Multi-function peripheral apparatus for processing unified job steps

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-function peripheral apparatus for processing unified job steps. The respective jobs of copying, printing, scanning, and faxing processed by an integrated application are unitarily divided into four job steps. A package of function modules 41 A selectively used in the respective jobs is classified into four groups of input, create, edit, and output function modules 410 to 412 according to the division. A data format is unified into bitmap by a create function module 411 A, and the bitmap data is processed by an edit function module 411 B for pagination or aggregation, etc. In response to receiving setting information and a job code, a job controlling module 43 A creates job step control blocks 440 to 442 and writes the information therein to create a job. Each of job step controlling (JSC) modules 450 to 452 starts a function module for each page, and after the completion thereof, creates a thread control block for the next downstream side JSC module.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a multifunction peripheral equipped with a plurality of image data input devices, such as scanners, communication interfaces, and memory, and a plurality of image data output devices, the plurality of image data output devices For example, a printer, a communication interface, and a memory, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a multifunction peripheral having functions of copying, printing, scanning, and facsimile to process unified job steps. Background technique [0002] Multifunction peripherals use common hardware resources with multiple functions, reducing cost and space overall. [0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-84383 discloses a platform consisting of a general-purpose operating system (OS) such as UNIX and middleware constituted by integrating common functions into individual applications for copying, printing, scanning, and facsimile , to reduce the number of program steps for eac...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0012] However, in any of these multifunctional peripherals, in the case where a plurality of image input devices are connected to one print engine, the focus is on one output device, since it is constructed to take into account the image input device at the output stage. Priority is used to select incoming image data, so it has no choice but to change priority only within functional units such as copying, printing or faxing

For example, if copying is assigned a higher priority, when multiple copy jobs are placed in the queue, all of these copy jobs are assigned a higher priority, so that their execution order cannot be changed on a job-by-job basis

[0013] Therefore, for example, when jobs of printing (1), copying 50 sheets (2), copying 3 sheets (3), fax reception (4) are accepted in order in the queue, and it is desired to perform output copying by changing the priority (3) When performing output to fax reception later, it is necessary to specify the priority of the copy function higher than that of the fax reception function to output in order of copy (2), copy (3), and fax reception (4) , thus delaying the output of copy(3)

[0014] In addition, even if it is configured to be able to change the priority among a plurality of jobs having the same function, since it is necessary to set the priority of each function and the priority of each job in each function in addition to the operation, the structure of the software is very complicated. complex

Images