Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11354079-B2
Application number	US-201916549488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a forming unit, a storage, and a selector. The forming unit receives print jobs and forms a group print job constituted by print jobs that satisfy a certain condition. The storage separately stores some of the print jobs forming the group print job as a subgroup if an amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds a total amount of specified continuous-form paper. Based on information stored in the storage, the selector selects, from among plural output devices, an output device that is able to output cut sheets which satisfy an execution condition for executing the print jobs forming the subgroup.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a storage; and
a processor programmed to:
receive print jobs and form a group print job constituted by print jobs that satisfy a certain condition for being printed and contained within specified continuous-form paper;
determine whether an amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds a total amount of the specified continuous-form paper;
upon determining that the amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds the total amount of the specified continuous-form paper, separately store, in the storage, some of the print jobs forming the group print job as a subgroup; and
select, based on information stored in the storage, an output device storing a sufficient number of cut sheets to compensate for a shortage in the specified continuous-form paper, thereby being configured to output the cut sheets which satisfy an execution condition for executing the print jobs forming the subgroup, from among a plurality of output devices.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the storage stores some of the print jobs forming the group print job as a subgroup in accordance with an attribute of cut sheets that an output device for outputting cut sheets is configured to output.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is programmed to select an output device that has cut sheets satisfying the execution condition loaded.

4. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a storage; and
a processor programmed to:
receive print jobs and form a group print job constituted by print jobs that satisfy a certain condition for being printed and contained within specified continuous-form paper;
determine whether an amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds a total amount of the specified continuous-form paper;
upon determining that the amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds the total amount of the specified continuous-form paper, separately store, in the storage, some of the print jobs forming the group print job as a subgroup; and
select, based on information stored in the storage, an output device storing a sufficient amount of continuous-form paper to compensate for a shortage in the specified continuous-form paper, thereby being configured to output the continuous-form paper which satisfies an execution condition for executing the print jobs forming the subgroup, from among a plurality of output devices.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the storage stores some of the print jobs forming the group print job as a subgroup in accordance with a remaining amount of continuous-form paper stored in an output device.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is programmed to preferentially select, as the output device, an output device that satisfies conditions that an amount of continuous-form paper stored in the output device is greater than or equal to the remaining amount of continuous-form paper and that a difference between the stored amount of continuous-form paper and the remaining amount of continuous-form paper is smaller than or equal to a threshold.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein, if the processor is unable to preferentially select an output device, the processor is programmed to display a volume of a print job ordered by each client and an amount of paper stored in each of the plurality of the output devices and instructs a user to select an output device.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
receiving print jobs and forming a group print job constituted by print jobs that satisfy a certain condition for being printed and contained within specified continuous-form paper;
determining whether an amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds a total amount of the specified continuous-form paper;
upon determining that the amount of paper required for the group print job exceeds the total amount of the specified continuous-form paper, separately storing some of the print jobs forming the group print job as a subgroup; and
selecting, based on stored information, an output device storing a sufficient number of cut sheets to compensate for a shortage in the specified continuous-form paper, thereby being configured to output the cut sheets which satisfy an execution condition for executing the print jobs forming the subgroup, from among a plurality of output devices.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Fukami Dai

Classifications

• G06F3/1205

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

• G06F3/1203

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• G06F3/1282

  High volume printer device · CPC title

• G06F3/1268

  Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself · CPC title

• G06F3/1262 Primary

  by grouping or ganging jobs · CPC title