Information apparatus for universal data output

• US 20020097419A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christina Ying Liu, William Ho Chang
• Original Assignee: Christina Ying Liu, William Ho Chang
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Application Number:
  US10/054,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097419A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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

An information apparatus for managing outputting of content to an output device includes a communication unit for communicating with the output device, a user interface for interacting with a user. The information apparatus establishes a communication channel with the output device and receives over the communication channel one or more components associated with the output device enabling the content to be rendered by the output device. The information apparatus conforms the content into one or more output images with the components and generates an intermediate output data including the output images, and delivers the intermediate output data to the output device for rendering.

Claims

1. An information apparatus for managing outputting of content to an output device, the content accessible at least partly by the information apparatus, the information apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to communicate with the output device,

a user interface for interacting with a user;

means for establishing a communication channel between the information apparatus and the output device;

means for receiving over the communication channel one or more components associated with the output device enabling the content to be rendered by the output device;

means for conforming at least part of the content into one or more output images with said one or more components;

means for generating an intermediate output data including said one or more output images and for rendering by the output device; and

means for delivering the intermediate output data to the output device for rendering.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, for managing outputting of content to an output device selected from a plurality of output devices, wherein the communication unit communicates with said plurality of output devices, and the apparatus includes means to select an output device from said plurality of output devices.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the one or more components includes one or more of a rasterization vector, a price indicator, an availability indicator, a status indicator, an output data format indicator, and a quality of service indicator.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the communication channel includes a wireless communication channel.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for sending payment information over the communication channel as compensation for the rendering of the content by the output device.

6. An information apparatus for managing the outputting of content to an output device, the content accessible at least partly by the information apparatus, the information apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to communicate with one or more output devices;

a user interface for interacting with a user;

means for obtaining one or more device dependent attributes associated with the output device;

means for conforming at least part of the content into one or more output images with said one or more device dependent attributes, at least part of said one or more output images including mixed raster content encoding;

means for generating an intermediate output data including said one or more output images; and

means for delivering the intermediate output data to the output device for rendering.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which the means for obtaining one or more device dependent attributes includes means for obtaining from one or more sources that includes a user input, a network server, a default value stored in the information apparatus, and from the output device,

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means for establishing a wireless communication with one or more output devices.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means for obtaining over the communication channel an output device profile that includes the device dependent attributes.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means for sending payment information over the communication channel as compensation for the rendering of the content by the output device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which the means for conforming includes means for conforming at least part of the content into at least one output image by one or more of a rasterization operation, a scaling operation, an interpolation operation, and a compression operation.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which the mixed raster content data includes at least a foreground layer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the communication unit communicates with a plurality of output devices and the information apparatus includes means for selecting an output device of said plurality to receive the intermediate output data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising means for obtaining over the communication channel an output device profile.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising means for obtaining over the communication channel information related to the intermediate output data format.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising means for sending payment information over the communication channel as compensation for the rendering of the content by the output device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13 in which the predefined standard rasterization values is included in the information apparatus.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13 in which the means for conforming includes means for performing one or more of a rasterization operation, a scaling operation, an interpolation operation, and a compression operation.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13 in which the means for conforming conforms at least part of the content into an output image that includes mixed raster content encoding.

13. An information apparatus capable of outputting content to an output device;

the content accessible at least partly by the information apparatus, the information apparatus comprising;

a communication unit to communicate with an output device;

a user interface for interacting with a user;

means for establishing a communication channel between the information apparatus and the output device with short range wireless communication;

means for conforming at least part of the content into at least one output image with at least one predefined standard rasterization parameter values;

means for generating an intermediate output data including the one or more output image, the intermediate output data being at least partly device independent; and

means for delivering via the established communication channel the intermediate output data to the output device for rendering.