Printing devices supporting printing over air or printing over a wireless network
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for a printing device to wirelessly provide printing services, the printing device includes:
- wireless communication circuitry, andmemory or a storage device storing device information related to the printing device, the device information is for transmitting from the printing device to an information apparatus, and the device information includes one or more of identification information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, or resolution information, individually or in any combination, corresponding to the printing device;
the method comprising;
(1) wirelessly connecting the printing device, using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device, to a wireless local area network, for the printing device to wirelessly communicate with an information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the information apparatus being a separate device from the printing device;
(2) establishing a wireless local area network communication link, using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device and via the wireless local area network wirelessly connected in (1), between the printing device and the information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the wireless local area network communication link being compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards;
(3) wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device and over the wireless local area network wirelessly connected in (1), the device information, from the printing device to the information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the device information being stored in the memory or the storage device of the printing device, and the device information includes one or more of identification information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, or resolution information, individually or in any combination, corresponding to the printing device, and the wireless transmission of the device information from the printing device to the information apparatus is via the wireless local area network communication link established in (2); and
(4) wirelessly receiving, at the printing device and using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device and over the wireless local area network communication link established in (2), print data from the information apparatus for printing at the printing device, and wherein the print data, which is wirelessly received at the printing device, is in accordance, at least in part, with the device information, corresponding to the printing device, that has been wirelessly transmitted from the printing device to the information apparatus in (3);
wherein, by having wirelessly transmitted, via the wireless local area network communication link established in (2), the device information from the printing device to the information apparatus in (3), the printing device provides the printing services to the information apparatus without a need for the information apparatus to install, at the information apparatus, a printer driver that is device specific to the printing device and without a need for the information apparatus to use the installed printer driver for printing at the printing device; and
wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device includes one or more chips or chipsets, the one or more chips or chipsets are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards for wirelessly connecting to the wireless local area network in (1).
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Accused Products
Abstract
Printing devices (or output controllers) supporting printing over air or wireless network printing or Internet printing, are herein disclosed and enabled. The printing device may include wireless communication chips or chipsets supporting part of IEEE 802.11 standards for (1) connecting to a wireless local area network (LAN) to establish communication with a client that is in the wireless LAN; (2) transmitting device information related to the printing device from the printing device to the client; and (3) receiving print data from the client over the wireless LAN for printing at the printing device. The print data is based on the device information transmitted to the client. A printer driver specific to the printing device may or may not be necessary for printing to the printing device. The printing device may require registration with a service over a network prior to providing printing services to the client.
798 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for a printing device to wirelessly provide printing services, the printing device includes:
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wireless communication circuitry, and memory or a storage device storing device information related to the printing device, the device information is for transmitting from the printing device to an information apparatus, and the device information includes one or more of identification information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, or resolution information, individually or in any combination, corresponding to the printing device;
the method comprising;(1) wirelessly connecting the printing device, using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device, to a wireless local area network, for the printing device to wirelessly communicate with an information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the information apparatus being a separate device from the printing device; (2) establishing a wireless local area network communication link, using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device and via the wireless local area network wirelessly connected in (1), between the printing device and the information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the wireless local area network communication link being compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards; (3) wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device and over the wireless local area network wirelessly connected in (1), the device information, from the printing device to the information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the device information being stored in the memory or the storage device of the printing device, and the device information includes one or more of identification information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, or resolution information, individually or in any combination, corresponding to the printing device, and the wireless transmission of the device information from the printing device to the information apparatus is via the wireless local area network communication link established in (2); and (4) wirelessly receiving, at the printing device and using the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device and over the wireless local area network communication link established in (2), print data from the information apparatus for printing at the printing device, and wherein the print data, which is wirelessly received at the printing device, is in accordance, at least in part, with the device information, corresponding to the printing device, that has been wirelessly transmitted from the printing device to the information apparatus in (3); wherein, by having wirelessly transmitted, via the wireless local area network communication link established in (2), the device information from the printing device to the information apparatus in (3), the printing device provides the printing services to the information apparatus without a need for the information apparatus to install, at the information apparatus, a printer driver that is device specific to the printing device and without a need for the information apparatus to use the installed printer driver for printing at the printing device; and wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the printing device includes one or more chips or chipsets, the one or more chips or chipsets are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards for wirelessly connecting to the wireless local area network in (1). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having recorded therein software or firmware for an output controller associated with a printer to manage wireless printing of digital content at the printer, the output controller including:
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at least one processor; memory storing at least an output device profile that includes at least device attributes related to the output controller or to the printer; and one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets for wireless communication, the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets being compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards for establishing a wireless local area network connection;
wherein execution of at least part of the software or the firmware by the at least one processor causes the output controller to;wirelessly connect, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the output controller, to a wireless local area network; establish wireless communication, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the output controller and over the wirelessly connected wireless local area network, with an information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the information apparatus being a distinct device from the output controller and from the printer, and the wireless communication being compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards; wirelessly transmit, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the output controller and over the established wireless communication, at least part of the output device profile, that is stored in the memory of the output controller, from the output controller to the information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, the output device profile includes one or more of identification information, brand information, model information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, or resolution information, individually or in any combination, corresponding to the output controller or to the printer; wirelessly receive, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the output controller and over the established wireless communication, print data from the information apparatus that is in the wireless local area network, and wherein the print data, which is wirelessly received from the information apparatus, is based, at least in part, on information included in the output device profile wirelessly transmitted from the output controller to the information apparatus; and provide, by the output controller, a printing service to the information apparatus without a need for the information apparatus to use a printer driver that is device specific to the printer for printing at the printer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A printing device to wirelessly provide printing services, the printing device including:
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at least a wireless communication unit that includes one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets, the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards for wireless communication; memory or storage storing device information related to the printing device; one or more processors; and software or firmware stored in the memory or the storage; wherein, execution of the software or the firmware by the one or more processors performs a printing method, comprising; (1) initiating a wireless discovery process, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device, to facilitate a client of the printing device to wirelessly discover the printing device for a service, the client being a client device or a client application executing at the client device, and the client device being a distinct and separate device from the printing device; (2) establishing wireless communication, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device, between the printing device and the client that has wirelessly discovered the printing device in (1), the wireless communication being compatible, at least partly, with at least one protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards; (3) wirelessly transmitting, using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device and over the wireless communication established in (2), the device information from the printing device to the client, and the device information includes one or more of a duplex printing, a color printing, a bit depth, a resolution, or an output page size, individually or in any combination related to the printing device; and (4) wirelessly receiving, at the printing device and using the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device, print data from the client for printing at the printing device, and wherein the print data wirelessly received from the client is in accordance, at least in part, with the device information wirelessly transmitted from the printing device to the client in (3); and wherein the printing device provides the printing services to the client without a need for the client to use a printer driver that is specific to the printing device for printing at the printing device; and wherein the print data, which is wirelessly received by the printing device from the client in (4), includes device dependent output data that is specific for printing at the printing device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification