Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1201—Dedicated interfaces to print systems
  • G06F3/1202—Dedicated interfaces to print systems specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect
  • G06F3/1203—Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
  • G06F3/1204—Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1201—Dedicated interfaces to print systems
  • G06F3/1223—Dedicated interfaces to print systems specifically adapted to use a particular technique
  • G06F3/1237—Print job management
  • G06F3/126—Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1201—Dedicated interfaces to print systems
  • G06F3/1278—Dedicated interfaces to print systems specifically adapted to adopt a particular infrastructure
  • G06F3/1285—Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
  • G06F3/1289—Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server in server-client-printer device configuration, e.g. the server does not see the printer

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the performance of printing operations in a computer network.
• the invention is particularly applicable to printing operations carried out in a client/server computer environment.
• the computers connected by the network can be divided into two categories
• the first category are the server computers which are often used to store databases and to run database management programs to allow access and manipulation of the data in the database.
• the second category are the client computers which, under the control of a user, access the data stored by the server computer and enable operations on that data such as editing, analysis, downloading or printing.
• client/server computer architecture there are a number of sub-classes. These classes generally distinguish various client/server architectures depending on the distribution of processing between the client computers and the server computers.
• One such class is commonly called “Thin Client” and refers to a situation in which, in response to requests for information from the client computer, the application programs on the server computer carry out most of the data processing.
• the client computer allows a user to make requests for information, the server computer then carries out the necessary processing to produce the data and passes back the results to the client computer for viewing
• the server computer holds configuration data and identification/location data for every printer connected to the network.
• the printing task is carried out under the control of the server computer.
• printers or client computers may move their physical positions thereby requiring changes to be made to the appropriate location data.
• Printers may be upgraded resulting in a change in configuration data and perhaps even the network address of the printer.
• the resulting overhead in managing the printer data so as to be able to send print jobs to a printer that is appropriate for the physical location of the client computer is costly and therefore undesirable.
• a method of processing data for performing a printing operation in response to a print request made by a first computer to a second computer in a network of computers comprising the steps of: i) at said second computer: a) accessing stored data associating one or more printer identifiers and/or application program identifiers with each member of a set of network address ports; b) receiving a print request from said first computer, said request comprising an identification of one of said stored printer identifiers or application program identifiers; c) identifying the network address of said first computer; and d) sending data required for said print request to the network address of the first computer, using the port associated with the printer identifier or application program identifiers identified in the request; and ii) at said first computer: a) accessing stored data defining an association between each member of the set of network address ports and a printer and/or application program; and b) in response to data being received via one of said predetermined ports
• This method of processing data for printing removes the need for the server computer to be configured with the details, locations and driver programs for all the printers on the network.
• this provides further advantages. For example, it avoids the need for the user to have any printing facilities available (such as a mobile user connected to a network by a GSM phone but not in the proximity of a printer) or removes the delay of physically printing the document.
• the invention is also advantageous when the network address of a client computer changes each time it is logged on to a network, for example, using the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).
• DHCP dynamic host configuration protocol
• Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a network of computers controlling and monitoring a telecommunications system
• Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a client computer connected to a server computer in the network shown in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of data stored on the client and server computers shown in Figure 3;
• FIG 4 is a flow diagram showing the processing carried out by the server computer shown in Figure 2;
• FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing the processing carried out by the client computer shown in Figure 2;
• Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a large networked computer system 101 that is arranged to monitor and control a telephone system 1 03 via a telephone exchange 105.
• the telephone exchange 105 is connected to a server computer 107 that is arranged to control and monitor the activity of the telephone exchange 105.
• the server 107 is connected to a database 109 that it uses to store collected data and control programs.
• the server computer 1 07 is connected to a wide area network (WAN) 1 1 1 1 along with a further server computer 1 1 3 connected to a corresponding storage device 1 1 5.
• the WAN 1 1 1 is also connected to two local area networks (LAN) 1 1 7.
• Server computers 1 1 9 and printers 1 21 are connected variously to the LANs 1 1 7 and the WAN 1 1 1 .
• the computers 1 07, 1 1 3, 1 1 9 are arranged to communicate with each other via the networks 1 1 1 1 , 1 1 7 using IP network protocol such as TCP/IP (other alternative IP protocols include UDP/IP and RTP/IP).
• IP network protocol such as TCP/IP (other alternative IP protocols include UDP/IP and RTP/IP).
• any one of the printers 1 21 may be arranged to carry out printing operations in accordance with instructions sent from any one of the computers 107, 1 13, 1 1 9 connected to the networks 1 1 1 , 1 1 7.
• each device in an IP network is assigned a unique address (IP address) that uniquely identifies the device in the network 1 01 .
• IP address is divided into approximately sixty four thousand port numbers each enabling a notionally separate network connection.
• An IP address is denoted by a string of numbers delineated with periods (or full stops) (e.g. 1 23.2J 54.209) and a port number for a particular address is appended to the IP address after a colon (e.g. 1 23.2J 54.209:63295 where 63295 is the port number).
• the server computers 107, 1 1 3 are conventional computers running the VMS operating system while the client computers 1 1 9 are PC's with conventional operating systems such as Windows.
• the server computers 107, 1 1 3 and the client computers also run appropriate (and conventional) Client/Server software that enables the client computers to access the control and monitoring programs and data an the server computers 107, 1 13 via the networks 1 1 1 , 1 17. This enables users to print reports or other documents using one of the printers 1 21 attached to the networks 1 1 1 , 1 1 7.
• FIG. 2 shows parts of the network 1 01 in further detail.
• the operating systems and application programs that are resident on the server 107 and the client 1 1 9 are shown as functional blocks.
• the server 107 is running the VMS operating system that includes a print spooler 203.
• the print spooler 203 is a conventional program that handles printing tasks for the operating system. Such spoolers have a file as their input along with a print command that details the printing task (e.g. number of copies) . Once these inputs have been received, the print spooler communicates with the assigned printer 1 21 to produce the requested output.
• the resident software includes a further program 21 1 herein termed the network printing program.
• the program 21 1 also handles printing tasks but instead of sending a file and print command to a printer, is arranged to send data to the client computer from which the print request was initiated in a manner that will be explained in further detail below.
• the sever computer 1 07 detects when a user logs on to the server 107 via the client computer 1 1 9 and stores the IP address of the client computer 1 1 9 in a file 301 (see Figure 3) that is specific to the user.
• the file 301 also contains a reference 305 to a corresponding settings file 307 for the particular user.
• the settings file 307 comprises four entries each having three fields, the first field for printer or application program name, the second field for an IP address and the third field for an IP port number.
• the network printing program 21 1 In response to the reception of a print request from the client 1 1 9, at step 401 the network printing program 21 1 opens the settings file 307, extracts the first field from each entry and presents these to the user as the choice of printers available for the print request. In response to the user's choice, at step 403 the network printing program 21 1 extracts the corresponding second and third fields from the chosen entry (filling in the blank second field from the IP address entry in the data file 301 ). At step 405 the network printing program 21 1 opens a network connection for the identified IP address and port number.
• the network printing program 21 1 inserts a line in the file (containing the data to be printed) that recites the file extension (e.g. "doc" for a word-processing file or "txt” for a text file). If any conversion is required between the server file format and the client file format then this is carried out at step 409. Then, at step 41 1 the network printing program 21 1 sends the file to the client computer 1 1 9 and, at step 41 3, closes the IP connection.
• the file extension e.g. "doc" for a word-processing file or "txt” for a text file.
• the client computer 1 1 9 has a corresponding network printing program 21 3 that is in communication with the operating system 21 5 and runs as a background process monitoring selected ones of the network ports 21 7.
• the network printing program 21 3 is started up automatically when the client computer 1 1 9 is switched on and refers to an initialisation file 309 (shown in Figure 3) to identify the IP ports that should be monitored.
• the program 21 3 monitors the IP ports defined in respective entries of the file 309.
• the file 309 also defines what action should be taken when a file is received via each of the defined ports. Accordingly, when data is received via a given port then at step 503 the network printing program 213 determines the appropriate action to be taken with the data. If the file 309 indicates that data received on a given port should be sent directly to a printer then this is carried out at step 505 after which the network printing program 21 3 returns to monitoring the IP ports 217 at step 501 .
• the network printing program 21 3 opens the file containing the data and inspects the first line for a file extension. If at step 509 the file extension is identified as "csv" then, at step 51 1 , the program 21 3 saves the file with the extension appended and sends a command to the operating system to execute the file. The network printing program 21 3 then returns to step 501 to monitor the IP ports 21 7. If at step 51 3 the file extension is identified as "txt” then at step 51 5 the program 21 3 saves the file with the extension appended, sends a command to the operating system to execute the file and returns to step 501 to monitor the ports 21 7.
• step 51 7 the file extension is identified as "htm” then at step 51 9 the program 21 3 saves the file with the extension appended, sends a command to the operating system to execute the file and then returns to step 501 to monitor the ports 217. If at step 521 the file extension of the received file is identified as "doc” then at step 523 the program 21 3 saves the file with the extension appended, sends a command to the operating system to execute the file and then returns to step 501 to monitor the ports 21 7.
• the program 21 3 saves the file with the extension "txt” appended, sends a command to the operating system to execute the file and then returns to step 501 to monitor the ports 21 7.
• the result of executing the file is that file will be opened using the associated application program i.e. Excel for "csv”, Word for "doc”, Notepad for "txt” and an the preferred internet browser for "htm” (the program associated with a given file extension may be specified by the user in some operating systems) .
• the data will have either been sent to a local printer or presented to the user via an application program.
• the local printer this is one that is defined by the printer options set by the user on the client computer as opposed to any printer settings defined on the server computer.
• This removes the need for the server computer to be configured with the details, locations and driver programs for all the printers on the network. This is a difficult task to achieve when the network is not small. When printers can be moved on the network or even removed from it easily the task of maintaining printer configuration details becomes more difficult.
• printer configuration settings are defined on the client computer they are no longer the responsibility of the server computer administrator and instead can be modified whenever necessary by the user in accordance with the local printer configurations and availability. This is of particular advantage when the client computer is mobile i.e. can be moved readily between physical locations and be connected to the network at any one of those locations.
• the user is able to select (at step 403) from one of three printers and a single application as determined by the contents of the settings file 307 stored on the server 107 for the particular user. If the user wishes to change these setting the file 307 this can be accomplished either by directly editing the settings file 307 or by a suitable interface facility such as a control panel.
• a suitable interface facility such as a control panel.
• the first field of one or more of the entries in the settings file 307 is modified. If the new setting is for a printer the field should contain a recognised printer name such as "LPT1 " or "COM 1 " so that the entry is properly recognised in step 403. If an application is to be specified then the application name should be entered in the first field of the appropriate line in the file 307.
• the system can be set up for a combination of printers or applications or exclusively for printer or for applications.
• the entries in the client file 309 can also be amended for the corresponding ports.
• the instruction (to send the file to a printer or to open with a predetermined application program) can be amended to correspond to the function defined in the first field of the entry for that port in the settings file 307 on the server 107.
• the settings in the file 309 correspond to those in file 307.
• a user to assign what is shown in file 309 as a printer port to a specific application program simply by appropriate editing of
• the embodiment above is arranged to either send a file received by the client computer 1 1 9 directly to a printer or open it with an application further alternative actions are possible.
• the file could be received and then processed using a batch processing file.
• Such batch files can be used to carry out many types of processing such as editing, sending to another location (by e-mail, file transfer, facsimile or any other suitable method) for compressing or for archiving.
• Such a batch file would be referred to by a command entered in the appropriate line of the client settings file 309.
• the data file 301 described above also contains a reference to the settings file 307 for the user as well as the IP address.
• the setting file could be applicable to all users and therefore no reference would be required to the settings file 307 in file 301 .
• a further alternative would be for the client computer to send the settings file from the client to update a user-specific settings file on the server.
• the server network printing program 21 1 is described as a single program. However, as an alternative, a separate program can be run for each of the possible choices in the settings file 307. In this case, each version is set up to deal with either a request to print to a printer or to carry out network printing in accordance with the invention
• Each of the network printing programs can be arranged to present itself to the user as a normal printer
• a mechanism for improving the security that is implemented in the above embodiment is to limit the set of file extensions that the client computer will accept. This reduces the possibility of undesirable files such as executable files being transmitted to the client computer 1 1 9.
• the network printing programmes 21 1 , 21 3 both together and independently embody aspects of the invention.
• These programmes 21 1 , 21 3 can be contained on various transmission and/or storage mediums such as a floppy disc, CD-ROM, or magnetic tape so that the programmes can be loaded onto one or more general purpose computers or could be downloaded over a computer network using a suitable transmission medium.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
• Accessory Devices And Overall Control Thereof (AREA)

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• 2000
  • 2000-03-10 EP EP00909486A patent/EP1171814A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-03-10 WO PCT/GB2000/000900 patent/WO2000058822A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-03-10 AU AU31768/00A patent/AU3176800A/en not_active Abandoned

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