Patent ID: 7478124

Claim:
A method for supporting printer maintenance in a network environment having a server, at least one set top box and a printer, the server containing a plurality of printer configuration files, and the server and the set top box being connected via a digital cable network, said method comprising the steps of: receiving in the server a request from the set top box via the digital cable network; selecting in the server one of the printer configuration files which corresponds to the printer in accordance with an identification of the set top box, the configuration file including a plurality of printer maintenance function names and a plurality of printer maintenance commands corresponding to the printer maintenance function names, said selecting step being performed based an information stored in a directory which cross-correlates the identified set top box to a corresponding type of printer attached thereto; generating an HTML-based page corresponding to the printer, the HTML-based page containing each of the printer maintenance function names from the selected printer configuration file; and sending the HTML-based page to the set top box via the digital cable network, wherein, upon selection in the set top box of one of the printer maintenance function names in the HTML-based page, the server sends to the printer the printer maintenance command which corresponds to the selected printer maintenance function name, and wherein the plurality of the printer maintenance commands includes a command for cleaning a printing unit in the printer, and the plurality of printer maintenance function names includes a corresponding name for cleaning the printer unit in the printer.