Print Data Retrieval System using Graphical Codes

A method comprising:

• generating, at a client device, print data and a graphical code associated with the print data, wherein the print data is a printable representation of a document;
• storing, at a server, the print data and the graphical code;
• providing the graphical code to a mobile computing device;
• displaying, on a display unit of the mobile computing device, the graphical code;
• capturing, at an image-capture unit of an image forming apparatus, a representation of the graphical code displayed on the display unit of the mobile computing device;
• sending, from the image forming apparatus, a request to the server for the print data, wherein the request comprises the captured representation of the graphical code;
• transmitting, from the server, the print data to the image forming apparatus in response to receiving the request;
• and
• printing, via a printing unit of the image forming apparatus, the print data.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a network interface communicatively coupled to a network;
• an image-capture unit;
• a printing unit;
• and
• a processor configured to execute instructions, wherein the instructions comprise:
• causing the image-capture unit to capture a representation of a graphical code displayed on a mobile computing device, wherein the graphical code is associated with print data, and wherein the graphical code and the print data were generated on a client device and stored on a server communicatively coupled to the network;
• causing the image forming apparatus to send via the network interface to the server a request for print data, wherein the request comprises the captured representation of the graphical code;
• receiving, from the server via the network interface, the print data associated with the graphical code;
• and
• printing, via the printing unit, the received print data.