Remote print system having a plurality of computers which are capable of monitoring and controlling operations of a remote printer

• US 5,799,206 A
• Filed: 04/07/1995
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems Limited (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimakawa, Takuya, Tamura, Naomi, Matsumoto, Satoru, Kageyama, Seiji, Kitagawa, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US08/418,521
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 395/112, 395/856, 395/828, 395/831, 395/825, 395/827, 395/115, 395/113, 395/114
• US Class Current: 710/36
• 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 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A remote print system in which a plurality of computers connected to a network are each allowed to finely control a printer (NPR) connected to the network and a computer used in the remote print system. A NPR control library serves as an interface to the NPR, a message is transferred to a NPR controlling daemon under the direction of an interprocess-communication mechanism (IPC), and the NPR controlling daemon performs a requested control operation of the NPR in accordance with the message by utilizing protocol for NPR control.

Claims

1. A remote print system comprising:

a network;

a host computer connected to the network; and

a network printer (NPR) connected to the network;

wherein the host computer includes

an NPR control library serving as an interface to the network printer, the NPR control library providing a plurality of functions and converting the functions to corresponding command messages, and

an NPR controlling daemon which controls the network printer in accordance with command messages from the NPR control library;

wherein the network printer includes an NPR connecting protocol controlling unit which communicates with the NPR controlling daemon through the network in accordance with a printer control protocol so as to control the network printer to perform functions under control of the NPR controlling daemon;

wherein the command messages from the NPR control library include a command message specifying an amount of data to be transferred from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon;

wherein when the NPR controlling daemon receives the command message specifying an amount of data to be transferred from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon, the NPR controlling daemon sends a message to the NPR control library indicating whether the NPR controlling daemon can accept the amount of data specified by the command message; and

wherein when the message sent by the NPR controlling daemon to the NPR control library indicates that the NPR controlling daemon can accept the amount of data specified by the command message,

the NPR control library sends the amount of data specified by the command message to the NPR controlling daemon, and

the NPR controlling daemon sends the data to the NPR using an NPR connecting protocol, confirms whether the NPR has received the data normally, and after confirming that the NPR has received the data normally, sends a message to the NPR control library indicating that data transfer has been completed normally.

2. A remote printing method for use in a remote print system, the remote print system including

a network,

a host computer connected to the network, and

a network printer (NPR) connected to the network,

the host computer including

an NPR control library serving as an interface to the network printer, the NPR control library providing a plurality of functions and converting the functions to corresponding command messages, and

an NPR controlling daemon which controls the network printer in accordance with command messages from the NPR control library,

the network printer including an NPR connecting protocol controlling unit which communicates with the NPR controlling daemon through the network in accordance with a printer control protocol so as to control the network printer to perform functions under control of the NPR controlling daemon,

the remote printing method comprising the steps of:

providing the NPR control library with a command message specifying an amount of data to be transferred from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon;

sending, from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon, the command message specifying an amount of data to be transferred from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon;

when the NPR controlling daemon receives the command message specifying an amount of data to be transferred from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon, sending, from the NPR controlling daemon to the NPR control library, a message to the NPR control library indicating whether the NPR controlling daemon can accept the amount of data specified by the command message; and

when the message sent to the NPR control library from the NPR controlling daemon indicates that the NPR controlling daemon can accept the amount of data specified by the command message,

sending, from the NPR control library to the NPR controlling daemon, the amount of data specified by the command message,

sending, from the NPR controlling daemon to the NPR, the data using an NPR connecting protocol,

confirming, by the NPR controlling daemon, whether the NPR has received the data normally, and

after confirming, by the NPR controlling daemon, that the NPR has received the data normally, sending, from the NPR controlling daemon to the NPR control library, a message indicating that data transfer has been completed normally.