Method of controlling printer information in a network environment

• US 6,266,693 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Onaga, Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/143,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/250, 395/101, 395/500.42
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network

Abstract

A data processing system for printing print jobs originating from workstations on a computer network, for copying copy jobs and for scanning scan jobs to the workstations using an intelligent peripheral device. Status information about the intelligent peripheral device, and setting changes for the intelligent peripheral device, are communicated from network workstations to the intelligent peripheral device via a file server. The processing load of the intelligent peripheral device is thereby reduced. The file server also provides a gate keeper function, limiting the status information and setting changes available to users according to their class: end user, workgroup administrator, network administrator or technician.

Claims

1. A method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server, the method comprising:

(a) the intelligent peripheral device determining operating conditions of plural predetermined aspects of the intelligent peripheral device;

(b) the intelligent peripheral device deriving status information regarding the operating conditions of the intelligent peripheral device;

(c) the intelligent peripheral device updating a first rewritable data storage device with the status information;

(d) the file server generating a first signal to the intelligent peripheral device to request that the intelligent peripheral device transmit the status information to the file server;

(e) the intelligent peripheral device reading the status information from a first data storage device;

(f) the intelligent peripheral device transmitting the status information to the file server;

(g) the file server receiving the status information from the intelligent peripheral device;

(h) the file server storing the status information in a second rewritable storage device;

(i) the workstation generating a second signal to the file server to request that the file server transmit the status information to the workstation;

(j) the file server reading the status information from the second data storage device;

(k) the file server transmitting the status information to the workstation;

(l) the workstation receiving the status information from the file server;

(m) the workstation storing the status information in a third rewritable data storage device;

(n) the workstation displaying on the display the status information from the third rewritable storage device;

(o) the workstation displaying on the display intelligent peripheral device settings available for change by the user;

(p) the workstation providing a user interface to the user through which the user inputs at least one intelligent peripheral device setting which the user desires to be changed a the setting information;

(q) the workstation storing the setting information in the third rewritable storage device;

(r) the workstation generating a third signal to the file server to request that the file server accept the setting information from the workstation;

(s) the file server generating a fourth signal to the workstation to request that the workstation transmit the setting information to the file server;

(t) the workstation reading the setting information from the third data storage device;

(u) the workstation transmitting the setting information to the file server;

(v) the file server receiving the setting information from the workstation;

(w) the file server storing the setting information in the second rewritable non-volatile data storage device;

(x) the file server generating a fifth signal to the intelligent peripheral device to request that the intelligent peripheral device accept the setting information from the file server;

(y) the intelligent peripheral device generating a sixth signal to the file server to request that the file server transmit the setting information to the intelligent peripheral device;

(z) the file server reading the status information from the third data storage device;

(aa) the file server transmitting the status information to the workstation;

(bb) the intelligent peripheral device receiving the setting information from the file server;

(cc) the intelligent peripheral device storing the setting information;

(dd) the intelligent peripheral device modifying its operation in accordance with the setting information.

2. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) the file server storing a permissions table of user types and permissions associated with each user type, the user types comprising technician, standard user and network administrator, the permissions comprising;

(i) for technicians, access to all status information and changes to all setting information;

(ii) for standard users, access to status information and changes to setting information;

(iii) for network administrators, access to all status information and changes to setting information;

(b) the workstation receiving from the user an input determinative of the user'"'"'s user type;

(c) the workstation communicating the user type of the user to the file server.

3. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 2, wherein the workstation communicates the user'"'"'s user type to the file server prior to the file server transmitting the status information to the workstation, and the file server limiting the status information transmitted to the workstation in accordance with the user type.

4. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 2, wherein the workstation communicates the user'"'"'s user type to the file server prior to the file server transmitting the setting information to the intelligent peripheral device, and the file server limiting the setting information transmitted to the intelligent peripheral device in accordance with the user type.

5. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 2, the user types further comprising workgroup administrators and the permissions for workgroup administrators comprising access to status information and changes to setting information.

6. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the step of the file server generating the first signal to the intelligent peripheral device to request that the intelligent peripheral device transmit the status information to the file server is performed periodically according to predetermined timing.

7. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the step of the file server generating the first signal to the intelligent peripheral device to request that the intelligent peripheral device transmit the status information to the file server is performed in response to the workstation, at a prior time, generating the second signal to the file server to request that the file server transmit the status information to the workstation.

8. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, the fourth signal, the fifth signal and the sixth signal comprise data signals carried on electronic communications media.

9. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the setting information includes any of the items in Table 2.

10. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the status information includes any of the items in Table 1.

11. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, the intelligent peripheral device comprising a multifunction peripheral comprising the first rewritable storage device, and a host comprising a fourth rewritable storage device, wherein

(a) steps (a) through (g) of claim 1 comprise:

the multifunction peripheral determining operating conditions of plural predetermined aspects of the multifunction peripheral;

the multifunction peripheral deriving the status information regarding the operating conditions of the multifunction peripheral;

the multifunction peripheral updating the first data storage device with the status information;

the host generating a seventh signal to the multifunction peripheral to request that the multifunction peripheral transmit the status information to the host;

the multifunction peripheral reading the status information from the first data storage device;

the multifunction peripheral transmitting the status information to the host;

the host receiving the status information from the multifunction peripheral;

the host storing the status information in the fourth data storage device;

the file server generating the first signal to the host to request that the host transmit the status information to the file server;

the host reading the status information from the fourth data storage device;

the host transmitting the status information to the file server;

(b) steps (x) through (dd) of claim 1 comprise;

the file server generating the fifth signal to the host to request that the host accept the setting information from the file server;

the host generating the sixth signal to the file server to request that the file server transmit the setting information to the host;

the host receiving the setting information from the file server;

the host storing the setting information in the fourth data storage device;

the Multifunction peripheral generating a seventh signal to the host to request that the host transmit the setting information to the multifunction peripheral;

the multifunction peripheral receiving the setting information from the host;

the multifunction peripheral modifying its operation in accordance with the setting information.

12. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1,

the host generating a seventh signal to the multifunction peripheral to request that the multifunction peripheral accept the setting information from the host;

the multifunction peripheral generating an eighth signal to the host to request that the host transmit the setting information to the multifunction peripheral;

the host reading the setting information from the fourth data storage device,

the host transmitting the setting information to the multifunction peripheral;

the multifunction peripheral receiving the setting information from the host,

the multifunction peripheral storing the setting information in the multifunction peripheral,

the multifunction peripheral modifying its operation in accordance with the setting information.

13. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the step of the host generating the seventh signal to the multifunction peripheral to request that the multifunction peripheral transmit the status information to the host is performed periodically according to a predetermined timing rule.

14. The method of allowing a user at a workstation to control settings of an intelligent peripheral device under control of a file server of claim 1, wherein the step of the host generating the seventh signal to the multifunction peripheral to request that the multifunction peripheral transmit the status information to the host is performed in response to:

the workstation, at a prior time, generating the second signal to the file server to request that the file server transmit the status information to the workstation, and

the file server generating the first signal to the host to request that the host transmit the status information to the file server.