Print by reference method for portable wireless devices

• US 20030003957A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Fischer, Todd, Morgan, Jeff, Stoltz, Pat, Berkema, Alan Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• 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 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing

Abstract

A print by reference method for a portable wireless device allows the portable wireless device to obtain a reference that indicates where a print content is located and to wirelessly communicate the reference to a print device causing the print device to use the reference to locate and obtain a desired set of print content and further causing the print device to print the desired print content. Alternatively, the method may cause the portable wireless device to communicate the reference to a print service which responds to the reference by downloading the print content and then forwarding the print content to a print device for printing.

Claims

1. A print by reference method executable by a portable wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a reference to print content stored at a location indicated by the reference; and

,

wirelessly communicating the reference to another device to initiate a print by reference of the print content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference specifies billing information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference specifies print format information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference specifies time and date information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference comprises a Universal Resource Locator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference specifies a number of copies of the print content to be printed by a print device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference specifies a security access code.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the security access code enables usage of a print device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the security access code enables usage of a print service.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the security access code enables access to the print content.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing security data to the another device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of discovering the another device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of discovering the another device further comprises the step of communicating a discovery signal to the another device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of discovering the another device further comprises the step of receiving a response to the discovery signal from the another device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the discovery signal comprises a request for information about a capability of the another device.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of communicating a status request to the another device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a status message from the another device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of displaying the status message received from the another device.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining the reference comprises the step of downloading the reference from a network.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of downloading the reference from the network further comprises the step of selecting a hyperlink associated with the reference.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the another device comprises a print service adapted to use the reference to obtain the print content.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the reference specifies a print device to which the print service is adapted to transmit the print content.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of receiving the print content from the print service.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of passing the print content to a print device for printing.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of wirelessly communicating the reference comprises the step of wirelessly communicating the reference in a Bluetooth format.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of enabling the entry and storage of identity information that specifies an identity of the another device.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of enabling the selection of the another device from among a menu comprising a list of devices.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of wirelessly communicating the reference to another device further comprises the step of adding information to the reference.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference specifies a locator, the locator identifying a location of a print service.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference further specifies a print format data specifying that the print content should be printed beginning on a new sheet of paper.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference further specifies an address associated with the portable wireless device.

32. A print by reference method executable by a portable wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a reference to print content stored at an Internet location indicated by the reference;

including the reference in a communication signal formatted according to a Bluetooth communication protocol; and

wirelessly communicating the communication signal to a print device thereby causing the print device to use the reference to retrieve the print content from the Internet and to print the print content.

33. A print by reference method executable by a portable wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a reference to print content stored at an Internet location indicated by the reference;

including the reference in a communication signal formatted according to a Bluetooth communication protocol; and

wirelessly communicating the communication signal to a print service thereby causing the print service to use the reference to retrieve the print content from the Internet, to format the print content for printing, and to pass the print content to a print device for printing.