# US 8,570,546 B2 · Method and system for printing documents from a portable device to any printer based on information contained in optical code > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,570,546 B2 - Document ID: US8570546B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/480,558 - Filed: 2009-06-08 - Published: 2010-12-09 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-08 - Assignees: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Applicants: Kurt E. Partridge; James M. A. Begole; Diana K. Smetters - Inventors: Kurt E. Partridge; James M. A. Begole; Diana K. Smetters - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570546B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/608: {Secure printing} - G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job} - G06F 3/1238: {Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs} - G06F 3/1288: {in client-server-printer device configuration} - G06F 3/1292: {Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract One embodiment provides a system for printing a document from a portable device. During operation, the system obtains the document to be printed. Next, the system obtains a document optical code that identifies the document. Subsequently, the system displays the document optical code on the portable device in such a way that the document optical code can be scanned and recognized by a scanner associated with the printer. Next, the system allows the printer to retrieve and print the document based at least on the document optical code. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for printing a document from a portable device, the method comprising: transmitting, by the portable device, the document to be printed to a printing server coupled to a printer; obtaining, by the portable device, a document optical code that identifies the transmitted document, wherein the document optical code includes a document fingerprint of the document, wherein the document fingerprint comprises one or more numerical values mapped to one or more subsets of document features; displaying, by the portable device, the document optical code in such a way that facilitates scanning and recognizing the document optical code by a scanner associated with the printer, and facilitates the printer to print the document by retrieving the document from the printing server based at least on the document fingerprint included in the document optical code. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the document is stored in a repository of the printing server; wherein the document optical code indicates a location in the repository corresponding to the document; and wherein the printer or a computer associated with the printer retrieves the document using the location indicated in the document optical code. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the document optical code includes a one-time-use optical code generated based at least on a user identifier and a document identifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the document optical code indicates a decryption key; and wherein the printer or a computer associated with the printer decrypts the document using the decryption key after retrieving the document. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the portable device, a printer optical code which identifies a printer; and sending the printer optical code and a document to the printing server, which stores a copy of the document, thereby facilitating the printing server to send the document to the printer for printing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the document optical code comprises receiving the document optical code as an attachment in an email message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the document optical code comprises generating the document optical code at the portable device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the document optical code includes a two-dimensional bar code. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the document optical code is generated by a trusted optical-code generator; and in response to receiving the document optical code from the trusted optical-code generator, configuring the printer to retrieve the document from the repository and print the document based at least on the document optical code. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the document optical code involves receiving the document optical code from the printing server. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for printing a document from a portable device comprising: a document-transmitting mechanism configured to transmit the document to be printed from the portable device to a printing server coupled to a printer; an optical-code-obtaining mechanism configured to obtain a document optical code that identifies the transmitted document, wherein the document optical code includes a document fingerprint of the document, wherein the document fingerprint comprises one or more numerical values mapped to one or more subsets of document features; a display configured to display the document optical code on the portable device in such a way that facilitates scanning and recognizing the document optical code recognized by a scanner associated with the printer, and facilitates the printer to print the document by retrieving the document from the printing server based at least on the document fingerprint included in the document optical code. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the document is stored in a repository of the printing server; wherein the document optical code indicates a location in the repository corresponding to the document; and wherein the printer or a computer associated with the printer retrieves the document using the location indicated in the document optical code. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the document optical code includes a one-time-use optical code generated based at least on a user identifier and a document identifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the document optical code indicates a decryption key; and wherein the printer or a computer associated with the printer decrypts the document using the decryption key after retrieving the document. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: a printer-optical-code-receiving mechanism configured to receive a printer optical code which identifies a printer; and a printer-optical-code-sending mechanism configured to send the printer optical code and a document to the printing server, which stores a copy of the document, thereby facilitating the printing server to send the document to the printer for printing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein while obtaining the document optical code, the optical-code-obtaining mechanism is configured to receive the document optical code as an attachment in an email message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein while obtaining the document optical code, the optical-code-obtaining mechanism is configured to generate the document optical code at the portable device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the document optical code includes a two-dimensional bar code. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration mechanism is further configured to: determine whether the document optical code is generated by a trusted optical-code generator; and in response to receiving the document optical code from the trusted optical-code generator, configure the printer to retrieve and print the document based at least on the document optical code. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for printing a document from a portable device, the method comprising: transmitting, by the portable device, the document to be printed to a printing server coupled to a printer; obtaining, by the portable device, a document optical code that identifies the transmitted document, wherein the document optical code includes a document fingerprint of the document, wherein the document fingerprint comprises one or more numerical values mapped to one or more subsets of document features; displaying, by the portable device, the document optical code in such a way that facilitates scanning and recognizing the document optical code by a scanner associated with the printer, and facilitates the printer to print the document by retrieving the document based at least on the document fingerprint included in the document optical code. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the document is stored in a repository of the printing server; wherein the document optical code indicates a location in the repository corresponding to the document; and wherein the printer retrieves the document using the location indicated in the document optical code.