Method and apparatus for managing printing solutions in a local area network
First Claim
1. A method of managing printing in an environment with a plurality of workstations and a plurality of printers in one or more networks each workstation having a unique ID and each printer having a type and a configuration which is dependant on the unique ID, wherein one or more of the printers is connected to one of the plurality of workstations;
- and wherein the network also includes a document server and a identity generator, the method comprising;
polling a workstation when it connects to the network to determine what printers are connected thereto;
determining the unique ID of the workstation;
determining the type of printer;
determining the configuration of the printer from the type and workstation location;
determining an identification code (ID code) for each printer connected to the connected workstation using the identification generator;
developing a look up table of unique ID of the workstation;
type and configuration of the printer and ID code;
receiving a print request from a workstation at the document server;
identifying the configuration of a printer from the look up table in response to the print request which can receive the print server;
sending the print request to the identified printer with the appropriate ID code, as identified by the look up table.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of managing printing in an environment with a plurality of workstations and a plurality of printers in one or more networks. Each workstation has a unique ID and each printer has a type and a configuration which is dependent on the unique ID. One or more of the printers is connected to a one of the plurality of workstations. The network also includes a document server and a identification generator. The network polls a workstation when it connects to the network to determine what printers are connected thereto;
- determines the unique ID of the workstation;
- determines the type of printer;
- determines the configuration of the printer from the type and workstation location;
- determines an identification code (ID code) for each printer connected to the connected workstation using the identification generator;
- develops a look up table of unique ID of the workstation, type and configuration of the printer and ID code;
- receives a print request from a workstation at the document server;
- identifies the configuration of a printer from the look up table in response to the print request which can receive the print request; and
- sends the print request to the identified printer with the appropriate ID code, as identified by the look up table.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of managing printing in an environment with a plurality of workstations and a plurality of printers in one or more networks each workstation having a unique ID and each printer having a type and a configuration which is dependant on the unique ID, wherein one or more of the printers is connected to one of the plurality of workstations;
- and wherein the network also includes a document server and a identity generator, the method comprising;
polling a workstation when it connects to the network to determine what printers are connected thereto; determining the unique ID of the workstation; determining the type of printer; determining the configuration of the printer from the type and workstation location; determining an identification code (ID code) for each printer connected to the connected workstation using the identification generator; developing a look up table of unique ID of the workstation;
type and configuration of the printer and ID code;receiving a print request from a workstation at the document server; identifying the configuration of a printer from the look up table in response to the print request which can receive the print server; sending the print request to the identified printer with the appropriate ID code, as identified by the look up table. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16)
- and wherein the network also includes a document server and a identity generator, the method comprising;
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14-15. -15. (canceled)
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17. A printer manager for an environment with a plurality of workstations and plurality of printers in one or more networks each workstation having a unique ID and each printer having a type and configurations which is dependent on the unique ID, wherein one or more of the printers is connected to one of the plurality of workstations;
- and wherein the network includes a document server, the printer manager comprising;
a device for polling workstation when it connected to the network to determine what printers are connected thereto, to determine;
the unique ID of the workstation;
the type of printer;
the configuration of the printer from the type and workstation location;an identification generator for generating an identification code (ID code) for each printer connected to the connected workstation; a look at table of the unique ID of the workstation;
type and configurations of the printer;and the ID code; wherein a printer request received from a workstation at the document server gives rise to a determination of the ID code from the lookup table to effect printing at the required workstation.
- and wherein the network includes a document server, the printer manager comprising;
Specification