Protocol for interaction between wireless devices and other devices

• US 9,891,867 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiery LLC
• Original Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Leon, Wood, Patrick, Marsden, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudolph, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dottin, Darryl V
• Application Number:
  US13/100,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,478 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1512 Print-to a presentation device other than a printer, e.g. e-reader, e-paper, tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1209 resulting in adapted or bridged legacy communication protocols, e.g. emulation, protocol extension
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• 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: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

A proxy software service determines all I/O devices independent of subnet location, on a network; provides a network interface on a wireless subnet that can receive and respond to requests; responds to such requests for each I/O device so identified so that the I/O device is available to the wireless device user for device selection; transfers and translates, if necessary, the IPP stream received from the wireless device to the network address of the I/O device so that the I/O device simulates a compliant I/O device; and transfers and translates, if necessary, all necessary status and command messages from the present protocol to the protocol supported by a legacy I/O device.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a network interface on a local wireless subnet and in communication with a global network, the network interface configured to receive and respond to a particular type of Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) request, the global network including a plurality of wireless subnets and a plurality of wired subnets, wherein a handheld wireless device is connected to the local wireless subnet, wherein the handheld wireless device is limited to communication with local input/output (I/O) devices only within, and not beyond, the local wireless subnet via a broadcast request in a first protocol that cannot pass across routers to different subnets beyond the local wireless subnet;

presenting, via the network interface, a plurality of I/O devices connected on the global network and beyond the local wireless subnet, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are presented for device selection by a user of the handheld wireless device, wherein each of the plurality of I/O devices is configured to operate using a second protocol, the first protocol being different from the second protocol such that the plurality of I/O devices are non-compliant with the first protocol;

receiving, via the network interface, a selection, from the user of the handheld wireless device, of an I/O device from the plurality of I/O devices;

receiving, via the network interface, an IPP request stream of the particular type, said IPP request stream intended for said selected I/O device;

translating, by the network interface, the IPP stream request from the first protocol to the second protocol;

presenting, by an operator interface, one or more selections representing one or more I/O features of said selected I/O device, wherein said one or more I/O features are not presented to the user from a user interface of the handheld wireless device;

receiving, from the operator interface, at least one particular selection from said one or more selections, said at least one particular selection representing at least one I/O feature of said selected I/O device;

adding said at least one particular selection to the translation in the second protocol to enable the at least one I/O feature of said selected I/O device;

transferring, by the network interface, the translated IPP stream request to the selected I/O device;

translating and transferring status and command messages from or to the first protocol to or from the second protocol;

presenting to said handheld wireless device a link that allows access to an I/O device control page of said selected I/O device via said handheld wireless device; and

said I/O device control page allowing to control said I/O device from said handheld wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

for a second selected input/output (I/O) device that is non-compliant with said handheld wireless device;

transferring and translating data received from said handheld wireless device on said local wireless subnet to a network address of the second selected I/O device, wherein the translated data enables the second selected I/O device to simulate a device that is compliant with the handheld wireless device; and

transferring and translating status and command messages from or to the first protocol associated with the handheld wireless device to or from a protocol supported by said second selected I/O device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said handheld wireless device is a printer and said features comprise any of stapling, two-up printing, and booklet printing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said input/output (I/O) device comprises any of a printer, projector, network storage device, and optical device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a server through the network interface, said data from a user using the handheld wireless device, said data in a form of a presentation, said server in communication with said selected I/O device via the global network;

said server forwarding said presentation to said selected I/O device;

said server replying to said handheld wireless device with a link that allows access to an I/O device control page via said handheld wireless device, wherein said I/O device control page allows said user to control said I/O device from said handheld wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected I/O device comprises a translation application for converting said data from the first protocol to the second protocol that is different.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

for a particular handheld wireless device that does not allow file transfer, said network interface configured to provide a conduit for user access to particular data on said particular handheld wireless device; and

said network interface configured to transfer said particular data from said particular handheld wireless device to effect a file transfer protocol for said particular handheld wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling, via the network interface, said handheld wireless device to send print data to a projector using a raster image processor (RIP) that is resident on the handheld wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send print data to a projector using a RIP on the projector.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send print data to a projector using a wide area network-based RIP.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send print data to a projector using a mail server.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send print data to a projector via a wide area network.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the method of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is an iOS protocol that is translated to a pre-iOS protocol supported by said selected I/O device.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send a request in a discovery message form;

enabling a computer associated with the projector to respond to the handheld wireless device as if the computer were a printer that is compliant with the handheld wireless device;

enabling the handheld wireless device to rasterize a document to be sent to said projector;

enabling said handheld wireless device to send said rasterized document to the computer;

enabling said computer to collect said rasterized document for display on the projector;

enabling said computer to respond to the handheld wireless device with a ‘

push’

message that requests a user to open a projector application on the handheld wireless device, wherein the projector application enables user control of document display on the projector.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send a request in a discovery message form;

enabling a computer associated with the projector to respond to the handheld wireless device as if the computer were a printer that is compliant with the handheld wireless device;

enabling said handheld wireless device to send a document file to the computer, said computer rasterizing-said document file for display on the projector, said computer responding to the handheld wireless device with a ‘

push’

message that requests a user to open a projector application on the handheld wireless device, wherein the projector application enables user control of document display on the projector.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

enabling said handheld wireless device to send a request in a discovery message form;

enabling a computer associated with the projector to respond to the handheld wireless device as if the computer were a printer that is compliant with the handheld wireless device;

enabling said handheld wireless device to send a document file to the computer for the projector;

enabling the computer to send the document file to a network-based facility for raster image processing (RIP) wherein, after said network-based facility processes the document file, said facility sending resulting rasters to the computer for display with the projector;

enabling said computer to respond to the handheld wireless device with a ‘

push’

message that requests a user to open a projector application on the handheld wireless device, wherein the projector application enables user control of document display on the projector.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a computer via a mail server, a presentation as an email attachment from said handheld wireless device;

wherein the computer rasterizes the attachment;

said computer responding to the handheld wireless device with an email that includes a link to the rasterized attachment, wherein the link is configured to be opened in a browser application to enable the handheld wireless device to control the projector.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

using said handheld wireless device to email a document file via a mail server as an email attachment to a network-based facility for raster image processing (RIP);

after said network-based facility processes the document file, said network-based facility sending resulting rasters to the handheld wireless device in an email via said email server, wherein the rasters are accessible via links within the email;

at a time before the handheld wireless device sends the email, or upon a request, a computer registers its name with the network as the name of the projector that appear on the handheld wireless device;

the network uses requests for the name as the name for the projector to display the rasters;

selecting a link in the email at the handheld wireless device to navigate the handheld wireless device to a web page;

the handheld wireless device selecting and/or entering the name of the projector at the web page;

using the web page to navigate slides at the projector; and

said network relaying user entered page control instructions to the computer to effect control of the projector.

20. An apparatus for transferring a particular type of Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) request between a handheld wireless device and a selected input/output (I/O) device, comprising:

for said transfer of said particular type of IPP, a network interface configured to connect a local wireless subnet to which said handheld wireless device is connected and a plurality of subnets to which a plurality of I/O devices are connected, the plurality of subnets including a plurality of wireless subnets and a plurality of wired subnets, wherein said handheld wireless device is only able to communicate within, and not beyond, the local wireless subnet via a broadcast request that cannot pass across routers to different subnets beyond the local wireless subnet;

said network interface configured to present said plurality of I/O devices on said plurality of subnets and to receive and respond to requests from said handheld wireless device on said local wireless subnet, wherein the handheld wireless device is configured to operate using a first protocol and each of the plurality of I/O devices is configured to operate using a second protocol, the first protocol being different from the second protocol such that the plurality of I/O devices are non-compliant with the first protocol;

said network interface configured to receive, via the network interface, an IPP request stream of the particular type, said IPP request stream intended for said selected I/O device;

said network interface configured to translate the IPP stream request from the first protocol to the second protocol;

an operator interface configured to present one or more selections representing one or more I/O features of said selected I/O device, wherein said one or more I/O features are not presented to the user from a user interface of the handheld wireless device;

said network interface further configured to receive from said operator interface at least one particular selection from said one or more selections, said at least one particular selection representing at least one I/O feature of said selected I/O device;

said network interface further configured to add said at least one particular selection to the translation in the second protocol to enable the at least one I/O feature of said selected I/O device;

said network interface configured to transfer the translated IPP stream request to the selected I/O device;

said network interface configured to translate and transfer status and command messages to or from the first protocol to from or to the second protocol;

said network interface configured to present to said handheld wireless device a link that allows access to an I/O device control page of said selected I/O device via said handheld wireless device; and

said I/O device control page allowing to control said I/O device from said handheld wireless device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

a second selected input/output (I/O) device that is non-compliant with said handheld wireless device;

said network interface configured to enable the second selected I/O device to simulate a device that is compliant with said handheld wireless device on said wireless subnet; and

said processor configured to transfer and translate status and command messages to or from the first protocol associated with the handheld wireless device from or to a protocol supported by said second selected I/O device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first protocol is an iOS protocol that is translated to a pre-iOS protocol supported by said selected I/O device.