Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Craig R White

Binnur Al-Kazily

James E Clough

Darrel D Cherry

Shivaun Albright

Stephen T Gase

Disclosed is an electronic transaction recording system for accumulating data from printer devices comprising a mobile access unit containing content which is to be printed, a printer device which receives the content from the mobile access unit and prints the content in response to a authorization process, a billing manager coupled to the printer device and the mobile access unit for determining the amount of printer usage and associating a predetermined amount of token values with the costs of printing and generates an accounting of usage based on a predetermined measure of usage and a billing system for maintaining accounting records of user and associating user account information with the predetermined measure of usage and stores account information in an account records database.

Centralized billing credit system utilizing a predetermined unit of usage

Methods and apparatuses are provided for recording asset tracking parameters in networked devices. One method includes providing a workflow that includes at least one processing mechanism, associating at least one parameter with the processing mechanism, processing at least a portion of a data file according to the workflow using the processing mechanism, and recording information regarding the parameter. Information regarding the parameter(s) may be recorded within a resulting processed data file that is saved. Thus, the processed data file may include a metadata portion that includes the information regarding the parameter(s). The method also includes selectively retrieving the information regarding the recorded parameter(s) from the resulting processed data file. In other implementations, the method may include providing information regarding the parameter(s) to a database and thereafter selectively retrieving such information from the database.

Methods and apparatuses for use in asset tracking during file handling

A system and method is provided for printing a document stored on a remote computer using an information appliance. The method includes providing a connection between an information appliance and a remote computer, wherein the remote computer stores one or more documents, and receiving synchronization information from the remote computer. The synchronization information includes one or more reference information, where each reference information identifies a document stored on the remote computer. The method also includes displaying the reference information on an information appliance display, receiving a print request for one or more documents selected from the displayed reference information, and, responsive to receiving the command to print, transmitting a print request to a nearby printer. The system includes an information appliance that is synchronized with reference information identifying the documents stored on a remote computer. The information appliance displays the reference information on a coupled display and receives a selection of one or more reference information identifying one or more documents. The information appliance also receives a request to print the selected documents. The information appliance then transmits a print request to a nearby printer.

Mailbox printing services for information appliances

A system and method of processing a print job of a user includes providing a print processing system registry having at least one of a storage capability of a print job storage provider, a processing capability of a print job processing provider, and a printing capability of a print job print provider registered therewith. A communication network links a print job service provider and at least one of the print job storage provider, the print job processing provider, and the print job print provider. The print job service provider receives the print job and distributes the print job to the at least one of the print job storage provider, the print job processing provider, and the print job print provider via the communication network.

Print processing system and method

A universal printing system of the present invention is provided for remotely accessing and printing documents on any internet addressable printer. The universal printing system includes at least one remote communication device (RCD), a printer object or 'remote printer', and a network addressable device linked to the RCD and the remote printer. The network addressable device is constructed of various software components or processes operating on a communications network, such as the Internet for example. The network addressable device includes a document storage assembly and a universal remote interface assembly linked to the document storage assembly and the printer object. The universal remote interface assembly receives a document command from the RCD via a document command message sent in a SMTP code structure. The document command is provided for accessing the document storage assembly and for transmitting a print job command to the printer object in an internet addressable protocol code structure. In addition, the document command may include the additional operating instructions of finding a document and synchronizing between documents as well as publishing a document content index. Optionally, with a document contact card attached with the document command message, the network addressable device optimally references a desired document for implementing a document command thereto. In effect, through the network addressable device, a user of a RCD stores, retrieves, and/or prints documents on a remote printer in an internet addressable protocol code structure.

Network based system and method for universal printing

Systems and methods for providing processing operations on documents by external processing routines are provided. A representative system includes a processing link identifier that identifies a document containing at least one processing link to the external processing code. An invoker is used to invoke a processing engine that modifies the document using the external processing routine. A representative method operates by acquiring a processing link in the document and using the processing link to invoke a processing engine. The processing engine is then used to modify the document.

System and method for using remote links for processing document data

An amount of print substance in a printing device as well as an amount of print substance that should be in the printing device are identified. A difference between these amounts is determined and the difference compared to a threshold value. A determination that print substance has been removed from the printing device is made if the difference exceeds the threshold amount.

Detecting theft of print substance from a printing device

A method and system for monitoring resource usage in a networked computer system that includes client systems, a resource server and system resources accessible to the resource server. A client system issues a resource job requiring use of a system resource wherein the resource job includes job instructions directing the resource to perform an operation and job data to be operated upon by the resource in performing the operation. The client system forwards the resource job to the resource server, which directs the job instructions and job data to a resource that returns corresponding job result information to the resource server. A job processor in the resource server forwards the resource job to the resource and extracts job attribute information identifying system resources to be used in executing the resource job. A resource agent in the resource server forwards the job attribute information and job result information to a collection server wherein the job result information identifies the results achieved by the resource. The collection server generates job detail information representing system resources used in executing the resource job from the job attribute information and the job result information and stores the job details in a database. A resource manager system communicating with the collection server may then read the job details from the database and provide the job details to a user of the resource manager system for use in monitoring usage of systems resources.

Automatic job resource usage and retrieval

Systems and corresponding methods that facilitate the automatic organization and collection of electronic information accessed or communicated by a computer user are provided. One embodiment of the system automatically monitors the type and content of electronic files, such as web pages, emails, and other sources for content that are accessed, received, or transmitted by a user. The system then analyzes this information and determines keywords or categories of information included in each content source. The content sources are then classified and referenced in one or more databases for future rapid access.

Automatic information collection system using most frequent uncommon words or phrases

A central print system in which print jobs are directed to a particular print resource based on a set of print job attributes specified by an end user at the time the print job is submitted. The central print system provides intent-based printing which allows the end user to specify the end result of the printing operation rather than initially selecting a print resource. A print job manager processes the print job using the end user selected print job processing attributes to select the appropriate print resource from a group of networked print resources. An attribute registers a set of job processing attributes for each print resource servicing a single print queue and provides a list of available print job attributes to each client computer on the network from which an end user specifies particular job attributes to define a desired end result for a print job. The attribute manager periodically updates the job processing attribute list as print resources are added to or deleted from the network. The central print system may include one or more add-on modules accessible by the print job manager which provide additional functionality to the print system not available in or required to be provided by a print resource.

Print job processing in a printer network using selected printer attributes

The invention enables an application program to communicate a message over a network without having information regarding a protocol employed by the network. A network library program, running independently of the application program, stores communication protocol data and procedures for establishing message transport data structures to be used in communicating over the network. Initially, the application program passes an address string to the network library program. In response, the network library program determines a network protocol to be used by analyzing the received address string. The network library program then creates a &ldquo;transport address&rdquo; data structure which records both the protocol and the address string. The network library program further establishes a &ldquo;transport&rdquo; data structure for the specific message type to be dispatched, which data structure includes a dispatch command and a socket handle to be used during the transmission. Thereafter, the application program invokes the network library program to proceed with execution of the message dispatch action by using both the transport address data structure and the transport data structure.

Extensible, object-oriented network interface

A method of configuring a peripheral device on a network without user intervention includes a server node receiving identification data for identifying the peripheral device on the network and, if the peripheral device is a new device on the network or a driver for the peripheral device is not registered on the server node, the server node self-installing the driver for the peripheral device. As such, newly connected peripheral devices are automatically seen on a network and a driver for the peripheral device is automatically configured on a print server without any user intervention. Additionally, a communication port and queue for the device are also automatically created. Moreover, device configurations are dynamically and automatically updated on the print server for consistent, accurate network information.

Automatic configuration of a network printer

A system with resource server updating provides upgraded system operation by installing replacement files on the resource when needed and without manual intervention. The system in an exemplary embodiment includes client workstations, a file server, and several resource servers coupled to a network for data communication. Several printers, scanners, and other peripherals are coupled to each resource server. In response to a hypertext page provided by the file server to a workstation, a user initiates file version checking and file replacements on all resource servers on the network. Replacement files exist on the file server or are obtained from a remote file server, as needed.

Server system and method of updating server software

A network includes plural client processors, a file server and plural printers. Each client processor has memory that stores a printer driver procedure which enables the client processor to interface with at least one printer type. The file server includes memory for storing a most updated printer driver procedure for each printer type coupled to the file server. The file server is responsive to a print request from a client processor to assign a printer to the requesting client processor. The file server then in combination with the client processor determines if a printer driver procedure for the assigned printer in the client processor is identical to a most updated printer driver procedure stored in memory in the file server. If not, the file server enables alteration of the printer driver procedure in the client processor to bring it into coincidence with the most updated print driver procedure. A printer utility is also installed in each client processor and provides the means for automatically determining network status and for indicating to the user whether the network is available or unavailable, and a message indicating the reason for the unavailability.

Growing community of inventors

Eagle, ID, United States of America

Craig R White