Server Apparatus for Remote Print Job Status Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems do not notify users of the execution status of print jobs input to image forming apparatuses from external devices, making it inconvenient for users to monitor the status of their print jobs without being physically present at the apparatus.
Innovation Solution
A server apparatus and control method that notify users of the execution status of print jobs through a communication terminal, even if the user is apart from the image forming apparatus, by utilizing a chat server to communicate print job status updates to mobile terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the user checks the display panel of the image forming apparatus to monitor print job status, then the user can see the execution situation, but the user must be physically present at the apparatus which is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that receives print job status information from the image forming apparatus and forwards it to the user's terminal device. This mediator enables remote monitoring without requiring the user to be physically present at the apparatus, thus resolving the contradiction between information access and user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the information delivery from a single location (the display panel at the apparatus) to multiple locations (user's terminal device anywhere on the network). This dimensional change in information distribution enables users to access print job status remotely, eliminating the need for physical presence and improving convenience.
2Reliability
If another print job is executing when a user inputs a print job, then the first user's job is delayed, but the second user cannot recognize this delay without checking the apparatus display
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the server continuously monitors print job status from the image forming apparatus and sends real-time updates to the user's terminal. This feedback loop informs users immediately about job execution status, including delays caused by other jobs, enabling them to make informed decisions without repeatedly checking the apparatus display.
Data Source
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AI summary
A server apparatus (20) notifies an application (701) of a communication terminal (40) of information about a print job executed by an image forming apparatus (10). The server apparatus includes an obtainment unit (S901) that obtains status information about a print job that is input to the image forming apparatus from an external apparatus (30), and a controller (120) that displays a message based on the status information on a display unit (401) of the communication terminal. The controller displays a message (1601), which shows that a predetermined print job cannot be executed because another print job is under execution, in a case where the predetermined print job is input to the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus is executing the other print job.