Method and system for secure printing of documents via a printer coupled to the internet

• US 6,996,235 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Foth, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Venkat
• Application Number:
  US09/972,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20030068045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201
• US Class Current: 380/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices

Abstract

A system and method for providing secure, on-demand delivery and retrieval of documents, messages and the like utilizing an adaptor and a printer coupled to the Internet. An adaptor is coupled between a network based printing protocol enabled device, such as, for example, an Internet Printing Protocol enabled printer, and the Internet. A mobile device communicates with the adaptor to allow a user to log onto a document delivery system, via the Internet, and select a document, message or the like to be printed. The adaptor or mobile device provides the Internet address of the printer to the data center, which then sends the selected documents to the printer through the adaptor using the network based printing protocol. Alternatively, the data center can encrypt the documents before sending. A corresponding decryption key is used by the adaptor to decrypt the documents prior to sending to the printer.

Claims

1. A system for remotely retrieving a document comprising:

a data center to store said document, said data center being coupled to a network;

a printer coupled to said network; and

a portable adaptor coupled between said network and said printer, said portable adaptor including a communication device to communicate with a mobile device,

wherein said mobile device communicates with said adaptor and causes said adaptor to retrieve said document from said data center via said network, and said adaptor provides said document to said printer for printing.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said printer is a network based printing protcol enabled device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said document is selected from a plurality of documents stored in said data center.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said adaptor is further configured to receive a document from said mobile device via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor and send said received document to said data center.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device communicates with said adaptor via a hard-wired communication.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device communicates with said adaptor via a wireless communication.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said wireless communication is an infrared communication.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said wireless communication is a radio frequency communication.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein said wireless communication is automatically established.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein said wireless communication includes inductive coupling.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said document is encrypted before being retrieved by said adaptor, and said adaptor decrypts said encrypted document before providing said document to said printer.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said adaptor decrypts said encrypted document with a key provided by said mobile device.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a personal data assistant.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a pager.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a laptop computer.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a cell phone.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said adaptor is further configured to receive a document from said mobile device via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor and send said received document to said printer for printing.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet.

19. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a personal computer coupled between said adaptor and said network,

wherein said adaptor retrieves said document utilizing said personal computer to couple to said network.

20. A portable adaptor for coupling between a network and a printer for remotely retrieving a document from a data center and sending said retrieved document to said printer for printing, said adaptor comprising:

a first port to couple said adaptor to said network;

a second port to couple said adaptor to said printer;

a first switch circuit having a first, second and third input/output, said first input/output being coupled to said first port, said second input/output being coupled to said second port;

a processor coupled to said third input/output of said first switch circuit, said processor controlling said first switch circuit to connect between said first and second input/outputs or between said first and third input/outputs; and

a coupling device for communicating with a mobile device

wherein when a communication is established with said mobile device, said first switch circuit connects said first and third input/outputs thereby coupling said processor with said data center via said network, said document is selected from said data center via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor, after said document is selected said first switch circuit connects said first and second input/outputs thereby coupling said data center to said printer, and said data center sends said selected document to said printer through said first switch circuit.

21. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said network is the Internet.

22. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said coupling device is a connector.

23. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said coupling device is an infrared detector/emitter.

24. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said coupling device is a radio frequency receiver/transmitter.

25. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said coupling device is an inductive coupling receiver/transmitter.

26. The adaptor according to claim 20, further comprising:

a second switch circuit having a first and second input/output, said first input/output being coupled to said processor, said second input/output being coupled to said second port,

wherein said data center sends said selected document to said printer through said first switch circuit, said processor and said second switch circuit.

27. The adaptor according to claim 26, wherein said document is encrypted by said data center before being sent to said adaptor and wherein said encrypted document is decrypted by said processor before being sent to said printer.

28. The adaptor according to claim 27, further comprising:

a memory device coupled to said processor, said memory device storing a key used by said processor to decrypt said document.

29. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said adaptor is further configured to receive a document from said mobile device via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor and send said received document to said data center.

30. The adaptor according to claim 20, wherein said adaptor is further configured to receive a document from said mobile device via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor and send said received document to said printer.

31. A portable adaptor for coupling between a network and a printer for remotely retrieving a document from a data center and sending said retrieved document to said printer for printing, said adaptor comprising:

a first port to couple said adaptor to said network;

a second port to couple said adaptor to said printer;

a hub having a first, second and third input/output, said first input/output being coupled to said first port, said second input/output being coupled to said second port;

a processor coupled to said third input/output of said hub; and

a coupling device for communicating with a mobile device, said coupling device being coupled to said processor,

wherein when a communication is established with said mobile device, said hub routes communications from said processor to said data center via said network, said document is selected from said data center via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor, said selected document is sent from said data center to said adaptor, and said hub routes said selected document to said printer.

32. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said network is the Internet.

33. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said coupling device is a connector.

34. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said coupling device is an infrared detector/emitter.

35. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said coupling device is a radio frequency receiver/transmitter.

36. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said coupling device is an inductive coupling receiver/transmitter.

37. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said document is encrypted by said data center before being sent to said adaptor, said hub routes said encrypted document to said processor, and said processor decrypts said encrypted document and sends said decrypted document to said printer via said hub.

38. The adaptor according to claim 37, further comprising:

a memory device coupled to said processor, said memory device storing a key used by said processor to decrypt said document.

39. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said adaptor is further configured to receive a document from said mobile device via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor and send said received document to said data center via said hub.

40. The adaptor according to claim 31, wherein said adaptor is further configured to receive a document from said mobile device via said communication between said mobile device and said adaptor and send said received document to said printer via said hub.

41. A method for remotely retrieving and printing a selected document stored in a data center, said data center being coupled to a network, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling a portable adaptor to said network between said data center and a printer, said portable adaptor including a communication device to communicate with a mobile device;

establishing a communication between a mobile device and said data center via said adaptor and said network;

selecting a document stored in said data center using said mobile device;

sending said selected document to said printer via said network and said adaptor; and

printing said selected document at said printer.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of selecting a document further comprises:

selecting a document from a plurality of documents stored in said data center.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein before said step of sending said selected document, said method further comprises:

encrypting said selected document.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein said step of sending said selected document further comprises:

sending said encrypted selected document to said adaptor;

decrypting said encrypted selected document at said adaptor; and

sending said decrypted selected document to said printer.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein said step of decrypting further comprises:

obtaining a key from said mobile device; and

using said key to decrypt said encrypted selected document.

46. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of establishing a communication further comprises:

establishing a hard-wired communication between said adaptor and said mobile device.

47. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of establishing a communication further comprises:

establishing a wireless communication between said adaptor and said mobile device.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein said wireless communication is an infrared communication.

49. The method according to claim 47, wherein said wireless communication is a radio frequency communication.

50. The method according to claim 47, wherein said wireless communication is established automatically.

51. The method according to claim 47, wherein said wireless communication includes inductive coupling.

52. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of selecting a document further comprises:

retrieving a header for each of a plurality of documents stored in said data center; and

selecting said document from said plurality of documents.

53. The method according to claim 41, wherein said mobile device is a personal data assistant.

54. The method according to claim 41, wherein said mobile device is a pager.

55. The method according to claim 41, wherein said mobile device is a laptop computer.

56. The method according to claim 41, wherein said mobile device is a cell phone.