Printing system for grouping printing apparatuses

• US 7,593,123 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Sugahara, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Douglas Q
• Application Number:
  US11/345,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20060126115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.13, 358/1.1
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1213 at an intermediate node or at the final node
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1261 by using alternate printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1821 Sending feedback on the reception process to the data source, e.g. indication of full buffer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1859 involving data processing distributed amongst different data processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/186 taking account of feedback from an output condition, e.g. available inks, time constraints
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0085 Error recovery

Abstract

In order to carry out a printing operation without waiting for a while in the case in which a printing device receiving printing job data cannot execute the printing operation for some reason, a plurality of printing devices (100) which are network-connected are formed into groups based on a processable language and one of the printing devices belonging to the same language group is caused to act as a managing printing device. The managing printing device receives a status signal from all the printing devices belonging to the same language group, and distributes the printing job data transmitted from the printing device to the other printing devices belonging to the same language group when any of the printing devices cannot carry out the printing operation. In this case, one printing device for supporting a plurality of languages can be set as a managing printing device which is common to each group.

Claims

1. A printing system comprising:

at least one information processing apparatus; and

a plurality of printing apparatuses,

wherein the at least one information processing apparatus comprises a transmitter configured to transmit print job data via a network to at least one of the plurality of punting apparatuses,

and wherein each one of the plurality of printing apparatuses comprises;

a receiver configured to receive device information of the plurality of printing apparatuses via the network;

an image forming device configured to form an image based on print job data received from the information processing apparatus;

a transmitter configured to transmit device information of the printing apparatus itself via the network to the plurality of printing apparatuses;

wherein each one of the plurality of printing apparatuses is configured to automatically specify at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses other than itself as at least one constituent of a group into which that printing apparatus itself belongs, based on the device information received by the receiver from the plurality of printing apparatuses and device information of that printing apparatus itself.

2. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive device information from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses and to transmit device information to at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses.

3. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit device information to at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses when the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter is turned on with a power source.

4. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses is configured to receive device information from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses and to transmit the received device information to at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses when the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter is turned on with a power source.

5. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast device information received from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses.

6. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of printing apparatuses is configured to designate a managing printing apparatus in at least one of the groups based on device information received from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses.

7. A printing system according to claim 6, wherein the managing printing apparatus comprises a storage device configured to store device information descriptive of at least one printing apparatus in the group in which the managing printing apparatus is designated.

8. A printing system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the printing apparatuses is configured to store information descriptive of the managing printing apparatus if it is not selected as the managing printing apparatus.

9. A printing system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the printing apparatuses comprises a notifier configured to notify another printing apparatus of its device status when the other apparatus is not selected as the managing printing apparatus.

10. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein the device information comprises information descriptive of at least one capability or feature of the printing apparatus.

31. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a printing apparatus is specified as a constituent of the group if the printing apparatus can print a print job which can be printed by the printing apparatus itself.

11. A printing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of printing apparatuses and to at least one information processing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive device information of at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses via the network;

an image forming device configured to form an image based on print job data received by the receiver from the at least one information processing apparatus;

a transmitter configured to transmit device information of the printing apparatus itself via the network; and

wherein the printing apparatus is configured to automatically specify at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses other than itself as at least one constituent of a group into which that printing apparatus itself belongs, based on the device information received by the receiver from the plurality of printing apparatuses and device information of that printing apparatus itself.

12. A printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the receiver is configured to receive device information descriptive of a second printing apparatus from a second printing apparatus and the transmitter is configured to transmit device information to the second printing apparatus.

13. A printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit device information to at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses when the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter is turned on with a power source.

14. A printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses is configured to receive device information from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses and to transmit the received device information to at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses when the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter is turned on with a power source.

15. A printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast the device information of the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter.

16. A printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the printing apparatus is configured to select a managing printing apparatus in at least one of the groups based on the device information received from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses.

17. A printing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the printing apparatus comprises a storage device configured to store device information descriptive of at least one printing apparatus in the group to which the managing printing apparatus belongs if the printing apparatus is designated as the managing printing apparatus.

18. A printing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the printing apparatus comprises a storage device configured to store information descriptive of the managing printing apparatus if it is not selected as the managing printing apparatus.

19. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the printing apparatus comprises a notifier configured to notify another printing apparatus of its device status when the other apparatus is not selected as the managing printing apparatus.

20. A printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the device information comprises information descriptive of at least one capability or feature of the printer apparatus.

32. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a printing apparatus is specified as a constituent of the group if the printing apparatus can print a print job which can be printed by the printing apparatus itself.

21. A method for controlling a printing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of networked printing apparatuses and at least one networked information processing apparatus, for forming an image based on a print job, the method comprising:

transmitting device information descriptive of the printing apparatus itself;

receiving device information via the network from at least one of the networked printing apparatuses; and

wherein the printing apparatus automatically specifies at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses other than itself as at least one constituent of a group into which that printing apparatus itself belongs, based on the device information received by the receiver from the plurality of printing apparatuses and device information of that printing apparatus itself.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising transmitting device information from the printing apparatus to a second networked printing apparatus when device information is received from a third networked printing apparatus.

23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising transmitting the device information descriptive of the printing apparatus via the network to the plurality of networked printing apparatuses when the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter is turned on with a power source.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising receiving device information at the printing apparatus from a second networked printing apparatus and transmitting the received device information to a third networked printing apparatus when the printing apparatus comprising the transmitter is turned on with a power source.

25. A method according to claim 21, further comprising broadcasting the device information descriptive of the printing apparatus.

26. A method according to claim 21, wherein a managing printing apparatus is selected in at least one of the groups based on the device information received from at least one of the plurality of printing apparatuses.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising storing in the printing apparatus device information descriptive of at least one printing apparatus in the group to which the managing printing apparatus belongs if the printing apparatus is designated as the managing printing apparatus.

28. A method according to claim 26, further comprising storing device information descriptive of the managing printing apparatus in response to selection of a printing apparatus as the managing printing apparatus.

29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising notifying the printing apparatus of its status as a non-managing printing apparatus when the apparatus is not selected as a managing printing apparatus.

30. A method according to claim 21, wherein the device information comprises information descriptive of at least one capability or feature of the printer apparatus.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein a printing apparatus is specified as a constituent of the group if the printing apparatus can print a print job which can be printed by the printing apparatus itself.