Sending print jobs using trigger distances

• US 9,378,437 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jha, Ritesh Ranjan, Ganesan, Kumaravel, Bhatia, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zheng, Jacky X
• Application Number:
  US13/779,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 705/14.66, 705/333, 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/007 only remotely, e.g. at a host computer dedicated computer interfaces to print systems G06F3/1201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

In one example, a printer address for a network-connected printer, a printer location, and an identifier for a mobile computing device are received. Responsive to receiving a message that is sent to the printer address and that includes a print job, the print job is stored. The identifier is sent to a tracker computing device. A mobile device location is received from the tracker device. Responsive to determining a calculated distance between the mobile device and the printer is less than or equal to a trigger distance, the print job is sent to the printer.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a system to:

receive in a memory of the system;

a printer address for a printer,

a printer location,

an identifier for a mobile device;

responsive to receiving a message sent to the printer address and including a job, store the job;

send the identifier to a tracker device, wherein the tracker device is distinct from the printer, the mobile device, and the system;

receive, from the tracker device, a mobile device location;

calculate a distance between the mobile device and the printer; and

responsive to determining the calculated distance is less than or equal to a trigger distance, send the job to the printer.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the printer address is an email address and the message is an email.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile device location is received after receipt of the message.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to send to the tracker device a request for the mobile device location.

5. The medium of claim 4, wherein the instructions cause the system to send the request after receipt of the message.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier is sent to the tracker device as part of, or with, a request for the mobile device location.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the printer location and the mobile device location each include a latitude and a longitude.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the printer location and the mobile device location each include an altitude.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier is an IMEI number.

10. A system, comprising a memory and a processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to implement modules, the modules comprising:

a setup module, to receive

a printer address for a printer,

a printer location,

an identifier of a mobile device;

a job receipt module, to receive a message sent to the printer address, and store a job included within the message;

a job release module, to

send the identifier to a tracking device;

receive a mobile device location from the tracker device that is a device other than the printer, the mobile device, and the system; and

determine a proximity between the mobile device and the printer; and

if the determined proximity is less than or equal to a trigger proximity, send the job to the printer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the printer address is an email address and the message is, or includes, an email.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier is a telephone number.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the printer address, the printer location, or the identifier is received via a printer application accessed by a user at the printer.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a printer application module, to send the printer application to the printer.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving and storing at a memory of a system;

a printer address for a printer,

a printer location,

an identifier of a mobile device;

storing a trigger distance;

receiving and storing a message sent to the printer address and including a job;

sending the identifier to a tracker device, wherein the tracker device is distinct from the printer, the mobile device, and the system;

receiving, from the tracker device, a mobile device location, and

responsive to determining a calculated distance between the mobile device and the printer that is less than or equal to the trigger distance, send the job to the printer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the trigger distance.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein the printer is a first printer;

wherein the printer address is a common address for a set of printers including the first printer;

wherein the instructions cause the system to

receive and store location data for each printer of the set, and

calculate distances between the mobile device and each printer of the set.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the job is sent to the first printer responsive to determining that the first printer is the sole printer among the set within the trigger distance of the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 15,

wherein the first printer is one of a plurality of printers of the set within the trigger distance of the mobile device;

and

wherein the job is sent responsive to determining that the first printer is the closest, relative to the other printers of the plurality, to the mobile device.