Patent Publication Number: US-2010110491-A1

Title: Printer, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a printer that is connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, a control method therefor, and a storage medium storing a control program therefor. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, when installing a printer driver to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (referred to as only a PC hereafter), a user has to check a model of a printer, search a printer driver corresponding to the checked model, download the printer driver, and install it. Further, since the user has to set an IP address, such operations are difficult and troublesome for the user who is poor in knowledge of devices and networks. 
     In view of this problem, Japanese laid-open patent publication (Kokai) No. 2007-80156 (JP2007-80156A) discloses a technique in which a printer that a user is going to use installs a printer driver to a user&#39;s PC. The technique disclosed in the publication saves a password, an IP address of the user&#39;s PC and the like into a user&#39;s ID card beforehand. When the user logs in the printer using the ID card and accesses the user&#39;s PC from the printer to operate the PC remotely, the printer driver is installed into the PC from the printer side. 
     However, if the printer driver is installed into the PC from the printer side, a model name of the printer is automatically set as an identification name (referred to as a printer name hereinafter) of the printer on the PC in general. Otherwise, an arbitrary printer name generated at random is set up. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to specify the printer that the user actually wants to use by the printer name displayed on the PC when the user returns to an installed site of the user&#39;s PC from the location of the printer in order to print actually. Particularly, this problem becomes more significant when the printer drivers of a plurality of printers of the same model are installed by this method. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a printer, a control method therefor, and a storage medium storing a control program therefor, which are capable of grasping a printer name on an information processing apparatus by a user easily when a printer driver is installed to the information processing apparatus from the printer side. 
     Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a printer connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, comprising a connection unit adapted to connect a portable information storage medium that equips an information processing module provided with an information acquisition unit that acquires and saves device information of the information processing apparatus, and a name saving unit that saves printer name information for a user to identify a printer in the information processing apparatus, an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the device information and the printer name information from the portable information storage medium, a registration unit adapted to access the information processing apparatus based on the device information acquired by the acquisition unit, and to register the printer into the information processing apparatus, and a setting unit adapted to set up the printer name acquired by the acquisition unit as a printer name of the printer registered into the information processing apparatus. 
     Accordingly, a second aspect of the present invention provides a printer connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, comprising a connection unit adapted to connect a portable information storage medium that equips an information processing module provided with an information acquisition unit that acquires and saves device information of the information processing apparatus, an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the device information from the portable information storage medium, an input unit adapted to make a user input a printer name, a registration unit adapted to access the information processing apparatus based on the device information acquired by the acquisition unit, and to register the printer into the information processing apparatus, and a setting unit adapted to set up the printer name inputted by the input unit as a printer name of the printer registered into the information processing apparatus. 
     Accordingly, a third aspect of the present invention provides a printer connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, comprising a connection unit adapted to connect a portable information storage medium that equips an information processing module provided with an information acquisition unit that acquires and saves device information of the information processing apparatus, and a name saving unit that saves printer name information for a user to identify a printer in the information processing apparatus, a driver saving unit adapted to save a corresponding printer driver, an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the device information and the printer name information from the portable information storage medium, an installation unit adapted to access the information processing apparatus based on the device information acquired by the acquisition unit, and to install the printer driver into the information processing apparatus, a setting unit adapted to set up the printer name acquired by the acquisition unit as a printer name of the printer driver installed into the information processing apparatus, and an instruction unit adapted to instruct a test print by the printer driver that is installed into the information processing apparatus and whose printer name has been set up by the setting unit. 
     Accordingly, a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a printer connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, comprising a connection unit adapted to connect a portable information storage medium that equips an information processing module provided with an information acquisition unit that acquires and saves device information of the information processing apparatus, a driver saving unit adapted to save a corresponding printer driver, an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the device information from the portable information storage medium, a generation unit adapted to generate a printer name automatically, an installation unit adapted to access the information processing apparatus based on the device information acquired by the acquisition unit, and to install the printer driver into the information processing apparatus, a setting unit adapted to set up the printer name automatically generated by the generation unit as a printer name of the printer driver installed into the information processing apparatus, and an instruction unit adapted to instruct a test print by the printer driver that is installed into the information processing apparatus and to which the generated printer name has been set up. 
     According to the present invention, the user can grasp the printer name on the information processing apparatus easily when the printer driver is installed to the information processing apparatus from the printer side. As a result, particularly, for example, when the printer drivers of a plurality of printers are installed to the information processing apparatus from the printer side at a time, the user can easily specify the printer that the user wants to use when printing from the information processing apparatus actually, which improves a convenience of the user. 
     Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram schematically showing an entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing one configuration example of a client PC shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing an outline configuration of a printer shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing a printer driver installation support module. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing a PC information acquisition process according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 6A ,  FIG. 6B , and  FIG. 6C  are views showing screens displayed by the printer driver installation support module. 
         FIG. 7A ,  FIG. 7B , and  FIG. 7C  are views showing screens displayed by the printer driver installation support module. 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing a printer driver installation process according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a view showing an install destination PC confirmation screen. 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing a printer name determination process according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 11A  and  FIG. 11B  are views showing screens displayed by the printer driver installation support module. 
         FIG. 12A  and  FIG. 12B  are views showing screens displayed by the printer driver installation support module. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     (A) Configuration of Entire System 
       FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram schematically showing an entire system according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in this network system, a client PC  102  and a network printer (referred to as a printer hereinafter)  103  are connected with each other via a network  101 . The network  101  uses a known technique to connect a plurality of devices, for example, the Ethernet (registered trademark) using a TCP/IP protocol etc. is used. The client PC  102  transmits a print request to the printer  103 , and the printer  103  prints in response to the print request. In  FIG. 1 , although one client PC and one printer are connected, respectively, a plurality of client PCs and a plurality of printers may be connected. 
     (B) Configuration of Client PC 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing one configuration example of the client PC  102  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the client PC  102  is provided with a mother board  200  on which a CPU  202 , a cache memory  203 , a north bridge  204 , a south bridge  205 , an SDRAM  206 , a graphic controller  209 , etc. are placed. 
     The CPU  202  is controlling the entire software of the client PC  102 , while communicating with the north bridge  204  and the south bridge  205  via the cache memory  203 . Here, the memory (the SDRAM  206 ) is used for an exchange of data between the north bridge  204  and the south bridge  205 , sand for a temporal saving of data in the client PC  102 . 
     The north bridge  204  has a general-purpose PCI bus (32 bits/33 MHz)  207  to which a SCSI external device etc. can be connected as an option (retrofitting). The north bridge  204  is also connected to the graphic controller  209  for displaying a display  208 . The south bridge  205  has another general-purpose PCI bus  210  to which the network  101  is connected via an NIC  211 . 
     The south bridge  205  also has an IDE bus  212 , and a hard disk drive (HDD)  213  that stores control software of the client PC  102  and various data is connected thereto. A CD-ROM (or CD-R, CD-R/W) drive  214  that is useful for the data read at the time of installation of the client PC  102  and for the data storage (archive) of mass data, etc. is connected through the IDE bus  212 . 
     A USB external device represented by a USB memory is connected to a USB port  215 . And the south bridge  205  is connected to a keyboard  217 , a mouse  218  or a floppy (registered trademark) disk drive (F/D drive)  219  via a super I/O unit  216  for outputting and inputting data. 
     (C) Outline Configuration of Printer 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing an outline configuration of the printer  103  shown in  FIG. 1 . In this example, the printer  103  serves as a multifunctional peripheral device. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the printer  103  is provided with a printer engine  301 , a scanner engine  302 , a central processing unit (referred to as a “CPU” hereinafter)  303 , a RAM  304 , a ROM  305 , a network interface (I/F)  306 , an operation panel  307 , and a USB port  308 . 
     The printer engine  301  uses a known printing technique, such as an electro photography method or an inkjet method. The scanner engine  302  uses a known optical reading technique. The CPU  303  controls the entire operation of the printer  103 . The ROM  305  stores an operation control program executed by the CPU  303 . The network I/F  306  is an interface for connecting to the network  101 . The operation panel  307  comprises a display device such as a liquid crystal panel and a LED, and a plurality of operation buttons, for example, and provides a user interface. The RAM  304  temporarily stores image data that is printed by the printer engine  301 . A USB external device represented by a USB memory is connected to the USB port  308 . 
     (D) Printer Driver Installation Support Module in Information Storage Medium 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing a printer driver installation support module (an information processing module) stored in an information storage medium such as a USB memory that can be carried by a user. 
     The printer driver installation support module  400  is started and executed, when the information storage medium that is a storage unit thereof is connected to a device such as the client PC  102  or the printer  103 . The printer driver installation support module  400  includes a user authentication unit  401  and a password protection unit  402 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     When the information storage medium is connected to the device and the installation support module  400  is automatically started or is manually started by the user, the user authentication unit  401  performs authentication before the user uses a function. When a password is not set up, the user authentication unit  401  instructs the user to set up a password. 
     The password protection unit  402  organizes a plurality of function groups, and the password protection unit  402  allows to access to each function therein when an authentication is performed by the user authentication unit  401 . The password protection unit  402  is provided with the following functions as shown in  FIG. 4 . Namely, the password protection unit  402  is provided with a PC information acquisition unit  403 , a PC information saving unit  404 , a printer name setting unit  405 , a printer name list saving unit  406 , a data use frequency setting unit  407 , and a data use frequency saving unit  408 , an automatic data erasing unit  409 , and an installer activation unit  410 . 
     The PC information acquisition unit  403  acquires device information of the client PC  102  such as a computer name, an OS, and an IP address, when the installation support module  400  is connected to the client PC  102 . The PC information saving unit  404  saves the device information of the PC that is acquired by the PC information acquisition unit  403 . The printer name setting unit  405  instructs a user to set up a printer name, when the installation support module  400  is connected to the client PC  102 . The printer name setting unit  405  executes a printer name determination process (described below), when the installation support module  400  is connected to the printer  103 . 
     The printer name list saving unit  406  saves the printer name list that is set by the user using the printer name setting unit  405 . When the printer name cannot be set up from the printer side because an operation unit of the printer does not have a display panel due to its poor configuration, the printer name can be set from the client PC  102  side using the printer name list saved in the printer name list saving unit  406 . 
     The data use frequency setting unit  407  instructs the user to set up the data use frequency that is set in the PC information saving unit  404  and the printer name list saving unit  406 . The data use frequency saving unit  408  saves the data use frequency set up by the data use frequency setting unit  407 . The automatic data erasing unit  409  counts a data use frequency, and erases the data in the PC information saving unit  404  and the printer name list saving unit  406  when the count reaches the data use frequency saved in the data use frequency saving unit  408 . The installer activation unit  410  starts an installer of the printer driver saved in the ROM  305  etc. of the printer  103 . 
     A flow in which the PC information is acquired and saved into the information storage medium will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 ,  6 A,  6 B,  6 C,  7 A,  7 B, and  7 C. In the following description, a USB memory is used as the information storage medium, for example. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing a PC information acquisition process according to this embodiment.  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  6 C,  7 A,  7 B, and  7 C are views showing screens displayed by the printer driver installation support module according to this embodiment. 
     First, a user connects a USB memory in which the installation support module  400  is stored to the USB port  215  etc. of the client PC  102  of the user. The CPU  202  of the client PC  102  checks connection of the USB memory in step S 501 . 
     In the next step S 502 , the CPU  202  of the client PC  102  starts the installation support module  400  stored in the USB memory. In the following step S 503 , the CPU  202  checks whether an administrator password has been set in the user authentication unit  401 . When the administrator password has been already set, the CPU  202  displays a password input screen of  FIG. 6A  on the display  208 , and instructs a password authentication in step S 506 . 
     When the administrator password has not been set, the CPU  202  displays a password setting screen of  FIG. 6B  on the display  208 , and instructs the user to set an administrator password in step S 504 . In response to it, the user sets up the administrator password. In step S 503 , the CPU  202  checks whether the user has set the administrator password. When the user has set the administrator password, the CPU  202  displays the password input screen of  FIG. 6A  on the display  208 , and instructs the administrator password authentication in step S 506 . If the user inputs the administrator password in response (step S 507 ), the CPU  202  proceeds with the process to step S 508  via the password authentication. 
     In step S 508 , the CPU  202  displays the screen for acquiring the PC information shown in  FIG. 6C  on the display  208 , controls the PC information acquisition unit  403  to acquire the PC information such as an OS name and an IP address from the client PC  102 , and saves it into the PC information saving unit  404 . After acquiring the PC information using the PC information acquisition unit  403 , the CPU  202  displays a data use frequency setting screen of  FIG. 7A  on the display  208 , and instructs the user to set a use frequency of the PC information data acquired now in step S 509 . 
     Confirming the setup of the data use frequency by the user in step S 510 , the CPU  202  saves the set-up data use frequency into the data use frequency saving unit  408  in the next step S 511 . Then, the CPU  202  displays a printer name list setting screen of  FIG. 7B  on the display  208  by the printer name setting unit  405 , and instructs the user to set a printer name in step S 512 . 
     Then, confirming the setup of the printer name by the user (step S 513 ), the CPU  202  saves the printer name set by the user into the printer name list saving unit  406 . It should be noted that the user does not need to set up the printer name if unnecessary. 
     Up to here the PC information acquisition flow is finished and a PC information acquisition completion screen of  FIG. 7C  is displayed on the display  208 . 
     Next, a printer driver installation process flow to install the printer driver from the printer to the PC will be described with reference to  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing the printer driver installation process according to this embodiment. 
     First, the user connects the USB memory, which acquired and saved the PC information in the above-mentioned PC information acquisition flow executed by the installation support module  400 , to the USB port  308  of the printer  103 . 
     Confirming the connection of the USE memory in step S 601 , the CPU  303  of the printer  103  automatically starts the installation support module  400  in the USB memory in the next step S 602 . Otherwise the user may start the installation support module  400  manually from the operation panel  307 . 
     Next, in step S 603 , the CPU  303  controls the user authentication unit  401  to display the password input screen of  FIG. 6A  on the operation panel  307  of the printer  103 , and instructs the user to authenticate the password. In response to it, the user sets up the password on the operation panel  307 . 
     Confirming that the password has been set up (step S 604 ), the CPU  303  determines a printer name for identifying the printer  103  on the client PC  102  in step S 605 . Details of the printer name determination flow in step S 605  will be described later. 
     Next, the CPU  303  controls the installer activation unit  410  to start an installer of the printer driver stored in the ROM  305  of the printer  103  in step S 606 . When the printer  103  does not include the installer of the printer driver or only includes an installer that does not correspond to the OS of the client PC  102 , an appropriate installer can be searched and acquired from the network. 
     Then, the CPU  303  displays an install destination PC confirmation screen shown in  FIG. 9  on the operation panel  307 , and makes a user confirm the client PC  102  into which the printer driver is installed in step S 607 . And if the user depresses an OK button to allow installation, the printer driver is installed into the client PC  102  by the installer inside the printer  103  based on the IP address saved in the PC information saving unit  404 . 
     That is, the CPU  303  acquires the IP address as the device information from the PC information saving unit  404  of the USB memory, accesses to the client PC  102  via the network based on the IP address, and installs the printer driver to the client PC  102 . At the time of the installation, the printer name determined by the printer name determination flow in step S 605  is sent to the client PC  102 , and it is set as a printer name of the printer driver that is installed to the client PC  102  concerned. 
     After finishing the installation, the CPU  303  determines whether a test print is executed in step S 608  based on a test print execution flag that is set when the printer name is determined in step S 605 . When not executing a test print, the process is finished as is. When executing a test print, the CPU  303  controls the printer driver that has been installed from the printer  103  into the client PC  102  to execute the test print in step S 609 . 
     Next, the printer name determination flow that the CPU  303  of the printer  103  performs in step S 606  of  FIG. 8  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 10 ,  11 A,  11 B,  12 A, and  12 B.  FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing the printer name determination process according to this embodiment. 
     (A) Case of User&#39;s Manual Setting of Printer Name 
     The CPU  303  of the printer  103  displays a printer name setting method selection screen shown in  FIG. 11A  on the operation panel  307  in step S 701  of  FIG. 10 , and makes a user select either an automatic setting of a printer name or a user&#39;s manual setting of a printer name. 
     When the user selects the user&#39;s manual setting of the printer name, the CPU  303  checks whether the printer name list is saved in the printer name list saving unit  406  in step S 702 . It should be noted that the printer name list is an example of the printer name information. When the printer name list is saved, the CPU  303  displays a printer name setting method selection screen shown in  FIG. 11B  on the operation panel  307  in step S 703 , and makes the user select whether the printer name in the printer name list is used or not. 
     When the user determined that the printer name is set from the printer name list, the CPU  303  displays a printer name selection screen shown in  FIG. 12A  on the operation panel  307 , and makes the user select a predetermined printer name to be used from the printer name list in step S 704 . After selection, the CPU  303  refers to the printer names that have been already set in the client PC  102 . If the selected printer name is used in the client PC  102 , the CPU  303  notifies the user of this matter by displaying etc., and makes the user repeat the selection of the printer name using the screen of  FIG. 12A . If the printer name that is unique on the client PC  102  is selected, the printer name is determined in step S 706 . 
     On the other hand, when the printer name list is not saved in the printer name list saving unit  406  (NO in step S 702 ), or when the user selects not to set up the printer name from the printer name list (NO in step S 703 ), the process proceeds to step S 705 . The CPU  303  displays a printer name input screen shown in  FIG. 12B  on the operation panel  307 , and makes the user input a printer name in step S 705 . 
     After inputting, the CPU  303  refers to the printer names that have been already set in the client PC  102 . If the selected printer name is used in the client PC  102 , the CPU  303  notifies the user of this matter by displaying etc., and makes the user repeat the input of the printer name using the screen of  FIG. 12B . If the printer name that is unique on the client PC  102  is selected, the printer name is determined in step S 706 . 
     (B) Case of Automatic Setting of Printer Name 
     The CPU  303  displays the printer name setting method selection screen shown in  FIG. 11A  on the operation panel  307  in step S 701 , and makes the user select either the automatic setting of a printer name or the user&#39;s manual setting of a printer name. When the user selects the automatic setting of a printer name, the CPU  303  checks whether the printer name list is saved in the printer name list saving unit  406  in step S 707 . 
     When the printer name list is saved, the CPU  303  displays the printer name setting method selection screen shown in  FIG. 11B  on the operation panel  307  in step S 708 , and makes the user select whether the printer name in the printer name list is used or not. When the user determined that the printer name is set from the printer name list, the CPU  303  automatically selects a printer name from the printer name list in step S 709 . 
     The CPU  303  refers to the printer names that have been already selected in the client PC  102 . If the selected printer name is used in the client PC  102 , the CPU  303  repeats the search of the printer name list and selects a printer name. 
     When the printer name that can be set uniquely in the client PC  102  exists in the printer name list (YES in step S 710 ), the flag for the test print instruction is set in step S 712 , and the printer name is determined in step S 706 . 
     When a printer name that is unique in the client PC  102  does not exist in the printer name list, the process proceeds to step S 711 . When the printer name list is not saved at the printer name list saving unit  406  (NO in step S 707 ), the process proceeds to step S 711 . In the same manner, when the user selected that a printer name is not set from the printer name list in step S 708 , the process proceeds to step S 711 . In step S 711 , the printer name setting unit  405  automatically generates and sets up a unique printer name. 
     It should be noted that various methods can be considered for the process in step S 711 . For example, the CPU  303  sets a model name of the printer  103  as a default printer name (“LBP1000”, for example), and adds additional information to the printer name to create a new unique printer name (“LPB1000 (copy 2)”, for example) when the same printer name has been used in the client PC  102 . Setting the printer name that is unique on the client PC  102 , the CPU  303  sets the flag for instructing the test print in step S 712 , and the printer name is determined in step S 706 . 
     When a printer name is set up automatically as mentioned above, the CPU  303  sets the test print flag and performs test print after finishing the installation of the printer driver in order that the user grasps what printer name has been set. Since the printer name set on the client PC  102  is printed at the time of the test print, the user who installed the printer driver can grasp the printer name that is automatically set by seeing the content of the test print. Therefore, when the user returns to the client PC  102  and actually prints, the user can easily specify the printer based on the printer name. 
     On the other hand, since the user grasps the printer name when the user has manually set the printer name as mentioned above, the test print after installation of the printer driver cannot be performed, which can prevent waste printing. As a matter of course, the test print may be performed by the user&#39;s instruction. 
     The installation by the installation support module  400  is repeated until reaching the data use frequency saved in the data use frequency saving units  408 . When reaching the saved data use frequency, the printer names saved in the PC information saving unit  404  and the printer name list saving unit  406  are erased. This can avoid an unnecessary diversion of the information stored in the portable information storage medium. 
     Further, when the printer name list is set up, the printer name used once in the list and the printer name already used by the client PC  102  may be deleted from the printer name list. 
     According to this embodiment, the USB memory as the portable information storage medium saves the device information of the user&#39;s client PC, the printer name list set by the user, and the like. Connecting the USB memory to the printer, the printer driver is installed into the client PC from the printer. At the time of installation of the printer driver, the printer name that is an identification name of the printer on the client PC is manually set by the user or is automatically set. And then, the test print is performed if needed. 
     Thus, when installing the printer driver from the printer side to the information processing apparatus, the printer name that is designated by the user or is automatically set is set as the identification name of the printer on the client PC. When the printer name is set automatically, the printer name can be checked by the printer side by the test print. Accordingly, the check of the installation and the check of the printer name can be performed at the printer side, which improves a user&#39;s convenience. As a result, particularly, for example, when the printer drivers of a plurality of printers are installed to the client PC from the printer side at a time, the user can easily specify the printer that the user wants to use when printing from the client PC actually. 
     Other Embodiments 
     Aspects of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or MPU) that reads out and executes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment, and by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer of a system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment. For this purpose, the program is provided to the computer for example via a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as the memory device (e.g., computer-readable medium). 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions. 
     This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-283305, filed on Nov. 4, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.