Granted Patent B2

US 7,093,046 · App. 10/753,634 · Granted Aug 15, 2006

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A method for printing a print job, the method comprising:

periodically forwarding an encrypted polling request to a spooling server over a network via a printer polling device associated with a printer;

decrypting the encrypted polling request to identify a print job stored at the spooling server; and

receiving an identified print job from the spooling server at the printer polling device in response to the encrypted polling request.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said spooling server receives said print job from a print job source via the network.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising printing said identified print job at said printer.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising enabling adjustment of an interval of said periodic forwarding.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the printer polling device is one of (i) a stand-alone device connected to the printer via a standard printer port, (ii) integrated into firmware of the printer, or (iii) integrated into software of a network print server.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a format of the print job at the spooling server;

comparing the format of the print job to a printer format of said printer; and

reformatting the print job for the printer if said format of said print job does not match the printer format.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

encrypting the print job at a print job source;

decrypting the print job at the spooling server;

determining a format of the print job;

comparing the format of the print job to a printer format of said printer;

reformatting the print job for the printer if said format of said print job does not match the printer format;

re-encrypting the print job at the spooling server; and

decrypting the print job at the printer polling device.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the printer polling device comprises a user interface.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:

storing each print job on the spooling server according to a personal identification number (PIN) associated with said print job;

entering the PIN via the user interface to access a listing of print jobs stored at the spooling server associated with said PIN;

authenticating said PIN;

communicating from said spooling server to said printer polling device said list of print jobs associated with said PIN which are stored at the spooling server; and

providing for a selection of a print job.

10. A printer polling device associated with a printer for printing a print job, the polling device comprising:

a transmitter for periodically forwarding an encrypted polling request to a spooling server over a network, said encrypted polling request being decrypted at the spooling server to identify a print job stored at the spooling server; and

a receiver for receiving an identified print job from the spooling server at the printer polling device in response to said encrypted polling request.

11. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said spooling server receives said print job from a print job source via the network.

12. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said identified print job is printed at said printer.

13. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising enabling adjustment of an interval of said periodic forwarding.

14. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the printer polling device is one of (i) a stand-alone device connected to the printer via a standard printer port, (ii) integrated into the firmware of the printer, or (iii) integrated into software of a network print server.

15. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein:

a format of the print job is determined at the spooling server;

the format of the print job is compared to a printer format of said printer; and

the print job is reformatted for the printer if said format of said print job does not match the printer format.

16. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein:

the print job is encrypted at a print job source;

the print job is decrypted at the spooling server;

a format of the print job is determined at the spooling server;

the format of the print job is compared to a printer format of said printer;

the print job is reformatted for the printer if said format of said print job does not match the printer format;

the print job is re-encrypted at the spooling server; and

the print job is decrypted at the printer polling device.

17. A printer polling device in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising a user interface.

18. A printer poling device in accordance with claim 17 , wherein:

each print job is stored on the spooling server according to a personal identification number (PIN) associated with said print job;

the PIN is entered via the user interface to access a listing of print jobs stored at the spooling server associated with said PIN;

said PIN is authenticated;

said spooling server communicates to said printer polling device said list of print jobs associated with said PIN which are stored at the spooling server; and

selection of a print job is provided for.

Assignments (8)