Facilitating printing to a local printing device

• US 20030210424A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Perkins, Gregory E., Sandfort, Patrick O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,471 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 3/1231 Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for facilitating printing to a local printing device. In one arrangement, the system and method pertain to directly communicating with the local printing device, and obtaining identification information regarding the printing device including a network address of the printing device as a result of the communication with the local printing device so that a print path can be established with the printing device via a network.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating printing to a local printing device, comprising:

directly communicating with the local printing device; and

obtaining identification information regarding the printing device including a network address of the printing device as a result of the communicating with the local printing device so that a print path can be established with the printing device via a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating with the local printing device comprises wirelessly communicating with the printing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating with the local printing device comprises receiving a signal from the printing device requesting client identification information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of communicating with the local printing device further comprises sending a reply signal to the printing device that includes the client identification information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of sending a reply signal comprises sending a radio frequency signal with a radio frequency transponder.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal comprises an RFID.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining identification information regarding the printing device comprises accessing a printing service via a network and providing client identification information to the printing service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of obtaining identification information regarding the printing device further comprises receiving the identification information regarding the printing device from the printing service after the service compares the client identification information with information provided to the printing service from the printing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating with a printing device comprises requesting identification information from the printing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of obtaining identification information regarding the printing device comprises receiving the identification information directly from the printing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining software needed to print to the printing device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of obtaining software comprises receiving driver software from a software source via a network.

13. A method for facilitating printing to a local printing device, comprising:

sending a request for client identification information;

receiving client identification information from a client; and

providing the client identification information and identification information for the printing device to a printing service that is configured to provide the identification information for the printing device to the client.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of sending a request comprises transmitting a wireless request signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of sending a request comprises transmitting a radio frequency request signal via a radio frequency transceiver.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of receiving client identification information comprises receiving an RFID from a client radio frequency transponder.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing comprises transmitting the client identification information and the identification information regarding the printing device to a network-based printing service.

18. A method for facilitating printing to a local printing device, comprising:

directly receiving a request for printing device identification information from a proximate client that wishes to use the printing device; and

directly transmitting identification information including a network address for the printing device to the client.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the steps of receiving and transmitting are conducted wirelessly.

20. A print manager program stored on a computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

logic configured to send a request for client identification information;

logic configured to receive client identification information from a client; and

logic configured to provide the client identification information and identification information for the printing device to a printing service that is configured to provide the identification information for the printing device to the client.

21. The program of claim 20, wherein the logic configured to send a request comprises logic configured to transmit a radio frequency request signal via a radio frequency transceiver.

22. The program of claim 20, wherein the logic configured to receive client identification information comprises logic configured to receive a client RFID.

23. The program of claim 20, wherein the logic configured to provide comprises logic configured to transmit the client identification information and the identification information regarding the printing device to a printing service.

24. A system for facilitating printing to a printing device, comprising:

a client that includes a communication device;

a printing device that includes a communication device that is configured for direct communication with the client communication device so as to be capable of receiving client identification information from the client communication device when it is near; and

a print service that is configured to receive the client identification information and identification information of the printing device from the printing device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the client communication device is a radio frequency transponder.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the printing device communication device is a radio frequency transceiver.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the printing service is a network-based service.

28. A printing device, comprising:

a processor;

a print engine;

a communication device configured to facilitate direct communication with a computing device; and

memory that includes logic configured to send a request for client identification information, logic configured to receive client identification information from a client, and logic configured to provide the client identification information and identification information for the printing device to a printing service that is configured to provide the identification information for the printing device to the client.

29. The printing device of claim 28, wherein the communication device comprises a radio frequency transceiver.