EP0598513A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for interfacing a peripheral to a local area network
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1993-10-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-10-28
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for interfacing a printer to a local area network includes the use of an interactive network board coupling the printer to the LAN. A bi-directional printer interface is disposed on the board and transmits print data to the printer, and receives printer status data from the printer. A LAN interface is disposed on the board for receiving print job information and printer status requests from the LAN, and for transmitting printer status information to the LAN. A ROM is disposed on the board and stores (i) application programs which receive the print job information and transmit the print data to the printer, and (ii) status and control programs which receive the printer status requests from the LAN, receive printer status data from the printer, transmit the printer status information to the LAN, and receive control information from the LAN and transmit it to the printer. A processor disposed on the board executes both the application programs and the status and control programs. Preferably, the application programs are selectively capable of placing the network board into a plurality of different printer configurations.
Inventors
- 👤 William C. Russell
- 👤 Andrew J. Kraslavsky
- 👤 Robert D. Wadsworth
- 👤 Lorraine F. Barrett
- 👤 George A. Kalwitz
- 👤 Tony K. Ip
- 👤 Walter D. Kuver
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 18:25
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/10; G06F13/12; G06F13/124; G06F13/128; G06F3/00; G06F3/12; G06F3/1201; G06F3/1202; G06F3/1203; G06F3/1204; G06F3/1207; G06F3/1223; G06F3/1229; G06F3/1237; G06F3/1259; G06F3/1278; G06F3/1285; G06F3/1286; G06F3/1288
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
Apparatus for networking a peripheral to a LAN, comprising: a circuit board coupled to the peripheral; a LAN interface, coupled to said board, for receiving peripheral job information from the LAN, for receiving peripheral status requests from the LAN, and for transmitting peripheral status information to the LAN; a peripheral interface, coupled to said board, for transmitting peripheral job data to the peripheral, for transmitting peripheral status queries to the peripheral, and for receiving peripheral status data from the peripheral; a PROM, coupled to said board, for storing an application module which causes the peripheral job information received over the LAN to be transmitted to the peripheral as the peripheral job data, and for storing a control module which causes the peripheral status requests received over the LAN to be transmitted to the peripheral as the peripheral status queries and which cause the peripheral status data received from the peripheral to be transmitted to the LAN as the peripheral status information; a RAM, coupled to the board, for temporarily storing, during execution, the application module and the control module; and a processor, coupled to said board, for executing the application module and the control module.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said PROM stores a plurality of application modules and a plurality of control modules, and wherein said PROM stores first and second subsets of said plurality of applications modules, the first subset capable of configuring said apparatus in a first operational mode, and the second subset capable of configuring said apparatus in a second operational mode different from said first operational mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the peripheral comprises a printer, wherein said PROM stores said first subset of modules capable of configuring said apparatus in a PSERVER operational mode, and wherein said PROM stores said second subset of modules capable of configuring said apparatus in an RPRINTER operational mode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus according to Claim 2, further comprising an NVRAM, coupled to said board, for storing a configuration file which corresponds to said first subset of modules, and wherein said processor (1) reads the configuration file from said NVRAM, (2) selects from said PROM the first subset of modules in response to reading the configuration file from said NVRAM, and (3) loads the selected first subset of modules into said RAM.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said LAN interface receives a new configuration file from the LAN, said new configuration file corresponding to the second subset of modules, and wherein said processor (1) stores the new configuration file in said NVRAM, (2) upon a next power up of said board, reads the new configuration file from said NVRAM, (3) selects from said PROM the second subset of modules in response to reading the new configuration file from said NVRAM, and (4) loads the selected second subset of modules into said RAM.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said processor executes said application module and said control module on a parallel, multi-tasking basis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said peripheral interface comprises a bi-directional interface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said bi-directional interface comprises an SCSI interface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to Claim 8, further comprising an SCSI controller disposed on said board, for controlling said SCSI interface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the peripheral comprises a printer, wherein said peripheral interface comprises an SCSI interface, and wherein said processor executes said application module and said control module simultaneously on a non-preemptive multi-tasking basis.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said RAM comprises a dynamic RAM.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising a serial port coupled to said board.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the peripheral comprises a printer, wherein said peripheral job information comprises a print job data stream received by said LAN interface, wherein said peripheral job data comprises a print job, and wherein said processor adds a beginning-of-job indication to a front of said print job and an end-of-job indication to an end of said print job.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said LAN interface receives a further application module from the LAN, and wherein said processor causes said further applications module to be stored in said PROM.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
100 words
A circuit board for coupling a printer to a LAN, comprising: a printer interface for transmitting print data to the printer, and for receiving printer status data from the printer; a LAN interface for receiving print job information and printer status requests from the LAN, and for transmitting printer status information to the LAN; a ROM for storing a first program for placing said board in a first operational configuration, and a second program for placing said board in a second operational configuration different from said first configuration; and a processor for executing one of the first and second programs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A board according to Claim 15, wherein said first program places the board in a PSERVER operational configuration, and wherein said second program places said board in an RPRINTER operational configuration.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
A board according to Claim 15, further comprising a RAM for temporarily storing the first or second program during execution thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
A board according to Claim 15, wherein said printer interface comprises an SCSI interface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
A board according to Claim 15, wherein said ROM also stores a status and control program for processing the printer status data, the printer status requests, and the printer status information, and wherein said processor executes said one of said first and second programs and said status and control program simultaneously on a multi-tasking basis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A board according to Claim 15, further comprising an NVRAM for storing a configuration file which corresponds to the first or second program being executed by said processor.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of interfacing a peripheral to a LAN, comprising the steps of: coupling an interactive network board to the peripheral and to the LAN; receiving, at said board, peripheral job information and peripheral status requests from the LAN; transmitting, from said board, peripheral job data to the peripheral; receiving, at said board, peripheral status data from the peripheral; transmitting, from said board, peripheral status information to the LAN; storing, in a PROM disposed on said board, a peripheral job application module, and a status module; executing, using a processor disposed on said board, the job application module to provide the peripheral job data to the peripheral; and executing, using said processor, said status module to provide the peripheral status information to the LAN.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to Claim 21, wherein both execution steps are performed simultaneously on a multi-tasking basis.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to Claim 21, wherein the first transmitting step and the second receiving step are performed using an SCSI interface coupled between said board and the LAN.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method according to Claim 21, wherein said peripheral comprises a printer, and wherein said step of storing includes the step of storing in said PROM a plurality of job application modules, and wherein said step of storing includes the step of storing first and second subsets of said plurality of job applications modules, said first subset defining a PSERVER operational configuration of said board, and said second subset defining an RPRINTER operational configuration of said board.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to Claim 21, further comprising the step of temporarily storing, in a RAM, said job application module and said status module during both executing steps.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
87 words
A networked printer comprising: a printer for rendering print information, said printer having a bi-directional interface for receiving printer information and for providing status information; and an interactive network interface board connected to the printer via the bi-directional interface, for receiving print information from a LAN, for sending the printer information to the printer over the bi-directional interface, for making printer status inquiries over the bi-directional interface, for receiving the status information from the printer over the bi-directional interface, and for reporting printer status to the LAN.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
84 words
A network expansion board which is connectable on one side to a printer via a bi-directional bus and which is connectable on the other side to a LAN network via a LAN interface, and which in a multi-tasking environment, functions to receive print information from the LAN network, to channel the print information to the printer over the bi-directional bus, to make status inquiries and to receive printer status information over the bi-directional bus, and to report printer status information over the LAN interface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
An interface module for connecting a computer output device to a network, comprising means for passing output information received via the network to the output device, and means for communicating status requests and device status information bi-directionally to the output device and across the network.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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