Image forming apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium, and image forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609720-B2
Application number	US-202117387790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2021
Priority date	Mar 10, 2021
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a processor configured to: acquire, from a print job, identification information that has been preset for a particular image forming apparatus in order to distinguish the particular image forming apparatus from plural image forming apparatuses connected to a network; acquire, from the particular image forming apparatus, user setting information that has been specified during instructing printing of the print job among pieces of user setting information that have been preset by a user for the particular image forming apparatus, information on settings to be used in printing being defined in the pieces of user setting information; and when it is possible to perform the printing with the settings defined in the specified user setting information, enable execution of the print job.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first image forming apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a transmission of a print job;
acquire, from the print job, identification information that has been preset upon being added to the print job by a user during instructing printing of the print job, the identification information being for a second image forming apparatus in order to distinguish the second image forming apparatus from a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a network,
wherein the print job includes: (i) the identification information for distinguishing the second image forming apparatus from the plurality of image forming apparatuses; (ii) authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job; and (iii) print data;
acquire, from the second image forming apparatus, user setting information that has been specified during instructing printing of the print job among pieces of user setting information that have been preset by a user for the second image forming apparatus, information on settings to be used in printing being defined in the pieces of user setting information;
determine whether it is possible to perform printing on the first image forming apparatus that has acquired the user setting information;
when a determination is made that it is possible to perform the printing of the print job with the settings defined in the specified user setting information, enable execution of the print job on the first image forming apparatus; and
when a determination is made that it is not possible to perform the printing of the print job with the settings defined in the specified user setting information, transfer the print job to the second image forming apparatus,
wherein the processor is configured to not receive the print data included in the print job before determining whether it is possible to perform printing with the user setting information.

2. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to:
when it is not possible to perform the printing with the settings defined in the specified user setting information, instruct the second image forming apparatus to perform the printing.

3. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to:
when it is not possible to perform the printing with the settings defined in the specified user setting information, be ready to receive an instruction to continue the printing with printable settings.

4. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the processor is configured to:
when it is not possible to perform the printing with the settings defined in the specified user setting information, be ready to receive an instruction to continue the printing with printable settings.

5. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user setting information comprises information on settings related to a printing sheet.

6. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the user setting information comprises information on settings related to a printing sheet.

7. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the user setting information comprises information on settings related to a printing sheet.

8. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the user setting information comprises information on settings related to a printing sheet.

9. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

10. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

11. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

12. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

13. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

14. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

15. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the print job, and print data, and
the processor is configured to:
upon receipt of input of the authentication information by the user, receive the print job matching the authentication information from an image forming apparatus that stores the print job among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and acquire the identification information from the print job.

16. The first image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the print job comprises the identification information, authentication information for authenticating the user who prints the pri

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Mori Kenji

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

• G06F3/1286

  via local network · CPC title

• G06F3/1205 Primary

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

• G06F3/1261

  by using alternate printing · CPC title