Patent ID: 6292267
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: B65H,G06F,G06K

Abstract:
A network printer apparatus connected to a plurality of computers through a LAN network system, the apparatus comprising:a connector for connecting the apparatus to the LAN network system;LAN adapter means including a LAN interface driver for receiving printing information from the computers through said LAN network system, the printing information including an emulation name for identifying a format of printing data sent from a respective one of the computers the printing information also containing an information portion field and a header field which is disposed ahead of the information portion field, the header field containing a destination address field, a sender address field and a communication protocol type field identifying the type of one of a plurality of communication protocols said information portion field containing a header field for identifying the, header of the communication protocol identified from said communication protocol type field, and a print data field, each of the communication protocols identifying a format for transferring the printing data between the apparatus and the respective one of the computers, anda multiprotocol controller having a protocol control function, respectively for each of said plurality of communication protocols, and identifying a communication protocol by the protocol type in said communication protocol type field in the printing information and further controlling transfer of the printing data between the apparatus and the respective one of the computers, wherein the printing information is sent through the LAN network in the form of a packet; said multiprotocol controller identifies a communication protocol from the communication protocol type field in the printing information contained in said packet based on said specific information identifying the type of communication protocol in said packet, the protocol control function of said multiprotocol controller, which corresponds to the communication protocol identified from the communication protocol type field is selected, and said transfer is performed in accordance with the identified communication protocol; andwherein said respective protocol control functions may be processed in parallel:storage means for storing the printing data transferred from said plurality of computers;a printer controller, coupled to said storage means, for forming an image of the printing data in accordance with the emulation name in the printing information transferred from the one of the computers; anda printing mechanism for printing the image on paper.