Image output device which, when authentication media are read by authentication device, executes jobs stored in storage medium on the basis of result of authentication

Abstract

When a plurality of authentication cards are read by an authentication device and the authentication cards are authenticated in an image output device, a binding and printing process is carried out. The image output device combines (binds) jobs associated with the authenticated cards into one job. The order of combining the jobs and the print mode for the combined job are set in accordance with the order in which the authentication cards have been authenticated or the priorities assigned to the respective jobs. The image output device prints the combined job to obtain a set of printouts. It is thus possible to provide the image output device which can output a plurality of jobs collectively, without the need of complicated operations, while maintaining a high level of security.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image output device for executing jobs stored in a storage medium, when a plurality of authentication media are read by an authentication device, on the basis of a result of the authentication, the image output device comprising:
 a processing unit configured to retrieve, from among the jobs stored in said storage medium, a plurality of jobs associated with the plurality of authentication media read by said authentication device, and combine said plurality of jobs into a smaller number of jobs; and   an image output unit configured to output images by executing the jobs combined by said processing unit,   wherein said processing unit identifies the order in which said plurality of authentication media have been authenticated, determines, on the basis of the identified authenticated order, the order in which said plurality of jobs are to be output by said image output unit, and combines said plurality of jobs such that the combined jobs are output in the determined order.   
     
     
         2 . The image output device according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing unit combines said jobs when the plurality of authentication media are read by said authentication device simultaneously or within a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The image output device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a receiving unit configured to receive jobs from the outside, wherein
 said storage medium stores said received jobs.   
     
     
         4 . The image output device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an output mode acquiring unit configured to acquire an output mode associated with each of said plurality of authentication media or each of said plurality of jobs, the output mode being used by said image output unit, wherein
 said image output unit outputs images of said combined job using one of said acquired output modes.   
     
     
         5 . The image output device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 said output mode includes the number of print copies, and   said image output unit outputs the images of said combined job by the number of sets of copies corresponding to a smallest number among the numbers of print copies which are associated with the respective jobs combined by said processing unit.   
     
     
         6 . The image output device according to  claim 5 , wherein after the images are output by the number of sets of copies corresponding to the smallest number of print copies, when at least one of said plurality of authentication media is read by said authentication device, the images are output additionally on the basis of the number of print copies associated with said read authentication medium. 
     
     
         7 . The image output device according to  claim 5 , wherein after the images are output by the number of sets of copies corresponding to the smallest number of print copies, when an instruction is received from a user, the images are output additionally on the basis of the number of print copies associated with one of said plurality of authentication media read by said authentication device. 
     
     
         8 . The image output device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 said plurality of authentication media are a plurality of authentication cards, and   said image output unit identifies the stacked order of said plurality of authentication cards, and determines, on the basis of the identified stacked order, the output mode for use in outputting said combined job.   
     
     
         9 . The image output device according to  claim 4 , wherein said image output unit identifies the order in which said plurality of authentication media have been authenticated, and determines, on the basis of the identified authenticated order, the output mode for use in outputting said combined job. 
     
     
         10 . The image output device according to  claim 4 , wherein said image output unit outputs the images using one of said acquired output modes selected by a user. 
     
     
         11 . The image output device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an information acquiring unit configured to acquire information associated with each of said plurality of jobs, the information indicating whether the corresponding job is to be bound or not, wherein
 said processing unit combines any of the jobs that includes the information indicating that the job is to be bound.   
     
     
         12 . A method of executing jobs stored in a storage medium with an image output device when a plurality of authentication media are read by an authentication device, on the basis of a result of the authentication, the method comprising the steps of:
 retrieving, from among the jobs stored in said storage medium, a plurality of jobs associated with the plurality of authentication media read by said authentication device,   combining said plurality of jobs into a smaller number of jobs; and   outputting images by executing the jobs combined in said combining step,   wherein said combining step includes the steps of identifying the order in which said plurality of authentication media have been authenticated, determining, on the basis of the identified authenticated order, the order in which said plurality of jobs are to be output in said outputting step, and combining said plurality of jobs such that the combined jobs are output in the determined order.   
     
     
         13 . A program for controlling an image output device, the image output device executing jobs stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when a plurality of authentication media are read by an authentication device, on the basis of a result of the authentication, the program being stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the program causing a computer to executing processing comprising the steps of:
 retrieving, from among the jobs stored in said non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a plurality of jobs associated with the plurality of authentication media read by said authentication device,   combining said plurality of jobs into a smaller number of jobs; and   outputting images by executing the jobs combined in said combining step,   wherein said combining step include the steps of identifying the order in which said plurality of authentication media have been authenticated, determining, on the basis of the identified authenticated order, the order in which said plurality of jobs are to be output in said outputting step, and combining said plurality of jobs such that the combined jobs are output in the determined order.