Wireless printing devices that provide printing services over a network without a need for a client device of the printing device to use, at the client device, a printer specific printer driver

A method for wirelessly providing, at a printing device, printing services to one or more client devices over a network without a need of installing a device specific printer driver or device specific software at the one or more client devices and without a need of using the device specific printer driver or device specific software at the one or more client devices for printing to the printing device, the device specific printer driver or the device specific software being device specific to the printing device for printing at the printing device, the one or more client devices being distinct devices from the printing device, the printing device is a wireless printing device that includes:

• wireless communication circuitry, the wireless communication circuitry includes one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets that are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards;
• an output controller or a printer controller;
• and
• memory or storage storing device information related to the printing device, and wherein the method comprises:
• (1) establishing, by the printing device and via the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device, a wireless connection to a wireless local area network, the wireless connection to the wireless local area network is compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards;
• (2) wirelessly accessing, by the printing device and via the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device and over the wireless local area network connection established in (1), the network;
• (3) wirelessly connecting, by the printing device and via the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device, the printing device to one or more computing devices over the network wirelessly accessed in (2);
• (4) wirelessly transmitting, by the printing device and via the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device and over the network wirelessly accessed in (2), at least part of the device information, which is related to the printing device, the wireless transmitting being from the printing device to the one or more computing devices wirelessly connected in (3) over the network wirelessly accessed in (2), the device information being stored in the memory or the storage of the printing device and the at least part of the device information includes at least one of identification information, capability information, brand information, model information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, resolution information, or attribute information, individually or in any combination, related to the printing device;
• (5) wirelessly receiving, by the printing device and via the one or more wireless communication chips or chipsets of the printing device, output data from the one or more computing devices subsequent to the printing device having wirelessly transmitted the at least part of the device information in (4), the output data is related to digital content for printing at the printing device, and wherein the output data is in accordance, at least in part, with the at least part of the device information that is wirelessly transmitted in (4) from the printing device to the one or more computing devices over the network;
• and
• (6) rendering or processing, by the output controller or the printer controller included in the printing device, at least part of the output data wirelessly received in (5) for printing of at least part of the digital content at the printing device.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having recorded therein software or firmware for a printing device to provide printing services to one or more client devices over a network without a need for the one or more client devices to install and use a device specific printer driver or software, which is device specific to the printing device for printing at the printing device, the printing device is a wireless printing device that includes:

• one or more controllers or processors, and
• wireless communication circuitry, the wireless communication circuitry includes one or more wireless communication units that are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards, the wireless communication circuitry is configured to:
• (a) couple, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device, the printing device to a wireless local area network;
• and
• (b) wirelessly access, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device and over the wireless local area network coupled in (a), the network, the wireless access of the network over the wireless local area network coupled in (a) being compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards;
• and
• wherein execution of the software or firmware by the one or more controllers or processors included in the printing device causes the printing device to:
• (i) wirelessly connect, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device and using the software or firmware stored in a memory component or a storage component of the printing device, to one or more computing devices over the network wirelessly accessed in (b);
• (ii) wirelessly transmit, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device and over the network wirelessly accessed in (b), device information that is related to the printing device from the printing device to the one or more computing devices over the network, the device information being stored in the memory component or the storage component of the printing device and the device information includes at least one of identification information, capability information, brand information, model information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, resolution information, or attribute information, individually or in any combination, related to the printing device;
• (iii) register the printing device with one or more servers over the network wirelessly accessed in (b);
• and
• (iv) wirelessly receive, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device, output data from the one or more computing devices subsequent to having registered the printing device with the one or more servers, the output data is related to digital content for rendering or printing at the printing device, and
• wherein the output data is in accordance, at least in part, with the device information that is wirelessly transmitted from the printing device to the one or more computing devices over the network, and wherein the one or more computing devices and the one or more servers are distinct devices from the printing device.