Apparatus, method and system for printing from a wireless mobile device over the internet

• US 20020065873A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishizuka, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,016,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• 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 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

A method for printing from a wireless mobile device over a computer network including transmitting to a wide area network (WAN) information a user wishes to print using a wireless mobile device. The transmitted information is received by the WAN and forwarded via the WAN to a printer selected by the user. The printer prints the forwarded information.

Claims

1. A method of printing information comprising the steps of:

transmitting information to be printed from a computing device over a wireless connection;

receiving, by a wide area network, the information to be printed which was transmitted over the wireless connection;

forwarding the information to be printed over the wide area network to a printer; and

printing the forwarded information using the printer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating the information to be printed prior to transmission thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wide area network is the Internet and the generating step comprises the step of:

browsing the Internet for the information to be printed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the browsing step comprises the step of:

shopping on the Internet.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the generating step comprises the step of:

generating the information to be printed using an e-mail program.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forwarding step includes the step of:

controlling the printing using the Internet printing protocol (IPP).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a wireless mobile device is configured to transmit the information and the transmitting step includes the step of transmitting the information to be printed in response to a single user command.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises the step of selecting the printer connected to the WAN in which to print to.

9. A system for printing information, comprising:

a wireless mobile device configured to transmit, over a wireless connection, information to be printed;

a wide area network configured to receive the information and to forward the information to a printer configured to print the forwarded information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the wireless mobile device is configured to generate the information to be printed prior to transmission thereof.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the wide area network is the Internet and the wireless mobile device is configured to browse the Internet for the information to be printed.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the wireless mobile device is configured to enable a user to shop on the Internet.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the wireless mobile device is configured to generate the information to be printed using an e-mail program.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the wide area network is configured to control the printing using the Internet printing protocol (IPP).

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the wireless mobile device is configured to transmit the information to be printed in response to a single user command.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the wireless mobile device is configured such that a user can select the printer connected to the WAN in which to print to.