System and method for mobile printing

• US 20020191210A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, David J., Hall, David M., Anderson, Jeff M., Bunn, Jeremy, Revel, Daniel, Brown, Sherri L., Staas, David, Misustin, Karen E., Reich, Lainye
• Granted Patent: US 6,975,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

A printing system and method are provided that facilitate the mobile printing of a document. The printing system comprises an automated print agent located in a device coupled to a network. The printing system also comprises a network alias associated with a printer coupled to the network, where the automated print agent acting as a network destination for a transmitted document addressed to the network alias. The automated print agent orchestrates the printing of the transmitted document on the printer upon receipt of the transmitted document from a transmitting device.

Claims

1. A printing system, comprising:

an automated print agent located in a device coupled to a network; and

a network alias associated with a printer coupled to the network, the automated print agent acting as a network destination for a transmitted document addressed to the network alias, the automated print agent orchestrating a printing of the transmitted document on the printer upon receipt of the transmitted document from a transmitting device.

2. The printing system of claim 1, further comprising a rendering application in the device that renders the transmitted document into a printer ready format upon an application of the transmitted document thereto by the automated print agent.

3. The printing system of claim 1, further comprising a rendering application in a second device that renders the transmitted document into a printer ready format upon an application of the transmitted document thereto by the automated print agent.

4. The printing system of claim 3, wherein the device is the printer.

5. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the network alias is an email address and the network destination is an email network destination.

6. The printing system of claim 5, further comprising an email server coupled to the network, the email server including a gateway that directs the transmitted document addressed to the network alias to the automated print agent.

7. The printing system of claim 2, wherein the device is an email server, the email server including a gateway that directs the transmitted document addressed to the network alias to the automated print agent, wherein the network alias is an email address and the network destination is an email network destination.

8. The printing system of claim 3, wherein the second device is an email server coupled to the network, the email server including a gateway that directs the transmitted document addressed to the network alias to the automated print agent, wherein the network alias is an email address and the automated print agent acts as an email network destination.

9. A printing method, comprising:

associating a network alias with a printer coupled to a network;

designating an automated print agent in a device coupled to a network as a network destination for a transmitted document addressed to the network alias; and

orchestrating a printing of the transmitted document on the printer with the automated print agent upon receipt of the transmitted document by the automated print agent that is addressed to the network alias.

10. The printing method of claim 9, further comprising rendering the transmitted document into a printer ready format in the device.

11. The printing method of claim 9, further comprising rendering the transmitted document into a printer ready format in a second device.

12. The printing method of claim 11, locating the automated print agent in the printer, wherein the device is the printer.

13. The printing method of claim 9, wherein the step of associating the network alias with the printer coupled to the network further comprises associating an email address with the printer.

14. The printing method of claim 13, further comprises:

providing an email server coupled to the network; and

directing the transmitted document addressed to the network alias to the automated print agent with a gateway.

15. The printing method of claim 10, further comprising:

employing an email server as the device; and

directing the transmitted document addressed to the network alias to the automated print agent with a gateway, wherein the network alias is an email address and the network destination is an email network destination.

16. The printing method of claim 11, further comprising

employing an email server as the second device;

and

directing the transmitted document addressed to the network alias to the automated print agent with a gateway, wherein the network alias is an email address and the automated print agent acts as an email network destination.

18. The printing system of claim 17, further comprising third means for rendering the transmitted document coupled to the network, the third means rendering the transmitted document into a printer ready format.

19. The printing system of claim 17, further comprises fourth means for routing the transmitted document to the second means.

17. A printing system, comprising:

first means for printing coupled to a network and having a network alias associated therewith;

second means for orchestrating a printing of a transmitted document on the first means upon receipt of the transmitted document thereby, wherein the transmitted document is addressed to the network alias and the second means is designated as the a network destination for the network alias.

20. A system to facilitate email printing, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

an automated print agent stored on the memory and executable by the processor, the automated print agent comprising;

logic that converts an email received by the automated print agent into a document for printing, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer; and

logic that applies the document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

21. A system to facilitate email printing, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

an automated print agent stored on the memory and executable by the processor, the automated print agent comprising;

logic that separates an email from at least one attachment associated therewith, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer;

logic that converts at least one of the email and the at least one attachment into at least one document for printing; and

logic that applies the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the logic that separates the email from the at least one attachment associated therewith, further comprises:

logic that separates the email from the at least one attachment;

logic that designates the email as a separate one of the documents; and

logic that designates the at least one attachments as a separate one of the documents.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the logic that applies the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing, further comprises:

logic that determines a printer type of the printer by drawing an association between the destination address and the printer;

logic that creates at least one print job for the at least one document and that associates the printer type with the at least one print job;

logic that applies the at least one print job to a rendering application to be rendered in a format compatible with the printer; and

logic that applies a rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the logic that applies the rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing further comprises logic that queues up the at least one print job for printing to the printer.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the automated print agent further comprises logic that generates and transmits a print success message to a sender of the email upon completion of the printing of the at least one document on the printer.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the automated print agent further comprises logic that generates and transmits an error message to a sender of the email upon an occurrence of a printing error.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the logic that generates and transmits the error message to the sender of the email upon the occurrence of the printing error further comprises logic that generates and transmits a print failure message to the sender of the email upon the failure of the at least one document to print on the printer.

30. The program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code that separates the email from the at least one attachment associated therewith, further comprises:

code that separates the email from the at least one attachment;

code that designates the email as a separate one of the documents; and

code that designates the at least one attachments as a separate one of the documents.

31. The program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code that applies the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing, further comprises:

code that determines a printer type of the printer by drawing an association between the destination address and the printer;

code that creates at least one print job for the at least one document and that associates the printer type with the at least one print job;

code that applies the at least one print job to a rendering application to be rendered in a format compatible with the printer; and

code that applies a rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing.

32. The program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code that applies the rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing further comprises code that queues up the at least one print job for printing to the printer.

33. The program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 29, further comprising code that generates and transmits a print success message to the sending device of the email upon completion of the printing of the at least one document on the printer.

34. The program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 29, further comprising code that generates and transmits an error message to the sending device upon an occurrence of a printing error.

35. The program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the code that generates and transmits the error message to the sender of the email upon the occurrence of the printing error further comprises code that generates and transmits a print failure message to the sending device upon the failure of the at least one document to print on the printer.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of separating the email from the at least one attachment associated therewith, further comprises:

separating the email from the at least one attachment;

designating the email as a separate one of the documents; and

designating the at least one attachments as a separate one of the documents.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of applying the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing, further comprises:

determining a printer type of the printer by drawing an association between the destination address and the printer;

creating at least one print job for the at least one document and that associates the printer type with the at least one print job;

applying the at least one print job to a rendering application to be rendered in a format compatible with the printer; and

applying a rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of applying the rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing further comprises queuing up the at least one print job for printing to the printer.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising generating and transmitting a print success message to the sending device of the email upon completion of the printing of the at least one document on the printer.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising generating and transmitting an error message to the sending device upon an occurrence of a printing error.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of generating and transmitting the error message to the sender of the email upon the occurrence of the printing error further comprises generating and transmitting a print failure message to the sending device upon the failure of the at least one document to print on the printer.

28. A program stored on a computer readable medium to facilitate email printing, comprising:

code that converts an email received by the automated print agent into a document for printing, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer; and

code that applies the document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

29. A program stored on a computer readable medium to facilitate email printing, comprising:

code that separates an email from at least one attachment associated therewith, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer;

code that converts at least one of the email and the at least one attachment into at least one document for printing; and

code that applies the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

36. A method to facilitate email printing, comprising:

converting an email received by the automated print agent into a document for printing, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer; and

applying the document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

37. A method to facilitate email printing, comprising:

separating an email from at least one attachment associated therewith, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer;

converting at least one of the email and the at least one attachment into at least one document for printing; and

applying the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

44. A system to facilitate email printing, comprising:

means for converting an email received by the automated print agent into a document for printing, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer; and

means for applying the document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for separating the email from the at least one attachment associated therewith, further comprises:

means for separating the email from the at least one attachment;

means for designating the email as a separate one of the documents; and

means for designating the at least one attachments as a separate one of the documents.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for applying the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing, further comprises:

means for determining a printer type of the printer by drawing an association between the destination address and the printer;

means for creating at least one print job for the at least one document and that associates the printer type with the at least one print job;

means for applying the at least one print job to a rendering application to be rendered in a format compatible with the printer; and

means for applying a rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for applying the rendered version of the at least one print job to the printer for printing further comprises means for queuing up the at least one print job for printing to the printer.

49. The system of claim 45, further comprising means for generating and transmitting a print success message to the sending device of the email upon completion of the printing of the at least one document on the printer.

50. The system of claim 45, further comprising means for generating and transmitting an error message to the sending device upon an occurrence of a printing error.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the means for generating and transmitting the error message to the sender of the email upon the occurrence of the printing error further comprises means for generating and transmitting a print failure message to the sending device upon the failure of the at least one document to print on the printer.

45. A system to facilitate email printing, comprising:

means for separating an email from at least one attachment associated therewith, the email being addressed with a destination address that is associated with a printer;

means for converting at least one of the email and the at least one attachment into at least one document for printing; and

means for applying the at least one document to the printer associated with the destination address of the email for printing.