SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING PRINTER RESOURCES ON AN INTERNAL NETWORK

• US 20120069385A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PrinterOn Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pidduck, Patrick, Hollander, Brian, Onischke, Mark, Kuindersma, Michael, Krishnammagaru, Dharmesh, St. Laurent, Michael, Von Hatten, Philip, Evers, Rob, Kavanaugh, Frank, Sobiski, Mike, Zhou, Mei, Turner, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 8,970,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1224 Client or server resources management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A system and method are provided for routing print requests and managing internal printer resource data on an internal network with global printer resource data stored on an external network. Print requests are received for printer resources and it is determined whether the request may be served with printer resource data stored on the internal network. If the printer resource data is invalid or stale, then printer resource data is requested from the global server and the internal printer resource data is updated. The print request is then routed to the appropriate printer resource based on location information in the printer resource data associated with the requested printer resource. Network client devices may also be configured to connect to a print traffic server when connected to an internal network, and to the global server otherwise.

Claims

1. A method for routing print requests and managing internal printer resource data on an internal network wherein global printer resource data is stored on an external network, the method comprising:

receiving a print request for a printer resource;

updating internal printer resource data with global printer resource data from a global server connected to the external network if internal printer resource data stored on the internal network that is associated with the requested printer resource is invalid, the global server having global printer resource data; and

routing the print request to the requested printer resource based on location information in the printer resource data associated with the requested printer resource.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the print request further comprises one of sending the print request through the internal network if the location information indicates the printer resource is connected to the internal network, and sending the print request through the external network if the location information indicates the printer resource is not connected to the internal network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the location information comprises at least one of a network address and a physical location.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprises synchronizing printer resource data between internal printer resource data on the internal network and global printer resource data on the global server at a synchronization event.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the synchronization event is at least one of a scheduled interval, the print request and a manual synchronization.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the print request comprises a request for a listing of printer resources.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the print request comprises print job data.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a consolidated activity report to the global server at a scheduled interval.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising initializing internal printer resource data from global printer resource data received from the global server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the invalid internal printer resource data comprises stale internal printer resource data.

11. A system for routing print requests and managing internal printer resources on an internal network wherein global printer resource data is stored on an external network, the system comprising:

a global server connected to the external network having a global printer resource registry for storing global printer resource data;

a print traffic server connected to the internal network and the global server, the print traffic server having an internal printer resource registry for storing internal printer resource data, the print traffic server configured to update internal printer resource data from the global server if the internal printer resource data associated with the requested printer resource is invalid, and to route the print request to the requested printer resource based on location information in the printer resource data associated with the requested printer resource.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the print traffic server is further configured to send the print request through the internal network if the location information indicates the printer resource is connected to the internal network, and to send the print request through the external network if the location information indicates the printer resource is not connected to the internal network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the location information comprises at least one of a network address and a physical location.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the print traffic server is further configured to synchronize printer resource data between the internal printer resource registry and the global printer resource registry at a synchronization event.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the synchronization event is at least one of a scheduled interval, the print request and a manual synchronization.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the print request comprises a request for a listing of printer resources.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the print traffic server is further configured to send a consolidated activity report to the global server at a scheduled interval.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the print traffic server is further configured to initialize the internal printer resource registry with printer resource data from the global printer resource registry.

19. A method for accessing a printer resource on an internal network from a client network device, the method comprising:

sending a message to a print traffic server on the internal network from the client network device;

if a reply to the message is received from the print traffic server, submitting the print request for the printer resource to the print traffic server; and

if the reply to the message is not received from the print traffic server, attempting to submit the print request for the printer resource to a global server located on an external network.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

prior to sending the message, determining whether GPS coordinates of the client network device are within a coverage area of the internal network.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

providing location information for the print traffic server.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the location information is a network address.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

providing location information for the global server.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the location information is a network address.

25. A client network device for accessing a printer resource on an internal network, the client network device comprising:

a memory for storing program instructions; and

a processor, that when executing the program instructions, is configured to send a message to a print traffic server on the internal network from the client network device, to submit the print request for the printer resource to the print traffic server if a reply to the message is received from the print traffic server, and to attempt to submit the print request for the printer resource to a global server located on an external network if the reply is not received.

26. The device of claim 25 further comprising:

a GPS receiver, wherein the processor is further configured to determining whether GPS coordinates of the client network device are within a coverage area of the internal network prior to sending the message.

27. A method for accessing a printer resource on an internal network from a client network device, the method comprising:

receiving location information of a client network device at a global print server on an external network;

identifying a print traffic server that is accessible by the client network device through the internal network based on the location information;

sending a connection information for the identified print traffic server to the client network device.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the location information is GPS coordinates data.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the location information is network address information.

30. A system for accessing a printer resource on an internal network, the system comprising:

a client network device on the internal network for sending location information;

at least one print traffic server on the internal network for routing print requests to the printer resource; and

a global print server connected to an external network for receiving the location information, identifying the at least one print traffic server that is accessible by the client network device through the internal network based on the location information, and providing the connection information to the client network device.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the client device comprises a GPS receiver and the location information is GPS coordinates data.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the location information is network address information.