Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Abstract

An image forming apparatus capable of obtaining appropriate print results when printing multiple copies of a print job containing multiple print files in accordance with the IPP standard. [Solution] An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that prints document files included in an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) operation request when an IPP operation request related to the generation or printing of an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) operation request is received; and a control unit that controls the image forming unit to perform printing according to the attributes of the print job included in the IPP operation request, wherein the control unit, when the print job includes multiple document files and the number of copies to be printed is set in the header of each document file, causes the image forming unit to print the corresponding document files in the number of copies set in the header of each document file, regardless of the number of copies set in the attributes of the print job.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method that receive data as an IPP operation request of the Internet Printing Protocol and perform printing.

Background Art

[0002] A standard specification of the Internet Printing Protocol (also referred to as IPP), which conducts exchanges such as print jobs between a remotely located client and a printer via a TCP / IP network, is known. In IPP, printers and jobs are modeled as IPP objects. That is, a printer is represented as a printer object using a printer type object, and a print job executed by the printer is represented as a job object using a job type object. The printer type object is defined as a data type in which a set of functions supported by various printers is modeled. It is a data type as a set of attributes corresponding to functions supported by various printers. The job type object is defined as a data type in which a set of parameters of a print job executed by a printer is modeled. It is a data type as a set of attributes corresponding to parameters that define various print jobs. However, the document itself printed in a print job is not modeled as an IPP object.

[0003] IPP objects support operations consisting of requests and responses. In IPP, the process of a client sending a print job to a printer and requesting its execution is represented as a process in which the client sends an IPP operation request to the printer object and receives a response from the printer object. That is, a request for execution of a print job is sent to the printer together with a document file as an IPP operation request. In recent years, IPP may be used as a means to cause a printer to perform printing without using a printer driver from an application of a portable information processing terminal such as a smartphone.

[0004] Regarding printing in the PWG raster format compliant with the IPP standard, the following technology is known. This technology aims to provide an image forming apparatus that is easy to use for printing multiple copies of print job data. The image forming apparatus comprises a user interface, a printer, a controller, and memory. The controller receives print job data in accordance with IPP and stores the received print job data in memory. Then, in response to instructions received via the user interface, it can perform a stored print process that prints the image data contained in the print job data stored in memory. In the stored print process, when a copy number instruction is received via the user interface, it is possible to print the number of copies indicated by the instruction based on the print job data stored in memory.

[0005] The print job data received according to the IPP may include image data for multiple copies and a specific parameter indicating the number of pages per copy. In this case, the image data for the number of pages per copy indicated by the specific parameter is stored in the memory from among the image data for multiple copies included in the received print job data. Then, the stored image data for the number of pages per copy is printed the number of times corresponding to the number of copies indicated by the copy instruction. In addition, the print job data received according to the IPP may include image data for multiple copies but not the number of pages per copy. In this case, the image data for multiple copies included in the print job data received according to the IPP is stored in the memory. Then, the acceptance of copy instructions via the user interface is restricted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0006] Furthermore, the following technology is known: In the case of raster format and double-sided printing, if the number of pages per copy is odd, it is conceivable to insert a blank page for imposition control at the beginning and treat this blank page as not subject to billing. However, for example, in a job with 5 pages (P1-P5), double-sided printing, face-up output, and page exceptions (IPP attribute: overrides), where only P1 is set to a different size from P2-P5, it is necessary to insert a blank page between the different-sized P2 and P1. Thus, if the insertion position of the blank page is determined simply based on attribute information indicating the number of pages per copy, there is a risk that the printed material will be output unintended by the user. This technology allows the printing device to insert a blank page for double-sided printing even when the print information is switched in the middle of the print job due to page exceptions.

[0007] Therefore, the printing apparatus includes a first determination means for determining whether a print job is double-sided printing based on the job attributes included in the print job. Furthermore, if the first determination means determines that it is double-sided printing, the apparatus includes a second determination means for determining whether the number of consecutive pages of paper with the same attributes as the paper on which the target page is printed is odd. Furthermore, if the second determination means determines that the number of consecutive pages is even, the apparatus includes a control means for double-sided printing of the target page and the page following the target page. The control means then inserts a blank page before the target page if the second determination means determines that the number of consecutive pages is odd and face-up output is used, unless the attributes of the paper on which the target page is printed are the same as the attributes of the paper on which the page immediately preceding the target page was printed. By inserting a blank page, the target page and the blank page are double-sided printed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-162738 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-146865 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In printing compliant with the IPP standard, when an IPP client (e.g., an information processing terminal) requests an IPP printer to print a print job, it first sends a Create-job IPP operation request to the printer object. The Create-job IPP operation request includes information about the job attributes, consisting of operation-attributes and job-attributes, and the document file of the print job. Job-attributes may include the "copies" job attribute which specifies the number of copies to print, the "job-sheets" job attribute which determines whether or not to print job sheets that need to be printed with the job, and the "multiple-document-handling" job attribute which defines how to handle cases where the job consists of multiple documents. The IPP standard defines required job attributes, recommended job attributes, and optional job attributes.

[0010] A job sheet is a sheet that indicates the divisions of a job, and may print either a start sheet indicating the start of a job, or both a start sheet and an end sheet indicating the start and end of a job. A print job basically contains one document file, and the document file is either a raster data file or a PDF data file. For example, if the document file is raster data, it contains the header section of each page and the raster bitmap data for one or more pages. The header section is derived from Adobe PostScript. The same applies to the header section of a PDF file. The header section of a document file contains information such as the number of copies to print (NumCopies), duplex printing mode (Duplex), page orientation (Orientation), and page width and length (PageSize). Furthermore, custom information can be defined and added to the header section.

[0011] In printing compliant with the IPP standard, the number of copies to be printed is basically set using the "copies" job attribute. Whether or not to print a job sheet is set using the "job-sheets" job attribute. There are two standard keyword values ​​defined for the "job-sheets" job attribute: "none" and "standard". "none" means that the job sheet will not be printed, and "standard" means that a site-specific standard job sheet will be printed. As mentioned above, the job sheet may be printed at the start of the job, or at both the start and the end. However, for the sake of simplicity, in the following explanation, the job sheet will be assumed to be printed at the start of the job. The cases in which the job sheet is printed at both the start and the end will be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the explanation.

[0012] The IPP standard states that when a print job contains multiple documents, the "job-sheets" job attribute depends on the semantics (meaning definition) of the job sheet and may be affected by the "multiple-document-handling" job attribute. Therefore, if a print job containing multiple documents is configured to print a job sheet, the print result is not uniquely determined by the value of the "job-sheets" job attribute, and there is room for different print results depending on the implementation.

[0013] On the other hand, when printing using printer drivers provided by printer manufacturers, rather than printing compliant with the IPP standard, some printer drivers have a setting to indicate whether or not to insert a job sheet at the start and end of each job. In such printer drivers, if multiple copies are set, a job sheet equivalent will be printed at the start and end of each job according to the settings. A job sheet equivalent will not be printed between copies.

[0014] Returning to printing compliant with the IPP standard, currently, when printing compliant with the IPP standard, multiple copies are set, and a job sheet is configured to be printed, a single print job containing multiple document files is sent to the image forming apparatus as an IPP operation request. The first of the multiple document files, if it is raster data, contains the raster bitmap data corresponding to the job sheet. The "copies" job attribute, which specifies the number of copies, is set to "not specified".

[0015] Job attributes indicate the attributes of the entire job, while job sheets should indicate the division of a job by printing one start sheet per print job. That is, the number of copies of a job sheet should be 1. On the other hand, content should be printed in the number of copies specified by the user. In the case of a print job where multiple copies are set and a job sheet is set to be printed, the number of copies of the job sheet and the number of copies of the content will differ. However, the IPP standard has only one "copies" job attribute. The IPP standard does not explicitly specify how to represent the number of copies of the job sheet and the number of copies of the content in a print job where multiple copies are set and a job sheet is printed.

[0016] This invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides an image forming apparatus that can obtain appropriate printing results when printing multiple copies of a print job containing multiple print files in printing compliant with the IPP standard. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] This invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising: a job receiving unit that receives data as an IPP operation request of the Internet Printing Protocol; an image forming unit that prints the document files included in the IPP operation request when an IPP operation request related to the generation or printing of a print job is received; and a control unit that controls the image forming unit to perform the printing according to the attributes of the print job included in the IPP operation request, wherein the control unit causes the image forming unit to print the corresponding document files in the number of copies set in the header of each document file, regardless of the number of copies set in the attributes of the print job, when the print job includes multiple document files and the number of copies to be printed is set in the header of each document file.

[0018] Furthermore, from a different perspective, this invention provides an image forming method comprising the steps of: the processor of an image forming apparatus receiving data as an IPP operation request of the Internet Printing Protocol; and, when an IPP operation request relating to the generation or printing of a print job is received, causing the image forming unit to print the document files included in the IPP operation request according to the attributes of the print job included in the IPP operation request, wherein, when the print job includes multiple document files and the number of copies to be printed is set in the header of each document file, the image forming unit is caused to print the corresponding document files according to the number of copies set in the header of each document file, regardless of the number of copies set in the attributes of the print job. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] In the image forming apparatus according to this invention, when a print job includes multiple document files and the number of copies to be printed is set in the header of each document file, the control unit causes the image forming unit to print the corresponding document files in the number of copies set in the header of each document file, regardless of the number of copies set in the attributes of the print job. Therefore, in printing compliant with the IPP standard, appropriate print results can be obtained when printing multiple copies of a print job that includes multiple print files. The image forming method according to this invention also produces similar effects. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a print job received by the printer controller. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the printed result and job log contents of the print job shown. [Figure 4]An explanatory diagram showing an example of a print job received by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1 and set to print two print quantities and a job sheet. [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram showing an example of a print job different from that in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] A first flowchart showing the flow of the printing process executed by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] A second flowchart showing the flow of the printing process executed by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] A third flowchart showing the flow of the printing process executed by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the result of printing the print job shown in FIG. 4 and the content of the job log. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the data stored in the HDD by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1 executing a filing job and the content of the job log. [Figure 11] A flowchart showing the flow of the process of printing the data filed by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 12] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the notification screen displayed on the operation panel by the printer controller shown in FIG. 1 when printing the filed data. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the result of printing the data filed by the filing job shown in FIG. 10 and the content of the job log.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, this invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting this invention. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an image forming apparatus in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an operation panel 12, a printer controller 11, and a print engine 13. The operation panel 12 includes a liquid crystal display device or the like that displays a screen to inform the user of the status of the image forming apparatus and job settings, and an operation detection element such as a touch panel that detects user operations on the screen.

[0022] The printer controller 11 corresponds to a control unit that controls the entire image forming apparatus 10. The printer controller 11 includes a CPU 14, RAM 15, and HDD 16. The CPU 14 corresponds to a processing unit. The RAM 15 and HDD 16 correspond to storage units. The printer controller 11 realizes various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage units. The printer controller 11 may be implemented using one or more processing units (CPU (Central Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), etc.). The printer controller 11 may also be composed of one or more circuits. The printer controller 11 further includes a network controller 11N, which is a circuit that communicates with an external host computer 19. The network controller 11N corresponds to a job receiving unit that receives IPP operation requests. It also includes a video controller 11V that transmits video signals related to image formation to the image forming unit 13F of the print engine 13. The print engine 13 includes an image forming unit 13F that forms images for printing. The image forming unit 13F receives a video signal from the video controller 11V and forms a toner image, for example, using an electrophotographic method, and prints it on the printing paper.

[0023] The printer controller 11 can perform printing in accordance with the IPP standard with the host computer 19. That is, it can receive print job data as an IPP operation request from the host computer 19 and perform printing. The host computer 19 is equipped with a conversion module 19C that generates document files. In addition to printing in accordance with the IPP standard, the printer controller 11 may also perform printing using, for example, a printer driver.

[0024] This section describes printing in accordance with the IPP standard. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a print job as an IPP operation request received by the printer controller 11 from the host computer 19 when performing printing in accordance with the IPP standard. As shown in Figure 2, the print job 20 includes attributes 21 that describe the attributes of the print job, and document files 23 and 25. Attributes 21 consists of operation attributes 21O and job attributes 21J. In the example shown in Figure 2, operation attributes 21O include the "job-name" attribute that specifies the job name, the "user-name" attribute that specifies the username, the "attributes-charset" attribute that specifies the character set, and the "attributes-natural-language" attribute that specifies the language. Also, in the example shown in Figure 2, job attributes 21J include the "size" job attribute that specifies the size, the "copies" job attribute that specifies the number of copies to print, the "job-sheets" job attribute, the "multiple-document-handling" job attribute, etc. The "job-sheets" job attribute specifies whether or not to print job sheets that need to be printed along with the job. The "multiple-document-handling" job attribute specifies how to handle situations where the job consists of multiple documents.

[0025] Let's discuss in more detail the case where the "multiple-document-handling" job attribute, which is related to the processing of multiple documents, has the value "separate-documents-collated-copies," as shown in the example in Figure 2. The value "separate-documents-collated-copies" specifies that if a job has multiple documents (for example, two documents, A and B), each document must start from a new print sheet, and the set order when printing multiple copies should be A, B, A, B, ..., etc. One document corresponds to one document file. One print job basically contains one document file, but it may contain multiple document files. Note that Figure 2 is an example and does not show all attributes. Also, since there are required, recommended, and optional attributes, not all attributes defined in the IPP standard are listed.

[0026] The example shown in Figure 2 is an example of an IPP operation request received by the image forming apparatus 10 from the host computer 19 when the "copies" job attribute 22, which indicates the number of copies to print, is set to "1", and the system is configured to print a job sheet. In the example shown in Figure 2, the "job-sheets" job attribute, which relates whether or not to print a job sheet, is not included in the job attributes. However, the value of the "copies" job attribute is "1", the first document file 23 corresponds to the job sheet, and the second document file 25 corresponds to the content, i.e., the content of the document to be printed in that print job. Document file 23 includes a header section 23H and raster bitmap data 23B. Document file 25 includes a header section 25H and raster bitmap data 25B. The raster bitmap data 25B is a document consisting of 3 pages. Note that Figure 2 shows an example where document files 23 and 25 are raster data.

[0027] The printer controller 11 prints one copy each of document file 23 and document file 25 because the value of the "copies" job attribute is "1". Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the result of printing the print job shown in Figure 2 and the contents of the job log. As shown in Figure 3, one job sheet 31 is printed, followed by one copy of content 32 consisting of three pages. The print result is one copy of the content including the job sheet, which is as expected. The printer controller 11 also stores the executed job as a job log in the HDD 16. In the example shown in Figure 3, the job log 35 includes data such as the job ID, the job's username, the job name, the number of pages, the number of copies printed, and the number of print copies. The job ID is the ID of the job that the printer controller 11 generates to distinguish the print job 20 from other jobs. The username and job name are based on the operation attribute 21O of the print job 20 shown in Figure 2. The number of pages, the number of copies printed, and the number of print copies are based on the attributes of the header sections 23H and 25H of document files 23 and 25. Here, assuming that the printer controller 11 can recognize the first document file 23 as a job sheet, the expected number of pages in the job log 35, as shown in Figure 3, is "3," which corresponds to the number of pages in the content. This corresponds to the value of the "TotalPageCount" attribute in the header section 25H. The expected number of copies to print is "4," which includes the job sheet. This corresponds to the product of the "NumCopies" attribute value and the "TotalPageCount" attribute value for each of the header sections 23H and 25H, and then the sum of the results. The expected number of copies to print is "1." This corresponds to the "copies" job attribute 22 or the "NumCopies" attribute in the header section 25H. The process by which the printer controller 11 recognizes the first document file 23 as a job sheet will be described in detail in the explanation of Figure 8.

[0028] <Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2> The header portion of a document file can also be extended and supplemented with custom information. Therefore, an extended attribute indicating whether or not the document file corresponds to a job sheet may be added to the header portion of the document file. This is referred to as Embodiment 1. Embodiment 2 is a configuration in which the header portion of the document file does not include the extended attribute. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, Embodiment 1 will be described as the basic configuration. In printing compliant with the IPP standard, the client (host computer 19 in the example shown in Figure 1) is provided with a conversion module 19C that generates raster data or PDF document files. It is assumed that processing corresponding to the extended definition is incorporated into the conversion module 19C. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an IPP operation request that includes an extended header portion to accommodate a print job configured to print two copies and a job sheet. As shown in Figure 4, the print job 40 includes an attribute 41 and two document files 43 and 45. Document file 43 corresponds to the job sheet, and document file 45 corresponds to the content. Document file 43 includes a header portion 43H and raster bitmap data 43B. Document file 45 includes a header section 45H and raster bitmap data 45B. The header sections of document files 43 and 45 include an extended-defined "JobSheets" attribute. The "JobSheets" attribute is a private attribute that indicates whether or not the document file corresponds to a job sheet.

[0029] In Figure 4, the client-side conversion module 19C sets the value of the "JobSheets" attribute of the document file 43 corresponding to the job sheet to "true". On the other hand, it sets the value of the "JobSheets" attribute of the document file 45 corresponding to the content to "N / A". Furthermore, the conversion module 19C sets the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N, which indicates the number of copies to print, to "1" and the value of the "TotalPageCount" attribute, which indicates the number of pages, to "2", both included in the header section 43H of the document file 43 corresponding to the job sheet. On the other hand, it sets the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N of the document file 45 corresponding to the content to "3" and the value of the "TotalPageCount" attribute, which indicates the number of pages, to "3".

[0030] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an IPP operation request for a print job that, like Figure 4, is set to print two copies and is configured to print a job sheet. While document files 43 and 45 in Figure 4 are raster data, document files 53 and 55 in Figure 5 are PDF data. Similar to Figure 4, print job 50 includes attribute 51 and two document files 53 and 55. Document file 53 corresponds to the job sheet, and document file 55 corresponds to the content. Document file 53 includes a header section 53H and page data 53B. Document file 55 includes a header section 55H and page data 55B. The header sections of document files 53 and 55 include the extended "%PDFTOPPDFJobsheet" attribute 53J, which is defined by reusing the comment section. This corresponds to the "JobSheets" attribute 43J in Figure 4 and is a private attribute that indicates whether or not a document file corresponds to a job sheet. Similarly, it includes the "%PDFTOPPDFNumCopies" attribute 53N, which corresponds to the "NumCopies" attributes 43N and 45N in Figure 4.

[0031] <Flowchart> The following describes an example of the processing performed by the printer controller 11 when it receives a print job or filing job that has multiple copies set and is configured to print a job sheet, referring to the flowchart below. Figures 6 to 8 are flowcharts showing the flow of processing performed by the printer controller 11 in this embodiment. The printer controller 11 waits for a request for job execution as an IPP operation request from the host computer 19 (step S11). When the request is received (Yes in step S11 shown in Figure 6), it determines whether the value of the "copies" job attribute 42 of the received job is 2 or greater (step S13). The following explanation is based on the example where the received request for job execution is the print job 40 shown in Figure 4. If the value of the "copies" job attribute 42 included in the received print job 40 is 2 or greater (Yes in step S13), the printer controller 11 prints 1 copy according to the number of copies specified in the "copies" job attribute 42 (step S15) and terminates the print job.

[0032] On the other hand, if the value of the "copies" job attribute 42 is "1" or not specified as shown in the example in Figure 4 (No in step S13), the printer controller 11 determines whether the print job 40 contains multiple document files (step S17). If the print job 40 contains only one document file (No in step S17), the printer controller 11 prints the number of copies corresponding to the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N in the header of the document file (step S19) and terminates the print job. If, in step S17, the print job 40 contains only multiple document files (Yes in step S17), the printer controller 11 determines whether the first document file corresponds to a page on the job sheet (step S21). Details of this determination in step S21 are shown in Figure 8 and will be described in more detail later.

[0033] If the printer controller 11 executes the process in step S21 and determines that the first document file is not a job sheet (No in step S23), it prints the number of copies according to the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N of the document file 43 (step S19) and terminates the print job. On the other hand, if it determines that the first document file is a job sheet (Yes in step S23), the printer controller 11 then determines whether the request for job execution received in step S11 is a request for a filing job (step S25). A filing job is a job that does not print the received job, but instead stores it temporarily in the HDD 16, which acts as a storage unit. Details will be described later. If the request for job execution is not a request for a filing job (No in step S25), the printer controller 11 uses the first document file 43 as a job sheet page and prints one copy according to the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N in the header (step S31 shown in Figure 7). Furthermore, the second document file 45 is used as the content, and printing is performed with a print count of 2 copies according to the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N in the header section (step S33). Then, the job log related to the executed job is stored in the HDD 16 (step S35), and the print job is terminated.

[0034] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the printed result and job log contents of the print job shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 9, one job sheet 91 is printed, followed by two copies of the three-page content 92. These are the first copy of content 92 and the second copy of content 93. In other words, the print result is one copy of the job sheet and two copies of the content, which is as expected. The job log 95 shows that the number of pages is "3", which is the value of the "TotalPageCount" attribute 45P of the content document file 45. The number of copies printed is "7", which is the sum of the value of the "TotalPageCount" attribute 43P multiplied by the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N (1) and the value of the "TotalPageCount" attribute 45P multiplied by the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N (2). The number of copies printed is "2", which is the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N. In all cases, the results are as expected. In this way, when printing the corresponding document files in the number of copies specified by the header attributes of each document file, the job log can also be created based on the header attributes of each document file, rather than the job attributes.

[0035] Next, the details of the process shown in step S21 of Figure 6 will be described with reference to Figure 8. The printer controller 11 determines whether the first document file corresponds to a job sheet as follows. The process shown in Figure 8 assumes both the case of Embodiment 1, in which an extended defined attribute indicating whether the document file corresponds to a job sheet is added to the header portion of the document file, and the case of Embodiment 2, in which the header portion of the document file does not include the extended defined attribute. First, the printer controller 11 determines whether the header portion 43H of the first document file (explained based on the example of document file 43 shown in Figure 4) contains an extended defined "JobSheets" attribute 43J indicating whether the document file 43 corresponds to a job sheet (step S51 shown in Figure 8). In other words, it determines whether it corresponds to Embodiment 1. If the header portion 43H contains the "JobSheets" attribute 43J, that is, if it corresponds to Embodiment 1 (Yes in step S51), the printer controller 11 considers the first document file 43 to correspond to a job sheet (step S53) and terminates the process. According to Embodiment 1, if a system includes multiple document files and the header of the first document file contains information indicating that the document file corresponds to a job sheet, the job sheet and content pages can be appropriately classified based on this information, and printed in the appropriate number of copies according to each type.

[0036] On the other hand, if the determination in step S51 above indicates that the header section 43H does not contain the "JobSheets" attribute 43J, i.e., corresponds to Embodiment 2 (No in step S51), then the determination is made whether the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N of the first document file 43 is "1" (step S55). If the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N is "1" (Yes in step S55), then the determination is made whether the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N of the second document file 45 is other than "1" (step S57). If the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N is other than "1" (Yes in step S57), the printer controller 11 determines that the first document file 43 corresponds to a job sheet (step S53) and terminates the process.

[0037] In the determination in step S55 described above, if the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 43N is anything other than "1" (No. in step S55), the printer controller 11 considers that the first document file 43 does not correspond to a job sheet (step S59) and terminates processing. Also, in the determination in step S57, if the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N is "1" (No. in step S57), the printer controller 11 considers that the first document file 43 does not correspond to a job sheet (step S59) and terminates processing. As described above, whether it corresponds to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, the printer controller 11 determines whether the first document file 43 corresponds to a job sheet or not. According to Embodiment 2, if there are multiple document files and the number of copies to print for the header of the first document file is 1, but the number of copies to print for the header of subsequent document files is not 1, the printer controller 11 can estimate the job sheet and the content pages and print in the appropriate number of copies according to each type.

[0038] <Filing job> By the way, in step S25 of Figure 6, it was determined whether the received job execution request was a filing job request. Filing jobs have not been explained so far, so they will be explained below. Embodiments 1 and 2 print the received jobs, while Embodiment 3 stores the received jobs. A filing job is a job that does not print the data of the received job, but rather stores it temporarily in the HDD 16, which acts as a storage unit. When the printer controller 11 receives a print command, for example, the stored job data is executed as a separate print job from the filing job. The job (filing data) stored in the HDD 16 by the filing job may be printed afterward, or it may be sent by email, or stored in the user's communication terminal using FTP, etc.

[0039] In step S25 of Figure 6, if the printer controller 11 determines that the request for job execution is a request for a filing job (Yes in step S25), the printer controller 11 performs the following processing. First, it stores the attributes included in the received job (attribute 41 in the example of document file 43 shown in Figure 4) in a predetermined area of ​​the HDD 16's storage area where filing job data is stored (step S41 shown in Figure 7). Furthermore, it stores the first document file 43, which is determined or considered to correspond to the job sheet, and the second document file 45, which is determined or considered to be content, in the aforementioned predetermined area as filing data (step S43). In other words, it stores the job as filing data. At this time, the printer controller 11 does not store multiple copies of the content in the HDD 16, as shown in the print result in Figure 9. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the data and job log contents that the printer controller 11 stores in the HDD 16 when executing a filing job. As shown in Figure 1, the printer controller 11 stores one copy each of the job sheet 101 and content 102 pages, along with the attributes 41 related to the filing job. In this configuration, if the requested job is a filing job, storing each of these document files in the storage unit reduces the storage capacity required for storing the document files compared to storing a number of document files in the storage unit corresponding to the number of copies to be printed set in the header of the document file. Furthermore, information indicating that the stored job includes a job sheet, such as a flag, is added (step S45). The job log 105 related to the executed filing job is stored in the HDD 16 (step S35), and the filing job is terminated.

[0040] The processing in step S45 is intended to facilitate the determination of whether a job includes a job sheet when reading filed data and performing processing such as printing. In this way, if the requested job is a filing job, information indicating that the job includes a job sheet is added and stored, making it easier to determine when reading the filed data and performing printing, etc. Furthermore, if a job sheet is included, allowing the user to choose whether or not to print the pages of that job sheet enables appropriate printing based on the user's wishes. However, in the case of Embodiment 1, for example, when reading filed data, the processing in step S45 can be replaced by referring to the value of the "JobSheets" attribute 43J of the header section 43H. Similarly, in Embodiment 2, when reading filed data, the processing in step S45 can be replaced by performing the same determination as in steps S55 and S57 shown in Figure 8. After the processing in step S45, the printer controller 11 proceeds to step S35, stores the job log 105 related to the executed job in the HDD 16 (step S35), and terminates the print job. The above is an example of the processing in Embodiment 3, in which the printer controller 11 stores the job in the HDD 16 when the requested job is a filing job.

[0041] <Printing filed data> This section describes the process for printing jobs stored in HDD16 as filing jobs. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process flow when the printer controller 11 prints filed data. Referring to the flowchart, an example of the process for printing filed data will be described. As shown in Figure 11, the printer controller 11 waits for a request from the host computer 19 as an IPP operation request for a job to print filed data (step S61). Once the request is received (Yes in step S61), the printer controller 11 refers to the storage area of ​​HDD16 where the specified job is stored and checks whether information (e.g., a flag) indicating that the target job includes a job sheet has been added (step S63). The information indicating that it includes a job sheet corresponds to the process in step S45 in Figure 7. If the process in step S45 is omitted, the value of the "JobSheets" attribute of the first document file is referred to here (in the case of Embodiment 1), or the same determination as in steps S55 and S57 shown in Figure 8 is made (in the case of Embodiment 2).

[0042] If the target job does not include a job sheet (No in step S63), the system determines that the entire document file is content and proceeds to step S73, described later, to print the content. On the other hand, if the target job includes a job sheet (Yes in step S63), the printer controller 11 notifies the user that the target filing data includes a job sheet and accepts the user's choice of whether or not to print the job sheet pages (step S65). Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification screen that the printer controller 11 displays on the operation panel 12 during the process in step S65. The screen shown in Figure 12 is assumed to be displayed on the operation panel 12 of the image forming apparatus 10, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the notification screen may be displayed on the terminal of the user who executed the filing job.

[0043] As shown in Figure 12, the filing data selection screen 120 includes an area for a job selection list 121 that displays a list of filed data (jobs). If a job selected using the job selection list 121 includes a job sheet, the printer controller 11 displays a notification dialog box 123 overlaid on the filing data selection screen 120 to inform the user of this. The notification dialog box 123 not only informs the user that the selected job includes a job sheet, but also accepts the user's choice of whether or not to print the job sheet pages. In the example shown in Figure 12, the checkbox 124 is checked, indicating that printing the job sheet pages is selected. When the "OK" key 125 is touched in this state, the printer controller 11 dismisses the notification dialog box 123 and returns to the filing data selection screen 120. When the "Print" key 126 on the filing data selection screen 120 is touched (Yes in step S67), the printer controller 11 starts the printing process for the job selected in the job selection list 121.

[0044] The printer controller 11 checks whether the job to be printed is configured to print a job sheet (step S69). If the job sheet is configured to be omitted, the process proceeds to step S73, and only the content is printed. If the job sheet is configured to be printed, the job sheet is printed (step S71). If the selected job is the print job 40 shown in Figure 4, stored in the HDD 16 as filing data as shown in Figure 10, and the option to print the job sheet is selected in check box 124, the printer controller 11 performs printing as shown in the example in Figure 13. The printer controller 11 prints a job sheet 131 with a print count of 1, according to the "NumCopies" attribute 43N of the document file 43 corresponding to the job sheet 101 (step S71). Subsequently, the second document file 45 is used as content, and printing is performed with a print count of 2, according to the value of the "NumCopies" attribute 45N in the header section (step S73). As shown in Figure 13, the first part of content 132 and the second part of content 133 are printed. Then, the job log 135 related to the executed job is stored in the HDD 16 (step S75), and the print job is terminated. The above is the process for printing a job stored in the HDD 16 as a filing job.

[0045] This invention should be understood to include combinations of any of the above-described embodiments. In addition to the embodiments described above, various modifications of this invention are possible. These modifications should not be considered outside the scope of this invention. This invention should include the meaning of the claims and equivalents and all variations that fall within the scope of this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10: Image forming apparatus, 11: Printer controller, 11N: Network controller, 11V: Video controller, 12: Operation panel, 13: Print engine, 13F: Image forming unit, 14: CPU, 15: RAM, 16: HDD, 19: Host computer, 19C: Conversion module, 20, 40, 50: Print job, 21, 41, 51: Attributes, 21J: Job attributes, 21O: Operation attributes, 22, 42: "copies" job attributes, 23, 25, 43, 45, 53, 55: Document file, 23B, 25B, 43B, 45B: Raster bitmap data, 53B, 55B: Page data, 23H, 25H, 43H, 45H, 53H, 55H: Header section, 31, 91, 101, 131: Job sheet, 32,92,93,102,132,133: Content, 35,95,105,135: Job log, 43J: "JobSheets" attribute, 43N,45N: "NumCopies" attribute, 43P,45P: "TotalPageCount" attribute, 53J: "%PDFTOPPDFJobsheet" attribute, 53N: "%PDFTOPPDFNumCopies" attribute, 120: Filing data selection screen, 121: Job selection list, 123: Notification dialog box, 124: Checkbox, 125: "OK" key, 126: "Print" key

Claims

1. A job receiving unit that receives data as an IPP operation request of the Internet Printing Protocol, When an IPP operation request related to the creation or printing of a print job is received, An image forming unit that prints the document file included in the IPP operation request, The system includes a control unit that controls the image forming unit to perform the printing according to the attributes of the print job included in the IPP operation request, The control unit, when the print job includes multiple document files and the number of copies to be printed is set in the header of each document file, causes the image forming unit to print the corresponding document files in the number of copies set in the header of each document file, regardless of the number of copies set in the attributes of the print job.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit refers to the header portion of the document file included in the IPP operation request, and if the header portion includes information on whether or not it is a page of a job sheet indicating a job delimiter and indicates that the first document file is a page of the job sheet, the control unit determines that the first document file corresponds to the job sheet and subsequent document files correspond to the content of the print job.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit refers to the header portion of the document file included in the IPP operation request, and if the number of copies to be printed of the header portion of the first document file is 1, and the number of copies to be printed of the header portion of subsequent document files is not 1, the first document file is considered to correspond to a job sheet indicating a job delimiter, and the subsequent document files are considered to correspond to the content of the print job.

4. It further includes a storage unit for storing data of received IPP operation requests, When the control unit receives an IPP operation request relating to the storage of the print job, it stores the print job in the storage unit, and if the print job includes multiple document files, it stores each of those document files in the storage unit one by one. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, upon receiving a request to print the print job, the image forming apparatus reads the print job from the storage unit, and if it is determined or deemed that the first document file of the read print job is a page of the job sheet, the image forming unit prints the corresponding document files according to the number of copies set in the header of each document file.

5. When the control unit stores the print job in the storage unit, if it determines or considers that the first document file is a page of the job sheet, it stores the print job with information indicating that the first page is a job sheet added. Subsequently, upon receiving a request to print the print job, the system reads the print job from the storage unit, and if the information is attached to the read print job, it accepts the user's selection as to whether or not to print the pages of the job sheet. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein if not printing is selected, the job sheet page is not printed.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit records predetermined items, including the number of printed copies, as a job log for reference for the jobs that have been executed, and when the corresponding document file is printed in the number of copies set in the header portion of each document file, the number of printed copies based on the printed work is recorded in the job log.

7. The processor of the image forming apparatus The steps include receiving data as an IPP operation request for the Internet Printing Protocol, The system includes the step of, when an IPP operation request relating to the generation or printing of a print job is received, causing the image forming unit to print the document file included in the IPP operation request according to the attributes of the print job included in the IPP operation request, An image forming method in which, when the print job includes multiple document files and the number of copies to be printed is set in the header of each document file, the image forming unit prints the corresponding document files according to the number of copies set in the header of each document file, regardless of the number of copies set in the attributes of the print job.

Images