APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF GENERATING INFORMATION REGARDING PRINTER, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20150070725A1
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: MONDEN, Nobuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,936 B2
• 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 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing

Abstract

In response to information indicating data to be printed from a portable device, a system generates compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers compatible with printing of the data to be printed, sing information related to the data to be printed and device information of each one of the nearby printers. Based on the compatible printer information, a display for the system displays thereon a screen that lists one or more compatible printers that are compatible with printing of the data to be printed.

Claims

1. A management apparatus communicable with a portable device and a plurality of printers, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information indicating data to be printed, and location data indicating a current location of the portable device, from the portable device through the network;

a processing circuitry configured to

extract, from the plurality of printers on the network, one or more nearby printers located within a predetermined distance from the portable device using the location data of the portable device and location data of each printer, and

generate compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers compatible with printing of the data to be printed, which are selected from the one or more nearby printers using information related to the data to be printed and specification data of each one of the nearby printers; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the compatible printer information indicating the one or more compatible printers to the portable terminal through the network, and cause the portable device to display a screen that lists one or more compatible printers based on the compatible printer information.

2. The management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determiner is further configured to determine an order of the one or more compatible printers when listed on the screen, such that the printer having the shortest distance to the portable device and having specification compatible with printing of the data to be printed is listed with priority.

3. The management apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when the receiver receives updated location data of the portable device indicating the change in current location during when the portable device is displaying the screen that lists the compatible printers,

the processing circuitry extracts one or more nearby printers using the updated location data of the portable device and the location data of each printer, and generates updated compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers that reflect the change in current location of the portable device, and

the transmitter transmits the updated compatible printer information for display at the portable device.

4. The management apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

request each one of at least the nearby printers to send state information indicating a current operation state of the printer, in response to receiving the information indicating data to be printed and the location data from the portable device, and

the compatible printer information is generated using the state information of the printer in addition to the information related to the data to be printed and the specification data of the printer.

5. The management apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when the receiver receives updated state information of the printer indicating the change in current operation state during when the portable device is displaying the screen that lists the compatible printers,

the processing circuitry extracts one or more compatible printers using the information related to the data to be printed and the updated state information of the printer, and generates updated compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers that reflect the change in current location of the portable device, and

the transmitter transmits the updated compatible printer information for display at the portable device.

6. The management apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry determines the one or more compatible printers and the order of the one or more compatible printers to be listed on the screen, according to a display condition that is previously set by the user.

7. The management apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when the display condition is set to display the printer having the state information indicating that the printer is turned off, or the state information indicating that the printer is currently in use to perform another job, as the compatible printer,

the screen being displayed at the portable device includes, for selection by the user, the nearby printer having the state information indicating that the printer is turned off or indicating that the printer is currently in use, as the compatible printer compatible with printing of the data to be printed.

8. The management apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate, for each one of the one or more compatible printers, map data showing the location of the compatible printer with respect the current location of the portable device using the location data of the printer and the location data of the portable device, and

the transmitter further transmits the map data or information allowing access to the map data for display at the portable device.

9. The management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information related to the data to be printed includes information obtained from the data itself or information associated with the data, which is to be reflected onto a printed image of the data when printed by the printer.

10. A data management system communicable with a plurality or printers, comprising:

a memory that stores various data; and

one or more processors that

receive information indicating data to be printed selected from the data stored in the memory, and location data indicating a current location of a portable device operated by a user;

extract, from the plurality of printers on a network, one or more nearby printers located within a predetermined distance from the portable device using the location data of the portable device and location data of each printer, and

generate compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers compatible with printing of the data to be printed, which are selected from the one or more nearby printers using information related to the data to be printed and specification data of each one of the nearby printers; and

cause a display provided for the portable device to display a screen that lists one or more compatible printers based on the compatible printer information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors further determine an order of the one or more compatible printers when listed on the screen, such that the printer having the shortest distance to the portable device and having specification compatible with printing of the data to be printed is listed with priority.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, in response to detection of updated location data of the portable device indicating the change in current location during when the portable device is displaying the screen that lists the compatible printers,

the one or more processors further extract one or more nearby printers using the updated location data of the portable device and the location data of each printer, generate updated compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers that reflect the change in current location of the portable device, and cause the display provided for the portable device to display the updated compatible printer information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further

request each one of at least the nearby printers to send state information indicating a current operation state of the printer, in response to receiving the information indicating data to be printed and the location data from the portable device, and

the compatible printer information is generated using the state information of the printer in addition to the information related to the data to be printed and the specification data of the printer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, in response to detection of updated state information of the printer indicating the change in current operation state during when the portable device is displaying the screen that lists the compatible printers,

the one or more processors extract one or more compatible printers using the information related to the data to be printed and the updated state information of the printer, generate updated compatible printer information indicating one or more compatible printers that reflect the change in current location of the portable device, and cause the display provided for the portable device to display the updated compatible printer information.

15. A user interface provided for a data management system of printing data using one of a plurality of printers on a network in response to a request from a portable device, the user interface comprising:

a display element having a representation of a compatible printer list that lists one or more compatible printers compatible with printing of the data to be printed, the compatible printer list being generated based on location data of the portable device, device information regarding each one of the plurality of printers, and information related to the data to be printed,

wherein, in response to updating of the location data of the portable device due to movement of the portable device, the representation is changed to reflect a compatible printer list that is updated based on the updated location data.

16. The user interface of claim 15, wherein the representation of the display element is changed, only when the updated compatible printer list that is updated based on the updated location data differs from the compatible printer list currently displayed.