Output device and method for output without an output driver

• US 9,164,718 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US13/103,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/220, 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 : Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 : Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 : Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 : Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 : Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

An output device for providing output service to a mobile information apparatus including a display screen without requiring a device specific output driver installed at the mobile information apparatus is disclosed. The output device may include an operating system, a wireless communication unit for radio frequency communication, a display screen, and a user interface over the display screen, the output device may include features for installing one or more application software at the output device for expanding the capabilities of the output device, registering the output device over a network and providing an identification of the output device for enabling one or more mobile information apparatuses to transmit output data to the output device. Subsequent to registering the output device and providing the identification information of the output device, the output device receives output data associated with the identification information from the mobile information apparatus for rendering.

Claims

1. An information apparatus comprising:

a display screen;

one or more processors;

a wireless communication unit; and

a storage unit configured to store instructions,

wherein the stored instructions cause the one or more processors;

to receive an input for selecting an item displayed on the display screen, the item representing a function associated with one or more output devices;

to search for the one or more output devices using the wireless communication unit;

to receive, subsequent to the input for selecting the item, from one output device of the one or more output devices, via the wireless communication unit, a device dependent attribute of the one output device;

to display on the display screen a user interface which comprises a list of the one or more output devices and representation regarding the device dependent attribute;

to receive a touch input for selecting the one output device from the list by touching on the display screen;

to configure the information apparatus to output an output data in accordance with the device dependent attribute of the selected one output device; and

to transmit, via the wireless communication unit, the output data to the selected output device.

2. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one output device is registered with a control point for enabling the information apparatus to communicate with the one output device, the control point managing a network through which the information apparatus and the one output device communicates.

3. The information apparatus of claim 2, the registering of the one output device with the control point enables the information apparatus to discover the one output device and to generate the list.

4. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device dependent attribute of the one output device comprises information indicating a type of output device corresponding to the one output device.

5. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one output device receives, via a communication unit of the one output device, the output data corresponding, at least in part, to the device dependent attribute from the information apparatus, for rendering the output data.

6. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one output device provides an output service to the information apparatus without requiring a device specific output driver installed at the information apparatus.

7. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information apparatus comprises one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a general purpose computer.

8. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more output devices comprise at least one from among a printer, a display device, a television, a speaker, and a digital media renderer.

9. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output data based at least partly on the received device dependent attribute.

10. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output data comprises video content output by an application executed by the one or more processors.

11. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output data comprises audio content output by an application executed by the one or more processors.

12. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device dependent attribute of the one output device comprises information indicating a name of output device corresponding to the one output device.

13. The information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stored instructions further cause the one or more processors:

to receive an information from the selected one output device; and

to configure the information apparatus to output the output data by generating the output data based on the received information from the selected one output device.

14. The information apparatus of claim 13, wherein the stored instructions further cause the one or more processors:

to provide a second user interface for selecting a preference including at least one of number of copies, number of cards per page, color or grayscale and page layout parameters.