Printer having keyboard function, a printing system and printing method using the printing system

• US 8,049,904 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HP Printing Korea Co., Ltd. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun-joon, Kim, Kwang-seuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Park; Chan S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Allen H
• Application Number:
  US10/745,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,864 Days
• Field of Search: 710/9, 710/305, 710/72, 710 7- 8, 710/19, 710 31- 47, 713/300, 713/176, 348/231.9, 395/114, 379/100, 358/257, 358/1.1, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.13
• US Class Current: 358/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence

Abstract

A printer, a printing system, and a printing method of the printing system where the printer is provided with a keyboard function, and the printer is connected with a computer via a Universal Serial Bus and includes a key operation section provided with a plurality of keys. The printer further includes: a switching key to select a keyboard function and a printer function; a Universal Serial Bus module to transmit keyboard equipment information and printer equipment information to the computer according to the selection by the switching key; and a key control section to map the keys of the key operation section to those of the keyboard or the those of the printer according to the selection via the switching key. Accordingly, the invention makes printing convenient by directly issuing a command from the printer to the computer to perform a task as requested by a user.

Claims

1. A printing system connected to a host computer including a printer driver, comprising:

a portable storage apparatus to store at least one file including a print-target-file; and

a printer, to which the portable storage apparatus and the computer are individually connected and including a control section, wherein the printer;

generates at least one predetermined keystroke to be recognized as a command at the host computer, by the control section, and outputs the at least one keystroke to the computer upon input of a selection command to select the print-target-file from among the at least one file,

determines, by the control section, whether the selected print-target-file is a recognizable file by the printer, the recognizable file being a file converted into data able to be currently printed by the printer, and

transmits the selected print-target-file to the host computer by a first keystroke recognized as a first command at the host computer and processed into a printable file by the printer driver at the host computer by a second keystroke recognized as a second command at the host computer, when the selected print-target-file is determined to not be a recognizable file by the printer, and prints the print-target-file after the print-target-file is processed into a printable file at the host computer.

2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printer further comprises:

an interface providing separate connection of the portable storage apparatus and the computer;

a printing section to print the print-target-file; and

an input section to allow input of the selection command,

wherein the control section performs control to generate the at least one predetermined keystroke based on the selection command inputted through the input section and outputted to the computer, and prints the print-target-file via the printing section based on execution of a respective keystroke command.

3. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the interface comprises:

a plurality of ports including at least one Universal Serial Bus port.

4. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the printer further comprises:

a display section to display a file name list of the at least one file, which the control section controls based on the connection of the portable storage apparatus to the printer.

5. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the control section performs a control method comprising:

determining whether the print-target-file is an instantly printable file upon input of the selection command, and

upon determining that print-target-file is an instantly printable file, driving the printing section to print the print-target-file.

6. The printing system according to claim 5, wherein the instantly printable file has a predefined file extension.

7. The printing system according to claim 5, wherein the printer further comprises:

a storage section to store a control program that controls the printer, based on which the control section performs control so that the Universal Serial Bus port is recognized as a specific port.

8. The printing system according to claim 7, wherein the interface comprises:

a first slave Universal Serial Bus port connected to the computer and recognized as a keyboard port based on the control program; and

a second slave Universal Serial Bus port connected to the computer and recognized as a printer port based on the control program.

9. The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the first keystroke includes at least one of a first transmission keystroke corresponding to a drive command of an upload program stored in the computer upon determining that the print-target-file is not an instantly printable file, the first transmission keystroke being output through the first slave port, and a second transmission keystroke corresponding to an upload command to upload the print-target-file to the computer with the upload program upon determining that the upload program is driven, the second transmission keystroke being output through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port,

the second keystroke includes at least one of a first process keystroke corresponding to a drive command of an application program for the print-target-file upon determining that the print-target-file is uploaded, the first process keystroke being output through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port, and a second process keystroke corresponding to a file open command to open the print-target-file in the application program upon determining that the application program is driven, the second process keystroke being output through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port;

and

a print keystroke corresponding to a print command for the print-target-file upon determining that the print-target-file is open is output through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port, which allows the print command to be recognized in the application program.

10. A printing method using a printing system, comprising:

individually connecting a portable storage apparatus, in which at least one file is stored, and a host computer including a printer driver to a printer including a control section through an interface;

inputting a selection command to select a print-target file from the at least one file based on the connection to the portable storage apparatus;

determining whether the print-target-file is a recognizable file by the printer based on the inputted selection command, the recognizable file being a file converted into data able to be currently printed by the printer; and

generating at least one predetermined keystroke to be recognized as a command at the host computer, by the control section, and outputting the at least one keystroke to the computer, when the selected print-target-file is determined not to be a recognizable file by the printer, the selected print-target-file being transmitted to the host computer by a first keystroke recognized as a first command at the host computer and processed into a printable file by the printer driver at the host computer by a second keystroke recognized as a second command at the host computer when the selected print-target-file is determined to not be a recognizable file by the printer, and printing the print-target-file after the print-target-file is processed into a printable file at the host computer.

11. The printing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a file name list of the at least one file based on the connection between the portable storage apparatus and the printer when the portable storage apparatus is connected to the printer.

12. The printing method according to claim 10, wherein the print-target-file is instantly printed upon determining that the print-target-file is an instantly printable file.

13. The printing method according to claim 10, wherein the operation of connecting the portable storage apparatus to the printer further comprises:

connecting the computer to a first slave Universal Serial Bus port of the interface and recognized as a keyboard port based on a control program to control the printer; and

connecting the computer to a second slave Universal Serial Bus port of the interface and recognized as a printer port based on the control program.

14. The printing method according to claim 13, wherein the printing the selected print-target-file comprises:

generating and outputting a first transmission keystroke corresponding to a drive command of an upload program stored in the computer through the first slave port;

generating a second transmission keystroke corresponding to an upload command to upload the print-target-file to the computer with the upload program and outputting the second keystroke through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port upon determining that the upload program is driven;

generating a first process keystroke corresponding to a drive command of an application file for the print-target-file and outputting the first process keystroke through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port upon determining that the print-target-file is uploaded;

generating a second process keystroke corresponding to a file open command to open the print-target-file in the application program and outputting the second process keystroke through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port upon determining that the application program is driven;

generating a print keystroke corresponding to a print command for the print-target-file and outputting the print keystroke through the first slave Universal Serial Bus port upon determining that the print-target-file is opened, whereby the print command will be recognized in the application program; and

printing the print-target-file based on the print command.