U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
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Method and apparatus for providing job accounting information to a host computer from a printer

Patent 5699493 Issued on December 16, 1997. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject June 23, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Patent References

Method and apparatus for obtaining and for controlling the status of a networked peripheral Patent #: 5323393
Issued on: 06/21/1994
Inventor: Barrett, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

Application

No. 493884 filed on 06/23/1995

US Classes:

358/1.15, Communication358/1.13Emulation or plural modes

Examiners

Primary: Coles, Sr., Edward L.
Assistant: Popovici, Dov

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Foreign Patent References

  • 0575168 EP. 12/13/1993

International Classes

G06K 015/00
868
727
764
765
326
527

Abstract

An improved printing system is provided having at least one host computer and a printer in which the printer acquires print job accounting information and communicates it to the host computer via NPAP messages. A host computer downloads print job data to the printer through a communications port on the printer (i.e., either a parallel port, serial port, or network port), and as the printer prints the print job that it received from the host computer, the printer temporarily stores job accounting information. At the end of the print job, the printer communicates that job accounting information back to armed host computers via a bi-directional communications port, including typical information such as: the job identifier number, job processing time, number of sheets of paper from each paper source, number of impressions from each paper source (either one-sided or two-sided impressions), the port identifier, the network user name, the name of the print job (as specified), and the printer's serial number. Since the data is being accumulated at the printer, rather than at the host computer, there is no estimating by a host-resident program to acquire these statistics, and no data base merging (from several host computers) is required to categorize all of the data for one particular printer. Furthermore, the print jobs need not pass through a network queue in order to be detected and accounted for.

Other References

  • The Common Printer Access Protocol, by James D. Jones et al., Digital Tech.J., vol. 3, No. 4, Fall 1991
  • Frank Hayes; "The Printers Talk Back"; Dec. 1993 pp. 103-104 & 106 & 108 & 110
  • Network Printing Alliance Protocol, A Printer/Host Control Specification, Level 1, Revision N, Feb. 11, 1994, Developed By The Network Printing Allianc
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