US 8,751,697 B2 · Method of monitoring the status of a peripheral device, and a computer and network system

Abstract

A network system enables monitoring the status of peripheral devices from computers without concentrating a load on the network. A specific device driver that runs on a specific computer connected to the network has an initialization command transmission unit that sends a first initialization command to the specific printer when a process command is sent to a specific printer, and an operating status monitoring unit that, after initialization based on the first initialization command is completed, monitors the operating status of the specific printer until the printer power turns off. Because the specific computer does not initialize and does not monitor the operating status of the specific printer until the computer sends a process command, concentrating a load on the network is avoided when the network system starts up.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of monitoring the status of a peripheral device on a network having connected thereto at least one computer and one peripheral device, wherein a specific computer:

sends a first initialization command to initialize communication with a specific peripheral device when first sending a process command causing the specific peripheral device to perform an operation;
and
when the specific peripheral device is initialized based on the first initialization command, monitors the operating status indicating the operating state of the specific peripheral device until the power of the specific peripheral device turns off.

A computer on which operates a device driver that controls driving a peripheral device over a network to which at least one peripheral device and one computer are connected, the device driver comprising:

a decision unit that determines if a process command is the first process command sent to a specific peripheral device when a process command to perform an operation is sent to a specific peripheral device that is controlled by the device driver;
an initialization command transmission unit that sends a first initialization command to initialize communication between the device driver and the specific peripheral device when the process command is the first process command;
and
an operating status monitoring unit that, when initialization based on the first initialization command is completed, monitors the operating status indicating the operating state of the specific peripheral device until the power of the specific peripheral device turns off.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of monitoring the status of a peripheral device, and a computer and network system

Life of this patent

Method of monitoring the status of a peripheral device, and a computer and network system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17