Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing – Network resources access controlling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-18
2001-12-11
Barot, Bharat (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
Network resources access controlling
C709S201000, C709S203000, C709S217000, C709S219000, C709S227000, C709S228000, C710S008000, C358S001100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330611
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The current invention is generally related to a method of and a system for communicating among a family of devices according to a predetermined protocol and is more particularly related to a method of and a system for efficiently utilizing a resource such as a printer on a network based upon a communication protocol such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) without a specific device dependent interface and human intervention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In computer networks such as a local area network (LAN), internet and intranet, a communication protocol includes Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). A communication network generally includes resources or peripheral devices such a printer and a facsimile machine, and some of these peripherals have server software so as to function as a server in the network. However, since these peripherals are not necessarily located within the same network environment and often have device dependent instructions, if a terminal on the network accesses one of the remote peripherals, the terminal must access the resource according to a common access method. One such a common access method includes a browser in Internet.
One prior attempt uses a terminal unit to access a resource on a network without a browser. A terminal unit accesses peripheral devices based upon a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and provides data with the peripheral device. If the peripheral device is a printer, the printer functions a server while the terminal functions as a client. In other words, the terminal provides the printer with data for printing the data. On the other hand, if the terminal does not have the data to be printed, the terminal must establish the data access in order to print the data. This prior art requires an operator of the terminal to manually and independently access the necessary resources on a network.
Another prior attempt considers a possibility of having a server function within a peripheral device to enable Web printing. In other words, a terminal accesses a printer on a network for remote printing. In order to accomplish Web printing among diverse print drivers, existing device drivers are modified for a printer to be used and sent to the printer via network along with the data. In this scheme, a terminal operator simply selects a desirable printer from a list of printers that are connected to the network, and an existing driver is modified according to the selected device.
In the above described prior attempts, a peripheral device functions as a server. Consequently, if a client such as a terminal directly utilizes a resource on a network and if the resource is a peripheral device which runs as a server on the same network, the client must provide the peripheral device with necessary data. This requirement prevents a first resource such as a printer from using an additional resource to provide data on the network. The above described Web printing enhances its flexibility and usefulness if a terminal unit can easily specify multiple resources including a Web printer and a Web document.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above and other problems, according to a first aspect of the current invention, a method of using a resource on a network, a first resource, a second resource and a third resource being connected to the network, the second resource being a peripheral device, includes the steps of: a) sending a first command from the first resource to the second resource for accomplishing a predetermined task which requires data from the third resource; b) generating a second command at the second resource in response to the first command and sending the second command to the third resource for requesting the data; c) receiving the data at the second resource from the third resource; d) generating a third command at the second resource based upon the data for outputting the data; and e) outputting the data from the second resource.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of using a peripheral device on a network, includes the steps of: a) receiving a data request command; b) generating a specific request command based upon the data request command; c) broadcasting the specific request command to the network; d) receiving data requested in the step h); and e) performing a predetermined task based upon the data.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a method of using a peripheral device on a network, including the steps of: a) generating a data set in response to a predetermined device specific task; b) storing the data set; and c) broadcasting the data set to network on a predetermined periodic basis.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a system for using a resource on a network, includes: a first resource on the network for sending a first command for accomplishing a predetermined task which requires additional data; a second resource on the network for generating a second command requesting the additional data in response to the first command and for sending the second command; and a third resource on the network for sending the additional data to the second resource in response to the second command, wherein the second resource generates a third command upon receiving the additional data for outputting the additional data according to the first command and the second resource outputs the additional data according to the third command.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a system for using a resource on a network, includes: a terminal unit on the network for broadcasting a data request; a client peripheral device on the network for performing a predetermined task and for generating a specific request command based upon the data request command; and a server unit on the network for sending response data to the client peripheral device in response to the specific request command, wherein the client performs the predetermined task on the response data.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a system for using a resource on a network, including: a first resource on the network for generating a data set in response to a predetermined device specific task, for storing the data set, and for broadcasting the data set to network on a predetermined periodic basis; and a second resource on the network for receiving the data set.
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Itoh Hideki
Maruyama Akeo
Barot Bharat
Knoble & Yoshida LLC
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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