Printing system and data processing method thereof

• US 20010006585A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 07/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Horigane, Ryuichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,394,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0014 Transforming the printer input data into internal codes

Abstract

A printing system for printing application data instructed to be printed from an application at a printer, which comprises first intermediate data preparation means for preparing first intermediate data from the application data, second intermediate data preparation means for preparing second intermediate data having the same data format as the first intermediate data from the first intermediate data, and print data preparation means for preparing print data that can be processed at the printer from the second intermediate data.

Claims

1. A printing system for printing application data instructed to be printed from an application at a printer, the printing system comprising:

first intermediate data preparation means for preparing first intermediate data from the application data;

second intermediate data preparation means for preparing second intermediate data having the same data format as the first intermediate data from the first intermediate data; and

print data preparation means for preparing print data that can be processed at the printer from the second intermediate data.

2. The printing system as set forth in

claim 1

wherein the second intermediate data preparation means includes data merge means for merging a machine-readable code into the first intermediate data, thereby preparing the second intermediate data.

3. The printing system as set forth in

claim 2

wherein the machine-readable code is at least any one of identification information, print date information, number-of-page information, source host device information, and information of operation system name in which the application data is prepared.

4. The printing system as set forth in

claim 1

wherein the second intermediate data preparation means includes data conversion means for converting the first intermediate data into data corresponding to print control information specified accompanying the print instruction, thereby preparing the second intermediate data.

5. The printing system as set forth in

claim 4

wherein the print control information is any one of control information pieces specifying N-up print, scaled-up print, and scaled-down print for the application data.

6. The printing system as set forth in

claim 1

further comprising:

operation instruction means for specifying non-print processing operation other than print processing for the application data; and

non-print processing control means for executing the non-print processing operation instructed by the operation instruction means while print data preparation processing is performed by the print data preparation means.

7. The printing system as set forth in

claim 6

wherein the non-print processing operation is at least any one of processing operation of registering the second intermediate data in a server, processing operation of transmitting the second intermediate data by mail, and processing operation of transmitting the second intermediate data with a facsimile machine.

8. A data processing method of a printing system for printing application data instructed to be printed from an application at a printer, the data processing method comprising the steps of:

preparing first intermediate data from the application data;

preparing second intermediate data having the same data format as the first intermediate data from the first intermediate data; and

preparing print data that can be processed at the printer from the second intermediate data.

9. The data processing method as set forth in

claim 8

wherein machine-readable code is merged into the first intermediate data, thereby preparing the second intermediate data.

10. The data processing method as set forth in

claim 9

wherein the machine-readable code is at least any one of identification information, print date information, number-of-page information, source host device information, and information of operation system name in which the application data is prepared.

11. The data processing method as set forth in

claim 8

wherein the first intermediate data is converted into data corresponding to print control information specified accompanying the print instruction, thereby preparing the second intermediate data.

12. The data processing method as set forth in

claim 11

wherein the print control information is any one of control information pieces specifying N-up print, scaled-up print, and scaled-down print for the application data.

13. The data processing method as set forth in

claim 8

further comprising the steps of:

specifying selectively non-print processing operation other than print processing for the application data; and

executing the instructed non-print processing operation while performing print data preparation processing.

14. The data processing method as set forth in

claim 13

wherein the non-print processing operation is at least any one of processing operation of registering the second intermediate data in a server, processing operation of transmitting the second intermediate data by mail, and processing operation of transmitting the second intermediate data with a facsimile machine.