Extended printer control interface

• US 5,805,777 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc (KPP (no. 2) Trustees Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kuchta, Daniel William
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Arthur G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US08/656,616
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 395/112, 395/113, 395/114, 395/101, 395/115, 395/117, 395/133, 395/501, 395/840, 395/670, 395/677, 395/109, 395/102, 395/828, 395/830, 395/835, 358/468, 358/407, 358/406, 358/504, 345/501, 345/433
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling

Abstract

An improved printer control interface, for use with computer printing system of the type having a central processor, an operating system, a host application, a printer, and a plug in module which receives image export application programming interface (API) calls from the host application for driving the printer, include an extended suite of API calls, having, API support calls, custom user interface calls, printer calls and calibration calls an extended host application for executing the extended suite of API calls; and an extended plug-in module responsive to the extended suite of API calls for controlling the printer.

Claims

1. An improved printer control interface, for use with a computer printing system of the type having a central processor, an operating system software module in the central processor, a host application software module in the central processor running on the operating system software, a printer connected to the central processor, and a plug in software module in communication with the host application software module which receives image export application programming interface (API) calls from the host application software module for driving the printer, wherein the improvement comprises:

a) an extended suite of API calls, including, API support calls , custom user interface calls, printer calls and calibration calls wherein the extended suite of API support calls includes;

a call to return a version number of an API supported by the plug in software module;

a call to get a list of other calls supported by the plug in software module;

a call that returns information about the plug in software module; and

a call that frees up resources used by the plug in software module,

b) an extended host application for executing the extended suite of API calls; and

c) an extended plug in software module responsive to the extended suite of API calls for controlling the printer.

2. The improved printer control interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the extended host application is a printer calibration application, and wherein the extended suite of API calibration calls includes:

a call to get a list of calibration types supported by the plug in software module;

a call to set a table reference number for a calibration type;

a call to bring up a module'"'"'s user-interface for calibration settings;

a call to read a calibration table from the printer or the plug in software module;

a call to write a calibration table to the printer;

a call to get a list of shape table reference numbers;

a call to get a speed-shift shape table from the plug in software module;

a call to set a speed-shift shape table in the plug in software module;

a call to tell the plug in software module to delete one of it'"'"'s shape tables;

a call to get a list of aims tables available in the plug in software module;

a call to get an aims table;

a call to set an aims table;

a call to tell the plug in software module to delete one of it'"'"'s aims tables; and

a call to read a default matching table from the plug in software module.

3. The improved printer control interface claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug in software module includes a user interface for allowing a user to specify printing options the extended host application is a print server application that disables the user interface and uses the extended suite of API calls to set the print options, and the extended suite API calls include:

a call to get information about the printer;

a call to return a status data structure with printer status;

a call to bring up the plug in software module'"'"'s user-interface to select the printer;

a call to set the printer that the plug in software module will access;

a call to return last job settings used by the plug in software module;

a call to identify features supported by the plug in software module and the printer;

a call to get a list of page media types supported;

a call to get a list of marking media supported;

a call to get a list of resolutions supported; and

a call to get an icon of the printer for use it an application'"'"'s user-interface.