Typewriting machines – Sheet or web
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-30
2002-09-10
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
C400S582000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06447184
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing system, a method of processing data with a printing apparatus, a method of processing data in a printing system, a printing operation controller, a method of controlling a printing operation, and storage medium on which a computer-readable program is stored, for controlling the operation of transferring printing information by communicating via a predetermined communication medium with a plurality of printing apparatus each having a paper feeding slot to which a paper name may be assigned.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 23-26
illustrate printing systems to which the printing operation controller of the above-described type may be applied. In these printing systems, a data processing apparatus (host computer) is adapted to communicate with a printing apparatus (printer) via a predetermined communication medium.
In these figures, a host computer H includes a controller which executes various application programs in response to a command input via an input device (such as a keyboard) not shown in the figures, and a memory resource for storing various application programs and a system program. The host computer H is adapted to communicate with a printer P
1
or other printers PA-PC via a predetermined communication medium. Each printer includes an upper cassette C
1
and a lower cassette C
2
.
In some printing systems having a system configuration such as that shown in
FIG. 23
, when data produced and managed by the host computer H is output to the printer P
1
having a plurality of paper feeding slots, if a desired paper size is designated via the printing operation control screen displayed on the display device of the host computer H, then the printer P
1
automatically selects a paper feeding slot in which paper with the designated size is set.
In such a printing system, when A4-size paper and B4-size paper are set in an upper cassette C
1
and lower cassette C
2
, respectively, of the printer shown in
FIG. 23
, if printing data and control data designating A4 as the paper size are transmitted to the printer from the host computer, then paper is automatically fed from the upper cassette C
1
, and thus designation of a physical paper feeding slot is not required. On the other hand, if B4 is designated, paper is automatically fed from the lower cassette C
2
.
However, in the case where paper with the same size but with a different color is set in the upper cassette C
1
and the lower cassette C
2
of the printer P
1
as shown in
FIG. 24
(white A4-size paper is set in the upper cassette C
1
and red A4-size paper is set in the lower cassette), it is uncertain whether white or red paper is selected when A4 is designated as the paper size. That is, in this printing system, it is impossible to designate paper with a desired color.
Therefore, a user has to designate a physical paper feeding mechanism. More specifically, the user has to designate, for example, A4-size paper in the upper cassette. To select a desired type of paper, the user has to have knowledge about which type of paper is set in which physical paper feeding slot of the printer and the user has to designate a desired physical paper feeding slot in accordance with the above knowledge. This is inconvenient for the user.
FIG. 25
illustrates a printing system having the capability of designating a desired type of paper by a paper name, which has been proposed to avoid the above problem. In this printing system, a paper name is assigned as an attribute to each paper feeding slot of the printer P
1
so that if the host computer H designates a particular paper name of those assigned to the printer P
1
, then paper is fed from the paper feeding slot corresponding to the designated paper name. Hereinafter this capability is referred to as a paper name designation capability.
In the specific example shown in
FIG. 25
, “Estimate” and “Account” are assigned as logical paper names to the upper cassette C
1
and the lower cassette C
2
, respectively. When a printing operation is performed, the host computer H transmits control data designating a logical paper name (for example, “Estimate”) together with printing data to the printer, without designating a physical paper feeding slot.
In the printer P
1
, printing is performed on paper fed from the paper feeding slot corresponding to the designated paper name “Estimate”. This paper name designation capability allows the user to easily designate a desired type of paper without having to know various physical properties (such as a paper size, color, relationship between the paper type and the paper feeding slot). This is very convenient for the user.
In conventional printers with a plurality paper feeding slots, selection of a paper feeding slot used in a printing operation is made either in such a manner that a user designates a particular paper feeding slot (for example, upper cassette) via a host computer or in such a manner that the printer determines a proper paper size and employs a paper feeding slot in which paper with the selected size is set.
In some cases, a particular type of paper called a preprinted sheet on which a particular form has been printed is set in a paper feeding slot. In this case, desired paper cannot be selected by designating only the paper size. The user has to designate a physical paper feeding slot in which desired paper is set and thus the user has to know which paper is set in which paper feeding slot.
Some printers have the capability of selecting optimum printing conditions such as the paper feeding speed and the fixing mode depending on the type of paper employed (for example, thick paper, transparency sheet, etc.) thereby forming a visible image with improved quality. However, in this case, the user himself/herself has to determine the type of paper and notify the printer of the type of paper. As described above, the selection of paper feeding slots in practical printing applications is becoming more complex.
More specifically, in a networked system including a plurality of printers PA-PC each having the paper name designation capability as shown in
FIG. 26
, a user has to know the relationship between the physical printer names and the logical paper names.
That is, to use the paper name designation capability in a networked system, the user is required to have knowledge about physical printer names and designate a desired physical printer name on the basis of the knowledge. This makes the system inconvenient.
For example, in the printing system shown in
FIG. 26
, when the host computer H prints an estimate, the host computer H has to know that the paper name “Estimate” is assigned to a “printer B” of a plurality of printers on the network. The user designates the “printer B” as the output destination and further designates the “estimate” as the paper name via the host computer H. Then the user issues a print start command. In such a networked printing system including a plurality of printers PA-PC, the advantages of the paper name designation capability are not well exploited. On the contrary, even a reduction in utility can occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus, a printing system, a method of processing data with a printing apparatus, a method of processing data in a printing system, a printing operation control apparatus, a method of controlling a printing operation, and a storage medium on which a computer-readable program is stored, whereby a networked printing environment having the paper name designation capability is realized in which paper names assigned to respective printers on the network are acquired and displayed in the form of a list on a printing operation control screen so that if a user designates a particular paper name then printing information is sent to a printer assigned the designated paper name thus making it possible to build a networked printing system having the paper name designation capa
Kimura Yoshio
Noda Akihiko
Hilten John S.
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
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