Patent ID: 6862100

Claim:
A printer for recording a visible image on a recording medium using print data sent from an external unit and outputting a result of recording, said printer comprising: storage means for storing the print data sent from the external unit in the form of files sequentially in a print queue; determining means for determining whether a file stored in the print queue is of a first type having commands described in a printer language or of a second type containing a bit map image to be printed; control means for performing a printing process of files stored in the print queue so as to either produce and print a bit map image based on a file to be processed when said determining means determines that the file is of the first type, or print a bit map image contained in a file to be processed when said determining means determines that the file is of the second type; and returning means for returning information representing the number of unprocessed files residing in the print queue to said external unit in response to a query from said external unit, wherein said external unit determines the type of print data sent to said printer on the basis of the information by said returning means.