Printing over the internet

• US 7,636,757 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibson, Donald Parke, Huang, Hung, Kemp, Devon James
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison; J Bret
• Application Number:
  US09/736,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20020078160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,294 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/805, 709201-253, 707/526, 705/26, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/208
• 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 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

Printing over the Internet by a print driver, accessible by at least one application program, so as to output print data for transmission over the Internet, by receiving a print request from an application program to print over the Internet, rendering print data to be transmitted over the Internet into a printing definition language, and packaging the rendered print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet. The print driver further obtains service provider information, the service provider information representing at least one destination for which the print data can be transmitted to over the Internet. A graphical user interface may provide an interface for obtaining user information and service provider information.

Claims

1. A print driver program stored on a computer-readable medium, accessible by at least one application program which can edit document data, so as to output print data for transmission over the Internet, comprising:

receiving a print request from an application program to perform printing via the Internet;

generating print data to be transmitted over the Internet into a printer-independent printing definition language and spooling the generated print data;

packaging the generated print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet;

a user inputting a search condition to search for a print service provider via a user interface of the print driver;

searching for the print service provider by submitting, a search request corresponding to the search condition to an external server via a network;

receiving print service provider information related to a print service provider which satisfies the input search condition from the external server in accordance with the search request via the network, the print service provider information representing at least one destination for which the printer-independent print data can be transmitted to over the Internet;

displaying the received print service provider information which satisfies the input search condition on the user interface of the print driver;

the user selecting, via the user interface of the print driver, a print service provider, which satisfies the input search condition displayed in the displaying step, that the print data is to be transmitted to;

generating a job ticket comprising at least a number of pages of the print job to be printed, the number of pages being determined based on the spooling of the generated print data;

transmitting the generated job ticket to the selected print service provider;

in response to transmitting the generated job ticket, receiving, from the selected service provider, job ticket response information for the requested print job;

displaying a message to the user via the user interface regarding the received job ticket response information; and

in a case where the message requests that the user confirm that the print job is to be transmitted to the selected print service provider, transmitting the printer-independent print data to the selected print service provider when the user inputs a confirmation, and in a case where the user inputs a cancellation request, or in a case where the message indicates that the print service provider is not able to process the print job, cancelling the print job and deleting the spooled print data.

2. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the print service provider information includes at least one service provider who has registered as a member of a service provider group.

3. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the print service provider information is received by the print driver from a service provider portal.

4. A print driver according to claim 3, wherein the print driver communicates with the service provider portal over the Internet.

5. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the print driver packages the generated print data for transmission with an HTTP protocol.

6. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the printer-independent printer definition language is a generic printer definition language not related to any specific printer type.

21. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the job ticket further comprises user information of the user and a type of print job to be printed.

22. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the job ticket response information comprises a job identification and a cost of completing the printing calculated by the selected print service provider, and the message displayed via the user interface displays the job identification and cost.

23. A print driver according to claim 1, wherein the job ticket response information comprises a message indicating that the selected service provider is not able to process the requested print job, and the message displayed via the user interface displays the same.

7. A system for printing over the Internet, comprising:

a transmitting node for transmitting print data over the Internet; and

a receiving node of a print service provider for receiving the print data transmitted over the Internet by the transmitting node,

wherein, the print data is transmitted over the Internet by a print driver of the transmitting node which is accessible by at least one application program which can edit document data, wherein the print driver, in response to receiving a print request from an application program to perform printing via the Internet performs the steps of, (a) generating the print data into a printer-independent printing definition language and spooling the generated print data, (b) packaging the generated print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet, (c) a user inputting a search condition to search for a print service provider via a user interface of the print driver, (d) searching for the print service provider by submitting, independently from a process of editing the document data in the application, a search request corresponding to the search condition to an external server via a network, (e) receiving print service provider information related to a print service provider which satisfies the input search condition from the external server in accordance with the search request via the network, the print service provider information representing at least one destination for which the printer-independent print data can be transmitted to over the Internet, (f) displaying the received print service provider which satisfies the input search condition on the user interface of the print driver, (g) the user selecting, via the user interface of the print driver, a print service provider, which satisfies the input search condition displayed in the displaying step, that the print data is to be transmitted to, (h) generating a job ticket comprising at least a number of pages of the print job to be printed, the number of pages being determined based on the spooling of the generated print data, (i) transmitting the generated job ticket to the selected service provider, (j) in response to transmitting the generated job ticket, receiving, from the selected service provider, job ticket response information for the requested print job, (k) displaying a message to the user via the user interface regarding the received job ticket response information, and (l) in a case where the message requests that the user confirm that the print job is to be transmitted to the selected service provider, transmitting the printer-independent print data to the selected print service provider when the user inputs a confirmation, and in a case where the user inputs a cancellation request, or in a case where the message indicates that the print service provider is not able to process the print job, cancelling the print job and deleting the spooled print data.

8. An apparatus for transmitting print data over the Internet to a receiving device, comprising:

a processor for performing executable process steps; and

a memory for storing the executable process steps, wherein the executable process steps are executed by a print driver accessible by at least one application program which can edit document data and, in response to receiving a print request from an application program to perform printing via Internet, execute the steps of (a) generating print data into a printer-independent printing definition language and spooling the generated print data, (b) packaging the generated print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet, (c) a user inputting a search condition to search for a print service provider via a user interface of the print driver, (d) searching for a print service provider by submitting a search request corresponding to the search condition to an external server via a network, (e) receiving print service provider information related to a print service provider which satisfies the input search condition from the external server in accordance with the search request via the network, the print service provider information representing at least one destination for which the printer-independent print data can be transmitted to over the Internet, (f) displaying the received print service provider which satisfies the input search condition on the user interface of the print driver, (g) the user selecting, via the user interface of the print driver, a print service provider, which satisfies the input search condition displayed in the displaying step, that the print data is to be transmitted to, (h) generating a job ticket comprising at least a number of pages of the print job to be printed, the number of pages being determined based on the spooling of the generated print data, (i) transmitting the generated job ticket to the selected service provider, (j) in response to transmitting the generated job ticket, receiving, from the selected service provider, job ticket response information for the requested print job, (k) displaying a message to the user via the user interface regarding the received job ticket response information, and (l) in a case where the message requests that the user confirm that the print job is to be transmitted to the selected service provider, transmitting the printer-independent print data to the selected print service provider when the user inputs a confirmation, and in a case where the user inputs a cancellation request, or in a case where the message indicates that the print service provider is not able to process the print job, cancelling the print job and deleting the spooled print data.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the print service provider information includes at least one service provider who has registered as a member of a service provider group.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the print service provider information is received by the print driver from a service provider portal.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the print driver communicates with the service provider portal over the Internet.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the print driver packages the generated print data for transmission with an HTTP protocol.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the printer-independent printer definition language is a generic printer definition language not related to any specific printer type.

14. A computer-readable medium which stores computer executable process steps, the executable process steps being accessible by at least one application program which can edit document data, so as to output print data for transmission over the Internet, the executable process steps comprising:

receiving a print request from an application program to perform printing via the Internet;

generating print data to be transmitted over the Internet into a printer-independent printing definition language and spooling the generated print data;

packaging the generated print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet;

a user inputting a search condition to search for a print service provider via a user interface of the print driver;

searching for a print service provider by submitting, a search request corresponding to the search condition to an external sever via a network;

receiving print service provider information related to a print service provider which satisfies the input search condition from the external server in accordance with the search request via the network, the print service provider information representing at least one destination for which the printer-independent print data can be transmitted to over the Internet;

displaying the received print service provider which satisfies the input search condition on the user interface of the print driver;

the user selecting, via the user interface of the print driver, a print service provider, which satisfies the input search condition displayed in the displaying step, that the print data is to be transmitted to;

generating a job ticket comprising at least a number of pages of the print job to be printed, the number of pages being determined based on the spooling of the generated print data;

transmitting the generated job ticket to the selected print service provider;

in response to transmitting the generated job ticket, receiving, from the selected service provider, job ticket response information for the requested print job;

displaying a message to the user via the user interface regarding the received job ticket response information; and

in a case where the message requests that the user confirm that the print job is to be transmitted to the selected print service provider, transmitting the printer-independent print data to the selected print service provider when the user inputs a confirmation, and in a case where the user inputs a cancellation request, or in a case where the message indicates that the print service provider is not able to process the print job, cancelling the print job and deleting the spooled print data.

15. An apparatus which displays a graphical user interface of a print driver for inputting information for printing over an Internet, comprising:

a display unit that displays the graphical user interface of the print driver,

wherein said graphical user interface of the print driver comprises;

an interface for a user to input a print request from an application program to perform printing via the Internet, wherein the print driver generates print data to be transmitted over the Internet into a printer-independent printing definition language and spools the generated print data, and packages the generated print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet;

an interface for obtaining user information to be transmitted over the Internet to a print service provider;

an interface for inputting a search condition to search for a print service provider, the print driver searching for the print service provider by submitting, a search request corresponding to the input search condition to an external server via a network, the print driver receiving, print service provider information related to a print service provider which satisfies the input search condition from the external server in accordance with the search request via the network, the print service provider information representing at least one destination for which print data is to be transmitted to over the Internet;

an interface for displaying the received print service provider information which satisfies the input search condition on the user interface of the print driver;

an interface for selecting a print service provider from the displayed print service provider information, the print driver generating a job ticket comprising at least a number of pages of the print job to be printed, the number of pages being determined based on the spooling of the generated print data, the print driver transmitting the generated job ticket to the selected print service provider, the print driver receiving, in response to transmitting the job ticket, from the selected print service provider, job ticket response information for the requested print job; and

an interface for displaying a message to the user regarding the received job ticket response information and for accepting input from the user in response to the displayed message,

wherein, in a case where the message requests that the user confirm that the print job is to be transmitted to the selected print service provider, and the user inputs a confirmation in response to the message, the print driver transmitting the generated printer-independent print data to the selected print service provider, and in a case where the user inputs a cancellation request in response to the message, or in a case where the message indicates that the print service provider is not able to process the print job, the print driver cancelling the print job and deleting the spooled print data.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the user information comprises at least one of user identification information, payment information, and shipping information.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising an interface for obtaining special instructions regarding processing of the print data by the print service provider.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the print service provider information comprises at least one of a service provider name, a service provider street address and a service provider Internet address.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the print driver receives the print service provider information from a service provider portal in response to selection of a search option.

20. A computer executable method for transmitting print data over the Internet by a print driver which is accessible by at least one application program which can edit document data, so as to output the print data for transmission over the Internet, comprising the steps of:

receiving a print request from an application program to perform printing via the Internet;

generating print data to be transmitted over the Internet into a printer-independent printing definition language and spooling the generated print data;

packaging the generated print data with a protocol for transmission over the Internet;

a user inputting a search condition to search for a print service provider via a user interface of the print driver;

searching for a print service provider by submitting, a search request corresponding to the search condition to an external server via a network;

receiving print service provider information related to a print service provider which satisfies the input search condition from the external server in accordance with the search request via the network, the print service provider information representing at least one destination for which the printer-independent print data can be transmitted to over the Internet;

displaying the received print service provider information which satisfies the input search condition on the user interface of the print driver;

the user selecting, via the user interface of the print driver, a print service provider, which satisfies the input search condition displayed in the displaying step, that the print data is to be transmitted to;

generating a job ticket comprising at least a number of pages of the print job to be printed, the number of pages being determined based on the spooling of the generated print data;

transmitting the generated job ticket to the selected print service provider;

in response to transmitting the generated job ticket, receiving, from the selected service provider, job ticket response information for the requested print job;

displaying a message to the user via the user interface regarding the received job ticket response information; and

in a case where the message requests that the user confirm that the print job is to be transmitted to the selected print service provider, transmitting the printer-independent print data to the selected print service provider when the user inputs a confirmation, and in a case where the user inputs a cancellation request. or in a case where the message indicates that the print service provider is not able to process the print job, cancelling the print job and deleting the spooled print data.