Print control method, a print server, a client and a recording medium in a network environment

• US 20020080391A1
• Filed: 04/10/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Kazuya, Sugiura, Takayuki, Nakanishi, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A print control method in a network environment is provided in which a computer of a LAN transmits print data to a printer of another LAN via the Internet. On the Internet, a terminal device transmits print data to a print server managing a printer so as to use the printer for printing. As a communication protocol between the terminal device and the print server, HTTP is used. In the terminal device, a header including information about the printer to be used is added to the print data, which are transmitted. In the print server, the print data are received, and the print data are transmitted to the printer in accordance with the header of the print data. In the printer, the print data are printed.

Claims

1. A print control method for transmitting print data from a client to a print server managing a printer so as to print by the printer in a network environment, the method comprising the steps of:

using HTTP as a communication protocol between the client and the print server;

in the client, adding a header including information about the printer to be used to the print data so as to transmit the print data;

in the print server, receiving the print data and transmitting the print data to the printer in accordance with the header of the print data; and

in the printer, printing the print data.

2. A print control method for printing by a printer managed by a print server in a network environment, the method comprising the steps of:

adding a header including information about the printer to be used to the print data;

in the print server, receiving the print data from a client requesting for print using HTTP as a communication protocol;

transmitting the print data to the printer in accordance with the header of the print data;

in the printer, printing the print data.

3. The print control method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting step includes the step of removing the header of the print data in the print server before transmitting the print data to the printer.

4. The print control method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of monitoring the state of the printer and generating a hypertext describing the state of the printer in the print server.

5. The print control method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of memorizing printer information such as an address, a type and a protocol of the printer for each printer and generating the hypertext describing the printer information in the print server.

6. The print control method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of memorizing the printer information in the printer and acquiring the printer information using SNMP as a communication protocol so as to monitor the state of the printer in the print server.

7. A print server for managing a printer in a network environment, comprising:

HTTP receiving means for receiving print data using HTTP as a communication protocol; and

print data transmitting means for transmitting the print data to a printer as an output target in accordance with a HTTP header of the print data.

8. The print server according to claim 7, further comprising printer monitoring means for monitoring the state of the printer, printer information managing means for managing printer information such as an address of the printer, a type of a device and the communication protocol, printer information memorizing means for memorizing the printer information for each printer, first hypertext generating means for generating a hypertext describing the state of the printer, second hypertext generating means for generating a hypertext describing the printer information, and the print data transmitting means removing the header of the print data before transmitting the print data to the printer.

9. A client comprising:

printer registering means for registering and managing printer information acquired from a print server managing a printer, the printer information including an address of the printer, a type of the printer and a communication protocol;

display means for displaying the printer information on a display screen;

selecting means for selecting the printer to be used from the printer registering means; and

HTTP transmitting means for adding a header including information about the address of the printer selected by the selecting means to print data and for transmitting the print data to the print server.

10. A recording medium that can be read by a computer having a WWW server function, the recording medium storing a program comprising the steps of using HTTP as a communication protocol so as to receive print data from a client and transmitting the print data to a printer designated by the client.

11. A print control system in a network environment, comprising;

a HTTP server for receiving data using HTTP as a communication protocol;

a print server for managing a printer, including

means for memorizing printer information such as an address, a type and a protocol of the printer for each printer,

means for generating a hypertext describing the printer information, and

means for transmitting the hypertext to a client; and

the HTTP server including

means for receiving print data from the client, the print data including a HTTP header designating a printer to be used in accordance with the printer information, and

means for transmitting the print data to a printer designated by the HTTP header.