US 6,993,562 B2 · Method and system to print via email

Abstract

A system and method that enables users operating originating devices, such as PC's, laptop computers, PDA's, pocket PC's, cell phones, etc., to print documents, images, etc. by sending the content to be printed via an e-mail message. The e-mail message is sent to a virtual printer e-mail address hosted by an e-mail server. The e-mail message is retrieved by a “driverless” print server (DPS) system, separated into a main file and attachment files, and printed on a printer to which the virtual printer e-mail address corresponds. The DPS system utilizes a table driven mechanism to determine appropriate applications to laod and process and handle various printer events generated by various software applications pertaining to the documents desired to be printed by operators of the originating devices. The system and method enable documents and the like to be printed without requiring a printer device driver corresponding to the target printer to be loaded on the originating device.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A method to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising:

defining a virtual e-mail address for the target printer;
retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to the virtual e-mail address of the target printer from an e-mail server that hosts an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address, at least a portion of the source data comprising an attachment to the e-mail message;
separating the attachment from the e-mail message;
determining one of a corresponding application or browser via which the attachment can be rendered based on a content type of the attachment;
loading the attachment into the corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the attachment can be printed;
generating printer data corresponding to the attachment via the corresponding application or browser and print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server;
and
submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.

5 more elements

A machine readable media on which a plurality of machine instructions are stored that when executed by a computing machine enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message by performing the operations of:

retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to a virtual e-mail address defined for the target printer from an e-mail server that host an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address, at least a portion of the source data comprising an attachment to the e-mail message;
separating the attachment from the e-nail message;
determining one of a corresponding application or browser via which the attachment can be rendered based on a content type of the attachment;
loading the attachment into the corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the attachment can be printed;
generating printer data corresponding to the attachment via the corresponding application or browser and print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server;
and
submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.

4 more elements

A system to enable a user to print source data on a target printer via an e-mail message, comprising:

means for retrieving an e-mail message containing the source data that is addressed to a virtual e-mail address defined for the target printer from an e-mail server that hosts an e-mail account corresponding to the virtual e-mail address, at least a portion of the source data comprising an attachment to the e-mail message;
means for separating the attachment from the e-mail message;
means for determining one of a corresponding application or browser via which the attachment can be rendered based on a content type of the attachment;
means for loading the attachment into the corresponding application or browser running on a print server from which the attachment can be printed;
means for invoking a print action within the corresponding application or browser to generate printer data corresponding to the attachment via the corresponding application or browser and a print subsystem of an operating system running on the print server;
and
means for submitting the printer data from the print server to the target printer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system to print via email

Life of this patent

Method and system to print via email

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48