Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-29
2004-11-09
Rogers, Scott (Department: 2626)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001150, C709S229000, C709S230000, C709S250000, C719S321000, C719S327000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816275
ABSTRACT:
BACK OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network system containing a network interface card which commissions other devices on the network to process printing data to be printed by its own device.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, it is often the case that the processing capabilities of printers are low. Accordingly, printer drivers in computers often perform processing such as image processing, and creates printing data which the printer is capable of printing and which the printer is made to print.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, this requires the computer side to execute image processing programs which have a great processing load, so a great load is placed on the computer. Thus, with computers having low processing capabilities, there has been the problem that the image processing takes time, and printing cannot be started for some time.
Also, the speed of the computer transmitting printing data to the printer is affected by the printing speed of the printer. That is to say, the computer cannot start the next task until all printing data has been sent to the printer, or there has been the problem that the performance of the subsequent task drops drastically.
For example, a laser printer has one page worth of printing memory, but an ink-jet type printer only has one line worth of printing memory. Accordingly, in the event of printing with an ink-jet type printer, the computer is not released from the transmitting processing for some time, and there have been problems in that the subsequent application does not run correctly or that the response of the computer is slow.
Also, commands which the printer can process are generally fixed. Accordingly, the computer must have prepared commands (ESC/P, PostScript, and other commands for controlling printing, and page commands) according to the printer. Thus, there has been the problem that printing cannot be made from printers not compatible regarding commands which can be provided by the printer drivers in the computer.
The present invention has been made in light of such problems, and it is an object thereof to connect a printer provided with a network interface card to a network, so as to achieve marked increases in functions therein as compared to usage without the connection. Specifically, it is an object thereof to provide a network system and network interface card capable of reducing the transmitting time of printing data, speeding up the release speed of the computer, alleviating the printer driver processing of the computer, enabling high-speed printing with low processing capability computers, and dealing with various types of printer commands.
The network system according to the present invention is a network system containing a network interface card capable of receiving printing commands from a computer, and at least one other device, the network interface card comprising: capability information inquiring means (capability information inquiring unit) for inquiring the other device connected to the network regarding capability information of capabilities including at least one of memory capacity, processing relating to printer language, image processing, and image processing execution environment; virtual printer information determining means (virtural printer information disclosing unit) for judging whether or not there are other devices which will support capability improvements of its own device, based on the capability information sent from the other device connected to the network in response to the capability information inquiry, and for determining virtual printer information of its own device; and virtual printer information disclosing means (virtural printer information disclosing unit) for disclosing the virtual printer information to the computer; the other device comprising: capability information responding means (capability information response unit) for responding to the network interface card regarding capability information of capabilities including at least one of memory capacity of its own device, processing relating to printer language, image processing, and image processing execution environment, in response to the capability information inquiry.
The network interface card discloses virtual printer information to the computer, indicating how its own device can behave on the network. This virtual printer information has taken in the capabilities of other devices connected to the network in addition to the original capabilities of its own device. Accordingly, the computer can commission a printer provided with a network interface card having increased capabilities to perform the printing process. Accordingly, there are the advantages that the restrictions for the computer to send data to the printer for printing are reduced.
Now, the term image processing includes processing for converting image data RGB into CMYK, rendering processing for rendering characters and lines to bitmap, and color conversion processing for performing color conversion according to the printer model to which the network interface card is provided. The term image processing capabilities includes capabilities relating to environments and executing programs for executing the processing converting RGB into CMYK, rendering processing, and color conversion processing.
The term capabilities relating to image processing execution environment means an environment mainly for executing the image processing, and includes the memory capacity, operating system environment, and CPU processing capabilities, capable of executing image processing programs.
The term processing relating to printer language includes at least one of supported printer languages and printer language conversion programs.
The virtual printer information determining means of the network system according to the present invention or the network interface card thereof determines virtual printer information to the effect that at least one of the given printer commands and printer languages can be processed, in the event that the other device connected to the network has conversion capabilities for converting at least one of the given printer commands and printer languages into at least one of printer commands and printer languages which the printer to which the network interface card has been provided can process; and the virtual printer information disclosing means discloses the determined virtual printer information to the computer.
Thus, the network interface card can disclose to the computer virtual printer information to the effect that processing can be performed for printer languages other than those executable by the printer to which the network interface card is provided. Accordingly, the degree of freedom of the computer in selecting printer languages to use increases. Hence, the computer can reduce transmitting time by selecting from the virtual printer information the printer language which requires the least transmitting time, for example.
The network interface card of the network system according to the present invention comprises: processing commissioning means, (processing commisioning unit) wherein, in the event a printing commission for printing data received from the computer exceeds the original processing capabilities of its own device, a server device to send the received printing data to is determined based on the capability information sent from the other device, the printing data is transmitted to the server device in real-time, and the given processing is commissioned; transmission requesting means (transmission requesting unit) for requesting transmission of printing data to the server device following given processing; and printing control means (print control unit) for performing control so as to print based on printing data following the given processing, received in response to the transmission request; and the server device comprises: server processing means, (server processing unit) wherein the given processing is performed to the printing data received from the network interface card, and
Ebrahimi Saeid
Rogers Scott
Seiko Epson Corporation
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