Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that can improve convenience for a user in document printing processing.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. The acquisition unit acquires document information related to a document to be printed and condition information related to a print condition from a user terminal, and acquires function information and consumable information in each of image forming apparatuses from the image forming apparatuses communicably connected to the user terminal. The determination unit determines an image forming apparatus that can print the document information, from among the image forming apparatuses, on the basis of the document information and condition information and the function information and consumable information acquired by the acquisition unit. The output unit outputs information on the image forming apparatus determined by the determination unit to the user terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, new functions have been added to image forming devices to improve convenience for users during printing processes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming device equipped with a function that analyzes print data and print settings related to a print job, determines the amount of paper required for the print job, and delays the print job if the amount of paper supplied does not meet the required amount of paper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-090832 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot provide the user with any suggestions as to which image forming device to use to perform a print job when there are multiple image forming devices available, and there is room for improvement in user convenience.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that can improve user convenience in document printing processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing device includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. The acquisition unit acquires document information about a document to be printed and condition information about printing conditions from a user terminal, and acquires function information and consumable information about each image forming device from image forming devices connected to the user terminal for communication. The determination unit determines which of the image forming devices can print the document information based on the document information, condition information, function information, and consumable information acquired by the acquisition unit. The output unit outputs information about the image forming device determined by the determination unit to the user terminal.

[0007] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition step, a determination step, and an output step. The acquisition step acquires document information about a document to be printed and condition information about printing conditions from a user terminal, and acquires function information and consumable information about each image forming device from image forming devices connected to the user terminal for communication. The determination step determines, among the image forming devices, which image forming devices are capable of printing the document information, based on the document information and condition information, as well as the function information and consumable information acquired by the acquisition unit. The output step outputs information about the image forming device determined by the determination unit to the user terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the information processing device and information processing method of the present invention, it is possible to improve user convenience in document printing processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image reading device shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the overall printing support process performed by the information processing apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of the device determination process in the print support process shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on a user terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of an information processing system 1 according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be designated by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0011] (1) Overall configuration of information processing system 1 First, the overall configuration of an information processing system 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as system 1) according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram of system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, system 1 includes a user terminal U, an image forming device 200, and a server 300. Server 300 is an example of an "information processing device" according to the present invention.

[0012] The user terminal U, the image forming apparatus 200, and the server 300 are communicatively connected via a network NW. A plurality of image forming apparatuses 200 (200A to 200D) are connected to the network NW.

[0013] (1-1) User terminal U The user terminal U is an information processing terminal used by a user. The user terminal U is realized by a smartphone, desktop PC (Personal Computer), laptop PC, tablet terminal, or the like compatible with the system 1. In this embodiment, a smartphone will be described as an example of the user terminal U. In the example of FIG. 1, one user terminal U is connected to the network NW, but multiple user terminals U may be connected to the network NW.

[0014] (1-2) Image forming device 200 The image forming apparatus 200 is, for example, a multifunction peripheral having a printer function, a scanner function, and a copy function. The image forming apparatus 200 may also have a facsimile function. In the example of FIG. 1, four image forming apparatuses 200 (200A to 200D) are connected to the network NW, but the number of image forming apparatuses 200 connected to the network NW can be selected arbitrarily. The specific configuration of the image forming apparatus 200 will be described later.

[0015] (1-3) Server 300 The server 300 includes various types of computers, such as a personal computer, a server computer (for example, a web server, an application server, a database server, or a combination thereof), etc. In this embodiment, the server 300 will be described as an example of a cloud server that makes one or more virtualized servers available via a network.

[0016] Server 300 is an information processing device that performs various calculation processes described below and determines the image forming device 200 that is recommended for use when a user prints document information via network NW. That is, system 1 of the present invention recommends an appropriate image forming device 200 to a user in response to an operation of user terminal U. In this way, system 1 fulfills the function of supporting the printing process of document information desired by the user.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the server 300 includes a processor 310 , a memory 320 , a storage 330 , a communication IF 340 , and an input / output IF 350 .

[0018] The processor 310 is hardware for executing a set of instructions written in a program stored in the storage 330. The processor 310 includes a central processing unit (CPU). The processor may also include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0019] The memory 320 is for temporarily storing programs and data to be processed by the programs, and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0020] The storage 330 is a storage device for saving programs and data, and is, for example, a flash memory or a hard disk drive (HDD). The programs stored in the storage 330 include, for example, the following programs. OS (Operating System) programs Applications that process information (e.g. web browsers)

[0021] The data stored in storage 330 includes, for example, the following data: Databases referenced in information processing Data obtained by performing information processing (i.e., the results of performing information processing)

[0022] The communication IF 340 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the server 300 can communicate with external devices.

[0023] The input / output IF 350 functions as an interface with an input device for accepting input operations via the user terminal U and an output device for presenting information to the user terminal U.

[0024] (2) Functional configuration of server 300 Next, the functional configuration of server 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of server 300 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, server 300 functions as a communication unit 301, a storage unit 302, and a control unit 303.

[0025] (2-1) Communications Department 301 The communication unit 301 performs processing for the server 300 to communicate with external devices.

[0026] (2-2) Storage section 302 The storage unit 302 stores data and programs used by the server 300. The storage unit 302 stores, for example, the following data and programs: Document Database (Document DB) 3021 Printing Condition Database (Printing Condition DB) 3022 ·Function Database (Function DB) 3023 · Consumables Database (Consumables DB) 3024 Document Analysis Model 3025

[0027] The document DB 3021 is a database that stores document information that a user desires to print. A new record is recorded in the document DB 3021 when a print instruction is received from a user.

[0028] The printing condition DB 3022 is a database that stores information about printing conditions specified by the user. When the user issues a print instruction, a new record is recorded in the printing condition DB 3022 based on the set printing conditions.

[0029] The function DB 3023 is a database that stores information about the functions of each image forming device 200 that can be used by the system 1. The available image forming devices 200 refer to all image forming devices 200 that are communicatively connected to the user terminal U and the server 300 via the network NW. New records are recorded (updated) in the function DB 3023 by the server 300 performing a process of obtaining device information from the image forming device 200, which will be described later.

[0030] The function information of the image forming apparatus 200 stored in the function DB 3023 includes, for example, the following: -Is color printing possible? ·Printing speed Finishing process available

[0031] The consumables DB 3024 is a database that stores information (consumables information) about the remaining amounts of consumables in each image forming device 200 that can be used by the system 1. Consumables include printing paper and toner. In other words, the consumables information includes information about the remaining amounts of printing paper and toner. New records are recorded (updated) in the consumables DB 3024 by the server 300, which will be described later, when the server 300 acquires device information from the image forming device 200.

[0032] The document analysis model 3025 is a trained model that analyzes the print content of document information based on document information. The print content is an item that affects the print job of the document information and refers to a characteristic that is determined depending on the content of the document. The print content includes, for example, the following: Character ratio: The ratio of characters included in the document information Image Ratio: The ratio of the image included in the document information ·Blank ratio: The ratio of blank spaces included in the document information Color content: The type and amount of color contained in the document information

[0033] The document analysis model 3025 is trained to output the character ratio, image ratio, white space ratio, and color amount as print content in response to input document information. The document analysis model 3025 is constructed using an arbitrary neural network or the like.

[0034] (2-3) Control unit 303 The control unit 303 functions as various modules as a result of the processor 310 of the server 300 performing processing according to a program. The control unit 303 functions as a transmission / reception control module 311, an acquisition module 312, an analysis module 313, an estimation module 314, a determination module 315, and an output module 316.

[0035] The transmission / reception control module 2031 controls the process of the server 300 transmitting and receiving signals to and from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0036] The acquisition module 312 acquires the following information input to the user terminal U in response to a print instruction operation to the user terminal U: Document information: Information about the document the user wants to print Condition information: Printing conditions when the user prints document information

[0037] In addition, the acquisition module 312 acquires the following information from the image forming apparatus 200 in response to a print instruction operation on the user terminal U: Function information: Information about the functions of the image forming apparatus 200 Consumables information: Information about the most recent remaining amount of consumables in the image forming apparatus 200 The acquisition module 312 is an example of the "acquisition unit" of the present invention.

[0038] The analysis module 313 analyzes the print content included in the document information. The analysis module 313 inputs the document information to the document analysis model 3025 and obtains the analysis results obtained from the document analysis model 3025, thereby obtaining the character ratio, image ratio, white space ratio, and color amount as the print content included in the document information.

[0039] The estimation module 314 calculates the following information based on the print content analyzed by the analysis module 313 and the function information acquired by the acquisition module 312. Estimated printing time: Estimated time required for the image forming apparatus 200 to print the document information Estimated toner usage amount: Amount of toner required for printing document information by the image forming apparatus 200

[0040] In calculating the estimated printing time, the estimation module 314 calculates the estimated printing time required to print the document information based on the printing speed of the image forming apparatus 200 and the print content of the document information. The estimation module 314 is an example of the "estimation unit" of the present invention. Therefore, the server 300 can calculate the estimated printing time required to print the document information.

[0041] In calculating the estimated toner usage amount, the estimation module 314 calculates the estimated toner usage amount required to print document information for an image forming apparatus 200 capable of color printing, based on the amount of color included in the document information.

[0042] The determination module 315 determines, from among the image forming devices 200, an image forming device 200 that is recommended for use in the printing process of the document information, based on the document information, condition information, function information, and consumables information acquired by the acquisition module 312. The determination module 315 is an example of the "determination unit" of the present invention. Details of the device determination process for determining the image forming device 200 will be described later.

[0043] The output module 316 outputs information about the image forming device 200 determined by the determination module 315 to the user terminal U. For example, the output module 316 outputs information about the determined image forming device 200 to the user terminal U. An example of a screen displayed on the user terminal U will be described later. The output module 316 is an example of the "output unit" of the present invention.

[0044] (3) Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 200 Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 200 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 200 according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 200 forms images by an electrophotographic method.

[0045] (3-1) Overall structure As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 200 includes an image reading device 100 and an image forming unit 60. The image reading device 100 is disposed above the image forming unit 60. The image reading device 100 includes a document table 10, a cover 30, a stock cover 33, and a document transport unit 90. For ease of understanding, the document transport unit 90 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 3.

[0046] The document table 10 is disposed above the image forming unit 60. The document table 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. An original is placed on the document table 10.

[0047] The cover 30 has a thin, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. The cover 30 is placed above the platen 10. The cover 30 can be opened and closed relative to the platen 10. In this embodiment, the cover 30 is attached to the platen 10 on the rear side thereof, and can rotate freely around a rotation shaft located at the rear end of the platen 10. Alternatively, the cover 30 may be attached to the platen 10 at the left end thereof, and can rotate freely around a rotation shaft located at the left end of the platen 10.

[0048] The document transport unit 90 is disposed on the upper surface 35 of the cover 30. In this embodiment, the document transport unit 90 is configured integrally with the cover 30. The document transport unit 90 is also called an automatic document feeder or ADF (Auto Document Feeder).

[0049] The stock cover 33 is disposed on the upper surface 35 of the cover 30. The stock cover 33 faces a storage area 35a that is a part of the upper surface 35 of the cover 30. A part of the stock cover 33 is located inside the document transport unit 90.

[0050] The stock cover 33 and the storage area 35a constitute a storage tray 50. That is, the image reading device 100 is equipped with the storage tray 50. The storage tray 50 has an opening 50h. The opening 50h is located on the front side of the storage tray 50. A user can put in and take out an object to be stored through the opening 50h. That is, a user can store an object to be stored inside the storage tray 50, for example. The object to be stored is, for example, a document before or after being read, or an object other than a document (for example, the user's personal belongings).

[0051] The rear side of stock cover 33 is closed. Therefore, when cover 30 is opened relative to platen 10, the objects contained in stock cover 33 can be prevented from falling to the rear side of image forming apparatus 200.

[0052] The image reading device 100 reads an original document using, for example, an original document transport unit 90. The original document transport unit 90 transports the read original document to the upper surface 33u of the stock cover 33. In other words, the original document transported by the original document transport unit 90 is placed on the upper surface 33u of the stock cover 33.

[0053] Next, the image forming apparatus 200 will be described in further detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the main components of the image forming apparatus 200 shown in Fig. 3. The image forming apparatus 200 further includes a control unit 70, a storage unit 80, an input / output unit 40, an open / close sensor 52, a human presence sensor 54, and a communication unit 55.

[0054] Typically, the control unit 70 is disposed inside the image forming apparatus 200. The control unit 70 includes an arithmetic element. The arithmetic element includes a processor. For example, the processor includes a central processing unit (CPU). The processor may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0055] The storage unit 80 stores various data, control programs, and various application programs. The storage unit 80 is configured with, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and / or a solid-state drive (SSD). The storage unit 80 may include an external memory. The external memory is removable media. The storage unit 80 may include, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory and / or a secure digital (SD) card as the external memory.

[0056] The control unit 70 controls the operation of each component of the image forming apparatus 200 by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 80. Specifically, in response to a selection operation received by the touch panel, the control unit 70 executes a process corresponding to the selected command item. In this way, the control unit 70 controls the image reading device 100, the input / output unit 40, the open / close sensor 52, the human presence sensor 54, the communication unit 55, the storage unit 80, the document transport unit 90, and the image forming unit 60.

[0057] The control unit 70 executes the control program, which then functions as a generating module. The generating module generates image data based on the reading result of the reading unit 20.

[0058] (3-2) Image reading device 100 Next, details of the image reading device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the image reading device 100 shown in Fig. 3. Note that in order to avoid complicating the drawing, the document transport unit 90 and the image forming section 60 are omitted from Fig. 5.

[0059] 5, document table 10 includes contact glass 11, light-transmitting portion 12, and reading slit 13. On document table 10, contact glass 11, light-transmitting portion 12, and reading slit 13 are located apart from one another. For example, contact glass 11 is located in front of light-transmitting portion 12. Furthermore, reading slit 13 is located to the left of contact glass 11 and light-transmitting portion 12.

[0060] The contact glass 11 is disposed on the upper surface of the document table 10. The contact glass 11 is translucent. A document to be read is placed on the contact glass 11.

[0061] The light-transmitting portion 12 is disposed on the upper surface of the document table 10. The light-transmitting portion 12 has light-transmitting properties. The light-transmitting portion 12 is preferably transparent. The light-transmitting portion 12 is disposed, for example, behind the contact glass 11.

[0062] The reading slit 13 is disposed on the upper surface of the document table 10. The reading slit 13 is translucent. The reading slit 13 is used to read the document transported by the document transport unit 90. The reading slit 13 has a first scan sensor (not shown) therein that forms part of the reading section 20. The first scan sensor is an image sensor that reads the back side of the document transported by the document transport unit 90.

[0063] The reading unit 20 is disposed inside the document table 10. The reading unit 20 reads an image of a document placed on the contact glass 11 by a user. The reading unit 20 has a second scan sensor (not shown) disposed therein. The second scan sensor is disposed below the contact glass 11. The second scan sensor is an image sensor used to read the document placed on the contact glass 11.

[0064] The image sensor may be, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a contact image sensor.

[0065] The cover 30 can be opened and closed freely relative to the document table 10. That is, the cover 30 opens and closes relative to the contact glass 11 included in the document table 10. For example, the cover 30 may be provided with a support member that allows the cover 30 to be opened and closed. When the cover 30 is in the "open state," the top surface of the document table 10 is exposed. On the other hand, when the cover 30 is in the "closed state," the top surface of the document table 10 is covered by the cover 30.

[0066] The cover 30 has a light-shielding portion 31 and a light-transmitting portion 32. The light-shielding portion 31 blocks light. The light-shielding portion 31 is formed from, for example, a colored resin.

[0067] The light-transmitting portion 32 has light-transmitting properties. The light-transmitting portion 32 is formed of a light-transmitting resin material such as an acrylic resin. Therefore, light that enters from one side of the light-transmitting portion 32 exits from the other side. Note that the light-transmitting portion 32 may be glass or hollow as long as it has light-transmitting properties.

[0068] The input / output unit 40 is disposed on the front side of the side of the document table 10. A user inputs instructions via the input / output unit 40. The input / output unit 40 accepts the user's instructions. In this embodiment, the user's instructions include the type of job and the number of documents indicating the number of documents.

[0069] For example, when a user inputs an instruction to start a scan job via the input / output unit 40, the reading unit 20 reads an original document and captures an image of the original document.

[0070] The input / output unit 40 also outputs information to the user. For example, the input / output unit 40 notifies the user of necessary information regarding the control of the image reading device 100 and the image forming unit 60.

[0071] The input / output unit 40 includes a display unit 41 and an input unit 42. The display unit 41 displays an operation screen or the results of various processes. The display unit 41 has a display. For example, the display includes a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0072] The input unit 42 includes, for example, various keys for specifying the type and content of a job. The input unit 42 includes a keyboard and a mouse. Alternatively, the input unit 42 may include a touch sensor. Operation instructions for the image reading device 100 and the image forming unit 60 are input to the input unit 42.

[0073] The open / close sensor 52 is attached to the document table 10. In this embodiment, the open / close sensor 52 is attached to an area of ​​the top surface of the document table 10 that overlaps with the cover 30 when the cover 30 is closed. More specifically, the open / close sensor 52 is disposed on the same surface as the contact glass 11. The open / close sensor 52 detects whether the cover 30 is open or closed.

[0074] The human presence sensor 54 detects whether or not a person is present within the detection range of the human presence sensor 54. The human presence sensor 54 is attached to the platen 10. The human presence sensor 54 transmits a detection signal to the control unit 70 (see FIG. 5). For example, the human presence sensor 54 is a pyroelectric infrared sensor, and detects far infrared rays (radiant heat) emitted from the human body.

[0075] The communication unit 55 performs processing for the image forming apparatus 200 to communicate with external devices.

[0076] (3-3) Image forming unit 60 Next, the configuration of the image forming unit 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The image forming unit 60 performs predetermined editing by forming an image on a recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, paper such as a manuscript. As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming unit 60 includes a transfer unit 61, an image carrier 62, a charging unit 63, an exposure unit 64, a developing unit 65, a fixing unit 66, a discharge unit 67, a storage unit 68, and a conveying unit 69.

[0077] The control unit 70 controls the image forming unit 60 to form a specified toner image on the document. That is, the control unit 70 controls the transport unit 69 so that the transport unit 69 transports the document stored in the storage unit 68. The storage unit 68 stores documents before images are formed on them. The documents are, for example, plain paper, recycled paper, thin paper, thick paper, coated paper, or overhead projector (OHP) sheets.

[0078] In addition, the control unit 70 controls the image carrier 62, the charging unit 63, and the exposure unit 64 so that the charging unit 63 charges the rotating image carrier 62 and the exposure unit 64 exposes the rotating image carrier 62 to light to form an electrostatic latent image based on the image.

[0079] The control unit 70 also controls the developing unit 65 so that the developing unit 65 forms a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier 62. Furthermore, the control unit 70 controls the conveying unit 69 and the transfer unit 61 so that the toner image formed on the image carrier 62 is transferred to the document via the intermediate transfer body of the transfer unit 61.

[0080] Furthermore, the control unit 70 controls the conveying unit 69 and the fixing unit 66 so as to fix the toner image transferred onto the document onto the document. The control unit 70 controls the heating roller and pressure roller of the fixing unit 66 to rotate, and also controls the heating roller to heat to a predetermined temperature.

[0081] Furthermore, the control unit 70 controls the conveying unit 69 to discharge the document onto which the toner image has been fixed from the discharge unit 67 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 200. In this manner, the image forming unit 60 forms a predetermined image on the paper surface and outputs the paper surface on which the image has been formed.

[0082] (4) Printing support process procedure Next, the printing support processing of the system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a flow diagram showing the overall printing support processing by the server 300. Fig. 7 is a flow diagram showing details of the device determination processing of the printing support processing shown in Fig. 6. First, the overall printing support processing by the server 300 will be described.

[0083] (4-1) Overall printing support process 6, in the process by server 300, first, the user operates user terminal U to input a print instruction (step S101). The print instruction input to user terminal U includes the following information: Specify document information about the document you want to print. - Specifying condition information regarding the printing conditions desired by the user The user terminal U transmits information relating to the input print instruction to the server 300.

[0084] The server 300 acquires a print instruction sent from the user terminal U (step S201). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 311 of the server 300 receives the document information and condition information and inputs them to the acquisition module 312. The acquisition module 312 acquires the document information and condition information and records them as new records in the corresponding databases.

[0085] Thereafter, the server 300 analyzes the document information (step S202). Specifically, the analysis module 313 of the server 300 inputs the document information into the document analysis model 3025 to obtain the character ratio, image ratio, white space ratio, and color amount as the print content.

[0086] Thereafter, the server 300 acquires device information (step S203). The device information includes function information and consumables information. Specifically, the acquisition module 312 of the server 300 accesses the image forming device 200 connected to the server 300 and acquires the function information and consumables information of the server 300. The latest consumables information is acquired.

[0087] Thereafter, the server 300 performs a determination (device determination process) of the image forming device 200 (step S204). Here, the device determination process will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0088] (4-2) Details of device determination process 7, in the device determination process, the server 300 repeatedly checks the status of the image forming device 200 (step S2041). This process is repeatedly performed for all image forming devices 200 that are connected to the user terminal U for communication.

[0089] First, server 300 determines whether the printing conditions specified by the user are color printing (step S2042). Specifically, determination module 315 of server 300 determines whether color printing is included in the document information and whether color printing is specified in the condition information. If this is the case, it is determined that the printing conditions are color printing (Yes in step S2042). On the other hand, if this is not the case, it is determined that printing is not color printing, but black and white printing (No in step S2042).

[0090] If it is determined that the printing conditions are monochrome, the process skips step S2043 and determines the amount of remaining toner (step S2045), which will be described in detail later.

[0091] If it is determined in step S2042 that the printing conditions are color specified (Yes in step S2041), the determination module 315 determines whether the image forming apparatus 200 to be evaluated has a color printing function (step S2043). At this time, the determination module 315 refers to the function DB 3023, checks the function information of the image forming apparatus 200 to be evaluated, and determines whether the image forming apparatus 200 has a color printing function.

[0092] If the determination module 315 determines that the image forming device 200 has a color printing function (Yes in step S2043), it determines the remaining toner amount (step S2045). In determining the remaining toner amount, the determination module 315 refers to the consumables DB 3024 for the image forming device 200 to be evaluated, and determines whether the remaining toner amount is excessive or insufficient compared to the estimated toner usage amount estimated by the estimation module 314.

[0093] On the other hand, if the determination module 315 determines that the image forming device 200 does not have a color printing function (No in step S2043), it generates a warning message indicating that the image forming device 200 being evaluated cannot print in color (step S2044). The display manner of this warning message will be described later. Thereafter, the determination module 315 determines the remaining amount of toner (step S2045).

[0094] In determining the remaining toner amount (step S2045), if it is determined that the image forming device 200 being evaluated has sufficient toner for color printing (Yes in step S2045), the server 300 calculates the estimated printing time (step S2047).

[0095] On the other hand, when it is determined in the determination of the remaining toner amount (step S2045) that any of the multiple toners required for color printing in the image forming apparatus 200 is insufficient (No in step S2045), a warning message indicating that there is insufficient toner is generated (step S2046). The display manner of this warning message will be described later. Thereafter, the determination module 315 and the server 300 calculate an estimated printing time (step S2047).

[0096] The estimation module 314 of the server 300 calculates the estimated printing time using the print content of the document information analyzed by the analysis module 313 and the printing speed of the image forming apparatus 200 recorded in the function DB 3023.

[0097] After calculating the estimated printing time, the server 300 checks the status of the other image forming devices 200 (step S2048). That is, the process returns to step S2041, and the series of processes from step S2042 to step S2047 is repeated until there are no image forming devices 200 whose status has not been checked among the image forming devices 200 connected to the user terminal U. When the status of all image forming devices 200 has been checked, the device determination process (step S204) shown in FIG. 6 ends.

[0098] 6, after the device determination process (step S204), the server 300 outputs the determination result (step S205). Specifically, the output module 316 of the server 300 generates a display screen for the determination result and outputs it to the user terminal U.

[0099] Thereafter, the user terminal U displays the determination result (step S102). Specifically, a display screen showing the determination result is displayed on the display of the user terminal U. An example of the screen at this time will be described later. With the above, the printing support process by the system 1 is completed.

[0100] (5) Screen example Next, an example screen of the system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. This example screen is the screen of the user terminal U1 on which the determination result is displayed in step S102 in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 8, the following information is generally displayed on the user terminal U1 as the determination result of the server 300. Document information analysis results Judgment result of the image forming device 200

[0101] First, the document information field C1 is displayed at the top of the screen of the user terminal U1. The document information field C1 displays the print content analyzed by the analysis module 313 for the document information that the user has instructed to print. Specifically, the "character ratio," "image ratio," "blank ratio," and "color amount" are displayed. In addition, the upper right corner of the document information field C1 indicates that the document is in color.

[0102] Next, on the screen of the user terminal U1, a judgment result field C2 is displayed below the document information field C1. In the judgment result field C2, judgment results for all image forming devices 200 connected for communication with the user terminal U are displayed side by side. In the illustrated example, the judgment result field C2 includes individual display fields D (D1 to D4). In the individual display fields D, details of the judgment result for each image forming device 200 are displayed individually.

[0103] The individual display field D displays "Model name," "Color compatibility," "Estimated printing time," "Remaining toner amount," and "Necessary warning message." In addition, the upper right corner of the individual display field D displays whether the image forming device 200 is capable of color printing or monochrome printing.

[0104] "Model name" displays the name of the device model of the image forming device 200. "Estimated print time" displays the estimated print time estimated by the estimation module 314 in step S2047 shown in Fig. 7. "Toner remaining amount" visualizes the remaining amount of toner included in the consumables information for each type of toner.

[0105] "Necessary Warning Message" displays the warning message that needs to be displayed as a result of the determination made by the determination module 315. The warning messages include the following warnings. Warning that color printing is not possible Low toner warning

[0106] Of these, a warning indicating that color printing is not possible means that the image forming device 200 in question does not have a color printing function. In this case, the user cannot perform color printing using that image forming device 200, and must select another image forming device 200. In this way, by clearly indicating that the device is not capable of color printing, the user can smoothly select an image forming device 200.

[0107] Furthermore, the warning about insufficient toner displays the type of toner that is estimated to be insufficient for printing document information in that image forming device 200. When the user prints using that image forming device 200, the user needs to replenish the specified toner that is insufficient. In this way, by clearly indicating that the remaining amount of toner in the image forming device 200 is insufficient compared to the estimated amount of toner required for printing document information, it is possible to prevent the toner from running out during printing processing and to ensure that the toner is replenished appropriately.

[0108] The user can then check the estimated printing time for each and select the image forming device 200 to use for printing. By pressing the individual display field D of the image forming device 200 to be selected on this screen, the document information is sent to that image forming device 200. At this time, the condition information entered earlier is also sent at the same time. As a result, the print process is executed by the selected image forming device 200.

[0109] As described above, the system 1 analyzes the print content based on the acquired document information, and determines the image forming device 200 recommended for printing using condition information, function information, and consumable information. The determination results are then displayed as a list on the user terminal U, allowing the user to select the image forming device 200 that is most suitable for the user. This makes it possible to provide the user with suggestions as to which image forming device 200 to select for a print job, thereby improving user convenience in document printing processing.

[0110] (6) Variations The server 300 of the present invention may analyze document information using, for example, the following information: Text formatting Image resolution Color Profile Font / Style of characters

[0111] Furthermore, the server 300 of the present invention may calculate an estimated amount of printing paper to be used and compare it with the remaining amount of paper, and generate a warning message to that effect for image forming apparatuses 200 that are concerned about a shortage of paper.

[0112] (7) Other variations The image forming apparatus 200 may be a copier, a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, or a multifunction machine that combines the functions of these.

[0113] 1, the image reading device 100 includes the document transport unit 90. However, the image reading device 100 does not necessarily have to include the document transport unit 90.

[0114] The image forming apparatus 200 may include an inkjet image forming unit. The inkjet image forming unit divides an image to be printed into pixels, charges ink particles with a voltage proportional to the position information of each pixel, and deflects them in an electrostatic field to make them reach the document, thereby forming an image.

[0115] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 8). However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all components shown in the embodiments. The drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner for ease of understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown may differ from the actual components due to the convenience of drawing. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0116] The present invention provides an information processing device and an information processing method, and has industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1. Information Processing Systems 100 Image reader 200 Image forming device 300 Servers (information processing devices) 303 Control Unit 312 Acquisition Module (Acquisition Section) 313 Analysis Module 314 Estimation Module (Estimation Unit) 315 Judgment module (judgment section) 316 Output module (output section) U User terminal

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires document information related to a document to be printed and condition information related to printing conditions from a user terminal, and acquires function information and consumable information of each image forming apparatus from an image forming apparatus that is communicatively connected to the user terminal; a determination unit that determines, among the image forming devices, an image forming device that can print the document information based on the document information, the condition information, the function information, and the consumable information acquired by the acquisition unit; an output unit that outputs information about the image forming device determined by the determination unit to the user terminal; An information processing device comprising:

2. the functional information includes information regarding the printing speed of the image forming device; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an estimation unit that calculates an estimated printing time required to print the document information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the output unit outputs, from among a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected for communication with the user terminal, an image forming apparatus that is unable to print the document information, together with a reason why printing is not possible.

4. the consumable information includes the amount of toner remaining in the image forming device; The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reason why printing is not possible includes that the remaining amount of toner in the image forming apparatus is insufficient for an estimated amount of toner required to print the document information.

5. the functional information includes information regarding whether the image forming apparatus is capable of color printing; The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reason for the inability to print includes that the image forming apparatus is incapable of color printing.

6. an acquisition step of acquiring document information relating to a document to be printed and condition information relating to printing conditions from a user terminal, and acquiring function information and consumable information of each image forming apparatus from an image forming apparatus connected to the user terminal for communication; a determination step of determining, from among the image forming devices, an image forming device capable of printing the document information based on the document information, the condition information, the function information, and the consumable information acquired in the acquisition step; an output step of outputting information about the image forming device determined in the determination step to the user terminal; An information processing method, including:

7. A program executable by a computer and defining the information processing method according to claim 6.

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