Patent Publication Number: US-2012036447-A1

Title: Job processing apparatus and control method for the job processing apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a job processing apparatus and a control method for the job processing apparatus, and particularly relates to job management and screen display control in a job processing apparatus including a plurality of processing functions. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As a job processing apparatus with a plurality of processing functions, a digital multifunction peripheral is well known. The included processing functions are typically copying, printing, scanning, e-mail transmission, and facsimile transmission and reception, for example. Moreover, the digital multifunction peripheral is also capable of processing functions to store digital data in and call digital data from a storage device. 
     In a digital multifunction peripheral, a plurality of types of jobs can be input. If a j ob has been input by mistake, it is sometimes difficult to immediately select this job from a list of jobs and stop it. For example, it is difficult to stop a job when it has been input to a digital multifunction peripheral via a network from a place far away from the digital multifunction peripheral. 
     While a user inputs a job, if the user needs to make a job reservation or if there is a job to be executed at a time set on a timer, it is difficult to stop the job. In such cases, for example, if a job execution screen is not displayed while a job is being executed or if the screen has been closed, it is not possible to select a job to be stopped from a job list and stop the job. 
     To prevent this inconvenience, for example, there is a digital multifunction peripheral which is configured to issue a job ID when a user inputs a job. When a user wants to stop the job, the user can stop the job by inputting a job ID to the digital multifunction peripheral (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-233862, for example). 
     If a job ID is issued when a user reserves a job, the user needs to remember the job ID. Therefore, when the user makes two or more job reservations, the user needs to remember a plurality of job IDs in association with the respective jobs. Thus, it is sometimes difficult for the user to grasp a number of job IDs and reserved jobs. 
     If a user makes an error in inputting a job ID, this may cause control, such as temporary stop, to be effective even on others&#39; jobs. Under such circumstances, the efficiency of a job process may be reduced to an extent corresponding to a temporary stop of the job. 
     Moreover, problems arise even after the end of job execution. For example, if a print job has been put into the digital multifunction peripheral but it is not output, nobody knows if someone carried away printed products by mistake or if the print job ended abnormally. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to select his job from the job history and investigate detailed information. 
     With regard to the image processing apparatus, such as a digital multifunction peripheral, users may have the following requests: One request is that it should be made possible to immediately stop the job when it was input by mistake and another request is that, when a job ended abnormally, the user wants to know if this is abnormal ending or not. In other words, with conventional image processing apparatuses, it is difficult to meet these two requests, and it is difficult to easily grasp the status of a job input by the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention is directed to a job processing apparatus capable of allowing a user to easily grasp the status of a job input by the user, and also directed to a control method for the job processing apparatus. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a job processing apparatus for performing a job process for a job input by a user includes a job determination unit configured to determine whether there is a job being executed or waiting to be executed for a user when the user logs into the job processing apparatus, and a job status display control unit configured to display a job execution information screen showing an execution status of the job being executed or waiting to be executed for the user when it is determined by the job determination unit that there is the job being executed or waiting to be executed. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, when a user logs into a job processing apparatus, if there is a job being executed or waiting to be executed, the job processing apparatus displays a job execution information screen showing an execution status of the job being executed or waiting to be executed. Thus, the user can instantly notice the execution status of the job which was input by the user. Therefore, a user, who wants to stop or temporarily stop the execution of the job, need not search a job list for his own job and can immediately execute an execution stop process via the job execution information screen. 
     Further features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus as a job processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a network system connected to the image processing apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of each personal computer (PC) illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the image processing apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the PC illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a process to be executed when a print job is input from the PC illustrated in  FIG. 2  into the image processing apparatus. 
         FIG. 7A  is a flowchart illustrating a display process to be executed in the image processing apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7B  is a flowchart for a display process to be executed in the image processing apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating an example of an abnormally-ended job history information display screen displayed on an operation panel illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating an example of a job execution information display screen displayed on the operation panel illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an example of a job execution information display screen displayed on the operation panel illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating an example of a job execution information display screen displayed on the operation panel illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus  100  as a job processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an image processing apparatus  100  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  101 , a memory  102 , an auxiliary storage device  103 , a scanner apparatus  104 , a facsimile (fax) transmission and reception apparatus  105 , a printing apparatus  106 , an operation panel  107 , and a communication interface  108 , which are mutually interconnected by an internal bus  109 . 
     The CPU  101  controls the entire image processing apparatus. The memory  102  includes a random access memory (RAM) section and a read-only memory (ROM), and can store various kinds of data and a program. The auxiliary storage device  103  is a large-capacity storage device, such as a hard disk or a solid state drive (SSD). The auxiliary storage device  103  can hold large amounts of data and program execution code. The auxiliary storage device  103  stores data which needs to be retained for a longer time than in the memory  102 . 
     The scanner apparatus  104  optically scans a document and reads an image of the document, for example. The fax transmission and reception apparatus  105  is connected to a telephone line and transmits and receives fax documents. The printing apparatus  106  perform printing by an electrophotographic process, for example. More specifically, the printing apparatus  106  prints digital image data on a paper medium by using toner. The printing apparatus  106  may be an ink printer. The operation panel  107  provides (displays) various types of information for the user. The user inputs commands via the operation panel  107 . The communication interface  108  handles transmission and reception of digital data via a network  203 . In other words, the communication interface  108  performs e-main transmission, service message block (SMB) transmission, and transmission and reception of information necessary for the image processing apparatus. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a network system connected to the image processing apparatus  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 2 , personal computers (PC)  201  and  202  are connected to the image processing apparatus  100  via the network  203 . In this example, two PCs  201  and  202  are used, but a plurality of PCs may be connected to the network  203  and the PC  201  serves as a server. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of each of the PC  201  and PC  202  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the hardware configuration of the PC  201  only will be described because the hardware configuration is common to the PC  201  and the PC  202 . 
     The PC  201  includes a CPU  301 , a memory  302 , an auxiliary storage device  303 , an input device  304 , an output device  305 , and a communication interface  306 , which are all mutually interconnected by an internal bus  307 . 
     The CPU  301  controls the entire PC  201 . The memory  102  includes a RAM and a ROM, and can store various kinds of data and a program. The auxiliary storage device  103  is a large-capacity storage device, such as a hard disk. The auxiliary storage device  103  can hold large amounts of data and program execution codes. The auxiliary storage device  103  stores data which needs to be retained for a longer time than in the memory  102 . 
     The input device  304  is a keyboard or a pointing device, for example. The user inputs various commands on the input device  304  to send them to the PC  201 . The output device  305  is a display, for example, which shows information about a process by the CPU  301 . The communication interface  306  handles transmission and reception of digital data via the network  203 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the image processing apparatus  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The functions illustrated in  FIG. 4  are realized when the CPU  101  executes a program stored in the memory  102  in the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , in this example, the image processing apparatus  100  includes functions, such as a communication management unit  801 , a data management unit  802 , and a program management unit  803 . 
     The communication management unit  801  analyzes communication commands transmitted and received via the communication interface  108 , and controls the communication operations. The data management unit  802  manages various kinds of data handled in the image processing apparatus  100 . The program management unit  803  controls and manages the execution of resident and transient commands managed by the data management unit  802 . 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functions of the PC  201  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The functions illustrated in  FIG. 5  are realized when the CPU  301  executes the program stored in the memory  302  in the PC  201 . 
     The PC  201  illustrated in  FIG. 5  is a user authentication server, for example, and the PC  201  includes, as its functions, a user information management unit  901  and an operation environment management unit  902 . 
     The user information management unit  901  manages user information used to authenticate a user in response to an authentication request via the communication interface  306  from a terminal (a PC, for example) connected to the network  203 . The operation environment management unit  902  manages an operation environments of individual users managed in the user information management unit  901 . In the present exemplary embodiment, the user information management unit  901  manages information used to customize, for individual users, an operation screen displayed on the operation panel  107 , for example. It becomes possible to provide each user with an easy-to-use operation screen by displaying an operation screen on the operation panel  107  based on operation environment information when the user logs into the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, the operation environment management unit  902  manages the operation environments for the individual users who are managed by the user information management unit  901 . However, the operation environment management unit  902  may manage the operation environment of the image processing apparatus  100 . Moreover, in the present exemplary embodiment, the PC  201  serving as a user authentication server includes the user information management unit  901  and the operation environment management  902 , but at least either the user information management unit  901  or the operation environment management unit  902  may be included in the image processing apparatus  100 . 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a process performed when a print job is input from the PC  202  into the image processing apparatus  100  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6 , when the PC  202  inputs a print job into the image processing apparatus  100 , then in step S 401 , via the input device  304  of the PC  202 , the user logs into the user authentication server  201  by inputting user information by which to identify the user (network login process). By this operation, the CPU  301  (user information management unit  901 ) supplies the user authentication server  201  with user information via the communication interface  306 . In the user authentication server  201 , the CPU  301  performs authentication check on the user according to the user information, and supplies the PC  202  with user authentication information regarding whether the authentication is successful. 
     In step S 402 , in the PC  202 , the CPU  301  (the user information management unit  901 ) confirms if the user was authenticated by the user authentication server  201  based on the user authentication information. If the authentication is not successful (NO in step S 402 ), the CPU  301  displays an authentication failure message on the output device  305 , and ends the process. 
     On the other hand, when the authentication is successful (YES in step S 402 ), then in step S 403 , the CPU  301  (the operation environment management unit  902 ) in the PC  202  obtains operation environment information corresponding to the user information from the user authentication server  201 . In step S 404 , the CPU  301  (the operation information management unit  902 ) displays an operation screen on the output device  305 . 
     In step S 405 , the CPU  301  of the PC  202  monitors the operation to determine whether a command has been issued to execute a print job (this command to execute a print job is issued by a prescribed operation performed on the operation screen). If a command to execute a print job has not been issued (NO in step S 405 ), the CPU  301  returns to step S 404 , and performs the operation in step S 404 . 
     When a command to execute a print job is issued (YES in step S 405 ), then in step S 406 , the CPU  301  assigns a user ID (identification code) to the print job and inputs the print job to the image processing apparatus  100  (transmits print data to the image processing apparatus  100 ). When obtaining the print job, the image processing apparatus  100  executes a print process (print job) based on the print data received. Then, in step S 407 , the CPU  301  in the PC  202  monitors the operation to determine whether a command to end the operation has been received from the input device  304 . If a command to end the operation has not been received (NO in step S 407 ), the CPU  301  returns to step  404  and performs the operation in step S 404 . On the other hand, if a command to end the operation has been received (YES in step S 407 ), the CPU  301  performs a log-out process and ends the series of the processes. 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  are flowcharts illustrating a display process to be executed by the image processing apparatus  100  in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  7 A, and  7 B, the operations in the image processing apparatus will be described. In the image processing apparatus  100 , in step S 501 , when user information is received from the operation panel  107 , the CPU  101  (the communication management unit  801 ) sends the user information to the user authentication server  201  via the communication interface  108  to execute a network log-in process. In other words, in the user authentication server  201 , the CPU  301  performs user authentication based on the user information, and supplies the image processing apparatus  100  with user authentication information regarding whether authentication is successful. 
     In the image processing apparatus  100 , in step S 502 , the CPU  101  confirms if the user was authenticated by the user authentication server  201  based on the user authentication information. If the authentication is unsuccessful (NO in step S 502 ), the CPU  101  displays a failure message of authentication on the operation panel  107 . 
     On the other hand, if the authentication is successful (YES in step S 502 ), then in step S 503 , the CPU  101  determines whether there is a job being executed or waiting to be executed in response to an instruction from a logged-in user. If the determination is NO in step S 503 , the CPU  101  (the data management unit  802 ) determines whether there is a job which the logged-in user has not confirmed and which ended without being executed or whether there is a job ended abnormally. The abnormally ended job refers to a job that did not end normally because an error occurred in the image processing apparatus  100  when some job was being executed or was waiting for execution. 
     If the determination is NO in step S 504 , then in step S 505 , the CPU  101  obtains operation environment information corresponding to the logged-in user from the user authentication server  201 . Then, in step S 506 , the CPU  101  displays an operation screen on the operation panel  107  based on the operation environment information. 
     Then, in step S 507 , the CPU  101  determines whether a user&#39;s operation has been performed on the operation screen displayed on the operation panel  107 . If a user&#39;s operation has not been performed (NO in step S 507 ), the CPU  101  returns to step S 506 . 
     If the user has performed some operation on the operation panel  107  (YES in step S 507 ), then in step S 508 , the CPU  101  determines whether the operation performed by the user is a job execution operation. If the operation performed is the job execution operation (YES in step S 508 ), then in step S 509 , the CPU  101  assigns a user ID to the job and inputs the job. Then, the CPU  101  returns to step S 506 , and displays an operation screen on the operation panel  107 , such as a job execution screen. 
     On the other hand, if the operation is not the job execution operation (NO in step S 508 ), then in step S 510 , the CPU  101  determines whether job status confirmation is selected on the operation screen. A Job Status Confirm button (not illustrated) is provided on the operation panel  107 , which is usable to determine the job status. 
     When the job status confirmation is selected (YES in step S 510 ), the CPU  101  proceeds to step S 520 , which will be described below. If the job status confirmation is not selected (NO in step S 510 ), then in step S 511 , the CPU  101  determines whether an operation ending process has been performed. 
     If the operation is not ended (NO in step S 511 ), then in step S 512 , the CPU  101  executes a previously specified process, such as display of a setting screen. Then, the CPU  101  returns to step S 506  to display an operation screen. On the other hand, if the operation is ended (YES in step S 511 ), the CPU  101  performs a log-out process to end the series of processes. 
     In step S 504 , if there is a job which the logged-in user has not confirmed and which ended without being executed (YES in step S 504 ), then in step S 513 , the CPU  101  causes the operation panel  107  to display history information of the abnormally-ended job. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an example of a display screen of history information of the abnormally-ended job (an abnormally-ended job history information display screen) on the operation panel  107  in  FIG. 1 . 
     In  FIG. 8 , the abnormally-ended job history information display screen (an abnormally-ended job detail screen) shows a job history detail information list  601 . The job history detail information list  601  includes a job type, job receipt number, result, result detail, job start time, job end time, file name, user name, number of document pages, number of output pages, and number of sheets set by number of copies set. 
     The abnormally-ended job history information display screen displays a “To Previous Job” button  602  and a “To Next Job” button  603 , and also a “Close” button  604 . When the “To Previous Job”  602  button is pressed, the CPU  101  displays the job history detail information list  601  about a logged-in user of the previous abnormally-ended job. 
     When the “To Next Job” button  603  is pressed, the CPU  101  displays the job history detail information list  601  about a logged-in user of the next abnormally-ended job. When the “Close” button is  604  is pressed, the CPU  101  closes the abnormally-ended job history information display screen. 
     The abnormally-ended job history information display screen illustrated in  FIG. 8  presents a case where there is not a job being executed for a user with the user name of “A0004” but there is an abnormally-ended job. This screen is displayed when the user logs in. 
     If an abnormally-ended job is displayed when a user logs in, the user need not look for a job to output, nor does he need to input the job again. The user can obtain necessary information without searching for a result of his ended job from a list of job history information. 
     Then, in step S 514 , the CPU  101  determines whether a user&#39;s operation has been performed on the abnormally-ended job history information display screen. If no user&#39;s operation has been performed (NO in step S 514 ), the CPU  101  returns to step S 513 . 
     On the other hand, if a user&#39;s operation has been performed (YES in step S 514 ), the CPU  101  determines that the abnormally ended job history has been confirmed and rewrites the displayed abnormally-ended job history to confirmed information. Accordingly, the CPU  101  does not display the abnormally-ended job history when the user logs in next time. 
     Then, in step S 516 , the CPU  101  determines on the abnormally-ended job history information display screen whether the “Close” button  604  has been operated. If the “Close” button  604  has been operated (YES in step S 516 ), the CPU  101  closes the abnormally-ended job history information display screen, and proceeds to step S 505 . 
     If a user&#39;s operation has been performed but the “Close” button  604  has not been operated (NO in step S 516 ), then in step S 517 , the CPU  101  determines whether the job status confirmation has been selected. 
     If the job status confirmation has been selected (YES in step S 517 ), the CPU  101  proceeds to step S 520 , which will be described below. If the job status confirmation has not been selected (NO in step S 517 ), then in step S 518 , the CPU  101  determines whether an operation stop process has been performed. 
     If the operation stop process has not been performed (NO in step S 518 ), then in step S 519 , the CPU  101  executes a previously specified process, such as displaying a previous abnormally-ended job or a next abnormally-ended job. Then, the CPU  101  returns to step S 513  to display the abnormally-ended job history information display screen. On the other hand, if operation stop process has been performed (YES in step S 518 ), the CPU  101  executes a log-out process and ends the series of processes. 
     If there is a logged-in user&#39;s job being executed in step S 503  (YES in step S 503 ), then in step S 520 , the CPU  101  (the data management unit  802 ) displays job execution information on the operation panel  107 . 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating an example of a job execution information display screen displayed on the operation panel  107  illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an example of a job execution information display screen displayed on the operation panel  107  displayed in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating an example of a job execution information display screen displayed on the operation panel  107  displayed in  FIG. 1 . 
     When a Copy button  701  is operated on the job execution information display screen illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the CPU  101  displays the status and history of a copy job on the operation panel  107 . When a Print button  702  is pressed, the CPU  101  displays the status and history of a print job on the operation panel  107 . When a Transmit button  703  is operated, the CPU  101  displays the status and history of a transmission job, such as fax, e-mail, or SMB transmission, on the operation panel  107 . 
     When a Receive button  704  is operated, the CPU  101  displays the status and history of a reception job, such as fax and Internet-fax (IFAX) reception, on the operation panel  107 . When a Store button  705  is pressed, the CPU  101  displays the status and history of a storing job, such as storing data in a memory medium or a server, on the operation panel  107 . 
     When a Job Status button  706  is operated, the CPU  101  displays the status of a job being executed or waiting to be executed on the operation panel  107 . When a Job History button  707  is operated, the CPU  101  displays the history of an executed job on the operation panel  107 . 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the Print button  702  and the Job Status button  706  are selected or operated. Thus, a print job status list  708  is displayed on the operation panel  107  to show the statuses of print jobs. 
     The print job status list  708  indicates times at which the jobs were received, job names of the jobs which were input, their execution statuses, and wait times until their execution. 
     When a Pause button  709  is operated, the CPU  101  temporarily stops the execution of the currently selected job. When a Stop button  710  is operated, the CPU  101  stops the currently selected job. When a “To Previous Job” button  711  is operated, the CPU  101  displays the previous job which was being executed or waiting to be executed on the operation panel  107 . When a “To Next Job” button  712  is operated, the CPU  101  displays the next job waiting to be executed on the operation panel  107 . When a “Close” button  713  is operated, the CPU  101  closes the job execution information display screen. 
     The example illustrated in  FIG. 9  is a screen displayed when a user with the user name of “A00001” has logged in. In this screen, the job currently being executed (printing in progress) is selected. Under this condition, when the Pause button  709  is pressed, the CPU  101  temporarily stops the execution of the current job. When the Stop button  710  is pressed, the CPU  101  stops the job. 
     Since the example illustrated in  FIG. 9  indicates a screen displayed when the user has logged in, it is impossible to operate the “To Previous Job” button  711 . On the other hand, when the “To Next Job” button  712  is operated, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the CPU  101  selects a next job waiting to be executed, which was input by a user with the user name of “A00001”. 
     The example illustrated in  FIG. 11  indicates a job execution information display screen displayed when a user with the user name of “A00003” has logged in. In this screen, since the Transmit button  703  and the Job Status button  706  are selected, the status of the transmission job is displayed in a job list (transmission job status list)  714 . The transmission job status list  714  includes times when jobs were received, transmission destinations, user names of users who input jobs, execution statuses, and remarks. 
     In  FIG. 9 , for a user with the user name of “A0003”, there is a print job waiting for printing. Meanwhile, since transmission jobs take shorter time until their execution than print jobs, transmission jobs are displayed in preference to print jobs 
     When there is a job being executed or waiting to be executed, job execution information associated with users (in other words, job execution status) is displayed to inform the user of an execution status of his own job. Therefore, it is possible for the user to control stop and temporary suspension of execution, and perform processing without searching a job execution list for his own job. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  7 A, and  7 B, after displaying the job execution information display screen as described above, in step S 521 , the CPU  101  determines whether a user&#39;s operation has been performed. If the user&#39;s operation has not been performed (NO in step S 521 ), the CPU  101  returns to step S 510  to display job execution information. 
     If the user&#39;s operation has been performed (YES in step S 521 ), then in step S 522 , the CPU  101  determines whether a job operation has been executed. If the job operation has been performed (YES in step S 522 ), then in step S 523 , the CPU  101  executes a process, such as a temporary stop (pause) or stop process. Then, the CPU returns to step S 520  to update the job execution information display screen. 
     If the user&#39;s operation has been performed but this operation is not a job operation (NO instep S 522 ), then in step S 524 , the CPU  101  determines whether a job execution status has been confirmed, which includes confirmation of the operation of the “Close” button  713 . If the above confirmation has been completed (YES in step S 524 ), the CPU  101  proceeds to step S 504  to determine whether there is a job which has not been confirmed by the user and abnormally ended. 
     If the user&#39;s operation has been performed but the above confirmation has not been completed (NO in step S 524 ), then in step S 525 , the CPU  101  determines whether an operation end process has been executed. If the operation end process has not been executed (NO in step S 525 ), then in step S 526 , the CPU  101  executes a previously specified process for a next job or a previous job. Then, the CPU  101  returns to step S 520  to update the job execution information display screen. On the other hand, if the operation end process has been performed (YES in step S 525 ), the CPU  101  performs a log-out process to end the series of processes. 
     In the above-described exemplary embodiment, the operation environment information unit  902  is configured to store operation environments for individual users, but the operation environment information unit  902  maybe used to store the operation environment for the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     The user information management unit  901  and the operation environment management unit  902  are configured to be included in an external server, such as the user authentication server  201 , but at least one of them may be mounted in the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     According to the above-described exemplary embodiment, when a user logs into a job processing apparatus, if there is any job being executed or waiting to be executed, job execution information about a just-logged-in user is displayed on the screen. Accordingly, the user can easily recognize an execution status of the job. Then, if the user wants to stop or temporarily stop the job, the user can instantly execute a relevant process based on the job execution information. 
     As is understood from the above description, the CPU  101  illustrated in  FIG. 1  functions as a job determination unit, a job status display control unit, an operation screen display control unit, a job confirmation unit, an abnormally-ended job display control unit, and a user authentication unit. The CPU  301  illustrated in  FIG. 3  serves as a terminal operation screen display control unit and a job transmission unit. 
     Aspects of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or MPU) that reads out and executes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment (s), and by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer of a system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment (s). For this purpose, the program is provided to the computer for example via a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as the memory device (e.g., computer-readable medium). 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications, equivalent structures, and functions. 
     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-174566 filed Aug. 3, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.