U.S. patent application number 09/126387 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-20 for method and apparatus for controlling a printing operation.
Invention is credited to NODA, AKIHIRO.
Application Number | 20010053304 09/126387 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 16487893 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010053304 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NODA, AKIHIRO |
December 20, 2001 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A PRINTING OPERATION
Abstract
A networked printing system has the capability of selecting a
particular paper feeding slot of a printer by designating a paper
name assigned to that particular paper feeding slot. Thus, an
optimum printing operation is performed by the printer assigned
that paper name. A controller communicates with the respective
printers and produces a paper name information table. A paper name
list is then produced according to this paper name information
table. In accordance with the paper name list, a list of selectable
paper names is displayed on a printing operation control screen. If
a particular paper name is selected by a user from this list, then
a printer assigned the selected paper name is retrieved from the
paper name information table, and the retrieve printer is employed
as the destination to which printing information is output.
Inventors: |
NODA, AKIHIRO; (TOKYO,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
US
|
Family ID: |
16487893 |
Appl. No.: |
09/126387 |
Filed: |
July 30, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
400/578 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/1288 20130101;
G06F 3/126 20130101; G06F 3/1204 20130101; G06F 3/1205 20130101;
G06F 3/1232 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
400/578 |
International
Class: |
B41J 013/00; B41J
015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 1997 |
JP |
204281/1997 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; definition means for
defining paper feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of
each paper feeding mechanism; storage means for storing the paper
feeding slot data defined by said definition means for each paper
feeding slot; acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding
slot data associated with each paper feeding slot stored in said
storage means; and notification means for sending the paper feeding
slot data acquired by said acquisition means to said data
processing apparatus.
2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said
notification means sends the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means to the data processing apparatus, in response to an
acquisition request from said data processing apparatus.
3. Data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for issuing
an acquisition request to said printing apparatus to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
said printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing the paper
feeding slot data transferred from said printing apparatus in
response to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued by said issuing means, and then displaying paper
resource information on a display device.
4. A data processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said
paper resource information includes paper name data and paper
attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot.
5. A printing system comprising: a printing apparatus comprising: a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot data for
each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage
means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by said
definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means for
acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each paper
feeding slot stored in said storage means; and notification means
for sending each paper feeding slot data acquired by said
acquisition means to said data processing apparatus in response to
the acquisition request issued by said data processing apparatus,
and a data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for
issuing an acquisition request to said printing apparatus to
acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of said printing apparatus; and control means for
analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from said
printing apparatus in response to the request for acquisition of
the paper feeding slot data issued by said issuing means, and
displaying paper resource information on a display device.
6. A printing system comprising: a printing apparatus comprising: a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot data for
each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage
means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by said
definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means for
acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each paper
feeding slot stored in said storage means; and notification means
for sending the paper feeding slot data acquired by said
acquisition means to said printer server in response to the
acquisition request issued by said printer server, a printer server
comprising: storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data
received from said printing apparatus; judgment means for judging
whether there is an updating request to update the paper feeding
slot data stored in said storage means, when the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued by said data
processing apparatus; and returning means for returning the updated
paper feeding slot data to said data processing apparatus,
depending on the result of judgment made by said judgment means in
terms of whether there is an updating request, and a data
processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for issuing an
acquisition request to said printer server to acquire the paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of said
printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing said paper
feeding slot data transferred from said printer server in response
to the request for acquisition of said paper feeding slot data
issued by said issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device.
7. A printing system comprising: a plurality of printing apparatus
each comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for
feeding a recording medium; definition means for defining paper
feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding
mechanism; storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data
defined by said definition means for each paper feeding slot;
acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding slot data
associated with each paper feeding slot stored in said storage
means; and notification means for sending each paper feeding slot
data acquired by said acquisition means to said data processing
apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued by said
data processing apparatus, and a data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to
said printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus;
and control means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data
transferred from each printing apparatus in response to the request
for acquisition of said paper feeding slot data issued by said
issuing means, and displaying paper resource information on a
display device.
8. A printing system comprising: a plurality of printing apparatus
each comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for
feeding a recording medium; definition means for defining paper
feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding
mechanism; storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data
defined by said definition means for each paper feeding slot;
acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding slot data
associated with each paper feeding slot stored in said storage
means; and notification means for sending the paper feeding slot
data acquired by said acquisition means to said printer server in
response to the acquisition request issued by said printer server,
a printer server comprising: storage means for storing the paper
feeding slot data received from each printing apparatus judgment
means for judging whether there is an updating request to update
the paper feeding slot data stored in said storage means, when the
request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued by
said data processing apparatus; and returning means for returning
the updated paper feeding slot data to said data processing
apparatus, depending on the result of judgment made by said
judgment means in terms of whether there is an updating request,
and a data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for
issuing an acquisition request to said printer server to acquire
the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism
of each printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing said
paper feeding slot data transferred from said printer server in
response to the request for acquisition of said paper feeding slot
data issued by said issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device.
9. A printing system according to claim 6 or 8, wherein said
printer server comprising updating means for, when said judgment
means judges that there is an updating request, acquiring the
newest paper feeding slot data from each printing apparatus and
updating the paper feeding slot data stored in said storage
means.
10. A printing system according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein
said paper resource information includes paper name data and paper
attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot.
11. A method of processing data in a printing apparatus,
comprising: a definition step in which paper feeding slot data is
defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which
the paper feeding slot data defined in said definition step for
each paper feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition
step in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding
slot stored in said storage step is acquired; and a notification
step in which the paper feeding slot data acquired in said
acquisition step is sent to said data processing apparatus.
12. A method of processing data according to claim 11, wherein in
said notification step, the paper feeding slot data stored in said
storage step is sent to the data processing apparatus in response
to an acquisition request from said data processing apparatus.
13. A method of processing data in a printing apparatus,
comprising: an issuing step in which an acquisition request is
issued to said printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot
data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of said printing
apparatus; and a display step in which an analysis is made on the
paper feeding slot data transferred from said printing apparatus in
response to the request of acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued in said issuing step, and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device.
14. A method of processing data according to claim 13, wherein said
paper resource information includes paper name data and paper
attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot.
15. A method of processing data in a printing system, comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in said definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to said printing apparatus to acquire
the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism
of said printing apparatus; an acquisition step in which the paper
feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory
in said storage step is acquired; a notification step in which the
paper feeding slot data acquired in said acquisition step is sent
to said data processing apparatus, in response to the acquisition
request issued in said issuing step; and a displaying step in which
an analysis is made on the paper feeding slot data supplied in said
notification step and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device.
16. A method of processing data in a printing system, comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in said definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into
the memory in said storage step is acquired; a notification step in
which the paper feeding slot data acquired in said acquisition step
is sent to said data processing apparatus in response to the
acquisition request issued via said printer server; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data returned from said printing
apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to said printer server to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
said printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when the request
for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued in said
issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there is an updating
request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in said memory
in said storage step; a returning step in which the newest paper
feeding slot data is returned to said data processing apparatus via
said printer server, depending on the result of the judgment made
in said judgment step as to whether there is an updating request;
and a display step in which paper feeding slot data returned in
said returning step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device provided in said data processing
apparatus.
17. A method of processing data in a printing system, comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in said definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into
the memory in said storage step is acquired; an issuing step in
which an acquisition request is issued to each printing apparatus
to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus; a notification step
in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot
acquired in said acquisition step is sent to said data processing
apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued in said
issuing step; and a display step in which the paper feeding slot
data supplied in said notification step is analyzed and paper
resource information is displayed on a display device of said data
processing apparatus.
18. A method of processing data in a printing system, comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in said definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into
the memory in said storage step is acquired; a notification step in
which the paper feeding slot data acquired in said acquisition step
is sent to said data processing apparatus in response to the
acquisition request issued via said printer server; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data returned from each printing
apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to said printer server to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
each printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when the request
for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued in said
issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there is an updating
request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in said memory
in said storage step; a returning step in which the newest paper
feeding slot data is returned to said data processing apparatus via
said printer server, depending on the result of the judgment made
in said judgment step as to whether there is an updating request;
and a display step in which paper feeding slot data returned in
said returning step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device provided in said data processing
apparatus.
19. A method of processing data according to claim 16 or 18,
wherein said printer server comprising updating means for, when
said judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in said
storage means.
20. A method of processing data according to any of claims 15 to
18, wherein said paper resource information includes paper name
data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
21. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a definition step in which paper
feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in said definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into
a memory; an acquisition step in which the paper feeding slot data
of each paper feeding slot stored in said storage step is acquired;
and a notification step in which each paper feeding slot data
acquired in said acquisition step is supplied to said data
processing apparatus.
22. A storage medium storing a program, according to claim 21,
wherein in said notification step, the paper feeding slot data
stored in said storage step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to an acquisition request from said data
processing apparatus.
23. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a storage medium on which a
program readable by a computer is stored, said computer being
responsible for controlling a data processing apparatus capable of
communicating with a printing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, said program comprising: an issuing step in
which an acquisition request is issued to said printing apparatus
to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of said printing apparatus; and a display step in
which an analysis is made on the paper feeding slot data
transferred from said printing apparatus in response to the request
of acquisition of the paper feeding slot data issued in said
issuing step, and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device.
24. A storage medium storing a program, according to claim 23,
wherein said paper resource information includes paper name data
and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot.
25. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a definition step in which paper
feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in said definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into
a memory; an issuing step in which an acquisition request is issued
to said printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of said printing apparatus;
an acquisition step in which the paper feeding slot data of each
paper feeding slot stored into the memory in said storage step is
acquired; a notification step in which the paper feeding slot data
acquired in said acquisition step is sent to said data processing
apparatus, in response to the acquisition request issued in said
issuing step; and a displaying step in which an analysis is made on
the paper feeding slot data supplied in said notification step and
paper resource information is displayed on a display device.
26. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a definition step in which paper
feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding recording medium;
a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data defined in said
definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into a
memory; an acquisition step in which the paper feeding slot data of
each paper feeding slot stored into the memory in said storage step
is acquired; a notification step in which the paper feeding slot
data acquired in said acquisition step is sent to said data
processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued
via said printer server; a storage step in which the paper feeding
slot data returned from said printing apparatus is stored into a
memory; an issuing step in which an acquisition request is issued
to said printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of said printing apparatus;
a judgment step in which when the request for acquisition of the
paper feeding slot data is issued in said issuing step, a judgment
is made as to whether there is an updating request to update the
paper feeding slot data stored in said memory in said storage step;
a returning step in which the newest paper feeding slot data is
returned to said data processing apparatus via said printer server,
depending on the result of the judgment made in said judgment step
as to whether there is an updating request; and a display step in
which paper feeding slot data returned in said returning step is
analyzed and paper resource information is displayed on a display
device provided in said data processing apparatus.
27. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a definition step in which paper
feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in said definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into
a memory; an acquisition step in which the paper feeding slot data
of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory in said storage
step is acquired; an issuing step in which an acquisition request
is issued to each printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding
slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing
apparatus; a notification step in which the paper feeding slot data
of each paper feeding slot acquired in said acquisition step is
sent to said data processing apparatus in response to the
acquisition request issued in said issuing step; and a display step
in which the paper feeding slot data obtained in said notification
step is analyzed and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device of said data processing apparatus.
28. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a definition step in which paper
feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in said definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into
a memory; an acquisition step in which the paper feeding slot data
of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory in said storage
step is acquired; a notification step in which the paper feeding
slot data acquired in said acquisition step is sent to said data
processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued
via said printer server; a storage step in which the paper feeding
slot data returned from each printing apparatus is stored into a
memory; an issuing step in which an acquisition request is issued
to said printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus;
a judgment step in which when the request for acquisition of the
paper feeding slot data is issued in said issuing step, a judgment
is made as to whether there is an updating request to update the
paper feeding slot data stored in said memory in said storage step;
a returning step in which the newest paper feeding slot data is
returned to said data processing apparatus via said printer server,
depending on the result of the judgment made in said judgment step
as to whether there is an updating request; and a display step in
which paper feeding slot data returned in said returning step is
analyzed and paper resource information is displayed on a display
device provided in said data processing apparatus.
29. A storage medium according to claim 26 or 28, wherein said
printer server comprising updating means for, when said judgment
means judges that there is an updating request, acquiring the
newest paper feeding slot data from each printing apparatus and
updating the paper feeding slot data stored in said storage
means.
30. A storage medium according to any of claims 25 to 28, wherein
said paper resource information includes paper name data and paper
attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot.
31. A printing operation control apparatus comprising: first
display control means for displaying, on a display device, a
printing operation control screen including a paper name selection
box used to select a paper name; acquisition means for examining
and acquiring information about available resources of the printing
apparatus, in response to a print request from an application
program; first generation means for generating a paper name
information table by analyzing the information of resources of each
printing apparatus acquired by said acquisition means; second
generation means for generating a paper name list to be displayed
on said printing operation control screen in accordance with the
paper name information table generated by said first generation
means; second display control means for displaying, on the printing
operation control screen, a list of selectable paper names
according to the paper name list generated by said second
generation means, in response to indication of said paper name
selection box displayed on the printing operation control screen;
setting means for retrieving, from said paper name information
table, a printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name
selected from said list of selectable paper names and setting the
retrieved printing apparatus as the designation to which said
printing information is output.
32. A printing operation control apparatus according to claim 31,
wherein said second display control means displays, on the printing
operation control screen, the paper name located at the top of said
paper name list as a current paper name.
33. A printing operation control apparatus according to claim 31,
further comprising: designation means for designating a selection
rule of selecting a printing apparatus from a plurality of printing
apparatus assigned the same paper name in a competitive fashion;
judgment means for judging whether a paper name is a competitive
paper name assigned to a plurality of printing apparatus in a
competitive fashion; and determination means that, when said
judgment means judges that the selected paper name is a competitive
paper name, determines a printing apparatus which should be set by
said setting means as the destination to which said printing
information is output, in accordance with the selection rule
designated by said designation means.
34. A printing operation control apparatus according to claim 31,
wherein said plurality of printing apparatus include a printing
apparatus connected in a 1-to-1 fashion to a particular data
processing apparatus.
35. A method of controlling a printing operation, comprising: a
first displaying step in which a printing operation control screen
is displayed on a display device, said printing operation control
screen including a paper name selection box used to select a paper
name; an acquisition step in which in response to a print request
from an application program, information about available resources
of the printing apparatus is examined and acquired; a first
generation step in which a paper name information table is
generated by analyzing said acquired information about resources of
each printing apparatus; a second generation step in which a paper
name list to be displayed on the printing operation control screen
is generated in accordance with said generated paper name
information table; a second display step in which a list of
selectable paper names generated according to said paper name list
is displayed on the printing operation control screen in response
to indication of the paper name selection box displayed on the
printing operation control screen; and a setting step in which a
printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name selected from
said list of selectable paper names is retrieved from said paper
name information table, and the retrieved printing apparatus is set
as the designation to which said printing information is
output.
36. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a first displaying step in which a
printing operation control screen is displayed on a display device,
said printing operation control screen including a paper name
selection box used to select a paper name; an acquisition step in
which in response to a print request from an application program,
information about available resources of the printing apparatus is
examined and acquired; a first generation step in which a paper
name information table is generated by analyzing said acquired
information about resources of each printing apparatus; a second
generation step in which a paper name list to be displayed on the
printing operation control screen is generated in accordance with
said generated paper name information table; a second display step
in which a list of selectable paper names generated according to
said paper name list is displayed on the printing operation control
screen in response to indication of the paper name selection box
displayed on the printing operation control screen; and a setting
step in which a printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name
selected from said list of selectable paper names is retrieved from
said paper name information table, and the retrieved printing
apparatus is set as the designation to which said printing
information is output.
37. A method of controlling a printing operation, comprising: a
judgment step in which, in response to a print request from an
application program, a judgment is made as to whether there is an
available printing apparatus connected to said predetermined
communication medium; a first storage step in which the network
information about the available printing apparatus obtained in said
judgment step is stored in a memory; a setting step in which said
network information stored in the memory is analyzed and the number
of printing apparatus with the paper name designation capability to
be examined is set; an examination step in which an examination is
made on as many printing apparatus as the number set in said
setting step as to whether each said printing apparatus has the
capability of selecting a paper feeding slot in accordance with a
paper name; and a second storage step in which if said examination
step concludes that said printing apparatus has the capability of
selecting a paper feeding slot in accordance with a paper name, the
paper name assigned to each paper feeding slot is acquired and
stored in said memory.
38. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a judgment step in which, in
response to a print request from an application program, a judgment
is made as to whether there is an available printing apparatus
connected to said predetermined communication medium; a first
storage step in which the network information about the available
printing apparatus obtained in said judgment step is stored in a
memory; a setting step in which said network information stored in
the memory is analyzed and the number of printing apparatus with
the paper name designation capability to be examined is set; an
examination step in which an examination is made on as many
printing apparatus as the number set in said setting step as to
whether each said printing apparatus has the capability of
selecting a paper feeding slot in accordance with a paper name; and
a second storage step in which if said examination step concludes
that said printing apparatus has the capability of selecting a
paper feeding slot in accordance with a paper name, the paper name
assigned to each paper feeding slot is acquired and stored in said
memory.
39. A method of controlling a printing operation, comprising: a
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether the data
stored in a memory includes a paper name acquired from a printing
apparatus having the capability of selecting a paper feeding slot
according to a paper name; a generation step in which if said
judgment step concludes that the paper name is included in the data
stored in said memory, said memory is searched to generate a paper
name list to be displayed in the paper name selection box of the
printing operation control screen displayed on a display device;
and a displaying step in which a current paper name is displayed in
the paper name selection box in accordance with said generated
paper name list.
40. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a judgment step in which a
judgment is made as to whether the data stored in a memory includes
a paper name acquired from a printing apparatus having the
capability of selecting a paper feeding slot according to a paper
name; a generation step in which if said judgment step concludes
that the paper name is included in the data stored in said memory,
said memory is searched to generate a paper name list to be
displayed in the paper name selection box of the printing operation
control screen displayed on a display device; and a displaying step
in which a current paper name is displayed in the paper name
selection box in accordance with said generated paper name
list.
41. A method of controlling a printing operation, comprising: a
first judgment step in which a judgment is made as to the selection
status of the paper name selection box of the printing operation
control screen displayed on a display device; a displaying step in
which if said first judgment step concludes that the paper name
selection box of the printing operation control screen displayed on
the display device is selected, a paper name list is displayed on
the printing operation control screen of the display device in
accordance with the paper name list stored in a memory; a second
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether a paper
name different from the current paper name is selected from the
displayed paper name list; a first setting step in which if said
second judgment step concludes that a paper name different from the
current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name list,
the selected paper name is set as the current paper name; a third
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether a print
start command or a print cancel command is issued; a second setting
step in which if said third judgment step concludes that a print
start command has been issued, the destination to which printing
information is output is set by referring to the paper name
information stored in the memory corresponding to the current paper
name; and a transmission step in which the printing information is
transmitted to the printing apparatus set as the output destination
in said second setting step.
42. A storage medium on which a computer-readable program is
stored, said program comprising: a first judgment step in which a
judgment is made as to the selection status of the paper name
selection box of the printing operation control screen displayed on
a display device; a displaying step in which if said first judgment
step concludes that the paper name selection box of the printing
operation control screen displayed on the display device is
selected, a paper name list is displayed on the printing operation
control screen of the display device in accordance with the paper
name list stored in a memory; a second judgment step in which a
judgment is made as to whether a paper name different from the
current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name list;
a first setting step in which if said second judgment step
concludes that a paper name different from the current paper name
is selected from the displayed paper name list, the selected paper
name is set as the current paper name; a third judgment step in
which a judgment is made as to whether a print start command or a
print cancel command is issued; a second setting step in which if
said third judgment step concludes that a print start command has
been issued, the destination to which printing information is
output is set by referring to the paper name information stored in
the memory corresponding to the current paper name; and a
transmission step in which the printing information is transmitted
to the printing apparatus set as the output destination in said
second setting step.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a
printing system, a method of processing data with a printing
apparatus, a method of processing data in a printing system, a
printing operation controller, a method of controlling a printing
operation, and storage medium on which a computer-readable program
is stored, for controlling the operation of transferring printing
information by communicating via a predetermined communication
medium with a plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper
feeding slot to which a paper name may be assigned.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIGS. 23-26 illustrate printing systems to which the
printing operation controller of the above-described type may be
applied. In these printing systems, a data processing apparatus
(host computer) is adapted to communicate with a printing apparatus
(printer) via a predetermined communication medium.
[0005] In these figures, a host computer H includes a controller
which executes various application programs in response to a
command input via an input device (such as a keyboard) not shown in
the figures, and a memory resource for storing various application
programs and a system program. The host computer H is adapted to
communicate with a printer P1 or other printers PA-PC via a
predetermined communication medium. Each printer includes an upper
cassette C1 and a lower cassette C2.
[0006] In some printing systems having a system configuration such
as that shown in FIG. 23, when data produced and managed by the
host computer H is output to the printer P1 having a plurality of
paper feeding slots, if a desired paper size is designated via the
printing operation control screen displayed on the display device
of the host computer H, then the printer P1 automatically selects a
paper feeding slot in which paper with the designated size is
set.
[0007] In such a printing system, when A4-size paper and B4-size
paper are set in an upper cassette C1 and lower cassette C2,
respectively, of the printer shown in FIG. 23, if printing data and
control data designating A4 as the paper size are transmitted to
the printer from the host computer, then paper is automatically fed
from the upper cassette C1, and thus designation of a physical
paper feeding slot is not required. On the other hand, if B4 is
designated, paper is automatically fed from the lower cassette
C2.
[0008] However, in the case where paper with the same size but with
a different color is set in the upper cassette C1 and the lower
cassette C2 of the printer P1 as shown in FIG. 24 (white A4-size
paper is set in the upper cassette C1 and red A4-size paper is set
in the lower cassette), it is uncertain whether white or red paper
is selected when A4 is designated as the paper size. That is, in
this printing system, it is impossible to designate paper with a
desired color.
[0009] Therefore, a user has to designate a physical paper feeding
mechanism. More specifically, the user has to designate, for
example, A4-size paper in the upper cassette. To select a desired
type of paper, the user has to have knowledge about which type of
paper is set in which physical paper feeding slot of the printer
and the user has to designate a desired physical paper feeding slot
in accordance with the above knowledge. This is inconvenient for
the user.
[0010] FIG. 25 illustrates a printing system having the capability
of designating a desired type of paper by a paper name, which has
been proposed to avoid the above problem. In this printing system,
a paper name is assigned as an attribute to each paper feeding slot
of the printer P1 so that if the host computer H designates a
particular paper name of those assigned to the printer P1, then
paper is fed from the paper feeding slot corresponding to the
designated paper name. Hereinafter this capability is referred to
as a paper name designation capability.
[0011] In the specific example shown in FIG. 25, "Estimate" and
"Account" are assigned as logical paper names to the upper cassette
C1 and the lower cassette C2, respectively. When a printing
operation is performed, the host computer H transmits control data
designating a logical paper name (for example, "Estimate") together
with printing data to the printer, without designating a physical
paper feeding slot.
[0012] In the printer P1, printing is performed on paper fed from
the paper feeding slot corresponding to the designated paper name
"Estimate". This paper name designation capability allows the user
to easily designate a desired type of paper without having to know
various physical properties (such as a paper size, color,
relationship between the paper type and the paper feeding slot).
This is very convenient for the user.
[0013] In conventional printers with a plurality paper feeding
slots, selection of a paper feeding slot used in a printing
operation is made either in such a manner that a user designates a
particular paper feeding slot (for example, upper cassette) via a
host computer or in such a manner that the printer determines a
proper paper size and employs a paper feeding slot in which paper
with the selected size is set.
[0014] In some cases, a particular type of paper called a
preprinted sheet on which a particular form has been printed is set
in a paper feeding slot. In this case, desired paper cannot be
selected by designating only the paper size. The user has to
designate a physical paper feeding slot in which desired paper is
set and thus the user has to know which paper is set in which paper
feeding slot.
[0015] Some printers have the capability of selecting optimum
printing conditions such as the paper feeding speed and the fixing
mode depending on the type of paper employed (for example, thick
paper, transparency sheet, etc.) thereby forming a visible image
with improved quality. However, in this case, the user
himself/herself has to determine the type of paper and notify the
printer of the type of paper. As described above, the selection of
paper feeding slots in practical printing applications is becoming
more complex.
[0016] More specifically, in a networked system including a
plurality of printers PA-PC each having the paper name designation
capability as shown in FIG. 26, a user has to know the relationship
between the physical printer names and the logical paper names.
[0017] That is, to use the paper name designation capability in a
networked system, the user is required to have knowledge about
physical printer names and designate a desired physical printer
name on the basis of the knowledge. This makes the system
inconvenient.
[0018] For example, in the printing system shown in FIG. 26, when
the host computer H prints an estimate, the host computer H has to
know that the paper name "Estimate" is assigned to a "printer B" of
a plurality of printers on the network. The user designates the
"printer B" as the output destination and further designates the
"estimate" as the paper name via the host computer H. Then the user
issues a print start command. In such a networked printing system
including a plurality of printers PA-PC, the advantages of the
paper name designation capability are not well exploited. On the
contrary, even a reduction in utility can occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] In view of the above problems, it is an object of the
present invention to provide a printing apparatus, a printing
system, a method of processing data with a printing apparatus, a
method of processing data in a printing system, a printing
operation control apparatus, a method of controlling a printing
operation, and a storage medium on which a computer-readable
program is stored, whereby a networked printing environment having
the paper name designation capability is realized in which paper
names assigned to respective printers on the network are acquired
and displayed in the form of a list on a printing operation control
screen so that if a user designates a particular paper name then
printing information is sent to a printer assigned the designated
paper name thus making it possible to build a networked printing
system having the paper name designation capability in which it is
possible to perform an optimum printing operation on desired paper
using a printer in which the desired paper is available simply by
designating a desired paper name in a similar manner to that
employed in the conventional paper name designation technique,
without having to know which paper name is assigned to which
printer on the network.
[0020] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a printing apparatus capable of communicating with a data
processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the
printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; definition means for
defining paper feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of
each paper feeding mechanism; storage means for storing the paper
feeding slot data defined by the definition means for each paper
feeding slot; acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding
slot data associated with each paper feeding slot stored in the
storage means; and notification means for sending the paper feeding
slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the data processing
apparatus.
[0021] Preferably, the notification means sends the paper feeding
slot data stored in the storage means to the data processing
apparatus, in response to an acquisition request from the data
processing apparatus.
[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a data processing apparatus capable of communicating
with a printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium,
the data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for issuing
an acquisition request to the printing apparatus to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
the printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing the paper
feeding slot data transferred from the printing apparatus in
response to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device.
[0023] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
[0024] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing system including a data processing
apparatus and a printing apparatus capable of communicating with
each other via a predetermined communication medium, the printing
apparatus comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for
feeding a recording medium; definition means for defining paper
feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding
mechanism; storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data
defined by the definition means for each paper feeding slot;
acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding slot data
associated with each paper feeding slot stored in the storage
means; and notification means for sending each paper feeding slot
data acquired by the acquisition means to the data processing
apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued by the data
processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus comprising:
issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the printing
apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the
paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; and control
means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from
the printing apparatus in response to the request for acquisition
of the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing means, and
displaying paper resource information on a display device.
[0025] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing system including a data processing
apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating with the
printing apparatus via the printer server, the printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot
data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism;
storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by
the definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
for acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each
paper feeding slot stored in the storage means; and notification
means for sending the paper feeding slot data acquired by the
acquisition means to the printer server in response to the
acquisition request issued by the printer server, the printer
server comprising: storage means for storing the paper feeding slot
data received from the printing apparatus; judgment means for
judging whether there is an updating request to update the paper
feeding slot data stored in the storage means, when the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued by the data
processing apparatus; and returning means for returning the updated
paper feeding slot data to the data processing apparatus, depending
on the result of judgment made by the judgment means in terms of
whether there is an updating request, the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the
printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for
the paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; and control
means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from
the printer server in response to the request for acquisition of
the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing means, and
displaying paper resource information on a display device.
[0026] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing system including a data processing
apparatus and a plurality of printing apparatus, the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating with the
plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, each printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of paper
feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; definition means
for defining paper feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of
each paper feeding mechanism; storage means for storing the paper
feeding slot data defined by the definition means for each paper
feeding slot; acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding
slot data associated with each paper feeding slot stored in the
storage means; and notification means for sending each paper
feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the data
processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued
by the data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the
printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined
for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus; and
control means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred
from each printing apparatus in response to the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing
means, and displaying paper resource information on a display
device.
[0027] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing system including a data processing
apparatus, a plurality of printing apparatus, and a printer server,
the data processing apparatus being capable of communicating via
the printer server with the plurality of printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, each printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot
data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism;
storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by
the definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
for acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each
paper feeding slot stored in the storage means; and notification
means for sending the paper feeding slot data acquired by the
acquisition means to the printer server in response to the
acquisition request issued by the printer server, the printer
server comprising: storage means for storing the paper feeding slot
data received from each printing apparatus judgment means for
judging whether there is an updating request to update the paper
feeding slot data stored in the storage means, when the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued by the data
processing apparatus; and returning means for returning the updated
paper feeding slot data to the data processing apparatus, depending
on the result of judgment made by the judgment means in terms of
whether there is an updating request, the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the
printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for
the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus; and control
means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from
the printer server in response to the request for acquisition of
the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing means, and
displaying paper resource information on a display device.
[0028] Preferably, the printer server comprises updating means for,
when the judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means.
[0029] Furthermore, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
[0030] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of processing data in a printing
apparatus capable of communicating with a data processing apparatus
via a predetermined communication medium, the method comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored in
the storage step is acquired; and a notification step in which the
paper feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to
the data processing apparatus.
[0031] Preferably, in the notification step, the paper feeding slot
data stored in the storage step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to an acquisition request from the data
processing apparatus.
[0032] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of processing data in a data processing
apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, the method comprising: an
issuing step in which an acquisition request is issued to the
printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined
for the paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; and a
display step in which an analysis is made on the paper feeding slot
data transferred from the printing apparatus in response to the
request of acquisition of the paper feeding slot data issued in the
issuing step, and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device.
[0033] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
[0034] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus and a printing apparatus
capable of communicating with each other via a predetermined
communication medium, the method comprising: a definition step in
which paper feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding
slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot
data defined in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is
stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an acquisition
request is issued to the printing apparatus to acquire the paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printing apparatus; an acquisition step in which the paper feeding
slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory in the
storage step is acquired; a notification step in which the paper
feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the
data processing apparatus, in response to the acquisition request
issued in the issuing step; and a displaying step in which an
analysis is made on the paper feeding slot data supplied in the
notification step and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device.
[0035] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a
printer server, the data processing apparatus being capable of
communicating via the printer server with the printing apparatus
via a predetermined communication medium, the method comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into
the memory in the storage step is acquired; a notification step in
which the paper feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step
is sent to the data processing apparatus in response to the
acquisition request issued via the printer server; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data returned from the printing
apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to the printer server to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
the printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when the request
for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued in the
issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there is an updating
request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in the memory
in the storage step; a returning step in which the newest paper
feeding slot data is returned to the data processing apparatus via
the printer server, depending on the result of the judgment made in
the judgment step as to whether there is an updating request; and a
display step in which paper feeding slot data returned in the
returning step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device provided in the data processing
apparatus.
[0036] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus and a plurality of printing
apparatus, the data processing apparatus being capable of
communicating with the plurality of printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, the method comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into
the memory in the storage step is acquired; an issuing step in
which an acquisition request is issued to each printing apparatus
to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus; a notification step
in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot
acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued in the
issuing step; and a display step in which the paper feeding slot
data supplied in the notification step is analyzed and paper
resource information is displayed on a display device of the data
processing apparatus.
[0037] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus, a plurality of printing
apparatus, and a printer server, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating via the printer server with the
plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, the method comprising: a definition step in which paper
feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into a
memory; an acquisition step in which the paper feeding slot data of
each paper feeding slot stored into the memory in the storage step
is acquired; a notification step in which the paper feeding slot
data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the data
processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued
via the printer server; a storage step in which the paper feeding
slot data returned from each printing apparatus is stored into a
memory; an issuing step in which an acquisition request is issued
to the printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus;
a judgment step in which when the request for acquisition of the
paper feeding slot data is issued in the issuing step, a judgment
is made as to whether there is an updating request to update the
paper feeding slot data stored in the memory in the storage step; a
returning step in which the newest paper feeding slot data is
returned to the data processing apparatus via the printer server,
depending on the result of the judgment made in the judgment step
as to whether there is an updating request; and a display step in
which paper feeding slot data returned in the returning step is
analyzed and paper resource information is displayed on a display
device provided in the data processing apparatus.
[0038] Preferably, the printer server comprises updating means for,
when the judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means.
[0039] Furthermore, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
[0040] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing apparatus capable of communicating with a data
processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the
program comprising: a definition step in which paper feeding slot
data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper
feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data defined in the definition step
for each paper feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition
step in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding
slot stored in the storage step is acquired; and a notification
step in which the paper feeding slot data acquired in the
acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus.
[0041] In the notification step, the paper feeding slot data stored
in the storage step is sent to the data processing apparatus in
response to an acquisition request from the data processing
apparatus.
[0042] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a data processing apparatus capable of communicating with a
printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the
program comprising: an issuing step in which an acquisition request
is issued to the printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding
slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the printing
apparatus; and a display step in which an analysis is made on the
paper feeding slot data transferred from the printing apparatus in
response to the request of acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued in the issuing step, and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device.
[0043] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
[0044] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing system including a data processing apparatus and a
printing apparatus capable of communicating with each other via a
predetermined communication medium, the program comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to the printing apparatus to acquire
the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism
of the printing apparatus; an acquisition step in which the paper
feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory
in the storage step is acquired; a notification step in which the
paper feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to
the data processing apparatus, in response to the acquisition
request issued in the issuing step; and a displaying step in which
an analysis is made on the paper feeding slot data supplied in the
notification step and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device.
[0045] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a printing
apparatus, and a printer server, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating via the printer server with the
printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the
program comprising: a definition step in which paper feeding slot
data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper
feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data defined in the definition step
for each paper feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition
step in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding
slot stored into the memory in the storage step is acquired; a
notification step in which the paper feeding slot data acquired in
the acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus in
response to the acquisition request issued via the printer server;
a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data returned from
the printing apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step in
which an acquisition request is issued to the printer server to
acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of the printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when
the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is
issued in the issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there
is an updating request to update the paper feeding slot data stored
in the memory in the storage step; a returning step in which the
newest paper feeding slot data is returned to the data processing
apparatus via the printer server, depending on the result of the
judgment made in the judgment step as to whether there is an
updating request; and a display step in which paper feeding slot
data returned in the returning step is analyzed and paper resource
information is displayed on a display device provided in the data
processing apparatus.
[0046] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing system including a data processing apparatus and a
plurality of printing apparatus, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating with the plurality of printing
apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the program
comprising: a definition step in which paper feeding slot data is
defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which
the paper feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each
paper feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in
which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored
into the memory in the storage step is acquired; an issuing step in
which an acquisition request is issued to each printing apparatus
to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus; a notification step
in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot
acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued in the
issuing step; and a display step in which the paper feeding slot
data supplied in the notification step is analyzed and paper
resource information is displayed on a display device of the data
processing apparatus.
[0047] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
plurality of printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating via the printer
server with the plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, the program comprising: a definition step in
which paper feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding
slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot
data defined in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is
stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which the paper
feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory
in the storage step is acquired; a notification step in which the
paper feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to
the data processing apparatus in response to the acquisition
request issued via the printer server; a storage step in which the
paper feeding slot data returned from each printing apparatus is
stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an acquisition
request is issued to the printer server to acquire the paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each
printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued in the issuing
step, a judgment is made as to whether there is an updating request
to update the paper feeding slot data stored in the memory in the
storage step; a returning step in which the newest paper feeding
slot data is returned to the data processing apparatus via the
printer server, depending on the result of the judgment made in the
judgment step as to whether there is an updating request; and a
display step in which paper feeding slot data returned in the
returning step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device provided in the data processing
apparatus.
[0048] Preferably, the printer server comprises updating means for,
when the judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means.
[0049] Furthermore, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot.
[0050] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing operation control apparatus for
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the printing operation control
apparatus comprising: first display control means for displaying,
on a display device, a printing operation control screen including
a paper name selection box used to select a paper name; acquisition
means for examining and acquiring information about available
resources of the printing apparatus, in response to a print request
from an application program; first generation means for generating
a paper name information table by analyzing the information of
resources of each printing apparatus acquired by the acquisition
means; second generation means for generating a paper name list to
be displayed on the printing operation control screen in accordance
with the paper name information table generated by the first
generation means; second display control means for displaying, on
the printing operation control screen, a list of selectable paper
names according to the paper name list generated by the second
generation means, in response to indication of the paper name
selection box displayed on the printing operation control screen;
and setting means for retrieving, from the paper name information
table, a printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name
selected from the list of selectable paper names and setting the
retrieved printing apparatus as the designation to which the
printing information is output.
[0051] Preferably, the second display control means displays, on
the printing operation control screen, the paper name located at
the top of the paper name list as a current paper name.
[0052] Preferably, the printing operation control apparatus further
comprises: designation means for designating a selection rule of
selecting a printing apparatus from a plurality of printing
apparatus assigned the same paper name in a competitive fashion;
judgment means for judging whether a paper name is a competitive
paper name assigned to a plurality of printing apparatus in a
competitive fashion; and determination means that, when the
judgment means judges that the selected paper name is a competitive
paper name, determines a printing apparatus which should be set by
the setting means as the destination to which the printing
information is output, in accordance with the selection rule
designated by the designation means.
[0053] Preferably, the plurality of printing apparatus include a
printing apparatus connected in an one-to-one fashion to a
particular data processing apparatus.
[0054] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing operation controlling method of
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method comprising: a first
displaying step in which a printing operation control screen is
displayed on a display device, the printing operation control
screen including a paper name selection box used to select a paper
name; an acquisition step in which in response to a print request
from an application program, information about available resources
of the printing apparatus is examined and acquired; a first
generation step in which a paper name information table is
generated by analyzing the acquired information about resources of
each printing apparatus; a second generation step in which a paper
name list to be displayed on the printing operation control screen
is generated in accordance with the generated paper name
information table; a second display step in which a list of
selectable paper names generated according to the paper name list
is displayed on the printing operation control screen in response
to indication of the paper name selection box displayed on the
printing operation control screen; and a setting step in which a
printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name selected from
the list of selectable paper names is retrieved from the paper name
information table, and the retrieved printing apparatus is set as
the designation to which the printing information is output.
[0055] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, the program comprising: a first
displaying step in which a printing operation control screen is
displayed on a display device, the printing operation control
screen including a paper name selection box used to select a paper
name; an acquisition step in which in response to a print request
from an application program, information about available resources
of the printing apparatus is examined and acquired; a first
generation step in which a paper name information table is
generated by analyzing the acquired information about resources of
each printing apparatus; a second generation step in which a paper
name list to be displayed on the printing operation control screen
is generated in accordance with the generated paper name
information table; a second display step in which a list of
selectable paper names generated according to the paper name list
is displayed on the printing operation control screen in response
to indication of the paper name selection box displayed on the
printing operation control screen; and a setting step in which a
printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name selected from
the list of selectable paper names is retrieved from the paper name
information table, and the retrieved printing apparatus is set as
the designation to which the printing information is output.
[0056] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing operation controlling method of
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method comprising: a
judgment step in which, in response to a print request from an
application program, a judgment is made as to whether there is an
available printing apparatus connected to the predetermined
communication medium; a first storage step in which the network
information about the available printing apparatus obtained in the
judgment step is stored in a memory; a setting step in which the
network information stored in the memory is analyzed and the number
of printing apparatus with the paper name designation capability to
be examined is set; an examination step in which an examination is
made on as many printing apparatus as the number set in the setting
step as to whether each the printing apparatus has the capability
of selecting a paper feeding slot in accordance with a paper name;
and a second storage step in which if the examination step
concludes that the printing apparatus has the capability of
selecting a paper feeding slot in accordance with a paper name, the
paper name assigned to each paper feeding slot is acquired and
stored in the memory.
[0057] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, the program comprising: a judgment step
in which, in response to a print request from an application
program, a judgment is made as to whether there is an available
printing apparatus connected to the predetermined communication
medium; a first storage step in which the network information about
the available printing apparatus obtained in the judgment step is
stored in a memory; a setting step in which the network information
stored in the memory is analyzed and the number of printing
apparatus with the paper name designation capability to be examined
is set; an examination step in which an examination is made on as
many printing apparatus as the number set in the setting step as to
whether each the printing apparatus has the capability of selecting
a paper feeding slot in accordance with a paper name; and a second
storage step in which if the examination step concludes that the
printing apparatus has the capability of selecting a paper feeding
slot in accordance with a paper name, the paper name assigned to
each paper feeding slot is acquired and stored in the memory.
[0058] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing operation controlling method of
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method comprising: a
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether the data
stored in a memory includes a paper name acquired from a printing
apparatus having the capability of selecting a paper feeding slot
according to a paper name; a generation step in which if the
judgment step concludes that the paper name is included in the data
stored in the memory, the memory is searched to generate a paper
name list to be displayed in the paper name selection box of the
printing operation control screen displayed on a display device;
and a displaying step in which a current paper name is displayed in
the paper name selection box in accordance with the generated paper
name list.
[0059] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, the program comprising: a judgment step
in which a judgment is made as to whether the data stored in a
memory includes a paper name acquired from a printing apparatus
having the capability of selecting a paper feeding slot according
to a paper name; a generation step in which if the judgment step
concludes that the paper name is included in the data stored in the
memory, the memory is searched to generate a paper name list to be
displayed in the paper name selection box of the printing operation
control screen displayed on a display device; and a displaying step
in which a current paper name is displayed in the paper name
selection box in accordance with the generated paper name list.
[0060] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a printing operation controlling method of
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method comprising: a first
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to the selection
status of the paper name selection box of the printing operation
control screen displayed on a display device; a displaying step in
which if the first judgment step concludes that the paper name
selection box of the printing operation control screen displayed on
the display device is selected, a paper name list is displayed on
the printing operation control screen of the display device in
accordance with the paper name list stored in a memory; a second
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether a paper
name different from the current paper name is selected from the
displayed paper name list; a first setting step in which if the
second judgment step concludes that a paper name different from the
current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name list,
the selected paper name is set as the current paper name; a third
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether a print
start command or a print cancel command is issued; a second setting
step in which if the third judgment step concludes that a print
start command has been issued, the destination to which printing
information is output is set by referring to the paper name
information stored in the memory corresponding to the current paper
name; and a transmission step in which the printing information is
transmitted to the printing apparatus set as the output destination
in the second setting step.
[0061] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, the program comprising: a first
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to the selection
status of the paper name selection box of the printing operation
control screen displayed on a display device; a displaying step in
which if the first judgment step concludes that the paper name
selection box of the printing operation control screen displayed on
the display device is selected, a paper name list is displayed on
the printing operation control screen of the display device in
accordance with the paper name list stored in a memory; a second
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether a paper
name different from the current paper name is selected from the
displayed paper name list; a first setting step in which if the
second judgment step concludes that a paper name different from the
current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name list,
the selected paper name is set as the current paper name; a third
judgment step in which a judgment is made as to whether a print
start command or a print cancel command is issued; a second setting
step in which if the third judgment step concludes that a print
start command has been issued, the destination to which printing
information is output is set by referring to the paper name
information stored in the memory corresponding to the current paper
name; and a transmission step in which the printing information is
transmitted to the printing apparatus set as the output destination
in the second setting step.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0062] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
including a printing operation controller according to a first
embodiment of the invention;
[0063] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a printer resource
management table managed by the host computer shown in FIG. 1;
[0064] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating main parts of the
host computer and one of printers of the printing system shown in
FIG. 1;
[0065] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of
inserting a storage medium into the medium reader of the host
computer shown in FIG. 3;
[0066] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the memory map of
the storage medium shown in FIG. 4;
[0067] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the memory map of
the RAM of the storage device shown in FIG. 3;
[0068] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a
network information table produced in accordance with network
information acquired by the host computer shown in FIG. 1 via a
network;
[0069] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a
paper name designation table associated with networked printers,
acquired by the host computer shown in FIG. 1 via the network;
[0070] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a
paper name list produced in accordance with the paper name
designation table shown in FIG. 8;
[0071] FIG. 10 illustrates a first example of a printing operation
control screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. 3;
[0072] FIG. 11 illustrates a second example of a printing operation
control screen displayed on the display device shown in FIG. 3;
[0073] FIG. 12 illustrates a list of selectable paper names
displayed when a button of the printing operation control screen
shown in FIG. 10 is clicked;
[0074] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data
processing procedure performed by a printing operation controller
according to the present invention;
[0075] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data
processing procedure performed by the printing operation controller
according to the present invention;
[0076] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data
processing procedure performed by the printing operation controller
according to the present invention;
[0077] FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
including a printing operation controller according to a second
embodiment of the invention;
[0078] FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
including a printing operation controller according to a fifth
embodiment of the invention;
[0079] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data
processing procedure performed by a printing system according to
the present invention;
[0080] FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
according to a sixth embodiment of the invention;
[0081] FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data
processing procedure performed by a printing system according to
the present invention;
[0082] FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
according to an eighth embodiment of the invention;
[0083] FIG. 22 is a schematic representation of a memory map of a
storage medium for storing various data processing programs
readable by a printing system including a data processing apparatus
according to the present invention;
[0084] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of
printing system including a printing operation controller according
to a conventional technique;
[0085] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example
of printing system including a printing operation controller
according to a conventional technique;
[0086] FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating still another
example of printing system including a printing operation
controller according to a conventional technique; and
[0087] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating still another
example of printing system including a printing operation
controller according to a conventional technique.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0088] First Embodiment
[0089] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
including a printing operation controller according to a first
embodiment of the invention. This printing system is based on the
above-described aspect of the invention in which a host computer is
adapted to communicate with a plurality of printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium.
[0090] In FIG. 1, a host computer 1 is connected to printers 2-5
via a network such as Ethernet 6 so that the host computer 1 and
the printers 2-5 can communicate with each other according to a
predetermined protocol. Herein, the printers 2-5 are assumed to
have the paper name designation capability.
[0091] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a printer resource
management table managed by the host computer 1 shown in FIG. 1. An
arbitrary logical paper name is assigned to each physical paper
feeding slot of each printer 2-5 as shown in FIG. 2 so that the
host computer can use these logical paper names. The data
representing the printer resource management table is stored in the
memory shown in FIG. 3. However, the paper name designation
capability is not available in the printer 5. Herein, the printer 3
is assumed to be higher in throughput than the printer 4.
Furthermore, the printer 3 is assumed to be of the monochrome type
and the printer 4 is assumed to be capable of printing a color
image. Still furthermore, the printer 3 is assumed to have a higher
paper capacity than the printer 4.
[0092] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating main parts of the
host computer and one of printers of the printing system shown in
FIG. 1. Herein the host computer 1 may also be a personal computer,
work station, or a minicomputer, and the printer 2 may also be a
plotter, a digital copying machine, or a facsimile machine.
[0093] In the host computer 1, a controller 101 executes a system
control program, a print control program, and an application
program (such as programs shown in various figures) loaded from a
storage device such as a ROM or a storage device 103 onto a RAM
thereby generally controlling various data processing
operations.
[0094] Reference numeral 104 denotes a display device 104 including
a CRT, FLC, or LCD. Reference numeral 107 denotes an input device
such as a keyboard or a pointing device. Reference numeral 105
denotes a medium reader such as an FD drive, an MO drive, a CD-ROM
drive, or an IC memory card reader. The medium reader 105 reads a
control program and a data file, as required, from a storage medium
such as an FD, an MO, a DVD, a CD-ROM, or an IC memory card. Under
the control of the controller 101, the control program or the data
file is stored onto the disk drive such as a magnetic disk drive, a
magneto-optical disk drive, or a magnetic tape drive, of the
storage device 103. Reference numeral 106 denotes a storage medium
on which the print control program for controlling the process
which will be described later with reference to flowcharts is
stored in either a direct form or a compressed form. In the case
where the control program is stored in a compressed form, the print
control program is first decompressed and then installed at a
predetermined address of the storage device 103. After that, the
print control program is loaded onto the RAM as required and
executed.
[0095] Reference numeral 102 denotes an interface device such as a
serial interface board, a parallel interface board, or a network
interface board.
[0096] In the printer 2, reference numeral 201 denotes a controller
which executes a system control program stored in a storage device
such as a disk drive 203 or downloaded from the host computer 1
thereby generally controlling various operations such as a process
of print data received from the host computer 1, the operation of a
paper feeder 205, and the operation of driving a printing unit 204.
In the present invention, the printing unit 204 may include a
printer engine based on any proper technique such as a laser beam,
bubble jet, LED, or thermal transfer printing technique. An
optional device such as a finisher or a sorter may be connected to
the printing unit 204. The paper feeder 205 includes a detector
such as a photosensor for detecting the presence of recording media
placed in each cassette (not shown). The detection signal is sent
to the controller 201.
[0097] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of
inserting a storage medium 106 into the medium reader 105 of the
host computer 1 shown in FIG. 3.
[0098] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1001 denotes an insertion slot
through which the storage medium is set in the medium reader.
[0099] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the memory map of
the storage medium 106 shown in FIG. 4.
[0100] In FIG. 1, an area 1202 includes volume information
representing the amount of storage area available for writing data
and also the name of the storage medium. In an area 1202, directory
information is stored. In an area 1203, a program file in an
executable module form written in a proper language is stored. An
area 1204 is used to store a module data file representing various
parameters required to execute the executable module file 1203.
[0101] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the memory map of
the RAM of the storage device 103 shown in FIG. 3.
[0102] In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1101 and 1102 denote system
module areas wherein a basic I/O module is loaded in the system
module area 1101 and an operating system (OS) is loaded in the
system module area 1102.
[0103] An area 1103 is a system module area in which a printing
system module for performing a printing operation based on the
paper name attributes is loaded. Other associated data is loaded in
a data area 1104. A data area 1105 is used as a work area.
[0104] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a
network information table produced in accordance with network
information acquired by the host computer 1 shown in FIG. 1 via the
network. This table is produced in the RAM of the storage device
103. The specific example of the network information table shown in
FIG. 7 represents the information about the network used in the
printing system shown in FIG. 1.
[0105] In the present embodiment, the network information table
includes identification (ID) information, printer names, and
network addresses.
[0106] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a
paper name designation table associated with networked printers,
acquired by the host computer 1 shown in FIG. 1 via the network.
This table is produced in the RAM of the storage device 103. The
specific example of the paper name designation table shown in FIG.
8 represents the information about the paper names defined for the
networked printers used in the printing system shown in FIG. 1.
[0107] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a
paper name list produced in accordance with the paper name
designation table shown in FIG. 8. This list is produced in the RAM
by the controller 101 in accordance with the paper name designation
table stored in the storage device 103. The production process of
the paper name list is shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c.
[0108] FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams illustrating examples
of a first printing operation control screen displayed on the
display device 104 shown in FIG. 3. When an application program is
being executed, if a print command is selected from a command menu,
then the first printing operation control screen is displayed in
the form of a pop-up dialog screen W.
[0109] In FIG. 1, BT1-BT5 are buttons wherein the button BT1 is
used as a print start button. If this button BT1 is clicked with a
cursor (not shown), a printing process is started.
[0110] When the button BT2 is clicked with the cursor, the printing
process is canceled. When various optional functions are desired to
be set, the button BT3 is clicked with the cursor. If the button
BT4 is clicked with the cursor, a help message is displayed. If the
button BT5 is clicked with the cursor, a paper name list is
displayed.
[0111] FIG. 12 illustrates the list of selectable paper names
displayed when the button BT5 in the printing operation control
screen shown in FIG. 10 is clicked.
[0112] The list of selectable paper names is displayed in
accordance with the paper name list shown in FIG. 9. The paper name
at the top of the list is displayed as a default paper name on the
button BT5. If another paper name is selected from the paper name
list which appears when the button BT5 is clicked, the paper name
displayed on the button BT5 is changed from a paper name (for
example, "Notice" as shown in FIG. 10) to the selected paper name
(for example, "Plan" as shown in FIG. 11).
[0113] With reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the
operation of processing data performed by the printing operation
controller according to the present invention is described
below.
[0114] Steps 1-25 shown in the flowcharts are described in the
program module stored on the disk drive of the storage device 103
of the host computer 1. This program module is loaded into the RAM
of the storage device 103 of the host computer 1 and executed when
the host computer 1 is started.
[0115] Alternatively, the program module and associated data may be
loaded from the medium reader 105 of the host computer 1 into the
RAM of the host computer and executed. In this case, it is required
that the program module and the associated data be stored on the
storage medium 106 shown in FIG. 4 according to the format shown in
FIG. 4. Furthermore, in this case, the program module and the
associated data stored on the storage medium 106 according to the
present embodiment are loaded onto the host computer 1 via the
medium reader 1001 shown in FIG. 4. If the storage medium 106 is
set into the medium reader 1001 of the host computer 1, the module
and associated data according to the present embodiment are read
from the storage medium 106 and loaded into the RAM of the storage
device 103 of the host computer 1 under the control of the OS 1102
and the basic I/O module 1101 resident in the RAM of the storage
device 103 shown in FIG. 6 thereby making it possible to perform
the operation.
[0116] Alternatively, the module and associated data embodying the
present invention may be read from the storage medium 106 shown in
FIG. 4 and temporarily installed on the disk drive of the storage
device 103 of the host computer so that when the module is executed
using the associated data, the module and associated data are
loaded from the disk drive into the RAM of the storage device 103
of the host computer.
[0117] The features of the present embodiment is now described
below with reference to FIG. 3 and other figures as required.
[0118] That is, the present embodiment of the invention provides a
printing operation control apparatus for controlling the operation
of transferring printing information by communicating via a
predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus (printers 2-4 shown in FIG. 1) each having a paper
feeding slot to which a paper name may be assigned, the printing
operation control apparatus comprising: first display control means
for displaying, on a display device 104, a printing operation
control screen including a paper name selection box used to select
a paper name (the control is performed by the controller 101 by
executing the control program stored in the memory resource of the
storage device 103 (the control program may also be supplied from a
storage medium 106 which will be described later)); acquisition
means for examining and acquiring information about available
resources of the printing apparatus, in response to a print request
from an application program (the resource information is acquired
via the interface 102 by the controller 101 by executing the
control program stored in the memory resource of the storage device
103 (the control program may also be supplied from the storage
medium 106 which will be described later)); first generation means
for generating a paper name information table by analyzing the
information of resources of each printing apparatus acquired by the
acquisition means (the generation is performed by the controller
101 by executing the control program stored in the memory resource
of the storage device 103 (the control program may also be supplied
from the storage medium 106 which will be described later)); second
generation means for generating a paper name list (refer to FIG. 9)
to be displayed on the printing operation control screen in
accordance with the paper name information table (refer to FIG. 8)
generated by the first generation means (the generation is
performed by the controller 101 by executing the control program
stored in the memory resource of the storage device 103 (the
control program may also be supplied from the storage medium 106
which will be described later)); second display control means for
displaying, on the printing operation control screen, a list of
selectable paper names according to the paper name list generated
by the second generation means, in response to indication of the
paper name selection box displayed on the printing operation
control screen (the control is performed by the controller 101 by
executing the control program stored in the memory resource of the
storage device 103 (the control program may also be supplied from a
storage medium 106 which will be described later)); and setting
means for retrieving, from the paper name information table, a
printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name selected from
the list of selectable paper names and setting the retrieved
printing apparatus as the designation to which the printing
information is output (the setting is performed by the controller
101 by executing the control program stored in the memory resource
of the storage device 103 (the control program may also be supplied
from the storage medium 106 which will be described later)). This
technique makes it possible to build a networked printing system
having the paper name designation capability in which it is
possible to perform a printing operation on desired paper using a
printer in which the desired paper is available simply by
designating a desired paper name in a similar manner to that
employed in the conventional paper name designation technique,
without having to know which paper name is assigned to which
printer on the network.
[0119] The controller 101 employs the paper name at the top of the
paper name list as the current paper name and displays it on the
printing operation control screen (refer to FIG. 10). Thus, the
current paper name is automatically set.
[0120] In practice, the modules described in the present embodiment
are given in the form of program codes corresponding to the
flowcharts shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. Now, details of the data
processing according to the present embodiment are described.
[0121] First, the controller 101 of the host computer 1 shown in
FIG. 3 accepts a print request from an application program and
starts a printing process (step 1). The controller 101 checks
whether there is an available printer connected to the host
computer 1 via an interface 102 and further via a network (step 2).
If there is no available printer, the process is terminated.
[0122] If it is determined in step 2 that there is an available
printer (in the specific example of the printing system shown in
FIG. 1, the printers 2-6 connected to the network 6 are available,
and thus controller 101 determines that there are available
printers connected to the network 6), then the controller 101
stores the obtained network information in terms of the available
printers as a "network information table" with the data structure
shown in FIG. 7 into a RAM of the storage device 103.
[0123] As shown in FIG. 7, the network information table includes
identification (ID) data, names of printers connected to the
network 6, and the network addresses assigned to the respective
printers wherein the identification data not only identifies each
printer but also represents the number of printers.
[0124] The controller 101 determines the number of identification
data present in the "network information table" stored in the RAM
of the storage device 103 (step 4), and substitutes the resultant
number into a variable PR_num indicating the maximum number of
identification data (step 5).
[0125] In this specific embodiment, there are four identification
data, and thus 4 is substituted into the variable PR_num and stored
in the RAM of the storage device 103 of the host computer 1.
[0126] The controller 101 sets the value of a variable N used to
count the identification data to an initial value of 1 (step 6).
The controller 101 then checks whether the variable PR_num is
greater than the variable N (step 7).
[0127] In the present embodiment, PR_num=4 and N=1 at the
beginning. Thus the judgment made by the controller 101 in step 7
is negative, that is, the controller 101 determines that the
variable PR_num is not greater than the variable N, and the
controller 101 determines whether the printer corresponding to the
N-th identification data has the paper name designation capability
(step 8). In this process, the controller 101 refers to the
"network information table" shown in FIG. 7 and acquires the
network address (80:11:22:33:44:01) of the printer (printer 2) with
the ID=1 corresponding to the current value of the variable N.
[0128] In accordance with the network address, the controller 101
accesses the printer 2 shown in FIG. 1 via the interface 102 and
inquires of the controller 201 of the printer 2 shown in FIG. 2 via
the interface 202 of the printer 2 whether the printer 2 has the
paper name designation capability. The controller 201 notifies the
controller 101 via the interfaces 202 and 102 that the printer 2
has the paper name designation capability. From the notification
from the controller 201, the controller 101 concludes that the
printer 2 has the paper name designation capability.
[0129] The controller 101 determines whether the printer
corresponding to the N-th identification data has the paper name
designation capability and the stores the result as the "paper name
information table" having the data structure shown in FIG. 8 into
the RAM of the storage device 103 of the host computer 1 (step 9).
According to a procedure similar to that employed to determine
whether the printer 2 has the paper name designation capability,
the controller 101 also acquires paper names "Notice", "Schedule",
and "Report" assigned to the printer 2 and stores them in the
"paper name information table" in the RAM of the storage device 103
of the host computer 1.
[0130] To determine whether the next printer 3 has the paper name
designation capability and to acquire the paper names assigned to
the printer 3, the variable N is incremented by 1 (step 10) and the
process returns to step 7. Thus, the first execution of step 7
causes the variable N to have a value equal to 2 (=1+1).
[0131] In the following process, steps 7-10 are performed
repeatedly for the variable N with 2 corresponding to the printer 2
and also for the variable N with 3 corresponding to the printer 3.
In the above execution of these steps, it is determined that the
printers 3 and 4 have the paper name designation capability, and
data having the data structure shown in FIG. 8 and representing the
paper names assigned to the printers 3 and 4 is stored in the RAM
of the storage device 103. At this stage of the process, the
variable N comes to have a value equal to 4. The process then
returns to step 7 and the controller 101 determines whether the
variable PR_num is greater than the variable N. Because PR_num=4
and N=4, the controller 101 determines that PR_num is not greater
than N. The controller 101 then determines whether the printer
corresponding to the N-th identification (ID) data has the paper
name designation capability (step 8).
[0132] In this step, the controller 101 refers to the "network
information table" and acquires the information about the printer
having identification (ID) data=4 corresponding to the current
value of the variable N. More specifically, the controller 101
acquires a network address "80:11:22:33:44:04" assigned to that
printer. In accordance with the acquired network address, the
controller 101 accesses the printer 5 shown in FIG. 1 via the
interface 102 and inquires of the controller 201 of the printer via
the printer's interface 202 shown in FIG. 3 whether the printer 5
has the paper name designation capability.
[0133] In this specific example, the printer 5 does not have the
paper name designation capability, and the controller 201 notifies
the controller 101 via the interfaces 202 and 102 that the printer
5 does not have the paper name designation capability.
[0134] From the notification from the controller 201, the
controller 101 concludes that the printer 5 does not have the paper
name designation capability. The process then goes to step 10 and
the variable N is incremented by 1 so as to determine whether the
next printer has the paper name designation capability and so as to
acquire the paper names assigned to that printer.
[0135] In this case, when the process returns to step 7, the
variable N has a value equal to 5 and thus the controller 101
determines that the variable PR_num is greater than the variable N.
That is, the judgment in step 7 is positive, and thus the process
goes to step 11. At this stage of the process, the "paper name
information table" shown in FIG. 8 has been produced in a complete
form in the RAM of the storage device 103.
[0136] Then in step 11, to determine whether a printer having the
paper name designation capability is included in the available
printers, the controller 101 determines whether the "paper name
information table" is stored in the storage device 103. If the
controller 101 determines in step 11 that the "paper name
information table" is not stored in the storage device 103, then
the printing operation is performed in the conventional manner in
which the paper feeding slot is physically designated (step 15) and
the process is completed.
[0137] On the other hand, if the controller 101 determines in step
11 that the "paper name information table" is stored in the storage
device 103, then the controller 101 examines all paper names stored
in the "paper name information table" shown in FIG. 8 and produces
a paper name list as shown in FIG. 9 (step 12).
[0138] When the paper name list is produced, the controller 101
examines the paper name information table shown in FIG. 8 to
determine what paper names are assigned to the printer having a
paper name of "printer 2", and produces, as shown in FIG. 9A, the
paper name list from the examination result. The resultant paper
name list is stored in the RAM of the storage device 103 so that it
can be used as displaying data.
[0139] The controller further examines the paper name information
table shown in FIG. 8 to determine what paper names are assigned to
the printer having a paper name of "printer 3", and adds the result
to the paper name list shown in FIG. 9A. As a result, a paper name
list shown in FIG. 9B is obtained and stored in the RAM of the
storage device 103. Furthermore, the controller examines the paper
name information table shown in FIG. 8 to determine what paper
names are assigned to the printer having a paper name of "printer
4", and adds the result to the paper name list shown in FIG. 9B. As
a result, a paper name list shown in FIG. 9C is obtained and stored
in the RAM of the storage device 103.
[0140] The controller 101 employs the paper name "Notice" located
at the top of the paper name list as a paper name to be displayed
as the current paper name, and stores the information indicating
the current paper name in the RAM of the storage device 103 (step
13). The controller 101 displays a print dialog screen W, including
a paper name selection box in which a current paper name "Notice"
is displayed, on the display device 104 of the host computer 1 so
as to accept a command from a user, such as a print start command,
print cancel command, and a paper name designation command (step
14).
[0141] The controller 101 determines whether the user selects the
paper name selection box on the print dialog screen W by operating
the input device 107 of the host computer 1 (step 16). In the case
where the controller 101 determines that the paper name selection
box is not selected, the process goes to step 21.
[0142] On the other hand, if the controller 101 determines in step
16 that the paper name selection box is selected, then the
controller 101 reads the data of the paper name list from the RAM
of the storage device 103 and displays the paper name list such as
that shown in FIG. 12 on the display device 104 of the host
computer 1 (step 17).
[0143] The controller 101 determines whether the user selects a
paper name from the paper name list displayed on the display device
104 of the host computer 1 by operating the input device 107
thereby requesting a change in the paper name from the current
paper name to the selected new paper name (step 18). In the case
where the controller 101 determines that the change in the paper
name is not requested, the process goes to step 21.
[0144] On the other hand, if the controller 101 determines in step
18 that a change in the paper name is requested, then the
controller 101 employs the selected paper name as the current paper
name (step 19) and stores the information indicating the new
current paper name into the RAM of the storage device 103.
[0145] More specifically, if the user selects, for example, "Plan"
from the paper name list by operating the input device 107, then
the controller 101 displays the selected paper name on the display
device 104 of the host computer as shown in FIG. 11 (step 20).
[0146] The controller 101 then determines whether a print cancel
command is issued by the user via the print dialog screen W (by
pressing a cancel button BT2 shown in FIG. 10 or 11) (step 21). If
the controller 101 determines that a print cancel command is
issued, the controller 101 cancels the printing operation and
terminates the process.
[0147] On the other hand, if the controller 101 determines in step
21 that a print cancel command is not issued, then the controller
101 further determines whether a print start command is issued by
the user via the print dialog screen W by operating the input
device 107 of the host computer 1 (more specifically by pressing
the print start button BT1 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) (step 22). If
the controller 101 determines that a print start command is not
issued, the process returns to step 16.
[0148] On the other hand, if the controller 101 determines in step
22 that a print start command is issued, the controller 101
acquires the current paper name from the RAM of the storage device
103 (step 23) and examines the "network information table" shown in
FIG. 7 and also the "paper name information table" shown in FIG. 8
both stored in the RAM of the storage device 103 so as to acquire
information about the printer assigned the acquired paper name
(step 23).
[0149] In this specific example, the controller 101 gets to know,
from the acquired information, that the current paper name is
"Plan", and also gets to know, from the "paper name information
table", that the paper name "Plan" is assigned to the printer 4.
Furthermore, the controller 101 gets to know, from the "network
information table", that the printer 4 assigned the paper name
"Plan" has a network address "80:11:22:33:44:03".
[0150] The controller 101 then employs the printer 4 assigned the
current paper name as the destination to which the printing data is
output (step 24). Furthermore, the controller 101 performs setting
in terms of other information such as a network address required in
the printing operation, and stores the information representing the
setting into the RAM of the storage device 103. Thus, the setting
in terms of the printer to which the printing data is output is
automatically performed on the basis of the paper name selected by
the user.
[0151] The controller 101 adds paper designation data indicating
that the selected paper name is "Plan" to the printing data, and
transmits it to the controller 202 via the interfaces 102 and 202.
The controller 201 temporarily stores the received printing data
including the paper selection data into the RAM of the storage
device 203. The controller 201 then reads the paper designation
data from the RAM of the storage device 203. In this specific
example, because "Plan" is designated, paper is fed from the upper
cassette of the paper feeder 205 of the printer 2 shown in FIG. 3
and printing is performed in accordance with the received printing
data (step 25).
[0152] The features of the present embodiment are described in
further detail below with reference to the flowcharts shown in
FIGS. 13-15.
[0153] That is, the present embodiment of the invention provides a
printing operation controlling method of controlling the operation
of transferring printing information by communicating via a
predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name
may be assigned, and a storage medium on which a program readable
by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible for
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method or program
comprising: a first displaying step (first half of step 1 shown in
FIG. 14) in which a printing operation control screen (refer to
FIG. 10) is displayed on a display device (104), the printing
operation control screen including a paper name selection box used
to select a paper name; an acquisition step (steps 2 and 3 in FIG.
13) in which in response to a print request from an application
program, information about available resources of the printing
apparatus is examined and acquired; a first generation step (step 9
in FIG. 13) in which a paper name information table is generated by
analyzing the acquired information about resources of each printing
apparatus; a second generation step (step 12 in FIG. 14) in which a
paper name list to be displayed on the printing operation control
screen is generated in accordance with the generated paper name
information table; a second display step (step 14 in FIG. 14) in
which a list of selectable paper names generated according to the
paper name list is displayed on the printing operation control
screen in response to indication of the paper name selection box
displayed on the printing operation control screen; and a setting
step (steps 16-24 in FIG. 15) in which a printing apparatus
assigned the desired paper name selected from the list of
selectable paper names is retrieved from the paper name information
table, and the retrieved printing apparatus is set as the
designation to which the printing information is output. This
technique makes it possible to build a networked printing system
having the paper name designation capability in which it is
possible to perform a printing operation on desired paper using a
printer in which the desired paper is available simply by
designating a desired paper name in a similar manner to that
employed in the conventional paper name designation technique,
without having to know which paper name is assigned to which
printer on the network.
[0154] Furthermore, the present embodiment also provides a printing
operation controlling method of controlling the operation of
transferring printing information by communicating via a
predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name
may be assigned, and a storage medium on which a program readable
by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible for
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method or program
comprising: a judgment step (step 2 in FIG. 13) in which, in
response to a print request from an application program, a judgment
is made as to whether there is an available printing apparatus
connected to the predetermined communication medium; a first
storage step (step 3 in FIG. 13) in which the network information
about the available printing apparatus obtained in the judgment
step is stored in a memory; a setting step (step 5 in FIG. 13) in
which the network information stored in the memory is analyzed and
the number of printing apparatus with the paper name designation
capability to be examined is set; an examination step (step 8 in
FIG. 13) in which an examination is made on as many printing
apparatus as the number set in the setting step as to whether each
the printing apparatus has the capability of selecting a paper
feeding slot in accordance with a paper name; and a second storage
step (step 9 in FIG. 13) in which if the examination step concludes
that the printing apparatus has the capability of selecting a paper
feeding slot in accordance with a paper name, the paper name
assigned to each paper feeding slot is acquired and stored in the
memory. This technique makes it possible to automatically acquire,
from each available printing apparatus, the paper names to be
displayed on the printing operation control screen so as to obtain
updated paper names.
[0155] Furthermore, the present embodiment also provides a printing
operation controlling method of controlling the operation of
transferring printing information by communicating via a
predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name
may be assigned, and a storage medium on which a program readable
by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible for
controlling the operation of transferring printing information by
communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method or program
comprising: a judgment step (step 11 in FIG. 14) in which a
judgment is made as to whether the data stored in a memory includes
a paper name acquired from a printing apparatus having the
capability of selecting a paper feeding slot according to a paper
name; a generation step (step 12 in FIG. 14) in which if the
judgment step concludes that the paper name is included in the data
stored in the memory, the memory is searched to generate a paper
name list to be displayed in the paper name selection box of the
printing operation control screen displayed on a display device;
and a displaying step (step 14 in FIG. 14) in which a current paper
name is displayed in the paper name selection box in accordance
with the generated paper name list. This technique makes it
possible to automatically set the paper name to be displayed as the
current paper name.
[0156] Still furthermore, the present embodiment of the invention
provides a printing operation controlling method of controlling the
operation of transferring printing information by communicating via
a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name
may be assigned, the method comprising: a first judgment step (step
16 in FIG. 15) in which a judgment is made as to the selection
status of the paper name selection box of the printing operation
control screen displayed on a display device; a displaying step
(step 17 in FIG. 15) in which if the first judgment step concludes
that the paper name selection box of the printing operation control
screen displayed on the display device is selected, a paper name
list is displayed on the printing operation control screen of the
display device in accordance with the paper name list stored in a
memory; a second judgment step (step 18 in FIG. 15) in which a
judgment is made as to whether a paper name different from the
current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name list;
a first setting step (step 19 in FIG. 15) in which if the second
judgment step concludes that a paper name different from the
current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name list,
the selected paper name is set as the current paper name; a third
judgment step (steps 21 and 22 in FIG. 15) in which a judgment is
made as to whether a print start command or a print cancel command
is issued; a second setting step (step 24 in FIG. 15) in which if
the third judgment step concludes that a print start command has
been issued, the destination to which printing information is
output is set by referring to the paper name information stored in
the memory corresponding to the current paper name; and a
transmission step (step 25 in FIG. 15) in which the printing
information is transmitted to the printing apparatus set as the
output destination in the second setting step. Thus it is possible
to automatically transmit printing data to a printer corresponding
to a selected paper name simply by selecting a desired paper name
from the paper name list displayed on the printing operation
control screen without having to have knowledge about networked
printers.
[0157] Second Embodiment
[0158] Although in the above-described embodiment, the printers 2-5
connected to the network all serve as networked computers and are
capable of communicating with the host computer 1, the present
invention may also be applied to a printing system in which a local
printer is connected in an one-to-one fashion via for example an
I/F cable to a data processing apparatus such as a server so that
another host computer can share the printer as a networked printer,
as described below in a second embodiment.
[0159] FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
including a printing operation controller according to a second
embodiment of the invention.
[0160] In this second embodiment, as opposed to the first
embodiment described above, the printing system includes a printer
directly connected to a network so that a host computer can
communicate indirectly with the printer.
[0161] In FIG. 16, reference numeral 161 denotes a personal
computer serving as a client. 162 denotes a network such as
Ethernet. A server 163 is connected via an I/F cable to a printer
164 serving as a local printer. The printer 164 is designated by
the server 163 as a shared printer.
[0162] A printer 165 serves as a networked printer capable of
communicating with the client 161 and the server 163 via the
network 162.
[0163] In the first embodiment described above with reference to
FIG. 1, printers are connected directly to the network so that the
host computer can communicate with the printers via the network. In
this second embodiment, as opposed to the first embodiment, the
host computer (server 163) connected to the network controls both
the printer 165 directly connected to the network 162 and the
printer 164 connected in an one-to-one fashion to the server 163
(via a serial interface, a Centronics interface, or a SCSI
interface). The configuration of this second embodiment is
different from that of the first embodiment in the following
points.
[0164] In the printing system according to the second embodiment,
the server 163 includes a program module which makes it possible to
accept a request from the client 161 (steps 2 and 8 in FIG. 13) and
respond to it. When a request is received from the client 161, this
program module acquires required information from a printer
(printer 165 or 164) and returns the information to the client 161.
This makes it possible to apply the present invention to a
networked printing system in a wide variety of forms.
[0165] The program module loaded on the server 163 may periodically
acquire information about the printers 164 and 165 and stores it so
that when a request from the client 161 is received the stored
information can be supplied to the client without having to acquire
the information from the printers.
[0166] This allows the client 161 to have a quicker response.
[0167] Third Embodiment
[0168] In the first and second embodiments described above, the
status of a printer which does not have the paper name designation
capability is not reflected in the printer selection process.
However, the present invention may also be applied in an
advantageous manner to a printing system including such a printer
which does not have the paper name designation capability as
disclosed here in a third embodiment.
[0169] In the first embodiment described above with reference to
FIG. 1, although the printer is connected to the network 6, the
printer 5 cannot take advantage of the present invention because it
does not have the paper name designation capability. Such a problem
can be solved by modifying the second embodiment as follows.
[0170] That is, a function is added to the program module of the
server 163 of the second embodiment so that the program module
becomes capable of registering and storing, in a memory resource
(such as a RAM provided in the server), the information about
logical and physical attributes of a printer which does not have
the paper name designation capability.
[0171] More specifically, in the printing system shown in FIG. 16,
if the printer 165 does not have the paper name designation
capability, the server 163 registers and stores information
indicating, for example, that a paper name "Leaflet" is assigned to
the top cassette, "Advertisement" to the middle cassette, and
"Cover" to the bottom cassette.
[0172] When an information acquisition request is received from the
client 161, the server 163 returns the stored information
(indicating that the paper name "Leaflet" is assigned to the top
cassette, "Advertisement" to the middle cassette, and "Cover" to
the bottom cassette).
[0173] Thus, the paper names assigned to the printer 165 are also
displayed in the paper name selection box on the print dialog
screen W displayed on the display device of the client 161 so that
these paper names can also be selected as paper names assigned to
other printers.
[0174] If the server 163 receives printing data together with paper
name designation data designating, for example, "Leaflet" from the
client 161, the program module of the server 163 interprets the
paper name "Leaflet" as the "top cassette".
[0175] In turn, the server 163 transmits to the printer 165 the
printing data together with physical paper feeding slot designation
data designating, in this particular example, "top cassette". As
described above, the present embodiment of the invention makes it
possible that even when a printer itself does not have the paper
name designation capability, the printing system including such a
printer can have the paper name designation capability according
the present invention. This allows a realization of a printing
system which is more convenient for users and which has improved
compatibility.
[0176] Fourth Embodiment
[0177] In the embodiments described above, different printers are
assigned different paper names. However, in some printing systems,
the same paper name is assigned to two or more different printers.
In this fourth embodiment, the present invention is applied to such
a printing system in which the same paper name is assigned to
different printers connected to a network.
[0178] In the fourth embodiment, step 19 shown in the flowchart of
FIG. 15 is modified so as to improve the utility.
[0179] In FIG. 1, when the same paper name, for example, "Plan" is
assigned in a competitive fashion to the upper cassette of the
printer 3 and also to the upper cassette of the printer 4, step 19
is modified such that when the same paper name is assigned to a
plurality of printers, printer data is analyzed and if the printer
data includes only monochrome data then the paper name
corresponding to a monochrome printer is employed as the current
paper name.
[0180] On the other hand, if the printing data includes color data,
then the paper name corresponding to a color printer is employed as
the current paper name.
[0181] That is, when the printing data output from the host
computer 1 includes only monochrome data, the printer 3 is
employed, while the printer 4 is employed when the printing data
includes color data.
[0182] This allows the monochrome printer and the color printer to
be automatically switched depending on the received printing data.
Thus it becomes possible to print in a more efficient and
economical fashion.
[0183] Step 19 may also be modified as follows. That is, when the
same paper name is assigned to a plurality of printers, the
printing speed of these printers is examined (not only the
processing speed of the engine but also the availability may be
examined) and the paper name corresponding to the printer having
the highest printing speed is employed as the current paper
name.
[0184] For example, when printing data together with paper name
designation data designating "Plan" is output from the host
computer 1, if the printer 3 is determined to have a higher
printing speed than the printer 4, printing is performed using the
printer 3. This makes it possible to print at a higher speed in a
more efficient manner.
[0185] Still alternatively, step 19 may be modified as follows.
When the same printer name is assigned to a plurality of printers,
the number of sheets remaining in the paper feeding slots of the
respective printers is examined, and the paper name corresponding
to a printer having the greatest number of remaining sheets is
employed as the current paper name.
[0186] For example, when printing data with paper name designation
data designating "Plan" is output from the host computer, if the
printer 3 is determined to have a greater number of remaining
sheets than the printer 4, then printing is performed using the
printer 3.
[0187] This prevents a printer from running out paper during a
printing operation, and thus it becomes possible to print in a more
efficient manner.
[0188] The features of the present embodiment are described in
further detail below.
[0189] That is, the present embodiment provides a printing
operation control apparatus comprising: designation means for
designating a selection rule of selecting a printing apparatus (on
the basis of the number of remaining sheets, the color mode
(monochrome/color), the processing speed, etc.) from a plurality of
printing apparatus assigned the same paper name in a competitive
fashion (the designation is performed by the controller 101 by
executing the control program stored in the memory resource of the
storage device 103 (the control program may also be supplied from
the storage medium 106 which will be described later) in accordance
with a command input via the input device 107); judgment means for
judging whether a paper name is a competitive paper name assigned
to a plurality of printing apparatus in a competitive fashion (the
judgment is performed by the controller 101 by executing the
control program stored in the memory resource of the storage device
103 (the control program may also be supplied from the storage
medium 106 which will be described later)); and determination means
that, when the judgment means judges that the selected paper name
is a competitive paper name, determines a printing apparatus which
should be set by the setting means as the destination to which the
printing information is output, in accordance with the selection
rule designated by the designation means. (the determination is
made by the controller 101 by executing the control program stored
in the memory resource of the storage device 103 (the control
program may also be supplied from the storage medium 106 which will
be described later)). This feature makes it possible to designate
an optimum printer satisfying conditions desired by a user as an
output destination even in a networked printing system including a
plurality of printers assigned the same paper name. That is,
printing information is output using the optimum printer and thus
printing is performed in a highly efficient manner without
performing an useless operation.
[0190] In this embodiment of the invention, the plurality of
printers in the system may include a printer connected in an
one-to-one fashion to a particular data processing apparatus (refer
to the printing system shown in FIG. 16). Thus it is possible to
realize a printing system having the paper name designation
capability even in a networked printing system including a local
printer.
[0191] Fifth Embodiment
[0192] A fifth embodiment of the invention is described below with
reference to figures.
[0193] FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
including a printing operation controller according to the fifth
embodiment of the invention. This printing system is built as a
networked printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
printer server computer, a printer, and various modules.
[0194] In FIG. 17, a client computer 501 transmits printing
information consisting of printing data and control codes to a
printer server computer 502. The printer server computer 502
transmits printing information consisting of printing data and
control codes to a printer 503.
[0195] The client computer 501, the printer server computer 502,
and the printer 503 communicate with one another in a bidirectional
fashion during various operations such as issuing a command to the
printer 503, receiving a request for acquisition of paper feeding
slot attribute data, and acquiring paper feeding slot attribute
data.
[0196] The printer 503 includes a printing mechanism (engine 532)
for forming a desired permanent visible image on recording paper, a
controller (531) for controlling various operations over the whole
printer, a printer controller for controlling the printing
mechanism, and an interface controller for controlling interfacing
with the computer.
[0197] An application program 511 generates data required by the
user. In the case where Windows is employed as the operating system
in the host computer 501, the application program 511 includes a
GDI (graphical device interface).
[0198] A printer driver UI 512 sets various conditions such as an
output paper size when the application program 511 performs a
printing operation. When information about the capabilities of the
printer 503 is acquired from the printer 503 and displayed on the
display device, the printer driver UI 512 generates a control code
required in the operation of acquiring the information from the
printer 503.
[0199] An interface controller 513 controls interfacing with the
printer server computer 502. In response to a request from the
user, a paper feeding slot data list generation unit 514 acquires
the paper feeding slot data from the storage medium 521 provided in
the printer server computer 502, and produces a paper feeding slot
data list 515A. A storage medium 515 stores the paper feeding slot
data list 515A produced by the paper feeding slot data list
generation unit 514.
[0200] A hard disk, MO, or other memory media may be employed as
the storage medium 515.
[0201] The printer driver UI 512 refers to the generated paper
feeding slot data list 515A and displays the result on the display
device so that the user can select a desired paper feeding
slot.
[0202] In the printer server computer 502, an interface controller
522 controls interfacing with the printer 503. More specifically,
the interface controller 522 controls the operation of transmitting
printing information consisting of printing data and control codes
to the printer 503 and also controls the operation of receiving
information from the printer 503.
[0203] In particular, the interface controller 522 serves to store
the paper feeding slot data 521A acquired from the printer 503 onto
the storage medium (paper feeding slot data storage device
521).
[0204] In the printer 503, a controller 531 includes a control unit
531A responsible for the control over the whole printer, a printer
controller 531B for controlling a printing mechanism (engine 532),
and an interface controller 531C for controlling interfacing with
the host computer. The controller 531 serves to transmit paper
feeding slot data acquired from the engine 532 to the printer
server computer 502.
[0205] The engine 532 includes a printing mechanism for forming a
permanent visible image on recording paper. In response to a paper
feeding slot data acquisition request from the controller 531, the
engine 532 outputs the paper feeding slot data stored therein to
the printer server computer via the controller 531. The paper
feeding slot data may include paper name data and paper attribute
data.
[0206] Referring now to the flowchart shown in FIG. 18, the
operation of acquiring printer resource information in the printing
system according to the present invention will be described
below.
[0207] The flowchart shown in FIG. 18 illustrates an example of
data processing procedure performed in the printing system
according to the present invention, for the case where in response
to a request issued by a user operating the client computer 501
shown in FIG. 17, paper feeding slot data is acquired from the
printer 503 via the printer server computer 502. The paper feeding
slot data obtained herein is used by the client computer 501 to
produce a paper feeding slot data list 515A such as a paper name
list or a paper attribute list. Numerals (1)-(8) in the flowchart
describe step numbers.
[0208] If the client computer 501 needs to acquire paper feeding
slot data in response to a request issued by a user, the client
computer 501 transmits, in step 1, a paper feeding slot data
acquisition command to the printer server computer 502 thereby
requesting acquisition of the paper feeding slot data stored in the
printer server computer 502.
[0209] In step 2, on receipt of the paper feeding slot data
acquisition command from the client computer 501, the printer
server computer 502 determines whether any change has occurred in
the paper feeding slot data associated with the printer 503.
[0210] The determination as to whether there is a paper feeding
slot data updating request in step 2 may be performed by directly
inquiring of the printer 503. Alternatively, the printer 503 may
notify the printer server computer 502 that there occurs an change
in the paper feeding slot data whenever such a change occurs and a
history may be produced whenever such a notification is received.
Still alternatively, the printer server computer 502 may inquire of
the printer 503 at fixed time intervals and the obtained
information may be stored in the printer server computer 502. Any
other technique may also be employed to improve the
performance.
[0211] If it is determined in step 2 that there is a page feeding
slot data updating request, the process goes to step 3 and a paper
feeding slot data acquisition command is issued to the printer 503.
On receipt of the paper feeding slot data acquisition command, the
printer 503 transmits the paper feeding slot data to the printer
server computer 502.
[0212] In the above process, the printer server computer 502 may
acquire the paper feeding slot data from the printer 503 by
inquiring of the printer 503 at fixed time intervals.
Alternatively, an interfacing signal responsible for the
interfacing operation between the printer server computer 502 and
the printer 503 may be generated in response to a request from the
printer 503. Any other proper technique may also be employed.
[0213] If the printer server computer 502 acquires, in step 4, the
paper feeding slot data from the printer 503, then in the following
step 5 the printer server computer 502 updates the contents of the
paper feeding slot data stored in the paper feeding slot data
storage device 521 provided in the printer server computer 502. The
process then returns to step 2. In the case where the printer
server 502 controls a plurality of printers connected to a network,
different paper feeding slot data storage devices are generally
provided for respective printers although all paper feeding slot
data may be stored in a single paper feeding slot data storage
device.
[0214] On the other hand, if it is determined in step 2 that there
is no paper feeding slot data updating request, then the process
goes to step 6 and the printer server computer 502 transmits the
paper feeding slot data 521A stored in the paper feeding slot data
storage device 521 to the client computer 501. In step 7, the paper
feeding slot data list generation unit of the client computer 501
generates a paper feeding slot data list in accordance with the
paper feeding slot data 521A.
[0215] Then in step 8, the paper feeding slot data list 515A
generated and stored, in step 7, on the storage medium 515 is
referred to, and the paper feeding slot data is displayed on the
screen (not shown) using a graphical user interface (GUI) provided
in, for example, a printer driver so that the user can select a
desired paper feeding slot and thus printing is properly
performed.
[0216] Sixth Embodiment
[0217] In the fifth embodiment described above, printing data is
output from the client computer 501 and paper feeding slot data is
supplied to the client computer 501 via the printer server computer
502. Instead, printing data may also be output from a printer
server computer as described below in this sixth embodiment.
[0218] FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
according to the sixth embodiment of the invention. In this sixth
embodiment, the printing system includes a printer server computer,
a module, and a printer.
[0219] In FIG. 19, reference numeral 508 denotes the printer server
computer which executes a printing operation. The printer server
computer 508 transmits printing information consisting of printing
data and control codes to a printer 509. The printer server
computer 508 and the printer 509 perform bidirectional
communications with each other during various operations such as
issuing a command to the printer 509, receiving a request for
acquisition of paper feeding slot attribute data, and acquiring
paper feeding slot attribute data.
[0220] The printer 509 includes a printing mechanism (engine 592)
for forming a desired permanent visible image on recording paper, a
control unit 591A responsible for the control over the whole
printer, a printer controller 591B for controlling the printing
mechanism, and an interface controller 591C for controlling
interfacing with the computer.
[0221] In the printer server computer 508, an application program
581 generates data required by the user. In the case where Windows
(trade name) is employed as the operating system in the printer
server computer 508, the application program 581 includes a
GDI.
[0222] A printer driver UI 582 sets various conditions such as an
output paper size when the application program 581 performs a
printing operation.
[0223] When information about the capabilities of the printer 509
is acquired from the printer 509 and displayed on the display
device, the printer driver UI 582 generates a control code required
in the operation of acquiring the information from the printer
509.
[0224] An interface controller 583 controls interfacing with the
printer 509. When a paper feeding slot data acquisition request is
issued, the interface controller 583 acquires paper feeding slot
data from the printer 509 and stores it on a storage medium
584.
[0225] A hard disk, MO, or other memory media may be employed as
the storage medium 584.
[0226] A paper feeding slot data list generation unit 585 acquires
the paper feeding slot data from the paper feeding slot data
storage device 584, and produces a paper feeding slot data list
586A. A storage medium 586 stores the paper feeding slot data list
586A produced by the paper feeding slot data list generation unit
585. A printer driver UI 582 refers to the generated paper feeding
slot data list 586A and displays the result on a display device so
that the user can select a desired paper feeding slot.
[0227] In the printer 509, a controller 591 includes a control unit
591A responsible for the control over the whole printer, a printer
controller 591B for controlling the printing mechanism, and an
interface controller 591C for controlling interfacing with the
printer server computer. The controller 591 serves to transmit
paper feeding slot data acquired from an engine 592 to the printer
server computer 508.
[0228] The engine 592 includes a printing mechanism for forming a
permanent visible image on recording paper. In response to a paper
feeding slot data acquisition request from the controller 591, the
engine 592 outputs the paper feeding slot data stored therein to
the printer server computer 508 via the controller 591. The paper
feeding slot data may include paper name data and paper attribute
data.
[0229] Referring now to the flowchart shown in FIG. 20, the
operation of acquiring printer resource information in the printing
system according to the present invention is described below.
[0230] The flowchart shown in FIG. 20 illustrates an example of
data processing procedure performed in the printing system
according to the present invention, for the case where in response
to a request issued by a user operating the printer server computer
508 shown in FIG. 19, paper feeding slot data is acquired from the
printer 509. The paper feeding slot data obtained herein is used by
the printer server computer 508 to produce a paper feeding slot
data list such as a paper name list or a paper attribute list.
Numerals (1)-(7) in the flowchart describe step numbers.
[0231] If the printer server computer 508 needs to acquire paper
feeding slot data in response to a request issued by a user, it is
determined in step 1 whether any change has occurred in the paper
feeding slot data associated with the printer 509. The
determination as to whether there is a paper feeding slot data
updating request in step 1 may be performed by directly inquiring
of the printer 509. Alternatively, the printer 509 may notify the
printer server computer 508 that there occurs an change in the
paper feeding slot data whenever such a change occurs and a history
may be produced whenever such a notification is received. Still
alternatively, the printer server computer 508 may inquire of the
printer 509 at fixed time intervals and the obtained information
may be stored in the printer server computer 508. Any other
technique may also be employed to improve the performance.
[0232] If it is determined in step 1 that there is a paper feeding
slot data updating request, the process goes to step 2 and a paper
feeding slot data acquisition command is issued to the printer 509.
On receipt of the paper feeding slot data acquisition command, the
printer 509 transmits the paper feeding slot data to the printer
server computer 508.
[0233] In the above process, the printer server computer 508 may
acquire the paper feeding slot data from the printer 509 by
inquiring of the printer 509 at fixed time intervals.
Alternatively, an interfacing signal responsible for the
interfacing operation between the printer server computer 508 and
the printer 509 may be generated in response to a request from the
printer 509. Any other proper technique may also be employed.
[0234] If the printer server computer 508 acquires calibration data
(paper feeding slot data) from the printer 509 in step 3, then in
the following step 4 the printer server computer 508 updates the
contents of the paper feeding slot data storage device (the paper
feeding slot data 584 stored on the storage device 584) provided in
the printer server computer 508.
[0235] On the other hand, if it is determined in step 1 that there
is no paper feeding slot data updating request, then the process
goes to step 5 and the printer server computer 508 acquires the
paper feeding slot data 584A stored on the storage medium 584. Then
in step 6, the paper feeding slot data generation unit 585
generates a paper feeding slot data list 586A in accordance with
the paper feeding slot data 584A. In the following step 7, the
paper feeding slot data list 586A generated in step 6 is referred
to, and the selectable paper feeding slot data is displayed on the
screen (not shown) using a graphical user interface (GUI) of the
printer driver so that the user can select a desired paper feeding
slot and thus printing is properly performed. Thus, the process is
completed.
[0236] Seventh Embodiment
[0237] In the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, the
printer server computer manages all the paper feeding slot data.
Alternatively, paper feeding slot data needed by client computers
may be acquired and managed by each client computer as disclosed
here in a seventh embodiment.
[0238] Although various advantages are obtained if the printer
server manages all paper feeding slot data, there are also some
disadvantages. For example, in the case of a printing system in
which a printer server controls a great number of printers, a great
number of storage media are required to entirely store the paper
feeding slot data of all printers. Such a problem can be avoided if
each client computer stores paper feeding slot data of only those
printers used by the respective printers, instead of storing all
data. In this case, data may be stored on a reduced number of
storage media. Such a printing system may be realized simply by
replacing the printer server computer in the sixth embodiment with
a client computer.
[0239] Eighth Embodiment
[0240] In the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments described
above, the computer stores paper feeding slot data on a storage
medium. Alternatively, the paper feeding slot data may also be
stored on a storage medium of a printer and the paper feeding slot
data stored thereon may be managed, as disclosed herein in an
eighth embodiment.
[0241] FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system
according to the eighth embodiment of the invention, wherein the
printing system includes a printer server computer, a module, and a
printer.
[0242] In FIG. 21, a client computer 550 transmits printing
information consisting of printing data and control codes to a
printer server computer 551, in turn the printer server computer
551 transfers the printing information consisting of the printing
data and control codes to a printer 552. The client computer 550,
the printer server computer 551, and the printer 552 perform
bidirectional communications with one another so as to acquire
paper feeding slot data from the printer 552.
[0243] The printer 552 includes a printing mechanism (engine 522)
for forming a desired permanent visible image on recording paper, a
control unit 521A responsible for the control over the whole
printer, a printer controller 521B for controlling the printing
mechanism, and a controller 521 including an interface controller
521C for controlling interfacing with the computer.
[0244] In the client computer 550, an application program 501
generates data required by the user. In the case where Windows is
employed as the operating system in the host computer 501, the
application program 511 includes a GDI. A printer driver UI 502
sets various conditions such as an output paper size when the
application program 501 performs a printing operation.
[0245] When information about the capabilities of the printer 552
is acquired from the printer 552 and displayed on a display device,
the printer driver UI 502 generates a control code required in the
operation of acquiring the information from the printer 552. An
interface controller 503 controls interfacing with the printer
server computer 551.
[0246] In response to a request from the user, a paper feeding slot
data list generation unit 504 acquires the paper feeding slot data
from the printer 552 via the interface controller 503, and produces
a paper feeding slot data list in accordance with the acquired
data.
[0247] A storage medium 505 stores the paper feeding slot data list
505A generated by the paper feeding slot data list generation unit
504.
[0248] A hard disk, MO, or other memory media may be employed as
the storage medium 505A. The printer driver UI 502 refers to the
paper feeding slot data list 505A stored and managed on the storage
medium 505, and displays the result on the display device so that
the user can select a desired paper feeding slot.
[0249] In the printer server computer 551, an interface controller
511 controls interfacing with the printer 552. More specifically,
the interface controller 511 controls the operation of transmitting
printing information consisting of printing data and control codes
to the printer 552 and also controls the operation of receiving
information from the printer 552.
[0250] In the printer 552, a controller 521 includes a control unit
521A responsible for the control over the whole printer, a printer
controller 521B for controlling the printing mechanism, and an
interface controller 521C for controlling interfacing with the host
computer. The controller 521 serves to store the paper feeding slot
data 523A acquired from the engine 522 on storage medium 523 of the
printer 552.
[0251] The engine 522 includes a printing mechanism for forming a
permanent visible image on recording paper. In response to a paper
feeding slot data acquisition request, the engine 522 acquires the
stored paper feeding slot data and transmits it to the controller
521.
[0252] Ninth Embodiment
[0253] In the eighth embodiment described above, printing data is
output from the client computer 550 and paper feeding slot data is
supplied to the client computer 550 via the printer server computer
551. Alternatively, printing data may also be output from a printer
server computer 551 as disclosed herein in a ninth embodiment
according to the present invention.
[0254] In this ninth embodiment, the interface controller of the
printer server computer communicates directly with the controller
of the printer.
[0255] The features of the fifth to eighth embodiments of the
present invention are described in further detail below with
reference to FIGS. 17, 19, 21 and other figures as required.
[0256] That is, in these embodiments of the invention, there is
provided a printing apparatus capable of communicating with a data
processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium
(including a network and an interface), the printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms (paper feeding
device including a plurality of paper feeding units (not shown)
adapted to be attached in an one-on-another fashion to an engine of
the printer 503, 509, or 552) for feeding a recording medium;
definition means (control panel (not shown) of the printer 503,
509, or 552) for defining paper feeding slot data for each paper
feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage means
(nonvolatile memory (such as an NVRAM) of the printer 503, 509, or
552) for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by the
definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
(controller 531, 591, or 521 of the printer 503, 509, or 552) for
acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each paper
feeding slot stored in the storage means (for example NVRAM); and
notification means (controller 531, 591, or 521) for sending the
paper feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the
data processing apparatus (printer server computer 502, 508, or
551). This feature makes it possible to acquire the updated paper
feeding slot data and supply it to the data processing apparatus as
required.
[0257] Preferably, the notification means (controller 531, 591, or
521) sends the paper feeding slot data stored in the storage means
to the data processing apparatus, in response to an acquisition
request from the data processing apparatus (client computer 501 or
550 or printer server computer 551) so that the updated paper
feeding slot data is acquired and supplied to the data processing
apparatus as required.
[0258] Furthermore, there is also provided a data processing
apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium (including a network and an
interface), the data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means
(the interface controller 522 of the printer server computer 508)
for issuing an acquisition request to the printing apparatus to
acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of the printing apparatus; and control means (printer
driver UI 582) for analyzing the paper feeding slot data
transferred from the printing apparatus (printer 583) in response
to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data
issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device (not shown). This feature makes it
possible to acquire the updated paper feeding slot data defined for
the paper feeding mechanism of the printer and display the paper
resource information on the display device so that the user can
make a selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it
becomes possible to build a printing resource environment in which
the user can visually see the status of the paper resources
according to the paper feeding slot data and thus the user can
easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording
medium is loaded.
[0259] The paper resource information may include paper name data
and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot, so
that it is possible to display the paper names defined for the
respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes (type
of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0260] Furthermore, there is also provided a printing system
including a data processing apparatus (printer server computer 508)
and a printing apparatus (printer 509) capable of communicating
with each other via a predetermined communication medium (including
a network and an interface), the printing apparatus (printer 509)
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms (paper feeding
device including a plurality of paper feeding units (not shown)
adapted to be attached in an one-on-another fashion to an engine of
the printer 509) for feeding a recording medium; definition means
(control panel of the printer 509) for defining paper feeding slot
data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism;
storage means (nonvolatile memory such as an NVRAM (not shown)) for
storing the paper feeding slot data defined by the definition means
for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means for acquiring the
paper feeding slot data associated with each paper feeding slot
stored in the storage means (the data is acquired by the controller
591 from the engine 592); notification means for sending each paper
feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the data
processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued
by the data processing apparatus (the controller 591 sends the data
to the interface controller 583); the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the
printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined
for the paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus (the
interface controller 583 issues the acquisition request to the
controller 591); and control means (printer driver UI 582) for
analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from the printing
apparatus in response to the request for acquisition of the paper
feeding slot data issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper
resource information on a display device (the paper feeding data
list generation unit 585 analyzes the paper feeding slot data and
generates the paper feeding slot data list). This feature makes it
possible for the data processing apparatus used by the user to
acquire the updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of the printer and display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0261] Furthermore, there is also provided a printing system
including a data processing apparatus (client computer 501 or 550),
a printing apparatus (printer 503 or 552), and a printer server
(printer server computer 502 or 551), the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating with the printing apparatus via the
printer server, the printer apparatus (printer 503 or 552)
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means (control panel of the printer
503 or 553) for defining paper feeding slot data for each paper
feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage means
(nonvolatile memory (NVRAM) provided in the printer 503 or 552) for
storing the paper feeding slot data defined by the definition means
for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means for acquiring the
paper feeding slot data associated with each paper feeding slot
stored in the storage means; (the data is acquired from the
controller 531 of the printer 503 or from the engine 532 of the
controller 521 of the printer 552); and notification means
(controller 531 of the printer 503) for sending the paper feeding
slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the printer server
in response to the acquisition request issued by the printer
server, the printer server comprising: storage means (storage
medium 521) for storing the paper feeding slot data received from
the printing apparatus; judgment means for judging whether there is
an updating request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in
the storage means, when the request for acquisition of the paper
feeding slot data is issued by the data processing apparatus; (the
judgment is made by the interface controller 522); and returning
means (interface controller 522) for returning the updated paper
feeding slot data to the data processing apparatus, depending on
the result of judgment made by the judgment means in terms of
whether there is an updating request, the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means (interface controller 513) for issuing an
acquisition request to the printer server to acquire the paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing the paper
feeding slot data transferred from the printer server in response
to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data
issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device. (the data is displayed on the
display device (not shown) by the printer driver UI 512). This
feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus used by
the user to acquire via the printer server the updated paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printer controlled by the printer server, and manage the acquired
paper feeding slot data and furthermore display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
Furthermore, it also becomes possible to reduce the data traffic in
the process of requiring the paper feeding slot data.
[0262] Furthermore, there is also provided a printing system
including a data processing apparatus and a plurality of printing
apparatus, the data processing apparatus being capable of
communicating with the plurality of printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium (including a network and an
interface), each printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of
paper feeding mechanisms (paper feeding device including a
plurality of paper feeding units (not shown) adapted to be attached
in an one-on-another fashion to an engine 509 of the printer 509 or
other printers (not shown)) for feeding a recording medium;
definition means (control panel of the printer 508 or other
printers) for defining paper feeding slot data for each paper
feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage means
(nonvolatile memory medium such as an NVRAM of the printer 508 or
other printers) for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by
the definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
for acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each
paper feeding slot stored in the storage means; (the controller 591
of the printer 508 or the controller of another printer acquires
the data from the corresponding engine); and notification means for
sending each paper feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition
means to the data processing apparatus in response to the
acquisition request issued by the data processing apparatus, (the
controller 591 of the printer 508 or the controller of another
printer sends the data to the interface controller 583); the data
processing apparatus comprising: issuing means (interface
controller 583 of the printer server computer 509) for issuing an
acquisition request to the printing apparatus to acquire the paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each
printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing the paper
feeding slot data transferred from each printing apparatus in
response to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device (the data is displayed on the
display device (not shown) by the printer driver UI 512). This
feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus used by
the user to acquire the updated paper feeding slot data defined for
the paper feeding mechanism of the printer and display the paper
resource information on the display device so that the user can
make a selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it
becomes possible to build a printing resource environment in which
the user can visually see the status of the paper resources of each
printer according to the paper feeding slot data and thus the user
can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording
medium is loaded.
[0263] Furthermore, there is also provided a printing system
including a data processing apparatus (client computer 501 or 550),
a plurality of printing apparatus (printer 503 and other printers
not shown), and a printer server (printer server computer 502 or
551), the data processing apparatus being capable of communicating
via the printer server with the plurality of printing apparatus via
a predetermined communication medium, each printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means (control panel of the printer
503 or 553) for defining paper feeding slot data for each paper
feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage means (NVRAM
of the printer 503 or 552) for storing the paper feeding slot data
defined by the definition means for each paper feeding slot;
acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding slot data
associated with each paper feeding slot stored in the storage
means; (the controller 531 of the printer 503 acquires the data
from the engine 532); and notification means for sending the paper
feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the printer
server in response to the acquisition request issued by the printer
server, (the controller 531 of the printer 503 sends the data); the
printer server (printer server computer 502) comprising: storage
means for storing the paper feeding slot data received from each
printing apparatus judgment means for judging whether there is an
updating request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in
the storage means, when the request for acquisition of the paper
feeding slot data is issued by the data processing apparatus; (the
judgment is made by the interface controller 522); and returning
means for returning the updated paper feeding slot data to the data
processing apparatus, depending on the result of judgment made by
the judgment means in terms of whether there is an updating
request, (the returning operation is performed by the interface
controller 522); the data processing apparatus (client computer
501) comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request
to the printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus;
(the issuing process is performed by the interface controller 513);
and control means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data
transferred from the printer server in response to the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing
means, and displaying paper resource information on a display
device (the data is displayed on the display device (not shown) by
the printer driver UI 512). This feature makes it possible for the
data processing apparatus used by the user to acquire via the
printer server the updated paper feeding slot data defined for the
paper feeding mechanism of the plurality of printers controlled by
the printer server, and manage the acquired paper feeding slot data
and furthermore display the paper resource information on the
display device so that the user can make a selection in terms of
the paper resources. That is, it becomes possible to build a
printing resource environment in which the user can visually see
the status of the paper resources according to the paper feeding
slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper feeding slot
in which a desired recording medium is loaded. Furthermore, it also
becomes possible to reduce the data traffic in the process of
requiring the paper feeding slot data.
[0264] The printer server (printer server computer 502) may
comprise updating means (interface controller 522) for, when the
judgment means judges that there is an updating request, acquiring
the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing apparatus and
updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the storage means
(storage medium 521). Thus the paper feeding slot data is acquired
when the paper feeding slot data of each printer is updated. In
other words, it is not necessary to acquire the paper feeding slot
data unless the paper feeding slot data of some printer is updated.
This allows a reduction in the data traffic in the process of
acquiring the paper feeding slot data. Furthermore, it becomes
possible to immediately display the newest paper feeding slot data
on the display device of the data processing apparatus.
[0265] The paper resource information may include paper name data
and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot, so
that it is possible to display the paper names defined for the
respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes (type
of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0266] Other features are described below with reference to the
flowcharts shown in FIGS. 18 and 20.
[0267] That is, there is also provided a method of processing data
in a printing apparatus capable of communicating with a data
processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium
(including a network and an interface) and a storage medium on
which a program readable by a computer is stored, the computer
being responsible for controlling a printing apparatus capable of
communicating with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, the program comprising: a definition step
(not shown in the figure) in which paper feeding slot data is
defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step (not
shown in the figure) in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into a
memory; an acquisition step (not shown in the figure) in which the
paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored in the
storage step is acquired; and a notification step (not shown in the
figure) in which the paper feeding slot data acquired in the
acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus. Thus it
is possible to acquire the updated paper feeding slot data and
supply it to the data processing apparatus whenever it is
required.
[0268] Preferably, in the notification step, the paper feeding slot
data stored in the storage step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to an acquisition request from the data
processing apparatus so that the updated paper feeding slot data is
acquired and supplied to the data processing apparatus as
required.
[0269] Furthermore, there is also provided a method of processing
data in a data processing apparatus capable of communicating with a
printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium
(including a network and an interface), and a storage medium on
which a program readable by a computer is stored, the computer
being responsible for controlling a data processing apparatus
capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, the program comprising: an
issuing step (step 3 in FIG. 18 or step 2 in FIG. 20) in which an
acquisition request is issued to the printing apparatus to acquire
the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism
of the printing apparatus; and a display step (step 8 shown in FIG.
18 or step 7 shown in FIG. 20) in which an analysis is made on the
paper feeding slot data transferred from the printing apparatus in
response to the request of acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued in the issuing step, and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device. This feature makes it possible to
acquire the updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of the printer and display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0270] The paper resource information may include paper name data
and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding slot, so
that it is possible to display the paper names defined for the
respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes (type
of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0271] Furthermore, there is also provided a method of processing
data in a printing system including a data processing apparatus and
a printing apparatus capable of communicating with each other via a
predetermined communication medium (network, interface), and a
storage medium on which a program readable by a computer is stored,
the computer being responsible for controlling a printing system
including a data processing apparatus and a printing apparatus
capable of communicating with each other via a predetermined
communication medium, the program comprising: a definition step
(not shown in the figure) in which paper feeding slot data is
defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step (not
shown in the figure) in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into a
memory; an issuing step (not shown in the figure) in which an
acquisition request is issued to the printing apparatus to acquire
the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism
of the printing apparatus; an acquisition step (not shown in the
figure) in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding
slot stored into the memory (nonvolatile storage medium such as an
NVRAM of the printer apparatus) in the storage step is acquired; a
notification step (step 3 in FIG. 18) in which the paper feeding
slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the data
processing apparatus, in response to the acquisition request issued
in the issuing step; and a displaying step (step 8 in FIG. 18) in
which an analysis is made on the paper feeding slot data supplied
in the notification step and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device. This feature makes it possible for
the data processing apparatus used by the user to acquire the
updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of the printer and display the paper resource information
on the display device so that the user can make a selection in
terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes possible to build
a printing resource environment in which the user can visually see
the status of the paper resources according to the paper feeding
slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper feeding slot
in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0272] Furthermore, there is also provided a method of processing
data in a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data processing
apparatus being capable of communicating via the printer server
with the printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, and a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a printing
apparatus, and a printer server, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating via the printer server with the
printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the
program comprising: a definition step (not shown in the figure) in
which paper feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding
slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; a storage step (not shown in the figure) in which
the paper feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each
paper feeding slot is stored into a memory (nonvolatile storage
medium such as an NVRAM); an acquisition step (not shown in the
figure) in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding
slot stored into the memory in the storage step is acquired; a
notification step (not shown in the figure) in which the paper
feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the
data processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request
issued via the printer server; a storage step (not shown in the
figure) in which the paper feeding slot data returned from the
printing apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step (not
shown in the figure) in which an acquisition request is issued to
the printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined
for the paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; a
judgment step (not shown in the figure) in which when the request
for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued in the
issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there is an updating
request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in the memory
in the storage step; a returning step (step 6 in FIG. 18) in which
the newest paper feeding slot data is returned to the data
processing apparatus via the printer server, depending on the
result of the judgment made in the judgment step as to whether
there is an updating request; and a display step (step 8 in FIG.
18) in which paper feeding slot data returned in the returning step
is analyzed and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device provided in the data processing apparatus. This
feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus used by
the user to acquire via the printer server the updated paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printer controlled by the printer server, and manage the acquired
paper feeding slot data and furthermore display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
Furthermore, it also becomes possible to reduce the data traffic in
the process of requiring the paper feeding slot data.
[0273] Furthermore, there is also provided a method of processing
data in a printing system including a data processing apparatus and
a plurality of printing apparatus, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating with the plurality of printing
apparatus via a predetermined communication medium (including a
network and an interface), and a storage medium on which a program
readable by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible
for controlling a printing system including a data processing
apparatus and a plurality of printing apparatus (printers 503, 509,
552 and other printers not shown in the figure), the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating with the
plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, the method or program comprising: a definition step (not
shown in the figure) in which paper feeding slot data is defined
for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step (not
shown in the figure) in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into a
memory; an acquisition step (not shown in the figure) in which the
paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the
memory in the storage step is acquired; an issuing step (step 3 in
FIG. 18 or step 3 in FIG. 20) in which an acquisition request is
issued to each printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot
data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing
apparatus; a notification step (step 7 in FIG. 18 or step 6 in FIG.
20) in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot
acquired in the acquisition step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued in the
issuing step; and a display step (step 8 in FIG. 18 or step 7 in
FIG. 20) in which the paper feeding slot data supplied in the
notification step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device of the data processing apparatus.
This feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus
used by the user to acquire the updated paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the printer and display
the paper resource information on the display device so that the
user can make a selection in terms of the paper resources. That is,
it becomes possible to build a printing resource environment in
which the user can visually see the status of the paper resources
of each printer according to the paper feeding slot data and thus
the user can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired
recording medium is loaded.
[0274] Furthermore, there is also provided a method of processing
data in a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
plurality of printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating via the printer
server with the plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium (including a network and an interface), and a
storage medium on which a program readable by a computer is stored,
the computer being responsible for controlling a printing system
including a data processing apparatus, a plurality of printing
apparatus (printers 503, 509, 552, and other printers not shown in
the figure), and a printer server, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating via the printer server with the
plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, the method or program comprising: a definition step (not
shown in the figure) in which paper feeding slot data is defined
for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step (not
shown in the figure) in which the paper feeding slot data defined
in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is stored into a
memory; an acquisition step (not shown in the figure) in which the
paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the
memory in the storage step is acquired; a notification step (not
shown in the figure) in which the paper feeding slot data acquired
in the acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus in
response to the acquisition request issued via the printer server;
a storage step (step 5 in FIG. 18) in which the paper feeding slot
data returned from each printing apparatus is stored into a memory;
an issuing step (step 1 in FIG. 18) in which an acquisition request
is issued to the printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot
data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing
apparatus; a judgment step (not shown in the figure) in which when
the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is
issued in the issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there
is an updating request to update the paper feeding slot data stored
in the memory in the storage step; a returning step (step 6 in FIG.
18) in which the newest paper feeding slot data is returned to the
data processing apparatus via the printer server, depending on the
result of the judgment made in the judgment step as to whether
there is an updating request; and a display step (step 8 in FIG.
18) in which paper feeding slot data returned in the returning step
is analyzed and paper resource information is displayed on a
display device provided in the data processing apparatus. This
feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus used by
the user to acquire via the printer server the updated paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
plurality of printers controlled by the printer server, and manage
the acquired paper feeding slot data and furthermore display the
paper resource information on the display device so that the user
can make a selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it
becomes possible to build a printing resource environment in which
the user can visually see the status of the paper resources
according to the paper feeding slot data and thus the user can
easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording
medium is loaded. Furthermore, it also becomes possible to reduce
the data traffic in the process of requiring the paper feeding slot
data.
[0275] Preferably, the printer server comprises updating means for,
when the judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means. Thus the paper feeding slot data is acquired when
the paper feeding slot data of each printer is updated. In other
words, it is not necessary to acquire the paper feeding slot data
unless the paper feeding slot data of some printer is updated. This
allows a reduction in the data traffic in the process of acquiring
the paper feeding slot data. Furthermore, it becomes possible to
immediately display the newest paper feeding slot data on the
display device of the data processing apparatus.
[0276] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot, and thus it is possible to display the paper names defined
for the respective paper feeding slots and also the paper
attributes (type of recording medium (transparency film, cut
sheet), color, thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the
user can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired
recording medium is loaded.
[0277] Referring now to the memory map shown in FIG. 22, a data
processing program is described below which is stored in a readable
fashion on a storage medium and read in the printing system
according to the present invention.
[0278] FIG. 22 is a schematic representation of a memory map of a
storage medium for storing various data processing programs
readable by a printing system including a data processing apparatus
according to the present invention;
[0279] Although not shown in the figures, management information,
such as version data or the name of a programmer, associated with
programs stored on the storage medium is also stored. Furthermore,
information required by the OS on which the program runs, such as
an icon indicating the program, may also be stored.
[0280] Various data associated with programs may also be stored and
managed in the above directory. In some cases, a decompression
program for decompressing a compressed program is also stored.
[0281] The functions of the present embodiment, shown in FIGS. 13,
14, 15, 18, and 20, may also be implemented by installing a program
onto a host computer from an external device and executing it. In
this case, information including a program according to the present
invention may be supplied to an output device from a storage medium
such as a CD-ROM, a flush memory, or an FD, or from an external
storage medium via a network.
[0282] The objects of the present invention may also be achieved by
supplying a storage medium, on which a software program according
to any embodiment of the invention is stored, to a system or an
apparatus so that a computer (or a CPU or an MPU) provided in the
system or the apparatus reads the program codes from the storage
medium and executes them.
[0283] In this case, the novel functions according to the present
invention are realized by the program codes read from the storage
medium and thus the storage medium on which the program codes are
stored falls within the scope of the present invention.
[0284] As for the storage medium on which the program codes are
stored, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a
magneto-optical disk, a DVD, a CD-ROM, a CR-R, a magnetic tape, a
nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, an EEPROM, etc., may be
employed.
[0285] Instead of simply executing the program codes on the
computer, a part of or the whole of the process may also be
executed by an OS (operating system) running on the computer in
accordance with the program codes thereby realizing the functions
according to the present invention. This technique also falls
within the scope of the invention.
[0286] Furthermore, the program codes read from the storage medium
may be written into a memory provided on an expansion board
inserted into the computer or an expansion unit connected to the
computer, and a part of or the whole of process may be executed by
a CPU or the like provided on the expansion board or the expansion
unit thereby realizing the functions according to the invention.
This technique also falls within the scope of the invention.
[0287] As can be understood from the above description, the present
invention has various advantages. That is, according to an aspect
of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus
capable of communicating with a data processing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, the printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot
data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism;
storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by
the definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
for acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each
paper feeding slot stored in the storage means; and notification
means for sending the paper feeding slot data acquired by the
acquisition means to the data processing apparatus. Thus it is
possible to acquire the updated paper feeding slot data and supply
it to the data processing apparatus whenever it is required.
[0288] Preferably, the notification means sends the paper feeding
slot data stored in the storage means to the data processing
apparatus, in response to an acquisition request from the data
processing apparatus so that the updated paper feeding slot data is
acquired and supplied to the data processing apparatus as
required.
[0289] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a data processing apparatus capable of communicating with
a printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, the
data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for issuing an
acquisition request to the printing apparatus to acquire the paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing the paper
feeding slot data transferred from the printing apparatus in
response to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device. This feature makes it possible to
acquire the updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of the printer and display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0290] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot so that it is possible to display the paper names defined for
the respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes
(type of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0291] According to sill another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a printing system including a data processing apparatus
and a printing apparatus capable of communicating with each other
via a predetermined communication medium, the printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot
data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism;
storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by
the definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
for acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each
paper feeding slot stored in the storage means; and notification
means for sending each paper feeding slot data acquired by the
acquisition means to the data processing apparatus in response to
the acquisition request issued by the data processing apparatus,
the data processing apparatus comprising: issuing means for issuing
an acquisition request to the printing apparatus to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
the printing apparatus; and control means for analyzing the paper
feeding slot data transferred from the printing apparatus in
response to the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot
data issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper resource
information on a display device. This feature makes it possible for
the data processing apparatus used by the user to acquire the
updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of the printer and display the paper resource information
on the display device so that the user can make a selection in
terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes possible to build
a printing resource environment in which the user can visually see
the status of the paper resources according to the paper feeding
slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper feeding slot
in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0292] According to still another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data processing
apparatus being capable of communicating with the printing
apparatus via the printer server, the printing apparatus
comprising: a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot
data for each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism;
storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by
the definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means
for acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each
paper feeding slot stored in the storage means; and notification
means for sending the paper feeding slot data acquired by the
acquisition means to the printer server in response to the
acquisition request issued by the printer server, the printer
server comprising: storage means for storing the paper feeding slot
data received from the printing apparatus; judgment means for
judging whether there is an updating request to update the paper
feeding slot data stored in the storage means, when the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued by the data
processing apparatus; and returning means for returning the updated
paper feeding slot data to the data processing apparatus, depending
on the result of judgment made by the judgment means in terms of
whether there is an updating request, the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the
printer server to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for
the paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; and control
means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from
the printer server in response to the request for acquisition of
the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing means, and
displaying paper resource information on a display device. This
feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus used by
the user to acquire via the printer server the updated paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printer controlled by the printer server, and manage the acquired
paper feeding slot data and furthermore display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
Furthermore, it also becomes possible to reduce the data traffic in
the process of requiring the paper feeding slot data.
[0293] According to still another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a printing system including a data processing apparatus
and a plurality of printing apparatus, the data processing
apparatus being capable of communicating with the plurality of
printing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium, each
printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; definition means for
defining paper feeding slot data for each paper feeding slot of
each paper feeding mechanism; storage means for storing the paper
feeding slot data defined by the definition means for each paper
feeding slot; acquisition means for acquiring the paper feeding
slot data associated with each paper feeding slot stored in the
storage means; and notification means for sending each paper
feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition means to the data
processing apparatus in response to the acquisition request issued
by the data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus
comprising: issuing means for issuing an acquisition request to the
printing apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined
for the paper feeding mechanism of each printing apparatus; and
control means for analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred
from each printing apparatus in response to the request for
acquisition of the paper feeding slot data issued by the issuing
means, and displaying paper resource information on a display
device. This feature makes it possible for the data processing
apparatus used by the user to acquire the updated paper feeding
slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the printer
and display the paper resource information on the display device so
that the user can make a selection in terms of the paper resources.
That is, it becomes possible to build a printing resource
environment in which the user can visually see the status of the
paper resources of each printer according to the paper feeding slot
data and thus the user can easily select a paper feeding slot in
which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0294] According to still another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
plurality of printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating via the printer
server with the plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, each printing apparatus comprising: a
plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording
medium; definition means for defining paper feeding slot data for
each paper feeding slot of each paper feeding mechanism; storage
means for storing the paper feeding slot data defined by the
definition means for each paper feeding slot; acquisition means for
acquiring the paper feeding slot data associated with each paper
feeding slot stored in the storage means; and notification means
for sending the paper feeding slot data acquired by the acquisition
means to the printer server in response to the acquisition request
issued by the printer server, the printer server comprising:
storage means for storing the paper feeding slot data received from
each printing apparatus judgment means for judging whether there is
an updating request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in
the storage means, when the request for acquisition of the paper
feeding slot data is issued by the data processing apparatus; and
returning means for returning the updated paper feeding slot data
to the data processing apparatus, depending on the result of
judgment made by the judgment means in terms of whether there is an
updating request, the data processing apparatus comprising: issuing
means for issuing an acquisition request to the printer server to
acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of each printing apparatus; and control means for
analyzing the paper feeding slot data transferred from the printer
server in response to the request for acquisition of the paper
feeding slot data issued by the issuing means, and displaying paper
resource information on a display device. This feature makes it
possible for the data processing apparatus used by the user to
acquire via the printer server the updated paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the plurality of
printers controlled by the printer server, and manage the acquired
paper feeding slot data and furthermore display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
Furthermore, it also becomes possible to reduce the data traffic in
the process of requiring the paper feeding slot data.
[0295] Preferably, the printer server comprises updating means for,
when the judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means. Thus the paper feeding slot data is acquired when
the paper feeding slot data of each printer is updated. In other
words, it is not necessary to acquire the paper feeding slot data
unless the paper feeding slot data of some printer is updated. This
allows a reduction in the data traffic in the process of acquiring
the paper feeding slot data. Furthermore, it becomes possible to
immediately display the newest paper feeding slot data on the
display device of the data processing apparatus.
[0296] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot and thus it is possible to display the paper names defined for
the respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes
(type of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0297] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are also provided a method of processing data in a printing
apparatus capable of communicating with a data processing apparatus
via a predetermined communication medium, and a storage medium on
which a program readable by a computer is stored, the computer
being responsible for controlling a printing apparatus capable of
communicating with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, the method or program comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored in
the storage step is acquired; and a notification step in which the
paper feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step is sent to
the data processing apparatus. Thus it is possible to acquire the
updated paper feeding slot data and supply it to the data
processing apparatus whenever it is required.
[0298] Preferably, in the notification step, the paper feeding slot
data stored in the storage step is sent to the data processing
apparatus in response to an acquisition request from the data
processing apparatus so that the updated paper feeding slot data is
acquired and supplied to the data processing apparatus as
required.
[0299] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a method of processing data in a data processing
apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, and a storage medium on which a
program readable by a computer is stored, the computer being
responsible for controlling a data processing apparatus capable of
communicating with a printing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, the method or program comprising: an issuing
step in which an acquisition request is issued to the printing
apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the
paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; and a display
step in which an analysis is made on the paper feeding slot data
transferred from the printing apparatus in response to the request
of acquisition of the paper feeding slot data issued in the issuing
step, and paper resource information is displayed on a display
device. This feature makes it possible to acquire the updated paper
feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the
printer and display the paper resource information on the display
device so that the user can make a selection in terms of the paper
resources. That is, it becomes possible to build a printing
resource environment in which the user can visually see the status
of the paper resources according to the paper feeding slot data and
thus the user can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a
desired recording medium is loaded.
[0300] Preferably, the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot so that it is possible to display the paper names defined for
the respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes
(type of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0301] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus and a printing apparatus
capable of communicating with each other via a predetermined
communication medium, and a storage medium on which a program
readable by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible
for controlling a printing system including a data processing
apparatus and a printing apparatus capable of communicating with
each other via a predetermined communication medium, the method or
program comprising: a definition step in which paper feeding slot
data is defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper
feeding mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data defined in the definition step
for each paper feeding slot is stored into a memory; an issuing
step in which an acquisition request is issued to the printing
apparatus to acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the
paper feeding mechanism of the printing apparatus; an acquisition
step in which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding
slot stored into the memory in the storage step is acquired; a
notification step in which the paper feeding slot data acquired in
the acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus, in
response to the acquisition request issued in the issuing step; and
a displaying step in which an analysis is made on the paper feeding
slot data supplied in the notification step and paper resource
information is displayed on a display device. This feature makes it
possible for the data processing apparatus used by the user to
acquire the updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of the printer and display the paper resource
information on the display device so that the user can make a
selection in terms of the paper resources. That is, it becomes
possible to build a printing resource environment in which the user
can visually see the status of the paper resources according to the
paper feeding slot data and thus the user can easily select a paper
feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is loaded.
[0302] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a
printer server, the data processing apparatus being capable of
communicating via the printer server with the printing apparatus
via a predetermined communication medium, and a storage medium on
which a program readable by a computer is stored, the computer
being responsible for controlling a printing system including a
data processing apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a printer
server, the data processing apparatus being capable of
communicating via the printer server with the printing apparatus
via a predetermined communication medium, the method or program
comprising: a definition step in which paper feeding slot data is
defined for each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding
mechanisms for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which
the paper feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each
paper feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in
which the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored
into the memory in the storage step is acquired; a notification
step in which the paper feeding slot data acquired in the
acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus in
response to the acquisition request issued via the printer server;
a storage step in which the paper feeding slot data returned from
the printing apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step in
which an acquisition request is issued to the printer server to
acquire the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of the printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when
the request for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is
issued in the issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there
is an updating request to update the paper feeding slot data stored
in the memory in the storage step; a returning step in which the
newest paper feeding slot data is returned to the data processing
apparatus via the printer server, depending on the result of the
judgment made in the judgment step as to whether there is an
updating request; and a display step in which paper feeding slot
data returned in the returning step is analyzed and paper resource
information is displayed on a display device provided in the data
processing apparatus. This feature makes it possible for the data
processing apparatus used by the user to acquire via the printer
server the updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper
feeding mechanism of the printer controlled by the printer server,
and manage the acquired paper feeding slot data and furthermore
display the paper resource information on the display device so
that the user can make a selection in terms of the paper resources.
That is, it becomes possible to build a printing resource
environment in which the user can visually see the status of the
paper resources according to the paper feeding slot data and thus
the user can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired
recording medium is loaded. Furthermore, it also becomes possible
to reduce the data traffic in the process of requiring the paper
feeding slot data.
[0303] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus and a plurality of printing
apparatus, the data processing apparatus being capable of
communicating with the plurality of printing apparatus via a
predetermined communication medium, and a storage medium on which a
program readable by a computer is stored, the computer being
responsible for controlling a printing system including a data
processing apparatus and a plurality of printing apparatus, the
data processing apparatus being capable of communicating with the
plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, the method or program comprising: a definition step in
which paper feeding slot data is defined for each paper feeding
slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms for feeding a
recording medium; a storage step in which the paper feeding slot
data defined in the definition step for each paper feeding slot is
stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which the paper
feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into the memory
in the storage step is acquired; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to each printing apparatus to acquire
the paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism
of each printing apparatus; a notification step in which the paper
feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot acquired in the
acquisition step is sent to the data processing apparatus in
response to the acquisition request issued in the issuing step; and
a display step in which the paper feeding slot data supplied in the
notification step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device of the data processing apparatus.
This feature makes it possible for the data processing apparatus
used by the user to acquire the updated paper feeding slot data
defined for the paper feeding mechanism of the printer and display
the paper resource information on the display device so that the
user can make a selection in terms of the paper resources. That is,
it becomes possible to build a printing resource environment in
which the user can visually see the status of the paper resources
of each printer according to the paper feeding slot data and thus
the user can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a desired
recording medium is loaded.
[0304] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a method of processing data in a printing system
including a data processing apparatus, a plurality of printing
apparatus, and a printer server, the data processing apparatus
being capable of communicating via the printer server with the
plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined communication
medium, and a storage medium on which a program readable by a
computer is stored, the computer being responsible for controlling
a printing system including a data processing apparatus, a
plurality of printing apparatus, and a printer server, the data
processing apparatus being capable of communicating via the printer
server with the plurality of printing apparatus via a predetermined
communication medium, the method or program comprising: a
definition step in which paper feeding slot data is defined for
each paper feeding slot of a plurality of paper feeding mechanisms
for feeding a recording medium; a storage step in which the paper
feeding slot data defined in the definition step for each paper
feeding slot is stored into a memory; an acquisition step in which
the paper feeding slot data of each paper feeding slot stored into
the memory in the storage step is acquired; a notification step in
which the paper feeding slot data acquired in the acquisition step
is sent to the data processing apparatus in response to the
acquisition request issued via the printer server; a storage step
in which the paper feeding slot data returned from each printing
apparatus is stored into a memory; an issuing step in which an
acquisition request is issued to the printer server to acquire the
paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding mechanism of
each printing apparatus; a judgment step in which when the request
for acquisition of the paper feeding slot data is issued in the
issuing step, a judgment is made as to whether there is an updating
request to update the paper feeding slot data stored in the memory
in the storage step; a returning step in which the newest paper
feeding slot data is returned to the data processing apparatus via
the printer server, depending on the result of the judgment made in
the judgment step as to whether there is an updating request; and a
display step in which paper feeding slot data returned in the
returning step is analyzed and paper resource information is
displayed on a display device provided in the data processing
apparatus. This feature makes it possible for the data processing
apparatus used by the user to acquire via the printer server the
updated paper feeding slot data defined for the paper feeding
mechanism of the plurality of printers controlled by the printer
server, and manage the acquired paper feeding slot data and
furthermore display the paper resource information on the display
device so that the user can make a selection in terms of the paper
resources. That is, it becomes possible to build a printing
resource environment in which the user can visually see the status
of the paper resources according to the paper feeding slot data and
thus the user can easily select a paper feeding slot in which a
desired recording medium is loaded. Furthermore, it also becomes
possible to reduce the data traffic in the process of requiring the
paper feeding slot data.
[0305] Preferably the printer server comprises updating means for,
when the judgment means judges that there is an updating request,
acquiring the newest paper feeding slot data from each printing
apparatus and updating the paper feeding slot data stored in the
storage means. Thus the paper feeding slot data is acquired when
the paper feeding slot data of each printer is updated. In other
words, it is not necessary to acquire the paper feeding slot data
unless the paper feeding slot data of some printer is updated. This
allows a reduction in the data traffic in the process of acquiring
the paper feeding slot data. Furthermore, it becomes possible to
immediately display the newest paper feeding slot data on the
display device of the data processing apparatus.
[0306] Preferably the paper resource information includes paper
name data and paper attribute data defined for each paper feeding
slot so that it is possible to display the paper names defined for
the respective paper feeding slots and also the paper attributes
(type of recording medium (transparency film, cut sheet), color,
thickness, size, etc.) thereby ensuring that the user can easily
select a paper feeding slot in which a desired recording medium is
loaded.
[0307] According to still another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a printing operation control apparatus for controlling the
operation of transferring printing information by communicating via
a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name
may be assigned, the printing operation control apparatus
comprising: first display control means for displaying, on a
display device, a printing operation control screen including a
paper name selection box used to select a paper name; acquisition
means for examining and acquiring information about available
resources of the printing apparatus, in response to a print request
from an application program; first generation means for generating
a paper name information table by analyzing the information of
resources of each printing apparatus acquired by the acquisition
means; second generation means for generating a paper name list to
be displayed on the printing operation control screen in accordance
with the paper name information table generated by the first
generation means; second display control means for displaying, on
the printing operation control screen, a list of selectable paper
names according to the paper name list generated by the second
generation means, in response to indication of the paper name
selection box displayed on the printing operation control screen;
and setting means for retrieving, from the paper name information
table, a printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name
selected from the list of selectable paper names and setting the
retrieved printing apparatus as the designation to which the
printing information is output. This technique makes it possible to
build a networked printing system having the paper name designation
capability in which it is possible to perform a printing operation
on desired paper using a printer in which the desired paper is
available simply by designating a desired paper name in a similar
manner to that employed in the conventional paper name designation
technique, without having to know which paper name is assigned to
which printer on the network.
[0308] Preferably, the second display control means displays, on
the printing operation control screen, the paper name located at
the top of the paper name list as a current paper name. Thus, the
current paper name is automatically set.
[0309] Preferably, the printing operation control apparatus further
comprises: designation means for designating a selection rule of
selecting a printing apparatus from a plurality of printing
apparatus assigned the same paper name in a competitive fashion;
judgment means for judging whether a paper name is a competitive
paper name assigned to a plurality of printing apparatus in a
competitive fashion; determination means that, when the judgment
means judges that the selected paper name is a competitive paper
name, determines a printing apparatus which should be set by the
setting means as the destination to which the printing information
is output, in accordance with the selection rule designated by the
designation means. This feature makes it possible to designate an
optimum printer satisfying conditions desired by a user as an
output destination even in a networked printing system including a
plurality of printers assigned the same paper name. That is,
printing information is output using the optimum printer and thus
printing is performed in a highly efficient manner without
performing an useless operation.
[0310] Preferably, the plurality of printing apparatus include a
printing apparatus connected in an one-to-one fashion to a
particular data processing apparatus. This makes it possible to
realize a printing system having the paper name designation
capability even in a networked printing system including a local
printer.
[0311] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a printing operation controlling method of controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, and a storage medium on which a program
readable by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible
for controlling the operation of transferring printing information
by communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method of program
comprising: a first displaying step in which a printing operation
control screen is displayed on a display device, the printing
operation control screen including a paper name selection box used
to select a paper name; an acquisition step in which in response to
a print request from an application program, information about
available resources of the printing apparatus is examined and
acquired; a first generation step in which a paper name information
table is generated by analyzing the acquired information about
resources of each printing apparatus; a second generation step in
which a paper name list to be displayed on the printing operation
control screen is generated in accordance with the generated paper
name information table; a second display step in which a list of
selectable paper names generated according to the paper name list
is displayed on the printing operation control screen in response
to indication of the paper name selection box displayed on the
printing operation control screen; a setting step in which a
printing apparatus assigned the desired paper name selected from
the list of selectable paper names is retrieved from the paper name
information table, and the retrieved printing apparatus is set as
the designation to which the printing information is output. This
technique makes it possible to build a networked printing system
having the paper name designation capability in which it is
possible to perform a printing operation on desired paper using a
printer in which the desired paper is available simply by
designating a desired paper name in a similar manner to that
employed in the conventional paper name designation technique,
without having to know which paper name is assigned to which
printer on the network.
[0312] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a printing operation controlling method of controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, and a storage medium on which a program
readable by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible
for controlling the operation of transferring printing information
by communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method or program
comprising: a judgment step in which, in response to a print
request from an application program, a judgment is made as to
whether there is an available printing apparatus connected to the
predetermined communication medium; a first storage step in which
the network information about the available printing apparatus
obtained in the judgment step is stored in a memory; a setting step
in which the network information stored in the memory is analyzed
and the number of printing apparatus with the paper name
designation capability to be examined is set; an examination step
in which an examination is made on as many printing apparatus as
the number set in the setting step as to whether each the printing
apparatus has the capability of selecting a paper feeding slot in
accordance with a paper name; and a second storage step in which if
the examination step concludes that the printing apparatus has the
capability of selecting a paper feeding slot in accordance with a
paper name, the paper name assigned to each paper feeding slot is
acquired and stored in the memory. This technique makes it possible
to automatically acquire, from each available printing apparatus,
the paper names to be displayed on the printing operation control
screen so as to obtain updated paper names.
[0313] According to still another aspect of the invention, there
are provided a printing operation controlling method of controlling
the operation of transferring printing information by communicating
via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of
printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a
paper name may be assigned, and a storage medium on which a program
readable by a computer is stored, the computer being responsible
for controlling the operation of transferring printing information
by communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a
plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to
which a paper name may be assigned, the method or program
comprising: a judgment step in which a judgment is made as to
whether the data stored in a memory includes a paper name acquired
from a printing apparatus having the capability of selecting a
paper feeding slot according to a paper name; a generation step in
which if the judgment step concludes that the paper name is
included in the data stored in the memory, the memory is searched
to generate a paper name list to be displayed in the paper name
selection box of the printing operation control screen displayed on
a display device; and a displaying step in which a current paper
name is displayed in the paper name selection box in accordance
with the generated paper name list. This technique makes it
possible to automatically set the paper name to be displayed as the
current paper name.
[0314] According to still another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a printing operation controlling method of controlling the
operation of transferring printing information by communicating via
a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing
apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name
may be assigned, the method comprising: a first judgment step in
which a judgment is made as to the selection status of the paper
name selection box of the printing operation control screen
displayed on a display device; a displaying step in which if the
first judgment step concludes that the paper name selection box of
the printing operation control screen displayed on the display
device is selected, a paper name list is displayed on the printing
operation control screen of the display device in accordance with
the paper name list stored in a memory; a second judgment step in
which a judgment is made as to whether a paper name different from
the current paper name is selected from the displayed paper name
list; a first setting step in which if the second judgment step
concludes that a paper name different from the current paper name
is selected from the displayed paper name list, the selected paper
name is set as the current paper name; a third judgment step in
which a judgment is made as to whether a print start command or a
print cancel command is issued; a second setting step in which if
the third judgment step concludes that a print start command has
been issued, the destination to which printing information is
output is set by referring to the paper name information stored in
the memory corresponding to the current paper name; a transmission
step in which the printing information is transmitted to the
printing apparatus set as the output destination in the second
setting step. Thus it is possible to automatically transmit
printing data to a printer corresponding to a selected paper name
simply by selecting a desired paper name from the paper name list
displayed on the printing operation control screen without having
to have knowledge about networked printers.
[0315] This technique makes it possible to build a networked
printing system having the paper name designation capability in
which it is possible to perform an optimum printing operation on
desired paper using a printer in which the desired paper is
available simply by designating a desired paper name in a similar
manner to that employed in the conventional paper name designation
technique, without having to know which paper name is assigned to
which printer on the network.
* * * * *