Patent ID: 7349951
Filing Date: 2008-03-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for accessing a printing device located on a local internal network, comprising: a computing device connecting to the local internal network; the computing device, via the local internal network, establishing a virtual private network (VPN) with a remote server on a remote external network; a public printing client on the computing device attempting to print a document stored on the computing device by sending a print job directly from the computing device to an internal network address of the printing device; the public printing client detecting a failure to access the printing device; due to the failure to access the printing device, the public printing client presuming the existence of the VPN and attempting to print to the printing device by routing the document from the computing device to the remote server on the remote external network and then to an external network address of the printing device, such that to the printing device local printing can be obtained by routing the document from the computing device to the remote server and then local internal network, out to the remote external network, and back to the local internal network.