Printing control system, printing control method, and image processor

A printing control method, comprising:

• transmitting print request data from an information terminal to an image processor;
• analyzing the print request data received from the information terminal;
• determining, based on a result of the analyzing, whether the print request data have requested printing of data included in the print request data or have requested acquisition of data based on storage destination information thereof included in the print request data and printing of the acquired data;
• acquiring the data stored in a storage based on the storage destination information in response to determining that the print request data have requested the acquisition of the data;
• determining whether a data format of the data included in the print request data or acquired from the storage is printable in the image processor without conversion based on the result of the analyzing, and determining whether the data format of the included or acquired data is convertible into a printable format printable in the image processor in response to determining that the data format of the included or acquired data is not printable in the image processor without conversion;
• transmitting, in response to determining that the data format of the included or acquired data is convertible into the printable format, the included or acquired data to a data converter and requesting the data converter to convert the data format of the included or acquired data into the printable format;
• and
• printing the data included in the print request data in response to determining that the data format of the included data is printable in the image processor without conversion, or printing the included or acquired data of the converted data format returned from the data converter,
• wherein said analyzing includes determining a presence or absence of the storage destination information in the received print request data and includes determining a presence or absence of an extension of the received print request data,
• wherein it is determined that the print request data have requested the printing of the data included in the print request data in response to said analyzing determining the absence of the storage destination information in the received print request data, and it is determined that the print request data have requested the acquisition and the printing of the data in response to said analyzing determining the presence of the storage destination information in the received print request data,
• wherein it is determined whether the data format of the data included in the print request data is printable in the image processor without conversion based on the presence or absence of the extension of the received print request data determined by said analyzing in response to determining that the print request data have requested the printing of the data included in the print request data, and it is determined that the data format of the data included in the print request data is printable in the image processor without conversion in response to the absence of the extension of the received print request data, and
• wherein a plurality of data converters in which the data format of the included or acquired data are convertible into the printable format printable in the image processor is determined and a request for information is transmitted to the determined plurality of data converters, and values of processing workloads of the determined plurality of data converters are obtained and compared and said data converter is determined as a data converter to request to convert the data format of the included or acquired data into the printable format printable in the image processor when said data converter has the lowest processing workloads among the determined plurality of data converters.

An image processor, comprising:

• an analysis part configured to analyze print request data received from an information terminal;
• a request determining part configured to determine, based on a result of analysis by the analysis part, whether the print request data have requested printing of data included in the print request data or have requested acquisition of data based on storage destination information thereof included in the print request data and printing of the acquired data;
• a data acquisition part configured to acquire the data stored in a storage based on the storage destination information in response to the request determining part determining that the print request data have requested the acquisition of the data;
• a format determining part configured to determine whether a data format of the data included in the print request data or acquired from the storage is printable in the image processor without conversion based on the result of analysis by the analysis part, and to determine whether the data format of the included or acquired data is convertible into a printable format printable in the image processor in response to determining that the data format of the included or acquired data is not printable in the image processor without conversion;
• a conversion requesting part configured to, in response to the format determining part determining that the data format of the included or acquired data is convertible into the printable format, transmit the included or acquired data to a data converter and request the data converter to convert the data format of the included or acquired data into the printable format;
• and
• a printing control part configured to print the data included in the print request data in response to the format determining part determining that the data format of the included data is printable in the image processor without conversion, or to print the included or acquired data of the converted data format returned from the data converter,
• wherein the analysis by the analysis part includes determining a presence or absence of the storage destination information in the received print request data and includes determining a presence or absence of an extension of the received print request data,
• wherein the request determining part is configured to determine that the print request data have requested the printing of the data included in the print request data in response to the analysis by the analysis part determining the absence of the storage destination information in the received print request data, and to determine that the print request data have requested the acquisition and the printing of the data in response to the analysis by the analysis part determining the presence of the storage destination information in the received print request data,
• wherein the format determining part is configured to determine whether the data format of the data included in the print request data is printable in the image processor without conversion based on the presence or absence of the extension of the received print request data determined by the analysis by the analysis part in response to the request determining part determining that the print request data have requested the printing of the data included in the print request data, and to determine that the data format of the data included in the print request data is printable in the image processor without conversion in response to the absence of the extension of the received print request data, and
• wherein the conversion requesting part is configured to determine a plurality of data converters in which the data format of the included or acquired data are convertible into the printable format printable in the image processor and to transmit a request for information to the determined plurality of data converters, and to obtain and compare values of processing workloads of the determined plurality of data converters and determine said data converter as a data converter to request to convert the data format of the included or acquired data into the printable format printable in the image processor when said data converter has the lowest processing workload among the determined plurality of data converters.