Patent ID: 6348971
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
A printing system comprising:a plurality of printers; a host computer for selectively driving said plurality of printers; user information retention means for retaining user information concerning print data preset by a user before initiation of a printing operation, wherein said user information relates to general print preferences of the user independent of a particular print job; printer information retention means for retaining printer information concerning print environments of said plurality of printers, wherein said printer information includes status information comprising printing state, power saving state, error state, data amount waiting for print, paper size, paper type, remaining paper amount, remaining toner amount, and remaining ink amount, indicating a status of said plurality of printers; and printer selection means for selecting a printer from among said plurality of printers based on the user information retained in said user information retention means and the printer information retained in said printer information retention means and controlling said host computer so as to drive the selected printers.