US 2018/0004457 A1Published application

Printing system, apparatus searching method and non-transitory recording medium storing apparatus searching program

AssigneeKonica Minolta, Inc.

InventorMitsutaka MORITA

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A printing system includes a client terminal and information processing apparatus located in a first subnetwork, and a first image forming apparatus located in a second subnetwork. A hardware processor of the information processing apparatus registers address information of the first image forming apparatus, and when receiving a search packet from the client terminal, creates a forwarding packet including information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal, on the basis of the search packet, to send the forwarding packet to the address information of the first image forming apparatus. A hardware processor of the first image forming apparatus receives the forwarding packet, extracts the information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal from the forwarding packet, and sends a response to the search packet to the address information or the client terminal.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A printing system for use in a network including a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork, the printing system comprising:

a client terminal located in the first subnetwork;
an information processing apparatus located in the first subnetwork;
and
a first image forming apparatus located in the second subnetwork,
wherein the information processing apparatus includes a hardware processor that performs:
registering address information of the first image forming apparatus;
receiving, from the client terminal, a search packet being a packet for searching for an image forming apparatus in the printing system in a multicast manner;
and
performing packet forwarding including
obtaining, from the search packet, address information of the client terminal being a sender of the search packet, to create a forwarding packet including information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal, and
sending the forwarding packet to the address information of the first image forming apparatus, and
wherein the first image for apparatus includes
a hardware processor that performs:
receiving the forwarding packet from the information processing apparatus;
and
responding to the search packet by extracting the information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal from the forwarding packet and by sending a response to the search packet to the address information of the client terminal, and
a printing unit that prints a print job sent from the client terminal in response to the client terminal receiving the response to the search packet.

14 more elements

A method of searching for an apparatus in a printing system for use in a network including a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork, the printing system comprising a client terminal and information processing apparatus located in the first subnetwork and a first image forming apparatus located in the second subnetwork,

the method comprising:
registering address information of the first image forming apparatus by the formation processing apparatus;
receiving, from the client terminal, as search packet being a packet for searching for an image forming apparatus in the printing system in a multicast manner, by the information processing apparatus;
performing packet forwarding by the information processing apparatus, including
obtaining, from the search packet, address information of the client terminal being a sender of the search packet, to create a forwarding packet including information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal, and
sending the forwarding packet to the address information of the first image forming apparatus;
receiving the forwarding packet from the information processing apparatus, by the first image forming apparatus;
responding, by the first image forming apparatus, to the search packet by extracting the information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal from the forwarding packet and by sending a response to the search packet to the address information of the client terminal;
and
allowing, by the client terminal, a user to send a print instruction to the first image forming apparatus, in response to the client terminal receiving the response to the searching packet from the first image forming apparatus.

7 more elements

A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-readable program for searching for an apparatus in a printing system, the printing system being for use in a network including a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork, the printing system comprising a client terminal and information processing apparatus located in the first subnetwork and a first image forming apparatus located in the second subnetwork, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by a hardware processor of the information processing apparatus, cause the information processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

registering address information of the first image forming apparatus;
receiving, from the client terminal, a search packet being a packet for searching for an image forming apparatus in the printing system in a multicast manner;
and
performing packet forwarding including
obtaining, from the search packet, address information of the client terminal being a sender of the search packet, to create a forwarding packet including information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal, and
sending the forwarding packet to the address information of the first image forming apparatus.

3 more elements

A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program for searching for an apparatus in a printing system, the printing system being for use in a network including a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork, the printing system comprising a client terminal and information processing apparatus located in first subnetwork and a first image forming apparatus located in the second subnetwork, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by a hardware processor of the first image forming apparatus, cause the first image forming apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a forwarding packet from the information processing apparatus, wherein the forwarding packet is created by the information processing apparatus in response to receiving, from the client terminal, a search packet being a packet for searching for an image forming apparatus in the printing system in a multicast manner, and the forwarding packet includes information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal;
and
responding to the search packet by extracting the information that the search packet has been sent and the address information of the client terminal from the forwarding packet and by sending a response to the search packet to the address information or the client terminal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/636,723Filed 29 Jun 2017
Priority: JP 2016-1321654 Jul 2016
Published: 4 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

G06F 3/1203
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
G06F 3/1222
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: increasing security of the print job
G06F 3/1226
Client or server resources management: discovery of devices having required properties
G06F 3/1236
Specifically adapted to use a particular technique: connection management