Client computer system, method and computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for rendering printable documents in a native printer language on the network

• US 7,365,872 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kiraly, Steven, Lawrence, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rudolph; Vincent
• Application Number:
  US10/337,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20040130740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 709/203, 709/208, 709/219, 709/248, 709/221, 709/223
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1214 at the submitting node
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1255 Settings incompatibility, e.g. constraints, user requirements vs. device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

In a network facilitating print functions, a means for rendering a print job intended for a remote printer on a client computer using stored administrative settings is provided. Transparently to the client'"'"'s applications, the client computer keeps the stored remote printer'"'"'s administrative settings synchronized with those stored on the print server. Using the stored administrative settings, the client renders the print job to a native printer language directly cognizable by the printer before sending this rendered file to the print server for forwarding to the printer. By queuing these remote print jobs, the online status of the respective print server is also transparent to the client'"'"'s applications, facilitating off-line printing.

Claims

1. A method for remotely printing a document on a network comprising a networked client computer, a target networked printer device and a print server computer, the method comprising:

storing administrative settings for the target networked printer device applied by the print server computer on the client computer, the administrative settings including at least information sufficient to permit the client computer to render the document in a native printer language of the target networked printer device;

updating, using a synchronization manager on the client computer, the stored administrative settings to maintain synchronization with current print server computer administrative settings, the synchronization manager being configured to perform the updating at a periodic time interval;

applying the stored administrative settings to the document on the client computer;

based on the administrative settings, rendering the document in the native printer language of the target networked printer device on the client computer; and

sending the rendered document to the print server computer to print without additional conversion of the rendered document by the print server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of rendering the document on the client computer and sending the rendered document occur substantially simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of rendering the document on the client computer further comprises:

polling the network when the print server computer is not available to determine when the print server computer becomes available.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of polling the network further comprises polling the print server computer in response to device and network activity indicating that the print server computer may be available.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of polling the network further comprises periodically polling the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the document on the client computer utilizes local print functionality.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of sending the rendered document to the print server computer utilizes local print functionality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the document on the client computer is performed asynchronously.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the document on the client computer includes appending the document to a queue.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the administrative settings is initially performed in association with registering the target networked printer device on the client computer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the stored administrative settings to the document further comprises:

applying the stored administrative settings to the document if the print server computer is not available.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the stored administrative settings to the document further comprises:

performing the step of updating the stored administrative settings before applying the stored administrative settings to the document if the print server computer is available.

13. A client computer system in a network facilitating client side print rendering in response to an application issuing a command to print a document, the client computer system comprising:

an operating system for processing and interpreting the print command;

a printing router for routing the print command to a remote printing subsystem according to a designated target networked printer device;

the remote printing subsystem for storing administrative settings received from a print server computer and forwarding the document transformed into a native printer language to the print server computer to cause printing of the transformed document without additional conversion by the print server computer, the administrative settings including at least information sufficient to permit the client computer system to transform the document into the native printer language of the target networked printer device;

a rendering subsystem for applying the stored administrative settings to the document and transforming the document according to the native printer language utilized by the target networked printer device; and

a synchronization manager for requesting from the print server computer current administrative settings for the target networked printer device, the synchronization manager being configured to perform the updating at a periodic time interval.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the synchronization manager requests the current administrative settings periodically.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the synchronization manager requests the current administrative settings before the rendering subsystem applies the stored administrative settings.

16. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

a reachability event system for polling the print server computer if the print server computer is not available.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the reachability event system polls the print server computer periodically.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the reachability event system polls the print server computer in response to device and network activity indicating that the print server may be available.

19. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for carrying out a method for remotely printing a document on a network comprising a networked client computer, a target networked printer device and a print server computer, the method comprising:

storing administrative settings for the target networked printer device applied by the print server computer on the client computer, the administrative settings including at least information sufficient to permit the client computer to render the document in a native printer language of the target networked printer device;

updating, using a synchronization manager on the client computer, the stored administrative settings to maintain synchronization with current print server computer administrative settings, the synchronization manager being configured to perform the updating at a periodic time interval;

applying the stored administrative settings to the document on the client computer;

based on the administrative settings, rendering the document in the native printer language of the target networked printer device on the client computer; and

sending the rendered document to the print server computer to print without additional conversion of the rendered document by the print server.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step of rendering the document on the client computer further comprises:

polling the network when the print server computer is not available to determine when the print server computer becomes available.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the step of polling the network further comprises polling the print server computer in response to device and network activity indicating that the print server computer may be available.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the step of polling the network further comprises periodically polling the network.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step of applying the stored administrative settings to the document further comprises:

applying the stored administrative settings to the document if the print server computer is not available.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step of applying the stored administrative settings to the document further comprises:

performing the step of updating the stored administrative settings before applying the stored administrative settings to the document if the print server computer is available.

25. A network system for facilitating client side print rendering in response to an application issuing a command to print a document, the network system comprising:

a client computer, wherein the client computer comprises;

an operating system for processing and interpreting the print command;

a printing router for routing the print command to a remote printing subsystem according to a designated target networked printer device;

the remote printing subsystem for storing administrative settings received from a print server computer and forwarding the document transformed into a native printer language to the print server computer, the administrative settings including at least information sufficient to permit the client computer to transform the document into the native printer language of the target networked printer device;

a rendering subsystem for applying the stored administrative settings to the document and transforming the document according to the native printer language utilized by the target networked printer device;

a synchronization manager for requesting from the print server computer current administrative settings for the target networked printer device, the synchronization manager being configured to perform the requesting at a periodic time interval;

the print server computer for maintaining the current administrative settings for the target networked printer device, for sending the current administrative settings to the client computer upon receipt of a request, and for forwarding the transformed document to the target networked printer device without additional conversion of the transformed document by the print server; and

the target networked printer device for creating an output from the transformed document.