Printer server system and printout method

• US 6,094,276 A
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Kotaro, Arakawa, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel I.
• Application Number:
  US08/979,961
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 395/101, 395/112, 395/114, 395/116, 395/117, 395/200.3, 395/275, 395/500, 395/500.34, 395/500.48, 395/527, 358/448, 358/455, 358/456, 358/467, 358/1.1, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/1.17, 358/1.18, 382/162, 382/163, 382/164, 382/165, 382/167, 382/169, 709/200.31, 709/200.32, 709/200.33, 709/200.47, 709/200.49, 709/200.69, 709/681, 709/200, 710/1
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00

Abstract

In a printer server system composed of a plurality of client terminals, a file server and a printer server connected to the same network, the file server manages raster image data to be printed out and queuing information for queuing print commands. If a main controller judges that the data type of a raster image differs from a data type capable of being outputted in the printer server connected to the network, a gray-scale raster image, for example, is converted to image data of a data type, such as binary data, capable of being printed out. The converted image data is then outputted by the printer server.

Claims

1. A printer server system having a plurality of client terminals and a printer server connected to the same network, in which a printer is connected to said printer server, said system comprising:

first detecting means for detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being printed out on the printer;

second detecting means for detecting a visual output form of image data outputted from one of the plurality of client terminals;

data converting means for converting the image data outputted from the one client terminal to image data of a visual output form capable of being printed out on the printer in a case where the visual output form detected by said first detecting means and the visual output form detected by said second detecting means differ from each other;

means for informing the one client terminal that outputted the image data to be printed that the image data outputted by the one client terminal has been converted by said data converting means; and

means for outputting the converted image data of the visual output form, to which conversion has been made by said data converting means, to the printer based upon queuing information,

wherein said means for informing informs the one client terminal that the image data has been converted by said data converting means before the image data is outputted by said means for outputting.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a file server for managing image data to be printed out on the printer and for queuing information for queuing print commands.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein when said data converting means converts the image data outputted by the one client terminal to data of a different visual output form, and said data converting means registers this fact in said file server.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said file server manages the queuing information and the image data to be printed out on the printer as file data in said file server separately from a table used for managing queuing including information as to whether image data has been converted into data of a different visual output form by said converting means.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the queuing information and the image data in said file server are managed by a unique identification code having meaning in said file server.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein said file server manages position information of a laid-out unit-page portion of an image based upon the queuing information in said file server.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said printer server includes means for generating an image of the image data managed by said file server based upon the position information.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data converting means converts a color raster image, in which each color of colors R, G, B is represented by eight-bit data, to a binary bitmap raster image or a gray-scale raster image.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data converting means converts a color raster image, in which color tone is represented by eight-bit palette data, to a color raster image, in which each color of colors R, G, B is represented by eight-bit data, a binary bitmap raster image, or a gray-scale raster image.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data converting means converts a gray-scale raster image to a binary bitmap raster image.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image data managed by said file server is raster-image data.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first detecting means and said second detecting means detect whether the visual output form is a form of a monochrome image or a color image.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for informing informs the one client terminal before the image data converted by said data converting means is output by said means for outputting.

14. An image processing method for outputting image data outputted from a client terminal connected to a network to an output device connected to the network, said method comprising:

an input step of inputting image data outputted from the client terminal;

a first detecting step of detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device;

a second detecting step of detecting a visual output form of image data outputted from the client terminal;

a data converting step of converting the image data outputted from the client terminal to image data of a visual output form capable of being accepted by the output device in a case where the visual output form detected in said first detecting step and the visual output form detected in said second detecting step differ from each other; and

an informing step of informing the client terminal that the image data outputted from the client terminal has been converted in said data converting step,

wherein said informing step informs the client terminal that the image data has been converted in said data converting step before the image data is outputted.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said data converting step converts a color raster image, in which each color of colors R, G, B is represented by eight-bit data, to a binary bitmap raster image or a gray-scale raster image.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said data converting step converts a color raster image, in which color tone is represented by eight-bit palette data, to a color raster image, in which each color of colors R, G, B is represented by eight-bit data, a binary bitmap raster image, or a gray-scale raster image.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said data converting step converts a gray-scale raster image to a binary bitmap raster image.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the output device is a printer.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein said first detecting step and said second detecting step detect whether the visual output form is a form of a monochrome image or a color image.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein said informing step informs the client terminal before the image data converted at said data converting step is output to the output device.

21. An image processing apparatus for outputting image data outputted from a client terminal connected to a network to an output device connected to the network, said apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting image data outputted from the client terminal;

first detecting means for detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device;

second detecting means for detecting a visual output form of image data outputted from the client terminal;

data converting means for converting the image data outputted from the client terminal to image data of a visual output form capable of being accepted by the output device in a case where the visual output form detected by said first detecting means and the visual output form detected by said second detecting means differ from each other; and

informing means for informing the client terminal that the image data outputted by the client terminal has been converted by said data converting means,

wherein said informing means informs the client terminal that the image data has been converted by said data converting means before the image data is outputted.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

a printer server; and

a file server for managing image data to be printed out on said printer server and queuing information for queuing print commands.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, the output device is a printer connected to said printer server.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said data converting means converts a color raster image, in which each color of colors R, G, B is represented by eight-bit data, to a binary bitmap raster image or a gray-scale raster image.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said data converting means converts a color raster image, in which color tone is represented by eight-bit palette data, to a color raster image, in which each color of colors R, G, B is represented by eight-bit data, a binary bitmap raster image, or a gray-scale raster image.

26. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said data converting means converts a gray-scale raster image to a binary bitmap raster image.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said first detecting means and said second detecting means detect whether the visual output form is a form of a monochrome image or a color image.

28. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said informing means informs the client terminal before the image data converted by said data converting means is output to the output device.

29. An image processing apparatus for outputting image data, outputted from a client terminal connected to a network, to an output device connected to the network, said apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting image data outputted from the client terminal;

first detecting means for detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device;

second detecting means for detecting a visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal;

discriminating means for discriminating whether the visual output form detected by said first detecting means and the visual output form detected by said second detecting means differ from each other; and

informing means for informing the client terminal, based on a discrimination result obtained by said discriminating means, that the visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal and the visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device differ from each other,

wherein said informing means informs the client terminal that the visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal differs from the visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device before the image data outputted from the client terminal is sent to the output device.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said apparatus further comprises:

a printer server; and

a file server for managing image data to be outputted to said printer server and queuing information for queuing print commands.

31. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said first detecting means and said second detecting means detect whether the visual output form is a form of a monochrome image or a color image.

32. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said informing means informs the client terminal before the image data converted by said data converting means is output to the output device.

33. An image processing method for outputting image data, outputted from a client terminal connected to a network, to an output device connected to the network, said method comprising:

an input step of inputting image data outputted from the client terminal;

a first detecting step of detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device;

a second detecting step of detecting a visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal;

a discriminating step of discriminating whether the visual output form detected in said first detecting step and the visual output form detected in said second detecting step differ from each other; and

a step of informing the client terminal that outputted the image data inputted in said input step, based on a discrimination result obtained in said discriminating step, that the visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal and the visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device differ from each other,

wherein said step of informing informs the client terminal that the visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal differs from the visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device before the image data outputted from the client terminal is sent to the output device.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said method includes a step of controlling a printer server and a file server that manages image data to be outputted to the printer server and queuing information for queuing print commands.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said first detecting step and said second detecting step detect whether the visual output form is a form of a monochrome image or a color image.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein said informing step informs the client terminal before the image data converted at said data converting step is output to the output device.

37. A computer readable storage medium storing an image processing method for controlling an image processing apparatus for outputting image data outputted from a client terminal connected to a network to an output device connected to the network, said method comprising:

an input step of inputting image data outputted from the client terminal;

a first detecting step of detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device;

a second detecting step of detecting a visual output form of image data outputted from the client terminal;

a data converting step of converting the image data outputted from the client terminal to image data of a visual output form capable of being accepted by the output device in a case where the visual output form detected in said first detecting step and the visual output form detected in said second detecting step differ from each other; and

an informing step of informing the client terminal that the image data outputted from the client terminal has been converted in said data converting step,

wherein said informing step informs the client terminal that the image data has been converted in said data converting step before the image data is outputted.

38. A computer readable storage medium for storing an image processing method for controlling an image processing apparatus for outputting image data, outputted from a client terminal connected to a network, to an output device connected to the network, said method comprising:

an input step of inputting image data outputted from the client terminal;

a first detecting step of detecting a visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device;

a second detecting step of detecting a visual output form of the image data outputted from said client terminal;

a discriminating step of discriminating whether the visual output form detected in said first detecting step and the visual output form detected in said second detecting step differ from each other; and

a step of informing the client terminal that outputted the image data inputted in said input step, based on a discrimination result obtained in said discriminating step, that the visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal and the visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device differ from each other,

wherein said step of informing informs the client terminal that the visual output form of the image data outputted from the client terminal differs from the visual output form of image data capable of being accepted by the output device before the image data outputted from the client terminal is sent to the output device.