Method and apparatus for printing web-based content via cloud print service

An apparatus for printing web-based content via a cloud print service, comprising:

• an interface server in operative communication with a cloud print service, the interface server comprising:
• a controller for controlling operations of the interface server to provide a print interface service;
• a consumer user communication module in operative communication with the controller for receiving a print request from a user device via a communication network;
• a storage device in operative communication with the controller for at least temporarily storing an interface record, the print request including a print uniform resource locator (URL) previously assigned to the interface record, the interface record including the print URL, one or more original URLs previously associated with the print URL, and corresponding links between the print URL and the one or more original URLs, the one or more original URLs comprising web-based content desired to be printed via the cloud print service by a consumer user using the user device;
• a print content communication module in operative communication with the controller for obtaining the web-based content associated with the one or more original URLs from one or more host servers on which the corresponding web-based content is stored;
• and
• a cloud print communication module in operative communication with the controller for sending a job request and the obtained web-based content to the cloud print service for printing the desired web-based content via the cloud print service for the consumer user.

A method for printing web-based content via a cloud print service, comprising:

• a) receiving a record request from an author device at an interface server via a communication network, the interface server being associated with a print interface service and in operative communication with a cloud print service, the record request requesting assignment of a print uniform resource locator (URL) from a plurality of unassigned print URLs managed by the interface server and identifying one or more original URLs, the one or more original URLs comprising web-based content that an author user using the author device desires to enable to be printed via the cloud print service when the print URL is specified in a print request to the interface server;
• b) assigning the print URL to an interface record stored in a storage device accessible to the interface server;
• c) storing the print URL, the one or more original URLs, and corresponding links between the print URL and one or more original URLs in the interface record;
• d) receiving a print request from a user device at the interface server via the communication network, the print request including the print URL assigned in b) and indicating a consumer user using the user device desires to print the web-based content associated with the print URL via the cloud print service;
• e) obtaining the web-based content associated with the one or more original URLs from one or more host servers on which the corresponding web-based content is stored;
• and
• f) sending a job request and the obtained web-based content to the cloud print service from the interface server for printing the desired web-based content via the cloud print service for the consumer user.