Image processing apparatus, information processing apparatus, and information processing system

摘要

An image processing apparatus that outputs images includes: a storage unit that stores therein a printer driver, in which configurations and functions related to image outputs are described in a text format, and device information indicating configurations related to image outputs in the image processing apparatus; a receiving unit that receives, from an information processing apparatus connected via a communication line, a transmission request message that requests transmission of the printer driver; a reflecting unit that reflects the device information on the printer driver when the receiving unit receives the transmission request message; and a transmitting unit that transmits the printer driver, on which the device information is reflected by the reflecting unit, to the information processing apparatus.

主权项

1. An image processing apparatus that outputs images, the image processing apparatus comprising:
a printer engine that forms the images; a storage unit that stores therein a first printer driver, in which configurations and functions related to image outputs are described in a text format, and stores therein device information including printing device information of the printer engine; a receiving unit that receives, from an information processing apparatus connected via a communication line, a transmission request message that requests transmission of the first printer driver; a user interface on the image processing apparatus which permits a user to customize the printing device information; a reflecting unit that reflects user-customized printing device information of the printer engine obtained from the user interface on the image processing apparatus into the first printer driver to generate a second printer driver forming a customized printer driver customized with the printing device information; a transmitting unit that transmits the customized printer driver to the printer engine; and a processor controlling at least one of the printer engine, the user interface, and the reflecting unit, which is programmed such that the image processing apparatus that outputs images executes the following conditional sequence,
requests a target printer including said printer engine to be registered for a PostScript Printer Description PPD wherein the printer transmits to the information processing apparatus a customized PPD for the printer when the printer has the customized PPD, and transmits to the information processing apparatus an original PPD when the printer does not have a customized PPD,reflects collected device information on a received PPD and registers the PPD,upon not receiving the PPD, requests a Web server of the manufacturer of the target printer for the PPD;upon not receiving the PPD from the Web server, requests the Web server for the latest version of main control firmware including a PPD for the target printer,updates, when receiving the PPD, the PPD with the latest version of main control firmware, reflects the collected device information on the received PPD and registers the PPD, andupon not receiving the main control firmware, further requests an operating system OS based Web server for the PPD for the target printer.