Output method for dot data and apparatus therefor
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShigeru Ueda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A data output apparatus is equipped with a wireless data receiving unit, for wireless data reception from an external equipment, and a cable data receiving unit for data reception, through a cable, from the external equipment, and is capable of automatically selecting the data received by the cable data receiving unit when a cable is connected thereto, thereby dispensing with the trouble of switching the receiving units and connecting or disconnecting the cable.
Claims44
A print control apparatus which receives print data from an information processing apparatus over one of a cable communication link and a wireless communication link, and which controls a printer to output image data based on the received print data, the print control apparatus comprising:
- input means for inputting designation information for designating over which one of the cable communication link and the wireless communication link the print data is to be received;
- determining means for determining which one of the cable communication link and the wireless communication link is designated by the designation information;
- selecting means for selecting the print data received over the cable communication link when the determining means determines that the designation information designates the cable communication link, and for selecting the print data received over the wireless communication link when the determining means determines that the designation information designates the wireless communication link;
- and
- generating means for generating image data based on the print data selected by the selecting means.
A print control apparatus which receives print data from an information processing apparatus over one of a cable communication link and a wireless communication link, and which controls a printer to output image data based on the received print data, the print control apparatus comprising:
- first memory means for storing print data received over the cable communication link;
- second memory means for storing print data received over the wireless communication link;
- selecting means for selecting the first memory means when the first memory means stores a predetermined amount of print data before the second memory means stores the predetermined amount of print data, and for selecting the second memory means when the second memory means stores the predetermined amount of print data before the first memory means stores the predetermined amount of print data;
- and
- generating means for generating image data based on the print data stored in the selected one of the first memory means and the second memory means.
A print control method, performed in a print control apparatus which receives print data from an information processing apparatus over one of a cable communication link and a wireless communication link and which controls a printer to print image data based on the received print data, the method comprising the steps of:
- inputting designation information for designating over which one of the cable communication link and the wireless communication link the print data is to be received;
- determining which of the cable communication link and the wireless communication link is designated by the designation information;
- selecting the print data received over the cable communication link when the determining step determines that the designation information designates the cable communication link;
- selecting the print data received over the wireless communication link when the determining step determines that the designation information designates the wireless communication link;
- and
- generating image data based on the print data selected in the selecting step.
A print control method, performed in a print control apparatus which receives print data from an information processing apparatus over one of a cable communication link and a wireless communication link and which controls a printer to print image data based on the received print data, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a first memory means when the first memory means stores a predetermined amount of print data before a second memory means stores the predetermined amount of print data;
- selecting the second memory means when the second memory means stores the predetermined amount of print data before the first memory means stores the predetermined amount of print data;
- and
- generating image data based on the print data stored in the selected one of the first memory means and the second memory means.
A printing apparatus which receives data from an external apparatus and prints the received data, said printing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of receiving means for receiving data from a plurality of external apparatuses;
- printing means for printing data;
- selecting means operable in an automatic selection mode, wherein in a case where the automatic selection mode is set, said selecting means selects data received by one of said plurality of receiving means which has received data earlier than all others of said plurality of receiving means, and wherein in a case where the automatic selection mode is not set, said selecting means selects data received by a designated one of said plurality of receiving means;
- and
- control means for controlling said printing means to print the data selected by said selecting means.
A printer controller used in a printer which receives data from an external apparatus and causes a printer engine to print the received data, said printer controller comprising:
- a plurality of receivers for receiving data from a plurality of external apparatuses;
- and
- a processor operable in an automatic selection mode, wherein in a case where the automatic selection mode is set, said processor selects data received by one of said plurality of receivers which has received data earlier than all others of said plurality of receivers and controls the printer engine to print the selected data, and wherein in a case where the automatic selection mode is not set, said processor selects data received by a designated one of said plurality of receivers and controls the printer engine to print the selected data.
A data processing method carried out in a data processing apparatus which has a plurality of receivers for receiving data from a plurality of external apparatuses and which processes the received data, said method comprising the steps of:
- selecting data received by one of the plurality of receivers which has received data earlier than all others of said plurality of receivers and processing the selected data in a case where the data processing apparatus is set in an automatic selection mode;
- and
- selecting data received by a designated one of the plurality of receivers and processing the selected data in a case where the data processing apparatus is not set in the automatic selection mode.
A program carried out in a data processing apparatus which has a plurality of receivers for receiving data from a plurality of external apparatuses and which processes the received data, said program being executable by a control unit in the data processing apparatus and being stored on a medium readable by the control unit, said program comprising:
- a first selecting step to select data received by one of the plurality of receivers which has received data earlier than all others of said plurality of receivers and to process the selected data in a case where the data processing apparatus is set in an automatic selection mode;
- and
- a second selecting step to select data received by a designated one of the plurality of receivers and to process the selected data in a case where the data processing apparatus is not set in the automatic selection mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.