Patent ID: 8804164

Claim:
A job control device comprising: a middleware unit that supports a connection with a multifunction device using middleware, the multifunction device comprising a plurality of devices having independent functions; and a job control unit that determines at least one of the device that is needed to carry out a requested job, after receiving request for a job call through the middleware unit and executes the requested job by using the determined at least one of the device from among the plurality of devices; wherein the middleware unit defines interfaces for the plurality of devices and constructs communication mechanism environmental elements of the defined interfaces; and wherein the definition of the interfaces of for the plurality of devices is to state the name of the interface, a factor to provide when the interface is called, and a type of factor; wherein if the multifunction device requests a job call, the job control unit selects and operates a device from among the plurality of devices to perform the job; wherein if two or more devices are needed to perform the job, the job control unit selects and sequentially operates the two or more devices according to the order specified by the job.