A printing system, a printing method, a converting device, a data processing method and a printing device
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorHIROYUKI BANDO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer network is provided with a RIP server connected thereto to convert page description language (PDL) data into raster image data. The network also has connected thereto an output engine which works as a network printer without a RIP means to convert PDL data into raster image data. When printing out through the output engine, the host computer outputs PDL data corresponding to print-out data to the RIP server. The RIP server converts PDL data into raster image data, and transmits it to the output engine through the network to print out. A printing system thus achieves a cost reduction as a whole.
Claims13
A printing system comprising:
- a command device to command printing-out,
- a converting device to convert page description language data transmitted thereto through a network into raster image data;
- and
- a printing device to print out said raster image data transmitted thereto through the network;
- said command device, said converting device, and said printing device being interconnected through said network;
- wherein said command device sends said page description language data representing print-out data and a designation code to designate said printing device for executing printing-out, to said converting device through the network;
- said converting device converts said page description language data transmitted thereto from said command device through the network into said raster image data, and outputs said raster image data together with a print-out command to said printing device designated by said command device;
- and
- said printing device, in response to said command, prints out said raster image data transmitted thereto from said converting device through the network.
A printing method using a printing system including a command device to command printing-out, a converting device to convert page description language data transmitted thereto through a network into raster image data, and a printing device to print out said raster image data transmitted thereto through the network, said command device, said converting device, and said printing device being interconnected through said network, said method comprising:
- a step, using said command device, of sending said page description language data representing print-out data and a designation code to designate said printing device for executing printing-out, to said converting device through the network;
- a step, using said converting device, of converting said page description language data transmitted thereto from said command device through the network into said raster image data, and outputing said raster image data together with a print-out command to said printing device designated by said command device;
- and
- a step, using said printing device, of printing out, in response to said command, said raster image data transmitted thereto from said converting device through the network.
A converting device, interconnected through a network with both a command device to command printing-out and printing devices to print out raster image data transmitted thereto through the network, for converting page description language data transmitted thereto from said command device through the network into raster image data, said converting device comprising:
- a receiving means to receive a print-out command from said command device through the network;
- a memory means to store the network addresses of a plurality of said printing devices connected on the network;
- a notifying means to, in response to a print-out request from said command device, notify said printing devices with their addresses stored in said memory means to said command device through the network;
- a converting means to, when receiving page description language data representing print-out data transmitted thereto from said command device through the network, convert said page description language data into raster image data;
- and
- an output means to, when receiving from said command device the designation of said printing device to execute printing-out, output said raster image data to said address of said designated printing device through the network.
A data processing method for a converting device which is interconnected through a network with both a command device to command printing-out and printing devices to print out raster image data transmitted thereto through the network for converting page description language data transmitted thereto from said command device through the network into raster image data, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a print-out command from said command device through the network;
- previously storing network addresses of a plurality of said printing devices connected on the network;
- notifying, in response to a print-out request from said command device, said printing devices with their addresses stored in said memory means to said command device through the network;
- converting, when receiving page description language data representing print-out data transmitted thereto from said command device through the network, said page description language data into raster image data;
- and
- outputting, when receiving from said command device the designation of said printing device to execute printing-out, said raster image data to said address of said designated printing device through the network.
A printing device, which is interconnected through a network with both a command device to command printing-out and a converting device to convert page description language data transmitted thereto into raster image data, for printing out said raster image data transmitted through the network, and which has not a function to convert said page description language data into raster image data, said printing device comprising:
- a receiving means to receive said raster image data and command transmitted thereto from said command device through the network;
- and
- a printing means to, in response to the print-out command, print out said raster image data.
A printing method for a printing device which is interconnected through a network with both a command device to command printing-out and a converting device to convert page description language data transmitted thereto into raster image data for printing out said raster image data transmitted through the network and which has not a function to convert said page description language data into raster image data, said printing method comprising the steps of:
- receiving said raster image data and said print-out command transmitted thereto from said converting device through the network;
- and
- printing out, in response to the print-out command, said raster image data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.