Direct printing from internet database

• US 20030030841A1
• 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 7,106,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• 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 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A method, program product, and system for printing, comprising the steps of: receiving data at a printer; detecting an external network address in the received data; obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address; determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria; if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address; and printing the document.

Claims

1. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

receiving data at a printer;

detecting an external network address in the received data;

obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address;

determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria;

if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address; and

printing the document.

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

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

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is a predetermined document length.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is a download time.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the criteria is that the document is available.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the criteria is that a change notice has not been received.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then not retrieving the document from the external network address.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then prompting a user to choose whether to select an option.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the option includes whether to cancel or continue the print job.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the option includes whether to perform a modified document retrieval.

12. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the prompting the user step comprises providing a display at the printer.

13. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the prompting the user step comprises sending a message to a site where the print authorization occurred.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then determining if one of the parameters of the document meets a second criteria;

and

if one of the parameters meets the second criteria, then performing a modified document retrieval.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the second criteria is whether the document has a summary or an index;

and wherein the performing the modified document retrieval step comprises retrieving only the summary and/or the index of the document.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then determining if one of the parameters of the document meets a second criteria;

and if it does

then prompting the user to select a modified retrieval of the document.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein modified document retrieval comprises printing only a summary and/or an index.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the modified document retrieval comprises printing a first predetermined number of pages in the document.

19. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting the user an opportunity to set at least one criteria.

20. A program product for printing including machine readable code for causing a system to perform the following method steps:

receiving data at a printer;

detecting an external network address in the received data;

obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address;

determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria;

if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address; and

printing the document.

21. A system for printing, comprising:

a component for receiving data at a printer;

a component for detecting an external network address in the received data;

a component for obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address;

a component for determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria;

a component for, if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address; and

a component for printing the document.