Seiko Epson Corporation

Masaaki Hanaoka

Yasushi Nakaoka

Masanori Mukaiyama

Fumiaki Doi

Shinji Nakamura

Yoshimasa Kondou

Yutaka Hisamatsu

Toshiharu Katada

The technique of the present invention intermediates between an arbitrary client and an arbitrary printer connecting with a network to actualize practical printing works. A print portal system utilizing a server connected to the network intermediates between the client and the printer to execute a printing operation. The client outputs a printing requirement, which specifies print data of interest and a printer as an output resource, to the print portal system. The print portal system converts the input print data into data of a general purpose format, which does not depend upon the type of the printer, and transfers the converted print data to the specified printer.

Print portal system on network

System for mediating printing on network

The technique of the present invention ensures efficient management of printers in a large-scaled network even under a condition that some printer shifts its position on the network. A positioning unit included in each printer connected to the network recognizes positional information, which represents its own geographical position where the printer is located and includes, for example, a latitude and a longitude. Each of computers connected to the network obtains the positional information from each of the printers and specifies a printer, to which print data are output to carry out printing, based on the positional information thus obtained. This arrangement extremely facilitates the management of the printers on the network and enables the user to carry out printing with a selected printer that is located at a desired position.

Printers with positional sensors

A system is used where a print portalthat is functions at least as an intermediary server and a print station are connected on a network. The print portalreceives a job from a job resourcevia the network and manages it for the respective executive authority person. When the executive authority person uses an instruction clientto instruct the intermediary server to output the job, the intermediary server authenticates the executive authority person by way of biometric authentication or the like, and then transfers the job to the print station. This enables an improper printing or mistaken printing to be avoided since the printing can be performed in response to the instruction of the person who has the true executive authority of the job.

Print via network

An apparatus for providing continuity of operation in system which performs a process having CPU, input/output, main memory and power supply by restoring the system state to the point when the power supply was last turned off or an even earlier time is provided. The apparatus includes a save process start detector for detecting a demand for power supply turn-off. A system state saver outputs information indicative of the system state to an external storage in response to an instruction from the save process start detector. A post save processor turns the power supply off after the information indicative of the system state has been completely output to the external storage by the system state saver. A restore process starter is activated upon start up of the system after turning on of the power supply. A system state restorer reads the information indicative of the system state, that has been recorded in the external storage by the system state saver in response to instructions from the restore processor starter and then sets the information in a predetermined area to restore the system state to that which existed when the power supply was turned off. After the system state has been restored by the system state restorer a post restore processor continues the control of a process from the step being operated when the process was suspended by the save process start detector.

Article for providing continuity of operation in a computer

An apparatus for providing continuity of operation in system which performs a process having CPU, input/output, main memory and power supply by restoring the system state to the point when the power supply was last turned off or an even earlier time is provided. The apparatus includes a save process start detector for detecting a demand for power supply turn-off. A system state saver outputs information indicative of the system state to an external storage in response to an instruction from the save process start detector. A post save processor turns the power supply off after the information indicative of the system state has been completely output to the external storage by the system stale saver. A restore process starter is activated upon start up of the system after turning on of the power supply. A system state restorer reads the information indicative of the system state, that has been recorded in the external storage by the system state saver in response to instructions from the restore processor starter and then sets the information in a predetermined area to restore the system state to that which existed when the power supply was turned off. After the system state has been restored by the system state restorer a post restore processor continues the control of a process from the step being operated when the process was suspended by the save process start detector.

Apparatus for providing continuity of operation in a computer

A method of configuring a computer system having internal and corresponding external ports, includes determining the designation of each port present in the system as being either primary, secondary, or disabled. The designations of the physically present ports are used to update the contents of a non-volatile memory. Prior to updating the non-volatile memory, a read operation is performed on the non-volatile memory. If the non-volatile memory presently reflects the status of the physically present ports, the updating of the non-volatile memory is bypassed.

Method for automatically setting the internal and external port

A method of configuring a computer system having internal and external Serial Input/Output (SIO) ports, includes determining the designation of each SIO port present in the system as being either primary, secondary, or disabled. The designations of the physically present SIO ports are used to update the contents of a non-volatile memory. Prior to updating the non-volatile memory, a read operation is performed on the non-volatile memory. If the non-volatile memory presently reflects the status of the physically present SIO ports, the updating of the non-volatile memory is bypassed.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano-ken, Japan

Masaaki Hanaoka