Managing network connections

• US 9,361,052 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• 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): TRAN, DOUGLAS Q
• Application Number:
  US14/715,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A remote server and network connectable printer arrangement is provided. The remote server can send a job availability message via a first communication protocol to the network connectable printer to cause the network connectable printer to establish a network connection. The remote server may then send a print job to the network connectable printer over the network. The network connectable printer may then print the print job and then terminate the connection thereafter.

Claims

1. A remote server to manage network connections for a plurality of network connectable printers, the remote server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory resource storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the remote server to;

send, via a first communication protocol, a job available message to a network connectable printer, the job available message indicating to the network connectable printer that a print job is available at the remote server, wherein the job availability message causes the network connectable printer to establish a network connection via a second communication protocol with the remote server; and

send the print job to the network connectable printer via the second communication protocol.

2. The remote server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the remote server to:

receive a subscription message to register the network connectable printer; and

register the network-connectable printer in a subscription registry of the remote server.

3. The remote server of claim 2, wherein the subscription message is received via the first communication protocol.

4. The remote server of claim 2, wherein the subscription message is received via the second communication protocol.

5. The remote server of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol.

6. The remote server of claim 1, wherein the second communication protocol comprises at least one of a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), or a Session Initiated Protocol (SIP).

7. The remote server of claim 1, wherein the job availability message causes the network connectable printer to establish an Internet connection to receive the print job.

8. A network connectable printer comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network connectable printer to;

send a subscription message to an instant messaging server to register the network connectable printer with the instant messaging server;

receive a message, wherein the message is received from the instant messaging server based on a job availability message being sent from the remote server to the instant messaging system;

based on receiving the message, establish a network connection to retrieve a print job from a remote server;

print the print job; and

in response to printing the print job, terminate the network connection.

9. The network connectable printer of claim 8, wherein the. message is received via a text messaging protocol.

10. The network connectable printer of claim 8, wherein the message indicates that the print job is available at the remote server.

13. The network connectable printer of claim 8, wherein the message is received via a local area network (LAN) protocol.

14. The network connectable printer of claim 13, wherein the LAN protocol comprises one of a Bluetooth a Wi-Fi, or an infrared communication protocol.

15. The network connectable printer of claim 13, wherein the message is received via the LAN protocol by a smart phone implementing a proximity detection service.

16. The network connectable printer of claim 15, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) resource to provide GPS coordinates of the network connectable printer to the smart phone.

17. The network connectable printer of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the network connectable printer to:

in response to receiving the message, compare the message with stored messages in a message database of the network connectable printer to identify a matching start procedure message;

wherein establishing the network connection is based on instructions of the matching start procedure message.

11. The network connectable printer of blain 8, wherein the message is received from an enterprise system.

12. The network connectable printer of claim 11, wherein the enterprise system comprises a subscription arrangement with a publicly available instant messaging (PRIM) system, and wherein the message is received from the enterprise system based on a job availability message being sent from the remote server to the PRIM system.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a network connectable printer, cause the network connectable printer to:

send a subscription message to an instant messaging server o register the network connectable printer with the instant messaging server;

receive a message, wherein the message is received from the instant messaging server based on a job availability message being sent from the remote server to the instant messaging system;

based on receiving the message, establish a network connection to retrieve a print job from a remote server;

print the print job; and

in response to printing the print job, terminate the network connection.