Server apparatus, information processing system, and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635367-B2
Application number	US-201716480946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2017
Priority date	Feb 1, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A server apparatus includes: a storage device configured to store a resolution table, the resolution table being configured to record a plurality of image forming apparatuses having different resolutions, the resolutions of the image forming apparatuses respectively, and information processing abilities of the image forming apparatuses respectively, in association with each other; and a processor configured to operate as a printable data obtaining unit, an intermediate data creating unit, an image forming apparatus selecting unit, an intermediate data supplying unit, a rasterized data obtaining unit, a pull-print receiving unit, a resolution determining unit, and a pull-print data supplying unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server apparatus, comprising:
a storage device configured to store a resolution table, the resolution table being configured to record a plurality of image forming apparatuses having different resolutions, the resolutions of the image forming apparatuses respectively, and information processing abilities of the image forming apparatuses respectively, in association with each other;
a memory configured to store an information processing program; and
a processor configured to execute the information processing program,
the processor being configured to execute the information processing program to operate as
a printable data obtaining unit configured to obtain printable data from a terminal device,
an intermediate data creating unit configured to create intermediate data on a basis of the printable data, the intermediate data being independent of resolution,
an image forming apparatus selecting unit configured to select one image forming apparatus having each of the different resolutions on a basis of priority from the plurality of image forming apparatuses recorded in the resolution table,
an intermediate data supplying unit configured to supply the intermediate data to the plurality of image forming apparatuses selected,
a rasterized data obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of rasterized data depending on the different resolutions respectively, the plurality of rasterized data being created by the plurality of image forming apparatuses on a basis of the intermediate data,
a pull-print receiving unit configured to receive a pull-print request from a pull-print image forming apparatus and obtain a pull-print resolution, the pull-print image forming apparatus being an image forming apparatus that executes pull-printing, the pull-print resolution being a resolution of the pull-print image forming apparatus,
a resolution determining unit configured to determine whether or not the resolution table records a resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution, and
a pull-print data supplying unit configured to supply rasterized data depending on the resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution to the pull-print image forming apparatus.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image forming apparatus selecting unit is configured to select one image forming apparatus having a highest information processing ability for each of the different resolutions from the plurality of image forming apparatuses recorded in the resolution table.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the image forming apparatus selecting unit is configured to
determine whether or not the selected image forming apparatus is capable of creating rasterized data,
if the image forming apparatus selecting unit determines that the selected image forming apparatus is capable of creating rasterized data, supply the intermediate data to the selected image forming apparatus, and
if the image forming apparatus selecting unit determines that the selected image forming apparatus is not capable of creating rasterized data, select one image forming apparatus having a next highest information processing ability and having same resolution.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
if the rasterized data obtaining unit is yet to obtain the rasterized data depending on the resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution,
the pull-print data supplying unit is configured to supply the intermediate data to the pull-print image forming apparatus, and
if, thereafter, the rasterized data obtaining unit obtains the rasterized data depending on the resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution,
the pull-print data supplying unit is configured to supply the obtained rasterized data to the pull-print image forming apparatus.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
if the resolution determining unit determines that the resolution table fails to record the resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution,
the pull-print data supplying unit is configured to supply the intermediate data to the pull-print image forming apparatus.

6. The server apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the processor is configured to execute the information processing program to further operate as
a table reset unit configured to reset the resolution table at certain timing.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
if the resolution determining unit determines that the resolution table fails to record the pull-print image forming apparatus,
the resolution determining unit is configured to record the pull-print image forming apparatus, the pull-print resolution, and an information processing ability of the pull-print image forming apparatus, in association with each other, in the resolution table.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
after the printable data obtaining unit obtains the printable data and before the pull-print receiving unit receives the pull-print request,
the intermediate data creating unit is configured to create intermediate data on a basis of printable data, the intermediate data being independent of a resolution, and
the intermediate data supplying unit is configured to supply the intermediate data to the plurality of image forming apparatuses recorded in the resolution table.

9. An information processing system, comprising:
a plurality of image forming apparatuses having different resolutions; and
a server apparatus,
the server apparatus including
a storage device configured to store a resolution table, the resolution table being configured to record the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the resolutions of the image forming apparatuses respectively, and information processing abilities of the image forming apparatuses respectively, in association with each other,
a memory configured to store an information processing program, and
a processor configured to execute the information processing program,
the processor being configured to execute the information processing program to operate as
a printable data obtaining unit configured to obtain printable data from a terminal device,
an intermediate data creating unit configured to create intermediate data on a basis of the printable data, the intermediate data being independent of resolution,
an image forming apparatus selecting unit configured to select one image forming apparatus having each of the different resolutions on a basis of priority from the plurality of image forming apparatuses recorded in the resolution table,
an intermediate data supplying unit configured to supply the intermediate data to the plurality of image forming apparatuses selected,
a rasterized data obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of rasterized data depending on the different resolutions respectively, the plurality of rasterized data being created by the plurality of image forming apparatuses on a basis of the intermediate data,
a pull-print receiving unit configured to receive a pull-print request from a pull-print image forming apparatus and obtain a pull-print resolution, the pull-print image forming apparatus being an image forming apparatus that executes pull-printing, the pull-print resolution being a resolution of the pull-print image forming apparatus,
a resolution determining unit configured to determine whether or not the resolution table records a resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution, and
a pull-print data supplying unit configured to supply rasterized data depending on the resolution that is same as the pull-print resolution to the pull-print image forming apparatus.

10. An image forming apparatus, co

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc
• Kyocera Documents Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Nakatani Ryusuke

Classifications

• G06F3/1288

  in client-server-printer device configuration · CPC title

• G06F3/1213

  at an intermediate node or at the final node · CPC title

• G06F3/1215

  achieving increased printing speed, i.e. reducing the time between printing start and printing end · CPC title

• G06F3/1247

  by conversion to printer ready format · CPC title

• G06F3/1212

  achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start · CPC title