Printing system for carrying out energy conservation operation

• US 6,807,907 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Deb, Anjan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAI AN D
• Application Number:
  US10/097,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 101/484, 101/483, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/413, 358/1.9, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 101/484
• 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

Abstract

A printer 100 sends status information, ID information and the like to a network device 200 before entering an energy conservation mode in which it is unable to communicate with external devices, so that the network device 200 will respond to a status information request on its behalf. Where a PC 300 requests status information from the printer 100, the network device 200 in which substitute response setting was put in effect responds with the printer 100 status information on behalf of the printer 100. By receiving the status response from the network device 200, the PC 300 can verify that the printer is connected to the network 400. The PC 300 can also send a release order that releases the printer 100 from the energy conservation state so that it can initiate printing.

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

a receiver that receives data from a first device over a network;

a controller that alternates a state of the printer between a first state in which the printer is able to respond to data received by the receiver and a second state in which the printer is not able to respond to the data, and that outputs a substitute response request signal to a second device over the network so that the second device may respond to the data, which is sent from the first device to the printer when the printer is in the second state.

2. The printer according to claim 1,

wherein the receiver receives the data that includes a request for information regarding the status of the printer.

3. The printer according to claim 2,

wherein the controller outputs the substitute response request signal that includes printer identification information and status information.

4. The printer according to claim 1,

wherein the controller switches the state of the printer from the second state to the first state in accordance with the data that includes a control signal received by the receiver from the first device.

5. The printer according to claim 4,

wherein the controller outputs, to the second device, in which a substitute response is set, via the substitute request signal that orders a substitute response to a status request sent from the first device, a release request signal that cancels the substitute response, when a state of the printer is switched from the second state to the first state by the controller.

6. The printer according to claim 1,

further comprising a power supply unit that supplies power to the controller, and when main power supply to the power supply unit is terminated while the printer is in the second state, before the main power supply is terminated, the controller outputs a release request signal that cancels the substitute response to the second device in which substitution is set based on the substitute request signal sent over the network.

7. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a monitor that monitors a request for status information, which request is sent from an external device to a printer;

a receiver that receives data from the printer over a network, wherein the data includes a substitute response request signal printer identification information and printer status information, wherein the substitute response request signal orders a substitute response be sent to the external device in response to the request for status information; and

a controller that sends to the external device a response containing status information instead of the printer according to the request for status information after the receiver receives the substitute response request signal.

8. The data processor according to claim 7,

wherein when a release request signal that cancels the substitute response is received by the receiver from the printer, the controller cancels the setting that enables the substitute response to the external device.

9. The data processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein if the controller, based on status information received from the printer over a network, determines that the printer is in a state in which the printer is not able respond, the controller outputs to the printer a release request signal that cancels the state and enables the printer to respond.

10. A printing system comprising a printer and a data processing apparatus,

the printer including a receiver that receives a request for status information from an external device over a network;

a controller that switches a state of the printer between a first state in which the printer is able to respond to the request for status information received by the receiver and a second state in which the printer is not able to respond to the request for status information, and that outputs a substitute response request signal to the data processing apparatus over the network so that the data processing apparatus may respond to the request for status information, which is sent to the printer from the external device when the printer is in the second state; and

the data processing apparatus including a monitor that monitors the request for status information, which is sent from the external device to the printer;

a receiver that receives data from the printer over the network, wherein the data includes the substitute response request signal, printer identification information and printer status information; and

a controller that sends to the external device a substitute response containing the printer status information instead of the printer according to the request for status information, after the receiver of the data processing apparatus receives the substitute response request signal.

11. A printer control method comprising:

switching a state of the printer between a first state in which the printer is able to respond to data received from an external device over a network and a second state in which the printer is not able to respond to the data from the external device; and

outputting a substitute response request signal to a data processing apparatus over the network so that the data processing apparatus may respond to the data, which is sent from the external device to the printer, when the state of the printer is in the second state.

12. A data processing method of a data processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving data, from a printer over a network, the data includes a substitute response request signal that orders a substitute response be sent to a device in response to a request for status information that was sent to the printer by the device, the data also includes printer identification information and printer status information;

monitoring the request for status information, which is sent from the device to the printer; and

sending a substitute response to the device in response to monitoring the request for status information after receiving the substitute response request signal, wherein the substitute response contains the status information.

13. A printing system comprising a printer, data processing apparatus and an external device,

the printer including a receiver that receives data from an external device over a network;

a controller that switches a state of the printer between a first state in which the printer is able to respond to a request for status information received by the receiver and a second state in which the printer is not able to respond to the request for status information, and that outputs a substitute response request signal to the data processing apparatus over the network so that the data processing apparatus may respond to the request for status information, which is sent from the external device to the printer, when the printer is in the second state;

the data processing apparatus including a monitor that monitors the request for status information, which is sent from the external device to the printer;

a receiver that receives data from the printer over the network, wherein the data includes a substitute response request signal, printer identification information and printer status information; and

a controller that sends to the external device a substitute response containing the printer status information instead of the printer according to the request for status information, after the receiver of the data processing apparatus receives the substitute response request signal; and

the external device including a controller that sends to the printer a packet for changing the state of the printer to the first state from the second state when the external device receives the substitute response from the data processing apparatus.

14. A software program for a computer of a printer to execute the following steps:

receiving data from a first device over a network;

switching a state of the printer between a first state in which the printer is able to respond to data received from the first device and a second state in which the printer is not able to respond to the data; and

outputting a substitute response request signal to a second device over the network so that the second device may respond to the data, which is sent from the first device to the printer when the state of the printer is in the second state.

15. The software program according to claim 14,

wherein the data from the first device includes a printer status request.

16. The software program according to claim 15,

wherein the substitute response request signal includes a printer identification information and a status information of the printer.

17. The software program according to claim 14,

wherein the state of the printer is switched from the second state to the first state in accordance with the data that includes a control signal and that is received from the first.

18. The software program according to claim 17,

wherein when the state of the printer is switched from the second state to the first state, a release request signal is output to the second device to which the substitute response request signal is sent.

19. The software program according to claim 14,

wherein when power supply is terminated while the printer is in the second state, before the power supply is ordered to be terminated, a release request signal that cancels the substitute response to the data is output to the second device over the network.

20. A recording medium on which the printing software program according to claim 14 is recorded.

21. A data processing software program to cause a computer to execute the following steps:

receiving from a printer over a network, data that includes a substitute response request signal that orders the computer to make a substitute response to a request for status information of the printer, printer identification information and printer status information;

monitoring the request for status information, which is sent from a device to the printer; and

sending a printer status to the device, when the request for status information is monitored after receiving the substitute response request signal.

22. The data processing software program according to claim 21,

wherein when a release request signal that cancels the substitute response is received from the printer, the substitute response is cancelled.

23. A recording medium on which the data processing software program according to claim 21 is recorded.