1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, and a method therefor, which is communicatively connected, via a network, to a portable terminal carried by a user, and to a plurality of printing apparatuses provided at various locations, and which outputs, in response to a data print request from the portable terminal, data associated with the data print request to one of the printing apparatuses. More specifically, the invention relates to a data output control apparatus which is suitable for allowing detailed information on a network to be readily obtained.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, information on the Internet is readily available anywhere using, for example, i-mode(trademark) provided by NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc. (NTT DoCoMo).
However, although such a portable terminal allows information on the Internet to be readily obtained anywhere, because the structure of a display is simplified for purposes, such as reducing the size of, and saving energy for, the portable terminal, the displayed information is rather simplified compared with a display on an ordinary personal computer, which does not satisfy a user with the information service that is provided.
Accordingly, in order to provide detailed information, while continuing to reduce the size of, and save energy for, the portable terminal, a structure can be provided in which, by combining a portable terminal and a printing apparatus, rough information is displayed on the portable terminal while detailed information is printed by the printing apparatus. However, combining the portable terminal and printing apparatus faces several technical problems which must be solved.
For example, since the printing apparatus is large in size and is difficult to carry with the portable terminal, in order to print the detailed information, ordinarily, the printing apparatus that will be used is provided at a home or at an office. However, use of a fixed, particular printing apparatus would hardly allow information to be readily obtained anywhere. In order to achieve this, it is required that either the size of the printing apparatus be reduced to such an extent as to allow it to be carried, or an arbitrary printing apparatus be allowed to be used. The former is not feasible because it is technically very difficult to achieve with technology that is presently available. The latter is not feasible either because each printing apparatus requires a unique driver, thus requiring that the portable terminal be embedded with drivers for each of the printing apparatuses to be used.
Accordingly, the present invention solves the above problems with the conventional art, and an object thereof is to provide a data output control apparatus which is suitable for allowing detailed information on a network to be readily obtained.
In order to achieve the above object, data output control apparatuses according to the present invention are provided, wherein detailed information on the network can be readily obtained compared with the conventional art. In particular, even if an output terminal is newly provided, setting of the data conversion device needs to be changed by the service provider only in relation to the new output terminal, allowing the new output terminal to be used without any change in setting by the user. Accordingly, the service provider will receive the advantages that setting works for newly provided output terminals are facilitated and that an information service with an adequate satisfaction can be provided to the user.
In accordance with the data output control apparatuses according to another aspect of the present invention, data conversion is executed at positions where the transmission load of the network or the processing load of the data conversion device is low; thus, irrespective of the transmission load of the network or the processing load of the data conversion device, the time required for receiving the service of output data is substantially constant. Accordingly, the service provider also receives the advantage that a print service with an even more comfortable printing environment can be provided to the user.
In accordance with the data output control apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, detailed information on the network can be readily obtained compared with the conventional art. In particular, an optimal image is displayed on the portable terminal in accordance with the display functionality, allowing the user to grasp rather accurately an image of the data associated with the data print request as printed by the output terminal. In addition, by notifying the user of the preview data prior to the service of output data, the user is prevented from printing wrong data. Accordingly, the service provider receives the advantage that an information service with an adequate satisfaction can be provided to the user.
In accordance with the data output control apparatuses according to another aspect of the present invention, detailed information on the network can be readily obtained compared with the conventional art. In particular, even if an output terminal is newly provided, setting of the data conversion device needs to be changed by the service provider only in relation to the new output terminal, allowing the new output terminal to be used without any change in setting by the user. Accordingly, the service provider will receive the advantages that setting works for newly provided output terminals are facilitated and that an information service with an adequate satisfaction can be provided to the user.
In accordance with the data output control apparatuses according to another aspect of the present invention, data conversion is executed at positions where the transmission load of the network or the processing load of the data conversion device is low; thus, irrespective of the transmission load of the network or the processing load of the data conversion device, the time required to receive the service of output data is substantially constant. Accordingly, the service provider also receives the advantage that an output service with an even more comfortable output environment can be provided to the user.