EP0395562A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A method and an apparatus for delineating the beginning and the end of a data file sent to a print server in a computer network
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1990-03-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-03-27
Abstract
Abstract Unique structured fields for delimiting the beginning and end of a data file sent to a print server (2) in a computer network (1) having a mixture of host processors (3,4) and microprocessors (5,6) for generating files to be printed. Each file sent to the print server (2) is preceded by a unique beginning of file structured field and is terminated with a unique end of file structured field. Both the beginning of file structured field and the end of file structured field include a length field, a file delimiter identification field and a unique flag to indicate the beginning or the end of a data file.
Inventors
- 👤 B.William Kippenhan
- 👤 Andrew Walter Maholick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:30
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/12; G06F3/1201; G06F3/1202; G06F3/1203; G06F3/1206; G06F3/1223; G06F3/1236; G06F3/1237; G06F3/1244; G06F3/1247; G06F3/1278; G06F3/1285; G06F3/1288; H; H04; H04L; H04L69/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for delineating the beginning and the end of a data file sent to a print server (2) for spooling to a target printer device in a computer network (1) having a plurality of host processors (3,4) and microprocessors (5,6) collectively referred to as sender devices and a plurality of printer devices (9,10); said method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of : sending an inquiry from a sender device to said print server to determine the functional capabilities of said target printer device, returning a response from said print server to said sender device indicating the functions supported by said target printer device, appending a beginning of file structured data field to the beginning of the data stream to form a modified data stream to be sent to said print server, transmitting said modified data stream to said print server, appending an end of file structured data field to the end of the modified data stream and transmitting said structured field to said print server, examining and processing said modified data stream to extract the beginning of file and end of file structured data fields, and sending the file contained in the data stream to said target printer device for printing.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for delineating the beginning and the end of a data file sent to a print server (2) for spooling to a target printer device in a computer network (1) having a plurality of host processors (3,4) and microprocessors (5,6) collectively referred to as sender devices and a plurality of printer devices (9,10); said method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of : sending an inquiry from a sender device to said print server to determine the functional capabilities of said target printer device, returning a response from said print server to said sender device indicating the functions supported by said target printer device, appending a beginning of file structured data field to the beginning of the data stream to form a modified data stream to be sent to said print server, transmitting said modified data stream to said print server, appending an end of file structured data field to the end of the modified data stream and transmitting said structured field to said print server, examining and processing said modified data stream to extract the beginning of file and end of file structured data fields, and sending the file contained in the data stream to said target printer device for printing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the step of examining and processing said modified data stream includes the step of rejecting the transmitted data stream if an end of file structured field is received before a beginning of file structured field.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the step of examining and processing said modified data stream includes the step of rejecting the transmitted data stream if a beginning of file structured field is received after a preceding beginning of file structured field without an intervening end of file structured field being received.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the beginning of file structured field includes a length field (41), a file delimiter identification field (42), and a unique flag (43) to indicate the beginning of a data file.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
43 words
The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the end of file structured field includes a length field (41), a file delimiter identification field (42), and a unique flag (43) to indicate the end of a data file.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the query reply structured field includes a length field (51), a query reply identification field (52), and a unique code (53) to indicate that the receiver device supports receiving beginning of file and end of file structured fields.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
147 words
In a computer network (1) having a plurality of host processors (3,4) and microprocessors (5,6) collectively referred to as the sender devices, a plurality of printers (9,10) , and at least one print server (2) referred to as a receiver device, an apparatus for delineating the beginning of a file and the end of a data file sent to the print server for spooling to a target printer; said apparatus being characterized in that it comprises : means at the receiver device for indicating the functions supported by said target printer device, means at the sender device for generating a beginning of file structured field and appending it at the beginning of the file sent to the print server, and means at the sender device for generating an end of file structured field and appending it to the end of the file sent to the print server.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
147 words
In a computer network (1) having a plurality of host processors (3,4) and microprocessors (5,6) collectively referred to as the sender devices, a plurality of printers (9,10) , and at least one print server (2) referred to as a receiver device, an apparatus for delineating the beginning of a file and the end of a data file sent to the print server for spooling to a target printer; said apparatus being characterized in that it comprises : means at the receiver device for indicating the functions supported by said target printer device, means at the sender device for generating a beginning of file structured field and appending it at the beginning of the file sent to the print server, and means at the sender device for generating an end of file structured field and appending it to the end of the file sent to the print server.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the beginning of file structured field includes a first field (41) for indicating the length of the structured field, a second field (42) for indicating that the structured field represents the delimiting of the data file, and a third field (43) for holding a unique flag to indicate the beginning of the data file.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the end of file structured field includes a first field (41) for indicating the length of the structured field, a second field (42) for indicating that the structured field represents the delimiting of the data file, and a third field (43) for holding a unique flag to indicate the end of the data file to be sent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein the means at the receiver device for indicating the functions supported includes a query reply structured field message having a first field (51) indicating the length of the structured field, a second field (52) indicating that the message is a query reply, and a third field (53) to indicate that the target printer device supports receipt of a file preceded and terminated with structured field delimiters.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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