Image forming apparatus, control method for image forming apparatus, image forming system, and storage medium

A control method for an image forming apparatus which has a print unit and a sheet supply unit, and communicates with an information processing apparatus, comprising steps of:

• displaying, on an operation unit, a window for inputting an instruction to cause the information processing apparatus to execute a dynamic layout function of dynamically determining a layout on the basis of template data so as to form an image by using template data including insertion data and layout information, wherein a designation item for designating a print quality, a designation item for designating a product name, and a designation item for designating a spot advertisement are included in the window;
• controlling transmitting by (i) transmitting to the information processing apparatus, specifying information for specifying the insertion data, which is input through the window displayed in the step of displaying, and is used when the dynamic layout function of the information processing apparatus is performed by using the insertion data stored in the database of the information processing apparatus and layout information for laying out the insertion data in accordance with an instruction input through a window displayed in the step of displaying, and by (ii) not transmitting, to the information processing apparatus, information indicating the print quality which is designated by the designation item input through the window displayed in said step of displaying, and is used when output process is executed by said print unit, wherein the designated product name and the designated spot advertisement are included in the specifying information;
• receiving contents data dynamically laid out in the information processing apparatus by using the specifying information transmitted in the step of controlling transmitting,
• wherein the contents data is generated by layout processing of the information processing apparatus based on an insertion data management table, an advertisement-product linking management table, an advertisement data management table, the designated product name, and the designated spot advertisement,
• wherein the contents data includes the product name, the product code, the product image, information related to the designated spot advertisement,
• wherein in the insertion management table, a product name, a product code, a product image, and a product classification are registered,
• wherein in the advertisement-product linking management table, the product classification and a product category for the advertisement related to the product classification are registered, and
• wherein in the advertisement data management table, a product name for the advertisement, a product code for the advertisement, a product image for the advertisement, and the product category for the advertisement are registered;
• and
• controlling said print unit based on the information indicating the print quality, in order to output the contents data received in the step of receiving,
• wherein the dynamic layout depends on a data amount of insertion data to be inserted, and a layout of the insertion data is dynamically determined by depending on the data amount of the insertion data to be inserted.

An image forming system including an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus which has a print unit and a sheet supply unit, and communicates with said information processing apparatus and can perform processing using a function of said information processing apparatus,

• said image forming apparatus comprises:
• a display unit adapted to display, on an operation unit, a window for inputting an instruction to cause said information processing apparatus to execute a dynamic layout function of dynamically determining a layout on the basis of template data so as to form an image by using template data including insertion data and layout information, wherein a designation item for designating a print quality, a designation item for designating a product name, and a designation item for designating a spot advertisement are included in the window, and
• a transmission control unit adapted (i) to transmit, to said information processing apparatus, specifying information for specifying the insertion data, which is input through the window displayed by the display unit, and is used when the dynamic layout function of the information processing apparatus is performed by using the insertion data stored in the database of the information processing apparatus and layout information for laying out the insertion data in accordance with an instruction input through a window displayed by said display unit, and (ii) not to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, information indicating the print quality which is designated by the designation item input through the window displayed by said display unit, and is used when output process is executed by said print unit, wherein the designated product name and the designated spot advertisement are included in the specifying information,
• said information processing apparatus comprises:
• a specifying information reception unit adapted to receive the specifying information transmitted by said transmission unit,
• a dynamic layout execution unit adapted to execute dynamic layout by using the specifying information, and
• a dynamic layout data transmission unit adapted to transmit data dynamically laid out by said dynamic layout execution unit to said image forming apparatus, and
• said image forming apparatus further comprises:
• a reception unit adapted to receive the contents data transmitted from said dynamic layout data transmission control unit
• wherein the contents data is generated by layout processing of the information processing apparatus based on an insertion data management table, an advertisement-product linking management table, an advertisement data management table, the designated product name, and the designated spot advertisement,
• wherein the contents data includes the product name, the product code, the product image, information related to the designated spot advertisement,
• wherein in the insertion management table, a product name, a product code, a product image, and a product classification are registered,
• wherein in the advertisement-product linking management table, the product classification and a product category for the advertisement related to the product classification are registered, and
• wherein in the advertisement data management table, a product name for the advertisement, a product code for the advertisement, a product image for the advertisement, and the product category for the advertisement are registered, and
• a control unit adapted to control said print unit, based on the information indicating the print quality, in order to output the contents data received by said reception unit,
• wherein the dynamic layout depends on a data amount of insertion data to be inserted, and a layout of the insertion data is dynamically determined by depending on the data amount of the insertion data to be inserted.