Uniform interface for conducting communications in a heterogeneous computing network

A method for providing a uniform interface in a heterogeneous network printing system comprising the steps of:

• (a) connecting a plurality of host computers to a printer in a network by a plurality of heterogeneous network service protocols/ports;
• (b) using a uniform imaging device protocol (IDP) to transfer information between said heterogeneous network service protocols/ports and said printer;
• (c) monitoring connection requests on non-ID ports;
• (d) providing an IDP print job request message when a connection request is received from a non-IDP port,
• (e) queuing IDP print job request messages resulting from said step (d) with IDP print job requests received from IDP ports;
• and
• (f) processing print jobs from both IDP and non-IDP ports in an order in which requests are received from said IDP and non-IDP ports.

A peripheral device for use in a computer network, comprising:

• a heterogeneous interface utilizing an application-layer imaging device protocol (IDP) to uniformly interface with a plurality of heterogeneous network service protocols/ports which are used in the network, wherein said heterogeneous network service protocols/ports include IDP ports and non-IDP ports;
• and
• an IDP emulator enabling communication, in accordance with the uniform interface protocol, between the peripheral device and components in the network which are coupled to said peripheral device via non-IDP ports,
• wherein said IDP emulator monitors connection requests on non-IDP ports, provides an IDP job request message when a connection request is received from a non-IDP port, and queues the resulting IDP job request message with IDP job requests received from IDP ports so that jobs from both IDP and non-IDP ports are processed in an order in which requests are received.