Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a communication device connected to a network, a color conversion processing unit, a printing device, and a storage device that stores a color profile for the printing device. The image forming apparatus includes a profile management unit that acquires a name of the color profile stored in another color conversion device from the other color conversion device connected to the network by using the communication device. The image forming apparatus includes a job management unit that displays a profile list including the name of the color profile acquired by the profile management unit and a name of a color profile stored in the storage device on a user interface and specifies a color profile selected from the profile list by the user in a case where the image forming apparatus accepts a job request for a job using the printing device. The color conversion processing unit executes color conversion of an image to be printed according to the color profile specified by the job management unit. The job management unit causes the printing device to print the image to be printed after the color conversion according to the job request.

<CIT> discloses an image forming apparatus set as a child apparatus, which is applied to a printing system that includes a user terminal connected to a network and a plurality of image forming apparatuses and can use a print service in which the user terminal transmits a print job to a parent apparatus based on identification information of an image forming apparatus set as the parent apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the parent apparatus stores the print job from the user terminal, and the image forming apparatus set as the child apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses executes the print job stored in the parent apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an identification information setting storage unit that stores the identification information of the parent apparatus, and an identification information transmission control unit that transmits the identification information stored in the identification information setting storage unit to the user terminal when the print service is used.

There is a technique in which an information processing apparatus applies color conversion information to job information registered in another information processing apparatus different from the information processing apparatus and outputs the color conversion information. In this technique, in a case where apparatuses in which pieces of color conversion information are registered are different, even though pieces of identification information for identifying the pieces of color conversion information are identical, the pieces of identification information may indicate pieces of different color conversion information. Accordingly, in a case where the color conversion information related to the identical identification information is registered in both the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus, there is a problem that the color conversion information associated with the output job information is not applied.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing method capable of outputting job information by applying associated color conversion information even though color conversion information related to identical identification information is registered in both an information processing apparatus and another information processing apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing apparatus including a processor configured to acquire job information registered in another information processing apparatus different from the information processing apparatus and identification information for identifying color conversion information associated with the job information, and output the job information by applying the color conversion information registered in a predetermined apparatus in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information is registered in both the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, in which the processor may be configured to output the job information by applying the color conversion information registered in the information processing apparatus in a case where the information processing apparatus is registered as the predetermined apparatus.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect or the second aspect, in which the processor may be configured to output the job information by applying the color conversion information registered in the other information processing apparatus in a case where the other information processing apparatus is registered as the predetermined apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, in which the processor may be configured to output the job information by applying the color conversion information in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information is registered only in one of the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus and in a case where the predetermined apparatus matches an apparatus in which the color conversion information related to the identification information is registered.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, in which the processor may be configured to output the job information without applying the color conversion information in a case where the predetermined apparatus does not match the apparatus in which the color conversion information is registered.

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, in which the predetermined apparatus may be an apparatus determined by a user who registers the job information in the other information processing apparatus.

According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the information processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, in which the predetermined apparatus may be an apparatus determined before the user registers the job information in the other information processing apparatus.

According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing program causing a computer to execute acquiring job information registered in another information processing apparatus different from an information processing apparatus and identification information for identifying color conversion information associated with the job information, and outputting the job information by applying the color conversion information registered in a predetermined apparatus in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information is registered in both the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus.

According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing method comprising acquiring job information registered in another information processing apparatus different from an information processing apparatus and identification information for identifying color conversion information associated with the job information, and outputting the job information by applying the color conversion information registered in a predetermined apparatus in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information is registered in both the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus.

According to the first aspect, the eighth aspect, and the ninth aspect, even though the color conversion information related to the identical identification information is registered in both the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus, the job information can be output by applying the associated color conversion information.

According to the second aspect, the job information may be output by applying the color conversion information registered in the information processing apparatus.

According to the third aspect, the job information may be output by applying the color conversion information registered in the other information processing apparatus.

According to the fourth aspect, in a case where the predetermined apparatus and the apparatus in which the color conversion information is registered match, the job information may be output by applying the color conversion information.

According to the fifth aspect, the job information may be output even in a case where the predetermined apparatus and the apparatus in which the color conversion information is registered do not match.

According to the sixth aspect, the user who registers the job information may determine the apparatus in which the color conversion information applied to the job information is registered.

According to the seventh aspect, the apparatus in which the color conversion information applied to the job information is registered may be determined before the user registers the job information.

Hereinafter, an example of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent components and parts are denoted by the same reference symbols. In addition, dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience in description and may differ from actual ratios.

As shown in <FIG>, an information processing system <NUM> according to the present exemplary embodiment includes child apparatuses 10A, 10B,. as an example of an information processing apparatus, a parent apparatus <NUM> as an example of another information processing apparatus different from the child apparatus <NUM>, and a user terminal <NUM> owned by a user. Hereinafter, in a case where the child apparatuses 10A, 10B,. are described without distinction, these apparatuses are simply collectively referred to as "child apparatus <NUM>".

The child apparatus <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM> can communicate with each other via a communication unit N2. In the present exemplary embodiment, a plurality of child apparatuses <NUM> are connected to one parent apparatus <NUM> via the communication unit N2 without using a server. The number of child apparatus <NUM> and the number of parent apparatuses <NUM> are not limited to the number shown in <FIG>. In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, a communication line in a company such as LAN or WAN is applied as the communication unit N2. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, as the communication unit N2, a public communication line such as the Internet or a telephone line may be applied, or a communication line in a company and a public communication line may be applied in combination. In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication line is applied as the communication unit N2. However, as the communication unit N2, a wired communication line may be applied, or wired and wireless communication lines may be applied in combination.

In addition, the parent apparatus <NUM> and the user terminal <NUM> can communicate with each other via a communication unit N1. In the present exemplary embodiment, a public communication line such as the Internet or a telephone line is applied as the communication unit N1. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, as the communication unit N1, a communication line in a company such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) may be applied, or a communication line in a company and a public communication line may be applied in combination. In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication line is applied as the communication unit N1. However, as the communication unit N1, a wired communication line may be applied, or wired and wireless communication lines may be applied in combination.

A mobile phone such as a smartphone, a personal computer (laptop computer), or the like is applied as an example of the user terminal <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the user terminal <NUM> has configurations of a central processing unit (CPU) <NUM>, a read only memory (ROM) <NUM>, a random access memory (RAM) <NUM>, a storage <NUM>, an input unit <NUM>, a display unit <NUM>, and a communication interface (I/F) <NUM>. The configurations are connected to each other via a bus <NUM> to be able to communicate with each other.

The CPU <NUM> is a central arithmetic processing unit that executes various programs and controls each unit. That is, the CPU <NUM> reads out a program from the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>, and executes the program by using the RAM <NUM> as a work area. The CPU <NUM> performs the control of each configuration and various kinds of arithmetic processing according to the program stored in the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>. In the present exemplary embodiment, a preprocessing program 32A is stored in the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>.

The ROM <NUM> stores various programs and various kinds of data. The RAM <NUM> temporarily stores a program or data as the work area. The storage <NUM> is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs including an operating system and various kinds of data.

The input unit <NUM> includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various inputs.

The display unit <NUM> is, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays various kinds of information. The display unit <NUM> may function as the input unit <NUM> by adopting a touch panel system.

The communication I/F <NUM> is an interface for communicating with another apparatus such as the parent apparatus <NUM>, and for example, standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) are used.

An image forming apparatus is applied as an example of the child apparatus <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM>. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. The child apparatuses <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM> may be apparatuses that perform any information processing. Here, the information processing includes, for example, processing of executing printing from text data, image data, or the like, processing of generating or processing data by using pieces of equipment included in the child apparatus <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM>, processing of exchanging data between the child apparatus <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the child apparatus <NUM> has configurations of a CPU <NUM>, a ROM <NUM>, a RAM <NUM>, a storage <NUM>, an input unit <NUM>, a display unit <NUM>, a communication I/F <NUM>, an image processing unit <NUM>, and a print control unit <NUM>. The configurations are connected to each other via a bus <NUM> to be able to communicate with each other. Since the child apparatuses <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM> have a configuration of a general image forming apparatus, the child apparatus <NUM> is described as a representative, the description of the parent apparatus <NUM> is omitted, and only the corresponding reference symbols are shown in <FIG>.

The CPU <NUM> is a central arithmetic processing unit that executes various programs and controls each unit. That is, the CPU <NUM> reads out a program from the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>, and executes the program by using the RAM <NUM> as a work area. The CPU <NUM> performs the control of each configuration and various kinds of arithmetic processing according to the program stored in the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>. In the present exemplary embodiment, an information processing program 12A is stored in the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>.

The ROM <NUM> stores various programs and various kinds of data. The RAM <NUM> temporarily stores a program or data as the work area. The storage <NUM> is a storage device such as an HDD or an SSD, and stores various programs including an operating system and various kinds of data.

The image processing unit <NUM> performs various kinds of image processing. The print control unit <NUM> performs image forming processing, detection processing of detecting a sheet fed into a tray, transport processing of transporting the sheet, and the like.

Next, a flow of the information processing in the child apparatus <NUM> of the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to <FIG>. The information processing is performed by the CPU <NUM> reading out the information processing program 12A from the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>, loading the information processing program into the RAM <NUM>, and executing the information processing program.

In step S100 of <FIG>, the CPU <NUM> waits until an instruction to output job information registered in the parent apparatus <NUM> is accepted by the child apparatus <NUM> which is a host apparatus via the input unit <NUM>. In a case where an instruction to output the job information registered in the parent apparatus <NUM> by the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus is accepted (YES in step S <NUM>), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S <NUM>.

In step S <NUM>, the CPU <NUM> transmits, to the parent apparatus <NUM>, an instruction to transmit the job information registered in advance by the user in the parent apparatus <NUM> and accumulated job information which is identification information for identifying color conversion information associated with the job information.

Here, the color conversion information is information indicating a color space applied in a case where tint of the associated job information is adjusted and output. In addition, the identification information for identifying the color conversion information is a name of the color conversion information, identification (ID) of the color conversion information, or the like.

In step S104, the CPU <NUM> displays an accumulated job list which is a list of pieces of accumulated job information received from the parent apparatus <NUM> on the display unit <NUM>. In step S104, the CPU <NUM> may display only pieces of job information in a list among the pieces of accumulated job information received from the parent apparatus <NUM>.

In step S106, the CPU <NUM> waits until the selection of any accumulated job information among the pieces of accumulated job information displayed in the accumulated job list is accepted via the input unit <NUM>. In a case where the selection of any of the accumulated job information is accepted (YES in step S106), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S108.

In step S108, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information is associated with the job information (hereinafter, referred to as a "selected job") in the accumulated job information for which the selection is accepted in step S106. In other words, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the identification information is registered together with the selected job. In a case where the color conversion information is associated with the selected job (YES in step S108), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, in a case where the color conversion information is not associated with the selected job (NO in step S108), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S128.

In step S110, the CPU <NUM> inquires the parent apparatus <NUM> about whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered in the parent apparatus <NUM>.

In step S112, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered in both the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus and the parent apparatus <NUM>. Specifically, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered in the storage <NUM> of the host apparatus and the color conversion information is also registered in the parent apparatus <NUM>. In a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered in both the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus and the parent apparatus <NUM> (YES in step S112), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S114.

In step S114, the CPU <NUM> determines, from the storage <NUM>, whether or not a predetermined application apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as "application apparatus") is the child apparatus <NUM>. In a case where the application apparatus is the child apparatus <NUM> (YES in step S114), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S116. Details of processing of registering the application apparatus in the storage <NUM> will be described later.

In step S116, the CPU <NUM> outputs the selected job by applying the color conversion information related to the identification information registered in the child apparatus <NUM> and associated with the selected job, and ends this information processing.

Returning to step S114, in a case where the application apparatus is not the child apparatus <NUM>, that is, the application apparatus is the parent apparatus <NUM> (NO in step S114), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S118. In step S118, the CPU <NUM> outputs the selected job by applying the color conversion information related to the identification information registered in the parent apparatus <NUM> and associated with the selected job, and ends this information processing.

Returning to step S112, in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is not registered in both the child apparatus <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM>, the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S120 (NO in step S112). In step S120, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered only in the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus. Specifically, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered in the storage <NUM> of the host apparatus and the color conversion information is not registered in the parent apparatus <NUM>. In a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered only in the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus (YES in step S120), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S122.

In step S122, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the application apparatus registered in the storage <NUM> is the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus. In a case where the application apparatus is the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus (YES in step S122), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S116. On the other hand, in a case where the application apparatus is not the child apparatus <NUM> which is the host apparatus, that is, the application apparatus is the parent apparatus <NUM> (NO in step S122), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S128.

Returning to step S120, in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is not registered in the child apparatus <NUM> (NO in step S120), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S124. In step S124, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered only in the parent apparatus <NUM>. Specifically, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is not registered in the storage <NUM> of the host apparatus and the color conversion information is registered in the parent apparatus <NUM>. In a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is registered only in the parent apparatus <NUM> (YES in step S124), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S126. On the other hand, in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is not registered in the parent apparatus <NUM>, that is, in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job is not registered in both the child apparatus <NUM> and the parent apparatus <NUM> (NO in step S124), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S128.

In step S126, the CPU <NUM> determines whether or not the application apparatus registered in the storage <NUM> is the parent apparatus <NUM>. In a case where the application apparatus is the parent apparatus <NUM> (YES in step S126), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S118. On the other hand, in a case where the application apparatus is not the parent apparatus <NUM>, that is, the application apparatus is the child apparatus <NUM> (NO in step S126), the CPU <NUM> proceeds to step S128.

In step S128, the CPU <NUM> outputs the selected job without applying the color conversion information, and ends this information processing.

Next, a flow of preprocessing in the information processing system <NUM> of the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to <FIG>. The preprocessing is performed by the CPU <NUM> of the user terminal <NUM> reading out the preprocessing program 32A from the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM>, loading the preprocessing program into the RAM <NUM>, and executing the preprocessing program.

In step S200 of <FIG>, the CPU <NUM> of the user terminal <NUM> transmits an instruction to register the child apparatus <NUM> or the parent apparatus <NUM> as the application apparatus in the child apparatus <NUM>.

On the other hand, in step S202, the CPU <NUM> of the child apparatus <NUM> registers the application apparatus received from the user terminal <NUM> in the storage <NUM>.

In step S204, the CPU <NUM> of the user terminal <NUM> transmits, to the parent apparatus <NUM>, an instruction to register the job information and the identification information (that is, accumulated job information) for identifying the color conversion information associated with the job information in the parent apparatus <NUM>.

On the other hand, in step S206, the CPU <NUM> of the parent apparatus <NUM> registers the accumulated job information received from the user terminal <NUM> in the storage <NUM>.

Although the exemplary embodiment has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described exemplary embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above-described exemplary embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention, and the modified or improved form is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

In addition, the above-described exemplary embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the exemplary embodiment are required for the solution of the invention. The above-described exemplary embodiment includes inventions at various stages, and various inventions are extracted by combining a plurality of disclosed constituent requirements. Even though some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the exemplary embodiment, as long as an effect is obtained, a configuration in which some constituent requirements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

For example, in the present exemplary embodiment, in a case where the application apparatus and the apparatus that registers the color conversion information related to the identification information associated with the selected job do not match, the CPU <NUM> outputs the selected job without applying the color conversion information. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. In this case, the CPU <NUM> may not output the selected job, or may output the selected job by applying the color conversion information.

In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, the application apparatus is determined before the job information is registered in the parent apparatus <NUM> by the user terminal <NUM>. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. The application apparatus may be determined after the job information is registered in the parent apparatus <NUM> by the user terminal <NUM>.

In addition, the application apparatus may be determined by the user via the input unit <NUM> or the like of the parent apparatus <NUM> instead of the user terminal <NUM>. Alternatively, the application apparatus may be determined by an administrator or the like of the parent apparatus <NUM>.

In the present exemplary embodiment, although the form in which the information processing program 12A is installed in the ROM <NUM> or the storage <NUM> has been described, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The information processing program 12A according to the present exemplary embodiment may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. For example, the information processing program 12A according to the present exemplary embodiment may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disk such as a compact disc (CD)-ROM and a digital versatile disc (DVD)-ROM, or formed recorded in a semiconductor memory such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory or a memory card. In addition, the information processing program 12A according to the present exemplary embodiment may be acquired from an external device via the communication I/F <NUM>.

In addition, in the above-described exemplary embodiment, although a case where the processing in the information processing system <NUM> is realized by a software configuration by using a computer by executing a program has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the processing in the information processing system <NUM> may be realized by a hardware configuration or a combination of the hardware configuration and the software configuration.

Claim 1:
An information processing apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
acquire job information registered in another information processing apparatus different from the information processing apparatus and identification information for identifying color conversion information associated with the job information; and
characterized by said processor being configured to: output the job information by applying the color conversion information registered in a predetermined apparatus in a case where the color conversion information related to the identification information is registered in both the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus.