System and method for collecting printer administration information

• US 6,240,456 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Teng, Chia-Chi, Jahromi, Babak
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLETT, STEPHAN F
• Application Number:
  US08/932,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.55, 395/200.58, 395/200.59, 395/200.6, 395/200.8, 709/225, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/250, 709/220, 709/243, 709/245, 340/825.07, 370/475, 711/200, 711/202, 710/3, 710/4, 710/9
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An implementation of a computer network which provides the ability for a network client to submit data to a network server for performing a job at a logical endpoint associated with the network server. By way of example, the data may be a print job, the job a printing operation, and the logical endpoint a printer. The logical endpoint is assigned a uniform resource locator (URL) address which allows the data to be routed thereto and the computer network communication messages are formatted into the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). A further implementation of the computer network also provides the network client with the ability to perform system administration utilizing a standard Internet browser application.

Claims

1. In a network server including a system print spooler in communication with a plurality of printers each having a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address, a method for returning printer administration information to a network client, the method comprising:

receiving from the network client a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) formatted request message including a URL address specifying one of the plurality of printers;

polling the system print spooler as a function of the URL address to gather the printer administration information of the specified one of the plurality of printers;

scripting the printer administration information into a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) template; and

submitting the HTML page template back to the network client whereby the network client may use a conventional web browser to view the printer administration information without the need for any specialized printer communication software.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of polling the printer specified by the URL address in the HTTP formatted request message to gather some of the printer administration information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the HTML page template comprises a hot link to another HTML page template resident on the network server.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the HTML page template comprises a hot link to another network server.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the HTML page template comprises activatable icons which may be used to submit printer command messages back to the network server.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the HTML page template comprises activatable menus which may be used to submit printer command messages back to the network server.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the HTML page template comprises writable fields which may be used to submit printer command messages back to the network server.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of using a Dynamic-Link Library (DLL) to format the polling request.

9. A computer-readable medium having instructions for returning printer administration information to a network client from a network server including a system print spooler in communication with a plurality of printers each having a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address, the instructions performing the steps of:

receiving from the network client a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) formatted request message including a URL address specifying one of the plurality of printers;

polling the system print spooler as a function of the URL address to gather the printer administration information of the specified one of the plurality of printers;

scripting the printer administration information into a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) template; and

submitting the HTML page template back to the network client whereby the network client may use a conventional web browser to view the printer administration information without the need for any specialized printer communication software.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, which performs in the network server the further step of using a Dynamic-Link Library (DLL) to format the polling request.

11. In a computer network comprising a network client in communication with a network server having a system print spooler in communication with a plurality of printers each having a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address, a method for performing system printer administration comprising:

using a standard Internet browser in the network client to forward to the network server a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) formatted request message having a URL address specifying one of the plurality of printers;

receiving at the network server the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) formatted message;

polling the system print spooler as a function of the URL address in the HTTP formatted request message to gather the printer administration information of the specified printer;

scripting the printer administration information into a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page template;

submitting the HTML page information back to the network client;

causing the Internet browser to display the HTML page whereby the printer administration information is displayed without the need for any specialized printer communication software.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the HTML page template comprises a hot link which the network client may use to perform the further step of supplying a new HTTP formatted request message to the network server to retrieve different printer administration information.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the HTML page template comprises a hot link which the network client may use to perform the further step of linking to another network server.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the HTML page template comprises activatable icons for use in submitting printer command messages back to the network server to control the system spooler.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the HTML page template comprises activatable menus for use in submitting printer command messages back to the network server to control the system spooler.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the HTML page template comprises writable fields for use in submitting printer command messages back to the network server to control the system spooler.