Software architecture for cable television home printing

• US 6,636,329 B2
• Filed: 07/20/1999
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Otala, Tapani, Barr, Douglas Richard, Koppich, George, Purpura, Don Francis, Yeung, Michael Lee, Gacek, Paul Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, DOUGLAS Q
• Application Number:
  US09/357,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20030133145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 709/227, 709/232, 709/201, 709/203, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/230, 709/231, 710/7, 710/8, 710/31, 710/33, 710/19, 710/11, 710/65, 725/9, 725/32
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00098 via a television channel, e.g. for a series of still pictures with or without sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00294 for printing images at a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A software architecture for printing to a home printer via a cable television communication network includes complementary clients and servers executing on each of the internet components participating in the internet-based printing. A client executes at the remote internet-based site that originates the print job, and transmits the print job to a complimentary server at the cable head end. A server at the cable head end spools the print job and preferably converts the print job into a format more suitable for a next-downstream device, such as a cable set top box. The cable head end further includes a client which transmits the print job from the cable head end'"'"'s server to a server at the set top box. The server at the set top box spools the print job to an attached printer. Preferably each of the clients and each of the servers is nearly identical to all other clients and servers, and each communicates to other applications including client applications through a consistent and uniform application programming interface.

Claims

1. A software architecture for printing to a home printer over a cable television communication network comprising n Internet sites (where n≧

3), with the cable television communication network connecting a cable head end to a home set top box to which the printer is connectable, the software architecture comprising;

a first client at a first Internet site which functions to create a print job, and to transmit the print job to a second Internet site downstream of the first internet site;

a first server at the second Internet site complementary to said first client, said first server functioning to accept the print job from the first client, said first server being configured to create a spooler which includes a logical printer that functions to render the print job through a form tailored to a third Internet site downstream of the second Internet site; and

a second client at the second Internet site which functions to transmit the print job to a second server at the third Internet site, the second client being complementary to the first client, the first server and the second server,

wherein the first and second clients and the first and second servers include an identical application programming interface that permits access thereto by a client application and other applications.

2. The software architecture according to claim 1, wherein the second client and the first server are implemented at a cable head end, the first server being configured to receive the print job from the first Internet site and including a server that renders the print job from a printer-independent format into a printer-dependent format;

and

wherein said second client transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to the second server at a set top box.

3. The software architecture according to claim 2, wherein the second server implemented at the set top box, transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to a printer connected to the set top box.

4. The software architecture according to claim 3, wherein the first client at the first Internet site originates the print job, and transmits the print job in a printer-independent format to said first server the cable head end.

5. A method for printing to a home printer over a cable television communication network comprising n Internet sites (where n≦

3), with the cable television communication network connecting a cable head end to a home set top box to which the printer is connectable, the method comprising the steps of;

executing a first client at a first Internet site which functions to create a print job, and to transmit the print job to a second Internet site downstream of the first Internet site;

executing a first server at the second internet site complementary to said first client, said first server functioning to accept the print job from the first client, said first server being configured to create a spooler which includes a logical printer that functions to render the print job through a form tailored to a third Internet site downstream of the second Internet site; and

executing a second client at the second Internet site which functions to transmit the print job to a second server at the third Internet site, the second client being complementary to the first client, the first server and the second server,

wherein the first and second clients and the first and second servers include an identical application programming interface that permits access thereto by a client application and other applications.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second client and the first server are implemented at a cable head end, the first server configured to receive the print job from the first Internet site and including a server that renders the print job from a printer-independent format into a printer-dependent format;

and

wherein said second client transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to second server at a set top box.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second server implemented at the set top box, transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to printer connected to the set top box.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first client at the first Internet site originates the print job and transmits the printer job in a printer-independent format to said first server in the cable head end.

9. An apparatus for printing to a home printer over a cable television communication network comprising n Internet sites (where n≧

3), with the cable television communication network connecting a cable head end to a home set top box to which the printer is connectable, comprising;

a program memory for storing process steps executable to perform a method for printing to a home printer over a cable television communication network, with the cable television communication network connecting a cable head end to a home set top box to which the printer is connectable, the executable process steps comprising the steps of;

executing a first client at a first Internet site which functions to create a print job and to transmit the print job to a second Internet site downstream of the first Internet site;

executing a first server at the second Internet site complementary to said first client, said first server functioning to accept the print job from the first client, said first server being configured to create a spooler which includes a logical printer that functions to render the print job through a form tailored to a third Internet site downstream of the second Internet site; and

executing a second client at the second Internet site which functions to transmit the print job to a second server at the third Internet site, the second client being complementary to the first client, the first server and the second server,

wherein the first and second clients and the first and second servers include an identical application programming interface that permits access thereto by a client application and other applications; and

a processor for executing the process steps stored in said program memory.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second client and the first server are implemented at a cable head end, the first server configured to receive the print job from the first Internet site and including a server that renders the print job from a printer-independent format into a printer-dependent format;

and

wherein said second client transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to the second server at a server at a set top box.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second server implemented at the set top box, transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to a printer connected to the set top box.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first client at the first Internet site originates the print job and transmits the print job in a printer-independent format to said first server in the cable head end.

10. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, said computer-executable process steps for printing to a home printer over a cable television communication network comprising n Internet sites (where n≧

3), with the cable television communication network connecting a cable head end to a home set top box to which the printer is connectable, said computer-executable process steps comprising the steps of;

executing a first client at a first Internet site which functions to create a print job, and to transmit the print job to a second Internet site downstream of the first Internet site;

executing a first server at the second Internet site complementary to said first client, said first server functioning to accept the print job from the first client, said first server being configured to create a spooler which includes a logical printer that functions to render the print job through a form tailored to a third Internet site downstream of the second Internet site; and

executing a second client at the second Internet site which functions to transmit the print job to a second server at the third Internet site, the second client being complementary to the first client, the first server and the second server,

wherein the first and second clients and the first and second servers include an identical application programming interface that permits access thereto by a client application and other applications.

15. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 10, wherein the second client and the first server are implemented at a cable head end, the first server configured to receive the print job from the first Internet site and including a server that renders the print job from a printer-independent format into a printer-dependent format;

and

wherein said second client transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to the second server at a set top box.

16. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 15, wherein the second server implemented at the set top box, transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to a printer connected to the set top box.

17. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 16, wherein the first client at the first Internet site originates the print job, and transmits the print job in a printer-independent format to said first server in the cable head end.

11. A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps for printing to a home printer over a cable television communication network comprising n Internet sites (where n≧

3), with the cable television communication network connecting a cable head end to a home set top box to which the printer is connectable, said computer-executable process steps comprising the steps of;

executing a first client at a first Internet site which functions to create a print job, and to transmit the print job to a second Internet site downstream of the first Internet site;

executing a first server at the second Internet site complementary to said first client, said first server functioning to accept the print job from the first client, said first server being configured to create a spooler which includes a logical printer that functions to render the print job through a form tailored to a third Internet site downstream of the second Internet site; and

executing a second client at the second Internet site which functions to transmit the print job to a second server at the third Internet site, the second client being complementary to the first client, the first server and the second server,

wherein the first and second clients and the first and second servers include an identical application programming interface that permits access thereto by a client application and other applications.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the second client and the first server are implemented at a cable head end, the first server configured to receive the print job from the first Internet site and including a server that renders the print job from a printer-independent format into a printer-dependent format;

and

wherein said second client transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to the second server at a set top box.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the second server implemented at the set top box, transmits the print job in the printer-dependent format to a printer connected to the set top box.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the first client at the first internet site originates the print job and transmits the print job in a printer-independent format to said first server in the cable head end.