Method and apparatus for representing print jobs using a compact format

• US 6,424,427 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation, Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Herriot, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERALI, ISHRAT I
• Application Number:
  US08/828,699
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 395/114-118, 395/101, 395/831, 364/478.09, 358/1-3-, 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 707/523, 707/513, 707/518, 707/515, 707/10, 707/2, 707/9, 709/200, 709/230, 709/207, 709/206, 709/219, 710/11, 700/221
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sending and receiving a print job as an HTTP request version of the MIME protocol, using an entity-body having content-types of “application/jobAttributes” and “application/documentAttributes”. The documents can be structured to as many levels as desirable.

Claims

1. A method of sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising the steps performed by a data processing system having a memory, of:

creating, in the memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message portion, wherein the creating step includes;

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

adding to the HTTP request at least one entity that includes at least two alternative representations of a document; and

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

sending the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer;

receiving a message in an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

after creating the print job as an HTTP request, verifying whether the HTTP request includes special instruction for the next document;

creating an entity whose content-type is “

application/documentAttributes”

if the HTTP request included special instruction for the next document; and

creating an entity for the next document, if the HTTP request did not include special instructions for the next document.

2. A method of receiving a multipart print job, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a HTTP request from a client to perform a print job;

(b) verifying whether or not the content-type of the message is multipart/mixed;

(c) printing a single document, having no attributes, if the content-type of the print job message is not multipart/mixed;

(d) verifying whether the first entity has a content-type of “

application/jobAttributes”

, if the content type of the print job message is multipart/mixed;

(e) getting the parameters for the print job from the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity if the first entity has a content-type of “

application/jobAttributes”

;

(f) verifying if the next entity has a content-type of “

application/documentAttributes”

, if the first entity does not have a content-type of “

application/jobAttributes”

;

(g) getting document parameters in “

application/documentAttributes”

entity for the next document, if the next entity does have a content-type of “

application/documentAttributes”

;

(h) printing the next document in accordance with the entity for the next document;

(i) verifying whether or not there are more documents in the print job;

(j) returning to (f), if there are more documents in the print job; and

(k) sending a HTTP response to the client regarding the status of the print job, including the error status of the print job and successful completion of the print job, if there are no more documents in the print job.

3. A method of sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising the steps performed by a data processing system having a memory, of:

creating, in the memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message portion, wherein the creating step includes;

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

adding to the HTTP request at least one entity that includes at least two alternative representations of a document; and

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

sending the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

receiving a message in an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein in the creating step;

the first representation of a document includes an entity body with a first content type; and

the second representation includes another entity body with a second content type.

4. A method of sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising the steps performed by a data processing system having a memory, of:

creating, in the memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message portion, wherein the creating step includes;

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

adding to the HTTP request at least one entity that includes at least two alternative representations of a document; and

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

sending the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer;

receiving a message in an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the application/documentAttributes entity has attributes about the next document to be printed in the print job.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of adding at least one extension to the HTTP request including at least one application/jobAttributes entity is performed for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of adding at least one extension to the HTTP request including at least one application/documentAttributes entity is performed for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

5. A method of sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising the steps performed by a data processing system having a memory, of:

creating, in the memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message portion, wherein the creating step includes;

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

adding to the HTTP request at least one entity that includes at least two alternative representations of a document; and

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

sending the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

receiving a message in an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the print job includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity, the at least one entity having two alternative representations and at least one application/documentAttributes entity.

6. A method of a printer receiving a multipart print job in a message, the method performed by the printer comprising the steps of:

receiving, a message in an HTTP request that includes an extension comprising at least one “

application/jobAttributes”

entity for specifying instructions for the print job, an entity for a document in the print job that includes at least two alternative representations of the document and an extension that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes;

printing the document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, the entity for the document and the application/documentAttributes entity; and

sending in a message an HTTP response from the printer indicating a status of the printing step;

wherein the first representation of the document includes an entity body with a first content type; and

the second representation includes another entity body with a second content type.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of printing a document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity and the entity for the document is performed for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

7. A method of a printer receiving a multipart print job in a message, the method performed by the printer comprising the steps of:

receiving, a message in an HTTP request that includes an extension comprising at least one “

application/jobAttributes”

entity for specifying instructions for the print job, an entity for a document in the print job that includes at least two alternative representations of the document and an extension that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes;

printing the document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, the entity for the document and the application/documentAttributes entity; and

sending in a message an HTTP response from the printer indicating a status of the printing step;

wherein the application/documentAttributes have attributes about the next document to be printed in the print job.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the application/documentAttributes entity is provided for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

8. An apparatus for sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising:

a portion configured to create in a memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message part, wherein the create portion includes;

a portion configured to add an extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

a portion configured to add to the HTTP request at least one entity for a document that includes at least two alternative representations of the document; and

a portion configured to add an extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

a portion configured to send the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

a portion configured to receive in a message an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the first representation of the document includes an entity body with a first content type; and

the second representation includes another entity body with a second content type.

9. An apparatus for sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising:

a portion configured to create in a memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message part, wherein the create portion includes;

a portion configured to add an extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

a portion configured to add to the HTTP request at least one entity for a document that includes at least two alternative representations of the document; and

a portion configured to add an extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

a portion configured to send the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

a portion configured to receive in a message an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the application/documentAttributes entity has attributes about the next document to be printed in the print job.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the creating portion is configured to add at least one extension to the HTTP request including at least one application/jobAttributes entity for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

21. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the creating portion is configured to add at least one extension to the HTTP request including at least one “

application/documentAttributes”

entity for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

10. An apparatus for sending a multipart print job as a message to a printer, comprising:

a portion configured to create in a memory a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message part, wherein the create portion includes;

a portion configured to add an extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

a portion configured to add to the HTTP request at least one entity for a document that includes at least two alternative representations of the document; and

a portion configured to add an extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

a portion configured to send the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

a portion configured to receive in a message an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the print job includes at least one applicationsjobAttributes entity, the at least one entity having two alternative representations and at least one application/documentAttributes entity.

11. A multipart print job printer having a memory, comprising:

a portion configured to receive a message in an HTTP request comprising an extension that includes at least one “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, an entity for a document in a print job that includes at least two alternative representations of the document, and an extension that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

a printing portion configured to print the document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, the entity for the document and the application/documentAttributes entity; and

a portion configured to send in a message an HTTP response from the printer indicating a status of the printing portion;

wherein the first representation of the print job includes an entity body with a first content type; and

the second representation includes another entity body with a second content type.

12. A multipart print job printer having a memory, comprising:

a portion configured to receive a message in an HTTP request comprising an extension that includes at least one “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, an entity for a document in a print job that includes at least two alternative representations of the document, and an extension that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

a printing portion configured to print the document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, the entity for the document and the application/documentAttributes entity; and

a portion configured to send in a message an HTTP response from the printer indicating a status of the printing portion;

wherein the application/documentAttributes entity has attributes about the next document to be printed in the print job.

22. The printer of claim 12, wherein the printing portion includes a portion configured to print a document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity and with an entity for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

23. The printer of claim 12, wherein the printing portion performs its function for each of a plurality of documents in a print job.

13. A multipart print job printer having a memory, comprising:

a portion configured to receive a message in an HTTP request comprising an extension that includes at least one “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, an entity for a document in a print job that includes at least two alternative representations of the document, and an extension that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

a printing portion configured to print the document in accordance with the “

application/jobAttributes”

entity, the entity for the document and the application/documentAttributes entity; and

a portion configured to send in a message an HTTP response from the printer indicating a status of the printing portion;

wherein the printing portion is configured to print the document in accordance with a print job, the print job including at least one application/jobAttributes entity, the at least one entity having two alternative representations and at least one application/documentAttributes entity.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer code embodied therein for causing a computer to send a multiprint print job as a message to a printer, the computer program product including;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect creating a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message portion, wherein the creating includes;

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

adding to the HTTP request at least one entity that includes at least two alternative representations of a document; and

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect sending the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect receiving a message in an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the first representation includes an entity body with a first content type and the second representation includes another entity body with a second content type.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer code embodied therein for causing a computer to send a multiprint print job as a message to a printer, the computer program product including;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect creating a print job as a message in an HTTP request including at least a header and a message portion, wherein the creating includes;

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/jobAttributes entity;

adding to the HTTP request at least one entity that includes at least two alternative representations of a document; and

adding at least one extension to the HTTP request that includes at least one application/documentAttributes entity on the same level as the application/jobAttributes entity;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect sending the print job as the message in the HTTP request to the printer; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect receiving a message in an HTTP response from the printer, specifying a status of the print job;

wherein the application/documentAttributes entity has attributes about the next document to be printed in the print job.