System for retrieving and printing network documents

• US 20050010587A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsubayashi, Don Hideyasu, Mizoguchi, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,073,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/17 Web printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/007 only remotely, e.g. at a host computer dedicated computer interfaces to print systems G06F3/1201

Abstract

A method for providing print-by-reference functionality includes providing a web page from a printer'"'"'s embedded web server to a web browser, receiving a URL entered into the provided web page, retrieving a printable document corresponding to the URL, and printing the retrieved document.

Claims

1. to 30. (Canceled)

31. A control method for controlling a printer for providing print-by-reference functionality to a web browser, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a web page from a printer'"'"'s embedded web server to the web browser;

receiving a URL entered into the provided web page by the web browser;

the printer retrieving a document to be printed corresponding to the URL from a web site on the Internet; and

the printer automatically printing the retrieved document.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the web page is in HTML format.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the web page is in XML format.

34. A method according to claim 31, wherein the document is in a print-ready format.

35. A method according to claim 31, further comprising, the printer converting retrieved the document to a print-ready format.

36. A method according to claim 31, wherein the URL corresponds to a web site having a transfer protocol not supported by the web browser, and the method further comprises the steps of:

creating a web page based on contents of the website, the web page including a link to a directory, a link to a document, or links to a directory and a document,

wherein, if a link to a directory is selected, a new web page is created including a link to a subdirectory, a link to a document, or links to a subdirectory and to a document.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the web page is accessed using HTTP, and the entered URL corresponds to a FTP using website.

38. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

creating a web page based on contents of the website, the web page including hypertext links;

selecting a link; and

issuing a directory access command corresponding to the selected link,

wherein, if the command fails, a document is retrieved corresponding to the selected link, and

wherein, if the command succeeds, a new web page is created having hypertext links.

47. A method according to claim 31, wherein the URL contains e-mail account identification information.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein the web page allows entry of the e-mail account identification information.

49. A method according to claim 36, wherein the URL contains e-mail account identification information, and

wherein the created web page contains information retrieved from the e-mail account re-formatted into web format.

52. A method according to claim 31, further comprising transforming the retrieved document into a printable document,

wherein the step of printing the retrieved document is printing the printable document.

53. A method according to claim 31, wherein the retrieved document is transformed into a printable document in advance.

39. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the steps to control a printer for providing print-by-reference functionality to a web browser, the steps comprising:

providing a web page from a printer'"'"'s embedded web server to the web browser;

receiving a URL entered into the provided web page by the web browser;

the printer retrieving a document to be printed corresponding to the URL from a web site on the Internet; and

the printer automatically printing the retrieved document.

40. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, wherein the web page is in HTML format.

41. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, wherein the web page is in XML format.

42. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, wherein the document is in a print-ready format.

43. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising the printer converting the retrieved document to a print-ready format.

44. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, wherein the URL corresponds to a web site having a transfer protocol not supported by the web browser, the process steps further comprising:

creating a web page based on contents of the website, the web page including a link to a directory, a link to a document, or links to a directory and a document,

wherein, if a link to a directory is selected, a new web page is created including a link to a subdirectory, a link to a document, or links to a subdirectory and to a document.

45. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 44, wherein the web page is accessed using HTTP, and the entered URL corresponds to a FTP using website.

46. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, further comprising the steps of:

creating a web page based on contents of the website, the web page including hypertext links;

selecting a link; and

issuing a directory access command corresponding to the selected link,

wherein, if the command fails, a document is retrieved corresponding to the selected link, and

wherein, if the command succeeds, a new web page is created having hypertext links.

50. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 39, wherein the URL contains e-mail account identification information.

51. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 50, wherein the web page allows entry of the e-mail account identification information.