System and method for accessing and using a commercial print service

• US 6,958,824 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitmarsh, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): EBRAHIMI DEHKORDY, SAEID
• Application Number:
  US09/773,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 713/200, 399/8, 399/81, 709/203, 709/227
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1276 within a printer driver, e.g. driver resides either on a server or on a client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A print service system and method. The method typically includes receiving a print request at a local client computing device, and displaying a remotely served print interface on the local client computing device. The print interface is typically configured to request a printing parameter relating to the print request. The method may further include creating a printable file in response to the print request, and sending the printable file and associated printing parameter from the local client computing device to a remote publisher for printing. The print interface may be served by a workflow application server associated with the print service, and the printable file may be temporarily uploaded to a repository before being downloaded to the remote publisher for printing. The local client computing device may include a browser, and the method may further include, after receiving the print request, opening the browser to an address from which the print interface is remotely served. The browser may be opened by a client initialization program, which may be called by a print driver associated with the print service.

Claims

1. A method for use in utilizing a print service, the method comprising:

receiving a print request at a local client computing device;

displaying a print interface on the local client computing device, the print interface being downloaded from a remote print service workflow application server and being configured to request a printing parameter relating to the print request;

receiving via the print interface, a printing parameter relating to the print request; and

sending the printing parameter to the workflow application server to direct execution of the print request in accordance with the printing parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the print request is received by an application program executed on the local client computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after receiving the print request via the application program, displaying a print dialog menu on the local client computing device, the print dialog menu including a remote print service option.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, in response to user selection of the remote print service option, creating a printable file for the print request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the printable file is created by a print service print driver called by the application program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the local client computing device includes a browser, the method further comprising, after receiving the print request, opening the browser to a predetermined workflow application server address from which the print interface is remotely served.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the local client computing device includes a client initialization program, the method further comprising, in response to receiving the print request, opening a connection between the client initialization program and the workflow application server at a predetermined workflow application server address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, downloading a repository address from the workflow application server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, uploading a printable file corresponding to the print request to a repository at the repository address.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the client initialization program is called by a print service print driver.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, sending the printable file from the local client computing device to a repository.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, sending the printable file from the repository to the remote publisher.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, sending the printing parameter from the workflow application server to the remote publisher.

14. A method for sending a print job to a remote publisher for printing, the method comprising:

receiving a print request at a local client computing device;

creating a printable file in response to the print request;

displaying a remotely served print interface on the local client computing device;

requesting and receiving via the remotely served print interface, a printing parameter relating to the print request;

sending the printing parameter to a selected remote publisher; and

sending the printable file to the selected remote publisher for printing in accordance with the printing parameter.

15. A print service system for use by a user, comprising:

a print service workflow application server configured to serve a print interface via a wide area network; and

a local computing device configured to receive a print request from the user and, in response, download and display a print interface from the workflow application server via the wide area network, wherein the print interface is configured to receive a printing parameter relating to the print request and to send the printing parameter to a selected remote publisher.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the local computing device is configured to generate a printable file relating to the print request.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the printable file is a native file.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the printable file is a printable file generated by a print driver.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote publisher, print service workflow application server, and local client computing device are configured to communicate via a wide area network.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the workflow application server is configured to cause the printable file and the printing parameter to be sent from the local computing device to the remote publisher.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising a repository configured to store the printable file and the printing parameter.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the workflow application server is configured to instruct the local computing device to send the printable file to the repository, and the remote publisher includes a remote publisher server configured to download the printable file and printing parameter from the repository.

23. A print service system for use by a user, comprising:

a local client computing device configured to connect to a wide area network;

a remote publisher server configured to connect to the wide area network;

a remote repository server and associated database, the repository server being configured to connect to the local client and the remote publisher server via the wide area network; and

a remote print service workflow application server configured to connect to the local client and the remote publisher server the wide area network;

wherein the local client computing device is configured to contact the print service workflow application server in response to receiving a print request, and the remote print service workflow application server is configured to instruct the local client computing device to upload a printable file associated with the print request to the remote repository server for storage in the repository database; and

wherein the print service workflow application server is configured to instruct the remote publisher server to download the printable file from the remote repository server for printing.

24. A program storage device readable by a machine, the storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for use in utilizing a print service, the method comprising:

receiving a print request at a local client computing device; and

displaying a print interface on the local client computing device, the print interface being downloaded from a remote print service workflow application server and being configured to request a printing parameter relating to the print request;

receiving via the print interface, a printing parameter relating to the print request; and

sending the printing parameter to the workflow application server to direct execution of the print request in accordance with the printing parameter.

25. A program storage device readable by a machine, the storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for use in sending a print job to a remote publisher for printing, the method comprising:

receiving a print request at a local client computing device;

creating a printable file in response to the print request;

displaying a remotely served print interface on the local client computing device;

requesting and receiving via the print interface, a printing parameter relating to the print request;

sending the printing parameter to a selected remote publisher; and

sending the printable file to a selected remote publisher for printing in accordance with the printing parameter.