Installing printer applications on a printer using messages

• US 8,867,076 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Saurabh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guillermety, Juan M
• Application Number:
  US13/459,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20130286416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.13, 709/217, 717/178
• 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 3/123 Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00938 Software related arrangements, e.g. loading applications program loading in general G06F9/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32106 separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, apparatus, and method for installing a printer application on a printer. A cloud based server system receives a recommendation message from a source printer over a network connection such as, for instance, the Internet. The recommendation message may contain an email address for a destination printer and a printer application name. The cloud server system may verify that the email address in the request message corresponds to a valid destination printer. The cloud server system may then forward the printer application name to the destination printer where it is processed. A download request to the cloud server system may be generated requesting the specific printer application. The cloud server system may push the requested printer application over the network where it is installed on the destination printer.

Claims

1. A method of installing a printer application on a destination printer comprising:

receiving a recommendation message from a source printer over a network, the recommendation message containing an email address for a destination printer and a printer application name;

verifying the email address in the recommendation message;

pushing the printer application name to the destination printer over the network;

receiving a download request message from the destination printer, the download request message containing the printer application name; and

pushing the printer application corresponding to printer application name to the destination printer over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation message and the download request message are received using an extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP).

3. The method of claim 1, the verifying the email address in the recommendation message comprising:

determining whether the email address for the destination printer matches an email address stored in memory;

determining the email address of the source printer that sent the recommendation message; and

determining whether the email address for the destination printer has identified the email address of the source printer that sent the recommendation message as a source printer from which it will accept communications.

4. A printer apparatus comprising:

a processing component;

a memory coupled with the processing component; and

a sharing module stored in the memory and executable by the processing component, the sharing module to communicate with a cloud server system over a network via a network interface component, the sharing module to;

create a recommendation message containing an email address for a destination printer and a printer application name;

send the recommendation message to the cloud server system; and

receive a printer application from the cloud server system, the printer application the result of a recommendation message sent from a source printer to the cloud server system in which the recommendation message includes an email address for the printer apparatus.

5. The printer apparatus of claim 4, comprising:

a printer application installer module stored in the memory and executable by the processing component, the printer application installer module to install the received printer application on the printer apparatus.

6. The printer apparatus of claim 4, the communication between the sharing module and the cloud server system using an extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP).

7. The printer apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a display coupled with the processing component.

8. The printer apparatus of claim 7, the display comprising a touchscreen display.

9. A cloud server system comprising:

a processing component;

a memory coupled with the processing component;

a printer application module stored in the memory and executable by the processing component, the printer application module to communicate with source and destination printers over a network, the printer application module to;

receive a recommendation message from a source printer apparatus containing an email address for a destination printer and a printer application name;

push printer application data specific to the destination printer to the destination printer over the network;

receive a download request message from the destination printer, the download request message containing the printer application name; and

download the printer application identified in the download request message to the destination printer.

10. The cloud server system of claim 9, further comprising an email verification module stored in the memory and executable by the processing component to verify the validity of the source and destination printers by:

determining whether the email address for the destination printer matches an email address stored in memory;

determining the email address of the source printer that sent the recommendation message; and

determining whether the email address for the destination printer has identified the email address of the source printer that sent the recommendation message as a source printer from which it will accept communications.

11. The cloud server system of claim 9, the communication between the printer application module and the source and destination printer apparatuses using an extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP).

12. A printer apparatus comprising:

a processing component;

a memory coupled with the processing component;

a printer application installer module stored in the memory and executable by the processing component, and communicable with a cloud server system over a network, the printer application installer module to;

create a request message containing a printer identification for the printer apparatus and a printer application name;

send the request message to the cloud server system;

receive printer application data from the cloud server system in response to the request message and in response to the cloud server system verifying the printer identification for the printer apparatus with a printer identification received from another device;

parse the printer application data to find a printer application name matching the printer application name in the request message;

send a download request message to the cloud server system for a printer application associated with the matching printer application name;

receive the printer application from the cloud server system; and

install the received printer application on the printer apparatus.

13. The printer apparatus of claim 12, the communication between the printer application installer module and the cloud server system using an extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP).

14. The printer apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display coupled with the processing component.

15. The printer apparatus of claim 14, the display comprising a touchscreen display.