Server system that improves availability of a plurality of printers, print controller, information processing apparatus, and print service system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10956095-B2
Application number	US-201916565568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A server system that causes one of a plurality of printers to print an image received from an information processing apparatus. A virtual printer determines whether or not a printer capable of performing printing to which both of a first print setting and a second print setting are applied is included in the plurality of printers. In a case where it is determined that a printer capable of performing printing to which the first and second print settings are applied is not included in the plurality of printers, information indicating that the first print setting and the second print setting conflicting with each other is stored as prohibited settings information. The print settings are controlled based on the prohibited settings information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server system comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
cause an information processing apparatus to display a print setting screen;
transmit print data to one of a plurality of printers based on at least one of print settings which are set via the print setting screen, wherein the print settings include a first print setting and a second print setting;
determine whether or not any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with a combination of the first print setting and the second print setting; and
control the information processing apparatus to disable a user's ability to set the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting via the print setting screen, in a case where it is determined that none of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting.

2. The server system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage for storing print settings executable by any one of the plurality of printers, wherein the print settings include the first print setting and the second print setting,
wherein the server system transmits the stored print settings in the storage to display the stored print setting at the print setting screen.

3. The server system according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
making an inquiry to each of the plurality of printers whether or not printing is executable with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting; and
determine whether or not any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting based on a response to the inquiry from the each of the plurality of printers.

4. The server system according to claim 3 , wherein the storage further stores a combination of print settings conflict with each other,
the one or more processors are further configured to store the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting as the combination of print settings conflict with each other, in a case where it is determined that none of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with combination of the first print setting and the second print setting based on the responses to the inquiries.

5. The server system according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, from each of the plurality of printers, a request for registering printer information thereof;
acquire capabilities information from a printer, among the plurality of printers, from which the request has been received; and
store, in the storage, a print setting with which any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing, based on the acquired capabilities information.

6. The server system according to claim 5 , wherein the print setting, with which any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing, is a logical sum of the acquired capabilities information from the plurality of printers.

7. The server system according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
control the information processing apparatus to enable a user to set the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting, in a case where it is determined that any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting.

8. The server system according to claim 1 , the one or more processors are further configured to:
inform, in a case where it is determined that none of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting, the information processing apparatus of information that the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting cannot be set.

9. The server system according to claim 1 , the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether or not any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting before causing the information processing apparatus to display the print setting screen.

10. A control method for controlling a server system comprising:
causing an information processing apparatus to display a print setting screen;
transmitting print data to one of a plurality of printers based on at least one of print settings which are set via the print setting screen, wherein the print settings include a first print setting and a second print setting;
determining whether or not any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with a combination of the first print setting and the second print setting; and
controlling the information processing apparatus to disable a user's ability to set the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting via the print setting screen, in a case where it is determined that none of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive, from a server system which transmits print data to any one of a plurality of printers, at least one of print settings to be displayed at a print setting screen of the information processing apparatus, wherein the print settings include a first print setting and a second print setting;
display the print setting screen based on the received at least one of print settings;
control the print setting screen so as to disable a user's ability to set a combination of the first print setting and the second print setting via the print setting screen, in a case where none of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting; and
transmit at least one of the print settings set via the print setting screen to the server system.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
control to display the print setting screen so as to enable a user to set the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting, in a case where any one of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive, from the server system, information that the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting cannot be set, in a case where none of the plurality of printers is capable of performing printing with the combination of the first print setting and the second print setting; and
display the print setting screen based on the received information.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
notify a user that setting of the first print setting constrains setting of another print setting among the print settings.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Takeo Akinori
• Kaneda Takeshi
• Kashiwagi Masaki
• Miyajima Jun
• Imai Seijiro

Classifications

• G06F3/126

  Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device · CPC title

• G06F3/1255

  Settings incompatibility, e.g. constraints, user requirements vs. device capabilities · CPC title

• G06F3/1226

  Discovery of devices having required properties · CPC title

• G06F3/1253

  Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client · CPC title

• G06F3/1205 Primary

  resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets · CPC title