Method and apparatus for format conversion of printing data

A control method of a printing control apparatus having first and second network interfaces, the first network interface connecting to a network and the second network interface directly connecting through a local area network to a network interface of an image forming apparatus that interprets printing data, the method comprising:

• a first receiving step of receiving at least one packet including the printing data to be printed, through the first network interface;
• a second receiving step of receiving at least one packet including request data for requesting information related to an image forming apparatus, through the first network interface from a transmission originator, a destination address of the received packet including the request data being an address of the printing control apparatus;
• a format conversion step of converting a format of the received printing data to a different format interpretable by the image forming apparatus;
• a first output step of outputting at least one packet including the printing data whose format has been converted, through the second network interface and the local area network;
• a first generation step of generating at least one packet including the request data that is included in the packet received in said second receiving step, wherein an address of the image forming apparatus is set, instead of the address of the printing control apparatus, as a destination address of the generated packet in said first generation step, the address of the image forming apparatus being different from the address of the printing control apparatus;
• a second output step of outputting the packet including the request data, generated in said first generation step through the second network interface and the local area network;
• a third receiving step of receiving at least one packet including the information related to the image forming apparatus that is a response by the image forming apparatus to the request data included in the packet output by the second output unit in said second output step, through the second network interface and the local area network, a destination address of the received packet including the information related to the image forming apparatus being an address of the printing control apparatus;
• a second generation step of generating at least one packet including the information related to the image forming apparatus, wherein an address of the transmission originator of the received packet including the request data is set, instead of the address of the printing control apparatus, as a destination address of the generated packet in said second generation step;
• and
• a third output step of outputting the packet generated in said second generation step through the first network interface.

A printing control apparatus having a first network interface and a second network interface, the first network interface connecting to a network and the second network interface directly connecting through a local area network to a network interface of an image forming apparatus that interprets printing data, the printing control apparatus comprising:

• a first receiving unit, arranged to receive each of at least one packet including the printing data to be printed and at least one packet including setting data for setting information related to the image forming apparatus, through the first network interface from a transmission originator, a destination address of the received packet including the setting data being an address of the printing control apparatus;
• a format conversion unit, arranged to convert a format of the printing data to a different format interpretable by the image forming apparatus;
• a first output unit, arranged to output at least one packet including the printing data whose format has been converted, through the second network interface and the local area network;
• a first generation unit, arranged to generate at least one packet including the setting data that is included in the packet received by said first receiving unit, wherein the first generation unit sets an address of the image forming apparatus instead of the address of the printing control apparatus as a destination address of the generated packet, the address of the image forming apparatus being different from the address of the printing control apparatus;
• a second output unit, arranged to output the packet including the request data, generated by said first generation unit through the second network interface and the local area network;
• a second receiving unit, arranged to receive at least one packet including response data that is a response by the image forming apparatus to the setting data included in the packet output by the second output unit, through the second network interface and the local area network, a destination address of the received packet including the response data being an address of the printing control apparatus;
• a second generation unit, arranged to generate at least one packet including the response data, wherein the second generation unit sets an address of the transmission originator of the received packet including the setting data instead of the address of the printing control apparatus as a destination address of the generated packet;
• and
• a third output unit, arranged to output the packet generated by said second generation unit through the first network interface.