Controller for mobile and pervasive output

• US 20020062398A1
• Filed: 11/18/2001
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Application Number:
  US09/992,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• 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: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 : by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 : specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Pervasive output capability is provided so that an information apparatus can pervasively output digital content to an output device regardless of the processing power, display screen size and memory space of the information apparatus. This allows small mobile devices with limited display, processing power, and memory to be able to output a digital document (e.g., PDF, HTML, PowerPoint etc) in its full original richness, without resorting to downsizing, truncating, reducing, clipping or otherwise altering the original document. A data output controller controls interaction between an information apparatus and a selected output device in connection with the selected output device rendering output content managed with the information apparatus. The data output controller may include means for storing at least part of an output device object having one or more attributes relating to the selected output device, and means for providing the at least part of the output device object to the information apparatus. The data output controller may further include means for receiving output data from the information apparatus, the output data relating to the output content managed with the information apparatus, and means for passing the output data to the selected output device for rendering of the output content.

Claims

1. A data output control method that controls interaction between an information apparatus and a selected output device in connection with rendering at the selected output device output content managed with the information apparatus, comprising:

storing at least part of an output device object having one or more attributes relating to the selected output device;

providing the at least part of the output device object to the information apparatus by wireless transmission; and

receiving output data from the information apparatus by wireless transmission, the output data relating to the output content managed with the information apparatus, and passing the output data to the selected output device for rendering of the output content.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the output data includes device dependent data with respect to the output device.

3. The method of claim 1 in which in which the output medium is one or more of a substrate, a paper, a display screen, and a projection.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further comprises means for posting or broadcasting its availability for service.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving plural service requests from plural information apparatuses, the output controller providing the at least part of the output device object to each of the plural information apparatuses.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the at least part of the output device object is provided to the information apparatus in response to a service request received from the information apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the at least part of the output device object is provided to the information apparatus in more than one communication session with the information apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the output device includes a printer.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing payment processing as compensation for rendering of the output content on the output device.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing job management functionalities with one or more of data output job queuing and spooling.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further includes means for providing a user interface for receiving user-implemented modifications of the controller.

12. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing a security procedure that limits access to the rendering provided by the selected output device.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the security procedure includes storing in a memory component an access control list specifying an information apparatus for which the selected output device will render output content.

14. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller is included in the output device.

15. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further includes means for converting the output data content into a form compatible with the output engine.

16. The method of claim 1 in which the output controller further includes means for performing at least partially, raster image processing operations on the output data.

18. The controller of claim 17 in which the communication between the output controller and the information apparatus includes wireless transmission.

19. The controller of claim 17 further comprising means for posting or broadcasting its availability or service.

20. The controller of claim 19 in which the posting or broadcasting includes one or more of a price indicator, a quality of service indicator, and an availability indicator.

21. The controller of claim 17 in which the output medium is one or more of a substrate, a paper, a display screen, and a projection.

22. The controller of claim 17 further comprising means for receiving plural service requests from plural information apparatuses, the output controller providing the at least part of the output device object to each of the plural information apparatuses.

23. The controller of claim 17 further comprising means for receiving from the information apparatus device-specific output data corresponding to the output content to be rendered at the selected output device.

24. The controller of claim 17 in which the output device includes a printer.

25. The controller of claim 24 in which the printer includes a printer controller, the output controller further includes means to converting the output data into a form compatible with the printer controller.

26. The controller of claim 24 in which the printer does not includes a printer controller;

the output controller further includes means to converting the output data into a form compatible with the printer engine.

27. The controller of claim 17 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing job management functionalities with one or more of data output job queuing and spooling.

28. The controller of claim 17 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing a security procedure that limits access to the rendering provided by the selected output device.

29. The controller of claim 17 in which the output controller is included in the output device.

30. The controller of claim 17 in which the output controller is separate from the output device.

31. The controller of claim 17 in which the output controller is one of a server, an external station, a board, a card, and a data access point.

32. The controller of claim 17 in which the output controller further includes means for performing at least partially, raster image processing operations on the output data, the image processing operation including one or more of a interpretation operation, a conversion operation, a rasterization operation, a scaling operation, a segmentation operation, color space transform operation, an image enhancement operation, a color correction operation, a half-toning operation, a compression operation, and an encryption operation.

17. A data output controller that controls interaction between an information apparatus and a selected output device in connection with the selected output device rendering output content managed with the information apparatus, comprising:

means for storing at least part of an output device object having one or more attributes relating to the selected output device;

means for providing the at least part of the output device object to the information apparatus; and

means for receiving output data from the information apparatus, the output data relating to the output content managed with the information apparatus, and for passing the output data to the selected output device for rendering of the output content.

33. In a computer readable medium, data output control software that controls interaction between an information apparatus and a selected output device in connection with the selected output device rendering output content managed with the information apparatus, comprising:

software for storing at least part of an output device object having one or more attributes relating to the selected output device;

software for providing the at least part of the output device object to the information apparatus by wireless transmission; and

software for receiving an output data from the information apparatus by wireless transmission, the output data relating to the output content managed with the information apparatus, and for passing the output data to the selected output device for rendering of the output content.

34. The medium of claim 33 further comprising software for implementing wireless communication.

35. The medium of claim 33 further comprising software for implementing a discovering process for communicating with other devices.

36. The medium of claim 33 further comprising software for receiving plural service requests from plural information apparatuses, the output controller providing the at least part of the output device object to each of the plural information apparatuses.

37. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for providing the at least part of the output device object to the information apparatus as unsolicited information without a request therefor from the information apparatus.

38. The medium of claim 33 in which the at least part of the output device object is provided to the information apparatus in more than one communication session with the information apparatus.

39. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing payment processing as compensation for rendering of the output content on the output device.

40. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing job management functionalities with one or more of data output job queuing and spooling.

41. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for providing a user interface for receiving user-implemented modifications of the controller.

42. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for implementing a security procedure that limits access to the rendering provided by the selected output device.

43. The medium of claim 42 in which the security procedure includes storing in a memory component an access control list specifying an information apparatus for which the selected output device will render output content.

44. The medium of claim 42 in which the security procedure includes one or more of a subscription indicator, a login, a password, and an authentication.

45. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for converting the output data content into a form compatible with the output engine.

46. The medium of claim 33 in which the output controller further includes means for performing at least partially, raster image processing operations on the output data.

47. The medium of claim 46 in which the image processing operation includes one or more of a interpretation operation, a conversion operation, a rasterization operation, a scaling operation, a segmentation operation, color space transform operation, an image enhancement operation, a color correction operation, a halftoning operation, a compression operation, and an encryption operation.

49. The method of claim 48 in which the output device includes one of a display device or a projection device.

48. A data output control method that controls interaction between an information apparatus and a selected output device in connection with the selected output device rendering output content managed with the information apparatus, comprising:

storing at least part of an output device object having one or more attributes relating to the selected output device;

providing the at least part of the output device object to the information apparatus; and

receiving an output data from the information apparatus, the output data relating to the output content managed with the information apparatus, and passing the output data to the output engine for rendering of the output content at the output device.