Software applications and information apparatus for printing over air or for printing over a network

• US 10,481,846 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Marcus T
• Application Number:
  US15/697,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20180011667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 358 115, 358 11, 709247, 3461073
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1258 by updating job settings at the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/128 Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 : in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 : Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 : Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/181 : Receiving print data characterized by its formatting, e.g. particular page description languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1836 : Rasterization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 : Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 : with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00403 : Voice input means, e.g. voice commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 : the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 : providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 : Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00938 : Software related arrangements, e.g. loading applications program loading in general G06F9/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32534 : details of interfacing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32582 : Output interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 : involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 : using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 : Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 : Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 : Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 : using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Information apparatus and application software supporting printing over air or network are herein disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus may include one or more software components that include (1) a discovery component to discover a supported printer in a local area network (LAN) and to receive device information related to the printer (e.g., capability, language or format supported, identification) from the printer, and (2) a printing component to generate or obtain print data based on the device information received and to transmit the print data to the discovered printer. After establishing the connection to the LAN, application software (e.g., Internet browser, email, photos, documents) in the information apparatus may print digital content by using the discovery component to discover the printer in the LAN, and may use the printing component to obtain and transmit print data in a form that is acceptable to the printer for printing the digital content.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded therein at least part of a software program executable, at least partly, by one or more processors of an information apparatus to perform a printing method, the information apparatus includes:

the one or more processors;

a network communication interface for establishing a local area network connection to a local area network; and

memory or storage storing at least part of operating system software to facilitate, at least in part, operations of the software program; and

wherein the printing method comprises;

(1) obtaining, at the information apparatus, by the software program, digital content for printing;

(2) discovering, using the network communication interface of the information apparatus and over the established local area network connection, a printer that is available in the local area network;

(3) receiving, over the established local area network connection and via the network communication interface of the information apparatus, a device profile from the printer discovered in (2), the device profile received from the printer is related to the printer, and the device profile includes one or more of device attribute information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, or resolution information, individually or in any combination, corresponding to the printer discovered in (2);

(4) generating, at the information apparatus, print data from at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the device profile that is received from the printer in (3); and

(5) transmitting, via the established local area network connection and using the network communication interface of the information apparatus, at least part of the print data generated in (4) to the printer discovered in (2) for printing the digital content obtained in (1); and

wherein the print data, generated in (4) and transmitted in (5) to the printer discovered in (2), is in accordance, at least in part, with the device profile received from the printer in (3); and

wherein printing of at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), from the information apparatus to the printer that is available in the local area network in (2), does not require the information apparatus to use, at the information apparatus, a printer driver that is specific to the printer discovered in (2).

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the device profile includes one or more of language information supported by the printer or format information supported by the printer, individually or in any combination, and wherein at least part of the print data transmitted in (5) conforms, at least in part, to the language information or the format information included in the device profile received from the printer discovered in (2).

3. The medium of claim 2, wherein the network communication interface of the information apparatus is a wireless communication interface, and wherein the wireless communication interface includes one or more chips or chipsets that are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards for establishing a wireless local area network connection, and wherein the local area network in (2) is a wireless local area network and the printer is available in the wireless local area network;

and

wherein the discovering of the printer in (2) includes wirelessly discovering, using the wireless communication interface of the information apparatus, the printer that is available in the wireless local area network.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the information apparatus is at least one of a smart phone, an information pad, an Internet appliance, or a digital camera, individually or in any combination;

and wherein the software program is at least part of application software that includes one or more of an Internet browsing application, an email application, a document creation application, or a digital imaging application, individually or in any combination, and the application software is executable, at least partly, by the one or more processors at the information apparatus, for printing the digital content obtained in (1).

5. The medium of claim 4, wherein the device profile, received from the printer discovered in (2), includes one or more of a duplex printing, a color space, a bit depth, or a resolution, individually or in any combination, and wherein at least part of the print data generated in (4) conforms, at least in part, to the device profile received from the printer in (3);

and

wherein the software program is facilitated by an application programming interface (API) provided by the operating system software of the information apparatus for discovering the printer in (2), for generating the print data in (4), and for transmitting at least part of the print data in (5); and

wherein the print data generated in (4) conforms to a page description language, the page description language includes at least one of a proprietary page description language or a published page description language, individually or in any combination.

6. The medium of claim 2, wherein the network communication interface is a wired communication interface for connecting to the local area network, and the connection to the local area network includes the network communication interface connecting to an Ethernet connection.

7. A system that includes an information apparatus and application software executable at the information apparatus for printing digital content from the application software of the information apparatus to a printer, and the information apparatus prints, at least part of, the digital content at the printer without using, at the information apparatus, a printer driver that is specific to the printer, the information apparatus includes:

one or more processors;

a communication interface for establishing a local area network connection to a local area network; and

one or more memory or storage devices storing software components, the software components include;

a discovery software component for discovering, via the communication interface, a printer available in the local area network, and the discovery software component further facilitates receiving, via the communication interface and from the printer, device information associated with the printer;

a data generation software component for generating, using the one or more processors, print data related, at least in part, to the digital content, the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the device information received from the printer; and

a transport software component for transmitting, via the established local area network connection and using the communication interface, at least part of the generated print data to the printer that is available in the local area network; and

wherein at least part of the application software is stored in the one or more memory or storage devices of the information apparatus, and execution of at least part of the application software, by the one or more processors of the information apparatus, causes the information apparatus to;

(1) use the application software to obtain the digital content;

(2) use the discovery software component to discover, by the information apparatus, the printer that is available in the local area network;

(3) use the discovery software component to receive the device information, over the established local area network connection and via the communication interface, from the printer discovered in (2), the device information is associated with the printer, and the device information includes one or more of language information supported by the printer or format information supported by the printer, individually or in any combination;

(4) use the data generation software component, to generate, at the information apparatus, the print data from at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the device information received from the printer in (3), and the generated print data conforms, at least in part, to the language information or the format information, individually or in any combination, that is included in the device information received from the printer in (3); and

(5) use the transport software component, to transmit, over the established local area network connection, at least part of the print data generated in (4) to the printer discovered in (2) for printing at least part of the digital content at the printer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the device information, received in (3) from the printer discovered in (2) includes identification information related to the printer, the identification information includes one or more of a name, a model, a brand, an identifier, a registration, or an IP address, individually or in any combination.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the device information received in (3) from the printer discovered in (2) further includes capability information related to the printer, the capability information includes one or more of a duplex printing, a color space, a bit depth, or a resolution, individually or in any combination, and wherein at least part of the print data generated in (4) and transmitted in (5) conforms, at least in part, to the capability information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication interface is a wired communication interface for connecting to the local area network, and the connection to the local area network includes an Ethernet connection;

wherein the information apparatus further includes operating system software to facilitate, at least in part, operations of the application software;

wherein using the discovery software component, the data generation software component, and the transport software component, by the application software, includes using an application programming interface (API) facilitated, at least in part, by the operating system software; and

wherein the data generation software component generates the print data that conforms to a page description language, the page description language includes at least one of a proprietary page description language or a published page description language, individually or in any combination.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication interface of the information apparatus is a wireless communication interface, and wherein the wireless communication interface includes one or more communication chips or chipsets that are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards for establishing a wireless local area network connection, and wherein the local area network in (2) is a wireless local area network;

and

wherein the discovering of the printer in (2) includes wirelessly discovering, using the discovery software component and via the wireless communication interface of the information apparatus, the printer that is available in the wireless local area network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information apparatus includes a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with a user;

and wherein execution of at least part of the application software, by the one or more processors of the information apparatus, further causes the information apparatus to;

(a) display, on the touch sensitive screen interface, a list of at least one printer that is discovered by the information apparatus in (2) for user selection on the touch sensitive screen interface of the information apparatus, the displaying of the list of at least one printer is based, at least in part, on the identification information received from the printer in (3);

(b) receive, via the touch sensitive screen interface, at least an indication of a selected printer from among the list of at least one printer displayed in (a), and wherein the selected printer is the printer for printing at least part of the digital content in (5);

(c) display, on the touch sensitive screen interface, a print item or a print function control related to the printing of the digital content obtained in (1); and

(d) receive, via the touch sensitive screen interface, at least an indication of a selection of the print item or the print function control displayed in (c) for printing the digital content obtained in (1); and

wherein the transmitting of at least part of the print data in (5) is based on having received the at least an indication of the selected printer in (b) and the indication of a selection of the print item or the print function control in (d).

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the information apparatus includes operating system software to facilitate, at least in part, operations of the application software;

wherein the information apparatus is at least one of a smart phone, an information pad, an Internet appliance, or a digital camera, individually or in any combination;

wherein the application software includes one or more of an Internet browsing application, an email application, a document creation application, or a digital imaging application, individually or in any combination; and

wherein the software components are accessed, at least in part, by the application software, and the accessing of the software components, by the application software, includes using an application programming interface (API) provided by the operating system software of the information apparatus.

14. An information apparatus, comprising:

a display screen;

one or more processors;

a communication interface for establishing a local area network connection; and

memory or storage component storing at least a software program, wherein execution of at least part of the software program, by the one or more processors of the information apparatus, causes the information apparatus to perform a printing method, comprising;

(1) obtaining, at the information apparatus, digital content for printing;

(2) establishing, using the communication interface, a local area network connection to a local area network;

(3) discovering, by the information apparatus, via the communication interface and over the established local area network connection, a printer that is available in the local area network;

(4) receiving, via the communication interface and over the local area network connection established in (2), device information from the printer discovered in (3), the device information includes one or more device attributes corresponding, at least in part, to the printer discovered in (3);

(5) displaying, on the display screen of the information apparatus, a graphical user interface that includes a print item or a print function control for user selection, the print item or the print function control is related, at least in part, to printing the digital content at the printer discovered in (3);

(6) receiving, at the information apparatus, at least an indication of a selection of the print item or the print function control displayed on the display screen of the information apparatus in (5); and

(7) subsequent to having received at least the indication of the selection of the print item or the print function control in (6), transmitting, using the communication interface, print data via the local area network connection established in (2) to the printer discovered in (3), wherein the print data is related to at least part of the digital content obtained in (1); and

wherein the transmitting of at least part of the print data in (7) is based on having received the device information in (4) from the printer that is available in the local area network, and wherein at least part of the transmitted print data is in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more device attributes corresponding to the printer and that are included in the device information received from the printer in (4).

15. The information apparatus of claim 14, wherein the printing of the digital content, from the information apparatus that is connected to the local area network, to the printer that is available in the local area network does not require installation, in the information apparatus, of a printer driver that is device specific to the printer discovered in (3).

16. The information apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more device attributes related to the printer include at least one of language information supported by the printer, format information supported by the printer, duplex printing, color space, bit depth, or resolution, individually or in any combination, and wherein the print data transmitted in (7) conforms, at least in part, to the one or more device attributes related to the printer and included in the device information that is received from the printer in (4) over the local area network connection established in (2).

17. The information apparatus of claim 16, wherein, prior to transmitting the print data in (7), the printing method further comprises:

(i) generating, using the one or more processors of the information apparatus, print data from at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the device information received from the printer in (4); and

(ii) transmitting at least part of the print data generated in (i) to the printer, the print data being in accordance to the one or more device attributes that are related to the printer discovered in (3), that are included in the device information, and that are received from the printer, and wherein the print data transmitted in (7) corresponds to at least part of the print data generated in (i).

18. The information apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface, and the wireless communication interface is compatible, at least partly, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards for establishing a wireless local area network communication, and wherein the local area network in (2) is a wireless local area network;

and

wherein the discovering of the printer in (3) includes wirelessly discovering, using the wireless communication interface of the information apparatus, the printer that is available in the wireless local area network.

19. The information apparatus of claim 18, wherein the printing method further comprises:

(a) providing, on the display screen of the information apparatus, a list of one or more printers that are discovered by the information apparatus in (3) for user selection; and

(b) receiving an indication of a selected printer from among the list of one or more printers provided in (a); and

wherein the selected printer is the printer that is for printing the print data transmitted in (7).

20. The information apparatus of claim 15, wherein the device information received from the printer in (4) further includes identification information related, at least in part, to the printer, and wherein subsequent to having received the device information in (4), the printing method further comprises:

(i) registering the printer discovered in (3) with a server operated by a service over a network, the registration of the discovered printer includes transmitting, from the information apparatus to the server, an output device object that includes at least the identification information related to the printer;

(ii) transmitting, using the communication interface of the information apparatus, a document object, that includes at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), to the server, the transmitting of the document object is for printing at the registered printer in (i); and

(iii) receiving output data from the server corresponding, at least in part, to the document object transmitted in (ii); and

wherein the transmitted print data in (7) corresponds to at least part of the output data received from the server in (iii).