Printing apparatus for printing data acquired through digital broadcasting

Abstract

The printing apparatus prints data acquired through digital broadcasting. The printing apparatus is capable of being connected to a receiving apparatus through a network. The receiving apparatus receives the data transmitted through the digital broadcasting, and has a data storage device storing the received data. The printing apparatus includes: a user interface which is operated by a user of the printing apparatus; a list acquisition device which acquires a print content list through the network in accordance with an operation on the user interface, the print content list being stored in the data storage device; a list display device which displays the print content list acquired by the list acquisition device; and a print data acquisition device with which a print object content to be printed is selected from the print content list displayed on the list display device, and which acquires, through the network, print data of the print object content from the data storage device in accordance with an operation on the user interface. The printing apparatus prints the print data acquired by the print data acquisition device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and benefits thereof, will be explained in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system composition including a printing apparatus for printing data acquired through digital broadcasting and a DTV apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal composition of the DTV apparatus connected to the printing apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal composition of the printing apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing a state of an interface panel of the printing apparatus, after a print content list has been acquired;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a printing operation in the printing apparatus;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative diagram showing the composition of print content information stored in a print content storage unit of the DTV apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing a state of a further embodiment of the interface panel of the printing apparatus, after a print content list has been acquired;

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing a state of the interface panel of the printing apparatus, after print content items have been selected from the print content list;

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a state of the interface panel of the printing apparatus, after print contents have been acquired;

FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing showing a state of the interface panel of the printing apparatus, after a paper/setting button of the printing apparatus is pressed;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the first part of a printing operation in the printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the second part of the printing operation in the printing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for printing data acquired through digital broadcasting, the printing apparatus capable of being connected to a receiving apparatus through a network, the receiving apparatus receiving the data transmitted through the digital broadcasting and having a data storage device storing the received data, the printing apparatus comprising: a user interface which is operated by a user of the printing apparatus;a list acquisition device which acquires a print content list through the network in accordance with an operation on the user interface, the print content list being stored in the data storage device;a list display device which displays the print content list acquired by the list acquisition device; anda print data acquisition device with which a print object content to be printed is selected from the print content list displayed on the list display device, and which acquires, through the network, print data of the print object content from the data storage device in accordance with an operation on the user interface,wherein the printing apparatus prints the print data acquired by the print data acquisition device.

2. The printing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: the list acquisition device acquires detailed data for each print content contained in the print content list; andthe list display device displays the detailed data acquired by the list acquisition device.

3. The printing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein when the print data acquired by the print data acquisition device has been normally printed, information that printing has been normally carried out is sent to the receiving apparatus.

4. The printing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the print content list is selectively displayed on the list display device in accordance with attribute data of the print content.

5. The printing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is authenticated by the receiving apparatus.

6. The printing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein communication between the printing apparatus and the receiving apparatus is started when the list acquisition device sends a signal to acquire the print content list to the receiving apparatus.

7. The printing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein if communication between the printing apparatus and the receiving apparatus is in an abnormal state when the list acquisition device sends a signal to acquire the print content list to the receiving apparatus, then the printing apparatus outputs information of abnormality of the communication.