Host-Assisted Document Printing From Mobile Devices

• US 20080137131A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Cavill, Barry Richard, Reed, William Henry, Williams, Maini Helena
• Application Number:
  US11/609,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20080137131A1
• 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 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing

Abstract

A method for performing host-assisted document printing from a mobile device in an imaging system having a printer communicatively coupled to a host includes establishing a direct communication link from the mobile device to the printer; transferring a native document file from the mobile device to the printer; sending the native document file from the printer to the host; processing the native document file by a print application program running on the host to generate print data corresponding to the native document file; processing the print data through a printer driver associated with the printer; and printing the print data at the printer.

Claims

1. A method for performing host assisted document printing from a mobile device in an imaging system having a printer communicatively coupled to a host, comprising.

establishing a direct communication link from said mobile device to said printer;

transferring a native document file from said mobile device to said printer;

sending said native document file from said printer to said host;

processing said native document file by a print application program running on said host to generate print data corresponding to said native document file

processing said print data through a printer driver associated with said printer; and

printing said print data at said printer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said printer driver is resident in one of said host and said printer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said direct communication link from said mobile device to said printer is a wireless connection using a wireless communication standard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said direct communication link from said mobile device to said printer is a wired connection using a wired communication standard.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising said mobile device initiating service discovery to identify each native file type that said printer is configured to receive from any mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein if said service discovery indicates that said printer is configured to receive a native file type available from said mobile device, said mobile device initiating said transferring of said native document file from said mobile device to said printer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein if said service discovery indicates that said printer is not configured to receive a native file type available from said mobile device, said mobile device displaying a message to a user at said mobile device that said printer is not available to print said native document file.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said service discovery includes identifying each native file type that each printer of a plurality of printers is configured to receive.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting a particular printer of said plurality of printers for receiving said native document file.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein native file types that are supported are identified by host file type associations which permit selection of an associated software application program in said host.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising said mobile device initiating print settings to be used in the creation of printed output at said printer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said native document file is in one of Acrobat, Word, PowerPoint and Excel native file types.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing of said method is initiated by said mobile device and said method operates with no aspects of the execution of said method being obvious to a user at said mobile device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said host is one of a plurality of hosts communicatively coupled to said printer, said host being selected by said printer as having a capability to process said native document file.

15. A method for performing host-assisted document printing from a mobile device in an imaging system having a plurality of printers each communicatively coupled to at least one host, comprising:

establishing a direct communication link from said mobile device to each printer of said plurality of printers;

identifying native file types that each printer of said plurality of printers is configured to receive;

selecting a particular printer of said plurality of printers that is configured to receive a native file document of a native file type supported by said particular printer;

transferring said native document file from said mobile device to said particular printer;

sending said native document file from said particular printer to said host;

processing said native document file by a print application program running on said host to generate print data corresponding to said native document file;

processing said print data through a printer driver associated with said particular printer; and

printing said print data at said particular printer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said printer driver is resident in one of said host and said particular printer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said direct communication link from said mobile device to said particular printer is a wireless connection using a wireless communication standard.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said direct communication link from said mobile device to said particular printer is a wired connection using a wired communication standard.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the performing of said method is initiated by said mobile device, and said method operates with no aspects of the execution of said method being obvious to a user at said mobile device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said native document file is in one of Acrobat, Word, PowerPoint and Excel native file types.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said native file types that are supported are identified by host file type associations which permit selection of an associated software application program.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising said mobile device initiating print settings to be used in the creation of printed output at said printer.