On demand software for print workflows

• US 8,743,382 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Manchala, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SINGH, SATWANT K
• Application Number:
  US13/535,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• 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: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments

Abstract

When providing cloud-based software services to a print customer or print shop for executing a print job, information related to one or more vendors that supply downloadable software that satisfies a print consumer'"'"'s specified print job requirements is obtained and software from a selected vendor is downloaded. The downloaded software is inserted at a selected point in a print job workflow, and the print job is executed. The print consumer is charged on per-use basis for use of the downloaded software by providing a hashed payment word for each subsequent use of the downloaded software. A payment word chain comprising the initial hashed payment word and each successive hashed payment word is then provided to the vendor of the downloaded software, who performs a hash algorithm to verify the payment words and redeems the payment words for micro-payments.

Claims

1. A method of providing cloud-based software services to a print customer, comprising:

requesting information related to one or more vendors that supply downloadable software that satisfies a print consumer'"'"'s specified print job requirements;

receiving the requested information;

selecting one of the one or more vendors;

downloading the software from the selected vendor;

inserting the downloaded software at a selected point in a print job workflow;

executing a print job using the print job workflow with the inserted software; and

billing the print consumer on per-use basis for use of the downloaded software.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an initial hashed payment word W₀ for an initial downloaded software use;

receiving certification from a cloud bank that the initial payment word is a valid payment word;

providing a subsequent hashed payment word for each subsequent use of the downloaded software; and

providing a payment word chain comprising the initial hashed payment word and each successive hashed payment word to the vendor of the downloaded software.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising permitting the vendor to redeem individual hashed payment words for micropayments from the cloud bank for each use of the downloaded software.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising permitting the vendor to redeem the entire chain of hashed payment words for payment from the cloud bank for all used of the downloaded software during a given print job.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving verification from the vendor that each subsequent hashed payment word is a valid payment word in the chain of the initial hashed payment word.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vendor performs a hash algorithm on each subsequent hashed payment word to verify that it corresponds to a contiguously previous preceding hashed payment word, back to the initial hashed payment word, in order to verify that each subsequent hashed payment word is a valid payment word prior to each corresponding use of the downloaded software.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising deactivating the downloaded software after each use, and reactivating the downloaded software upon transmission of each subsequent payment word.

8. A processor configured to execute computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

9. A method of making micropayments for each use of a cloud-based software module, comprising:

providing an initial hashed payment word W₀ for an initial downloaded software use;

receiving certification from a cloud bank that the initial payment word is a valid payment word;

providing a subsequent hashed payment word for each subsequent use of the downloaded software; and

providing a payment word chain comprising the initial hashed payment word and each successive hashed payment word to the vendor of the downloaded software.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising permitting the vendor to redeem individual hashed payment words for micropayments from the cloud bank for each use of the downloaded software.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising permitting the vendor to redeem the entire chain of hashed payment words for payment from the cloud bank for all used of the downloaded software during a given print job.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving verification from the vendor that each subsequent hashed payment word is a valid payment word in the chain of the initial hashed payment word.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vendor performs a hash algorithm on each subsequent hashed payment word to verify that it corresponds to a contiguously previous hashed payment word, back to the initial hashed payment word, in order to verify that each subsequent hashed payment word is a valid payment word prior to each corresponding use of the downloaded software.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising deactivating the downloaded software after each use, and reactivating the downloaded software upon transmission of each subsequent payment word.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a print consumer pre-purchases a plurality of payment words, each payment word being provided to the vendor prior to each use of the downloaded software.

16. A processor configured to execute computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 9.

17. A system that facilitates providing cloud-based software services to a print customer, comprising:

a processor configured to execute persistently stored computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising;

a software search module that requests information related to one or more vendors that supply downloadable software that satisfies a print consumer'"'"'s specified print job requirements;

a workflow task creation module that receives the requested information, selects one of the one or more vendors, downloads the software from the selected vendor, and inserts the downloaded software at a selected point into a print job workflow; and

a workflow manager that executes the print job using the print job workflow with the inserted software, and bills the print consumer on per-use basis for use of the downloaded software.

18. The system of claim 17, the instructions further comprising a payment module that:

provides an initial hashed payment word W₀ for an initial downloaded software use;

receives certification from a cloud bank that the initial payment word is a valid payment word;

provides a subsequent hashed payment word for each subsequent use of the downloaded software; and

provides a payment word chain comprising the initial hashed payment word and each successive hashed payment word to the vendor of the downloaded software.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the vendor verifies that each subsequent hashed payment word is associated with the initial hashed payment word, and redeems hashed payment words for micropayments from the cloud bank.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the vendor performs a hash algorithm on each subsequent hashed payment word to verify that it corresponds to contiguously previous hashed payment word, back to the initial hashed payment word, in order to verify that each subsequent hashed payment word is a valid payment word prior to each corresponding use of the downloaded software.