Image source apparatus and method of acquiring information from printer

1. An image source apparatus which sends image data to a printer directly connected thereto and causes the printer to execute a printing, the image source apparatus comprising:

an application processor, operable to issue an initialization request and an acquisition command;

a driver, operable to send the image data to the printer and to cause the printer to execute the printing based on the image data, in accordance with a prescribed standard, according to a request from the application processor; and

a storage, wherein

when the driver receives the initialization request from the application processor, the driver, after notifying the application processor of an acknowledgement of the initialization request, carries out an initialization process in accordance with the received initialization request, and the driver, after finishing the initialization process, acquires information on a plurality of items related to a specification of the printer from the printer in accordance with the prescribed standard before receiving the acquisition command from the application processor and stores the information in the storage, and

when the driver receives the acquisition command for acquiring any of the plurality of items from the application processor, the driver returns information on the item related to the acquisition command to the application processor with reference to the storage.

2. The image source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the initialization request from the application processor includes information indicating at least one of the plurality of items, and

the driver acquires information on the at least one of the plurality of items included in the initialization request from the printer.

3. The image source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the prescribed standard is PictBridge and the driver is a PictBridge driver.

4. The image source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the application processor transmits the received information from the driver to a prescribed interface screen.

5. An image source apparatus which sends image data to a printer directly connected thereto and causes the printer to execute a printing, the image source apparatus comprising:

an application processor, operable to execute a predetermined process;

a driver, operable to send the image data to the printer and to cause the printer to execute the printing based on the image data, in accordance with a prescribed standard, according to a request from the application processor; and

a storage, wherein,

when the driver receives an initialization request from the application processor, the driver, after notifying the application processor of an acknowledgement of the initialization request, carries out an initialization process in accordance with the received initialization request, and

after finishing the initialization process, when the driver receives a command for acquiring a first one of a plurality of items related to a specification of the printer from the application processor, the driver acquires information on the plurality of items from the printer in accordance with the prescribed standard, returns information on the first one of the plurality of items to the application processor and stores information on at least the other of the plurality of items in the storage.

6. The image source apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein,

when the information on the plurality of items is stored in the storage and the driver receives a command for acquiring second one of the plurality of items from the application processor, the driver returns information on the second one of the plurality of items to the application processor with reference to the storage.

7. The image source apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the standard is PictBridge and the driver is a PictBridge driver.

8. The image source apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the application processor transmits the received information from the driver to a prescribed interface screen.

9. A method of acquiring information from a printer which performed by a driver included in an image source apparatus which sends image data to the printer directly connected thereto and causes the printer to execute a printing, in accordance with a prescribed standard, according to a request from the application processor, the method comprising:

receiving an initialization request from the application processor by the driver;

notifying the application processor of an acknowledgement of the initialization request;

carrying out an initialization process in accordance with the received initialization request;

after finishing the initialization process, acquiring information on a plurality of items related to a specification of the printer from the printer in accordance with the prescribed standard before receiving an acquisition command from the application processor, and storing the information in a storage;

receiving the acquisition command for acquiring any of the plurality of items from the application processor by the driver; and

returning information on the item related to the acquisition command to the application processor with reference to the storage.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein

the initialization request from the application processor includes information indicating at least one of the plurality of items, and the driver acquires information on the at least one of the plurality of items included in the initialization request from the printer.

11. A method of acquiring information from a printer which performed by a driver included in an image source apparatus which sends image data to the printer directly connected thereto and causes the printer to execute a printing, in accordance with a prescribed standard, according to a request from the application processor, the method comprising:

receiving an initialization request from the application processor;

notifying the application processor of an acknowledgement of the initialization request;

carrying out an initialization process in accordance with the received initialization request;

after finishing the initialization process, receiving an acquisition command for acquiring a first one of a plurality of items related to a specification of the printer from the application processor;

on receiving the acquisition command, acquiring information on the plurality of items from the printer in accordance with the prescribed standard and returning information on the first one of the plurality of items to the application processor; and

storing information on at least the other of the plurality of items in a storage.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein,

when the information on the plurality of items is stored in the storage and the driver receives a command for acquiring second one of the plurality of items from the application processor, the driver returns information on the second one of the plurality of items to the application processor with reference to the storage.

13. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program causing the driver of the image source apparatus to perform the method according to claim 9 is recorded.

14. A computer-readable recording medium in which a computer program causing the driver of the image source apparatus to perform the method according to claim 11 is recorded.