Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-packard Development, L.p.

Pat Stoltz

Todd A Fischer

Alan Chris Berkema

Jeff Morgan

A print service supports print by reference operations. Software hosted or accessible by a web site performs the required functions. A print client may be a print device, for example, that has an Internet connection. A print client might also be a portable wireless device, for example, which then might transfer data transcoded by the print service to a print device. The print service accepts a reference to print content, resolves the reference, obtains the print content, transcodes the print content into a print device ready format, and allows the print client access to the transcoded print data. The print service method realized by such a web site provides commercial potential for web services and content provider partnerships, as a preferred use of the print service might commence with a user of a portable wireless device obtaining a reference to print content while web surfing, communicating that content.

Print by reference service method

A print by reference method for a portable wireless device allows the portable wireless device to obtain a reference that indicates where a print content is located and to wirelessly communicate the reference to a print device causing the print device to use the reference to locate and obtain a desired set of print content and further causing the print device to print the desired print content. Alternatively, the method may cause the portable wireless device to communicate the reference to a print service which responds to the reference by downloading the print content and then forwarding the print content to a print device for printing.

Print by reference method for portable wireless devices

A print device for printing data for a client comprises a wireless communications port for receiving a reference communicated from the client, with the reference comprising at least a location for print content. The print device further comprises a network communications port for communicating with the location to obtain the print content. The invention further comprises a program product embodiment for causing a print device to receive a reference from a client and to obtain print content from a location indicated by the reference.

Print device and program product for supporting print by reference methods

A portable wireless device wirelessly communicates a reference to a print device causing the print device to use the reference to obtain a desired set of print content and further causing the print device to print the desired print content. The portable wireless device may also wirelessly communicate the reference to a print service which may respond to the reference by obtaining the desired print content, formatting the desired print content for printing, and communicating the desired print content to the print device for printing.

Portable wireless device and software for printing by reference

A print service, preferably realized as a web site or part of web site, supports print by reference operations. Software hosted or accessible by the web site performs the required functions. The print service, using a protocol, accepts a reference to print content, resolves the reference, obtains the print content, transcodes the print content into a print device ready format, and allows the print client access to the transcoded print data. The print service method realized by such a web site provides commercial potential for web services and content provider partnerships, as a preferred use of the print service might commence with a user of a portable wireless device obtaining a reference to print content while web surfing, communicating that content, for example via a Bluetooth wireless connection to the print device, which then uses the print service to resolve and process the print by reference communication.

Print by reference service communication protocol and interface

A wireless communication protocol for print by reference operations initiated by a portable wireless device. The protocol allows a portable wireless device, such as a handheld personal digital assistant, to initiate a print job with a printer by indicating the nature of the communication as a print by reference operation and identifying a location including print content. The protocol is preferably used as the body of an Object Exchange (OBEX) packet in a Bluetooth RF communication initiated by the portable wireless device with a Bluetooth capable print device, e.g., a printer or multi-function peripheral with a print capability. A preferred embodiment of the wireless communication protocol uses the body of an OBEX packet communicated by Bluetooth RF to include a tag identifying a packet body as being a packet body for a print by reference operation and a location identifying the location of the print content. With a preferred extensible mark-up language format, the location comprises an attribute. Additional attributes may, for example, include attributes enabling security clearance, billing identifications, use of supporting print services, and identification of alternate locations for targeted print content.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Pat Stoltz