Print relay system, image forming apparatus, system control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8994979-B2
Application number	US-201113319005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2011
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

A print relay system determines whether a printing function (capability) of an image forming apparatus corresponding to user authority setting has been registered in a printing service. Having determined that the printing function has been registered, the print relay system enables other users having the same authority to share the printing function (capability) of the image forming apparatus registered in the printing service.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A print relay system capable of communicating with a printing service system managed by a vendor that releases specifications for data communication with an image forming apparatus, the print relay system comprising:
a determination unit configured to determine, when a request for registration of the image forming apparatus used by a user is acquired in a registered state of a first account that is an account of the user using the image forming apparatus and a second account that is an account of the print relay system in the printing service system, whether the second account and information regarding a printing function of the image forming apparatus have been registered in association with each other in the printing service system;
an instruction unit configured to instruct, when the determination unit determines that the second account and the information have not been registered in association with each other, registration of the second account and the information regarding the printing function in association with each other; and
a requesting unit configured to request, after the instruction of the instruction unit or when the determination unit determines that the second account and the information have been registered in association with each other, sharing to the printing service system to enable even the user of the first account to use the information regarding the printing function registered in association with the second account; and
a cancellation instruction unit configured to instruct, when the authority of the user to the image forming apparatus is changed, the printing service system to cancel a state where the first account shares the information regarding the printing function,
wherein the determination unit determines, when an authority of the user to the image forming apparatus is changed, whether information regarding the printing function corresponding to the changed authority has been registered in association with the second account,
wherein the instruction unit instructs, when the determination unit determines that the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority has not been registered, registration of the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority in association with the second account,
wherein the requesting unit requests, after the instruction of the instruction unit to register the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority in association with the second account, or when the determination unit determines that the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority has been registered, sharing to the printing service system to enable even the user of the changed authority to use the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority registered in association with the second account, and
wherein the instruction unit gives the instruction after the cancellation instruction unit cancels the state where the first account shares the information regarding the printing function.

2. The print relay system according to claim 1 , wherein the printing service system provides a print setting screen to a user based on the information regarding the printing function stored in association with the account of the user,
wherein the image forming apparatus restricts use according to an authority to the image forming apparatus;
wherein the determination unit acquires an authority of the user to the image forming apparatus, and determines whether information regarding the printing function based on the acquired authority has been registered in association with the second account in the printing service system,
wherein the instruction unit instructs, when the determination unit determines that the information has not been registered, registration of the information regarding the printing function based on the acquired authority in association with the second account, and
wherein the requesting unit requests, when the determination unit determines that the information has been registered or after the instruction of the instruction unit, sharing to the printing service system to enable even the user of the first account to use the information regarding the printing function registered in association with the second account.

3. The print relay system according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit, when a change in configuration of the image forming apparatus necessitates updating of the information regarding the printing function registered in association with the second account, information necessary for updating the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus to the printing service system.

4. An image forming apparatus for transmitting data to a print relay system capable of communicating with a printing service system managed by a vendor that releases specifications for data communication with the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a determination unit configured to determine, when registration of the image forming apparatus used by a user is instructed in a registered state of a first account that is an account of the user using the image forming apparatus and a second account that is an account of the print relay system in the printing service system, whether the second account and information regarding a printing function of the image forming apparatus have been registered in association with each other in the printing service system;
an instruction unit configured to instruct, when the determination unit determines that the second account and the information have not been registered in association with each other, the print relay system to register the second account and the information regarding the printing function in association with each other;
a requesting unit configured to request, when the determination unit determines that the second account and the information have been registered in association with each other, sharing to the printing service system to enable even the user of the first account to use the information regarding the printing function registered in association with the second account; and
a cancellation instruction unit configured to instruct, when the authority of the user to the image forming apparatus is changed, the printing service system to cancel a state where the first account shares the information regarding the printing function,
wherein the determination unit determines, when an authority of the user to the image forming apparatus is changed, whether information regarding the printing function corresponding to the changed authority has been registered in association with the second account,
wherein the instruction unit instructs, when the determination unit determines that the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority has not been registered, registration of the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority in association with the second account,
wherein the requesting unit requests, after the instruction of the instruction unit to register the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority in association with the second account, or when the determination unit determines that the information regarding the printing function of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the changed authority has been registered, sharing to the

Assignees

• Kashioka Atsushi
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kashioka Atsushi

Classifications

• G06F3/1204 Primary

  resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data · CPC title

• G06F3/1222

  Increasing security of the print job · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title

• G06F3/129

  in server-printer device-client configuration, e.g. print flow goes from server to printer and then bidirectional from printer to client, i.e. the client does not communicate with the server · CPC title

• G06F3/1239

  Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts · CPC title