Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to printers, and more particularly, to a printer formatter with a print server.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In a networked computer system environment, it is often desirable to provide users of computer systems in the network with access to a printer. A print server is typically employed to manage the access of multiple users to the printer.  
         [0003]     A print server may be implemented on a computer system that is connected to a printer. In such a system, users from other computer systems can print to the printer by communicating with the print server computer system. For a user to be able to print, however, the print server computer system needs to be powered on and running. If the print server computer system is not powered on or running, then a user may not be able to print to the printer.  
         [0004]     A print server may also be implemented as a stand-alone device or as an add-in card to a printer. Although these components may provide users with continuous access to a printer, the components are typically purchased separately from a printer and can increase the costs of providing printer access to a network of computer systems. In addition, these components may need to be configured by a technician to operate properly with the network.  
         [0005]     It would be desirable to be able to provide continuous printer access to a network of computer systems while minimizing the cost and complexity associated with such a system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present disclosure provides a printer formatter comprising a processing system, a system input/output (I/O) coupled to the processing system, a formatter control, and a print server. The processing system is configured to perform a first function associated with the system I/O, perform a second function associated with the print server, and perform a third function associated with the formatter control. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a processing system.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a printer including a formatter with a print server.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method for operating a printer formatter. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]     In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a processing system  100 . Processing system  100  includes computer systems  110   a  through  110 ( n ) where n is an integer greater than or equal to one. Computer systems  110  are coupled to a network device  120  using connections  112   a  through  112 ( n ). Each connection  112  may be any type of wired or wireless connection. A printer  130  with an embedded print server (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) is coupled to network  120  using a connection  122 . Connection  122  may be any type of wired or wireless connection such as a 10/100 (Ethernet) connection, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, and a parallel connection.  
         [0012]     Computer systems  110  may each be any type of information processing system configured to generate print jobs. Examples of computer systems  110  include personal computers, laptop computers, server computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras and recorders, and mobile telephones. Network  120  may include any type or combination of network devices such as a router, a switch, and a hub. In other embodiments, network  120  may be omitted and computer systems  110  may couple directly to printer  130 .  
         [0013]     Printer  130  may be any type of printer configured to generate printed documents in response to print jobs received from computer systems  110 . Printer  130  may be an inkjet printer or a laser printer, for example.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of printer  130 . Printer  130  includes a formatter  202 , a 10/100 (Ethernet) interface  204 , a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface  206 , a parallel interface  208 , a print engine  212 , and a print mechanism  214 . Formatter  202  includes a processing system  222 , a system input/output (I/O)  224 , a formatter control  228 , and a print server  230 .  
         [0015]     One or more of interfaces  204 ,  206 , and  208  may be used to communicate with network  120  and/or computer systems  110 . 10/100 interface  204  communicates with network  120  using a 10/100 connection  234 , USB interface  206  communicates with network  120  using a USB connection  236 , and parallel interface  208  communicates with network  120  using a parallel connection  238 . In other embodiments, one or more of interfaces  204 ,  206 , and  208  may be omitted or replaced with other types of wired or wireless interfaces.  
         [0016]     Processing system  222  is configured to perform functions associated with system I/O  224 , formatter control  228 , and print server  230 . System I/O  224 , formatter control  228 , and print server  230  may each comprise hardware components, software components, or a combination of hardware and software components. In one particular embodiment, formatter  202  comprises a single microchip, i.e., processing system  222 , system I/O  224 , formatter control  228 , and print server  230  are manufactured on a common substrate such as silicon. In embodiments where system I/O  224 , formatter control  228 , and/or print server  230  each include at least one software component, processing system  222  may execute instructions from the software components to cause functions to be performed.  
         [0017]     System I/O  224  is configured to receive print jobs from computer systems  110  across network  120  using an interface  204 ,  206 , and/or  208 . System I/O  224  manages interfaces  204 ,  206 , and  208  and notifies processing system  222  in response to print jobs being received on one or more of interfaces  204 ,  206 , or  208 .  
         [0018]     Print server  230  detects the print jobs received from computer systems  110 . In response to detecting that a print job has been received, print server  230  stores the print job in a print queue and periodically notifies the computer system  110  of the status of the print job. Printer server  230  also removes a print job from the queue in response to a cancel request associated with the print job from a computer system  110 .  
         [0019]     Formatter control  228  accesses print jobs from the print queue and causes the print jobs to be printed using printer engine  212  and print mechanism  214 . Formatter control  228  processes print jobs by converting the print jobs from the format received from a computer system  110  to a format usable by print engine  212 . Formatter control  228  provides the converted print jobs to print engine  212  to cause the print jobs to be printed using print mechanism  214 . Formatter  228  may also cause print jobs to be compressed and decompressed prior to being printed.  
         [0020]     In response to a print job completing or an error occurring, print server  230  notifies the computer system  110  that its print job has either completed or an error has occurred.  
         [0021]     Print engine  212  receives a print job in a format generated by formatter  202  and causes print mechanism  214  to form images on a recording medium. Print mechanism  214  may comprise a laser print mechanism, an inkjet print mechanism, or any other type of print mechanism. In embodiments where print mechanism  214  comprises a laser print mechanism, print mechanism  214  may include a laser and a rotatable drum. In embodiments where print mechanism  214  comprises an inkjet print mechanism, print mechanism  214  may include one or more print heads mounted on a shuttle carriage.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method for operating a formatter  202 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , formatter  202  performs formatter functions from formatter control  228  using processing system  222  as indicated in a block  302 . Formatter functions may include accessing a print job from a queue, converting a print job from a received format to a format useable by print engine  212 , and compressing or decompressing a print job.  
         [0023]     A determination is made by processing system  222  as to whether an I/O interrupt has been received from system I/O  224  as indicated in a block  304 . For example, system I/O  224  may generate an I/O interrupt in response to receiving a print job from a computer system  110  and may provides the I/O interrupt to processing system  222 . If an I/O interrupt has been received from system I/O  224 , then processing system  222  performs I/O functions associated with the I/O interrupt as indicated in a block  306 . I/O functions may include receiving and storing a print job, receiving other information from computer systems  110 , providing status information to computer systems  110 , and providing an indication to print server  230  that a print job has arrived.  
         [0024]     If an I/O interrupt has not been received from system I/O  224 , then a determination is made as to whether a print server interrupt has been received from print server  230  as indicated in a block  308 . For example, printer server  230  may generate a print server interrupt in response to detecting that a print job has been received by printer  130 . If a print server interrupt has been received from print server  230 , then processing system  222  performs print server functions associated with the print server interrupt as indicated in a block  310 . Print server functions may include storing a print job in a queue, notifying a computer system  110  of a status of a print job, and removing a print job from a queue in response to a cancel signal from a computer system  110 .  
         [0025]     If a print server interrupt has not been received from print server  230 , then the function of block  302  is repeated at a later time. The function of block  302  is also repeated at a later time subsequent to the function of block  310  being performed.  
         [0026]     Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description of the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those with skill in the chemical, mechanical, electromechanical, electrical, and computer arts will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the preferred embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Technology Category: 3