Status-controlled interrogation of peripheral device status

• US 5,943,503 A
• Filed: 01/09/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pancholi, Jigar
• Application Number:
  US08/781,058
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 395/835-839, 395/113
• US Class Current: 708/833
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor
• 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

In a host computer which controls a peripheral device such as a printer, information is recognized which indicates a status of the peripheral device and a suitable time interval is selected to transmit on an interrogation command to demand the status of the peripheral device to the peripheral device. The time interval is selected based on the status of the peripheral device, and may be selected from among several time intervals set up in advance, for example, in a table.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for controlling a perpipheral device via a bi-directional interface connected to the peripherel device, comprising:

acquirement means for acquiring status information from the peripheral device over the bi-directional interface, the status information indicating status of the peripheral device; and

control means for controlling a time interval to transmit a command which the information processing apparatus uses to request status of the peripheral device, corresponding to the status information acquired by said acquirement means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is operating, the control means decreases the time interval.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is not operating, the control means increases the time interval.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status, the control means decreases the time interval.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status and is operating, the control means minimizes the time interval.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in a normal status and is not operating, the control means maximizes the time interval.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising reception means for receiving the status information from the peripheral device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising transmission means for transmitting the request command to the peripheral device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for display the status of the peripheral device.

10. A peripheral device control method for an information processing apparatus, the method for controlling a peripheral device via a bi-directional interface connected to the peripheral device, comprising:

an acquirement step to acquire status information from the peripheral device over the bi-directional interface, the status information indicating status of the peripheral device; and

a control step to control a time interval to transmit a command to the peripheral device which the information processing apparatus uses to request status of the peripheral device, corresponding to the status information acquired by said acquirement step.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is operating, the control step increases the time interval.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is not operating, the control step increases the time interval.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status, the control step decreases the time interval.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status and is operating, the control step minimizes the time interval.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in a normal status and is not operating, the control step maximizes the time interval.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a reception step of receiving the status information from the peripheral device via a receiver.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a transmission step of transmitting the request command to the peripheral device via a transmitter.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a display step of displaying the status of the peripheral device on display unit.

19. A memory medium storing a control program for an information processing apparatus, the control program for controlling a peripheral device via a bi-directional interface, said control program comprising:

an acquirement step to acquire status information from the peripheral device over the bi-directional interface, the status information indicating status of the peripheral device;

a control step to control a time interval to transmit a command to the peripheral device which the information processing apparatus uses to request status of the peripheral device, corresponding to the status information acquired by said acquirement step.

20. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is operating, the control step decreases the time interval.

21. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is not operating, the control step increases the time interval.

22. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status, the control step decreases the time interval.

23. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status and is operating, the control step minimizes the time interval.

24. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in a normal status and is not operating, the control step maximizes the time interval.

25. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the control program further comprises a reception step to receive the status information from the peripheral device via a receiver.

26. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein when the control program further comprises a transmission step to transmit the request command to the peripheral device via a transmitter.

27. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein the control program further comprises a display step to display the status of the peripheral device on a display unit.

28. A program stored in a memory medium in an information processing apparatus for controlling a peripheral device via a bi-directional interface, comprising:

an acquirement step to acquire status information from the peripheral device over the bi-directional interface, the status information indicating status of the peripheral device; and

a control step to control a time interval to transmit a command to the peripheral device which the information processing apparatus uses to request status of the peripheral device, corresponding to the status information acquired by said acquirement step.

29. A program according to claim 28, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is operating, the control step decreases the time interval.

30. A program according to claim 28, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is not operating, the control step increases the time interval.

31. A program according to claim 28, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status, the control step decreases the time interval.

32. A program according to claim 28, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status and is operating, the control step minimizes the time interval.

33. A program according to claim 28, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in a normal status and is not operating, the control step maximizes the time interval.

34. A program according to claim 28, further comprising a reception step to receive the status information from the peripheral device via a receiver.

35. A program according to claim 28, further comprising a transmission step to transmit the request command to the peripheral device via a transmitter.

36. A program according to claim 28, further comprising a display step to display the status of the peripheral device on a display unit.

37. An information processing apparatus for controlling a peripheral device via a bi-directional interface connected to the peripheral device, comprising:

a processor for acquiring status information from the peripheral device over the bi-directional interface, the status information indicating status of the peripheral device and for controlling a time interval to transmit a command to the peripheral device which the information processing apparatus uses to request status of the peripheral device, corresponding to the acquired information.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is operating, the processor decreases the time interval.

39. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is not operating, the processor increases the time interval.

40. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status, the processor decreases the time interval.

41. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status and is operating, the processor minimizes the time interval.

42. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in a normal status and is not operating, the processor maximizes the time interval.

43. The apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising a receiver for receiving the status information from the peripheral device.

44. The apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the request command to the peripheral device.

45. The apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising a display for displaying the status of the peripheral device.

46. A system comprising a peripheral device and an information processing apparatus for controlling the peripheral device via a bi-directional interface connected to the peripheral device, comprising

wherein said peripheral device includes an output unit for output of output data, and

wherein said information processing apparatus includes a processor for sending a request over the bi-directional interface to the peripheral device, the request being a request for output of status information of the peripheral device by the output unit, said processor further for acquiring the status information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device over the bi-directional interface and for controlling a time interval to transmit the request to the peripheral device, corresponding to the acquired information.

47. The system according to claim 46, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is operating, the processor decreases the time interval.

48. The system according to claim 46, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is not operating, the processor increases the time interval.

49. The system according to claim 46, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status, the processor decreases the time interval.

50. The system according to claim 46, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in an error status and is operating, the processor minimizes the time interval.

51. The system according to claim 46, wherein when the status information indicates that the peripheral device is in a normal status and is not operating, the processor maximizes the time interval.

52. The system according to claim 46, further comprising a receiver for receiving the status information from the peripheral device.

53. The system according to claim 47, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the request command to the peripheral device.

54. The system according to claim 47, further comprising a display for displaying the status information from the peripheral device.