Printing system, print server, information processing device, and image forming device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9256387-B2
Application number	US-201414340692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A print server includes: a storing part for storing a printing rule defining an output condition for printing; a notifying part for notifying an information processing device of the printing rule and a setting change process which can be changed by a user through user operation to select corresponding to the printing rule; and a job converting part for changing a print setting of the print job based on the setting change process selected by the user thereby converting the print job to the print job matching the printing rule. The information processing device includes: an acquiring part for acquiring the printing rule and information relating to the setting change process; and a setting changing part for changing the setting change process performed by the job converting part to a different process within a range matching the printing rule.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system comprising an information processing device, a print server and an image forming device, said print server receiving a print job having an original print setting sent from said information processing device and the print job received by said print server being output to said image forming device so that printing process is performed, wherein
said print server includes:
a storage configured to store a printing rule defining an output condition for printing, and a plurality of setting change processes associated within a range matching said printing rules, said plurality of setting change processes including a default setting change process and at least one different setting change process; and
a first processor configured to:
notify said information processing device of said printing rule and said plurality of setting change processes in response to receiving a notification request from said information processing device; and
forcibly change the original print setting of the print job based on a setting change process selected by the user in response to receiving the print job from said information processing device, thereby converting the print job to a print job matching said printing rule, and

said information processing device includes:
a second processor configured to:
acquire said printing rule and information relating to said plurality of setting change processes by sending the notification request to said print server;
display said printing rule and details of said setting change processes based on the information acquired by said second processor;
change said setting change process performed by said first processor from said default setting change process to a different setting change process in response to the user operation to select as the information is being displayed on a display; and
send said different setting change process selected by the user to said print server.

2. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein
said first processor further configured to update said setting change processes applied when said first processor changes the print setting based on said setting change process received from said information processing device.

3. The printing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said first processor further configured to change the print setting of the print job based on said setting change process selected in advance as the default among from said multiple setting change processes,
said first processor further configured to send the information relating to said multiple setting change processes to said information processing device for notifying said information processing device of said setting change process, and
said first processor further configured to change said default setting change process applied when said first processor changes the print setting based on said setting change process selected among from said multiple setting change processes, said setting change process being received from said information processing device.

4. The printing system according to claim 2 , wherein
said first processor further configured to store in the storage determination information to determine whether or not said setting change process is within the range matching said printing rule, and
said first processor further configured to determine whether or not said setting change process received from said image forming device matches said printing rule based on said determination information, and updates said setting change process applied when said first processor changes the print setting based on said selected setting change process if determining that said setting change process matches said printing rule.

5. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein
said second processor further configured to generate the print job matching said printing rule based on said setting change process changed by said first processor and sending the generated print job to said print server.

6. The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processor is further configured to store a plurality of printing rules, and each of the printing rules is associated with a particular user of a particular group of users.

7. A printing system comprising a print server and an image forming device, a print job being stored in said print server and having an original print setting, said print server outputting the print job to said image forming device in response to a request from said image forming device so that printing process is performed, wherein
said print server includes:
part a first storage for storing the print job;
a second storage for storing a printing rule defining an output condition for printing, and a plurality of setting change processes associated within a range matching said printing rules, said plurality of setting change processes including a default setting change process and at least one different setting change process; and

a first processor configured to:
notify said image forming device of said printing rule and said plurality of setting change processes in response to receiving a notification request from said image forming device; and
forcibly change said original print setting of the print job based on a setting change process selected by the user in response to receiving a request for sending the print job stored in said first storage from said image forming device, thereby converting the print job to a print job matching said printing rule, and

said image forming device includes:
a display; and
a second processor configured to:
acquire said printing rule and information relating to said plurality of setting change processes by sending the notification request to said print server;
display said printing rule and details of said plurality of setting change processes based on the information acquired by said second processor;
change said setting change process performed by said first processor from said default setting change process to a different process in response to the user operation to select as the information is being displayed on said display; and
send said different setting change process selected by the user to said print server.

8. The printing system according to claim 7 , wherein
said first processor further configured to update said setting change process applied when said first processor changes the print setting based on said setting change processes received from said image forming device.

9. The printing system according to claim 8 , wherein
said first processor further configured to change the print setting of the print job based on said setting change process selected in advance as the default among from said multiple setting change processes,
said first processor further configured to send the information relating to said multiple setting change processes to said image forming device for notifying said image forming device of said setting change process, and
said first processor further configured to change said default setting change process applied when said first processor changes the print setting based on said setting change process selected among from said multiple setting change processes, said setting change process being received from said image forming device.

10. The printing system according to claim 8 , wherein
said first processor further configured to store in the second storage determination information to determine whether or not said setting change process is within the range matching said printing rule, and
said first processor further configured to determine whether or not said setting change process received from said image forming devic

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Nishizawa Maiko

Classifications

• G06F3/1239

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

• G06F3/1203

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

• G06F3/1285

  Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server · CPC title

• G06F3/1208

  resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview · CPC title

• G06F3/1253 Primary

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