US 6,611,350 B1 · System for controlling printer and method of controlling printer

Abstract

A printer control system that is provided with a print server capable of acquiring the state information of the printer controlled by the various sorts of protocol and a method of controlling the printer system are disclosed. The server is constructed with system control section, LAN/WAN communication control section, request processing section, printer information storing section, protocol processing section, and printer state acquiring section. The respective sections are connected to each other through the system bus. The state acquiring request is received by the LAN/WAN communication control section, and the communication control section notifies the printer state acquiring section, of the received request. The printer information storing section stores the access protocol to the printer in the printer information table. The protocol processing section performs the communication and the analysis of the respective protocols. The printer state acquiring section retrieves the protocol information stored in the printer information table. The state of the printer can be acquired by using the stored protocol.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A system for controlling a printer comprising:

a plurality of personal computers connected to a network;
a plurality of printers connected to the network, each of the plurality of printers utilizing a respective protocol to communicate, in part, with the personal computers;
and
a server connected to the network, wherein the server includes:
(1) a communication control section configured to receive a printer state acquisition requirement message from each of the personal computers;
(2) a protocol processing section configured to receive protocol information in response to the printer state acquisition requirement message, the protocol information including a respective protocol that is utilized by each of the plurality of printers;
(3) a protocol analyzing section configured to analyze respective protocols received by the protocol processing section;
and
(4) a printer state acquiring section configured to acquire state information of the printers selectively utilizing the respective protocols, wherein the state information is sent to the respective personal computers.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for controlling printer and method of controlling printer

Life of this patent

System for controlling printer and method of controlling printer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30