Bidirectional printer interface having function of notifying print data abnormalities from printer to host unit

• US 5,751,923 A
• Filed: 12/27/1995
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuzawa, Kunihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel I.
• Application Number:
  US08/578,899
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 395/101, 395/104, 395/106, 395/109, 395/111, 395/112, 395/113, 395/114, 395/117, 395/520, 395/329, 395/200.01, 395/200.09, 395/840, 395/841, 395/800, 395/828, 364/238.1, 364/238.2, 364/239.2, 364/240.1, 364/240.2, 358/504, 358/530, 358/401, 358/434, 358/435, 358/437, 358/442, 399/8, 399/9, 399/18, 399/19, 399/38, 399/62
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

A bidirectional printer interface comprises a print monitoring controller provided for a host unit for controlling a printer connected to the host unit to monitor a print state; an analyzer provided for the printer for analyzing environment data for setting a print environment and print data; a storage provided the printer for analyzing storing the print data analyzed by the analyzer; wherein the analyzer compares data in relation to a print environment included in the print data with the environment data stored in the storage to determine the presence of the difference therebetween, and if the difference between the data is detected, the analyzer transmits the content of the difference between the data to the host unit and wherein the printer monitoring controller notifies the user of the content of the difference between the data transmitted from the analyzer.

Claims

1. A bidirectional printer interface comprising:

a print monitoring controller means provided for a host unit for controlling a printer connected to the host unit to monitor a print state, for generating environment data for setting a print environment of print data, and for transmitting the environment data to the printer;

an analysis means for analyzing the environment data and the print data;

a storage means for storing the environment data analyzed by the analysis means; and

an edit means for creating a check data for making the host unit check the content for any difference and transmitting the check data to the host unit,

wherein the analysis means compares data in relation to a print environment included in the print data with the environment data stored in the storage means to determine the presence of any difference therebetween, and if the difference between the data in relation to a print environment and the environment data is detected, the analysis means notifies the edit means of the detection of the difference, and if the difference is not detected, the analysis means makes the printer print the print data,

wherein the edit means creates and transmits the check data to the host unit when receiving the detection of the difference from the analysis means, and

wherein the printer monitoring controller means analyzes the check data received from the edit means, and makes the host unit display the result of the analysis as a confirmation message that enables the notification by an interactive mode to a user.

2. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an output means for printing the content of the difference between the print data and the environment data according to the result of the comparison made by the analysis means.

3. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a display means for displaying the content of the difference between the print data and the environment data according to the result of the comparison made by the analysis means.

4. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 1, wherein the analysis means also analyzes the print data received from the host unit, and if any data error is detected, the analysis means notifies the edit means the detection of data errors and wherein the print monitoring controller means analyzes the error data received from the edit means and makes the host unit display the result of the analysis as a confirmation message that enables the notification by an interactive mode to a user.

5. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

an output means for printing the data errors according to the result of the comparison made by the analysis means in the presence of the data error in the print data.

6. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

a display means for displaying the content of the difference between the print data and the environment data according to the result of the comparison made by the analysis means in the presence of the data error in the print data.

7. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 1, wherein the print monitoring controller means is incorporated into an operating system of the host unit, storing a software for controlling the printer, for monitoring a print state, and for notifying the user of the difference of the print data and the environment data, and operating according to the software.

8. A bidirectional printer interface comprising:

a print monitoring controller means provided for a host unit for controlling a printer connected to the host unit to monitor a print state, for generating environment data for setting a print environment of print data, and for transmitting the environment data to the printer;

an analysis means for analyzing the environment data and the print data;

a storage means for storing the environment data analyzed by the analysis means; and

an edit means for creating a check data for making the host unit check the content for any difference and transmitting the check data to the host unit and for creating an error data for making the host unit check the content for any data errors and transmitting the error data to the host unit,

wherein the analysis means compares data in relation to a print environment included in the print data with the environment data stored in the storage means to determine the presence of any difference therebetween, and if the difference between the data in relation to a print environment and the environment data is detected, the analysis means notifies said edit means the detection of the difference and if no difference is detected, the analysis means makes the printer print the print data,

wherein the analysis means also analyzes the print data from the host unit, and when any data error is detected, the analysis means notifies the edit means the detection of the data errors,

wherein the edit means creates and transmits the check data to the host unit when receiving the detection of any difference from said analysis means,

wherein the edit means creates and transmits the error data to the host unit when receiving the detection of the data errors from said analysis means, and

wherein the printer monitoring controller means analyzes the check data and the error data received from the edit means and makes the host unit display the result of the analysis as a confirmation message that enables the notification by an interactive mode to a user.

9. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

an output means for printing the content of the difference between the print data and the environment data according to the result of the comparison made by the analysis means in the presence of the data error in the print data.

10. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

a display means for displaying the content of the difference between the print data and the environment data according to the result of the comparison made by the analysis means in the presence of the data error in the print data.

11. A bidirectional printer interface as set forth in claim 8, wherein the print monitoring controller means is incorporated into an operating system of the host unit, storing a software for controlling the printer, for monitoring a print state, and for notifying the user of the difference of the print data and the environment data, and operating according to the software.