Method and system for remote printing of documents

• US 6,744,528 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Winkelman, John H., Rojas, John W., Picoult, Cheryl L., Strobel, Kevin L., Norris, James R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/728,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1--, 358/1-1-, 358/402, 358/403, 709/200-203, 709/216-253, 345/760, 345/864, 345/810, 715/501.1, 455/420, 455/550.01, 455/556.02, 455/95, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.22, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33315 reading or reproducing mode only, e.g. sheet size, resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33376 according to characteristics or state of one of the communicating parties, e.g. available memory capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0027 Adapting to communicate with plural different types of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile device equipped with a wireless communication capability for generating electronic documents. The mobile device uses the wireless communication capability to communicate with a separate wireless communication tag. The wireless communication tag includes such information as a print device destination address, and the capabilities of the print device matching the destination address. The mobile device receives the destination device information and sends it and a document to a remote data processing center. The document and information may be sent via a network connection or a mobile communication device to a data-processing center. Once the data center receives the information and document the data processing center, the data center determines if any translation or transcoding of the original message is required in order for the destination device to receive the message in the a format which is compatible to the desired destination device. Once transcoding or translation is effected, the message is routed to the identified destination device, which then print the message.

Claims

1. A method for remotely printing a document comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a document by a sender on a mobile device, said device having wireless communication capability;

(b) accessing from said mobile device a wireless communication tag to obtain a set of information said information including an address of a destination device and said destination devices capabilities;

(c) sending, by the mobile device, said set of information and said document to a data processing center so that the data processing center will determine whether or not the destination device is compatible to enable printing the document;

(d) performing any necessary document translation;

(e) sending, from the data processing center, said document to said destination device address;

(f) printing said document at said destination device;

(g) delivering said document to a recipient in a specified period of time;

(h) replying by the recipient to the sender to indicate receipt of the document; and

(i) resending the document to the recipient if the recipient does not respond in the specified period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 further including sending a confirmation notification to said mobile device that a message was sent to said destination device address.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of determining recipient preferences and sending a message according to said recipient preferences.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile device is a laptop computer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile device is a mobile phone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile device is a pager.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said destination device is a photocopier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said destination is a facsimile machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said destination is a printer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication is infrared.