Printer with optional device control
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorToshio Sakurai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer receives image information from a host computer and performs printing based on the image information. When an optional unit is newly attached to the printer, the printer changes the device ID which is selected from an ID ROM in accordance with the optional unit. Then output from an interface circuit is changed so that the host computer detects the change of the output from the interface circuit. The host computer makes a device-ID request to the printer to obtain the device ID corresponding to the optional device. Then the host computer determines whether or not a printer driver which is currently operative corresponds to the printer with the newly-attached optional device.
Claims22
A printer configured to receive print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information and comprising:
- detecting means for detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- selecting means for selecting, in accordance with a detection result of said detecting means, first identification information related to the printer or second identification information representing data related to said optional device;
- and
- identification information output means for transferring, the identification information as selected by said selecting means to said information processing apparatus in response to a received request from the information processing apparatus,
- wherein said detecting means is configured to repeat detection as to whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer at predetermined intervals after power on,
- wherein said selecting means selects the first identification information related to the printer if said detecting means does not detect the optional device or selects the second identification information representing data related to said optional device if said detecting means detected the optional device, and
- wherein the identification information selected by said selecting means and transferred to said information processing apparatus is used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
A method of controlling a printer including receiving print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information and comprising the steps of:
- detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- selecting, in accordance with a detection result in said detecting step, first identification information related to the printer or second identification information representing data related to said optional device;
- and
- transferring, the identification information as selected in said selecting step to said information processing apparatus in response to a received request from the information processing apparatus,
- wherein said detecting step is repeated at predetermined intervals after power on,
- wherein said selection step comprises selecting first identification information related to the printer if the optional device is not detected or selecting second identification information representing data related to said optional device if the optional device is detected, and
- wherein the identification information selected in said selection step and transferred to said information processing apparatus being used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
A printer configured to receive print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information and comprising:
- detecting means for detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- selecting means for selecting, in accordance with a detection result of said detecting means, first identification information related to the printer or second identification information representing data related to said optional device;
- and
- identification information output means for transferring the identification information as selected by said selecting means to said information processing apparatus in response to a received request from the information processing apparatus,
- wherein said detecting means is configured to repeat detection as to whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer at predetermined intervals after power on,
- wherein said selecting means selects first identification information related to the printer if said detecting means does not detect the optional device or selects second identification information representing data related to said optional device if said detecting means detected the optional device,
- wherein said selecting means further controls a selecting operation of the identification information in response to an input to operate said printer, and
- wherein the identification information selected by said selecting means and transferred to said information processing apparatus is used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
A method of controlling a printer including receiving print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information and comprising the steps of:
- detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- selecting, in accordance with a detection result in said detecting step, first identification information related to the printer or second identification information representing data related to said optional device;
- and
- transferring the identification information as selected in said selecting step to said information processing apparatus in response to a received request from the information processing apparatus,
- wherein said detecting step is repeated at predetermined intervals after power on,
- wherein said selection step comprises selecting first identification information related to the printer if the optional device is not detected or selecting second identification information representing data related to said optional device if the optional device is detected or in response to operator input via a control panel,
- wherein further said selection step comprises controlling a selecting operation of the identification information in response to an input to operate said printer, and
- wherein the identification information selected in said selection step and transferred to said information processing apparatus is used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
A printer adapted to receive print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information, said printer comprising:
- detecting means for detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- selecting means for selecting, in accordance with a detection result of said detecting means, first identification information corresponding to the printer or second identification information representing data corresponding to said optional device wherein said first identification information and said second identification information include model information;
- and
- identification information output means for transferring the identification information as selected by said selecting means to said information processing apparatus,
- wherein said selecting means selects the first identification information corresponding to the printer if said detecting means does not detect the optional device, or selects the second identification information representing data corresponding to said optional device if said detecting means detects the optional device, and
- wherein the identification information selected by said selecting means and transferred to said information processing apparatus is used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
A control method for a printer adapted to receive print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information, said method comprising:
- a detecting step for detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- a selecting step for selecting, in accordance with a detection result in said detecting step, first identification information corresponding to the printer or second identification information representing data corresponding to originated from said optional device wherein said first identification information and said second identification information include model information;
- and
- an identification information output step for transferring the identification information as selected in said selecting step to said information processing apparatus,
- wherein, in said selecting step, the first identification information corresponding to the printer is selected if the optional device is not detected in said detecting step, and the second identification information representing data corresponding to said optional device is selected if the optional device is detected, and
- wherein the identification information selected in said selecting step and transferred to said information processing apparatus is used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a computer to execute a control method for a printer adapted to receive print information from an information processing apparatus connected to said printer via an interface and to perform print processing based on the print information, said method comprising:
- a detecting step for detecting whether or not an optional device is attached to said printer;
- a selecting step for selecting, in accordance with a detection result in said detecting step, first identification information corresponding to the printer or second identification information representing data corresponding to said optional device wherein said first identification information and said second identification information include model information;
- and
- an identification information output step for transferring the identification information as selected in said selecting step to said information processing apparatus,
- wherein, in said selecting step, the first identification information corresponding to the printer is selected if the optional device is not detected in said detecting step, and the second identification information representing data corresponding to said optional device is selected if the optional device is detected, and
- wherein the identification information selected in said selecting step and transferred to said information processing apparatus is used by the information processing apparatus to select a device driver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.