Patent Publication Number: US-7904502-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for processing document requests at a server

Description:
This application is a continuation of a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/383,066, filed Aug. 25, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,738,841, which is a continuation-in-part application of a application entitled, “Method And Apparatus For Controlling A Peripheral”, application Ser. No. 08/599,373, filed on Feb. 9, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,048. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of printer peripheral devices used in conjunction with interconnected networks, such as the World Wide Web; more particularly, the present invention relates to directly controlling a printer via existing protocols used to access documents on such a network. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An important use of computers is the transfer of information over a network. Currently, the largest computer network in existence is the Internet. The Internet is a worldwide interconnection of computer networks that communicate using a common protocol. Millions of computers, from low-end personal computers to high-end super computers are coupled to the Internet. 
     The Internet grew out of work funded in the 1960s by the U.S. Defense Department&#39;s Advanced Research Projects Agency. For a long time, Internet was used by researchers in universities and national laboratories to share information. As the existence of the Internet became more widely known, many users outside of the academic/research community (e.g., employees of large corporations) started to use Internet to carry electronic mail. 
     In 1989, a new type of information system known as the World-Wide Web (“the Web”) was introduced to the Internet. Early development of the Web took place at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. The Web is a wide-area hypermedia information retrieval system aimed to give wide access to a large universe of documents. At this time, the Web was known to and used by the academic/research community only. There was no easily available tool that allows a technically untrained person to access the Web. 
     In 1993, researchers at the-National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NSCA) released a Web browser called “Mosiac” that implemented a graphical user interface (GUI). Mosiac&#39;s graphical user interface was simple to learn yet powerful. The Mosiac browser allows a user to retrieve documents from the Web using simple point-and-click commands. Because the user does not have to be technically trained and the browser is pleasant to use, it has the potential of opening up the Internet to the masses. 
     The architecture of the Web follows a conventional client-server model. The terms “client” and “server” are used to refer to a computer&#39;s general role as a requester of data (the client) or provider of data (the server). Under the Web environment, Web browsers reside in clients and Web documents reside in servers. Web clients and Web servers communicate using a protocol called “Hypertext Transfer Protocol” (HTTP). A browser opens a connection to a server and initiates a request for a document. The server delivers the requested document, typically in the form of a text document coded in a standard Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format, and when the connection is closed in the above interaction, the server serves a passive role, i.e., it accepts commands from the client and cannot request the client to perform any action. 
     Portions of documents displayed on the Web contain hypertext links. The hypertext links link graphics or text on one document with another document on the Web. Documents containing hypertext links are created prior to their “publishing” on the Web. That is, a document that is to be published is provided to a server which creates the document and, essentially, publishes the document by permitting its access by others on the Web. Each hypertext link is associated with a Universal Resource Locator (URL) that identifies and locates a document on the Web. When a user selects a hypertext link, using, for instance, a cursor, the graphical browser retrieves the corresponding document(s) using a URL(s). 
     By removing the economic barriers associated with printing and distributing (multi-media) documents, the Web allows individuals to become “publishers”. Many of these individuals are not information publishers, and, do not require high sophistication and complexity in publishing their information. To that extent, individuals utilizing the Web need to be able to create Web documents as well as retrieve information. Currently, tools for capturing images or other media do not perform the function seamlessly when attempting to integrate the captured information into Web documents. Any information captured must be converted into a hypertext document by a separate server. 
     Furthermore, because the Web represents a global standard for the exchange of documents, it may become the common currency in which companies and individuals publish both their external and internal documents. As the race to provide Internet (Web) services to every desktop and home continues, it is predictable that the number of “publishers” will continue to grow quickly. Similarly, the trend towards high quality, multi-media productions will continue to grow. Therefore, it is predictable that a great need for tools to create multi-media Web documents may exist. Many of these tools will be software applications, such as word processors. 
     Peripheral devices are typically connected to the Web to facilitate user interaction with the Web. In prior art systems, peripheral devices are used for a variety of specific application functions. For instance, a printer, is used to print data, while a scanner is used to scan data. These peripherals are usually connected to a host computer, via a bus, which controls the use of the peripheral. A typical system is shown in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , a computer  101  typically includes an application  102  which makes calls to a driver  103  of printer  104  that is running on the host computer  101 , thereby causing control information and signals to be sent over bus  105  to printer  104  to control its operation. Thus, access to printer  104  is only through host computer  101  and its driver  103 . Therefore, if an individual wishes to print a document, the individual must communicate their wishes to the computer, which then causes the printer to perform the desired function. If an individual does not have access to a host-computer with the proper driver, then the printer cannot be controlled. Moreover, if an individual is at a remote site, one may not have access to the host computer, yet would still like to control a printer. Therefore, there is a need to be able to control printers directly, without relying on a host as an interface. Furthermore, it is desirable to allow the same control from a remote location. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one embodiment, a printer coupled to and for use with a network providing access to interconnected, on-line documents in response to document requests is disclosed. The printer includes a printer server for handling requests from one or more browser clients. The printer server is independent of the one or more browser clients 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various embodiments of the invention. The drawings, however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
         FIG. 1  is a prior art computer system with a host computer and a printer; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a network printer in a network; 
         FIG. 3   a  illustrates a document printed at the network printer; 
         FIG. 3   b  illustrates one embodiment of a print view page of a document displayed on a browser; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a bookmaker page displayed on a browser; 
         FIG. 5   a  illustrates one embodiment of the contents of a Web page; 
         FIG. 5   b  illustrates another embodiment of the contents of a Web page; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates one embodiment of a book selection page displayed on a browser; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates one embodiment of a book view page displayed on a browser; 
         FIG. 8   a  illustrates one embodiment of a table of contents page printed at a printer; 
         FIG. 8   b  illustrates one embodiment of a page from a book of documents printed at a network printer; 
         FIGS. 8   c  illustrates one embodiment of a page from a book of documents printed at a network printer; 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram of another embodiment of a network printer in a network; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates one embodiment of a sales quote document displayed at a personal digital assistant (PDA); and 
         FIG. 11  illustrates one embodiment of a contract document printed at a network printer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A method and apparatus for creating electronic documents and controlling printer peripherals is described. In the following detailed description of the present invention numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
     Some portions of the detailed descriptions that follow are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. 
     It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present invention, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. 
     The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each coupled to a computer system bus. 
     The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose machines may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these machines will appear from the description below. In addition, the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the invention as described herein. 
     The programs including executable instructions may be executed by one or more programming devices (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), processor, controller, etc.) in one or more personal computer systems, servers, workstations, etc. 
     Overview 
     A network printer is described that is coupled to a network and is able to respond to requests from the network. In one embodiment, the requests are associated with the World Wide Web (the WWW). The printers act as World Wide Web (WWW) servers. That is, printers are directly coupled to a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) and “serve” data, such as images or other multi-media objects, that they capture or create to requesting agents on the network. 
     In one embodiment, the printer may print a document requested by a user or render a print view image or display a view page on a browser client. In addition, the printer may arrange and print a compound document from hypertext linked documents that are located within a received document. 
     In one embodiment, the printer uses a hypertext transfer protocol (“HTTP”) to communicate over the network with clients; such clients also communicate with the printer using the hypertext transfer protocol. This printer and these clients act as an HTTP server and HTTP clients respectively. 
     In one embodiment, the printer includes a processor and a memory and a computer readable medium, such as a magnetic (“hard disk”) or optical mass storage device, and the computer readable medium of the printer contains computer program instructions for printing, rendering and transmitting the data from the printer to the client&#39;s systems. The clients in the system will typically include a client processor and a memory and a computer readable medium, such as a magnetic or optical mass storage device, and the computer readable medium of the client contains computer program instructions for receiving data from the printer and for storing the data at the client. 
     An Exemplary Embodiment of a Printer 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a printer  250  in a network  200 . Network  200  also includes client  210  and servers  220  and  230 . In one embodiment, network  200  comprises the Internet. However, other embodiments are not limited to retrieving and publishing documents on the “World Wide Web” or the “Internet.” The teachings disclosed herein may be applied to various networks, data and document storage and archival facilities, or other types of client/server systems that have documents or other information available upon request. 
     Client  210  requests documents from servers coupled to the network. Client  210  may comprise a program (e.g., a browser) that permits a user to access documents over network  200  that are located on servers  220  and  230 . Servers  220  and  230  access and provide data to client  210  over the network  200  to a user in response to requests from the user via client  220 . Printer  250  may be used to print a document requested by a user at client  210 , as well as to render a print view image for display as part of a view page on the browser residing in client  210 . Printer  250  includes printer server  255  that emulates a network server and may be a destination for HTTP PUT requests for storage or output of documents and HTTP POST requests for configuration forms. Printer server  255  may also emulate a network client, being the source for HTTP GET requests (for documents to be output) and PUT or POST requests (for document input). In addition, printer server  255  might also serve as a proxy. 
     According to one embodiment, printer server  255  is a printer agency that is used to provide a document-centric interface to a printer  250 . Unlike a typical printer, a printer agency can transform documents or requests for documents (e.g., rendering a document in order to provide additional features). Thus, an agency represents a complex network client that operates on behalf of a user peripheral agency or on behalf of peripheral (many users) to manage input devices, output devices, storage devices as well as computational resources. The agency application is not described in further detail in order not to obscure the present invention. Nevertheless, the agency application performed by printer server  255  operates according to a protocol described in a application entitled, “Document Agency System”, application Ser. No. 08/718,858, filed on Sep. 24, 1996, issued Jun. 4, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,083, and incorporated herein by reference. 
     If a user requests, via client  210  or otherwise, that an HTML document be printed on printer  250 , the user sends a request for the document to printer driver  255  within printer  250 . Printer driver  255  obtains the document from a server  220  or  230  and renders it as it might appear on printer  250  (or a low-resolution version of the rendering). 
       FIG. 3   a  illustrates one embodiment of a document  300  printed at printer  250 . Printer driver  255  also attaches control buttons to the retrieved document and transmits the print view version of the document to the user at client  210 .  FIG. 3   b  illustrates one embodiment of a print view page  350  of a document displayed on a browser  320  residing in client  210 . View page  350  includes control buttons  360  labeled “PRINT”, “OPTIONS”, and “STATUS”. The “PRINT” button contains a tag that causes printer server  255  to transmit the document for download to the digital hardware and print engine components of printer  250 . The “OPTIONS” and “STATUS” buttons-cause printer server  255  to serve up an option selection form and a printer status page, respectively. 
     In one embodiment, printer server  255  communicates using standard protocols. Accordingly, it is not necessary that all client and servers in network  200  share a common programming language, interface or operating system. Thus, printer server  255  may interact with client  210  even if they support different platforms. Moreover, client  210  may interact with printer server  255  even though client  210  is unaware of printer server  255 . Further, printer server  255  may handle additional configuration tasks such as having the user select a printer by presenting the user with a network page showing printer locations and including a hypertext map of the printers. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , printer server  255  formats print view page  350  with controls not found on the original document, including the button controls  360  discussed above and a control indicating the URL of the page being viewed. The rendering function of printer server  255  provides an accurate print view. Accordingly, it is not necessary for manufacturers of browsers included with client  210  to code printer drivers for many different printers since functionality can change without change to the browser or host software. 
     Documents received at printer  250  may be in an HTML format upon arriving at printer server  255 , enabling printer server  255  to perform document handling operations. According to one embodiment, documents are transformed from the HTML format to a page description using a template that specifies how each element of a document is to be rendered. Such operations are possible because a document to be printed is presented to printer server  255  in the form of a document, as opposed to rendering instructions such as a Postscript® file or a binary file. Therefore, printer server  255  is capable of interpreting the document. 
     One such operation is a user configuration at printer server  255  that renders documents as provided by the user, instead of the author of the document. For example, a user may specify that printer server  255  organize and print compound documents (e.g., a book) received at printer server  255 . A user may select a book format by specifying that documents to be printed should be followed by one or more levels of linked documents. Printer server  255  may also create new documents as part of the document stream, such as a table of contents. 
     In one embodiment, client  210  may transmit a document request directly to server  220  and  230 . Subsequently, the servers  220  and  230  transmits the document data to printer server  255  where the document handling operations and formatting are implemented. In other embodiments, document handling operations and formatting may be implemented at other servers (e.g., servers  220  or  230 ) prior to being received at printer server  255 . For example, requests from client  210  may be received at server  220  and  230  wherein all of the document handling and formatting operations are performed prior to transmitting the document data to printer  250  for download. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of browser  320  displaying a “bookmaker” page  400 . The bookmaker option is a document handling operation performed at printer server  255 . Bookmaker page  400  includes control buttons  460  labeled “PREVIEW”, “PRINT”, “PREVIOUS”, “CREATE BOOK”, “STATUS”, “OPTIONS”, “TOGGLE PROXY BAR” and “CHOOSE CONTENTS FOR BOOK”. The “PREVIEW” button causes a view of pages selected by the user to be printed at printer  250  to be displayed on browser  320 . The “PRINT” button contains a tag that causes printer server  255  to transmit the document for download to the digital hardware and print engine components of printer  250 . The “PREVIOUS” button provides access to previously rendered/printed documents. 
     The “CREATE BOOK” button causes printer server  255  to organize selected hypertext links (links) included in a URL provided by the user. The “STATUS” and “OPTIONS” buttons cause printer server  255  to serve up a printer status page and an option selection form, respectively. The “CHOOSE CONTENTS FOR BOOK” button permits a user to select the links within the provided URL that are to be included in the book. The “TOGGLE PROXY BAR” turns the insertion of a control bar on and off if browser  320  is using printer server  255  as a proxy server, printer server  255  may insert a control bar at the top of each document page. The control bar provides one click access to printing, book creation and/or other functions without having to cut and paste a URL. 
     Bookmaker page  400  also includes a control that allows the user to provide the web page (or pages) from which the book will be created. For example, a book may be created from a web page at the URL “WWW.acm.org/sigchi/chi97/proceedings/short-talk/index.html”, as shown at bookmaker page  400 .  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  illustrate the actual contents of the above-mentioned URL that may provide material to create a book. Referring to  FIG. 5   a , a web page including “CHI  97  Electronic Publications: Late-Breaking/Short Talks” is displayed on browser  320 . The CHI  97  page includes various links to other web pages.  FIG. 5   b  shows the CHI  97  page after the browser  320  display has been scrolled down. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates one embodiment of a book selection page  600  displayed on browser  320  after the selection of the “CHOOSE CONTENTS FOR BOOK” button. Upon selection of the “CHOOSE CONTENTS FOR BOOK” button, print server  250  fetches the web document with the URL specified in bookmaker page  400  (e.g., the CHI  97  page) and renders the document based upon a predetermined format. Selection page includes controls that allow a user to select links that are to be included in the created book. For example, book selection page  600  shows the “Emotional Usability of Customer Interfaces . . . ”, “World Wide Web as Usability Tester. . . ”, “Notes on Pattern Language . . . ”, and “Effective Product Selection in Electronic Catalogs” links of the CHI  97  web page shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  as being selected to be included in a book. 
     After selection at book selection page  600 , the selection data is transmitted to printer driver  255 . Printer driver  255  waits for further instructions from client  210  on how to use the selected links.  FIG. 7  illustrates one embodiment of a book view page  700  displayed on browser  320 . View page  700  is displayed after the selecting the “PREVIEW” button on create book page  400 . View page  700  displays pages of links selected by a user to be printed in a book. 
     In addition, view page  700  displays a listing of the links from which the book document is created. Referring to  FIG. 7 , view page  700  displays print view pages of the CHI  97  web page links selected at book selection page  600 . Further, the “Emotional Usability of Customer Interfaces . . . ”, “World Wide, Web as Usability Tester . . . ”, “Notes on Pattern Language . . . ”, and “Effective Product Selection in Electronic Catalogs” links are listed in view page  700 . 
       FIGS. 8   a - 8   c  illustrate one embodiment of a book of documents printed at printer  250  after a user has selected the “PRINT” button on page  400 . According to one embodiment, printer server  255  creates a table of contents with the downloaded document. Referring to  FIG. 8   a , one embodiment of a table of contents page  800  printed at printer  250  is shown. The headings on table of contents page  800  correspond with links selected in creating the book. 
     Using the CMI  97  web page as an example, the “Emotional Usability of Customer Interfaces . . . ”, “World Wide Web as Usability Tester . . .”, “Notes on Pattern Language . . . ”, and “Effective Product Selection in Electronic Catalogs” links are shown beginning at pages 1, 7, 14 and 20, respectively, of the book. In addition, table of contents page  800  lists the URL from which the book was created (e.g., the URL “WWW.acm.org/sigchi/chi97/proceedings/short-talk/index.html” page). Referring to  FIGS. 8   b  and  8   c , pages from the “Emotional Usability of Customer Interfaces . . . ” link are included on pages 1-4 of the book. 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram of another embodiment of printer  250  in network  200  wherein network  200  also includes a server  920  and a personal digital assistant (PDA)  930  implemented as a web browser. Server  920  provides data to PDA  930  and printer  250  over network  200  to a user in response to requests from the user via PDA  930 . PDA  930  may be a small mobile hand-held device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use. In one embodiment, PDA  930  uses a Microsoft Windows CE®-based operating system. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that PDA telephone  100  may function using other operating systems (e.g., the Palm™ operating system of 3Com Corp.). Additionally, the operating system of PDA  930  includes a browser that facilitates network  200  access. 
     In one embodiment, PDA  930  accesses server  920  and printer  250  over network  200  via a wireless connection, such as a radio frequency (RF) modem or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) P802.11 standard modem. Alternatively, PDA may access server  920  and printer  250  via a modem included within PDA  930 . Further PDA  930  may receive data from server  920  used to produce business sales quotes for products and services.  FIG. 10  illustrates one embodiment of a quote  1000  document displayed at PDA  930 . Server  920  may comprise a business&#39; home Web page that a user may access in order to retrieve the quote. 
     The quote may include information previously provided to server  920  (e.g., clients address, the PDA  930  user&#39;s name, etc.) from PDA  930 . Referring to  FIG. 10 , quote  1000  is from an XYZ insurance company to Ogawa for insurance coverage of a small car quoted by A. Sales Agent for $1250. Quote  1000  also includes the address information for both XYZ and Ogawa, as well as the policy number. 
     Further, printer  250  may be used to print a contractual document (contract) based upon quote  1000  received. Printer server  255  is also included within printer  250  in this embodiment. In other embodiments, printer server  255  may be a separate portable device carried by a sales person that may be coupled to printer  250 . As described above, printer server  255  is a printer agency that may be used to provide a document-centric interface to printer  250 . 
     If a user requests, via PDA  930  or otherwise, that a contract based on a quote (e.g., quote  1000 ) be printed on printer  250 , the user sends a request for the contract to printer driver  255 . Printer driver  255  retrieves the document data from server  920 , performs the appropriate formatting of the document data and transmits the document data to the digital hardware and print engine components of printer  250  where the contract is printed. For instance,  FIG. 11  illustrates one embodiment of a contract  1100  printed at printer  250 . Contract  1100  document includes the standard terms of the agreement between XYZ and Ogawa including the data provided by PDA  930  to create quote  1000 . For example, the policy number from quote  1000  is included in contract  1100  and A. Sales Agent is listed as the agent. 
     From the above description, printer  250 , in one embodiment, permits a client user to print a document without having to be concerned with whether the client includes the necessary print drivers. Moreover, printer  250  enables printing from a site that is remote from a printer. In another embodiment, printer server enables a salesperson to print documents from a PDA without interacting directly with printer  250 . Specifically, the salesperson may retrieve quotes and generate contracts for products and/or services while visiting in a customer or clients office. 
     Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that any particular embodiment shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims which in themselves recite only those features regarded as essential to the invention. 
     Thus, a method and apparatus for generating printouts from network/markup language documents has been described.