Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and image forming method

An image forming system comprising:

• a first server apparatus;
• and
• an image forming apparatus connected to the first server apparatus via a network,
• the image forming apparatus including,
• a communicating unit configured to receives, from the first server apparatus, an image forming job being a unit of execution of an image forming process of a first protocol or a second protocol other than the first protocol, the first protocol containing a series of process instructions and print data that allow the image forming process to be performed from an interrupted point when the image forming process is resumed after being interrupted,
• an image-formation processing unit configured to performs the image forming process by executing the image forming job,
• a priority processing unit configured such that, when an image forming process of an image forming job of the first protocol is interrupted and when receiving both an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process and an image forming job of the second protocol, the priority processing unit preferentially selects the image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process, the image-formation processing unit being configured to successively performs the interrupted image forming process by executing the preferentially-selected image forming job of the first protocol,
• a job determining unit configured to determine, when receiving a plurality of image forming jobs of the first protocol after the image forming process of the image forming job of the first protocol executed by the image-formation processing unit is interrupted, whether each of the plurality of received image forming jobs is an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process, the priority processing unit being configured such that when each received image forming job is the image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process, the priority processing unit preferentially selects each received image forming job as an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process,
• a first storage unit that stores therein a job table containing job identification information for identifying an image forming job and server identification information for identifying a server apparatus that has transmitted the image forming job, in an associated manner, and
• a job registering unit that registers, when receiving an image forming job of the first protocol, the server identification information of a server apparatus that has transmitted the image forming job of the first protocol and the job identification information of the received image forming job of the first protocol in the job table in an associated manner;
• and
• the first server apparatus including,
• a second communicating unit configured to transmits an image forming job of the first protocol to the image forming apparatus at times of starting up the image forming process and resuming the interrupted image forming process, wherein
• the job determining unit is configured such that after the image forming process of the image forming job of the first protocol executed by the image-formation processing unit is interrupted, when receiving an image forming job of the first protocol in which the job identification information of an image forming job related to the interrupted image forming process is specified, the job determining unit determines whether the server identification information of a server apparatus that has transmitted the received image forming job matches the server identification information that is stored in the job table and corresponding to the specified job identification information to thereby determine whether each of the plurality of received image forming jobs is an image forming job of the first protocol, and
• the priority processing unit is configured such that when the server identification information of the server apparatus that has transmitted the received image forming job matches the server identification corresponding to the specified job identification information, the priority processing unit preferentially selects each received image forming job as an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process, and when the server identification information of the server apparatus that has transmitted the received image forming job does not match the server identification information corresponding to the specified job identification information, the priority processing unit does not preferentially select the received image forming jobs.

An image forming method implemented by an image forming apparatus, the image forming method comprising:

• receiving, from a server apparatus connected to a network, an image forming job being a unit of execution of an image forming process of a first protocol or a second protocol other than the first protocol, the first protocol containing a series of process instructions and print data that allow the image forming process to be performed from an interrupted point when the image forming process is resumed after being interrupted;
• performing the image forming process by executing the image forming job;
• and
• preferentially selecting, when an image forming process of an image forming job of the first protocol is interrupted and an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process and an image forming job of the second protocol are received, the image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process, the performing including successively performing the interrupted image forming process by executing the preferentially-selected image forming job of the first protocol;
• determining, when receiving a plurality of image forming jobs of the first protocol after the image forming process of the image forming job of the first protocol executed by the image-formation processing unit is interrupted, whether each of the plurality of received image forming jobs is an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process, each received image forming job being preferentially selected as an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process when each received image forming job is the image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process;
• storing a job table containing job identification information for identifying an image forming job and server identification information for identifying a server apparatus that has transmitted the image forming job, in an associated manner;
• registering, when receiving an image forming job of the first protocol, the server identification information of a server apparatus that has transmitted the image forming job of the first protocol and the job identification information of the received image forming job of the first protocol in the job table in an associated manner;
• determining whether the server identification information of a server apparatus that has transmitted the received image forming job matches the server identification information that is stored in the job table and corresponding to the specified job identification information to thereby determine whether each of the plurality of received image forming jobs is an image forming job of the first protocol, after the image forming process of the image forming job of the first protocol executed by the image-formation processing unit is interrupted, when receiving an image forming job of the first protocol in which the job identification information of an image forming job related to the interrupted image forming process is specified;
• preferentially selecting each received image forming job as an image forming job of the first protocol related to the interrupted image forming process when the server identification information of the server apparatus that has transmitted the received image forming job matches the server identification corresponding to the specified job identification information, and not when the server identification information of the server apparatus that has transmitted the received image forming job does not match the server identification information corresponding to the specified job identification information.