Communication system and printer therefor

摘要

A communication system includes a first network, a printer connected with the first network, a host device, connected with the first network, which are configured to use the printer as a network printer with a printer driver being installed therein, a second network connected with the first network via a router, and an external server device, connected with the second network, which is configured as a providing source of a first printer driver. The printer includes a downloading unit that downloads the first printer driver from the external server device via the first and second networks, a storing unit that stores the downloaded first printer driver, and a sending unit that sends the stored first printer driver to the host device via the first network. The host device includes a receiving unit that receives the first printer driver from the sending unit.

主权项

1. A communication system, comprising:
a first network; a printer connected with the first network; a host device connected with the first network, the host device being configured to use the printer as a network printer with a printer driver being installed therein; a router; a second network connected with the first network via the router; and an external server device connected with the second network, the external server device being configured as a providing source of a first printer driver for the printer; wherein the printer includes:
a storing unit;a downloading unit configured to download, into the storing unit, the first printer driver from the external server device via the first network and the second network, independently of the host device;a sending unit configured to send the first printer driver stored in the storing unit to the host device via the first network;a version information acquiring unit configured to acquire, from the host device via the first network, version information on a version of a second printer driver already installed in the host device;a version comparing unit configured to judge whether a version of the first printer driver stored in the storing unit is newer than the version of the second printer driver acquired from the host device; anda transmission control unit configured to control the sending unit to send the first printer driver stored in the storing unit to the host device, from which the version acquiring unit has acquired the version information, when the version comparing unit judges that the version of the first printer driver is newer than the version of the second printer driver acquired from the host device and not to send the first printer driver stored in the storing unit to the host device, from which the version acquiring unit has acquired the version information, when the version comparing unit judges that the version of the first printer driver is not newer than the version of the second printer driver acquired from the host device, and wherein the host device includes a receiving unit configured to receive the first printer driver from the sending unit of the printer; wherein the printer further includes a model specifying information writing unit configured to write model specifying information for specifying a model of the printer into the storing unit; wherein the version information acquiring unit is configured to acquire the version information from the host device in which there has been installed the second printer driver corresponding to the printer of the model specified by the model specifying information; and wherein the version information acquiring unit is configured to acquire the version information by sending a command with the model specifying information to the host device and by receiving from the host device the version information corresponding to the model specifying information.