Printing system and printing method using the printing system

• US 7,180,616 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Shinichi, Miyoshi, Takahiro, Sawada, Kenji, Iga, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamb; Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qin; Yixing
• Application Number:
  US09/769,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.16
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1213 at an intermediate node or at the final node
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1246 by handling markup languages, e.g. XSL, XML, HTML
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network

Abstract

It is an exemplified object of the present invention to provide a printing system for printing a Web page and printing method using the printing method that can initiates printing without requiring long wait after a print command is transmitted. The printing method as one exemplified embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: a computer creating a print control number and print format information of a Web page that is provided from a WWW server, wherein the computer including a WWW browser through the Web page is viewed and monitored; the computer transmitting to a printer connected to the computer print information that includes the print control number and the print format information; the printer converting data of the Web page into imaging data; the printer storing the print control number and the imaging data in a memory in the printer; and in response to a print execution command from the computer, the printer printing specific imaging data corresponding to a specific print control number, wherein the specific imaging data is specified by the print execution command among the imaging data stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A printing method comprising:

creating a print control number and print format information of a Web page at a computer, the Web page being provided from a WWW server, and the computer having a WWW browser, the Web page being viewed and monitored;

transmitting print information having the print control number and the print format information to a printer;

converting data of the Web page into imaging data at the printer;

storing the print information and the image data being connected to each other in a memory of the printer, the image data being specified by the print control number; and

printing the image data stored in the memory of the printer by executing a print command from the computer, the image data being specified by the print control number.

2. A printing method according to claim 1, wherein the print information includes an address of the Web page, and the printer accesses the Web page and obtains the data of the Web page.

3. A printing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

judging whether the data of the Web page being updated or not; and

notifying a result of the judging to a user.

4. A printing method according to claim 1, further comprising deleting the print information and the image data stored in the memory of the printer, when the WWW browser is closed.

5. A printing method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the data of the Web page when the imaging data corresponding to the print execution command is not stored in the memory.

8. A printing method according to claim 1, further comprising creating the print control number and the print format information of a file displayed on the WWW browser by an application that is designed specifically for displaying the file and installed in the computer.

9. A printing method according to claim 8, wherein application-to-application configuration as to whether to carry out a read-ahead printing is possible.

10. A printing method according to claim 8, wherein configuration as to whether to carry out a read-ahead printing may be made for each file that the application opens.

12. A printing method according to claim 1, wherein the image data to be printed is specified with the print control number from the computer or by inputting the print control number into the printer directly.

13. A printing method according to claim 1, wherein the print format information can be changed by a user before the image data is printed.

6. A computer comprising:

a memory including a WWW browser and a monitoring program; and

a control portion that is connected with the memory and operates according to the monitoring program,

wherein the monitoring program simultaneously starts operation with a launching of the WWW browser;

wherein the monitoring program monitors a Web page, and creates a print control number and print format information of the Web page; and

wherein the control portion transmits print information including the print control number and the print format information created by the monitoring program to a printer connected with the computer.

7. A printing system comprising a computer, a printer, and a network that connects the computer and the printer,

wherein the computer comprises:

a memory including a WWW browser and a monitoring program; and

a control portion that is connected with the memory and operates according to the monitoring program,

wherein the monitoring program simultaneously starts operation with a launching of the WWW browser;

wherein the monitoring program monitors a Web page, and creates a print control number and print format information of the Web page; and

wherein the control portion transmits print information including the print control number and the print format information created by the monitoring program to a printer connected with the computer, and

wherein the printer comprises;

a control portion that accesses a Web page based upon an address of the Web page that is provided from outside, obtains data, and converts the data into imaging data;

a memory that stores the imaging data; and

an image-forming portion that prints the imaging data in response to a print execution command that is provided from outside and specifies the imaging data.

11. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for printing, the function comprising:

creating a print control number and print format information of a Web page that is provided from a WWW server, wherein the computer including a WWW browser through which the Web page is viewed and monitored;

the computer transmitting to a printer connected to the computer print information that includes the print control number and the print format information;

the printer converting data of the Web page into imaging data;

the printer storing the print control number and the imaging data in a memory in the printer; and

in response to a print execution command from the computer, the printer printing specific imaging data corresponding to a specific print control number, wherein the specific imaging data is specified by the print execution command among the imaging data stored in the memory.

14. A printing method comprising:

creating a print control number and print format information of a Web page at a computer, the Web page being provided from a WWW server and the computer having a WWW browser, the Web page is viewed by a user;

monitoring the Web page;

transmitting print information having the print control number and the print format information to a printer;

previously converting data of the Web page into imaging data at the printer; and

storing the print information and the image data being connected to each other in a memory of the printer, the image data being specified by the print control number, printing the image data stored in the memory of the printer by executing a print command from the computer, the image data being specified by the print control number,

wherein a process of monitoring starts with a launching of the WWW browser.