Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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REMOTE PRINTING
Reference to Related Applications
Priority is claimed to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application
60/248,467, filed November 13, 2000, and U.S. Patent Application No.
09/747,457, filed December 22, 2000.
Background
The present invention relates to the remote production of hard copy from
electronic documents. More specifically, the present invention relates to a
system
and method for remotely printing documents that is approximately as convenient
as
local printing.
As computers are used more and more often for personal and business
purposes in a wide variety of locations, there is frequently a desire to
produce a
hard copy of documents at a location distant from ones own work station, or to
transmit the document (or a copy of the document) to a distant location. For
example, a letter may be generated using a word processing program on a nearby
computer, only to be mailed across the country to another office. In other
situations, business travelers carry laptop computers to enable them to create
and
modify documents while they are outside of their office. Such a traveler who
wishes to generate hard copies of documents while traveling must also carry a
printer in addition to the laptop computer. This adds undesirable weight and
bulk
to the equipment that must be carried. These and other problems may be
addressed
by a system that permits a user to print a hard copy from a remote location,
i.e., on
a printer that is not directly connected to the user's computer.
The prior art includes some examples of remote printing systems, all of
which include one or more deficiencies in addressing the various situations in
which a user might want to print a hard copy of a document that is not
directly
connected to his computer. An example includes one or more direct connections,
such as dedicated leased telephone lines connecting the workstation to the
remote
printer. This method has the disadvantage of requiring a permanent (and often
expensive) telecommunications link between the devices. In situations where
the
user travels to many locations, such a solution may be prohibitively
expensive.
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Such a solution also becomes prohibitively expensive when many destinations
for
the hard copy exist.
In an alternative system, dial-up telephone lines are used to carry
communications between the computer and the printer. This solution addresses
many of the problems described above, but also fails to meet the requirements
of
many users. For example, the required modems and networking equipment are
frequently complex and difficult to administer. Similar networking
arrangements
using a wide-area network (WAN) to connect local-area networks (LANs) in
various locations also suffer from administrative complexities and prohibitive
cost.
Another remote printing scheme uses Internet e-mail technology. In one
such arrangement, the sending computer uses special software to convert print
jobs
into e-mail print jobs. At the receiving end, the receiving computer and/or
printer
must be equipped with compatible software for receiving and printing the e-
mail
print jobs. In another such system, an e-mail server converts e-mail print
jobs into
facsimile transmissions sent over telephone lines using facsimile transmission
protocols. The compatibility and complexity problems involved in such systems
render them difficult to administer and use.
A simpler existing technique by which a hard copy of a document may be
produced at a remote location is to attach the document to an e-mail message.
This
method requires human intervention, such as opening the document and issuing a
print command. In many forms of this system, the recipient is also able to
modify
the document, which ability may be undesirable to the sender.
There is thus a need for further contributions and improvements to remote
printing technology.
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Summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and
method for remote printing. Another object is to provide an improved system
and
method for allowing an authorized user to produce a hard copy of a document
from
a given computer on a printer that is not connected directly to that computer
or its
LAN.
These objects and others are achieved by various forms of the present
invention.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for remote printing.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing communication relationships in the
remote printing system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of software components in the remote printing
system of FIG. 1, showing the flow of data between them.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the software components in an alternative
embodiment of the remote printing system of FIG. 1, showing the flow of data
between them.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of software components in an alternative
embodiment of the remote printing system of FIG. 1, showing the flow of data
between them.
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Description of the Illustrated Embodiments
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the
present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in
the
drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will,
nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention
is
thereby intended; any alterations and further modifications of the described
or
illustrated embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the
invention as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to
one
skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
Generally, the remote printing system illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 provides a
facility for a user of local computer system 20 having local printer 22 to
print to
remote printer 26, which is attached to remote computer system 24. Network 30
carries data between the computer systems. In some embodiments discussed
herein, relay server 28 stores and forwards data as it passes between various
other
components of overall system 32.
Two different embodiments of a remote printing system according to the
present invention will be discussed herein. The hardware components and
communication relationships of the first, "server-mediated" embodiment will
now
be discussed with reference to FIG. 2. It should be understood that in each
instance where "communication" between components is described and not
characterized as being through a "direct connection," one or more additional
components may be provided in addition to those shown or described to
facilitate
that communication, such as bridges, routers, or even other computers.
Further, as used herein, a "direct connection" between a printer and a
processor or computer refers to an arrangement in which communication is
enabled
between the components, but that communication does not pass through network
hardware, such as a router or network switch. A "LAN connection" between a
printer and a processor or computer refers to an arrangement in which
communication is enabled between the components, and that communication
passes through network components owned or controlled by a single entity.
Local computer system 20 comprises processor 41, memory 43, monitor
45, network interface 47, zero or more optional input devices) 48, and zero or
more optional additional output devices) 49. Relay server 28 comprises
processor
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51, memory 53, and network interface 57. Like local computer system 20, remote
computer system 24 comprises a processor 61, memory 63, monitor 65, network
interface 67, zero or more optional input devices) 68, and zero or more output
devices) 69. Processor 41 is directly connected to local printer 22 via a
parallel or
USB port or serial port such as RS232, RS422, Firewire (IEEE standard 1394) or
similar connection protocol as is known to those skilled in the art. Processor
41
may alternatively communicate with printer 22 via a LAN. Processor 61 likewise
communicates with remote printer 26 via a direct connection or LAN connection
as known in the art.
It should be understood that local computer 20 can include more than one
processor or CPU and more than one type of memory, where memory 43 is
representative of one or more types. Furthermore, it should be understood that
while one local computer 20 is illustrated, more computers can be connected
thereto in alternative embodiments. Processor 41 can be comprised of one or
more
components configured as a single unit. Alternatively, when of a multi-
component
form, processor 41 can have one or more components located remotely relative
to
the others. One or more components of processor 41 can be of the electronic
variety comprising digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or both. In one
embodiment,
processor 41 is of a conventional, integrated circuit microprocessor
arrangement,
such as one or more PENTIUM III or PENTIUM 4 processors supplied by INTEL
Corporation.
Memory 43 can include one or more types of solid-state electronic
memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory, just to name a few. By way of
non-limiting example, memory 43 can include solid-state electronic Random
Access Memory (RAM), Sequentially Accessible Memory (SAM) (such as the
First-In, First-Out (FIFO) variety or the Last-In First-Out (LIFO) variety),
Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), Electrically Programmable Read
Only Memory (EPROM), or Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only
Memory (EEPROM); an optical disc memory (such as a DVD or CD ROM); a
magnetically encoded hard disk, floppy disk, tape, or cartridge media; or a
combination of any of these memory types. Also, memory 43 can be volatile,
nonvolatile, or a hybrid combination of volatile and nonvolatile varieties.
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Network 30 can be in the form of a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area
Network (WAN) such as the Internet, or other network type as would occur to
those skilled in the art. Local computer 20 includes monitor 45. Although not
shown to preserve clarity, local computer 20 can also include one or more
operator
input devices 48 such as a keyboard, mouse, track ball, light pen, and/or
microphone, to name just a few representative examples. Also, besides monitor
45, zero or more other output devices 49 can be included such as
loudspeaker(s).
In relay server 28, processor 51, memory 53, and network interface 57 may
take any of the forms described above in relation to processor 41, memory 43,
and
network interface 47, respectively. Each corresponding item may be the same as
or different from the corresponding component in local computer 20. Likewise,
the components of print host 24 (processor 61, memory 63, monitor 65, network
interface 67, zero or more other input devices) 68, and zero or more other
output
devices) 69), may each take one or more forms described above in connection
with the corresponding components 41, 43, 45, 47, 48, and 49, respectively,
discussed above in relation to local computer 20. Furthermore, while the
general
communication patterns between hardware components in the illustrated
embodiment are shown in FIG. 2, any of the communication paths illustrated may
pass through additional components not shown in FIG. 2, such as network 30
(see
FIG. 1), ports, connectors, switches, and the like, as would occur to one
skilled in
the art.
Referring now to FIG. 3, an overview of the primary software components
in one illustrated embodiment will be presented. Application 42 generates or
collects printable data such as, by way of non-limiting example, word
processing
documents, graphical presentations, images, World-Wide Web content,
spreadsheets, and e-mail messages. If the user of local computer 20 wishes to
print
such data on remote printer 26, he or she selects a "Print" command in the
user
interface of application 42. Application 42 proceeds with a "printer
discovery"
process, by which application 42 obtains information regarding the local and
remote printers available for use by local computer 20. In the illustrated
embodiment, application 42 sends the document to file manager 44 with specific
destination printer and print option information. File manager 44 connects to
relay
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server 28 and sends the printable data to one of the relay processes 55. The
relay
process 55 stores the data in queue 56 for later use.
The file manager 64 in remote computer 24 periodically polls relay server
28 for waiting print jobs by connecting to one of relay processes 55 and
sending a
command to check for such jobs. If any data is queued for remote printer 26,
file
manager 64 retrieves the data and stores it in print queue 66. When remote
printer
26 is available, file manager 64 opens an instance of application 62 with a
request
to print the data that had been stored in queue 66. Application 62
automatically
opens, loads the data, and prints it on remote printer 26.
The result code for the print job is returned from printer 26 to application
62, which in turn provides the result information (success or failure of the
print
job) to file manager 64. Application 62 then closes itself to conserve memory
and
processing resources. File manager 64 communicates the result code to a relay
process 55. File manager 44 periodically polls relay processes 55 to determine
whether the result code is available and, if so, download that code. File
manager
44 may inform the user of the result of the print job through application 42,
directly through the user interface (not shown) provided by the operating
systems)
of local computer 20, by recording the results in one or more log files, or
not at all.
If the various components are sufficiently responsive, and the connections
are sufficiently stable, some or all of the communications described above may
avoid use of queue 56 and queue 66 and the poling mechanism described in
relation to relay processes 55. Instead, connections between the components
(application 42, file manager 44, relay processes 55, file manager 64,
application
62, and remote printer 26) are maintained while the system communicates and
executes the print job and returns the result codes.
In an alternative embodiment, which will now be discussed with reference
to FIG. 4, file managers 44, 64 communicate directly, without the use of relay
server 28. In this embodiment, when file manager 44 receives a request to
print a
print job, it links directly to file manager 64, transmits the print job
information,
and waits for the result code. Alternatively, as discussed in relation to the
embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the link between file manager 44 and file manager
64 may be terminated while the print job is pending, then re-established after
the
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print job is completed for reporting the result code back to file manager 44
and
application 42.
Another form of the present invention will now be discussed in relation to
FIG. 5. In this embodiment, local computer 20 additionally comprises
connection
detector 40, which is capable of determining whether local printer 22 is
actually in
communication with local computer 20. Likewise, connection detector 60 is
arranged and configured to detect whether remote printer 26 is operatively
connected to file manager 64. Various methods are known in the art for
providing
such connection detection, including methods that use hardware, software, or a
combination thereof.
File manager 44 maintains a prioritized list of printers that it uses to
handle
print jobs. This list may be an ordered list of one or more specific printers
(by
"printer identifier," e.g., name, serial number, other unique identifier, or
port)
and/or classes (by "group identifier," e.g., local before remote printers,
color
before monochrome printers, or routing information (based on the network
through
which local computer 20 sends print jobs for the particular printer). When
application 42 sends a print job to file manager 44, file manager 44 iterates
through
the list until a printer is found on which the print job can be printed. This
iteration
is performed by using connection detector 40 to determine the availability of
one
or more local printers 22, and using connection detector 60 (via file manager
64) to
determine the availability of one or more remote printers 26. Alternatively or
additionally, file manager 44 may maintain a list of remote printers 26 that
are
connected and/or connectable to local computer 20, for example, by accepting
login/logout signals and/or by periodically polling each printer, then when a
print
job arrives, the local list may be used instead of attempting to remotely
detect the
connectability of various remote printers 26.
In another form of the invention, system 32 comprises a local computer
having a first processor and a first memory encoded with a first set of
programming instructions executable by the first processor to (1) execute a
first
instance of an application having at least one native data format, and (2)
accept a
request to print first data associated with the application. The system
further
comprises a remote printer and a remote computer, in communication with the
local computer and the remote printer, having a second processor and a second
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memory encoded with a second set of programming instructions executable by the
second processor to (1) execute a second instance of the application (2)
receive the
request, and (3) in response to the receiving, automatically print the first
data on
the remote printer using the second instance of the application. In this form,
the
first data is communicated from the local computer to the remote computer in
at
least one of the native data formats) of the application.
In a variation of this form, a relay computer is configured and adapted to
receive the first data from the local computer and send the first data to the
remote
printer. In some embodiments of this variation, the remote computer
periodically
polls the relay computer to determine whether one or more print jobs intended
for
the remote printer are waiting to be sent. If so, the remote computer
retrieves the
print jobs and prints them on the remote printer.
Another form of the invention is a system comprising at least one remote
printer and a local computer connectable to one or more local printers and in
communication with the remote printers) via a network. The local computer
comprises a means for detecting whether one or more local printers are
connected,
a processor, and a memory encoded with programming instructions executable by
the processor to (1) maintain an ordered list (by identity, category, or
capability) of
at least two printers, including at least one of the local printers) and at
least one of
the remote printer(s), (2) accept a request to print a document, (3)
automatically
traverse the ordered list to find a destination printer, which is the first
printer on the
ordered list that is then accessible to the local computer, and (4) print the
document
on the destination printer.
In a variation of this form, a first one of the local printers is directly
connected to the local computer through a LAN.
In another variation, the system also includes a remote computer in
communication with the local computer, where the local computer can access the
remote printer through the remote computer. In some embodiments of this
variation, the remote printer is directly connected to the remote computer.
Another form of the invention is a method comprising (1) receiving a print
job from a source computer, (2) accepting a polling signal from a destination
computer, (3) responding to the polling signal by sending the print job to the
destination printer for printing, (4) receiving a print job result signal from
the
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destination computer, and (5) sending the print job result signal to the
source
computer. In one variation of this form, the print job comprises document data
and
printing parameters. In another variation, the print job comprises document
data in
a format not directly printable by the remote printer. In one embodiment of
this
variation, the format is a word processing application data format, while in
other
embodiments, the format is a spreadsheet application data format.
In some embodiments of the invention, users of local computers 20 and
print hosts 24 are authenticated by a login procedure on relay server 28.
Users of
print hosts 24 log in to make their directly connected and/or LAN-connected
printers 26 available to users of computers 20, or to cancel or remove that
availability. This authentication may utilize user name/password combinations,
digital certificates, biometric authentication, or other authentication
techniques as
would occur to one skilled in the art. Access rights may be maintained by
access
control lists, group certificate management (for example, PKI architectures),
or
other methods as would occur to one skilled in the art. In various
embodiments,
allowing access to a remote printer 26, users of print hosts 24 may allow
access to
specific individual users or to groups of users of the system, such as users
associated with a particular corporation, user group, or class.
In some embodiments, a single file format is processed by the system in all
exchanges of printable data, while in other systems, multiple formats are
permitted.
In the latter type of embodiment, different document types may be
distinguished by
the print host 24 using envelope information (such as M>ZUVIE-type headers,
fields,
or extensions), "magic numbers," the format and/or content of the data itself,
or
other techniques as would occur to one skilled in the art. When data of
multiple
formats travels through the system, various embodiments of the invention use
various methods to translate those formats into data that can be directly
interpreted
by the printer. In some embodiments the source (local) computer does not
interact
directly with the remote printer, so it is not required to have a driver
installed for
each such remote printer it accesses.
Further, in some embodiments, the local computer can use the remote
printer regardless of the local computer's operating system-even if no printer
driver exists for the remote printer on that operating system. Still further,
various
embodiments of the invention will combine and/or separate the various
functions
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described herein into one or more objects, modules, applications, devices, and
the
like, as would occur to one skilled in the art.
In some embodiments, the destination printer is selected by the user of local
computer 20 upon initiation of the print job. In these situations, the
destination
printer information is sent through the system as part of the print job. In
other
embodiments, a group of printers identified by unique identifiers, a class of
printers identified by capability, or a list of classes of printers is
selected upon
initiation of the print job, and resolution of that ambiguity is made by the
relay
server 28 using current printer availability information (or subsequent
availability
information, if no printer within the selected group or classes) is then
available).
Data compression and encryption may be incorporated into the systems
described above without undue experimentation by those skilled in the art. As
a
non-limiting example, the digital certificates described above in conjunction
with
authentication functions can also be used to encrypt data as it is transferred
between computers. Encryption is preferably used at least for those transfers
that
pass through public data networks, such as the Internet. As a further,
independent
example, one or more documents to be printed may be compressed and combined
into a single file with a separate "print options" file using the well-known
.ZIP file
format.
All publications, prior applications, and other documents cited herein are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each had been
individually
incorporated by reference and fully set forth.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the
drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as
illustrative and
not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred
embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and
modifications that would occur to one skilled in the relevant art are desired
to be
protected.
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