Automatic download to print job retention
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorTravis Parry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods of using an embedded Web server on a printing device to automatically download desired web-based data from a remote Web site, as well as methods for storing the downloaded information in a printer-associated cache (job retention) for later printing and/or access. The methods of the present invention further permit the data downloads to be scheduled, for example, during nonpeak hours of internet or network usage, and/or at predetermined intervals. Additionally, the apparatus described in the methods of the present invention comprise a system for downloading web-based data.
Claims20
A method of downloading web-based data, comprising:
- providing a printer incorporating a web server, said web server linked to a network;
- initiating a data download request using an SMTP client to said web server by specifying a network address associated with said data;
- communicating at least one data download command for said data from said web server to a responsive remote server supporting said network address;
- downloading said data specified by said network address via said responsive remote server;
- transmitting said downloaded data from said responsive remote server to said web server;
- receiving said downloaded data by said web server;
- and
- storing said downloaded data in memory of said printer.
A system for downloading web-based data, comprising:
- a web server embedded on a printer;
- said web server configured for display of at least one web page, said at least one web page associated with operative functions of said printer;
- said web server adapted to be linked to a network;
- said web server configured to receive and process data download requests from a web-based device, said data download requests for data associated with at least one remotely located data server;
- said web server configured to send download commands to said at least one remotely located data server;
- said web server configured to receive downloaded data transmitted by said at least one remotely located data server and to store said data in printer memory;
- and
- said web-based device adapted to send data download requests via an SMTP client to said web server for data associated with said at least one remotely located data server.
A method of scheduling downloads of web-based data to printer memory, comprising:
- providing a printer having an embedded web server linked to a network;
- scheduling a data download request via an SMTP client of a web-based device by specifying to said embedded web server at least one network address associated with said data and scheduling instructions for initiating said data download request;
- initiating said data download request by following said scheduling instructions;
- communicating at least one data download command for said data from said web server to a responsive remote data server supporting said network address;
- downloading said data specified by said network address via said responsive remote data server;
- transmitting said downloaded data from said responsive remote data server to said web server;
- receiving said downloaded data by said web server;
- and
- storing said downloaded data in memory of said printer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.