Method and apparatus for adjusting an interval of polling a network printer based on changes in working status of the network printer

• US 6,449,663 B1
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carney, Dennis Michael, Nguyen, Ryan Hoa
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/112,697
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 710/15, 710/18, 710/19, 710/46, 710/220, 370/450, 370/453, 370/454, 370/457, 370/449, 702/182, 702/186, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/22 using successive scanning, e.g. polling G06F13/24 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adjusting an interval of polling a peripheral device (e.g., a printer) based on a change in the working status of the peripheral device. In one embodiment of the present invention, if the peripheral device being monitored is in the process of performing a job or has experienced an interrupt/alert, the length of the polling intervals may be shortened to provide increased monitoring of the peripheral device. If the peripheral device is idle, the length of the polling intervals may be longer to provide less monitoring of the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

periodically determining a working status of a network printer residing on a network by performing a polling inquiry in accordance with a polling interval associated with the network printer and reading a Management Information Base (MIB) stored within the network printer indicating the working status of the network printer, the working status indicating whether or not a print job is currently being processed by the network printer;

decreasing network traffic on the network and conserving processing resources associated with the network by lengthening the polling interval associated with the network printer and thereby temporarily increasing the length of time between polling inquiries if the working status indicates the network printer is not currently processing a print job; and

shortening the polling interval associated with the network printer and thereby temporarily decreasing the length of time between polling inquiries if the working status indicates the network printer is currently processing a print job.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said lengthening said polling interval includes selecting from a plurality of different rates of polling said network printer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to be a job in progress, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a first rate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a length of time between polling inquires during a first rate of polling said network printer varies based on additional status information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said additional status information includes content of a job, speed of network printer, or a rate of updating said working status of said network printer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein upon determining said working status is said job in progress working status, a first polling inquiry of said first rate of polling said network printer is delayed for at least a period of time equal to begin printing a first page of a job.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein during said first rate of polling said network printer, a polling inquiry is submitted per a multiple of pages of a job in progress.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said lengthening is performed dynamically.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said lengthening is performed automatically.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to include an alert status, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a second rate, said second rate having a frequency different from a first rate.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to include an alert status, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a second rate, said second rate having a frequency equal to a first rate.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to be a normal operation status, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a third rate, wherein said third rate is less frequent than a first rate and a second rate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said normal operation includes a working status of no job in progress status and no alert.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein if said working status is unchanged for a predetermined number of polling inquiries, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a fourth rate, wherein said fourth rate is less frequent than said third rate.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor increases said polling interval of lengthened varies based upon the content of the print job.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the amount is greater when the content of the print job comprises graphics.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the Management Information Base further indicates a rate at which the working status of the network printer is updated.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said working status is determined to include an alert status indicating that an interrupt has occurred.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said interrupt indicates that a paper jam has occurred.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said polling interval of said network printer is increased if the content of the print job is a graphical image.

21. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

periodically determine a working status of a network printer residing on a network by performing a polling inquiry in accordance with a polling interval associated with the network printer and reading a Management Information Base (MIB) stored within the network printer indicating the working status of the network printer, the working status indicating whether or not a print job is currently being processed by the network printer;

decrease network traffic on the network and conserve processing resources associated with the network by lengthening the polling interval associated with the network printer and thereby temporarily increasing the length of time between polling inquiries if the working status indicates the network printer is not currently processing a print job; and

shorten the polling interval associated with the network printer and thereby temporarily decrease the length of time between polling inquiries if the working status indicates the network printer is currently processing a print job.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said lengthening said polling interval includes selecting from a plurality of different rates of polling said network printer.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to be a job in progress, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a first rate.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein a length of time between polling inquires during a first rate of polling said network printer varies based on additional status information.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said additional status information includes content of a job, speed of network printer, or a rate of updating said working status of said network printer.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein upon determining said working status is said job in progress working status, a first polling inquiry of said first rate of polling said network printer is delayed for at least a period of time equal to begin printing a first page of a job.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein during said first rate of polling said network printer, a polling inquiry is submitted per a multiple of pages of a job in progress.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said lengthening is performed dynamically.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein said lengthening is performed automatically.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to include an alert status, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a second rate, said second rate having a frequency different from a first rate.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to include an alert status, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a second rate, said second rate having a frequency equal to a first rate.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein said alert status indicates that an interrupt has occurred.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein said interrupt indicates that a paper jam has occurred.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein if said working status of said network printer is determined to be normal operation status, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a third rate, wherein said third rate is less frequent than a first rate and a second rate.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein said normal operation includes a working status of no job in progress status and no alert.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein if said working status is unchanged for a predetermined number of polling inquires, said lengthening includes lengthening said polling interval to a fourth rate, wherein said fourth rate is less frequent than said third rate.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the Management Information Base further indicates a rate at which the working status of the network printer is updated.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising adjusting the polling interval of said network printer in accordance with content of a print job.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein said polling interval of said network printer is increased if the content of the print job is a graphical image.

40. A system comprising:

a network;

a network printer connected with the network and comprising a Management Information Base (MIB) stored within the network printer indicating the working status of the network printer, the working status indicating whether or not a print job is currently being processed by the network printer; and

a processor connected with the network to periodically determine a working status of a network printer residing on a network by performing a polling inquiry in accordance with a polling interval associated with the network printer and reading the MIB stored within the network printer, decrease network traffic on the network and conserve processing resources associated with the network by lengthening the polling interval associated with the network printer and thereby temporarily increasing the length of time between polling inquiries if the working status indicates the network printer is not currently processing a print job, and shorten the polling interval associated with the network printer and thereby temporarily decrease the length of time between polling inquiries if the working status indicates the network printer is currently processing a print job.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said processor lengthens said polling interval by selecting from a plurality of different rates of polling said network printer.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein if the processor determines said working status of said network printer to be a job in progress, the processor lengthens said polling interval to a first rate.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein a length of time between polling inquires during a first rate of polling said network printer varies based on additional status information.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said additional status information includes content of a job, speed of network printer, or a rate of updating said working status of said network printer.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the processor, upon determining said working status is said job in progress working status, delays a first polling inquiry of said first rate of polling said network printer for at least a period of time equal to begin printing a first page of a job.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the processor, during said first rate of polling said network printer, submits a polling inquiry per a multiple of pages of a job in progress.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the processor lengthens the polling interval dynamically.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the processor lengthens the polling interval automatically.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein if the processor determines said working status of said network printer to include an alert status, the processor lengthens said polling interval to a second rate, said second rate having a frequency different from a first rate.

50. The system of claim 41, wherein if the processor determines said working status of said network printer to include an alert status, the processor lengthens said polling interval to a second rate, said second rate having a frequency equal to a first rate.

51. The system of claim 41, wherein if the processor determines said working status of said network printer to be a normal operation status, the processor lengthens said polling interval to a third rate, wherein said third rate is less frequent than a first rate and a second rate.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein said normal operation includes a working status of no job in progress status and no alert.

53. The system of claim 51, wherein if said working status is unchanged for a predetermined number of polling inquiries, the processor lengthens polling interval to a fourth rate, wherein said fourth rate is less frequent than said third rate.

54. The system of claim 40, wherein an amount by which the processor lengthens the polling interval varies based upon the content of the print job.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the amount is greater when the content of the print job comprises graphics.

56. The system of claim 40, wherein the Management Information Base further indicates a rate at which the working status of the network printer is updated.

57. The system of claim 40, wherein said working status is determined to include an alert status indicating that an interrupt has occurred.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein said interrupt indicates that a paper jam has occurred.

59. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor increases said polling interval of said network printer if the content of the print job is a graphical image.