Printer with document-triggered processing

• US 7,440,126 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Piersol, Kurt W., Hart, Peter E., Hull, Jonathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson; James A
• Application Number:
  US10/814,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.17, 358/2.1, 358/3.28
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• 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 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/129 in server-printer device-client configuration, e.g. print flow goes from server to printer and then bidirectional from printer to client, i.e. the client does not communicate with the server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00312 with a digital transmission apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, SMS or ISDN device transmitting or receiving via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network or the internet H04N1/00214; transmission of digital information H04L
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32769 in response to detection of an original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0018 via a non-image communication channel, e.g. via a computer network

Abstract

A system and method for a printer that can detect characteristics of a printed document and trigger an action in response, in addition to or instead of the action of printing the document.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a data processing system, an electronic document having printed and non-printed data contained in the electronic document;

analyzing, by the data processing system, the printed data;

analyzing, by the data processing system, the non-printed data;

triggering, by the data processing system, an action based the analysis of the printed and non-printed data; and

performing, by a printer, the action, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of updating a database, sending an email, monitoring a use of fonts in the document, and monitoring a use of halftones in the document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing the received electronic document.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a confirmation of completion of the performed action.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message confirming completion of the performed action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message is an email sent to a source of the document.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing the received electronic document and wherein the action comprises printing a certificate confirming that printed and non-printed data of the printed document is equal to data provided to the action taken.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the printed and non-printed data of the received electronic document includes user-provided data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the printed and non-printed data of the received electronic document includes data that is the result of analysis by a document rendering application on a computer that is a source of the document.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the analyzing of the printed data is performed by the printer,

wherein the analyzing of the non-printed data is performed by the printer;

and

wherein performing the action further comprises performing an action in accordance with a result of the analysis by the printer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer is a local printer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer is a remote printer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the database comprises updating the database in accordance with the printed and non-printed data of the electronic document.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the email comprises sending the email confirming printing of the document.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the use of fonts in the document comprises monitoring the use of fonts in the document to assure compliance with a license for the fonts.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an interactive request to a source of the document and waiting to receive a response before performing the action.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer analyzes the printed and non-printed data of the document for pornography and wherein the action comprises sending a notice if pornography is found.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer analyzes the printed and non-printed data of the document for confidential terms and wherein the action comprises sending a notice if confidential terms are found.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer performs optical character recognition of a received postscript document, and wherein the action comprises an action in accordance with a result of the optical character recognition.

19. A printer comprising:

means for receiving, by a data processing system, an electronic document having printed and non-printed data contained in the electronic document;

means for analyzing, by the data processing system, the printed data;

means for analyzing, by the data processing system, the non-printed data;

means for triggering, by the data processing system, an action based on the analysis of the printed and non-printed data; and

means for performing, by a printer, the action wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of updating a database, sending an email, monitoring a use of fonts in the document, and monitoring a use of halftones in the document.

20. A computer program product having a medium storing computer instructions capable of performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic document having printed and non-printed data contained in the electronic document;

analyzing, by the data processing system, the printed data;

analyzing, by the data processing system, the non-printed data; and

creating a non-printing command to the document, the command instructing a printer to perform an action besides printing relating to the printed and non-printed data contained in the electronic document, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of updating a database, sending an email, monitoring a use of fonts in the document, and monitoring a use of halftones in the document.