SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING USAGE OF PRINTER RESOURCES

• US 20110090528A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Harrington, Steven J., Tredoux, Gavan Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A system and method control usage of resources associated with a printing device by transmitting a print-ready document from a client device, over a network, to a printing device; intercepting the transmitted print-ready document before the transmitted print-ready document is received by the printing device; electronically extracting, using a processor, page, document, or user information from the intercepted print-ready document; electronically, using a processor, comparing the extracted page, document or user information with resource policies associated with the printing device; modifying the page, document, or user information within the intercepted print-ready document when the extracted page, document, or user information is in conflict with resource policies associated with the printing device to ensure that printing of the print-ready document is in compliance with the resource policies associated with the printing device; and submitting the modified print-ready document to the printing device for printing.

Claims

1. A method for controlling usage of resources associated with a printing device, comprising:

transmitting a print-ready document from a client device, over a network, to a printing device;

intercepting the transmitted print-ready document before the transmitted print-ready document is received by the printing device;

electronically extracting, using a processor, page, document, or user information from the intercepted print-ready document;

electronically, using a processor, comparing the extracted page, document, or user information with resource policies associated with the printing device;

modifying the page, document or user information within the intercepted print-ready document when the extracted page, document, or user information is in conflict with resource policies associated with the printing device to ensure that printing of the print-ready document is in compliance with the resource policies associated with the printing device; and

submitting the modified print-ready document to the printing device for printing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of the print-ready document limits the printing of the print-ready document to certain times according to the resource policies associated with the printing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of the print-ready document limits the usage of color printing resources according to the resource policies associated with the printing device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of the print-ready document modifies the print-ready document to print as duplex when needed for compliance with the resource policies associated with the printing device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of the print-ready document limits the usage of specialized media resources according to the resource policies associated with the printing device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating user information associated with printer resource usage in response to the extracted user, page, and document information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the printer is a portable document format converter.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource policies associated with the printing device are user dependent.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the page, document, or user information within the intercepted print-ready document is modified on a page-by-page basis.

10. A system to enable the controlling of the usage of resources associated with a printing device, comprising:

a plurality of client devices for generating print-ready documents;

a printing device;

a network to communicatively connect said plurality of client devices with said printing device; and

an intercepting device, operatively connected between said network and said printing device, to intercept the print-ready document transmitted from a client device to said printing device;

said intercepting device extracting page, document, or user information from the intercepted print-ready document;

said intercepting device comparing the extracted page, document or user information with resource policies associated with said printing device;

said intercepting device modifying the page, document, or user information within the intercepted print-ready document when the extracted page, document or user information is in conflict with resource policies associated with said printing device to ensure that printing of the print-ready document is in compliance with the resource policies associated with said printing device; and

said intercepting device submitting the modified print-ready document to said printing device for printing.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said intercepting device modifies the print-ready document to limit the printing of the print-ready document to certain times according to the resource policies associated with said printing device.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said intercepting device modifies the print-ready document to limit the usage of color printing resources according to the resource policies associated with said printing device.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said intercepting device modifies the print-ready document to print as duplex when needed for compliance with the resource policies associated with said printing device.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said intercepting device modifies the print-ready document to limit the usage of specialized media resources according to the resource policies associated with said printing device.

15. A device to control usage of resources associated with a printing device, comprising:

an input port to intercept the print-ready document transmitted from a client device to a printing device;

an output port to provide a connection to the printing device associated with the intercepted print-ready document; and

a processor, operatively connected to said input port and said output port;

said processor extracting page, document, or user information from the intercepted print-ready document;

said processor comparing the extracted page, document, or user information with resource policies associated with said printing device;

said processor modifying the page, document, or user information within the intercepted print-ready document when the extracted page, document or user information is in conflict with resource policies associated with the printing device to ensure that printing of the print-ready document is in compliance with the resource policies associated with the printing device;

said processor, through said output port, submitting the modified intercepted print-ready document to the printing device.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said processor modifies the print-ready document to limit the printing of the print-ready document to certain times according to the resource policies associated with the printing device.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein said processor modifies the print-ready document to limit the usage of color printing resources according to the resource policies associated with the printing device.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein said processor modifies the print-ready document to print as duplex when needed for compliance with the resource policies associated with the printing device.

19. The device of claim 15 wherein said processor modifies the print-ready document to limit the usage of specialized media resources according to the resource policies associated with the printing device.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein said processor submits the intercepted print-ready document to the printing device when the extracted page, document or user information is in agreement with resource policies associated with the printing device.