Printing service method for printing system and the printing system

• US 6,705,781 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwazaki, Ryuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nolan, Jr., Charles M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAU, MINH H
• Application Number:
  US09/961,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 101/483, 101/484, 400/61, 400/62, 400/70, 400/76, 358/1--
• US Class Current: 400/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio

Abstract

In a print service method for a printing system, text data contained in a mail received by a mobile phone owned by a user, and attachment file data attached to the received mail are downloaded into the printing system from the mobile phone. Application software corresponding to the attachment file data is selected from application software stored in the printing system, thereby opening the attachment file data by using the selected application software. The text data and the attachment file data opened by the selected application software are printed onto a printing medium.

Claims

1. A print service method for a printing system, comprising:

downloading, into the printing system from a mobile phone owned by a user, text data contained in a mail received by the mobile phone, and attachment file data attached to the received mail;

selecting application software, corresponding to the attachment file data, from application software stored in the printing system, and opening the attachment file data by using the selected application software; and

printing, onto a printing medium, the text data and the attachment file data opened by the selected application software.

2. The printing service method according to claim 1, wherein the printing medium is pre-printed with advertisement data.

3. The printing service method according to claim 2, wherein the printing is free of charge.

4. The printing service method according to claim 2, wherein a charge for the printing is discounted.

5. The printing service method according to claim 1, further comprising adding advertisement data to the text data.

6. The printing service method according to claim 5, wherein the printing is free of charge.

7. The printing service method according to claim 5, wherein a charge for the printing is discounted.

8. The printing service method according to claim 5, wherein profile information on the user is registered in the mobile phone of the user, and said downloading comprising downloading the profile information, and said adding comprising selecting advertisement data suitable for the profile information, and adding the selected advertisement data to the text data.

9. The printing service method according to claim 1, wherein said downloading comprises:

downloading, from the mobile phone of the user, a list of mails received by the mobile phone of the user;

allowing the user to select a printing mail from the list; and

downloading, from the mobile phone of the user into the printing system, text data contained in a selected mail, and attachment file data attached to the selected mail.

10. A printing service method for a printing system that is connectable to an Internet and is provided with a Web browser function, comprising:

downloading, into the printing system from a mobile phone owned by a user, text data contained in a mail received by the mobile phone, the text data containing a URL;

connecting the printing system to the Internet, accessing the URL by using the Web browser function of the printing system on the basis of the URL contained in the downloaded text data, and downloading Web browser data; and

printing, onto a printing medium, the text data and the Web browser data.

11. The printing service method according to claim 10, wherein the printing medium is pre-printed with advertisement data.

12. The printing service method according to claim 11, wherein the printing is free of charge.

13. The printing service method according to claim 11, wherein a charge for the printing is discounted.

14. The printing service method according to claim 10, further comprising adding advertisement data to the text data.

15. The printing service method according to claim 14, wherein the printing is free of charge.

16. The printing service method according to claim 14, wherein a charge for the printing is discounted.

17. The printing service method according to claim 14, wherein profile information on the user is registered in the mobile phone of the user, and said downloading comprising downloading the profile information, and said adding comprising selecting advertisement data suitable for the profile information, and adding the selected advertisement data to the text data.

18. The printing service method according to claim 10, wherein said downloading comprises:

downloading, from the mobile phone of the user, a list of mails received by the mobile phone of the user;

allowing the user to select a printing mail from the list; and

downloading, from the mobile phone of the user into the printing system, text data contained in a selected mail and containing the URL.

19. A printing service method for a printing system that is connectable to an Internet, and is provided with an Internet printing function and a user identification function, the method comprising:

connecting the printing system to the Internet, and downloading printing data and identification information of the user into the printing system from a terminal connected to the Internet;

downloading identification information of the user from a mobile phone to the printing system;

determining whether or not the identification information downloaded from the terminal is identical to the identification information downloaded from the mobile phone; and

printing the printing data onto a printing medium, if the two identification information are identical to each other.

20. The printing service method according to claim 19, wherein the printing medium is pre-printed with advertisement data.

21. The printing service method according to claim 20, wherein the printing is free of charge.

22. The printing service method according to claim 20, wherein a charge for the printing is discounted.

23. The printing service method according to claim 19, further comprising adding, to the printing data, advertisement data stored in the printing system, and printing out the printing data with the advertisement data.

24. The printing service method according to claim 23, wherein the printing is free of charge.

25. The printing service method according to claim 23, wherein a charge for the printing is discounted.

26. A printing system comprising:

a radio connecting section configured to receive an E-mail transferred from a mobile phone owned by a user;

an E-mail analysis section configured to separate the E-mail, received by said radio connecting section, into text data and attachment file data;

a printing section configured to print the text data and the attachment file data onto a printing medium; and

a microprocessor configured to make said radio connecting section receive an E-mail, to make said E-mail analysis section separate the received E-mail into the text data and the attachment file data, to select application software, corresponding to the separated attachment file data, from application software stored in the printing system, to open the attachment file data by using the selected application software, and to make said printing section to print, onto the printing medium, the separated text data and the attachment file data opened by the selected application software.

27. The printing system according to claim 26, wherein the printing medium is pre-printed with advertisement data.

28. The printing system according to claim 26, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to add advertisement data, stored in the printing system, to the separated text data.

29. A printing system comprising:

a radio connecting section configured to receive an E-mail transferred from a mobile phone owned by a user;

an E-mail analysis section configured to extract text data and a URL from the E-mail received by said radio connecting section;

a Web browser functioning section configured to access the extracted URL via an Internet, thereby acquiring Web page data related to the extracted URL;

a printing section configured to print the text data and the Web page data related to the URL onto a printing medium; and

a microprocessor configured to make said radio connecting section receive an E-mail, to make said E-mail analysis section extract text data and a URL from the received E-mail, to make said Web browser functioning section access the extracted URL and acquire Web page data related to the URL, and to make said printing section to print, onto the printing medium, the extracted text data and the Web page data related to the URL.

30. The printing system according to claim 29, wherein the printing medium is pre-printed with advertisement data.

31. The printing system according to claim 29, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to add advertisement data, stored in the printing system, to the extracted text data.