Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-30
2003-05-20
Garcia, Gabriel (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567179
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling output, in which printing process is controlled in response to communication data received from an information processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium and also relates to a storage medium for storing a program that is readable by a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image processing apparatuses (such as printers), one communication protocol is today used in one communication interface for communication with a host computer, and control data and print data are exchanged through the same communication interface on the same protocol.
Since print data and control data input based on the same communication protocol are sequentially processed in one communication interface, the control data is executed against the print data that comes in succession to the control data. Print job information is referenced when a print page is created, and an output page is not associated with job information.
Since the control data and print data are exchanged in the same communication, no control command is received from the host computer when the communication status between a printer and a host computer is transitioned to an offline state. Control command performed in the offline state is executed but not by a control command from the host computer.
A macro function execution after the communication status between the printer and the computer is transitioned to an offline state is usually executed after a transition to the offline and the communication status remains there.
Even when the host computer is capable of controlling the printer by a command, the printer remains unable to notify the host computer of a status or the like because of disabled data communication when a process that has to be carried with the printer at the offline state is attempted.
Even if a command of status return request is issued during the online state, the printer remains unable to notify the host computer of a status or the like because of disabled data communication when a process that has to be carried with the printer at the offline state is attempted.
Since the communication control between the host computer and printer is organized as described above in the conventional printing system, only a single data communication is permitted between the host computer and printer, and it is impossible to receive both control data and print data in parallel and in an interruptible manner. When the printer is operated using its operation panel, the printer is unable to process control data (command) though the control data can be received together with the print data in parallel and in an interruptible manner.
When the system shifts to the offline state at the occurrence of a print error, the offline state is applied to the control data, and no control is permitted during the offline state.
In the communication with the host computer, the print data and control data are received using the single protocol and are processed sequentially in the order of their reception. Analysis and processing of the control data must wait until the end of analysis and processing of the print data. For example, even when the printer receives control data that requires the printer to report its state to the host computer, the printer remains unable to respond until the end of analysis and processing of the print data.
Since an intermediate output page created by an input print job has no information that is associated with the area of one job, input jobs cannot be selectively controlled. Initial information of the apparatus at the start of a job is not stored; thus, when a particular input job is selectively canceled, the printer setting cannot be restored to the setting during the start of the job.
When an offline command from the host computer causes the printer to transition to the offline state, no further data communication is carried out, and the host computer cannot request a process step at the offline state.
In the macro function execution after the transition to the offline, some of control processes offline require one-time execution only, such as a reset process. These control commands are executed at each offline. For this reason, these commands need deleting each time a macro is executed after the offline.
After the printer transitions to the offline state in response to a command from the host computer, a control command from the host computer cannot get the printer back to the online. The operation panel needs to be operated to revert back to the online state, and this extra operation inconveniences a user.
When the host computer controls the printer by a control command, a process that needs to be carried out during the offline state cannot be executed with the data communication disabled. An on-screen operation panel, if available, on the host computer corresponding to the actual printer operation panel does not accept an input related to a process that needs to be carried out offline.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to resolve the above problems. A first object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which process both print data and control data contained in communication data in parallel and in an interruptible manner by receiving the communication data based on at least two protocols. A second object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which select and process already received print job data by a subsequent control command by linking and then storing both job information and output page data contained in the print job data and printer setting, and which, after the process, revert back to a printer state prior to the start of the print job. A third object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which performs a desired process after transitioning to an offline state in response to an offline command from a host computer. A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which restrict the number of executions of a macro executed at the transition to the offline state. A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which are capable of returning back to an online state after executing a predetermined control command subsequent to the transition to the offline state in response to an offline command from the host computer and to provide a storage medium for storing a program a computer can read.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the printing control device comprises communication control means which performs a plurality of data communications with an information processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium by using at least two protocols in accordance with a predetermined hierarchical level; sorting means for sorting, according the type of data, communication data that is received on a protocol by protocol basis of the protocols the communication control means uses in communication with the information processing apparatus; and a plurality of data processing means for performing different data processings to the different data sorted by the sorting means.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the sorting means sorts the communication data into control data and print data.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, one of the data processing means performs a predetermined data analysis process to the print data sorted from the communication data by the sorting means to create a bit map a printing module can print out.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, one of the data processing means analyzes the control data sorted from the communication data by the sorting means to execute a predetermined control command.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the hierarchical level of the protocol is a transport layer or higher.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the communication control means performs a
Sato Yukimasa
Sugaya Akio
LandOfFree
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