Abstract: On the printer PRT, there is a service call button installed on an operating panel 200 for notifying the management system 100 of a repair request when an error occurs that is difficult for the printer itself to detect, such as when during printing processing, work-up of the back surface, or missing dots occur. When it receives notice that the service call button has been pressed, the management system 100 creates a web page 500 that displays the input screen for inputting the details of the error contents, notes the URL of the web page 500 on an e-mail 10 and sends this to the user. Information relating to the printer PRT such as the usage history, years of use, and model, etc. stored in the database DB are reflected in the web page 500. For example, error contents inference from the usage history are selectively displayed, or errors that occurred before the service call button was pressed are displayed.

Abstract: A printer 200 uploads the identification number and ink remaining amount regarding the ink cartridge 270 mounted therein to the server 100 over a network 300. The server 100 keeps track of the identification information and ink remaining amount for each ink cartridge using a remaining amount management table 142. Where the ink remaining amount uploaded with regard to an identification number is larger than the ink remaining amount registered in the remaining amount management table in association with that identification number, the ink cartridge having such identification number is determined to be a refilled cartridge, and such identification number and the number of refills associated therewith are kept track of using a refill management table 144. As a result, it can be easily determined whether or not a consumable item container mounted in a device is a refilled container, and even if a refilled container is shared among multiple devices, the number of refills performed thereto can be easily monitored.

Abstract: A printer includes a first printer position information acquisition, and a public key generator that generates a public key with a passphrase containing at least the first printer position information. The printer holds the public key in a public key storage. A print data receiver receives print date encrypted with the public key. The printer also includes a second printer position information acquisition, and a private key generator that generates a private key with a passphrase containing at least the second printer position information. A decrypter decrypts the print data received by the print data receiver with the private key. A control method of a printer also is described.

Abstract: Network-incompatible low-function printers 3A, 3B, . . . incapable of interpreting a high-function language are connected to a high-function printer 2 which can connect to a network 4 and which can interpret a high-function language such as PostScript, in such a way as to be positioned in a downstream location relative to the printer 2, thereby constituting one printer group. The high-function printer 2 examines the performance attributes of the downstream low-function printers 3A, 3B, . . . and stores the thus-examined performance. The printer 2 notifies the performance attributes of the overall printer group to a host provided on the network 4. On the basis of the thus-notified performance, a printer drive provided in the host prepares and displays a user interface screen. Upon receipt of print job data from the host, the high-function printer 2 selects a printer suitable for processing the job from the printer group and transfers the job data to the thus-selected printer.

Abstract: A home gateway 30, input devices, output devices and a client are connected via a network LAN. Installed into the home gateway 30 is a server-side program 100 for performing control of input devices and output devices, edit of image, and provision of an interface window to the client 10. Once the user specifies the devices to be used for input-output of image through the client 10, the server-side program 100, according to this specification, imports the image from the input device, transfers to the output device and causes the image to be output. This enables input-output of image to be achieved without installing a device driver.

Abstract: A printer generates a public key with a passphrase containing at least printer position information and a random number by a public key cryptography, and holds this random number. A print client previously acquires the public key from the printer. When transmitting print data to the printer, the print client encrypts the print data in advance with the acquired public key and transmits the encrypted print data as print transmitting data. The printer which has received the print transmitting data generates a private key with a passphrase containing at least printer position information and the held random number by the public key cryptography. The printer then decrypts the received print transmitting data with the private key. Consequently, the security of the print data transmitted from the print client to the printer via a network is ensured.

Abstract: A home gateway 30, input devices, output devices and a client are connected via a network LAN. Installed into the home gateway 30 is a server-side program 100 for performing control of input devices and output devices, edit of image, and provision of an interface window to the client 10. Once the user specifies the devices to be used for input-output of image through the client 10, the server-side program 100, according to this specification, imports the image from the input device, transfers to the output device and causes the image to be output. This enables input-output of image to be achieved without installing a device driver.

Abstract: A home gateway 30, input devices, output devices and a client are connected via a network LAN. Installed into the home gateway 30 is a server-side program 100 for performing control of input devices and output devices, edit of image, and provision of an interface window to the client 10. Once the user specifies the devices to be used for input-output of image through the client 10, the server-side program 100, according to this specification, imports the image from the input device, transfers to the output device and causes the image to be output. This enables input-output of image to be achieved without installing a device driver.

Abstract: A printer disclosed herein has: a first printer position information acquisition which acquires first printer position information; a first common key generator which creates a first variable based on the first printer position information and generates a first common key with the first variable; a first common key storage in which the generated first common key is stored; a first common key transmitter which transmits the first common key to a print client; an encrypted print data receiver which receives encrypted print data from the print client; a second printer position information acquisition which acquires second printer position information; a second common key generator which creates a second variable based on the second printer position information and generates a second common key with the second variable; and a print data acquisition which decrypts the encrypted print data with the second common key to acquire the print data.

Abstract: A printer generates a public key dependent on printer position information and transmits it to a print client. The print client encrypts a common key with this public key and transmits it to the printer, and encrypts print data with this common key and transmits it to the printer. The printer generates a private key dependent on printer position information to decrypt the encrypted common key, and decrypts the print data with the common key. Consequently, the printer capable of restricting the place where a print operation can be executed can be provided.

Abstract: A network board specifies a connected printer by acquiring a model name and a serial number of the printer. If monitored items of this printer are held in a connected printer list, the network board monitors the printer in accordance with the monitored items. On the other hand, when the monitored items of the printer are not held in the connected printer list, the network board newly acquires the monitored items of the printer from a server. Consequently, it becomes possible for the network board to automatically identify a model of a printer to be monitored and monitor the printer based on held monitored items.

Abstract: A printing system of this invention utilizes a particular port number ‘19100’, instead of a general port number ‘9100’, for transmission of a print job from a client CL to a printer PRT1 having distributed printing control functions. A custom board network CNB of the printer PRT1 receives communication data DT0 including a print job with specification of a QT value representing ‘100 copies’ and a receiver port number ‘19100’ and transfers the received communication data DT0 to a distributed printing software program, which stands by at a port having the particular port number ‘19100’. An internal CPU of the custom network board CNB exerts the respective distributed printing control functions according to the distributed printing software program.

Abstract: A printer generates a public key with a passphrase containing at least printer position information, and holds the public key in a public key storage. When transmission of a public key is requested by a print client, the printer reads the public key from the public key storage and transmits the public key. The print clients transmits print transmitting data generated by encrypting print data with the previously acquired public key. The printer which has received the print transmitting data generates a private key with a passphrase containing at least printer position information. The printer decrypts the received print transmitting data with the private key.

Abstract: Provided is a printer which accelerates the printing speed of a printer without having to make the processing wait even when a printer corresponding to various types of printer language receives print job data in a printer language other than the same currently under processing. The present invention is a printer which prints by loading into a memory an Interpreter Program corresponding to a printer language, generating image data from the print job data and loading such image data into the memory pursuant to the execution of the interpreter program, and supplying this to the print engine. When job data in a language different from the one currently under processing is received, a new interpreter program is loaded into the memory before the image data currently under processing is completely supplied.

Abstract: The present invention is a printer capable of directly accessing a server on a network. This printer makes a first request for obtaining a resource, determines the structure of the resource based on the first response to the first request, sets pages to be printed based on the structure of the determined resource, makes a second request for obtaining the structural data within the set pages to be printed, generates print data based on the second response to the second request, and prints the resource based on the generated print data. Thereby, the time required for obtaining a resource from a server and printing such resource is shortened, and the network resources may be used efficiently.

Abstract: From a printer, a print client previously acquires printer position information on the printer. For example, when trying to transmit print data to the printer, the print client generates print transmitting data by adding printer position information on the printer to the print data and transmits the print transmitting data. The printer which has received this print transmitting data prints the print data only when the printer position information contained in the print transmitting data coincides with printer position information at this point in time. Consequently, the security of the print transmitting data transmitted from the print client to the printer via a network is ensured.

Abstract: A local area network is constructed to which are connected multiple clients CL1 to CL3 and printer PRT1. Printer PRT1 comprises two print job receiving ports, Port 9100 and Port 29100. When client CL1 sends print job JOB0 specifying the port of Port 29100, printer PRT1 correlates the print job received at the receiving port of Port 29100 with the IP address IP10 of the send source client CL1, and reserves the print job. When the print execution instructions are received from client CL1, the print job to be printed is specified as print job JOB0. When it is detected that the user has operated operating panel OP, printing of print job JOB0 is executed.

Abstract: The present invention conducts printing by controlling the jobs previously input to the printer. The job for conducting printing by unifying a plurality of jobs reads the respective jobs previously input to the storage device and conducts printing on printing paper thereby. Further, the job for designating bookbinding processing such as binding printed matter with a staple performs bookbinding processing designated to printed matter to be output. Accordingly, after inputting individual jobs prepared with a variety of application software to the printer, the user may conduct printing by controlling such jobs.

Abstract: A usage control apparatus and a device in a fee system for a device are provided. The usage control apparatus and the device allow to charge depending on usage without having to access a server 20 during use. An issuing module 21 of server 20 collects payment from a client 30, and issues a predetermined amount of money information 51. When client 30 uses a printer 40 or other device, it appends to the print data 52 the money information 51 required for use (here, for printing), and sends it to the printer 40. If money information 51 in the amount required for printing is transmitted to the printer 40, it performs printing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique of simply editing a source file described in a markup language.