Proxied printing services
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsKevin G. Currans, Jon A. Brewster
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, an image processing device, a computer network and a simple network printer wherein a simple network printer without RIP capability is enabled to print a print job that includes raster image processor instructions. In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, the steps include receiving and storing, by the simple network printer, a broadcast from a raster image processor (RIP)-enabled unit announcing the RIP-enabled unit's capabilities and, upon receiving a RIP print job request from a source, requesting the RIP-enabled unit to proxy the print job and send the print job in simple format to the simple network printer for printing.
Claims34
A method for enabling a simple network printer to print a print job that includes raster image processor instructions, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a broadcast from a raster image processor (RIP)-enabled unit announcing the RIP-enabled unit's capabilities;
- storing information on the RIP-enabled unit's capabilities in the simple network printer;
- upon receiving a RIP print job request from a source, sending by the simple network printer, notification to the RIP-enabled unit that the source has the RIP print job;
- spooling, by the RIP-enabled unit, the RIP print job from the source;
- rasterizing, by the RIP-enabled unit, the RIP print job into a Printer Control Language (PCL) format;
- and
- sending the RIP print job in PCL format to the simple network printer for printing.
In a computer networking environment, an image processing device having a raster image processor, comprising:
- an input unit for inputting image information including print commands in a complex print command language;
- and
- a formatting unit, coupled to the input unit, wherein the formatting unit includes the raster image processor for, where selected, rasterizing the image information in accordance with the print commands to provide information in a Printer Control Language (PCL).
A computer network comprising:
- a raster image processor-enabled unit interconnected to at least one simple network printer and at least one computing unit via the network, for facilitating implementation of printing jobs;
- the at least one simple network printer interconnected to the raster image processor-enabled unit and the at least one computing unit, for at least utilizing raster image processing capabilities of the raster image processor-enabled unit for printing print jobs having commands in a complex print command language;
- and
- a plurality of computing units interconnected to the raster image processor-enabled unit and the at least one simple network printer, for providing print jobs to at least the one simple network printer.
A simple network printer, arranged to process a print job that includes raster image processor (RIP) instructions via proxying a raster image processor-enabled unit that converts the RIP instructions and image information of the print job to a predetermined Printer Control Language (PCL) format, the simple network printer comprising:
- a transceiver, intercoupled to the RIP-enabled unit and a plurality of computing units in a network that includes the simple network printer, for receiving a broadcast from the RIP-enabled unit, wherein the broadcast announces information on the RIP-enabled unit's capabilities;
- wherein the transceiver, upon receiving a RIP print job request from a computing unit of the plurality of computing units, sends notification to the RIP-enabled unit that the simple network printer has received the RIP print job request and upon rasterizing, by the RIP-enabled unit, the RIP print job into a Printer Control Language (PCL) format, the transceiver receives the RIP print job in the predetermined PCL format for printing;
- a storage unit, coupled to the transceiver and to a printer control unit, for storing information on the RIP-enabled unit's capabilities;
- the printer control unit, coupled to the transceiver, the storage unit and a printing unit, for controlling operation of the simple network printer in accordance with a predetermined scheme;
- and
- the printing unit, coupled to the printer control unit and the transceiver, for printing image information in accordance with the predetermined PCL format.
A method for enabling a simple network printer to print a print job that includes raster image processor instructions, comprising the steps of:
- receiving and storing, by the simple network printer, a broadcast from a raster image processor (RIP)-enabled unit, announcing the RIP-enabled unit's capabilities;
- and
- upon receiving a RIP print job request from a source, requesting the RIP-enabled unit to proxy the print job and send the print job in simple format to the simple network printer for printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.