Method and system to print via e-mail

• US 20030182378A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Peerless Systems Corp. (Mobius Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Treptow, Jay A., Wong, Gregory H., Cocotis, Thomas A., Henderson, Kristofer P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 : Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 : using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00432 : using tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00466 : displaying finishing information, e.g. position of punch holes or staple or orientation references
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 : outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 : outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32767 : in response to a user operation, e.g. actuating a switch H04N1/32769 and H04N1/32771 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system and method that enables users operating originating devices, such as PC'"'"'s, laptop computers, PDA'"'"'s, pocket PC'"'"'s, cell phones, etc., to print documents, images, etc. by sending the content to be printed via an e-mail message. The e-mail message is sent to a virtual printer e-mail address hosted by an e-mail server. The e-mail message is retrieved by a “driverless” print server (DPS) system, separated into a main file and attachment files, and printed on a printer to which the virtual printer e-mail address corresponds. The DPS system utilizes a table driven mechanism to determine appropriate applications to laod and process and handle various printer events generated by various software applications pertaining to the documents desired to be printed by operators of the originating devices. The system and method enable documents and the like to be printed without requiring a printer device driver corresponding to the target printer to be loaded on the originating device.

Claims

1. A method to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising:

defining a virtual e-mail address for the target printer;

retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to the virtual e-mail address of the target printer from an e-mail server that host an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address;

extracting the source data from the e-mail message;

loading the source data into a corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the source data can be printed;

generating printer data corresponding to the source data via the corresponding application or browser and print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server; and

submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source data comprise a main body of the e-mail message, and extracting the source data, loading the source data and generating the printer data comprises the operations of:

loading the e-mail message into an e-mail application running on the print server; and

generating printer data corresponding to the e-mail message via the e-mail application in combination with a print subsystem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source data comprise an attachment to the e-mail message, and extracting the source data, loading the source data and generating the printer data comprises the operations of:

separating the attachment from the e-mail message;

loading an application on the print server by which the attachment can be loaded; and

loading the attachment into the application and initiating a print action to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the application in combination with the print subsystem.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the attachment comprises an image file that is loaded into a browser running on the print server to render an image corresponding to the image file and submit graphical data pertaining to the image to the print subsystem to generate the printer data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein an application may display message boxes and/or dialogs during an application printing process to inform a user of an error or warning or gather print parameter information from a user, further comprising automatically providing computer-generated input to handle any message boxes and/or dialogs that are invoked by the application when generating the printer data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein an appropriate application to load for the attachment is determined by performing the operations of:

defining file type-to-application mapping information that maps each of a plurality of source data file types to one or more corresponding applications that may be used to load source data having that file type;

determining a file type of the attachment; and

determining an appropriate application to load on the print server to open the source data based on the file type and the file type-to-application mapping information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user interface to enable an administrator to define the file type-to-application mapping information and define application loading information to enable the applications to be loaded on the print server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises a web page served from a web server operatively coupled to the print server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the source data comprise a main body of the e-mail message and at least one attachment to the e-mail message, and extracting the source data, loading the source data and generating the printer data comprises the operations of:

generating a file for each of the main body and said at least one attachment; and

for each file,

determining whether the file corresponds to the main body, and if it does,

loading the e-mail message into an e-mail application and invoking a print operation to cause printer data corresponding to the e-mail message to be generated via the e-mail application in combination with the print subsystem;

otherwise, if the file corresponds to an attachment,

loading an application on the print server from which the attachment can be printed, loading the attachment into the application, and invoking a print operation to cause the application to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the application in combination with the print subsystem.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a print job request for each file; and

storing the print job requests in a print job queue.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising polling the e-mail server to see if any e-mail messages have been received by the e-mail server that were addressed to the virtual printer e-mail address.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking a trigger mechanism when an e-mail message addressed to the virtual printer e-mail address is received by the e-mail server, said trigger mechanism initiating retrieval of the e-mail message from the e-mail server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a reply e-mail message back to an e-mail account by which the e-mail message containing the source data was sent, said reply e-mail message including print status information.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a Web-based user interface that enables an administrator to view information pertaining to pending print jobs for the print server.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a Web-based user interface that enables an administrator to view information pertaining to completed print jobs for the print server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the Web-based user interface enables the administrator to view completed print requests using a filter based on at least one of a date range, a specified owner, an account, and a specified printer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the Web-based user interface enables the administrator to view completed print requests using a filter that is generated in response to a plurality of search criteria entered by the administrator via the Web-based user interface.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations of loading the source data and generating the printer data are performed using an operating system shell extension print mechanism.

19. A machine readable media on which a plurality of machine instructions are stored that when executed by a computing machine enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message by performing the operations of:

retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to a virtual e-mail address defined for the target printer from an e-mail server that host an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address;

extracting the source data from the e-mail message;

loading the source data into a corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the source data can be printed;

generating printer data corresponding to the source data via the corresponding application or browser and a print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server; and

submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.

20. The machine-readable media of claim 19, wherein execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of providing a user-interface to enable a user to define a virtual e-mail address for the target printer.

21. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein the source data comprise a main body of the e-mail message, and execution of the machine instructions extracts the source data, loads the source data and generates the printer data by performing the operations of:

loading the e-mail message into an e-mail application running on the print server; and

generating printer data corresponding to the e-mail message via the e-mail application in combination with the print subsystem.

22. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein the source data comprise an attachment to the e-mail message, and execution of the machine instructions extracts the source data, loads the source data and generates the printer data by performing the operations of:

separating the attachment from the e-mail message;

loading an application on the print server from which the attachment can be printed; and

loading the attachment into the application and executing a print action for the application to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the application in combination with the print subsystem.

23. The machine readable media of claim 22, wherein the attachment comprises an image file that is loaded into a browser running on the print server to render an image corresponding to the image file and submit graphical data pertaining to the image to the print subsystem to generate the printer data.

24. The machine readable media of claim 22, wherein an application may display message boxes and/or dialogs during an application printing process to inform a user of an error or warning or gather print parameter information from a user, and execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of automatically providing computer-generated input to handle any message boxes and/or dialogs that are invoked by the application when generating the printer data.

25. The machine readable media of claim 22, wherein execution of the machine instructions determines an appropriate application to load for the attachment by performing the operations of:

retrieving file type-to-application mapping information that maps each of a plurality of source data file types to one or more corresponding applications that may be used to load source data having that file type;

determining a file type of the attachment; and

determining an appropriate application to load on the print server to open the source data based on the file type and the file type-to-application mapping information.

26. The machine readable media of claim 25, wherein execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of providing a user interface to enable an administrator to define the file type-to-application mapping information and define application loading information to enable the applications to be loaded on the print server.

27. The machine readable media of claim 26, wherein a portion of the machine instructions comprise a web server component and the user interface comprises a web page served via the web server component.

28. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein the source data comprise a main body of the e-mail message and at least one attachment to the e-mail message, and execution of the machine instructions extracts the source data, loads the source data and generates the printer data by performing the operations of:

generating a file for each of the main body and said at least one attachment; and

for each file,

determining whether the file corresponds to the main body, and if it does,

loading the e-mail message into an e-mail application and generating printer data corresponding to the e-mail message via the e-mail application in combination with a print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server;

otherwise, if the file corresponds to an attachment,

loading an application on the print server from which the attachment can be printed, loading the attachment into the application, and initiating a print action for the application to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the application in combination with the print subsystem.

29. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of polling the e-mail server to see if any e-mail messages have been received by the e-mail server that were addressed to the virtual printer e-mail address.

30. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of sending a reply e-mail message back to an e-mail account by which the e-mail message containing the source data was sent, said reply e-mail message including print status information.

31. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of providing a Web-based user interface that enables a n administrator to view information pertaining to pending print jobs for the print server.

32. The machine readable media of claim 19, wherein execution of the machine instructions further performs the operation of providing a Web-based user interface that enables an administrator to view information pertaining to completed print jobs for the print server.

33. The machine readable media of claim 32, wherein the Web-based user interface enables the administrator to view completed print requests using a filter based on at least one of a date range, a specified owner, an account, and a specified printer.

34. The machine readable media of claim 32, wherein the Web-based user interface enables the administrator to view completed print requests using a filter that is generated in response to a plurality of search criteria entered by the administrator view the Web-based user interface.

35. The machine-readable media of claim 19, wherein the operations of loading the source data and generating the printer data are performed using an operating system shell extension print mechanism.

36. A system to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising:

means for retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to a virtual e-mail address defined for the target printer from an e-mail server that hosts an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address;

means for extracting the source data from the e-mail message;

means for loading the source data into a corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the source data can be printed;

means for invoking a print action within the corresponding application or browser to generate printer data corresponding to the source data via the corresponding application or browser and a print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server; and

means for submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for providing a user-interface to enable a user to define a virtual e-mail address for the target printer.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the source data comprise a main body of the e-mail message, and the means for extracting the source data, loading the source data, and invoking the print action perform the operations of:

loading the e-mail message into an e-mail application running on the print server; and

invoking a print action to generate printer data corresponding to the e-mail message via the e-mail application in combination with the print subsystem.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the source data comprise an attachment to the e-mail message, and the means for extracting the source data, loading the source data, and invoking the print action perform the operations of:

separating the attachment from the e-mail message;

loading an application on the print server from which the attachment can be printed; and

loading the attachment into the application and executing a print action for the application to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the application in combination with the print subsystem.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the attachment comprises an image file that is loaded into a browser running on the print server to render an image corresponding to the image file and submit graphical data pertaining to the image to the operating system print subsystem to generate the printer data.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein an application may display message boxes and/or dialogs during an application printing process to inform a user of an error or warning or gather print parameter information from a user, and the system further comprises means for automatically providing computer-generated input to handle any message boxes and/or dialogs that are launched by the application when generating the printer data.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the means for loading the corresponding application or browser determines an appropriate application to load for the attachment by performing the operations of:

retrieving file type-to-application mapping information that maps each of a plurality of source data file types to one or more corresponding applications that may be used to load source data having that file type;

determining a file type of the attachment; and

determining an appropriate application to load on the print server to open the source data based on the file type and the file type-to-application mapping information.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising means for providing a user interface to enable an administrator to define the file type-to-application mapping information and define application loading information to enable the applications to be loaded on the print server.

44. The system of claim 43, further comprising a Web server means for serving Web pages, wherein the user interface comprises a Web page served by the Web server means.

45. The system of claim 36, wherein the source data comprise a main body of the e-mail message and at least one attachment to the e-mail message, and the means for extracting the source data, loading the source data, and invoking the print action perform the operations of:

generating a file for each of the main body and said at least one attachment; and

for each file,

determining whether the file corresponds to the main body, and if it does,

loading the e-mail message into an e-mail application and generating printer data corresponding to the e-mail message via the e-mail application in combination with a print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server;

otherwise, if the file corresponds to an attachment,

loading an application on the print server from which the attachment can be printed, loading the attachment into the application, and executing a print action for the application to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the application in combination with the print subsystem.

46. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for polling the e-mail server to see if any e-mail messages have been received by the e-mail server that were addressed to the virtual printer e-mail address.

47. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for sending a reply e-mail message back to an e-mail account by which the e-mail message containing the source data was sent, said reply e-mail message including print status information.

48. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for providing a Web-based user interface that enables an administrator to view information pertaining to pending print jobs for the print server.

49. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for providing a Web-based user interface that enables an administrator to view information pertaining to completed print jobs for the print server.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the Web-based user interface enables the administrator to view completed print requests using a filter based on at least one of a date range, a specified owner, an account, and a specified printer.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the Web-based user interface enables the administrator to view completed print requests using a filter that is generated in response to a plurality of search criteria entered by the administrator view the Web-based user interface.

52. A method to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising:

defining a virtual e-mail address for the target printer;

retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to the virtual e-mail address of the target printer from an e-mail server that host an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address;

extracting the source data from the e-mail message;

determining whether the source data comprises a printer file, and if it does,

submitting the source data to a print spooler; and

routing an output of the print spooler to the target printer.

53. A machine readable media on which a plurality of machine instructions are stored that when executed by a computing machine enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message by performing the operations of:

retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to a virtual e-mail address defined for the target printer from an e-mail server that host an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address;

extracting the source data from the e-mail message;

determining whether the source data comprises a printer file, and if it does,

submitting the source data to a print spooler; and

routing an output of the print spooler to the target printer.

54. A system to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising:

means for retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to a virtual e-mail address defined for the target printer from an e-mail server that hosts an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address;

means for extracting the source data from the e-mail message;

means for determining whether the source data comprises a printer file;

means for submitting the source data to a print spooler; and

means for routing an output of the print spooler to the target printer.