(12) United States Patent
`US 6,362,894 B1
`(10) Patent N0.:
`Shima
`
`(45) Date of Patent: Mar. 26, 2002
`
`USOO6362894B1
`
`(54) NETWORK PRINTER AND NETWORK
`PRINTING METHOD
`
`6,061,700 A *
`6,199,071 B1 *
`
`
`.
`5/2000 Brobst et a1.
`.. 707/517
`.
`/2001 Nielsen ...................... 707/204
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Toshihiro Shima, Nagano (JP)
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`(73)
`
`Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
`
`(*)
`
`Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(21)
`
`(22)
`
`(30)
`
`Appl. N0.:
`Filed:
`
`09/199,392
`
`Nov. 25, 1998
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Jan. 8, 1998
`
`(JP)
`
`........................................... 10-002061
`
`Int. Cl.7
`(51)
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`
`
`............. G06F 15/00
`.................... 358/1.15;358/1.12; 358/1. 13;
`707,;/513 707/523
`(58) Field of Search ............................... 358/112, 1.13,
`358/114, 1.15, 1.16, 1.1, 1.5; 707/3, 5,
`101, 501, 512, 513, 523; 709/217, 218,
`219
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`Primary Examiner—Mark Wallerson
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Sughrue Mion, PLLC
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Aprocess for directly accessing a network and receiving and
`printing only required information of information resources.
`When information resources (a Web page) specified by a
`host computer are accessed, the configuration is analyzed
`based upon an HTML source code and the format of
`information constituting the Web page is checked. If the
`format
`is a format
`in which receiving is allowed,
`the
`information is received and added to the layout of printing.
`The information is checked for any information constituting
`the information resources indicating Whether receiving is
`allowed or not. Hereby, required information can be indi-
`vidually received from the information resources, useless
`data can be prevented from being transferred and the
`required information can be promptly printed.
`
`6,029,182 A *
`
`2/2000 Nehab et a1.
`
`............... 707/523
`
`60 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets
`
`102
`
`104
`
`SERVER
`
`SERVER
`
`103
`
`i SPECIFIED Web PAGE
`1
`IS DOWNLOADED
`
`
`
`1
`1
`_1 __________
`
`11
`I
`.4.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`2
`
`
`
`
`IV
`
`3‘, INSTRUCTION
`SECTION
`
`
`
`1.5
`
`
`
` CONTROL
`PRINT
`mm
`
`ENGINE
`SECTION
`
`RECEIVING CONTROL SECTION
`MEMORY SECTION
`
`
`ANALYZE
`17w
`20
`CONFIGURATION SECTION
`
`
`
`18
`
`ACQUIRED RANGE
`SETTING SECTION
`
`
`
`FORMAT
`MANAGEMENT TABLE
`
`2,
`
`
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 1
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p.1
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`aM
`
`1B
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`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 2
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 2
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`N INE
`PayPal v. IOE
`
`l $
`
`3me2:I:
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`
`m?
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 2 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`FIG. 2
`
`
`RESULT OF EITHER RECEIVABLE
`
`REFER TO FORMAT
`0R UNFIECEIVABLE
`
`
`RECEIVABLE OR
`FORMAT
`
`UNRECEIVABLE
`
`18
`
`
`
`FIG. 3
`
`HOST
`
`COMPUTER
`
`URL INPUT
`
`NETWORK PRINTER
`
`SERVER
`
`REQUEST HTML SOURCE
`
`RETURN HTML SOURCE
`
`REQUEST TRANSFER
`
`TRANSFER INFORMATION
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 3
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 3
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGI E
`
`PRINT
`
`ANALYZE
`CONFIGURATION
`
`I
`
`SET ACQUIRED
`RANGE
`
`GENERATE
`PRINT IMAGE
`
`INFORM ABOUT
`
`1
`
`COMPLETION OF PRINTING
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 3 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`
`
`PROCESSING ON SIDE OF PRINTER
`
`
`-_.Npuw
`
`
`
`
`
`
`STORE URL
`
`82
`
`
`
`ACCESS Web PAGE IN URL
`
`S3
`
`
`
`84
`
`REQUEST TRANSFER OF HTML SOURCE CODE
`
`
`INTERPRET HTML SOURCE CODE AND GENERATE LAYOUT l"35
`
`INFORMATION ACQUISITION PROCESSING
`
`36
`
`
`
`GENERATE PRINT IMAGE DATA
`
`
`
`FIG. 4
`
`FIG. 5
`
`
`
`S7
`
`811
`
`ANALYZECONFIGURATION
`
`
`
`REFER TO FORMAT MANAGAEMENT TABLE
`
`312
`
`513
`
`IS RECEIVING ALLOWED?
`YES
`
`REQUEST TRANSFER OF THE INFORMATION
`
`314
`
`RECEIVE INFORMATION
`
`815
`
`ADD INFORMATION TO THE LAYOUT
`
`SIB
`
`CHECK WHETHER ALL
`INFORMATION IS RECEIVABLE?
`
`NO
`
`817
`
`YES
`
`END
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 4
`PayPal Ex. 1048,
`. 4
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 4 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`
`
`li
`
`IMAGE Im1
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` CHARACTER l BLANK
`
`
`
` TEXT Tx1
`
`IMAGE
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 5
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 5
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`hdar.26,2002
`
`Sheets 0f10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`
`
`20.5.8:on_m~>._<z<_omE:_295%E05:_S2_E_
`mm
`BEBE_£9:Emgmgzé_238205mm
`
`205%ozEmm_mozé
`
` 205%_AOmHZOOm:_2%205mmxmozfiz_2<2H2m2mw<z<2“.....lflllllll-lllsllllllll|I1||||||_.|J|,.Fa02_
`
`829258m__2:$5am;8:93__
`
`_fill
`
`zOfioamHmZ
`
`zofiomm
`
`warwar'Eimm-
`
`w
`No
`
`mm>mmm
`
`mow
`
`vow
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 6
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 6
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`N INE
`PayPal v. IOE
`
`
`
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`IS THE INFORMATION STORED
`IN STORAGE SUBSECTION?
`
`YES
`
`NO
`
`REQUEST TRANSFER
`OF THE INFORMATION
`
`
`
`READ INFORMATION
`
`
`
`822
`
`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 6 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`FIG. 8
`
`INFORMATION ACQUISITION PROCESSING
`
`I ANALYZE CONFIGURATION I'vSII
`
`
`
`REFER TO FORMAT MANAGAEMENT TABLE
`
`
`
`812
`
`313
`
`IS RECEIVING ALLOWED?
`
`YES
`
` 821
`
`
`
`
`STORE RECEIVED INFORMATION |~S23
`
`RECEIVE INFORMATION
`
`815
`
`
`
`ADD INFORMATION TO THE LAYOUT
`+.__._._._
`
`316
`
`NO
`
`CHECK WHETHER ALL
`INFORMATION IS RECEIVABLE?
`
`817
`
`YES
`
`END
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 7
`PayPal Ex. 1048,
`. 7
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`2
`
`1B
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` Emzmoéé205mmBEBE_3.6_59: 4nw,_EmEEmzmgzé205mmozEwm“m“BEE:mmzézozéaomzoo_m_3&8mN5<z<____8#5_295%H295%E95:3em_“205252.
`
`
`_295mm_w_mv
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`
`
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`
`
`
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`
`
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`
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`II
`
`m6E
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`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 8
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 8
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`N INE
`PayPal v. IOE
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 8 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`FIG. 10
`
`18
`
`
`
`
`
`BM
`
`P
`
`MPEG
`
`44
`
`X
`
`X
`
`NONE
`
`NONE
`
`
`
`
`
`
`45
`
`RECEIVE LIMITATION CONDITION
`
`HIGH DEGREE OF
`
`
`ATTRIBUTE
`
`COMMUNICATION
`D1 OR LESS
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`QUANTITY OF
`CONGESTION
`DATA
`LOW DEGREE OF
`COMMUNICATION D2 OR LESS
`
`CONGESTION
`
`ADVERTISEMENT
`UNRECEIVABLE
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 9
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p.
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGI
`
`9 E
`
`
`ACQUIRED RANGE SETTING SECTION
`
` RESULT OF EITHER RECEIVABLE
`
`REFER TO FORMAT
`OR UNRECEIVABLE
`
`
`
`
`
`RECEIVABLE OR
`LIMITATION
`UNRECEIVABLE OF ATTRIBUTE
`
`
` TXT
`
`O
`NONE
`
`
`HTML
`0
`NONE
`
`FORMAT
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 9 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`FIG. 11
`
`INFORMATION ACQUISITION PROCESSING
`
`ANALYZE CONFIGURATION
`
`
`
`831
`
`
`
`
`
`
`REFER TO FORMAT MANAGAEMENT TABLE
`
`Ié RECEIVING ALLOWED?
`
`NO
`
`SII
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`IS RECEIVING LIMITED
`
`BASED UPON ATTRIBUTE?
`
`REQUEST TRANSFER OF THE INFORMATION
`
`RECEIVE INFORMATION
`
`ADD INFORMATION TO PRINTING LAYOUT
`
`CHECK WHETHER ALL
`
`INFORMATION IS RECEIVABLE?
`
`
`
`YES
`
`END
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 10
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 10
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 26, 2002
`
`Sheet 10 0f 10
`
`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`FIG. 12
`
`ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION
`JUDGMENT PROCESSING
`
`51
`
`
`
`70 %
`
`
`
`
`
`I D
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`IS RECEIPT OF INFORMATION
`ADVERTISING LIMITED?
`
`841
`
`YES
`
`REFER TO ADVERTISEMENT
`DICTIONARY
`
`INFORMATION 1
`
`INFORMATION 2
`
`INFORMATION n
`
`
`INFORMATION
`EGREE OF
`RELATED TO
`
`
`RELATION
`
`
`ADVERTISEMENT
`
`
`IS INFORMATION RELATED TO
`ADVERTISEMENT INCLUDED?
`
`-
`
`
`
`
`
`IS IMAGE FILE LINKED
`WITH EXTERNAL SERVER?
`
`YES
`
`JUDGE INFORMATION TO BE
`ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION
`
`
`
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 11
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 11
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`1
`NETWORK PRINTER AN D N ETWORK
`PRINTING METHOD
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`The present invention relates to a network printer and a
`network printing method which enables the direct accessing
`of information resources existing on a network such as the
`Internet, downloading of the information resources and
`printing of the information.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`Anetwork printer connected to a network such as a local
`area network (LAN) and shared by plural host computers is
`known heretofore. Such a network printer receives and
`prints print jobs from a plurality of host computers con-
`nected to a network.
`
`Recently, demand for printing information resources on
`the Internet has been increasing as the Internet has been
`developed. For typical information resources on the Internet,
`there is a Web page described in hypertext markup language
`(IITML) and provided by World Wide Web (WWW) server
`and others. If a user wants to print a Web page, he/she
`accesses a predetermined WWW server Via a host computer
`and requests the WWW server to download a desired Web
`page to the host computer. Next, the host computer converts
`the Web page to print data and sends the print data to a
`network printer to print.
`In the above prior art, if a user wants to acquire infor-
`mation resources stored in a W'WW server and others on the
`
`Internet as a printed matter, he/she is required to first activate
`a host computer to access the desired server, then request the
`desired server to download the desired document data to the
`host computer and finally request the host computer to print
`the downloaded document data.
`
`10
`
`20
`
`30
`
`if a user wants to acquire information
`Therefore,
`resources which are updated periodically such as a Web page
`on a WWW server as a printed matter, he/she must always
`activate a host computer to access to the server which takes
`a lot of time.
`
`40
`
`it is also possible for a
`To solve the above problem,
`network printer to directly download a Web page without
`using a host computer (this is not the preceding art).
`However, a Web page is composed of not only text data
`but also various data such as image data and music data, and
`all types of data which is not always required for printing.
`That
`is, generally, most of the important
`information is
`represented by text data, and the image data and others fulfill
`the role of supplementing the information represented by the
`text data and the decorative role of a Web page. A normal
`printer interprets and prints only received print data faith—
`fully. Therefore, there occurs a problem that unnecessary
`information is downloaded and printed by a network printer,
`useless data is transferred and in addition, the printing speed
`is reduced.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention is made to solve the above various
`problems and the object is to provide a network printer and
`a network printing method wherein specified information
`resources are directly accessed and only predetermined
`information in the information resources can be received and
`printed.
`To achieve the above object, a network printer according
`to the present
`invention directly accesses information
`resources specified by an external device, analyzes the
`
`50
`
`60
`
`2
`configuration of the information resources and receives and
`prints only predetermined information.
`The present invention disclosed in Claim 1 is directed to
`a network printer for receiving and printing information
`resources on a network comprising configuration analyzing
`means for actively accessing specified information resources
`via a network and analyzing the configuration of the infor-
`mation resources, acquired range setting means for setting
`the information acquired range of the information resources
`based upon the above analyzed configuration, receive c011-
`trol means for receiving predetermined information of the
`information resources based upon the above information
`acquired range, and printing control means for controlling
`printing means based upon information received out of the
`information resources.
`
`“Network” includes not only the Internet and an intranet
`but also a LAN. “Information resources” means a Web page
`of a WWW server and a file of a server according to a file
`transfer protocol (FTP) and others. “The configuration of
`information resources” means the type of information, a file
`name and other parameters concerning the information
`resources.
`
`First, information resources to be accessed are specified to
`a network printer by an external host computer and others.
`Or, a plurality of information resources are registered
`beforehand in a memory built in a network printer or in an
`installed external memory and information resources to be
`accessed by the network printer are specified by selecting
`any of them. For example, if a Web page is to be accessed,
`a uniform resource locator (URL) is input. Hereby,
`the
`configuration analyzing means accesses specified informa-
`tion resources and analyzes the configuration. The acquired
`range setting means sets the range of information to be
`acquired based upon the analyzed configuration. For
`example, the acquired range setting means may be set so that
`only text data is acquired or only static image data is
`acquired. Receiving means receives the acquired informa-
`tion and the received information is printed via the printing
`control means.
`
`Therefore, the network printer actively accesses informa—
`tion resources without using a host computer and can
`acquire and print only predetermined information of the
`information resources.
`
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 2,
`the acquired range setting means can set an information
`acquired range based upon the format of information.
`“The format of information” includes the format of Mul-
`
`tipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) as defined in
`Request for comments (RFC) 1872, 2045, 2046, 2047 and
`2049 for example. Various formats for character
`information, a static image, a dynamic image, music and
`others such as TeXT (TXT), HTML, Graphics Interchange
`Format (GIF), Joint photographic coding experts group
`(JPEG), Moving picture coding experts group (MPEG), Tag
`image file format (TIEF), Audio video interleaved (AVI) and
`Music instrument digital
`interface (MIDI) exist. The
`acquired range setting means can be set so that only prede-
`termined format data is acquired. Hereby, not all image data
`is impartially excluded but
`image data according to a
`predetermined format
`is received and the acquisition of
`image data according to the other format can be excluded.
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 3,
`storage means for storing received information is further
`provided and the acquired range setting means can also set
`an information acquired range based upon the format of
`information and the contents stored in the storage means.
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 12
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 12
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`3
`For example, if storage means such as a hard disk is
`provided to a network printer and information received is
`stored in the storage means, the same information that is
`already stored is not required to be received again.
`Therefore,
`the acquired range setting means limits the
`acquired range of information based upon the format of
`information and can set
`the suitable acquired range of
`information by excluding information stored in the storage
`means in the above range.
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 4,
`the acquired range setting means can also set an information
`acquired range based upon the format of the information
`resources and the attribute information.
`
`For “attribute information”, the quantity of data in the
`information resources, the date on which the information
`resources are created, information display size, distinction
`between color and monochrome,
`the number of scales,
`distinction of an advertisement or not and others can be
`given. The acquired range setting means can be set so that
`information exceeding a predetermined data quantity, infor-
`mation exceeding a predetermined display size, color image
`information, advertisement information and others are not
`acquired.
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 5,
`the acquired range setting means can also set the information
`acquired range based upon the format of the information
`resources and the communication state of a network.
`For “the communication state of a network”, a transfer
`rate and the quantity of traffic can be given. If a network is
`congested,
`information can be promptly received and
`printed by excluding the acquisition of image information
`containing a large quantity of data and a load on the network
`can be prevented from being increased.
`The present invention disclosed in Claim 6 is a network
`printing method for receiving and printing information
`resources on a network comprising the following steps: a
`step of specifying information resources, a step of accessing
`to the specified information resources via a network and
`acquiring the configuration information of the information
`resources, a step of analyzing the configuration of the
`information resources based upon the above configuration
`information,
`a sctting step of setting the information
`acquired range of the information resources based upon the
`above analyzed configuration, a step of receiving informa-
`tion of the above information resources based upon the
`above information acquired range and a step of printing
`based upon the received information of the information
`resources.
`
`Hereby, when information resources to be printed from an
`external host computer and others are specified, the con-
`figuration information of the information resources is
`acquired and the configuration is analyzed. Next, the range
`of information to be acquired is set based upon the configu—
`ration and only information in the set range is received and
`printed. Therefore, unnecessary information is never
`received and necessary information can be promptly
`received and printed.
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 7,
`in the setting step, an information acquired range can be set
`based upon the format of the information resources.
`Hereby, the similar action to the present invention dis-
`closed in Claim 2 can be obtained.
`
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 8,
`a step for storing received information is further provided
`and in a setting step, an information acquired range can be
`also set based upon the format of information and the
`contents of stored information.
`
`5
`
`10
`
`20
`
`30
`
`40
`
`50
`
`60
`
`4
`Hereby, the similar action to the present invention dis-
`closed in Claim 3 can be obtained.
`
`According to the present invention disclosed in Claim 9,
`in a setting step, an information acquired range can be set
`also based upon the format of information and attribute
`information.
`
`Hereby, the similar action to the present invention dis-
`closed in Claim 4 can be obtained.
`
`Further, according to the present invention disclosed in
`Claim 10, in a setting step, an information acquired range
`can be also set based upon the format of information and the
`communication state of a network.
`
`Hereby, the similar action to the present invention dis-
`closed in Claim 5 can be obtained.
`
`invention disclosed in Claim 11 is a
`The present
`computer-readable medium on which a printing control
`program for receiving and printing information resources on
`a network is recorded and characterized in that the program
`comprises analyzing means for accessing specified informa—
`tion resources via a network and analyzing the configuration
`of the information resources, information acquisition man-
`aging means in which it is set every format of information
`whether the acquisition of information is right or not,
`acquired range setting means for setting the information
`acquired range of the information resources by referring to
`the information acquisition managing means based upon the
`analyzed configuration, receive control means for receiving
`predetermined information of the information resources
`based upon the information acquired range and printing
`control means for controlling printing means based upon
`information received out of the information resources to
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`print.
`Hereby, the similar action to the present invention dis-
`closed in Claim 2 can be obtained.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional con—
`figuration of a network printing system and others equiva-
`lent to a first embodiment of the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing showing the configu-
`ration of a format management table;
`FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing showing a communi-
`cation state among a host computer, a network printer and a
`server;
`
`FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the
`network printer;
`FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the information acquisition
`processing shown in FIG. 4;
`FIG. 6 is an explanatory drawing showing the relationship
`between layout data and the result of printing;
`FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional con-
`figuration of a network printing system equivalent
`to a
`second embodiment of the present invention;
`FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing information acquisition
`processing;
`FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional con-
`figuration of a network printing system equivalent to a third
`embodiment of the present invention;
`FIG. 10 is an explanatory drawing showing each configu-
`ration of a format management table and an attribute man-
`agement table and relationship between them;
`FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing information acquisition
`processing; and
`FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing advertisement information
`judgment processing.
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 13
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p.13
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal V. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US 6,362,894 B1
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`5
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`Referring to the drawings, embodiments of the present
`invention will be described in detail below.
`
`First Embodiment
`
`First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a first embodiment of the
`present invention will be described.
`FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the whole
`configuration of a network printing system using a network
`printer equivalent to this embodiment.
`A router 101 is provided to a communication line 100
`such as a LAN and the communication line 100 is connected
`
`to the Internet 102 via the router 101. Multiple servers 103
`such as a WWW server are connected to the Internet 102 and
`each server 103 stores various information resources in its
`spool device 104. For information resources, a Web page
`provided by a WWW server, a file provided by a FTP server,
`Netnews provided by a news server and others are known,
`however, in this embodiment, a Web page is utilized as an
`example.
`For example, a network interface 2 and a URL specifying
`section 3 are provided to a host computer 1 realized as a
`personal computer, a mobile information terminal and oth-
`ers. The network interface 2 is connected to a network
`printer 11 described later via the communication line 100
`such as a LAN. The specifying section representable as
`access instruction means, access information input means or
`printing instruction means transmits URL for specifying a
`Web page to be printed to the network printer 11. URL can
`be also represented as specific information or access infor—
`mation for specifying information resources.
`Needless to say, a printer driver may be also installed in
`the host computer 1 to issue a so-called local print job.
`The network printer 11 is provided with a network inter-
`face 12, a memory 13, a printing control section 14, a
`printing engine 15, a receive control section 16, a storage
`section 19 and others as described later.
`
`For example, the network interface 12 presentable as a
`network connecting means is provided with various hard-
`ware such as a LAN driver for connecting to LAN 100,
`various protocols such as Transmission control protocol/
`Internet protocol (TCP/IP) and HTTP and Ethernet as the
`network interface 2 on the side of the host computer.
`The memory 13 is provided to temporarily store HTML
`data downloaded from each server 103 and others and is
`controlled by a memory control section 13A.
`The printing control section 14 as printing control means
`prints the data downloaded from the server 103 by inter—
`preting it, generating print image data and controlling the
`operation of the printing engine 15.
`The printing engine 15 includes a paper feed mechanism,
`a print head and others to print on a record medium such as
`paper. For the printing engine 15, various engines used in a
`page printer for printing in units of page such as a laser
`printer, a serial printer for printing in units of character such
`as an ink-jet printer and a thermal transfer printer, a line
`printer for printing in units of line, and others can be used.
`The receive control section 16 controls access to a Web
`page, downloading and others. The receive control section
`16 accesses a Web page as information resources specified
`by the host computer 1 and downloads only predetermined
`information from the Web page. For the internal function of
`the receive control section 16, a configuration analyzing
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`subsection 17 as configuration analyzing means and an
`acquired range setting subsection 18 as acquired range
`setting means are provided.
`The configuration analyzing subsection 17 analyzes
`where and what type of information is embedded based upon
`HTML source data in a Web page. The acquired range
`setting subsection 18 specifies the range of information to be
`received according to a preset receiving allowance condi-
`tron.
`
`A URL storage subsection 20 for storing URL specified by
`the host computer 1 and a format management table 21 as a
`receiving allowance condition are provided to a storage
`section 19 as storage means. In the format management table
`21, which functions as a format management means, infor-
`mation which represents whether formats such as TXT,
`HTML and GIF are able to be received or not is stored, as
`shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, a mark 0 shows that the format
`is receivable and a mark x shows the format is unreceivable.
`The acquired range setting subsection 18 receives only data
`in a format which can be received as shown in management
`table 21.
`
`Next, referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, action in this embodiment
`will be described. First, FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing
`showing the operation of the whole system.
`First, URL is input from the host computer 1 to the
`network printer 11. The network printer 11 accesses the
`specified URL and requests the transfer of an HTML source
`code as an example of configuration information. The net-
`work printer 11 which receives the HTML source code
`analyzes the source code and sets information to be received.
`For example, if it is determined to receive only a text and a
`small quantity of image data, the network printer requests a
`server 103 to transfer information according to the deter-
`mined format. When required information is transferred, the
`network printer 11 generates print image data and prints,
`After printing is finished, a printing completion information
`may be issued to the host computer 1.
`Next, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing in the
`network printer 11.
`First, in a step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as SI), it is
`determined whether URL is input from the host computer 1
`or not. When URL is input, the URL is stored in the URL
`storage subsection 20 in the storage section 19 in S2 and a
`Web page specified in the URL is accessed in S3.
`When the transfer of an HTML source code is requested
`in S4 and the HTML source code is received, the HTML
`source code is interpreted and a layout is generated in S5.
`That is, the type of information such as a character and an
`image and size for the information to account in a print area
`are grasped and a layout in printing is generated.
`As described later referring to FIG. 5, only predetermined
`information (data) is received from a server 103 in S6, print
`image data is generated in S7 and printing is executed in S8.
`Next, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing information acqui-
`sition processing shown as S6 in FIG. 4.
`First, an HTML source code is analyzed and the formats
`of the information included therein are detected in Sll.
`Next, the format management table 21 is referred to in 512
`and it is judged in 813 whether receiving is allowed in the
`detected formats of the information or not.
`
`If the format management table 21 shows that a certain
`format is a format in which receiving is allowed, the network
`printer requests a server 103 to transfer the information in
`814. When the network printer receives the information
`requested to be transferred in $15, the network printer adds
`
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 14
`PayPal Ex. 1048, p. 14
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`PayPal v. IOENGINE
`
`

`

`US 6,362,894 B1
`
`7
`the information into the layout generated in $5 in FIG. 4 in
`$16. In the case of a format in which receiving is not allowed
`as shown in the format management table 21, the format is
`judged NO in S13 and the processing in $14 to S16 is
`slapped.
`It is judged in $17 whether any information included in
`the HTML source code is checked in relation to whether
`receiving is allowed or not and the processing in S11 to 816
`is repeated until the check of the information is finished.
`FIG. 6 is an explanatory drawing showing the result of
`printing in this embodiment.
`In the ripper part of FIG. 6, a layout generated based upon
`an HTML source code is shown. The layout is composed of
`two text data Tx1 and Tx2 and two image data Im1 and Im2.
`As shown on the right side in the lower part of FIG. 6, if
`any information is received and printed, two text data and
`two image data are all printed. In the meantime, if the
`receiving of image data is refused, only text data is received
`and printed as shown on the left side in the lower part of FIG.
`6.
`
`According to this embodiment as described above, the
`following effect is produced:
`First, the network printer 11 accesses specified informa-
`tion resources and receives it only by informing the network
`printer 11 of the URL of the desired information resources.
`Therefore,
`information resources on a network can be
`readily obtained as a printed matter without using the host
`computer 1. As the host computer 1 is relieved from the [low
`of processing for printing information resources after URL
`is specified Via the host computer 1, the throughput of the
`host computer 1 can be allocated to another application
`program.
`Second, as only preset information of specified informa-
`tion resources is received and printed, only required infor-
`mation can be promptly received and printed in high speed.
`In other words, transfer time can be reduced by preventing
`useless data transfer and the quantity of traffic in a network
`can be prevented from being increased. Further, the capacity
`of the memory 13 mounted in the network printer 11 can be
`reduced which enables low cost manufacture.
`
`For example, this embodiment is constructed as follows.
`A network printer for receiving and printing information
`resources on a network and characterized in that the network
`printer 11 actively accesses specified information resources
`via a network comprises configuration analyzing means 17
`for analyzing the configuration of the information resources,
`format management means 21 which stores information
`which represents whether certain formats are able to be
`received or not, acquired range setting means 18 for setting
`the information acquired range of the above information
`resources by referring to the format management means 21
`based upon the analyzed configuration,
`receive control
`means 16 for receiving predetermined information in the
`information resources based upon the above information
`acquired range and printing control means 14 for controlling
`the printing means 15 based upon information received from
`the information resources to print.
`Second Embodiment
`
`Next, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a second embodiment of
`the present invention will be described. In the following
`embodiment, the same reference numbers are allocated to
`the same components as in the above first embodiment and
`the description is omitted. This embodiment is characterized
`in that a large capacity storage section is provided to a
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`network printer and if the information to be received is
`stored in the storage section, then the same information is
`not received.
`
`A network printer 31 equivalent to this embodiment is
`provided with a printing control section 14, a receive control
`section 32, a storage section 33 and others as the network
`printer of the first embodiment. If certain information com-
`plies with a predetermined format in which receiving is
`allowed, the receive control section 32 judges whether the
`information is already stored or not. This embodiment is
`different from the above embodiment in that if the informa-
`tion is already stored, receiving is not executed.
`The storage section 33 as storage means in this embodi-
`ment is compo