Printer capable of network connection and method for controlling said printer

• US 20040174560A1
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshihiro Shima
• Original Assignee: Toshihiro Shima
• Inventors: Shima, Toshihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/801,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1508 Load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1291 Pool of printer devices: self-managing printing devices in a network, e.g. without a server

Abstract

This invention is composed as a printer which receives a print request from a computer, the print request including a request to a peripheral device to acquire print data, and sends the acquisition request to the peripheral device, and performs printing on the basis of the print data sent from the peripheral device in response to the acquisition request. Accordingly, the printer is capable of receiving the print data from the peripheral device instead of receiving the print data from the computer.

Claims

1. A printer connected to a network, comprising:

a memory for storing a program and/or data;

a processor for executing the program; and

a print engine for executing printing on a print record medium,

wherein according to the program, the processor;

receives from a computer a print request, including a request to a peripheral device to acquire print data;

sends the acquisition request to the peripheral; and

causes the print engine to print on the basis of the print data sent from the peripheral device in response to the acquisition request.

2. A printer according to claim 1, wherein according to the program and in response to a given transfer request sent from the computer, the processor sends page data, which composes a print acceptance screen for sending the print request, to the computer.

3. A printer according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the acquisition request includes a specified condition for the peripheral device to acquire the print data.

4. A printer connected to a network, comprising:

print request acceptance means of accepting a print request sent from a computer, the print request including a request to a peripheral device to acquire print data;

acquisition request means of sending the acquisition request to the peripheral device on the basis of the print request accepted by the print request acceptance means;

print data acceptance means of accepting the print data sent from the peripheral device in response to the acquisition request sent by the acquisition request means; and

print means of performing printing on the basis of the print data accepted by the print data acceptance means.

5. A printer according to claim 4, wherein the printer further comprises page data sending means of sending page data, which composes a print acceptance screen to send the print request, to the computer in response to a given transfer request sent from the computer.

6. A method for controlling a printer connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a print request from a computer, the print request including a request to a peripheral device to acquire print data;

sending the acquisition request to the peripheral device; and

printing on the basis of the print data sent from the peripheral device in response to the acquisition request.

7. A program product stored thereon for causing a control unit of a printer to perform given functions, the product comprising:

a print request acceptance function to accept a print request from a computer, the print request including a request to a peripheral device to acquire print data;

an acquisition request function to send the request to acquire the print data to the peripheral device on the basis of the print request accepted by the print request acceptance means;

a print data acceptance function to accept the print data sent from the peripheral device in response to the acquisition request sent by the acquisition request function; and

a print function to cause a print engine to perform printing on the basis of the print data accepted by the print data acceptance function.

8. A print system comprising a printer, a computer and a peripheral device,

wherein the printer receives a print request sent from the computer, the print request including a request to the peripheral device to acquire print data, and sends the acquisition request to the peripheral device,

wherein the peripheral device acquires the print data in response to the acquisition request and sends the acquired print data to the printer, and

wherein the printer performs printing on the basis of the print data sent from the peripheral data.

9. A printer connected to a network, comprising:

a memory for storing a program and/or data;

a processor for executing the program; and

a print engine for executing printing on a print record medium,

wherein according to the program, the processor;

sends page data, which composes a print acceptance screen for a computer to request the printing of print data, to the computer in response to a given transfer request from the computer;

receives the print data that a peripheral device acquires and sends in response to a print request as the computer sends the print request to the peripheral device, the print request including a request to acquire the print data on the basis of the print acceptance screen; and

causes the print engine to print on the basis of the received print data.

10. A print system comprising a printer, a computer and a peripheral device,

wherein in response to a given transfer request from the computer, the printer sends page data to the computer, the page data composing a print acceptance screen for the computer to request the printing of print data,

wherein the computer displays the print acceptance screen on the basis of the page data sent from the printer, and sends a print request, including a request to acquire the print data, to the peripheral device on the basis of given information inputted to the displayed print acceptance screen,

wherein the peripheral device acquires the print data in response to the acquisition request included in the print request and sends the acquired print data to the printer indicated in the print request, and

wherein the printer performs printing on the basis of the print data sent from the peripheral data.

11. A printing method,

wherein a computer displays a print acceptance screen on the basis of page data sent from a given node,

the print acceptance screen comprising:

a first area for a user to specify a peripheral device to acquire print data;

a second area for a user to specify a given condition when the peripheral device acquires the print data; and

a third area for a user to specify a printer made to print on the basis of the print data, and

wherein the computer acquires the print data from the peripheral device specified in the first area in accordance with the given condition specified in the second area and sends an acquisition/print request for printing to the printer specified in the third area.

12. A printing method,

wherein a computer displays a print acceptance screen on the basis of page data sent from a given node,

the print acceptance screen comprising:

a first area for a user to specify a peripheral device to acquire print data;

a second area for a user to specify a given condition when the peripheral device acquires the print data; and

a third area for a user to specify a printer made to print on the basis of the print data, and

wherein the computer sends an acquisition/print request to the peripheral device specified in the first area to cause the peripheral device to acquire the print data in accordance with the given condition specified in the second area and to send the acquired print data to the printer specified in the third area, thereby causing the printer to print.