Network management apparatus and control method thereof

• US 5,768,516 A
• Filed: 04/18/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sugishima, Kiyohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/423,961
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.09, 395/800, 395/114, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 395/200.59, 395/200.55, 395/200.54, 395/200.56, 395/200.53
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A network management apparatus and a method for controlling thereof according to the present invention, which can save a user managing output units connected onto a network. Practically, printing data and condition information are transmitted to the network management apparatus from each computer connected onto the network. According to the received condition information, the network management apparatus searches for a printer which meets conditions represented by the condition information. Thereafter, the network management apparatus transmits the printing data to the printer searched for.

Claims

1. A network management apparatus for managing printing operations of printers connected to a network, comprising:

means for receiving, from a printing data output device connected to the network, a printing request including printing data and condition information representing printing conditions;

means for selecting one of the printers connected to the network which can perform a printing operation under printing conditions represented by the received condition information; and

means for causing the selected printer to perform a printing operation based on the printing data from the printing data output device;

wherein the selecting means selects a monochrome printer which prints monochrome data when the received condition information represents monochrome printing, the selecting means selects a color printer which prints color data when the received condition information represents color printing,

and, when the monochrome printer cannot perform the printing operation and the received condition information represents monochrome printing, the selecting means selects a color printer and said means for causing causes the selected color printer to print the printing data.

2. The network management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing function information representing printing functions of the printers connected to the network.

3. The network management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selecting means selects one of the printers by referring to the stored function information.

4. A method of managing printing operations of printers connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a printing data output device connected to the network, a printing request including printing data and condition information representing printing conditions;

selecting one of the printers connected to the network which can perform a printing operation under printing conditions represented by the received condition information; and

causing the selected printer to perform a printing operation based on the printing data from the printing data output device;

wherein a monochrome printer which prints monochrome data is selected when monochrome printing is represented by the received condition information, a color printer which prints color data is selected when color printing is represented by the received condition information,

and, when the monochrome printer cannot perform the printing operation and monochrome printing is represented by the received condition information, a color printer is selected and the selected color printer prints the printing data.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising a storing step of storing function information representing printing functions of the printers connected to the network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, in the selecting step, one of the printers is selected by referring to the stored function information.