Network printer and network printing method

• US 6,362,894 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shima, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WALLERSON, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US09/199,392
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.12, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.1, 358/1.5, 707/3, 707/5, 707/101, 707/501, 707/512, 707/513, 707/523, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A process for directly accessing a network and receiving and printing only required information of information resources. When information resources (a Web page) specified by a host computer are accessed, the configuration is analyzed based upon an HTML source code and the format of information constituting the Web page is checked. If the format is a format in which receiving is allowed, the information is received and added to the layout of printing. The information is checked for any information constituting the information resources indicating whether receiving is allowed or not. Hereby, required information can be individually received from the information resources, useless data can be prevented from being transferred and the required information can be promptly printed.

Claims

1. A network printer for receiving and printing information resources on a network, comprising:

configuration analyzing means, disposed in said network printer, for actively accessing specified information resources via said network and analyzing the configuration of said information resources;

acquired range setting means, disposed in said network printer, for setting the information acquired range of said information resources based upon said configuration;

receive control means, disposed in said network printer, for receiving predetermined information from said information resources based upon said information acquired range; and

printing control means, disposed in said network printer, for controlling printing means based upon said predetermined information received from said information resources and for instructing the printing means to print.

2. A network printer according to claim 1, wherein:

said acquired range setting means sets said information acquired range based upon the format of said information resources.

3. A network printer according to claim 1, wherein:

storage means for storing received information is further provided; and

said acquired range setting means sets said information acquired range based upon the format of said information resources and the contents stored by said storage means.

4. A network printer according to claim 1, wherein:

said acquired range setting means sets said information acquired range based upon the format of said information resources and attribute information.

5. A network printer according to claim 1, wherein:

said acquired range setting means sets said information acquired range based upon the format of said information resources and the communication state of said network.

6. A network printer according to claim 3, wherein said storage means further includes a storage subsection.

7. A network printer according to claim 3, wherein said receive control means does not receive said predetermined information if said predetermined information is stored in said storage means.

19. The network printer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an interface circuit that receives specifying information that identifies said information resources from an external source and supplies said specifying information to said configuration analyzing means.

20. The network printer as claimed in claim 19, wherein said external source is a host computer.

21. The network printer as claimed in claim 19, wherein said external source is an external memory.

8. A network printing method for receiving and printing information resources on a network, comprising:

a step for specifying an information resource;

a step for accessing said specified information resource via said network and acquiring the configuration information of said information resource, wherein said specified information resource is accessed via a network printer connected to said network and said configuration information of said information resource is determined by said network printer;

a step for analyzing the configuration of said information resource via said network printer based upon said configuration information;

a step for setting the information acquired range of said information resource via said network printer based upon said analyzed configuration;

a step for receiving information from said information resource via said network printer based upon said information acquired range; and

a step for printing via said network printer based upon said information received from said information resource.

9. A network printing method according to claim 8, wherein:

said setting step sets said information acquired range based upon the format of said information resource.

10. A network printing method according to claim 8, wherein:

a step for storing said received information is further provided; and

in said setting step, said information acquired range is set based upon the format of said information resource and the contents of said received information that has been stored.

11. A network printing method according to claim 8, wherein:

in said setting step, said information acquired range is set based upon the format of said information resource and attribute information.

12. A network printing method according to claim 8, wherein:

in said setting step, said information acquired range is set based upon the format of said information resource and a communication state of said network.

13. A network printing method according to claim 8, wherein if said information is stored in a storage subsection, said receiving step is not performed and said information is read from said storage subsection.

22. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said specifying step comprises:

specifying identifying information that identifies said information resources via an external source that is external to said network printer; and

supplying said identifying information from said external source to said network printer.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said external source is a host computer.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said external source is an external memory.

14. A computer-readable medium on which a printing control program for receiving and printing information resources on a network is recorded, said program comprising;

configuration analyzing means for instructing a network printer to access specified information resources via said network and analyze the configuration of said information resources;

information acquisition managing means for instructing said network printer to decide whether information is to be acquired or not;

acquired range setting means for instructing said network printer to set the information acquired range of said information resources by referring to said information acquisition managing means and said configuration;

receive control means for instructing said network printer to receive predetermined information from said information resources based upon said information acquired range; and

printing control means for controlling printing means within said network printer based upon said predetermined information received from said information resources and for instructing the printing means to print.

15. A computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 14, wherein said information acquisition managing means decides whether information is to be acquired or not based on the degree of communication congestion.

16. A computer readable-medium as set forth in claim 14, wherein said information acquisition managing means decides whether information is to be acquired or not based upon the amount of advertising information contained in said information resources.

17. A computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 14, wherein said information acquisition managing means decides whether information is to be acquired or not based upon whether said information resources are linked to another information resource different than said specified information resource.

25. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 14, further comprising software to instruct said network printer to receive identifying information from an external source, wherein said identifying information identifies said information resources.

26. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein said external source is a host computer.

27. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein said external source is an external memory.

18. A network printer for receiving and printing information resources on a network, comprising:

configuration analyzing subsection, disposed in said network printer, for actively accessing specified information resources via said network and analyzing the configuration of said information resources;

acquired range setting subsections, disposed in said network printer, for setting the information acquired range of said information resources based upon said configuration;

receive control unit, disposed in said network printer, for receiving predetermined information from said information resources based upon said information acquired range; and

printing control section, disposed in said network printer, for controlling printing means based upon said predetermined information received from said information resources and for instructing the printing means to print.

28. The network printer as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

an interface circuit that receives specifying information that identifies said information resources from an external source and supplies said specifying information to said configuration analyzing subsection.

29. The network printer as claimed in claim 28, wherein said external source is a host computer.

30. The network printer as claimed in claim 28, wherein said external source is an external memory.

31. A network printer coupled to a network, comprising:

an interface circuit that is disposed in said network printer and receives identifying information identifying network information from an external electronic device;

a controller that is disposed in said network printer and that receives said identifying information from said interface circuit; and

a memory that stores printable information data that identifies types of information to be printed by said network printer,

wherein said controller determines types of information contained in said network information,

wherein said controller determines requested portions of said network information to be printed by said network information based on said printable information data and said types of information contained in said network information, and

wherein said controller generates a command requesting only said requested portions of said network information to be supplied to said network printer via said network.

32. The network printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein said printable information data identifies data formats to be printed by said network printer.

33. The network printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein said printable information data identifies whether or not graphics data and text data are to be printed by said network printer.

34. The network printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein said printable information data identifies whether or not advertisement data is to be printed by said network printer.

35. The network printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein said printable information data is stored in a management table in said memory and wherein said memory is disposed in said network printer.

44. The network printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein said external electronic device is a host computer.

45. The network printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein said external electronic device is an external memory.

36. The network printer as claimed 31, wherein said memory stores a downloaded portion of network information that has previously been supplied to said network printer via said network, and

wherein said controller determines said requested portions of said network information to be printed based on said printable information data and said downloaded portion of network information stored in said memory.

37. The network printer as claimed in claim 36, wherein said controller determines that said requested portions exclude a portion of said network information that corresponds to said types of information identified by said printable information data but that corresponds to said downloaded portion stored in said memory.

38. The network printer as claimed 31, wherein said controller determines said requested portions of said network information to be printed based on said printable information data and an attribute information of an evaluated portion of said network information.

39. The network printer as claimed in claim 38, wherein said attribute information comprises information regarding whether or not said evaluated portion of said network information corresponds to an advertisement.

40. The network printer as claimed in claim 38, wherein said attribute information comprises information regarding a data quantity of said evaluated portion.

41. The network printer as claimed in claim 40, wherein said controller determines that said evaluated portion is one of said requested portions when said data quantity is less than a predetermined quantity.

42. The network printer as claimed in claim 40, wherein said controller determines that said evaluated portion is not one of said requested portions when said data quantity is greater than a predetermined quantity.

43. The network printer as claimed in claim 40, wherein said controller determines that said evaluated portion is one of said requested portions when said data quantity is less than a first predetermined quantity and when a low amount of network congestion exists,

wherein said controller determines that said evaluated portion is not one of said requested portions when said data quantity is greater than said first predetermined quantity and when said low amount of network congestion exists,

wherein said controller determines that said evaluated portion is one of said requested portions when said data quantity is less than a second predetermined quantity and when a high amount of network congestion exists,

wherein said second predetermined quantity is less than said first predetermined quantity, and

wherein said controller determines that said evaluated portion is not one of said requested portions when said data quantity is greater than said second predetermined quantity and when said high amount of network congestion exists.

46. A computer-readable medium containing software instructions to instruct a controller of a network printer to perform the following operations:

receiving identifying information identifying network information, wherein said identifying information is supplied from an external electronic device to said network printer;

determining, via said controller in said network printer, types of information contained in said network information;

determining, via said controller in said network printer, requested portions of said network information to be printed by said network information based on printable information data that identifies types of information to be printed by said network printer and said types of information contained in said network information;

generating a command requesting only said requested portions of said network information to be supplied to said network printer via said network.

47. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 46, wherein said printable information data identifies data formats to be printed by said network printer.

48. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 46, wherein said printable information data identifies whether or not graphics data and text data are to be printed by said network printer.

49. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 46, wherein said printable information data identifies whether or not advertisement data is to be printed by said network printer.

50. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 46, wherein said printable information data is stored in a management table in a memory and wherein said memory is disposed in said network printer.

59. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 46, wherein said external electronic device is a host computer.

60. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 46, wherein said external electronic device is an external memory.

51. The computer-readable medium as claimed 46, wherein said memory stores a downloaded portion of network information that has previously been supplied to said network printer via said network, and

wherein said software instructions instruct said controller to determine said requested portions of said network information to be printed based on said printable information data and said downloaded portion of network information stored in said memory.

52. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 51, wherein said software instructions instruct said controller to determine that said requested portions exclude a portion of said network information that corresponds to said types of information identified by said printable information data but that corresponds to said downloaded portion stored in said memory.

53. The computer-readable medium as claimed 46, wherein said software instructions instruct said controller to determine said requested portions of said network information to be printed based on said printable information data and an attribute information of an evaluated portion of said network information.

54. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 53, wherein said attribute information comprises information regarding whether or not said evaluated portion of said network information corresponds to an advertisement.

55. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 53, wherein said attribute information comprises information regarding a data quantity of said evaluated portion.

56. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 55, wherein said software instructions instruct said controller to determine that said evaluated portion is one of said requested portions when said data quantity is less than a predetermined quantity.

57. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 55, wherein said software instructions instruct said controller to determine that said evaluated portion is not one of said requested portions when said data quantity is greater than a predetermined quantity.

58. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 55, wherein software instruction instruct said controller to perform a routine of:

determining that said evaluated portion is one of said requested portions when said data quantity is less than a first predetermined quantity and when a low amount of network congestion exists,

determining that said evaluated portion is not one of said requested portions when said data quantity is greater than said first predetermined quantity and when said low amount of network congestion exists,

determining that said evaluated portion is one of said requested portions when said data quantity is less than a second predetermined quantity and when a high amount of network congestion exists,

wherein said second predetermined quantity is less than said first predetermined quantity, and

determining that said evaluated portion is not one of said requested portions when said data quantity is greater than said second predetermined quantity and when said high amount of network congestion exists.