Information processing apparatus and method for use in system with remote printer
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYUJI AKIYAMA, MASASHI KAMADA, TOSHIHARU INUI, TAKAYUKI NINOMIYA, KAZUHIKO MORIMURA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A host computer acquires information about an amount of remaining ink of a printer. In response to the acquired information about the amount of remaining ink, the host computer displays a message on a display screen so that a user can select whether an ink cartridge is to be replaced with a new one or the process is to return to a previous routine without replacing the ink cartridge.
Claims89
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- acquisition means for acquiring remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge disposed in the printing apparatus;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge in the printing apparatus or returning to a process performed by said information processing system.
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- analysis means for analyzing a color to be used by the printing apparatus;
- acquisition means for acquiring remaining-amount information from the printing apparatus, the remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge, the ink having the color analyzed by said analysis means;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge containing ink having the color to be used by the printing apparatus or returning to a process performed by said information processing system.
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- judgement means for judging whether a printing mode of the printing apparatus is a monochrome mode or a color mode;
- acquisition means for acquiring remaining-amount information from the printing apparatus in response to a judgement result by said judgement means, the remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink of a color to be used remaining in an ink cartridge;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge containing ink having the color to be used by the printing apparatus or returning to a process performed by said information processing system.
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- acquisition means for acquiring remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge disposed in the printing apparatus;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge in the printing apparatus or designation of an alternative color different from color of the ink in the ink cartridge.
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- acquisition means for acquiring remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge disposed in the printing apparatus;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either designation of an alternative color different from a color of the ink in ink cartridge or returning to a process performed by said information processing system.
An information processing system for outputting dot image information to a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- comparison means for comparing a number of dots contained in the dot image information with a number of dots that can be printed by the printing apparatus;
- and
- control means for controlling the generation of the dot image information depending on a result of said comparison means.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge disposed in the printing apparatus;
- and
- controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge in the printing apparatus or returning to a process performed by the information processing system.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- analyzing a color to be used by the printing apparatus;
- acquiring remaining-amount information from the printing apparatus, the remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge, the ink having the color analyzed in said analyzing step;
- and
- controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge containing ink having the color to be used by the printing apparatus or returning to a process performed by the information processing system.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- judging whether a printing mode of the printing apparatus is a monochrome mode or a color mode;
- acquiring remaining-amount information from the printing apparatus in response to a judgement result obtained in said judging step, the remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink of a color to be used remaining in an ink cartridge;
- and
- controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge containing ink having the color to be used by the printing apparatus or returning to a process performed by the information processing system.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge disposed in the printing apparatus;
- and
- controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either replacing of the ink cartridge in the printing apparatus or designation of an alternative color different from a color of the ink in the ink cartridge.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring remaining-amount information representing the amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge disposed in the printing apparatus;
- and
- controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired remaining-amount information, the message advising a user to select either designation of an alternative color different from a color of the ink in the ink cartridge or returning to a process performed by the information processing system.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for outputting dot image information to a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- comparing a number of dots contained in the dot image information with a number of dots that can be printed by the printing apparatus;
- and
- controlling the generation of the dot image information depending on a result in said comparing step.
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- acquisition means for acquiring information representing the distance between a print head of the printing apparatus and a printing medium;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of identification information/about the printing medium in response to the acquired information, the identification information being set in the printing apparatus.
An information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said system comprising:
- acquisition means for acquiring information representing an ink cartridge mounting status of the printing apparatus;
- and
- display control means for controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired information, the message advising a user to select an alternative color different from a color of the ink in said ink cartridge.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring information representing the distance between a print head of the printing apparatus and a printing medium;
- and
- controlling display of identification information about the printing medium in response to the acquired information, the identification information being set in printing apparatus.
An information processing method for use in an information processing system for controlling a printing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring information representing an ink cartridge mounting status of the printing apparatus;
- and
- controlling display of a message on display means in response to the acquired information, the message advising a user to select an alternative color different from a color of the ink in said ink cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.