Server system that improves availability of a plurality of printers, print controller, information processing apparatus, and print service system

A print controller that is capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus and a plurality of printers via a network, and functions as a virtual printer for providing a print service to the information processing apparatus by using the plurality of printers, comprising:

• a registration acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the plurality of printers, capabilities information of the printers;
• a request unit configured to request each of the plurality of printers to validate whether printing with a combination of print settings is executable thereby based on the acquired capabilities information of the plurality of printers;
• and
• a storage unit configured to store, in a case where it is determined based on a response from each of the plurality of printers that processing with the combination of print settings is executable by none of the plurality of printers, the combination of print settings as information indicative of a combination of print settings conflicting with each other between the plurality of printers.

An information processing apparatus that communicates with a print controller,

• wherein the print controller is capable of communicating with the information processing apparatus and a plurality of printers via a network, and functions as a virtual printer for providing a print service to the information processing apparatus by using the plurality of printers,
• the print controller including:
• a registration acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the plurality of printers, capabilities information of the printers,
• a request unit configured to request each of the plurality of printers to validate whether printing with a combination of print settings is executable thereby based on the acquired capabilities information of the plurality of printers,
• a storage unit configured to store, in a case where it is determined based on a response from each of the plurality of printers that processing with the combination of print settings is executable by none of the plurality of printers, the combination of print settings as information indicative of a combination of print settings conflicting with each other between the plurality of printers,
• a second reception unit configured to receive a request from the information processing apparatus, for acquiring the information indicative of a combination of print settings conflicting with each other, and
• a transmission unit configured to transmit, in a case where the acquisition request is received, the information indicative of a combination of print settings conflicting with each other, stored in the storage unit, to the information processing apparatus,
• the information processing apparatus comprising:
• an acquisition unit configured to acquire the information indicative of a combination of print settings conflicting with each other in a print service provided by the virtual printer, by transmitting the acquisition request;
• a display unit configured to display a print settings screen for a user to configure print settings of a print job to be transmitted to the virtual printer;
• and
• a restriction unit configured to restrict the combination of print settings conflicting with each other from being set, via the print settings screen, based on the acquired information.

A print service system that includes an information processing apparatus, a print controller, and a plurality of printers, which are capable of communicating with each other via a network, and causes the print controller to function as a virtual printer that provides a print service to the information processing apparatus by using the plurality of printers, comprising:

• a first request unit configured to transmit a registration request from each of the plurality of printers to the print controller when a registration instruction is received from a user;
• a second request unit configured to register the plurality of printers in the print controller as output destinations in response to the registration request, and transmit, from the print controller, a request for acquiring capabilities information to the printers to be registered;
• a first response unit configured to transmit the capabilities information from each of the plurality of printers to the print controller as a response to the capabilities information request;
• a third request unit configured to request each of the plurality of printers from the print controller to validate whether or not printing with a combination of print settings determined based on the capabilities information of the plurality of printers is executable;
• a second response unit configured to transmit a result of the validation from each of the plurality of printers to the print controller as a response to the validation request;
• and
• a storage unit configured to interpret the result of the validation from each of the plurality of printers, and store, in a case where it is determined that printing with the combination of print settings is executable by none of the plurality of printers, the combination of print settings in the print controller as information indicative of a combination of print settings conflicting with each other between the plurality of printers.