Method and apparatus for configuring the physical setup of multiple printers on a network

• US 6,112,256 A
• Filed: 02/08/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Wedinger, Jeffrey Keith, Goffinet, Kevin Patrick, Songer, Gail Marie, Young, Lloyd Phillip, Webb, James Francis, Rafferty, Francis Darrell Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US09/246,827
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8-14, 710/104, 713/1-100, 709/220-222
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1297 Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0002 Handling the output data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A networked system having a host computer and multiple printers with bi-directional communications capabilities is provided in which the setup (configuration) of one printer can be easily communicated to another printer, using NPAP messages. The host computer can be used by a Network Administrator to "read" the setup or configuration information inside each of the printers connected to the network that have the required NPAP bi-directional communications capability. This setup information, once communicated to the host computer, can be stored in a long-term memory, such as a hard disk drive, for future reference. The setup information can also be communicated to one or more printers connected to the network, and such printers can be configured by the setup information in which that information is used either as their initial setup information, or as a modified setup. The Network Administrator can use a single command that specifies precisely which printers are to receive that setup information, and all specified printers will automatically be reconfigured with the new setup.

Claims

1. A method for configuring the physical setup of a plurality of printers from a host computer by way of a network, said method comprising:

(a) creating a data set at a host computer, said data set containing information to physically configure a printer;

(b) transmitting, using a single command operation entered at said host computer by a user, said data set by way of a communications port on said host computer to a network; and

(c) receiving said data set from said network by way of a communications port of each of a plurality of printers, then, without maintaining a dialog between any of said plurality of printers and said host computer which would otherwise allow the host computer to inspect the existing configuration of said plurality of printers, automatically physically configuring each of said plurality of printers with information contained in said data set, thereby physically configuring each of said plurality of printers to an identical operational setup.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving said data set at each of said plurality of printers further includes NPAP processing by a Network Printing Alliance Protocol processing circuit capable of receiving and transmitting information that conforms to the Network Printing Alliance Protocol.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of automatically configuring each of said plurality of printers includes the use of an Options Manager to control the reading from and writing to operations of a non-volatile random access memory within each said printers, said non-volatile random access memory containing setup information that configures each said printers, based upon said data set.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating a data set at said host computer further comprises storing a data file on a hard disk drive.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving said data set at each of said plurality of printers includes data size validation.

6. A method for configuring the physical setup of a plurality of printers from a host computer by way of a network, said method comprising:

(a) creating a data set at a host computer, said data set containing information to physically configure a printer;

(b) transmitting said data set, using a single command operation entered at said host computer by a user and without maintaining a dialog between any of said plurality of printers and said host computer which would otherwise allow the user at said host computer to inspect the existing configuration of any of said plurality of printers, by way of a communications port on said host computer to a network; and

(c) receiving said data set from said network by way of a communications port of each of a plurality of printers, and automatically configuring the physical setup of each of said plurality of printers with information contained in said data set, thereby causing each of said plurality of printers to physically operate with an identical operational setup, without reference to any printer driver file residing on said host computer.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of receiving said data set at each of said plurality of printers further includes NPAP processing by a Network Printing Alliance Protocol processing circuit capable of receiving and transmitting information that conforms to the Network Printing Alliance Protocol.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of automatically configuring each of said plurality of printers includes the use of an Options Manager to control the reading from and writing to operations of a non-volatile random access memory within each said printers, said non-volatile random access memory containing setup information that configures each said printers, based upon said data set.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of creating a data set at said host computer further comprises storing a data file on a hard disk drive.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of receiving said data set at each of said plurality of printers includes data size validation.

11. A networked printing system having a host computer and a plurality of printers, said networked printing system comprising:

(a) a host computer having a first memory circuit for storage of data, a first communications port that is effectively connected to at least one external device by way of a network, and a first processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said first memory circuit and said first communications port, said first processing circuit also being configured to create a data set at a host computer and to, in conjunction with said first communications port, transmit said data set from said host computer to said network without maintaining a dialog between said host computer and said at least one external device connected to said network that would otherwise allow said user to inspect an existing configuration of said at least one external device, said data set containing information used for physically configuring a printer; and

(b) a plurality of printers, each of said printers having a second memory circuit for storage of data, a second communications port that is effectively connected to at least one external device by way of said network, and a second processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said second memory circuit and said second communications port, said second processing circuit being further configured to, in conjunction with second communications port, receive said data set from said network and to use information contained in said data set to automatically configure the physical setup of each of said plurality of printers, thereby causing each of said plurality of printers to physically operate with an identical operational setup, without reference to any printer driver file residing on said host computer.

12. The printing system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a Network Printing Alliance Protocol processing circuit capable of receiving and transmitting information that conforms to the Network Printing Alliance Protocol.

13. The printing system as recited in claim 11, further comprising an Options Manager to control the reading from and writing to operations of a non-volatile random access memory within each said printers, said non-volatile random access memory containing setup information that configures each said printers, based upon said data set.

14. The printing system as recited in claim 11, wherein said first processing circuit is further configured to store a data file on a hard disk drive.

15. The printing system as recited in claim 11, wherein said second processing circuit is also configured to perform data size validation.