Printing system, information processor, and storage medium

• US 9,250,849 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Chigusa, Yoshinari
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES, TED W
• Application Number:
  US13/912,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140016160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1297 Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters

Abstract

A printing system includes an identification part configured to identify a printing protocol to be used with respect to an image processor in creating a print queue for displaying a status of the image processor and a reflection part configured to reflect, in the print queue, a definition of a communication setting used for bidirectional communications between an information processor and the image processor, the definition corresponding to the identified printing protocol.

Claims

1. A printing system, comprising:

a storage part that stores correspondence information that defines a setting of a first communication tool and a second communication tool for obtaining information from an image processor with respect to each of a plurality of protocols, wherein the settings of the first and second communication tools with respect to the plurality of protocols include a command acceptable by the first communication tool and information as to whether to use the second communication tool; and

a processor configured to execute a program stored in the storage part so as to cause the printing system to

identify a protocol to be used with respect to the image processor among the plurality of protocols in creating a print queue for displaying a status of the image processor;

determine the setting of the first and second communication tools corresponding to the identified protocol based on the correspondence information; and

reflect the determined setting of the first and second communication tools in the print queue.

2. The printing system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the correspondence information is stored in a text file describing initial values of the first and second communication tools, and

wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the printing system to

update the initial values of the first and second communication tools to values of the determined setting of the first and second communication tools, and

create the print queue with the text file in which the initial values of the first and second communication tools are updated.

3. The printing system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the correspondence information further defines a setting of an image-processing-related function with respect to each of the plurality of protocols, and

wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the printing system to

determine the setting of the image-processing-related function corresponding to the identified protocol based on the correspondence information,

determine whether the image-processing related function of which the setting is determined is installed in the image processor, and

reflect the determined setting of the image-processing related function in the print queue in response to determining that the image-processing related function of which the setting is determined is installed in the image processor.

4. The printing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the printing system to

obtain an alignment value of the image-processing related function installed in the image processor by performing bidirectional communications with the image processor, and

reflect the alignment value in the print queue.

5. The printing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the printing system to

determine whether an operating system of an information processor supports the first communication tool that is other than a standard communication tool of the operating system, and

identify the protocol to be used with respect to the image processor in response to determining that the operating system supports the first communication tool.

6. The printing system as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the printing system to

determine whether a tool for automatically obtaining and setting option configuration information of the image processor at a time of creating the print queue is defined in a text file storing the correspondence information, and

determine whether the operating system of the information processor supports the first communication tool in response to determining that the tool for automatically obtaining and setting the option configuration information of the image processor is defined in the text file.

7. The printing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communication tool is a command communication tool created by a third vendor and the second communication tool is the standard communication tool of the operating system.

8. An information processor, comprising:

a storage part that stores correspondence information that defines a setting of a first communication tool and a second communication tool for obtaining information from an image processor with respect to each of a plurality of protocols, wherein the settings of the first and second communication tools with respect to the plurality of protocols include a command acceptable by the first communication tool and information as to whether to use the second communication tool; and

a processor configured to execute a program stored in the storage part so as to cause the information processor to

identify a protocol to be used with respect to the image processor among the plurality of protocols in creating a print queue for displaying a status of the image processor;

determine the setting of the first and second communication tools corresponding to the identified protocol based on the correspondence information; and

reflect the determined setting of the first and second communication tools in the print queue.

9. The information processor as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the correspondence information is stored in a text file describing initial values of the first and second communication tools, and

wherein the processor is configured to execute the program to cause the information processor to

update the initial values of the first and second communication tools to values of the determined setting of the first and second communication tools, and

create the print queue with the text file in which the initial values of the first and second communication tools are updated.

10. The information processor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the information processor to

determine whether an operating system of the information processor supports the first communication tool that is other than a standard communication tool of the operating system, and

identify the protocol to be used with respect to the image processor in response to determining that the operating system supports the first communication tool.

11. The information processor as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the program so as to cause the information processor to

determine whether a tool for automatically obtaining and setting option configuration information of the image processor at a time of creating the print queue is defined in a text file storing the correspondence information, and

determine whether the operating system of the information processor supports the first communication tool in response to determining that the tool for automatically obtaining and setting the option configuration information of the image processor is defined in the text file.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon, wherein the program is executed by a processor of a computer to cause the computer to:

identify a protocol to be used with respect to an image processor among a plurality of protocols in creating a print queue for displaying a status of the image processor;

determine, based on correspondence information that defines a setting of a first communication tool and a second communication tool for obtaining information from the image processor with respect to each of the plurality of protocols, wherein the settings of the first and second communication tools with respect to the plurality of protocols include a command acceptable by the first communication tool and information as to whether to use the second communication tool, the setting of the first and second communication tools corresponding to the identified protocol; and

reflect the determined setting of the first and second communication tools in the print queue.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12,

wherein the correspondence information is stored in a text file describing initial values of the first and second communication tools, and

wherein the program is executed by the processor of the computer to cause the computer to

update the initial values of the first and second communication tools to values of the determined setting of the first and second communication tools, and

create the print queue with the text file in which the initial values of the first and second communication tools are updated.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12, wherein the program is executed by the processor of the computer to cause the computer to

determine whether an operating system of the computer supports the first communication tool that is other than a standard communication tool of the operating system, and

identify the protocol to be used with respect to the image processor in response to determining that the operating system supports the first communication tool.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the program is executed by the processor of the computer to cause the computer to

determine whether a tool for automatically obtaining and setting option configuration information of the image processor at a time of creating the print queue is defined in a text file storing the correspondence information, and

determine whether the operating system of the computer supports the first communication tool in response to determining that the tool for automatically obtaining and setting the option configuration information of the image processor is defined in the text file.