Communication control method in image forming system which comprises a plurality of applications and an image forming apparatus and in which at least a print job described in JDF code is transmitted from said applications to said image forming apparatus and a message described in JMF code is exchanged between said applications and said image forming apparatus, storage medium stored with program for said image forming system, and said image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9372650-B2
Application number	US-201514597559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A communication control method in an image forming system according to the present invention includes a step (a) of specifying an application based on the description of a print job or the like transmitted from any of applications to an image forming apparatus, a step (b) of managing the rules of describing the print job for dynamic value including any values assigned per print job, which are added to the print job, per application together with operations associated with the dynamic values, and a step (c) of recognizing the dynamic value by analyzing the print job according to the rules managed in the step (b) for the application specified in the step (a) for the print job, and performing the operations associated with the dynamic value for the dynamic value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication control method in an image forming system which comprises a plurality of applications and an image forming apparatus and in which at least a print job described in JDF code is transmitted from said applications to said image forming apparatus and a message described in JMF code is exchanged between said applications and said image forming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) specifying an application based on a description of said print job and said message associated with said print job, transmitted from any of said applications to said image forming apparatus;
(b) managing rules of describing said print job for dynamic value including any values assigned per print job, which is added to said print job, per application together with operations associated with said dynamic value;
(c) recognizing said dynamic value by analyzing said print job according to said rules managed in said step (b) for said application specified in said step (a) for said print job, and performing said operations associated with said dynamic values managed in said step (b) for said recognized dynamic value; and
(d) managing said dynamic value recognized in said step (c),
wherein said operations performed in said step (c) comprise:
an operation of, when at least one of said print job and said message associated with said print job is received by said image forming apparatus, storing and managing said dynamic values recognized in said step (c) in said step (d); and
an operation of, when said message for response or notification to said print job is transmitted to said application specified in said step (a), adding said dynamic values managed in said step (d) to said message to said print job.

2. The communication control method in the image forming system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a unique internal job ID is further given to each of said dynamic values recognized in said step (c) and said dynamic values are managed in combination with said internal job IDs given to said dynamic values in step (d), and
wherein said operations performed in said step (c) comprise:
an operation of, when at least one of said print job and said message associated with said print job is received by said image forming apparatus, storing and managing said dynamic value recognized in said step (c) in combination with said internal job ID in said step (d); and
an operation of, when said message for response or notification to said print job is transmitted to said application specified in said step (a), adding said dynamic value to said message to said print job when a combination of said dynamic value recognized from said print job and said internal job ID given to said dynamic value matches with said combination managed in said step (d).

3. The communication control method in the image forming system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a step (e) of managing rules of describing said message for static value which is fixed value per application together with operation associated with said static value,
wherein when said message for response or notification to said print job is transmitted to said application specified in said step (a), said operations managed in said step (e) for said specified application are further performed according to said rules in said step (c).

4. The communication control method in the image forming system as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:
a step (f) of managing an association between rules of describing said print job or said message associated with said print job in order to specify said application and said application,
wherein at least one of said print job and said message associated with said print job is analyzed according to said rules managed in said step (f) so as to specify said application in said step (a), and
said rules and said operations are stored and independently managed in a non-volatile storage medium in said step (b), said step (e) and said step (f).

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium stored with a program, said program causing an image forming system which comprises a plurality of applications and an image forming apparatus and in which at least a print job described in JDF code can be transmitted from said applications to said image forming apparatus and a message described in JMF code can be exchanged between said applications and said image forming apparatus to execute a process comprising the steps of:
(a) of specifying an application based on a description of said print job and said message associated with said print job transmitted from any of said applications to said image forming apparatus;
(b) of managing rules of describing said print job for dynamic values including any values assigned per print job, which is added to said print job, per application together with operations associated with said dynamic value;
(c) of recognizing said dynamic value by analyzing said print job according to said rules managed in said step (b) for said application specified in said step (a) for said print job, and performing said operations associated with said dynamic value managed in said step (b) for said recognized dynamic value; and
(d) managing said dynamic value recognized in said step (c), and
said operations performed in said step (c) comprise:
an operation of, when at least one of said print job and said message associated with said print job is received by said image forming apparatus, storing and managing said dynamic value recognized in said step (c) in said step (d); and
an operation of, when said message for response or notification to said print job is transmitted to said application specified in said step (a), adding said dynamic value managed in said step (d) to said message to said print job.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium stored with a program as claimed in claim 5 ,
wherein a unique internal job ID is further given to each of said dynamic values recognized in said step (c) and said dynamic values are managed in combination with said internal job IDs given to said dynamic values in said step (d), and
said operations performed in said step (c) comprise:
an operation of, when at least one of said print job and said message associated with said print job is received by said image forming apparatus, storing and managing said dynamic values recognized in said step (c) in combination with said internal job IDs in said step (d), and
an operation of, when said message for response or notification to said print job is transmitted to said application specified in said step (a), adding said dynamic value to said message to said print job when a combination of said dynamic value recognized from said print job and said internal job ID given to said dynamic value matches with said combination managed in said step (d).

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium stored with a program as claimed in claim 5 ,
wherein said process further comprise a step (e) of managing rules of describing said message for static values as fixed values per application together with operation associated with said static value, and
wherein when said message for response or notification to said print job is transmitted to said application specified in said step (a), said operations managed in said step (e) are further performed for said specified application according to said rules in said step (c).

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium stored with the program as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein said process further comprise a step (f) of managing an association between rules of describing said print job or said message associated with said print job in order to specify said application and said application,
at least o

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Shibata Kuniyasu

Classifications

• G06F3/121

  Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted · CPC title

• G06F3/1209 Primary

  resulting in adapted or bridged legacy communication protocols, e.g. emulation, protocol extension · CPC title

• G06F3/1285

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

• G06F3/1257 Primary

  by using pre-stored settings, e.g. job templates, presets, print styles · CPC title

• G06F3/1207

  resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission · CPC title