Information processing apparatus, system and method

An information processing method, for use with an information processing apparatus which connects to a printer and to a plurality of client computers, each of the plurality of client computers having a printer driver and a personal database, the apparatus having a server database which is shared by the plurality of client computers, the method comprising:

• a storing step configured to store a first plurality of print profiles which are common for the plurality of client computers in the server database, and to cause the plurality of client computers to respectively store a second plurality of print profiles specific to respective client computers in the personal databases of the respective client computers, wherein each of the print profiles of the first and second plurality of print profiles includes a plurality of printer driver parameters of the printer driver for defining print settings of the printer;
• a designating step configured to designate the printer;
• a setting step configured to set a mode for displaying a print profile on a graphical user interface, the mode including a first mode and a second mode;
• a profile selecting step configured to:
• (i) select a print profile of the printer driver of the designated printer from the first plurality of print profiles stored in the server database when the setting step sets the first mode, and (ii) select a print profile of the printer driver of the designated printer from the first plurality of print profiles and the second plurality of print profiles stored in each of the server database and the personal database when the setting step sets the second mode;
• and
• a displaying step configured to control the client computer to display the print profile selected by the profile selecting step on the graphical user interface depending on the mode set in said setting step,
• wherein, when the setting step sets the first mode, the graphical user interface does not accept a user instruction for editing or adding a printer driver parameter of the printer driver so as to limit a user's setting parameters within the print profile selected by the profile selecting step, and
• when the setting step sets the second mode, the graphical user interface accepts a user instruction for editing and/or adding a printer driver parameter of the printer driver.

A storage medium storing a computer executable program product which connects to a printer and to a plurality of client computers, each of the plurality of client computers having a printer driver and a personal database, the apparatus having a server database which is shared by the plurality of client computers, the program product comprising:

• a storing step configured to store a first plurality of print profiles which are common for the plurality of client computers in the server database, and to cause the plurality of client computers to respectively store a second plurality of print profiles specific to respective client computers in the personal databases of the respective client computers, wherein each of the print profiles of the first and second plurality of print profiles includes a plurality of printer driver parameters of the printer driver for defining print settings of the printer;
• a designating step configured to designate the printer;
• a setting step configured to set a mode for displaying a print profile on a graphical user interface, the mode including a first mode and a second mode;
• a profile selecting step configured to:
• (i) select a print profile of the printer driver of the designated printer from the first plurality of print profiles stored in the server database when the setting step sets the first mode, and (ii) select a print profile of the printer driver of the designated printer from the first plurality of print profiles and the second plurality of print profiles stored in each of the server database and the personal database when the setting step sets the second mode;
• and
• a displaying step configured to control the client computer to display the print profile selected by the profile selecting step on the graphical user interface depending on the mode set in said setting step,
• wherein, when the setting step sets the first mode, the graphical user interface does not accept a user instruction for editing or adding a printer driver parameter of the printer driver so as to limit a user's setting parameters within the print profile selected by the profile selecting step, and
• when the setting step sets the second mode, the graphical user interface accepts a user instruction for editing and/or adding a printer driver parameter of the printer driver.