Display Technique for Displaying a Layout of a Print Network System

• US 20060224714A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka, Nagata, Tsukasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A display terminal comprises a position storage, a status storage, a connection relationship storage, and a display device. The position storage stores a position of each of the terminals and the printers. The status storage stores a status of each of the printers. The connection relationship storage stores a connection relationship between each of the terminals and each of the printers. The display device displays a layout of a print network system. The layout comprises a plurality of terminal objects, a plurality of printer objects, and a communication path object. Each of the terminal objects and the printer objects is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storage. Each of the printer objects is displayed in a manner that represents a status of a corresponding printer stored in the status storage. The communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects and each of the printer objects based on the connection relationship stored in the connection relationship storage.

Claims

1. A display terminal for displaying a layout 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 position storage for storing a position of each of the terminals and the printers;

a status storage for storing a status of each of the printers;

a connection relationship storage for storing a connection relationship between each of the terminals and each of the printers; and

a display device for displaying the layout of the print network system, the layout comprising a plurality of terminal objects, a plurality of printer objects, and a communication path object, wherein (1) each of the terminal objects and the printer objects is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storage, (2) each of the printer objects is displayed in a manner that represents a status of a corresponding printer stored in the status storage, and (3) the communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects and each of the printer objects based on the connection relationship stored in the connection relationship storage.

2. The display terminal as in claim 1, wherein

the printer object includes a printer figure object and a status figure object,

the communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects and each of the printer figure objects,

the printer object of a printer having a predetermined status is displayed in a manner that includes the printer figure object and the status figure object.

3. The display terminal as in claim 2, wherein

the predetermined status includes an in-printing status,

the status figure object includes an in-printing status figure object, and

the printer object of a printer having the in-printing status is displayed in a manner that includes the in-printing status figure object disposed along the communication path object between the terminal object of a terminal which has output a print instruction and the printer figure object of the printer having the in-printing status.

4. The display terminal as in claim 2, wherein

the predetermined status includes a communication trouble status,

the status figure object includes a communication trouble status figure object, and

the printer object of a printer having the communication trouble status is displayed in a manner that includes the communication trouble status figure object disposed along the communication path object between the terminal object of a terminal which has output a print instruction and the printer figure object of the printer having the communication trouble status.

5. The display terminal as in claim 2, wherein

the predetermined status includes a sleep status,

the status figure object includes a sleep status figure object, and

the printer object of a printer having the sleep status is displayed in a manner that includes the sleep status figure object.

6. The display terminal as in claim 2, wherein

the predetermined status includes a power off status,

the status figure object includes a power off status figure object, and

the printer object of a printer having the power off status is displayed in a manner that includes the power off status figure object.

7. The display terminal as in claim 2, wherein

the printer object of a printer having a ready status is displayed in a manner that includes only the printer figure object.

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

a status receiving device for receiving the latest status of each of the printers; and

a status updating device for updating the status storage in response to receiving the latest status of each of the printers.

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

a floor storage for storing a configuration of a floor on which the print network system is disposed, wherein

the layout further comprises a floor object having the configuration stored in the floor storage.

10. The display terminal as in claim 9, wherein

an user is capable of choosing a view area from the configuration of the floor, and

the display device displays the layout in a manner that includes only the view area chosen by the user.

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

an operation device operated by an user, wherein

the user is capable of inputting information to operate any of the items in the layout by operating the operation device.

12. The display terminal as in claim 11, further comprising:

a first outputting device, wherein

the user is capable of operating the printer object showing a sleep status, and

the first outputting device outputs a start instruction to a printer corresponding to the printer object operated by the user.

13. The display terminal as in claim 11, further comprising:

a second outputting device, wherein

the user is capable of overlapping a document object on any of the printer objects, and

the second outputting device outputs a print instruction to a printer corresponding to the printer object on which the document object has been overlapped.

14. The display terminal as in claim 1, wherein

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

15. The display terminal as in claim 14, wherein

the display device is capable of changing a view point for displaying the layout.

16. The display terminal as in claim 1, wherein

the display device is capable of simultaneously displaying a layout window showing the layout and the other window.

17. The display terminal as in claim 16, wherein

the display device is capable of displaying the layout window in a full-screen mode, and

in a case where the layout window is displayed in the full-screen mode, the display device is capable of displaying the other window on a front side of the layout window.

18. The display terminal as in claim 1, the print network system further comprising a hub, wherein

the position storage further stores a position of the hub,

the status storage further stores a status of the hub,

the connection relationship storage stores a connection relationship between each of the terminals, each of the printers, and the hub,

the layout further comprises a hub object,

the hub object is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storage,

the hub object is displayed in a manner that represents the status of the hub stored in the status storage, and

the communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects, each of the printer objects, and the hub object based on the connection relationship stored in the connection relationship storage.

19. The display terminal as in claim 18, further comprising:

an operation device operated by an user; and

a determination device, wherein

the user is capable of inputting information to add the communication path object between the hub object and any of the terminal objects and the printer objects by operating the operation device, and

the determination device determines whether the information input by the user is within an allowance based on the status of the hub stored in the status storage, and the determination device prohibits the communication path object from being added in a case where the information input by the user is not within the allowance.

20. 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 position storage, the status storage, the connection relationship storage, and the display device as in claim 1.

21. The print network system as in claim 20, wherein

each of the printers outputs information concerning its own status to the server PC, and

the server PC outputs information concerning the status of each of the printers to each of the client PCs.

22. A method of displaying a layout 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 position storing step of storing a position of each of the terminals and the printers;

a status storing step of storing a status of each of the printers;

a connection relationship storing step of storing a connection relationship between each of the terminals and each of the printers; and

a displaying step of displaying the layout of the print network system, the layout comprising a plurality of terminal objects, a plurality of printer objects, and a communication path object, wherein (1) each of the terminal objects and the printer objects is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storing step, (2) each of the printer objects is displayed in a manner that represents a status of a corresponding printer stored in the status storing step, and (3) the communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects and each of the printer objects based on the connection relationship stored in the connection relationship storing step.

23. A computer program product for a display terminal displaying a layout 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 position storing step of storing a position of each of the terminals and the printers;

a status storing step of storing a status of each of the printers;

a connection relationship storing step of storing a connection relationship between each of the terminals and each of the printers; and

a displaying step of displaying the layout of the print network system, the layout comprising a plurality of terminal objects, a plurality of printer objects, and a communication path object, wherein (1) each of the terminal objects and the printer objects is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storing step, (2) each of the printer objects is displayed in a manner that represents a status of a corresponding printer stored in the status storing step, and (3) the communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects and each of the printer objects based on the connection relationship stored in the connection relationship storing step.

24. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the computer data signal including at least one computer program for a display terminal displaying a layout 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 position storing step of storing a position of each of the terminals and the printers;

a status storing step of storing a status of each of the printers;

a connection relationship storing step of storing a connection relationship between each of the terminals and each of the printers; and

a displaying step of displaying the layout of the print network system, the layout comprising a plurality of terminal objects, a plurality of printer objects, and a communication path object, wherein (1) each of the terminal objects and the printer objects is disposed at a corresponding position stored in the position storing step, (2) each of the printer objects is displayed in a manner that represents a status of a corresponding printer stored in the status storing step, and (3) the communication path object is disposed between each of the terminal objects and each of the printer objects based on the connection relationship stored in the connection relationship storing step.