Managing network connections

• US 9,036,185 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Rajesh, Kamath, Harish B.
• Primary Examiner(s): DICKER, DENNIS T
• Application Number:
  US13/247,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 358 113- 115
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1221 with regard to power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0036 Detecting or checking connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a message is received at a network-connectable printer, from a first computer system via a first communication protocol. In response to receipt of the message, a connection between the printer and the network is established via a second communication protocol. A print job is received at the printer via the connection. The print job is caused to print at the printer. The connection is terminated after the print job is printed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for managing printer to network connections to receive print jobs, the instructions when executed by a printer causing the printer to:

receive, at the printer, a message according to a first communication protocol sent by a first computer system;

in response to receipt of the message, establish a connection according to a second communication protocol between the printer and the network, the second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol;

receive at the printer over the connection, a print job sent according to the second communication protocol;

cause printing of the print job at the printer;

terminate the connection after the print job is printed.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a text message protocol.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is an instant messaging protocol.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the message instructs the printer to establish the connection.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the message informs the printer that a print job is available to be obtained via the network.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the printer to compare the message to a database of messages to be interpreted as an instruction to the printer to establish the connection, and wherein the connection is established in response to a success in the comparison.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the second communication protocol is an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP).

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the second communication protocol is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

11. The medium of claim 1, wherein the print job is received from the first computer system.

12. The medium of claim 1, wherein the print job is received from a second computer system.

13. A printer comprising:

hardware, including a processor;

a message receipt module implemented at least by the hardware, configured to receive, at the printer, a message according to a first communication protocol sent by a first computer system;

a connection establishment module implemented at least by the hardware, configured to, in response to receipt of the message, establish a connection according to a second communication protocol between the printer and a network, the second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol;

a job receipt module implemented at least by the hardware, configured to receive at the printer over the connection, a print job sent according to the second communication protocol;

a print module implemented at least by the hardware, configured to cause printing of the print job at the printer;

a connection termination module implemented at least by the hardware, configured to terminate the connection after the print job is printed.

14. The printer of claim 13, wherein the message is received in response to the first computer system detecting a proximity to the printer.

15. The printer of claim 13, wherein the first communication protocol is one of a text protocol, an instant messaging protocol, or a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

16. The printer of claim 15, wherein the second communication protocol is one of an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) or a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

17. The printer of claim 13, wherein the print job is received from the first computer system.

18. The printer of claim 13, wherein the print job is received from a second computer system.

19. The printer of claim 13, further comprising a subscription module configured to send a message to the first computer system to subscribe to receipt of print job availability messages, wherein the receiving of the message according to the first communication protocol is responsive to the subscribing.

20. A method comprising:

sending, by a printer, a message to a first computer system to subscribe to receipt of print job availability messages;

receiving, at the printer, a print job availability message according to a text or instant messaging protocol sent by the first computer system;

establishing, by the printer, a connection according to a second protocol between the printer and the network in response to the received print job availability message, the second protocol different from the text or instant messaging protocol;

receiving, at the printer from a second computer, a print job over the connection, the print job sent according to the second protocol;

causing printing of the print job at the printer;

terminating the connection after the print job is printed.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein establishing the connection according to the second protocol comprises establishing the connection according to an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP).

22. The method of claim 20, wherein establishing the connection according to the second protocol comprises establishing a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).