Patents Portfolio
U.S. Patent: 10,761,791
Patent Title
Wireless printing devices that provide printing services over a network without a need for a client device of the printing device to use, at the client device, a printer specific printer driver
Meta Information
Issued Date: Sep. 1, 2020
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents
Technical Fields
Abstract
Wireless printing devices that are configured to register with a service over a network (e.g., the Internet) for providing printing services without a device specific printer driver are herein disclosed and enabled. The printing device may include an interface (e.g., a touch sensitive screen) to receive security information for connecting to a wireless local area network (WLAN). While connected to the wireless WLAN, the printing device registers the printing device with the service and transmits, to the service, device information related to the printing device. Subsequent to registration, one or more client devices, using the service over the network, may select the registered printing device for printing. The printing device is configured to receive output data either from the service over the network or from the one or more client devices over the network. The output data is related to the device information transmitted from the printing device to the service.
Sample Claim
1. A printing device that is a wireless printing device for wirelessly providing printing services to one or more client devices over a network without a need for the one or more client devices to install, at the one or more client devices, a device specific printer driver or device specific software that is device specific to the printing device for printing to the printing device and without a need for the one or more client devices to use the device specific printer driver or device specific software for printing to the printing device, the one or more client devices being distinct devices from the printing device, the printing device comprises:
2. one or more interfaces for interacting with a user; wireless communication circuitry for the printing device to establish a wireless connection to a wireless local area network, the wireless communication circuitry includes one or more wireless communication units that are compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards for wirelessly establishing the wireless connection to the wireless local area network; an output controller or a printer controller; and memory or storage storing software or firmware for connecting to one or more computing devices over the network, the network includes at least the wireless local area network, the one or more computing devices being distinct devices from the printing device, and wherein the printing device:
(1) obtains, via an interface of the one or more interfaces of the printing device and from the user, security information or authentication information;
(2) wirelessly couples, using the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device, the printing device to the wireless local area network, the coupling to the wireless loc al area network includes a wireless communication link that is compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards;
(3) wirelessly accesses, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device and over the wireless local area network wirelessly coupled in (2), the network;
(4) wirelessly connects, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device and using the software or firmware stored in the memory or the storage of the printing device, to the one or more computing devices over the network wirelessly accessed in (3);
(5) wirelessly transmits, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device and over the network wirelessly accessed in (3), device information related to the printing device, from the printing device, over the network, to the one or more computing devices wirelessly connected in (4), the device information being stored in the memory or the storage of the printing device, and the device information includes at least one of identification information, apability information, brand information, model information, language information, format information, duplex printing information, color space information, bit depth information, resolution information, or attribute information, individually or in any combination, related to the printing device;
(6) wirelessly receives, via the one or more wireless communication units of the printing device, output data from
the one or more computing devices subsequent to the printing device having wirelessly transmitted the device information in (5) to the one or more computing devices over the network, the output data is related to digital content for printing at the printing device, and wherein the output data is in accordance, at least in part, with the device information that is related to the printing device, which was previously wirelessly transmitted in (5) from the printing device to the one or more computing devices over the network; and
(7) renders or processes, by the output controller or the printer controller included in the printing device, at least part of the output data wirelessly received in (6) for printing of at least part of the digital content at the printing device.