Output management system and method for enabling access to private network resources

• US 20030079030A1
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Peerless Systems Corp. (Mobius Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Nellor, Howard J., Treptow, Jay A., Wong, Gregory H., Fan, Shengkuo, Luepke, Jack W., Curtis, Alan D., Cocotis, Thomas A., Emmett, David M., Henderson, Kristofer P.
• Application Number:
  US10/225,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 : Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32767 : in response to a user operation, e.g. actuating a switch H04N1/32769 and H04N1/32771 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 : Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup

Abstract

A system and method for managing output such as printing, faxing, and e-mail over various types of computer networks. In one aspect, the system and method provides for accessing print and/or document resources located on private networks behind firewalls. A pass-through communication link is established between system components located on opposing sides of a firewall. A system-served user-interface enables users to select source data and an output device on which the source data are to be printed, either or both of which may reside behind the firewall. The source data are then retrieved and forwarded to a print service, which renders output image data corresponding to the source data and the selected output device. The output image data are then submitted to the output device to be physically rendered. Access to private resources is provided by the pass-through communication link. The system also enables documents to be printed by reference.

Claims

13. A method for printing on a private network behind a firewall from an originating device outside of the firewall, comprising:

establishing a pass-through communication link between an output management system component located behind the firewall and an output management system component outside the firewall, said pass-through communication link passing through the firewall;

providing renderable data to the originating device by which a user-interface may be rendered on the originating device;

enabling a user to select source data to be printed via the user-interface;

enabling the user to select an output device on the private network on which the source data are to be printed;

forwarding the source data or a reference thereto from the output management system component located outside of the firewall to the output management component located behind the firewall;

rendering output image data corresponding to the source data and the output device that was selected; and

submitting the output image data to the output device to be physically rendered by the output device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the output management system components located outside of and behind the firewall comprise message center components that provide management of other components in an output management system.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending data from the output management system component located behind the firewall to the output management system component outside of the firewall over the pass-through communication link identifying one or more output devices located behind the firewall that may be accessed via the output management system component located behind the firewall.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the output management system component located inside the firewall comprises a server component, and submitting the output image data to the output device comprises providing the output image data to a client, and in response to receiving the output image data, the client submits the output image data to the output image device for rendering.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the originating device comprises a web-enabled wireless device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the originating device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the source data comprise a document that is stored on the originating device, further comprising receiving the source data from the originating device at the output management system component outside the firewall.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the source data is stored on a remote store, further comprising retrieving the source data from the remote store.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the remote store is located on the private network, and the source data are retrieved from a location identified by the reference to the source data.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing job status information to the user via the user-interface.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein a print service is used to generate the output image data by performing the operations of:

determining a file type of the source data;

determining an appropriate application to load via the print service to generate the output image data; and

initiating a print action to cause the application in combination with a print subsystem to generate the output image data.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing print preview data to the wireless device comprising, when rendered on the user-interface, a simulated representation of a rendered output to be produced by the output device.

55. The output management system of claim 19, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) VPN proxy deployed outside of the firewall, to encode data received from a non-VPN-enabled originating device via the user interface into VPN-encoded data, thereby providing a secure connection between the non-VPN-enabled wireless device and the message center

25. A method for printing on a private network behind a firewall from an originating device outside of the firewall, comprising:

establishing communication link between the originating device and an output management system component located behind the firewall, said communication link comprising a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel passing through the firewall;

providing renderable data to the originating device by which a user-interface may be rendered on the originating device;

enabling a user to select source data to be printed via the user-interface;

enabling the user to select an output device on the private network on which the source data are to be printed;

forwarding the source data or a reference thereto from the originating device to the output management system component located behind the firewall via the VPN tunnel;

rendering output image data corresponding to the source data and the output device that was selected; and

submitting the output image data to the output device to be physically rendered by the output device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of interactive web pages and the VPN tunnel is facilitated by a common gateway interface (CGI) VPN proxy located outside of the firewall in combination with a VPN switch located at the firewall.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the originating device comprises a VPN-enabled device and the VPN tunnel is facilitated by a client side component running on the VPN-enabled device and a VPN switch located at the firewall.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the output management system component located behind the firewall comprises a server component, and submitting the output image data to the output device comprises providing the output image data to a client, and in response to receiving the output image data, the client submits the output image data to the output image device for rendering.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the originating device comprises a web-enabled wireless device.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the originating device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled device.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the source data comprise a document that is stored on the originating device, further comprising receiving the source data from the originating device via the VPN tunnel at the output management system component behind the firewall.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the source data is stored on a remote store, further comprising retrieving the source data from the remote store.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the remote store is located on the private network, and the source data are retrieved from a location identified by the reference to the source data.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing job status information to the user via the user-interface.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein a print service is used to generate the output image data by performing the operations of:

determining a file type of the source data;

determining an appropriate application to load via the print service to generate the output image data; and

initiating a print action to cause the application in combination with a print subsystem to generate the output image data.

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing print preview data to the wireless device comprising, when rendered on the user-interface, a simulated representation of a rendered output to be produced by the output device.

37. An output management system to enable printing on a destined output device connected to a private network deployed behind a firewall from an originating device located outside of the firewall, comprising:

a print service, to generate output image data corresponding to input source data and the destined output device;

a message center, linked in communication with the print service, located outside of the firewall, including;

a web server component to serve renderable data by which a user-interface (UI) may be rendered on an originating device operatively linked in communication with the web server component to enable a user to select source data to be rendered and submit a job request to render the source data on the destined output device;

a client-side component, deployed on the private network and linked in communication with the message center via a link through the firewall;

the message center further comprising a system management component to manage job requests received from the web server component, and in response thereto;

route the selected source data or a reference thereto to the print service; and

control delivery of the output image data generated by the print service to the destined printer.

1. A method for printing on a private network behind a firewall from an originating device outside of the firewall, comprising:

establishing a pass-through communication link between an output management system component located behind the firewall and an output management system component outside the firewall, said pass-through communication link passing through the firewall;

providing renderable data to the originating device by which a user-interface may be rendered on the originating device;

enabling a user to select source data to be printed via the user-interface;

enabling the user to select an output device on the private network on which the source data are to be printed;

retrieving the source data from a store;

rendering output image data corresponding to the source data and the output device that was selected;

sending the output image data from the output management system component outside the firewall to the output management system component located behind the firewall; and

submitting the output image data from the output management system component located behind the firewall to the output device to be physically rendered by the output device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the output management system components located outside of and behind the firewall comprise message center components that provide management of other components in an output management system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending data from the output management system component located behind the firewall to the output management system component outside of the firewall over the pass-through communication link identifying one or more output devices located behind the firewall that may be accessed via the output management system component located behind the firewall.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the output management system component located outside of the firewall comprises a server component and the output management system component behind the firewall comprises a client component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pass-through communication link comprises a virtual private network (VPN) link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the originating device comprises a web-enabled wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the originating device comprises a Bluetooth-enabled device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the store comprises a local store on the originating device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the store comprises a remote store that is located remotely from the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote store is located on the private network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a print service is used to generate the output image data by performing the operations of:

determining a file type of the source data;

determining an appropriate application to load via the print service to generate the output image data; and

initiating a print action to cause the application in combination with a print subsystem to generate the output image data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing print preview data to the wireless device comprising, when rendered on the user-interface, a simulated representation of a rendered output to be produced by the output device.

38. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the client-side component further performs the operation of registering any output devices that may be accessed via its services with the message center.

39. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the link through the firewall between the client-side component and the message center comprises a persistent connection.

40. The output management system of claim 37, further comprising an output repository in which output image data may be stored prior to being submitted to an output device.

41. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the user-interface comprises a wireless-web user interface that may be accessed via a wireless web-enabled device.

42. The output management system of claim 37, further comprising a wireless data access point (WDAP) linked in communication with the message center.

43. The output management system of claim 42, further comprising a Bluetooth device emulator operatively coupled to the WDAP, to enable a Bluetooth-enabled wireless device to access the system.

44. The output management system of claim 43, wherein the user-interface is served using a WAP (wireless application protocol) over Bluetooth.protocol.

45. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the print service generates the output image data by performing the operations of:

determining a file type of the source data;

determining an appropriate application to load via the print service to generate the output image data; and

initiating a print action to cause the application in combination with a print subsystem to generate the output image data.

46. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the user-interface further enables the user to select the output device on which the source data are to be rendered.

47. The output management system of claim 37, further comprises a database server on which user profile and system resource information are stored.

48. The output management system of claim 47, wherein the user-interface enables a user to select and/or specify one or more favorite output devices from among output devices accessible via the output management system, and wherein data pertaining to those output devices selected and/or specified by the user are stored by the database server.

49. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the message center comprises a root message center and wherein the client-side component comprises a second message center, nested below the root message center in a message-center hierarchy.

50. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the print service is deployed behind the firewall.

51. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the print service is deployed outside of the firewall and the client-side component comprises a remote desktop client that receives image output damage via the message center and submits the image output damage to the destined output device for rendering.

52. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the print service is further to provide print preview data to the wireless device comprising, when rendered on the user-interface, a simulated representation of a rendered output to be produced by the output device.

56. The output management system of claim 1, wherein the output device is deployed on a private network that is not directly accessible by the wireless device.

50-1. The output management system of claim 37, wherein the print service and the client-side component are hosted by a single machine.

53. An output management system to enable printing on a destined output device connected to a private network deployed behind a firewall from an originating device located outside of the firewall, comprising:

a print service, to generate output image data corresponding to input source data and the destined output device;

a message center, linked in communication with the print service, located inside the firewall, including;

a web server component to serve renderable data by which a user-interface (UI) may be rendered on an originating device operatively linked in communication with the web server component via a secure link to enable a user to select source data to be rendered and submit a job request to render the source data on the destined output device; and

a system management component to manage job requests received from the web server component, and in response thereto;

route the selected source data or a reference thereto to the print service; and

control delivery of the output image data generated by the print service to the destined printer.

54. The output management system of claim 53, wherein the system further comprises a virtual private network (VPN) switch deployed in conjunction with the firewall to enable VPN-encoded data to pass through the firewall and be received by the message center.

57. An output management system, comprising:

a web server tier comprising at least one web server to execute software configured to serve renderable data by which a user-interface (UI) may be rendered on an originating device operatively linked in communication with said at least one web server, said user-interface to enable a user to select source data to be rendered and submit a job request to render the source data on a destined output device;

a print service tier, comprising at least one print service server to execute software to perform a print service that generates output image data corresponding to input source data and an output device on which the input source data are to be rendered; and

a message center tier comprising at least one message center server to execute software configured to manage job requests, and in response thereto;

route the selected source data or a reference thereto to the print service tier; and

manage submission of output image data produced by a print service to a destined output device for rendering,

wherein at least one server from among the servers in the print service and message service tiers is located behind a firewall on a private network.

58. The output management system of claim 57, further comprising a database tier including at least one database server to host at least one database, said database tier to store system data including system management and job request data.

59. The output management system of claim 58, wherein the database tier includes a message center database in which the system management and job request data are stored, and a print service database in which data pertaining to print services are stored.

60. The output management system of claim 57, wherein the database tier further includes an output image store in which output image data may be stored prior to being submitted to a destined output device.

61. The output management system of claim 57, wherein the web server tier includes a plurality of web servers and further includes a load balancer to balance incoming connections among the plurality of web servers.

62. The output management system of claim 57, wherein the print service tier is hosted by a plurality of print service servers and further includes a load balancer to balance incoming print service requests among the plurality of web servers.

63. The output management system of claim 57, further comprising a remote desktop client, linked in communication with the message center tier and at least one output device, to provide output image data to a destined output device specified by an output device submission command received from the message center tier.

64. The output management system of claim 57, wherein the user-interface comprises a wireless-web user interface that may be accessed via a wireless web-enabled device.

65. The output management system of claim 57, wherein the print service generates the output image data by performing the operations of:

determining a file type of the source data;

determining an appropriate application to load via the print service to generate the output image data; and

initiating a print action to cause the application in combination with a print subsystem to generate the output image data.

66. The output management system of claim 57, wherein the print service is further to provide print preview data to the wireless device comprising, when rendered on the user-interface, a simulated representation of a rendered output to be produced by the destined output device.