1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system, an image processing apparatus and an information processing method which enable to promptly perform printing even in a case where authentication information for printing by a printing apparatus has not been set to a print job, and a program for achieving the information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a printing apparatus system which has functions of performing various processes to a print job. As one of the functions, there is the function of storing a print job for which a series of processes has been completed in the printing apparatus system mainly for the purpose of subsequent reprinting (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-305331). In the print job, various print settings related to printing, e.g., a user information setting, a print paper setting, an image process setting, a finishing setting and the like have been designated as print attribute information. The printing apparatus system performs a printing process based on the print attribute information like this, and, after completing the overall printing process, stores the print job together with the print attribute information in the printing apparatus system. Besides, there is a workflow of storing print jobs in the printing apparatus system without performing printing of these print jobs and then performing, by an operator, printing of the stored print jobs in a lump.
Besides, there is a printing apparatus system which has a function of performing authentication to a print job and performing a process according to the result of the authentication (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-018654). In the printing apparatus system like this, in a printing process of the print job, for example, the user authentication is performed using user information set to the print job. In the printing apparatus system, the printing process is continued and performed only when the set user information coincides with user information previously set in the printing apparatus system, whereas the printing process is stopped when the set user information does not coincide with the user information previously set in the printing apparatus system.
However, in a case where the printing apparatus system is constituted by an image processing apparatus and a printing apparatus and user authentication is necessary for printing in the printing apparatus, there is a problem that, when PDL (page description language) data or the like of the print job stored in the image processing apparatus is printed by the printing apparatus, the printing cannot actually be performed if the authentication information for the printing by the printing apparatus has not been set to the PDL data. This is because the authentication information for the printing by the printing apparatus is unnecessary when the print job is stored in the image processing apparatus. Accordingly, when the operator performs the printing of the print jobs stored in the image processing apparatus in a lump, he/she has to confirm the authentication information for the printing apparatus in each print job. Then, when there is no authentication information, the operator has to input the authentication information every time and then perform the printing, thereby taking much time.