[IPP] RFC: printer-supply-info-uri (uri)

[Michael Sweet]

On Mar 20, 2011, at 9:42 AM, Ira McDonald wrote:
> Hi Mike,
> 
> I like this new attribute, but...
> 
> I think that the remediation info belongs locally in existing
> "printer-state-message" and "printer-alert-description"
> (mapped from Printer MIB remediation info), i.e., can be
> found without fetching an external web page.

The simple instructions ("replace cyan ink") maybe, but the idea is that the printer can host a page that provides pictures, instructions, buttons to put the printer in "change ink mode" (many consumer inkjets have no physical buttons these days), print self-test pages, do head alignment, etc.

(This is traditionally stuff that is provided using vendor-specific software that is not easy to map to IPP operations and attributes.  On the Mac we call these Printer Utility programs...)

> While the how-to-order info may be appropriate in this new 
> attribute, though I have seen it put in "printer-more-info"
> web page.

The idea is that this would be specific to supply information and management and not the printer as a whole. Also, printer-more-info often points to the vendor's product web page and not the printer itself.

> Or was your intent that this web page was served by the
> printer itself?

Yes, otherwise it would be useless for many of our use cases.

> I think that implementation would introduce 
> freshness problems, i.e., distributors for resupply change 
> over time.


Redirect pages are cheap (and probably necessary to handle regional differences), and I would expect vendors to direct customers to their own online stores and not to some third party anyways.

In any case, the primary purpose is to handle stuff on the printer that is normally done with vendor-specific UI that cannot be easily mapped to IPP attributes or operations.  Perhaps a better description would be:

    printer-supply-info-uri (uri)

    The RECOMMENDED "printer-supply-info-uri" Printer attribute provides a URI
    referring to a human-readable web page that provides controls for managing
    the Printer and its supplies, e.g., supply replacement, head alignment,
    self-test pages, and so forth.  The web page MAY also provide supply part
    numbers, links for ordering supplies, and detailed instructions for
    replacing supplies.

    The URI MUST use the “http” or “https” scheme with the printer as the
    destination host - external URIs are not allowed.

__________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer, PWG Chair


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