Print data transfer method, printing system, printer device and print control program
AssigneeMatushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsShigeki Matsunaga, Takahiko Nankou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An HDD unit 12 holds a print object. A controller 11 issues to a printer unit 13 a print command of acquiring and printing the print object stored in the HDD unit 12, and has the printer unit 13 receive data in which link path information to a file to be printed is described via a connection established between the HDD unit 12 and the printer unit 13. The printer unit 13 captures and prints the print object stored in the HDD unit 12 by requesting the HDD unit 12 to send the print object which is uniquely specified with the link path information, using attribute information which is obtained by inquiring the connection status.
Claims49
A method for transferring print data from a print data supply device to a printer which is connected to the print data supply device via a transmission channel, the method comprising:
- a print request step for requesting the printer to print the print data held by the print data supply device;
- a print data request step in which the printer acquires attribute information of the print data supply device in response to the print request and requests the print data supply device to send the print data based on the attribute information;
- and
- a print data sending step in which the print data supply device sends the print data to the printer in response to the print data request.
A printing system comprising a print data supply device and a printer which are connected via a transmission channel,
- wherein the print data supply device holds print data, and
- the printer includes:
- a print request receiving unit operable to receive a print request for having the printer print the print data held by the print data supply device;
- a print data request unit operable to acquire attribute information of the print data supply device in response to the print request, and request the print data supply device to send the print data based on the attribute information;
- a print data receiving unit operable to receive the print data sent from the print data supply device in response to the print data request;
- and
- a printing unit operable to print the print data.
A printer which is connected to a print data supply device which holds print data via a transmission channel, the printer comprising:
- a print request receiving unit operable to receive a print request for having the printer print the print data held by the print data supply device;
- a print data request unit operable to request the print data supply device to send the print data based on the attribute information of the print data supply device in response to the print request;
- a print data receiving unit operable to receive the print data sent from the print data supply device in response to the print data request;
- and
- a printing unit operable to print the print data.
A program for a printer for forming an image based on print data received from a print data supply device, the program causes a computer function as:
- a print request receiving unit operable to receive a print request for having the printer print the print data held by the print data supply device;
- a print data request unit operable to request the print data supply device to send the print data based on attribute information of the print data supply device;
- a print data receiving unit operable to acquire the attribute information in response to the print data request and receive the print data sent from the print data supply device;
- and
- a printing unit operable to print the print data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.