JPH11316658A - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a printing apparatus which unifies various network protocols and print settings and eliminates the need to install a printer driver in each computer. SOLUTION: A printing apparatus 1 includes a network address and a URL for HTTP from a network interface apparatus 12 and an HTTP processing apparatus 13 and, when connected to a network, uses a computer 2, 3, 4 to send them to a client WWW browser or the like. Identify and control. This browser can display HTML, and is not limited to Mosaic or Netscape. Since the computers 2, 3, and 4 control the printing apparatus 1 through a WWW browser, the computer 2, 3, and 4 can be controlled by the HTTP processing apparatus 13 regardless of the type of the computer or the OS used. Control becomes possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network printing apparatus in which a network protocol specific to each computer is unified.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the remarkable spread of OA equipment in offices and the like, demand for printing processed documents, images, and the like has been increasing. In order to meet this demand, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a system in which a plurality of computers and a printing apparatus are connected via a network and each computer shares the printing apparatus is widely used. like this,
Since the printing device connected to the network starts printing when the user issues a print instruction from each computer, there is no need to install a printing device for each user.
It is easy to use. By the way, a print instruction issued from each computer is given by a network protocol specific to the computer, and the printing apparatus analyzes the instruction and performs a printing process. In addition, it has been assumed that a device driver for the printing apparatus is installed for each computer.

[0003]

However, if the network protocol is different for each computer and a different printer driver for the printing device must be installed for each device, it is inconvenient and time-consuming. there were. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus that unifies various network protocols and print settings and eliminates the need to install a printer driver in each computer.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, network connection means for communicating with one or more computers via a network, and information obtained from the one or more computers via the network connection means. An image output unit that outputs image data, and an HTTP processing device that controls communication by an HTTP protocol used in a communication protocol of the World Wide Web when communication is performed by the network connection unit. The above objective is achieved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved by further providing an auxiliary storage device for storing and retrieving print setting values corresponding to each computer in the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, setting of printing conditions and transmission / reception of image data from an application running on another computer via the HTTP processing device are performed. The above-mentioned object is achieved by performing the processing by the network connection means.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a printing apparatus connected to a network according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printing device 1 includes an image output device 11 that outputs image data, and a network interface device (I) that connects the network to the printing device 1.
/ F) 12 and an HTTP processing device 13 therein. The computer 2, the computer 3, and the computer 4 that use the printing apparatus 1 are connected to the printing apparatus 1 via a network.

The printing apparatus 1 has a network interface (I / F) 12 and an HTTP (Hyper
Text transport protocol) processing unit 13
Has a network address and a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for HTTP, and, when connected to the network, sends them to the client WW from the computer 2, computer 3, and computer 4.
Identification and control are performed using a W (World Wide Web) browser or the like. This browser uses HTML (Hy
per Text Markup Language).
It is not limited to Mosaic or Netscape. Note that HTTP is a protocol used by a WWW server and a WWW browser for transmitting and receiving information such as files.

Since the computer 2, the computer 3 and the computer 4 control the printing apparatus 1 through a WWW browser, the computer 2, the computer 3 and the computer 4 do not care what kind of computer they are or what OS (operation system) they are using. If the HTTP can be controlled by the HTTP processing device 13, the control can be performed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the HTTP processing device 13. The document application 5
An application for creating a document.
WW browser module 52, data transfer module 5
Consists of one. The document application 5 does not communicate with the printer driver in the operating computer, but communicates directly with the printing apparatus 1 by an HTTP processing module inside the application.

The HTTP processing device 13 includes a print data control module 131 for controlling a print image transmitted from the print data transfer module 51 of the document application 5.
, A print setting control module 132 that communicates with the print setting WWW module 52, and an auxiliary storage device 133. The auxiliary storage device 133 can store and retrieve print setting values corresponding to each computer.

The print data control module 131 receives a print image from the document application 5 using HTTP by using the value set by the print setting control module 132, and processes the print image (margin control, number of copies, enlargement, etc.). (E.g., reduction) and then transfer it to the printing apparatus 1. Modern computers are both functionally and affordably good, and there is no problem creating printed images with the application in which the application is running. Until now, it was necessary to prepare a printer driver for a printing device dedicated to a printing device for each computer. However, this network communication using HTTP allows simple control of image transfer only, and the computer side No printer driver is needed.

The print setting control module 132 is a device that replaces the user interface of the printer driver, and the internal processing is as shown in FIG. As a feature, when the document application 5 is connected, the identification number of the computer on which the application is running is acquired (such as an IP address), and the auxiliary storage device 133 is acquired.
Has a function of acquiring the computer setting values from the database configured as described above and returning it to the document application. This makes it possible to use the setting values independently between the connected computers by holding the print settings of the individual computers connected via the network.

[0014] All setting information is transmitted through HTTP using HTTP.
L is displayed graphically in the document application 5 (assuming the document application satisfies this specification). This makes it possible to give unified operability and appearance to a print setting user interface by a computer or an application that has been unified, and eliminates the need for a printer driver user interface required on the computer side.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, HTTP is provided.
By providing the processing device in the printing device, a network protocol unique to each computer can be unified, and it becomes unnecessary to install a printer driver in the computer itself.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the original sharing as a network printer can be realized by managing the settings of each computer in the auxiliary storage device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a unified user interface and a common operation method can be provided by a method in which an application on a network computer controls the printing apparatus. It becomes possible to transfer printing condition settings and image data to the printing apparatus via a network connection unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of an HTTP processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a method of internal processing of a print setting control module.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a computer network sharing a printing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 printing device 2, 3, 4 computer 5 document application 11 image output device 12 network interface device 13 HTTP processing device 51 print data transfer module 52 print setting WWW module 131 print data control module 132 print setting control module 133 auxiliary storage device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A network connection unit that communicates with one or more computers through a network; an image output unit that outputs image data obtained from the one or more computers through the network connection unit; When communicating with the connection means,
HT used in the wide web communication protocol
An HTTP processing device that controls communication using the TP protocol,
A printing device comprising: 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary storage device for storing and retrieving print setting values corresponding to each computer. 3. The network connection unit according to claim 1, wherein an application running on another computer performs setting of printing conditions and transmission / reception of image data from the application via the HTTP processing device. Printing equipment.