Delay timer for printing from the driver

• US 20020120659A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Parry, Travis
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• 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 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

The present invention includes computer programs on computer-readable media that allows for controlling a computer system to perform a delayed operation such as, but not limited to, a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call. The present invention also includes methods for controlling a computer system to perform the above-discussed delayed operations and a computing system capable of performing the above-discussed delayed operations.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method of delaying an operation, the method comprising;

requesting that a user input a delay criteria; and

delaying performance by the computer system of the operation until the delay criteria has been met;

wherein the operation comprises at least one operation chosen from the group consisting of a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call

2. The computer-program product of claim 1, wherein the delay criteria is at least one chosen from the group consisting of a time interval, a set time, and the occurrence of a particular condition.

3. The computer-program product of claim 2, wherein the particular condition comprises detection of an idle printer.

4. The program product medium of claim 2, wherein the particular condition comprises detection of bandwidth availability on a network connection.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises printing a document

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the delaying step comprises storing the document in a job store.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the job store comprises at least one item chosen from the group consisting of a printer memory, a personal computer memory, a spooler, a local area network, a wide area network and an internet storage location.

8. A method for controlling a computer system to perform a delayed operation comprising:

requesting that a user input a delay criteria; and

delaying performance of the operation until the delay criteria has been met;

wherein the operation comprises at least one operation chosen from the group consisting of a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the delay criteria is at least one chosen from the group consisting of a time interval, a set time and the occurrence of a particular condition.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular condition comprises detection of an idle printer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular condition comprises detection of bandwidth availability on a network connection.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the operation comprises printing a document.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the delaying step comprises storing the document in a job store.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the job store comprises at least one item from the group consisting of a printer memory, a personal computer memory, a spooler, a local area network, a wide area network and an internet storage location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the delaying device can be delayed by a user-programmable time interval.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the delaying device can be delayed until a user-programmable time.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the delaying device can be delayed until the occurrence of a user-programmable condition.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a job store.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the job store comprises at least one item chosen from the group consisting of a printer memory, a personal computer memory, a spooler, a local area network, a wide area network and an internet storage location.

15. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

a user-programmable delaying device operably connected to the processor;

a storage device operably connected to the processor; and

a printer operably connected to the storage device.