Output management device setting apparatus and setting method

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to install a print server simply. In the present invention, a port monitor, an IP address and a data sending method corresponding to an installed logical printer are acquired and stored in an installed logical printer information storage module, by an installed logical printer analysis module. A logical printer auto-creation module creates the port monitor of the logical printer to be used by the print server to be installed, based on the stored information, and associates the port monitor as the port monitor of a newly created logical printer or the existing logical printer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An output management device setting apparatus for an output management device utilizing a logical output device assigned with unique communication control means for conducting a communication with an output device on a network, for setting said logical output device, comprising: 
 control means for setting said unique communication control means based on information set in general communication control means assigned to the logical output device which has already existed before said output management device is installed.    
     
     
         2 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said control means uses attribute information on the output device which is a communication target, set in said general communication control means, to set said unique communication control means.  
     
     
         3 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said apparatus uses the attribute information on the output device set in said general communication control means to set said unique communication control means, and newly creates said logical output device.  
     
     
         4 . An output management device setting apparatus for an output management device utilizing a logical output device assigned with unique communication control means for conducting a communication with an output device on a network, for setting said logical output device, comprising: 
 device information acquisition means for acquiring from the output device existing on the network, attribute information regarding said device; and    control means for creating an instance of said unique communication control means, using the information acquired by said device information acquisition means.    
     
     
         5 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said device information acquisition means may acquire the attribute information from an unspecified and unknown device existing on the network.  
     
     
         6 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said attribute information includes information representative of a model of said output device.  
     
     
         7 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said attribute information includes an address which said output device has.  
     
     
         8 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said attribute information includes a sending method for sending output data with respect to said output device.  
     
     
         9 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said output device is a printing device.  
     
     
         10 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein when said output management device is installed, said apparatus newly creates a second logical output means assigned with said unique communication control means, which is different from said existing first logical output device, and sets said unique communication control means assigned to said second logical output means, based on information stored with respect to said general communication control means assigned to said first logical output device.  
     
     
         11 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein when said output management device is installed, said apparatus replaces said general communication control means assigned to said existing logical output device with said unique communication control means set based on information which said general communication control means has.  
     
     
         12 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said control means further comprises model/driver name correspondence means for deciding a driver name corresponding to said model from said acquired information representative of the model.  
     
     
         13 . The output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said control means further comprises model/sending method correspondence means for deciding a method for sending job data corresponding to said model, from said acquired information representative of the model.  
     
     
         14 . An output management device setting system comprising means for setting an output management device utilizing a logical output device assigned with unique communication control means for conducting a communication with an output device on a network, wherein said system comprises an output management device setting apparatus according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . An output management system setting method for an output management system utilizing a logical output device assigned with unique communication control means for conducting a communication with an output device on a network, for setting said logical output device, comprising the steps of: 
 acquiring setting information stored with respect to general communication control means assigned to the logical output device which has already existed before said output management system is installed; and    setting said unique communication control means based on said acquired setting information.    
     
     
         16 . The output management system setting method according to  claim 15 , comprising the steps of: 
 creating a second logical output device being different from a first logical output device which has already existed before said output management system is installed;    creating the unique communication control means for said second logical output device; and    setting said unique communication control means, using the setting information stored with respect to the general communication control means assigned to said first logical output device.    
     
     
         17 . The output management system setting method according to  claim 15 , comprising the steps of: 
 creating the unique communication control means;    setting said unique communication control means, using the setting information stored with respect to the general communication control means assigned to the logical output device which has already existed before said output management system is installed; and    assigning said set unique communication control means as the communication control means of said logical output device.    
     
     
         18 . An output management system setting method for an output management system utilizing a logical output device assigned with unique communication control means for conducting a communication with an output device on a network, for setting said logical output device, comprising the steps of: 
 acquiring from the output device existing on the network, attribute information regarding said device; and    creating an instance of said unique communication control means having a setting based on said acquired information regarding the device.    
     
     
         19 . The output management system setting method according to  claim 15 , wherein said attribute information includes one or all of a model name, an address and a method for sending output data, of the output device.  
     
     
         20 . A computer program for causing a computer to realize features of an apparatus according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         21 . A computer readable storage medium having stored a computer program according to  claim 20 .  
     
     
         22 . A computer program for setting an output device, causing a computer to function as: 
 collection means for collecting information regarding the output device connected to said computer, for printing with said output device; and    generation means for using the information collected by said collection means to generate a new program module for sending data to said output device, for said output device.    
     
     
         23 . The computer program according to  claim 22 , wherein said collection means collects referring to the data corresponding to said output device, retained in said computer.  
     
     
         24 . The computer program according to  claim 22 , wherein said collection means collects from the output device directly or indirectly connected to said computer.  
     
     
         25 . The computer program according to  claim 22 , wherein the program module generated by said generation means has a feature of executing a distributed printing for the data to be printed, by the output device connected to said computer.  
     
     
         26 . A method for setting a printer when a program of a print feature is installed, 
 wherein said method sets the printer using information which has been already registered.    
     
     
         27 . A method for setting a printer when a program of a print feature is installed, 
 wherein when said method sets the printer using information which has been already registered, if the printer can not be set, said method collects information from a printer on a network to set the printer.    
     
     
         28 . A program for setting a printer when a program of a print feature is installed, 
 wherein said program sets the printer using information which has been already registered.    
     
     
         29 . A program for setting a printer when a program of a print feature is installed, 
 wherein when said program sets the printer using information which has been already registered, if the printer can not be set, said program collects information from a printer on a network to set the printer.    
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for setting a printer when a program of a print feature is installed, 
 wherein said apparatus sets the printer using information which has been already registered.    
     
     
         31 . An apparatus for setting a printer when a program of a print feature is installed, 
 wherein when said apparatus sets the printer using information which has been already registered, if the printer can not be set, said apparatus collects information from a printer on a network to set the printer.