Image forming system, image forming method and information terminal device

• US 7,869,073 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshima, Akihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHINGRA, PAWANDEEP
• Application Number:
  US11/178,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20060215216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32797 Systems adapted to communicate over more than one channel, e.g. via ISDN changing transmission mode according to type of channel H04N2201/33364; multichannel or multilink communication protocols H04L69/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An image forming system comprising an information terminal device and a printing device that is connected to the information terminal device through a network and a local connection and performs a printing process of image data sent from the information terminal device, in which the information terminal device includes a network identifier acquisition unit that obtains through the local connection a network identifier of the printing device on the network at the time of the local connection between the information terminal device and the printing device, and a data communication unit that performs data communications with the printing device through the network according to the network identifier obtained by the network identifier acquisition unit.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

an information terminal device; and

a printing device that is connected to the information terminal device through each of a network and a local line, the printing device operating in a normal mode or, if the printing device is not used for a certain time period, operating in a power saving mode in which the printing device stands by in a lower power state than in the normal mode,

wherein the information terminal device comprises;

a local communication controller that controls a local communication with the printing device through the local line;

a network communication controller that controls a network communication with the printing device through the network;

an acquisition unit that obtains a network identifier of the printing device on the network from the printing device by the local communication with the printing device through the local line by the local communication controller; and

a recognition unit that identifies the printing device through each of the network and the local line, and that recognizes the printing device identified through the network and the printing device identified through the local line as one and the same printing device by obtaining the network identifier with use of the acquisition unit,

wherein the network communication controller controls the network communication with the printing device through the network according to the network identifier obtained by the acquisition unit, and resumes the printing device from the power saving mode to the normal mode by transmitting print data to the printing device through the network, and

the recognition unit, when identifying a resumption of the printing device identified through the network, recognizes that printing through the printing device identified through the local line is also resumed.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the local communication controller controls a communication through a USB line with the printing device,

the information terminal device further comprises:

an initialization controller that controls initialization of the communication through the USB line with the printing device;

a device information acquisition unit that requests device information of the printing device to the printing device to obtain the device information from the printing device through the USB line after the initialization of the communication through the USB line by the initialization controller; and

an IP address acquisition unit that requests an IP address of the printing device on the network to the printing device by the communication through the USB line to obtain the IP address from the printing device through the USB line after obtaining the device information by the device information acquisition unit, wherein

the network communication controller controls a communication with the printing device having the device information obtained by the device information acquisition unit through the network according to the IP address obtained by the IP address acquisition unit.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the information terminal device is an image reading device that is connected to the printing device through the USB line and the network, reads an image from an original, and gives a print instruction of the read image to the printing device.

4. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein the image reading device sends image data corresponding to the read image to the printing device through the USB line to give a print instruction of the image data by the communication through the USB line with the printing device by the local communication controller.

5. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein the image reading device sends image data corresponding to the read image to the printing device through the network to give a print instruction of the image data by the network communication through the network with the printing device by the network communication controller.

6. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein the image reading device controls the printing device through the network by the communication with the printing device through the network by the network communication controller, while sending image data corresponding to the read image through the USB line to give a print instruction of the image data by the communication through the USB line with the printing device by the local communication controller.

7. An image forming method for an information terminal device and a printing device connected to the information terminal device through a network and a local line, the printing device performing a printing process of image data sent from the information terminal device, comprising:

identifying the printing device through each of the network and the local line,

obtaining in the information terminal device a network identifier of the printing device on the network through the local line by a communication with the printing device through the local line; and

recognizing the printing device identified through the network and the printing device identified through the local line as one and the same printing device by obtaining the network identifier;

controlling a communication with the printing device through the network according to the obtained network identifier;

resuming the printing device from a power saving mode to a normal mode by transmitting print data to the printing device through the network; and

recognizing, when identifying a resumption of the printing device identified through the network, that printing through the printing device indentified through the local line is also resumed.

8. The image forming method according to claim 7, comprising:

initializing a communication through a USB line at the time of the communication through the USB line with the printing device;

requesting device information of the printing device to the printing device by a communication through the USB line to obtain the device information from the printing device after the initialization of the communication through the USB line;

requesting an IP address of the printing device on the network to the printing device by a communication through the USB line to obtain the IP address from the printing device through the USB line after obtaining the device information; and

controlling a communication with the printing device having the obtained device information through the network according to the obtained IP address.

9. The image forming method according to claim 8, wherein the information terminal device is an image reading device that is connected to the printing device through the USB line and the network, and that reads image from an original.

10. The image forming method according to claim 9, comprising:

controlling in the image reading device the printing device through the network by a communication with the printing device through the network, while sending image data corresponding to the image read from the original through the USB line to give a print instruction of the image data by the communication through the USB line with the printing device.