Network system, printing device and program

A network system in which a plurality of network devices including a printing device are connected together to be capable of communicating with one another,

• the printing device comprising:
• a print instruction receiving unit configured to receive print data containing font information from another network device;
• a query transmitting unit configured to transmit a supply query, inquiring whether or not each network device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the font information contained in the print data as image data in the particular format, to other network devices;
• a response receiving unit configured to receive responses transmitted from the other network devices in response to transmission of the supply query by the query transmitting unit;
• and
• a printing unit configured to print out the print data received by the print instruction receiving unit by use of a printer font held by a network device, which is one of the other network devices and transmits an affirmative response, as image data in the particular format in response to reception of the affirmative response by the response receiving unit,
• at least one of the network devices comprising:
• a query receiving unit configured to receive the supply query transmitted from the printing device;
• a font supply judgment unit configured to judge whether the network device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format or not in response to reception of the supply query by the query receiving unit;
• and
• a response transmitting unit configured to transmit the response to the printing device in response to judgment by the font supply judgment unit.

A printing device to be connected to a network system, in which a plurality of network devices are connected together and the network devices are capable of sharing and handling image data in a particular format held by at least one of the network devices, to be capable of communicating with the network devices, comprising:

• a print instruction receiving unit configured to receive print data containing font information from a network device in the network system;
• a query transmitting unit configured to transmit a supply query, inquiring whether or not each network device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the font information contained in the print data as image data in the particular format, to the network devices;
• a response receiving unit configured to receive affirmative responses, indicating that the supply of a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format is possible, transmitted from network devices in response to the supply query transmitted by the query transmitting unit;
• and
• a printing unit configured to print out the print data received by the print instruction receiving unit by use of a printer font held by a network device transmitting the affirmative response as image data in the particular format in response to reception of the affirmative response by the response receiving unit.

A printing device to form a network system in which a plurality of network devices are connected together and the network devices are capable of sharing and handling image data in a particular format held by at least one of the network devices, receive print data containing font information transmitted from a network device in the network system, and execute printing according to the print data, comprising:

• a font storage unit configured to store printer fonts as image data in the particular format;
• a query receiving unit configured to receive a supply query, inquiring whether or not the printing device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the font information contained in the print data as image data in the particular format, transmitted from another printing device receiving the print data;
• a font supply judgment unit configured to judge whether the font storage unit is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format or not in response to reception of the supply query by the query receiving unit;
• and
• a response transmitting unit configured to transmit an affirmative response, indicating that the supply of a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format is possible, to the printing device transmitting the supply query in response to judgment by the font supply judgment unit that the font storage unit is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format.

A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer functioning as a printing device connected to a network system in which a plurality of network devices are connected together and the network devices are capable of sharing and handling image data in a particular format held by at least one of the network devices, are configured to:

• receive print data containing font information from a network device in the network system;
• transmit a supply query, inquiring whether or not each network device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the font information contained in the print data as image data in the particular format, to the network devices;
• receive affirmative responses, indicating that the supply of a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format is possible, transmitted from network devices in response to the transmitted supply query;
• and
• control the printing device to let the printing device print out the received print data by use of a printer font held by a network device transmitting the affirmative response as image data in the particular format in response to reception of the affirmative response.

A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer functioning as a printing device which forms a network system in which a plurality of network devices are connected together and the network devices are capable of sharing and handling image data in a particular format held by at least one of the network devices and includes a font storage unit storing printer fonts as image data in the particular format, are configured to:

• receive a supply query, inquiring whether or not the printing device is capable of supplying a printer font regarding font information contained in print data as image data in the particular format, transmitted from another printing device receiving the print data;
• judge whether the font storage unit is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format or not in response to reception of the supply query;
• and
• transmit an affirmative response, indicating that the supply of a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format is possible, to the printing device transmitting the supply query in response to judgment that the font storage unit is capable of supplying a printer font regarding the supply query as image data in the particular format.