Patent ID: 6985452

Claim:
A system for distributing and printing packets of information to individual receiver/printer terminals at cooperating retail locations, said system including: means for creating said packets of information in a digital format; a wireless network for transmitting said packets of information to said retail locations; and a network of dedicated, standardized high-speed printer appliances at said retail locations, each of said appliances being adapted to: receive said transmitted packets of information from said wireless network; select and accept those packets of information intended for each of said receiver/printer terminals from all those received; process and store said accepted packets of information; convert said accepted packets of information into a printable format at each individual receiver/printer terminal; receive and process a request to print said accepted packets of information at individual receiver/printer terminals; automatically print said accepted packets in response to said request; and prevent misuse and unauthorized copying of said packets of information; wherein each of said printer appliances further includes a sensor adapted to detect whether said printed packet has been removed from said appliance.