Print system, printing method, and printer

A printer comprising:

• a communications interface which connects to one or more devices in a communicable manner;
• composite document means for receiving or producing composite document data;
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of resources contained in the composite document data, transfers a resource of at least one file format to a selected device provided in another device, requests the selected device to render the thus-transferred resource, and receives a rendering result from the device;
• an image composer for preparing a final print image from the result of such rendering;
• and
• a print engine for printing the print image.

A printer server comprising:

• a communications interface which connects in a communicable manner to another device including one or more printers;
• composite document means for receiving or generating composite document data;
• means for selecting from the device a printer which is to print the composite document data;
• and
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of a resource contained in the composite document data and transfers to the thus-selected printer a resource of a file format capable of being rendered by the selected printer, and which supplies to the selected printer a rendering result regarding a resource of a file format incapable of being rendered by the selected printer.

A print system comprising:

• a plurality of devices which are connected together in a communicable manner and which include one or more printers, wherein
• at least one of the printers included in the devices includes
• composite document means for receiving or producing composite document data;
• a plurality of renderers which correspond to a plurality of predetermined file formats, and which render, among resources included in the composite document data, resources whose file formats correspond to one another;
• an image composer for preparing a final print image by integration of a plurality of rendering results produced by the renderers;
• a print engine for printing the print image;
• a communications interface for connecting the printer to the plurality of devices in said communicable manner, wherein the composite document means is capable of receiving the decoded document data from any one of the devices by way of the communications interface;
• and
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of resources included in composite document data, wherein in a case where the composite document data include an incompatible file format which is not compatible with any of the renderers of the printer, the document analyzer transfers a resource of the incompatible file format to a device selected from the devices and requests the selected device to render the resource, and wherein upon receipt of a rendering result from the device, the document analyzer transfers the received rendering result to the image composer or the renderer of the printer.

A print system comprising:

• a plurality of devices which are connected together in a communicable manner and which include one or more printers, wherein
• at least one of the printers included in the devices includes
• composite document means for receiving or producing composite document data;
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of resources contained in the composite document data, transfers a resource of at least one file format to a selected device provided in another device, requests the selected device to render the thus-transferred resource, and receives a rendering result from the device;
• an image composer for preparing a final print image from the result of such rendering;
• and
• a print engine for printing the print image.

A print system comprising:

• a plurality of devices which are connected together in a communicable manner and which include one or more printers, wherein
• at least one of the printers included in-the devices includes
• composite document means for receiving or generating composite document data;
• means for selecting from the device a printer which is to print the composite document data;
• and
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of a resource contained in the composite document data and transfers to the thus-selected printer a resource of a file format capable of being rendered by the selected printer, and which supplies to the selected printer a rendering result regarding a resource of a file format incapable of being rendered by the selected printer.

A computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for causing a computer provided in a printer to operate as

• composite document means for receiving or generating composite document data;
• a plurality of renderers which correspond to a plurality of predetermined file formats, and which render, among resources included in the composite document data, resources whose file formats correspond to one another;
• and
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of resources included in composite document data, wherein in a case where the composite document data include an incompatible file format which is not compatible with any of the renderers of the printer, the document analyzer transfers a resource of the incompatible file format to a device connected to the printer via a communications interface and requests the device to render the resource, and wherein upon receipt of a rendering result from the device, the document analyzer transfers the received rendering result to an image composer or one of the renderers of the printer.

A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for operating a computer, which is provided in a printer and can communicate with one or more devices, as

• composite document means for receiving or generating composite document data;
• means for selecting from the device a printer which is to print the composite document data;
• and
• a document analyzer which identifies the file format of a resource contained in the composite document data and transfers to the thus-selected printer a resource of a file format capable of being rendered by the selected printer, and which supplies to the selected printer a rendering result regarding a resource of a file format incapable of being rendered by the selected printer.