Wireless remote printing system and method
First Claim
1. A method of printing information at a convenient location, comprising:
- providing a plurality of print stations in a predetermined area, the print stations being networked to a print server which stores information to be printed;
sending a first wireless signal from a portable digital device directly to the print stations in the predetermined area;
determining at least a positional relation between the portable digital device and each of the print stations based upon the first wireless signal;
selecting at least one of the print stations based upon the positional relation;
sending a selected printer signal from the selected print station to the print server;
receiving the information to be printed at the selected print station; and
printing the information at the selected print station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The remote printing system allows one user to ultimately send a hard copy to another via a portable digital device such as a cellular phone. Upon receiving an e-mail print notice, the portable digital device wirelessly searches an appropriate print station in the vicinity by broadcasting a signal. In response to the broadcasted search signal, the print stations each send information on their printer characteristics such as availability status and print resolution to the portable digital device, a print server or a client that originated the print request. The recipient of the printer characteristic information selects an appropriate print station based upon a predetermined selection rule.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of printing information at a convenient location, comprising:
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providing a plurality of print stations in a predetermined area, the print stations being networked to a print server which stores information to be printed;
sending a first wireless signal from a portable digital device directly to the print stations in the predetermined area;
determining at least a positional relation between the portable digital device and each of the print stations based upon the first wireless signal;
selecting at least one of the print stations based upon the positional relation;
sending a selected printer signal from the selected print station to the print server;
receiving the information to be printed at the selected print station; and
printing the information at the selected print station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for printing information at a convenient location, comprising:
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a print server storing information to be printed;
a plurality of print stations connected to said print server in a predetermined area; and
a portable digital device sending a first wireless signal directly to each of said print stations in the predetermined area;
wherein said print server determining at least a positional relation between said portable digital device and each of said print stations based upon the first wireless signal, the system selecting at least one of said print stations based upon the positional relation, said selected print station sending a selected print station signal to said print server, in response to the selected print station signal, said selected print station receiving the information from said print server, and said selected print station printing the received information. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A system for printing information at a convenient location, comprising:
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a print server storing information to be printed;
a portable digital device having a wireless communication unit for sending a first wireless non-directional signal in the predetermined area; and
a plurality of print stations each having a wireless communication unit for wirelessly communicating directly with said portable digital device in a predetermined area, said print stations being networked with said print server;
wherein said print server determining at least a positional relation between said portable digital device and each of said print stations based upon the first wireless non-directional signal, said print server selecting one of said print stations that is the closest to said portable digital device based upon the positional relation, said selected print station sending a selected print station signal to said print server, in response to the selected print station signal, said selected print station receiving the information from said print server, and said selected print station printing the received information.
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Specification