Method of commonly using font information for transmitting information in a system having a plurality of information processing devices

Claim 2

An information transmitting method according to Claim 1 further comprising a step of developing instructed font information into a bit map in said selected information processing device, wherein developed font information is loaded in said loading operation.

Claim 3

An information transmitting method according to Claim 1, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in the other information processing devices connected and said discrimination is performed on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 4

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of information processing devices including one or more printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for printing information by said printing device; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said printing device and said information processing device, whether or not the same is stored in the other information processing devices connected; selecting, when a discrimination is made that there is information processing devices in each of which instructed font information is stored, in information processing device from said information processing devices; loading instructed font information from said selected information processing device into said printing device; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 5

An information printing method according to Claim 4 further comprising a step of developing instructed font information into a bit map in said selected information processing device, wherein developed font information is loaded in said loading step.

Claim 6

An information printing method according to Claim 4, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in the other information processing devices and said discrimination is performed on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 7

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing a font for printing information; discriminating whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in each printing device connected; selecting, when a discrimination is made that instructed font information is stored in one or more printing devices, a printing device from said printing devices; and transmitting a print from said selected printing device.

Claim 8

An information printing method according to Claim 7, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each printing device connected and said discrimination is made on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 9

An information transmitting method for an information processing device connected to other information devices, said information transmitting method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device, whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in the other information processing devices connected; selecting, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that there is no information processing device in which instructed font information is stored, an information processing device which stores optimum font information which can be used in place of instructed font information; loading optimum font information from said selected information processing device to said device; and transmitting information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 10

An information transmitting method according to Claim 9, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in the other information processing device connected and said discrimination is performed on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 11

An information transmitting method according to Claim 9, wherein said information processing device stores information about the degree of replacement suitability between font information items and said selection is performed on the basis of the type of font information.

Claim 12

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of information processing devices including one or more printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device and said printing device which transmits information, whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in the other information processing devices connected; selecting, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that there is no information processing device in which instructed font information is stored, an information processing device which stores optimum font information which can be used in place of instructed font information; loading optimum font information from said selected information processing device to said printing device which transmits information; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 13

An information printing method according to Claim 12, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in the other information processing device connected and said discrimination is performed on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 14

An information printing method according to Claim 12, wherein said information processing device stores information about the degree of replacement suitability between font information items and said selection is performed on the basis of stored information.

Claim 15

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing a font for transmitting information; discriminating whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in each printing device; selecting, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that there is no printing device in which instructed font information is stored, a printing device which stores optimum font information which can be used in place of instructed font information; and transmitting a print by said selected printing device.

Claim 16

An information printing method according to Claim 15, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each printing device connected and said discrimination is performed on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 17

An information printing method according to Claim 15, wherein said information processing device stores information about the degree of replacement suitability between font information items and said selection is performed in accordance with stored information.

Claim 18

An information transmitting method for an information processing device connected to other information processing devices and capable of creating characters of a font by developing font information, said information transmitting method comprising the steps of: instructing a font for transmitting information; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device, whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in the other information processing devices connected; discriminating whether or not the development format of each information processing device, which has been discriminated that instructed font information is stored therein, coincides with the development format of said information processing device; selecting one information processing device from said information processing devices, which have been discriminated that their development formats coincides with that of said information processing device; and loading instructed font information from said selected information processing device to said information processing device.

Claim 19

An information transmitting method according to Claim 18, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each of said information processing devices connected and said font development format and said discrimination of font information and that of said development format are performed on the basis of said type of font information.

Claim 20

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of information processing devices including one or more printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device and said printing device which transmits said information, whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in the other information processing devices connected; discriminating whether or not the development format of each information processing device, which has been discriminated that instructed font information is stored therein, coincides with the development format of said printing device; selecting one information processing device from said information processing devices the development format of each of which coincides with that of said printing device in a case where there are information processing devices the development format of which coincides with that of said printing device; loading instructed font information from said selected information processing device to said printing device; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 21

An information printing method according to Claim 20, wherein said information device stores the type of font information stored in each of said information processing devices connected and said font development format and said discrimination of font information and that of said development format are performed on the basis of the contents stored.

Claim 22

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in each of said printing devices or said information device; discriminating, when said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device or each of said printing devices, whether or not there are devices each of which stores instructed font information among the other information processing devices connected; discriminating, when a discrimination is made that there are said information processing devices which store instructed font information, whether or not there are combinations of said devices and said printing devices having the same development format; selecting a pair composed of said information processing device and said printing device from said combinations in a case where there are combinations in which said information processing device and said printing device have the same development format; loading font information of said selected information processing device into said selected printing device; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 23

An information printing method according to Claim 22, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each of said devices connected and said font information development format and said discrimination of font information and that of said development format are performed on the basis of the contents stored.

Claim 24

An information transmitting method for an information processing device connected to other information processing devices and capable of creating characters of a font by developing font information, said information transmitting method comprising the steps of: instructing a font for transmitting information; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device, whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in the other information processing devices connected; discriminating whether or not the development format of each information processing device, which has been discriminated that instructed font information is stored therein, coincides with the development format of said information processing device and discriminating whether or not font information to be developed in accordance with said development format can be converted into a form which can be developed in accordance with said development format of said information processing device; selecting, when a discrimination is made that there is no information processing device which stores instructed font information and which has the same development format as that of said information processing device but there are information processing devices the development format of each of which can be converted, one information processing device from said information processing devices having font information which can be converted; converting instructed font information of said selected information processing device into a form which can be developed in accordance with said development format of said device; loading converted font information; and transmitting information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 25

An information transmitting method according to Claim 24, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each information processing device, the type of font development format and information about the suitability in converting corresponding font information between said formats and discriminations of said type of font information, said type of said font development format and said suitability in converting corresponding font information between said formats are performed on the basis of the contents stored.

Claim 26

An information transmitting method according to Claim 24 further comprising a step of selecting one information processing device from said other information processing devices in a case where a discrimination is made that no information processing device which has the same development format as that of said information device and has the development format which can be converted is present among said other information processing devices; a step of developing instructed font information in said selected information processing device; and a step of loading developed font information into said device.

Claim 27

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of information processing devices including one or more printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device and said printing device which transmits information, whether or not the same is stored in the other information processing devices connected; discriminating whether or not the development format of each of said information processing devices which have been discriminated that they store instructed font information coincides with the development format of said printing device; discriminating whether or not font information to be developed in accordance with said development method of each of said information processing devices which have been discriminated that they store instructed font information can be converted into a form which can be converted in accordance with said development format of said printing device; selecting one information processing device from said information processing devices the development format of which can be converted when two discriminations are made that no information device having the same development format as that of said printing device is present among said other information processing devices which have been determined that they store instructed font information and there is an information processing device having the development format which can be converted; converting, in said selected information processing device, instructed font information into a form which can be developed in accordance with the development format of said information processing device; loading said converted font information into said printing device; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 28

An information printing method according to Claim 27, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each of said information processing devices connected, the type of said development format of said font and information about the suitability of conversion of corresponding font information between said formats and said type of font information, said type of said font development format and the suitability of conversion of corresponding font information between said formats are discriminated on the basis of the contents stored.

Claim 29

An information printing method according to Claim 27 further comprising a step of selecting one information processing device from said other information processing devices in a case where a discrimination is made that there is no information processing device which has the same development format as that of said printing device and which has the development format which can be converted; a step of developing instructed font information in said selected information processing device; a step of loading developed font information into said printing device; and a step of printing information in the form of a print in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 30

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in said printing devices connected; discriminating whether or not a device which stores instructed font information is present in said information processing device or the other information processing devices connected in a case where a discrimination is made that instructed font information is not stored in any printing device; discriminating whether or not there is a pair which is composed of said device and said printing device having the same font information developing format in said devices which store instructed font information and said printing devices; selecting one pair composed of said information processing device and said printing device from the corresponding pairs when two discriminations are made that there is no combination each of which has the same development format and there are combinations having font information which can be converted in such a manner that font information is developed; converting instructed font information into a form which can be developed by said selected printing devices in said selected information processing device; loading converted font information into said selected printing device; and printing information by said printing device.

Claim 31

An information printing method according to Claim 30, wherein said information processing device stores the type of font information stored in each information processing device, the type of said development format of said font and information about the suitability in converting corresponding font information between said formats and discriminations of the type of font information, the type of said development format of said font and the suitability in converting corresponding font information between said formats are made on the basis of the contents stored.

Claim 32

An information printing method according to Claim 30, wherein a pair composed of an information processing device and a printing device is selected in a case where a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination made about said development format and said suitability of said conversion that there is neither an information processing device having the same development format as that of each of said printing devices and nor an information processing device the development format of which is discriminated that it can be converted, instructed font information is developed in said selected information processing device, said developed font information is loaded into said selected printing device; and information is printed in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 33

An information transmitting method connected to other information processing devices and capable of creating characters of a font by developing font information, said information transmitting method comprising the steps of: instructing a font for transmitting information; discriminating, when font information of said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device, whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in the other information processing devices connected; discriminating, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that there is no information processing device which stores instructed font information, an information processing device having an optimum font information which can be used in place of instructed font information; discriminating whether or not said development format of said information processing device which has been discriminated as a result of said discrimination that it stores said optimum font information coincides with the development format of own device; loading, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that said development format coincides with that of said own device, said optimum font information from said information processing device to said own device; and transmitting information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 34

An information transmitting method according to Claim 33, wherein, when the development format of said information processing device, which has been discriminated as a result of said development format discrimination that it stores said optimum font information does not coincide with the development format of said own device, a discrimination is made whether or not font information to be developed in accordance with said development format can be converted into a form which can be developed in accordance with said development format of said own device; when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that font information can be converted, instructed font information is converted into said form which can be developed in said information processing device in accordance with said development method of said own device, converted font information is loaded into own device; and information is transmitted in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 35

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of information processing device including one or more printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating, when font information about said instructed font is not stored in said information processing device and said printing device which transmits information, whether or not the same is stored in the other information processing device connected; discriminating, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that there is no information processing device which stores instructed font information, an information processing device having an optimum font information which can be used in place of instructed font information; discriminating whether or not the development format of said information processing device which has been determined as a result of said discrimination that it stores said optimum font information coincides with the development format of said printing device; loading said optimum font information from said information processing device into said printing device if a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that said development format coincides with that of said printing device; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 36

An information printing method according to Claim 35, wherein, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination of said development format that said development format of said information processing device, which has been discriminated that it stores said optimum font information does not coincide with the development formation of said printing device, a discrimination is made whether or not font information to be developed in accordance with said development format can be converted into a form which can be developed in accordance with said development format of said printing device; when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that font information can be converted, instructed font information is, in said information processing device, converted into a form which can be developed in accordance with said development format of said printing device; converted font information is loaded into said printing device; and information is printed in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 37

An information printing method for an information processing device connected to a plurality of printing devices, said information printing method comprising the steps of: instructing font information for transmitting information in the form of a print; discriminating whether or not font information about said instructed font is stored in each printing device or own device; discriminating, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that instructed font information is not stored in said own device and each of said printing devices, whether or not there is a device which stores instructed font information in the other information processing devices connected; discriminating, when a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination that there is no information processing device which stores instructed font information, an information processing device having an optimum font information which can be used in place of instructed font information; discriminating whether or not there are printing devices the development format of which coincides with the development format of said information processing device which has been discriminated that it stores said optimum font information as a result of said discrimination; selecting one printing device from said printing devices if said printing device the development format of which coincides with said information processing device is present, loading said optimum font information from said information processing device into said selected printing device; and printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 38

An information printing method according to Claim 37 further comprising: a step of selecting one printing device from said printing devices in a case where a discrimination is made as a result of said discrimination of said development format and the suitability in said conversion that there is neither printing device having the same development format as that of said information processing device which stores said optimum font information nor printing device having said development format as the same which can be converted among said printing devices; a step of developing optimum font information in said information processing device; a step of loading developed font information into said selected printing device; and a step of printing information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 39

An information transmitting method for an information processing device connected to other information processing devices, said information transmitting method comprising the steps of: recognizing font information stored in each of the other information processing device connected by communicating with the other information processing devices connected; storing the type of font information stored in the other devices obtained by said communication; instructing a font for transmitting information; discriminating, in a case where font information about said instructed font is not stored in own device, whether or not the same is stored in the other information processing devices connected on the basis of said type of stored font information; selecting, when a discrimination is made that as a result of said discrimination that there is an information processing device which stores instructed font information, one information processing device from said information processing devices; loading instructed font information from said selected information processing device; and transmitting information in accordance with loaded font information.

Claim 40

An information transmitting method according to Claim 39, wherein the type of said development format of font infomation in the other information processing devices connected is recognized, said type is stored and a discrimination is made whether or not said development format coincides with that of own device on the basis of said development format type stored.