Printing system, printing method and apparatus
AssigneeFuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
InventorMamoru Mochizuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a printing system connecting a print requester host and a single or a plurality of print requestee printer by way of a network, the host abstractly defines an output port to an actual printer as the print requestee printer, for printing. The host makes a print request to the abstractly defined output port so that between the host and the printer on the network there are made in sequence for printing a retrieval request from the host, a retrieval response from the printer, a print request from the host, and a response to the print request from the printer.
Claims20
A printing system comprising:
- a print requester host;
- and
- a single or a plurality of print requestee printers connected via a network to said host;
- said host abstractly defining an output port to an actual printer as said print requestee printer, for printing.
A printing method for performing a printing operation by selective use of a single or a plurality of printers connected via a network from a print requester host, said method comprising the step of:
- abstractly defining on said host an output port to an actual printer as a print requestee printer, to perform said printing operation.
A print requester apparatus for performing a printing operation by selective use of any one of a plurality of printers connected via a network, said apparatus comprising:
- an output port that is abstractly defined as an output path to an actual printer when a print request takes place;
- and
- a printer retrieval unit which, upon abstract definition of said output port, automatically selects a specific printer for printing through sequential execution, between said printer retrieval unit and said printer on said network, of a retrieval request from said host, a retrieval response from said printer, a print request from said host, and a response to said print request from said printer.
A printer connected via a network to a print requester host, said printer comprising:
- a retrieval response unit for allowing itself to be selected as a print requestee through a sequential execution of a retrieval response to a retrieval request from said host and a response to a print request from said host.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.