Printing system and method

• US 20030053118A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Koichi, Muramoto, Michiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/124 Parallel printing or parallel ripping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

When a client device 12 issues a print request, a processing procedure generator 14 outputs processing procedure data indicating a procedure of processing to a device having means for acquiring print data. The device having the means for acquiring the print data acquires the print data indicated by the processing procedure data, and sends the print data along with the processing procedure data to a processor 22-1. The processor 22-1 performs N-up etc. indicated by a command of the processing procedure data with respect to the print data body and further, a processor 22-2 performs format conversion etc. with respect to the print data body, and performs sending to a printer 26. The printer 26 prints the processed print data

Claims

1. A printing system comprising:

a processing procedure generator;

at least one processor;

a printer; and

a data server device storing the print data,

wherein the processing procedure generator, the at least one processor, the printer, and the data server device are connected to each other through a network;

wherein the processing procedure generator has;

a processing procedure generation section for generating processing procedure data indicating a procedure for processing print data to be printed by the at least one processor; and

a processing procedure sending section for sending the generated processing procedure data to the data server device;

wherein the data server device has;

a processing procedure receiving section for receiving the processing procedure data;

a print data acquisition section for acquiring the print data; and

a processing sending section for sending the processing procedure data and the print data to the processor which first performs processing with respect to the print data;

wherein each of the at least one processors has;

a first receiving section for receiving the sent processing procedure data and the print data;

a processing section for performing a predetermined processing with respect to the received print data; and

a first sending section for sending the processed print data and the received processing procedure data to one of the processor which next performs processing and the printer in accordance with the processing procedure data; and

wherein the printer receives and prints the processed print data.

2. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising a client device for requesting the processing procedure generator to process and print the print data,

wherein the processing procedure generator further has

a first database section for recording processing performed by combining the printer and the at least one processor and processing performed by each of the at least one processor;

and

a request receiving section for receiving a request of the processing and printing; and

wherein the processing procedure generation section retrieves the first database section based on the received request to generate the processing procedure data indicating the processing procedure for processing the print data.

3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing procedure generation data comprises:

device data specifying at least one of the at least one processor and the printer; and

processing data specifying processing with respect to the print data performed by the specified at least one of the at least one processor and the printer;

and the specified processor performs the processing specified by the processing data with respect to the received print data and sends the processed print data and the processing procedure data to one of the processor which next performs processing and the printer and is specified by the device data.

4. The printing system according to claim 3, wherein the specified processor adds to the processing procedure data completion data indicating that processing with respect to the print data by the specified processor is completed.

5. The printing system according to claim 1,

wherein the processing procedure generation section of the processing procedure generator adds to the processing procedure data name data indicating a name of the print data to be processed and printed to generate the processing procedure data;

and

wherein the print data acquisition section of the deta server device acquires the print data indicated by the name data added to the received processing procedure data;

wherein the data server device further has a second database section for storing at least one print data associated with the name data indicating the name of the print data and sends the print data indicated by the name data added to the processing procedure data to the print data acquisition section.

9. The print system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of a data server device and a processing procedure device notifies at least one of a processing procedure generator and the client of occurrence of an error when the error occurs in its own processing.

10. The print system according to claim 9,

wherein when an error is notified from one of a data server device and a processing procedure device, the processing procedure generation section generates another processing procedure data and sends to a device first described in the another processing procedure data.

6. A printing system comprising:

a processing procedure generator;

at least one processor;

a printer; and

a data server device storing the print data,

wherein the processing procedure generator, the at least one processor, the printer, and the data server device are connected to each other through a network;

wherein the processing procedure generator generates processing procedure data indicating a procedure for processing print data to be printed by the at least one processor, acquires the print data from the data server device according to a name of the print data and sends the processing procedure data and the print data to the processor which first performs processing with respect to the print data;

wherein each of the at least one processors receives processing procedure data and the print data, performs the processing according to the received processing procedure with respect to the received print data, and sends the processed print data and the received processing procedure data to one of the processor which next performs processing and the printer in accordance with the processing procedure data; and

wherein the printer receives and prints the processed print data.

7. A printing system comprising:

a processing procedure generator;

at least one processor;

a printer; and

a data server device storing the print data,

wherein the processing procedure generator, the at least one processor, the printer, and the data server device are connected to each other through a network;

wherein the processing procedure generator generates processing procedure data indicating a procedure for processing print data to be printed by the at least one processor, and sends the processing procedure data with a name of the print data to the processor which first performs processing with respect to the print data;

wherein each of the at least one processors receives processing procedure data and the name of the print data, acquires the print data from the data server device according to the received name of the print data, performs a predetermined processing with respect to the received print data, and sends the processed print data and the received processing procedure data to one of the processor which next performs processing and the printer in accordance with the processing procedure data; and

wherein the printer receives and prints the processed print data.

8. A processing procedure generator connected to a network, comprising:

a processing procedure generation section for generating processing procedure data indicating a procedure for processing print data to be printed by at least one of external devices connected to the network according to a request of processing and printing of print data from a client; and

a processing procedure sending section for sending the generated processing procedure data to a device first described in the processing procedure data.

11. The processing procedure generator according to claim 8, further comprising a first database section for recording processing performed by combining the external devices and processing performed by each of the external devices,

wherein when the processing procedure generation section receives a request of processing and printing of print data, the processing procedure generation section retrieves the first database section based on the received request to generate the processing procedure data indicating the processing procedure for processing the print data.

12. A printing method comprising the steps of:

generating processing procedure data indicating a procedure for processing print data to be printed by at least one of devices;

sending the generated processing procedure data to a device first described in the processing procedure data;

receiving the sent processing procedure data and the print data by at least one of the devices;

performing a processing according to the processing procedure data with respect to the received print data;

sending the processed print data and the received processing procedure data to one of the device which next performs processing and a printer according to the processing procedure data; and

receiving and printing the processed print data by the printer.

13. The printing method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

storing process performed by combining the devices and process performed by each of the devices and the printer;

receiving the request for printing and processing the print data, and

retrieving the process performed by combining the devices and the process performed by each of the devices and the printer based on the received request.

14. The printing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the step of generating the processing procedure data and the print data, data device data specifying the devices and the printer and processing data specifying process with respect to the print data are added to the processing procedure;

and

wherein in the step of sending the processed print data and the received the processing procedure data, the processed print data and the received the processing procedure data are sent to one of the device which next performs processing and is specified by the device data and a printer.

15. The printing method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of adding to the processing procedure data completion data indicating that processing with respect to the print data by device is completed.

16. The printing method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

adding to the processing procedure data name data indicating name of the print data to be printed;

recording at least one print data associated with the name data indicating the at least one print data;

retrieving the at least one recorded print data and the name data indicating the at least one recorded print data; and

acquiring the print data indicated by the name data added to the processing procedure data.

17. A processing procedure generation method comprising the steps of:

generating processing procedure data indicating procedure of process by at least one device with respect to print data to be printed; and

sending the generated processing procedure data to a device which first processes with respect to the print data.

18. The processing procedure generation method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

storing process performed by combining devices and process performed by each of the devices;

receiving a request of processing and printing of the print data; and

retrieving the process performed by combining the devices and the process performed by each of the devices based on the received request.

19. A program for making a computer perform the steps of:

generating processing procedure data indicating a procedure for processing print data toe be printed by at least one of devices;

sending the generated processing procedure data to a device first described in the processing procedure data;

receiving the sent processing procedure data and the print data by at least one of the devices;

performing a predetermined processing with respect to the received print data;

sending the processed print data and the received processing procedure data to one of the device which next performs processing and a printer according to the processing procedure data; and

receiving and printing the processed print data by the printer.

20. A program for making a computer perform the steps of:

generating processing procedure data indicating procedure of process by at least one device with respect to print data to be printed; and

sending the generated processing procedure data to a device which first processes with respect to the print data.