Pull based computer output devices

• US 20030197887A1
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shenoy, Rajesh K., Bartolome, Emiliano, Moore, Keith E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• 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 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A presentation output system includes a digital computer network, one or more job submission clients, and a job store. The job store accepts and holds output jobs from the plurality of job submission clients. The presentation output system further includes one or more presentation output devices that pull the output jobs from the job store for outputting.

Claims

1. A presentation output system, comprising:

a digital computer network;

one or more job submission clients communicating over said digital computer network;

a job store communicating over said digital network, with said job store accepting and holding output jobs from said plurality of job submission clients; and

one or more presentation output devices, with said one or more presentation output devices communicating over said digital network and pulling said output jobs from said job store for outputting.

3. The presentation output system of claim 1, with said job store further comprising a driver storage that stores one or more presentation output device drivers.

4. The presentation output system of claim 1, wherein a new presentation output device added to said output system automatically informs said job store that said new presentation device is being added.

5. The presentation output system of claim 1, with said memory further including a decryption routine and wherein an output job is encrypted by a job submission client and is decrypted by a receiving presentation output device.

6. The presentation output system of claim 1, with a presentation output device of said one or more presentation output devices comprising:

a processor;

a network interface communicating with said processor and capable of communicating over said digital computer network;

a presentation output device communicating with said processor; and

a memory communicating with said processor and including a display job storage area for storing one or more pending display jobs and a pull command;

wherein said processor uses said pull command to issue a display job pull command through said network interface, receive a display job in response, and display said display job using said presentation output device.

7. The presentation output system of claim 1, with said job store further comprising:

a job storage storing one or more display jobs to be displayed; and

a driver storage storing one or more presentation output device drivers;

wherein said job store receives a display job submission from a job submission client, receives a pull command from a presentation output device, and provides said display job to said presentation output device.

8. The presentation output system of claim 1, wherein said job store provides said display job to another presentation output device if said job store receives a decline of said display job by said presentation output device.

9. The presentation output system of claim 1, wherein a presentation output device of said one or more presentation output devices comprises a projector.

10. The presentation output system of claim 1, wherein a presentation output device of said one or more presentation output devices comprises a three-dimensional printer.

11. The presentation output system of claim 1, wherein a presentation output device of said one or more presentation output devices comprises an electronic paper device.

12. The presentation output system of claim 1, wherein a presentation output device of said one or more presentation output devices comprises a hologram generator device.

13. A printing system, comprising:

a digital computer network;

one or more job submission clients communicating over said digital computer network;

a job store communicating over said digital network, with said job store accepting and holding print jobs from said plurality of job submission clients; and

one or more printers communicating over said digital network and pulling said print jobs from said job store for printing.

14. The printing system of claim 13, wherein a new printer added to said printing system automatically informs said job store that said new printer is being added.

15. The printing system of claim 13, wherein a print job is encrypted by a job submission client and is decrypted by a receiving printer.

16. The printing system of claim 13, with a printer of said one or more computer output devices comprising:

a processor;

a network interface communicating with said processor and capable of communicating over said digital computer network;

a printing mechanism communicating with said processor; and

a memory communicating with said processor and including a print job storage area for storing one or more pending print jobs, a pull command, and a print manager routine;

wherein said processor uses said print manager routine and said pull command to issue a print job pull command through said network interface, receive a print job in response, and print said print job using said printing mechanism.

17. The printing system of claim 16, wherein said processor uses said print manager to receive and print a pushed print job.

18. The printing system of claim 16, with said printer further comprising a user authentication device.

19. The printing system of claim 16, with said printer further comprising a fingerprint reader user authentication device.

20. The printing system of claim 16, with said printer further comprising a keypad user authentication device for inputting an identifier code.

21. The printing system of claim 16, with said printer further comprising an identification card or badge reader user authentication device.

22. The printing system of claim 16, with said printer further comprising a broadcast beacon that wirelessly broadcasts printer information.

23. The printing system of claim 16, with said printer further comprising a physical code displayed on an exterior of said printer and including printer information.

24. The printing system of claim 13, with said job store further comprising:

a job storage storing one or more print jobs to be printed; and

a driver storage storing one or more printer drivers;

wherein said job store receives a print job submission from a job submission client, receives a pull command from a printer, and provides said print job to said printer.

25. The printing system of claim 13, with said job store further comprising a printer driver storage that stores one or more printer drivers.

26. The printing system of claim 13, wherein said job store retrieves a printer driver from said printer driver storage and applies said printer driver to said print job before providing said print job to said printer.

27. The printing system of claim 13, wherein said job store pushes said print job to a specified printer.

28. The printing system of claim 13, wherein said job store pushes said print job to a specified printer and wherein said print job includes an association to said specified printer.

29. The printing system of claim 13, wherein said job store provides said print job to another printer if said job store receives a decline of said print job by said printer.

30. The printing system of claim 13, further comprising a wireless interface capable of relaying communications between said digital computer network and a portable electronic device.

31. A printer for a pull-based printing system, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface communicating with said processor and capable of communicating over a digital computer network;

a printing mechanism communicating with said processor; and

a memory communicating with said processor and including a print job storage area for storing one or more pending print jobs, a pull command, and a print manager routine;

wherein said processor uses said print manager routine and said pull command to issue a print job pull command through said network interface, receive a print job in response, and print said print job using said printing mechanism.

32. The printer of claim 31, wherein said processor uses said print manager to receive and print a pushed print job.

33. The printer of claim 31, further comprising a user authentication device.

34. The printer of claim 31, further comprising a fingerprint reader user authentication device.

35. The printer of claim 31, further comprising a keypad user authentication device for inputting an identifier code.

36. The printer of claim 31, further comprising an identification card or badge reader user authentication device.

37. The printer of claim 31, further comprising a broadcast beacon that wirelessly broadcast printer information.

38. The printer of claim 31, further comprising a physical code displayed on an exterior of said printer and including printer information.

39. The printer of claim 31, wherein when said printer is added to a printing system said printer automatically informs a job store that said printer is being added.

40. A job store for a pull-based printing system, comprising:

a job storage storing one or more print jobs to be printed; and

a printer driver storage storing one or more printer drivers;

wherein said job store receives a print job from a job submission client, stores said print job in said job storage, receives a pull command from a printer, retrieves said print job from said job storage, and provides said print job to said printer.

41. The job store of claim 40, wherein said job store retrieves a printer driver from said printer driver storage and applies said printer driver to said print job before providing said print job to said printer.

42. The job store of claim 40, wherein said job store pushes said print job to a specified printer.

43. The job store of claim 40, wherein said job store pushes said print job to a specified printer and wherein said print job includes an association to said specified printer.

44. The job store of claim 40, wherein said job store provides said print job to another printer if said job store receives a decline of said print job by said printer.

45. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

submitting a print job from a job submission client to a job store;

pulling said print job from said job store to a printer; and

printing said print job in said printer.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of said printer applying a printer driver to said print job before the printing step.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of said job store applying a printer driver to said print job before the pulling step.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the pulling step alternatively comprises pushing said print job from said job store to said printer.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of re-directing said print job to another printer before the printing step if said printer declines said print job.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of associating said print job with said printer before the pulling step.

51. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of associating said print job with said printer in response to a printer information included in said print job.

52. The method of claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a printer information from a printer;

receiving said printer information in a portable electronic device; and

associating said printer information with a print job in said portable electronic device;

wherein the submitting comprises submitting said print job from said portable electronic device to said job store.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of associating said print job with said printer in response to a printer information included in said print job, and wherein said printer information is wirelessly broadcast by said printer and received in a portable electronic device.

54. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of associating said print job with said printer in response to a printer information included in said print job, and where said printer information is displayed on an exterior of said printer and is entered into a portable electronic device by a user.

55. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of associating said print job with said printer in response to printer information included in said print job, and wherein said printer information is displayed on an exterior of said printer and is scanned into a portable electronic device.

56. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of authenticating a user corresponding to said print job, with the authenticating occurring before the pulling step.

57. The method of claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

providing user authentication information to said printer;

comparing said user authentication information to stored authentication information; and

pulling said print job from said job store to said printer and printing said print job if said user authentication information matches an authentication information in said stored authentication information.

58. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of authenticating a user corresponding to said print job, with the authenticating comprising verifying a fingerprint of said user.

59. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of authenticating a user corresponding to said print job, with the authenticating comprising verifying an identification card or badge.

60. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of authenticating a user corresponding to said print job, with the authenticating comprising accepting and verifying an identifier code input by said user.

61. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

submitting a print job to a job store;

providing user authentication information to a printer;

comparing said user authentication information to stored authentication information; and

pulling said print job from said job store to said printer and printing said print job if said user authentication information matches an authentication information in said stored authentication information.

62. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a printer information from a printer;

receiving said printer information in a portable electronic device;

associating said printer information with a print job in said portable electronic device;

submitting said print job from said portable electronic device to a print store;

pulling said print job from said job store to said printer; and

printing said print job in said printer.

63. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a printer information from a printer;

receiving said printer information in a portable electronic device; and

submitting a print job to said printer using said printer information broadcast by said printer.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the submitting step further comprises the steps of:

submitting said print job to a job store; and

pushing said print job from said job store to said printer.

65. The method of claim 63, further comprising the step of including said printer information in said print job in order to associate said print job with said printer.

66. The method of claim 63, further comprising the step of authenticating a user corresponding to said print job before the submitting step.