US 7,689,436 B2 · Peripheral device output job user data processing

Abstract

A printer driver application is executed to form print data to be output at a peripheral device. User-specific data and the print data are addressed to an address of a queue to be output at the peripheral device. The user data can be an identification of a user requesting the output at the peripheral device, accounting information corresponding to the user, billing information corresponding to the user, a quantity corresponding to the print data, or a cost corresponding to the print data to be output at the peripheral device.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims49

Dependent claims

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a processor, direct a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving user-specific data corresponding to billing information for a user;
receiving a print job containing print data from a printer driver application to be output at a peripheral device;
modifying the print job to add the user specific data;
and
addressing the modified print job to a network resource for:
processing the user-specific data to assess the user with charges;
and
storage of the print data in an output queue to be output at the peripheral device.

5 more elements

A system comprising:

a printer;
an interconnected network;
a print server in communication with the printer through the interconnect network and including a server processor in communication with a server memory, the server memory including a print queue for the printer, the server memory having installed thereon a server application;
a client device in communication with the print server through the interconnected network and including a client processor in communication with a client memory, the client memory having installed thereon a document processing application for processing a document that includes information, a printer driver application, and a driver-server interface application, wherein:
the client processor executes the document processing application to invoke the printer driver application upon receipt of a request to print the document at the printer;
the client processor executes the printer driver application to create a print job from the information in the document;
the client processor executes the driver-server interface application to:
modify the print job to add user data, the user data being selected from the group consisting of:
accounting information corresponding to the user;
billing information corresponding to the user;
and
a cost corresponding to the print data to be printed at the printer;
address a transmission of the modified print job to an address of the print queue;
and
transmit the transmission of the modified print job to the address of the print queue;
the server processor executes the server application to:
receive the transmission of the modified print job from the client device through the interconnected network;
store the print data in the print queue;
quantify the use of the printer by the user corresponding to the print data in the print queue;
and
perform a billing function using the user data and the quantified use for the print data.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description6,087 words

Summary959 words

#The present invention relates to outputting an output job at an output device such as a peripheral device. More particularly, the invention relates to routing an output job to a peripheral device.

#In many situations, an output device such as a peripheral device or a printer is coupled to a document processing device, such as a personal computer or a workstation, that helps render an output job (such as a print job) that is output by the peripheral device (e.g. printed by the printing device). The document processing device generates one or more output jobs to be output by the peripheral device. The document processing device can execute different kinds of applications each of which can generate an output job that can be output by the peripheral device upon a demand for same by a user. Prior to initiation of the demand for output, the user can input data, edit the data, delete the data, etc. For example, the output jobs can be generated by one or more application programs (e.g. word processing programs, electronic mail programs, drawing programs, spreadsheet programs, desk top publishing programs, etc.) executed by the document processing device.

#The output jobs may include any type of graphical elements or information supported by the peripheral device, including text, pictures, and so forth. The document processing device typically translates the output job into a language that is understood by the peripheral device. Where the peripheral device is a printer, the language can be Printer Control Language (PCL) or Postscript. A particular peripheral device may understand a single language, thereby requiring the processing device to translate the output job into that single language. This type of peripheral device requires an attached processing device to convert the raw output job data into a format (i.e., language) that is understood by the peripheral device.

Brief description of the drawings4 figures

#In the drawings, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like components and features.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment in which multiple servers, workstations, and peripheral devices including printers are coupled to one another via an interconnected network.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing pertinent components of a computer workstation for outputting to a peripheral device in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed description5,018 words

#The methods, programs, client devices, print servers, and systems, according to various embodiments of the present invention, relate to a client device or document processing device such as personal computer (PC) that executes a document processing application, such as a word processor application, that creates and/or stores a document that is to be output at a peripheral device, such as a printer. Where the PC has not previously directed a document for printing at the printer, the PC must first be set up. One such an environment that calls for the PC to be set up is in mobile computing. A typical mobile computing environment is that of a traveler who uses a laptop computer or other mobile computing device. The laptop computer has a document processing application installed thereon. The document processing application typically has a printer driver application that can be used to create a print data from a document that the traveler has stored and/or created. In order to print out the document, the traveler locates an available printer upon which to print the document. Public accommodations and meeting facilities, such as those often associated with the hospitality industry, often offer printers to guests for their use.

#In order to print out on the available printer that the traveler has located, software is installed on the laptop computer. The software can include a driver-server interface application that can be obtained by copying from portable media or by download from an interconnected network that is also in communication with a print server and the printer that the traveler has located. The traveler then operates the document processing application to request the printing function thereof so as to obtain the desired print out on the located printer that the traveler specifies in requesting the printing function.

#After the traveler has made this request, the document processing application executes the printer driver application to create print data from the document being processed by the document processing application. The driver-server interface application, which can be executed in background, adds data that is specific to the user (e.g. the traveler) to the print data. This user-specific data can include an identification of the user, accounting information corresponding to the user, and/or billing information corresponding to the user. By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the user can be identified by a password, log in, or hotel guest room identifier. The identification of the user can be used to assess costs and usage back to the user. The accounting information and/or the billing information can be, for instance, the user's credit card information, debit card information, and/or electronic funds transfer information.

Facts

Application

10/213,171Filed 5 Aug 2002

Published

US 2004/0024649 A15 Feb 2004

Granted

30 Mar 2010

Term ends

14 Aug 2028

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 2,201 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification5 codes

G06Q 30/06
Commerce: buying, selling or leasing transactions
G06Q 20/209
Point-of-sale [POS] network systems: specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
G07F 17/0014
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere…
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial

Timeline

5 Aug 2002Application filedUS 10/213,171
8 Oct 2002Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Companyassignment of assignor's interest
18 Jun 2003Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.assignment of assignor's interest
5 Feb 2004PublishedUS 2004/0024649 A1
30 Mar 2010GrantedUS 7,689,436 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
14 Aug 2028Term endsEstimated, includes 2,201 days of adjustment

Peripheral device output job user data processing

Life of this patent

Peripheral device output job user data processing

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims49

Description6,087 words

Drawings

Classification5 codes

Life of this patent

Description6,087 words