System and method for facilitating network printing

• US 20030193687A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• 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 7,400,425 B2
• 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 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

A system for facilitating remote printing via a network. The system includes a first mechanism for receiving information with respect to the presence of one or more printers connected to the network and selecting an available printer in response thereto. A second mechanism pulls the document from the first mechanism in preparation for printing via the available printer. In the illustrative embodiment, the inventive printing system is adapted for use with Internet appliances and handheld computers. In a specific embodiment, the first mechanism includes a first software module implemented via a client running on the device. The first software module generates a print broadcast to the one or more printers and includes a second software module for responding to the print broadcast via an availability message that indicates the availability status of the one or more printers. The second mechanism includes is adapted to receive the availability message and provide a list of available printers in response thereto. The second mechanism further includes a mechanism for selecting a printer from the available printers based on predetermined selection criteria and providing a selection message to the selected printer in response thereto. The novel design of the present invention is facilitated by the operation of the third mechanism by which a document to be printed is pulled from its source. By pulling rather than pushing the document, various heretofore unforeseen benefits are obtained. In particular, only available printers are able to pull documents to be printed. This prevents devices from printing to offline printers. Furthermore, printer drivers are more readily implemented directly on the printers or intermediate devices, such as websites, rather than directly on the Internet appliances and handheld computers where devices memory is limited. In addition, by implementing messaging between network devices and printers in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, users may efficiently obtain information about printers on a given network without a priori knowledge of the printers.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating remote printing via a network having access to a document to be printed comprising:

first means for receiving information with respect to the presence of one or more printers connected to said network and selecting an available printer in response thereto and

second means for pulling said document from said first means in preparation for printing via said available printer.

2. The system of claim 1 further including a device for storing said document to be printed, said device connected to said network, said network having one or more printers connected thereto.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said first means includes a first software module implemented as a client running on said device, said client including a first module for generating a print broadcast to said one or more printers.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said first means further includes a second software module for responding to said print broadcast via an availability message indicating availability of said one or more printers.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said first means includes means for receiving said availability message and providing a list of available printers in response thereto.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said first means further includes means for selecting a printer from said available printers based on predetermined selection criteria and providing a selection message to said selected printer in response thereto.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said second software module is installed on an intermediate device connected to said network or installed on each of said one or more printers.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said second means is implemented via a third software module installed on an intermediate device connected to said network or installed on each of said one or more printers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said third software module includes means for requesting said document from said device in response to said selection message.

10. A system for facilitating remote network printing comprising:

a network having one or more printers and one or more devices connected thereto;

first means installed on said one or more devices for generating a broadcast message to said one or more printers in response to a user print command;

second means running on said network for receiving said broadcast messages and providing one or more printer availability messages in response thereto;

third means for selecting available printers based on said one or more availability messages;

fourth means for sending a notification message notifying one or more of said available printers that a document is waiting to be printed; and

fifth means for pulling said document from said device in response to said notification message.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said first means, third means, and said fourth means are implemented via a thin client running in said one or more devices.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said second means and fifth means are implemented in software running on said one or more printers.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said second means and fifth means are implemented in software installed on an intermediate device in communication with said one or more printers.

14. A method for facilitating remote printing via a network comprising the steps of:

storing a document to be printed via a device connected to said network, said network having one or more printers connected thereto;

detecting said one or more printers connected to said network and selecting an available printer in response thereto; and

pulling said document from said device in preparation for printing via said available printer.