Data communication apparatus, image server, control method, storage medium, and image system

• US 6,628,417 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Toshiyuki, Naito, Kikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Arthur G.
• Application Number:
  US09/431,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.15, 358/1.2, 358/1.16, 358/1.18, 358/402, 358/403, 358/449, 358/450, 358/451, 358/453, 707/10, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/515, 707/516, 707/530
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/124 Parallel printing or parallel ripping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

This invention provides a service which allows the user of the client apparatus that submits a print request to preview an image to be printed, and can reduce the information volume with the client apparatus to achieve quick response, and prints a high-quality image with the requested size. For this purpose, a center server (102) on the network stores and manages display image data, and transfers requested display image data upon receiving a request from a client computer. Upon receiving a request including a print size from the client computer, the center server sends the print size and information that specifies an image to an image server which saves high-resolution images. Upon receiving the information, the image server processes high-resolution image data to have the designated size, and sends back the processed image data to the center server. The center server sends the received image data to a print server to make it print the data.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus which serves as a server connected to a predetermined network, comprising:

image saving means for saving first image data for display, and second image data having a higher resolution than the first image data;

transmission means for sending the first image data to a client via the network in accordance with a request from the client on the network;

reception means for receiving a print request including a print size from the client via the network;

calculation means for calculating a size of print image data, which is to be generated from the second image data corresponding to the first image data, on the basis of the print size included in the print request, when the print request is received;

processing means for processing the second image data to obtain print image data in accordance with the size calculated by said calculation means; and

output means for outputting the print image data obtained by said processing means to predetermined print means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein another print server connected to the network has the print means, and said output means outputs the print image data to the print server.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein another image server connected to the network has said image saving means for the second image data, said calculation means, and said processing means, and

said output means includes means for receiving the print image data processed by the image server, and outputs the received print image data to the print means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the print request from the client refers to an identical print image a plurality of times, a transmission request of print image data having a maximum size of the print images is sent to the image server.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image server has means for saving a plurality of images having different numbers of pixels, and when the print image is generated, an image having the smallest number of pixels which is larger than the number of pixels of the requested image size is retrieved and the print image is generated based on the retrieved image.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculation means calculates the size of the print image data also with reference to output characteristic information of the print means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising correction means for correcting the size of the print image data, which is calculated by said calculation means, in accordance with a size of the second image data, when the size of the print image data calculated by said calculation means is larger than the size of the second image data based on which the print image data is to be generated.

8. A method of controlling a data communication apparatus which serves as a server connected to a predetermined network, comprising:

the step of saving first image data for display, and second image data having a higher resolution than the first image data in image saving means;

the transmission step of sending the first image data to a client via the network in accordance with a request from the client on the network;

the reception step of receiving a print request including a print size from the client via the network;

the calculation step of calculating a size of print image data, which is to be generated from the second image data corresponding to the first image data, on the basis of the print size included in the print request, when the print request is received;

the processing step of processing the second image data to obtain print image data in accordance with the size calculated in the calculation step; and

the output step of outputting the print image data obtained in the processing step to predetermined print means.

9. A storage medium storing a program code that makes a computer, which loads and executes the program code, serve as a server connected to a predetermined network, said medium storing program codes making the computer function as:

image saving means for saving first image data for display, and second image data having a higher resolution than the first image data;

transmission means for sending the first image data to a client via the network in accordance with a request from the client on the network;

reception means for receiving a print request including a print size from the client via the network;

calculation means for calculating a size of print image data, which is to be generated from the second image data corresponding to the first image data, on the basis of the print size included in the print request, when the print request is received;

processing means for processing the second image data to obtain print image data in accordance with the size calculated by said calculation means; and

output means for outputting the print image data obtained by said processing means to predetermined print means.

10. An image server which saves high-resolution image data, generates print image data based on the stored image data in accordance with a request from a main server on a network, and sends the print image data to the main server, comprising:

reception means for receiving from the main server information which pertains to request information including a print size requested by a client on the network;

processing means for retrieving image data to be printed from a predetermined storage device on the basis of the received information, and processing the retrieved image data to have the requested size; and

transfer means for transferring print image data obtained by said processing means to the main server.

11. A method of controlling an image server which saves high-resolution image data, generates print image data based on the stored image data in accordance with a request from a main server on a network, and sends the print image data to the main server, comprising:

the reception step of receiving from the main server information which pertains to request information including a print size requested by a client on the network;

the processing step of retrieving image data to be printed from a predetermined storage device on the basis of the received information, and processing the retrieved image data to have the requested size; and

the transfer step of transferring print image data obtained in the processing step to the main server.

12. A storage medium storing a program code that makes a computer, which loads and executes the program code, serve as an image server which saves high-resolution image data, generates print image data based on the stored image data in accordance with a request from a main server on a network, and sends the print image data to the main server, said medium storing program codes making the computer function as:

reception means for receiving from the main server information which pertains to request information including a print size requested by a client on the network;

processing means for retrieving image data to be printed from a predetermined storage device on the basis of the received information, and processing the retrieved image data to have the requested size; and

transfer means for transferring print image data obtained by said processing means to the main server.

13. A system which is built by a center server connected to a network, an image server for storing high-resolution image data, and a print server for printing an image using print means, and prints an image using the center, image, and print servers in accordance with a request from a client on the network,

the center server comprising:

saving means for saving display image data having a lower resolution than the image data stored in the image server,

means for transferring display image data requested from the client to the client,

means for receiving a print request including a print size from the client,

means for informing the image server to generate print image data having a print size on the basis of the received print request, and

means for receiving print image data sent from the image server, and sending the received print image data to the print server to print;

the image server comprising;

means for retrieving image data requested from the center server from predetermined storage means, and generating print image data having the number of pixels which matches the requested print size, and

means for sending the generated print image data to the center server; and

said print server comprising;

print means for printing on the basis of the print image data sent from the center server.