Local area print server for requesting and storing required resource data and forwarding printer status message to selected destination
First Claim
1. A printer system connected to a data processing system via a local area network, the printer system comprising:
- A. at least one printer, the printer performing printing operations in response to received printing requests, and formulating resource fault messages to request resources and printer status messages to signal a change in status;
B. a local area print server for receiving and managing the printing requests and supplying to the printer the printing requests and the resources required to perform requested printing operations, the print server including;
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Accused Products
Abstract
A local area print server for connection to a printer to form a printing system for servicing printing requests is disclosed. The local area print server both controls the servicing of printing requests by the printer, and in response to printer requests for resources needed to satisfy a printing request, either provides required resources, or obtains the resources from a remote component. A resource manager is provided for receiving resource requests from the printer for resources required to satisfy particular printing requests, and, in response to receiving such requests, forwards the necessary resources to the printer. There is also a status collector adapted for receiving status block messages internally generated by the printing system containing information regarding the changing state of the system and in response to receiving the messages retransmit same to one or more of the other local area print server internal modules that respond to specific printing system status changes.
596 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A printer system connected to a data processing system via a local area network, the printer system comprising:
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A. at least one printer, the printer performing printing operations in response to received printing requests, and formulating resource fault messages to request resources and printer status messages to signal a change in status; B. a local area print server for receiving and managing the printing requests and supplying to the printer the printing requests and the resources required to perform requested printing operations, the print server including; - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 8, 9, 11)
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2. network facility means, connected to the local area network, for receiving the printing requests and resource over the network and transmitting resource request messages and the printer status messages over the network,resource data storage means for storing resources received locally or from said network facility means,resource manager means for responding to resource fault messages from the printer, the resource manager including a resource directory which contains information from which the resource manager can determine if the resources requested in the resource fault messages are available within the printing system or are available outside of the printing system, the resource manager
i. consulting the resource directory to determine if a resource is available within the printing system, and if so, supplying the resource to the printer, and otherwise ii. consulting the resource directory to determine if the resource is available at a remote source, and if so, acquiring the resource from the remote source and supplying the resource to the printer, the resource manager sending the resource request message to the remote source over the local area network via the network facility means, and receiving the requested resource from the remote source over the network via the network facility means,
- 3. status collector means, for receiving the printer status messages from the printer, the status collector means determining, based on the particular printer status message received, a destination for the printer status message and forwarding the printer status message through the network facility means to the destination.
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10. A local area print server for connecting a printer to a data processing system via a local area network, the data processing system including host nodes, an operator console node, and a service manager node, the local area print server comprising:
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A. network facility means, connected to the local area network, for receiving configuration data messages from the service manager node, and for selectively transmitting a printer status message to the operator console node or one of the host nodes; B. configuration data storage means, connected to the network facility means, for storing configuration data; and C. status collector means, connected to the network facility means, the configuration data storage means and the printer, for receiving the printer status message from the printer, for retrieving from the configuration data storage means configuration data which indicates which of the host nodes or operator console node, if any, is a destination node for the printer status message, and for forwarding the printer status message through the network facility means to the destination node indicated by the configuration data.
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12. A local area print server for connecting a printer to a data processing system via a local area network, the data processing system including host nodes, an operator console, a service manager node, and a resource server node, the local area print server comprising:
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A. network facility means, connected to the local area network, for receiving printing request messages including printing data and printing instructions from the host nodes, for transmitting resource request messages to the resource server node and receiving printer resource data in response thereto, for receiving configuration data messages from the service manager node and for selectively transmitting a printer status message to the operator console node or one of the host nodes; B. configuration data storage means, connected to the network facility means, for storing configuration data; C. status collector means, connected to the network facility means, the configuration data storage means and the printer, for receiving printer status messages, the printer status messages including printer resource fault messages, for reading from the configuration data storage means configuration data which indicates which of the host nodes or operator console node, if any, is a destination node for receiving a particular printer status message, and for forwarding the printer status message through the network facility means to the destination node indicated by the configuration data; D. resource data storage means, connected to the network facility means, for storing printer resource data received from the resource server node; E. resource manager means, connected to the network facility means, the printer, the resource data storage means and the status collector means, for determining, upon receipt of a printer resource fault message, whether required resource data is stored in the resource data storage means and, if so, transmitting the required resource data from the resource data storage means to the printer and, if not, forwarding a resource request message to the network facility means; and F. server job controller means, connected to the network facility means, the status collector means, the resource manager means and the printer, for, in response to receiving a printing request message, storing the printing request message and, in response to a printer status message indicating the printer is available, retrieving a stored printing request message and transmitting the printing data and printing instructions associated with the stored printing request message to the printer, and, wherein if the status collector means receives a resource fault message in response to transmission of the stored printing request message to the printer by the server job controller means, the status collector means additionally enables the resource manager means to locate and transmit the required resource data to the printer.
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Specification