Server and printing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11537343-B2
Application number	US-202117645111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2020
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A server includes a server storage that stores a print job related information record in which a print job ID is associated with network information, a first acquirer that acquires a print request, a transmitter that transmits a print instruction to a terminal device based on the stored network information associated with the print job ID included in the print request acquired by the first acquirer, a second acquirer that acquires print job information from the terminal device, and an updater that updates, based on the acquired print job information, the stored print job related information record including the print job ID included in the print job information acquired by the second acquirer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server configured to communicate via a network with a terminal device that stores a print job and a printing device that performs printing based on the print job received from the terminal device, the server comprising:
a storage that stores association information in which identification information of the print job is associated with network information of the terminal device;
a first acquirer that acquires a print request including the identification information from the printing device;
a transmitter that transmits, to the terminal device, a print instruction to transmit the print job indicated by the identification information included in the acquired print request based on the network information stored in the storage and associated with the identification information included in the acquired print request when the first acquirer acquires the print request;
a second acquirer that acquires print job information including the identification information and the network information from the terminal device; and
an updater that updates, based on the acquired print job information, the association information stored in the storage and including the identification information included in the acquired print job information when the second acquirer acquires the print job information.

2. The server according to claim 1 , wherein
when the second acquirer acquires the print job information, the updater updates the network information stored in the storage and associated with the identification information included in the acquired print job information to the network information included in the acquired print job information.

3. The server according to claim 1 , wherein
when the terminal device is connected to the network, the second acquirer acquires the print job information from the terminal device.

4. The server according to claim 1 , wherein
the storage stores the association information in which the identification information is associated with the network information and state information associated with the network information and indicating that the terminal device is in a transmittable state in which the print job is transmittable to the printing device or indicating that the terminal device is in a non-transmittable state in which the print job is not transmittable to the printing device, and
when the terminal device is disconnected from the network, the updater updates the state information stored in the storage and associated with the network information of the terminal device disconnected from the network to the state information indicating the non-transmittable state.

5. The server according to claim 4 , wherein
the second acquirer acquires the print job information from the terminal device when the terminal device is reconnected to the network,
the updater updates the state information stored in the storage and associated with the network information of the reconnected terminal device to the state information indicating the transmittable state, and
the updater updates, to the network information included in the acquired print job information, the network information stored in the storage and associated with the identification information included in the print job information acquired from the reconnected terminal device.

6. The server according to claim 4 , wherein
when the terminal device is reconnected to the network, and the network information when the terminal device is reconnected to the network is not different from the network information when the terminal device is disconnected from the network, the updater updates the state information stored in the storage and associated with the network information of the reconnected terminal device to the state information indicating the transmittable state and does not update the network information.

7. The server according to claim 1 , wherein
when the storage does not store the identification information included in the print job information acquired by the second acquirer, the transmitter transmits a deletion request to delete the print job indicated by the identification information to the terminal device that transmitted the print job information acquired by the second acquirer.

8. The server according to claim 1 , wherein
the network information includes an IP address.

9. A printing system comprising:
a terminal device that stores a print job;
a printing device that performs printing based on the print job received from the terminal device; and
a server configured to communicate with the terminal device and the printing device via a network, wherein
the terminal device includes a print job information transmitter that transmits, to the server, print job information including identification information of the print job and network information of the terminal device, and
the server includes
a storage that stores association information in which the identification information is associated with the network information,
a first acquirer that acquires a print request including the identification information from the printing device,
a transmitter that transmits, to the terminal device, a print instruction to transmit the print job indicated by the identification information included in the acquired print request based on the network information stored in the storage and associated with the identification information included in the acquired print request when the first acquirer acquires the print request,
a second acquirer that acquires the print job information from the terminal device, and
an updater that updates, based on the acquired print job information, the association information stored in the storage and including the identification information included in the acquired print job information when the second acquirer acquires the print job information.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okada Hiromu

Classifications

• G06F3/1288

  in client-server-printer device configuration · CPC title

• G06F3/1236

  Connection management · CPC title

• G06F3/1205

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

• B41J2/00

  Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed (mounting, arrangement or disposition of types or dies B41J1/00) · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title