Broadcast printing system and method

• US 6,431,772 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Koki Imaging Solutions, Inc. (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Koki Imaging Solutions, Inc. (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Melo, William, Egan, Alistair, Dumitrescu, Tiberiu, Sorkin, Maxim, Harrison, Ladon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chau, Minh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/558,667
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 400/719, 400/61, 400/62, 400/67, 400/70, 400/71, 400/76, 400/77, 358/1-3-, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 400/70
• 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 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1269 by broadcasting server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A broadcast printing system includes a first data communication network including a client device and one or more local imaging devices. A remote imaging device is coupled to the first data communication network through a second data communication network. In response to a single print request generated by an application process hosted on the client device, a print job is transmitted to the local imaging device according to a local print protocol and a print job is transmitted to the remote imaging device according to a protocol suitable for transmitting print jobs in a public data communication network such as the Internet Printing Protocol.

Claims

1. A network printing system comprising:

a public data communication network;

a private data communication network coupled to the public data communication network at a gateway, the private data communication network including at least one local imaging device for transferring images to media and a client device for hosting processes for requesting the printing of a document; and

at least one remote imaging device for transferring images to media coupled to the private data communication network through the public data communication network,

logic for transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device and a print job to the remote imaging device in response to a single print request at the client device.

2. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the client device hosts an application process for generating print requests and a print driver having logic for transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device and the remote imaging device in response to a single print request generated by the application process.

3. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the private data communication network further includes a print server and the client device hosts an application process for generating print requests, wherein client device further includes logic for transmitting a print job to the print server in response to a single print request from the application process and wherein the print server includes logic for transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device and a print job to the remote imaging device in response to receipt of the print job from the a single print request generated by the application process.

4. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the public data communication network includes the Internet and the gateway includes a firewall for monitoring data transmitted between the Internet and the private data communication network further includes logic for transmitting the print job to the remote imaging device according to the Internet Printing Protocol.

5. The network printing system of claim 4, wherein the cluster printing system according to claim 1, wherein the private communication network includes logic for transmitting the at least one print job to the local imaging device according to the line printer daemon (LPD) protocol.

6. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing system further includes logic for transmitting the print job to the remote imaging device according to a protocol permitting bi-directional communication between the remote imaging device and the private data communication network.

7. A method of printing documents, the method comprising:

receiving a single print request at a client device in a private data communication network for printing a document;

in response to receipt of the single print request, transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device for transferring images to media in the private data communication network and transmitting a print job to a remote imaging device for transferring images to media coupled to the private data communication network through a public data communication network, the public data communication network being coupled to the private communication network at a gateway.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further including:

generating the single print request at an application process hosted on the client device; and

receiving the single print request at a print driver hosted on the client device; and

transmitting the print jobs to the local imaging device and to the remote imaging device from the client device in response to receipt of the single print request at the print driver.

9. The method of claim 7, the method further including:

generating the single print request at an application process hosted on the client device; and

transmitting a single print job from the client device to a print server hosted on a device in the private network which is distinct from the client device in response to the single print request; and

transmitting the print jobs to the local imaging device and to the remote imaging device from the print server in response to receipt of the single print job at the print server.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the public data communication network includes the Internet and the gateway includes a firewall for monitoring data transmitted between the Internet and the Private data communication network, the method further including transmitting the print job to the remote imaging device according to the Internet Printing Protocol in response to receipt of the single print request.

11. The method of claim 7, the method further including transmitting the print job to the at least one local imaging device according to the line printer daemon protocol.

12. The method of claim 7, the method further including transmitting the print job to the remote imaging device according to a protocol permitting bi-directional communication between the remote imaging device and the private data communication network.

13. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions encoded thereon for:

receiving a single print request for printing a document from an application process hosted on a client device in a private data communication network;

in response to receipt of the single print request, transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device for transferring images to media in the private data communication network and transmitting a print job to a remote imaging device for transferring images to media coupled to the private data communication network through a public data communication network.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the computer readable medium further including computer readable instructions encoded thereon for transmitting the print job to the remote imaging device according to the Internet Printing Protocol in response to receipt of the single print request.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the computer readable medium further including computer readable instructions encoded thereon for transmitting the print job to the at least one local imaging device according to the line printer daemon protocol.

16. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions encoded thereon for:

receiving a single print job from a process hosted on a client device in a private data communication network;

in response to receipt of the single print job, transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device for transferring images to media on the private data communication network and transmitting a print job to a remote imaging device for transferring images to media coupled to the private data communication network through a public data communication network.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium further includes computer readable instructions encoded thereon for transmitting the print job to the least one local imaging device according to the line printer daemon protocol.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein a portion of the public data communication network includes the Internet and the computer readable medium further includes computer readable instructions encoded thereon for transmitting the print job to the remote imaging device according to the Internet Printing Protocol.

19. A network printing system comprising:

a first data communication network for transmitting data among a client device for hosting processes for requesting the printing of a document and at least one local imaging device for transferring images to media according to a first media access control (MAC) protocol;

a second data communication network, the second data communication network including at least one remote imaging device for transferring images to media, for transmitting data among devices which are not directly addressable from devices on the first network according to the first MAC protocol,

wherein the first network includes logic for transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device and a print job to the remote imaging device in response to a single print request at the client device.

20. The network printing system of claim 19, the network printing system further including a processor coupled to the first and second networks for transmitting data from devices in the first network to devices on the second network according to an Internet Protocol.

21. The network printing system of claim 20, wherein logic for transmitting a print job transmits the print job to the remote imaging device according to an Internet Printing Protocol.

22. The network printing system of claim 19, wherein the logic for transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device and a print job to the remote imaging device is implemented in software hosted on the client device.

23. The network printing system of claim 19, wherein first network includes a print server distinct from the client device, and wherein the logic for transmitting a print job to at least one local imaging device and a print job to the remote imaging device resides at the print server.