SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION APPARATUS FOR PRINTING OVER AIR OR FOR PRINTING OVER A NETWORK
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded therein software program executable, at least partly, by one or more processors of an information apparatus to perform a printing method, the information apparatus includes:
- the one or more processors;
a communication interface for establishing a local area network connection to a local area network;
memory or storage component storing at least part of operating system software to facilitate operations of the software program; and
wherein the printing method comprises;
(1) obtaining, by the software program, digital content for printing;
(2) discovering, via the communication interface, a printer that is available in the local area network;
(3) receiving, over the local area network and via the communication interface, capability information from the printer discovered in (2), the capability information received from the printer is related to the printer;
(4) generating print data from at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the capability information received from the printer in (3); and
(5) transmitting, via the communication interface, at least part of the print data generated in (4) to the printer discovered in (2) for printing the digital content obtained in (1); and
wherein the printing of at least part of the digital content in (1) from the information apparatus to the printer in the local area network in (2) does not require a printer driver that is specific to the printer installed in the information apparatus.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Information apparatus and application software supporting printing over air or network are herein disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus may include one or more software components that include (1) a discovery component to discover a supported printer in a local area network (LAN) and to receive device information related to the printer (e.g., capability, language or format supported, identification) from the printer, and (2) a printing component to generate or obtain print data based on the device information received and to transmit the print data to the discovered printer. After establishing the connection to the LAN, application software (e.g., Internet browser, email, photos, documents) in the information apparatus may print digital content by using the discovery component to discover the printer in the LAN, and may use the printing component to obtain and transmit print data in a form that is acceptable to the printer for printing the digital content.
59 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded therein software program executable, at least partly, by one or more processors of an information apparatus to perform a printing method, the information apparatus includes:
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the one or more processors; a communication interface for establishing a local area network connection to a local area network; memory or storage component storing at least part of operating system software to facilitate operations of the software program; and wherein the printing method comprises; (1) obtaining, by the software program, digital content for printing; (2) discovering, via the communication interface, a printer that is available in the local area network; (3) receiving, over the local area network and via the communication interface, capability information from the printer discovered in (2), the capability information received from the printer is related to the printer; (4) generating print data from at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the capability information received from the printer in (3); and (5) transmitting, via the communication interface, at least part of the print data generated in (4) to the printer discovered in (2) for printing the digital content obtained in (1); and wherein the printing of at least part of the digital content in (1) from the information apparatus to the printer in the local area network in (2) does not require a printer driver that is specific to the printer installed in the information apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for printing digital content from application software of an information apparatus, the information apparatus includes:
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one or more processors; a communication interface for establishing a local area network connection to a local area network; and memory or storage component storing software components, the software components include; a discovery component for discovering, via the communication interface, a printer in the local area network and for receiving, via the communication interface and from the printer, device information associated with the printer; a data generation component for generating print data related to the digital content, the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the device information received from the printer; and a transport component for transmitting, via the communication interface, at least part of the generated print data to the printer in the local area network; and wherein the information apparatus further includes at least part of the application software stored in the memory or storage component of the information apparatus, and execution of at least part of the application software, by the one or more processors of the information apparatus, causes the information apparatus to; (1) use the application software to obtained the digital content; (2) use the discovery component to discover the printer that is available in the local area network; (3) use the discovery component to receive the device information from the printer discovered in (2), the device information associated with the printer, and the device information includes one or more of language information supported by the printer or format information supported by the printer, individually or in any combination; (4) use the data generation component, to generate print data from at least part of the digital content obtained in (1), the generating of the print data is based, at least in part, on the device information received from the printer in (3), and the generated print data conforms, at least in part, to the language information or the format information that is included in the device information received from the printer in (3); and (5) use the transport component, to transmit at least part of the print data generated in (4) to the printer for printing at least part of the digital content. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An information apparatus, comprising:
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a display screen; one or more processors; a communication interface for establishing a local area network connection; and memory or storage component storing at least a software program, wherein execution of at least part of the software program, by the one or more processors of the information apparatus, causes the information apparatus to perform a printing method, comprising; (1) obtaining, at the information apparatus, digital content for printing; (2) establishing, using the communication interface, a local area network connection to a local area network; (3) discovering, via the communication interface, a printer that is available in the local area network in (2); (4) receiving, via the communication interface and over the local area network connection established in (2), device information from the printer discovered in (3), the device information includes identification information and attributes related to the printer; (5) displaying, on the display screen of the information apparatus, a graphical user interface that includes a print item or print function control for user selection, the print item or the print function control related, at least in part, to printing the digital content at the printer discovered in (3); (6) receiving, at least an indication of a selection of the print item or function control in (5) displayed on the display screen of the information apparatus; and (7) subsequent to having received at least the indication of a selection of the print item or print function control in (6), transmitting, using the communication interface, print data via the established local area network connection in (2) to the printer discovered in (3), wherein the print data is related to at least part of the digital content obtained in (1); and wherein at least part of the transmitted print data in (7) is based on having received the device information in (4) from the printer, and wherein at least part of the transmitted print data is in accordance to the attributes related to the printer that is included in the device information received from the printer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification