Printing control apparatus and printing control method enabling image forming apparatus to adapt various printing data formats
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorEiichi Sato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a printing control apparatus for enabling an image forming apparatus, having a network connection function and printing data interpretation function, to print printing data written in a format that cannot be interpreted by the interpretation function of the image forming apparatus. The printing control apparatus, connected between a network and an image forming apparatus having a network interface, determines whether or not a data packet received from the network is printing data (S303), and when the received data packet is printing data, encodes the received data packet in a format interpretable by the image forming apparatus (S305) to be outputted to the image forming apparatus.
Claims29
A printing control apparatus connected to a network through a first network interface and connected to an image forming apparatus through a second network interface, comprising:
- first determination means, arranged to determine whether received data received through the first network interface is printing data or request data;
- second determination means, employed in a case where the received data is printing data, to determine whether or not to convert a format of the printing data;
- data format conversion means, employed in a case of converting the format of the printing data, to convert the format of the printing data to a different format;
- first output means, arranged to output the printing data, or printing data whose data format has been converted, through the second network interface;
- third determination means, employed in a case where the received data is request data, to determine whether the request data is related to the printing control apparatus or image forming apparatus by analyzing the request data;
- and
- second output means, employed in a case where the request data is related to the image forming apparatus, to output the request data through the second network interface.
A control method of a printing control apparatus having first and second network interfaces, comprising:
- a first determination step of determining whether or not received data, received through the first network interface, is printing data;
- a second determination step of determining whether or not a format of printing data is a predetermined format in a case where the received data is printing data;
- a data format conversion step of converting the format of the printing data to the predetermined format in a case where the second determination step determines that the format of the printing data is not the predetermined format;
- and
- an output step of outputting the printing data, or printing data whose data format has been converted, through the second network interface.
A computer program product for a printing control apparatus connecting a computer apparatus to a network through a first network interface and to an image forming apparatus through a second network interface, said computer program product causing the printing control apparatus to function as a printing control apparatus comprising:
- first determination means, arranged to determine whether received data received through the first network interface is printing data or request data;
- second determination means, employed in a case where the received data is printing data, to determine whether or not to convert a format of the printing data;
- data format conversion means, employed in a case of converting the format of the printing data, to convert the format of the printing data to a different format;
- first output means, arranged to output the printing data, or printing data whose data format has been converted, through the second network interface;
- third determination means, employed in a case where the received data is request data, to determine whether the request data is related to the printing control apparatus or image forming apparatus by analyzing the request data;
- and
- second output means, employed in a case where the request data is related to the image forming apparatus, to output the request data through the second network interface.
A printing control apparatus connected to a network through a first network interface and connected to an image forming apparatus through a second network interface, comprising:
- determination means, employed in a case where received data is printing data, to determine whether or not to convert a format of the printing data;
- data format conversion means, employed in a case of converting the format of the printing data, to convert the format of the printing data to a different format;
- output means, arranged to output the printing data, or printing data whose data format has been converted, through the second network interface;
- input means, arranged to input notification data related to the image forming apparatus, which is transmitted without being requested by an external apparatus, through the second network interface;
- and
- transmission means, arranged to transmit the notification data, inputted by said input means, through the first network interface.
A computer program product for a printing control apparatus connecting a computer apparatus to a network through a first network interface and to an image forming apparatus through a second network interface, said computer program product causing the printing control apparatus to function as a printing control apparatus comprising:
- determination means, employed in a case where received data is printing data, to determine whether or not to convert a format of the printing data;
- data format conversion means, employed in a case of converting the format of the printing data, to convert the format of the printing data to a different format;
- output means, arranged to output the printing data, or printing data whose data format has been converted, through the second network interface;
- input means, arranged to input notification data related to the image forming apparatus, which is transmitted without being requested by an external apparatus, through the second network interface;
- and
- transmission means, arranged to transmit the notification data, inputted by said input means, through the first network interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.