Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
A printer server system in which a plurality of client terminals including first and second client terminals are connected to a network and share a printer function, said system comprising: comparing means for, when a first printing request for an interrupt input job having a first priority level is received from the first client terminal while another job having a second priority level is being executed by the printer function in response to a prior, second printing request from the second client terminal, comparing the first and second priority levels to determine which priority level is higher; interrupt means for interrupting the other job when said comparing means determines that the first priority level is higher than the second priority level; means for accepting a trigger command for print output from the first client terminal after said interrupt means has interrupted the other job; and output means for outputting an image corresponding to the trigger command.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
A printer server system in which a plurality of client terminals including first and second client terminals are connected to a network and share a printer function, said system comprising: comparing means for, when a first printing request for an interrupt input job having a first priority level is received from the first client terminal while another job having a second priority level is being executed by the printer function in response to a prior, second printing request from the second client terminal, comparing the first and second priority levels to determine which priority level is higher; interrupt means for interrupting the other job when said comparing means determines that the first priority level is higher than the second priority level; means for accepting a trigger command for print output from the first client terminal after said interrupt means has interrupted the other job; and output means for outputting an image corresponding to the trigger command.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein a file server for performing queuing control of printing requests from respective ones of the client terminals is connected to the network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 2, wherein the first printing request for the interrupt input job is processed without passing through said file server.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein the other job is resumed upon said output means completing output of the image corresponding to the interrupt input job.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
201 words
A method for controlling a printer server system in which a file server, a printer server and a plurality of client terminals including first and second client terminals are all connected to a same network, the file server controlling raster image data to be subjected to print output and controlling queuing information for performing queuing control of printing requests, said method comprising: a comparing step of, when a first printing request for an interrupt input job having a first priority level is received from the first client terminal without passing through the file server while another job having a second priority level is being executed in response to a prior, second printing request from the second client terminal, comparing the first and second priority levels to determine which priority level is higher; an interrupt step of interrupting the other job when said comparing step determines that the first priority level is higher than the second priority level; a step of accepting a trigger command for print output from the first client terminal after said interrupt step has interrupted the other job; and an output step for outputting an image corresponding to the interrupt input job in response to the trigger command.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
201 words
A method for controlling a printer server system in which a file server, a printer server and a plurality of client terminals including first and second client terminals are all connected to a same network, the file server controlling raster image data to be subjected to print output and controlling queuing information for performing queuing control of printing requests, said method comprising: a comparing step of, when a first printing request for an interrupt input job having a first priority level is received from the first client terminal without passing through the file server while another job having a second priority level is being executed in response to a prior, second printing request from the second client terminal, comparing the first and second priority levels to determine which priority level is higher; an interrupt step of interrupting the other job when said comparing step determines that the first priority level is higher than the second priority level; a step of accepting a trigger command for print output from the first client terminal after said interrupt step has interrupted the other job; and an output step for outputting an image corresponding to the interrupt input job in response to the trigger command.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of resuming the other job upon said output step completing output of the image corresponding to the interrupt input job.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the file server controls the queuing information by using table data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein the file server controls the queuing information and the image data separately from the table data as file data for queuing control.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the printer server receives the queuing information and the image data from the file server via the network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the printer server performs registration and control of the image data to be subjected to queuing based on the queuing information received from the file server.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the file server controls the queuing information and the image data by using a unique ID recognizable in the file server.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the file server holds first information for determining a priority order of output of image data to be subjected to queuing, and wherein the printer server holds the second information for determining a priority order of processing of the client terminals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein said comparing step compares the first and second priority levels based on the first and second information.