. Alternatively, a response is received from the data management unit 304 or the job control unit 308 and the status of the job is transmitted to the UI control unit 302 and the network control unit 306.
The job control unit 308 receives a job execution request from the job management unit 307, and controls operations of the scanner 210 and the printer 211 via the device I/F 209. Alternatively, the job control unit 308 receives an operation state of the scanner 210 or the printer 211 via the device I/F 209 and transmits the operation state to the job management unit 307.
Note that, as a result of the CPU 401 executing processing based on programs corresponding to the operating system (OS), the printer driver, and applications stored in the HDD 404, functions (or processes) of the OS and the printer driver are realized.
The system software 501 is configured from an application 502, a printer driver 503, and a network control unit 504. The application 502 is a tool for generating and editing images and documents using the input apparatus 405 such as a pointing device and a keyboard, while the display apparatus 406 of the PC 101 is viewed, for example. Alternatively, the application 502 is a tool which references information within the image forming apparatus. The user creates data such as an image or a document by using the application 502, creates print instruction data by using the printer driver 503, and transmits these to an apparatus that can print such as the image forming apparatus 102 via the network control unit 504. Alternatively, information from the image forming apparatus 102 is obtained and referenced via the network control unit 504.
Generation and Transmission of a Print Job
While viewing the display apparatus 406, the user generates data such as images and documents on the application 502, using the input apparatus 405 such as a pointing device or a keyboard, and makes a printing instruction. When the application 502 receives a print instruction (step S601), the application 502 displays a screen on the display apparatus 406 that allows the user to select a printer driver of the image forming apparatus which transmits the print job. After accepting (step S602) from the user the selection of the printer driver of the image forming apparatus 102 as the image forming apparatus that transmits the print job, the application 502 determines (step S603) whether a setting instruction was received from the user. In a case where a print setting instruction was not received, the processing transitions to step S605.
In a case where a print setting instruction is accepted, the setting screen of the printer driver 503 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 102 is displayed.
After a setting instruction by the user is accepted in a case where there is a print setting instruction (step S604), the application 502 determines whether to accept an executing instruction for executing a print (step S605). In a case where it is determined that a print will be executed, a data generation request is made to the printer driver 503 corresponding to the selected image forming apparatus. The printer driver 503 creates (step S606) PDL (page description language) data in accordance with data such as an image or document, a document attribute such as a document name, a print setting, and the like. Then, the generated PDL data, print settings, or the like are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 102 as a print job in association with a user name (user identification information or a user ID) or including the user name (step S607).
Saving of a Print Job by the Image Forming Apparatus
When the network control unit 306 accepts a print job (step S801), the network control unit 306 transmits the print job to the job management unit 307. When the job management unit 307 accepts the print job, the job management unit 307 determines whether there is a save setting in the print job (step S802). A job in which there is a save setting is, in other words, a job in which “secure print” is designated as the output method on the setting screen of the printer driver 503. In a case where there is a save setting in the print job, the processing transitions to step S805. In a case where there is no save setting in the print job, it is determined whether there is a save setting for the print job in the image forming apparatus (step S803). A print job save setting may be set in respective image forming apparatuses and the storage control unit 305 stores such a setting in the HDD 205, the RAM 203, or the like. In a case where there is no print job save setting, the processing transitions to step S808. In a case where there is a print job save setting, the job management unit 307 further determines whether the print job satisfies an exception condition for printing (step S804). The exception condition is a condition for performing processing other than saving even if there is a print job save setting in the image forming apparatus. The exception condition is set in advance by an administrator or the like prior to a print being executed and holds a plurality of settings for one image forming apparatus.
In a case where it is determined that the print target job satisfies the exception condition in step S804, the processing transitions to step S808. In a case where the print target job does not match the exception condition, the job management unit 307 transmits the print job to the data management unit 304. The data management unit 304 analyzes the print job received from the job management unit 307 and extracts bibliographic information (step S805). The data management unit 304 then transmits the print job and the extracted bibliographic information to the storage control unit 305. When extraction of bibliographic information succeeds, the storage control unit 305 saves the received print job to the HDD (step S806), and when saving succeeds, the extracted bibliographic information is linked with, in other words is associated with a user ID (user identification information) and is saved to the HDD 205 (step S807). The saved print job includes print data and this is also saved in association with the user ID. Accordingly, the bibliographic information and the print job are associated according to the user ID and saved. Needless to say, the bibliographic information and the print job may be directly associated by another method.
In step S803, in a case where it is determined that there is no save setting in the image forming apparatus, or in step S804, in a case where it is determined that the print target job meets an exception condition, the job management unit 307 performs logical print queue processing and then executes the print job (step S808). According to the foregoing processing, processing for saving the print job is performed.
Automatic Printing after Authentication
The authentication unit 303 performs login processing based on login information inputted to the operation unit 207 by a user and the user management table saved in the HDD 205 (step S1101).
In a case where the login processing fails, error processing is performed (step S1112) and the processing ends. The error processing may be displaying a login failure and acceptance of the confirmation input, for example. In a case where the login processing succeeded, the authentication unit 303 notifies, to the UI control unit 302, that the login processing succeeded and information of the user who logged in. The UI control unit 302, after receiving the notification of the success of the login processing from the authentication unit 303, determines a setting of whether or not to perform an automatic print after authentication (step S1102).
A setting of whether or not to perform an automatic print after authentication is performed from the operation unit 207 by the user.
In a case where it is determined that automatic printing after authentication is not set in step S1102, the processing ends. In a case where automatic printing after authentication is set, the UI control unit 302 obtains from the data management unit 304 a list of bibliographic information associated with information of a logged in user received by the notification from the authentication unit 303 (step S1103). Next, the UI control unit 302 determines a print job to be automatically printed from the obtained bibliographic information (step S1104). In the present embodiment, for the print job to be automatically printed, in the bibliographic information table 1001, the password 1008 is not set and the print status 1009 is a waiting to print job, but there is no limitation to this. In a case where it is determined that there is no print job to be automatically printed (NO in step S1105), the processing ends. In a case where it is determined that there is a job that is to be automatically printed (YES in step S1105), the UI control unit 302 transmits bibliographic information of a job to be automatically printed to the job management unit 307 and also performs a request to extract printable jobs (step S1106). The extraction processing of printable jobs is described later with reference to
In a case where the result of the printable job extraction processing is determined to be that there is no printable job, the processing ends. In a case where it is determined that there is a printable job, the number of jobs determined as jobs to be automatically printed in step S1104 and the number of jobs determined as printable jobs in step S1106 are compared (step S1108). In a case where the number of jobs to be automatically printed is greater than the number of printable jobs, in other words, in a case where the jobs to be automatically printed cannot all be printed, a warning screen indicating that the jobs to be automatically printed cannot all be printed is displayed on the operation unit 207 (step S1110). Accordingly, an input instruction to the user as to whether or not to print the printable jobs is accepted.
When either instruction is inputted to the screen 1501 by the user, it is determined whether to print the printable jobs based on the input of the user (step S1111), and in a case where it is determined that the printable jobs are to be printed, a print request for the jobs extracted in step S1106 is made to the job management unit 307. The job management unit 307 transmits the received print request to the job control unit 308, the job control unit 308 executes printing in accordance with the received print request (step S1109), and the processing ends. On the other hand, in a case where it is determined that the printable jobs are not to be printed, the processing ends. In step S1108, in a case where the jobs that are to be automatically printed can all be printed, the processing of step S1109 is performed on the target print jobs and then the processing ends. The processing of automatic printing after authentication is performed according to the above-described process.
Note, configuration may be taken such that, in step S1110 and step S1111, in a case where the jobs to be automatically printed can all be printed, it is determined whether or not the printable jobs are to be printed according to an instruction by the user, but configuration may also be taken such that only the printable jobs are printed without displaying a warning screen. In such a case, if it determined that there is a printable job in step S1107, the processing branches to step S1109.
Note, configuration may be taken such that, in step S1110 and step S1111, in a case where the jobs to be automatically printed cannot all be printed, it is determined whether or not the printable jobs are to be printed according to an instruction by the user, but configuration may also be taken such that whether or not to print all of the jobs to be automatically printed are included in selection items. In such a case, if it determined that there is a printable job in step S1107, the processing branches to step S1110.
Note, in step S1110, on the screen notified to the operation unit 207, configuration may be taken so as to notify information relating the printable jobs such as the number of jobs, the job names, or the like.
The job management unit 307 obtains an upper limit on the number printable pages (or a page upper limit) (step S1601). A setting of an upper limit on the number of printable pages is performed by the user using the operation unit 207. The setting of the upper limit on the number of pages is set for every image forming apparatus, and the storage control unit 305 stores the setting to the HDD 205, the RAM 203, or the like.
Next, bibliographic information received from the UI control unit 302 is sequentially focused on from a first bibliographic information item, and information on the number of pages and information on the number of copies within the focused bibliographic information are obtained (step S1602 and step S1603). Firstly the first bibliographic information is focused on. The job management unit 307 calculates from the obtained information on the number of pages and information on the number of copies, a number of pages to be outputted (step S1604), and stores a result summing up the number of pages to be outputted for each calculated print job in the RAM 203 as an accumulated number of pages (or a total number of pages) (step S1605). It is determined whether the accumulated number of pages is less than the upper limit on the number of pages (step S1606), and in a case where it is less, in other words, in a case where the number of printable pages is not reached, the obtained bibliographic information is stored in the RAM 203 as a printable job (step S1607). This storage is performed such that the bibliographic information or information indicating the bibliographic information (such as a job ID of the print job, for example) is added to a previously stored job list of targets of execution. Note, the job list is empty when the processing of
The processing for extracting the printable jobs according to the upper limit of the number of pages is performed according to the above described processing. Note that although information of a number of pages and a number of copies is used in the page calculation processing in the present embodiment, the calculation is not limited to this method, and the calculation may include other print settings within the bibliographic information that change the number of pages.
Note, although processing ends in a case where the accumulated number of pages reaches the upper limit on the number of pages in step S1606 in the present embodiment, configuration may be such that jobs step S1608 is transitioned to, so that if there is a subsequent job that falls within the range of the upper limit on the number of pages, it is extracted as a print target.
Also, in the present embodiment, since the upper limit on the number of pages is used as an index for the time that will be required for printing, the number of pages may be set with a predetermined size, for example, A4 size, as a reference. In a case where pages of a size other than A4 will be printed, a ratio of the required time per one page may be used to convert the page number into the equivalent number of A4 pages. For example, in a case where the upper limit number of pages is set for the A4 size as the standard, the number of pages of the respective print jobs may be converted into the equivalent number of pages in the A4 size in the counting. For example, if the required printing time per one page of an A3 size is twice that of the A4 size, for a print job in which the sheet size is an A3 size, the total number of pages of the job may be counted as doubled in order to convert to the A4 standard. Then by using this value, the printable jobs may be determined. Of course, in a case where the print time per page is shorter than the reference size, appropriate conversion can also be made.
[Variation]
Although the setting of the upper limit value in the foregoing embodiment is an upper limit on the number of pages, limitation is not made to this.
The job management unit 307 obtains the upper limit number of printable jobs (step S1801). A setting of the upper limit number of printable jobs is performed from the operation unit 207 by the user. The setting of the upper limit number of jobs is set on the respective image forming apparatuses and the storage control unit 305 stores the setting in the HDD 205, the RAM 203, or the like.
Next, a bibliographic information number for jobs to be printed received from the UI control unit 302 is obtained (step S1802). The job management unit 307 determines whether or not the obtained number of bibliographic information for the jobs to be printed is larger than the upper limit on the number of jobs (step S1803), and in a case where it is larger, bibliographic information corresponding to the upper limit on the number of jobs of the bibliographic information is stored in the RAM 203 as printable jobs (step S1804) in an order starting from a first bibliographic information item, and the process ends, for example. In a case where the obtained number of bibliographic information of jobs to be printed is less than or equal to the upper limit number of jobs, obtained bibliographic information of all jobs to be printed is stored in the RAM 203 as the printable jobs (step S1805), and the processing ends. The processing for extracting the printable jobs according to the upper limit of the number of pages is performed according to the above described processing.
According to the present embodiment and the variation, for automatic printing after authentication, print jobs that are to be automatically printed are all printed if the number of pages of all print jobs that are to be automatically printed is within the upper limit on the number of pages set in advance. Only printable jobs from among the range of the upper limit of the number of pages are printed in a case where the number of pages of all print jobs to be automatically printed is larger than the upper limit on the number of pages set in advance. By this, it is possible to prevent a long monopolization of an image forming apparatus.
Also, it is possible to construct a print environment that accords to image forming apparatus usage conditions since it is possible to set an upper limit on the number of pages.
Also, by the display of the warning, it is possible for a user to both select whether to execute printing and also to correctly know what the print results will be in a case where the number of pages of all of the print job that is to be automatically printed is larger than the upper limit on the number of pages that is set in advance.
Also, by calculating the number of pages in consideration of a print setting added to a print job, it is possible to improve accuracy in determining the upper limit of the number of pages.
Also, in a case where the accumulated number of pages reaches the upper limit on the number of pages, it is possible to improve productivity in printing within the upper limit by configuring to also extract, as print targets, jobs thereafter that fall within the range of the upper limit on the number of pages.
Also, by a configuration being taken such that the upper limit of the number of pages or the upper limit of the number of jobs can be selected, a printing environment that accords to the usage conditions of the image forming apparatus can be constructed.
Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) stored on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-108228, filed 10 Jun. 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2019-108228 | Jun 2019 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10691384 | Kaneko | Jun 2020 | B2 |
| 20100079800 | Muto | Apr 2010 | A1 |
| 20170177985 | Hayashi | Jun 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2006-076014 | Mar 2006 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200387333 A1 | Dec 2020 | US |
