Direct printing from internet database

• US 7,106,470 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• 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 J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINGH, SATWANT K
• Application Number:
  US09/925,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20030030841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.5, 358/1.12, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/434, 358/1.18, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 707/15, 707/62, 709/224, 710/62
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• 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 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A method, program product, and system for printing, comprising the steps of: receiving data at a printer; detecting an external network address in the received data; obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address; determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria; if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address; and printing the document.

Claims

1. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

receiving print stream data at a printer;

detecting an external network address in the received print stream data;

obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address;

determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria;

if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address;

merging the document into the print stream data to form a modified document; and

printing the modified document.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the detecting an external network address step comprises detecting a barcode in the received data and translating the barcode to the external network address.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the external network address is a URL.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is a predetermined document length.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is a download time.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is that the document is available.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is that a change notice has not been received.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then the document is not retrieved from the external network address.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then prompting a user to choose whether to select an option.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the option includes whether to cancel or continue the print job.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the option includes whether to perform a modified document retrieval.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the prompting the user step comprises providing a display at the printer.

13. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the prompting the user step comprises sending a message to a site where print authorization occurs.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then determining if one of the parameters of the document meets a second criteria;

and if one of the parameters meets the second criteria, then performing a modified document retrieval.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the second criteria is whether the document has a summary or an index;

and wherein the performing the modified document retrieval step comprises retrieving only the summary and/or the index of the document.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the at least one parameter does not meet the first criteria, then determining if one of the parameters of the document meets a second criteria;

and if it does then prompting the user to select a modified retrieval of the document.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein modified document retrieval comprises printing only a summary and/or an index.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the modified document retrieval comprises printing a first predetermined number of pages in the document.

19. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting the user an opportunity to set at least one criteria.

20. A program product for printing comprising:

a computer readable medium having machine readable program code embodied therein to be executed by a computer the machine readable program code comprising;

computer code for receiving print stream data at a printer;

computer code for detecting an external network address in the received print stream data;

computer code for obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address;

computer code for determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria;

computer code for if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address;

computer code for merging the document with the print steam data and forming a modified document; and

computer code for and printing the document.

21. A system for printing, comprising:

a component for receiving a print stream data at a printer;

a component for detecting an external network address in the received print stream data;

a component for obtaining at least one parameter of a document at the external network address;

a component for determining if the at least one parameter meets a predetermined first criteria;

a component for, if the at least one parameter meets the first criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address;

a component for merging the document with the print stream data to form a modified document; and

a component for printing the modified document.

22. A printing method, comprising the steps of:

receiving print stream data at a printer;

detecting an external network address in the received print stream data;

determining a size of a document at the external network address;

determining if the size of the document meets a predetermined size criteria;

if the determined size meets the size criteria, then retrieving the document from the external network address;

merging the document into the print stream data to form a modified document; and

printing the modified document.