Method and apparatus for printing documents using a document repository in a distributed data processing system

• US 20030076526A1
• Filed: 10/18/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gopalan, Prabhakar
• Application Number:
  US09/981,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20030076526A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• 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

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing a document. A request is received from a user at a remote data processing system to save a document for printing in which the request includes the document. The document is then stored in a repository in association with the user in response to receiving the request to form a stored document. The stored document is sent to a printer in response to a signal.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing a document, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user at a remote data processing system to save a document for printing, wherein the request includes the document;

storing the document in a repository in association with the user in response to receiving the request to form a stored document; and

sending the stored document to a printer in response to a signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer is located at one of the remote data processing system or the data processing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the document comprises:

storing a pointer to the document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointer is one of a path or a universal resource locator.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending the document comprises:

retrieving the document using the pointer to form a retrieved document; and

sending the retrieved document to the printer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a request from the user to access the repository, sending an identification of all documents associated with the user to the user at the remote data processing system.

7. A method in a data processing system for managing printing of a document, the method comprising:

responsive to a manipulation of a selected graphical indicator, saving a document associated with the graphical indicator in a repository for printing at a later time; and

responsive to a request to print the document stored in the repository, sending the request to the repository, wherein the document is sent to a printer for printing.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

requesting an identification of documents in the repository in response to a request for access to the repository; and

displaying documents stored in the repository in response to receiving the identification.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the repository holds documents for a plurality of different users.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the printer is located at the repository.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the printer is located at another data processing system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the request to access the document is generated by a second manipulation of the graphical indicator.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending step and the saving step are performed by a print plug-in.

14. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a request from a user at a remote data processing system to save a document for printing in which the request includes the document;

store the document in a repository in association with the user in response to receiving the request in which the document forms a stored document; and

send the stored document to a printer in response to a signal.

15. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to save a document associated with the graphical indicator in a repository for printing at a later time in response to a manipulation of a selected graphical indicator; and

send the request to the repository in which the document is sent to a printer for printing in response to a request to print the document stored in the repository.

16. A data processing system for managing a document, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a request from a user at a remote data processing system to save a document for printing, wherein the request includes the document;

storing means for storing the document in a repository in association with the user in response to receiving the request to form a stored document; and

sending means for sending the stored document to a printer in response to a signal.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the printer is located at one of the remote data processing system or the data processing system.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the storing means comprises:

means for storing a pointer to the document.

19. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the pointer is one of a path or a universal resource locator.

20. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the sending means comprises:

retrieving means for retrieving the document using the pointer to form a retrieved document; and

sending means for sending the retrieved document to the printer.

21. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the sending means is a first sending means and further comprising:

second sending means, responsive to a request from the user to access the repository, for sending an identification of all documents associated with the user to the user at the remote data processing system.

22. A data processing system for managing printing of a document, the data processing system comprising:

saving means, responsive to a manipulation of a selected graphical indicator, for saving a document associated with the graphical indicator in a repository for printing at a later time; and

sending means, responsive to a request to print the document stored in the repository, for sending the request to the repository, wherein the document is sent to a printer for printing.

23. The data processing system of claim 22 further comprising:

requesting means for requesting an identification of documents in the repository in response to a request for access to the repository; and

displaying means for displaying documents stored in the repository in response to receiving the identification.

24. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the repository holds documents for a plurality of different users.

25. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the printer is located at the repository.

26. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the printer is located at another data processing system.

27. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the request to access the document is generated by a second manipulation of the graphical indicator.

28. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the sending means and the saving means are located in a print plug-in.

29. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing a document, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a request from a user at a remote data processing system to save a document for printing, wherein the request includes the document;

second instructions for storing the document in a repository in association with the user in response to receiving the request to form a stored document; and

third instructions for sending the stored document to a printer in response to a signal.

30. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing printing of a document, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions, responsive to a manipulation of a selected graphical indicator, for saving a document associated with the graphical indicator in a repository for printing at a later time; and

second instructions, responsive to a request to print the document stored in the repository, for sending the request to the repository, wherein the document is sent to a printer for printing.