Display Technique for Displaying Default Printer Information of a Print Network System

• US 20060221385A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka, Nagata, Tsukasa
• Application Number:
  US11/277,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221385A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A display terminal displays default printer information of a print network system. The print network system comprises a plurality of terminals and a plurality of printers. The display terminal is one of the terminals of the print network system. The display terminal comprises a default printer information storage for storing the default printer information. The default printer information includes information concerning whether each of the printers has been set as default printer by any of the terminals. The display terminal further comprises a display device for displaying the default printer information.

Claims

1. A display terminal for displaying default printer information of a print network system, the print network system comprising a plurality of terminals and a plurality of printers, wherein the display terminal is one of the terminals of the print network system, the display terminal comprising:

a default printer information storage for storing the default printer information, wherein the default printer information includes information concerning whether each of the printers has been set as default printer by any of the terminals; and

a display device for displaying the default printer information.

2. The display terminal as in claim 1, further comprising:

a position storage for storing a position of each of the terminals and the printers, wherein

the display device displays a layout of the print network system,

the layout comprises a plurality of terminal objects and a plurality of printer objects, and

each of the terminal objects and the printer objects is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storage.

3. The display terminal as in claim 2, wherein

the printer object of a printer which has been set as default printer by any of the terminals is displayed in a manner that includes a default status object, and

the printer object of a printer which has not been set as default printer by all of the terminals is displayed in a manner that doesn'"'"'t include the default status object.

4. The display terminal as in claim 3, wherein

the default printer information includes information concerning a default number of each of the printers,

the default number is a number of terminals that set one printer as default printer, and

the default status object shows information concerning the default number.

5. The display terminal as in claim 3, wherein

the default printer information includes information concerning which printer has been set as default printer by the display terminal,

the default status object includes a self default status object, and

the printer object of a printer which has been set as default printer by the display terminal is displayed in a manner that includes the self default status object.

6. The display terminal as in claim 5, wherein

the default status object further includes a nonself default status object, and

the printer object of a printer which has been set as default printer by other terminal is displayed in a manner that includes the nonself default status object.

7. The display terminal as in claim 6, wherein

the printer object of a printer which has been set as default printer by both the display terminal and the other terminal is displayed in a manner that includes both the self default status object and the nonself default status object.

8. The display terminal as in claim 5, wherein

the printer object includes a printer figure object, and

the printer object of the printer which has set as default printer by the display terminal is displayed in a manner that includes the self default status object and the printer figure object disposed adjacent to the self default status object.

9. The display terminal as in claim 8, wherein

the display device is capable of displaying the layout in a perspective view, and

in a case where the printer figure object and the self default status object overlap, the printer figure object is disposed at a front side of the self default status object.

10. The display terminal as in claim 8, further comprising:

an operation device operated by an user, wherein

the user is capable of inputting information to move the self default status object from the printer figure object disposed adjacent to the self default status object to other printer figure object by operating the operation device, and

in a case where the self default status object is moved to the other printer figure object, the display terminal sets a printer corresponding to the other printer figure object as default printer.

11. The display terminal as in claim 10, wherein

in a case where at least a portion of the self default status object overlaps on the other printer figure object, the display terminal sets the printer corresponding to the other printer figure object as default printer.

12. The display terminal as in claim 10, wherein

the default printer information includes information concerning a default number of each of the printers,

the default number is a number of terminals that set one printer as default printer, and

in a case where the default number of the printer corresponding to the other printer figure object is more than a predetermined number, the display device displays a caution.

13. The display terminal as in claim 12, wherein

in the case where the default number of the printer corresponding to the other printer figure object is more than the predetermined number, the display device displays the layout in a manner that the other printer figure object and the default status object collapse.

14. The display terminal as in claim 2, further comprising:

an operation device operated by an user; and

an output device, wherein

in a case where a printer which has been set as default printer by the display terninal is in communication trouble status, the display device displays the printer object of the printer which has been set as default printer by the display terminal in a manner that includes a temporary printer object,

the user is capable of inputting information to overlap the temporary printer object with other printer object by operating the operation device, and

the output device outputs a print instruction to a printer corresponding to the other printer object in a case where the temporary printer object and the other printer object overlap.

15. A print network system comprising a server PC, a plurality of client PCs, and a plurality of printers, wherein

each of the client PCs comprises the default printer information storage and the display device as in claim 1.

16. The print network system as in claim 15, wherein

each of the client PCs outputs information concerning its own default printer to the server PC,

the server PC creates the default printer information based on the information output from each of the client PCs, and

the server PC outputs the default printer information to each of the client PCs.

17. A method of displaying default printer information of a print network system, the print network system comprising a plurality of terminals and a plurality of printers, the method performed by a display terminal which is one of the terminals of the print network system, the method comprising:

a default printer information storing step of storing the default printer information, wherein the default printer information includes information concerning whether each of the printers has been set as default printer by any of the terminals; and

a display step of displaying the default printer information.

18. A computer program product for a display terminal of displaying default printer information of a print network system, the print network system comprising a plurality of terminals and a plurality of printers, wherein the display terminal is one of the terminals of the print network system, and the computer program product includes instructions for ordering the display terminal to perform:

a default printer information storing step of storing the default printer information, wherein the default printer information includes information concerning whether each of the printers has been set as default printer by any of the terminals; and

a display step of displaying the default printer information.

19. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the computer data signal including at least one computer program for a display terminal of displaying default printer information of a print network system, the print network system comprising a plurality of terminals and a plurality of printers, wherein the display terminal is one of the terminals of the print network system, and the computer program includes instructions for ordering the display terminal to perform:

a default printer information storing step of storing the default printer information, wherein the default printer information includes information concerning whether each of the printers has been set as default printer by any of the terminals; and

a display step of displaying the default printer information.