Method and system for communicating between a remote printer and a server

• US 9,983,836 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Moyer, Alan L., LeBlanc, Thomas J., Winestein, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US15/265,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing

Abstract

In order to enable downloading to a mobile printer data items from a server, a method comprising the steps of establishing communication connection end points (“sockets”), communicating with the server, where the communication includes sending a request for authentication to the server, receiving an authentication response, requesting print data portions from the server, receiving the requested print data portions, and notifying the server after each print data portion has been printed. The method also includes the step of terminating their communication connection when a printing session ends or if an error occurs. The method constitutes a printer-server protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a print server from a remote printer, data identifying one or more characteristics of the remote printer;

verifying, by the print server, that the remote printer has been registered with the print server, the verifying comprising verifying the one or more characteristics of the remote printer; and

sending, from the print server to the remote printer, an indication of a number of data items to be printed and an indication of a number of print data items to be downloaded, wherein the remote printer is configured to download the print data items.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to terminate a communication connection with the remote printer based at least in part on a number of items printed by the remote printer by determining that the number of items printed by the remote printer equals the number of data items to be printed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from the print server to the remote printer, an indication of an updated number of data items to be printed.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining to terminate a communication connection with the remote printer based at least in part on a number of items printed by the remote printer by determining that the number of items printed by the remote printer equals the updated number of data items to be printed.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the print server from the remote printer, a request for the updated number of data items to be printed.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending, from the print server to the remote printer, an indication of an updated number of print data items to be downloaded in response to sending the indication of the updated number of data items to be printed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the print server, a communication connection with the remote printer in response to verifying that the remote printer has been registered with the print server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein establishing the communication connection comprises establishing a connection endpoint at the print server and receiving a communication from a connection endpoint at the remote printer.

9. A computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive, by a print server from a remote printer, data identifying one or more characteristics of the remote printer;

instructions to verify, by the print server and based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the remote printer, that the remote printer has been registered with the print server; and

instructions to send, from the print server to the remote printer, an indication of a number of data items to be printed and an indication of a number of print data items to be downloaded, wherein the remote printer is configured to download the print data items.

10. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to determine to terminate a communication connection with the remote printer based at least in part on a number of items printed by the remote printer by determining that the number of items printed by the remote printer equals the number of data items to be printed.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to send, from the print server to the remote printer, an indication of an updated number of data items to be printed.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 11, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to determine to terminate a communication connection with the remote printer based at least in part on a number of items printed by the remote printer by determining that the number of items printed by the remote printer equals the updated number of data items to be printed.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 11, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to receive, by the print server from the remote printer, a request for the updated number of data items to be printed.

14. The computer readable storage device to of claim 11, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to send, from the print server to the remote printer, an indication of an updated number of print data items to be downloaded in response to sending the indication of the updated number of data items to be printed.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to establish, by the print server, a communication connection with the remote printer in response to verifying that the remote printer has been registered with the print server.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to establish the communication connection comprise instructions to establish a connection endpoint at the print server and instructions to receive a communication from a connection endpoint at the remote printer.

17. A print server for managing a remote printer, the print server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory in communication with the at least one processor, the at least one member having instructions embodied thereon that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the print server to;

receive, from a remote printer, data identifying one or more characteristics of the remote printer,

verify, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the remote printer, that the remote printer has been registered with the print server, and

send, to the remote printer, an indication of a number of data items to be printed and an indication of a number of print data items to be downloaded, wherein the remote printer is configured to download the print data items.

18. The print server of claim 17, the instructions further comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the print server to:

determine to terminate a communication connection with the remote printer based at least in part on a number of items printed by the remote printer by determining that the number of items printed by the remote printer equals the number of data items to be printed.

19. The print server of claim 17, the instructions further comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the print server to:

send, to the remote printer, an indication of an updated number of data items to be printed.

20. The print server of claim 19, the instructions further comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the print server to:

determine to terminate a communication connection with the remote printer based at least in part on a number of items printed by the remote printer by determining that the number of items printed by the remote printer equals the updated number of data items to be printed.

21. A printer configured to be managed by a print server, the printer comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory in communication with the at least one processor, the at least one memory having instructions embodied thereon that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the printer to;

send, to a print server, data identifying one or more characteristics of the printer, wherein the print server is configured to verify, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the printer, that the printer has been registered with the print server;

receive, from the print server, an indication of a number of data items to be printed and an indication of a number of print data items to be downloaded;

download the print data items; and

send, to the print server, an indication of a number of items printed by the printer, wherein the print server is further configured to determine to terminate a communication connection with the printer based at least in part on the number of items printed by the printer.

22. The printer of claim 21, the instructions further comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the printer to:

send, to the print server, a request for an updated number of data items to be printed.

23. The printer of claim 21, the instructions further comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the printer to:

receive, from the print server, an indication of an updated number of data items to be printed.

24. The printer of claim 21, the instructions further comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the printer to:

receive, from the print server, an indication of an updated number of print data items to be downloaded.

25. A method comprising:

sending, by a printer to a print server, data identifying one or more characteristics of the printer, wherein the print server is configured to verify, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the printer, that the printer has been registered with the print server;

receiving, by the printer from the print server, an indication of a number of data items to be printed and an indication of a number of print data items to be downloaded;

downloading, by the printer, the print data items; and

sending, by the printer to the print server, an indication of a number of items printed by the printer, wherein the print server is further configured to determine to terminate a communication connection with the printer based at least in part on the number of items printed by the printer.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending, by the printer to the print server, a request for an updated number of data items to be printed.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving, by the printer from the print server, an indication of an updated number of data items to be printed.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving, by the printer from the print server, an indication of an updated number of print data items to be downloaded.

29. A computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to send, to a print server, data identifying one or more characteristics of the printer, wherein the print server is configured to verify, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the printer, that the printer has been registered with the print server;

instructions to receive, from the print server, an indication of a number of data items to be printed and an indication of a number of print data items to be downloaded;

instructions to download the print data items; and

instructions to send, to the print server, an indication of a number of items printed by the printer, wherein the print server is further configured to determine to terminate a communication connection with the printer based at least in part on the number of items printed by the printer.

30. The computer readable storage device of claim 29, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to send, to the print server, a request for an updated number of data items to be printed.

31. The computer readable storage device of claim 29, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to receive, from the print server, an indication of an updated number of data items to be printed.

32. The computer readable storage device of claim 29, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to receive, from the print server, an indication of an updated number of print data items to be downloaded.