System, method and recordable medium for previewing a document over the network

• US 8,792,114 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mimeo.com
• Original Assignee: Mimeo.com
• Inventors: Stewart, Jeff, Pinco, Jennifer R., Uyttendaele, David, Jacobs, Craig, Fink, Doug, Roberts, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): GARCIA, GABRIEL I
• Application Number:
  US10/668,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20040057075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,962 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.7, 358/1.9, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 358/402, 358/448
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1224 Client or server resources management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The invention generally relates to sending data (e.g. print data or a document), in a network environment, to a port monitor, and to upload the data to an upload manager for storing in a database. Relevant data may be sent from a print spooler to the port monitor invoking an upload manger to convey (e.g. securely or non-securely) print data to a web server. A version manager determines whether the print driver being used to print data is authentic, and data are written to a web server as packets of information and sent to a database for storage. Additionally, a system, method and recordable medium are recognized whereby a pass through (e.g. a port monitor filter) is inserted between a print spooler and a port monitor in order to detach the port monitor from the print spooler such that object code can be upgraded for future versions of software.

Claims

1. A method of previewing a document, comprising:

receiving a print request for the document initiated by a user of a client, wherein the print request designates a print driver located on the client; and

in response to receiving the print request, generating a preview of the document by performing a method comprising;

generating a print file on the client based on the document using the print driver executing on the client, wherein the print file includes a representation of the document in a page description language;

automatically transmitting, by an upload manager executing on the client, the print file over a network for processing by a server in response to completing the generating, wherein the upload manager initiates the transmitting without requiring additional action by the user subsequent to initiating the print request;

automatically launching a web browser on the client, by the upload manager, in response to completing the transmitting, wherein the upload manager initiates launching the web browser without receiving a request to launch the web browser from the user;

receiving image data on the client over the network in response to completing the transmitting, the image data being based on the transmitted print file; and

displaying the image data in an interface of the web browser on the client in response to the receiving image data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to select the print driver using an application for viewing the document prior to receiving the print request, wherein the enabling includes:

displaying a list of print drivers on the client, wherein the list of print drivers includes the print driver; and

receiving a selection of the print driver by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the print driver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the obtaining step includes transmitting the print driver to the client over the network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the document using an application installed on the client.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the print file before the transmitting step.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the print driver using data stored in the print file before the transmitting step.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving selected file information associated with the print file using the interface of the web browser displaying the image data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a selected finishing option for the document using the interface of the web browser, wherein the image data is further based on the selected finishing option.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a selected binding option for the document using the interface of the web browser, wherein the image data is further based on the selected binding option.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the print file comprises a postscript file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating is performed without selecting a printer.

13. A system for previewing a document, comprising:

a print driver, which when executed on a client in response to a print request for the document initiated by a user of the client, generates a print file based on the document, wherein the print file includes a representation of the document in a page description language, and wherein the print request designates the print driver; and

an upload manager, which when executed on the client, performs a method including;

automatically transmitting the print file over a network for processing by a server in response to completing the generating, wherein the upload manager initiates the transmitting without requiring additional action by the user subsequent to initiating the print request;

automatically launching a web browser on the client in response to completing the transmitting, wherein the upload manager initiates launching the web browser without receiving a request to launch the web browser from the user;

receiving image data on the client over the network in response to completing the transmitting, the image data being based on the transmitted print file; and

displaying the image data in an interface of the web browser on the client in response to the receiving image data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a version manager for verifying the print driver using data stored in the print file before transmitting the print file.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising an application for creating the document, wherein the application is installed on the client, and wherein the user generates the print request using the application.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the network comprises one of the group consisting of a wide area network, and the Internet.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, which when executed on a client, causes the client to perform a method for previewing a document, the method comprising:

receiving a print request for the document initiated by a user of a client;

generating a print file based on the document in response to the receiving, wherein the print file includes a representation of the document in a page description language;

automatically transmitting the print file over a network for processing by a server in response to completing the generating, wherein the transmitting is initiated without requiring additional action by the user subsequent to initiating the print request;

automatically launching a web browser in response to completing the transmitting, wherein the launching is initiated without receiving a request to launch the web browser from the user;

receiving image data on the client over the network in response to completing the transmitting, the image data being based on the transmitted print file; and

displaying the image data in an interface of the web browser on the client in response to the receiving image data.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising verifying the print driver using data stored in the print file before transmitting the print file.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising providing the document for display to the user, wherein the providing includes enabling the user to initiate the print request.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising enabling the user to select file information associated with the print file using the interface of the web browser.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising compressing the print file prior to the transmitting.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising transmitting the print driver to the client over the network.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, the method further comprising enabling the user to select the print driver using an application for viewing the document prior to receiving the print request, wherein the enabling includes:

displaying a list of print drivers on the client, wherein the list of print drivers includes the print driver; and

receiving a selection of the print driver by the user.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the print file comprises a postscript file.