Patent ID: 7440124

Claim:
An ink-jet printer system, comprising: a common ink-jet printer shared by a multiple number of host machines, the ink-jet printer being provided with storage means which stores a completion time instant of a last printing operation conducted based on a print request and print data issued by a host machine, the ink-jet printer providing printing end data to the host machine when the print request requested by the host machine has completed, wherein, each host machine includes print control means for reading out a previously stored completion time instant from the ink-jet printer at the start of a printing operation, obtaining an inactive time by comparing the read out previously stored completion time instant with the current time, and selectively issuing an execution order of a recovery treatment to the ink-jet printer by comparing the obtained inactive time with a predetermined reference time period, and wherein, the host machine provides the ink-jet printer with current time data, as an updated previously stored completion time instant, when the printing end data is received from the ink-jet printer, such that the updated previously stored completion time instant is acquired by any one of the multiple number of host machines that issues a new print request, and wherein if the completion time instant which was read from the ink-jet printer at the end of the last printing operation indicates a later time than the current time, the print control means informs that fact to other host machines and provides warning.