Abstract:
Disclosed is a non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores a print management program causing a computer to function as a job progress status display unit that divides job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and displays plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display unit that selects and lists first print jobs in a first job progress status from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The job list display unit selects first functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses, and displays icons. Here, each of the icons accepts execution of corresponding one of the selected first functions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    An embodiment of the present invention relates to a print management program, a print management device, a print management method, and a print system for managing print jobs. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In a commercial printing industry, a commercial print service provider receives a printed material (such as a catalog, or an advertisement) from a customer, the commercial print service provider produces a customer&#39;s desired printed output material from the printing material, and the commercial print service provider receives compensation in return for delivering the printed output material to the customer. The commercial print service provider produces the printed output material by performing plural processes including the reception of the printing material and the delivery of the printed output material. The processes from the reception of the printing material to the delivery of the printed output material include prepress processes, such as the reception of the printing material from the customer, a reception of printing conditions for a printed output material, a color correction, a layout modification, and a correction of a binding position; postpress processes, such as proof printing for the customer to confirm the result of the prepress processes, printing and subsequent binding, and pressure bonding; and the delivery of the printed output material to the customer. Here, the number of the processes between the reception of the printing material and the delivery of the printed output material varies depending on a customer&#39;s desired printing condition for the printed output material. 
         [0005]    In a conventional commercial printing industry, a commercial print service provider tends to receive an order for printed materials that require mass printing from a customer, and the commercial print service provider responds to the mass printing of the printed materials by the above described processes. Further, for the printed materials that require the mass printing, there are many cases in which a printing condition on the printed materials from a customer is fixed. In the conventional commercial printing industry, the commercial print service provider performs the mass printing under a determined single printing condition. After completing the lot printing, the printing condition is altered, and the mass printing under the altered printing condition is performed again. Through such a print cycle, the customer&#39;s desired printed output material is produced. 
         [0006]    In the above printing cycle, plural processes tend to occur, when the printing condition is altered. Therefore, when the printing condition is not altered, the commercial print service provider can perform continuous printing in an ongoing process. Thus the mass printing can be efficiently performed. 
         [0007]    Recently, in the commercial printing industry, a so-called “print-on-demand (POD) market” is emerging, where relatively small lot of printed materials are delivered to a customer in a short delivery time. In the POD market, orders from plural customers tend to occur. Consequently, in the POD market, printed materials submitted to a commercial print service provider and printing conditions on printed output materials are diversified. 
         [0008]    Further, recently, digital printing has been widely used, and a computer has been widely used for controlling processes for producing printed materials. For example, technologies are emerging, such as a workflow for submitting a printed material as electronic data through a network and for controlling the above described plural processes. For example, in the workflow, printing operations in the plural processes are defined using a job ticket, which is called “Job Definition Format (JDF),” and the printing operations are controlled by a printing system. 
         [0009]    In accordance with such a change in the printing environment, commercial print service providers have been introducing the computer technologies into the printing systems, so as to produce printed materials, in response to receiving orders for the printed materials. On the other hand, the commercial service providers have been required to set up printing systems that can handle diversified printing conditions for the printed materials from customers. Further, in order to produce diversified printed materials desired by the customers, the commercial print service providers have been required to respond in a system aspect, such as introduction of plural printer devices and peripheral devices, as well as in a process aspect, such as modification of the above described plural processes in a relatively short cycle. 
         [0010]    The commercial print service providers have been required to respond as described above. Additionally, the commercial print service providers may be required to improve operational efficiency so as to increase profit. Measures for improving the operational efficiency include simplification of the processes. 
         [0011]    For example, the commercial print service providers are required to efficiently manage print jobs that are ordered day by day, and print the print jobs. However, as the number of the print jobs increases, it becomes difficult for the commercial print service providers to find a target print job among the massive amount of print jobs. 
         [0012]    For example, a technology has been conventionally known such that, in an information processing system, an identification of an electronic document is indicated in a list of electronic documents or in a list of search results by displaying management information, an icon, or a thumbnail of the electronic document (e.g., Patent Document 1 (Japanese Published Unexamined Application No. 2005-275836)). Here, the information processing device may be a document management system, which includes a database of electronic documents, each of the electronic documents being associated with management information (such as a name of the electronic document, a file name, or a keyword), and which performs searching for information. 
         [0013]    However, there is a problem that, when the target print job is searched for among the massive amount of print jobs, the commercial print service providers may be required to perform many operational steps, even if the commercial print service providers utilize the technology for indicating an identification of an electronic document in a list of electronic documents or in a list of search results by displaying management information, an icon, or a thumbnail of the electronic document. 
         [0014]    For example, when a commercial print service provider searches for a target print job, the commercial print service provider specifies information, such as a keyword, included in the management information as a search condition and narrows down the number of the print jobs. Then the commercial print service provider may be required to select the target print job by observing the display of management information, icons, and/or thumbnails of electronic documents. Thus there is a problem that operability is low. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The embodiment of the present invention has been developed in view of the above problems. An objective of the embodiment is to provide a print management program, a print management device, a print management method, and a print system that facilitate searching for a target print job. 
         [0016]    In one aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores a print management program causing a computer to function as a job progress status display unit that divides job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and that displays plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display unit that selects and lists first print jobs in a first job progress status from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The first job progress status is included in the divided job progress statuses and corresponds to one of the categories selected by the job progress status display unit. The job list display unit selects first functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses. Further, the job list display unit displays icons. Here, each of the icons accepts execution of corresponding one of the selected first functions. 
         [0017]    In another aspect, there is provided a print management device including a job progress status display unit that divides job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and that displays plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display unit that selects and lists first print jobs from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The first job progress status is included in the divided job progress statuses and corresponds to one of the categories selected by the job progress status display unit. The job list display unit selects functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses. 
         [0018]    Further, the job list display unit displays icons, each of the icons being configured to accept execution of corresponding one of the selected functions. 
         [0019]    In another aspect, there is provided a print management method executed by a computer. The method includes a job progress status display step for dividing job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and for displaying plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display step including a step for selecting and listing first print jobs in a first job progress status from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The first job progress status is included in the divided job progress statuses and corresponds to one of the categories selected by the job progress status display unit. Further, the job list display step includes a step for selecting first functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses, and a step for displaying icons, each of the icons being configured to accept execution of corresponding one of the selected first functions. 
         [0020]    In another aspect, there is provided a print system including a print management device and printers. The print management device includes a job progress status display unit that divides job progress statuses of a print job into plural categories and that displays plural of the categories so that each of the categories can be selected; and a job list display unit that selects and lists first print jobs from a first table that stores job progress statuses of print jobs. The first job progress status is included in the divided job progress statuses and corresponds to one of the categories selected by the job progress status display unit. The print management device further includes a printer interface unit that controls communications between the print management device and the printers and that updates contents of the first table based on information received from the printers. The job list display unit selects functions corresponding to the first job progress status of the listed first print jobs from a second table that stores functions corresponding to the divided job progress statuses. Further, the job list display unit displays icons, each of the icons being configured to accept execution of corresponding one of the selected functions. 
         [0021]    Further, a method, a device, a system, a computer program, a recording medium, and a data structure, to which a portion of the embodiment or an arbitrary combination of portions of the embodiment has been applied, may be effective as aspects of the embodiment. 
         [0022]    According to the embodiment, a print management program, a print management device, a print management method, and a print system, which facilitate searching for a target print job, are obtained. 
         [0023]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a personal computer; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of an example of a print server; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a configuration diagram of an example of a print job table; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a configuration diagram of an example of a print schedule table; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a configuration diagram of an example of an icon table; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  is an image diagram of an example of an operation screen; 
           [0031]      FIG. 8  is an image diagram of an example of a job progress status screen; 
           [0032]      FIG. 9  is an image diagram of an example of a printer list screen; 
           [0033]      FIG. 10  is an image diagram of an example of a job list screen; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing an example of an operating procedure, when an operator presses a button in the job progress status screen. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0035]    Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention is explained by referring to accompanying figures. 
         [0036]      FIG. 1  is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a print system according to the embodiment. In the system shown in  FIG. 1 , a user client  1  and a print system  2  are connected through a network  3 , such as the Internet. The user client  1  is a computer that is used by a customer for assigning a printing service to a commercial print service provider. The print system  2  is a system used by an operator of, for example, the commercial print service provider. 
         [0037]    Further, the print system  2  includes a management client  11 , a print server  12 , one or more printers  13 , and a network  14 , such as a LAN. The management client  11 , the print server  12 , and the printers  13  are connected through the network  14 . 
         [0038]    The customer transmits a print job including a job ticket for a document to be printed and print data to the print server  12  by operating an application running on the user client  1 . The management client  11  is a computer used by the operator of the commercial print service provider or the like for managing the assigned printing service. 
         [0039]    The operator accesses a web user interface of the print server  12  from the management client  11  using an html browser. With this, the operator may, at least, search for a print job to be printed, start printing, cancel printing, delete the print job, and manage the print system  2 . The print server  12  is an example of a print management device. The print server  12  causes the printer  13  to print the print job of the printing service assigned from the user client  1 . Further, the print server  12  graphically displays, at least, operating conditions of the printers  13  in real time. Each of the printers  13  generates a print image from the print job in accordance with controlling of the print server  12 , and prints the print image on a printing paper. 
         [0040]    The print server  12  is realized, for example, by a personal computer  20  (PC) having a hardware configuration shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a hardware configuration diagram of the example of the PC  20 . The PC  20  includes an input unit  21 , an output unit  22 , a recording media reading unit  23 , an auxiliary storage unit  24 , a main storage unit  25 , a processing unit  26 , and an interface unit  27 . The above elements of the PC  20  are mutually connected through a bus  29 . 
         [0041]    The input unit  21  is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The input unit  21  is used for inputting various signals. The output unit  22  is, for example, a display device. The output unit  22  is used for displaying various windows and data. The interface unit  27  is, for example, a modem or a LAN card. The interface unit  27  is used for connecting the PC  20  to the network  14 . 
         [0042]    A print management program installed on the print server  12  is at least a portion of various programs for controlling the PC  20 . The print management program is, for example, distributed as a recording medium  28 , or downloaded from the network  14 . 
         [0043]    As the recording medium  28 , various types of recording mediums may be utilized. For example, as the recording medium  28 , a recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, or a magnetic optical disk, may be utilized. In such a recording medium, information is optically, electrically, or magnetically recorded. Further, as the recording medium  28 , a semiconductor memory, such as a ROM, or a flash memory, may be utilized. In such a semiconductor memory, information is electrically recorded. 
         [0044]    When the recording medium  28 , in which the print management program is recorded, is set up in the recording media reading unit  23 , the management program is installed onto the auxiliary storage unit  24  from the recording medium  28  through the recording media reading unit  23 . Alternatively or additionally, the print management program may be downloaded from the network  14  or the like, and installed onto the auxiliary storage unit  24  through the interface device  27 . 
         [0045]    The auxiliary storage unit  24  stores the installed print management program, necessary files, and data. When the print management program is executed, the main storage unit  25  retrieves the print management program from the auxiliary storage unit  24  and stores the print management program therein. Then the processing unit  26  executes various processes (described later) in accordance with the print management program stored in the main storage unit  25 . 
         [0046]    The print server  12  includes, for example, functional blocks shown in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of an example of the print server  12 . The print management program is installed on the print server  12 . By executing the print management program, the print server  12  realizes a web user interface unit  31 , a printing document input unit  32 , a printer assigning unit  33 , an operation screen display unit  34 , a database management unit  35 , and a printer interface unit  36 . 
         [0047]    The web user interface unit  31  is an interface that controls communications between the print server  12  and the management client  11 . The web user interface unit  31  receives requests, such as a request of searching for a document to be printed, a request for starting printing, a request for canceling printing, a request for deleting a print job, and a request for managing the print system  2 , from the management client  11 . 
         [0048]    The printing document input unit  32  receives a print job including a job ticket and print data of a document to be printed from the user client  1 . The printing document input unit  32  registers the information of the received print job in the database management unit  35 . After the information of the print job has been registered in the database management unit  35 , the print job is scheduled on the printer  13  as described later, and the scheduled printer  13  executes printing of the print job. 
         [0049]    The database management unit  35  includes, for example, a print job table  51 , a print schedule table  52 , a printer table  53 , and an icon table  54 . When the database management unit  35  receives a request from the printing document input unit  32 , the printer assigning unit  33 , or the printer interface unit  36 , the database management unit  35  writes information in the print job table  51 , the print schedule table  52 , and the printer table  53 . 
         [0050]    The print job table  51  is a table for holding information of the print job received from the user client  1 . Details of the print job table  51  are described later. The print schedule table  52  is a table for holding, at least, the information about the printers  13  which will print the corresponding print jobs, the information of the print jobs being held in the print job table  51 , and current status information of the print jobs. Details of the print schedule table  52  are explained later. 
         [0051]    The printer table  53  is a table for holding, at least, information about IP addresses in regard to connections of the printers  13 , and status information of the printers  13 . The icon table  54  is a table for holding icons that indicate functions corresponding to a status of the print job. Details of the icon table  54  are explained later. 
         [0052]    The printer interface unit  36  controls communications between the print server  12  and the printers  13 . Each time the printer  13  notifies a completion of a print job to the printer interface unit  36 , the printer interface unit  36  refers to the print schedule table  52  and searches for a print job to be printed subsequently. When the printer interface unit  36  finds the print job to be printed subsequently, the printer interface unit  36  obtains details of the print job from the print job table  51 . Based on the obtained details of the print job, the printer interface unit  36  transmits the print job held by the printing document input unit  32  to the printer  13 . 
         [0053]    Further, the printer interface unit  36  receives status information that is transmitted from the printers  13  every predetermined time interval. When the status of one of the printers  13  is changed, the printer interface unit  36  causes the database management unit  35  to update the status information of the printer  13  held by the printer table  53 . Further, the printer interface unit  36  detects statuses of the print jobs based on the statuses of the corresponding printers  13 , and the printer interface unit  36  causes the database management unit  35  to update the status information of the print jobs held by the print schedule table  52 . 
         [0054]    The printer assigning unit  33  is responsible for assigning a print job to one of the printers  13 . The printer assigning unit  33  assigns a print job to one of the printers  13  automatically or manually, based on an attribute of the print job and attributes of the printers  13 . 
         [0055]    The operation screen display unit  34  is responsible for displaying an operation screen  100  for an operator. The operation screen display unit  34  displays the operation screen  100  described later. The operation screen display unit  34  includes a job progress status display unit  41 , a printer list display unit  42 , and a job list display unit  43 . 
         [0056]    The job progress level display unit  41  reads out relevant items in the tables included in the database management unit  35 , and displays a job progress status screen  101  (described later). The printer list display unit  42  reads out relevant items in the tables included in the database management unit  35 , and displays a printer list screen  102  (described later). The job list display unit  43  reads out relevant items in the tables included in the database management unit  35 , and displays a job list screen  103  (described later). 
         [0057]      FIG. 4  is a configuration diagram of an example of the print job table  51 . The print job table  51  includes items whose contents correspond to a job ID, a job name, the number of copies, presence or absence of duplex printing, a printing paper for the job, an output location of the job, the number and positions of punched holes, a printer to be requested for printing, positions and the number of portions to be stapled, a retention period of the job, a customer name for the job, a description of the job, a data format of the input file, a size of the input file, the number of pages for the job, the number of sheets for the job, the number of pages that have already been output on the stacker, the number of sheets that have already been output on the stacker, the number of copies that have already been output on the stacker, the number of pages that have already been output on the stacker including pages that have been reprinted, the number of sheets that have already been output on the stacker including sheets that have been reprinted, date and time that the printer received the job, a size of the job, the number of times of reprinting for the job, date and time that the job was submitted, a range of pages to be printed, information about folding specified by the job, and information about binding specified by the job, respectively. 
         [0058]      FIG. 5  is a configuration diagram of an example of the print schedule table  52 . The print schedule table  52  includes items whose contents correspond to a job ID, a status of the job, a progress status of the job, a reason for waiting, the printer that is actually assigned, the printers that are scheduled to print, and an order of printing, respectively. 
         [0059]      FIG. 6  is a configuration diagram of an example of the icon table  54 . The icon table  54  includes items whose contents correspond to a status of the job, a progress status of the job, available functions (reprint, restart, stop, and move), and icons indicating functions, respectively. 
         [0060]      FIG. 7  is an image diagram of an example of the operation screen  100 . The operation screen  100  includes the job progress status screen  101 , the printer list screen  102 , and the job list screen  103 . The job progress status screen  101  displays print jobs that exist on the print system  2  and outlines of the progress statuses of the print jobs. 
         [0061]    The job progress status screen  101  displays buttons  111 - 114  (status bars) corresponding to categories indicating progress statuses of print jobs. The button  111  indicates a category, “jobs being received/waiting to be scheduled.” The button  112  indicates a category, “jobs waiting for being printed.” The button  113  indicates a category, “jobs being printed.” The button  113  indicates a category, “completed print jobs.” 
         [0062]    Each of the buttons  111 - 114  separately displays groups of print jobs using bars (e.g., a bar chart with colors). Here, the groups of the printed jobs are in different statuses, respectively, and the different statuses are included in the category, which corresponds to the button. The colors of the bars indicate the corresponding status as follows. 
         [0063]    For example, green indicates “normal,” blue indicates “hold,” and red indicates “error.” Here, “hold” means operator&#39;s intentional holding. When the bar is clicked, the job list screen  103  is displayed in the operation screen  100 . The job list screen  103  displays a list of print jobs that are included in the category corresponding to the clicked bar. 
         [0064]    When there is no print job within one of the categories, the bar is not displayed for the category. Thus, it is not possible to click the bar in this case. The buttons  112 - 114  in  FIG. 7  exemplify a case that there is no print job within a category. Within each of the bars, the number of print jobs that are in the status indicated by the bar is displayed. When there are plural print jobs in different statuses within one category, the bars are displayed in plural colors (e.g., two colors, or three colors) corresponding to the statuses. A display area of each of the bars displayed in the corresponding color varies depending on a ratio of the number of the print jobs corresponding to the bar to the total number of the print jobs included in the corresponding category. The button  111  is an example that one print job in the status of “error” and one print job in the status of “hold” are included in one category. The number of the print jobs in the category “completed print jobs” may be, for example, automatically reduced when a predetermined time interval has elapsed after the print job was completed. Alternatively, the number of the print jobs in the category “completed print jobs” may be manually reduced by an operator when the predetermined time interval has elapsed after the print job was completed. 
         [0065]    The printer list screen  102  displays information about the printers  13  registered in the print system  2 . In the printer list screen  102 , a status of each of the printers  13  is displayed by a color of a bar  121 . The colors of the bars  121  indicate the corresponding statuses as follows. For example, green indicates “available,” blue indicates “unavailable,” and red indicates “error.” When, for example, an icon  122  of one of the printers  13  in the printer list screen  102  is clicked, the job list screen  103  is displayed in the operation screen  100 . 
         [0066]    The job list screen  103  displays a list of print jobs that are scheduled to be printed by the printer  13 . 
         [0067]    The job list screen  103  displays the list of the print jobs. The job list screen  103  in  FIG. 7  is an example in which the button  111  corresponding to the category “jobs being received/waiting to be scheduled” is clicked. The job list screen  103  graphically displays the list of the print jobs. The job list screen  103  displays, for each print job, a thumbnail  131  of the print job and a bar  132  indicating a status of the print job. The colors of the bar  132  indicate the corresponding statuses of the print job as follows. For example, green indicates “normal,” blue indicates “hold,” and red indicates “error.” 
         [0068]      FIG. 8  is an image diagram of another example of the job progress status screen  101 . The button  111  shows an example that one print job in the status of “error” is included in the category “jobs being received/waiting to be scheduled.” The button  112  shows an example that six print jobs in the status of “hold” and one print job in the status of “error” are included in the category “jobs waiting for being printed.” The button  113  shows an example that two print jobs in the status of “error” are included in the category “jobs being printed.” The button  114  shows an example that there is no print job included in the category “completed print jobs.” 
         [0069]      FIG. 9  is an image diagram of another example of the printer list screen  102 . The printer list screen  102  of  FIG. 9  displays a favorite button  123 , an available/unavailable toggle button  124 , and a print job display button  125  as simplified action buttons, in addition to the information about the printers  13  displayed on the printer list screen  102  of  FIG. 7 . 
         [0070]    The favorite button  123  is a button for registering or removing the corresponding printer  13  as a favorite printer. The available/unavailable toggle button  124  is a button for setting the printer  13  to be available or to be unavailable. The print job display button  125  is a button for displaying a list of print jobs scheduled to be printed by the corresponding printer  13 . By clicking a button  126  for displaying only the favorite printers, the printers  13  registered as the favorite printers can be selected and displayed on the printer list screen  102 . 
         [0071]      FIG. 10  is an image diagram of another example of the job list screen  103 . Similar to the job list screen  103  of  FIG. 7 , the job list screen  103  of  FIG. 10  displays, for each print job, the thumbnail  131  of the print job and the bar  132  indicating the status of the print job. The job list screen  103  displays the simplified action buttons for the selected print job. 
         [0072]    The simplified action buttons of  FIG. 10  include a hold/release toggle button  133  and a reprint button  134 . The hold/release toggle button  133  is a button for holding or releasing the print job. The reprint button  134  is a button for reprinting the print job. The simplified action buttons of  FIG. 10  are buttons for executing functions corresponding to the status of the print job. The number of the simplified action buttons and the types of the simplified action buttons are varied depending on the status of the print job. 
         [0073]      FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing an example of an operating procedure when an operator presses a button in the job progress status screen  101 . Here, it is assumed that the print server  12  is displaying, for example, the operation screen  100  shown in  FIG. 7 . At step S 1 , the operator operates the management client  11  and presses, for example, the button  111  in the job progress status screen  101 . The web user interface unit  31  accepts, for example, pressing of the button  111  with respect to the job progress status screen  101  from the management client  11 . 
         [0074]    After the web user interface unit  31  has accepted the pressing of the button  111 , the job list display unit  43  obtains, at step S 2 , a list of print jobs included in the category “jobs being received/waiting to be scheduled” corresponding to the button  111  from the database management unit  35 . For example, the job list display unit  43  can retrieve the list of the print jobs included in the category “jobs being received/waiting to be scheduled” by referring to the job progress statuses in the print schedule table  52 . 
         [0075]    The job list display unit  43  displays, at step S 3 , the obtained list of the print jobs on the job list screen  103 . At step S 4 , the operator operates the management client  11  and selects a print job on the job list screen  103  by referring to identification information of the print job, such as the thumbnail  131  or a job name. Then the operator places a cursor of a mouse on the selected print job. 
         [0076]    At step S 5 , the job list display unit  43  obtains icons corresponding to a status of the print job from the icon table  54  as the simplified action buttons of the print job. Here, the cursor of the mouse has been placed on the print job by the operator. Then the job list display unit  43  displays the obtained icons. For example, the job list display unit  43  can retrieve the simplified action buttons (the icons) from the icon table  54  using the status or the progress status of the print job as a key. 
         [0077]    The operator can execute, at step S 6 , a process (function) corresponding to the status of the print job by operating the management client  11  and by clicking one of the simplified action buttons (one of the icons). After the process corresponding to the status of the print job has been executed, the job list display unit  43  causes the result of the execution of the process to be reflected in the tables included in the database management unit  35 . 
         [0078]    Since the print system according to the embodiment has, at least, the characteristics described below, when a print job is retrieved and displayed and an operation related to the print job is performed, an operator can retrieve and display the target print job and execute the operation related to the target print job with a reduced number of operations. 
         [0079]    In the print system according to the embodiment, since a list of print jobs in a progress status that the operator desires to operate can be immediately retrieved and displayed on the job list screen  103  from the job progress status screen  101 , the retrieval effectiveness is improved. Further, in the print system according to the embodiment, a list of print jobs to be printed by one of the printers  13  is immediately retrieved and displayed from the printer list screen  102 , the retrieval effectiveness is improved. Further, in the print system according to the embodiment, a function corresponding to a status of a print job can be easily executed by operating a simplified action button in the job list screen  103 . Thus the function corresponding to the status of the print job can be easily executed by the reduced number of operations. 
         [0080]    Namely, in the print system according to the embodiment, a list of print jobs can be retrieved and displayed by one action from the job progress status screen  101  or from the printer list screen  102 . Here, the list of print jobs corresponds to, for example, print jobs in a progress status that an operator desires to operate or print jobs scheduled to be printed by one of the printers  13  selected by the operator. Further, in the print system according to the embodiment, for a print job that has been retrieved and displayed, a function corresponding to a status of the print job can be executed by one action, namely, by pressing one of the simplified action buttons. 
         [0081]    The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0082]    The present application is based on Japanese Priority Application No. 2011-042163 filed on Feb. 28, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.