Notification of changed parameters in a printing system

• US 20070097399A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Norgren, Kent, Price, Stephen, Hopper, Samuel, Boyd, Erin
• Granted Patent: US 8,196,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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 3/1264 by assigning post-processing resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

A print controller, methods, and software are disclosed. A print controller of the invention includes applications, a parameter manager, and a notification system. The applications register with parameter manager those parameters for which they want to be notified when a change occurs. As part of the registration, the applications designate a callback identifier (CID) for each of the parameters, where an individual CID may be associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters. Responsive to receiving an indication of changes to one or more of the parameters, the notification system identifies the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters, and identifies the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed. The notification system then transmits one or more notification messages, including the identified CIDs for the changed parameters, to each application that is registered.

Claims

1. A print controller for a printing system adapted to notify applications of changes to parameters of the printing system, the print controller comprising:

a parameter manager adapted to process registration requests received from applications to generate a registration data structure,

wherein a registration request from an individual application indicates one or more parameters for which the application is to be notified when there is a change to one or more of the parameters,

wherein the registration request from the individual application further indicates a callback identifier (CID) for each of the parameters where an individual CID is associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters; and

a notification system adapted to receive an indication of changes to the parameters of the printing system, and to identify the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters based on the registration data structure;

for each identified application, the notification system is further adapted to identify the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed based on the registration data structure, and to transmit at least one notification message to the application indicating the identified CIDs.

2. The print controller of claim 1 wherein a CID in the notification message indicates a change to a single parameter or a change to one or more related parameters.

3. The print controller of claim 1 wherein the applications are each adapted to:

identify one or more parameters for which the application is to be notified when there is a change to one or more of the parameters;

designate a CID for each of the parameters where an individual CID is associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters;

generate a registration request that includes the identified parameters and the associated CIDs; and

transmit the registration request to the parameter manager.

4. The print controller of claim 1 wherein:

the notification system, responsive to receiving the indication of changes to the parameters, is adapted to identify the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters based on the registration data structure, to generate an application list from the identified applications, to identify the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed based on the registration data structure, and to enter in the application list the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed for each application.

5. The print controller of claim 4 wherein the application list includes only one instance of an individual CID for each application.

6. The print controller of claim 1 wherein:

a parameter comprises a structure having a plurality of fields; and

an individual application designates a CID for a plurality of fields of the structure of the parameter where an individual CID is associated with a single field or a plurality of related fields.

7. The print controller of claim 1 wherein the print controller is for a continuous forms printing system or a cut sheet page printing system.

8. A method of operating a printing system to notify applications of changes to parameters of the printing system, the method comprising:

processing registration requests received from applications to generate a registration data structure,

wherein the registration request from an individual application indicates one or more parameters for which the application is to be notified when there is a change to one or more of the parameters,

wherein the registration request from an individual application further indicates a callback identifier (CID) for each of the parameters where an individual CID is associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters;

receiving an indication of changes to the parameters of the printing system;

identifying the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters based on the registration data structure;

identifying the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed for each identified application based on the registration data structure; and

transmitting at least one notification message to each of the applications indicating the identified CIDs.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein a CID in the notification message indicates a change to a single parameter or a change to one or more related parameters.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

in each of the applications,

identifying one or more parameters for which the application is to be notified when there is a change to one or more of the parameters;

designating a CID for each of the parameters where an individual CID is associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters; and

generating a registration request that includes the identified parameters and the associated CIDs.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters and identifying the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed for each identified application comprises:

identifying the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters based on the registration data structure,

generating an application list from the identified applications,

identifying the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed based on the registration data structure, and

entering in the application list the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed for each application.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the application list includes only one instance of an individual CID for each application.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein:

a parameter comprises a structure having a plurality of fields; and

an individual application designates a CID for a plurality of fields of the structure of the parameter where an individual CID is associated with a single field or a plurality of related fields.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the print controller is for a continuous forms printing system or a cut sheet page printing system.

15. Printing system software adapted to notify applications of changes to parameters of the printing system, the print system software comprising:

storage media adapted to store instructions; and

the instructions when executed by a processing system are adapted to direct the processing system to process registration requests received from applications to generate a registration data structure, wherein the registration request from an individual application indicates one or more parameters for which the application is to be notified when there is a change to one or more of the parameters, wherein the registration request further indicates a callback identifier (CID) for each of the parameters where an individual CID is associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters;

the instructions further adapted to direct the processing system to receive an indication of changes to the parameters of the printing system, and to identify the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters based on the registration data structure;

the instructions further adapted to direct the processing system to identify the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed for each application based on the registration data structure, and to transmit at least one notification message to the applications indicating the identified CIDs.

16. The printing system software of claim 15 wherein a CID in the notification message indicates a change to a single parameter or a change to one or more related parameters.

17. The printing system software of claim 15 wherein the applications are adapted to direct the processing system to:

identify one or more parameters for which the application is to be notified when there is a change to one or more of the parameters;

designate a CID for each of the parameters where an individual CID is associated with a single parameter or a plurality of related parameters; and

generate a registration request that includes the identified parameters and the associated CIDs.

18. The printing system software of claim 15 wherein the instructions, responsive to receiving an indication of changes to the parameters of the printing system, are adapted to direct the processing system to:

identify the applications registered to be notified of changes to the parameters based on the registration data structure;

generate an application list from the identified applications;

identify the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed based on the registration data structure; and

enter in the application list the CIDs associated with the parameters that have changed for each application, wherein the application list includes only one instance of an individual CID for each application.

19. The printing system software of claim 15 wherein:

a parameter comprises a structure having a plurality of fields; and

an individual application designates a CID for a plurality of fields of the structure of the parameter where an individual CID is associated with a single field or a plurality of related fields.

20. The printing system software of claim 15 wherein the printing system comprises a continuous forms printing system or a cut sheet page printing system.