Granted Patent B2

US 9,632,733 · App. 14/567,492 · Granted Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a user interface;

a processor;

a storage;

a network communication interface;

a local communication interface;

instructions stored in the storage that, when executed by the processor, allow the device to:

receive and store digital content through one of the communication interfaces;

identify the digital content for queueing for printing, based upon an input received through the user interface;

queue the digital content for printing with associated desired characteristics of a printer to print the content;

broadcast a request for a printer;

notify the user that a printer having the desired characteristics is available and inquiring whether the content should be sent; and

send the digital content to a printer that responds to the request and has the desired characteristics in response to the inquiring.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , further comprising one of a tablet or a cell phone.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the network communication interface comprises one of Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

4. The local communication interface of claim 1 , comprises one of Bluetooth and infrared.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristics include at least one of a printer resolution, printer location, speed of printing, and cost of printing.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving digital content on a mobile computing device;

receiving a user input from the user through a user interface on the mobile computing device indicating that the digital content should be stored in a print queue on the mobile computing device;

storing the digital content in the print queue based upon the user input;

transmitting a signal through a local communications interface on the mobile device, the signal advertising the print queue from the mobile device, wherein the signal includes desired characteristics of a printer to print the content;

receiving a signal through the local communications interface from an available printing device that has the desired characteristics when the mobile device comes into range of the printing device;

notifying the user that a printer having the desired characteristics is available and inquiring whether the content should be sent; and

transmitting the digital content to the printing device in response to the inquiring.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising notifying the user of the available printing device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving an input from the user, the input indicating to print at least a portion of the print queue at the available printing device.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein transmitting a signal through a local communication interface comprises transmitting a Bluetooth signal.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein receiving digital content comprises receiving digital content through a network interface.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein receiving digital content comprises receiving at least one of an image, a map, a ticket, a boarding pass, and a document.

Assignments (10)