Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and control method

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a print data item from a client device via a network;
• a print data storage configured to store the print data item received by the receiver in a first storage device;
• a print controller configured to control an operation of printing the print data item specified from among one or more of the print data items stored in the first storage device;
• a setting registerer configured to register a setting for controlling a generation process of generating a preview image corresponding to the print data item at a timing when the print data item is received by the receiver, the setting being specified by a user via a setting screen;
• a first preview image generator configured to generate the preview image of the print data item based on the setting, in response to the receiver receiving the print data item;
• a preview image storage configured to store the generated preview image in a second storage device;
• a preview request acceptor configured to accept a display request to display the preview image of the print data item specified from among the one or more of the print data items stored in the first storage device;
• a second preview image generator configured to confirm whether the requested preview image is already stored in the second storage device, and to generate the preview image when the requested preview image is not stored in the second storage device;
• and
• a display controller configured to control an operation of displaying the preview image, wherein
• the display controller acquires the preview image from the second storage device when the requested preview image is already stored, and acquires the preview image generated by the second preview image generator when the requested preview image is not stored.

A printing system comprising;

• a client device;
• an information processing apparatus;
• and
• an image forming apparatus, wherein
• the client device includes:
• a print data transmitter configured to transmit a print data item, which is to be printed by the image forming apparatus, to the information processing apparatus,
• the information processing apparatus includes:
• a receiver configured to receive the print data item from the client device;
• a print data storage configured to store the print data item received by the receiver in a first storage device;
• a request responder configured to transmit the print data item to the image forming apparatus that has made a print data acquisition request to acquire the print data item specified from among one or more of the print data items stored in the first storage device;
• a setting registerer configured to register a setting for controlling a generation process of generating a preview image corresponding to the print data item at a timing when the print data item is received by the receiver, the setting being specified by a user via a setting screen;
• a first preview image generator configured to generate the preview image of the print data item based on the setting, in response to the receiver receiving the print data item;
• a preview image storage configured to store the generated preview image in a second storage device;
• a preview request acceptor configured to accept, from the image forming apparatus, a preview image acquisition request to acquire the preview image of the print data item specified from among the one or more of the print data items stored in the first storage device;
• a second preview image generator configured to confirm whether the requested preview image is already stored in the second storage device, and to generate the preview image when the requested preview image is not stored in the second storage device;
• and
• a preview image transmitter configured to acquire the preview image from the second storage device and transmit the acquired preview image to the image forming apparatus, when the requested preview image is already stored, and to acquire the preview image generated by the second preview image generator and transmit the acquired preview image to the image forming apparatus, when the requested preview image is not stored, and
• the image forming apparatus includes:
• a preview requester configured to transmit the preview image acquisition request to acquire the preview image to the information processing apparatus;
• a preview displayer configured to display, on a screen, the preview image transmitted from the information processing apparatus in response to the preview image acquisition request;
• a print data requester configured to transmit the print data acquisition request to acquire the print data item to the information processing apparatus;
• and
• a printer configured to print the print data item transmitted from the information processing apparatus in response to the print data acquisition request.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

• receiving a print data item from a client device via a network;
• storing the received print data item in a first storage device;
• controlling an operation of printing the print data item specified from among one or more of the print data items stored in the first storage device;
• registering a setting for controlling a generation process of generating a preview image corresponding to the print data item at a timing when the print data item is received, the setting being specified by a user via a setting screen;
• generating the preview image of the print data item based on the setting, in response to receiving the print data item;
• storing the generated preview image in a second storage device;
• accepting a display request to display the preview image of the print data item specified from among the one or more of the print data items stored in the first storage device;
• confirming whether the requested preview image is already stored in the second storage device, and generating the preview image when the requested preview image is not stored in the second storage device;
• and
• controlling an operation of displaying the preview image, wherein
• the controlling of the operation of displaying the preview image includes acquiring the preview image from the second storage device when the requested preview image is already stored, and acquiring the preview image, which is generated when the requested preview image is not stored, when the requested preview image is not stored.