Back to results
US 6,288,789 B1Granted
Printing apparatus and printing method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakuto Harada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing apparatus receives print data described by a printer language from a host computer and prints an image of characters and figures on the basis of the print data. The printing apparatus includes a bit map image developing circuit for receiving print data from the host computer through a bidirectional interface and developing the print data into a bit map image, a bit map image transmitter for transmitting the bit map image of one page developed by the bit map image developing circuit to the host computer through the bidirectional interface, an input unit for inputting instruction information to instruct a printing process from the host computer through the bidirectional interface, and a print controller for printing the bit map image on the basis of the instruction information received through the input unit.
Claims41
A printing apparatus comprising:
- conversion means for receiving print data from an information processing apparatus through a bidirectional interface and for converting the received print data part by part into a bit map image, each part being less than one page;
- memory means for storing the bit map image converted by said conversion means;
- transmission means for transmitting one page of image based on the bit map image converted part by part by said conversion means to the information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface so as to allow an operator of the information processing apparatus to determine whether the bit map image stored in said memory means is to be printed;
- and
- print control means for controlling the printing or cancelling of the bit map image stored in said memory means in response to reception of instruction information provided by the information processing apparatus based on the one page of image transmitted by said transmission means to the information processing apparatus.
2 more elements
A printing method comprising the steps of:
- receiving print data from an information processing apparatus through a bidirectional interface and converting the received print data part by part into a bit map image, each part being less than one page;
- storing the converted bit map image;
- transmitting one page of image based on the part by part converted bit map image to the information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface so as to allow an operator of the information processing apparatus to determine whether the bit map image stored in said storing step is to be printed;
- and
- controlling the printing or cancelling of the stored bit map image in response to reception of instruction information provided by the information processing apparatus based on the one page of image transmitted to the information processing apparatus in said transmitting step.
2 more elements
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a converter for converting part by part print data received from an information processing apparatus through a bidirectional interface into a bit map image, each part being less than one page;
- a memory for storing the bit map image converted by said converter;
- a transmitter for transmitting one page of image based on the bit map image converted part by part by said converter to the information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface so as to allow an operator of the information processing apparatus to determine whether the bit map image stored in said memory is to be printed;
- a controller for controlling the printing or cancelling of the bit map image stored in said memory in response to reception of instruction information provided by the information processing apparatus based on the one page of image transmitted by said transmitter to the information processing apparatus.
1 more element
A storage medium used in a printing apparatus, said storage medium comprising storage means for storing a program comprising processes for:
- converting part by part print data received from an information processing apparatus through a bidirectional interface into a bit map image, each part being less than one page;
- storing the converted bit map image;
- transmitting one page of image based on the part by part converted bit map image to the information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface so as to allow an operator of the information processing apparatus to determine whether the bit map image stored in said storing process is to be output;
- and
- controlling the outputting or cancelling of the stored bit map image to a printer engine in response to reception of instruction information provided by the information processing apparatus based on the one page of image transmitted to the information processing apparatus in said transmitting process.
2 more elements
An information processing apparatus comprising:
- transmission means for transmitting print data to a printer through a bidirectional interface;
- display control means for receiving from the printer one page of image generated based on bit image data converted part by part by the printer from the print data transmitted by said transmission means, each part being less than one page, and for controlling display means to display the received image;
- instruction input means for inputting, after display of the received image by the display means, print instruction information to cause the printer to execute a printing process of the transmitted print data;
- and
- instruction output means for outputting an instruction to the printer through the bidirectional interface to execute the printing process in response to said instruction input means inputting the print instruction information.
2 more elements
A printing system comprising:
- an information processing apparatus comprising:
- i) first transmission means for transmitting print data to a printing apparatus through a bidirectional interface;
- ii) display control means for receiving from the printing apparatus one page of image generated based on bit image data converted part by part by the printing apparatus from the print data transmitted by said first transmission means, each part being less than one page, and for controlling a display means to display the received image;
- and
- iii) instruction means for giving an instruction to the printing apparatus through the bidirectional interface to execute a printing operation in response to input of print instruction information;
- and
- the printing apparatus comprising:
- i) conversion means for receiving the print data transmitted by said first transmission means through the bidirectional interface and for converting the received print data part by part into the bit image data, each part being less than one page;
- ii) memory means for storing the bit image data converted by said conversion means;
- iii) second transmission means for transmitting one page of image based on the bit image data converted part by part by said conversion means to said information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface;
- and
- iv) print control means for controlling a printing means to execute the printing operation in response to said instruction means giving the instruction after transmission of the one page of image by said second transmission means.
9 more elements
An information processing method, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting print data to a printer through a bidirectional interface;
- receiving from the printer one page of image generated based on bit image data converted part by part by the printer from the print data transmitted in said transmitting step, each part being less than one page, and controlling a display to display the received image;
- inputting, after display of the received image in said receiving step, print instruction information to cause the printer to execute a printing process of the transmitted print data;
- and
- outputting an instruction to the printer through the bidirectional interface to execute the printing process in response to said step of inputting the print instruction information.
2 more elements
A printing method, comprising the steps of:
- processing information in an information processing apparatus, including the steps of:
- i) transmitting print data to a printing apparatus through a bidirectional interface;
- ii) receiving from the printing apparatus one page of image generated based on bit image data converted part by part by the printing apparatus from the print data transmitted in said print data transmitting step, each part being less than one page;
- iii) controlling a display to display an image received in said receiving step;
- and
- iv) instructing the printing apparatus through the bidirectional interface to execute a printing operation in response to an input of print instruction information;
- and
- printing information with the printing apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- i) receiving the print data transmitted in said print data transmitting step through the bidirectional interface;
- ii) converting, part by part, the print data received in said receiving the print data step into the bit image data, each part being less than one page;
- iii) storing the bit image data converted in said converting step;
- iv) transmitting one page of image based on the bit image data converted part by part in said converting step to the information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface;
- and
- v) controlling the printing apparatus to execute the printing operation in response to the instruction given in said instructing step, after transmission of the one page of image in said image transmitting step.
11 more elements
A computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the program code means controlling the steps of:
- transmitting print data to a printer through a bidirectional interface;
- receiving from the printer one page of image generated based on bit image data converted part by part by the printer from the print data transmitted in said transmitting step, each part being less than one page, and controlling a display to display the received image;
- inputting, after display of the received image in said receiving step, print instruction information to cause the printer to execute a printing process of the transmitted print data;
- and
- outputting an instruction to the printer through the bidirectional interface to execute the printing process in response to said step of inputting the print instruction information.
2 more elements
A computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the program code means controlling the steps of:
- processing information in an information processing apparatus, including the steps of:
- i) transmitting print data to a printing apparatus through a bidirectional interface;
- ii) receiving from the printing apparatus one page of image generated based on bit image data converted part by part by the printing apparatus from the print data transmitted in said print data transmitting step, each part being less than one page;
- iii) controlling a display to display an image received in said receiving step;
- and
- iv) instructing the printing apparatus through the bidirectional interface to execute a printing operation in response to an input of print instruction information;
- and
- printing information with the printing apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- i) receiving the print data transmitted in said print data transmitting step through the bidirectional interface;
- ii) converting, part by part, the print data received in said receiving the print data step into the bit image data, each part being less than one page;
- iii) storing the bit image data converted in said converting step;
- iv) transmitting one page of image based on the bit image data converted part by part in said converting step to the information processing apparatus through the bidirectional interface;
- and
- v) controlling the printing apparatus to execute the printing operation in response to the instruction given in said instructing step, after transmission of the one page of image in said image transmitting step.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.