JP3338789B2 - NIC control method and printer device to which the control method is applied - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling a network interface (NIC) and a printer to which the control method is applied.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a network such as a LAN, computers and printers are connected to the network via a network interface card (hereinafter abbreviated as "NIC" as appropriate). As a result, data can be transferred between the computer and the printer via the network, and, for example, one printer can be shared by a plurality of computers.

[0003]

By the way, between the NIC and the host computer, print data and NIC information can be obtained or the NIC can be controlled.
Between the C and the printer device, the NIC does not exchange information other than transmitting print data from the NIC to the printer and transmitting the printer status from the printer to the NIC. For this reason, there has been a problem that NIC information cannot be obtained from the printer device side, and the NIC cannot be controlled from the printer device side.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a NIC control method capable of controlling an NIC from a printer device side and a printer device to which the control method is applied. And

[0005]

That is, the NIC control method according to the present invention comprises the steps of (a) receiving and analyzing information from a network interface card, and storing the received information in a status area provided in a printer device. A step of converting the information into a suitable predetermined format and writing the information in the status area (for example, steps S11 and S
(B) processing for displaying the received information written in the status area on an operation panel provided in the printer device (for example, processing corresponding to step S14 described later); (C) a step of generating transmission information by changing the reception information by the operation panel and writing the transmission information in the status area (for example, a process corresponding to step S21 described later)
When the network interface converts the transmission information written in (d) of the status area in a compatible format with the network interface card
Card, and the transmission information converted to the format
Controlling the network interface card (for example, steps S22, S23,
24).

Further, a printer device according to the present invention comprises:
A transmitting / receiving unit that transmits / receives information to / from a network interface card (for example, a data transmitting / receiving unit 1 described later)
0) and a status area (for example, status area 1 to be described later) that stores the current apparatus status.
00), a user interface provided between the status area and the operation panel (for example, a component corresponding to a user interface 30 to be described later), and between the transmitting / receiving unit and the status area. Provided, while analyzing the received information received by the transmitting and receiving unit and writing it to the status area, and converting the transmission information written to the status area by the operation panel into a format compatible with the network interface card, Analysis processing unit provided to the transmission / reception unit (for example, NIC data analysis processing unit 20 described later)
Wherein the transmitting and receiving unit transmits the data converted to the format.
Information to the network interface card.
The transmission information converted to the format
Controlling the work interface card .

Further, a printer according to the present invention comprises:
For example, a transmission / reception unit (for example, a component corresponding to the data transmission / reception unit 10 described later) that enables two-way communication with the host, and an area for storing the current state of the apparatus (for example, corresponding to a status area 100 described later) And a connection unit (for example, a part of a component corresponding to the data transmission / reception unit 10 described later) with a network interface card (for example, a component corresponding to the network interface card 1 described later), and an operation panel (for example, A function of displaying data acquired from a network interface card on an operation panel (for example, a processing function corresponding to steps S11 to S14 to be described later) and an operation Network interface car by operating the panel Controlling the functions (e.g., later-described processing function corresponding to step S21 to S24) and configured to have.

According to the present invention, the control information of the network interface card is converted into a format that can be displayed on the operation panel of the printer, and displayed on the operation panel. Further, the control panel is operated to create control information of the network interface card, which is converted into a controllable format for the network interface card and transmitted to the network interface card. As a result, the network interface card can be controlled from the printer device side.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a printer device according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a network interface card (NIC), and reference numeral 10 denotes a data transmitting / receiving unit that transmits and receives data to and from the network interface card 10;
Reference numeral 0 denotes a NIC data analysis processing unit to be described later; 100, a status area for storing (storing) data representing the current state of the printer; and 30, a user interface with the operation panel 2.

Here, the NIC data analysis processing unit 20
A received data analysis processing unit 11 for analyzing received NIC1 data, and a status area writing processing unit 1 for writing the analyzed NIC1 data to a status area
2, a status area read processing unit 13 for reading NIC control data changed by the operation panel 2 and stored in the status area, and a transmission data generation processing unit 14 for generating data to be transmitted to the NIC 1. .

A method of controlling the NIC by the printer according to the embodiment will be described below. First, a procedure for acquiring NIC information will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Step S11: The data transmitting / receiving unit 10 receives data from the NIC1. This data (reception information) includes various data such as the NIC IP address and subnet mask.

Step S12: Received data analysis processing unit 1
1 analyzes this data and returns the status area 100
Is converted into a data format that can be written into the data (a predetermined format compatible with the status area 100). Step S13: Status area write processing unit 12
Writes the data converted by the received data analysis processing unit 11 into the status area 100.

Step S14: The user interface 30 displays the data written in the status area 100, ie, the information of the NIC, on the operation panel 2 of the printer. Through the above procedure, the information of the NIC is acquired and displayed on the operation panel of the printer. The user can grasp the NIC information from the displayed contents.

Next, a procedure for controlling the NIC will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. The user changes the NIC information displayed on the operation panel 2 through the above-described procedure according to the control contents of the NIC. Step S21: The user interface 30 displays the NI changed by operating the operation panel 2 by the user.
The information of C is written in the status area 100 as NIC control data (transmission information).

Step S22: The status area read processing section 13 reads NIC control data from the status area 100. Step S23: The transmission data creation processing unit 14 converts the data for NIC control read from the status area 100 into a data format (format conforming to NIC1) that can be transmitted to NIC1. Step S24: The data transmission / reception unit 10 transmits the NIC control data converted by the transmission data creation processing unit 14 to the NIC 1 (S24 in FIG. 3).

As described above, the NIC 1 is controlled by the control data input from the operation panel 2 provided in the printer. Therefore, according to the printer of this embodiment, NIC information can be acquired from the printer, and the NIC can be controlled from the printer based on the information.

[0017]

As described above, according to the NIC control method of the present invention, (a) information from a network interface card is received and analyzed, and the received information is transmitted to a status provided in the printer device. Converting the information into a predetermined format suitable for the area and writing the information in the status area; and (b) displaying the received information written in the status area on an operation panel provided in the printer device; (C) generating the transmission information by changing the reception information by the operation panel, and writing the transmission information to the status area;
(D) converting the transmission information written in the status area into a format compatible with the network interface and transmitting the converted information.
An NI that can control the NIC from the printer
The C control method can be realized.

Further, according to the printer device of the present invention, a transmitting / receiving unit for transmitting / receiving information to / from the network interface card, a status area for storing a current status of the device, and the status area and the operation panel. A user interface provided therebetween, provided between the transmission / reception unit and the status area, analyzes received information received by the transmission / reception unit and writes the information in the status area, and the operation panel controls the status area. And an analysis processing unit for converting the transmission information written in the network interface into a format compatible with the network interface, so that a printer device capable of controlling the NIC can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation (NIC information acquisition procedure) of the printer device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an operation (NIC control procedure) of the printer device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Network interface card (NIC) 2: Operation panel 10: Data transmission / reception section 11: Received data analysis processing section 12: Status area write processing section 13: Status area read processing section 14: Transmission data creation processing section 20: NIC data analysis Processing unit 30: User interface 100: Status area S11 to S14, S21 to S24: Step

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Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] (A) Receiving and analyzing information from a network interface card, converting the received information into information of a predetermined format compatible with a status area provided in a printer device, and writing the information in the status area. (B) displaying the reception information written in the status area on an operation panel provided in the printer device; and (c) generating the transmission information by changing the reception information using the operation panel. and, step a, (d) wherein said transmission information written in the status area is converted into a format compatible with the network interface card network interface mosquitoes writing the transmission information to the status area
To the host, and the transmission information converted to the format
Controlling the network interface card . 2. A transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving information to / from a network interface card; a status area for storing a current device state; a user interface provided between the status area and an operation panel; The network interface is provided between a transmission / reception unit and the status area, analyzes received information received by the transmission / reception unit, writes the information in the status area, and writes transmission information written in the status area by the operation panel. and converts the card in a compatible format and a analysis processor to provide to the transceiver unit, the transceiver unit, the transmission information is converted into the format
Send to the network interface card,
The transmission information converted to the expression
A printer device for controlling a face card .