Printing system having an interface section for independently informing an external unit of status information of a printing apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakashi Okazawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing apparatus of the present invention includes a controller section for generating a bit image on the basis of printing data, an engine section for forming a visible image on a recording medium on the basis of the bit image from the controller section, and an interface section for performing data communication with a host computer and controlling supply and cut-off of power to the controller section and the engine section on the basis of command data from the host computer.
Claims54
A printing system comprising:
- a printing apparatus comprising a controller section for generating a printing image based on printing data sent from a host unit through an interface section which performs data communication with the host unit, and an engine section for recording the printing image from said controller section on a predetermined recording medium;
- and
- a host computer capable of connecting a plurality of printing apparatuses and serving as said host unit for transmitting the printing data to one of said printing apparatuses,
- said interface section connected to said printing apparatus comprising:
- power supply control means for receiving power supply while a power supply switch of said printing apparatus is in an ON state, and controlling power supply to said controller section and said engine section on the basis of data received from said host unit;
- and
- output means for independently outputting status information regarding said printing apparatus to said host unit,
- said host computer comprising:
- reception means for receiving the status information of each of said printing apparatuses connected to said host computer;
- and
- output-destination control means for determining a printing apparatus, to which the printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said output-destination control means comprises:
- identifying means for identifying either a printing apparatus in a sleep state where power supply to said controller section and said engine section is stopped or a printing apparatus in a print-ready state where power is supplied to said controller section and said engine section;
- display control means for controlling displaying of the printing apparatuses which are identified as the print-ready state or the sleep state by said identifying means;
- selection means for selecting a printing apparatus from the displayed printing apparatuses displayed by said display control means as an output destination;
- and
- output means for outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus.
A printing apparatus, connected to a network, comprising:
- interface means for performing data communication with a host unit;
- memory means for storing status information regarding said printing apparatus;
- and
- control means for controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through said interface means and for writing the status information in said memory means,
- wherein said interface means, responding to a request from said host unit, informs the host unit of the status information stored in said memory means without intervention of said control means.
A printing apparatus, connected to a network, comprising:
- interface means for performing data communication with a host unit;
- control means for controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through said interface means;
- and
- memory means for storing status information regarding said printing apparatus,
- wherein said interface means informs the host unit of the status information stored in said memory means without a control operation of said control means to inform the host unit of the status information, and
- further comprising power supply means for always supplying power to said interface means while a power supply switch is in an ON state, and
- said interface means further comprising power supply control means for controlling power supplied from said power supply means to said control means, in accordance with the data received from the host unit,
- wherein said power supply control means stops power supply to said control means on the basis of a power consumption reduction signal from the host unit.
A printing apparatus, connected to a network, comprising:
- interface means for performing data communication with a host unit;
- control means for controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through said interface means;
- and
- memory means for storing status information regarding said printing apparatus,
- wherein said interface means informs the host unit of the status information stored in said memory means without a control operation of said control means to inform the host unit of the status information, and
- wherein, when the host unit recognizes a plurality of printing apparatuses having a same structure as said printing apparatus whose status information regarding the respective printing apparatus indicates a print-ready state, said host unit sends a command for setting one of the printing apparatuses in the sleep state to the respective interface means.
A printing system comprising:
- a printing apparatus comprising:
- interface means for performing data communication with a host unit;
- memory means for storing status information regarding said printing apparatus;
- control means for controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through said interface means, and for writing the status information in said memory means,
- a host computer for connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses including said printing apparatus, each of the plurality of printing apparatuses having a same structure as said printing apparatus, said host computer comprising:
- request means for sending a request to each of the plurality of printing apparatuses to send the respective status information to said host computer;
- reception means for receiving the status information of each of the plurality of printing apparatuses;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting the printing data to one of the plurality of printing apparatuses,
- wherein said interface means, responding to said request from said host computer, informs said host computer of the status information stored in said memory means without intervention of said control means.
A printing system comprising:
- a printing apparatus comprising:
- interface means for performing data communication with a host unit;
- control means for controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through said interface means;
- and
- memory means for storing status information regarding said printing apparatus, and
- a host computer capable of connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses including said printing apparatus, each of the plurality of printing apparatuses having a same structure as said printing apparatus, said host computer comprising:
- request means for requesting the respective status information from the plurality of printing apparatuses;
- reception means for receiving the status information of each of the plurality of printing apparatuses;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting the printing data to one of the plurality of printing apparatuses,
- wherein said interface means informs said host computer of the status information without a control operation of said control means for informing said host computer of the status information,
- wherein said interface means is a two-way communication interface;
- and
- a power supply control means of said interface means controls power supply to said control means in accordance with predetermined command data from said host computer.
An information processing apparatus which serves as a host unit for connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses, each including internal devices, that are set in a power consumption reduction mode upon being set in a predetermined status and output status information to said host unit, comprising:
- reception means for receiving the status information regarding each of the printing apparatuses via a network;
- and
- output-destination control means for determining one of the printing apparatuses, to which printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said output-destination control means comprises:
- identifying means for identifying each of the plurality of printing apparatuses as being either in a sleep state where power supply to the devices of the respective printing apparatus is reduced, or in a print-ready state where power is supplied to the devices of the respective printing apparatus;
- display control means for controlling a display so that printing apparatuses in the sleep state and printing apparatuses in the print-ready state are displayed in a distinct fashion from each other;
- selection means for selecting one of the plurality of printing apparatuses from the display as an output destination;
- and
- output means for outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus.
An information processing apparatus which serves as a host unit capable of connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses, each including internal devices, that are set in a power consumption reduction mode upon being set in a predetermined status and output status information to said host unit, comprising:
- reception means for receiving the status information regarding each of the printing apparatuses;
- and
- output-destination control means for determining one of the printing apparatuses, to which printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said output-destination control means comprises:
- identifying means for identifying each of the plurality of printing apparatuses as being either in a sleep state where power supply to the devices of the respective printing apparatus is reduced, or in a print-ready state where power is supplied to the devices of the respective printing apparatus;
- display control means for controlling a display indicating which of the printing apparatuses are in the sleep state and which are in the print-ready state;
- selection means for selecting one of the plurality of printing apparatuses from the display as an output destination;
- and
- output means for outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus,
- wherein each of the plurality of printing apparatuses comprises:
- an interface section for connecting the printing apparatus to said host unit;
- and
- a controller section for generating a printing image based on the printing data sent from said host unit through the interface section, and an engine section for recording the printing image from the controller section on a predetermined recording medium,
- said interface section comprising:
- power supply control means for receiving power supply while a power switch of the printing apparatus is in an ON state, and for controlling power supply to the controller section and the engine section on the basis of data received from said host unit;
- and
- output means for independently outputting the status information of the printing apparatus to said host unit.
An interface apparatus, which is included in a printing apparatus having a control means for controlling internal devices of the printing apparatus, and which is connected to a network, comprising:
- reception means for receiving data from a host unit via the network;
- determination means for determining whether or not the data received by said reception means is a request of status information regarding said printing apparatus;
- and
- informing means, in a case where said determination means determines that the received data is a status request, for informing status information written in a predetermined memory means by said control means, to the host unit without intervention of the control means for informing the host unit of the status information.
An interface apparatus, which is included in a printing apparatus having a control means for controlling internal devices of the printing apparatus, and which is connected to a network, comprising:
- reception means for receiving data from a host unit:
- determination means for determining whether or not predetermined data is received by said reception means;
- informing means for informing status information, regarding the printing apparatus and that is stored in a predetermined memory means, to the host unit without a control operation of the control means for informing the host unit of the status information;
- and
- controlling means for controlling power supply from a power supply to the control means and to an engine section of the printing apparatus, in accordance with the data received from the host unit.
A print control method for controlling an information processing apparatus which serves as a host unit for connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses, each including internal devices, that are set in a power consumption reduction mode upon being set in a predetermined status and output status information to the host unit, comprising the steps of:
- receiving the status information regarding each of the printing apparatuses via a network;
- and
- determining one of the printing apparatuses, to which printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:
- identifying each of the plurality of printing apparatuses as being either in a sleep state where power supply to the devices of the respective printing apparatus is reduced, or in a print-ready state where power is supplied to the devices of the respective printing apparatus;
- controlling a display so that printing apparatuses in the sleep state and printing apparatuses in the print-ready state are displayed in a distinct fashion from each other;
- selecting one of the plurality of printing apparatuses from the display as an output destination;
- and
- outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus.
A print control method for controlling an information processing apparatus which serves as a host unit capable of connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses, each including internal devices, that are set in a power consumption reduction mode upon being set in a predetermined status and output status information to the host unit, comprising the steps of:
- receiving the status information regarding each of the printing apparatuses;
- and
- determining one of the printing apparatuses, to which printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:
- identifying each of the plurality of printing apparatuses as being either in a sleep state where power supply to the devices of the respective printing apparatus is reduced, or in a print-ready state where power is supplied to the devices of the respective printing apparatus;
- controlling a display indicating which of the printing apparatuses are in the sleep state and which are in the print-ready state;
- selecting one of the plurality of printing apparatuses from the display as an output destination;
- and
- outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus, and
- further comprising the step of, when a plurality of printing apparatuses in the print-ready state are identified in said identifying step, sending a command setting one of the printing apparatuses in the sleep state.
A computer readable storage medium storing a printer control program for controlling an information processing apparatus which serves as a host unit for connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses, each including internal devices, that are set in a power consumption reduction mode upon being set in a predetermined status and output status information to the host unit, said program comprising the steps of:
- receiving the status information regarding each of the printing apparatuses via a network;
- and
- determining one of the printing apparatuses, to which printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:
- identifying each of the plurality of printing apparatuses as being either in a sleep state where power supply to the devices of the respective printing apparatus is reduced, or in a print-ready state where power is supplied to the devices of the respective printing apparatus;
- controlling a display so that printing apparatuses in the sleep state and printing apparatuses in the print-ready state are displayed in a distinct fashion from each other;
- selecting one of the plurality of printing apparatuses from the display as an output destination;
- and
- outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus.
A computer readable storage medium storing a printer control program for controlling an information processing apparatus which serves as a host unit capable of connecting to a plurality of printing apparatuses, each including internal devices, that are set in a power consumption reduction mode upon being set in a predetermined status and output status information to the host unit, said program comprising the steps of:
- receiving the status information regarding each of the printing apparatuses;
- and
- determining one of the printing apparatuses, to which printing data is to be output, on the basis of the received status information,
- wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:
- identifying each of the plurality of printing apparatuses as being either in a sleep state where power supply to the devices of the respective printing apparatus is reduced, or in a print-ready state where power is supplied to the devices of the respective printing apparatus;
- controlling a display indicating which of the printing apparatuses are in the sleep state and which are in the print-ready state;
- selecting one of the plurality of printing apparatuses from the display as an output destination;
- and
- outputting the printing data to the selected printing apparatus,
- wherein said program further comprises the step of, when a plurality of printing apparatuses in the print-ready state are identified in said identifying step, sending a command to the interface section for setting one of the printing apparatuses in the sleep state.
A print control method of controlling an interface section in a printing apparatus connected to a network via the interface section, the printing apparatus including a controlling section for generating a print image based on print date sent from a host unit via the network through the interface section, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing status information regarding the printing apparatus;
- and
- informing, in a case where it is determined that the received data is a status request, the host unit of the status information stored in said storing step without a control operation by the controlling section for informing the host unit of the status information.
A computer readable storage medium for storing a print control method of controlling an interface section in a printing apparatus connected to a network via the interface section, the printing apparatus including a controlling section for generating a print image based on print date sent from a host unit via the network through the interface section, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing status information regarding the printing apparatus;
- and
- informing, in a case where it is determined that the received data is a status request, the host unit of the status information stored in said storing step without a control operation by the controlling section for informing the host unit of the status information.
A control method of controlling a printing apparatus connected to a host unit via a network, comprising the steps of:
- receiving data from the host unit;
- determining whether or not predetermined data is received in said receiving step;
- controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through an interface means and writing the status information a memory means;
- and
- informing the host unit in response to a request from the host unit of status information regarding the printing apparatus, stored in a predetermined memory means, without intervention of a control means, that controls devices of the printing apparatus.
A computer readable storage medium for storing a control method of controlling a printing apparatus connected to a host unit via a network, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving data from the host unit;
- determining whether or not predetermined data is received in said receiving step;
- controlling said printing apparatus to generate a printing image based on printing data sent from the host unit through an interface means and writing the status information a memory means;
- and
- informing the host unit in response to a request from the host unit of status information regarding the printing apparatus, stored in a predetermined memory means, without intervention of a control means, that controls devices of the printing apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.