Print control program, method of controlling printing apparatus, and print control unit

A print control unit for execution of a print job, the print job being shared among a main printing apparatus and one or more sub-printing apparatus(es), the print control unit being connected to a main printing apparatus and one or more sub-printing apparatus(es) through a communication line, the print control unit comprising:

• a program storing section for storing a print control program for controlling the execution of the print job;
• a processing section for executing the stored print control program;
• and
• a communication section for allowing communication between the print control unit and each of the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es),
• wherein the print control program allows the processing section to function as:
• a print requesting section for requesting the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) to execute the print job in a cooperative manner;
• an apparatus information acquiring section for acquiring an apparatus information;
• an instruction determining section for determining shares of the print job respectively assigned to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) based upon the acquired apparatus information;
• and
• a controlling section for generating control instructions and causing the communication section to transmit the control instructions to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) respectively, the control instructions respectively allowing communications between the print control unit and each of the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es), the control instructions being for controlling the execution of the print job, wherein
• the apparatus information acquiring section acquires the apparatus information that is related to the printing capabilities of the main printing apparatus and sub-printing apparatus(es) and is stored in advance in the main printing apparatus as unified information;
• and
• an informing section for informing the user of a warning,
• wherein the main printing apparatus modifiably stores one or more destination(s) used in the transmission of the control instruction(s) to the sub-printing apparatus(es),
• the print requesting section makes a plurality of requests for the print job,
• the apparatus information acquiring section further acquires the destination(s) from the main printing apparatus as apparatus information, each time the request for the print jobs are made, and
• when the acquired destination is modified from the destination acquired upon request for the previous print job, the informing section informs that the destination is changed and displays a screen requesting a user input to confirm whether or not the user intends to continue the print job, and
• further wherein the control instruction to be transmitted to the main printing apparatus and the control instruction(s) to be transmitted to the sub-printing apparatus(es) are each composed of a sequence of instructions including an instruction for printing preparation and are transmitted thereto intermittently, and after the controlling section causes the communication section to transmit the instructions for printing preparation to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printinq apparatus(es) respectively, the controlling section causes the communication section to transmit succeeding instructions, included in the respective sequences of instructions, to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printinq apparatus(es) respectively, and
• each instruction for printing preparation is an instruction that causes the main printing apparatus or the sub-printing apparatuses to return from a power saving mode to a printing standby mode, the instruction facilitating start-up of the print job.

A method for executing a print job, the print job being shared among a main printing apparatus and one or more sub-printing apparatus(es), the main printing apparatus and one or more sub-printing apparatus(es) being connected to a computer through a communication line, the method comprising the steps of:

• requesting the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) to execute the print job in a cooperative manner;
• acquiring an apparatus information;
• determining shares of the print job respectively assigned to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) based upon the acquired apparatus information;
• generating control instructions, the control instructions respectively allowing communications between the print control unit and each of the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es), the control instructions being for controlling the execution of the print job;
• and
• transmitting the control instructions to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) respectively, wherein
• the apparatus information is information related to the printing capabilities of the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) and is stored in advance in the main printing apparatus as unified information;
• and
• informing the user of a warning,
• wherein the main printing apparatus modifiably stores one or more destination(s) used in the transmission of the control instruction(s) to the sub-printing apparatus(es),
• requesting a plurality of requests for the print job,
• further acquiring the destination(s) from the main printing apparatus as apparatus information, each time the request for the print jobs are made, and
• when the acquired destination is modified from the destination acquired upon request for the previous print job, informing that the destination is changed and displaying a screen requesting a user input to confirm whether or not the user intends to continue the print job, and
• further wherein the control instruction to be transmitted to the main printing apparatus and the control instruction(s) to be transmitted to the sub-printing apparatus(es) are each composed of a sequence of instructions including an instruction for printing preparation and are transmitted thereto intermittently, and after the controlling section causes the communication section to transmit the instructions for printing preparation to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) respectively, the controlling section causes the communication section to transmit succeeding instructions, included in the respective sequences of instructions, to the main printing apparatus and the sub-printing apparatus(es) respectively, and
• each instruction for printing preparation is an instruction that causes the main printing apparatus or the sub-printing apparatuses to return from a power saving mode to a printing standby mode, the instruction facilitating start-up of the print job.