Delay timer for printing from the driver

• US 6,981,254 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• 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: Parry, Travis
• Primary Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/774,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 719321-327, 719/310, 719/320, 718/100, 709/201, 709/206, 707/1, 715/700, 715/748, 715/758, 715/752, 715/764, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 718/100
• 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 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

The present invention includes computer programs on computer-readable media that allows for controlling a computer system to perform a delayed operation such as, but not limited to, a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call. The present invention also includes methods for controlling a computer system to perform the above-discussed delayed operations and a computing system capable of performing the above-discussed delayed operations.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method of delaying issuing a command for beginning an operation, the method comprising;

requesting that a user input a delay criteria through a graphical user interface before the initiation of the operation, wherein the delay criteria include both a time and a particular situation, wherein the particular situation is selected from the group of a period of time a printer has remained idle and a lights off situation in an office; and

delaying performance by the computer system of the operation until the delay criteria has been met;

wherein the operation comprises at least one operation chosen from the group consisting of a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the delay criteria is at least one chosen from the group consisting of a time interval, a set time, and the occurrence of the particular situation.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises printing a document.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the delaying step comprises storing the document in a job store.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the job store comprises at least one item chosen from the group consisting of a printer memory, a personal computer memory, a spooler, a local area network, a wide area network, and an internet storage location.

6. A method for controlling a computer system to delay issuing a command for beginning an operation comprising:

requesting that a user input a delay criteria through a graphical user interface for the operation before an initiation of an operation; and

delaying performance of the operation until the delay criteria has been met, wherein the delay criteria include both a time and a particular situation wherein the particular situation is selected from the group of a period of time a printer has remained idle and a lights off situation in an office;

wherein the operation comprises at least one operation chosen from the group consisting of a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein delay criteria is at least one chosen from the group consisting of a time interval, a set time and the occurrence of the particular situation.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the operation comprises printing a document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the delaying step comprises storing the document in a job store.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the job store comprises at least one item from the group consisting of a printer memory, a personal computer memory, a spooler, a local area network, a wide are network and an internet storage location.

11. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

a user-programmable delaying device to receive a delay criteria through a graphical user interface before issuing a command for beginning an operation wherein the operation comprises at least one operation chosen from the group consisting of a print command, an e-mailing distribution, a software installation, a file transfer protocol upload, a web site posting and an internet phone call, wherein the delay criteria include both a time and a particular situation wherein the particular situation is selected from the group of a period of time a printer has remained idle and a lights off situation in an office;

the delaying device operably connected to the processor delaying performance of the operation until the delay criteria has been met;

a storage device operably connected to the processor; and

a printer operably connected to the storage device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the delaying device can be delayed by a user-programmable time interval.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the delaying device can be delayed until a user-programmable set time.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the delaying device can be delayed until the occurrence of a user-programmable situation.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a job store.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the job store comprises at least one item chosen from the group consisting of a printer memory, a personal computer memory, a spooler, a local area network, a wide area network and an internet storage location.