Portable terminal and data output control system

• US 20090043905A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Shinya, Aoki, Mikio, Onishi, Joji
• Application Number:
  US12/232,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1209 resulting in adapted or bridged legacy communication protocols, e.g. emulation, protocol extension
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1272 Digital storefront, e.g. e-ordering, web2print, submitting a job from a remote submission screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a portable terminal and data output control system suitably used for readily obtaining detailed information on a network. The invention can include a data output control terminal communicably connects a user-owned portable terminal, printing devices situated at various locations, and WWW servers, via the Internet. Data printing requests can be received from the portable terminal, data relating to the data printing request can be obtained from a WWW server, one of the printing devices is selected, and the obtained data is output to the selected printing device. The portable terminal can obtain data from the WWW server, display the obtained data on an LCD and append a data printing request item at the end of the display data for display on the LCD, and in the event that the displayed data printing request item is selected, sends a data printing request to the data output control terminal.

Claims

1. A portable terminal that communicates with a data output control device, the portable terminal being a user-owned portable terminal which is portable and sends output requests for data, the data output control device being coupled to the portable terminal, a plurality of output terminals situated at various locations for outputting data, and a data storing terminal storing data, via a network, said data output control device comprising:

an obtaining device that obtains data relating to said data output requests from said user-owned portable terminal;

a selecting device that selects one of said plurality of output terminals; and

an output device that outputs data obtained by said obtaining device to an output terminal selected by said selecting device,

wherein the data output control device is coupled with a data format conversion device that performs data format conversion, the data format conversion device being a different device from the portable terminal,

wherein said portable terminal further comprises a terminal-side obtaining device that obtains data from said data storing terminal, a display device that displays data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device, an input device that inputs output requests for data displayed by said display device, and data output request originating device that sends data output requests input by said input device to said data output control device.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1,

wherein input items for prompting input to said input device are displayed on said display device along with data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device,

and wherein said data output request originating device sends output requests for data displayed by said display device to said data output control device, in the event that said input items are selected as input by said input device.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1,

wherein input items for prompting input to said input device are displayed on said display device as menu items separate from said data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device,

and wherein said data output request originating device sends output requests for data displayed by said display device to said data output control device, in the event that said input items are selected as input by said input device.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the input device is an input button.

15. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when requesting data output by an output terminal, data transmitted from the portable terminal is an output request only.

19. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data format conversion device performs conversion to a data format that is outputable by an output terminal, and performs conversion to a data format that is displayable by the portable terminal.

5. A portable terminal which uses a data output control device, the portable terminal being a user-owned portable terminal which is portable and sends output requests for data, the data output control device communicably connects to the portable terminal and a plurality of output terminals situated at various locations for outputting data, via a network, said data output control device comprising:

a selecting device that selects one of said plurality of output terminals; and

an output device that outputs data relating to said data output request to an output terminal selected by said selecting device,

wherein the data output control device is coupled with a data format conversion device that performs data format conversion, the data format conversion device being a different device from the portable terminal,

wherein said portable terminal further comprises a plurality of communicating devices that perform communication with said data output control device with different communication methods, communication path selecting device that selects from said plurality of communicating devices a communicating device which is currently communicable with said data output control device, and data output request originating device that sends said data output requests to said data output control device with the communication device selected by said communication path selecting device.

6. The portable terminal according to claim 5,

wherein said communication path selecting device and said data output request originating device send said data output request to said data output control device by one of said plurality of communication devices, and in the event that communication with said data output control device fails, send said data output request to said data output control device by another of said plurality of communication devices.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 5, further comprising at least one of a long-distance wireless LAN (Local-Area Network) and a short-distance wireless LAN as said communication devices.

16. The portable terminal according to claim 5, wherein, when requested data output by an output terminal, data transmitted from the portable terminal is an output request only.

20. The portable terminal according to claim 5, wherein the data format conversion device performs conversion to a data format that is outputable by an output terminal, and performs conversion to a data format that is displayable by the portable terminal.

8. A data output control system, including a user-owned portable terminal which is portable and sends output requests for data, and a data output control device which receives data output requests from said portable terminal and performs output control of data relating to the data output requests;

said data output control device communicably connecting said portable terminal, a plurality of output terminals situated at various locations for outputting data, and a data storing terminal storing data, via a network;

wherein said data output control device comprises, an obtaining device that obtains data relating to said data output requests from said data storing terminal, a selecting device that selects one of said plurality of output terminals, and an output device that outputs data obtained by said obtaining device to an output terminal selected by said selecting device;

wherein the data output control device is coupled with a data format conversion device that performs data format conversion, the data format conversion device being a different device from the portable terminal,

and further wherein said portable terminal comprises a terminal-side obtaining device that obtains data from said data storing terminal, a display device that displays data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device, an input device that inputs output requests for data displayed by said display device, and data output request originating device that sends data output requests input by said input device to said data output control device.

9. The data output control system according to claim 8,

wherein said portable terminal displays input items for prompting input to said input device on said display device along with data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device;

and wherein said data output request originating device sends output requests for data displayed by said display device to said data output control device, in the event that said input items are selected as input by said input device.

10. The data output control system according to claim 8,

wherein said portable terminal displays input items for prompting input to said input device on said display device as menu items separate from said data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device;

and wherein said data output request originating device sends output requests for data displayed by said display device to said data output control device, in the event that said input items are selected as input by said input device.

11. The data output control system according to claim 8,

wherein the input device is an input button.

17. The data output control system according to claim 8, wherein, when requested data output by an output terminal, data transmitted from the portable terminal is an output request only.

21. The data output control system according to claim 8, wherein the data format conversion device performs conversion to a data format that is outputable by an output terminal, and performs conversion to a data format that is displayable by the portable terminal.

12. A data output control system including a user-owned portable terminal which is portable and sends output requests for data, and a data output control device which receives data output requests from said portable terminal and performs output control of data relating to the data output requests;

said data output control device communicably connecting said portable terminal and a plurality of output terminals situated at various locations for outputting data, via a network;

said data output control device comprising a selecting device that selects one of said plurality of output terminals, and an output device that outputs data relating to said data output request to an output terminal selected by said selecting device;

wherein the data output control device is coupled with a data format conversion device that performs data format conversion, the data format conversion device being a different device from the portable terminal,

wherein said portable terminal comprises a plurality of communicating devices that perform communication with said data output control device with different communication methods, a communication path selecting device that selects from said plurality of communicating devices a communicating device which is currently communicable with said data output control device, and data output request originating device that sends said data output requests to said data output control device with the communication device selected by said communication path selecting device.

13. A data output control system according to claim 12,

wherein said communication path selecting device and said data output request originating device send said data output request to said data output control device by one of said plurality of communication devices, and in the event that communication with said data output control device fails, send said data output request to said data output control device by another of said plurality of communication devices.

14. A data output control system according to claim 12, said portable terminal further comprising at least one of a long-distance wireless LAN (Local-Area Network) and a short-distance wireless LAN as said communication devices.

18. The data output control system according to claim 12, wherein, when requested data output by an output terminal, data transmitted from the portable terminal is an output request only.

22. The data output control system according to claim 12, wherein the data format conversion device performs conversion to a data format that is outputable by an output terminal, and performs conversion to a data format that is displayable by the portable terminal.

23. An output terminal that uses a data output control device, the data output control device being coupled to a user-owned portable terminal which is portable and sends output requests for data, the output terminal for outputting data, and a data storing terminal storing data, via a network, said data output control device comprising:

an obtaining device that obtains data relating to said data output requests from said user-owned portable terminal;

a selecting device that selects one of said plurality of output terminals; and

an output device that outputs data obtained by said obtaining device to an output terminal selected by said selecting device,

wherein the data output control device is coupled with a data format conversion device that performs data format conversion, the data format conversion device being a different device from the portable terminal,

wherein said portable terminal further comprises, a terminal-side obtaining device that obtains data from said data storing terminal, a display device that displays data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device, an input device that inputs output requests for data displayed by said display device, and data output request originating device that sends data output requests input by said input device to said data output control device.

24. The portable terminal according to claim 23,

wherein input items for prompting input to said input device are displayed on said display device along with data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device,

and wherein said data output request originating device sends output requests for data displayed by said display device to said data output control device, in the event that said input items are selected as input by said input device.

25. The portable terminal according to claim 23,

wherein input items for prompting input to said input device are displayed on said display device as menu items separate from said data obtained by said terminal-side obtaining device,

and wherein said data output request originating device sends output requests for data displayed by said display device to said data output control device, in the event that said input items are selected as input by said input device.

26. The portable terminal according to claim 23,

wherein the input device is an input button.

27. The output terminal according to claim 23, wherein, when requested data output by an output terminal, data transmitted from the portable terminal is an output request only.

28. The output terminal according to claim 23, wherein the output terminal being a printing device having a printer section.

29. The output terminal according to claim 28, wherein the printing device receives data in a predetermined data format and exclusively prints the data in the predetermined data format.