Distribution processing method, distribution processing device, print data processing method, print data processing device, and recording medium

• US 8,693,036 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Oyama, Hitoshi, Furuhata, Tadashi, Takamoto, Akio, Kodama, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US13/225,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.6, 358/401, 358/1.15, 711/200, 711/203
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/123 Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

Data output from an existing application to specific devices can be easily distributed to plural devices. A method of distributing device-specific data output from an application on a computer that executes a specific process according to an application and has two or more communication ports causes the computer to execute a step of acquiring device-specific data output by an executed program to one specific communication port at the operating system kernel layer before the device-specific data is received at the communication port; and a step of analyzing the device-specific data acquired at the application layer, determines the device to which the device-specific data, and outputs the device-specific data to the communication port to which the device is connected.

Claims

1. A distribution processing method that runs on a computer, said computer operates according to an operating system on an operating system kernel layer, executes a specific process according to an application on an application layer, has two or more communication ports, and applies a distribution process to device-specific data output from the application, the distribution processing method comprising:

a data acquisition step in which the computer acquires device-specific data output to one specific communication port at the operating system kernel layer before the device-specific data is received at the communication port; and

a data processing step in which the computer analyzes the device-specific data acquired in the data acquisition step at the application layer, determines an output device to which the device-specific data is output based on the data analysis, and outputs the device-specific data to a communication port to which the output device is connected.

2. The distribution processing method described in claim 1, wherein:

the output device is a printing device and a display device; and

the device-specific data output from the application is data for the printing device or data for the display device.

3. The distribution processing method described in claim 1, wherein:

there are at least two devices; and

when a device selection signal is contained in the device-specific data output from the application, the output device is determined based on the device selection signal.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records a program that causes a computer to execute the steps of the data distribution processing method described in claim 1.

5. A distribution processing device that is a computer that operates according to an operating system on the operating system kernel layer, executes a specific process according to an application on an application layer, has two or more communication ports, and applies a distribution process to device-specific data output from the application, the distribution processing device comprising:

a data acquisition unit that acquires device-specific data output to one specific communication port at the operating system kernel layer before the device-specific data is received at the communication port; and

a data processing unit that analyzes the device-specific data acquired by the data acquisition unit at the application layer, determines an output device to which the device-specific data is output based on the data analysis, and outputs the device-specific data to a communication port to which the output device is connected.

6. The distribution processing device described in claim 5, wherein:

the output device is a printing device and a display device; and

the device-specific data output from the application is data for the printing device or data for the display device.

7. A print data processing method that runs on a computer, said computer operates according to an operating system on an operating system kernel layer, executes a specific process according to an application on an application layer, has two or more communication ports, and processes print data output from the application, the print data processing method comprising:

a data acquisition step in which the computer acquires the print data output to a specific communication port at the operating system kernel layer before the print data is received at the communication port as acquired print data; and

a print data processing step in which the computer analyzes the print data acquired in the data acquisition step at the application layer, determines one or more communication ports to which the print data is output based on the data analysis, converts the print data to data suitable for the device connected to the identified communication port, and outputs the converted print data to an identified communication port.

8. The print data processing method described in claim 7, wherein:

the communication port is determined in the print data processing step based on a text string or image detected in the acquired print data.

9. The print data processing method described in claim 7, wherein:

two or more communication ports are identified as the communication ports to which the print data is output, and the content of print data output to each communication port is a subset of the acquired print data content.

10. The print data processing method described in claim 7, wherein:

two or more communication ports are identified as the communication ports to which the print data is output, and print data of the same content is output to each communication port.

11. The print data processing method described in claim 7, wherein:

one communication port is determined based on print data content as the communication port to which the print data is output.

12. A print data processing device that is a computer that operates according to an operating system on an operating system kernel layer, executes a specific process according to an application on an application layer, has two or more communication ports, and processes print data output from the application, the print data processing device comprising:

a data acquisition unit that acquires print data output to a specific communication port at the operating system kernel layer before the print data is received at one of the communication ports; and

a print data processing unit that analyzes the print data acquired by the data acquisition unit at the application layer, determines one or more communication ports to which the print data is output based on analysis of the print data processing unit, converts the print data to data suitable for a device connected to an identified communication port, and outputs the converted print data to the identified communication port.

13. The print data processing device described in claim 12, wherein:

the communication port is determined in the print data processing unit based on a text string or image detected in the acquired print data.

14. The print data processing device described in claim 12, wherein:

two or more communication ports are identified as the communication ports to which the print data is output, and the content of print data output to each communication port is a subset of the acquired print data content.

15. The print data processing device described in claim 12, wherein:

two or more communication ports are identified as communication ports to which the print data is output, and print data of having a same content is output to each communication port.

16. The print data processing device described in claim 12, wherein:

one communication port is determined based on print data content as the communication port to which the print data is output.