Automated content handling system and related methods

• US 6,972,861 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• 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: Voll, Ronald W., van Zee, Pieter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALLERSON, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US09/611,682
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/1.13, 358/1.16, 358/1.12, 358/1.6, 358/1.4, 358/3.32
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1279 Controller construction, e.g. aspects of the interface hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/543 Sensing means responsive to work indicium or irregularity

Abstract

A method comprising issuing a plurality of instructions to a requesting computer to render content, the plurality of instructions including at least a subset which are interpreted to render an iconic selector associated with a service, wherein user selection of the iconic selector generates a request to download, subscribe to, index and/or print content from the service, and fulfilling the request(s) without requiring further input from the user.

Claims

1. A content handler comprising:

an automated print function, to access and print content from a content provider denoted by a network address in a received request;

an index/subscribe function, to add the content and/or network address of the content to an index of content and/or schedule periodic delivery of the content from the content provider denoted by the network address; and

a controller, communicatively coupled to the print function and the subscribe/index function, to receive the request and selectively invoke one or more of the print function and/or the index/subscribe function based, at least in part, on content of an action designator within the received request, wherein

the index/subscribe function is remotely located from the controller and/or the automated print function.

2. A content handler according to claim 1, further comprising:

an index of content, wherein the index/subscribe function automatically adds the content and/or network address of the content to the index upon receipt of a request including an index action designator.

3. A content handler according to claim 1, wherein the index is maintained in a remote server communicatively coupled to the content handler.

4. A content handler according to claim 1, wherein the print function is selectively invoked by controller in response to a received request including a print action designator.

5. A content handler according to claim 1, wherein the index/subscribe function is selectively invoked to subscribe a user for content delivery in response to a received request including a subscribe action designator.

6. A content handler according to claim 5, wherein the content and/or network address denoted in the received request is added to a delivery schedule.

7. A content handler according to claim 6, wherein the delivery schedule is maintained within the content handler.

8. A content handler according to claim 6, wherein the delivery schedule is maintained at a remote server.

9. A content handler according to claim 1, wherein the received request is generated by a remote server in response to user selection of one or more iconic selector(s) embedded within content received by the user via one or more of a web page, an email, and the like.

10. A content handler according to claim 9, wherein the iconic selector includes the network address associated with the content and an action designator.