Image processing apparatus, maintenance system, and job control method
AssigneeKonica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYoshiyuki Tamai, Hisashi Uchida, Kazusei Takahashi, Masaya Hashimoto
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Abstract
To reduce downtime due to maintenance of an image processing apparatus as much as possible. Image processing jobs and maintenance jobs of the image processing apparatus are treated in the same way and registered together in the same table. With reference to a table having recorded therein prohibited functions that need to be prohibited during execution of the maintenance job, control is performed such that an image processing job that does not use the prohibited functions (Step S15: NO) is executed in parallel with the maintenance job even during execution (Step S16).
Claims18
An image processing apparatus capable of executing at least one of a plurality of image processing jobs including a copy job, a FAX job, a print job, and a scan job, the image processing apparatus comprising:
- a first receiver operable to receive one or more of the plurality of image processing jobs;
- a second receiver operable to receive one or more maintenance jobs necessary for maintaining the image processing apparatus;
- a job register operable to register therein the received image processing jobs and the received maintenance jobs;
- and
- a controller operable to control execution of the registered image processing jobs and the registered maintenance jobs, with reference to the job register,
- wherein when the controller judges a next job registered in the job register is an image processing job, the controller prevents the execution of the judged next job when the judged next job requires prohibited functions corresponding to an executing maintenance job,
- wherein when the judged next job is a maintenance job, the controller stores prohibited functions corresponding to the judged next job and prevents the subsequent execution of jobs that require the prohibited functions, and
- wherein if a maintenance job and an image processing job that are executable in parallel with each other are registered in the job register, the controller executes the maintenance job and the image processing job in parallel with each other.
A maintenance system for maintaining image processing apparatuses, the maintenance system including the image processing apparatuses and maintenance servers for executing maintenance jobs, the image processing apparatuses and the maintenance servers being connected with one another via a network, wherein each of the image processing apparatuses comprises:
- a first receiver operable to receive one or more image processing jobs;
- a second receiver operable to receive one or more maintenance jobs necessary for maintaining the image processing apparatus in association with designation of maintenance servers for respectively executing the maintenance jobs;
- a job register operable to register therein the received image processing jobs and the received maintenance jobs associated with the maintenance servers;
- a controller operable to control execution of the registered image processing jobs and the registered maintenance jobs, with reference to the job register,
- wherein when the controller judges a next job registered in the job register is an image processing job, the controller prevents the execution of the judged next job when the judged next job requires prohibited functions corresponding to an executing maintenance job,
- wherein when the judged next job is a maintenance job, the controller stores prohibited functions corresponding to the judged next job and prevents the subsequent execution of jobs that require the prohibited functions;
- wherein if a maintenance job and an image processing job that are executable in parallel with each other are registered in the job register, the controller executes the maintenance job and the image processing job in parallel with each other;
- an execution request transmitter operable to transmit an execution request for executing each of the maintenance jobs to one of the maintenance servers registered in association with the maintenance job, and each of the maintenance servers comprises:
- an execution request receiver operable to receive the execution request from the image processing apparatus;
- and
- a maintenance job executer operable, when the execution request is received, to boot an application for executing the maintenance job and execute the maintenance job.
A job control method executed in an image processing apparatus capable of executing at least one of a plurality of image processing jobs including a copy job, a FAX job, a print job, and a scan job, the job control method comprising:
- a first reception step of receiving one or more of the plurality of image processing jobs;
- a second reception step of receiving one or more maintenance jobs necessary for maintaining the image processing apparatus;
- a job registration step of registering in a job register the received image processing jobs and the received maintenance jobs;
- a control step of controlling execution of the registered image processing jobs and the registered maintenance jobs, with reference to the registration in the job registration step,
- wherein when the control step judges a next job registered in the job register is an image processing job, the execution of the judged next job is prevented when the judged next job requires prohibited functions corresponding to an executing maintenance job,
- wherein when the judged next job is a maintenance job, prohibited functions corresponding to the judged next job are stored and the subsequent execution of jobs that require the prohibited functions is prevented, and
- wherein if a maintenance job and an image processing job that are executable in parallel with each other are registered in the job register, the control step executes the maintenance job and the image processing job in parallel with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.