Centralized print server for interfacing one or more network clients with a plurality of printing devices
First Claim
1. In a printing system in which one or more clients communicate with a plurality of printers by way of a centralized print server whose architecture is characterized by a plurality of layers, wherein one of the plurality of layers receives a request from one of the one or more clients and the request designates an operation to be performed with respect to one of the plurality of printers, said centralized print server comprising:
- a single application layer, communicating with the one of the plurality of layers, for developing a command expression based on the request received by the one or the plurality of layers;
a communications interface including a first connectively module and a second connectivity module, the first connectivity module communicating with a first one of the plurality of printers and the second connectivity module communicating with a second one of the plurality of printers; and
a routing interface, communicating with both said single application layer and said communications interface, for selectively directing the command expression from said single application layer to one of the first connectivity module and the second connectivity module, the selected one of the first and second connectivity modules using the command expression to perform at least a part of the designated operation with respect to the printer communicating with the one of the first and second connnectivety modules.
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Abstract
A printing system in which one or more clients communicate with a plurality of printers by way of a print server, whose architecture is characterized by a plurality of layers, is provided. In practice, one of the plurality of layers receives a request from one of the one or more clients and the request designates an operation to be performed with respect to one of the plurality of printers. The printing system includes an application layer, communicating with the one of the plurality of layers, for developing a command expression based on the request received by the one or the plurality of layers, and a communications interface including a first connectivity module and a second connectivity module, with the first connectivity module communicating with a first one of the plurality of printers and the second connectivity module communicating with a second one of the plurality of printers. The printing system further includes a routing interface, communicating with both the application layer and the communications interface, for directing the command expression to a selected one of the first connectivity module and the second connectivity module. Accordingly, the selected one of the first and second connectivity modules uses the command expression to perform at least a part of the designated operation with respect to the one or the plurality of printers.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. In a printing system in which one or more clients communicate with a plurality of printers by way of a centralized print server whose architecture is characterized by a plurality of layers, wherein one of the plurality of layers receives a request from one of the one or more clients and the request designates an operation to be performed with respect to one of the plurality of printers, said centralized print server comprising:
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a single application layer, communicating with the one of the plurality of layers, for developing a command expression based on the request received by the one or the plurality of layers; a communications interface including a first connectively module and a second connectivity module, the first connectivity module communicating with a first one of the plurality of printers and the second connectivity module communicating with a second one of the plurality of printers; and a routing interface, communicating with both said single application layer and said communications interface, for selectively directing the command expression from said single application layer to one of the first connectivity module and the second connectivity module, the selected one of the first and second connectivity modules using the command expression to perform at least a part of the designated operation with respect to the printer communicating with the one of the first and second connnectivety modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a printing system for use in an Internet or Intranet based system where one or more clients communicate with document processing devices by way of a centralized server whose architecture is characterized by a plurality of layers, said centralized server comprising:
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an HTTP server layer for receiving a request from one of the one or more clients with the request seeking a set of information relating to one of the plurality of document processing devices; a single application layer, communicating with said HTTP server layer, for developing a command set based on the request received at said HTTP server layer; a set of first interfaces communicating with the plurality of document processing devices, wherein each at the first interfaces is corresponded with at least one of the plurality of document processing devices; and a second interface, communicating with both said single application layer and each of the first interfaces of said set of first interfaces, for selectively directing the command set from said single application layer to one of the first interfaces, the selected one of the first interfaces using the command set to obtain the set of information sought by the one of the one or more clients. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification