Common driver application device and method

A common driver application method, comprising:

• communicatively connecting to a first printing apparatus;
• requesting to the first printing apparatus by a common printer driver to load print information from the first printing apparatus, including default values for print options and emulation type that are supported by the first printing apparatus and information for a print-option-setting menu;
• storing the print information loaded from the first printing apparatus;
• reading out the stored print information by the first printing apparatus when the common printer driver requests the loading of the print information and displaying a message when the reading out of the stored print information cannot be completed;
• sending the read print information to the common printer driver;
• and
• providing the print-option-setting menu enabling a user to adjust the default values for the print options,
• wherein the emulation type is information regarding emulation to convert print data into bitmap data and includes minimum and maximum values of print resolution for the emulation type,
• wherein, when the first printing apparatus is replaced with a second printing apparatus, the common printer driver only loads second print information that includes values for print options and emulation type of the second printing apparatus from the second print apparatus that are different from the printing information of the first printing apparatus when the first and second printing apparatuses have the same manufacturer identifications (IDs) but different serial numbers.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium providing commands for computers to execute a process including:

• communicatively connecting to a first printing apparatus;
• requesting the first printing apparatus by a common printer driver to load print information from the printing apparatus, including default values for print options and emulation type that the first printing apparatus supports and information for a print-option-setting menu;
• storing the loaded print information that the first printing apparatus provides;
• reading out the stored print information by the first printing apparatus when the common printer driver requests the loading of the print information and displaying a message when the reading out of the stored print information cannot be completed;
• sending the read print information to the common printer driver;
• and
• providing the print-option-setting menu enabling a user to adjust the default values for the print options,
• wherein the emulation type is information regarding emulation to convert print data into bitmap data and includes minimum and maximum values of print resolution for the emulation type,
• wherein, when the first printing apparatus is replaced with a second printing apparatus, the common printer driver only loads second print information that includes default values for print options and emulation type of the second printing apparatus from the second print apparatus that are different from the print information of the first print apparatus when the first and second printing apparatuses have the same manufacturer identifications (IDs) but different serial numbers.

A print system to allow one common print driver to drive a plurality of different printers comprising:

• a user terminal comprising a terminal interface to enable communication printers and a common print driver unit to be executed by the user terminal to load first printer information and a detailed information storage to store other print information, and a menu generation unit associated with the printers, including default values for print options and emulation type that are supported by the printers and information for the menu generation unit, the common printer driver unit including:
• a loading unit to request and load the print information to and from a first printer and display a message when the requested load cannot be completed;
• and
• a first print information storage to store the loaded print information;
• and
• each of the plurality printers having a printer interface communicatively connected to the common print driver unit and an emulator, wherein replacing the connected first printer with a second printer generates a printer information request,
• wherein the emulation type is information regarding emulation to convert print data into bitmap data and includes minimum and maximum values of print resolution for the emulation type,
• wherein, when the first printer connected to the terminal interface is replaced with the second printer, the common printer driver unit only loads second print information including default values for print options and emulation type of the second printer from the second printer that are different from the first printer information when the first printer and second printer have the same manufacturer identifications (IDs) but different serial numbers.

A common driver application device comprising:

• a means for communicatively connecting to a first printer;
• a means for executing the common driver application to request the first printer to load print information from the first printer to the common driver application device, the print information including default values for print options and emulation type that are supported by the first printer;
• a means for storing the requested print information display a message when the requested load cannot be completed;
• and
• a means for providing a print-option-setting menu corresponding to the connected first printer and enabling a user to adjust the default values for the print options,
• wherein the emulation type is information regarding emulation to convert print data into bitmap data and includes minimum and maximum values of print resolution for the emulation type,
• wherein, when the first printer connected to the means for communicatively connecting is replaced with a second printer, the common driver application only loads second print information that includes default values for print options and emulation type of the second printer from the second printer that are different from the print information of the first printer when the first printer and second printer have the same manufacturer identifications (IDs) but different serial numbers.

A print driver device to drive a plurality of different printers, comprising:

• a terminal interface unit to interface with at least one of the plurality of printers;
• a user terminal having a common printer driver unit to load print information from a first printer and a menu generation unit associated with the first printer, where the print information includes information for the menu generation unit, the user terminal to display a message when the print information cannot be loaded;
• and
• a central processing unit to drive the common printer driver to load the print information from the interfaced first printer,
• wherein the print information includes default values for print options and emulation type that are supported by the first printer, and the emulation type is information regarding emulation to convert print data into bitmap data and includes minimum and maximum values of print resolution for the emulation type,
• wherein, when the first printer connected to the terminal interface unit is replaced with a second printer, the common printer driver unit only loads second print information that includes default values for print options and emulation type of the second printer from the second printer that are different from the print information of the printer when the first printer and second printer have the same manufacturer identifications (IDs) but different serial numbers.

A method of driving a plurality of different printers, the method comprising:

• interfacing a user terminal with a first printer of the plurality of printers;
• driving a common printer driver on the user terminal and loading the print information including values for print options and emulation type for a print option setting menu from the interfaced first printer;
• and
• displaying the print option setting menu including the values for the print options, and displaying a message when the print information cannot be loaded,
• wherein the emulation type is information regarding emulation to convert print data into bitmap data and includes minimum and maximum values of print resolution for the emulation type,
• wherein, when the first printer connected to the user terminal is replaced with a second printer, the common printer driver only loads second print information of the second printer from the second printer that is different from the print information of the first printer when the first printer and second printer have the same manufacturer identifications (IDs) but different serial numbers.