Image processing system, control device, and recording medium

Abstract

The present application provides an image processing system, a control device and a recording medium capable of appropriately selecting a device responsible for distributed processing. The image processing system includes a control unit and a plurality of image processing devices. The control unit controls distributed processing of a plurality of image processing for causing a plurality of printing devices to perform printing, respectively. The image processing devices include the image processing unit. When the printing device is selected as a setting object, the control unit displays the image processing device having a corresponding relationship with the printing device of the setting object in a display unit. When the image processing device is selected, the control unit sets the selected image processing device as a responsible candidate of the distributed processing corresponding to the printing device of the setting object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an image processing system, control device, and program. Background Technology

[0002] A technique for speeding up image processing for printing has been known for a long time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a print manager assigns tasks to multiple RIPs (Raster Image Processors) based on the task content and performs parallel processing.

[0003] In the prior art, the manager assigns tasks to image processing devices, thereby enabling the assigned image processing devices to perform distributed processing of RIP processing simultaneously and in parallel. Although there is a demand from users to assign image processing devices responsible for such distributed processing, it is difficult to assign a suitable image processing device to a printing device that prints the processed image data.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-310450 Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, an image processing system includes a control unit and multiple image processing devices. The control unit controls the multiple image processing devices to perform distributed processing of multiple image processing operations for each printing device to perform printing. Each image processing device includes the image processing unit. When the printing device is selected as the target, the control unit displays the image processing device that has established a correspondence with the printing device of the target in the display unit. Furthermore, when the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the candidate responsible for the distributed processing corresponding to the printing device of the target.

[0006] Furthermore, the control device includes a control unit that controls the distributed processing of multiple image processing units for enabling multiple printing devices to perform printing respectively. When the printing device is selected as the target, the control unit displays the image processing device that has established a correspondence with the printing device of the target among the multiple image processing devices equipped with the image processing unit in the display unit, and when the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the candidate responsible for the distributed processing corresponding to the printing device of the target.

[0007] Furthermore, the recording medium stores a program executed by a computer of a control device that controls the decentralized processing of multiple image processing units for enabling multiple printing devices to perform printing respectively. The program is used to cause the computer to perform the following steps: when the printing device is selected as the target, displaying the image processing device that has established a correspondence with the printing device of the target among the multiple image processing devices having the image processing unit in the display unit; and when the image processing device is selected, setting the selected image processing device as the responsible candidate for the decentralized processing corresponding to the printing device of the target. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an image processing system.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a printing apparatus.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the control device.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an image processing device.

[0012] Figure 5 A diagram to represent control information.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a flowchart for image processing.

[0014] Figure 7 A flowchart for printing data processing.

[0015] Figure 8 A diagram illustrating an example of image processing.

[0016] Figure 9 A diagram illustrating an example of the structure of an image processing system.

[0017] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating the settings for image processing.

[0018] Figure 11 An explanatory diagram for setting up the process.

[0019] Figure 12 An explanatory diagram for setting up the process.

[0020] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a settings screen display.

[0021] Figure 14 A diagram showing an example of a warning.

[0022] Figure 15This is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the printing route.

[0023] Figure 16 A diagram illustrating the distribution number.

[0024] Figure 17 A diagram illustrating the distribution number.

[0025] Figure 18 This is an explanatory diagram for license registration.

[0026] Figure 19 A diagram illustrating the allocation of licenses.

[0027] Figure 20 This is an illustration of the opening of the license. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.

[0029] (1) The structure of an image processing system;

[0030] (1-1) Structure of the printing apparatus;

[0031] (1-2) Structure of the control device;

[0032] (1-3) Structure of the image processing device;

[0033] (2) Control information;

[0034] (3) Image processing;

[0035] (4) Printing data processing;

[0036] (5) Image processing example;

[0037] (6) Image processing allocation;

[0038] (7) The printing route determines the processing;

[0039] (8) License;

[0040] (9) Postscript.

[0041] (1) Structure of an image processing system:

[0042] Figure 1This diagram illustrates an example of an image processing system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The image processing system 1 includes a control device 10, an image processing device 20, and a printing device 30. Each device is connected via a network. In this embodiment, the control device 10 is connected to the three image processing devices 20 via a first local network 41. Furthermore, the image processing devices 20 and the printing device 30 are connected via a second local network 42 or via a local connection such as USB.

[0043] However, the connection method of each device is not limited to the implementation method. The control device 10 can be directly connected to at least one image processing device 20 of the image processing system 1, and can also be indirectly connected to other image processing devices 20 and printing devices 30 via other devices. For example, a part of the image processing device 20 can also be connected to the image processing device 20 connected to the control device 10 via the first local network 41 via the second local network 42, and further connected to the printing device 30 via a third local network (not shown). Furthermore, as another example, all the control devices 10, all the image processing devices 20, and all the printing devices 30 of the image processing system 1 can also be connected to the same local network. In addition, although in Figure 1 The example shows one control unit 10, three image processing units 20, and two printing units 30, but the number of these units is not limited to [specific number]. Figure 1 The number of units shown. The image processing system 1 may also have two or more control devices 10.

[0044] Image processing system 1 is a system used for image processing related to printing tasks performed using one or more printing apparatuses 30. When printing is performed in the printing apparatus 30, image data, such as PDF (Portable Document Format) data, is designated as the printing object in the image processing apparatus 20, and image processing is performed based on the image data. For example, based on the printing apparatus description language contained in the PDF data, processing such as converting the object to raster data (RIP), scaling, color conversion, page layout determination on the printing medium, and halftone processing are performed.

[0045] In commercial printing, the amount of data on the printed object can be very large, making image processing a high-load process. Therefore, for example, in a method where multiple printing tasks are performed in parallel on the printing apparatus 30, image processing can become a bottleneck for the overall printing operation. Thus, in the image processing system 1 of this embodiment, multiple image processing devices 20 distribute and process multiple image processing steps for enabling the printing apparatus 30 to perform printing. This type of processing is called distributed processing. The structure of each device included in the image processing system 1 will be described below.

[0046] (1-1) Structure of the printing apparatus:

[0047] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the printing apparatus 30. The printing apparatus 30 includes a processor 30a, a communication unit 30b, a non-volatile memory 30c, a printing unit 30d, and a user interface unit 30e. The processor 30a includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and is capable of executing various programs recorded in the non-volatile memory 30c to control each part of the printing apparatus 30.

[0048] Furthermore, the processor 30a can be composed of a single chip, multiple chips, or integrated with various functional modules to form a SoC (System-on-a-chip). Alternatively, it can replace the CPU with an ASIC, or it can be a structure where the CPU and ASIC work together. In the case of the devices in this embodiment having a processor, that processor can be implemented in various ways, similar to the processor 30a.

[0049] The communication unit 30b includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices according to various communication protocols. The printing apparatus 30 can communicate with the image processing apparatus 20 through this communication unit 30b. Of course, the printing apparatus 30 can also communicate with the control device 10. Additionally, the communication unit 30b may also include an interface for communicating with various removable memories mounted on the printing apparatus 30.

[0050] The printing section 30d is the part that performs printing and prints content on a printing medium. The printing method is not limited; for example, various methods such as inkjet, toner, and sublimation can be used. Furthermore, the printing medium is not limited to paper; it can also be various printing media such as cloth, ceramics, and resin. The printing section 30d is equipped with actuators, various devices, sensors, drive circuits, and mechanical parts for performing printing on various media.

[0051] The UI unit 30e includes at least one of a touch panel display, various keys or switches, LEDs, etc. The touch panel display includes a display panel that displays various information such as the status of the printing apparatus 30 or the remaining ink level, and a touch detection panel superimposed on the display panel to detect touch operations. The LEDs implement illumination or flashing displays indicating the status of the printing apparatus 30. The processor 30a can obtain user operation content via the UI unit 30e. Furthermore, the processor 30a can display various information on the display of the UI unit 30e to notify the user.

[0052] In this embodiment, the printing apparatus 30 can perform printing based on printing data sent from the image processing apparatus 20. That is, the processor 30a obtains printing data from the image processing apparatus 20 via the communication unit 30b, and controls the printing unit 30d based on the printing data to perform printing.

[0053] (1-2) Structure of the control device:

[0054] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the control device 10. The control device 10 includes a processor 10a, a communication unit 10b, a non-volatile memory 10c, a display 10d, and an input unit 10e. The processor 10a includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and is capable of executing various programs recorded in the non-volatile memory 10c to control the various parts of the control device 10.

[0055] The communication unit 10b includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices according to various communication protocols. The control device 10 can communicate with the image processing device 20 via the communication unit 10b. Alternatively, the control device 10 can also communicate with the printing device 30. Furthermore, the communication unit 10b may also include an interface for communicating with various removable memories mounted on the control device 10.

[0056] The display 10d is a display unit that displays any image. The input unit 10e is a device for users to perform input operations, such as a keyboard or mouse. Although in this embodiment it is assumed that the control device 10 is a fixed terminal, the control device 10 can of course be other types of terminals. For example, it can be a tablet computer terminal or a smartphone terminal. In the case of these terminals, the input unit 10e can be composed of a touch panel or the like. In either case, the user can visually confirm the image or text displayed on the display 10d while operating the input unit 10e to input the user's intention.

[0057] The non-volatile memory 10c of the control device 10 stores control information 10c1, image data 10c2, and status data 10c3. The control information 10c1 is information used to determine the image data 10c2 of the printing object, the image processing device 20 that should perform image processing after printing begins, and the printing device performing the printing. Specifically, the information used to determine the image processing device 20 that should perform image processing is information used to determine the image processing unit that should perform image processing; specific examples will be detailed below. The image data 10c2 is image data representing the printing content, such as PDF data. In this embodiment, the control information 10c1 and the image data 10c2 are a set and are sequentially transmitted to the image processing device 20, thereby sequentially performing image processing. The image processing device 20 that should perform image processing can be determined based on the control information 10c1. With this structure, the control device 10 is configured so that it does not need to manage the image processing device 20 of the object after printing begins, thereby reducing the management load in the control device 10. Control information 10c1 is information used to suppress such management load, and will be described in detail below.

[0058] Status data 10c3 represents information indicating the progress of image processing. In this embodiment, when each image processing unit included in the image processing apparatus 20 starts processing and when processing ends, information indicating start and end is sent to the control device 10, respectively. The sent information is stored as status data 10c3 in the non-volatile memory 10c.

[0059] The processor 10a executes a control program (not shown). When the processor 10a executes the control program, it functions as a control unit 10a1. The control unit 10a1 has the function of causing multiple image processing units included in the image processing apparatus 20 (described later) to perform image processing. In this embodiment, by generating control information 10c1 including information for determining the image processing apparatus 20 that should perform image processing, and transmitting this control information 10c1 to the image processing apparatus 20, the image processing apparatus 20 can be selected sequentially without subsequent control by the control unit 10.

[0060] Therefore, although the control unit 10a1 implements control to enable multiple image processing units included in the image processing apparatus 20 to perform image processing, it does not implement management in a way that selects the image processing apparatus 20 each time based on the progress of image processing. That is, the control unit 10a1 generates control information 10c1 and transmits the control information 10c1 and the image data 10c2 of the processing target to the image processing apparatus 20, including the initial image processing unit, i.e., the first image processing unit. It can be said that through this process, the control unit 10a1 controls the process by sequentially selecting the image processing apparatus 20. Furthermore, even if no control processing such as selecting the image processing apparatus 20 is performed by the control unit 10a1 after the transmission of information to the first image processing unit, printing performed by the printing apparatus 30 will still be completed. Therefore, due to the dispersion of image processing, the processing load required in the control unit 10a1 is extremely small.

[0061] Although the control information 10c1 includes information for determining the image processing device 20 that should perform image processing, the image processing device 20 to be performed can be determined either automatically by the control unit 10a1 or by the user. For the former, for example, structures can be listed that distribute the processing requests of the image processing units of the multiple image processing devices 20 equally. For the latter, structures can be listed that display the image processing units of each image processing device 20 on the display 10d and accept user requests implemented through the input unit 10e. In either case, for each printing task, it is predetermined which image processing unit of which image processing device 20 will perform the image processing required for printing, and this is recorded by the control unit 10a1.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 10a1 is capable of performing processing corresponding to the status data. While the status data 10c3 is stored in the non-volatile memory 10c, the control unit 10a1 can perform processing corresponding to the status data 10c3. The processing corresponding to the status data 10c3 can be various types of processing, such as displaying a list of statuses. Specifically, the control unit 10a1 refers to the status data 10c3 and displays the progress status of the image processing shown in the status data 10c3 on the display 10d. Based on this structure, the user can monitor the progress of image processing related to the printing task. The processing corresponding to the status data 10c3 is not limited to display; it can also include issuing warnings corresponding to the status, and managing the progress of image processing, such as suspending or restarting the process, based on the status.

[0063] (1-3) Structure of the image processing device:

[0064] Figure 4This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of an image processing apparatus 20. The image processing apparatus 20 includes a processor 20a, a communication unit 20b, a non-volatile memory 20c, a display 20d, and an input unit 20e. The processor 20a includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and is capable of executing various programs recorded in the non-volatile memory 20c to control the various parts of the image processing apparatus 20. Furthermore, the processor 20a is capable of performing various arithmetic operations such as image processing.

[0065] The communication unit 20b includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices according to various communication protocols. The image processing apparatus 20 can communicate with the control device 10 and the printing apparatus 30 via the communication unit 20b. Furthermore, the communication unit 20b may also include an interface for communicating with various removable memories mounted on the image processing apparatus 20.

[0066] The display 20d is a display unit that displays any image. The input unit 20e is a device for users to perform input operations, such as a keyboard or mouse. Although in this embodiment it is assumed that the image processing device 20 is a fixed terminal, the image processing device 20 can of course be other types of terminals. For example, it can be a tablet computer terminal or a smartphone terminal. In the case of these terminals, the input unit 20e can be composed of a touch panel or the like. In either case, the user can visually confirm the image or text displayed on the display 20d while operating the input unit 20e to input the user's intention. The non-volatile memory 20c stores the control information 10c1 and the processing data of the image processing unit, i.e., the processing object data 20c1.

[0067] The processor 20a executes a printing control program (not shown). When the processor 20a executes the printing control program, it functions as a communication control unit 20a1, a first image processing unit 20a2, and a second image processing unit 20a3. Furthermore, Figure 4 While the processor 20a of the image processing apparatus 20 can execute both the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3, the processor 20a can also be configured to execute either of these image processing units. Furthermore, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3, these units may be simply referred to as "image processing units."

[0068] In this embodiment, the communication control unit 20a1, the first image processing unit 20a2, and the second image processing unit 20a3 each monitor a predetermined storage location. When control information 10c1 is newly saved to that storage location, each unit performs processing based on the saved control information 10c1. Specifically, the information recorded in the non-volatile memory 20c is configured to be recorded in a folder that is a logically hierarchical storage location.

[0069] In this embodiment, a printing monitoring folder is pre-set as the folder monitored by the communication control unit 20a1, a first monitoring folder is pre-set as the folder monitored by the first image processing unit 20a2, and a second monitoring folder is pre-set as the folder monitored by the second image processing unit 20a3. That is, a correspondence is established between each folder and each processing unit. Each folder can be determined by a path. Specifically, each folder can be determined by a path that begins with the identification information of the image processing device 20 (IP address in this embodiment) and sequentially lists the folder names from the higher-level hierarchy to the target folder. Furthermore, although the image processing system 1 according to this embodiment may include multiple image processing devices 20, the identification information of the image processing devices 20 included in the path will be different depending on the image processing device 20. Therefore, the monitoring targets of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of each different image processing device 20 are different folders, and each folder is distinguished by a different path.

[0070] The communication control unit 20a1 has the function of controlling the communication between the image processing device 20 and the control device 10, and the communication between the image processing device 20 and the printing device 30. In this embodiment, when control information 10c1 is stored in the printing monitoring folder, the communication control unit 20a1 begins processing based on the control information 10c1. In this embodiment, since both control information 10c1 and printing data are stored in the printing monitoring folder, the communication control unit 20a1 sends the printing data to the printing device 30 and initiates printing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a correspondence is established between the printing monitoring folder and the printing device 30. Therefore, by storing printing data in the printing monitoring folder, the printing device 30, which has established a correspondence with the printing monitoring folder, is identified as the printing target. Of course, the method for identifying the printing device 30 can be various; for example, the identification information of the printing device 30 can be recorded in the control information 10c1.

[0071] The first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 each have the function of performing a portion of the image processing for printing in the printing apparatus 30. In this embodiment, the first image processing unit 20a2 performs the initial image processing in a series of processes that convert image data 10c2 into printing data that can be processed by the printing apparatus 30. The second image processing unit 20a3 performs image processing that follows the image processing performed by the first image processing unit 20a2.

[0072] The output data processed by the second image processing unit 20a3 is printing data that can be processed by the printing apparatus 30. Therefore, when the first image processing unit 20a2 processes the image data and the second image processing unit 20a3 processes the processed data, printing data that can be processed by the printing apparatus 30 is generated. The image processing device 20 included in the image processing system 1 sends the printing data to the printing apparatus 30 via a network, or transmits the printing data to the printing apparatus 30 via a portable recording medium such as USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0073] In this embodiment, the first image processing unit 20a2 is responsible for processing up to rasterization, including rendering processes such as parsing based on the printing apparatus description language included in the image data 10c2 and conversion processing to raster data. The second image processing unit 20a3 is responsible for processing after rasterization, including color conversion processing based on the raster data of the ICC profile, page layout determination processing on the printing medium, halftone processing, etc. The image processing performed by the first image processing unit 20a2 is referred to as first image processing, and the image processing performed by the second image processing unit 20a3 is referred to as second image processing.

[0074] Although the input data and output data of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 are different, in this specification, the data that each image processing unit processes is referred to as input data, and the data generated through processing is referred to as output data. These input data and output data are... Figure 4 The processing object data shown is 20c1.

[0075] In this embodiment, when control information 10c1 is stored in the first monitoring folder, the first image processing unit 20a2 begins processing based on the control information 10c1. In this embodiment, both control information 10c1 and image data, which serves as input data for processing, are stored simultaneously in the first monitoring folder. Therefore, the first image processing unit 20a2 generates raster data as output data based on the input data and stores the output data in the second monitoring folder indicated by the control information 10c1. Since saving to the second monitoring folder functions as a delegation of processing to the second image processing unit 20a3, it can also be said that the first image processing unit 20a2 outputs the output data to the second image processing unit 20a3, which will then perform the subsequent processing.

[0076] In this embodiment, when control information 10c1 is stored in the second monitoring folder, the second image processing unit 20a3 begins processing based on the control information 10c1. In this embodiment, both control information 10c1 and raster data, which serves as input data for processing, are stored simultaneously in the second monitoring folder. Therefore, the second image processing unit 20a3 generates printing data as output data based on the input data and stores the output data in the printing monitoring folder indicated by the control information 10c1. Saving to this printing monitoring folder constitutes a delegation of processing to the communication control unit 20a1.

[0077] exist Figure 4 Although the structure of an image processing device 20 is shown in the figure, as Figure 1 As shown, the image processing system 1 includes multiple image processing devices 20. In this embodiment, image data is converted into printing data using any of the multiple first image processing units 20a2 and second image processing units 20a3 distributed among the multiple image processing devices 20. The first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 that perform image processing can be provided in different image processing devices 20, and the image processing unit to be processed is specified by control information 10c1. Therefore, by generating control information 10c1 in the control device 10 and storing control information 10c1 in a first monitoring folder, the control device 10 does not need to perform processing related to the distribution of image processing units after the image processing performed by the first image processing unit 20a2 begins. Therefore, the control device 10 does not need to perform processing such as determining the distribution destination of image processing and distributing data before and after image processing, thereby reducing the processing load compared to performing such processing. Hereinafter, the structure for achieving such a reduction in processing load will be described in detail.

[0078] (2) Control information:

[0079] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates an example of control information 10c1. In this embodiment, control information 10c1 includes parameters for image processing, route information, and the location where input data is stored. In this embodiment, the parameters for image processing are values ​​representing printing settings. Figure 5 The control information 10c1 includes parameters such as color, single-sided / double-sided printing, type of printing media, printing size, printing quality, and number of copies as printing settings. Since the image processing can be altered based on these settings, the control information 10c1 contains parameters. For example, when the color is set to black and white, the raster data generated by the first image processing unit 20a2 is generated in grayscale. Furthermore, for example, the first image processing unit 20a2 determines the resolution based on the printing size and printing quality, and generates raster data based on the resolution.

[0080] The route information represents the route of data migration from the start of printing based on image data to the generation of print data. In this embodiment, the route information includes information specifying the image processing unit that performs a series of processes for printing in a printing apparatus among multiple image processing units. Specifically, the route information includes the path to a monitoring folder monitored by the image processing unit performing the processes. Since a correspondence is established between the monitoring folder and the image processing unit, specifying the monitoring folder by path is equivalent to specifying the image processing unit performing the processes.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the location where the status data 10c3 is stored in the non-volatile memory 10c of the control device 10 is a predetermined specific folder, which is referred to here as the status data storage folder. In this embodiment, each image processing unit generates status data 10c3 indicating progress during processing and stores it in the status data storage folder. As a result, the status data 10c3 indicating the progress of a series of processes for printing is sequentially stored in the status data storage folder of the non-volatile memory 10c of the control device 10. Therefore, the progress of image processing can be determined in the control device 10.

[0082] The route information in control information 10c1 includes the paths to the status data storage folder, the monitoring folder of the image processing unit, and the monitoring folder of the communication control unit 20a1. The paths can be described in various ways; in this embodiment, the route information is constructed by starting with the path to the status data storage folder and then describing the path according to the order of image processing.

[0083] For example, in Figure 5The example shown illustrates a case where the path to the status data storage folder is listed at the beginning (top) of the route information. That is, at the beginning of the route information, a path to the status data storage folder, which begins with the IP address of the control device 10 and ends with the name of the status data storage folder, is configured.

[0084] Next, the path to the status data storage folder is recorded, along with the path to the monitoring folder monitored by the first image processing unit 20a2, which performs the first image processing. That is, the path to the first monitoring folder, which begins with the IP address of the image processing device 20 and ends with the name of the first monitoring folder, is configured. Then, the path to the second monitoring folder is configured, and finally, the path to the printing monitoring folder is configured, thus forming the route information.

[0085] The location for storing input data is specified by the path of the folder where the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 store the input data that is the object of processing. In this embodiment, the monitoring folder that has a corresponding relationship with each image processing unit is the location for storing input data. Therefore, in this embodiment, the location for storing control information 10c1 is the same as the location for storing input data, and the input data and control information 10c1 are stored together in the monitoring folder. Therefore, it can also be considered that control information 10c1 includes input data. In addition, other data required for image processing, such as ICC profiles, may also be stored in the location for storing input data.

[0086] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the input data is saved in the path to the first monitoring folder. Therefore, Figure 5 The control information 10c1 shown is information transmitted to the first image processing unit 20a2, and when the control information 10c1 is transmitted to the second image processing unit 20a3, the storage location of the input data is rewritten. That is, the first image processing unit 20a2, based on... Figure 5 After image processing is performed using the control information 10c1 shown, when outputting output data to the second image processing unit 20a3 that performs the next processing, the location where the input data is saved is rewritten to the path of the second monitoring folder.

[0087] The control information 10c1, as described above, can be said to include information indicating the input data to be processed. Specifically, the image processing unit can obtain the input data to be processed by referring to the storage location of the input data shown in the control information 10c1. Therefore, the storage location of the input data is information indicating the input data to be processed. Furthermore, in Figure 5 In the example shown, the location where the input data is saved is the same as the location where the control information 10c1 is saved, i.e., the monitoring folder, but the two can also be in different locations.

[0088] Furthermore, the control information 10c1 can be said to include information about the image processing unit that will perform subsequent processing on the processed output data. Specifically, the route information records the paths of folders monitored by the image processing unit in the order of image processing. Therefore, the image processing unit performing a certain image processing can determine the monitored folders that have a corresponding relationship with that image processing unit as the folders monitored by the image processing unit performing the next image processing. For example, in Figure 5 In the example shown, when the first image processing unit 20a2 performs image processing, the second image processing unit 20a3, which is able to determine that a corresponding relationship has been established between the first monitoring folder monitored by the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second monitoring folder described below, performs the next processing.

[0089] (3) Image processing:

[0090] Next, the image processing performed by the image processing unit will be described based on the control information 10c1 as described above. Furthermore, the control information 10c1 is generated in the control device 10. In the control device 10, an application program (not shown) can be executed, and the user uses the display 10d and the input unit 10e as a user interface, and can instruct on the printing of any image data. At this time, the user operates the input unit 10e to input printing settings.

[0091] When printing is instructed, control information 10c1 is generated through the function of control unit 10a1. Control information 10c1 can be generated automatically by control unit 10a1 or by the user. Here, we assume the latter. In this case, the user operates input unit 10e and, from the options of image processing unit displayed on display 10d, specifies image processing device 20, image processing unit, and printing device 30 to be performed. Then, control unit 10a1 performs image processing in the specified image processing unit and generates control information 10c1 for printing to be performed by the specified printing device 30.

[0092] When control information 10c1 is generated, control unit 10a1 saves control information 10c1 and input data in the monitoring folder of the first image processing unit 20a2 shown in control information 10c1. Afterwards, the image processing unit performs image processing according to the sequence shown in control information 10c1.

[0093] Figure 6This is a flowchart of the image processing. The image processing is performed by the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 respectively. In this processing, parameters, input data, and output data may differ, but since the processing flow is common to each image processing unit, the processing flow will be described here without distinguishing the differences between each image processing unit.

[0094] The first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 installed in the image processing apparatus 20 respectively perform Figure 6 The image processing is illustrated. In this image processing, the image processing unit monitors the monitoring folder (step S100) and determines whether data has been appended to the monitoring folder (step S105). That is, the image processing unit periodically refers to the monitoring folder with which it has a pre-established correspondence to determine whether new data has been appended. If no new data has been appended, the image processing unit executes the processing after step S100.

[0095] In step S105, if it is determined that new data has been added to the monitoring folder, the control information 10c1 and the input data are saved together in the monitoring folder. Then, the image processing unit saves the status data indicating the start of image processing (step S110). That is, the image processing unit determines the path to the status data storage folder by referring to the control information 10c1, and outputs status data 10c3 indicating the start of image processing to the control device 10, thereby saving the status data 10c3 in the status data storage folder.

[0096] Next, the image processing unit uses parameters to perform image processing on the input data (step S115). That is, the image processing unit obtains the input data stored in the location where the input data is stored, referring to the control information 10c1, and determines the parameters for image processing based on the control information 10c1. Furthermore, the image processing unit performs image processing on the input data with the parameters applied, and generates output data.

[0097] Next, the image processing unit saves the control information 10c1 and the output data in the location where the output data is stored (step S120). That is, the image processing unit refers to the control information 10c1 to determine the monitoring folder that the image processing unit monitors for the next processing, and saves the control information 10c1 and the output data in that monitoring folder.

[0098] Next, the image processing unit saves status data indicating the end of image processing (step S125). That is, the image processing unit determines the path of the status data storage folder with reference to the control information 10c1, and outputs the status data 10c3 indicating the end of image processing to the control device 10, thereby saving the status data 10c3 in the status data storage folder. According to the above structure, image processing can be performed sequentially according to the order shown in the control information 10c1.

[0099] (4) Printing data processing:

[0100] Next, the printing data processing performed by the communication control unit 20a1 based on the control information 10c1 will be explained. Figure 7 This is a flowchart for printing data processing. This printing data processing is performed by the communication control unit 20a1. The communication control unit 20a1 installed in each image processing device 20 performs this process separately. Figure 7 The printing data processing is shown. In this printing data processing, the communication control unit 20a1 monitors the printing monitoring folder (step S200) and determines whether data has been added to the printing monitoring folder (step S205). That is, the communication control unit 20a1 periodically refers to the printing monitoring folder with which it has a pre-established correspondence to determine whether new data has been added. If no new data has been added to the printing monitoring folder, the communication control unit 20a1 executes the processing after step S200.

[0101] In step S205, if it is determined that new data has been added to the printing monitoring folder, the control information 10c1 and the input data are saved together in the printing monitoring folder. Then, the communication control unit 20a1 saves the status data indicating the start of printing (step S210). That is, the communication control unit 20a1 determines the path to the status data storage folder by referring to the control information 10c1, and outputs status data 10c3 indicating the start of printing to the control device 10, thereby saving the status data 10c3 in the status data storage folder.

[0102] Next, the communication control unit 20a1 determines the printing device (step S215). That is, the communication control unit 20a1 determines the printing monitoring folder based on the control information 10c1, and then determines the printing device corresponding to that printing monitoring folder. Next, the communication control unit 20a1 outputs printing data to the printing device 30 (step S220). That is, the output data stored in the printing monitoring folder is the printing data that should be output to the printing device 30 determined in step S215. Therefore, the communication control unit 20a1 outputs this printing data to the printing device 30. As a result, the printing device 30 at the output destination performs printing based on the printing data.

[0103] When printing in the printing apparatus 30 is finished, the printing apparatus 30 notifies the communication control unit 20a1, the output source of the printing data, that printing has ended. Based on this notification, the communication control unit 20a1 determines whether printing has ended (step S225), and repeats the determination in step S225 until it is determined that printing has ended.

[0104] In step S225, if it is determined that printing has ended, the communication control unit 20a1 saves the status data indicating the end of printing (step S230). That is, the communication control unit 20a1 determines the path of the status data storage folder with reference to the control information 10c1, and outputs the status data 10c3 indicating the end of printing to the control device 10, thereby saving the status data 10c3 in the status data storage folder. According to the above structure, printing can be performed based on the printing data generated by image processing performed in the order shown in the control information 10c1.

[0105] (5) Image processing example:

[0106] Next, the process of image processing based on the above structure will be illustrated. Figure 8 This diagram illustrates an image processing example of image processing system 1. Figure 8 The example shown includes one control device 10, one printing device 30, and three image processing devices 20. Furthermore, to distinguish the three image processing devices 20, they are referred to as image processing devices 21, 22, and 23. Additionally, in... Figure 8 In the present invention, a portion of the structure of the control device 10 and the image processing devices 21, 22, and 23 is selected and represented.

[0107] exist Figure 8In the example shown, image processing apparatus 21 includes a first image processing unit 21a2 and a second image processing unit 21a3. Image processing apparatus 22 includes a first image processing unit 22a2 but does not include a second image processing unit. Image processing apparatus 23 includes a second image processing unit 23a3 but does not include a first image processing unit. Furthermore, image processing apparatuses 21 and 23 each include a communication control unit 21a1 and a communication control unit 23a1, respectively. Since image processing apparatus 22 does not have a second image processing unit for generating printing data for output to printing apparatus 30, a communication control unit is not described. However, it is also possible to have a structure that includes a communication control unit and controls the communication between control apparatus 10 and image processing apparatus 22.

[0108] In addition, Figure 8 In the example shown, control device 10 includes non-volatile memory 10c, image processing device 21 includes non-volatile memory 21c, image processing device 22 includes non-volatile memory 22c, and image processing device 23 includes non-volatile memory 23c. Data stored in each of the respective non-volatile memories is associated with and stored in pre-prepared folders. Figure 8 The illustration shows folders defined in non-volatile memories 10c, 21c, 22c, and 23c. The folders of each unit's monitored objects are indicated by solid arrows extending from the control unit 10a1, image processing unit, and communication control unit towards these folders. Additionally, in... Figure 8 The image processing unit 21, 22, and 23 has processed the output data of the image processing unit 21, 22, and 23. The output data is saved without being transmitted to the next processing step. The folder used for saving is referred to as the save folder.

[0109] In the above structure, the image processing that converts image data into print data is performed by any of the image processing units included in the image processing apparatuses 21, 22, and 23. That is, the image data is processed by any of the first image processing units 21a2 and 22a2, and the output data of this processing is processed by any of the second image processing units 21a3 and 23a3. In this way, the image processing unit performing the processing can be arbitrarily selected from multiple image processing units, thus distributing the processing load of image processing.

[0110] Furthermore, this distributed processing can be achieved by describing the folder paths in the control information 10c1. For example, as indicated by the dashed arrow, suppose image processing is performed by the first image processing unit 21a2 and the second image processing unit 21a3 in the image processing apparatus 21, and printing is performed by the printing apparatus 30. In this case, the control information 10c1 describes the paths of the first monitoring folder, the second monitoring folder, and the printing monitoring folder set in the image processing apparatus 21.

[0111] When the control information 10c1 and image data are stored together in the first monitoring folder of the image processing device 21, the first image processing unit 21a2 performs image processing using the image data as input data and stores the control information 10c1 and output data in the second monitoring folder of the image processing device 21. When the control information 10c1 and output data are stored in the second monitoring folder of the image processing device 21, the second image processing unit 21a3 performs image processing using the stored data as input data and stores the control information 10c1 and output data in the printing monitoring folder of the image processing device 21. When the control information 10c1 and output data are stored in the printing monitoring folder of the image processing device 21, the communication control unit 21a1 outputs the stored printing data to the printing device 30. As a result, printing is performed in the printing device 30. Additionally, the double-dotted arrow indicates the flow direction of the status data 10c3. Figure 8 The example illustrates the flow of status data 10c3 sent from the first image processing unit 21a2 to the status data storage folder of the control device 10. However, the status data 10c3 indicating progress is also sequentially stored in the status data storage folder in other image processing units.

[0112] On the other hand, as indicated by the dashed arrow, it is assumed that image processing is performed by the first image processing unit 22a2 in the image processing device 22 and the second image processing unit 23a3 in the image processing device 23, and printing is performed by the printing device 30. In this case, the control information 10c1 records the path of the first monitoring folder set in the image processing device 22, the path of the second monitoring folder set in the image processing device 23, and the path of the printing monitoring folder.

[0113] When the control information 10c1 and the image data are stored together in the first monitoring folder of the image processing device 22, the first image processing unit 22a2 performs image processing using the image data as input data, and stores the control information 10c1 and the output data in the second monitoring folder of the image processing device 23. When the control information 10c1 and the output data are stored in the second monitoring folder of the image processing device 23, the second image processing unit 23a3 performs image processing using the stored data as input data, and stores the control information 10c1 and the output data in the printing monitoring folder of the image processing device 23. When the control information 10c1 and the output data are stored in the printing monitoring folder of the image processing device 23, the communication control unit 23a1 outputs the stored printing data to the printing device 30. As a result, printing is performed in the printing device 30.

[0114] As described above, in this embodiment, the image processing units for the distributed destinations are pre-defined in the control information 10c1, and image processing is performed according to this control information 10c1. Therefore, after image processing begins, the control device 10 does not need to manage the image processing unit 20 or the like to determine the execution target, thereby reducing the processing load compared to the case where the control device 10 performs such management. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is pre-determined that the second image processing unit will perform processing after the first image processing unit performs image processing. Therefore, the image processing for converting image data into print data is subdivided, increasing the freedom of selection for the distributed destinations compared to the case where it is not subdivided. In addition, the distributed destinations for image processing can be selected one by one from the first image processing unit and the second image processing unit, thus making it easy to select the distributed destinations.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the image processing unit monitors the monitoring folder and begins processing based on updates to the data within the monitoring folder. Therefore, by simply storing data in a predetermined folder, the necessary input and output data can be transmitted across a series of image processing steps. Thus, it is possible to define dispersed destinations for a series of image processing steps through such a simple process as recording the path in the control information.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the communication control unit monitors the printing monitoring folder to detect when printing data has been generated after image processing, and then outputs the printing data to the printing apparatus. Therefore, the transmission of printing-related data can be implemented simply by storing the data in a predetermined folder. Thus, a printing apparatus capable of defining the printing target can be achieved through such a simple process as recording the path in the control information.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, status data indicating the progress of image processing is stored at a predetermined storage location. Therefore, by referring to the status data at this storage location, the progress of the decentralized image processing can be easily determined. Furthermore, in this embodiment, before the start of image processing, the paths of the folders monitored by each image processing unit performing a series of processes are recorded in the control information. Therefore, the image processing units can be easily designated. In addition, the processing load on the control device can be reduced.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the control information and input data are stored together in a common folder, it is not necessary to extract the data for image processing from multiple storage destinations, thereby simplifying the processing performed by the image processing unit. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the control information contains parameters for image processing, it is not necessary to extract the parameters for image processing from a storage location different from the control information, thereby simplifying the processing performed by the image processing unit.

[0119] (6) Image processing allocation:

[0120] Printing data cannot be transmitted from all image processing units 20 of image processing system 1 to all printing units 30. The second image processing, used for converting image data into printing data, is limited to the image processing unit connected to the printing unit. For example, such as... Figure 9 As shown, printing device P1 is connected to image processing devices G1, G2, and G3 via a network, while printing device P2 is connected only to image processing device G2, for example, via USB. Let the model name of printing device P1 be A, and the model name of printing device P2 be B. In this case, when printing device P1 is set as a printing device, any one of image processing devices G1, G2, and G3 can handle the second image processing. On the other hand, when printing device P2 is set as a printing device, the image processing device capable of handling the second image processing is limited to image processing device G2. The image processing system 1 of this embodiment performs processing to assign such image processing to image processing device 20.

[0121] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the image processing setup process implemented by the control device 10. This process begins with user operation. First, the control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 queries all the image processing devices 20 in the image processing system 1 to indicate which printing device 30 can print the printing data (step S300). In response, each image processing device 20 replies with information indicating a printing device 30 connected via a network. Furthermore, suppose the image processing device 20 can transmit printing data to the printing device 30 via a portable recording medium. In this case, the image processing device 20, for example, having installed driver software for such a printing device 30, identifies it as the printing device 30 capable of transmitting printing data and replies with information indicating that printing device 30.

[0122] Furthermore, the control unit 10a1 receives responses from each image processing device 20 (step S305). The responses indicate a printing device capable of instructing the printing of printing data. Next, the control unit 10a1 establishes a correspondence between the information of the image processing device 20 representing the source of the response and the information representing the printing device 30 shown in the response, and registers it in the non-volatile memory 10c (step S310).

[0123] For example, such as Figure 11 As shown, the printing apparatus P1 is connected to the image processing apparatuses G1, G2, and G3. Therefore, these three image processing apparatuses G1, G2, and G3 establish a correspondence with the printing apparatus P1 and are registered. On the other hand, as... Figure 12 As shown, printing device P2 is only connected to image processing device G2, and not to image processing devices G1 or G3. Therefore, printing device P2 is only associated with and registered with image processing device G2. In this way, in this embodiment, printing device 30 that is not directly connected to control device 10 can also be registered as a printing device that can be controlled by control device 10.

[0124] return Figure 10 The following explanation is provided. After step S310, the control unit 10a1 displays icons representing all the printing devices 30 included in the image processing system 1 on the display 10d (step S315). Specifically, the control unit 10a1 displays a setting screen. The setting screen is used to register the image processing device and image processing unit responsible for the distributed processing including the first image processing and the second image processing. The setting screen will be described later. Next, the control unit 10a1 waits until one of the icons representing the printing devices 30 displayed on the display 10d by the user selects a printing device 30 as the setting object (no in step S320). When a printing device 30 is selected (yes in step S320), the control unit 10a1 proceeds to step S325. In step S325, the control unit 10a1 displays information on the display 10d indicating the image processing device 20 that has been registered and associated with the printing device 30 selected in step S320.

[0125] Figure 13 This diagram illustrates an example of the setting screen 400 displayed on the monitor 10d. Icons 401 and 402 corresponding to the two printing presses P1 and P2 are displayed at the top of the setting screen 400. Each icon represents the appearance of the printing presses P1 and P2. Thus, the user can easily identify the printing presses P1 and P2 corresponding to the icons based on their shapes. Furthermore, for example, when printing press P1 (model name A) is selected as the setting target by the user, printing press P1 is highlighted. Figure 13 As shown, as a specific way of emphasizing the display, a frame 411 is displayed around the icon 401 of the printing device P1. However, the method of emphasis is not limited to this embodiment. As another example, the background color of the printing device P1 can be changed to a different color for emphasis. Furthermore, as another example, the designated printing device P1 can be relatively emphasized by graying out undesignated printing devices.

[0126] Furthermore, an image processing device display bar 420 is provided at the bottom of the setting screen 400. When the icon of the printing device is selected, the image processing device display bar 420 displays information about the image processing device 20 that can instruct the selected printing device to print. The information about the image processing device 20 includes a checkbox 421 for selecting the image processing device 20, its IP address, folder name, and allocation processing.

[0127] Checkbox 421 is an input field for users to select the image processing device 20 when they want to specify it as the responsible processing device. The IP address is information used to identify the image processing device 20. The folder name is information used to identify the folder prepared in the non-volatile memory 20c of the image processing device. The allocation process refers to the image processing allocated to the image processing device 20; icon 422 ("1") in the figure represents the first image processing up to the rendering process. Icon 423 ("2") represents the second image processing, including halftone processing. Users can switch between selecting and deselecting the first and second image processing by choosing icons 422 and 423 ("1" and "2" respectively). Icons 422 and 423 ("1" and "2") are initially displayed as selected and switch to a deselected state (grayed out) according to user operation.

[0128] like Figure 13 As shown, when printing device P1 is selected, image processing devices 20 that have established a correspondence with printing device P1 and are registered, namely image processing devices G1, G2, and G3, are displayed in the image processing device display bar 420. The user can select the image processing device 20 that has established a correspondence with the selected printing device 30 and is desired to be set as the responsible candidate for distributed processing from the image processing devices 20 displayed in the image processing device display bar 420 by checking the checkbox 421. For example, even if image processing devices G1, G2, and G3 can all handle the printing performed by printing device P1 according to the network connection status, but because the performance of image processing device G1 is lower than that of the other image processing devices G2 and G3, it is desirable to exclude image processing device G1 from the distributed processing targets. In such a case, the user can exclude image processing device G1 from the responsible candidate by unchecking the checkbox.

[0129] Furthermore, image processing can be assigned to each image processing unit 20 by selecting the icons 422 and 423, which are displayed as assignment processes. For example, if it is desired that the first image processing be performed in image processing unit G2 and the second image processing be performed in image processing unit G3, the user can set the icon 422 corresponding to the image processing unit G2 to the selected state, and change it to the non-selected state by selecting the icon 423 corresponding to the image processing unit G3. This operation is an example of selecting an image processing unit.

[0130] return Figure 10 The following explanation is provided. When the user selects checkbox 421, the control unit 10a1 sets the selected image processing device 20 as the candidate responsible for distributed processing based on the user's operation (step S330). Next, the user selects or deselects the icons 422 and 423 for the "1" and "2" distributed processing. Based on the user's operation, the control unit 10a1 assigns the image processing units of the image processing device to the first image processing and the second image processing for distributed processing (step S335). Thus, the execution order of the image processing units responsible for performing the image processing for printing is determined. The information representing this execution order and the printing device is called the printing route. That is, the printing route is information representing the first image processing unit responsible for the first image processing, the second image processing unit responsible for the second image processing, and the printing device 30 that performs printing using the image data after image processing, i.e., the printing data.

[0131] Furthermore, the first image processing can be assigned to either a single first image processing unit 20a2 or multiple first image processing units 20a2 respectively provided by multiple image processing devices 20. In this case, a suitable first image processing unit 20a2 is selected based on the operating status of each first image processing unit 20a2 at the actual image processing time, and the selected first image processing unit 20a2 is responsible for the first image processing. Similarly, the second image processing can be assigned to either a single second image processing unit 20a3 or multiple second image processing units 20a3 respectively provided by multiple image processing devices 20.

[0132] In step S335, when image processing is assigned, the control unit 10a1 confirms whether all image processing constituting the distributed processing has been assigned to the selected image processing device (step S340). For example, such as Figure 14As shown, suppose that two image processing devices are selected from the bottom up in the image processing device display bar 420, and only the first image processing is assigned to these two image processing devices. In this case, the second image processing unit 20a3, which is responsible for the second image processing, is not selected, so the distribution processing cannot be completed. Therefore, in step S340, it is determined that there is an unassigned image processing. In this way, when at least one image processing among the multiple image processing constituting the distribution processing is not assigned, it is determined in step S340 that there is an unassigned image processing.

[0133] If there is unassigned image processing (no in step S340), the control unit 10a1 as follows: Figure 14 Warning 450 is displayed (step S345). Warning 450 indicates that a printing route for all image processing for printing has not been established, stating "Unable to establish a printing route. Please reconsider the allocation process." and suggests re-implementing the image processing allocation. By displaying warning 450, the user is prompted to re-allocate the image processing, thus allocating all multiple image processing tasks constituting a distributed process. Furthermore, the display 10d is an example of an output unit. Moreover, the warning is not limited to being displayed on the display; the output unit may simply output the warning. As another example, a speaker may output a sound indicating a warning.

[0134] In step S340, if all image processing constituting the distributed processing has been assigned (yes in step S340), the control unit 10a1 proceeds the processing to step S350. In step S350, the control unit 10a1 confirms whether an application instruction has been accepted. When the user selects the application button 430 displayed on the settings screen 400, the control unit 10a1 accepts the application instruction.

[0135] If no application instruction is received (No in step S350), the control unit 10a1 proceeds to step S330. If an application instruction is received (Yes in step S350), the control unit 10a1 proceeds to step S355. Furthermore, in step S355, the control unit 10a1 registers the settings in the setting screen 400. For example, for the printing apparatus P1, the first image processing unit of image processing apparatus G2 and the first image processing unit of image processing apparatus G3 are assigned to handle the first image processing, and the second image processing unit of image processing apparatus G2 is assigned to handle the second image processing. In this case, the image processing units of these image processing apparatuses are established as candidates for handling distributed processing and are associated with the printing apparatus and registered.

[0136] As described above, a correspondence is established between each image processing unit of the image processing apparatus and the printing apparatus through a setting process. Furthermore, when a printing instruction is input, the control device 10 selects a first image processing unit and a second image processing unit, respectively responsible for the first image processing and the second image processing, from the image processing units set as candidates for distributed processing, and performs image processing in these image processing units. This achieves distributed processing.

[0137] Furthermore, in the setting screen 400, when the update button 440 is selected, the control unit 10a1 reconfirms the connection status of the printing apparatus 30 and the image processing apparatus 20 and updates the displayed content. For example, suppose that a new image processing apparatus 20 has been added to the image processing system 1 and connected in a manner capable of performing printing in the printing apparatus P1. In this case, the newly added image processing apparatus 20 establishes a correspondence with the printing apparatus P1 and is registered in the non-volatile memory 10c. Furthermore, when the printing apparatus P1 is selected, information about the newly added image processing apparatus 20 is displayed in the image processing apparatus display bar 420.

[0138] Furthermore, when a new image processing device 20 is added, the control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 searches for an IP address that can be reached from the control device 10 and confirms whether transmission and reception can be performed. The search can be performed using either a method of waiting for a response via broadcasting implemented by UDP, or a method of specifying an IP address and attempting to connect via TCP.

[0139] (7) Printing route determines processing:

[0140] In the control device 10, when the user designates the printing device 30 and inputs a printing instruction, the control device 10 performs a printing route determination process. In the printing route determination process, the printing route, including a first image processing unit 20a2 and a second image processing unit 20a3 respectively responsible for performing printing corresponding to the printing instruction, is automatically determined.

[0141] The control device 10 of this embodiment determines the printing route based on the number of image processing units allocated to each image processing unit, i.e., the allocation number. Here, the allocation number is the number of image processing units allocated to one image processing unit. For example, if one first image processing unit is allocated to a first image processing unit 20a2, the allocation number is 1. Furthermore, if a first image processing unit 20a2 is allocated both a first image processing unit corresponding to a first printing instruction and a first image processing unit corresponding to a second printing instruction, the allocation number is 2. On the other hand, if no printing instruction is input, the allocation number is 0 because no first image processing unit 20a2 is allocated. The allocation number is stored in the non-volatile memory 20c of each image processing device 20.

[0142] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the printing route determination process. The printing route determination process is performed by the control device 10. The user selects the icon of the printing device 30 to be used for printing by selecting, for example, an icon displayed on the display 10d. Accordingly, the control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 determines the image processing unit responsible for image processing. That is, when a printing device is specified, the control unit 10a1 determines the image processing unit responsible for image processing as a separate process. In the printing route determination process, when the icon of the printing device 30 is selected, the control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 selects the printing device 30 corresponding to the icon selected by the user (step S400).

[0143] Next, the control unit 10a1, through the printing device 30 selected in step S400, from the reference... Figure 10 In the image processing unit set in the described setting process, a first image processing unit responsible for the first image processing and a second image processing unit responsible for the second image processing are selected to determine the printing route. Specifically, the control unit 10a1 first obtains the allocation number of each image processing unit from each image processing device 20 (step S405).

[0144] Next, the control unit 10a1 selects a combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 based on the number of image processing units allocated in the printing route. Specifically, the control unit 10a1 selects a combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 whose total number of allocations is the smallest (step S410). Next, the control unit 10a1 increments the allocation number of each image processing unit selected in step S410 by 1 (step S415).

[0145] For example, such as Figure 16As shown on the left, the image processing apparatus G11 is configured with 1 first image processing unit 20a2 and 2 second image processing units 20a3. Furthermore, the image processing apparatus G12 is configured with 0 first image processing unit 20a2 and 1 second image processing unit 20a3. The image processing apparatus G13 is configured with only the first image processing unit 20a2, and its number of units is 1. The image processing apparatus G14 is configured with only the second image processing unit 20a3, and its number of units is 2.

[0146] In this case, the combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G12 with the smallest total number of allocations is the combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G12. Therefore, the combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G12 is selected. Furthermore, in this case, as... Figure 16 As shown on the right, the allocation numbers of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G12 are each increased by 1.

[0147] In addition, such as Figure 17 As shown on the left, with the allocation of each image processing unit, the combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 of the image processing apparatus G13 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G14 is selected. Furthermore, as... Figure 17 As shown on the right, the allocation numbers of the first image processing unit 20a2 of the image processing apparatus G13 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G14 are each increased by 1.

[0148] In addition, for example, in Figure 17 In the example, suppose the number of allocations for the first image processing unit of image processing apparatus G12 is 0, not 1. In this case, the total number of allocations for the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of image processing apparatus G12, and the total number of allocations for the first image processing unit 20a2 of image processing apparatus G13 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of image processing apparatus G14, are both equal to 1. In this way, when there are multiple combinations with the smallest total number of allocations, the control unit 10a1 selects the combination of image processing units 20 with the smallest number of allocations. That is, in Figure 17 In the example, a combination of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3 of the image processing apparatus G12 is selected. This is because by performing processing within the same image processing apparatus 20, it is not affected by latency caused by the network.

[0149] Based on the above, the printing route is determined. In this way, in this embodiment, the control unit 10a1 simply estimates the load of each image processing unit by referring to the allocation number. As a result, the image processing unit with a lower load can be selected, thereby optimizing the overall performance of the printing-related image processing system 1.

[0150] return Figure 15 The following explanation is provided. After determining the printing route through the processes up to step S415, the control unit 10a1 generates control information corresponding to the printing instruction (step S420). Next, the control unit 10a1 sends the control information to the image processing unit (step S425). Specifically, the control unit 10a1 sends the control information for the distribution processing to the first image processing unit 20a2, which is assigned as the first image processing among multiple image processing processes for printing. Upon receiving the control information, the first image processing unit 20a2 performs the first image processing based on the control information. When the first image processing is completed, the control information is sent to the second image processing unit 20a3, which is assigned as the second image processing unit. The second image processing unit 20a3 then performs the second image processing and sends the printing data to the printing apparatus 30. In this manner, the control unit 10a1 performs the distribution processing by sending the control information, causing the image processing unit responsible for the distribution processing to perform image processing.

[0151] Furthermore, if the control device 10 can no longer communicate with the image processing device 20 due to network interruption or other reasons, the image processing device 20 suspends image processing related to control information sent from the control device 10, which can no longer communicate. The image processing device 20 also decrements the allocation number of the image processing unit that has suspended image processing by 1. This prevents the image processing unit from being occupied by the control device 10, which cannot communicate. Additionally, the image processing device 20 periodically monitors the IP address of the control device 10 to confirm that communication is possible.

[0152] (8) License:

[0153] Next, the license will be explained. In this embodiment, the rendering process in the image processing of the image processing apparatus 20 is assumed to be a process that requires an authenticated license. Therefore, in the image processing system 1, when multiple users utilize the image processing service, the total number of licenses held by the multiple users is the number of processes that can be executed simultaneously. The image processing system 1 according to this embodiment implements license management to achieve efficient processing, such as maximizing the execution of the first image processing including the rendering process, within the constraint of the total number of licenses.

[0154] Suppose that a license is granted only to the user for the number of control devices 10 they utilize. For example, such as Figure 18 As shown, in the image processing system 1, when two control devices C1 and C2 exist as control devices 10, licenses A and B are set. In this case, the control unit 10a1 of each control device 10 first registers the licenses. Specifically, the image processing device 20 connected to the control device 10 registers the licenses assigned to the control device 10. Thus, in the image processing device 20, a correspondence is established between the license information identifying the license and the control device information identifying the source of the license transmission from the control device 10, and this correspondence is registered in the non-volatile memory 20c. Furthermore, the control device information is the IP address of the control device 10.

[0155] Therefore, as Figure 18 As shown, when license A is registered from control device C1 and license B is registered from control device C2, two licenses, license A and license B, are registered in image processing device 20. Furthermore, in Figure 18 For ease of explanation, only one image processing device 20 is shown in this illustration. However, information regarding the licenses granted to the control device 10 is registered in all image processing devices 20 connected to the control device 10. When image processing is performed by the first image processing unit, a license is assigned to that first image processing unit. In this way, a license assigned to one image processing unit is prohibited from being assigned to other image processing units. When a license is assigned to an image processing unit, the license is managed in a locked state; when no license is assigned to an image processing unit, the license is managed in an unlocked state.

[0156] Next, refer to Figure 19 The allocation of the license to the image processing unit is explained. The control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 sends a license usage request to the image processing device 20. The license usage request includes license information identifying the license and an access key. The access key is generated by the control unit 10a1 and stored in the non-volatile memory 10c.

[0157] Upon receiving a license usage request, the image processing device 20 sends a license lock request to the control device 10, which is granted the license information shown in the license information. The license lock request includes license information and an access key.

[0158] Here, as Figure 19 As shown, the example described is when the control device C1 sends a request to use license B. In this case, when the image processing device 20 receives the request to use license B, it sends the received request to use license B to the control device C2, which has been granted license B.

[0159] If license B is not assigned to any image processing device, i.e., in an unlocked state, control device C2 sends usage license information to image processing device 20 in response. Furthermore, control device C2 establishes a correspondence with license B and stores the access key included in the usage request. Then, control device C2 changes license B to a locked state. Upon receiving the usage license information, image processing device 20 sends the usage license information to control device C1.

[0160] On the other hand, if license B has already been allocated to image processing (i.e., is in a locked state), control device C2 sends an unusable message. Upon receiving the unusable message, image processing device 20 sends it to control device C1. In this case, image processing device 20 periodically sends usage requests for license B to control device C2 until image processing corresponding to license B is completed, thus unlocking license B. Furthermore, when license B becomes unlocked, control device C2 establishes a correspondence with license B based on the usage requests received from image processing device 20 and stores the access key contained in the usage request. Then, control device C2 again locks license B. Correspondingly, when license B becomes unlocked, image processing device 20 receives usage license information. Upon receiving the usage license information, image processing device 20 sends it to control device C1.

[0161] After sending a license usage request, the control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 receives usage license information. Furthermore, if the license is locked, an unusable message is sent, and the control unit 10a1 remains in standby mode until the license becomes unlocked, then receives usage license information after it becomes unlocked. The control unit 10a1 then assigns the license corresponding to the usage license information to the first image processing unit 20a2 included in the printing line.

[0162] Next, refer to Figure 20 The opening of the license is explained. When the first image processing is completed by the first image processing unit 20a2, the image processing apparatus 20 equipped with the first image processing unit 20a2 sends status data indicating that the first image processing has been completed to the control device 10. For example, by... Figure 19 The control device C1 shown sends control information to the image processing device 20 to start image processing. When the processing is completed, it sends image processing completion status data to the control device C1.

[0163] When control device C1 receives the status data indicating the end of image processing, such as Figure 20As shown, an open request for license B is sent to image processing device 20. The open request for license B includes an access key generated when the usage request for license B was sent. Upon receiving the open request for license B, image processing device 20 sends an unlock request for license B to control device C2. The unlock request includes license information for license B and an access key. Upon receiving the unlock request for license B, control device C2 compares the access key associated with and stored with license B with the access key included in the unlock request. If the two access keys match, control device C2 changes license B to an unlocked state. As described above, by managing licenses, the utilization rate of licenses can be increased in systems with shared licenses, such as image processing system 1.

[0164] Furthermore, there are situations where communication between the control device 10 and the image processing device 20 may cease due to network interruptions, for example, in... Figure 19 In the example, when license B is locked and the control device C2 can no longer communicate with the image processing device 20, license B is unlocked. This prevents the license from being held by the uncommunicating image processing device 20. Furthermore, the control device 10 periodically monitors the IP address of the image processing device 20 to confirm that communication is possible.

[0165] As described above, in the image processing system 1 of this embodiment, when the user selects the printing apparatus 30 as the setting object, the image processing apparatus 20 that has established a corresponding relationship with the selected printing apparatus 30 is displayed on the display 10d. Furthermore, when the image processing apparatus 20 displayed on the display 10d is selected, the selected image processing apparatus 20 is set as the responsible candidate for distributed processing. Therefore, the image processing system 1 is capable of allocating appropriate image processing apparatuses that conform to the device setting environment.

[0166] Furthermore, the image processing system 1 determines the combination of image processing units responsible for distributed image processing based on the allocation number. Therefore, a suitable combination can be selected according to the load conditions of each image processing unit in the image processing system 1, and processing efficiency can be improved.

[0167] (9) Postscript:

[0168] The above-described embodiment is an example for implementing the present invention, and various other embodiments can also be adopted. For example, the device structure of the image processing system is not limited to... Figure 1The structure shown is as described. The structures of the control device 10 and the image processing device 20 can also be the same. Specifically, it can be configured such that a control unit 10a1, a first image processing unit 20a2, and a second image processing unit 20a3 are installed in a computer, and each computer can function as either the control device 10 or the image processing device 20. In this case, each computer has both the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3, but a particular computer can also be configured to function as only one of the first image processing unit 20a2 and the second image processing unit 20a3. In this case, the other image processing unit is configured not to function.

[0169] further, Figure 1 The devices shown can be fewer terminals with shared functions, or they can be more terminals. For example, the image processing device 20 and the printing device 30 can be integrated into one device, and the control device 10 and the image processing device 20 can be implemented through a cloud computer, etc.

[0170] An image processing system can be any system that includes multiple image processing units and a control unit. The multiple image processing units perform image processing for printing in a printing apparatus, and the control unit causes the multiple image processing units to perform image processing. Therefore, other devices, such as printing apparatuses, can also be included. Furthermore, the number of image processing units is not limited, and multiple control units and printing apparatuses can also exist.

[0171] The image processing unit only needs to be able to perform image processing for printing in the printing apparatus. During the period from the issuance of the printing instruction to the start of printing, at least two types of image processing are executed sequentially, and there are two image processing units that execute each type of image processing. However, during the period from the issuance of the printing instruction to the start of printing, three or more types of image processing may be executed sequentially. In this case, information is also transmitted to the third and subsequent image processing units via control information.

[0172] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, multiple computers function as image processing units. However, it is sufficient for a single computer to execute more than one type of image processing unit, or it is possible for a single computer to execute two or more types of image processing units. Additionally, it is possible for a single computer to execute one type of image processing unit, or for two or more computers capable of executing any type of image processing unit to exist simultaneously.

[0173] The image processing unit is not limited to the structure described above, which is divided into a first image processing unit that performs rasterization processing and a second image processing unit that performs halftone processing. For example, an image processing unit that performs layout processing and halftone processing may also exist separately.

[0174] The control unit only needs to enable multiple image processing units to perform image processing, but this control is based on control information. Therefore, after outputting control information to the first image processing unit, the control unit does not need to control the distributed destinations of image processing.

[0175] The control information only needs to include information about the image processing unit that represents the input data to be processed and the subsequent processing of the processed output data. That is, the control information can also be configured to include information referenced when inputting and outputting to the image processing unit, and image processing is performed sequentially by referring to this control information.

[0176] The information in the control information that represents the input data to be processed can be defined as such that the image processing unit can obtain the input data and start image processing based on this information. Therefore, as in the embodiment described above, the information representing the input data to be processed can be the input data itself, or it can be information indicating the storage location of the input data.

[0177] The information in the control information indicating the image processing unit to be further processed on the processed output data only needs to be defined as being able to determine the image processing unit that should input and output data based on this information. Therefore, it is not limited to the structure of the image processing unit that should input and output data by showing the storage location that has established a correspondence with the image processing unit, as in the embodiment described above. For example, the structure of the image processing unit can also be determined by the ID of the computer on which the image processing unit is installed, the ID that has established a correspondence with the image processing unit, etc. The input data and output data can be data of any type, and their format can change through image processing performed by the image processing unit.

[0178] The image processing system 1, equipped with multiple image processing devices 20, can transmit the image data (i.e., printing data) after the second image processing to other image processing devices 20 via a network. Therefore, in reference... Figure 10 In the image processing setup process described above, the control device 10 can also establish a correspondence between all the image processing devices 20 included in the image processing system 1 and the printing device 30, and register them in the non-volatile memory 10c, as image processing devices 20 capable of instructing printing data. This increases the options available for the image processing unit.

[0179] The control unit 10a1 of the control device 10 only needs to determine the combination of image processing units responsible for distributed processing based on the allocation number, and the specific processing for this purpose is not limited to the implementation method. For example, the allocation number can also be multiplied by a weight. For example, if an image processing unit with higher processing power is assigned an image processing unit, an allocation number of less than 1 can be assigned. Thus, it is easier to select an image processing unit with higher processing power.

[0180] Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied as a program or method executed by a computer. In addition, the systems, programs, and methods described above include various methods; some are implemented as a single device, some utilize components of multiple devices, and some have their elements housed in a device different from those described above. Furthermore, modifications can be made appropriately, such as making some parts software and others hardware. Furthermore, the invention is also valid as a recording medium for a program that controls a system. Of course, the recording medium for this program can be a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor memory, or any recording medium developed in the future, and can be considered in the same manner.

[0181] Symbol Explanation

[0182] 1…Image processing system; 10…Control device; 10a…Processor; 10a1…Control unit; 10b…Communication unit; 10c…Non-volatile memory; 10c1…Control information; 10c2…Image data; 10c3…Status data; 10d…Display; 10e…Input unit; 20…Image processing device; 20a…Processor; 20a1…Communication control unit; 20a2…First image processing unit; 20a3…Second image processing unit; 20b…Communication unit; 20c…Non-volatile memory; 20c1…Processed object data; 20d…Display; 20 e…Input unit; 21…Image processing device; 21a1…Communication control unit; 21a2…First image processing unit; 21a3…Second image processing unit; 21c…Non-volatile memory; 22…Image processing device; 22a2…First image processing unit; 22c…Non-volatile memory; 23…Image processing device; 23a1…Communication control unit; 23a3…Second image processing unit; 23c…Non-volatile memory; 30…Printing device; 30a…Processor; 30b…Communication unit; 30c…Non-volatile memory; 30d…Printing unit; 30e…UI unit.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising a control unit and multiple image processing devices, The control unit controls the decentralized processing of multiple image processing units, including the first printing unit and the second printing unit, to perform printing on each of the multiple image processing units separately. The image processing apparatus includes the image processing unit. The first printing device and the second printing device each establish a correspondence with at least a portion of different plurality of image processing devices. When the control unit selects the first printing device as the setting object, it displays the image processing device that has established a corresponding relationship with the first printing device on the display unit, and When the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the responsible candidate for the distributed processing corresponding to the first printing device. When the control unit selects the second printing device as the setting object, it displays the image processing device that has established a corresponding relationship with the second printing device on the display unit, and When the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the responsible candidate for the distributed processing corresponding to the second printing device.

2. The image processing system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit executes the dispersion processing by causing the image processing units of the plurality of image processing devices, which are set as candidates for the dispersion processing, to perform the image processing.

3. The image processing system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit sends control information for the distributed processing to the image processing unit, which is assigned to perform the initial image processing among the multiple image processes for carrying out the printing. The control information includes image data of the object being processed and information identifying the image processing unit responsible for each of the multiple image processing operations. The image processing unit that receives the control information performs the image processing based on the control information.

4. The image processing system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit receives information from the plurality of image processing devices indicating that the printing device is capable of instructing the printing of image data after image processing by the image processing unit, and The image processing device, which is capable of instructing the printing device to print, will establish a correspondence with the printing device and register it.

5. The image processing system as described in claim 1, wherein, The image processing system includes multiple image processing devices, each capable of transmitting the processed image data to other image processing devices. The control unit establishes a correspondence between the multiple image processing devices and the printing device and registers them.

6. The image processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, When the image processing unit of the image processing device, which is set as the candidate for the distributed processing, is selected, the control unit applies the selected image processing unit to the image processing of the printing.

7. The image processing system as described in claim 6, wherein, If at least one of the multiple image processing operations used to perform the printing is not assigned to the image processing unit, the control unit causes the output unit to output a warning.

8. The image processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, It has one or more certified licenses set up. The image processing unit performs the image processing when the license is granted. When the image processing unit responsible for the distributed processing is designated, the license is assigned to the designated image processing unit. It is prohibited to distribute a license that has been assigned to one of the image processing units to other of the image processing units.

9. A control device comprising a control unit, The control unit controls the decentralized processing of multiple image processing units, including the first printing unit and the second printing unit, to perform printing on each of the multiple image processing units separately. The first printing device and the second printing device each establish a correspondence with at least a portion of different image processing devices equipped with the image processing unit. When the control unit selects the first printing device as the setting object, it displays the image processing device that has established a corresponding relationship with the first printing device on the display unit, and When the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the responsible candidate for the distributed processing corresponding to the first printing device. When the control unit selects the second printing device as the setting object, it displays the image processing device that has established a corresponding relationship with the second printing device on the display unit, and When the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the responsible candidate for the distributed processing corresponding to the second printing device.

10. A recording medium storing a program executed by a computer of a control device that controls the decentralized processing of multiple image processing operations to enable multiple printing devices, including a first printing device and a second printing device, to perform printing respectively. The first printing device and the second printing device each establish a correspondence with at least a portion of different image processing devices equipped with the image processing unit. The program is used to cause the computer to perform the following steps: When the first printing device is selected as the setting object, the step of displaying the image processing device that has established a corresponding relationship with the first printing device in the display unit; When the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the responsible candidate for the distributed processing corresponding to the first printing device. When the second printing device is selected as the setting object, the step of displaying the image processing device that has established a corresponding relationship with the second printing device in the display unit; When the image processing device is selected, the selected image processing device is set as the responsible candidate for the dispersion processing corresponding to the second printing device.

Images