User terminal device having spooling control function and control method thereof

Abstract

A user terminal device having a spooling control function and a control method thereof, the user terminal device comprising a spooling part to spool print data, a monitoring part to monitor the image forming apparatus, and a driver part to compare time when the print data is input to the spooling part with present time if the image forming apparatus is determined to be available by the monitoring part, and to determine whether to process a printing job for the print data according to a comparison result between the input time and the present time. Accordingly, unnecessary print data stored in the spooler can be prevented from printing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a user terminal device having a spooling control function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view to explain functions of a driver part of an image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A through 3C are views to explain functions of a spooling part of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart to explain a control method of a user terminal device having a spooling control function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A user terminal device connected to an image forming apparatus, the device comprising: a spooling part to spool print data;a monitoring part to monitor the image forming apparatus; anda driver part to determine a comparison result by comparing an input time when the print data is input to the spooling part with a present time if the image forming apparatus is determined to be available by the monitoring part, and to determine whether to process a printing job of the print data according to the comparison result.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring part is one of a smart panel or a language monitor.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver part provides a user interface to a display device to receive spooling waiting time from a user.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the driver part controls the print data to be deleted if the comparison result is greater than the spooling waiting time, and the driver part controls the print data to be printed if the comparison result is not greater than the spooling waiting time.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if the print data is spooled and once the image forming apparatus is determined to be available by the monitoring part, the driver part asks the user, through a user interface, whether to process the printing job, and controls the printing job to be processed only if the user selects to process the printing job.

6. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, if the comparison result is not greater than the spooling waiting time, the driver part asks the user, through the user interface, whether to process the printing job, and controls the printing job to be processed only if the user selects to process the printing job.

7. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises: a “general” menu tab;a “common” menu tab;a “port” menu tab;a “high grade” menu tab;a “color management” menu tab;a “security” menu tab;a “printer” menu tab; andan “information” menu tab.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver part converts the print data into data readable by the image forming apparatus.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver part transmits the print data to the spooling part, and the spooling part stores the print data, deletes the print data, or transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus, according to the comparison result or a user command.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an image forming apparatus interface part to provide an interface between the user terminal device and the image forming apparatus,wherein the monitoring part monitors the image forming apparatus using information on a status of the image forming apparatus received through the image forming apparatus interface part.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an application program part to read a document generated by an operation of a user or a pre-generated document, and to give a print command thereon;a display device interface part to provide an interface between the user terminal device and a display device;a display device driver part to convert display data input through the application program part into a data form displayable on the display device, and to transmit the display data to the display device interface part;a graphic device interface to provide an interface between the application program part and the driver part, and an interface between the application program part and the display device driver part; anda user input part to provide an interface between the user and the user terminal device.

12. A method to control a user terminal device comprising a spooling part to spool print data, the method comprising: monitoring an image forming apparatus connected to the user terminal device;determining a comparison result by comparing an input time when the print data is input to the spooling part with a present time if the image forming apparatus is determined to be available by the monitoring; anddetermining whether to process a printing job of the print data according to the comparison result.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: receiving spooling waiting time from a user, wherein the print data is controlled to be deleted if the comparison result is greater than the spooling waiting time, and the print data is controlled to be printed if the comparison result is not greater than the spooling waiting time.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user is asked whether to process the printing job if the comparison result is not greater than the spooling waiting time, and the printing job is controlled to be processed only if the user selects to process the printing job.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the monitoring is performed using information on a status of the image forming apparatus received from the image forming apparatus.

16. A user terminal device connected to an image forming apparatus, the device comprising: a driver part to determine a comparison result by comparing an input time when print data is transmitted thereto with a present time if the image forming apparatus is determined to be available, and to determine whether to process a printing job of the print data according to a comparison result between the input time and the present time.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: a spooling part to, according to the comparison result or a user command, selectively spool the print data transmitted thereto by the driver part, selectively delete the print data transmitted thereto by the driver part, or selectively transmit the print data transmitted thereto by the driver part to the image forming apparatus.

18. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the driver part provides a user interface to a display device to receive spooling waiting time from a user, and the driver part controls the print data to be deleted if the comparison result is greater than the spooling waiting time, and the driver part controls the print data to be printed if the comparison result is not greater than the spooling waiting time.

19. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein, if the print data is spooled and once the image forming apparatus is determined to be available by the monitoring part, the driver part asks the user, through a user interface, whether to process the printing job, and controls the printing job to be processed only if the user selects to process the printing job.

20. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein, if the comparison result is not greater than the spooling waiting time, the driver part asks the user, through the user interface, whether to process the printing job, and controls the printing job to be processed only if the user selects to process the printing job.

21. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein, if the comparison result is greater than the spooling waiting time, the driver part asks the user, through the user interface, whether to delete the printing job, and controls the printing job to be deleted only if the user selects to process the printing job.

22. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the user interface comprises: a “general” menu tab;a “common” menu tab;a “port” menu tab;a “high grade” menu tab;a “color management” menu tab;a “security” menu tab;a “printer” menu tab; andan “information” menu tab.

23. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the driver part converts the print data into data readable by the image forming apparatus.

24. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: a monitoring part to monitor the image forming apparatus; andan image forming apparatus interface part to provide an interface between the user terminal device and the image forming apparatus;wherein the monitoring part monitors the image forming apparatus using information on a status of the image forming apparatus received through the image forming apparatus interface part.

25. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the monitoring part is one of a smart panel or a language monitor.

26. The device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: an application program part to read a document generated by an operation of a user or a pre-generated document, and to give a print command thereon;a display device interface part to provide an interface between the user terminal device and a display device;a display device driver part to convert display data input through the application program part into a data form displayable on the display device, and to transmit the display data to the display device interface part;a graphic device interface to provide an interface between the application program part and the driver part, and an interface between the application program part and the display device driver part; anda user input part to provide an interface between the user and the user terminal device.