Method for setting error print output mode

• US 5,937,151 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kadota, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sealey, Lance W.
• Application Number:
  US08/870,729
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 395/112-114, 395/200.11, 395/200.12, 395/200.17, 399/9-11, 347/19, 358/406, 358/407, 714/2, 714/5, 714/47, 714/48, 714/57
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

An error print output setting method for controlling whether an error message is printed out by a printer when an error occurs. The method includes a step to judge whether the status monitor indicative of the status of a printer is to be displayed on the display of a personal computer in S1080. If the setting indicates that the status monitor is to be displayed on the personal computer, the error print output option is set to "off" in S1100. Therefore, when a printing error occurs, an error message is displayed on the computer display and not printed out by the printer. Thus, excessive waste of paper can be prevented.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a data processing device and a printing device, connected to each other, to perform a printing operation, the method comprising the steps of:

judging whether or not a data processing device, connected to a printing device, is capable of displaying a status monitor indicative of a status of the printing device;

setting the printing device into an error print output execution mode for performing an error print output operation when the data processing device is judged not to be capable of displaying the status monitor and setting the printing device into an error print output non-execution mode not for performing the error print output operation when the data processing device is judged to be capable of displaying the status monitor; and

sending print data from the data processing device to the printing device, thereby controlling the printing device to perform printing operation.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the data processing device is capable of displaying the status monitor, the data processing device requests the printing device to send status signals, analyzes the status signals, and displays the analyzed status of the printing device on a display while the printing device performs printing operation, the printing device, set in the error print output non-execution mode, not producing an error print output when an error occurs.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the data processing device is not capable of displaying the status monitor, the printing device, set in the error print output execution mode, produces an error print output indicative of an error when the error occurs during the printing operation.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the judgment step includes the step of controlling the data processing device to judge whether or not the data processing device is capable of displaying the status monitor, and wherein the setting step includes the step of controlling the data processing device to send, to the printing device, command data for setting the printing device into either one of the error print output execution mode and the error print output non-execution mode based on the judged result.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the judgment step includes the step of judging whether or not the data processing device is in a status monitor setting mode to receive status signals from the printing device and to display the status monitor on a display, and

wherein the setting step includes the step of setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the data processing device is judged to be not in the status monitor setting mode and setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the data processing device is judged to be in the status monitor setting mode.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the judgment step includes the steps of:

controlling the data processing device to send, to the printing device, a status request command requesting the printing device to send a status signal indicative of the status of the printing device;

controlling the data processing device to determine whether or not a status signal is received from the printing device in response to the status request command; and

controlling the data processing device to determine whether or not the received status signal is in a predetermined format when it is determined that a status signal is received from the printing device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the setting step includes the step of setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when no status signal is received from the printing device and when the received status signal is not in the predetermined format and setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when a status signal of the predetermined format is received from the printing device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the judgment step includes the step of detecting whether or not bi-directional communication can be performed between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the setting step includes the step of setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected to be capable of being performed and setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the bidirectional communication is detected not to be capable of being performed.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bi-directional communication detecting step includes the step of controlling the printing device to detect whether or not bi-directional communication can be performed between the data processing device and the printing device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bi-directional communication detecting step includes the step of judging whether or not a code identifying the printing device is transmitted from the printing device to the data processing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the setting step includes the step of setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the printing device identifying code is transmitted and setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the printing device identifying code is not transmitted.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bi-directional communication detecting step includes the step of controlling the data processing device to judge whether or not the code identifying the printing device is received from the printing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the setting step includes the step of setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the printing device identifying code is received and setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the printing device identifying code is not received.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bi-directional communication detecting step includes the step of controlling the printing device to judge whether or not the code identifying the printing device is transmitted to the data processing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the setting step includes the step of setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the printing device identifying code is transmitted and setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the printing device identifying code is not transmitted.

13. A control device for controlling a printing device to perform a printing operation, the control device comprising:

means for displaying a status monitor indicative of a status of a printing device;

means for judging whether or not the displaying means is in a state capable of displaying the status monitor;

means for setting the printing device into an error print output execution mode for performing an error print output operation when the displaying means is judged not to be capable of displaying the status monitor and setting the printing device into an error print output non-execution mode not for performing the error print output operation when the displaying means is judged to be capable of displaying the status monitor; and

means for sending print data to the printing device, thereby controlling the printing device to perform printing operation.

14. A control device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the displaying means includes:

request means for requesting the printing device to send status signals while the printing device performs printing operation;

analyzing means for analyzing the status signals; and

monitor display means for displaying the analyzed status of the printing device on a display.

15. A control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein when the displaying means is in the state capable of displaying the status monitor, the printing device, set in the error print output non-execution mode, does not produce an error print output when an error occurs, and when the displaying means is in a state not capable of displaying the status monitor, the printing device, set in the error print output execution mode, produces an error print output indicative of an error when the error occurs during the printing operation.

16. A control device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the setting means includes means for sending, to the printing device, command data for setting the printing device into either one of the error print output execution mode and the error print output non-execution mode based on the result judged by the judging means.

17. A control device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the judgment means includes mode judging means for judging whether or not the displaying means is in a status monitor setting mode to receive status signals from the printing device and to display the status monitor, the command sending means sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the displaying means is judged to be not in the status monitor setting mode and sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the displaying means is judged to be in the status monitor setting mode.

18. A control device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the judgment means includes:

means for sending, to the printing device, a status request command requesting the printing device to send a status signal indicative of the status of the printing device;

means for determining whether or not a status signal is received from the printing device in response to the status request command; and

means for judging whether or not the received status signal is in a predetermined format when it is determined that a status signal is received from the printing device.

19. A control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the command sending means sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when no status signal is received from the printing device and when the received status signal is not in the predetermined format and sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when a status signal of the predetermined format is received from the printing device.

20. A control device as claimed in claim 16,

wherein the judgment means includes means for detecting whether or not bi-directional communication can be performed between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the command sending means sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected to be capable of being performed and sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected not to be capable of being performed.

21. A control device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bidirectional communication detecting means includes means for judging whether or not a code identifying the printing device is transmitted from the printing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the command sending means sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the printing device identifying code is transmitted and sends the command data for setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the printing device identifying code is not transmitted.

22. A printing device for performing a printing operation, the printing device comprising:

means for receiving print data from a data processing device and for performing a printing operation with the received print data;

means for performing an error print output operation to produce an error print output when an error occurs during the printing operation;

means for sending, to the data processing device, a status signal indicative of a status of the printing means;

means for judging whether or not the status signal sending means is in a state capable of sending the status signal to the data processing device; and

means for setting the error print output means into an error print output execution mode for performing the error print output operation when the status signal sending means is judged not to be capable of sending the status signal and setting the error print output means into an error print output non-execution mode not for performing the error print output operation when the status signal sending means is judged to be capable of sending the status signal.

23. A printing device as claimed in claim 22, wherein when the error print output means is in the error print output non-execution mode, the error print output means does not produce an error print output when an error occurs, and when the error print output means is in the error print output execution mode, the error print output means produces an error print output indicative of an error when the error occurs during the printing operation.

24. A printing device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the judgment means includes detection means for detecting whether or not bi-directional communication can be performed between the printing device and the data processing device, the setting means setting the error print output means into the error print output execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected not to be capable of being performed and setting the error print output means into the error print output non-execution mode when the bidirectional communication is detected to be capable of being performed.

25. A printing device as claimed in claim 23, further comprising code sending means for sending a code identifying the printing device to the data processing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, the judgment means judging whether or not the code sending means sends the identifying code to the data processing device, the setting means setting the error print output means into the error print output execution mode when the code sending means does not send the identification code and setting the error print output means into the error print output non-execution mode when the code sending means sends the identification code.

26. A program storage medium for storing data of a program indicative of a process for controlling a data processing device to control a printing device to perform a printing operation, the program comprising:

a program of judging whether or not a data processing device, connected to a printing device, is capable of displaying a status monitor indicative of a status of the printing device;

a program of setting the printing device into an error print output execution mode for performing an error print output operation when the data processing device is judged not to be capable of displaying the status monitor and setting the printing device into an error print output non-execution mode not for performing the error print output operation when the data processing device is judged to be capable of displaying the status monitor; and

a program of sending print data to the printing device, thereby controlling the printing device to perform printing operation.

27. A storage medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein the program further comprises:

a program of requesting, when the data processing device is judged to be capable of displaying the status monitor, the printing device to send status signals while the printing device performs printing operation;

a program of analyzing the status signals; and

a program of displaying the analyzed status of the printing device on a display.

28. A storage medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein the setting program includes the program of sending, to the printing device, command data for setting the printing device into either one of the error print output execution mode and the error print output non-execution mode based on the judged result.

29. A method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein the judgment program includes a program of judging whether or not the data processing device is in a status monitor setting mode to receive status signals from the printing device and to display the status monitor on a display, and

wherein the setting program includes a program of setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the data processing device is judged to be not in the status monitor setting mode and setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the data processing device is judged to be in the status monitor setting mode.

30. A storage medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein the judgment program includes:

a program of sending, to the printing device, a status request command requesting the printing device to send a status signal indicative of the status of the printing device;

a program of determining whether or not a status signal is received from the printing device in response to the status request command; and

a program of judging whether or not the received status signal is in a predetermined format when it is determined that a status signal is received from the printing device.

31. A storage medium as claimed in claim 30, wherein the setting program includes a program of setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when no status signal is received from the printing device and when the received status signal is not in the predetermined format and setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when a status signal of the predetermined format is received from the printing device.

32. A storage medium as claimed in claim 26,

wherein the judgment program includes a program of detecting whether or not bi-directional communication can be performed between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the setting program includes a program of setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected to be capable of being performed and setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected not to be capable of being performed.

33. A storage medium as claimed in claim 32, wherein the bi-directional communication detecting program includes a program of judging whether or not a code identifying the printing device is transmitted from the printing device to the data processing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, and

wherein the setting program includes a program of setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the printing device identifying code is transmitted and setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the printing device identifying code is not transmitted.

34. A program storage medium for storing data of a program indicative of a process for controlling a printing device to perform a printing operation, the program comprising:

a program of judging whether or not a data processing device, connected to a printing device, is capable of displaying a status monitor indicative of a status of the printing device;

a program of setting the printing device into an error print output execution mode for performing an error print output operation when the data processing device is judged not to be capable of displaying the status monitor and setting the printing device into an error print output non-execution mode not for performing the error print output operation when the data processing device is judged to be capable of displaying the status monitor; and

a program of performing printing operation with print data sent from the data processing device.

35. A storage medium as claimed in claim 34, further comprising a program of performing the error print output operation to produce an error print output when an error occurs during the printing operation when the printing device is set into the error print output execution mode.

36. A storage medium as claimed in claim 35, wherein the judgment program includes a program of detecting whether or not bi-directional communication can be performed between the printing device and the data processing device, the setting program setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected not to be capable of being performed and setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the bi-directional communication is detected to be capable of being performed.

37. A storage medium as claimed in claim 35, wherein the detecting program includes a program of trying to send a code identifying the printing device to the data processing device after a connection is established between the data processing device and the printing device, the judgment program judging whether or not the identifying code is sent to the data processing device, the setting program setting the printing device into the error print output execution mode when the identification code is not sent and setting the printing device into the error print output non-execution mode when the identification code is sent.