Printing system, print control method, and program

A printing system comprising an order management server and a plurality of printing location apparatuses, the order management server configured to receive printing orders placed from a plurality of order placement location apparatuses via a network, and each printing location apparatus configured to receive a printing order spooled on the order management server via the network and to process the received printing order,

• wherein each printing location apparatus comprises:
• a status acquisition unit configured to acquire a status managed by the order management server;
• a notification unit configured to notify a printing order estimated time, which is a time taken for completing processing of a printing order of each printing article that has been received from the order management server and is in a processing waiting state, to the order management server at a predetermined time interval;
• and
• an order receiving unit configured to receive printing orders spooled on the order management server and distributed to each printing location apparatus, and
• wherein the order management server comprises:
• a status storage unit configured to store a status to be referred to by each printing location apparatus;
• a storage unit configured to store a plurality of printing orders placed from the order placement location apparatuses;
• an updating unit configured to update printing order estimated time information according to each printing order estimated time notified from each printing location apparatus;
• a determination unit configured to determine a printing location apparatus or apparatuses to which to distribute the printing orders stored in the storage unit according to a content of each printing order placed from the order placement location apparatuses and the printing order estimated time information;
• and
• a spooling unit configured to spool printing orders associated with each printing location apparatus determined by the determination unit.

A printing control method for a printing system including an order management server configured to receive printing orders placed from a plurality of order placement location apparatuses via a network and to distribute the received printing orders to a plurality of printing location apparatuses via the network, the printing control method comprising:

• causing each printing location apparatus to notify a printing order estimated time, which is a time taken for completing processing of a printing order of each printing article that has been received from the order management server and is in a processing waiting state, to the order management server at a predetermined time interval;
• and
• causing the order management server, including a storage unit configured to store a plurality of printing orders placed from the order placement location apparatuses, to perform operations comprising:
• updating printing order estimated time information according to each printing order estimated time notified from each printing location apparatus;
• determining a printing location apparatus or apparatuses to which to distribute the plurality of printing orders stored in the storage unit according to a content of each printing order placed from any of the order placement location apparatuses and the notified printing order estimated time information;
• and
• transferring the printing orders stored in the storage unit to the determined printing location apparatus or apparatuses.

A printing control method for a printing system including an order management server configured to receive printing orders placed from a plurality of order placement location apparatuses via a network and printing location apparatuses each configured to receive a printing order spooled on the order management server via the network and to process the received printing order, the printing control method comprising:

• causing each printing location apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• acquiring a status managed by the order management server;
• notifying a printing order estimated time, which is a time taken for completing processing of a printing order of each printing article that has been received from the order management server and is in a processing waiting state, to the order management server at a predetermined time interval;
• and
• receiving printing orders spooled on the order management server and distributed to each printing location apparatus;
• and
• causing the order management server, including a status storage unit configured to store a status to be referred to by each printing location apparatus and a storage unit configured to store a plurality of printing orders placed from the order placement location apparatuses, to perform operations comprising:
• updating printing order estimated time information according to each printing order estimated time notified from each printing location apparatus;
• determining a printing location apparatus or apparatuses to which to distribute the printing orders stored in the storage unit according to a content of each printing order placed from the order placement location apparatuses and the printing order estimated time information;
• and
• spooling printing orders associated with each determined printing location apparatus.

A printing system comprising a management server and a plurality of printing apparatuses, the management server configured to receive print jobs issued from a plurality of client apparatuses via a network and to selectively distribute the received print jobs to the plurality of printing apparatuses via the network,

• wherein each printing apparatus comprises a notification unit configured to periodically notify a printing estimated time taken for completing processing of a print job that is in a processing waiting state to the management server, and
• wherein the management server comprises:
• a storage unit configured to store a plurality of printing orders placed from the client apparatuses;
• an updating unit configured to update estimated time information according to each printing estimated time notified from each printing apparatus;
• a determination unit configured to determine a printing apparatus or apparatuses to which to distribute the plurality of printing orders stored in the storage unit according to a content of the print job input from any client apparatus and the printing estimated time information notified from the notification unit;
• and
• a transfer unit configured to transfer the printing orders stored in the storage unit to the printing apparatus or apparatuses determined by the determination unit.

A printing system comprising a management server and a plurality of printing apparatuses, the management server configured to receive print jobs placed from a plurality of client apparatuses via a network, and each printing apparatus configured to selectively receive print jobs spooled on the management server via the network,

• wherein each printing apparatus comprises:
• a status acquisition unit configured to acquire a status managed by the management server;
• a notification unit configured to notify a printing estimated time taken for completing processing of a print job that is in a processing waiting state to the management server at a predetermined time interval;
• and
• a job receiving unit configured to receive print jobs spooled on the management server and distributed to each printer apparatus, and
• wherein the management server comprises:
• a status storage unit configured to store the status to be referred to by each printer apparatus;
• a storage unit configured to store a plurality of print jobs from the client apparatuses;
• an updating unit configured to update printing estimated time information according to each printing estimated time notified from each printing apparatus;
• a determination unit configured to determine a printer apparatus or apparatuses to which to distribute the print jobs stored in the storage unit according to a content of each print job from the client apparatuses and the printing estimated time information notified by the notification unit;
• and
• a spooling unit configured to spool print jobs associated with each printing apparatus determined by the determination unit.