Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-03
2003-11-25
Coles, Edward (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06654137
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system, a server, an information processing apparatus, a print control method, and a recording medium when a printer connected in a network is used by a plurality of client computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the spread of personal computers in offices is remarkable, and network technologies for connecting them have been developed. In the conventional method of using printers, one printer is connected to one personal computer and is so used. Recently, the number of cases is increasing in which a printer is connected over a network and the printer is shared and used among personal computers connected over the network.
For an environment in which a network printer is used, in many cases, a network OS, such as NetWare or Windows NT (trademark), is used, and the network printer is used by setting a print server, and there is a need to newly set up a server to share the printer. When there is a server, such as a mail server, if the functions of a print server are added thereto, the functions of a conventional printer are decreased. In order for a client computer to confirm the status of a transmitted print job, it is necessary to inquire, from the client computer, the print server or the printer of the information for the print job.
In a conventional print system in such a network environment, when a user performs a manual-feed-specified print, it cannot be determined from which client computer the manual-feed-specified print came, and it is not possible for the client computer to obtain information for manual feeding. It is also not possible for the application of the client computer to receive an event request for indicating the timing of manual feeding. Further, even when the application is not involved, it is not possible for the client machine to indicate the manual-feed timing to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a print system which is capable of notifying a specific user of detailed print information when the user performs a manual-feed specification in a network environment, a server, an information processing apparatus, a print control method, and a recording medium.
According to one aspect, the present invention which achieves this object provides a server apparatus connected to a plurality of information processing apparatuses and a print apparatus over a network, the server apparatus comprising: information acquisition means for acquiring information from the print apparatus; determination means for determining an information processing apparatus to which information from the print apparatus is notified from among the plurality of information processing apparatuses on the basis of information obtained by the information acquisition means; and notification means for notifying the information processing apparatus determined by the determination means of the information from the print apparatus.
Preferably, the information acquisition means acquires information for print data received by the print apparatus and the status information of the print apparatus.
Preferably, when information indicating the offline state of the print apparatus is obtained, the notification means notifies the information processing apparatus of the information from the print apparatus.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises: job information receiving means for receiving job information for a print job from the information processing apparatus; and sending enable instruction means for instructing the information processing apparatus that has transmitted the job information to send the print data to the print apparatus when it is determined whether print data can be sent from the information processing apparatus to the print apparatus and it is determined that sending is possible.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises job information storage means for storing the received job information.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises sequence control means for controlling a printing sequence on the basis of the job information.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises: deletion instruction means for instructing that the print data held by the information processing apparatus be deleted, wherein, when a job for which printing has been terminated is notified from the print apparatus, the deletion instruction means instructs the information processing apparatus to delete the print data.
Preferably, when a job for which printing has been terminated is notified from the print apparatus, the job information of the print data stored in the job information storage means is deleted.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves this object provides an information processing apparatus connected to a server apparatus and a print apparatus over a network, the information processing apparatus comprising: notification receiving means for receiving information for the print apparatus notified from the server apparatus; event receiving means for receiving an event request from an application; and event issuing means for issuing an event to the application which has made an event request for the notified information.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: addition means for adding to print data a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state when the information processing apparatus creates the print data to be printed on a recording medium which is manually fed; and transmission means for transmitting the print data to the print apparatus.
Preferably, the event receiving means can accept an event request of a manual-feed timing from the application, and the event issuing means issues an event which notifies the manual-feed timing to the application which has made the event request of the manual-feed timing when the information from the print apparatus is notified by the server apparatus.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: job information transmission means for transmitting job information for a print job to the server apparatus; and print data storage means for storing the print data after the job information is transmitted to the server apparatus by the transmission means, wherein when sending enable information which indicates that print data can be sent to the print apparatus is received from the server apparatus, the print data stored in the print data storage means is transmitted to the print apparatus.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: selection means for selecting one of a first mode and a second mode in which printing is performed, when the print data is transmitted to a print apparatus capable of selecting one of the first mode in which when the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received, the print apparatus is always placed in an offline status, and the second mode in which when the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed an offline state is received, the print apparatus is placed in an offline state when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray, and the print apparatus is not placed in an offline status and records on the recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray; and mode addition means for adding to the print data a command for causing the print apparatus to perform printing in a mode selected by the selection means.
Preferably, when the server apparatus is notified of a job for which printing is terminated from the print apparatus and deletion of the print data stored in the print data storage means is instructed from the server apparatus, the print data is deleted.
According to a further aspect, the present invention which achieves this object provides a print system comprising a server apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a print apparatus which are connected ov
Coles Edward
Rahimi Alan
LandOfFree
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