Print control device

Abstract

The application used to reserve the use of the paper feed tray in an image forming apparatus will now allow the reservation to be canceled when the application is closed. [Solution] The print control device includes setting means for setting a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to an operation on the screen of an application for an image forming apparatus having at least one paper feed tray, and first release means for releasing the reservation for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus based on an operation to terminate the application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing control device, a printing system, a control method of a printing control device, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In conventional printing control devices, high-quality printed materials are required in the office market. In order to create high-quality products, there is a tendency for the opportunity to print using expensive paper to increase. There are also cases where such expensive paper is intended to be used only by those who prepare the paper. For this reason, there is a device that provides a mechanism for a user to reserve a paper feed tray (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, an application for setting the paper feed tray of a printing control device, managing paper, and reserving the paper feed tray (hereinafter referred to as a paper management application) is also provided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] For example, in the printing control device of Patent Document 1, it is possible to reserve a paper feed tray for a certain period by specifying a time.

[0006] However, once a reservation is made in the printing control device of Patent Document 1, it will not be automatically canceled. Therefore, the user has to manually cancel each reserved paper feed tray one by one or wait for a certain period of time. In addition, the trouble of manually canceling the reservation also occurs.

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to enable the reservation of the paper feed tray to be canceled when the application that sets the reservation for the use of the paper feed tray of an image forming apparatus is terminated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The print control device includes setting means for setting a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to an operation on the screen of an application for an image forming apparatus having at least one paper feed tray, and first release means for releasing the reservation for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus based on an operation to terminate the application. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, the reservation setting for the use of the paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus can be canceled when the application that sets the reservation for the use of the paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus is terminated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the overall configuration of the printing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram and a functional configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the hardware configuration and functional configuration of a client computer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the contents of the paper feed determination process in the printing process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the settings for each paper feed stage after reservation processing has been performed in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a paper-less error screen for an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the paper setting screen of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8]It is a diagram showing an example of paper feed stage reservation of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a GUI of a paper management application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart when performing paper feed stage reservation using the paper management application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart for canceling reservations for all paper feed stages based on the end of the application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing a list for managing paper feed stage reservation according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart for creating the list in FIG. 11 on the paper management application according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart for canceling only those reserved by the application operator using the list in FIG. 11 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of a pop-up screen for confirming the necessity of cancellation according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart for confirming the necessity of cancellation on the paper management application according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example of a pop-up screen when there is remaining paper quantity in the reserved paper feed stage according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart when there is remaining paper quantity in the reserved paper feed stage on the paper management application according to the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an overall configuration example of a printing system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0013] This printing system 100 comprises an image forming apparatus 103 and a print control device 102. This printing system 100 is communicatively connected to a client computer 101. The print control device 102 and the image forming apparatus 103 are communicatively connected via a Local Area Network (LAN) 110 using an Ethernet cable 109.

[0014] Furthermore, the print control device 102 and the image forming apparatus 103 are connected via an image video cable 107 and a control cable 108. The image forming apparatus 103 and the client computer 101 communicate via the print control device 102.

[0015] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 103 does not need to be directly connected to the LAN 110. The client computer 101 launches an application and issues print commands to the printing system 100. The print control device 102 performs image processing in cooperation with the image forming apparatus 103.

[0016] The image forming apparatus 103 is a multifunction device with various capabilities. It can not only process images from the client computer 101 and the print control device 102, but also copy data read from the scanner unit 104 and send it to a shared folder. When scanning images with the scanner unit 104, it accepts various instructions from the user via various keys on the operation panel 105.

[0017] The control panel 105 also displays various information, such as the scanning status, via the panel. The paper output unit 106 receives the paper on which the image has been formed and ejects the received paper.

[0018] The print control device 102 has a controller 300 and a display unit 111, on which information about the print control device 102 is displayed. The user operates the hardware operation buttons 112 of the print control device 102 to operate the information displayed on the display unit 111. The information displayed on the display unit 111 is used to display the minimum necessary information for operating the print control device 102 (such as power operation and IP address confirmation).

[0019] Furthermore, the controller 300 is connected to the external display device 113, keyboard 114, and pointing device 115 of the print control device 102. In this embodiment, the print control device 102 and the image forming apparatus 103 are described as separate systems for the print system 100, but the print control device 102 may be incorporated inside the image forming apparatus 103, and the print control device 102 may not need to be physically located. Also, the external display device 113 may have a position input device function such as a touchpad and also function as the pointing device 115.

[0020] The paper feed stages 116-1 to 116-8 (collectively referred to as paper feed stages 116) connected to the image forming apparatus 103 are devices for storing paper used for printing. When a print command is received, one paper feed stage is selected, and paper is fed from the selected stage. The number of paper feed stages 116 may increase or decrease depending on the optional configuration connected to the image forming apparatus 103.

[0021] Figure 2(A) is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 103 according to the first embodiment.

[0022] The image forming apparatus 103 includes a scanner unit 104, an operation panel 105, a paper feed stage 116, a controller 200, and a print engine 210. The controller 200 includes a CPU 201, RAM 202, ROM 203, a system bus 204, an operation panel interface 205, a LAN controller 206, a print interface 207, a disk controller (DKC) 208, a non-volatile memory 209, an external storage device 211, a reading interface 212, and a video interface 214.

[0023] The controller 200 has a CPU 201, which loads control programs stored in ROM 203 or external storage device 211 into RAM 202, executes the loaded programs, and comprehensively controls various devices connected to the system bus 204. The CPU 201 also outputs image signals as output information to the printing unit (printer engine) 210 connected via the printing interface 207, and receives image signals input from the scanner unit 104 connected via the reading interface 212.

[0024] Furthermore, the CPU 201 controls the paper feed stage 116 connected to the print engine 210 via the print interface 207, and acquires the status of the paper feed stage 116. In addition, the CPU 201 is capable of communication processing with the print control device 102 via the LAN controller 206 and the control cable 108.

[0025] RAM 202 primarily functions as the main memory and work area of ​​the CPU 201. Access to external storage devices 211, such as hard disk drives (HDDs) and IC cards, is controlled by the disk controller (DKC) 208. The hard disk is used to store application programs, font data, form data, etc., and as a job storage area for temporarily spooling print jobs and controlling the spooled jobs from the outside. Furthermore, the hard disk is also used as a BOX data storage area to hold image data input from the scanner unit 104 and image data of print jobs as BOX data, which can be accessed from the network and used for printing. In this embodiment, an HDD is used as the external storage device 211, and it holds various logs such as job logs and image logs.

[0026] The control panel 105 is connected to the controller 200 via the control panel interface 205, allowing the user to input various information using software keys or hardware keys.

[0027] The non-volatile memory 209 stores various setting information configured via the control panel 105 and LAN 110.

[0028] The video interface 214 receives image data from the print control device 102.

[0029] Figure 2(B) is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 103 according to this embodiment. The controller 200 has a CPU 201, which loads a control program stored in the ROM 203 or external storage device 211 into the RAM 202 and executes the loaded program to realize the mechanism configuration shown in Figure 2(B).

[0030] The image forming apparatus 103 includes a UI control unit 252, a paper management unit 253, a paper feed tray management unit 254, a network control unit 255, a job management unit 256, a print control unit 257, and a setting management unit 258.

[0031] The UI control unit 252 controls the screen displayed by the printing system 100. The UI control unit 252 can control the display of text and paper size units displayed on the operation panel 105 according to the system settings.

[0032] The paper management unit 253 manages paper information in a table format. The elements of the table include paper ID, paper name, basis weight, paper size, width, height, color, surface texture, and characteristics.

[0033] The paper feed tray management unit 254 is involved in setting the paper information for the paper feed tray 116 via the print interface 207 and the print engine 210.

[0034] The network control unit 255 controls communication with the print control device 102 on the control cable 108 via the LAN controller 206.

[0035] The job management unit 256 manages the print processing sequence and the order of jobs. The job management unit 256 manages jobs received from the print control device 102 and controls print jobs received via the LAN controller 206 or the video interface 214.

[0036] The print control unit 257 controls the print engine 210 in order to print the print jobs received by the job management unit 256 onto the paper set in the paper feed stage 116.

[0037] The settings management unit 258 manages the system settings related to the paper management system. System settings include, for example, the language settings for the text displayed on the paper management system screen and the setting for the display unit system (millimeters or inches) for paper sizes.

[0038] Figure 3(A) is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the print control device 102 according to this embodiment.

[0039] The print control device 102 includes a display unit 111, an operation button unit 112, a display device 113, a keyboard 114, a pointing device 115, and a controller 300. The controller 300 includes a CPU 301, RAM 302, ROM 303, a system bus 304, an operation unit interface 305, LAN controllers 306 and 307, a disk controller (DKC) 308, an external storage device 309, a video interface 310, a keyboard controller (KBC) 311, and a display control unit (CRTC) 312.

[0040] The controller 300 has a CPU 301, which loads a control program stored in the ROM 303 or external storage device 309 into the RAM 302 and executes the loaded program to comprehensively control various devices connected to the system bus 304.

[0041] Furthermore, the CPU 301 can communicate with the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306 and control cable 108. Additionally, the CPU 301 can communicate with client computers 101 and the image forming apparatus 103 on the network via the LAN controller 307 and LAN 110.

[0042] RAM 302 primarily functions as the main memory and work area of ​​the CPU 301. Access to external storage devices 309, such as hard disk drives (HDDs) and IC cards, is controlled by the disk controller (DKC) 308. The hard disk stores application programs, font data, form data, etc., and temporarily spools print jobs. The hard disk is also used as a job storage area for processing spooled jobs with a RIP (Raster Image Processor) and saving them again.

[0043] The operation unit interface 305 controls the interface between the operation button unit 112, where the user inputs various information, and the display unit 111, which presents information to the user, and the controller 300.

[0044] The video interface 310 transmits RIP-processed image data to the image forming apparatus 103.

[0045] The keyboard controller (KBC) 311 performs processing related to input such as information from the keyboard 114 and the pointing device 115.

[0046] The display control unit 312 has internal video memory and, in accordance with instructions from the CPU 301, draws to the video memory and outputs the image data drawn to the video memory as a video signal to the display device 113.

[0047] Figure 3(B) is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the print control device 102 according to this embodiment. The functions of each part shown in Figure 3(B) are achieved by the CPU 301 executing a program loaded into the RAM 302.

[0048] The print control device 102 includes a UI control unit 352, a paper management unit 353, a paper feed tray management unit 354, a network control unit 355, a job management unit 356, and a settings management unit 357.

[0049] The UI control unit 352 controls the screen displayed by the printing system 100. The UI control unit 352 can control the display of text and paper size units on the screen according to the system settings.

[0050] The paper management unit 353 communicates with the image forming apparatus 103 and manages the acquired paper information in a table format. The elements of the table include paper ID, paper name, basis weight, paper size, width, height, color, surface texture, and characteristics.

[0051] The network control unit 355 controls communication with the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306, and with the client computer 101 on the LAN 110 via the LAN controller 307.

[0052] The job management unit 356 manages the printing process sequence and the order of jobs. The job management unit 356 manages jobs received by the print control device 102 and controls the data transfer for printing the received jobs to the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306 or the video interface 310.

[0053] The settings management unit 357 manages the system settings related to the paper management system. System settings include, for example, the language settings for the text displayed on the paper management system screen and the setting for the display unit system (millimeters or inches) for paper sizes.

[0054] The flowchart for the paper feed determination process of the image forming apparatus 103 shown in Figure 4 will be explained. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 201 executing according to the program stored in the ROM 203. The control method of the image forming apparatus 103 will be explained below.

[0055] In step S401, the CPU 201 retrieves the print job settings information stored in the external storage device 211. The print job settings information includes the paper size, paper type, paper feed tray settings, and settings indicating whether or not to use the reserved paper feed tray.

[0056] In step S402, the CPU 201 retrieves the paper feed stage information stored in the external storage device 211. The paper feed stage information is the setting information for each paper feed stage shown in Figure 5. The setting information for each paper feed stage in Figure 5 includes the paper feed stage 501, paper size 502, paper type 503, remaining paper amount 504, and reservation status 505, and is stored in the non-volatile memory 209 of the image forming apparatus 103 or in the external storage device 211. Paper feed stage 501 corresponds to paper feed stages 116-1 to 116-8.

[0057] In step S403, the CPU201 duplicates this acquired paper feed stage information to create a list of candidate paper feed stages, which is then used in subsequent processing to identify the paper feed stage that will be used as a candidate for paper feeding.

[0058] In step S404, the CPU201 refers to the configuration information obtained in S401 and determines whether or not to use the reserved paper feed tray for the print job. If the reserved paper feed tray is set to "use" for the print job, the process proceeds to step S405. If the reserved paper feed tray is set to "not use" for the print job, the process proceeds to step S406.

[0059] In step S405, the CPU 201 rearranges the paper feed tray candidate list created in S403 so that paper feed trays with a reservation status 505 of "Reserved" in Figure 5 are placed at the top of the paper feed tray candidate list. This allows the reserved paper feed trays to be selected preferentially in step S408, which will be described later for selecting the optimal paper feed tray. Alternatively, in step S405, the CPU 201 could remove paper feed trays that are not "Reserved" from the paper feed tray candidate list instead of rearranging. The process then proceeds to step S407.

[0060] In step S406, the CPU 201 removes the paper feed trays from the paper feed tray candidate list whose reservation status 505 in Figure 5 is "reserved". For example, in the case shown in Figure 5, if the print job is set not to use the reserved paper feed tray, the CPU 201 removes paper feed tray 116-1 from the paper feed tray candidate list. On the other hand, if the print job is set to use the reserved paper feed tray, no paper feed trays are removed from the paper feed tray candidate list. In this way, the paper feed trays whose reservation status 505 in Figure 5 is "reserved" can only be used for print jobs that are set to "use" the reserved paper feed tray. The process then proceeds to step S407.

[0061] In step S407, CPU201 refers to the paper feed tray setting information from the print job settings information obtained in S401 and removes all paper feed trays except the specified one from the paper feed tray candidate list. The paper feed tray setting information is the specified paper feed tray information. If a specific paper feed tray is specified in the paper feed tray setting information, all paper feed trays other than the specified one are removed from the paper feed tray candidate list. If automatic selection is set, no paper feed trays are removed from the paper feed tray candidate list.

[0062] In step S408, the CPU201 selects the optimal paper feed tray from the remaining paper feed trays in the paper feed tray candidate list. Specifically, the CPU201 searches the paper feed tray candidate list sequentially from the first paper feed tray to see if there is a paper feed tray that holds paper matching the paper size and type required for printing as described in the print job settings information, and selects the found paper feed tray as the optimal paper feed tray.

[0063] In step S409, the CPU 201 determines whether or not an optimal paper feed tray has been found. If an optimal paper feed tray has been found, the process proceeds to step S410. If an optimal paper feed tray has not been found, the process proceeds to step S411.

[0064] In step S410, the CPU 201 determines the optimal paper feed stage to be used for printing, controls the system to print the print job on the paper fed from the selected paper feed stage, and then terminates the process shown in Figure 4.

[0065] In step S411, the CPU 201 controls the display of the no-paper error screen 601 shown in Figure 6 on the operation panel 105 of the image forming apparatus 103. The no-paper error screen 601 displays information (size and type) of the paper required to continue the print job, and a message 612 indicating the paper feed tray in which that paper can be placed. The available paper feed tray is searched from the list of candidate paper feed trays after processing in S407.

[0066] The error screen 601 displayed in step S411 may always be the same screen when there is no suitable paper feed tray, or it may be switched depending on the conditions. For example, even if the print job is set to "do not use" reserved paper feed trays, if the paper feed tray specified in the print job is a reserved paper feed tray, information indicating that the paper feed tray specified in the job is reserved may be displayed. In this case, messages such as 612 may also be displayed. Furthermore, even if the print job is set to "do not use" reserved paper feed trays, and no paper feed tray is specified in the print job, but the only paper feed tray identified from the paper size specified in the print job is a reserved paper feed tray, a different screen may be displayed. Specifically, this screen may include a message indicating that all paper feed trays containing the specified paper size are reserved. In this case as well, messages such as 612 may also be displayed. Furthermore, if the print job is set to "use" the reserved paper feed tray, and the paper feed tray specified in the print job is the reserved paper feed tray, but no paper is placed in that tray, the error screen 601 shown in Figure 6 may be displayed.

[0067] When error screen 601 shown in Figure 6 is displayed, the user can take one of the following actions:

[0068] (1) Place the paper specified in message 612 (B4, thick paper 1 in Figure 6) into the paper feed tray specified in message 612 (cassette 3 in Figure 6) to resolve the no-paper error.

[0069] (2) Press one of the paper feed selection buttons 602 to 609, then press the OK button 611 to force the process to continue with a different paper and paper feed than the one specified in message 612.

[0070] (3) The print job is canceled by pressing the cancel button 610.

[0071] CPU201 waits for the user to perform one of the above operations.

[0072] In step S412, the CPU 201 determines whether the state of the paper feed tray has changed. A change in the state of the paper feed tray means that the paper size placed in a particular paper feed tray changes, or that the size or type of paper set in the paper feed tray changes. If the state of the paper feed tray has changed, it is assumed that the user may have placed paper, and the process proceeds to step S402 to search for the optimal paper feed tray again. If the state of the paper feed tray has not changed, the process proceeds to step S413.

[0073] In step S413, the CPU 201 determines whether it has detected an instruction from the user via the control panel 105. If an instruction from the control panel 105 is detected, the process proceeds to step S414. If no instruction from the control panel 105 is detected, the process returns to step S412.

[0074] In step S414, the CPU 201 determines the instructions on the error screen 601 in Figure 6. If it detects the selection of any of the buttons 602 to 609 in Figure 6 and the pressing of the OK button 611, it proceeds to step S410. If it detects the pressing of the Cancel button 610 in Figure 6, it terminates the process in Figure 4.

[0075] In step S410, the CPU 201 determines which paper feed stage corresponds to one of the selected buttons 602 to 609 to be used for printing, controls the system to print the print job on the paper fed from the selected paper feed stage, and then terminates the process shown in Figure 4.

[0076] Furthermore, if S409 determines that there is no suitable paper feed tray, the execution of the print job may be canceled. This prevents print jobs that do not specify the use of a reserved paper feed tray from being executed if a reserved paper feed tray is specified.

[0077] As described above, CPU201 controls the printer to use the reserved paper feed tray for printing if there are print jobs that use the reserved paper feed tray. Furthermore, if there are print jobs that do not use the reserved paper feed tray, CPU201 controls the printer to use the paper feed tray that is not reserved.

[0078] By performing the above process, when executing a print job that does not specify the use of a reserved paper feed tray, the reserved paper feed tray will not be automatically selected. Furthermore, when executing a print job that does not specify the use of a reserved paper feed tray, if the paper feed tray set for that print job is a reserved paper feed tray, error screen 601 will be displayed, preventing the reserved paper feed tray from being used by mistake. In other words, it is possible to prevent paper from being used for printing purposes other than intended. In addition, since the reservation of a paper feed tray is performed independently of the execution of the print job, the reservation will not be automatically canceled even after the execution of the print job is completed, and the paper feed tray can be reserved for a long period of time.

[0079] Figure 7 shows an example of a UI screen for selecting the paper cassette for automatic paper selection. When the user mode key on the operation panel 105 is pressed, the user mode screen is displayed. When the button corresponding to the cassette auto ON / OFF setting is pressed on this screen, the screen shown in Figure 7 is displayed. On this screen, the equipped paper cassettes and the paper sizes contained in those cassettes are displayed, and the selection buttons 701 allow you to indicate whether to "set" or "not set" a particular paper cassette for automatic selection. Cassettes that are set to "ON" are allowed to be used for automatic paper selection, while cassettes that are set to "OFF" are not allowed to be used for automatic paper selection. The setting is completed when the OK button 702 is pressed.

[0080] Figure 8 shows the paper feed stage reservation screen of the image forming apparatus 103. Figure 8 is screen 801 displayed on the operation panel 105 by the image forming apparatus 103. Screens 802 and 803 show the setting status of each paper feed stage, and the setting status is displayed based on the information in 501, 502, 503, and 505 of Figure 5. In addition, by using the buttons 802 and 803, it is possible to switch the reservation status (ON / OFF) of the target paper feed stage for setting. When the OK button 804 is pressed, the reservation status shown in reservation status 505 of Figure 5 is updated according to the reservation status of each paper feed stage switched in 802 and 803. The update process of reservation status 505 is achieved by saving it to the external storage device 211 via the operation panel interface 205 from the operation panel 105 of the image forming apparatus 103.

[0081] A detailed explanation of screen 900 of the paper management application shown in Figure 9 will be provided. The paper management application shown in Figure 9 does not necessarily need to be on the same network. For example, multiple client computers 101 may be prepared and connected. Buttons 910 to 917 acquire information about the paper feed stages 116-1 to 116-8 in the image forming apparatus 103 from the image forming apparatus 103 via the network and display it on the display unit 111 of the print control device 102. Furthermore, the paper feed stage information is not limited to acquisition only at startup. For example, it may be acquired by polling at regular intervals on various screens of the paper management application; there are no particular restrictions in this embodiment. Pressing the paper feed stage buttons 910 to 917 displays the paper adjustment screen. Pressing the paper list button 901 displays the paper list screen 930. The display method can be varied. Pressing the gear icon button 902 displays the settings screen of the paper management application itself. For example, the display language is not specified. The shield icon paper feed tray reservation buttons 920-927 are used when reserving the paper feed tray from the paper management application. A shield icon with a diagonal line, like 923, indicates that the paper feed tray reservation is OFF, while one without a diagonal line indicates that the paper feed tray reservation is ON. The paper feed tray reservation buttons 920-927 do not necessarily have to be shield icons. The type and shape of the icons are not limited. Pressing the exit button 903 disconnects communication with the image forming apparatus 103 and exits the paper management application.

[0082] Next, the flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray from the paper management application will be explained using Figure 10. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 301 executing according to the program stored in ROM 303. This flowchart is executed when the paper feed tray reservation buttons 920-927 are clicked. The control method of the print control device 102 will be explained below.

[0083] The image forming apparatus 103 includes at least one paper feed stage 116. The paper management application screen 900 in Figure 9 is the application screen for the image forming apparatus 103. When the paper feed stage reservation buttons 920 to 927 on screen 900 are pressed, the flowchart in Figure 10 is initiated.

[0084] In step S1001, the CPU 301 determines whether the current shield icon of the pressed paper feed tray reservation button is ON or OFF. If the shield icon is ON, proceed to step S1004. If the shield icon is OFF, proceed to step S1002.

[0085] In step S1002, the CPU 301 communicates a reservation instruction for the paper feed tray corresponding to the pressed paper feed tray reservation button to the paper feed tray management unit 254 of the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN 110 of the print control device 102 from the client computer 101. The CPU 201 saves the "Reserved" setting of reservation status 505 in Figure 5, received via the paper feed tray management unit 254, to the non-volatile memory 209 or external storage device 211 by overwriting it. Here, "Reserved" in reservation status 505 indicates a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray.

[0086] In step S1003, CPU301 updates the displayed shield icon to the ON shield icon.

[0087] In step S1004, the CPU 301 communicates a command to the paper feed management unit 254 of the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN 110 to cancel the reservation of the paper feed tray corresponding to the pressed paper feed tray reservation button. The CPU 201 saves the cancellation of the "Reserved" setting of reservation status 505 in Figure 5, which was received via the paper feed management unit 254, to the non-volatile memory 209 or external storage device 211 for the paper feed tray corresponding to the pressed paper feed tray reservation button.

[0088] In step S1005, CPU301 updates the displayed shield icon to an OFF shield icon.

[0089] Next, using Figure 11, a flowchart will be explained showing how to cancel the paper feed tray reservation based on the termination operation of the paper management application screen 900. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 301 executing according to the program stored in ROM 303. The control method of the print control device 102 will be explained below.

[0090] In step S1101, the CPU 301 determines whether the exit button 903 in Figure 9 has been pressed. If the exit button 903 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S1101. If the exit button 903 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1102.

[0091] In step S1102, the CPU 301 performs loop processing for all paper feed stages. During the loop processing, the CPU 301 communicates with the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN 110 to the paper feed stage management unit 254 and requests information from the table shown in Figure 5.

[0092] In step S1103, the CPU 301 determines whether a reservation has been set for the target paper feed tray based on the information 501 and 505 in Figure 5, which it has received via the paper feed tray management unit 254. If a reservation has been set for the paper feed tray, the process proceeds to step S1104. If a reservation has not been set for the paper feed tray, the process proceeds to the next target paper feed tray in the loop.

[0093] In step S1104, the CPU 301 communicates a command to the paper feed tray management unit 254 of the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN 110 to cancel the reservation setting for the target paper feed tray. The CPU 201 saves the cancellation of the "reserved" setting of reservation status 505 in Figure 5, received via the paper feed tray management unit 254, to the non-volatile memory 209 or external storage device 211. After saving, the next loop process is executed.

[0094] Once the loop processing for all paper feed stages is complete, proceed to step S1005.

[0095] In step S1105, the CPU 301 executes the application termination process shown in Figure 9. During the application termination process, the CPU 301 disconnects communication with the LAN controllers 306 and 307 of the print control device 102, which was communicating via LAN 110, and saves the IP address of the image forming apparatus 103 at the time of disconnection and the application execution log to the external storage device 309. After saving the log, the application is terminated. If the log could not be saved, a warning screen may be displayed to notify the user, or the application may be forcibly terminated without notification. There are no limitations on the log saving or termination conditions at the time of termination.

[0096] As described above, in step S1104, if a reservation setting for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus 103 has been set, the CPU 301 can cancel that reservation setting.

[0097] In step S1002 of Figure 10, the CPU 301 can set a reservation for the use of multiple paper feed trays, and in step S1104 of Figure 11, the CPU 301 can cancel the reservation for the use of multiple paper feed trays.

[0098] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to cancel all paper feed tray reservations based on the termination of the paper management application. This prevents settings from remaining active when the system is finished being used, as the paper feed tray reservations are canceled at the end of the process.

[0099] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, a mechanism was described that prevents settings from remaining active when the paper management application is terminated by canceling all paper feed tray reservations.

[0100] However, if multiple people are using the paper management application from separate client computers 101, there is a possibility that the paper tray reservation settings for users other than the current user may be canceled.

[0101] In the second embodiment, a method for canceling only the paper feed tray reservation set by the currently used user, based on user information, will be described.

[0102] Figure 12 shows a reservation status list 1200 that lists the IP address 1201 and paper feed stage 1202 used in the second embodiment. This reservation status list 1200 is stored in an external storage device 309 and read by the CPU 301 when a program is executed. This reservation status list 1200 is stored in the external storage device 309 of the print control device 102.

[0103] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the process when the paper feed tray reservation buttons 920-927 in Figure 9 are pressed, based on the reservation status list 1200 which manages which client computer 101 has made a reservation for the paper feed tray. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 301 executing according to the program stored in the ROM 303. The control method of the print control device 102 will be described below.

[0104] The flowchart in Figure 13 is initiated when the paper feed tray reservation buttons 920-927 are pressed on screen 900 of the paper management application on the client computer 101.

[0105] In step S1301, CPU 301 obtains the IP address of client computer 101, the source from which the paper management application was launched. Note that it does not necessarily have to be an IP address. For example, it could be a username, or any other user information that can identify a specific user.

[0106] Steps S1302, S1303, and S1304 are the same processes as steps S1001, S1004, and S1005 in Figure 10, so their explanation is omitted.

[0107] Once step S1304 is complete, in step S1305, the CPU 301 performs a loop process to check all paper feed trays.

[0108] In step S1306, the CPU 301 compares the IP address 1201 of the target element in the reservation status list 1200 with the IP address of the acquired client computer 101. If the two IP addresses are the same, the process proceeds to step S1307. If the two IP addresses are different, the process returns to step S1306, with the next element in the reservation status list 1200 as the target element.

[0109] In step S1307, the CPU 301 compares the target paper feed stage 1202 in the reservation status list 1200 with the paper feed stage corresponding to the pressed paper feed stage reservation button. If the two paper feed stages are the same, the process proceeds to step S1308. If the two paper feed stages are different, the process returns to step S1306, with the next element in the reservation status list 1200 as the target element.

[0110] In step S1308, the CPU 301 deletes the target element in the reservation status list 1200 shown in Figure 12 and overwrites it. The updated reservation status list 1200 is saved to the external storage device 309 of the print control device 102.

[0111] Steps S1302, S1309, and S1310 involve the same processes as steps S1001, S1002, and S1003 in Figure 10, so their explanation is omitted.

[0112] In step S1311, the CPU 301 obtains information about the paper feed tray reserved in steps S1309 and S1310.

[0113] In step S1312, the CPU 301 associates the reservation stage information obtained in step S1311 with the IP address obtained in step S1301 and adds it to the reservation status list 1200 in Figure 12. The added reservation status list 1200 is stored in the external storage device 309 of the print control device 102. That is, in the reservation status list 1200 in Figure 12, the CPU 301 associates the IP address 1201 or user information with the paper feed stage 1202 for which the reservation is set.

[0114] Figure 14 is a flowchart that cancels only the reserved settings based on the termination operation on screen 900 of the paper management application on the client computer 101 being operated by the user, using the IP address 1201 and paper feed tray 1202 from Figure 12. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 301 executing according to the program stored in ROM 303. The control method of the print control device 102 will be described below.

[0115] In step S1401, the CPU 301 determines whether the exit button 903 in Figure 9 has been pressed. If the exit button 903 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S1401. If the exit button 903 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1402.

[0116] In step S1402, CPU 301 obtains the IP address of client computer 101, the source of the paper management application. The information obtained in step S1402 does not necessarily have to be an IP address. It could be a username, or any other user information that can identify a specific user.

[0117] Subsequently, in step S1403, the CPU 301 performs a loop process for each element in the reservation status list 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0118] In step S1404 of the loop processing, the CPU 301 determines whether the IP address obtained in step S1402 exists in the IP address 1201 of the reservation status list 1200. If it exists, the process proceeds to step S1405. If it does not exist, the loop processing for the next paper feed tray is repeated.

[0119] In step 1405, the CPU 301 communicates the cancellation of the reservation for the paper feed tray 1202 corresponding to the IP address 1201 obtained in step S1402 to the paper feed tray management unit 254 of the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN 110. The CPU 201 saves the cancellation of the reservation status 505 "Reserved" shown in Figure 5, received via the paper feed tray management unit 254, to the non-volatile memory 209 or external storage device 211.

[0120] In step S1406, the CPU 301 deletes the IP address 1201 and its corresponding paper feed tray 1202 obtained in step S1402 from the reservation status list 1200 in Figure 12, and overwrites and saves the updated list. The updated reservation status list 1200 is saved to the external storage device 309 of the print control device 102. After saving, the next loop process is executed.

[0121] Once the loop processing for all paper feed stages is complete, proceed to step S1407.

[0122] In step S1407, the CPU 301 executes the application termination process shown in Figure 9. During the application termination process, the CPU 301 disconnects communication with the LAN controllers 306 and 307 of the print control device 102, which was communicating via LAN 110, and saves the IP address of the image forming apparatus 103 at the time of disconnection and the application execution log to the external storage device 309. After saving the log, the application is terminated. If the log could not be saved, a warning screen may be displayed to notify the user, or the application may be forcibly terminated without notification. There are no limitations on the log saving or termination conditions at the time of termination.

[0123] As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to automatically cancel reservations only for paper feed trays reserved by users of the paper management application listed in the reservation status list 1200.

[0124] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, only the paper feed trays reserved by the user of the paper management application can be canceled.

[0125] However, in the method of the second embodiment, the user of the paper management application may not notice that the setting has been disabled.

[0126] In the third embodiment, a method is described for canceling only the paper feed tray reservation set only by the user of the paper management application, while notifying the user of the paper management application.

[0127] Figure 15 shows an example of a warning screen displayed before the application terminates. The warning screen can be a pop-up window or displayed as text on the application's GUI. The way the warning is displayed is not limited to these examples.

[0128] Figure 16 is a flowchart that displays the warning screen shown in Figure 15 and prompts the user whether to dismiss it or not. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 301 executing according to the program stored in ROM 303. The control method of the print control device 102 will be described below.

[0129] In step S1601, the CPU 301 determines whether the exit button 903 in Figure 9 has been pressed. If the exit button 903 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S1601. If the exit button 903 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1602.

[0130] In step S1602, CPU 301 obtains the IP address of client computer 101, the source from which the paper management application was launched. The information obtained in step S1602 does not necessarily have to be an IP address. It could be a username, or any other user information that can identify a specific user.

[0131] Subsequently, in step S1603, the CPU 301 performs a loop process for each element in the reservation status list 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0132] In step S1604 of the loop processing, the CPU 301 determines whether the IP address obtained in step S1602 exists in the IP address 1201 of the reservation status list 1200. If even one exists, the loop processing is broken and the process proceeds to step S1605. If none exist, there is no reserved paper feed tray, and the process proceeds to step S1611.

[0133] In step S1605, the CPU 301 is controlled to display a warning screen regarding paper feed tray reservations, as shown in Figure 15. Specifically, if a reservation for the use of a paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address obtained in step S1602 is set, the CPU 301 is controlled to display the "Yes" button 1501 on the operation panel for canceling that reservation.

[0134] In step S1606, the CPU 301 determines whether the "Yes" button 1501 on the warning screen in Figure 15 was pressed. Pressing the "Yes" button 1501 is one example of an operation to cancel the reservation setting for the use of the paper feed tray. If the "Yes" button 1501 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S1607. If the "No" button 1502 or the exit button 1503 in Figure 15 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S1611.

[0135] In step S1607, the CPU 301 executes the loop process again for the number of elements in the reservation status list 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0136] In step S1608 of the loop processing, CPU 301 determines whether the IP address obtained in step S1602 exists in the IP address 1201 of the reservation status list 1200. If it exists, proceed to step S1609. If it does not exist, repeat the loop processing for the next element.

[0137] In step S1609, the CPU 301 refers to the reservation status list 1200 in Figure 12 and communicates the cancellation of the reservation for the paper feed tray 1202 corresponding to the IP address 1201 obtained in step S1602 to the paper feed tray management unit 254 of the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN 110. The CPU 201 saves the cancellation of the "Reserved" setting of the reservation status 505 in Figure 5, which was received via the paper feed tray management unit 254, to the non-volatile memory 209 or external storage device 211.

[0138] In step S1406, the CPU 301 deletes the IP address 1201 and its corresponding paper feed tray 1202 obtained in step S1602 from the reservation status list 1200 in Figure 12, and overwrites and saves the updated list. The updated reservation status list 1200 is saved to the external storage device 309 of the print control device 102. After saving, the next loop process is executed.

[0139] Once the loop processing for all paper feed stages is complete, proceed to step S1611.

[0140] In step S1611, the CPU 301 executes the application termination process shown in Figure 9. During the application termination process, the CPU 301 disconnects communication with the LAN controllers 306 and 307 of the print control device 102, which was communicating via LAN 110, and saves the IP address of the image forming apparatus 103 at the time of disconnection and the application execution log to the external storage device 309. After saving the log, the application is terminated. If the log could not be saved, a warning screen may be displayed to notify the user, or the application may be forcibly terminated without notification. There are no limitations on the log saving or termination conditions at the time of termination.

[0141] As described above, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to notify the user of the paper management application and to cancel only the paper feed tray reservation set by the user.

[0142] (Fourth embodiment) In the third embodiment, the user of the paper management application is notified, and it becomes possible to cancel only the paper feed tray reservation set by the user.

[0143] However, if the user of the paper management application has remaining paper in the image forming apparatus 103 itself, they may not be aware of the remaining paper.

[0144] Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, a method will be described for notifying users of the management application about the remaining paper amount and paper feed tray reservation, thereby alerting users who are using the paper management application.

[0145] Figure 17 shows an example of a warning screen displayed in the paper management application when there is remaining paper in the image forming apparatus 103. The warning screen may be a pop-up screen or displayed as text within the application. The warning screen is not limited to these options.

[0146] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating how, when there is remaining paper in the image forming apparatus 103, a pop-up screen showing the remaining paper amount is displayed, followed by a confirmation screen for canceling the paper feed tray reservation, and only the paper feed tray reservation set by the user of the paper management application is canceled. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 301 executing according to the program stored in the ROM 303. The control method of the print control device 102 will be described below.

[0147] In step S1801, the CPU 301 determines whether the exit button 903 in Figure 9 has been pressed. If the exit button 903 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S1801. If the exit button 903 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1802.

[0148] In step S1802, the CPU 301 determines whether the remaining paper quantity 504 in the paper feed tray whose reservation status 505 in Figure 5 is "reserved" is 0%. If it is not 0%, proceed to step S1803. If it is 0%, proceed to step S1805.

[0149] In step S1803, the CPU 301 is controlled to display the warning screen shown in Figure 17. Specifically, the CPU 301 is controlled to display a message indicating that there is paper remaining in the paper feed tray for which a reservation has been set, as shown in the warning screen in Figure 17.

[0150] In step S1804, the CPU 301 determines whether the OK button 1702 in Figure 17 has been pressed. If it has not been pressed, the process returns to step S1804. If it has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1805.

[0151] Steps S1805 to S1814 are the same processes as steps S1602 to S1611 in Figure 16, so their explanation is omitted.

[0152] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, by displaying the warning screen shown in Figure 17 when there is remaining paper, it is possible to notify users using the paper management application that there is remaining paper.

[0153] According to the first to fourth embodiments, when the user exits the paper management application, the paper feed tray reservation setting is canceled. This ensures that the paper feed tray reservation setting is canceled when the user has finished using the system, thus preventing the setting from remaining active when the system is closed.

[0154] (Other embodiments) This disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0155] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are merely examples illustrating how to implement this disclosure, and they should not be interpreted as limiting the technical scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure can be implemented in various ways without departing from its technical concept or its main features.

[0156] This embodiment includes the following configuration. (Item 1) A setting means for setting a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen of an image forming apparatus having at least one paper feed tray, Based on the termination operation of the aforementioned application, a first release means for releasing the reservation setting for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus, A printing control device characterized by having the following features. (Item 2) The setting means sets the reservation for the use of multiple paper feed trays, The print control device according to item 1, characterized in that the first release means releases the setting for the reservation of the use of the plurality of paper feed trays. (Item 3) The print control device according to item 1 or 2, further comprising a second release means for releasing the reservation setting for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen. (Item 4) The setting means sets a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen on the client computer. The print control device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that the first release means releases the setting for the reservation of the use of the paper feed tray based on the termination operation of the application on the client computer. (Item 5) The application further includes means for obtaining the IP address or user information of the client computer from which the application was launched, The setting means stores the IP address or user information in association with the paper feed tray for which the reservation setting has been made. The print control device according to item 4, characterized in that the first release means releases the setting for the reservation of the use of the paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address or user information based on the termination operation of the application. (Item 6) The print control device according to item 5, characterized in that the first release means controls the display of an operation unit for releasing the reservation setting if a reservation for the use of a paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address or user information has been set based on the termination operation of the application, and releases the reservation setting for the use of a paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address or user information in response to the operation for releasing the reservation setting. (Item 7) The print control device according to any one of items 1 to 6, further comprising control means for displaying a message if paper remains in the paper feed tray for which the reservation setting has been made, based on the termination operation of the aforementioned application. (Item 8) A print control device described in any one of items 1 to 7, The image forming apparatus has multiple paper feeding stages, The image forming apparatus is a printing system characterized by controlling the system to perform printing using the reserved paper feed tray when there are print jobs that use the reserved paper feed tray, and to perform printing using the unreserved paper feed tray when there are print jobs that do not use the reserved paper feed tray. (Item 9) A setting step to set a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen of an image forming apparatus having at least one paper feed tray, Based on the termination operation of the aforementioned application, a first release step is performed to release the reservation setting for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus. A control method for a printing control device, characterized by having the following features. (Item 10) A program to cause a computer to function as a print control device as described in any one of items 1 through 7. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0157] 102 Printing control device 103 Image forming apparatus 116 Paper feed stage

Claims

1. A setting means for setting a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen of an image forming apparatus having at least one paper feed tray, Based on the termination operation of the aforementioned application, a first release means for releasing the reservation setting for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus, A printing control device characterized by having the following features.

2. The setting means sets the reservation for the use of multiple paper feed trays, The print control device according to claim 1, wherein the first release means releases the setting for the reservation of the use of the plurality of paper feed trays.

3. The print control device according to claim 1, further comprising a second release means for releasing the reservation setting for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen.

4. The setting means sets a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen on the client computer. The print control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first release means releases the setting for the reservation of the use of the paper feed tray based on the termination operation of the application on the client computer.

5. The application further includes means for obtaining the IP address or user information of the client computer from which the application was launched. The setting means stores the IP address or user information in association with the paper feed tray for which the reservation setting has been made. The print control device according to claim 4, characterized in that the first release means releases the setting of the reservation for use of the paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address or user information based on the termination operation of the application.

6. The print control device according to claim 5, characterized in that the first release means controls the display of an operation unit for releasing the reservation setting if a reservation for the use of a paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address or user information has been set based on the termination operation of the application, and releases the reservation setting for the use of a paper feed tray corresponding to the IP address or user information in response to the operation for releasing the reservation setting.

7. The print control device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for displaying a message if there is paper remaining in the paper feed tray for which the reservation setting has been made, based on the termination operation of the aforementioned application.

8. A print control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The image forming apparatus has multiple paper feeding stages, The image forming apparatus is a printing system characterized by controlling the system to perform printing using the reserved paper feed tray when there are print jobs that use the reserved paper feed tray, and to perform printing using the unreserved paper feed tray when there are print jobs that do not use the reserved paper feed tray.

9. A setting step to set a reservation for the use of the paper feed tray in response to the operation of the application screen of an image forming apparatus having at least one paper feed tray, Based on the termination operation of the aforementioned application, a first release step is performed to release the reservation setting for the use of at least one paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus. A control method for a printing control device, characterized by having the following features.

10. A program for causing a computer to function as a print control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images