Data output system, mobile terminal, data output method, data output program, and computer-readable recording medium storing data output program

• US 6,801,962 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masao, Taniguchi, Katsuya, Kawano, Kyoya
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/915,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 710/33, 709/206, 358/473, 345/1.1
• US Class Current: 710/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A mail server includes a forwarding confirmation section which notifies a mobile phone of receipt of an e-mail, and mail and address forwarding sections which send attached data separated and a user ID to a print server, respectively. Each printer is managed by the print server that includes data holding and stored data search sections for storing the attached data and user ID. The printer has an input section from which the user ID is inputted. The print server is notified of the user ID inputted from the printer so as to search for attached data corresponding to the notified user ID and transfer it to the printer for print. It is thus possible to provide a print service system capable of printing out attached data when not recognized by some mobile devices including a mobile phone, by a nearest printer connected with a broadband network, without increasing communications costs.

Claims

1. A data output system, comprising:

a data providing section for specifying data; and

a data output section including a mobile terminal which the data providing section notifies of data information that is unique to the data specified by the data providing section, and a plurality of output devices including a specified output device which receives the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section so as to output it;

wherein the data output section, based on input for specifying the specified output device from a user of the mobile terminal which received the data information to the mobile terminal or the specified output device, sends specified output device information for specifying an output device from which data indicated by the data information is outputted, and a data sending request which is a request for sending the data to the specified output device, with respect to the data providing section, and

wherein the data providing section sends the data to the specified output device, so that the specified output device receives the data and outputs it.

2. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the specified output device sends the data sending request directed thereto to the data providing section, and the data providing section sends the data to the specified output device, so that the specified output device receives the data and outputs it.

3. The data output system set forth in claim 2, wherein:

each of the plurality of output devices includes instruction receiving means for receiving an instruction, which selects it as the specified output device, from a user of the mobile terminal.

4. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the mobile terminal specifies the specified output device while sending a data sending request by which data is sent to the specified output device to the data providing section, and the data providing section sends the data to the specified output device, so that the specified output device receives the data and outputs it.

5. The data output system set forth in claim 4, wherein:

after specifying the specified output device for outputting the data sent from the data providing section, the mobile terminal sends a data sending request with respect to the specified output device in the absence of the instruction from the user, to the data providing section.

6. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section includes a provider terminal for specifying the data, and a server for receiving destination information indicative of a destination of the data information from the provider terminal, sending the data information to a mobile terminal indicated in the destination information and sending the specified data to the output device.

7. The data output system set forth in claim 6, wherein:

the provider terminal sends the data to the server, and

the server receives the data from the provider terminal and sends it to the output device.

8. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section includes a provider terminal for specifying the data and sending the data information to a mobile terminal which is the destination of the data information, and a server for sending the specified data to the output device.

9. The data output system set forth in claim 8, wherein:

the provider terminal sends the data to the server, and

the server receives the data from the provider terminal and sends it to the output device.

10. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section includes a provider terminal for sending the data to the server, and the server for receiving the data from the provider terminal and sends it to the output device.

11. The data output system set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the data is created at the provider terminal.

12. The data output system set forth in claim 11, wherein:

the data providing section notifies the mobile terminal of the presence of the created data in the provider terminal.

13. The data output system set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the provider terminal sends data directed to the output device and combined data which is data combined with mobile terminal-use data directed to the mobile terminal, to the server, and

the server receives the combined data from the provider terminal, separates the combined data into the mobile terminal-use data and the data directed to the output device, and sends the mobile terminal-use data to the mobile terminal while sending the data directed to the output device to the output device.

14. The data output system set forth in claim 13, wherein:

the mobile terminal-use data is text data, and the data directed to the output device is image data.

15. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section converts data directed to the specified output device to data in such a format that enables output by the specified output device.

16. The data output system set forth in claim 15, wherein:

the data providing section stores data formats which enables output by all types of output devices, respectively.

17. The data output system set forth in claim 15, wherein:

the data providing section is notified by the specified output device of one of the data formats enabling output by that output device.

18. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data output section sends terminal unique information which can specify the mobile terminal to the data providing section, and

the data providing section searches for data corresponding to the received terminal unique information and sends the data retrieved to the specified output device.

19. The data output system set forth in claim 18, wherein:

the specified output device recognizes the terminal unique information and sends it to the data providing section.

20. The data output system set forth in claim 19, wherein:

when sensing the presence of the mobile terminal, the specified output device recognizes the terminal unique information of that mobile terminal.

21. The data output system set forth in claim 20, wherein:

when sensing the presence of the mobile terminal, the specified output device recognizes the terminal unique information of that mobile terminal based on a signal used by the mobile terminal to communicate with the data providing section.

22. The data output system set forth in claim 21, wherein:

the mobile terminal uses a wireless phone to communicate with the data providing section, and

when sensing the presence of the mobile terminal, the specified output device identifies as the terminal unique information of that mobile terminal the phone number of the mobile terminal based on a signal of the wireless phone used to communicate with the data providing section.

23. The data output system set forth in claim 18, wherein:

the mobile terminal sends the terminal unique information to the specified output device.

24. The data output system set forth in claim 23, wherein:

the mobile terminal has a phone mode, and the terminal unique information is the phone number of the mobile terminal.

25. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

when notified by the data providing section of data information, the mobile terminal instructs the data providing section how to manipulate data indicated by the data information.

26. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section inquires of the mobile terminal how to manipulate the data to be sent and manipulates the data pursuant to an answer to the inquiry.

27. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

when a plurality of data to be sent exist, the data providing section notifies a mobile terminal of it,

the mobile terminal selects one of the plurality of data for output at the specified output device and notifies the data providing section of the selected data, and

the data providing section sends the selected data to the specified output device.

28. The data output system set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an output device information storage section storing information on the plurality of output devices,

wherein;

the mobile terminal obtains information on the plurality of output devices from the output device information storage section, and specifies the output device to output data based on the data information and the information on the plurality of output devices.

29. The data output system set forth in claim 28, wherein:

the output device information storage section is independent of the data providing section and the data output section.

30. The data output system set forth in claim 28, wherein:

the mobile terminal notifies a user thereof that a search for all output devices which are ready to communicate with the data providing section is finished.

31. The data output system set forth in claim 28, wherein:

the mobile terminal notifies the user thereof that the output devices meeting a search condition set by the user have been detected.

32. The data output system set forth in claim 28, wherein:

the mobile terminal has a search condition storing section for storing search conditions for specifying an output device from which the data is outputted and focuses on the output device based on the search conditions.

33. The data output system set forth in claim 28, wherein:

the mobile terminal notifies the user thereof that an output device which is located within a predetermined range of the distance between the mobile terminal and the output device has been detected.

34. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section notifies the mobile terminal of information on each output device.

35. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section notifies the mobile terminal of proposed output device information indicative of proposed output devices which are selected from the plurality of output devices as being available for data output.

36. The data output system set forth in claim 35, wherein:

the proposed output device information is prepared by selecting the output devices according to a criterion that the distance between the output device and the mobile terminal is small.

37. The data output system set forth in claim 35, wherein:

the data providing section and the output device are directly connected via a communications line.

38. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data is sent from the data providing section to the output device via the mobile terminal.

39. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of output devices which can be the specified output devices are provided within the data output section.

40. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the output device is a print device for printing out the data.

41. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the output device is an image display device for displaying the data on a screen.

42. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data directed to the output device is image data.

43. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section and the output device are connected so that constant communications are available, and the data providing section and the mobile terminal are connected only when they communicate with each other.

44. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the data providing section and the mobile terminal communicate with each other by wireless communications.

45. The data output system set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the mobile terminal is a mobile phone.

46. A mobile terminal which is adopted in a data output system including a data providing section for specifying data and a plurality of output devices including a specified output device for receiving the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section so as to output it,

the mobile terminal sends specified output device information for specifying an output device from which data indicated by the data information is outputted, and a data sending request which is a request for sending the data to the specified output device, with respect to the data providing section, based on input for specifying the specified output device from a user of the mobile terminal, when the mobile terminal is notified by the data providing section of data information which is unique to the data specified by the data providing section.

47. A data output method, which outputs data in a data output system including a data providing section for specifying data and a plurality of output devices including a specified output device for receiving the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section so as to output it, the data output method comprising the steps of:

notifying data information from a data providing section for specifying data to a mobile terminal, the data information being unique to the data specified by the data providing section;

sending specified output device information and a data sending request from the mobile terminal or the specified output device based on input for specifying the specified output device from a user of the mobile terminal to the mobile terminal or the specified output device when the mobile terminal is notified by the data providing section of the data information,

the specified output device information being for specifying an output device from which data indicated by the data information is outputted, and the data sending request being a request for sending the data to the specified output device, with respect to the data providing section;

sending the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section to the specified output device; and

outputting the data sent from the data providing section by the specified output device.

48. A program to be executed by a computer, which outputs data in a data output system including a data providing section for specifying data and a plurality of output devices including a specified output device for receiving the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section so as to output it, said program comprising the steps of:

notifying data information from a data providing section for specifying data to a mobile terminal, the data information being unique to the data specified by the data providing section;

sending specified output device information and a data sending request from the mobile terminal or the specified output device based on input for specifying the specified output device from a user of the mobile terminal to the mobile terminal or the specified output device, when the mobile terminal is notified by the data providing section of the data information,

the specified output device information being for specifying an output device from which data indicated by the data information is outputted, and the data sending request being a request for sending the data to the specified output device, with respect to the data providing section;

sending the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section to the specified output device; and

outputting the data sent from the data providing section by the specified output device.

49. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer, which outputs data in a data output system including a data providing section for specifying data and a plurality of output devices including a specified output device for receiving the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section so as to output it, the program comprising the steps of:

notifying data information from a data providing section for specifying data to a mobile terminal, the data information being unique to the data specified by the data providing section;

sending specified output device information and a data sending request from the mobile terminal or the specified output device based on input for specifying the specified output device from a user of the mobile terminal to the mobile terminal or the specified output device, when the mobile terminal is notified by the data providing section of the data information,

the specified output device information being for specifying an output device from which data indicated by the data information is outputted, and the data sending request being a request for sending the data to the specified output device, with respect to the data providing section;

sending the data specified by the data providing section from the data providing section to the specified output device; and

outputting the data sent from the data providing section by the specified output device.