Printing system, information processing apparatus, installation method, and program for implementing the method

• US 20050044200A1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aritomi, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A printing system which allow an administrator to change the settings of client apparatuses concerning the apparatus configuration of a printer, on his/her own initiative. Apparatus configuration information on the printer is acquired from the printer by a server apparatus via the network. The acquired apparatus configuration information on the printer is coupled to driver data, and the driver data having the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto is installed in the client apparatuses in response to an installation instruction from a user without waiting for an installation request to be received from any of the client apparatuses via the network.

Claims

1. A printing system comprising a server apparatus, at least one client apparatus, at least one printer available to said client apparatus, and a network interconnecting said server apparatus, said client apparatus, and said printer,

wherein said server apparatus comprises:

a storage device that stores at least one driver program corresponding to said printer;

an acquisition device that acquires apparatus configuration information on said printer from said printer via said network;

a management device that manages the acquired apparatus configuration information on said printer such that the driver program corresponding to said printer can be read out;

a coupling device that couples the driver program corresponding to said printer to the apparatus configuration information on said printer when the driver program is read out; and

an installation processing device that is responsive to an installation instruction from a user, for controlling a process for installing the driver program together with the apparatus configuration information on said printer coupled thereto, in said client apparatus without waiting for an installation request to be received from the client apparatus via the network.

2. An information processing apparatus connected, via a network, to at least one client apparatus and at least one printer available to the client apparatus, the information processing apparatus cooperating with the client apparatus and the printer to construct a printing system on the network, comprising:

a storage device that stores at least one driver program corresponding to the printer;

an acquisition device that acquires apparatus configuration information on the printer from the printer via the network;

a management device that manages the acquired apparatus configuration information on the printer such that the driver program corresponding to the printer can be read out;

a coupling device that couples the driver program corresponding to the printer to the apparatus configuration information on the printer when the driver program is read out; and

an installation processing device that is responsive to an installation from a user, for controlling a process for installing the driver program together with the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto in the client apparatus, without waiting for an installation request to be received from the client apparatus via the network.

3. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus configuration information on the printer includes an apparatus name, a generation time of the apparatus configuration information, and option information indicative of presence or absence of at least one optional device.

4. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an additional condition-setting device that sets additional conditions for limiting capability of each of the at least one printer by an input operation,

a filter generating device that generates a filter corresponding to the set additional conditions,

a filter installing device that installs the generated filter on a printer capability notification path for informing the client apparatus of the capability of the printer, and

a second coupling device that couples the additional conditions to the driver program corresponding to the printer having the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto when the additional conditions have been set, and

wherein the driver program corresponding to the printer having the set additional conditions and the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto is installed in the client apparatus by said installation processing device via the network.

5. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the additional conditions includes a condition for limiting authority of a user who uses the printer.

6. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, comprising a second storage device that stores information on the capability of the printer, and wherein the printer capability notification path connects the client apparatus and said second storage device.

7. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said management device manages the acquired apparatus configuration information on the printer in a state coupled to the driver program corresponding to the printer.

8. A method of installing in at least one client apparatus, on a network accommodating a server apparatus, the at least one client apparatus, and at least one printer available to the client apparatus, a driver corresponding to each of the at least one printer from the server apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition step of acquiring apparatus configuration information on the printer from the printer via the network;

a management step of managing the acquired apparatus configuration information on the printer such that the driver program corresponding to the printer can be read out;

a coupling step of coupling the driver program corresponding to the printer to the apparatus configuration information on the printer when the driver program is read out; and

an installation processing step of controlling a process for installing the driver program together with the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto, in the client apparatus, in response to an installation instruction from a user, without waiting for an installation request to be received from the client apparatus via the network.

9. An method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apparatus configuration information on the at lest one printer includes an apparatus name, a generation time of the apparatus configuration information, and option information indicative of presence or absence of at least one optional device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

an additional condition-setting step of setting additional conditions for limiting capability of each of the printer by an input operation,

a filter generating step of generating a filter corresponding to the set additional conditions, and

a filter installing step of installing the generated filter on printer capability notification paths for informing the client apparatus of the capability of the printer, and

a second coupling step of coupling the additional conditions to the driver program corresponding to the printer having the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto when the additional conditions have been set,

wherein the driver program corresponding to the printer having the set additional conditions and the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto is installed in the client apparatus in said installation processing step via the network.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the additional conditions includes a condition for limiting authority of a user who uses the printer.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the server apparatus includes a second storage device that stores information on the capability of the printer, and wherein the printer capability notification path connects the client apparatus and the second storage device.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein in said management step, the acquired apparatus configuration information on the printer is managed in a state coupled to the driver program corresponding to the printer.

14. A program for executing a method of installing in at least one client apparatus, on a network accommodating a server apparatus, the at least one client apparatus, and at least one printer available to the client apparatus, a driver corresponding to each of the at least one printer from the server apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition module for acquiring apparatus configuration information on the printer from the printer via the network;

a management module for managing the acquired apparatus configuration information on the printer such that the driver program corresponding to the printer can be read out;

a coupling module coupling the driver program corresponding to the printer to the apparatus configuration information on the printer when the driver program is read out; and

an installation processing module for controlling a process for installing the driver program together with the apparatus configuration information on the printer coupled thereto, in the client apparatus, in response to an installation instruction from a user, without waiting for an installation request to be received from the client apparatus via the network.