Communication terminal unit, method of controlling it and storage medium

• US 20010021954A1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamaji, Atsushi, Fukano, Kazuko, Takamizawa, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A communication terminal device autonomously activates a specific function predetermined by a host device even when the communication terminal device is off-line when the power turns on. The specific function is a function such as an offline response function or auto-status back (ASB) function for automatically reporting a status of the communication terminal device to the host device. A status monitoring command is provided. During normal operation, the host device sends this status monitoring command to the communication terminal device to store specific data in nonvolatile memory in the communication terminal device. When power turns on, the communication terminal device reads the content of this nonvolatile memory to automatically initialize the particular functions indicated by the stored content, such as an ASB or off-line response function.

Claims

1. A communication terminal device adapted to be connected to a host device comprising:

(a) an interface for data communication with said host device;

(b) a nonvolatile storage for storing and holding initialization settings data;

(c) an automatic reporting controller, that can be set to an active state for automatically sending status data of the communication terminal device to said host device through said interface when in an active state; and

(d) an initialization setting unit for reading said initialization settings data stored in said nonvolatile storage in response to the power to the communication terminal device being turned on, and for setting said automatic reporting controller to an active state based on said initialization settings data.

2. The communication terminal device of

claim 1

, wherein said automatic reporting controller sends said status data regularly to said host device.

3. The communication terminal device of

claim 1

, wherein said automatic reporting controller sends said status data automatically to said host device only when the communication terminal device power turns on.

4. The communication terminal device of

claim 1

, wherein said automatic reporting controller detects the change in said status data and sends said status data to said host device when there is a change in status.

5. The communication terminal device of

claim 1

, further comprising:

(e) a storage controller for storing a parameter value in said nonvolatile storage for setting said automatic reporting controller to either one of an active and inactive state in response to a predetermined command received from said host device.

6. The communication terminal device of

claim 5

, wherein said parameter value is said initialization settings data.

7. The communication terminal device of

claim 5

, wherein said status data is classified into a plurality of status types, and said storage controller stores a respective parameter value in said nonvolatile storage for each status type, said respective parameter value for each status type being specified by said predetermined command.

8. The communication terminal device of

claim 5

, wherein said storage controller prevents the storing sequence in said nonvolatile storage when said parameter value is identical to the content already stored in said nonvolatile storage.

9. The communication terminal device of

claim 1

, wherein the communication terminal device is a printer.

10. A control method for a communication terminal device adapted to be connected to a host device, said control method comprising:

(a) reading initialization settings data from a nonvolatile storage in response to the power to the communication terminal device being turned on;

(b) setting a particular process function to an active state based on said initialization settings data; and

(c) automatically sending status data of the communication terminal device to said host device when said particular process function is in an active state.

11. The control method of

claim 10

, further comprising:

(d) receiving a predetermined command sent from said host device;

(e) interpreting said predetermined command received from said host device; and

(f) storing a parameter value in said nonvolatile storage for setting said particular process to either one of an active and inactive state in response to said predetermined command.

12. The control method of

claim 11

, wherein said parameter value is said initialization settings data.

13. The control method of

claim 11

, wherein said status data is classified into a plurality of status types, and step (f) comprises storing a respective parameter value in said nonvolatile storage for each status type, said respective parameter value for each status type being specified by said predetermined command.

14. The control method of

claim 11

, wherein step (f) comprises detecting whether a parameter value already stored in said nonvolatile storage equals a corresponding parameter value that is to be saved, and saving the parameter value in said nonvolatile storage only when the values are not equal.

15. A recording medium readable by a machine and embodying a program of instructions executable by said machine for controlling a communication terminal device, said recording medium comprising:

(a) a program code for reading initialization settings data from a nonvolatile storage in response to the power to the communication terminal device being turned on;

(b) a program code for setting a particular process function to an active state based on said initialization settings data; and

(c) a program code for automatically sending status data of the communication terminal device to said host device when said particular process function is in an active state.

16. The medium of

claim 15

, further comprising:

(d) a program code for receiving a predetermined command sent from said host device;

(e) a program code for interpreting said predetermined command received from said host device; and

(f) a program code for storing a parameter value in said nonvolatile storage for setting said particular process to either one of an active and inactive state in response to said predetermined command.

17. The medium of

claim 16

, wherein said parameter value is said initialization settings data.

18. The medium of

claim 16

, wherein said status data is classified into a plurality of status types, and step (f) comprises storing a respective parameter value in said nonvolatile storage for each status type, said respective parameter value for each status type being specified by said predetermined command.

19. The medium of

claim 16

, wherein step (f) comprises detecting whether a parameter value already stored in said nonvolatile storage equals a corresponding parameter value that is to be saved, and saving the parameter value in said nonvolatile storage only when the values are not equal.

20. The medium of

claim 15

, wherein the recording medium comprises one of a Compact Disc, floppy disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, Digital Video Disc, magnetic tape, semiconductor memory, and memory devices.