Direct printing from internet database

• US 20030030834A1
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• 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 J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1806 Receiving job control commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1822 Analysing the received data before processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/32778 using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink

Abstract

A printing method, comprising the steps of: receiving data at a printer; detecting a network address in the received data; if a network address is detected, then displaying or sending a message notifying of the network address detection and requesting authorization to access the network address; if authorization to access is received, sending on the Internet or other network an access request for a document to the network address; retrieving the document from the network address; and printing the document.

Claims

1. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

receiving data at a printer;

detecting a network address in the received data;

if a network address is detected, then displaying or sending a message notifying of the network address detection and requesting authorization to access the network address;

if authorization to access is received, sending on the Internet or other network an access request for a document to the network address;

retrieving the document from the network address; and

printing the document.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the network address is a URL.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the detecting a network address step comprises detecting a barcode in the received data and translating the barcode to the network address.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein, if no authorization to access is received, then printing the untranslated barcode.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein, if no authorization to access is received, then printing the network address.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the authorization includes a username or password.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically sending an authorization/unauthorization for the network access based on a criteria.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the criteria is whether the network address is among one or more authorized network addresses.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the criteria is whether the printer includes antivirus capability.

10. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the criteria is whether the network address is a secure site.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said receiving data step comprises receiving an e-mail containing said data.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said receiving data step comprises receiving an e-mail with an attachment containing said data.

13. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said translating step

comprises translating the barcode to obtain a PIN#;

and

wherein said sending step includes sending the PIN# with the access request to the network address for determining if the request is authorized.

14. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the detecting a barcode step comprises interpreting a wrapper indicating that wrapped data is a barcode.

15. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the translated barcode includes

information on printing the document inside another document;

and

further comprising the step of printing the document inside the other document in accordance with the printing information upon receipt of the document at the printer.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of printing the document inside a master document.

17. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the translation step comprises

translating the barcode to obtain at least one identifier that designates the type of contents in said document;

and

determining a location of the document within the master document based on said identifier.

18. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the displaying step comprises providing web content to a user location to display a menu of authorization selections.

19. A program product comprising machine readable program code for performing the following method steps:

receiving data at a printer;

detecting a network address in the received data;

if a network address is detected, then displaying or sending a message notifying of the network address detection and requesting authorization to access the network address;

if authorization to access is received, sending on the Internet or other network an access request for a document to the network address;

retrieving the document from the network address; and

printing the document.