Methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving a print job via a printer polling device associated with a printer
US6748471B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 16, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 20, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2201/0093
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for requesting and receiving print jobs over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A spooling server is used to store a print job received via the network from a print job source. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling the spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at a printer currently associated with the polling device. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.